JP2012218355A - Ink-jet recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suitably remove ink attached on a face surface of a recording head, and prevent damage on the recording head by a wiping liquid.SOLUTION: The ink-jet recording device includes: a recording head 9 which has the face surface having a plurality of discharge ports arranged thereon and records on a recorded material by discharging ink from the discharge ports; a belt-like wiping member 30 which is slid on the face surface of the recording head 9 and wipes the face surface; a nip roller 33 which restricts an attached amount of the wiping liquid impregnated in the wiping member 30 in wiping the face surface of the recording head 9; and a control circuit which perform control so as to differentiate the attached amount of the wiping liquid on the wiping member 30 by controlling the nip roller 33 and carry out a plurality of kinds of wiping movements by the wiping liquid. The control circuit performs control to carry out the one wiping movement selected from the plurality of kinds of wiping movements in response to recording operation by the recording head 9.

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus that performs recording by ejecting ink from a recording head onto a recording material.

  In an ink jet recording apparatus, it is known that ink adheres to an ejection port forming surface (hereinafter referred to as a “face surface”) of a recording head on which ejection ports (nozzles) for ejecting ink are formed, preventing normal ejection. ing. Also, when ink is solidified by using mutually reactive inks, a recording device that forms an image using a combination of reaction liquid and ink, and further using ultraviolet rays, microwaves, heat, etc. to improve robustness Is known to be difficult to remove because of the strong interference. Therefore, in order to solve these problems, a recording apparatus such as a so-called solvent IJ printer or UV curable IJ printer may require maintenance by a user.

  In order to eliminate such a state that the face surface may get wet and cause ejection failure, a general inkjet recording apparatus includes a wiper called a wiper that wipes the face surface. In this ink jet recording apparatus, an operation (wiping operation) of wiping off ink mist adhering to the face surface at an appropriate timing is performed. As an example of such an operation, Patent Document 1 discloses a method of determining a wiping timing by using a timer and a count (dot count) of the number of ink ejections by a recording head. Patent Document 2 discloses a method of determining a wiping timing by combining a normal dot count and a recording duty.

  Also, the mist adhered to the face surface is thickened by evaporation of the ink solvent, the recording head is hot, or the recording operation requires a long time and cannot be wiped during that time. There is a case where there is a concern about the decrease of In this case, a technique is also disclosed in which the wiper is preliminarily wetted with a wiping liquid composed of a simple substance or a mixture of ink, other solvent stock solutions, etc., and then wiped off (for example, patents). Reference 3). Furthermore, Patent Document 4 discloses a method for adjusting the amount of wiping liquid applied.

JP 07-125228 A JP 2001-121717 A JP 2002-166560 A JP 2009-220520 A

  When using the method of wiping with the wiping liquid attached to the wiper as described above, if the amount of wiping liquid attached is large, the wiping performance is high, but the wiping liquid is consumed quickly, There is a problem such as scattering in the apparatus. In particular, when an organic solvent or the like is used as the wiping liquid, there is a concern that the recording head may be damaged by being left after the wiping liquid has adhered in large quantities.

  On the other hand, as described in Patent Document 4 above, when the amount of wiping liquid is limited to a certain level or less in order to prevent the wiping liquid from scattering, the amount of wiping liquid is small. The amount of liquid and the degree of contamination of the wiping liquid with ink differ. For this reason, in the method of Patent Document 4, it may be difficult to perform uniform wiping. In particular, after a plurality of continuous recording operations in which mist adhesion accumulates, there is a tendency that recoverability due to wiping decreases.

  That is, it has been difficult to solve the conflicting problems as described above.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention provides an ink jet recording apparatus that solves the above-described problems and that can satisfactorily remove ink adhering to the face surface of the recording head and prevent the recording head from being damaged by the wiping liquid. With the goal.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention has a face surface on which a plurality of discharge ports are arranged, a recording head that discharges ink from the discharge ports and records on a recording material; A belt-like wiping member that wipes the face surface by rubbing against the face surface of the recording head, and a liquid amount limiting means that limits the amount of wiping liquid impregnated in the wiping member when wiping the face surface of the recording head And a control means for controlling the liquid amount limiting means to vary the amount of wiping liquid adhering to the wiping member so as to perform a plurality of types of wiping operations with different wiping liquids. The control means controls to perform one wiping operation selected from a plurality of types of wiping operations in accordance with the recording operation by the recording head.

  According to the present invention, by performing an optimal recovery operation selected from a plurality of types of recovery operations, it is possible to avoid adverse effects such as wasteful consumption and scattering of the wiping liquid while providing optimal recovery performance to the recording head. Can do. For example, in the case of a recovery operation associated with a frequently performed recording operation, the amount of wiping liquid attached is reduced by reducing the amount of wiping liquid attached, and the amount of wiping liquid attached when a high level of recovery is required. By using the wiping member having increased s, it is possible to ensure sufficient recoverability.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an entire inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment. It is a perspective view showing a recording head in the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a discharge port portion mounted on a recording head in the present embodiment. It is a figure which shows typically the wiping structure in this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the entire control system of the recording apparatus in the present embodiment. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the recovery sequence in this embodiment. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the recording sequence in this embodiment. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the sequence after the recording operation in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows typically the time of completion | finish of the wiping operation | movement in this embodiment. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the 1st wiping operation | movement of a wiping mechanism. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the 2nd wiping operation | movement of a wiping mechanism. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating winding-up operation | movement of the wiping member of a wiping mechanism. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state which canceled the restriction | limiting of the wiping liquid in the wiping mechanism. It is a schematic diagram which shows the wiping mechanism of 2nd Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(1) Mechanical Configuration of Inkjet Recording Apparatus (1-1) Outline of Apparatus FIG. 1 shows an external view of an inkjet recording apparatus (hereinafter also referred to as a printer) according to the first embodiment. This is a so-called serial scan type printer, which forms an image by scanning (main scanning) the recording head in a direction (main scanning direction) orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording material P.

  With reference to FIG. 1, the configuration of the printer and the outline of the operation during recording will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 1, a paper feed roller (not shown) is driven through a gear by a paper feed motor (not shown), and is covered by a spool 6 holding a recording material P by the paper feed roller (not shown). The recording material P is conveyed. On the other hand, at a predetermined transport position, a carriage motor (not shown) scans the carriage unit 2 as a recording head holding unit along a guide shaft 24 extending in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction. In the scanning process, ink is ejected from a plurality of ejection ports (nozzles) of a recording head (described later) that is detachably attached to the carriage unit 2 at a timing based on a position signal obtained by the encoder 7. I do. Thus, recording is performed on the recording material P with a constant bandwidth corresponding to the arrangement range in which the discharge ports are arranged. Thereafter, the recording material P is transported, and recording is performed for the next bandwidth. In such a printer, the recording material P corresponding to the bandwidth is transported between the scans, or if necessary, after performing the scanning a plurality of times without transporting the bandwidth for each scan. There is also a case of carrying. In addition, after recording data thinned out by a predetermined mask every scan, paper is fed around 1 / n band, and scanning is performed again. Accordingly, there is a case where a method (so-called multi-pass printing) is performed in which an image is completed by a plurality of scans and conveyances with different ejection openings involved in the printing operation for one image area.

  A flexible wiring board for supplying a signal pulse for ejection driving, a head temperature adjustment signal, and the like is attached to the recording head 9. The other end of the flexible substrate is connected to a control circuit (described later) that controls the printer.

  A carriage belt can be used to transmit the driving force from the carriage motor to the carriage unit 2. However, instead of the carriage belt, for example, a lead screw that is rotationally driven by a carriage motor and extends in the main scanning direction, and an engagement portion that is provided in the carriage unit 2 and engages with a groove of the lead screw. It is also possible to use other driving methods.

  The fed recording material P is nipped and conveyed by a paper feed roller and a pinch roller (not shown) and guided to a recording position on the platen 4 (main scanning area of the recording head 9). In the normal resting state, the face surface of the recording head 9 is capped, so that the cap is opened prior to the recording operation so that the recording head 9 or the carriage unit 2 can be scanned. Thereafter, when data for one scan is accumulated in the buffer, the carriage unit 2 is scanned by the carriage motor 3, and recording is performed as described above.

(1-2) Configuration of Recording Head FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the recording head 9 mounted on the carriage unit 2 of the printer from the direction in which ink is ejected. Here, in the recording head 9, a plurality of ejection port arrays 11 to 16 that can eject a plurality of types of inks having different color tones (including colors and densities) are arranged along the main scanning direction S. . For example, black (Bk), light cyan (Lc), cyan (C), light magenta (Lm), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) are used as inks having different color tones. Ink is supplied from the ink introduction unit 23 to the ejection port arrays 11 to 16 through the ink flow path inside the recording head 9. Ink is introduced into the ink introduction unit 23 from a later-described ink tank through a tube.

  In FIG. 3, the typical perspective view of each discharge part is shown.

  Each ejection unit uses, for example, thermal energy that causes film boiling in the ink in response to energization as energy used for ejecting the ink, and heat generated by the heating unit 52 formed at a predetermined pitch. It has a substrate 51 in which two rows are arranged in parallel. An ink supply port 56 that communicates with the ink flow path is provided between the heating unit rows of the substrate 51. A member (orifice) in which an ejection port 55 corresponding to the heat generating portion 52 and an ink flow path 59 for supplying ink from the ink supply port 56 corresponding to each of the ejection ports 55 are formed on the substrate 51. Plate) 54 is joined to form a discharge section.

  In each row, the heat generating portion 52 and the discharge ports 55 are arranged so as to be shifted by a half pitch, thereby realizing a desired recording resolution. Here, for each of the ejection port arrays 11 to 16, the recording density and the number of ejection ports can be made equal, or the recording density and the number of ejection ports can be made different from each other. In the present embodiment, the discharge port arrays 11 to 16 have a density of about 490 discharge ports per 1 cm for each color, and 1280 discharge ports are arranged.

  In this embodiment, the heat generating portion 52 uses an ejection port that ejects ink in a direction parallel to the thickness direction of the substrate 51, but ejects ink in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the substrate 51. It is also possible to use a discharge port of a form to be used.

(1-3) Recovery System Unit The carriage unit 2 stops at the home position as necessary before or during the recording operation. A recovery system unit including a cap and a wiping member is disposed near the home position.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration example of the recovery system unit. The cap 27 is supported by an elevating mechanism (not shown) so as to be movable up and down. In the raised position, for example, capping is performed for each face surface of the three ejection port arrays, and the cap 27 is protected during a non-recording operation, or the like. It is possible to perform suction recovery. The cap 27 is set at a lowered position that avoids interference with the recording head 9 during a recording operation, and can receive preliminarily ejected ink by facing the face surface.

  Generally, when wiping off ink adhering to the face surface, wiping is performed by rubbing the face surface with a rubber wiper. On the other hand, when the wiping is performed, the ink component on the face surface of the recording head 9 is evaporated, and it may be difficult to wipe off only by wiping. For example, the ink may contain a low-boiling solvent such as low molecular alcohol such as IPA (isopropyl alcohol), ketones such as MEK (methyl ethyl ketone), esters such as ethyl acetate, etc. In addition, there are a case where the ink contains a large amount of a polymer for dispersing the pigment, a case where aggregation is likely to occur because the dispersibility of the pigment of the ink is weak, and the like. In such an ink, the initial viscosity is not much different from other inks, and there is often no problem with wiping at the time of wiping, but the viscosity tends to increase compared to other inks during evaporation, Removal by wiping becomes difficult as compared with general ink.

  In addition, the ink having the functionality due to the change caused by evaporation, such as phase change with evaporation or heating, or dispersion and solidification with increasing concentration due to evaporation, is as described above. Compared with the increase in viscosity due to simple evaporation, the recoverability is extremely reduced.

  As described above, there are cases where it is difficult to wipe off by a conventional wiping mechanism, and cases where the ink residue after wiping is easily solidified. In such a case, the recording head 9 is wiped using a porous urethane foam or melamine foam, or a nonwoven fabric using polyolefin, PET (polyethylene terephthalate), nylon, or the like as a belt-like wiping member.

  An example of a mechanism for wiping using such a wiping mechanism is shown in FIG. 10, and an example of the operation is shown in FIGS. FIG. 9 schematically shows a state where the recovery mechanism shown in FIG. 4 is stopped in the state shown in FIG.

  When the recording operation of the recording head 9 is completed, the recording head 9 is moved to a position facing the wiping mechanism as shown in FIG.

  The wiping member 30 used for the wiping operation is fixed to the slider 25 by the slider 25 coming into contact with the wiping operation. As shown in FIG. 10, the wiping member 30 is arranged on the face surface of the opposing recording head 9 along the arrangement direction of the discharge ports (in the direction of arrow a in FIG. 10, which is parallel to the so-called recording sheet conveyance direction). Wipe away by rubbing.

  At this time, the wiping member 30 is configured to be wound up by the winding roller 32 at approximately the same speed as the moving speed of the slider 25, so that the wiping member 30 rubs against the discharge port at substantially the same point on the wiping member 30. It will be. Moreover, in the structure of this embodiment, the wiping member 30 is supplied in the state impregnated with the wiping liquid beforehand. In order to secure a predetermined amount of wiping liquid, in a state where the wiping member 30 is held by the supply roller 31 as the wiping liquid supply means for supplying the wiping liquid to the wiping member 30, the wiping member 30 is slightly more than the predetermined amount. Excessive wiping liquid is impregnated. Then, as shown in FIG. 11, excessive wiping liquid is restricted by sandwiching the wiping member 30 with a pair of nip rollers 33 as liquid amount limiting means provided in the path from the supply roller 31 to the slider 25. It is configured.

  When the wiping operation is performed in an excessive amount of wiping liquid without limiting the amount of wiping liquid by the liquid amount limiting means for limiting the amount of wiping liquid such as the nip roller 33, Dirt around the recovery mechanism occurs. In the worst case, there is a possibility that an adverse effect such as damage to the recording head 9 may occur.

  In the above wiping operation, most of the wiping member 30 sent to the position facing the recording head 9 during the wiping operation is wasted, so that the wiping member 30 at the relative position of the recording head 9 is rewound and reused. It is also possible to configure. That is, when the wiping operation is completed, as shown in FIG. 12, the recording head 9 is first retracted from the position facing the wiping member 30, and the wiping member 30 is retracted to a position that does not interfere with the scanning operation of the recording head 9. After that, the supply roller 31 is reversed to perform rewinding. At this time, the winding roller 32 is driven in a state where tension is applied to the wiping member 30 by a brake (not shown). After winding up the wiping member 30 up to the front of the portion used in the wiping operation, the supply roller 31 is stopped and the rewinding operation is terminated.

  The rewinding operation and the retreating operation / retraction operation of the wiping member 30 may be performed simultaneously with other operations, and the recording operation may be performed during the rewinding operation.

  Such a wiping operation can be performed for each scan, but can also be performed after performing a recording operation for several scans. Although it is possible to perform a wiping operation by the wiping member 30 as in this embodiment, the wiping member 30 and a conventional wiper can be used in combination.

  The suction pump 29 abuts the cap 27 on the face surface and generates a negative pressure in a state where a sealed space is formed inside the cap 27. As a result, the suction pump 29 fills the recording head 9 or the discharge port with ink from an ink tank (not shown), dust, solid matter, bubbles, etc. existing in the ink flow path inside the discharge port or the discharge port. Or the like. In the configuration example shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, a suction pump 29 in the form of a tube pump is used, which is formed with a curved surface that holds (at least part of) the flexible tube 28 along the tube. It has a member. Moreover, in this structural example, it has the roller which can press the tube 28 toward a holding member, and the roller support member which can support and rotate this roller, and is comprised. That is, by rotating the roller support member in a predetermined direction, the roller rolls while crushing the tube 28 on the curved surface of the holding member. Along with this operation, a negative pressure is generated in the sealed space formed by the cap 27, and ink is sucked from the discharge port and drawn from the cap 27 to the tube 28 or the suction pump 29. On the other hand, the drawn ink is further transferred toward a member such as a waste ink absorber.

  Further, the suction pump 29 is operated not only for the suction recovery operation as described above but also for discharging the ink received in the cap 27 by the preliminary discharge operation performed with the cap 27 facing the face surface. Can do. That is, by operating the suction pump 29 when the preliminarily ejected ink held in the cap 27 reaches a predetermined amount, the ink held in the cap 27 is discharged via the tube 28 to the waste ink absorber. Can be transferred to.

(2) Configuration Example of Control System FIG. 5 shows a configuration example of the control circuit of the printer used in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the control circuit includes a programmable peripheral interface 101 (hereinafter referred to as PPI 101). The PPI 101 receives a command information (command) sent from the host computer 100 and a recording information signal including recording data, transfers it to the MPU 102, and sends printer status information to the host computer 100 as necessary. To do. The PPI 101 performs input / output with a console 106 having a setting input unit for the user to make various settings for the printer and a display unit for displaying a message to the user. The PPI 101 receives a signal input from a sensor group 107 including a home position sensor that detects that the carriage unit 2 or the recording head 9 is located at the home position, a capping sensor, and the like.

  An MPU (microprocessing unit) 102 controls each unit in the printer according to a control program corresponding to a later-described processing procedure (FIGS. 6 to 10) stored in the control ROM 105. The RAM 103 stores received signals or is used as a work area for the MPU 102, and temporarily stores various data. The font generation ROM 104 stores pattern information such as characters and records corresponding to the code information, and outputs various pattern information corresponding to the input code information. The print buffer 121 is for storing recording data expanded in the RAM 103 or the like, and has a capacity for M row recording. In addition to the control program, the control ROM 105 stores fixed data corresponding to data used in the control process described later (for example, data for determining the necessity of wiping execution according to the main part of this embodiment). Can be kept. These units are controlled by the MPU 102 via the address bus 117 and the data bus 118.

  The capping motor 113 is used as a drive source for raising and lowering the cap 27, moving the slider 25, and the operation of the suction pump 29. The control circuit also includes motor drivers 114, 115, and 116 for driving the capping motor 113, the carriage motor 3, and the paper feed motor 5 according to the control of the MPU 102.

  The sheet sensor 109 detects the presence or absence of the recording material P, that is, whether or not the recording material P has been supplied to a position where recording by the recording head 9 is possible. The head driver 111 drives the heat generating part 52 of the recording head 9 according to the recording information signal. The power supply unit 120 that supplies power to each unit includes an AC adapter and a battery as a drive power supply device.

  In a recording system including a printer and a host computer 100 that supplies a recording information signal to the printer, recording data is transmitted from the host computer 100 via a parallel port, an infrared port, a network, or the like. At this time, a required command is added to the head portion of the recording data. The command includes, for example, the type of recording material P on which recording is performed (the type of plain paper, OHP sheet, glossy paper, etc., the type of special recording material such as transfer film, cardboard, banner paper, etc.), the recording material Size (A0 size, A1 size, A2 size, B0 size, B1 size, B2 size, etc.). In addition, the commands may include, for example, recording quality (draft, high quality, medium quality, specific color emphasis, monochrome / color type, etc.), paper feed path (type and type of recording material feeding means provided in the printer) Further, examples of the command include ASF (automatic sheet feeder), manual feed, paper feed cassette, and the like, and the presence / absence of automatic object discrimination. In addition, when a configuration for applying a treatment liquid for improving the fixability of ink on a recording material is adopted, information for determining the presence or absence of the application may be transmitted as a command.

  In accordance with these commands, the printer reads data necessary for the recording operation from the control ROM 105 described above, and performs recording based on those data. The data includes, for example, data for determining the number of recording passes when performing the above-described multi-pass recording, the ink ejection amount per unit area of the recording material, the recording direction, and the like. In addition, the mask type for data thinning applied when performing multi-pass printing, the driving conditions of the recording head 9 (for example, the shape of the driving pulse applied to the heat generating portion 52, the application time, etc.), the dot size, There are also conditions for conveying the recording material, carriage speed, and the like.

(4) Control Procedure FIGS. 6 to 8 show examples of printer control procedures performed using the above-described configuration.

(4-1) Recovery Processing Sequence FIG. 6 shows a recovery (recording head 9 cleaning) processing sequence. As shown in FIG. 6, the secondary power is turned on (soft-on) to make the printer function actually executable after the primary power is turned on, or the recording start command is input from the host computer 100 (step S1). Is activated. First, in step S2, the current time Ta is read, and in step S3, the time Tb at which the recovery process was performed last time is read. In step S4, the elapsed time (cleaning interval T) is calculated. Next, in step S5, the control circuit described above determines whether or not the calculated cleaning interval T exceeds a prescribed threshold value U. If the determination is affirmative, cleaning in step S6, that is, preliminary ejection is performed. Or perform wiping. Thereafter, in step S7, the content of time Tb is replaced with time Ta, and a READY state is set (step S8).

  The cleaning interval T can be calculated by detecting the current time Ta using a calendar function provided by the MPU 102 or other appropriate means, and reading the value of Tb stored in the register area of the RAM 103. Alternatively, a timer such as a programmable interval timer (PIT) may be used, and the cleaning interval T may be appropriately detected by resetting and restarting the timer every time cleaning is performed.

(4-2) Recording Processing Sequence FIG. 7 shows a recording processing sequence. In the printer rest state, as described above, the recording head 9 or the ejection port array on the face surface is capped. Therefore, by opening the cap 27 prior to the recording operation, the recording head 9 or the carriage unit 2 is brought into a scannable state. That is, the control circuit makes a determination in step 9 based on, for example, a sensor (provided as one of the components of the sensor group 107) for detecting whether or not it is in the capping state. If it is in the capping state, the cap 27 is lowered with respect to the face surface to bring the cap into an open state (step S10).

  Next, in step S11, prior to the recording operation, a recovery sequence as shown in FIG. 6 is appropriately performed, and then the recording material is fed (step S12), and the recording material is conveyed to the recording start position. Further, the control circuit determines whether or not data for one scan has been accumulated in the print buffer 121 (step S13). If the determination in step S13 is affirmative in which data is accumulated, in step S14, the wiping member 30 is opposed to the face surface as the first wiping operation, and the wiping member 30 performs a rubbing operation. Preliminary ejection is performed toward the rubbing portion of the wiping member 30. The rubbing operation by the wiping member 30 may be performed for each scan as shown in FIG. 7, or may be performed for each predetermined number of scans, or may be performed with a predetermined timing set by a dot count timer or the like. You may do it.

  Then, the carriage motor 2 is scanned by the carriage motor 3, and the recording operation for the accumulated data is executed in step S15. Further, the control circuit determines whether or not to discharge the recording material (discharge) in response to the end of the recording data for one page of the recording material or a discharge command. In step S22, the paper is discharged and the procedure is terminated.

  After the recording operation for one scan is completed or when it is determined in step S13 that the data accumulation has not been completed, the recording data accumulation waiting time T for the scan is read through step S16 and in step S17. This standby time T can be calculated by measuring the elapsed time from when the negative determination is first made in step S13 in each scan, for example, using the same timer as described above. Next, in step S18, the control circuit determines whether or not the standby time T exceeds the predetermined time Tc. If the determination is negative, in step S20, whether or not the standby time T exceeds the predetermined time Ti. Determine whether or not. If the determination in step S20 is negative, the process returns to step S13. After the recording operation for one scan is completed, the determination in step S13 is for the next scan.

  When it is determined in step S18 that the standby time T has exceeded the predetermined time Tc, after performing the capping operation in step S19, the process returns to step S13 to further wait for data to be accumulated. To do.

  If it is determined in step S20 that the standby time T has exceeded the predetermined time Ti, the preliminary ejection operation is executed in step S21, and then the process returns to step S13 to further accumulate data. Try to wait. The relationship between the predetermined time Ti and the predetermined time Tc can be Ti <Tc.

(4-3) Sequence After Recording FIG. 8 shows a sequence executed after the recording operation is completed. When the recording sequence for one page of the recording material as shown in FIG. 7 (step S23) is completed, as shown in FIG. 8, a second stipulation is made as to whether or not the wiping operation is performed in step S24. The content of the wiping operation flag (described later) is determined. If the second wiping operation flag is on (set state), wiping is performed by the second wiping operation (step S25). At this time, the second wiping operation flag and the dot counter are reset.

  In step S27, the control circuit determines whether or not there is recording data for the next page. If the determination is affirmative, the control circuit returns to step S23 to execute a recording sequence for the recording data of the next page. . On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S27, a predetermined time (for example, 55 seconds) is waited (step S28). If there is no recorded data on the next page after waiting for a predetermined time, wiping to remove the wiping liquid adhering to the face surface is performed (step S29-1), and then capping of the face surface is performed (step S29). -2) End this procedure.

  In the procedure of this embodiment, the presence / absence of wiping is set to be determined every time the recording sequence of each page is completed. This is effective in preventing the occurrence of color unevenness due to a time difference between scans within one page of the recording material by inserting a wiping operation during the recording operation. However, in the case of a plotter having a large recording area or a printer that records on a relatively large recording material such as A0 size or A1 size, the determination is made appropriately for each scan or multiple scans. It is also possible.

  In the present embodiment, information related to the second wiping operation can be stored in a partial area of the RAM 103. The wiping operation flag can be basically set based on the ejection number of the ejection port array, that is, the count value of the recording dots. The recording dot count value is obtained by, for example, performing dot count when storing each color recording data for one scan in the buffer, or during or after the recording operation for one scan, for example, in a count area provided in a predetermined area of the RAM 103. It can be obtained by adding.

  As described above, the recovery operation is sequentially performed in accordance with the recording operation. However, when the recording operation is completed or when the user designates the recovery operation in particular, it is possible to configure the recording head so that more powerful recovery can be performed. This is important for extending the service life. In general, in order to improve recoverability, it is desirable to increase the amount of wiping liquid attached, but when the amount of wiping liquid is too large, various adverse effects occur as described above.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, in the first wiping operation (step S14) shown in FIG. 7 that is frequently performed during the recording operation, the control circuit as the control means sets the wiping liquid amount to a predetermined amount by the nip roller 33. Restrict. When performing the second wiping operation (step S24) as shown in FIG. 8 after the recording sequence of each page is completed or set by dot count or the like, as shown in FIG. The operation of restricting the amount of wiping liquid by 33 is released. Thereby, when performing 2nd wiping operation | movement, it is comprised so that the amount of wiping liquids impregnated in the wiping member 30 may be increased.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, after the recording operation is completed and the second wiping operation is performed, the wiping liquid adhering to the face surface of the recording head 9 is removed as much as possible when the recording operation is stopped. It is desirable. The reason for this is to avoid damage to the recording head 9 because the wiping liquid is generally composed of a solvent having excellent solubility. As shown in step S29-1 shown in FIG. 8, the capping operation of the recording head 9 is performed when a predetermined time has elapsed after the recording operation. Prior to this capping operation, the control circuit may perform an operation of removing the wiping liquid adhering to the face surface using a doctor blade as a wiping liquid removing means. Alternatively, the control circuit may be configured to perform a work of removing the wiping liquid adhering to the face surface using a doctor blade before performing the capping operation in response to a predetermined operation such as power off or sleep. Good.

  In the above-described embodiment, the two types of wiping liquid adhering amounts are different from each other. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the wiping liquid adhering amounts are different. Of course, it may be configured to be selected and executed from among the states.

  According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the above-described embodiment, by performing an optimal recovery operation selected from a plurality of types of recovery operations, wasteful consumption of the wiping liquid can be achieved while giving the recording head 9 optimal recovery. Harmful effects such as scattering can be avoided. For example, in the case of a recovery operation accompanying a frequently performed recording operation, it is possible to suppress the consumption of the wiping liquid by performing the first wiping operation with a reduced amount of wiping liquid attached. Further, when a high level of recoverability is required, it is possible to sufficiently ensure the recoverability by using a wiping member in which the amount of wiping liquid attached is increased in the second wiping operation. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to satisfactorily remove the ink attached to the face surface of the recording head and to prevent the recording head from being damaged by the wiping liquid.

(5) 2nd Embodiment 2nd Embodiment has the characteristics in the method of supplying a wiping liquid to the wiping member 30 used for wiping. In the first embodiment, the wiping member 30 is supplied in a state where the wiping liquid is included in advance, and is held in the printer. In the configuration of the first embodiment, while the consumable supplies to be supplied are limited, it is necessary to hold the wiping member 30 and the wiping liquid as a set, and only one of the wiping member 30 and the wiping liquid can be replaced. Can not. For example, as described in the first embodiment, the wiping liquid is excessively applied to the wiping member, and the wiping liquid excessively contained in the wiping member 30 is restricted by the nip roller 33, so that the wiping liquid is excessive. Inevitable if you become. Usually, the excess wiping liquid is discarded without being reused.

  In order to prevent such inconvenience, in the present embodiment, by configuring the wiping member 30 and the wiping liquid to be supplied separately, one life of the wiping member 30 and the wiping liquid is limited to the other life. I did not receive it.

  Further, in the present embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, the wiping liquid is limited using a doctor blade 35 as a blade member. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the structure for limiting the wiping liquid, but the object and effect are the same. Also in the present embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, when the wiping operation is performed in an excessive amount of wiping liquid without limiting the amount of wiping liquid, the excess of the wiping liquid is There is a risk that the surroundings of the recovery mechanism may become dirty. In the worst case, the recording head 9 may be damaged by an excessive wiping liquid. In addition, when the consumption amount of the wiping liquid is excessive, there may be inconveniences peculiar to the present embodiment such that it is necessary to supply the wiping liquid additionally. However, in this embodiment, when used properly, the wiping member 30 and the wiping liquid are separately supplied, so that it is possible to avoid the occurrence of waste due to excess or deficiency in either one of them. can get. In the present embodiment, the wiping member 30 is impregnated with the wiping liquid 30 by immersing the wiping member 30 in the wiping liquid in the wiping liquid reservoir 36 as a container containing the wiping liquid immediately before the wiping operation. For this reason, in this embodiment, the effect that it becomes difficult to produce the inconvenience that the wiping liquid is shifted downward in the gravity direction of the supply roller 31 and the wiping property becomes non-uniform as in the first embodiment.

9 Recording head 30 Wiping member 31 Supply roller 33 Nip roller 35 Doctor blade 36 Wiping liquid reservoir 55 Discharge port

Claims (5)

A recording head having a face surface on which a plurality of ejection openings are arranged, and recording on a recording material by ejecting ink from the ejection openings;
A belt-like wiping member that is rubbed against the face surface of the recording head to wipe the face surface;
A liquid amount limiting means for limiting the amount of wiping liquid impregnated in the wiping member when wiping the face surface of the recording head; and
Control means for controlling the liquid amount limiting means to vary the amount of the wiping liquid adhering to the wiping member, and controlling the wiping liquid to perform different types of wiping operations;
The ink jet recording apparatus, wherein the control means controls to perform one wiping operation selected from the plurality of types of wiping operations in accordance with a recording operation by the recording head. Wiping liquid supply means for supplying the wiping liquid to the wiping member,
The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wiping member is impregnated with the wiping liquid by the wiping liquid supply unit. Wiping liquid removing means for removing from the face surface the wiping liquid attached to the face surface by the wiping member;
The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control means removes the wiping liquid adhering to the face surface by the wiping liquid removing means when a predetermined operation is performed after the recording operation.   4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid amount limiting unit includes a pair of rollers that sandwich the wiping member. 5.   The liquid amount limiting means abuts against a container containing the wiping liquid in which the wiping member is immersed and the wiping member drawn from the wiping liquid of the container to limit the amount of the wiping liquid attached. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a blade member.