JP2833945B2 - Inkjet printer head protection mechanism - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a head protection mechanism for an ink-jet printer, and more particularly, to preventing the ink-jet head from drying by keeping the cap chamber at a high humidity in order to prevent nozzle clogging of the ink-jet head. The present invention relates to a head protection mechanism for an ink jet printer that removes stains due to ink pools on an end face and secures the stability of ink ejection.

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 is a structural view showing an example of a head protecting mechanism of a conventional ink jet printer, and FIG. 3 is a view for explaining a head retracting position. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 3, a head protection mechanism of this type of ink jet printer includes a cap chamber 14 for sealing the ink jet head 2 at a head retracting position 20 at a position deviated from a platen 22 running a sheet 23, and a cap chamber. The link arm 4 for causing the stroke of the stroke 14 is installed.
A seal rubber 17 is provided at the front of the cap chamber 14 to increase the degree of sealing. In addition, a discharge ink box 18 for discharging the high-viscosity ink at the nozzle tip of the head 2 is provided at a position different from the cap chamber 14, and the side end thereof removes dirt due to ink pools and the like on the end surface of the head 2. Rubber spatula 19 is installed.

[0002]

The head protection mechanism of this conventional ink-jet printer has a mounting area because the cleaning rubber spar 19 on the head end face and the ink discharge box 18 must be adjacent to each other in the carriage moving direction. Becomes wider. Furthermore, since there is no humidifying mechanism, if the non-printing period is long, the viscosity of the ink increases, and the prevention of ink coagulation in the nozzle is not sufficient.

[0003]

According to the present invention, there is provided a head protection mechanism for an ink jet printer, wherein the head is moved by a first moving means which operates in accordance with the movement of a carriage which is installed in a non-printing area and on which a head is mounted. A bowl-shaped cap chamber that covers the nozzle surface, and a second moving unit that is located in the cap chamber and absorbs the discharged ink from the nozzles and operates with the movement of the carriage until it comes into contact with the nozzle surface. A moisturizer that moves and cleans the nozzle surface by moving the carriage.

Further, the head protecting mechanism of the ink jet printer according to the present invention is characterized in that the humectant is connected via a tube to a discharge ink tank installed at an arbitrary position in the apparatus. Further, in the head protection mechanism of the ink jet printer of the present invention, the first moving means is a link arm that rotates when the side surface of the carriage abuts, and moves the cap chamber in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle surface. Features.

Further, in the head protection mechanism for an ink jet printer according to the present invention, the second moving means is a second link arm which rotates along a cam at a front portion of the carriage, and the humectant is provided on the nozzle surface. It is characterized by moving vertically. Further, the head protection mechanism of the ink jet printer according to the present invention is characterized in that the first moving means moves the cap chamber in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle surface by a motor.

Further, the head protecting mechanism of the ink jet printer according to the present invention is characterized in that the second moving means moves the humectant in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle surface by a motor.

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an operation for wiping off dirt on a head end surface of this embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a head retracting position.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, in the head protection mechanism of the ink jet printer of this embodiment,
The ink jet head 2 is moved by a link arm 4 which is pushed by a side end of the carriage 1 which moves in the direction of arrow A along the guide shaft 3 at a head retreat position 20 at a position deviated from a platen 22 which travels on a sheet 23 and moves. The cap chamber 14 is closed. A seal rubber 17 is provided at the front of the cap chamber 14 to increase the degree of sealing. The moisturizing material 15 that absorbs the thickened waste ink at the tip of the head 2 that is ejected before a printing operation, when the power is turned on, or the like is installed at a position apart from the end face of the head 2 in the cap chamber 14. The discharged ink is ejected toward the humectant 15 by the head ejection energy in a state where the ink is sealed by the cap chamber 14. Thereafter, the waste ink attached to the humectant 15 is stored in the waste ink tank 9 via the tube 8 connected to the pipe tube 12 through the inside of the pipe tube 12 by capillary action. The discharged ink evaporates from the open surface of the humectant 15 to keep the inside of the cap chamber 14 at a high humidity at all times. Next, with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the operation of wiping the end face of the head 2 will be described. When the carriage 1 moves from the head retracted position 20 along the guide shaft 3 in the direction of arrow B, the link arm 4 is rotated counterclockwise by the tension spring 5, and the cap chamber 1 connected to the link arm 4 is rotated.
4 retreats from the head 2 to the stop plate 6. At the same time, when the link arm 11 connected to the slidable pipe 12 comes into contact with the cam 16 at the front of the carriage 1, the link arm 11 rotates according to its shape, and the pipe 12 in the cap chamber 14 The piston moves along 13. When the tip of the link arm 11 reaches the apex of the cam 16, the moisturizing material 1 attached to the tip of the pipe 12
5 comes into contact with the end face of the head 2 to wipe off dirt such as ink. That is, at the same time as the cap chamber 14 retreats from the end face of the head 2, the pipe tube 12 moves toward the head 2.
When the carriage 1 moves to the head retract position 20,
This operation is always repeated. Link arm 11 is cam 16
After passing through the top of the pipe, the pipe tube 12 retreats again by the compression spring 7 and returns to the rotation stop shaft 10.

Although the cap chamber 14 and the humectant 15 are movable by the two link arms 4 and 11 in the above-described embodiment, they may be movable by a motor or the like.

As described above, according to the present invention,
A bowl-shaped cap chamber which is moved by the first moving means which is installed in the non-printing area and moves with the movement of the carriage on which the head is mounted, and which covers the nozzle surface of the head; A humidifier that absorbs discharged ink and moves until it comes into contact with the nozzle surface by a second moving unit that operates in accordance with the movement of the carriage, and cleans the nozzle surface by moving the carriage. And the clogging due to drying of the ink jet head can be easily avoided. In addition, it is possible to remove stains due to ink pools and the like on the end surface of the head, thereby ensuring the stability of ink ejection. Furthermore, since the humectant for removing dirt is provided in the cap chamber, the size of the apparatus can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an operation of wiping dirt on a head end surface of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a head retreat position.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Carriage 2 Ink-jet head 3 Guide shaft 4 Link arm 5 Tension spring 6 Stop plate 7 Compression spring 8 Tube 9 Drain ink tank 10 Rotation stop shaft 11 Link arm 12 Pipe tube 13 Bearing 14 Cap chamber 15 Moisturizer 16 Cam 17 Seal rubber 18 Discharge Ink box 19 Rubber horn 20 Head retract position 21 Cap 22 Platen 23 Paper

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A cup-shaped cap chamber which is moved in a non-printing area by a first moving means which operates in accordance with the movement of a carriage on which a head is mounted, and which covers a nozzle surface of the head, and the cap chamber. A moisturizing material that moves until it comes into contact with the nozzle surface by second moving means that absorbs discharged ink from the nozzles and operates with the movement of the carriage, and cleans the nozzle surface by the movement of the carriage. And a head protection mechanism for an ink jet printer. 2. The head protection mechanism of an ink jet printer according to claim 1, wherein the humectant is connected via a tube to a discharge ink tank installed at an arbitrary position in the apparatus. 3. The first moving means is a link arm that rotates when the side surface of the carriage abuts,
2. The head protection mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the cap chamber is moved in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle surface. 4. The second moving means is a second link arm that rotates along a cam at the front of the carriage,
2. The head protection mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the humectant is moved in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle surface. 5. The head protection mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the first moving means moves the cap chamber in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle surface by a motor. 6. The head protection mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the second moving unit moves the humectant in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle surface by a motor.