JP3048022B2 - 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 discharging ink from a recording means which moves along a recording material.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A recording device having a function such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile, or a recording device used as an output device of a composite electronic device or a workstation including a computer or a word processor, etc., is based on image information. It is configured to record an image on a recording material such as a plastic thin plate. The recording device,
Depending on the recording method, inkjet, wire dot,
It can be divided into thermal type, laser beam type, etc.

In a serial type recording apparatus employing a recording method in which a main scanning is performed in a direction crossing a conveying direction (sub-scanning direction) of the recording material, the recording material is set at a predetermined recording position, and then the recording material is set. The image is recorded (main scanning) by a recording means mounted on a carriage moving along a line, and after a recording of one line is completed, a predetermined amount of paper is fed (pitch conveyance).
Is performed, and then the operation of recording (main scanning) the image of the next line is repeated, thereby performing image recording of the entire recording material. On the other hand, in a line type recording apparatus that records only by sub-scanning in the transport direction of the recording material, the recording material is set at a predetermined recording position, and recording is performed for one line at a time. By performing the paper feed (pitch feed) and repeating the operation of collectively recording the next line, image recording of the entire recording material is performed.

An ink-jet type recording apparatus (ink-jet recording apparatus) performs recording by discharging ink from a recording means (recording head) onto a recording material, so that the recording means can be easily made compact and high definition. High-speed recording of high-quality images, no special processing is required on plain paper, running costs are low, the non-impact method reduces noise, and multi-color ink can be used. It has such advantages that it is easy to use and record a color image. Above all, a line-type apparatus using a line-type recording means in which a large number of ejection openings are arranged in the paper width direction can further increase the recording speed.

[0005] In particular, an ink jet type recording means (recording head) for discharging ink by using thermal energy,
Through a semiconductor manufacturing process such as etching, vapor deposition, sputtering, etc., an electrothermal converter, an electrode,
By forming the liquid path wall, the top plate, and the like, it is possible to easily manufacture a device having a high-density liquid path arrangement (discharge port arrangement), and to further reduce the size. On the other hand, there are various requirements for the material of the recording material,
In recent years, ordinary recording materials such as paper and resin thin plates (OHP
Etc.), thin paper and processed paper (paper with perforated holes for perforation, perforated paper, paper of any shape, etc.) have come to be required.

In the above-described ink jet recording apparatus, during a recording operation or at another time, foreign matters such as ink and dust adhering near the ink discharge ports of the recording head are wiped (wiping). Therefore, a thin plate-shaped elastic material (hereinafter, referred to as a blade) such as silicon is slid (contacted and slid) on a discharge port forming surface. The shape of the tip portion of the blade, that is, the shape of the portion in sliding contact with the discharge port forming surface is square.

[0007]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, the shape of the portion of the blade that is in sliding contact with the discharge port forming surface is square, so that it is difficult to wipe
The corner portion is easily sunk into the ink ejection port, and as a result, there is a difference in the degree of abrasion between the portion that contacts the ejection port forming surface of the blade and the portion that does not contact, or scraping of the blade occurs. When the shavings adhere to the ejection port forming surface, the recording may be distorted or the recording surface may be stained, thereby deteriorating the recording quality. The present invention has been made in view of such a technical problem, and an object of the present invention is to perform cleaning while a tip portion of a wiping member in contact with a discharge port forming surface is kept in a large curvature state. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of preventing a wiping member from entering an ejection port and suppressing abrasion of a tip portion of the wiping member and generation of debris.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided an ink jet recording apparatus provided with a wiping member for slidably cleaning a discharge port forming surface of a recording means moving along a recording material. the wiping member, before
Arc-shaped tip portion that slides on the discharge port forming surface and the tip
And a blade body other than the portion , wherein the cleaning of the discharge port forming surface in sliding contact is performed by the blade body of the wiping member.
Is bent so that an arc having the curvature of the tip portion is formed.
It is characterized by being performed by.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an essential configuration of an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied. FIG.
In the ink jet recording apparatus 1 described above, a cartridge type recording means (recording head) 2 in which a recording head portion 3 and an ink tank portion 4 are integrated is used, and the recording head 2 is mounted on a carriage 5. The carriage 5 is connected to a part of a drive belt 7 that transmits a driving force of a drive motor 6, and is guided and supported so as to be able to reciprocate along two guide shafts 8, 9 disposed in parallel with each other. I have. A platen 10 is provided at a position facing the ejection port forming surface of the recording head 2, and the recording material is conveyed along the platen 10 by a paper feed conveyance mechanism in a direction intersecting the moving direction of the carriage 5 ( Paper feed). In this way, recording is performed on the recording material held on the platen 10, and every time recording for one line is performed, the recording material is conveyed by a predetermined amount (paper feed) and the next one line is recorded again. By repeating such a recording operation, an image is formed on the entire area of the recording material.

The recording means (recording head) 2 is an ink jet recording means for discharging ink using thermal energy, and is provided with an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy. The recording means 2 performs recording by discharging ink from a discharge port using a pressure change generated by growth and shrinkage of bubbles caused by film boiling caused by thermal energy applied by the electrothermal transducer. It is.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view schematically showing the structure of the ink ejection section of the recording means (recording head) 2. As shown in FIG.
In FIG. 2, a predetermined gap (for example, about 0.
Discharge port forming surface 2 facing at a distance of about 5 to 2.0 mm)
1, a plurality of discharge ports 22 are formed at a predetermined pitch,
An electrothermal converter (heating resistor, etc.) 25 for generating energy for ink ejection is provided along a wall surface of each liquid path 24 communicating the common liquid chamber 23 and each ejection port 22. In this example, the recording head 2 is
Are mounted on the carriage 5 in a positional relationship such that they are arranged in a direction crossing the moving direction (main scanning direction) of the carriage 5. In this way, the corresponding electrothermal transducer 25 is driven (energized) based on the image signal or the ejection signal to cause the ink in the liquid passage 24 to boil, and the ink is ejected from the ejection port 22 by the pressure generated at that time. The recording head 2 is configured.

In the ink jet recording apparatus shown in FIG.
At a predetermined position (for example, a home position) within the reciprocating movement range of the recording head 2 and outside the recording area, a recovery device 11 for eliminating a discharge failure of the recording head 2 is provided. The recovery device 11 is driven in a contact / separation direction by a recovery motor 12 via a transmission mechanism 13 with respect to the ejection port forming surface 21 of the recording head 2. A cap 14 for capping (sealing) the discharge port forming surface 21 is provided on the front surface of the recovery device 11. During the recovery operation, the recovery device 11 seals the discharge port forming surface 21 with the cap 14 and forcibly discharges the ink from each discharge port 22, so that each of the discharge ports 22 is closed.
It is configured to remove foreign substances such as thickened ink, fixed ink, dust, air bubbles, and the like, and thereby recover the ink discharge function normally. In this case, the forcible discharge of the ink can be performed by an ink suction operation by a suction pump, an ink pressure feeding operation by a pressurizing means in an ink supply path, or the like.

Further, a wiping member 15 composed of a thin blade made of silicon rubber is provided on a side surface of the recovery device 11 on the recording area side. In the illustrated example, the blade 15 is held in a cantilever form, is movable in the front-rear direction by the recovery motor 12 and the transmission mechanism 13, and contacts the discharge port forming surface 21 at the forward position. Thus, after the ejection recovery operation using the recovery device 11, the blade 15 is advanced to project into the recording head moving path, and is brought into sliding contact with the ejection port forming surface 21 with the movement of the recording head 2. It is configured to wipe off and remove attached ink, ink condensation, dust and the like on the discharge port forming surface 21.

FIG. 3 shows the blade (wiping member) 1.
5 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a cross-sectional shape of a front end portion (sliding contact portion) of No. 5. FIG. In FIG. 3, the blade 15 is made of, for example, an elastic material such as a thin silicon rubber, and has a tip portion (hereinafter, referred to as a blade end) 16 and a flat portion (hereinafter, referred to as a blade body) 17 other than the blade end. The blade end 16 has an arc shape (curved surface) other than a joint portion with the blade body 17. As long as the material of the blade 15 is a rubber-like elastic material, it goes without saying that an appropriate material other than the silicon rubber can be selected.

FIG. 4 shows the wiping member (blade).
FIG. 15 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the ejection ports 22 in order to show a state where the ejection port 15 slides on the ejection port formation surface 21 of the recording head 2. FIG.
(B) shows a state during sliding contact. The arrow A in FIG. 4 indicates the moving direction of the recording head 2, and the tip portion 16 of the blade 15 moves with the ejection port forming surface 2 as the recording head 2 moves.
1, and the dew and wet of the ink on the discharge port forming surface 21 and dust such as paper dust are wiped off by the pressing force in the direction of arrow B. As shown in FIG.
When the blade 15 comes into sliding contact with the discharge port forming surface 21 in a state where the blade 15 is bent backward by the pressing force, a portion that comes into sliding contact (a tip portion).
16 has a large curvature, the leading end portion 16 is
Sinking inside is prevented. Accordingly, uneven wear and generation of shear debris on the tip portion 16 of the blade 15 are effectively prevented, and deterioration of image quality due to ink displacement in the ink ejection direction and contamination of the recording material can be prevented. .

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing another cross-sectional shape of the blade 15. In FIG.
The cross-sectional shape of the distal end portion 16 does not necessarily need to be bulged like a bead as shown in FIG. 3, but may be simply an arc-shaped curved surface as shown in FIG. According to the cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 5, the same effect as that of FIG. 3 can be obtained, and further, the manufacturing process of blade 15 can be further simplified, and the cost can be further reduced. Was done.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where recording is performed by one recording head 2 has been exemplified. However, the present invention is directed to a color ink jet recording apparatus having a plurality of recording means for recording in different colors or a color ink jet recording apparatus. Regardless of the number of recording heads, such as an ink-jet recording apparatus for gradation recording using a plurality of recording heads recording with the same ink having different densities, the present invention can be similarly applied, and the same operation and effect can be achieved. Things. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where a replaceable cartridge type print head in which the print head portion and the ink tank portion are integrated is used is illustrated, but the present invention separates the print head portion and the ink tank portion from each other. The present invention can be similarly applied to an ink jet recording apparatus using a recording head having various other configurations, such as a configuration in which these components are connected by an ink supply tube or the like, and can achieve the same effect.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the serial type ink jet recording apparatus in which the recording means (recording head) 2 is mounted on the carriage 5 and the main scanning is performed along the recording material has been described as an example. The invention is also applicable to a line type ink jet recording apparatus using a line type recording unit corresponding to the whole or a part of the recording width of the recording material,
It can be applied similarly and can achieve the same effect.

The present invention can be applied to an ink jet recording apparatus using, for example, a recording means (recording head) using an electromechanical transducer such as a piezo element. The present invention brings about an excellent effect in an ink jet recording apparatus of a type in which ink is ejected. According to such a method, it is possible to achieve higher density and higher definition of recording.

The typical configuration and principle are described in, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4,740.
Preferably, this is done using the basic principles disclosed in US Pat. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and the continuous type. In particular, in the case of the on-demand type, liquid (ink)
By applying at least one drive signal corresponding to the recorded information and providing a rapid temperature rise exceeding nucleate boiling to an electrothermal transducer arranged corresponding to the sheet or liquid path in which Then, heat energy is generated in the electrothermal transducer, and the film is boiled on the heat acting surface of the recording means (recording head). As a result, air bubbles in the liquid (ink) can be formed one-to-one corresponding to the driving signal. It is valid.

By discharging the liquid (ink) through the discharge opening by the growth and contraction of the bubble, at least one droplet is formed. When the drive signal is formed into a pulse shape, the growth and shrinkage of the bubble are performed immediately and appropriately, so that the ejection of a liquid (ink) having particularly excellent responsiveness can be achieved, which is more preferable. As the pulse-shaped drive signal, US Pat.
Those described in 463359 and 4345262 are suitable. In addition, US Pat. No. 4,431,131 of the invention relating to the rate of temperature rise of the heat acting surface.
If the conditions described in the specification of JP-A No. 24 are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.

As the configuration of the recording head, in addition to the combination of a discharge port, a liquid path, and an electrothermal converter (a linear liquid flow path or a rectangular liquid flow path) as disclosed in the above-mentioned respective specifications, U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,333 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,333 which disclose a configuration in which a heat acting portion is arranged in a bending region.
A configuration using the specification of Japanese Patent No. 459600 is also included in the present invention. In addition, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 123670/1984 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge portion of an electrothermal converter for a plurality of electrothermal converters, and an aperture for absorbing pressure waves of thermal energy. The present invention is also effective as a configuration based on Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-138461, which discloses a configuration corresponding to a discharge unit. That is, according to the present invention, the recording can be reliably and efficiently performed regardless of the form of the recording head.

Further, the present invention can be effectively applied to a full-line type recording head having a length corresponding to the maximum width of a recording medium on which a recording apparatus can record. Such a recording head may have a configuration that satisfies the length by a combination of a plurality of recording heads, or a configuration as one integrally formed recording head. In addition, even with the serial type printer as in the above example, the recording head fixed to the main unit or attached to the main unit enables electrical connection with the main unit and supply of ink from the main unit. The present invention is also effective when a replaceable chip type print head or a cartridge type print head having an ink tank provided integrally with the print head itself is used.

It is preferable to add recovery means for the printhead, preliminary auxiliary means, and the like provided as a configuration of the printing apparatus in the present invention since the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. If you list these specifically,
For the recording head, a capping unit, a cleaning unit, a pressurizing or suctioning unit, a preheating unit using an electrothermal transducer or another heating element or a combination thereof, and a discharge other than recording. Performing the preliminary ejection mode is also effective for performing stable printing.

The types and the number of recording heads to be mounted are, for example, not only one provided for a single color ink but also a plurality of inks having different recording colors and densities. May be provided in plurality. That is, for example, as the recording mode of the recording apparatus, not only the recording mode of only the mainstream color such as black,
The recording head may be formed integrally or by a combination of a plurality of recording heads, but the present invention is also extremely effective for an apparatus provided with at least one of multiple colors of different colors or full color by mixing colors.

In addition, in the embodiments of the present invention described above, the ink is described as a liquid. However, an ink which solidifies at room temperature or lower and which softens or liquefies at room temperature, or an ink jet ink is used. In general, in the method, the temperature of the ink itself is adjusted within a range of 30 ° C. or more and 70 ° C. or less to control the temperature so that the viscosity of the ink is in a stable ejection range. What is necessary is just to be liquid. in addition,
Whether to positively prevent temperature rise due to thermal energy by using it as energy for changing the state of the ink from a solid state to a liquid state, or use ink that solidifies in a standing state to prevent evaporation of the ink In any case, the ink is liquefied by the application of the heat energy according to the recording signal, and the liquid ink is ejected,
The present invention is also applicable to a case where an ink having a property of being liquefied for the first time by thermal energy, such as one that starts to solidify when it reaches a recording medium, is used.

The ink in such a case is disclosed in
As described in JP-A-56847 or JP-A-60-71260, a form in which the liquid sheet or the solid sheet is opposed to the electrothermal converter while being held as a liquid or solid substance in the concave portion or through hole of the porous sheet. It may be. In the present invention, the most effective one for each of the above-mentioned inks is to execute the above-mentioned film boiling method.

In addition, the form of the ink jet recording apparatus according to 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. And the like.

[0029]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, there is provided an ink jet recording apparatus provided with a wiping member for slidably cleaning a discharge port forming surface of a recording means moving along a recording material. wiping member, the
Arc-shaped tip portion that slides on the discharge port forming surface and the tip portion
And comprising a non-blade body minute, sliding contact cleaning of said discharge port forming surface, said blade body of said wiping member
By bending, an arc having the curvature of the tip portion is formed.
Thus since the performed configurations, the sliding contact cleaning of the discharge port forming surface by the wiping member having a tip of the arc,
This can be performed while the tip of the wiping member in contact with the discharge port forming surface is kept in a large curvature state, so that the wiping member is prevented from entering the discharge port, and wear and tear of the tip of the wiping member are prevented. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of misalignment, thereby preventing the image quality from deteriorating due to the ink ejection deviation or the stain on the recording material.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a main part of an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view schematically illustrating a structure of an ink ejection unit of a recording unit in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional shape of a tip portion of one embodiment of a wiping member of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view showing the wiping operation of the discharge port forming surface by the wiping member of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view showing a sectional shape of a distal end portion of another embodiment of the wiping member of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ink-jet recording apparatus 2 Recording means (recording head) 3 Recording head part 4 Ink tank part 5 Carriage 6 Drive motor (carriage) 10 Platen 11 Recovery device 12 Recovery motor 14 Cap 15 Wiping member (blade) 16 Blade end (wiping member) 17 blade body (wiping member) 21 discharge port forming surface 22 discharge port 25 electrothermal converter

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising a wiping member for slidably cleaning an ejection port forming surface of a recording means moving along a recording material, wherein the wiping member slidably contacts the ejection port forming surface.
An arc-shaped tip portion and a blade body other than the tip portion are provided.
The cleaning of the discharge port forming surface in sliding contact is performed by bending the blade body of the wiping member.
An ink jet recording apparatus characterized in that the recording is performed by an arc having a curvature at an end portion . 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wiping member is a thin rubber-like elastic material. 3. The ink jet recording device according to claim 1, wherein the recording device is an ink jet recording device having an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy for ink ejection.
Or the inkjet recording apparatus according to 2. 4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the recording means discharges the ink from a discharge port by utilizing film boiling generated in the ink by thermal energy applied by the electrothermal transducer. Ink jet recording device.