JP2014024258A - Inkjet recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress an amount of ink liquid consumption while reducing an amount of a floating ink mist even when wiping is performed with a wiper on a discharge port surface.SOLUTION: An inkjet recording device includes: a recording head having a discharge port surface in which discharge port lines, which each of lines discharges inks of a plurality of colors, are arranged; an ink receiving member to receive an ink drop which is preliminarily discharged from the recording head; and a wiper to wipe the discharge port surface. The ink receiving member is configured to be integrated with the wiper.

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus, and more particularly to an ink jet recording apparatus that wipes off an ejection port surface with a wiper after preliminary ejection.

  In an ink jet recording apparatus, by discharging ink liquid that does not contribute to image formation to a recording area of a recording medium or by discharging ink liquid to a preliminary discharge receiving portion, the clogging of the nozzle is avoided to prevent the state of the recording head. There is a preliminary discharge method that keeps the flow rate good. Furthermore, there is a method of wiping away the thickened ink and foreign matter adhering to the nozzle by wiping the discharge port surface with a wiper after performing preliminary discharge.

  When the wiper wipes the ink liquids of a plurality of colors at the same time, even if wiping is performed on the discharge port surface, the ink liquid that cannot be wiped off may remain on the discharge port surface. Then, the ink liquids of a plurality of colors that could not be wiped off may be mixed, and the mixed ink liquid may remain on the discharge port surface or the nozzle that is always subjected to negative pressure.

  Therefore, in order to prevent the mixed color ink liquid remaining in the nozzle from being discharged at the same time when recording, a means for performing preliminary discharge immediately after wiping and removing the mixed color ink liquid from the nozzle is known. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). By such a method, the state of the recording head is kept good.

JP 2002-166560 A

  By the way, a main droplet contributing to recording and a sub-droplet (hereinafter also referred to as ink mist) which is smaller than the main droplet and does not contribute to image formation are discharged from the discharge port. If the ink mist floats, the quality of the recorded image may be lowered. Therefore, it is desired that the floating ink mist is reduced in order to improve the quality of the recorded image.

  However, in the technique of performing preliminary ejection immediately after wiping described above, the wiper moves in the longitudinal direction of the ejection port array, and therefore a member that receives ink liquid by preliminary ejection (hereinafter also referred to as preliminary ejection receiver) is provided below the wiper. It becomes the composition to provide. Therefore, it is necessary to secure the distance between the discharge port surface and the preliminary discharge receiver by the height of the wiper. As a result, the distance between the ejection port surface and the preliminary ejection receptacle is increased, and a large amount of floating ink mist is generated.

  Here, as a technique for reducing the amount of ink mist when performing preliminary ejection, a technique for raising the preliminary ejection receptacle to the vicinity of the nozzle after wiping in order to shorten the distance until the ejected ink liquid reaches the preliminary ejection receptacle. Can be considered.

  However, since the number of ink liquid discharges used for preliminary discharge depends on the time after wiping when used for removing mixed ink in the nozzle, it takes time to lift the preliminary discharge receiver to the vicinity of the nozzle. In other words, the ink consumption cannot be reduced.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of reducing the amount of floating ink mist even when the discharge port surface is piped with a wiper. And

  Therefore, in the present invention, a recording head having an ejection port surface in which ejection port arrays for ejecting a plurality of colors of ink are arranged, an ink receiving member that receives ink droplets preliminarily ejected from the recording head, and the ejection An ink jet recording apparatus including a wiper that wipes off an exit surface, wherein the ink receiving member is formed integrally with the wiper.

  According to the above configuration, the distance between the preliminary ejection receiver and the wiper can be made close. As a result, the amount of floating ink mist can be reduced, and deterioration of image quality can be suppressed.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing a part of an ink jet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing the recording head of the first embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the preliminary discharge receiver of 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the preliminary discharge receiver of 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the preliminary discharge receiver of 3rd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the preliminary discharge receiver of 4th Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the preliminary discharge receiver of 5th Embodiment.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a part of an ink jet recording apparatus equipped with the recording head of the present embodiment.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the recording head of this embodiment.

  The recording medium 1 is fed into the main body of the recording apparatus by the paper feed roller 2, is pinched by the pinch roller 9 on the paper feed roller 2, and the conveyance amount is controlled by the rotation of the paper feed roller 2. The recording medium 1 is conveyed through a position at a predetermined interval from an ejection port surface 3a provided with a plurality of ejection ports 3b of the recording head 3.

  In the recording head 3, a plurality of ejection port arrays for ejecting a plurality of colors of ink are arranged. The carriage 4 on which the recording head 3 is mounted moves along the guide 5 and ejects ink droplets onto the recording medium 1 conveyed to the image forming position opposite to the recording head 3 based on the recording information, whereby an image is obtained. Form.

  The recording head 3 is an ink jet recording head that discharges ink liquid by applying thermal energy, and includes an electrothermal transducer for generating thermal energy. The recording head performs recording by ejecting ink liquid from the ejection port 3b by using pressure change caused by bubble growth and contraction caused by film boiling caused by thermal energy applied by the electrothermal transducer.

  The recovery unit 6 for maintaining and recovering the ink discharge capability of the recording head is disposed in the standby position of the recording head 3 within the moving range of the carriage 4 and out of the image forming position. The recovery unit 6 includes a cap 7 that caps the discharge port surface 3 a, and suction means that includes a suction pump that is connected to the cap 7 and serves as a negative pressure generation source.

  The recording head 3 is capped to protect the discharge port surface and prevent ink liquid from evaporating. In addition, by operating a suction pump (not shown) at the time of capping, the ink liquid is sucked from the discharge port 3b, and foreign matter such as thickened ink, bubbles and dust is discharged, so that the ink liquid in the discharge port is normal. Return to the correct state.

  Further, the recovery unit 6 is provided with one or more wipers 8, and in order to maintain the discharge function of the recording head, a liquid such as an ink liquid adhered to the discharge port surface by a wiper 8 called wiping, a fixed matter, etc. Wipe off any foreign material. Usually, the wiper 8 is usually formed of a rubber elastic body.

  The wiping is executed after, for example, a predetermined amount of ink liquid is discharged, or after a suction operation is performed when a predetermined period of time has elapsed during which no ink liquid is discharged.

  As a means for recovery of ejection, a preliminary ejection technique is applied in which ink liquid that does not contribute to image formation is ejected from the recording head 3 to remove foreign matter such as thickened ink, mixed color ink, bubbles and dust in the ejection opening. ing.

  For example, the preliminary ejection is performed when the wiper 8 passes after a predetermined amount of ink liquid is ejected, after a period of time during which the ink liquid is not ejected, after a predetermined time has elapsed, in order to improve the wiping ability of the wiper 8 during wiping, or This is executed after the wiper 8 has passed to prevent color mixing.

  Next, a characteristic configuration of a member (hereinafter also referred to as a preliminary discharge receiver) that receives ink liquid by a preliminary discharge operation used for reducing the ink mist amount of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the preliminary discharge receiver of the present embodiment.

  The preliminary discharge receptacle 11a is installed on the downstream side of the wipe holder 10 that supports the wiper 8 and in the vicinity of the nozzle being wiped, and performs preliminary discharge sequentially from the nozzles that have been wiped to the preliminary discharge receptacle 11a.

  Further, the number of preliminary ejections for preventing color mixing is determined by the elapsed time after completion of wiping, and is a control method in which the number of preliminary ejections is reduced as the elapsed time is shorter.

  With such a configuration, the preliminary ejection of the nozzles after wiping is performed in a state where the distance between the recording head and the preliminary ejection receiver is reduced, so that the amount of ink mist generated becomes small, the quality of the image is deteriorated, and the recording apparatus Inflight contamination can be prevented.

(Second Embodiment)
In the present embodiment, in addition to the preliminary discharge receiver of the first embodiment, a function of discarding the ink liquid received by the preliminary discharge receiver is provided. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the preliminary discharge receiver of this embodiment.

  The preliminary discharge receiver 11b of the present embodiment includes means for discarding ink accumulated in the preliminary discharge receiver when the preliminary discharge operation is completed. The means for discarding the ink discards the ink liquid received by the preliminary ejection receiver 11b to the waste ink inlet 12 provided separately by tilting the preliminary ejection receiver 11b at a predetermined position.

  With such a configuration, by discarding the ink accumulated in the preliminary ejection receptacle, it is possible to automatically discard the ink from the preliminary ejection receptacle, and to avoid overflowing the ink from the preliminary ejection receptacle.

(Third embodiment)
This embodiment is different from the second embodiment in the method of discarding the ink liquid received by the preliminary discharge receiver. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the preliminary discharge receiver of the present embodiment.

  The preliminary ejection receiver 11a of the present embodiment is provided with an ink absorber 13 for moving the surface facing the ejection port surface of the ink receiver 11a and discarding the ink of the ink receiver 11a after completing the preliminary ejection. Yes. After the preliminary ejection is completed, the ink liquid received by the preliminary ejection receptacle 11a is rubbed by the ink absorber 13 so that the ink liquid is discarded.

  With such a configuration, by discarding the ink accumulated in the preliminary ejection receptacle, it is possible to automatically discard the ink from the preliminary ejection receptacle, and to avoid overflowing the ink from the preliminary ejection receptacle.

(Fourth embodiment)
The present embodiment is different from the preliminary discharge receiver of the first embodiment in the configuration of the preliminary discharge receiver. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the preliminary discharge receiver of this embodiment.

  The preliminary discharge receptacle 11c of the present embodiment has a length that can catch all of the ink liquid that has been subjected to preliminary discharge while the wiper 8 is moving. That is, the area for receiving the ink liquid is large. Therefore, it is difficult for ink droplets to accumulate on the preliminary ejection receiver.

  With such a configuration, the speed at which ink accumulates in the preliminary discharge receiver is three times or more slower than the preliminary discharge receiver of the above-described embodiment. Therefore, it is difficult for the ink droplets to volume in the preliminary ink ejection receptacle, and the frequency of discarding the ink is reduced.

(Fifth embodiment)
In the present embodiment, the method for controlling the number of preliminary discharges is different from that in the first embodiment. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the preliminary discharge receiver of this embodiment.

  In the present embodiment, the preliminary discharge is performed in units of several blocks including one or a plurality of nozzles. As a result, it is possible to perform preliminary ejection control sufficient to prevent color mixing while reducing the load on the CPU.

  At this time, since the speed of the wiper is substantially constant, the position of the wiper can be calculated only by recording the timing of the start of wiping, and the block of the nozzle that performs preliminary ejection can be determined.

  With such a configuration, preliminary ejection is performed in units of blocks, so that the load on the CPU can be reduced.

3 Recording head 3a Ejection port surface 3b Ejection port 8 Wiper 11a Preliminary ejection receptacle

Claims (5)

A recording head having an ejection port surface in which ejection port arrays for ejecting a plurality of colors of ink are arranged; an ink receiving member for receiving ink droplets preliminarily ejected from the recording head; and a wiper for wiping the ejection port surface; An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:
The ink jet recording apparatus, wherein the ink receiving member is formed integrally with the wiper.   2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink receiving member is tilted after the preliminary ejection operation from the recording head is completed.   2. The ink jet recording according to claim 1, further comprising an ink absorber that rubs against the ink receiving member, wherein the ink absorber rubs the ink receiving member after a preliminary ejection operation from the recording head is completed. apparatus.   4. The ink jet recording according to claim 1, wherein the length of the ink receiving member is a length capable of receiving all ink droplets ejected from the ejection port array. apparatus.   5. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preliminary ejection from the recording head is performed after the ejection port surface is wiped off by the wiper.

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