JP2603610B2 - Ink jet recording device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art In an ink jet recording apparatus, the ejection performance of liquid droplets due to clogging of an ink ejection port provided in a print head and mixing of air bubbles into an ink supply path leading to the ink ejection port. Is deteriorated, and defective ink ejection may occur.

Therefore, in the conventional ink jet recording apparatus, a suction means is provided outside the ejection port so as to be opposed thereto, and the ink is caused to flow at a certain speed by sucking the ink from the ejection port or pressurizing the ink supply path. The cause of the above-mentioned discharge failure is eliminated by discharging the ink from the discharge port.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the ink jet recording apparatus, a flow path of a portion such as a discharge port, a print head, a corner portion in a supply path, a step portion, or a filter for removing foreign matter provided in a supply path is provided. Since the resistance is large, it is not possible to obtain a sufficient flow velocity,
Therefore, there is a problem that only the ink is discharged without discharging the remaining air bubbles and the like in those portions, and the cause of the discharge failure may not be properly removed.

Further, in order to eliminate such a cause of the discharge failure, it is conceivable to increase the suction force by the suction means or the pressing force by the pressurizing means for applying pressure to secure the flow velocity. There is a problem that the size cannot be avoided.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention solves the above problems, makes it possible to secure a sufficient flow velocity without increasing the size of the apparatus, and thus can perform a reliable discharge recovery process. It is an object to provide an ink jet recording apparatus.

Therefore, an inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention is an inkjet recording apparatus that performs recording by ejecting ink from a plurality of ejection ports to a recording medium, wherein the plurality of ejection ports are provided on a surface provided with the plurality of ejection ports. An opening which communicates with the ink supply path and is not related to the recording; andintroducing means for introducing a gas from the opening and the plurality of ejection ports to an ink chamber commonly communicating with the plurality of ejection ports. Discharging means for discharging the introduced gas together with the ink from the opening and the plurality of discharge ports.

[Operation] In the present invention, a gas is introduced into the ink chamber from the plurality of ejection ports, and the introduced gas is discharged from the plurality of ejection ports together with the ink. This makes it possible to appropriately remove foreign matter in the ink supply path leading to the discharge port, for example, bubbles and dust remaining in a filter in the supply path, steps, corners, and the like of the supply path. Above all, foreign matter including small bubbles adheres to the wall near the opening where it branches off from the ink chamber toward the plurality of discharge ports and tends to stay there. However, according to the present invention, these can be reliably removed. That is, dust and the like are peeled off by the gas introduced into the ink chamber from the plurality of ejection ports, and small bubbles are united and flown. However, even if foreign matter remains on the wall, the gas is transferred to the plurality of ejection ports together with the ink. This is because it is removed by the action of a large force when flowing backward. In particular, since the flow velocity of the gas is usually higher than that of the ink from the relation of the flow path resistance, it is preferable to form the flow of the gas in the ink supply path in order to perform appropriate recovery.

Further, according to the present invention, since the gas provided on the surface provided with the plurality of ejection ports is introduced and discharged using the irrelevant openings, more efficient recovery can be performed.

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show an example of an external configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention can be applied and an example of a configuration of an operation panel provided on the front of the apparatus. FIGS.
An example of the configuration of a recording unit housed inside the apparatus shown in FIG. 1A is shown. In this example, a so-called serial type ink jet recording apparatus is illustrated.

First, in FIG. 1A, reference numeral 1000 denotes an apparatus main body;
Is a power switch, and 1200 is an operation panel. control panel
As shown in FIG. 1B, an FF switch 1210 and an LF switch 1220 for the operator to command the conveyance of a recording medium such as paper, and an online switch for giving an online command to, for example, a master device, as shown in FIG. In addition to command means such as 1230, an online lamp 1250 for displaying the online status of the device, an alarm lamp 12 for notifying an abnormality, etc.
60, and ready lamp 12 to signal ready status
Display means such as 70 can be provided.

2 and 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a head having an ink discharge port on the front surface facing the recording paper P, and a sub-tank for supplying ink to a liquid chamber (ink chamber) in the head 1 via a tube 17. A recording paper P whose recording surface is regulated by the platen 21 by ejecting ink droplets from the ejection ports in the course of the movement is mounted on a carriage 22 that moves in the direction To record. An ink cartridge 13 is detachably held on the main body 1200. The ink cartridge 13 has an ink bag 20 and a stopper 19 made of an elastic member inside, and a supply tube is formed by pushing a hollow needle 18 into the stopper 19 to an appropriate position. 14 through sub tank
A state of ink communication with 12 is obtained.

Here, the ink supplied to the head 1 is maintained at a negative pressure compared to the head of the discharge port. The head of the ink to be supplied is always kept almost constant by the water level adjusting tube 15, and the ink is supplied to the ejection port side by the surface tension, so that the ink does not recede from the ejection port. Further, leakage of ink from the ejection port due to vibration or the like is also prevented.

A cap device 100 is provided at, for example, the home position of the carriage 22, and caps the head 1 when the carriage 22 is positioned at the home position. In the cap device 100, reference numeral 3 denotes an elastic member which can be joined to the front surface of the head 1, and a joining portion having a cap 3A for protecting the ejection port at the time of non-recording, and 7A and 7B respectively constitute the joining portion 3. FIG. 3 shows a gear and a cam for positioning the gear, which constitute a joint transport mechanism for transporting in the direction T in the drawing to join / remove the head 1. Positioning of this joining / disengaging is performed by, for example, a switch.
This can be performed by turning on / off the eleven contacts 11B by the cam 7B.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a pump as a suction means, and a tube 15 for keeping the ink level in the tube 4 and the sub tank 12.
Through the joint 3 and the sub-tank 12, respectively.
Attached inside and aspirated. Reference numeral 8 denotes an opening / closing means provided in the atmosphere opening tube 5 for opening the inside of the joint 3 to the atmosphere. For example, an electromagnetic valve can be used. Further, for example, a closable ventilation valve is provided between the solenoid valve 8 of the tube 5 and the joint 3. Reference numeral 9 denotes an operation lever, which has a portion capable of closing the ventilation valve and a projection 9A which engages with the pump contact 6A to drive the pump 6.

In this example, a lever control member including, for example, a spring or a latch is provided, and the lever 9 can be set to an on position, an off position, and an intermediate position between them, and after the movement operation from the off position to the on position, When the operation is released, it is held at the intermediate position, and when the operation is moved from the intermediate position to the ON position and then released, the operation returns to the OFF position. Thus, in the ON position, the ventilation valve 5A is closed and the pump contact 6A is lowered most, and the suction operation is performed.In the intermediate position, the pump contact 6A returns with the ventilation valve 5A closed, and in the OFF position. The vent valve 5A is opened and the engagement between the pump contact 6A and the projection 9A is released.

Further, as described later, the output of the switch 11 and the moving position of the lever 9 are detected by the control unit, and the conveyance of the joint 3 and the driving of the solenoid valve 8 are controlled.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the configuration of the main part of an apparatus to which the present invention can be applied. In this example, air is introduced into the recording head 1 by applying pressure from the outside of the discharge port, and then suction is performed by the pump 6. Is performed so that the ejection recovery processing is performed, and when pressurizing, the bonding portion 3 is repeatedly bonded to and separated from the head 1.

In the figure, reference numeral 5A denotes a vent valve provided in the middle of the atmosphere opening tube 5 in response to the operation of the operation lever 9, and a portion thereof.
It can be closed by 9B. 3B is provided on the cap 3A,
It is an ink absorber that can hold ink, and can be formed of, for example, a porous material having liquid absorbency. Note that the cap 3A can be generally formed of various rubber materials such as silicone rubber and butyl rubber.

Reference numeral 30 denotes a filter disposed in the middle of the ink supply tube 17 for collecting foreign matter such as dust in the supplied ink and preventing foreign matter from flowing into the recording head 1. Reference numeral 16 denotes a waste ink absorber provided in the ink cartridge 13, which receives waste ink sucked by the pump 6 through a waste ink tube 10.

FIG. 5 is a configuration example of a control system of the apparatus according to the example shown in FIG. Reference numeral 200 denotes a microcomputer-type control unit having, for example, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like. The control unit 200 controls each unit according to processing procedures and the like stored in the ROM, and drives the head 1 for image data received from a host device or the like. Make a record. PS is a paper sensor for detecting the recording paper P. In response to the detection or the like, the control unit 200 controls the paper feed mechanism 2 including a paper feed motor.
The platen roller 21 is driven via 1A to control the paper feed. CS is a carriage position sensor, and the control unit 200 controls driving of the carriage 22 and positioning to the home position or the like via the carriage motor 22A according to the detected position information.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a transport mechanism having a driving member such as a motor for transporting the joint 3 in addition to the gear 7A and the cam 7B. In response to a contact signal from the switch 11, the control unit 200 determines the position of the joint with respect to the head 1. Do. Reference numerals 1205 and 1255 denote instruction means and display means provided on the operation panel shown in FIG. 1B, respectively. LS is a position sensor of the lever 9 and can be disposed, for example, in connection with the pump contact 6A.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a recovery processing procedure by the control unit 200 shown in FIG. 5, and FIGS. 7 to 9 show an operation example of each unit in the processing.

First, when the power is turned on, at an appropriate timing during the recording process, or when the carriage 22 is positioned at the home position, capping is performed by moving the joining portion 3 with respect to the head 1 in step S1 in FIG. In this state, step
In S3, the operator moves the lever 9 from the OFF position to the ON position (time A in FIG. 7), waits for a predetermined time until the alarm lamp stops blinking in Step S5, and then moves the lever 9 in Step S7. Release the operation of step 9. At the time of moving to the ON position, the suction process from the discharge port 2 is performed, and the inside of the joint portion 3 and the inside of the suction tube 4 are filled with ink. At this time, by opening the solenoid valve 8 for a predetermined time (period B in FIG. 7) in step S9, excessive filling is prevented.

Next, in step S11, the joining / conveying mechanism 7 is controlled to repeat joining / separation between the cap 3A and the discharge port 2 several times (period C in FIG. 7). At this time, air is fed into the head 1 through the ejection port 2 by the cap 3A which is an elastic body. In addition, since the ink is filled in the cap 3A and the tube 4, the volume of the pressed portion is small, and the filled ink works as an elastic body.
The air is effectively pushed. Note that this step
In connection with the air introduction process in S11, as shown in FIG. 8, if the solenoid valve 8 is opened only immediately before the cap 3A is separated from the discharge port 2 during the period C, the joining can be performed immediately before the separation. The negative pressure generated instantaneously in the portion can be removed, and the introduced air can be prevented from being discharged (the meniscus is advanced) and the ink can be prevented from being scattered.

Next, in step S13, the alarm lamp 1260 and the online lamp 1250 are alternately blinked to notify the operator of the end of the air introduction process. Thus, for example, after the period D, the operator moves the lever 9 at step S15 (time E).
Is moved from the intermediate position to the ON position, the suction process is started, and after a predetermined time (time point F), the electromagnetic valve 8 is opened in step S17. The operator turns off the lever 9 in step S19, and closes the solenoid valve 8 in step S21.

At this time, since air is introduced behind the discharge port 2, that is, in the ink chamber and the supply tube 17 in the head 1, if the pump 6 performs negative pressure suction in this state,
The air is discharged from the discharge port 2 at a stretch, and the flow path resistance is substantially reduced, so that a large suction force is obtained. Therefore, the cause of the discharge failure in the ink supply path from the subtank 12 to the discharge port 2, that is, the foreign matter such as the bubbles staying in the filter 30, the corners, and the step portions is reliably removed.

The reason that the ink is sucked in the processes of steps S3 to S7 and the inside of the cap 3A and the suction tube 4 is filled with the ink is that when the air is introduced into the rear of the discharge port 2, the pressing force due to the joining surely reaches the discharge port 2. That's why.
The reason for delaying the timing of opening the solenoid valve 8 with respect to the timing of turning on the lever 9 in the process of step S17 is as follows.

When the pump 6 is turned on (operating state) at a time point E in FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 in a state where the discharge port 2 is sealed by the cap 3A and the ventilation valve 5A and the solenoid valve 8 are closed. Then, suction is performed via the suction tube 4, and a negative pressure (a negative pressure for ink suction) is generated in the cap 3 </ b> A and the open-to-atmosphere tube 5, and the suction process from the discharge port 2 is performed.

At this time, the ink sucked together with the air from the discharge port 2 fills the cap 3A and leaks from the ink absorber 3B. In addition, the inside of the atmosphere opening tube 5 may be filled with ink. However, if this state is maintained, the subsequent ink ejection will be adversely affected.

Therefore, in this example, at a time point F at which a predetermined time has elapsed from the time point E, the solenoid valve 8 is turned on (open state), and the atmosphere opening tube 5 is communicated with the atmosphere. Then, the ink leaking from the ink absorber 3B and the ink in the open-to-atmosphere tube 5 are sent to the pump 6 via the suction tube 4.

As shown in FIG. 9, the pressure (suction pressure waveform) in the cap 3A becomes negative pressure with a slight rising angle at the point E when the pump 6 is turned on, and at the point F when the solenoid valve 8 is turned on (open). To suddenly return to atmospheric pressure. Therefore, after time F, ink suction is not performed.

Here, the time (FE) from the time point E at which the pump 6 is turned on to the time point F at which the solenoid valve 8 is turned on is determined by the control unit 200.
Can be controlled by Further, the control may be performed by a timer for controlling the opening and closing of the solenoid valve. This time FE, that is, the ink suction time, can be appropriately changed by adjusting the control unit 200 or the timer.

In the above example, the operation of the lever 9 is manually performed by the operator. However, the operation may be performed by providing appropriate command means and driving means, or may be performed in the control process by providing driving means. It is extremely easy, and even in the case of manual operation, the recovery operation can be simplified by providing a start switch or the like so as to start from the broken line at the time point A in FIGS. 7 and 8. .

In addition, the pressurization for pushing air from the discharge port is performed by the cap 3A for preventing nozzle clogging and dust from being mixed. However, in order to press air from the discharge port 2 separately from the cap 3A. May be provided.

Furthermore, as long as sufficient air is introduced by one joining, only one joining operation may be performed without repeating the joining.

In addition, in the above embodiment, air is introduced by applying pressure from the outside of the discharge port 2, but air is introduced by setting the inside of the discharge port 2 to a negative pressure state. You can also.

FIG. 10 shows another configuration example of a main part of a device to which the present invention can be applied. In the figure, reference numeral 40 denotes a restricting means provided in the middle of the supply tube 14 to cut off or reduce the supply of ink, and may be, for example, an electromagnetic valve. In this example, the solenoid valve 40 is closed, and the pump 6 is operated in that state to make the supply path from the sub-tank 12 to the discharge port 2 a negative pressure state, thereby providing suction and introduction of ink from the discharge port 2. Things.

The ventilation valve 5A provided in the middle of the atmosphere opening tube 5 responds to the operation of the operation lever 9, and can be closed by the portion 9B. The ink absorber 3B provided in the cap 3A and capable of holding ink can be formed of, for example, a liquid-absorbing porous material. Note that the cap 3A can be generally formed of various rubber materials such as silicone rubber and butyl rubber.

A filter 30 disposed in the middle of the ink supply tube 17 collects foreign substances such as dust in the supplied ink and prevents foreign substances from flowing into the recording head 1. The waste ink absorber 16 provided in the ink cartridge 13 receives the waste ink sucked by the pump 6 through the waste ink tube 10.

FIG. 11 is a configuration example of a control system of the apparatus according to the example shown in FIG. Reference numeral 300 denotes a microcomputer-type control unit having, for example, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like. The control unit 300 controls each unit according to processing procedures and the like stored in the ROM, and drives the head 1 for image data received from a host device or the like. Make a record. Further, in response to paper detection or the like by a paper sensor PS that detects the recording paper P, the control unit 300 controls the paper feed mechanism 2 including a paper feed motor.
The platen roller 21 is driven via 1A to control the paper feed. Further, the control unit 300 controls the driving of the carriage 22 and the positioning of the carriage 22 to a home position or the like via the carriage motor 22A according to the carriage position information detected by the carriage position sensor CS.

The control unit 300 uses a transport mechanism 7 having a driving member such as a motor for transporting the joint 3 in addition to the gear 7A and the cam 7B, and according to a contact signal from the switch 11, the joint 3 Perform positioning. 1205 and 1255
Are command means and display means provided on the operation panel shown in FIG. 1 (B), respectively. The position sensor LS can be arranged in connection with the lever 9, for example, the pump contact 6A. In addition, the control unit 300 controls opening and closing of the solenoid valve 40 in the recovery process.

FIG. 12 shows an example of a recovery processing procedure by the control unit 300 shown in FIG.

First, when the carriage 22 is positioned at the home position at the time of power-on or at an appropriate timing during the recording process, capping is performed by moving the joining portion 3 with respect to the head 1 in step S101. Next, after the electromagnetic valve 8 is closed in step S103, the electromagnetic valve 40 is closed in step S105, and the ink supply path from the ink cartridge 13 is shut off.

In this state, the operation of the lever 9 is released after the lever 9 is moved from the off position to the on position in step S107. At this time, the ventilation valve 5A is closed, and as the lever 9 moves to the ON position, the inside of the cap 3A via the suction tube 15 and the inside of the ink supply path from the sub tank 12 to the discharge port 2 are in a negative pressure state. Is done. Thus, by opening the solenoid valve 8 in step S109, air is sucked from the discharge port 2 through the atmosphere opening tube 5. Next, in step S111, the solenoid valve 40 is opened, and in step S113
After closing the solenoid valve 8 in step S115, the lever 9 is closed in step S115.
When the user performs an operation of moving from the intermediate position to the ON position, the suction process is started.

At this time, since air is introduced behind the discharge port 2, that is, in the head 1 and the supply tube 17, if negative pressure suction is performed by the pump 6 in this state, air is discharged from the discharge port 2 at a stretch. Thus, the flow path resistance is substantially reduced, and a large suction force is obtained. Therefore, the cause of the discharge failure in the ink supply path from the sub tank 12 to the discharge port 2, that is, the bubbles and foreign matters staying in the filter 30, the corners, and the steps are reliably removed.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 13, in addition to the electromagnetic valve 40, for example, an opening / closing means 42 such as an electromagnetic valve which can be controlled by a control unit may be provided in the middle of the suction tube 4 to perform the air introduction process.

That is, for example, when the pump 6 is operated with the solenoid valve 8 opened and the solenoid valve 42 closed after the solenoid valve 40 is closed, a large negative pressure is generated inside the head 1 through the tube 15. Therefore, the ink in the head 1 flows backward to the sub-tank 12 via the supply tube 17, and the air is sucked in from the discharge port 2.

Thereafter, by operating the pump 6 with the solenoid valves 40 and 42 opened and the solenoid valve 8 closed, the same effects as described above can be obtained.

Further, as shown in FIG. 14, in addition to the solenoid valve 40, a three-way switching valve 44 is provided in the middle of the suction tube 4, and furthermore, the three-way switching valve 44 and the
A is provided with a bypass tube 46 that communicates with
The air introduction process may be performed by selecting the suction path on the suction tube 4 side or the bypass tube 46 side by appropriately switching 4.

That is, for example, after the solenoid valve 40 is closed and the solenoid valve 8 is opened, the suction path is switched to the bypass tube 46 side by the three-way valve 44, and if the pump 6 is operated in this state, at least the portion 17A is discharged. Air can be taken in from outlet 2.

Thus, the solenoid valve 40 is opened, the solenoid valve 8 is closed, and the three-way valve 44 is closed.
Is switched to the suction tube 4 side to operate the pump 6, the same effects as described above can be obtained.

Further, as shown in FIG. 15, a connecting tube 52 for connecting the supply tube 17 and the suction tube 4 is provided, and a connection portion between the supply tube 17 and a position for connecting the sub tank 12 and the head 1 is connected. The three-way valve 54 is switchable between a position where the tube 52 and the head 1 are communicated with each other, and a position where the connecting portion 3 and the pump 6 are communicated with a connection portion between the suction tube 4 and the connecting tube 52 and the pump 6. A three-way valve 56 that can be switched to a position that communicates with the side may be provided to perform the process of introducing air from the discharge port 2.

That is, for example, normally, the three-way valve 54 is set to a state in which ink can be supplied to the head 1 by making the three-way valve 54 communicate with the sub-tank 12 and the print head, and the three-way valve 56 is made to make a state in which the joint 3 and the pump 6 communicate.

In the recovery process, the three-way valve 54 is switched to a position where the head 1 communicates with the communication tube 52, and the three-way valve 56 is set at a position where the communication tube 52 communicates with the pump 6. That is, the head 1 communicates with the pump 6 via a part of the supply tube 17, the communication tube 52 and the suction tube 4 by two three-way valves.

In this state, with the joint 3 detached from the head 1,
Alternatively, when the pump 6 is operated with the electromagnetic valve 8 opened and the cap 3A joined to the head 1, the ink in the head 1 is sucked from the supply tube side,
From the air into the head 1.

Thus, if the three-way valves 54 and 56 are returned to the normal state and a recovery operation is performed in the same manner as in the above-described example, the same effect can be obtained.

In the examples of FIGS. 10 to 15, the pump 6 is also used as a negative pressure generating means for introducing air into the head 1, but other negative pressure generating means may be used.

FIG. 16 shows an example thereof, in which a three-way valve 64 is provided in the middle of the supply tube 17, and the three-way valve 64 communicates with the waste ink absorber 16 via a pump 66 as a negative pressure generating means and a waste ink tube 67. It was made possible. The three-way valve 64 can form a path connecting the head 1 side and the pump 66 side. Reference numeral 63 denotes an operation lever of the pump 66.

In such a configuration, the three-way valve 64 normally communicates the sub tank 12 with the head 1 and maintains a state in which ink can be supplied. During the recovery process, the three-way valve 64 is connected to the head 1 and the pump.
After the switch 66 is switched to the communicating position, the pump 66 is operated by the operation lever 63 to generate a negative pressure, and air is taken in from the discharge port 2. At this time, the joint 3 is detached from the head 1 or the solenoid valve 8 is opened to join the joint 3 to the head 1.

The ink sucked by the pump 66 is sent to a waste ink tube 67.
Through the waste ink absorber 16 in the ink tank 13. Thus, the three-way valve 64 may be returned to the normal state and the same recovery operation as described above may be performed.

In the examples shown in FIGS. 10 to 16, when a negative pressure is generated inside the discharge port 2 and air is introduced from the discharge port 2, an electromagnetic valve or a three-way valve is provided at an appropriate position in the supply system. The switching process is performed to perform the recovery process, but paying attention to the fact that the ink supply is performed by pushing the hollow needle 18 into the stopper 19 formed of the elastic member of the ink bag 20, the following process is performed. Can be.

FIGS. 17 (A) and (B) show one configuration example of a connection portion between the supply tube 14 and the ink cartridge 13. FIG. Normally, the needle hole 18A of the needle 18 is inserted into the stopper 19 of the ink bag 20 as shown in FIG.
The ink enters the space 19A in the inside to obtain ink conduction. On the other hand, at the time of the recovery process, the positional relationship between the ink cartridge 13 and the needle 18 is changed as shown in FIG.
If the 18 needle holes 18A are located within the elastic member of the stopper 19, the stopper holes 19 will close the needle holes 18A.

FIG. 18 to FIG. 21 show examples of various configurations of the apparatus capable of performing the position setting shown in FIG.

First, FIGS. 18A and 18B show a fitting guide 24 of the apparatus main body 1000 for receiving the ink cartridge 13.
Click points 24A and 24B for holding the ink cartridge 13 at two positions, that is, a position at which the supply path is cut off and a position at which the supply path is turned on,
13 is provided with a locking portion 13A locked by these click points. Reference numeral 29 denotes a needle position fixing member fixed to the main body 1000.

In this way, in connection with the recovery process, if the ink cartridge 13 is positioned by the operation of the operator or by an appropriate driving means, the ink is cut off by the click point 24A ((B) in the drawing) or the click point 24B. (A) in the figure.

FIGS. 19 (A) and (B) show a case where a vertically movable stopper 25 is provided below the fitting path of the ink cartridge 13, and the stopper 25
When the ink drops, the ink conduction state ((A) in the figure)
Is obtained, and when the stopper 25 is at the raised position, the ink cutoff state (FIG. 2B) is obtained. The stopper 25 may be provided at an appropriate portion other than the fitting path, for example, at the fitting guide 24.

FIGS. 20 (A) and (B) show the ink blocking state by aligning the alignment mark 26 provided on the ink cartridge 13 with the alignment mark 27 provided near the fitting portion of the main body 1000 (FIG. 20 (B)). ).
The same figure (A)
A conduction state as shown in FIG.

Further, the position may be set by the mark on the main body and the edge of the ink cartridge 13.

FIGS. 21A and 21B show an example in which the attachment 28 is detachably attached to the ink cartridge 13 for positioning. Depending on the presence or absence of attachment 28, a cut-off state (FIG. 2B) or a conductive state (FIG. 2A) can be obtained.

In addition, according to the examples shown in FIGS. 17 to 21, not only can the ink supply path be reliably shut off, but also it is extremely easy to obtain the shut-off state. In addition, these examples can be widely applied not only to a device that sucks ink from the outside of the discharge port 2 but also to a device that performs a recovery process by extruding ink by pressurizing the inside of the discharge port.

In the above example, air is introduced from the outside of the discharge port 2. However, as described above, since the discharge port 2 has a large flow path resistance, it is considered that the air introduction processing is not performed quickly. Can be Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the front surface 1A of the head 1 is configured as follows.

FIGS. 22 (A), (B) and (C) are three examples showing the structure of the head front surface 1A. (A) in the figure is a general configuration example of the head front surface 1A, and such a configuration may be used when the air introduction process is not urgent. However, if a quicker and more reliable introduction is desired, as shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C according to the embodiment of the present invention, dummy ejection openings (openings) not used for actual printing. 2A should be provided. The opening preferably has a larger cross-sectional area than the discharge port 2 as shown in the figure.

That is, since the holding force of the meniscus at the discharge port is determined by the surface tension, the larger the cross-sectional area (the radius r for a circular discharge port), the smaller the force of holding the meniscus. This is because air can be easily taken in when negative pressure is introduced. Needless to say, the number and arrangement of the dummy discharge ports 2A can be arbitrarily and arbitrarily selected.

In the above description, the case where the present invention is applied to a serial type ink jet recording apparatus has been described, but it is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to any form of ink jet recording apparatus which performs recording by discharging ink from discharge ports. . For example, a full multi-type apparatus having a plurality of ejection units in the width direction of the recording paper may be used.

Further, in the above description, the operation of the pump and the like is performed manually, but it is also easy to operate the pump or the like in the control process using an appropriate driving unit.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize an ink jet recording apparatus capable of performing a reliable ejection recovery process without increasing the size of the apparatus.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 (A) and 1 (B) are a perspective view and a front view, respectively, showing an external view of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention can be applied and an example of a configuration of an operation panel provided on the front of the apparatus. FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are a perspective view and a plan view, respectively, showing one configuration example of the recording unit housed in the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 (A). FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a device in which air is introduced from outside the discharge port as a main part of the device to which the present invention can be applied. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing one configuration example of a control system in the example shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a recovery processing procedure by the control system shown in FIG. 7 to 9 are timing charts showing the operation of each unit in the recovery processing. FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing another example of the main part of the device to which the present invention can be applied, in which the inside of the discharge port is in a negative pressure state and air is taken in from the discharge port. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing one configuration example of a control system in the example shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a recovery processing procedure by the control system shown in FIG. FIGS. 13 to 16 are schematic views showing four examples of other configurations of a device in which the inside of the discharge port is in a negative pressure state and air is taken in from the discharge port. FIGS. 17A and 17B are cross-sectional views showing the connection state between the ink supply tube and the ink cartridge. FIGS. 18 (A) and (B) to FIGS. 21 (A) and (B) show four examples of the configuration of the apparatus capable of performing the ink cartridge position setting shown in FIGS. 17 (A) and (B). FIG. FIGS. 22 (A), (B) and (C) are front views showing three examples of the configuration of the front surface of the head. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Head, 2 ... Discharge port, 3 ... Joint part, 3A ... Cap,
3B: ink absorber, 4, 15: ink suction tube, 5: air release tube, 5A: vent valve, 6: pump, 6A: pump contact, 7: joint transfer mechanism, 8: solenoid valve, 9: operation lever , 10… waste ink tube, 12… sub tank, 13… ink cartridge, 14,17… ink supply tube, 16…
Waste ink absorber, 18 needle, 18A needle hole, 19 stopper, 19A space, 20 ink bag, 22 carriage, 24 fitting guide, 30 filter, 40, 42 solenoid valve, 44 , 54, 64 ... three-way switching valve, 66 ... pump, 200, 300 ... control unit, 1000 ... device body, 1200 ... operation panel.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Riki Abe 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Koji Terasawa 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Incorporated (72) Inventor Akira Miyagawa 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (56) References JP-A-58-14762 (JP, A) JP-A-57-117964 (JP) , A) JP-A-60-141564 (JP, A)

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. An ink jet recording apparatus which performs recording by discharging ink from a plurality of discharge ports onto a recording medium, wherein an ink supply path to the plurality of discharge ports is provided on a surface provided with the plurality of discharge ports. An opening communicatively associated with the recording; an introduction means for introducing a gas from the opening and the plurality of ejection openings to an ink chamber commonly communicating with the plurality of ejection openings; Discharging means for discharging gas from the opening and the plurality of discharge ports together with the ink, and an ink jet recording apparatus. 2. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said opening has a larger sectional area than said discharge port.