JP2704291B2 - Ink jet recording device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus, and more particularly, to a mechanism for cleaning a discharge port surface of a head for performing recording by discharging ink according to recording information. To an ink jet recording apparatus.

[Conventional technology]

Recording devices such as printers and facsimile machines can be classified into a thermal type, a wire dot type, an ink jet type, and the like according to a recording method.

Among them, the ink jet system (ink jet recording apparatus) supplies ink to a recording head having at least one fine discharge port and a liquid path communicating with the discharge port, and is provided corresponding to the discharge port based on print data. The generated energy generator (piezoelectric element, heating resistor, etc.) is driven to apply pressure to the ink in the liquid path and eject ink from the ejection port to form flying droplets. It is configured to adhere to a sheet such as a plastic thin plate to form a dot pattern.

In this type of apparatus, when performing color printing, in addition to the three primary colors cyan, magenta and yellow, black inks are used, and the number of recording heads according to the number of these ink colors is mounted. (The same applies when using dark and light inks with the same hue).

By the way, this type of ink jet recording apparatus may cause ejection failure due to clogging or the like due to thickening of ink due to evaporation of an ink solvent, adhesion of dust, mixing of bubbles, and the like. In order to prevent this and perform stable discharge, a discharge recovery means is provided, and the discharge port surface of the head is capped with a rubber cap or the like, and a negative pressure is generated in a space formed in the cap, or ink is discharged. Ink recovery operation is performed by applying pressure from the supply side and discharging ink from the discharge port. This ejection recovery means is usually provided at the home position of the carriage.

Further, a wiping mechanism is provided. In this method, a wiping member such as a rubber plate is slid and moved to the ejection port surface of the recording head by using a motor or the like as a driving source, and paper powder, ink, and the like remain attached to the ejection port surface of the recording head. It is possible to prevent ejection failure from occurring.

[Technical problem to be solved by the invention]

However, such a conventional ink jet recording apparatus requires a dedicated drive source and control circuit for the wiping means, and has a problem that the configuration is complicated and the cost is increased. In addition, there is a disadvantage that it takes time to complete the wiping operation.

〔Purpose〕

An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus which can solve such a technical problem and can remove ink and impurities attached to an ink droplet ejection surface with a simple and inexpensive configuration.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention includes at least two or more ink jet heads that are mounted on a carriage that moves in a predetermined direction and that are supplied with different types of ink, respectively. A cap capable of covering each of the ink ejection ports in a sealed state, a wiping member disposed close to the cap, and a transmission means for transmitting the movement of the inkjet head at the wiping position to the wiping member. Then, the wiping member is moved from the retracted position to the forward position by moving the inkjet head in one direction, and the ejection port surface of the inkjet head is wiped by the wiping member at the forward position by moving in the opposite direction. Return the member to the retracted position. The features.

In addition, in order to prevent unnecessary ink and the like that have been wiped off from remaining on the entire area of the wiper, it is preferable that a blade that constitutes a wiping member be disposed obliquely so as to cross the ejection port row of the inkjet head. .

[Action]

With the configuration according to claim 1, the inkjet head is moved so as to further pass the home position after the ejection recovery operation,
The tip of the wiping member is advanced toward the ejection port surface of the inkjet head. When the ink jet head is moved in the reverse direction from this state, the tip of the wiping member is wiped while sliding on the discharge port surface of the ink jet head, and when the wiping member is moved to a predetermined position, the pressing of the wiping member against the ink jet head is released, that is, the wiping operation is performed. To end. Therefore, there is no need to provide a dedicated driving source or control black for wiping.

With the configuration according to claim 2, unnecessary ink, paper dust, and the like scraped off from the ejection port surface are pushed to the lower part of the wiping member and accumulated in one place with the movement of the ink jet head. No re-adhesion occurs.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing one embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, and FIGS.
It is a top view explaining the wiping operation | movement in the Example of a figure.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 2 denotes an ink jet head having a number corresponding to a plurality of ink colors as shown in FIG. 2 and provided with a discharge port 1, reference numeral 3 denotes a carriage on which the ink jet head 2 is mounted and moves in a predetermined direction, 4 is a guide shaft for guiding the carriage 3, 5 is a wiping member provided with a number of plate-like elastic bodies corresponding to the discharge port 1, and 6 is a spring for urging the wiping member 5 in a direction away from the head 2. And 7 are caps formed by processing a flexible material such as a rubber sheet or a plastic sheet. The discharge port 1 has a plurality of discharge ports disposed at predetermined intervals on a surface facing the cap 7, and an energy generator that generates ink discharge energy corresponding to the discharge ports is provided. Although not shown, each discharge port is connected to an ink container such as an ink tank (not shown) via a liquid path, and ink is sequentially supplied according to the consumption amount. . Further, each of the caps 7 communicates with an ink suction pump (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 2, one of the wiping members 5 (on the side farther from the printing portion) is provided with a wiping member advance lever 8.
And a rear end thereof is rotatably supported by a fulcrum 11. The wiping member 5
A projection 8a is provided on the side of the wiping member 5 so that the wiping member 5 can be brought into contact with the rear surface and the wiping member 5 can be moved forward and backward. Further, a lock lever 9 is provided on the other side (closer to the printing portion) of the wiping member 5, and a rear end thereof is rotatably supported by a fulcrum 12. In the middle of the lock lever 9, a projection 9a is provided so as to be able to be locked on the inner surface or the outer surface on the back surface of the wiping member 5.

Next, the operation of the configuration shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

2 to 6, the ink jet head 2
Returns to the home position HP, the cap 7 is brought into close contact with the surface of the discharge port 1 (discharge port surface) by using the recovery system motor as a drive source, and then the ink suction operation by the suction pump is performed, and then the wiping is completed. The process up to is shown.

At the time of wiping, the carriage 3 moves in the direction B in FIG. 2 and moves to the home position HP, so that each of the discharge ports 1 of the inkjet head 2 and each of the caps 7 face each other.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the cap 7 advances in the direction of the inkjet head 2 (the direction A in FIG. 1), and the ejection port face is covered with the cap 7. Then, a suction operation is performed by a suction pump (not shown), and the ink is sucked from the discharge port 1 by the negative pressure generated in the space inside the cap 7. The ink in the cap 7 is sucked by the suction pump and collected by a waste ink collecting unit (not shown). After the end of the suction operation, the cap 7 is separated from the discharge port 1, and the ink jet head 2 further moves in the B direction.

When the inkjet head 2 moves in the direction B, the inkjet head 2 presses the wiping member advance lever 8 as shown in FIG. In this state,
Since the wiping member advance lever 8 rotates in the D direction about the fulcrum 11 and presses the back surface of the wiping member 5,
The end 5a of the wiping member 5 is in front of the projection 9a (head side).
It is locked to. As a result, the wiping member 5 is in a state where it cannot be retracted, and the discharge port 1 is in a state where the tip of the wiping member 5 can be pressed.

When the ink jet head 2 moves in the direction C from the state shown in FIG. 4, the surface of the discharge port 1 is sequentially wiped off by the tip of the wiping member 5 as shown in FIG. At this time, the wiping member advancing lever 8 pressed by the ink jet head 2 returns to the original state with the movement of the ink jet head 2 when the projection 8a is opened in the counterclockwise direction. Inkjet head 2
However, when the wiping member advance lever 8 further moves in the direction C, the wiping member advance lever 8 returns to the initial position. Further, the lock lever 9 is pressed by the right end of the inkjet head 2 and rotates counterclockwise about the fulcrum 12, so that the projection 9a comes off the end 5a of the wiping member 5. Therefore, the wiping member 5
Retreats, and the leading end of the wiping member 5 that has been in contact with the surface of the discharge port 1 is surely quickly separated.

FIGS. 7 (a), (b) and (c) are explanatory views for explaining the wiping operation when the wiping member 5 is tilted at a predetermined angle, and FIGS. 8 (a), (b) and (c). () Is an explanatory diagram illustrating a wiping operation when the wiping member 5 is perpendicular to the moving direction of the carriage 3. In each case, the surface of the discharge port 1 is viewed from the wiping member 5 side.

As shown in FIG. 7, the wiping member 5 is inclined.
In addition, the inkjet head 2 is moved from the inclined surface (C in the figure).
Direction), so that unnecessary ink, paper dust, and the like adhering to the surface of the discharge port portion 1 do not remain in the entire area of the wiping member 5 but collectively remain in the lower portion of the wiping member 5. Can be. In contrast, the eighth
As shown in the figure, when the wiping member 5 is made vertical (vertical), the ink is not raked by the movement of the ink jet head 2, so that unnecessary ink, paper powder, ink adhered matter, etc. adhere to the entire area of the wiping member 5. I do.

〔The invention's effect〕

The present invention is configured as described above, and has the following effects.

2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least two or more ink jet heads mounted on a carriage moving in a predetermined direction and supplied with different types of ink, respectively, and each of the ink jet heads of the ink jet head upon recovery. An ink-jet head, comprising: a cap capable of covering an outlet in a sealed state, a wiping member arranged in close proximity to the cap, and a transmission means for transmitting a movement of the ink-jet head at a wiping position to the wiping member. Moving the wiping member from the retracted position to the advanced position by moving in one direction, and wiping the ejection opening surface of the inkjet head with the wiping member at the advanced position by moving in the opposite direction, and then moving the wiping member to the retracted position. Because it was configured to return, Wiping of unnecessary ink, paper dust, etc. attached to the outlet can be performed with a simple and inexpensive configuration, and wiping is performed using the movement of the carriage, so the time required for wiping is short, and printing can be started immediately. it can.

Further, in the ink jet recording apparatus according to the second aspect, the blade constituting the wiping member is inclined so as to intersect the ink ejection port array with respect to the ejection port array of the ink jet head. Paper dust and the like can be intensively collected at the lower portion of the wiping member, and good recording can always be performed without causing re-adhesion or the like on the ejection port surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, FIGS. 2 to 6 are plan views illustrating a wiping operation in the embodiment of FIG. FIGS. 7 (a), (b) and (c) are explanatory views for explaining the wiping operation when the wiping member 5 is inclined at a predetermined angle, and FIGS. 8 (a), (b) and (c) are FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a wiping operation when the wiping member is set perpendicular to a carriage moving direction. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Discharge port part (discharge port surface), 2 ... Ink jet head, 3 ... Carriage, 5 ... Wiping member, 6 ...
... Spring, 7 ... Cap, 8 ... Wiping member advance lever, 8a, 9a ... Protrusion, 9 ... Lock lever, 1
1, 12,… fulcrum.

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] At least two or more ink jet heads mounted on a carriage that moves in a predetermined direction and supplied with different types of ink, and each ink discharge port of the ink jet head is sealed in recovery. A one-way movement of the inkjet head, comprising: a cap capable of covering; a wiping member disposed in proximity to the cap; and a transmission unit for transmitting the movement of the inkjet head at the wiping position to the wiping member. Moving the wiping member from the retracted position to the forward position, wiping the discharge port surface of the inkjet head by the wiping member at the advanced position by moving in the opposite direction, and then returning the wiping member to the retracted position. Inkjet recording apparatus. 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a blade constituting said wiping member is disposed so as to cross an ink ejection port array of said ink jet head.