JP2801283B2 - Ink jet recording apparatus and ink jet recording head attached to the apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording head attached to the apparatus.

[Prior Art] Some inkjet recording apparatuses use an inkjet recording head (hereinafter simply referred to as a recording head) in which an ink tank and a recording head element for discharging ink are integrated. I have.

In mounting such a recording head on the carrier of the recording apparatus, the recording must be performed by accurately attaching ink to an appropriate position on a recording medium such as paper, and connection terminals for transmitting recording signals must be provided. Since the connection must be made appropriately, the recording head has to be fixed and mounted at an appropriate position.

The method of mounting the print head is roughly classified into a method of mounting the print head parallel or rotating from above and behind the carrier, and a method of operating the fixing lever after inserting the print head into the carrier from a predetermined direction. There was a method of pressing and fixing the recording head to an appropriate position.

As a configuration using one of such mounting methods, for example, a configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 1-8076 by the present applicant has been proposed.

In the configuration shown above, the positioning projections and the like for mounting are provided further outside the full extension of the recording head,
Also in the carrier, the mounting lever mechanism is provided at a position on the rear side when the recording head is mounted.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In recent years, in recent ink jet recording apparatuses, particularly, recording heads, the production thereof is performed by a semiconductor film formation configuration or a micromachining technique, so that the apparatus is small and inexpensive. Recording heads are being realized. Accordingly, a disposable recording head having an ink tank integrated as described above has been proposed.

Along with this, the equipment itself should be small and inexpensive,
There is a demand for an inkjet recording apparatus that can be used more easily by users.

In response to such demands, there is room for further improvement in the configuration for detachably mounting the recording head on the carrier, including the above-described conventional example.

For example, in the conventional configuration shown above, the guide member and the positioning projection increase the overall length of the recording head, and the mounting lever mechanism in the carrier is provided behind the recording head, so that the useless movement accompanying the movement is achieved. Thus, a large dead space is formed.

Further, it is desirable that the movable range of the recording head in attachment / detachment be small without interfering with other members of the apparatus.

Further, from the viewpoint of the ink storage capacity of the ink tank, it is desirable that the amount of ink that can be stored is as large as possible. Therefore, the ink tank should be made as large as possible within the space allowed for the recording head and the carrier. Configuration is required.

In addition, when attaching and detaching the recording head, connection of a connection terminal for transmitting an electric signal such as a recording signal is also an important problem accompanying the configuration for attachment and detachment.

The present invention has been made in each of the above-described aspects, and in order to increase the size of an ink tank or the like integrated with a recording head mounted in a limited space, the abutment member arranged on the front surface of the carrier is made thinner. It is an object of the present invention to provide a carrier in which a rib is provided in order to reinforce the strength by reducing the thickness, and a discharge surface is protected by the rib, and an ink jet recording apparatus provided with the carrier.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In the present invention, an inkjet recording head that ejects ink from an ink ejection port surface is used to perform recording on a recording medium disposed at a position facing the ink ejection port surface. A recording device, comprising: a mounting surface on which the ink jet recording heads (9, 9a, 9b) are mounted in a freely attachable manner; and a carrier (6) moving on a predetermined path along the recording medium; Wherein the abutting member interposed between the inkjet recording head and the recording medium when the inkjet recording head is mounted on the mounting surface and abutting against the inkjet recording head; and the inkjet recording on the mounting surface. When the head is mounted, the head projects from the abutting member in the direction of the recording medium from the ink ejection port surface. Ribs arranged to extend along the moving direction of the carrier (60
8).

[Operation] According to the above configuration, a rib protruding forward from the ejection port surface of the ink jet recording head is provided in the abutting member contacted by the ink jet recording head in a direction from the member toward the recording medium. Since the rib extends along the moving direction of the carrier, even if the recording medium or the like protrudes on this movement path when the carrier moves, the rib contacts the recording medium or the like and the recording medium or the like is directly ejected. The surface can be prevented from touching, and even if the recording medium or the like abuts against the ribs, this does not cause the movement of the carrier or cause the deformation of the recording medium or the like due to the movement of the carrier.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an ink jet recording apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 excluding a case and the like, and FIG. FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams mainly showing a paper discharge system of the apparatus shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 100 denotes an ink jet recording apparatus. This apparatus 100 is used when mounted and used as shown in FIG. Etc., which are relatively small.

101 is an apparatus case, 102 is an outer lid, 103 is an inner lid, and the outer lid 102 is superimposed on the inner lid 103 when not in use.
0 is compact. Thus, for example, the recording device can be put in a dedicated storage bag and carried by the user.

The outer cover 102 can also serve as a paper feed guide for the recording paper 40 as shown in FIG.
Is the paper feed port. Further, the outer lid 102 can also be used as a paper discharge tray as described later.

 In any of the above cases, 107 in FIG.

Reference numeral 105 denotes a position fixing hook of the upper cover 102, and reference numeral 104 denotes an operation key, a display unit, and the like.

 Next, the configuration of the main parts of the apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a chassis, and a left side plate 1a and a right side plate 1b, which also serve as a guide for a recording medium such as paper, are erected on the back side. The chassis 1 is provided with a motor mounting hole for rotatably supporting a carrier motor described later, but is not shown.

1h is a lead arm that supports a lead screw described later in the axial and radial directions, and a bearing (not shown).
It is pivoted on.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a lead screw, in which lead grooves 2a are formed at a predetermined pitch relative to a recording range. On the carrier home position side of the lead screw 2, a cap and a position groove 3b for setting a position at which ejection recovery is performed are formed along a section perpendicular to the screw axis. Furthermore, the lead groove 2a and the position groove 3b
And smoothly continue from the introduction groove 3c.

A shaft 2g is provided at the right end of the lead screw 2 and a shaft is also provided at the left end side. The shafts are fitted into bearings provided on the front plate 1c and the lead arm 1b, respectively, and are rotatably supported by them. You. Reference numeral 3 denotes a lead pulley including the grooves 3b and 3c and provided on a shaft of the lead screw 2, and a pulley 3a is provided at an end thereof. Then, a driving force is transmitted from the motor 11 to the pulley 3a via the timing belt 13.

The shaft 2g on the right end side of the lead screw 2 is slidably engaged with the groove of the guide plate 1c connected to the chassis right plate 1b and the chassis 1, and is slidably engaged with the holding portion 10a of the leaf spring 10 in the thrust direction. While being pressed, the shaft 2g is further guided by the guide plate 1c.
Is engaged with a cam groove of a cam groove plate 50a which is rotatably supported by a shaft provided on the cam groove plate 50a. A meshing tooth is formed around the cam groove plate 50a, and the ratchet portion 10c of the leaf spring 10 is formed.
The engagement between the two allows the cam groove plate 50a to be locked at a desired rotational position. As a result, the position of the shaft 2g engaging with the cam groove is determined in the groove of the guide plate 1c, and thus the position of the lead screw 2 at the right end of the device is determined. This configuration is used for adjusting the gap between the recording head and the platen, which will be described later.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a clutch gear which is slidably supported in the axial direction with respect to the lead pulley 3, and which is engaged with a key portion provided on the lead pulley 3 described later in FIG. The second rotational power is transmitted. Reference numeral 5 denotes a clutch spring, which is a compression spring that urges the clutch gear 4 in the lead groove direction. In addition, a regulating member that allows the clutch gear 4 to move only within a predetermined range in the axial direction is formed between the clutch gear 4 and the lead pulley 3.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a carrier, which is slidably attached to the lead screw 2. Reference numeral 6a denotes a pressing portion for pressing the end face of the clutch gear 4, which is integrally formed on the left side of the carrier. Reference numeral 7 denotes a lead pin, and a lead screw 2
And the pressing direction thereof is guided by guide holes (not shown) of the carrier 6. Reference numeral 8 denotes a lead pin spring, one end of which is attached to the carrier 6 and the other end presses the lead pin 7.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a recording head mounted on the carrier 6. In this example, a head element 9a for performing ink ejection and an ink tank 9b serving as an ink supply source are integrated to form a cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the carrier 6. It has a disposable type that can be replaced when ink is consumed. In addition, as a discharge energy generating element that is disposed on the head element 9a and applies the discharge energy to the ink, an electrothermal conversion element or an electromechanical conversion element is used, but high-density mounting of the ink discharge ports and the like is possible. Thank you,
The former is preferably used because the manufacturing process is simple and the like.

Reference numeral 6c denotes a hook, which is fixed to a part of the carrier 6, and which moves the recording head 9 when the carrier 6 moves as described later.
This mechanism is used to stop stably at the position of the cap or the like.

Reference numeral 51 denotes a carrier guide shaft, which slidably engages with a guide pin 6b provided at the rear end of the carrier 6. The guide shaft 51 has eccentric shafts 51a as described later in FIG. 4, and these shafts 51a are rotatably supported by side plates 51b and 51c provided at the end of the chassis 1. Further, the end of the shaft 51a pivotally supported by the side plate 51c is provided with a positioning knob.
The rotational position of the shaft 51 is fixed by being fixed to 51d and engaging a projection provided on the knob 51d with a hole 51e provided on the side plate 51c.

As shown in FIGS. 4 (A) and 4 (B), the above-described configuration makes the distance between the recording surface of the recording paper 40 and the ejection opening of the head element 9a appropriate according to the type of the recording paper 40. It is for doing. That is, by manually rotating the knob 51d, the shaft 51 is rotated as shown in FIG.
The position where the distance between a and the pin 6b is the minimum, and FIG. 4 (B)
As shown in the figure, the same distance can be fixed at the maximum position. In response, the recording head 9 rotates about the lead screw 2 as a rotation axis, and the recording paper 40 is compared with a position corresponding to a relatively thin plain paper (FIG. 4 (A)) or an envelope or the like. The recording paper is fixed at a position (FIG. 4B) with a large interval corresponding to a thick recording paper.

Referring again to FIG. 2, reference numeral 11 denotes a carrier motor composed of, for example, a pulse motor. Rotating pins 11a are provided below the front and rear surfaces in an aligned state. 11a (rear side not shown) is a recovery space that can move on the chassis 1.
It is rotatably mounted in a motor mounting hole provided in 50. Of course, the pivot pin may be provided on the recovery system base 50 and the mounting hole may be mounted on the motor side. The carrier motor 11 is mounted so as to be rotatable around a rotation pin 11a. 11b is a spring support,
It is formed integrally with the carrier motor 11 and stands upright in parallel with the motor shaft to receive a motor spring 14 described later. A columnar projection is formed on the spring receiving portion, and an end of the coiled motor spring 14 is fixed.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a motor pulley, which is fixed to the motor shaft of the carrier motor 11. Reference numeral 13 denotes a timing belt, and a pulley 3a provided on the shaft of the motor pulley 12 and the lead screw 2.
It is stretched between. The motor spring 14 is a compression spring in the configuration of the present embodiment, and is mounted between one end of the lead arm 1h and a spring receiver 11b of the carrier motor 11, thereby attaching the carrier motor 11 in the direction A in the figure. And the timing belt 13 is tensioned.

Reference numeral 15 denotes a set shaft, which is provided upright on a side plate (not shown) fixed to the base 50, to which means for improving the ejection port forming surface, a cap, and a so-called recovery system mechanism relating to ejection recovery are attached.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 2 and 5 (A) to 5 (C), means for improving the ejection port forming surface, which is one of the recovery system mechanisms, will be described.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a blade lever (see FIG. 5A), and a boss 16a is rotatably attached to the set shaft 15. 16b
Denotes an arm, and 16c denotes a hook. Reference numeral 17 denotes a blade for wiping the discharge port forming surface, which can be formed of an elastic member such as silicon rubber or chloroprene (CR) rubber. Reference numeral 18 denotes a blade shaft, which clamps the blade 17 at the center in parallel with the rotation axis and is rotatably attached to the blade lever 16. Reference numeral 18a denotes a rotating piece, which is formed integrally with the blade shaft 18. Reference numeral 19 denotes an ink carrier, which is formed of a hydrophilic porous material (a plastic sintered body, urethane foam, or the like), and is fixed to the blade lever 16. Note that the blade 17 and the ink carrier 19 are arranged at positions overlapping with caps described later.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a set lever, which is rotatably attached to the set shaft 15. 20a and 20b are stop teeth provided on the set lever 20, 20c is a start tooth, 20d is a rotary tooth, and the thickness of the start tooth 20c is about half the other. 20e
Is an arm portion, a part of which is cut out in the plate thickness direction to form a set surface 20f and a set surface 20g, and a rotating piece 18a of a blade shaft 18 attached to the blade lever 16 is fitted. Have been combined to drive this.

Reference numeral 21 denotes a timing gear, which is rotatably attached to the base 50 by a support member (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 5 (B), the timing gear 21 has a stop cam 21a formed on a part of the outer periphery for engaging with the stop teeth 20a, 20b of the set lever 20 described above. In addition, three types of drive teeth 21b, 21b ₂ , 21b ₃ partially missing teeth are formed, and a cap cam 21c for swinging a cap lever described later is formed at a predetermined position. In addition, a piston set cam 21f for pressing a piston of a pump described later is formed as a face cam, and a piston lit cam 21g is integrally formed at a predetermined interval corresponding to the piston set cam 21f.

Numeral 22 denotes an ink absorber spring, which is fixed at a predetermined position on the base 50 and, as shown in FIG.
22a and a spring portion 22b for rotating a pump described later. Reference numeral 23 denotes an ink absorber, which is formed of a hydrophilic porous material in the same manner as the ink carrier 19 described above. The ink absorber 23 has a wiping portion 23a with which the above-mentioned blade 17 contacts, and further has an absorbing surface 23b with which the above-mentioned ink carrier 19 makes contact and transfers ink. . The absorber holding portion of the ink absorber spring 22 is urged upward with a slight elastic force, and is locked at a predetermined position by a stopper (not shown). Therefore, when the above-described ink carrier 19 comes into contact, the ink absorber 23 is
, And is displaced downward to ensure the contact state.

Referring again to FIG. 2, reference numeral 36 denotes a paper feed roller for transporting a recording medium such as paper, for example, by applying an elastic paint (urethane resin, acrylic resin, or the like) to the surface of an aluminum drawing tube. Can be formed. Also,
The outer surface of the roller 36 functions as a platen for regulating the recording surface of the recording medium, and the inside of the roller 36 serves as a storage portion for waste ink. Numeral 37 denotes a waste ink absorbing portion provided inside the roller 36, which is formed by filling a thin tube made of plastic such as vinyl chloride with an absorbing material such as polyester cotton so that ink can be absorbed well in the axial direction. Note that the waste ink tube 24 of the cylinder 24
Although g is inserted, even if the recovery system mechanism moves with the movement of the base 50, it is supported in the absorbing section 37 to such an extent that the movement is not hindered. Further, the fiber itself of the absorbing material is preferably a non-absorbing material such as resin or metal, but may be slightly absorbing.

Reference numeral 38 denotes a paper press plate made of a fluorine resin, a carbon fiber mixed material, or the like, which is divided into four parts and attached to the chassis 1 as described in detail in FIG. A gear 3 is provided at one end of the shaft 38A for releasing the pressing force of the paper pressing plate 38.
8B is fixed, and the other end is engaged with a bearing 38C that supports the shaft 38A. The bearing 38c is fixed to the chassis 1. Gear 3
The gear portion of the release lever meshes with 8B, but is not shown here. A paper feed motor 39 is connected to the paper feed roller 36 via a speed reduction mechanism having a predetermined ratio.

 Numeral 40 is a recording paper such as paper, film or the like.

 Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described.

First, during a normal recording operation, the lead screw 2 rotates via the timing belt 13 by the rotation of the shaft of the carrier motor 11, so that the carrier 6 is moved onto the recording paper 40 in the print digit direction by the lead pins 7 engaged with the lead grooves 2a. Are scanned along. Here, since the carrier motor 11 is urged by the motor spring 14, the timing belt 13 is always stretched and good transmission is performed.

When the carrier 6 is moved, an inertial force acts at the time of starting and stopping, but since the weight of the carrier motor 11 absorbs this inertial force, the load applied to the motor spring 14 is small, and the load applied to the rotation of the motor is also reduced. I need less. If an air damper or a hydraulic tamper is provided in connection with this spring, noise caused by vibration of the rotor of the motor 11 when the carrier 6 starts and stops can be reduced. By appropriately selecting the weight of the motor, the weight of the carrier portion, and the coefficient of the motor spring damper, the overshoot of the rotor can be reduced, and the noise can be reduced.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, a description will be given of a recording sheet transport mechanism from recording to discharge of the apparatus of the present embodiment.

In these figures, reference numeral 38 denotes a paper pressing plate made of fluororesin, carbon fiber-mixed material, or the like, as described above. Have a predetermined interval. The pressing force of the paper pressing plate 38 depends on the elastic force of the spring plate 38D. Details of this mechanism are shown in FIGS. 6 (A) and (B).

FIG. 6A is a diagram showing a state in which the paper pressing plate 38 is applying a pressing force to the paper feed roller. In this case, it has a D-shape in which a part of the circumference is cut linearly, and the notch of the shaft 38A slidable in the rotation direction with the paper pressing plate 38 is formed by the end 38 of the spring plate 38D.
F at this time, and at this time, the end 38E of the paper holding plate
Receives an urging force upward in the figure by the spring 38D. As a result, the paper pressing plate 38 tries to rotate clockwise about the shaft 38A, and applies a pressing force to the paper feed roller 36.

On the other hand, FIG. 6B shows a state where the action of the pressing force by the paper pressing plate 38 is released. In this case, the shaft 38A rotates,
The arc of shaft 38A presses end 38F. At this time, the spring plate
38D is pushed down in the figure as a whole. As a result, the end portion 38E does not receive the urging force from the spring plate 38D.

When this biasing force is released, the shaft 38A and the paper holding plate 3
8 is engaged with a certain frictional force, so that the paper holding plate 38 does not greatly change its rotational position.
Accordingly, even when it is necessary to release the pressing force of the paper pressing plate 38, the movement of the recording head and the like are not hindered by the paper pressing plate.

Further, the above-described paper pressing mechanism is a mechanism that can apply a pressing force that does not hinder the proper conveyance of the recording paper by the paper feed roller 36 in a limited space.

That is, without using an elastic member for the paper holding plate itself, the pressing force is generated by a leaf spring arranged along the apparatus bottom chassis 1 which is usually a dead space.
The degree of freedom in setting the pressing force by adjusting the length of the leaf spring increases,
In addition, the paper holding member can be reduced in size.

The leaf spring 38D is attached to the chassis 1 by a fixing member (not shown).

Referring again to FIGS. 3A and 3B, reference numeral 60 denotes a paper discharge roller for discharging the recorded recording paper, and reference numeral 61 denotes a recording paper which is pressed by applying a pressing force to the recording paper conveyed by the paper discharge roller 60. This is a spur for regulating the paper discharge direction and generating a conveying force.

Reference numeral 62 denotes a transmission roller disposed at an intermediate portion between the paper discharge roller 60 and the paper feed roller 36 for transmitting the rotation of the paper feed roller 36 to the paper discharge roller 60. The transmission of these rotations is performed by the frictional force due to the mutual contact. The discharge roller 60 has a cylindrical shape with different radii at both ends and an intermediate portion, and the transmission roller 62 contacts the intermediate portion of the discharge roller 60 having a smaller diameter. Therefore, both ends of the larger diameter for conveying the recording paper rotate at a peripheral speed slightly larger than the peripheral speed of the paper feed roller 36. As a result, the recording paper is conveyed in a stretched state when the paper is discharged, and the recording surface can be formed well.

Note that a coil spring having an appropriate elastic coefficient is used for the rotation shaft of the transmission roller 62 and the spur 61. The details of the mechanism will be described with reference to FIG. 7 taking the spur 61 as an example.

In FIG. 7, reference numeral 61A denotes a shaft formed of a coil spring and extending on both sides thereof through the center of the spur 61, and is engaged with the spur 61 in a freely rotatable manner. 103B is a shaft supporting member that supports both ends of the rotating shaft 61A, and is formed as a part of the inner lid 103 shown in FIG. The shaft support member 103B supports the formula 61A slidably in the axial direction. 103C is a regulating member for regulating the movement of the spur 61 in the direction of the rotation axis and in the direction perpendicular thereto, and is provided on both sides of the spur 61. The restriction member 103C is also formed as a part of the inner lid 103, similarly to the shaft support member 103B.

With the above configuration, the shaft 61A pivotally supports the spur 61, and the discharge roller of the spur 61
Get thrust to 60.

The inner lid 103 has a spring member 103A at its rear end as shown in FIG. 3A, and receives a pressing force in the direction of the paper discharge roller by a reaction with the case 101. This pressing force and the rotation axis
The spur 61 causes an appropriate pressing force to act on the paper discharge roller 60 by interaction with the elastic force of 61A.

Further, when the inner lid 103 receives the above pressing force, the engagement between the fixing member 103D of the inner lid 103 and the rotating shaft 60C of the paper discharge roller 60 is ensured as shown in FIG. As a result, the positional relationship between the spur 61 and the discharge roller 60 is always kept constant. Alternatively, by fixing the rotating shaft 60C by abutting it against a member to be hooked or the like, an accurate relationship can be maintained regardless of the accuracy of the inner lid.

In the transmission roller 62 also, a rotating shaft formed of a coil spring
The function of 62A is the same, and a contact force with the paper feed roller 36 and the paper discharge roller 60 is obtained by the elastic force of the shaft 62A.

As described above, the discharge roller 60 has a shape in which the diameter of the middle portion is smaller than that of both ends. The details of this configuration are shown in FIG.

In FIG. 8, reference numeral 60A denotes a cover member made of a rubber material, and reference numeral 60D denotes a cylindrical core member having a middle portion smaller in diameter than both end portions. The paper discharge roller 60 is formed by covering the core member 60D with a pipe-shaped cover member 60A.

As a result, it is not necessary to integrally form such a shape with a rubber member or the like, and a discharge roller can be obtained relatively easily and at low cost.

In addition, a groove provided continuously to one end of the paper discharge roller 60
60B can catch the trailing end of the recording sheet when the recording sheet is ejected by the sheet ejection roller 60, and can secure the ejection when the position of the recording sheet is shifted. it can.

The shape of the core member 60D is not limited to the above. For example, a cylindrical shape can be obtained by coating a rubber material even if the shape of the groove 60B is extended as it is and the intermediate portion is made smaller.

Next, a case where the ink jet recording apparatus of this embodiment is used upright will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG.

The apparatus may be used upright, as shown in these figures, when used together with the auto feeder 200, or when thick paper such as an envelope is fed from a paper feed port on the back side of the apparatus.

In the case of ordinary recording paper using an auto feeder,
The upper cover 102 can be used as a stacker for the discharged recording paper. At this time, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper cover 102 is fixed at an angle different from the case where the upper cover 102 is used as a paper guide for feeding paper.

The conditions for using the upper lid 102 as a stacker are as follows.

That is, the discharged recording paper is conveyed in the air to some extent with its own strength, and the position where it comes into contact with the upper lid 102 or the already stacked recording papers is set near the upper end 102A of the upper lid 102. As a result, the recording paper to be discharged slides on the recording paper or the like that has already been stacked only at the leading end of the recording paper, and the sliding can be avoided as much as possible. Can be prevented.

The configuration for this purpose is that the upper end portion 102A is located near the common tangent line between the paper feed roller 36 and the paper discharge roller 60, and the lower end portion 102B is lowered, in the present embodiment. Become.

Further, when the rear end of the recording paper stopped on the upper end portion 102A is completely discharged, the recording paper is lowered at that position so that the recording paper is stacked without sliding.

For this purpose, the length of the upper cover 102 in the paper discharge direction (the length from the upper end 102A to the lower end 102B) is a requirement, and the recording paper that is usually used is used. If the length is 60% to 90% of the length of the recording paper
%, More preferably 70% to 80%.

When the configuration of the recording apparatus or the use conditions are different and the paper discharge direction is different from the above, the length of the stacker may be determined in consideration of the first requirement.

Reference numeral 108 shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 is a winding prevention piece, which can prevent recording paper to be stacked from entering the paper feed port 106.

Next, details of the recording head 9 and the carrier 6 described above will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 11 shows an external perspective view of the recording head 9 in which the ejection element 9a and the ink tank 3b are integrated. In the drawing, 906e is hooked by a hook provided on the carrier 6 when the recording head 9 is mounted. It is a nail to be stopped. As is clear from the figure, the pawl 906e is disposed inside the full extension of the recording head. Further, in the vicinity of the front ejection element 9 of the recording head 9, a positioning abutting portion, not shown in this figure, is provided. Reference numeral 906f denotes a head opening that stands on the carrier and into which a support plate for supporting the flexible substrate and the rubber pad is inserted.

FIGS. 12 (A) and (B) are exploded perspective views of the ink jet recording head shown in FIG. 11, and are of a disposable type in which an ink container serving as an ink supply source is integrated as described above.

In FIG. 1A, reference numeral 110 denotes a heater board in which an electrothermal conversion element (ejection heater) and wiring such as Au for supplying electric power are formed on a Si substrate by a film forming technique. 210 is a wiring board for the heater board 110, and the corresponding wiring is connected by, for example, wire bonding.

Reference numeral 400 denotes a top plate provided with a barrier for limiting the ink flow path, a common liquid chamber, and the like. In this example, the top plate is made of a resin material integrally having an orifice plate portion.

300 is a metal support, for example, 500 is a holding spring,
By engaging the heater board 110 and the top plate 400 while sandwiching the heater board 110 and the top plate 400 therebetween, the heater board 100 and the top plate 400 are pressed and fixed by the urging force of the pressing spring 500. In addition, the support body 300 may be provided with the wiring substrate 210 by bonding or the like, and may have a positioning reference to the carrier 6 for scanning the head. Also,
The support 300 also functions as a member that radiates and cools the heat of the heater board 110 generated by driving.

Reference numeral 600 denotes a supply tank, which functions as a sub tank that receives ink supply from the ink storage unit 9b serving as an ink supply source and guides ink to a common liquid chamber formed by joining the heater board 110 and the top plate 400. Reference numeral 700 denotes a filter disposed at a position in the supply tank 600 near the ink supply port to the common liquid chamber, and reference numeral 800 denotes a cover member of the supply tank 600.

900 is an absorber for impregnating the ink, and is arranged in the ink tank main body 9b. 1200 is above each blowing 110-8
A supply port for supplying ink to a discharge unit 9a consisting of the ink tank main body 9b
By injecting ink from the supply port 1200 in a process before disposing in the portion 1010, the ink impregnation of the absorber 900 can be performed.

Reference numeral 1100 denotes a lid member of the cartridge body, and reference numeral 1400 denotes an atmosphere communication port provided with a lid member for communicating the inside of the cartridge with the atmosphere. Reference numeral 1300 denotes a liquid-repellent liquid disposed inside the air communication port 1400, thereby preventing ink from leaking from the air communication port 1400.

When the ink filling into the ink tank 9b through the supply port 1200 is completed, the ejection unit 9a including the respective parts 110 to 800 is positioned and arranged in the part 1010. The positioning or fixing at this time is performed, for example, by using a projection 10 provided on the ink tank body 9b.
12 and a hole 312 correspondingly provided in the support 300, whereby the recording head 9 in the form of a cartridge shown in FIG. 12 (B) is completed.

And the ink is supplied from the inside of the cartridge by the supply port 1200,
The supply tank 600 is provided via an inlet provided on the back surface side of the support tank 320 and the supply tank 600 in FIG. 12 (A).
After passing through the inside, the liquid flows into the common liquid chamber from the outlet through an appropriate supply pipe and the ink inlet 420 of the top plate 400. A packing made of, for example, silicone rubber or butyl rubber is provided at the connection portion for ink communication as described above, whereby sealing is performed to secure an ink supply path.

13 (A) to 13 (C) are a diagram showing details of the carrier 6, a left side view and a right side view, respectively.

In these figures, reference numeral 606 denotes a support standing upright on the bottom of the carrier 6, and a rubber pad 605 having a flexible substrate 604 and a protrusion 605A provided corresponding to a terminal pad formed on the substrate 604. I support.

Reference numeral 607 denotes an abutting member which is similarly provided upright at the bottom in front of the carrier 6. The abutment member 607 is formed to be thin in order to make the space of the ink tank as large as possible within the limited arrangement space of the recording head and the carrier. For this reason, the member 607 is formed with three ribs 608 for securing strength. The direction in which the rib 608 extends is the moving direction of the carrier 6 so as to have a strength corresponding to the movement in the turning direction when the recording head is attached and detached. The rib 608 is formed so as to move forward by about 0.1 mm from the ejection surface when the recording head 9 is mounted. Accordingly, even when the recording paper protrudes into the movement path of the recording head due to some action, it is possible to prevent the recording paper from rubbing the ejection surface and causing damage or the like.

Reference numeral 602 denotes a contact lever for attaching and detaching the recording head, and is rotatably supported by a shaft 601d provided on the carrier 6 main body. 603 is a contact lever 602
Is a contact hook for performing a detaching operation of the recording head 9 having a part engaged by a movement engaged with the part. The hook 603 performs the above-mentioned attachment / detachment operation when the elongated hole 603c formed therein is guided by the guide shaft 601c provided in the carrier 6 main body.

The attachment / detachment operation mechanism including the contact lever 602 and the contact hook 603 is located on the side of the carrier 6, that is,
Since it is provided on the moving direction side of the carrier 6, the attaching / detaching operation mechanism does not form a large dead space due to the movement of the carrier.

Next, the butting portion for positioning when the recording head is mounted will be described.

601a is a butting portion for positioning in the left and right direction,
Two locations are provided on the side of the butting member 607. It should be noted that the positioning in the left-right direction is performed by supporting the support plate 60 outside the abutting portion 601a.
The butting portion 601f provided in 6 is used.

601b is a butting portion for positioning in the front-rear direction,
It is formed on the lower side of the abutting member 607.

601c is a butting portion for vertical positioning,
2 of the lower side of the butting member 607 and the lower side of the support plate
Formed at two places.

FIGS. 14 (A) and (B) are a top view and a left side view, respectively, showing a state where the recording head 9 is mounted on the carrier 6. FIG.

In these figures, reference numeral 906a denotes an abutting portion provided on the recording head 9 so as to be able to abut against the abutting portion of the carrier 6 when the recording head is mounted. Similarly, 906b and 906c denote abutting portions 601b and 601c, respectively. This is the contact part corresponding to.

Hereinafter, the engagement relationship of each part when the recording head is mounted will be described with reference to FIG.

The contact portion 906a of the recording head 9 is in contact with the contact portion 601a of the carrier 6, and at the same time, the pawl 906 of the recording head 9.
Means the coil spring 6 via the hook 603
The force is applied to the left in the figure by the urging force of 07. As a result, the recording head 9 receives a moment force about the contact portion. At this time, the substrate 90 provided on the recording head
6d comes into contact with the butting portion 601f, and as a result, the recording head 9
Is positioned in the left-right direction, and that position is maintained.

At this time, the protrusion 605A of the rubber pad 605 is
Is compressed and deformed by contact with With this deformation,
A force for pressing the terminal pad of the flexible substrate 604 and the terminal of the substrate 906d is generated. In this case, since the substrate 906d is in contact with the abutting portion 601f, the amount of deformation of the protruding portion 605A is constant, and the above-described stable pressing force can be obtained.

Note that the upper drawing does not show a state in which the protrusion 605A is compressed and deformed.

As will be described later, the positioning of the recording head 9 in the front-rear and up-down directions has already been performed in the mounting process.

FIG. 15 is a top view showing the carrier before the recording head is mounted, and the contact lever 602 is omitted in this figure.

The state shown in the figure is a state in which the contact lever 602 is pulled backward (see FIG. 13B). At this time, the position of the contact hook is as shown in FIG. Wait for filling.

16 (A) to 16 (C) are top views sequentially showing a process of mounting the recording head.

The recording head 9 is filled from above the carrier so that the support plate 606 of the carrier 6 is inserted into the opening 906f. At this time, as shown in FIG.
7, the recording head 9 fits into the carrier 6 in an oblique state due to the positional relationship between the support plate 606 and the contact hook 603, and the relationship between the entire length of the recording head 9 and the opening 906f.

Next, when the contact lever 602 is rotated counterclockwise (see FIG. 13 (B)), the contact hook 603 rotates counterclockwise about the axis 601c as a center of rotation, and then becomes leftward when it becomes horizontal in the figure. To the state shown in FIG. 16 (B).

Along with the movement of the contact hook 603, the recording head 9 is pushed obliquely upward and leftward in the drawing by contact with the contact hook 603. As a result, the contact portion 906a of the recording head rides on the contact portion 601a of the carrier, and the contact portion 906b contacts the contact portion 601b. At this time, the substrate 906d is not in contact with the flexible substrate 604.

Further, when the contact lever 602 is rotated counterclockwise, the contact hook 603 moves further to the left. At this time, since the recording head 9 moves while being hooked, the recording head 9 rotates clockwise about the contact portions 906a and 906b as a center of rotation, and reaches the state shown in FIG. The position on 6 is determined.

The position in the front-back and up-down directions is determined in a series of movements in the mounting process described above.

In the state shown in FIG. 16 (C), as described above, the contact lever 602 is urged leftward by the coil spring 607 provided inside the rotary shaft, and this urging force applies the contact hook 603 to the contact hook 603. The recording head 9 is fixed to the carrier 6 through the intermediary.

As is apparent from the above description, the mounting of the recording head according to the present example is a combination of the linear motion and the rotational motion of the recording head, and the deflection angle of rotation is about 5 degrees.

That is, since the recording head is mounted with a small rotation angle, no special space is required for mounting the recording head.

Next, the relationship between the contact lever and the contact hook will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 (A) and 14 (A).

As shown in these figures, the contact lever 602
One plan view 602a, 602b and one slope (cam surface) 602c
When the recording head is fixed (See Fig. 16 (C))
, The flat surface 602a is engaged with the portion 603a of the contact hook 603 to transmit a biasing force to the hook 603.

Further, the relationship between the lever 602 and the hook 603 will be described in the process of attaching and detaching the recording head. When the contact lever 602 is rotated in the direction opposite to the mounting process from the state shown in FIG. 14 (A), the cam surface 602c of the contact lever rotates while contacting the cam surface 603b of the contact hook. Accordingly, the contact hook 603 moves rightward until the left end of the elongated hole 603c hits the shaft 601c of the carrier, and then the shaft 60
When the contact lever 602 rotates clockwise around 1c and the contact surface of the contact lever 602 becomes a flat surface 602b, the contact hook collides with the end of the cam surface 603b of the contact hook, and the state shown in FIG.

In the process from the state shown in FIG. 14A to the state shown in FIG.
Extruded by 3d.

(Others) The present invention brings about an excellent effect particularly in a recording head and a recording apparatus of a bubble jet method proposed by Canon Inc. among ink jet recording methods. This is because, according to such a method, it is possible to achieve higher density and higher definition of the recording, and it is expected that the fixing will be more quickly performed depending on the recording pattern.

As for the representative configuration and principle, it is preferable to use the basic principle disclosed in, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4,740,796. This method can be applied to any of the so-called on-demand type and continuous type. In particular, in the case of the on-demand type, it is arranged corresponding to the sheet or liquid path holding the liquid (ink). Applying at least one drive signal corresponding to recording information and providing a rapid temperature rise exceeding nucleate boiling to the electrothermal transducer, thereby causing the electrothermal transducer to generate heat energy, and This is effective because film boiling occurs on the heat-acting surface of the liquid, and as a result, bubbles in the liquid (ink) corresponding to the drive signal one-to-one can be formed. The liquid (ink) is ejected through the ejection opening by the growth and contraction of the bubble to form at least one droplet. With this drive signal pulse shape, the growth and shrinkage of the bubbles are performed immediately and appropriately, so that the ejection of liquid (ink) having particularly excellent responsiveness can be achieved, which is more preferable. This pulse-shaped drive signal is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,359.
No. 4,434,262 are suitable. Further, when the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 relating to the temperature rise rate of the heat acting surface are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.

As a configuration of the recording head, in addition to a combination configuration (a linear liquid flow path or a right-angled liquid flow path) of a discharge port, a liquid path, and an electrothermal converter as disclosed in the above-mentioned specifications, A configuration using U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,333 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,600, which disclose a configuration in which is disposed in a bending region, is also included in the present invention. In addition, for a plurality of electric heat exchangers, a common strip is disclosed in JP-A-59-123670, which discloses a discharge portion of an electrothermal converter, and an opening for absorbing a pressure wave of heat energy is formed in a discharge portion. The effect of the present invention is effective even if the configuration is based on Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-138461 which discloses a configuration to be used. That is, recording can be performed reliably and efficiently regardless of the form of the recording head.

In addition, a replaceable chip type, which is a serial type as in the above example and is attached to the apparatus main body, enables electrical connection with the apparatus main body and supply of ink from the apparatus main body. The present invention is also effective when a recording head or a cartridge type recording head provided integrally with the recording head itself as in the above example is used.

Regarding the type or number of print heads to be mounted, for example, in addition to the one provided corresponding to a single color ink, a plurality of print heads provided corresponding to a plurality of inks of a particular color or density are provided. May be used.

In addition, the form of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention may be used as an image output terminal of an information processing apparatus such as a computer, a copying apparatus combined with a reader or the like, or a facsimile apparatus having a transmission / reception function. It may be something.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, in the abutting member to which the ink jet recording head comes in contact, in the direction from this member to the recording medium, ahead of the ejection port surface of the ink jet recording head. Protruding ribs are provided, and the ribs are extended along the moving direction of the carrier. Therefore, even if a recording medium or the like protrudes along this movement path when the carrier moves, the rib contacts the recording medium or the like. To prevent the recording medium or the like from directly touching the ejection port surface, and even if the recording medium or the like comes into contact with the ribs, this may cause resistance of the movement of the carrier or deformation of the recording medium or the like due to the movement of the carrier. Does not occur.

As a result, even if the recording medium or the like protrudes on the movement path of the carrier, it is possible to prevent the damage of the ejection port surface due to the projection, and it is possible to prevent the discharged recording medium from obstructing the movement of the carrier.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing an embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of the apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 3 (A) is a perspective view mainly showing a paper discharging system of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 (B) is a side view of the figure shown in FIG. 3 (A), FIG. 5A and 5B are side views showing one embodiment of a recording head corresponding to recording paper, respectively. FIGS. 5A to 5C are one embodiment of a blade and an ink carrier portion for the recording head. 6 (A) and 6 (B) are side views showing an embodiment of a pressing operation mechanism of a paper pressing plate, and FIG. 7 is an embodiment of a supporting state of a spur in a paper discharging system. FIG. 8 is a front view showing an embodiment of a sheet discharging roller, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing another example of a use state of the present apparatus. FIG. 10, FIG. 10 is a side sectional view showing the state shown in FIG. 9, FIG. 11 is an external perspective view of a recording head according to this example, and FIGS. 12 (A) and (B) are illustrations of this example. FIGS. 13A to 13C are an exploded perspective view and an external perspective view of the recording head, respectively. FIGS. 13A to 13C are a top view, a left side view, and a right side view, respectively, of the carrier according to the present embodiment. (B) is a top view and a right side view, respectively, showing a state where a recording head is mounted on the carrier shown in FIG. 13. FIG. 15 is a top view showing a state before the recording head is mounted on the carrier according to this example. 16 (A) to 16 (C) are top views showing the mounting process of the recording head in order. 1 ... chassis, 2 ... lead screw, 2a ... lead groove, 3a ... lead pulley, 3b ... position groove, 3c ... introduction groove, 4 ... clutch gear, 5 ... clutch spring, 6 ... Carrier, 6c: hook, 7: lead pin, 9: recording head, 9a: head chip (ejection element), 9b: ink tank section, 9c: ejection port, 9d: ejection port forming surface, 11 …… Carrier motor, 13… Timing belt, 15… Set shaft, 16… Blade lever, 17 …… Blade, 19 …… Ink carrier, 20 …… Set lever, 21 …… Timing gear, 22… Ink Absorber spring 23 Ink absorber 60 Discharge roller 61 Spur 62 Transmission roller 100 Inkjet recorder 102 Upper lid 103 Inner lid 601a, 601b , 601c, 601f …… Abutting part, 602 …… Con Cutter lever 603 Contact hook 604 Flexible board 605 Rubber pad 606 Support plate 607 Abutment member 608 Rib 906a, 906b, 906c Contact portion 906d Substrate, 906e.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Masazumi Nagashima 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Inside Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Keiji Yanaura 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inside (72) Inventor Hiroshi Sugitani 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Norifumi Hattori 3-30-2, Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Masami Ikeda 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Asao Saito 3-30-2, Shimomaruko 3-chome, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Invention Person Kazuo Masuda 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Akio Saito 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Within Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Tsuyoshi Orikasa 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (56) References JP-A-60-204343 (JP, A) JP-A-60-262651 (JP, A) JP-A-63-283606 (JP, A) JP-A-61-164742 (JP, U) JP-A-63-37714 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶⁾ , DB name) B41J 2/005

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. An ink jet recording apparatus for performing recording on a recording medium arranged at a position facing said ink ejection port surface by using an ink jet recording head which ejects ink from an ink ejection port surface, wherein said ink jet recording head is mounted. A carrier that has a mounting surface to be freely mounted and moves on a predetermined path along the recording medium; and the ink jet recording head is disposed on the carrier, and the ink jet recording head is attached when the ink jet recording head is attached to the mounting surface. An abutting member interposed between the recording medium and the abutting member that comes into contact with the ink jet recording head, when the ink jet recording head is mounted on the mounting surface, in a direction from the ink ejection port surface to the recording medium direction. A rib protruding from the butting member and extending along the moving direction of the carrier. An ink jet recording apparatus characterized by having, when. 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording surface is mounted by turning the ink jet recording head along a plane including a moving direction of the carrier. 3. An ink jet recording head attached to the carrier according to claim 1. 4. An ink jet recording head according to claim 3, wherein said ink jet recording head is arranged in a housing integral with an ink tank for storing ink discharged from said ink discharge port. 5. The ink jet recording head according to claim 3, wherein the ink droplets are ejected from the ink ejection ports using heat generated by an electrothermal transducer.