JP2819631B2 - Ink jet recording device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus having improved reliability and maintainability.

[Conventional technology]

In a conventional ink jet recording apparatus, a recording head is mounted on a carriage and reciprocates, and ink is supplied to the recording head from an ink tank, which is replaceably installed in the apparatus, through a flexible tube.

Further, in another conventional example, the ink tank is installed on the carriage so as to be exchangeable.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, in the above-described conventional apparatus, ink is supplied to the recording head via a moving flexible tube.
There are difficult problems for ink jet recording, such as instability of ejection due to pressure fluctuation applied to the recording head, intrusion of air through the tube wall and evaporation of ink. On the other hand, in an apparatus capable of installing an ink tank on a carriage, ink sucked from an ink discharge nozzle must be stored in a separately provided ink tank or absorbent material. It requires very cumbersome mechanisms such as detection and replacement and handling.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a recording head, an ink tank provided with the recording head and moving together, a passage leading from the ink tank to the recording head, and an ink ejection nozzle of the recording head. A suction unit for sucking the ink and a delivery unit for returning the ink sucked by the suction unit to the ink tank are provided.

Further, an absorbing member for storing ink is provided in the ink tank, and the delivery means sends the sucked ink to an upper portion of the absorbing member.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the main components of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention.
Reference numeral 3 denotes a carriage on which the recording head 2 is mounted and which moves along a guide shaft 4 by motor power, and 5 denotes a recording paper.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a replaceable ink tank provided on the recording head 2 on the carriage 3 and moves together with the head 2 during recording. Reference numeral 8 denotes a cap provided at the home position on the left outside the recording range, and is airtightly attached around the nozzles of the recording head 2 when the recording head 2 is at the home position. A pump 9 communicates with the cap 8 and can suck ink through the nozzle of the head when the head 2 and the cap 8 are in close contact with each other. Reference numeral 10 denotes a discharge ink tube which connects the pump 9 with the ink tank 7 on the carriage 3 and sends the ink sucked by the pump 9 to the ink tank 7. The discharge ink tube 10 is a polyethylene tube that can flexibly bend as the carriage 3 moves.

The cap 8 is used to prevent the ink from drying and to prevent foreign matter from adhering to the nozzles of the head 2 in a gas-tight manner during the rest period. Aspirate.

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view showing a schematic structural view of the cap 8 and the pump 9 for easy understanding. The cap 8 includes a cap rubber 11, a cap case 12 for holding the cap rubber 11, and a support 13 for rotating the cap rubber 11 and the cap case 12 relative to the head 2 by rotating the cap rubber 11 and the cap case 12 in the direction of the arrow.
When the support 13 swings by a drive source (not shown), the cap rubber 11 comes into close contact with the head 2 or separates. The space 14 of the cap rubber 11 communicates with a rubber bellows pump 17 through a tube 16, and a rubber check valve 18 is provided at the entrance and exit.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the ink tank of the recording apparatus according to the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 19 denotes an ink bag made of a flexible material, in which ink 20 is sealed, and 23 denotes an outlet provided in the ink bag 19. Reference numeral 21 denotes an absorbing member for absorbing and holding the discharged ink sent through the discharged ink tube 10, and is stored in the ink tank alongside the ink bag 19.

When the ink tank 7 is installed, the supply tension 24 becomes the outlet 23
The head 2 and the inside of the ink bag 19 communicate with each other through the rubber stopper, and at the same time, the discharge tube 22 provided at the tip of the discharge ink tube 10 is inserted into the absorbing member 21.

The discharged ink sent through the discharged ink tube 10 is absorbed by the absorbing member 21 and is discarded at the same time when the ink tank 7 is replaced. The amount of ink absorbed by the absorbing member 21 is selected to be substantially equal to or slightly lower than the amount of ink in the ink bag 19.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the ink tank of the recording apparatus according to the present invention. The ink tank 7 is filled with an absorbing member 28, and the ink is stored here. Reference numeral 25 denotes a filter for preventing dust and bubbles from passing through the ink passage to the head 2 by contacting the absorbing member 28, and reference numerals 26 and 27 denote rubber stoppers. A filter 30 is also provided in the head 2.

The head 2 is not shown, but is fixed on a carriage, and a supply needle 24 extends from the head 2.
A discharge needle 29 connected to the discharge ink tube 10 is provided on the carriage.

When the ink tank 7 is mounted on the carriage, the supply needle 24
Penetrates the rubber stopper 26, and at the same time, the discharge needle 29 also penetrates the rubber stopper 27.

The ink enters the head 2 through the supply needle 24 via the filter 25, and the discharged ink pushed out by the pump from the discharge ink tube 10 passes the discharge needle 29 through the passage in the tank 7.
Through 31, it exits to the upper space of the absorbing member 28. This ink passes through the absorbing member 28 and is used again for storage.

By discharging the discharged ink onto the absorbing member 28 in the ink tank 7, air bubbles can be prevented from entering the absorbing member 28, and foreign substances can be prevented from entering the absorbing member 28. Reference numeral 32 denotes a vent, from which air coming from the discharge ink tube 10 is discharged.

〔The invention's effect〕

According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, the ink sent through the flexible tube that moves or bends on the moving carriage is the discharged ink. Therefore, the problem of pressure and the problem of bubbles, which were problems in ink transport for the conventional inkjet recording, can be solved.

In addition, the discharged ink sent through the flexible tube is reproduced on the carriage by a structure including a pressure buffering part and a releasing part, and a filter and an absorbing member for removing bubbles and foreign matters, and is directly transferred to the head. It could be reused by sending.

According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, of course, there is no separate tank or the like for discharging ink treatment,
There is no contamination of the recording device and no complicated handling.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a view showing an embodiment of a suction means of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, and FIGS. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of an ink tank of the inkjet recording apparatus. 2 Print head 3 Carriage 7 Ink tank 8 Cap 9 Pump 10 Discharge ink tube 19 Ink bag 21 Absorbing member 28 Absorbing member

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A serial ink jet recording apparatus for performing recording while a recording head on a carriage moves relative to a recording medium is provided on the carriage so as to be replaceable with the recording head. An ink tank that moves together with the recording head, an ink passage leading from the ink tank to the recording head, a suction unit for sucking ink from an ink discharge nozzle of the recording head, and the ink sucked by the suction unit. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a delivery unit for returning to an ink tank. 2. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an absorbing member for storing ink is provided in said ink tank, and said suctioned ink is sent to an upper portion of said absorbing member by said delivery means.