JP3129137B2 - Inkjet nozzle capping device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a capping device which is used in a recording apparatus such as an ink jet printer or a facsimile apparatus and which covers an ink jet nozzle when the nozzle is not used.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ink jet nozzle used in an ink jet recording apparatus is provided with a device for covering a lid (cap) in order to prevent drying of the ink when the ink jet nozzle is not used, that is, a so-called capping device. In a conventional capping device, a cap member and a cap mechanism are provided on a fixed side member of a recording apparatus, and are separately provided as a driving source of the cap mechanism in conjunction with an operation of moving an ink carrier from a home station at the time of starting printing. Motor that operates, drives the cam or worm gear mechanism, lowers the cap member that is performing capping on the inkjet nozzles, and after printing is completed, interlocks with the operation of the ink carrier moving into the home station. The capping is performed by reversing the motor and raising the cap member.

[0003]

However, the above-described capping device for an ink jet nozzle requires a separate motor as a driving source for the capping operation, so that the cost of the capping device is increased. Yes, and since the cap member and the cap mechanism are attached to the fixed side member of the recording apparatus,
In order to cover the ink jet nozzle provided on the ink carrier performing the moving operation, the stop position of the ink carrier must be strictly set. If the stop position is shifted, the cap cannot be covered. Further, when the ink jet nozzle and the cap member are relatively inclined, a gap is formed between the ink jet nozzle and the cap member, and there is a possibility that the ink dries. The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, a separate driving source such as a motor is not required for the capping device of the inkjet nozzle, and the setting of the stop position of the ink carrier is not strictly required. It is another object of the present invention to provide a capping device for an inkjet nozzle that can reliably perform capping without forming a gap between the inkjet nozzle and a cap member.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink-jet nozzle capping apparatus for ejecting ink in an ink cartridge from an ink-jet nozzle onto a recording medium by an ink-jet method. A capping device used in a recording apparatus that performs printing by using an ink-jet nozzle and capping the ink-jet nozzle when the ink-jet nozzle is not used. The cap is attached to and detached from the ink-jet nozzle on an ink carrier that carries the ink cartridge, and the cap is attached and detached. And a cap mechanism for the ink carrier.
At the tip of a rotating arm rotatably provided at
Rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the rotation surface of the rotation arm
The cap mechanism is attached to the rotating mechanism.
Arm and a pivot portion of the pivot arm.
A driven gear, the home of the ink carrier
The driven gear meshes with the transfer operation to the station.
Rack gear that is fitted to the fixed member side of the printing device.
Transfer the ink carrier to the home station
And the moving force associated with the movement from the home station
Using the cap mechanism via the rack gear
Is driven .

[0005]

According to the capping apparatus of an ink jet nozzle according to claim 1 having an [action] above structure, with the transfer and export operations of the ink carrier of the home station, calibration
The driven gear provided in the tapping mechanism is
It rotates by meshing with the rack gear mounted on the
Provided at the tip of a rotating arm that rotates by the rotation of
Cap caps the inkjet nozzle
Without the need for a separate drive source such as a motor.
Capping to a jet nozzle can be performed.
Further, since the cap and the cap mechanism are mounted on the ink carrier side, the capping can be reliably performed without strictly setting the stop position of the ink carrier. Further, since the cap is rotatably supported by the tip of the rotating arm, even when the ink jet nozzle and the cap are relatively inclined, a gap is not generated between the ink jet nozzle and the cap. Capping can be performed and drying of the ink can be prevented.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inkjet printer having an inkjet nozzle capping device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The inkjet printer device 1 includes an ink carrier 2 provided so as to be able to linearly reciprocate. The ink carrier 2 includes an ink jet nozzle 4a that ejects ink onto a printing paper 3 as a recording medium to perform printing. Cartridge 4
Is to be held and transported. This ink carrier 2
Is held by a guide shaft 7 and a guide plate 8 attached between the chassis side plates 5 and 6 so as to be able to linearly reciprocate, and is linearly reciprocated by a toothed drive belt 9 during printing. The toothed drive belt 9 transmits the rotational drive of a motor 10 provided as a drive source for the linear reciprocation of the ink carrier 2 to the ink carrier 2.

A platen roller 12 and a platen roller 1 which transport the printing paper 3 by being rotationally driven by a motor (not shown) as a transporting mechanism of the printing paper 3.
A driven tension roller 13 is provided on the sheet 2 so as to be able to contact and separate from the platen 2 and assists the conveyance of the printing sheet 3 with the printing sheet 3 interposed between the platen roller 12 and the printing sheet 3 by being rotationally driven by a motor (not shown). And a discharge roller 14 that discharges the paper, and is provided on the paper discharge roller 14 so as to be able to freely contact and separate therefrom.
The print paper 3 is sandwiched between the discharge paper 14 and the print paper 3.
Is provided with a driven paper discharge tension roller 15 for assisting the paper discharge. Platen roller 12, tension roller 13, paper discharge roller 14, and paper discharge tension roller 15
Is supported between the chassis side plates 5 and 6 and is rotatably supported.

The capping device of the present ink jet nozzle includes an arm (rotating arm) 17 rotatably supported by a rotating shaft 16 attached to the ink carrier 2, and a cap 18 provided at the tip of the arm 17. And a rack gear 19 provided in the home station and having a linear gear formed on the upper surface, and a gear 20 (driven gear) integrally formed with the arm 17 and supported by the rotating shaft 16. . The gear 20 rotates by meshing with the rack gear 19. Since the arm 17 is formed integrally with the gear 20, the arm 17 rotates with the rotation of the gear 20. The cap 18 at the distal end of the arm 17 is formed of a rubber material or a resin material, and is rotatably supported on a shaft orthogonal to the rotation surface of the arm 17.

Next, the operation of the ink jet printer 1 having the above configuration will be described. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which the present capping apparatus does not cap the inkjet nozzle 4a, and FIGS. 3A and 3B are a front view and a side view showing a state in which the present capping apparatus performs capping on the inkjet nozzle 4a. FIG. When the printing paper 3 is carried in between the platen roller 12 and the tension roller 13 by a paper feeding device (not shown), and the conveyance of the printing paper 3 is started, the ink carrier 2 waiting in the home station is guided by the guide. The inkjet nozzle 4a is supported by the shaft 7 and linearly reciprocates by the toothed belt 9 using the motor 10 as a drive source, and the ink jet nozzle 4a moves on the printing surface of the printing paper 3 at regular intervals.

When the ink carrier 2 is moved out of the home station to start printing, a capping device in which the cap 18 keeps the ink jet nozzle 4a capped (see FIGS. 3A and 3B). As the ink carrier 2 moves out of the home station, the gear 20 moves to the left in FIG. 1, and the gear 20 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. The arm 17 integrally formed with the gear 20 also rotates counterclockwise in accordance with the counterclockwise rotation of the gear 20, so that the cap 18 provided at the distal end of the arm 17 has the ink jet nozzle 4a. Break away from When the ink carrier 2 moves to a position where the gear 20 does not mesh with the rack gear 19,
The cap 18 and the arm 17 are held at the position where the rotation has been completed by the frictional force of the shaft support portion and the like, and the ink jet nozzle 4a is kept open (see FIG. 2).

When the ink jet nozzle 4a moves to a desired position where printing is performed, the ink jet nozzle 4a ejects ink particles onto the printing surface of the printing paper 3 to perform printing at a position between the platen roller 12 and the paper discharge roller 14. . When the ink jet nozzle 4a finishes printing on the entire printing surface of the printing paper 3, the printing paper 3 is discharged out of the ink jet printer 1 by the paper discharge roller 14 and the paper discharge tension roller 15, and the ink carrier 2 is transferred to the home station. Start the import operation. When the ink carrier 2 moves into the home station, the gear 20 and the rack gear 19 re-engage, so that the gear 20 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1, and the arm 17 similarly rotates clockwise. By this rotation, the arm 17 is moved to the cap 18
Pivots to a position where the inkjet nozzle 4a is covered, and the inkjet nozzle 4a is capped (see FIGS. 3A and 3B). Gear 20 and rack gear 19
When the ink carrier 2 is moved out of the home station, the cap 18 opens the ink jet nozzle 4a to rotate the arm 17 to a position where the movement of the ink carrier 2 is not hindered.
The number of gear teeth is set such that the cap 18 caps the ink jet nozzle 4a when the transfer to the home station is completed.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a structure in which the cap 18 is supported by the arm 17. FIG. 3 and FIG.
The structure of the cap 18 and the operation at the time of capping will be described with reference to FIG. Cap holding portions 17a and 17b are formed at the tip of the arm 17, and a cap 1 is provided at the center of the side surface of the cap holding portions 17a and 17b.
Shaft members 17c and 17d for rotatably supporting the shaft 8 are provided. The heights and intervals of the cap holders 17a and 17b, and the set positions of the shaft members 17c and 17d in the cap holders 17a and 17b are set so that the cap 18 is rotatable. Further, the shaft members 17c,
17 d is provided so as to be orthogonal to the rotation surface of the arm 17. When capping the inkjet nozzle 4a by rotating the arm 17, the cap 18 rotates in accordance with the relative inclination between the inkjet nozzle 4a and the cap 18, and the inkjet nozzle 4a and the cap 1 are rotated.
8 so as to be in close contact with each other without forming a gap.

As described above, according to the ink jet nozzle capping apparatus of this embodiment, the gear 20 and the arm 1
Since the ink carrier 2 and the cap 18 are attached to the ink carrier 2 by the rotating shaft 16, the capping is reliably performed even if the stop position of the ink carrier 2 is not strictly set. Settings can be made easily. Further, the rack gear 19 and the gear 20 mesh with the transfer operation of the ink carrier 2 to the home station and the transfer operation from the home station, and the gear 20 rotates, and the arm 17 rotates by using the rotation as a drive source. Since the cap 18 caps the inkjet nozzle 4a, the capping can be performed on the inkjet nozzle 4a without requiring a separate driving source such as a motor. Further, since the cap 18 is rotatably provided at the tip of the arm 17, even when the ink jet nozzle 4a and the cap 18 are relatively inclined, a gap is not generated between the ink jet nozzle 4a and the cap 18. Capping can be performed, and drying of the ink in the ink cartridge 4 can be prevented.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example,
The rotation serving as a driving source for the rotation of the arm 17 is not limited to the engagement by the gear 20 and the rack gear 19. A rubber roller is provided in place of the gear 20, and a rubber friction plate is provided in place of the rack gear 19. The rotation of the arm 17 may be used as a driving source for the rotation of the arm 17 due to the contact of the ink carrier 2 with the transfer of the ink carrier 2 into and out of the home station. Further, the shape of the arm 17 does not necessarily have to be the shape shown in the present embodiment.
Any other shape may be used as long as the shape does not hinder the capping of the ink jet nozzle 4a by the rotation of the nozzle and the movement of the ink carrier 2.

[0015]

As described above, according to the capping apparatus for an ink jet nozzle according to the first aspect of the present invention,
A driven gear provided on the ink carrier as the ink carrier moves into and out of the home station.
Meshes with the rack gear mounted on the fixing member on the printing device side.
The rotation arm rotates with this rotation as the drive source.
Capping the inkjet nozzle by moving
Therefore, there is no need to provide a separate drive source such as a motor.
Capping can be performed. Further, since the cap and the cap mechanism are provided on the ink carrier side, the capping can be reliably performed without strictly setting the stop position of the ink carrier, and the stop position of the ink carrier is easily set. It becomes possible. Ma
In addition, since the cap is rotatably supported on an axis perpendicular to the rotation surface of the rotation arm at the tip of the rotation arm, there is a deviation in the relative positional relationship between the ink jet nozzle and the cap. Even in this case, capping can be performed without creating a gap between the two, and drying of the ink can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inkjet printer having an inkjet nozzle capping device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating a state in which the capping device of the present embodiment does not cap the inkjet nozzles.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are a front view and a side view showing a state in which the capping device of the present embodiment caps the ink jet nozzle.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a structure in which a cap in the capping device of the present embodiment is supported by an arm.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Ink Carrier 4 Ink Cartridge 4a Inkjet Nozzle 16 Rotary Shaft 17 Arm 17c Shaft Member 17d Shaft Member 18 Cap 19 Rack Gear 20 Gear

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-6-15831 (JP, A) JP-A-58-53446 (JP, A) JP-A-4-151255 (JP, A) 77638 (JP, U) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 2/165

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A capping device which is used in a recording apparatus which performs printing by ejecting ink in an ink cartridge from an ink jet nozzle onto a recording medium by an ink jet method, and covers the cap when the ink jet nozzle is not used. In the ink carrier that carries the cartridge,
A cap that is attached to and detached from the ink jet nozzle, and a cap mechanism for operating the cap to be attached and detached, wherein the cap is rotatably provided on the ink carrier.
At the tip of the pivot arm, the pivot arm is turned.
The cap mechanism is rotatably supported about an axis perpendicular to the moving surface, and the cap mechanism includes the pivot arm and the pivot arm.
And a driven gear provided integrally with the rotating part of the
Ri, transfer operations to the home station of the ink carrier
The rack gear with which the driven gear meshes with the
The ink carrier is mounted on the fixing member side of the printing apparatus,
Using the movement force accompanying the movement from the home station
The cap mechanism is driven via the rack gear.
A capping device for an ink jet nozzle characterized by being moved.