JP2011218762A - Image recorder having cleaning unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To relax a limitation of layout of each structural section in an image recorder so as to improve a discharge efficiency of waste liquid ink.SOLUTION: The image recorder of one embodiment includes a recording head for ejecting ink, a cleaning unit having an ink pan for receiving waste liquid ink discharged by cleaning of the recording head and a waste liquid ink discharge outlet for discharging the received waste liquid ink outside of the ink pan, and a waste liquid tank that has a tank introduction inlet for introducing the waste liquid ink and is adapted to reserve the waste liquid ink. The image recorder further includes a waste liquid ink reception section that has a reception section introduction inlet for receiving waste liquid ink from the waste liquid ink discharge outlet and a reception section discharge outlet for discharging the received waste liquid ink to the waste liquid tank and temporarily receives the waste liquid ink from the waste liquid ink discharge outlet, a waste liquid channel which is connected to the reception section discharge outlet and the tank introduction inlet and introduces the waste liquid ink from the reception section discharge outlet into the tank introduction inlet, and a waste liquid ink reception section elevating/lowering mechanism that elevates or lowers the reception section discharge outlet with respect to the tank introduction inlet.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus including a cleaning unit that cleans a recording head that ejects ink.

  In general, an ink jet type image recording apparatus that records an image on a recording medium by discharging ink from a recording head is known. In such an image recording apparatus, in general, the ink ejection of the recording head is performed for the purpose of removing foreign matter on the ink ejection surface of the recording head after the image recording for a certain period of time or eliminating the clogging of the ink. A cleaning unit for cleaning the surface is provided.

  As an image recording apparatus provided with such a cleaning unit, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an image recording apparatus having a cap that performs cleaning by contacting an ink discharge port of a recording head during cleaning. In this apparatus, the waste liquid ink sucked through the cap is temporarily stored in a waste liquid ink pan below the cap, and then discharged to a waste liquid tank below the waste liquid ink pan.

  For example, Patent Document 2 discloses an image recording apparatus having a cleaning unit that performs cleaning while facing an ink discharge portion of a recording head unit during cleaning. In this apparatus, the cleaning unit is movable between a cleaning position that faces the recording head unit and performs cleaning, and a retreat position that does not face the recording head unit and does not perform cleaning. In this cleaning unit, the waste ink discharged from the recording head unit during cleaning is temporarily received by an ink pan and discharged to a waste liquid tank via a tube.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-334110 JP 2009-946 A

  In the image recording apparatus described in Patent Document 1 described above, when the waste liquid ink is discharged to the waste liquid tank, the drop of the ink in the gravitational direction is used. Therefore, the waste liquid tank is more than the recording head, the cap, and the waste liquid ink pan. Must be placed below. Therefore, there is no degree of freedom in the vertical arrangement of the waste liquid tank in the image recording apparatus, and the layout of each component in the image recording apparatus is limited.

  Further, in the image recording apparatus described in Patent Document 2 described above, when the recording head unit is cleaned by the cleaning unit, the waste liquid ink is not discharged from the ink pan provided in the cleaning unit to the waste liquid tank. It may remain inside. The remaining waste liquid ink can be discharged from the ink pan discharge port provided in the ink pan to the waste liquid tank through the tube by its own weight at the retracted position. However, in this case, the waste liquid tank needs to be positioned below the ink pan discharge port of the ink pan at the retracted position, and the positional relationship in the height direction (gravity direction) between the ink pan discharge port and the waste liquid tank. Will be limited. That is, also in this case, there is no degree of freedom in the vertical arrangement of the waste liquid tank, and the layout of each component in the image recording apparatus is limited.

  Also, if the height difference between the ink pan discharge port of the cleaning unit and the waste liquid tank is not sufficient, the waste ink discharge efficiency will deteriorate, so the waste liquid tank will be more than the ink pan discharge port of the ink pan. It is preferable that it is located in a low position. However, if a sufficient height difference is to be taken, the image recording apparatus will be increased in size.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an image recording apparatus that can alleviate restrictions on the layout of each component in the image recording apparatus and can improve the discharge efficiency of waste ink.

  Embodiments of the present invention include a recording head that ejects ink, an ink pan that receives the waste ink discharged from the recording head by cleaning the recording head, and the received waste ink outside the ink pan. A cleaning unit having a waste liquid ink discharge port for discharging, and a waste liquid tank having a tank introduction port for introducing the waste liquid ink and storing the introduced waste liquid ink. A waste liquid that has a receiving portion introduction port for receiving waste liquid ink discharged from the outlet and a receiving portion discharge port for discharging the received waste liquid ink to the waste liquid tank, and temporarily receives the waste liquid ink from the waste liquid ink discharge port. Connected to the ink receiving portion, the receiving portion discharge port, and the tank introduction port, the waste liquid ink from the receiving portion discharge port is introduced into the tank An image recording apparatus having a waste path, a waste ink receiving portion lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the receiving portion outlet to the tank inlet leading to.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image recording apparatus that can alleviate restrictions on the layout of each component in the image recording apparatus and improve the efficiency of discharging waste liquid ink.

FIG. 1 is a front view schematically showing the image recording apparatus. FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the cleaning unit. FIG. 3 is a front view schematically showing the cleaning unit, the cleaning waste liquid processing mechanism, and the waste liquid tank in the first embodiment. FIG. 4A is a front view schematically showing the printer unit when the cleaning unit is in the retracted position in the first embodiment. FIG. 4B is a front view schematically showing the printer unit when the cleaning unit is in the cleaning position in the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a front view schematically showing the lifting mechanism of the waste liquid ink receiving portion. FIG. 6A is a front view schematically showing a cleaning waste liquid processing mechanism at a retracted position in another image recording apparatus. FIG. 6B is a front view schematically showing a cleaning waste liquid processing mechanism that is moving from the retracted position to the cleaning position in another image recording apparatus. FIG. 6C is a front view schematically showing a cleaning waste liquid treatment mechanism at a cleaning position in another image recording apparatus. FIG. 7A is a front view schematically showing the printer unit when the cleaning unit is in the retracted position in the second embodiment. FIG. 7B is a front view schematically showing the printer unit when the cleaning unit is in the cleaning position in the second embodiment. FIG. 8A corresponds to FIG. 7A and is a schematic diagram illustrating the waste liquid ink receiving portion in the retracted position. FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram corresponding to FIG. 7B and showing the waste liquid ink receiving portion in the cleaning position. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the waste liquid tank. FIG. 10A is a front view schematically showing the printer unit when the cleaning unit is in the retracted position. FIG. 10B is a front view schematically showing the printer unit when the cleaning unit is in the cleaning position. FIG. 11 is a front view schematically showing the printer unit when the cleaning unit is in the retracted position as an example.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a front view schematically showing the image recording apparatus 1. In FIG. 1, the cleaning waste liquid treatment mechanism of the present invention is not shown for simplification.
As shown in FIG. 1, the image recording apparatus 1 includes a feeding unit 2 that pulls out and feeds a long recording medium 6 that is wound and loaded, a printer unit 3 that records an image on the recording medium 6, and The cutter mechanism unit 4 cuts the recording medium 6 and the medium discharge unit 5 having a transport path for the cut recording medium. The printer unit 3 includes a transport unit that transports the recording medium 6, a recording head unit that records an image on the recording medium 6, and a cleaning unit that cleans the recording head unit. These components are controlled by a control unit (not shown) equipped with an arithmetic processing unit such as a personal computer or a CPU. This control unit appropriately includes a memory for storing necessary programs, data, and the like.

First, the feeding unit 2 will be described.
The feeding unit 2 includes a recording medium 6 such as a wound roll paper, and a paper tube fixing shaft 7 that passes through a paper tube provided in the center of the wound recording medium 6 and holds the recording medium 6. And a stand 8 that rotatably supports the paper tube fixing shaft 7 and a brake 9 that applies braking to the supply speed of the recording medium 6.

  The stand 8 supports the paper tube fixing shaft 7 rotatably. The paper tube fixing shaft 7 protrudes in the radial direction by injecting air from an air injection port (not shown) to push out the plurality of claws. These claw portions bite into the inner diameter surface of the paper tube of the recording medium 6 and hold the recording medium 6.

The paper tube fixing shaft 7 is provided with a pulley fixed to the paper tube fixing shaft 7, a belt hung on the pulley, and a brake 9 for braking the belt movement by applying the belt. The brake 9 has a braking function for applying a back tension in a direction opposite to the conveyance direction of the recording medium 6 (the direction indicated by the arrow A). The brake 9 adjusts the back tension according to the remaining amount of the recording medium 6 detected by a recording medium remaining amount detection mechanism (not shown).
With this configuration, the feeding unit 2 sends the recording medium 6 to the printer unit 3 and supplies it.

Next, the printer unit 3 will be described.
The printer unit 3 includes a decurling mechanism 12, a plurality of conveying free rollers 13 to 18, 20 to 23, a tension roller 19, a first drum 30, and a second drum 40 in the apparatus main body frame 10. A transport unit 11 for the recording medium 6 is provided. The free rollers 13 to 18, 20 to 23, the tension roller 19, the first drum 30, and the second drum 40 are rotatably supported by the apparatus main body frame 10.
The printer unit 3 includes a first recording head unit 50 provided above the outer peripheral surface of the first drum 30 and a second recording head unit provided above the outer peripheral surface of the second drum 40. 60.
Further, the printer unit 3 includes a first cleaning unit 70 that performs cleaning of the first recording head unit 50 and a second cleaning unit 80 that performs cleaning of the second recording head unit 60.

  The printer unit 3 takes in the recording medium 6 supplied from the feeding unit 2, conveys the recording medium 6 by the conveying unit 11, and also uses the first recording head unit 50 to transfer the first surface ( For example, image recording is performed on the front surface side, and image recording is performed on the second surface (for example, the back surface side) of the recording medium 6 by the second recording head unit 60. The recording medium 6 on which the image is thus recorded is sent from the printer unit 3 to the cutter mechanism unit 4.

Next, each component of the printer unit 3 will be described.
First, the first recording head unit 50 and the second recording head unit 60 will be described. Since the first recording head unit 50 and the second recording head unit 60 have the same configuration, the first recording head unit 50 will be described below representatively.

  The first recording head unit 50, in order from the upstream side where the recording medium 6 is conveyed, for example, inks of a total of four colors of cyan (C), black (K), magenta (M), and yellow (Y). Each has a recording head 51 (51a, 51b, 51c, 51d) that discharges. These recording heads 51 are held by a head holding plate (not shown) so as to be equal to or larger than the recording area width of the recording medium 6. Then, ink is ejected from the nozzles of each recording head 51 onto the recording medium 6 conveyed by the first drum 30 to record an image. The first recording head unit 50 of the present embodiment uses a plurality of short recording heads that are less than the width of the recording medium, and the recording heads are staggered so as to exceed the recording area width in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recording medium. Arranged.

  Next, the first cleaning unit 70 and the second cleaning unit 80 will be briefly described. Details of these cleaning units will be described later. Since the first cleaning unit 70 and the second cleaning unit 80 have the same configuration, the first cleaning unit 70 will be typically described below.

  The first cleaning unit 70 has a known cleaning mechanism such as a suction mechanism corresponding to each recording head 51, and cleans each recording head 51 of the first recording head unit 50. Each recording head has an ink pan that receives the discharged waste ink when performing known cleaning by performing positive pressure purge (details will be described later). In the present embodiment, the suction mechanism is described as the cleaning mechanism. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a known cleaning in which a wipe blade is provided and the nozzle surface of each recording head 51 is wiped with the wipe blade is used. You may have a mechanism.

  When cleaning the first recording head unit 50 by the first cleaning unit 70, first, the first recording head unit 50 is raised from the position shown in FIG. As a result, a space is formed between the first recording head unit 50 and the outer peripheral surface of the first drum 30. Next, the first cleaning unit 70 is rotated toward the formed space by a cleaning unit rotation means (not shown) so as to face the first recording head unit 50. Thus, the first cleaning unit 70 cleans the first recording head unit 50. When the cleaning is completed, the first cleaning unit 70 and the first recording head unit 50 are returned to their original positions.

Next, the transport unit 11 that transports the recording medium 6 in the printer unit 3 will be described.
The recording medium 6 sent out from the feeding unit 2 is first transported to the decurling mechanism 12. The decurling mechanism 12 is provided to remove the curl from the recording medium 6. The recording medium 6 sent from the decurling mechanism 12 is conveyed to the first drum 30 via the free roller 13. The free roller 13 and the rotation shaft 30a of the first drum 30 are rotatably supported by the apparatus main body frame 10.

The recording medium 6 is wound around the first drum 30 of the present embodiment at a winding angle of 330 degrees. In this way, by ensuring a wide winding angle of the recording medium 6 on the first drum 30 to about 330 degrees, the recording medium 6 has the tension at the start of winding with respect to the first drum 30 and the winding with respect to the first drum 30. The vertical tension is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the first drum 30 by the tension at the end. As a result, the frictional force between the first drum 30 and the recording medium 6 increases, so that there is no slip between the first drum 30 and the recording medium 6, and the recording medium 6 is removed from the first drum 30. It can be held in close contact with. Thus, accurate recording medium conveyance and drum rotation speed control are possible.
In the above configuration, the first drum 30 is a driven drum that rotates in synchronization with a second drum 40 described later via the recording medium 6. That is, a motor for driving the first drum itself is not attached to the first drum 30.

  After the end of winding of the first drum 30, the recording medium 6 is conveyed to the second drum 40 via the free rollers 14 to 16. The free rollers 14 to 16 and the rotation shaft 40 a of the second drum 40 are rotatably supported by the apparatus main body frame 10. The second drum 40 is also wound with the recording medium 6 at a wrapping angle of about 330 degrees, like the first drum 30 described above. As a result, the frictional force between the second drum 40 and the recording medium 6 increases, so that there is no slip between the second drum 40 and the recording medium 6, and the recording medium 6 is moved to the second drum 40. Hold tightly.

  The recording medium 6 wound around the second drum 40 is conveyed by a driving force of a driving motor 41 connected via a belt and a pulley connected to the rotating shaft 40a of the second drum 40. With such a configuration, the second drum 40 on the downstream side in the transport direction becomes a driving drum.

  An encoder 42 that detects the rotational position of the second drum is connected to the rotation shaft 40 a of the second drum 40. Accordingly, the encoder 42 outputs a pulse signal corresponding to the rotational position of the second drum 40 as the second drum 40 rotates. The pulse signal output from the encoder 42 is input to a driving substrate (not shown) that drives each recording head of the first recording head unit 50 and the second recording head unit 60, and in synchronization with this pulse signal, Each recording head ejects ink. That is, since the recording medium 6 is conveyed at the same speed without slipping on the first drum 30 and the second drum 40, the recording medium 6 is based on the pulse signal output along with the rotation of the second drum 40. The ejection drive of the first recording head unit 50 and the second recording head unit 60 can be controlled. Of course, an encoder may be provided in each of the first drum 30 and the second drum 40 to control the ejection drive of the first recording head unit 50 and the second recording head unit 60.

  In the present embodiment, the first drum 30 and the second drum 40 are arranged vertically so that at least a part thereof overlaps in the direction of gravity. Thereby, the installation area of the image recording apparatus can be reduced.

  After the end of winding of the second drum 40, the recording medium 6 passes through the free rollers 17 and 18, the tension roller 19, and the free rollers 20 to 23 that are rotatably supported by the apparatus main body frame 10, and the cutter mechanism. It is conveyed to the section 4.

  A drive motor 24 is connected to the tension roller 19 via a belt. By driving the drive motor 24, the tension roller 19 rotates. Accordingly, the tension roller 19 can apply necessary tension to the recording medium 6 to prevent the recording medium 6 from slipping after the end of winding of the second drum 40. The recording medium 6 that has passed through the tension roller 19 is conveyed to the cutter mechanism unit 4 via the free rollers 20 to 23 upward in the apparatus.

  The cutter mechanism unit 4 includes a nip roller pair 90 and a cutter roller pair 91. The nip roller pair 90 is rotatably supported on the apparatus main body frame 10. A drive motor 92 is connected to one roller of the nip roller pair 90. By driving the drive motor 92, the nip roller pair 90 rotates and transports the recording medium 6 to the cutter roller pair 91 that cuts the recording medium 6.

The cutter roller pair 91 includes a cutter roller 91a to which at least one cutting blade 93 for cutting the recording medium 6 is attached, and an anvil roller 91b provided to face the cutter roller 91a with a predetermined interval. , Is configured. The cutter roller 91a and the anvil roller 91b are rotated in the direction of the arrow in the drawing by a motor (not shown). As a result, the cutting blade 93 of the cutter roller 91a comes into contact with the recording medium 6 sent from the nip roller pair 90 and cuts the recording medium 6 into a cut medium of a predetermined size. Then, the cut medium is discharged to the medium discharge unit 5.
The nip roller pair 90 and the cutter roller pair 91 are controlled so that the speeds of the outer peripheral surfaces are substantially equal to the transport speed of the recording medium 6 transported from the printer unit 3.

  The medium discharge unit 5 includes a conveyance guide 94 (94a, 94b), a discharge roller pair 95 (95a, 95b), and a discharge tray 96. The conveyance guides 94a and 94b are provided below the cutter roller pair 91 so as to guide the cut medium to the discharge roller pair 95a and 95b. The end of the conveyance guide 94b is disposed so as to abut on the outer peripheral surface of the anvil roller 91b or close to the recording medium 6 at a thinner interval.

  With such a configuration, even when the recording medium 6 is cut by the cutter roller pair 91, the front end (cut surface) of the recording medium 6 is transported between the transport guides 94a and 94b without being caught by the anvil roller 91b. be able to.

  The cut medium sent to the discharge roller pair 95 is discharged to the discharge tray 96 by the rotation of the discharge rollers 95a and 95b. The discharge tray 96 stores the cut medium discharged by the discharge roller pair 95.

  Next, the configuration and operation of the first cleaning unit 70 and the second cleaning unit 80 of the printer unit 3 will be described in detail. Hereinafter, the second cleaning unit 80 will be described as a representative example, but the first cleaning unit 70 also has the same components as the second cleaning unit 80.

  FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the second cleaning unit 80, in which the retracted position of the second cleaning unit 80 is indicated by a solid line and the cleaning position is indicated by a broken line. For simplification, the cleaning waste liquid treatment mechanism of the present invention is not shown.

The second cleaning unit 80 includes suction nozzles 81 (81a, 81b, 81c, 81d) corresponding to the recording heads 61 (61a, 61b, 61c, 61d) of the second recording head unit 60, and these suction nozzles 81a. , 81b, 81c, 81d, suction waste liquid receivers 89 (89a, 89b, 89c, 89d), an ink pan 82 provided so as to cover these suction waste liquid receivers 89, and an ink pan 82 are held. The cleaning unit holding frame 83 is integrally provided.
The cleaning unit holding frame 83 is rotatably held on the rotation shaft 40a of the second drum 40, and the second cleaning unit 80 is moved to the second recording head portion by a cleaning unit rotation mechanism (not shown). 60 is moved to a cleaning position facing 60 and a retracted position not facing.

  The suction waste liquid receiving portion 89 is provided with suction nozzle discharge ports 84 (84a, 84b, 84c, 84d) for discharging ink sucked by the suction nozzles 81 (81a, 81b, 81c, 81d), respectively. Yes. A suction nozzle waste liquid path 85 is connected to the suction nozzle discharge ports 84. The suction nozzle waste liquid path 85 is connected to the tank introduction port 101 of the waste liquid tank 100 via the suction pump 125.

  Further, ink pan discharge ports 86 (86a, 86b) are provided at both ends of the ink pan 82, and an ink pan waste liquid path 87 is connected to the ink pan discharge ports 86. The ink pan waste liquid path 87 is connected to the tank introduction port 101 of the waste liquid tank 100.

  At the time of cleaning, the second cleaning unit 80 moves from the retracted position to the cleaning position, and the suction nozzle 81 (81a, 81b, 81c, 81d) is moved to the recording head 61 (61a, 61b, 61c, 61d) by the suction pump 125. Ink is sucked from each of the nozzles to remove ink adhering to the nozzle surfaces of these recording heads. The waste liquid ink sucked by the suction nozzle 81 is sucked into the suction nozzle waste liquid path 85 and accumulated in the waste liquid tank 100 (see FIG. 3) via the suction pump 125.

  Further, waste ink that cannot be sucked by the suction nozzle 81 or waste ink discharged directly from the recording head 61 by the positive pressure purge falls into the ink pan 82 and passes through the ink pan discharge port 86 from the ink pan 82. Then, it flows down to the ink pan waste liquid path 87 and accumulates in the waste liquid tank 100.

  At the time of cleaning, the suction nozzle waste liquid path 85 and the ink pan waste liquid path 87 move as the second cleaning unit 80 moves so as to face the second recording head unit 60. The suction nozzle waste liquid path 85 and the ink pan waste liquid path 87 take into account the extra length, and the fixed part and the movable part are clearly separated, so the suction nozzle waste liquid path 85 and the ink pan waste liquid path 87 are formed. However, there is no problem even if it moves according to the movement of the second cleaning unit 80.

  FIG. 10A is a front view schematically showing the printer unit 3 when the cleaning unit is at the retracted position, for example. FIG. 10B is a front view schematically showing the printer unit when the cleaning unit is at the cleaning position, for example. Here, only the components necessary for the following description are illustrated.

  As described above, when the recording head unit (first and second recording head units 50 and 60) is cleaned by the cleaning unit (first and second cleaning units 70 and 80), the recording head unit is raised. Thus, a space is formed between the recording head unit and the drum (first and second drums 30 and 40). Then, the cleaning unit is rotated on the circumference of the drum from the retracted position (FIG. 10A) and moved to the lower cleaning position (FIG. 10B) of the recording head unit.

  When the recording head portion is cleaned at this cleaning position, the waste liquid ink accumulated in the ink pan 82 flows down to the waste liquid tank 100 by its own weight due to the height difference between the ink pan discharge port 86 and the waste liquid tank 100. The ink pan waste liquid path 87 is configured so as not to prevent the flow of waste liquid ink due to its own weight.

  However, at this cleaning position, the waste ink in the ink pan 82 flows to the ink pan discharge port 86 through the inclined bottom surface and side surface portion of the ink pan 82, but the inclination of the bottom surface of the ink pan 82 is small. Also, it takes time for the waste ink to flow to the ink pan discharge port 86 due to the viscosity of the ink. On the other hand, when the inclination of the bottom surface of the ink pan 82 is provided large, the height of the ink pan 82 is increased, the height dimension of the entire apparatus when the cleaning unit is at the cleaning position is increased, and the apparatus is large. This is not preferable.

  Also, the amount of waste liquid ink at the time of cleaning the recording head varies, and it takes time for the waste liquid ink to flow when the amount of waste liquid ink is large. For this reason, it may not be possible for all the waste liquid ink in the ink pan 82 to flow to the ink pan discharge port 86 during the cleaning operation for a certain time. In this case, the cleaning is performed with the waste liquid ink remaining in the ink pan 82. The unit will return to the retracted position.

  When the cleaning unit is in the retracted position, the ink pan 82 is inclined along the second drum 40, particularly on the second drum 40 side, so that the waste liquid ink remaining in the ink pan 82 moves downward. The ink pan discharge port 86a flows through the ink pan discharge port 86a. However, since the ink pan discharge port 86a is below the tank introduction port 101 of the waste liquid tank 100, the waste liquid ink flows down from the ink pan discharge port 86a through the ink pan waste liquid path 87. I can't.

  Accordingly, the waste liquid ink remaining in the ink pan 82 at the cleaning position at the time of cleaning remains in the ink pan 82 even at the retracted position, and the amount of the accumulated waste liquid ink gradually increases by repeating the cleaning. Go. If the accumulated waste ink reaches a predetermined amount or more, the waste ink leaks outside the ink pan 82 and may scatter into the printer unit 3 to contaminate the inside of the apparatus. Since the cleaning unit is provided in the vicinity of the drum, the recording medium may be soiled.

  Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, the waste liquid tank 100 and the tank introduction port 101 have the second tank inlet 101 so that the waste liquid ink can be discharged by its own weight even when the second cleaning unit 80 is positioned at the retracted position. A configuration in which the cleaning unit 80 is disposed so as to be positioned below the ink pan discharge port 86a at the retracted position is conceivable. However, such a configuration is not preferable because the overall height of the apparatus increases and the apparatus becomes larger.

  Hereinafter, the cleaning waste liquid treatment mechanism of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 3 is a front view schematically showing the cleaning unit, the cleaning waste liquid processing mechanism, and the waste liquid tank in the first embodiment. FIG. 4A is a front view schematically showing the printer unit 3 when the cleaning unit is in the retracted position in the first embodiment. FIG. 4B is a front view schematically showing the printer unit 3 when the cleaning unit is in the cleaning position. In FIG. 4A and subsequent drawings, the suction-related mechanisms such as the suction nozzle 81, the suction nozzle waste liquid path 85, and the suction waste liquid receiving portion 89 are omitted.

  Below, the cleaning waste liquid processing mechanism of the second cleaning unit 80 will be described as a representative. In the drawing, the cleaning waste liquid processing mechanism is shown only in the second cleaning unit 80, but the same cleaning waste liquid processing mechanism may be provided in the first cleaning unit 70 as well.

  In addition to the configuration described above with reference to FIG. 2, the second cleaning unit 80 has a waste ink discharge port 88 at the bottom of the ink pan 82 at the retracted position, as shown in FIG. 4A. In the retracted position, a waste ink receiving portion 102 is disposed immediately below the waste ink discharge port 88. The waste liquid ink receiving portion 102 has a capacity for storing a sufficient amount of waste liquid ink.

  The upper surface of the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102 is provided with a receiving portion introducing port for receiving the waste liquid ink from the waste liquid ink discharging port 88, and the receiving portion discharging port 103 is provided on the bottom surface. One end of the receiving part waste liquid path 104 is connected to the outlet 103. The other end side of the receptacle waste liquid path 104 is connected to the tank introduction port 101 of the waste liquid tank 100. In the retracted position, the receiving portion discharge port 103 on the bottom surface of the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102 for the second cleaning unit 80 is located below the tank introduction port 101 of the waste liquid tank 100.

  The waste ink accumulated in the ink pan 82 at the time of cleaning flows down from the ink pan discharge port 86 to the waste liquid tank 100 by its own weight via the ink pan waste liquid path 87. When the cleaning unit 80 is retracted to the retracted position, the waste ink remaining in the ink pan 82 when the cleaning is completed flows down to the waste ink discharge port 88 of the ink pan 82 due to its own weight when the ink pan 82 is tilted. The ink is discharged from the waste liquid ink discharge port 88 and collected in the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102 through the receiving portion introduction port. At this time, since the receiving portion discharge port 103 on the bottom surface of the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102 is located below the tank introduction port 101 of the waste liquid tank 100, the waste liquid ink is not discharged from the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102 to the waste liquid tank 100. .

  The waste liquid ink receiving portion 102 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction, that is, lifted and lowered by, for example, a lifting mechanism described later. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4B, during cleaning, the receiving portion discharge port 103 of the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102 is raised so as to be positioned above the tank introduction port 101 of the waste liquid tank 100. Then, the waste liquid ink in the waste liquid ink receiving part 102 flows down from the receiving part discharge port 103 into the waste liquid tank 100 via the receiving part waste liquid path 104 by its own weight. When the cleaning is completed, the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102 is again positioned immediately below the waste liquid ink discharge port 88 of the ink pan 82 so that the bottom portion discharge port 103 is located below the tank introduction port 101 of the waste liquid tank 100. It is lowered and returns to the retracted position.

  The waste liquid ink receiving portion 102 can discharge the waste liquid ink in the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102 by moving up and down in conjunction with the rotation of the cleaning unit 80 every time the recording head portion is cleaned. Also, since the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102 has a sufficient capacity, the waste liquid ink may be discharged independently by raising the waste liquid ink when a certain amount of the waste liquid ink is accumulated without being interlocked with the cleaning unit 80. .

  Even when the waste liquid tank 100 is provided at a position higher than the cleaning unit 80 at the image recording position, the receiving portion discharge port 103 of the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102 rises above the tank introduction port 101 of the waste liquid tank 100. In this way, the waste liquid ink can be discharged from the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102 to the waste liquid tank 100.

FIG. 5 is a front view schematically showing an elevating mechanism that moves the waste ink receiver 102 up and down in conjunction with the rotation of the cleaning unit 80 between the retracted position and the cleaning position.
The waste liquid ink receiving portion 102 is provided with holding pins 105 on both side portions. These holding pins 105 are in contact with, for example, guide grooves 106 provided on the front side and the rear side of the apparatus main body frame 10 via bearings (not shown), and move up and down along the guide grooves 106. In addition, one end side of the drive arm 107 is in contact with the waste ink receiver 102 via a holding pin 105 and a bearing. The other end of the drive arm 107 is connected to the cleaning unit holding frame 83. The drive arm 107 may be integrated with the cleaning unit holding frame 83 or may be a separate structure.

  With such an elevating mechanism, the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102 is driven by the driving arm 107 in response to the rotation of the cleaning unit 80 from the retracted position to the cleaning position during cleaning. 103 is lifted from a position below the tank inlet 101 of the waste liquid tank 100 to a position above. Thus, the waste liquid ink accumulated in the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102 is discharged to the waste liquid tank 100.

  The raising / lowering mechanism that moves the waste ink receiving part 102 up and down is not a mechanism that interlocks with the cleaning unit 80 as described above, but a mechanism that moves the waste ink receiving part 102 up and down independently using a motor or the like. It may be.

  In this embodiment, the waste ink collected in the ink pan 82 is configured to have an ink pan discharge port 86 and an ink pan waste liquid path 87 for discharging mainly when the cleaning unit is at the cleaning position. In addition, the ink pan discharge port 86 and the ink pan waste liquid path 87 are not provided, and all the waste liquid ink accumulated in the ink pan 82 at the time of cleaning is discharged to the waste liquid tank 100 via the waste liquid ink receiver 102 to perform cleaning waste liquid processing. You may go.

  6A to 6C show an image recording apparatus different from the above-described image recording apparatus in the cleaning waste liquid mechanism, specifically, a conveyance unit that holds and conveys a recording medium cut to a predetermined size by an endless belt conveyance belt. 11 is a diagram showing an example applied to an image recording apparatus having a recording head portion 60a having a plurality of recording heads for recording an image on a plane, and a cleaning unit 80a. It is. This image recording apparatus is the same as the above-described image recording apparatus except that only the movable unit of the cleaning unit and the recording medium conveyance system are used.

  The waste ink receiver 102a is provided with holding pins 105a on both sides. As in the case described above, these holding pins 105a are in contact with a guide groove 106a provided in the apparatus main body frame via a bearing (not shown), for example, and move up and down along the guide groove 106a.

  The cleaning unit 80a and the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102a are connected by a wire 108. One end of the wire 108 is fixed to the tip of the cleaning unit 80a, and the other end of the wire 108 is fixed to the upper part of the waste ink receiving portion 102a via a plurality of wire pulleys 109. In the middle of the wire 108, a wire slack eliminating mechanism 110 for removing the slack of the wire is arranged, so that the wire 108 does not slack even at a position where the interval between the cleaning unit 80a and the waste ink receiving portion 102a becomes small. .

  At the time of cleaning, the recording head unit 60a is raised from the position shown in FIG. 6A to the position shown in FIG. Then, the cleaning unit 80a rotates from the retracted position shown in FIG. 6A, and is disposed directly below the recording head 60a, as shown in FIG. 6C. At this time, the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102a is pulled upward by the wire 108 and moved upward. Thereafter, the recording head part 60a is lowered from the position shown in FIG. 6B to the position shown in FIG. 6C by the recording head part raising / lowering means (not shown), and the cleaning unit 80a and the recording head part 60a come into contact with each other to clean the recording head part 60a. To do.

  In this way, by moving the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102a up and down in conjunction with the movement of the cleaning unit 80a, the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102a moves upward during head cleaning, and the accumulated waste liquid ink is discharged to the waste liquid tank 100. It becomes possible.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it becomes possible to perform the cleaning waste liquid treatment even if the waste liquid tank is provided at a position higher than the cleaning unit at the retracted position, and there is a degree of freedom in the position of the waste liquid tank. The restrictions on the layout of each component of the apparatus can be relaxed, and thus the entire apparatus can be reduced in size.

  Also, when the cleaning unit is in the retracted position, the cleaning unit is tilted sufficiently, so that the waste liquid ink in the cleaning unit does not stay in the cleaning unit but flows down to the waste liquid ink receiving part, and the cleaning unit moves to the cleaning position. In addition, since the ink stored in the waste liquid ink receiving portion is discharged to the waste liquid tank, the waste liquid ink does not overflow from the cleaning unit or scatter in the apparatus to contaminate the inside of the apparatus.

  Furthermore, if the waste liquid tank is located at the bottom of the printer unit, it is difficult for the user to access the waste liquid tank when discarding the waste liquid ink accumulated in the waste liquid tank. Therefore, the user can easily access the waste liquid tank, and a more user-friendly image recording apparatus can be provided.

(Second Embodiment)
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A to 9. Hereinafter, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.
FIG. 7A is a front view schematically showing the printer unit 3 when the cleaning unit and the cleaning waste liquid mechanism are in the retracted position in the second embodiment. FIG. 7B is a front view schematically showing the printer unit 3 when the cleaning unit and the cleaning waste liquid mechanism are in the cleaning position. 8A and 8B are schematic views showing a waste liquid ink receiving portion corresponding to FIGS. 7A and 7B, respectively. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the waste liquid tank.

  In the drawing, the cleaning waste liquid processing mechanism is shown only in the second cleaning unit 80b, but a similar cleaning waste liquid processing mechanism may be provided in the first cleaning unit 70b.

  In the second embodiment, the second cleaning unit 80b is provided with a waste ink receiving portion 102b for storing the waste ink at the lowermost portion of the ink pan 82b at the retracted position. This waste liquid ink receiving portion 102b is provided integrally with the frame or cover of the second cleaning unit 80b, and has a structure in which the waste liquid ink does not leak from the outside of the second cleaning unit 80b, a gap, or the like. The waste ink receiver 102b has a larger capacity than the end of the ink pan 82b so that a sufficient amount of waste ink can be stored.

  The waste liquid ink receiving portion 102b is provided with a receiving portion discharge port 103b at the lower end when it is in the retracted position, and one end side of the receiving portion waste liquid path 104b is connected to the receiving portion discharge port 103b. The other end side of the receiving part waste liquid path 104 b is connected to the tank introduction port 101 of the waste liquid tank 100. Similar to the first embodiment, in the retracted position, the receiving portion discharge port 103b of the second cleaning unit 80b is located below the tank introduction port 101 of the waste liquid tank 100.

Further, a waste ink receiving portion side wall 111 is provided between the ink pan 82b and the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102b. The waste liquid ink receiving portion side wall 111 prevents the waste liquid ink once accumulated in the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102b from returning to the ink pan 82b side.
The ink pan 82b and the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102b may be formed integrally with each other, and the ink pan 82b and the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102b may be provided by partitioning with the waste liquid ink receiving portion side wall 111.

  In the second embodiment, when cleaning the recording head, the waste ink that could not be sucked by the suction nozzle or the waste liquid ink that is directly discharged from the recording head unit 60 by the positive pressure purge is accumulated in the ink pan 82b. When the cleaning unit 80b is moved from the cleaning position to the retracted position, the waste liquid ink flows through the ink pan 82b toward the lowermost position in the retracted position due to the large inclination of the ink pan 82b, and the waste liquid ink receiving portion side wall 111 passes through the ink pan 82b. As a result, it accumulates in the waste ink receiver 102b (FIG. 8A). That is, the waste ink receiving portion side wall 111 serves as a waste ink discharge port in the first embodiment described above.

  At this time, since the receiving part discharge port 103b is located below the tank introduction port 101 of the waste liquid tank 100, the waste liquid ink is not discharged from the receiving part waste liquid path 104b to the waste liquid tank 100 (FIG. 7A). Further, when the cleaning unit moves to the cleaning position during the next cleaning, the waste liquid ink accumulated in the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102b does not flow back to the ink pan 82b side by the waste liquid ink receiving portion side wall 111. In the cleaning position, since the receiving portion discharge port 103b is located above the tank introduction port 101 of the waste liquid tank 100, the waste liquid ink accumulated in the waste liquid ink receiving portion 102b is received from the receiving portion discharge port 103b. It flows into the waste liquid tank 100 through the path 104b.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the waste liquid tank 100 has a tank introduction port 101 to which the ink pan waste liquid path 87, the receiver waste liquid path 104b, and the like are connected, and an air opening 120, and stores the waste liquid ink. To do.

  In the second embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the cleaning unit can be rotated without providing a dedicated lifting mechanism for moving the waste liquid ink receiving portion as in the first embodiment. The cleaning waste liquid treatment mechanism can be reliably operated in conjunction with the movement.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, A various improvement and change are possible within the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image recording apparatus, 2 ... Feeding part, 3 ... Printer part, 4 ... Cutter mechanism part, 5 ... Medium discharge part, 6 ... Recording medium, 7 ... Paper tube fixed shaft, 8 ... Stand, 9 ... Brake, 10 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Main body frame, 11 ... Conveying part, 12 ... Decal mechanism, 13-18 ... Free roller, 19 ... Tension roller, 20-23 ... Free roller, 24 ... Drive motor, 30 ... Drum, 30a ... Rotating shaft, 40 ... Drum, 40a ... rotating shaft, 41 ... drive motor, 42 ... encoder, 50 ... recording head, 51 ... recording head, 60 ... recording head, 61 ... recording head, 70 ... cleaning unit, 80 ... cleaning unit, 81 ... Suction nozzle, 82 ... ink pan, 83 ... cleaning unit holding frame, 84 ... suction nozzle discharge port, 85 ... suction nozzle waste liquid path, 86 ... ink pan Outlet, 87 ... Ink pan waste liquid path, 88 ... Waste ink discharge port, 89 ... Suction waste liquid receiving part, 90 ... Nip roller pair, 91 ... Cutter roller pair, 91a ... Cutter roller, 91b ... Anvil roller, 92 ... Drive motor, 93 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Cut blade, 94 ... Conveyance guide, 95 ... Discharge roller pair, 96 ... Discharge tray, 100 ... Waste liquid tank, 101 ... Tank introduction port, 102 ... Waste ink receiving part, 103 ... Receiving part discharge port, 104 ... Receiving part waste liquid Route: 105 ... Holding pin, 106 ... Guide groove, 107 ... Drive arm, 108 ... Wire, 109 ... Wire pulley, 110 ... Wire slack removing mechanism, 111 ... Waste ink receiving side wall, 120 ... Air opening port, 125 ... Suction pump.

Claims (3)

A recording head for ejecting ink;
A cleaning unit having an ink pan for cleaning the recording head and receiving the waste liquid ink discharged from the recording head by the cleaning, and a waste ink discharge port for discharging the received waste liquid ink to the outside of the ink pan;
In an image recording apparatus comprising a tank introduction port for introducing the waste liquid ink, and a waste liquid tank for storing the introduced waste liquid ink,
A receiving portion introduction port for receiving the waste liquid ink discharged from the waste liquid ink discharge port; and a receiving portion discharge port for discharging the received waste liquid ink to the waste liquid tank, and temporarily receiving the waste liquid ink from the waste liquid ink discharge port. Waste liquid ink receiving part to receive automatically,
A waste liquid path connected to the receiving portion discharge port and the tank introduction port, and leading the waste liquid ink from the receiving portion discharge port to the tank introduction port;
An image recording apparatus comprising: a waste ink receiving part raising / lowering mechanism for raising and lowering the receiving part discharge port with respect to the tank introduction port. A cleaning unit moving mechanism for moving the cleaning unit to a cleaning position facing the recording head and a retreat position spaced downward from the recording head;
The cleaning unit moving mechanism moves the cleaning unit so that the waste ink discharge port is positioned below the cleaning position in the retracted position;
When the cleaning unit is in the retracted position, the waste liquid ink receiving portion elevating mechanism is configured such that the receiving portion introduction port is disposed immediately below the waste ink discharge port and the receiving portion discharge port is connected to the tank introduction port. 2, and when the cleaning unit is in the cleaning position, the receiving portion discharge port is raised so as to be positioned above the tank introduction port. The image recording apparatus described.   The cleaning unit moving mechanism also serves as the waste liquid ink receiving part raising / lowering mechanism, and the waste liquid ink receiving part moves up and down in conjunction with the cleaning unit being moved by the cleaning unit moving mechanism. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

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