JP2023135760A - Recording head and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a recording head configured to enable liquid gradually flowing up along a side surface to flow into a flow path part properly.SOLUTION: A recording head 14 is configured to wipe out ink 90 adhering to a nozzle surface 32 by moving a wipe blade 25 while contacting the wipe blade with the nozzle surface 32. The recording head 14 comprises: a head main body part 30 extended along a wiping direction of the wipe blade 25 while directing the nozzle surface 32 downward; and a pair of flow path parts 41, provided on a pair of side surfaces 33 extending in the wiping direction of the head main body part 30 to incline downwardly from an intermediate part toward both ends in the wiping direction, which enable ink 90 gradually flowing up along the air of side surfaces 33 to flow thereinto and flow down into both sides thereof in the wiping direction, accompanying operation of wiping the nozzle surface 32 by the wipe blade 25.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a recording head and an image forming apparatus in which liquid adhering to a nozzle surface is wiped off by moving a wiping member while contacting the nozzle surface.

Printers equipped with recording heads are known (patent documents). A side surface of the recording head is provided with a groove that slopes from one side toward the other. The ink that flows around along the sides is captured in the grooves by capillary force and collected at the lower end of the incline by its own weight.

JP 2021-45751 Publication

However, with the above technology, since the nozzle is tilted in one direction, the distance from the nozzle surface to the top of the slope may become too long (high), and the ink that wraps around (rises up) along the side of the print head can flow into the groove. There was a risk that it would not be possible to reach. For this reason, the ink sometimes falls before it enters the groove.

The present invention takes the above circumstances into consideration and provides a recording head and an image forming apparatus that can appropriately cause liquid rising along the side surfaces to flow into a flow path.

The present invention provides a recording head in which liquid adhering to a nozzle surface is wiped off by moving a wiping member in contact with the nozzle surface, the nozzle surface being directed downward, and the liquid being moved along the wiping direction of the wiping member. a pair of side surfaces of the head body extending in the wiping direction, the head body being provided with a downward slope from the middle part in the wiping direction toward both ends; a pair of flow path portions that allow the liquid rising along the pair of side surfaces to flow in and flow down on both sides in the wiping direction.

In this case, the head body further includes a pair of collecting parts provided on a pair of end faces extending in a width direction perpendicular to the wiping direction and collecting the liquid flowing down along the pair of flow path parts. Good too.

In this case, each of the flow path portions has one side open and is formed by connecting at least two flow path forming surfaces, and at least one of the flow path forming surfaces has more contact with the ink than the side surface. A hydrophilic layer with small corners may be formed.

An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes any one of the recording heads described above.

An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes the recording head according to the second aspect of the present invention, and a collection section that collects the liquid collected by the pair of collection sections into a waste liquid tank.

According to the present invention, the liquid that rises along the side surface can be appropriately caused to flow into the flow path section.

1 is a schematic diagram (front view) showing the internal structure of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view showing a line head of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a front view showing a head unit and a maintenance device of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a plan view showing a wiping device of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a recording head, a drip suppressing section, etc. according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5. FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a recording head and the like according to a first modified example of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a recording head and the like according to a second modified example of an embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that Fr, Rr, L, R, U, and D shown in the drawings indicate front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom. Although terms indicating directions and positions are used in this specification, these terms are used for convenience of explanation and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[Image forming device]
An image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram (front view) showing the internal structure of an image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG.

The image forming apparatus 1 is an inkjet printer that forms an image on a sheet S by ejecting ink droplets. The image forming apparatus 1 includes a box-shaped housing 2 in which various devices are housed. A paper feed cassette 3 on which sheets S are set is housed in the lower part of the housing 2, and a paper discharge tray 4 on which printed sheets S are stacked is provided on the upper left side of the housing 2. A first conveyance path 5 for conveying sheets S from the paper feed cassette 3 toward the head unit 12 is formed on the right side of the housing 2 . A paper feed section 10 is provided upstream of the first transport path 5, and registration rollers 11 are provided downstream of the first transport path 5.

The head unit 12 has four line heads 13 corresponding to four colors of ink: black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. Three recording heads 14 are mounted on each line head 13. Each recording head 14 is provided with a nozzle surface 32 on which a plurality of nozzles (not shown) are formed facing downward. Note that ink is supplied to each recording head 14 from an ink pack (not shown) of each color via a tube (not shown).

The conveyor belt 16 is provided below the head unit 12 and is stretched around a plurality of tension rollers 16A. A large number of through holes (not shown) are formed in the conveyor belt 16, and a suction section 16B is installed inside the conveyor belt 16. A decurling device 17 for correcting curls on the sheet S is installed on the left side of the head unit 12. A second conveyance path 7 for conveying the sheet S from the decurling device 17 toward the sheet discharge tray 4 is formed on the left side of the housing 2, and a sheet discharge section 18 is provided downstream of the second conveyance path 7. It is being A third conveyance path 8 for conveying the sheet S from the middle of the second conveyance path 7 to the registration rollers 11 is formed in the upper part of the housing 2 .

A control section 19 is provided inside the housing 2 to appropriately control various devices to be controlled. The control unit 19 includes a processor and the like that execute various arithmetic operations according to programs and parameters stored in the memory. Note that the control unit 19 may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit or the like instead of a processor or the like that executes a program or the like.

[Image formation processing]
Here, the image forming process (printing operation) will be explained. The control unit 19 appropriately controls various devices to be controlled and executes image forming processing as described below.

The paper feed unit 10 feeds the sheet S taken out from the paper feed cassette 3 to the first conveyance path 5 . The registration rollers 11 temporarily block the sheet S to correct the skew, and feed the sheet S onto the conveyor belt 16 in synchronization with the ejection timing of ink droplets from the line head 13. The sheet S is conveyed while being attracted onto the conveyor belt 16, and each recording head 14 discharges ink droplets from a plurality of nozzles toward the sheet S on the conveyor belt 16 to form (print) a full-color image. . The sheet S that has passed below the head unit 12 is sent to a decurling device 17 and its curls are corrected.

The single-sided printed sheet S passes through the second conveyance path 7 and is discharged to the paper discharge tray 4 . When performing double-sided printing, the sheet S printed on one side enters the third conveyance path 8, is turned over, and conveyed toward the registration rollers 11 again. Thereafter, an image is formed on the back side of the sheet S in the same order as in the case of single-sided printing described above, and the double-sided printed sheet S is curled and discharged to the paper discharge tray 4.

This image forming apparatus 1 is provided with a maintenance device 20 that maintains each recording head 14 mounted on each line head 13. First, each line head 13 (recording head 14) will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the line head 13. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the head unit 12 and the maintenance device 20. Note that the four line heads 13 have the same structure, and the three recording heads 14 mounted on each line head 13 also have the same structure, so the following explanation will mainly focus on one line head 13 and one recording head. The head 14 will be explained.

[Line head]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the line head 13 includes three recording heads 14 and a head base 15 that supports the three recording heads 14.

<Recording head>
The recording head 14 is formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is generally elongated in the front-rear direction. The recording head 14 includes a head main body section 30 and a head drive section 31 (see FIG. 3).

(Head main body)
The head main body 30 extends along the front-rear direction (the wiping direction of the wiping member) with the nozzle surface 32 facing downward (see FIG. 3). The plurality of nozzles formed on the nozzle surface 32 are arranged at intervals in the front-back direction and the left-right direction.

(Head drive unit)
The head driving section 31 is fixed to the upper surface of the head main body section 30. Inside the head driving section 31, a plurality of piezoelectric elements (not shown) are provided corresponding to the plurality of nozzles. Each piezoelectric element is electrically connected to the control unit 19 and driven and controlled. Each piezoelectric element is deformed by applying a voltage, causing ink droplets to be ejected from the nozzle. In other words, the recording head 14 is a so-called piezo type inkjet head. Note that the recording head 14 is not limited to the piezo method, and may employ an ink ejection method such as a thermal method.

<Head base>
The head base 15 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel, and has a substantially flat plate shape that is long in the front-rear direction. The head base 15 has three mounting holes (not shown) opened in a staggered manner for mounting the three recording heads 14. In other words, the three recording heads 14 are arranged in a staggered manner. The head main body portion 30 is fitted into the mounting hole and protrudes below the head base 15 (see FIG. 3). The head main body section 30 is attached to the head base 15 with the nozzle surface 32 and the lower side of the outer peripheral surface exposed below the head base 15 (see FIG. 3).

The head unit 12 (each line head 13) is provided so as to be movable up and down by a lifting device (not shown). The head unit 12 has a printing position (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3) that is close to the conveyor belt 16 and can perform the above-described image forming process, and a retracted position (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3) set above the printing position. (see solid line) so that it can be raised and lowered between. By moving the head unit 12 to the retracted position, each recording head 14 can be maintained by the maintenance device 20 (details will be described later). Note that the lifting device is electrically connected to the control unit 19 to be driven and controlled.

[Maintenance equipment]
Next, the maintenance device 20 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the wiping device 23.

The maintenance device 20 is disposed inside the housing 2 to the left of the head unit 12 (see FIG. 1). The maintenance device 20 has a function of preventing or repairing clogging of the nozzles of the recording head 14.

As shown in FIG. 3, the maintenance device 20 includes a maintenance housing 21, a capping device 22, and a wiping device 23. The maintenance case 21 is formed into a box shape with an open right side, and accommodates a capping device 22 and a wiping device 23. The capping device 22 and the wiping device 23 are each moved in the left-right direction by a slide device (not shown). Note that the slide device is electrically connected to the control unit 19 to be driven and controlled, and moves a selected one of the capping device 22 and the wiping device 23.

<Capping device>
The capping device 22 includes a plurality of caps 22A corresponding to the plurality of recording heads 14 included in the head unit 12. The capping device 22 is provided so as to be movable in the left-right direction between an accommodation position housed in the maintenance case 21 and a capping position set directly below the head unit 12 elevated to the retracted position. After the slide device moves the capping device 22 from the storage position to the capping position, the lifting device lowers the head unit 12 in the retracted position, so that each cap 22A can move the nozzle surface 32 (a plurality of nozzles) of the recording head 14. to be sealed. This suppresses ink from drying within the nozzle and prevents the nozzle from clogging.

<Wiping device>
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the wiping device 23 includes four wiper carriages 24, a plurality of wipe blades 25, and a moving section 26. In addition, since the four wiper carriages 24 have the same structure and the plurality of wipe blades 25 also have the same structure, the following description will mainly describe one wiper carriage 24 and one wipe blade 25.

(wiper carriage)
The wiper carriage 24 is formed into a substantially flat plate shape that is long in the front-rear direction. The four wiper carriages 24 are provided to correspond to the four line heads 13. The wiping device 23 (four wiper carriages 24) is movable in the left-right direction between a storage position housed in the maintenance housing 21 and a wiping position set directly below the head unit 12 elevated to the retracted position. It is set in. Further, the wiper carriage 24 is provided so as to be movable in the front and rear directions while being placed at the wiping position.

(wipe blade)
Three wipe blades 25 corresponding to the three recording heads 14 are provided in one wiper carriage 24 in an upright position. The wipe blade 25, which is an example of a wiping member, is made of an elastic member such as synthetic rubber and has a substantially flat plate shape. The wipe blade 25 is formed wider in the left-right direction than the nozzle surface 32 of the recording head 14 . Note that a collection tray 27 (see FIG. 4) is provided between the wiper carriage 24 and the wipe blade 25.

(moving part)
The moving unit 26 (see FIG. 4) moves the wipe blade 25 in the front-rear direction (along the nozzle surface 32) via the wiper carriage 24. The moving unit 26 includes an actuator that serves as a drive source, such as an electric motor or a solenoid, and a drive transmission mechanism that converts the drive force of the actuator into a linear movement in the front-rear direction and transmits it to the wiper carriage 24 (wipe blade 25). (none of these are shown). The moving unit 26 (actuator) is electrically connected to the control unit 19 and is driven and controlled.

[Wiping process]
Next, the wiping process (wiping operation) of the nozzle surface 32 by the wiping device 23 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 5 is a side view showing the recording head 14 and the like. Note that the wiping process is performed, for example, after the ink in the nozzles of the recording head 14 is purged (discharged).

The control unit 19 drives and controls the slide device to move the wiping device 23 from the accommodation position to the wiping position, and then drives and controls the elevating device to lower the head unit 12 in the retracted position. As a result, the tip (upper end) of the wipe blade 25 comes into contact with the nozzle surface 32 . In this specification, as an example, the upper end of the wipe blade 25 contacts the front end (wiping start position) of the nozzle surface 32 (see FIG. 5).

Next, the control unit 19 drives and controls the moving unit 26 to move the wiper carriage 24 from the front to the rear (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4). The wipe blade 25 wipes off ink 90 (liquid) adhering to the nozzle surface 32 by moving the wipe blade 25 while bringing its tip into contact with (being pressed against) the nozzle surface 32 . The ink 90 wiped off by the wipe blade 25 falls onto the collection tray 27 and is collected through a collection port (not shown) opened in the collection tray 27 . Note that in this specification, the direction in which the ink 90 is wiped off (scraped off) is also referred to as the "wiping direction X" (see also FIG. 4).

The control unit 19 drives and controls the lifting device to raise the head unit 12 to the retracted position, drives and controls the moving unit 26 to return the wiper carriage 24 to the wiping start position, and drives and controls the slide device to raise the wiping device 23 . Return to storage position. With the above steps, the wiping process by the wiping device 23 is completed. Although the wipe blade 25 is moved from the front to the rear, it may be moved from the rear to the front with the rear end of the nozzle surface 32 set as the wiping start position.

By the way, in the wiping operation, the wipe blade 25 is pressed against the nozzle surface 32 with a predetermined pressure, so it is elastically deformed, and the left and right upper corners of the wipe blade 25 are deformed so as to protrude above the nozzle surface 32 ( (See Figure 6). The wiped ink 90 mainly flows down along the surface (front surface) of the wipe blade 25. However, after purging, there may be a relatively large amount of ink 90 attached to the nozzle surface 32, and the wiped ink 90 overflows from the upper corners of the left and right sides of the wipe blade 25, causing the head main body 30 to There were cases where it climbed up (went around) the side surfaces 33 on both the left and right sides. The ink 90 adhering to the side surface 33 may drip and contaminate the sheet S during the printing operation. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with a drip suppressing section 40 that suppresses the ink 90 that has risen up on the side surface 33 of the head main body section 30 from falling.

[Dripping suppression part]
The drip suppressing section 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a side view showing the recording head 14, the drip suppressing section 40, and the like. FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the dripping suppressing section 40 includes a pair of channel sections 41, a pair of collecting sections 44, and a collecting section 45. The pair of flow path sections 41 are provided on a pair of side surfaces 33 (both left and right side surfaces) extending in the wiping direction X of the head main body section 30. The pair of collecting portions 44 are provided on a pair of end surfaces 34 (both front and rear end surfaces) extending in the front-rear direction (width direction perpendicular to the wiping direction X) of the head main body portion 30. The recovery section 45 is provided below the head unit 12. Note that since the pair of flow path portions 41 have the same structure, one flow path portion 41 will be described below unless it is explicitly stated that they are a pair. Similarly, regarding the pair of collection sections 44, one collection section 44 will be explained.

<Flow path section>
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the pair of flow path portions 41 are formed in the shape of grooves recessed from the pair of side surfaces 33 of the head body portion 30 toward the center in the left-right direction. The flow path section 41 is provided on the side surface 33 so as to slope downward from approximately the center in the front-rear direction (wiping direction X) toward both ends (see FIG. 5). The flow path section 41 allows ink 90 that rises along the side surface 33 to flow in as the wipe blade 25 wipes the nozzle surface 32 and flows down to both sides in the front-rear direction (wiping direction X).

As shown in FIG. 6, the flow path section 41 has an open outer surface (one surface) in the left-right direction, and is formed in a substantially U-shaped groove shape by connecting three flow path forming surfaces 50. The two upper and lower flow path forming surfaces 50 are surfaces parallel to the nozzle surface 32, and the remaining flow path forming surface 50 is a surface parallel to the side surface 33. A hydrophilic layer 51 is formed on the flow path forming surface 50 parallel to the side surface 33 so that the contact angle of the ink 90 (ink droplets) is smaller than that on the side surface 33 . The hydrophilic layer 51 is, for example, a thin film formed by applying an existing hydrophilic coating agent to the channel forming surface 50.

Note that the slope of the flow path portion 41 (the angle of inclination with respect to the nozzle surface 32) can be freely set in consideration of various conditions such as the viscosity of the ink 90 and the contact angle of ink droplets on the hydrophilic layer 51. Preferably, the slope of the flow path portion 41 is made as small as possible while ensuring proper flow of the ink 90. Further, the contact angle of the ink droplet on the side surface 33 is preferably 60 degrees or more, and the contact angle of the ink droplet on the hydrophilic layer 51 is preferably less than 60 degrees, but the contact angle is not limited to this and can be freely changed. You may. Further, the nozzle surface 32 and the side surfaces 33 may be subjected to water repellent treatment.

<Collection section>
As shown in FIG. 5, the collecting section 44 is formed in the shape of a tray with an open upper surface, and is fixed to the lower part of the end surface 34 of the head main body section 30. As shown in FIG. The collecting section 44 communicates with the lower ends of the pair of left and right channel sections 41 , and ink 90 flows into the collecting section 44 from the channel section 41 . In other words, the collecting section 44 collects the ink 90 that has flowed down along the flow path section 41 .

<Collection Department>
As shown in FIG. 5, the recovery section 45 includes a recovery tube 46, a waste liquid tank 47, and a suction pump 48. The collecting section 45 collects the ink 90 collected by the pair of collecting sections 44 into the waste liquid tank 47 .

The recovery tube 46 is a conduit that connects the pair of collection sections 44 and the waste liquid tank 47. The upstream side of the recovery tube 46 is bifurcated, and the upstream ends thereof are connected to a pair of outlet ports 44A provided on the bottom surfaces of the pair of collection sections 44. The upstream sides of the recovery tubes 46 merge into one tube, and the downstream ends of the recovery tubes 46 are connected to an inlet 47A provided in a waste liquid tank 47. The waste liquid tank 47 is a container for storing the ink 90 that has passed through the recovery tube 46. The suction pump 48 is, for example, a centrifugal pump, an axial flow pump, a diaphragm pump, or the like, and is provided in the recovery tube 46 downstream of the merging portion of the bifurcated recovery tube 46 . The suction pump 48 is electrically connected to the control unit 19 via a control board (not shown), and is driven and controlled by the control unit 19. The suction pump 48 applies pressure to the ink 90 flowing through the recovery tube 46 and sends the ink 90 from the pair of collection sections 44 toward the waste liquid tank 47 .

[Effect of dripping suppressor]
With reference to FIG. 5, recovery of the ink 90 that rises up the side surface 33 of the head main body section 30 (effect of the dripping suppressing section 40) will be described. Note that the suction pump 48 starts operating in conjunction with the start of the wiping operation.

A portion of the ink 90 wiped off by the wipe blade 25 overflows from the left and right upper corners of the wipe blade 25 and rises up the pair of side surfaces 33 of the head main body 30 . When the ink 90 rises up to the channel section 41, it flows into the channel section 41 from the side surface 33. Since the hydrophilic layer 51 is formed on one channel forming surface 50 of the channel section 41, the ink 90 spreads and spreads as if being sucked from the side surface 33 toward the channel section 41 (hydrophilic layer 51).

The ink 90 that has flowed into the flow path portion 41 flows down along the flow path portion 41 toward both the front and back sides (lower end portion) (see the broken line arrows shown in FIG. 5). The ink 90 flows into the collection section 44 from the channel section 41 and is temporarily stored in the collection section 44 . The ink 90 accumulated in the collection part 44 is sucked into the collection tube 46 from the outlet 44A by the suction force of the suction pump 48, passes through the collection tube 46, and flows into the waste liquid tank 47 from the inlet 47A ( (See the dashed arrow shown in FIG. 5). As a result, the ink 90 that has risen up the side surface 33 of the head main body section 30 during the wiping operation is collected into the waste liquid tank 47.

In the recording head 14 according to the present embodiment described above, the flow path portion 41 is inclined downward from the middle portion of the side surface 33 in the front-rear direction (wiping direction X) toward both ends. According to this configuration, since the channel section 41 is divided into two and an inclination is formed, the distance (height) from the nozzle surface 32 to the upper end of the inclination (middle part) It becomes possible to set it short (low). Thereby, the ink 90 rising up on the side surface 33 of the recording head 14 can be appropriately caused to flow into the flow path section 41. As a result, the ink 90 that has risen up on the side surface 33 of the head body section 30 is suppressed from remaining on the side surface 33, and the sheet S is prevented from being contaminated by the ink 90 that has fallen from the side surface 33 during the printing operation after the wiping operation. be able to.

Further, in the recording head 14 according to the present embodiment, the collecting section 44 receives the ink 90 flowing down the flow path section 41. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the ink 90 from falling from both the front and rear ends of the flow path section 41.

Further, according to the recording head 14 according to the present embodiment, the hydrophilic layer 51 is formed on one channel forming surface 50, so that the ink 90 rising up the side surface 33 can be guided to the channel section 41. I can do it. This makes it difficult for the ink 90 that has risen from the nozzle surface 32 to remain on the side surface 33, so that falling of the ink 90 from the side surface 33 can be suppressed.

Further, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the collection unit 45 is configured to collect the ink 90 (liquid) collected by the pair of collection units 44 into the waste liquid tank 47. According to this configuration, leakage of the ink 90 accumulated in the collecting section 44 can be suppressed. Thereby, it is possible to appropriately prevent the ink 90 from falling during the printing operation after the wiping operation.

In the recording head 14 (droplet suppressing section 40) according to the present embodiment described above, the pair of flow passage sections 41 are groove-shaped recessed from the pair of side surfaces 33 of the head main body section 30 toward the center in the left-right direction. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. As a first modified example, as shown in FIG. 7, the flow path section 42 is formed by cutting out the upper part of the head main body section 30, and the two flow path forming surfaces 50 form an L-shape when viewed from the front. may be consecutive. In this case, the hydrophilic layer 51 is preferably formed on the channel forming surface 50 that is parallel to the nozzle surface 32. Further, as a second modification, as shown in FIG. 8, the flow path section 43 may be formed in a substantially U-shaped groove shape with the upper surface open and three flow path forming surfaces 50 connected. In this case, the two left and right flow path forming surfaces 50 are surfaces parallel to the side surface 33, and the remaining flow path forming surface 50 is a surface parallel to the nozzle surface 32. The hydrophilic layer 51 is preferably formed on the channel forming surface 50 that is parallel to the nozzle surface 32 .

Note that in the recording head 14 according to the present embodiment (including each modification; the same applies hereinafter), the flow path sections 41 to 43 (hereinafter referred to as "flow path sections 41, etc.") are connected to the head main body section 30 (the same applies hereinafter). However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a component in which the flow path section 41 etc. are formed is configured as a separate component from the head body section 30, and by fixing the component to the side surface 33 of the head body section 30, the flow path section 41 etc. are formed on the side surface 33. (not shown).

Further, in the recording head 14 according to the present embodiment, the flow path portion 41 and the like are inclined from approximately the center of the side surface 33 in the front-back direction toward both ends, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the flow path portion 41 and the like may be provided so as to slope downward toward both ends from a position shifted toward the front or rear side of the center in the front-rear direction (not shown). For example, if the amount of ink 90 tends to increase on the downstream side (rearward) of the nozzle surface 32 in the wiping direction . Further, the slope (inclination angle) may be different between the front side and the rear side of the flow path portion 41 etc. (not shown).

Further, in the recording head 14 according to the present embodiment, the hydrophilic layer 51 is formed on one of the plurality of flow path forming surfaces 50, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The hydrophilic layer 51 only needs to be formed on the surface of at least one flow path forming surface 50, and may be formed on all the flow path forming surfaces 50, for example (not shown). Furthermore, for example, when the ink 90 is guided to the channel section 41 by capillary action by adjusting the width (thinness) of the channel section 41, the hydrophilic layer 51 may be omitted (not shown).

Further, in the recording head 14 according to the present embodiment, the collecting section 44 provided on the end surface 34 collects the ink 90 flowing through the flow path section 41, but the present invention is not limited to this. may be omitted. In this case, during the wiping operation, the collection tray 27 of the wiping device 23 may receive the ink 90 falling from both the front and rear ends (lower end) of the flow path section 41. Even with this configuration, it is possible to prevent the ink 90 rising up on the side surface 33 of the recording head 14 from remaining attached to the side surface 33 during the wiping operation.

Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the ink 90 collected in the collecting section 44 is collected in the waste liquid tank 47 by the suction pump 48 generating suction force. It is not limited to this. The suction pump 48 may be omitted and the ink 90 may flow down the collection tube 46 under its own weight and be collected in the waste liquid tank 47 (not shown). Further, although the waste liquid tank 47 was communicated with the collection section 44 via the recovery tube 46, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the suction pump 48 and the recovery tube 46 may be omitted, and the inlet 47A of the waste liquid tank 47 may be directly connected to the outlet 44A of each collection section 44 (not shown). Furthermore, if each collection section 44 has a sufficient capacity, the collection section 45 may be omitted (not shown).

Further, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the wipe blade 25 moves in the wiping direction X during the wiping operation to wipe the nozzle surface 32, but the present invention is not limited to this. The moving unit 26 may reciprocate the wiper carriage 24 (wipe blade 25) in the front-back direction.

Furthermore, although the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment employs the plate-shaped wipe blade 25 as an example of the wiping member, the present invention is not limited to this. As another example of the wiping member, a wiping cloth made of nonwoven fabric or the like may be used (not shown). In this case, for example, a wiping cloth formed in a band shape may be wound around one roller, and the wiping cloth may be wound around another roller while pressing against the nozzle surface 32 (not shown).

Further, the wiping device 23 of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment may further include a cleaning liquid supply unit (not shown) that applies cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface 32 to which the ink 90 has adhered. The cleaning liquid supply unit may apply the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface 32 before or while wiping the nozzle surface 32 with the wipe blade 25.

Further, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the wiping device 23 (wipe blade 25) wipes off the ink 90 (an example of liquid) on the nozzle surface 32, but the present invention is not limited to this. Other examples of the liquid ejected from the nozzles of the recording head 14 include water, liquid adhesive, liquid synthetic resin, etc., and the wiping device 23 can also wipe off these liquids on the nozzle surface 32. .

Further, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the control section 19 that controls the entire image forming apparatus 1 controls the wiping device 23; however, the wiping device 23 is not limited to this. A dedicated control section (not shown) may be provided to control the.

Further, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment described above, the line head 13 is equipped with three recording heads 14; however, the present invention is not limited to this, and the line head 13 may be equipped with one or more recording heads 14. That's fine. Further, although the plurality of recording heads 14 are arranged in a staggered manner on the head base 15, the arrangement is not limited to this, and the arrangement form may be freely changed, for example, by arranging them in a line.

Further, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment described above, the head unit 12 is raised by the lifting device when performing maintenance by the maintenance device 20, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the head unit 12 may be provided immovably, and the lifting device may raise the maintenance device 20 (capping device 22, wiping device 23) to bring the cap 22A and wipe blade 25 into contact with the nozzle surface 32.

Further, although the image forming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment described above is a color printer, the image forming apparatus 1 is not limited to this, and may be a monochrome printer, a copy machine, a facsimile, or the like.

Note that the description of the above embodiments shows one aspect of the recording head and image forming apparatus according to the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The present invention may be variously changed, replaced, and modified without departing from the spirit of the technical idea, and the scope of the claims includes all embodiments that can be included within the scope of the technical idea.

1 Image forming apparatus 14 Recording head 25 Wipe blade (wiping member)
30 Head main body 32 Nozzle surface 33 Side surface 34 End surface 41, 42, 43 Channel section 44 Collection section 45 Recovery section 47 Waste liquid tank 51 Hydrophilic layer 90 Ink (liquid)

Claims (5)

A recording head in which liquid adhering to the nozzle surface is wiped off by moving a wiping member in contact with the nozzle surface,
a head main body portion extending along the wiping direction of the wiping member with the nozzle surface facing downward;
A pair of side surfaces extending in the wiping direction of the head main body section are provided so as to slope downward from the middle part in the wiping direction toward both ends, and as the wiping member performs a wiping operation of the nozzle surface, the pair of side surfaces extend in the wiping direction. 1. A recording head comprising: a pair of flow path portions through which the liquid rising along the flow path flows in and flows down on both sides in the wiping direction. The head body further includes a pair of collection parts provided on a pair of end faces extending in a width direction perpendicular to the wiping direction of the head main body part and collecting the liquid flowing down along the pair of flow path parts. The recording head according to claim 1. Each of the flow path portions has one side open and is formed by connecting at least two flow path forming surfaces,
3. The recording head according to claim 1, wherein a hydrophilic layer is formed on at least one of the flow path forming surfaces so that the contact angle of the liquid is smaller than that on the side surface. An image forming apparatus comprising the recording head according to claim 1. A recording head according to claim 2;
An image forming apparatus comprising: a collection section that collects the liquid collected by the pair of collection sections into a waste liquid tank.

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