JP2837022B2 - Ink jet recording device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus which performs recording by ejecting ink from nozzles provided in a recording head, and more particularly to an ink jet recording apparatus capable of preventing damage to the apparatus due to ink leakage. It relates to a recording device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known an ink jet recording apparatus which performs desired printing on a recording medium such as paper by ejecting ink supplied to a recording head from nozzles thereof.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of such an ink-jet recording apparatus. A cylindrical platen 2 is rotatably arranged inside an apparatus main body 1. Has two guide shafts 3, 3
Are provided along the axial direction of the platen 2.

A carriage 4 is provided on each of the guide shafts 3 so as to be able to reciprocate along the guide shafts 3. The carriage 4 has, for example, inks of cyan, magenta, yellow and black colors, respectively. A plurality of ink cartridges 6 each having an ink tank for supplying each color ink to the recording head 5 are mounted.

A continuous sheet 7 wound, for example, in a roll shape is disposed behind the platen 2 of the apparatus main body 1. You will be guided to the location.

Further, when the recording head 5 is in a state of non-ejection of ink, the ink in the recording head 5 is pressurized or sucked to flow out of the nozzle when the non-ejection state of the recording head 5 occurs. A recovery device 8 for removing a bubble and a foreign substance mixed in the flow path and performing a recovery operation of the recording head is attached to the inside of the apparatus main body 1. Note that reference numeral 9 in the figure denotes a side plate that is provided upright in the apparatus main body 1.

FIG. 4 shows the recovery device 8 and its mounting structure. An opening 10 is formed on the surface of the recovery device 8 which faces the recording head 5. .. And a plurality of caps 11 for covering a nozzle opening (not shown) for ejecting ink provided on the head 5 and pressurizing the ink in the ink cartridge 6 when performing a recovery operation of the nozzle. A pressurizing port 12 for causing ink to flow out of the nozzle port is provided. The recovery device 8 is placed and fixed on a plate-like base 13, and the base 13 is further attached to a side plate 9 erected on the device main body 1 by screws or the like, so that Is fixed inside.

Further, a base 13 on which the recovery device 8 is mounted is provided.
An ink absorber 14 made of felt or the like for absorbing ink is attached to the periphery of the recording head 5 and the side facing the recording head 5. The ink which has flowed out of the apparatus is absorbed by the ink absorber 14 to prevent the ink from flowing into the apparatus main body 1.

[0009]

However, in the above-described conventional printer, the amount of ink that can be absorbed by the ink absorber 14 is limited. Although it is possible to prevent the ink from flowing into the apparatus main body 1, if the cause of the ink leakage is, for example, the detachment of the ink tube, a large amount of ink leakage that cannot be absorbed only by the ink absorber 14. As a result, there is a problem that the leaked ink flows out into the apparatus main body 1 to contaminate the inside of the apparatus, or flows out onto the circuit board to damage the electric circuit. Further, when the amount of ink leakage is further increased, there is a problem that the leaked ink flows out of the printing apparatus, and contaminates the desk on which the printing apparatus is mounted.

The present invention has been made in view of such a conventional problem. Even if a large amount of ink leaks due to ink leakage in the recovery device, contamination inside and outside the device due to the ink leakage is prevented. An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of preventing damage to the apparatus.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention comprises a recording head for performing recording by ejecting ink from a nozzle to a recording medium, and a recovery of the recording head. In an ink jet recording apparatus having a recovery device for performing an operation, a detecting means for detecting an outflow of ink into the apparatus main body is provided.

[0012]

According to the present invention, since the detection means for detecting the outflow of ink into the apparatus main body is provided, if the outflow of ink into the apparatus main body occurs, it is detected and the user is detected. Can be recognized.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same components as those of the above-described conventional device are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and description thereof is omitted.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a main part of the apparatus, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for describing in more detail a mechanism for detecting the performed ink.

In the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a recovery device 8 is mounted on a plate-like base 13 and fixed. It is the same as the conventional one in that it is fixed in the apparatus main body 1 by being attached to the upright side plate 9 by screws or the like, but a through hole 15 is formed in the side of the base 13. In that an ink discharge path 19 is formed below the base 13 and a detection mechanism for detecting the outflow of ink is provided further below the ink discharge path 19. ing.

That is, the base 1 on which the recovery device 8 is mounted
A rectangular through hole 1 is provided on a side portion of the side 3 facing the side plate 9.
5 is formed, and the ink leaking from the inside of the recovery device 8 onto the base 13 flows downward through the through-hole 15. Below the through-hole 15, a gutter-shaped ink discharge path 19 is attached to the side plate 9 and disposed, and further below that, an ink bottle 21 having a funnel-shaped ink inlet 20 is disposed. I have.

In the ink bottle 21, a pair of electrodes 2
2, 22 are provided, and these electrodes 22, 22 are connected to a detection circuit 24 by lead wires 23, 23.
The space between the pair of electrodes 22 and 22 is non-conductive when the amount of ink in the ink bottle 21 is equal to or less than a certain amount, and is conductive when the amount of ink is equal to or more than a certain amount. Then, it is detected whether or not the outflow of the ink has occurred. Further, a display means 25 and a buzzer 26 are connected to the detection circuit 24 so that the user can recognize the occurrence of ink leakage.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2, the recovery device 8 is provided with a pump 27 for sucking ink flowing out of the nozzles of the recording head into the cap 11 during the recovery operation. 27 and pump 2
7 and an ink tube 28 between the pump 27 and a waste liquid tank (not shown) for storing the sucked ink.
And 29.

In such a recovery device 8, a large amount of ink flows into the recovery device 8 when an abnormality such as the ink tube 28 or 29 coming off the connection portion of the pump 27 or the cap 11 occurs.

When an ink leak occurs in the cap device 8, the leaked ink flows out onto the base 13 through the opening 10 of the recovery device 8. The outflow direction of the ink which has flowed out onto the base 13 is regulated by the side walls 15, 16 and 17 provided on the base 13,
The ink flows down to an ink discharge path 19 provided below the base 13 through a through hole 15 provided on a side of the base 13 facing the side plate 9.

The ink flowing down onto the ink discharge path 19 is
The ink flows down the ink discharge path 19 along the slope, flows down from one end 19a, and flows into the ink bottle 21 provided further below the ink discharge path 19.

When the amount of ink flowing into the ink bottle 21 exceeds a certain level, the state between the pair of electrodes 22, 22 provided in the ink bottle 21 changes from a non-conductive state to a conductive state. 24, the occurrence of ink leakage in the recovery device 8 is detected.

When an ink leak is detected, the detection circuit 24
, A detection signal is output to the display means 25 and the buzzer 26 to notify the user of the occurrence of ink leakage.

The display means 25 and the buzzer 26
It is not necessary to provide both, and if at least one is provided, the purpose of notification of ink leakage is achieved, and other notification means, for example, means for notifying by voice, etc. may be provided. Good.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when ink leakage occurs in the recovery device 8, the outflowing ink is guided to a specific path and flows into the ink bottle 21. Since the occurrence of ink leakage is detected and notified when the amount of ink in the bottle 21 reaches a certain amount, contamination of the inside of the apparatus due to diffusion of the leaked ink to unspecified portions in the apparatus body 1 Circuit breakage can be prevented beforehand.

In this embodiment, an example has been described in which an ink leak is detected by detecting the amount of ink in an ink bottle provided below the recovery device. The present invention is not limited to this.For example, a mechanism may be provided in which a flow path for guiding ink flowing out onto the base is provided, and ink leakage is detected by detecting the presence or absence of ink present in this flow path. It is of course within the scope of the present invention to provide a similar mechanism other than the recovery device, for example, on the carriage to detect ink leakage occurring in the path from the ink tank on the carriage to the nozzles.

Also, a valve such as a solenoid valve is provided in the ink transfer path, and when the occurrence of ink leakage is detected, the valve is automatically closed to stop the further outflow of ink. If such a mechanism is further provided,
The safety against contamination and breakage of the device can be further improved, and various changes can be made as necessary.

[0029]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the detection means for detecting the outflow of the ink into the apparatus main body is provided. Can be detected early and let the user know, and it is possible to prevent contamination inside and outside the device and damage to the device due to the spilled ink beforehand. In some cases the effect is even more pronounced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a main part in an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a recovery device of FIG. 1 and a detection mechanism of ink that has flowed out.

FIG. 3 is an overall perspective view showing a general configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a recovery device in a conventional inkjet recording apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Device main body 2 Platen 5 Recording head 6 Ink cartridge 8 Recovery device 9 Side plate 10 Opening 11 Cap 13 Base 15 Through hole 19 Ink discharge path 21 Ink bottle 22 Electrode 24 Detection circuit

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a recording head that performs recording by ejecting ink from a nozzle to a recording medium; and a recovery device that performs a recovery operation of the recording head. An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: a detection unit for detecting the image.