JP3241756B2 - 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 onto a recording medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A recording device having functions such as a printer, a copying machine, and a facsimile, or a recording device used as an output device of a composite electronic device or a workstation including a computer and a word processor, etc., is based on image information. It is configured to record an image on a recording medium (recording material) such as a plastic thin plate. The recording apparatus can be classified into an ink jet type, a wire dot type, a thermal type, a laser beam type and the like according to a recording method.

In a serial type printing apparatus employing a serial scan system in which a main scan is performed in a direction crossing a conveying direction (sub-scanning direction) of a print medium, the print medium is set at a predetermined print position and then moved along the print medium. The image is recorded (main scanning) by a recording means mounted on a carriage which moves by a predetermined distance. After one line of recording is completed, a predetermined amount of paper is fed (pitch transport), and then the recording medium is stopped again. By repeating the operation of recording (main scanning) the image of the next line, the entire recording medium is recorded. On the other hand, in a line-type printing apparatus that performs printing only by sub-scanning in the transport direction of the printing medium, the printing medium is set at a predetermined printing position, printing is performed for one line at a time, and then a predetermined amount of paper is printed. By performing the feeding (pitch feeding) and repeating the operation of collectively recording the next row, the recording of the entire recording medium is performed.

Among the above recording apparatuses, an ink jet type recording apparatus (ink jet recording apparatus) performs recording by discharging ink from a recording means (recording head) onto a recording medium, so that the recording means can be easily made compact. And
High-definition images can be recorded at high speed, recording can be performed on plain paper without special processing, running costs are low, and the non-impact method reduces noise, and It has advantages such as easy recording of a color image using ink. Above all, a line-type apparatus using a line-type recording means in which a large number of discharge ports 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 medium,
In recent years, ordinary recording media 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 ink jet recording apparatus,
Immediately before performing a recording operation (operation of ejecting a predetermined amount of ink to a predetermined position on a recording medium to print an image) when the power of the apparatus is turned on or the apparatus is left for a specified time or more with the power on. Then, a method of ejecting a predetermined amount of ink at a predetermined position of the printing apparatus and thereafter starting a normal printing operation is generally adopted. The operation of ejecting ink at times other than the normal printing operation is called "preliminary ejection".

The purpose of this preliminary ejection is as follows.
In an ink jet recording apparatus, a liquid ink is selectively discharged from a discharge port of a recording head to form an image on a recording medium. The viscosity of the ink near the ejection port increases due to the ink evaporation or low temperature, and the ink tends to be difficult to eject from the ejection port. for that reason,
If the printing operation is started immediately after being left for a long period of time, there is a possibility that printing defects such as missing images and ink skewing may occur when printing is started.

[0008] Therefore, work just before cormorants row recording, by ejecting ink a preset amount, drained thickened ink in the vicinity of the discharge ports of the recording head described above to the discharge extraoral, around a discharge port of operation to return the viscosity of the ink normally,
That is, the preliminary ejection is performed. By performing the preliminary ejection, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of the above-described recording failure.

[0009]

However, in the conventional ink jet recording apparatus, the position of the pre-discharged ink in the width direction of the recording apparatus (the position at which the preliminary discharge is performed) is the maximum width of the recording medium (recording paper). Of the recording material), it is necessary to secure a dedicated space for preliminary ejection, and the width of the recording device must be increased accordingly. There was a problem that had to be solved, which would be an obstacle to development.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and it is an object of the present invention to eliminate a space for receiving ink ejected from a recording unit at a time other than a recording operation such as a preliminary ejection. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of reducing the size of the recording apparatus in the width direction and reducing the size and weight of the apparatus.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a carriage mounted on a carriage which reciprocates along a recording medium.
An ink jet recording apparatus that discharges ink from an ejection port of a mounted ink jet recording unit to perform recording on a recording medium has a front surface that supports the recording medium so as to face the ejection port of the recording unit. platen and thin wall for receiving the ink discharged from said recording means to other than the recording is, the end of the recording medium between a front of said platen
An ink receiving portion fixedly arranged at an inner end of the width region of the recording medium so as to form a gap through which the portion passes.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a left side view of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a right side view of FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a front view, and FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 1 to 5, reference numeral 1 denotes a frame of a recording apparatus, 2 denotes a step motor as a driving source, and 3 denotes a motor gear fixed to a motor shaft 2a of the step motor 2. The motor 2
Are fixed to the frame 1 and connected to a control circuit (not shown). The shaft 1a provided on the frame 1 has
A transmission gear 4 meshing with the motor gear 3 is supported by the shaft.

A lead screw 5 is pivotally supported on the frame 1, and a gear portion 5 a fixed to one end of the lead screw 5 is in mesh with the transmission gear 4. In addition, lead screw 5
A paper feed transmission gear 6 is fixed to the other end of the sheet by a fixing pin 7. The lead screw 5 is inserted through a hole provided in the frame 1 and is rotatably supported by a shaft. The paper feed intermediate gear 8 is formed with two gear portions 8a and 8b. The gear portion 8a meshes with the paper feed transmission gear 6, and the gear portion 8b meshes with the clutch gear 9. The paper feed intermediate gear 8 is rotatably supported on a shaft provided on the frame 1.

As shown in FIG. 4, an end 14a of a clutch spring 14 is engaged with a groove 9a of the clutch gear 9, and the clutch spring 14 is
It is in a state of being wound around the end 10a (FIGS. 1 and 5).
The paper feed roller 10 is inserted through a hole provided in the frame 1 and is in a rotatable state. 1 to 5,
An annular feed member 13 made of an elastic material (for example, a rubber material) is provided at a central portion of the paper feed roller 10, and a pinch roller 11 is provided at a position facing the feed member 13. The pinch roller 11 is supported by a pinch roller shaft 12, and the pinch roller shaft 12 is supported by a groove 1e provided in the frame 1, and is supported so as to be rotatable and movable in the direction of arrow B (FIG. 5). . Pinch roller shaft 12
Is urged by the arm portion 27c (FIGS. 1 and 5) of the pinch roller spring 27 in a direction in which it comes into pressure contact with the paper feed roller 10.

The pinch roller spring 27 is fixed to the frame 1 as shown in FIG.
c, 1d, the receiving portion 1c supports the base of the arm portion of the pinch roller spring 27, and the receiving portion 1d
Receives a bending force (in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 5) about the receiving portion 1c of the pinch roller spring 27.

Next, the recording means and its related configuration will be described. 1 to 5, a recording unit (recording head) 16 is mounted on a carriage 15, and the carriage 15 is moved along a guide shaft 28 in the direction of an arrow (reciprocating left and right directions).
Has been guided to. The lead screw 5 is formed with a screw-shaped screw groove 5b (FIG. 4), and a shaft 19 (FIG. 4) projecting from the carriage 15 is engaged with the groove 5b. Further, the carriage 15 is provided with a groove 15b as shown in FIG. 5, and the carriage 15 includes the guide shaft 28, the groove 15b and the wall 1f of the frame 1.
, The reciprocating movement in the left-right direction is also guided. As shown in FIG. 5, a platen 20 is detachably mounted on the frame 1, and a sheet-shaped recording medium such as a sheet of paper or a thin resin plate is inserted from an inlet 22 and sent out from an outlet 23.

1 to 5, a control circuit (not shown)
A flexible circuit board 18 for supplying an image signal and power to the recording means (recording head) 16 is electrically connected to the recording head 16 by a set lever 17. Reference numeral 24 denotes a detection switch for detecting the home position of the carriage 15. When the end 15a (FIG. 4) of the carriage 15 moves to the home position and presses the switch 24, the home position of the carriage 15 is detected. . This detection switch 24 is also connected to a control circuit (not shown). Reference numeral 21 denotes a plurality of mounting feet for supporting the recording apparatus, and each mounting foot 21 is formed of an elastic material such as rubber, and
Are inserted into projections 1b provided at a plurality of desired positions.

The recording means (recording head) 16 is a recording means for discharging ink using thermal energy, and has an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy. The recording means 16 performs recording by ejecting ink from an ejection port by utilizing a pressure change caused by growth and shrinkage of bubbles caused by film boiling caused by thermal energy applied by the electrothermal transducer. It is.

FIG. 6 shows the recording means (recording head) 16.
FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view schematically illustrating the structure of an ink ejection unit 16a. In FIG. 6, a plurality of discharge ports 52 are formed at a predetermined pitch on a discharge port surface 51 facing a recording material with a predetermined gap (for example, about 0.5 to 1.0 mm). An electrothermal converter (heating resistor, etc.) 55 for generating energy for ink discharge is provided along the wall surface of each liquid path 54 communicating the common liquid chamber 53 and each discharge port 52. In this embodiment, the recording means 16 is mounted on the carriage 15 in such a positional relationship that the discharge ports 52 are arranged in a direction crossing the scanning direction (moving direction) of the carriage 15. Thus, the corresponding electrothermal transducer 55 is driven (energized) based on the image signal or the ejection signal,
The recording means 16 is configured to boil the ink in the liquid passage 54 and discharge the ink from the discharge port 52 by the pressure generated at that time.

Next, the recording operation will be specifically described. When the step motor 2 is rotationally driven in a predetermined direction by a drive signal from the control circuit, the lead screw 5 rotates in the direction of arrow F in FIG. 4 via the transmission gear 4 and the like, and engages with the screw groove 5b. Carriage 15 by pin 19 (axis)
Moves in the direction of arrow H. When the carriage 15 moves by a predetermined amount, the end 15a of the carriage 15 turns on the detection switch 24, and the home position is confirmed. At this detection position, the drive signal to the step motor 2 is reversed, the screw 5 is rotated in the direction of arrow G, and the carriage 15 is moved in the direction of arrow I. After moving by a predetermined amount in the direction of arrow I, a signal for recording is applied to the recording means (recording head) 16 and ink is selectively ejected from the ejection port 52 of the ink ejection section 16a, thereby forming a sheet or resin. Recording is performed on a recording medium such as a thin plate.

Here, the movement of the carriage 15 in the direction of the arrow I, that is, the rotation of the lead screw 5 in the direction of the arrow G is transmitted to the paper feed transmission gear 6 and the paper feed intermediate gear 8, and the clutch gear 9 is driven by the arrow. It is rotationally driven in the J direction (FIG. 4). However, at this time, since the clutch spring 14 rotates in the loosening direction, the rotational force is not transmitted to the paper feed roller 10, and therefore, the recording medium is not fed.

After the recording is performed on the recording medium while the carriage 15 moves by a predetermined amount in the direction of arrow I, the drive signal to the step motor 2 is reversed again to read the lead screw 5.
Is rotated in the direction of arrow F, and the carriage 15 is moved in the direction of arrow H. At this time, the clutch gear 9 is driven to rotate in the direction of arrow K, and the clutch spring 14 is tightened to drive the end 10a of the paper feed roller 10. Therefore, the paper feed roller 10 is driven, and the recording medium is fed by a predetermined amount. In the above series of operations, the carriage 1
5 is moved by the same amount in the direction of arrow I and in the direction of arrow H, the paper feed amount of the recording medium can be made constant.

In the ink jet recording apparatus described above, the recording means (recording head) 16 mounted on the carriage 15 is moved in the direction of the arrow H or the direction of the arrow I by a signal from the control circuit (CPU). Further, a signal for image recording is applied to the recording means 16 by the control circuit, and ink is selectively ejected from each ejection port 52 to form an image on the recording material. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system for such a recording operation.

In FIG. 7, when a printing operation signal is input from an input device 62 such as a keyboard to the control circuit 61, the control circuit 61 is driven via a step motor (carriage motor) drive IC and a print head drive IC 64. Then, the recording device 65 as a driving device is controlled. Step motor drive IC 63 and print head drive I
A power supply unit 66 for the C64 and the recording device 65
Supplies driving energy. The carriage 1
The detection signal of the home position detection switch 24 (FIG. 4) is supplied to the control circuit 61.

In the ink jet recording apparatus, preliminary discharge is performed under predetermined conditions, such as when the power of the recording apparatus is turned on or when the recording apparatus is left for a specified time or more with the power on. This preliminary ejection is performed by ejecting a set amount of ink from each ejection port 52 at a position selected in advance in the printing apparatus, separately from the printing operation on the printing medium. For example, the preliminary ejection is performed immediately before a printing operation, that is, an operation of ejecting a predetermined amount of ink to a predetermined position on a printing medium to form an image.
The preliminary ejection is for recovering the ejection failure of the recording head 16 and eliminates the sticking of the ink near the ejection port 52, the increase in the viscosity, the mixing of bubbles, and the like. The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the cause of recording failure such as the above. In addition, this preliminary ejection is often performed when the power of the printing apparatus is turned on, or after a certain period of time has elapsed in the power-on state and immediately before the first printing is performed. This preliminary ejection is performed by a method in which the ink is absorbed toward an ink absorber (a porous member or the like excellent in ink absorbency) mounted at a position selected in advance in the recording apparatus. Often.

Therefore, according to the present invention, when the ink is ejected at a time other than the recording on the recording medium such as the preliminary ejection, the position of the ink receiving portion for receiving the ejected ink, that is, the ink other than the recording is used. The position at which ejection is performed is selected inside the width of the recording medium with respect to the width direction of the recording medium. The width of the recording medium (usually the width of the recording medium having the maximum width) is indicated by an area Z in FIGS.

Therefore, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the ink receiving portion 30 for receiving ink discharge other than recording such as preliminary discharge is provided inside the width region Z of the recording medium. It is provided in. The ink receiving portion 30 is formed of a thin wall provided with a predetermined gap in front of an end of the front surface (platen surface) of the platen 20 (the left end of the platen 20 in FIG. 4). Therefore, the edge (left edge) of the recording medium is fed through the gap between the platen 20 and the ink receiver 30. A groove 30a is formed below the ink receiving portion 30.
An ink absorber 29 made of a porous material having excellent ink absorbability is provided at a position outside (a on the left side in FIG. 4) in contact with the groove 30a. According to such a configuration, the ink discharged to the ink receiving portion 30 flows down along the ink receiving portion (wall surface), flows down into the groove 30a, and travels down the groove 30a to travel along the groove 30a. It penetrates inside and is absorbed by the ink absorber 29.

According to the above-described embodiment, the ink receiving portion 30 for receiving the ink ejected from the ejection port 52 at the time other than the recording operation such as the preliminary ejection is placed at the position inside the width region Z of the recording medium. With the provision, the extra space for providing the ink receiving portion 30 is not required, and the width dimension of the recording apparatus can be reduced by that amount, so that the recording apparatus can be reduced in size and weight. . In addition,
The ink receiving portion 30, the groove 30a and the ink absorber 2
9 is the same even if provided at a position (right side) symmetrical to the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 with respect to the width region Z of the recording medium.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 9 is a front view of the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG. In the ink jet recording apparatus shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, two positions on the left and right of an area Z of the width of the recording medium (generally, the width of the recording medium having the maximum width) are provided.
Ink receiving units 30 and 3 for receiving ink ejected from ejection openings 52 at times other than the recording operation such as preliminary ejection.
1 is provided. Then, the ink receiving portions 3 on both sides
Both 0 and 31 are provided inside the width region Z of the recording medium. Each of the ink receiving sections 30 and 31 is provided with a platen 2.
It is formed by a thin wall provided with a predetermined gap in front of both ends of the front surface (platen surface) of the zero. Therefore, the left and right edges of the recording medium are fed through the gap between the platen 20 and the left and right ink receiving portions 30 and 31.

In the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 and 9,
Grooves 30a, 31a are provided below the ink receiving portions 30, 31, respectively.
In addition, ink absorbers 29, 32 formed of a porous material having excellent ink absorbability are provided at positions in contact with the grooves 30a, 31a on the outer side in the recording medium width direction of the grooves 30a, 31a. Is installed. According to such a configuration, one of the ink receiving portions 30 or 31
Is discharged along the ink receiving portion (wall surface), flows down into the grooves 30a, 31a formed under the ink receiving portion (wall surface), and travels down the grooves 30a, 31a to be adjacent to the ink absorber 29 adjacent thereto. Alternatively, it penetrates into 32 and is absorbed by the ink absorbers 29 and 32.

Other configurations of the ink jet recording apparatus shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 are substantially the same as those of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the first embodiment shown in FIGS.
Corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. According to the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, similarly to the first embodiment, the ink receiving section 30 for receiving the ink ejected from the ejection port 52 at the time other than the recording operation such as the preliminary ejection, Since the space 31 is provided inside the width region on both the left and right sides of the width region of the recording medium, no extra space for providing the ink receiving portions 30 and 31 is required. And the size and weight of the recording apparatus can be reduced.

In each of the embodiments described above, the case of an ink jet recording apparatus having one recording means has been described as an example. However, the present invention provides a plurality of recording means using inks of different colors. A color ink jet recording apparatus having, or an ink jet recording apparatus for gradation recording using a plurality of recording means having the same color but different densities,
The present invention can be applied similarly regardless of the number of recording means, and can achieve the same operation and effect. The recording means (recording head) in each of the above-described embodiments may be a replaceable cartridge type recording means in which the recording head and the ink tank are integrated, or a recording head and the ink tank may be separated from each other. Recording means having various structures such as a recording means connected via a tube and the like can be used.

The present invention can be applied to an ink jet recording apparatus that uses 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 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 right-angled 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 provides a replaceable chip-type recording head which can be electrically connected to the apparatus main body and supplies ink from the apparatus main body, or a recording head itself if it is of a serial type. integrally such as when the ink tank is Ru have <br/> use a cartridge type recording head provided, a recording head and an ink reservoir is any in
The present invention can be effectively applied to the case of the form .

Further, 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 an ink which 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 is not only one used as an image output terminal of an information processing apparatus such as a computer, but also a copying apparatus combined with a reader or the like, and a facsimile apparatus having a transmission / reception function. And the like.

[0043]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the carriage which reciprocates along the recording medium.
In an ink jet recording apparatus for performing recording on a recording medium by discharging ink from a discharge port of an ink jet recording unit mounted on a ridge, the discharge unit faces the discharge port of the recording unit.
A platen having a front surface for supporting the recording medium so as to thin the wall for receiving the ink discharged from said recording means to other than the recording is, the end portion of the recording medium passes between the front of the platen since a configuration having an ink receiving portion comprising fixedly disposed on the inner side of the end portion of the width region of the recording medium so as to form a gap, the inner width region of the recording medium
Recovery of pre-ejection and other areas at the end of the print-free space
It can be effectively used as an ink receiving part for operation, and extra space for receiving ink ejected from the recording means at times other than the recording operation, such as preliminary ejection, can be omitted. The present invention provides an ink jet recording apparatus capable of reducing the size and weight of the apparatus by reducing the size of the apparatus.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a left side view of the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a right side view of the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view schematically illustrating a configuration of an ink ejection unit of a recording unit (recording head) of the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a control system of the inkjet recording apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of another embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 9 is a front view of the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Frame 2 Device drive motor (carriage motor) 5 Lead screw (carriage drive) 6 Paper feed transmission gear 9 Clutch gear 10 Paper feed roller 15 Carriage 15a End of carriage 16 Recording means (recording head) 16a Ink of recording means Discharge unit 18 Flexible circuit board 20 Platen 24 Home position detection switch 29 Ink absorber 30 Ink receiver 30a Groove 31 Ink receiver 31a Groove 32 Ink absorber 51 Discharge port forming surface 52 Discharge port 54 Liquid path 55 Electrothermal converter 61 Control circuit (CPU) 63 Stepping motor drive IC 64 Print head drive IC 65 Drive (recording device) Z Width area of recording medium

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 2/18 B41J 2/185

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A carrier that reciprocates along a recording medium.
In an ink jet recording apparatus for performing recording on a recording medium by discharging ink from a discharge port of an ink jet recording means mounted on a printhead , a platen having a front surface supporting a recording medium so as to face the discharge port of the recording means. And a thin wall for receiving ink ejected from the printing means for a purpose other than printing forms a gap between the front surface of the platen and the edge of the printing medium so as to form a gap . An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: an ink receiving portion fixedly arranged at an inner end portion. 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the end is a corner. 3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the end portions are both end portions. 4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an ink absorber is provided outside a width region of the recording medium adjacent to the ink receiving section. 5. The ink-jet recording device according to claim 1, wherein the recording device is an ink-jet recording device including an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy for discharging ink.
5. The ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of 4. 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the recording means discharges the ink from the discharge port by using film boiling generated in the ink by thermal energy applied by the electrothermal transducer. Ink jet recording device.