JP2013215929A - Inkjet recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inkjet recording device capable of reducing solvent consumption by preventing re-volatilization after condensation in a solvent component of an ink.SOLUTION: An inkjet recording device has a print head 610 for printing on a printed matter 12, an ink container 1 for storing an ink 8 including solvent, an ink supply means 21 for supplying the ink 8 of the ink container 1 to the print head 610, and an ink recovering means 22 for recovering the ink 8B which is not used on the printed matter 12 with the print head 610 into the ink container 1. The inkjet recording device includes discharge flow passages 26A, 26B for discharging gas of the solvent in the ink container to the outside of the ink container, a solvent recovering container 70 for recovering the solvent from the gas in each of the discharging flow passages, and a temperature adjusting means for cooling the solvent recovering container 70.

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus that performs printing by ejecting ink from nozzles.

  By installing a simple device in the ink circuit, it is possible to prevent the intrusion of impurities from the print head opening, and at the same time to prevent the organic solvent from leaking outside the device without replacing the filter. A venting circuit connecting the ink container is provided, and a solvent processing device for removing the solvent component of the ink contained in the exhaust is provided in at least one location of the venting circuit. In this solvent processing device, air containing the solvent is liquefied. There is an ink jet recording apparatus that separates solvent and air, sends the separated air to a print head, and collects the separated solvent in a solvent collection container or an ink container (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 7-125256 A

  In the ink jet recording apparatus described above, the solvent separated from the air by the solvent processing apparatus is recovered in the solvent recovery container or the ink container and reused, so that the consumption of the solvent can be reduced.

  However, since the solvent recovery container and the ink container are not cooled, the liquefied solvent in these containers may be volatilized and discharged out of the ink jet recording apparatus. For this reason, there was a grudge that the effect of reducing the consumption of the solvent was limited.

  The present invention has been made based on the above-described matters, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of reducing solvent consumption by preventing re-volatilization after condensation in the solvent component of the ink. is there.

  In order to achieve the above object, a first invention provides a print head for printing on a printing material, an ink container for storing ink containing a solvent, and supplying the ink in the ink container to the print head. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: an ink supply unit configured to perform recovery; and an ink recovery unit configured to recover the ink that has not been used for the printing object by the print head in the ink container. It is assumed that a discharge flow path that discharges to the outside of the ink container, a solvent recovery container that recovers the solvent from the gas in the discharge flow path, and a temperature adjustment unit that cools the solvent recovery container.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the apparatus further comprises a discharge flow path connecting the ink container and the solvent recovery container, and a temperature adjusting means for cooling the discharge flow path. To do.

  Furthermore, a third invention is characterized in that, in the first or second invention, a temperature adjusting means for cooling the ink collecting means is further provided.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the temperature adjusting unit uses a single Peltier element.

  Furthermore, a fifth invention is characterized in that in any one of the first to fourth inventions, an apparatus main body for storing the ink container and the solvent recovery container is provided.

  According to the present invention, the solvent in the solvent gas is condensed by cooling the exhaust path of the solvent gas, and the condensate is recovered in a predetermined cooled container, so that the condensate can be prevented from volatilizing. it can. Further, since the recovered condensate is mixed with the ink being recovered and reused, it is possible to provide an ink jet recording apparatus that can reduce solvent consumption.

1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a first embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention. It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the inside of the main body which comprises 1st Embodiment of the inkjet recording device of this invention. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a control circuit constituting a first embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of a flow path system for ink and solvent gas in a first embodiment of an inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention. FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the condenser which comprises 1st Embodiment of the inkjet recording device of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the other example of the channel system of the ink and solvent gas in 1st Embodiment of the inkjet recording device of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the further another example of the flow path system of the ink and solvent gas in 1st Embodiment of the inkjet recording device of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the other example of the channel system of the ink and solvent gas in 1st Embodiment of the inkjet recording device of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the channel system of the ink and solvent gas in 2nd Embodiment of the inkjet recording device of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the condenser which comprises 2nd Embodiment of the inkjet recording device of this invention. It is a side view which shows the cooling block which comprises 2nd Embodiment of the inkjet recording device of this invention. It is the front view which looked at the cooling block which comprises 2nd Embodiment of the inkjet recording device of this invention shown in FIG. 11 from the XII-XII arrow. It is a side view which shows the cooling block which comprises 3rd Embodiment of the inkjet recording device of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows an example of the condenser which comprises 3rd Embodiment of the inkjet recording device of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the other example of the condenser which comprises 3rd Embodiment of the inkjet recording device of this invention.

  Embodiments of an ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a first embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention. The ink jet recording apparatus is formed into a pentagonal box shape when viewed from the side, and is formed into a rectangular long side view with a main body portion 600 containing a control circuit, an ink circulation system, and the like, and a stainless steel plate, for example. A cable 620 that connects a main body 600 and the print head 610 with a nozzle for creating ink particles, electrodes for charging / deflecting ink particles, and the like, and stores an ink flow path and the like therein. And.

  The main body 600 has a bottom surface portion made of a quadrangular plate member that forms the bottom of the housing, a back surface portion made of a quadrangular plate member that forms the back surface of the housing, and a pentagon that forms the left and right side surfaces of the housing. And a rectangular plate member bent into a square shape when viewed from the side, with the inclined surface on the upper side and the upright surface on the lower side, and the upper end of the front portion And a ceiling part that connects the upper end of the rear part. An open / close door 670 is provided on the lower upright surface of the front portion to enable maintenance of components and the like stored therein. Further, for example, a 10-inch touch panel type liquid crystal panel 630 is disposed on the upper inclined surface of the front portion, and it is possible to display and confirm the control contents of the ink jet recording apparatus, the apparatus operation status, etc. Printing specifications can be entered.

  The print head 610 is provided with an opening 640 at the front end surface forming the long cylinder, and the ink particles are deflected and ejected from the opening 640 to a printed material to be described later.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the inside of the main body constituting the first embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 600 is a partition plate 601 disposed in contact with the inner upper end of the upright surface of the front surface, the inner surface of the rear surface, and the inner surface of the side surface so as to be parallel to the bottom surface. It has. An upper casing portion 600a is formed on the upper side of the partition plate 601, and a lower casing portion 600b is formed on the lower side.

Electrical parts such as a control circuit 645, which will be described later, are arranged inside the upper casing portion 600a.
A partition wall 685 for separating the front chamber 660 and the rear chamber 680 is disposed at a substantially center in the depth direction inside the lower housing 600b as shown in FIG. The front chamber 660 stores the ink container 1 that stores ink to be supplied to the nozzles and the solvent storage container 16 that stores solvent to be supplied to the nozzles. Maintenance such as disposal can be easily performed.

  In the rear chamber 680, circulation system control components such as a solenoid valve group 650 and a pump group 655 are disposed in a partition wall 685. In addition, a part of the condenser 70 that cools the exhaust gas is provided on the rear chamber 680 side on the back surface of the main body 600 constituting the rear chamber 680, and the remaining part of the condenser 70 is provided outside. In order to prevent the application of impact from the outside of the apparatus and the intrusion of liquid such as water, the outer periphery of the remaining condenser 70 is covered with a cover 690. The cable 620 is attached to the lower housing part 600b of the main body 600.

Next, the control circuit 645 in the first embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing a control circuit constituting the first embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention.
In FIG. 3, reference numeral 300 denotes a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as CPU) that controls the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present embodiment. Reference numeral 310 denotes a read-only memory (hereinafter referred to as ROM) that stores programs and control data necessary for the CPU 300 to operate. Reference numeral 305 denotes a rewritable memory (hereinafter referred to as RAM) that temporarily stores data handled by the CPU 300 during the execution of the program. Reference numeral 380 denotes a bus line as a signal line including all data, an address signal, and a control signal from the CPU 300. Reference numeral 315 denotes an interface circuit that mediates input / output of data, address signals, control signals, and the like.

  The pump control circuit 320 controls operations of an ink supply pump 2 (see FIG. 4), an ink recovery pump 14 (see FIG. 4), a solvent supply pump 15 (see FIG. 4), etc., which will be described later, based on instructions from the CPU 300. . The density detection circuit 335 performs operation control of ink density detection in an ink container 1 (see FIG. 4) described later based on a command from the CPU 300, and measures the ink density. The solenoid valve control circuit 340 is configured to control a solenoid valve group 650 such as a supply valve 33 (see FIG. 4), a recovery valve 34 (see FIG. 4), a pressure relief valve 101 (see FIG. 4), which will be described later, based on a command from the CPU 300. Perform motion control. The liquid level detection circuit 345 measures the liquid level position from liquid level sensors provided in the ink container 1 (see FIG. 4), the solvent storage container 16 (see FIG. 4), and the condenser 70 (see FIG. 4) described later.

  The excitation source 370 generates an excitation signal based on the nozzle operation condition, and drives a piezoelectric actuator (not shown) in the nozzle 6 (see FIG. 4). The recording signal source 360 creates a recording signal for each ink particle and printing presence / absence information based on the inputted printing data, and then saves it in the RAM 305, and records the recording signal to the charging electrode 7 (see FIG. 4) based on a command from the CPU 300. Apply.

  Next, the flow path system and the recording operation in the first embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a flow path system of ink and solvent gas in the first embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention. In FIG. 4, the same reference numerals as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are the same or corresponding parts, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the ink container 1 shown in FIG. 4, the inflow or outflow of ink and solvent gas is caused by the ink supply flow path 21, the ink recovery flow path 22, the solvent gas first discharge flow path 26 </ b> A connected to the ink container 1, the pressure release flow. This is done through the road 24. In the present embodiment, the solvent gas first discharge flow channel 26A and the pressure release flow channel 24 are configured as independent flow channels.

  In the solvent storage container 16, the stored solvent is supplied to the nozzle 6 via a switching valve 32 described later by a solvent pump 15 provided in the solvent supply flow path 23. The solvent ejected from the nozzle 6 is taken into a gutter 11 which will be described later, and is recovered in the ink container 1 via the ink recovery channel 22. The reason why the solvent is supplied to the nozzle 6 is to prevent the nozzle 6 from clogging due to the ink sticking, and the reason why the solvent is collected in the ink container 1 is to dilute the ink in the ink container 1. Further, in order to discharge the solvent gas generated in the solvent storage container 16, an air release channel 25 that communicates from the gas phase part of the solvent storage container 16 to the outside of the main body part 600 is provided.

  The ink supply channel 21 includes an ink container 1, an ink supply pump 2 that pumps ink, a supply valve 33 that is a two-way electromagnetic valve that opens and closes the channel, a filter 5, and a pressure regulating valve 3 that adjusts ink pressure. A pressure gauge 4 for measuring the pressure of the supplied ink is connected in series in order, and the ink in the ink container 1 is supplied to the nozzle 6 through the switching valve 32 at a predetermined pressure.

  The switching valve 32 is a three-way solenoid valve, and includes one inlet port to which the ink supply channel 21 is connected, the other inlet port to which the solvent supply channel 23 is connected, and an outlet port that is connected to the nozzle 6. Yes. By switching the port of the switching valve 32, either the ink or the solvent can be selectively switched and supplied to the nozzle 6.

  The ink particles 8 ejected from the nozzle 6 are charged by the charging electrode 7 and then fly in the deflection electric field. The deflection electric field is formed between the high-voltage electrode 9 to which a high voltage of 5 to 6 kV is applied and the ground electrode 10 that is grounded, and the charged ink particles 8A are deflected and fly according to the charge amount. To do. The charged ink particles 8A are ejected from the opening 640 of the print head 610, adhere to the print substrate 12, and printing is performed.

  On the other hand, ink particles 8 </ b> B that are not used for printing are taken in by the gutter 11 and are collected in the ink container 1 through the ink collection channel 22.

  In the ink recovery channel 22, a gutter 11, a recovery valve 34 that opens and closes the ink recovery channel, an ink recovery pump 14 that generates a negative pressure in the gutter 11, and a filter 13 that removes foreign matters mixed during the recovery of the ink are sequentially provided. The ink and air that are connected in series and taken in by the gutter 11 are collected in the ink container 1.

  The recovery valve 34 is an electromagnetic two-way valve, and is opened only when the ink is recovered, and is otherwise closed. Since the gutter 11 sucks air and solvent gas in the print head 610 together with ink, the ink recovery flow path 22 is in a gas-liquid mixed state, and this gas-liquid mixture is recovered in the ink container 1.

  The ink container 1 has a sufficient space in the gas-liquid mixture in which air or solvent gas and ink liquid can be separated. Of the gas-liquid mixture flowing from the ink recovery flow path 22, the solvent gas moves above the ink liquid level 30 due to the density difference. That is, in the ink container 1, gas-liquid separation is performed on the ink containing the recovered gas.

  Since the ink container 1 is sealed so that the solvent gas does not leak out, the solvent gas can be removed from the solvent gas first discharge flow path 26A in which the inlet is installed above the ink liquid level 30, or the pressure release flow. Guided to path 24. Further, the ink collected in the ink container 1 is supplied to the nozzle 6 as described above via the ink supply channel 21 in which the inlet is provided below the ink liquid level 30.

  The ink recovery pump 14 in the present embodiment is a diaphragm type pump having a capability of sucking at an air flow rate of 100 ml / min or more, and can recover the ink recovered by the gutter 11 to the ink container 1 without overflowing. it can. For the ink recovery channel 22, for example, a Teflon (registered trademark) tube having an inner diameter of 2 mm and a length of 2 to 6 m is used.

  The depressurizing flow path 24 is arranged at one end side in the gas phase part above the ink liquid level 30 of the ink container 1 and provided with a depressurization valve 101 for opening and closing the flow path in the middle, and the other end side as the main body part. It is arranged so as to be exposed to the outside of 600. For the pressure relief channel 24, for example, a Teflon tube having an inner diameter of 2 mm and a length of 0.5 m is used.

  The pressure release valve 101 is an electromagnetic two-way valve, and opens the solvent gas to discharge the solvent gas from the ink container 1 to the outside of the main body 600 through the pressure release flow path 24. On the other hand, the pressure release valve 101 is normally closed, and the solvent gas is supplied to a condenser 70 described later via a solvent gas first discharge passage 26A provided with a filter 27 for removing ink mist. Yes. The solvent gas first discharge flow path 26 </ b> A connects the ink container 1 and the condenser 70.

  In addition, when the filter 27 is replaced or when the maintenance work of the condenser 70 is necessary, the pressure relief valve 101 is opened to set the solvent gas first discharge flow path 26A to the atmospheric pressure, and the condenser. The supply of solvent gas to 70 is stopped. As a result, the inkjet recording apparatus can be operated while the condenser 70 is being maintained.

  Further, the pressure relief valve 101 may be a flow rate regulating valve having a flow rate regulating function. In the case of the flow rate adjusting valve, the flow rate ratio of the solvent gas flowing through the pressure release channel 24 and the solvent gas first discharge channel 26A can be adjusted.

  The solvent gas second discharge flow path 26B shown in FIG. 4 discharges the solvent gas discharged from the condenser 70 to the outside of the apparatus. The solvent gas first and second discharge passages 26A and 26B are made of, for example, a Teflon tube. When the inner diameter of the Teflon tube is more than 3 mm, the liquid that has entered the tube is likely to accumulate, which may cause clogging. On the contrary, when the inner diameter is less than 0.5 mm, the flow path resistance increases, and a large pressure is required to flow the condensate. For this reason, in the present embodiment, a Teflon tube having an inner diameter of 1 mm and a length of 2 to 6 m is used for the solvent gas first and second discharge passages 26A and 26B.

  The condenser 70 separates and cools the condensed solvent (hereinafter referred to as “condensate”) flowing in from the solvent gas first discharge flow path 26 </ b> A and the solvent gas. The separated solvent gas is sent to the solvent gas second discharge flow path 26B and discharged outside the apparatus. On the other hand, the condensate is stored in a tank in the condenser 70 and when it reaches a predetermined amount, it is sent to the ink recovery channel 22 through the condensate supply channel 40 and is transferred to the ink container 1 via the ink recovery channel 22. Collected.

  One end side of the condensate supply channel 40 is connected to the condenser 70, a two-way electromagnetic valve 41 and a throttle 42 are provided in the middle, and the other end side is connected to the ink recovery channel 22. By the opening operation of the two-way electromagnetic valve 41, the negative pressure of the ink recovery pump 14 acts through the throttle 42, so that the condensate stored in the condenser 70 is recovered in the ink container 1. The diaphragm 42 is formed with an inner diameter of 0.3 mm, for example.

  Next, the condenser 70 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a condenser constituting the first embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention. In FIG. 5, the same reference numerals as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 are the same or corresponding parts, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The condenser 70 includes a cooling block 75 that cools and stores condensate and solvent gas, a Peltier element 71 that cools the cooling block 75, a heat insulating material 76 that covers the cooling block 75 and the Peltier element 71, and a Peltier element 71 A fin 73 that removes heat, a fan 74 that air-cools the fin 73, and a cover 690 that protects the fin 73 and the fan 74 are provided.

  In the cooling block 75, a tank 78 (solvent recovery container) is provided as a space for storing a solvent gas and a condensed liquid that is a condensed solvent. The Peltier element 71 is arranged so that its cooling surface is in contact with the cooling block 75 and its heating surface (opposite to the cooling surface) is in contact with the inside of the main body 600. The Peltier element 71 used in the present embodiment can cool the cooling block 75 to −10 ° C. when the ambient environment temperature is 20 ° C., and is included in the solvent gas supplied from the solvent gas first discharge flow path 26A. The solvent can be condensed and liquefied.

  The fins 73 are made of aluminum and have a flat surface portion and a comb tooth portion. The flat portion of the fin 73 is fixed so as to contact the outer side of the main body 600 corresponding to the inner side of the main body 600 with which the heating surface of the Peltier element 71 contacts.

  The fan 74 rotates at all times, and air is cooled to the fins 73 by sending ambient air to the comb teeth of the fins 73. The heat from the Peltier element 71 is transferred from the inner side of the main body 600 to the outer side, but the heat from the Peltier element 71 is removed by cooling the outer side of the main body 600 by the fans 74 and the fins 73.

  The cooling block 75 is, for example, a stainless steel container, and the solvent gas first and second discharge passages 26A and 26B and the condensate supply passage 40 are connected to the tank 78 from the outside. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the tube end of the solvent gas second discharge flow path 26 B is disposed at the uppermost position of the tank 78, and the tube end of the condensate supply flow path 40 is one of the tank 78. The tube end of the solvent gas first discharge flow path 26A is arranged in the middle.

  The heat insulating material 76 is for insulating the Peltier element 71 and the cooling block 75 from the surrounding air, and for example, foamed plastic made of polyurethane foam may be used.

  The condenser 70 includes a float type liquid level sensor (not shown) that can detect the liquid level 77 of the condensed liquid stored in the tank 78. The liquid level 77 detected by the liquid level sensor controls the opening and closing of the two-type electromagnetic valve 41 (FIG. 4) provided in the condensate supply flow path 40. Specifically, when the liquid level 77 exceeds a predetermined height (first level) of the solvent gas, the two-type solenoid valve 41 is opened, and the liquid level 77 falls below the predetermined height (second level). The two-way solenoid valve 41 is closed at the time. In the present embodiment, the first level is an intermediate position between the tube end of the solvent gas first discharge flow path 26A and the tube end of the solvent gas second discharge flow path 26B, and the second level is the solvent supply flow path 40. An intermediate position between the tube end and the tube end of the solvent first gas discharge channel 26A is set.

  The cover 690 is fixed to the outside of the main body 600 via a sealing material 685. In order to exchange air between the inside and outside of the cover 690, air holes 681 are provided in the upper and lower portions of the governor 690, respectively.

  With the configuration of the above-described embodiment, the solvent gas flowing into the condenser 70 from the solvent gas first discharge flow path 26A is cooled, the solvent in the solvent gas is condensed, and is stored in the tank 78 as a condensate. . Accordingly, the solvent gas is discharged from the solvent gas second discharge flow path 26B while reducing the amount of solvent contained therein. Since the stored condensate is in the cooled cooling block 75, it does not re-volatilize.

  When the liquid level of the condensate stored in the cooling block 75 reaches a predetermined height, the two-type electromagnetic valve 41 is opened, and the condensate passes from the condensate supply channel 40 through the ink recovery channel 22. The ink is supplied to the ink container 1 and reused. As described above, since the solvent in the solvent gas that has conventionally been discharged outside the apparatus is condensed and recovered and reused, the consumption of the solvent can be reduced.

  According to the first embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention described above, the solvent in the solvent gas is condensed by cooling the exhaust path of the solvent gas, and the predetermined container 78 in which the condensed liquid is cooled. Thus, the condensate can be prevented from volatilizing. Further, since the recovered condensate is mixed with the ink being recovered and reused, it is possible to provide an ink jet recording apparatus that can reduce solvent consumption.

  In the present embodiment, the solvent may be supplied directly from the solvent storage container 16 to the ink container 1 by connecting the solvent supply channel 23 shown in FIG. 4 to the ink container 1. Further, the communication side of the atmosphere opening flow path 25 with the outside of the main body 600 may be connected to the gas phase side of the ink container 1. In this case, the solvent gas generated in the solvent storage container 16 can be discharged out of the main body portion 600 through the pressure release channel 24.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the filter 27 is provided in the solvent gas first discharge flow path 26A, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, you may provide only in the solvent gas 2nd discharge flow path 26B.

  Further, modified examples of the ink and solvent gas flow path system in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing another example of the ink and solvent gas flow path system in the first embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 7 shows the first embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 8 shows another example of the ink and solvent gas flow path system in the first embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention. It is a block diagram. 6 to 8, the same reference numerals as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 are the same or corresponding parts, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In this embodiment, in order to release the solvent gas outside the apparatus, the tip of the solvent gas second discharge flow path 26B is arranged outside the apparatus. However, as shown in FIG. You may provide the solvent gas 2nd discharge | emission flow path 26B so that it may send inside. This suppresses the release of the solvent gas to the outside of the apparatus. The solvent gas is again sucked by the gutter 11 and collected in the ink container 1. Further, since the pressure inside the print head 610 increases, impurities can be prevented from entering from the print head opening 640.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the condensate stored in the tank 78 of the condenser 70 is transferred from the condensate supply channel 40 to the ink container 1 via the ink recovery channel 22, but FIG. As shown, a two-way solenoid valve 52 and a pump 53 are provided in the condensate supply flow path 50 that connects the condenser 70 and the ink container 1, and the two-way solenoid valve 52 is opened to store in the condenser 70. The condensate may be transferred to the ink container 1 by the pump 53.

  When configured in this manner, the ink container 1 can be replenished with the condensate at regular intervals, such as two hours, regardless of the position of the liquid level 77 of the stored condensate. As a result, a liquid level sensor for detecting the liquid level 77 can be eliminated.

  Further, the condensate stored in the condenser 70 may be transferred not to the ink container 1 but to the solvent storage container 16 as shown in FIG. A two-way solenoid valve 52 is provided in the condensate supply flow path 60 that connects the condenser 70 and the solvent storage container 16. Further, the condenser 70 and the solvent storage container 16 are arranged so that the liquid level of the condensate collected in the condenser 70 is higher than the solvent liquid level in the solvent storage container 16. By opening the two-way electromagnetic valve 52 provided in the condensate supply channel 60, the condensate in the condensate supply channel 60 can be transferred to the solvent storage container 16 by gravity. When configured in this way, the same effect as in the case of FIG. 7 can be obtained, and the pump 53 in FIG. 7 is not necessary, and the cost can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the ink and solvent gas flow path system in the second embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 10 shows the second embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a cooling block constituting the second embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 12 is a diagram of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. It is the front view which looked at the cooling block which comprises 2 embodiment from the XII-XII arrow. 9 to 12, since the same reference numerals as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 are the same parts, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The second embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 9 is composed of almost the same equipment as the first embodiment, but differs in the following construction.
In the first embodiment, the ink recovery channel 22 directly connects the gutter 11 and the recovery valve 34 on the upstream side of the recovery pump 14, but in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. In addition, the ink recovery flow path 22 is configured to pass through the condenser 70 on the upstream side of the recovery pump 14.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the ink recovery flow path 22 that passes through the condenser 70 is configured to cool a part of the flow path by communicating with the cooling flow path inside the cooling block 75. By arranging the ink recovery channel 22 in this way, the ink and solvent gas flowing through the ink recovery channel 22 can be cooled. The portion of the ink recovery channel 22 that communicates with the cooling channel inside the cooling block 75 is not limited to the upstream side of the recovery pump 14. Any ink recovery flow path 22 may be used. For example, it may be downstream of the recovery pump 14.

  Next, the configuration of the cooling block 75 will be described with reference to FIG. The cooling block 75 includes a recovery block 80 through which condensate and solvent gas pass, and a flow path block 83 through which ink and solvent gas flow through the ink recovery flow path 22. The collection block 80 and the flow path block 83 are each formed in a cubic shape, and are arranged so that the surfaces of each other are in contact with each other. As a result, the amount of heat can be moved from the flow path block 83 to the recovery block 80. In the present embodiment, the Peltier element 71 is attached to the opposite surface (arrow A side in the figure) of the attachment surface of the flow path block 83.

  The recovery block 80 includes a tank 78 as a space through which condensate is stored and solvent gas passes, and a plate 81 that is disposed above the tank 78 and covers the tank 78. The plate 81 is screwed to the recovery block 80 via a seal 88 so that the solvent gas and condensate in the tank 78 do not leak.

  The plate 81 is provided with three joints 85A to 85C for connecting the solvent gas first discharge channel 26A, the solvent gas second release channel 26B, and the condensate supply channel 40. Inflow and outflow of the solvent gas and the condensate into the tank 78 are performed via these joints 85A to 85C.

  The front surface (the right side surface in FIG. 11) of the flow path block 83 is attached to the back surface (the left side surface in FIG. 11) of the collection block 80 via a seal 89. The channel block 83 includes a cooling channel 82 described later.

  Next, the flow path block 83 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a view of the flow path block 83 as viewed from the attachment side of the recovery block 80. A meandering cooling channel 82 having a width of 2 mm and a depth of 2 mm is provided in the center of the channel block 83 to allow the ink and solvent gas flowing through the ink recovery channel 22 to flow. An inlet joint 86A and an outlet joint 86B are provided at the inlet / outlet of the cooling channel 82, and the ink recovery channel 22 and each are connected to each other.

  The seal groove 87 is a groove for laying the seal 89 when it is placed in contact with the back surface of the recovery block 80, and is formed so as to surround the periphery of the cooling channel 82. The holes 90 provided at the four corners are screw holes for fixing the flow path block 83 to the back surface of the recovery block 80.

  With the configuration of the embodiment described above, the ink and solvent gas cooled by the condenser 70 flows into the ink container 1, so that the volatilization of the solvent in the ink container 1 is suppressed, and the exhaust gas from the ink container 1 is exhausted. The amount of solvent can be reduced.

  Further, since the exhaust from the ink container 1 condenses and recovers the solvent when passing through the condenser 70, the amount of the solvent released from the solvent gas discharge channel 26B to the outside of the apparatus can be further reduced. In addition, when the ink container 1 is cooled and the solvent volatilization amount from the ink container 1 is small, the pressure release channel 24 may be opened and exhausted.

  According to the second embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention described above, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

  Further, according to the second embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention described above, since the ink and solvent gas cooled by the condenser 70 flows into the ink container 1, the solvent volatilization in the ink container 1 occurs. Is suppressed, and solvent consumption can be further reduced.

  Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 13 is a side view showing a cooling block constituting the third embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 14 shows an example of a condenser constituting the third embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another example of the condenser constituting the third embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention. In FIG. 13 to FIG. 15, the same reference numerals as those shown in FIG. 1 to FIG.

  The third embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 13 to FIG. 15 is composed of almost the same equipment as the second embodiment, but differs in the following construction. In the second embodiment, the Peltier element 71 constituting the condenser 70 is attached to the opposite surface (the arrow A side in FIG. 13) of the attachment surface of the flow path block 83, but in this embodiment, As shown in FIG. 13, a Peltier element 71 is attached to the lower part of the cooling block 75 so as to straddle the lower part of the flow path block 83 and the lower part of the recovery block 80.

  In the present embodiment, since the Peltier element 71 is attached to the lower part of the cooling block 75, the fins 73 and the fan 74 constituting the condenser 70 do not pass through the main body 600, but through the heat insulating material 76. Is in contact with. For this reason, the whole condenser 70 can also be arrange | positioned outside the main body 600, and can also be arrange | positioned inside the main body 600. FIG. FIG. 14 shows a case where the entire condenser 70 is arranged outside the main body 600, and FIG. 15 shows a case where the entire condenser 70 is arranged inside the main body 600.

  According to the third embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention described above, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

  In each embodiment of the present invention, an example in which a Peltier element is used as a coolant has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the volatility of the ink to be used is low, the Peltier element may be omitted and only the fin and the fan may be provided.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ink container 2 Ink supply pump 6 Nozzle 7 Charging electrode 8 Ink particle 11 Gutter 14 Ink collection pump 15 Solvent pump 16 Solvent storage container 21 Ink supply channel 22 Ink collection channel 24 Depressurization channel 25 Atmospheric release channel 26A Solvent Gas first discharge flow path 26B Solvent gas second discharge flow path 34 Recovery valve 40 Condensate supply flow path 70 Condenser 71 Peltier element (temperature adjusting means)
73 Fin (Temperature adjustment means)
74 Fan (temperature adjustment means)
75 Cooling block 78 Tank (solvent recovery container)
80 Recovery block 83 Flow path block 600 Main body 610 Print head

Claims (5)

A print head that performs printing on a printing object; an ink container that stores ink containing a solvent; an ink supply unit that supplies the ink in the ink container to the printing head; and In an ink jet recording apparatus having an ink recovery means for recovering the unused ink in the ink container,
A discharge flow path for discharging the solvent gas in the ink container to the outside of the ink container; a solvent recovery container for recovering the solvent from the gas in the discharge flow path; and a temperature adjustment for cooling the solvent recovery container And an ink jet recording apparatus. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
An inkjet recording apparatus, further comprising: a discharge channel that connects the ink container and the solvent recovery container; and a temperature adjusting unit that cools the discharge channel. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
An ink jet recording apparatus, further comprising temperature adjusting means for cooling the ink collecting means. The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The temperature adjusting means uses one Peltier element. An ink jet recording apparatus, wherein: The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
An apparatus main body for storing the ink container and the solvent recovery container inside;
An ink jet recording apparatus.

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