JP2572489Y2 - Inkjet printer - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure of a cap of an ink jet printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an ink jet printer, when a nozzle portion of an ink jet head is clogged due to thickening of ink, adhesion of foreign matter, or the like, printing defects such as missing dots are caused. Normally, as a means of preventing this kind of printing failure and recovering from the printing failure, the nozzle portion of the ink jet head is covered with a cap, and the thickened ink and the adhered foreign matter are removed together with the ink in the ink jet head in the cap. The method of sucking is carried out. At this time, if printing is started with the excess ink adhering to the vicinity of the nozzle portion as it is after suction, the ejection path of the ink is bent by the excess ink, and a printing defect occurs.

Therefore, a technique for removing excess ink adhering around the nozzle is required.

The prior art will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 8 is a side sectional view showing the structure of a conventional cap. Reference numeral 101 denotes a cap made of an elastic member, 102 denotes an ink absorber made of a porous member, and 103 denotes an ink absorber made of a porous member having better resilience than the ink absorber 102.

FIG. 9 is a side sectional view showing a suction state during cleaning with a conventional cap. 104 is an ink jet head, 105 is a nozzle unit, 107 is an ink supply tank, 108 is a suction pump, 109 is a waste liquid tank, 106
Is an on-off valve, and 110, 111, and 112 are connection tubes. First, the cap 10 is attached to the ink jet head 104.
1 and the ink absorber 103 in the cap 101, the opening / closing valve 106 is closed in the direction of arrow D by a driving means (not shown), and the cap 101, the ink absorber 102, And the nozzle portion 10 via the ink absorber 103
5, the ink 113 is sucked for a predetermined time, and the thickened ink and the attached foreign matter in the nozzle unit 105 are sucked together with the ink in the head 104. Sucked ink 1
Numeral 13 passes through a suction pump 108 and is stored in a waste liquid tank 109 connected to the suction pump 108. Next, the on-off valve 106 is opened in the direction of arrow E to open the inside of the cap 101 to the atmosphere, and only the ink 113 stored in the cap 101 is sucked.

FIG. 10 is a side sectional view showing a state in which the suction of the ink accumulated in the cap has been completed.
Extra ink 114 is attached around the periphery of the ink absorber 103 due to the capillary action of the ink absorber 103 pressed below the nozzle portion 105 as shown in the figure. Absorber 102
Excess ink 114 that is absorbed by
Is removed.

[0007]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, since two types of ink absorbers in the cap are required, there is naturally a problem that the number of components is increased by one and the assemblability is deteriorated. there were.

Further, since the ink absorbing member of the porous member is pressed against the head, the ink absorbing member undergoes plastic deformation to crush the holes, thereby reducing the absorbing capacity and making it difficult to remove excess ink. There was a problem of becoming.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem. A cap having a structure with a smaller number of parts and a better assemblability than before is obtained, and at the same time, surplus ink is reliably absorbed. It is intended to be guided to the body and removed.

[0010]

A cap of an ink jet printer according to the present invention covers an ink jet head at a predetermined position with a cap made of an elastic member, discharges ink from the ink jet head, and discharges ink from the nozzle of the ink jet head. In an ink jet printer for cleaning a part, the ink jet printer is formed integrally with the cap,
When the head is covered with the cap,
A plate-shaped member in contact with the portion, the plate-shaped member has a nozzle portion
It is inclined downward with respect to the surface to be formed.
The plate-like member is exposed to ink adhering around the nozzles.
Multiple micro-width grooves or guides to guide below the cap
Is characterized in that a slit is provided. Also,
Further, the ink in the cap is communicated with the cap,
Pump capable of suctioning and releasing the inside of the cap to the atmosphere
It is equipped with an on-off valve that releases and shuts off.

[0011]

According to the above configuration of the present invention, it is possible to remove excess ink adhered to the periphery of the nozzle portion after cleaning by capillary action in a plurality of minute width spaces.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1, 2, 3 and 4 show an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of an ink jet printer using a cap according to the present invention, wherein 1 is a cap, 2 is a plate-like portion in the cap 1, 4 is an ink absorber made of a porous member, Is an ink jet head, 7 is an on-off valve,
8 is a suction pump, 9 is a waste liquid tank, 10 is an ink supply tank, 11, 12, and 13 are connection tubes, 14 is a carriage, 15 is a guide shaft, 16 is a body frame, 17
Is a cap holder.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing the structure of the cap of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of the cap. As shown in FIG. 2, a plate-like portion 2 is provided in a cap 1 made of an elastic member.
Is located at a position in contact with the lower portion of the nozzle portion 6 of the ink jet head 5 and the surface of the plate-shaped portion 2 has an angle of 0 ° or more and 90 ° or less downward with respect to the direction of arrow A which is the ink ejection direction. It is provided integrally with the cap 1 with such inclination. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of grooves 3 having a minute width are provided in the ink ejection direction as a space having a minute width on the surface of the plate-shaped portion 2.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing a suction state at the time of cleaning with the cap of the present invention. First, after the cap 1 and the tip of the plate-like portion 2 in the cap 1 are pressed against the ink ejecting head 5, the on-off valve 7 is closed in the direction of arrow B by a driving means (not shown), and the suction pump connected to the cap 1. 8, the ink 18 is sucked from the nozzle 6 through the cap 1 and the ink absorber 4 for a predetermined time, and the thickened ink in the nozzle 6 and the attached foreign matter are sucked together with the ink in the ink jet head 5. I do. The sucked ink 18 passes through the suction pump 8 and is stored in a waste liquid tank 9 connected to the suction pump 8. Next, the on-off valve 7 is opened in the direction of arrow C to open the inside of the cap 1 to the atmosphere.
Only the ink 18 stored in the cap 1 is sucked.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing a state in which the suction of the ink stored in the cap has been completed. Excess ink 19 adhering to the periphery of the nozzle portion 6 of the ink jet head 5 after suction of the ink is removed by a plurality of micro-width grooves provided on the plate portion 2 of the cap 1 pressed below the nozzle portion 6 as shown in the figure. 3 is absorbed by the ink absorber 4 in the cap 1 through the groove 3.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view showing the structure of the cap according to the present invention.
Instead, a plurality of minute width slits 3a are provided in the plate portion 2a.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing a state in which the suction of the ink accumulated in the cap has been completed. The excess ink 19a attached around the nozzle 6a after the suction is completed is pressed into contact with the lower portion of the nozzle 6a. It is guided into the cap 1a by capillary action in a plurality of minute width slits 3a provided in the formed plate-like portion 2a, and is absorbed by the ink absorber 4a in the cap 1a.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plate-like portion provided integrally with a cap made of an elastic member is pressed into contact with a lower portion of a nozzle portion to form a plurality of minute widths provided on the plate-like portion. Due to the capillary phenomenon in the space, excess ink attached around the nozzle portion of the ink jet head after suction is guided to the ink absorber in the cap and removed from around the nozzle portion. Therefore, the ink absorber conventionally required to guide the excess ink adhering to the vicinity of the nozzle becomes unnecessary, and the number of parts is reduced, and the assembling property is improved. Further, since a porous member is not used as means for guiding the excess ink attached to the vicinity of the nozzle portion to the ink absorber, the excess ink can be reliably guided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an ink jet printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing the structure of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing a suction state according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the embodiment of the present invention at the end of suction.

FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view showing the structure of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention at the end of suction.

FIG. 8 is a side sectional view showing the structure of the related art.

FIG. 9 is a side sectional view showing a suction state according to the related art.

FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state at the end of suction according to the related art.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1a Cap 2, 2a Plate part 3 Groove 3a Slit 4, 4a Ink absorber 5, 5a Ink jet head 6, 6a Nozzle part 7, 7a Open / close valve 8 Suction pump 9 Waste liquid tank 10 Ink supply tank

Claims (3)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A covered with a cap comprising an ink jet head at a predetermined position from the elastic member, in an ink jet printer for cleaning the nozzle portion of the ink jet head ink is discharged from the ink jet head, said cap integral And the ejection head is
When covered with a cap, it contacts the lower part of the nozzle
A plate-shaped member, wherein the plate-shaped member has a surface on which a nozzle portion is formed;
With respect to the plate-shaped member.
Removes the ink adhering around the nozzle portion with the cap
Micro-grooves or slits to guide below
Inkjet pre-printer characterized by being provided with
Nta. 2. The ink jet printer according to claim 1, wherein :
In the above, the plate-shaped member is positioned downward with respect to the ink ejection direction.
That it is inclined at an angle between 0 and 90 degrees in the direction
Characteristic inkjet printer. 3. The ink according to claim 1, wherein
In the jet printer, further, the ink in the cap communicates with the cap,
Pump capable of suctioning and releasing the inside of the cap to the atmosphere
Ink cartridge characterized by having an on-off valve for releasing and shutting off
Printer.