JP3248544B2 - 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 for performing recording by discharging ink from a recording means onto a recording material.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A recording apparatus having functions such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile or the like, or a recording apparatus used as an output device of a multifunction machine or a workstation including a computer, a word processor, etc. An image (including characters and symbols) is recorded on a recording material (recording medium) such as an OHP (such as an OHP). The recording apparatus can be classified into an ink jet type, a wire dot type, a thermal type, a thermal transfer type, a laser beam type, and the like according to a recording method of a recording unit to be used.

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. An image (including characters and symbols) is recorded by recording means (recording head) mounted on a carriage that moves (main scans) along the line, and after recording for one line is completed, a predetermined amount of paper (Scanning), and thereafter, the operation of recording (main scanning) the image of the next line is repeated, whereby the image is recorded in a desired range of the recording material. On the other hand, in a line type recording apparatus that performs recording only by sub-scanning in which a recording material is transported in the transport direction, the recording material is set at a predetermined recording position, and recording for one line is continuously performed collectively. By feeding a predetermined amount of paper (pitch feed), an image is recorded on the entire recording material.

Among them, the ink jet type (ink jet recording apparatus) performs recording by ejecting ink from a recording means (recording head) to a recording material, so that the recording means can be easily made compact and high definition. Images can be recorded at a high speed, recording can be performed on plain paper without special processing, running costs are low, and the non-impact method reduces noise and uses multicolor inks. This makes it easy to record a color image.

[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. Further, by utilizing the advantages of the IC technology and the micromachining technology, it is easy to make the recording means longer and planar (two-dimensional), and it is also easy to make the recording means full multi-layer and high-density mounting. is there. On the other hand, there are various demands for the material of the recording material, and in recent years, in addition to ordinary recording materials such as paper and resin thin plates (OHP, etc.), thin paper or processed paper (with a punching hole for filing). Paper, perforated paper, paper of any shape, etc.) have been required.

In the above ink jet recording apparatus,
2. Description of the Related Art A wiping blade formed of an elastic member such as rubber is used to wipe off ink adhering to the vicinity of an ink ejection port of a head cartridge. The reason for this is that if ink adheres to the periphery of the ink discharge port, not only the recording device is stained, but also the recording material may be stained via the recording device or directly. It is necessary to frequently perform the wiping operation (wiping) around the discharge port by the wiping blade.

Further, in an ink jet recording apparatus, in order to protect the discharge ports of the recording head from drying and adhesion of dust, the discharge ports are always covered with a cap (capping) during non-recording. In addition, ink is forcibly ejected from the ejection port in a capping state in order to eliminate factors that hinder normal ink ejection, such as bubbles and dust inside and outside the ejection port, and ink that has dried and thickened or adhered. An ejection recovery process is also performed.

Therefore, the timing of performing the wiping for wiping the ink around the ink discharge port may be, for example, immediately before the recording is started with the cap separated from the discharge port surface, or the ink is forcibly sucked from the discharge port. Immediately after execution of the ejection recovery processing for discharging, and even during printing, the setting is made at the end of each page or at regular intervals.

[0009]

However, even if wiping is performed to eliminate unnecessary ink droplets on the ejection opening surface (front surface) of the recording head as described above, if the amount of ink adhered is large, Also, the wiping blade gets dirty. Therefore, when a large amount of continuous recording is performed, the wiping performance is reduced and the ink cannot be sufficiently removed, and the ink droplets are directly transferred to the recording material (recording paper or the like) via the recording device or directly. Wiping during printing reduces the throughput, or the frequent wiping damages or deforms the discharge port, adversely affecting the recording quality, or conversely, the wiping blade However, there is a problem that the recording quality is adversely affected due to the scratches or scraping, and the fragments adhere to the periphery of the discharge port.

It is also conceivable to prevent the unnecessary ink from adhering to the recording material by increasing the distance between the ejection port and the recording material. However, this method reduces the accuracy of the ink droplet landing position. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that deterioration of recording quality cannot be avoided.

[0011]

The present invention Means for solving the problems] has been made in view of such technical problems, the invention of claim 1, b
In the ink jet recording apparatus for recording by discharging ink from the ink jet recording head to a recording material, said Lee
A plane including the ink ejection surface of the ink jet recording head,
Located between a plane including a recording surface of the recording material,
Non-contact with the ink ejection surface of the inkjet recording head
And the position where the ink ejection surface faces
The recording material may be contaminated when
Ink absorbing surface corresponding to the entire area of the ink ejection surface
An ink absorbing member, and the ink absorbing member
By adopting a configuration in which the amount of ink adhering to the ink ejection surface of the ink jet recording head is reduced, the amount of ink adhering and accumulating on the ink ejection surface can be reduced, thereby suppressing the adhesion of unnecessary ink to the recording material, and performing wiping. number can significantly reduce, can always maintain a high wiping performance, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of scratches or the like of the wiping blade and the discharge port as a recording quality and durability of the hinder, the recording quality An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus which can be maintained at a high level .

[0012] The invention of claim 2, 3 and 6, in addition to the above structure, the ink absorbing member, the small material of expansion
Alternatively, the ink absorbing member is made of a material that does not swell,
Reduces the amount of ink adhering to the recording means by moving
The ink absorbing member is made of a material having a small expansion coefficient.
Or formed of a material that does not swell,
When the recording head moves, it adheres to the recording means.
Configuration to reduce the amount of ink used, or the ink jet
The ink ejection surface of the recording head can be stopped at a position facing the ink absorbing member, so that the ink is more efficiently adhered and deposited on the ink ejection surface. By reducing the amount of ink, unnecessary ink can be prevented from adhering to the recording material, the number of wiping operations can be significantly reduced, the wiping performance can always be maintained at a high level, and the recording quality and durability are hindered. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of preventing the occurrence of a wiping blade or a discharge port from being damaged , and maintaining a high recording quality .

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing an essential configuration of an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 8 denotes a recording unit (recording head = ink ejection unit) for performing recording by discharging ink, 9 denotes an ink tank for supplying ink to the recording head 8, 1
Reference numeral 0 denotes a replaceable head cartridge integrally formed with the recording head 8 and the ink tank 9, and reference numeral 11 denotes a carriage for mounting the head cartridge 10 and performing main scanning in the direction of arrow S in FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 13 denotes a hook for attaching the head cartridge 10 to the carriage 11;
Is a lever for operating the hook 13. The lever 15 is provided with a marker 17 for indicating a scale provided on a cover to be described later so that the recording position and the set position of the head cartridge 10 by the recording head 8 can be read. The head cartridge 10
Is detachably (replaceably) fixed on the carriage 11 by operating the hook 13 with the lever 15. Reference numeral 19 denotes a support plate that supports an electrical connection to the head cartridge 10. Reference numeral 21 denotes a flexible cable for connecting the electric connection unit and the main body control unit.

Reference numeral 23 denotes a guide shaft for guiding the carriage 11 in the direction of arrow S, and reference numeral 25 denotes a bearing of the carriage 11 through which the guide shaft 23 is inserted. 27 is a timing belt coupled to the carriage 11 to transmit power for reciprocating the carriage 11 in the direction of arrow S;
Reference numerals 29A and 29B denote pulleys arranged on both sides of the recording apparatus for stretching the timing belt 27, and 31 denotes a carriage motor connected to one pulley 29B via a transmission mechanism such as a gear. The carriage motor 31 is a drive source for driving the carriage 11 to reciprocate.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 33 denotes a platen roller for regulating a recording surface of a recording material (hereinafter, also referred to as recording paper) and for transporting the recording material during recording or the like. Reference numeral 37 denotes a paper pan for guiding the recording material from the paper feed tray side to the recording position;
Reference numeral 9 denotes a feed roller that is disposed in the middle of the recording material feeding path and presses the recording material toward the platen roller 33 to apply a conveying force. Reference numeral 41 denotes a discharge roller disposed downstream of the recording position in the transport direction for discharging the recording material from a discharge port (not shown).

Reference numeral 42 denotes a spur provided corresponding to the paper discharge roller 41, which presses the recording material against the paper discharge roller 41 to generate a conveying force of the recording material by the paper discharge roller 41. . Reference numeral 43 denotes a release lever for releasing the pressing force of the feed roller 39, the pressing plate 45, and the spur 42 when setting a recording material. The holding plate 45
Is to suppress the lifting of the recording material in the vicinity of the recording position and secure the state of close contact with the platen roller 33.

The recording head 8 (head cartridge 1)
0) is provided with an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy used for discharging the ink, and specifically, a film formed on the ink by the thermal energy generated by the electrothermal converter. The ink is ejected from the ejection port based on a change in the state of the ink including generation of bubbles due to boiling. FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view schematically illustrating the structure of the ink ejection unit of the recording head 8.

In FIG. 2, a plurality of discharge ports 82 are formed at a predetermined pitch on a discharge port surface 81 facing a recording material at a predetermined gap (for example, about 0.5 to 1.5 mm). An electrothermal converter (heating resistor, etc.) 85 for generating energy for ink discharge is provided along the wall surface of each liquid path 84 formed and communicating the common liquid chamber 83 and each discharge port 82. ing. In the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG. 1, the head cartridge 10 is mounted on the carriage 11 in a positional relationship such that the plurality of ejection ports 82 are arranged in a direction crossing the main scanning direction (moving direction) of the carriage 11. . In this way, the corresponding electrothermal transducer 85 is driven (energized) based on the image signal or the ejection signal to cause the ink in the liquid passage 84 to boil, and the ink is ejected from the ejection port 82 by the pressure generated at that time. The recording head 8 is configured.

As the recording head 8, an ink jet recording head which performs recording by discharging ink is adopted. Therefore, the distance (distance) between the discharge port surface 81 of the recording head 8 and the recording surface of the recording material is set as follows. It is relatively small, and the interval between the recording material and the ejection port surface 81 needs to be strictly controlled in order to avoid contact. The holding plate 45
Are effective components for managing the distance between the recording material and the discharge port surface 81 (paper distance). In FIG. 1, reference numeral 47 denotes a scale provided on the pressing plate 45;
Are markers provided on the carriage 11 corresponding to the scales 47, by which the recording position and the set position of the recording head 8 (head cartridge 10) can be read.

In FIG. 1, a predetermined position within the moving range of the recording head 8 and outside the recording area (or outside the paper passing range) is opposed to the discharge port surface 81 of the recording head 8 with a small gap (contact). The ink absorbing member 86 is positioned so that the ink absorbing member 86 does not. This ink absorbing member 86
Is disposed at a position where the ink absorption surface (front surface) 87 is closer to the recording head 8 (discharge port surface 81 side) than the plane including the recording surface of the recording material and is not in contact with the recording head 8. I have. Since the position where the ink absorbing member 86 is to be disposed is considerably limited as described above, it is preferable that at least the ink absorbing surface 87 is formed of a material having a small swelling rate or a material which does not swell.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 51 denotes a cap for sealing (capping) the discharge port 82 of the recording head 8 at the home position of the carriage 11. The cap 51 is formed of a rubber-like elastic material, and is supported so as to be able to come into contact with / separate from the ejection port surface 81 of the recording head 8. The cap 51 is used at the time of non-printing or the like to prevent ink drying or dust adhesion at the ejection port 82 or to perform recovery processing for eliminating clogging of the ejection port 82. Here, the recovery process is performed by bringing the cap 51 into close contact with the ejection port forming surface 81 and operating the pump 53 to suck ink from the ejection port 82.
This is a process for removing bubbles, dust, attached matter such as thickened ink and the like in the discharge port together with the ink, and removing the cause of the discharge failure. The pump 53 is used for such a recovery process. In some cases, the recovery process is performed by an operation (preliminary ejection) of ejecting ink with the ejection port 82 facing the cap 51.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 53 denotes a discharge port 8 by generating a negative pressure in the cap 51 in a capping state.
2 is a pump for sucking ink. That is, the pump 53 applies a suction force for forcibly discharging ink, and the cap 5 is used for discharge recovery processing by such forced discharge or discharge recovery processing by preliminary discharge.
1 is used to suck the ink received.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 55 denotes a waste ink tank for storing the waste ink sucked (sucked) by the pump 53, and reference numeral 57 denotes a tube connecting the pump 53 and the waste ink tank 55. Reference numeral 59 denotes a wiping blade for wiping and removing ink, dust and the like adhering to the periphery of the discharge port by rubbing against the discharge port surface 81 of the recording head 8. The wiping blade is movably supported between a position where the wiping blade protrudes toward the recording head 8 and performs wiping of the discharge port surface 81 during the movement of the carriage 11 and a retracted position where the wiping blade does not contact the discharge port surface 81. ing.

The cap 51 is pressed against and separated from the discharge port surface 81, the suction operation of the pump 53 is performed, and the wiping blade 59 is moved to an operating position overlapping the discharge port surface 81 and to a retracted position separated from the discharge port surface 81. Are controlled by the operation of the cam device 63. The operation of the cam device 63 is controlled by the cam motor 61.

In the ink jet recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1, a head cartridge 10 in which a recording head 8 and an ink tank 9 are integrated is mounted on a carriage 11, but these recording heads and the ink tank are separately formed. Alternatively, a configuration in which both of these or only the recording head are mounted on the carriage may be adopted. The ink tank 9 may be formed of a rigid container that does not deform, or may be formed of a bag-like tank formed of a thin film sheet or the like and deformed according to the amount of ink.

FIG. 3 shows the cap 51 and the pump 5 in FIG.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a configuration of a discharge recovery mechanism (recovery device) including a wiping blade 59, a motor 61, a cam device 63, and the like. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 501 denotes an ink absorber disposed inside the cap 51, 503, a holding member for holding the cap 51, and 505, a cap lever attached so as to be rotatable about a pin 507. The cap lever 505 moves the cap 51 by the force applied to the pin 507 to the ejection port surface 8 of the recording head 8.
1 has a function of making contact / removal with 1; 511 is engaged with the end 509 of the cap lever 505 and
This is a pin for restricting the rotation range of 05.

Referring to FIG.
A jig having a hole into which the fifth pin 507 is fitted;
Supporting part 51 provided with cap lever 505 on pump 53
Used to attach to 5. Reference numeral 516 is a fastening member for securing the attached state. 517 is the cap 5
1 is an action portion for applying a force to come into contact with the discharge port surface 81, and is engaged with substantially the center of the rear side of the cap 51.
The operation section 517 has an introduction port 517A (see FIG. 7) for introducing the sucked ink. In addition, an ink flow path for guiding the sucked ink is formed inside the cap lever 505, inside the pin 507, inside the jig 513, and inside the support portion 515. When the pump 53 exerts a suction force, the ink sucked from the discharge port 82 is introduced into the pump 53 from the introduction port 517A through each of the ink flow paths.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 519 denotes a shaft protruding from the center of the end face of the pump 53 and having an ink flow passage therein, and is rotatably attached to the side wall 520. When the pump 53 itself rotates, the rotational displacement is transmitted as a linear displacement of the cap lever 505 via the support portion 515, and the displacement of the cap lever 505 causes the cap 51 to advance and retreat with respect to the discharge port surface 81. 521 is the shaft 51 of the pump 53
9 is a waste ink seal in which an ink flow path leading to 9 is bent at a right angle. Reference numeral 523 denotes a waste ink cap which supports the waste ink seal 521 and further forms an ink flow path to the waste ink tube 57. These shaft 519 and jig 5
An ink flow path is formed inside 21 and the support member 523, and the ink sucked by the pump 53 is introduced into the waste ink tank 55 via the tube 57 via these flow paths.

In FIG. 3, 525 denotes a piston of a pump 53, 527 denotes a piston shaft which is the shaft of the piston, and 52 denotes a piston shaft.
9 is a packing and 531 is a cap of the pump 53.
533 is a pin attached to the piston shaft 527,
The pin 533 has a function of receiving a driving force for operating the piston 525. Reference numeral 535 denotes a blade lever to which the blade 59 is attached.
Are supported so as to be rotatable around. By rotating the blade lever 535, the blade 59 can be protruded or retracted toward the recording head 8 (head cartridge 10). 537 is the blade lever 53
5 is a spring that applies a turning force to the blade 5 in a direction in which the blade 59 is protruded. Reference numeral 539 denotes a spring which gives the pump 53 itself a turning behavior in a direction in which the cap 53 is directed toward the recording head 8 side.

Reference numeral 541 denotes a cam device 6 for rotating the motor 61.
3 is a gear train to be transmitted to the third gear. The cam device 63 includes the pump 5
A cam 547 for engaging and rotating the engaging portion 545 provided on the third shaft 3, a cam 549 for operating a pump by engaging a pin 533 provided on a piston shaft 527 of the pump 53, Engaging portion 55 provided on blade lever 535
1 and a cam 557 for engaging with a switch 555 for detecting the home position of the cam device 63.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the head cartridge 10 in FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of the head cartridge 10, and FIG. 6 is a portion showing an ink ejection portion of the recording head 8 of the head cartridge 10. It is a perspective view. The head cartridge 10 has a structure in which a waste ink tank is integrated with the recording head 8 and the ink tank 9. 4 and 5, the head cartridge 1
Numeral 0 has a structure in which the ejection unit 8 which is the main body of the recording means (recording head) and the ink tank 9 are integrated.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 911 denotes a heater board. The heater board 911 is formed by forming an electrothermal conversion element (discharge heater) and a wiring of aluminum or the like for supplying electric power on the Si substrate by a film forming technique. It has a formed structure.
921 is a wiring board for the heater board 911,
The corresponding wires are connected by, for example, wire bonding. Reference numeral 940 denotes a top plate provided with a partition for limiting the ink flow path, a common liquid chamber, and the like, and is formed of a resin material having the discharge port surface 81 integrally. As shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of discharge ports 82 are formed at a predetermined pitch on the discharge port surface 81 formed by a part of the top plate 940.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 930 denotes a support made of, for example, a metal, and 950 denotes a pressing spring. The pressing spring 950 is engaged with the heater board 911 and the top plate 940 while being sandwiched therebetween. The heater board 911 and the top plate 940 are pressed and fixed by the urging force.
The support 930 serves as a reference for positioning the head cartridge 10 with respect to the carriage 11 while the wiring substrate 921 is fixed by bonding or the like. The support 930 also functions as a member for radiating and cooling the heat of the heater board 911 generated when the recording unit 8 is driven.

Reference numeral 960 denotes a sub-tank for receiving ink supply from the ink tank 9 serving as an ink supply source and leading ink to a common liquid chamber formed by joining the heater board 911 and the top plate 940. Reference numeral 970 denotes a filter disposed in the sub-tank 960 near the ink supply port to the common liquid chamber, and 980 denotes a cover member of the sub-tank 960.

Reference numeral 900 denotes an absorber for impregnating the ink, which is disposed in the ink tank body 9. 1200
Is a supply port for supplying ink to a discharge unit (recording head) 8 composed of the above components 911 to 980.
In the step before the arrangement at 10, the ink is impregnated into the absorber 900 by injecting the ink from the supply port 1200. 1100 is a head cartridge 1
A cover member 1300 (ink tank 9) is an atmosphere communication port provided on the cover member for communicating the inside of the cartridge with the atmosphere.

In FIG. 4, when the ink filling into the ink tank 9 through the supply port 1200 is completed, the recording head 8 composed of the components 911 to 980 is positioned and mounted on the ink tank portion 1010. The positioning or fixing at this time is performed, for example, by using the projection 1 provided on the ink tank 9.
012 and the corresponding holes 93 in the support 930
The head cartridge 10 shown in FIG. 5 is completed.

The ink in the ink tank 9 is supplied to the supply port 12
00, a hole 932 provided in the support 930, the sub tank 96
0 is supplied into the sub-tank 960 via an inlet provided on the back side in FIG. The ink in the sub tank 960 flows into the common liquid chamber from the outlet through an appropriate supply pipe and the ink inlet 942 of the top plate 940. A packing such as silicon rubber or butyl rubber is disposed at the connection portion for ink communication as described above, and sealing is performed by this to secure an ink supply path.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are views showing details of the cap 51. FIG. 7A is a front view, FIG.
(C) is a sectional view taken along line MM in (A). In FIG. 7, an ink suction port 561 is opened in a vertically lower portion inside the cap 51 (inner wall portion 565), and the ink suction port 561 passes through the ink flow path 563 to act on the cap lever 505 (FIG. 3). It communicates with an ink introduction port 517A provided in the section 517. Also, the cap 51
The inside ink absorber 501 is disposed so as not to completely cover the ink suction port 561.

Thus, even if the ink flows downward due to gravity, the ink flows through the suction port 561 provided below.
Since the ink is absorbed more, the amount of ink remaining in the ink absorber 501 becomes extremely small. Therefore, it is possible to greatly delay deterioration due to solidification and the like, and extend the life of the ink absorber 501 and the cap 51 to which the ink absorber 501 is attached. The head cartridge 10 set on the carriage 11 is driven by the carriage motor 31 so that the ejection port 82 is substantially at the center of the recovery system cap 51, and a series of ejection recovery processes such as capping, preliminary ejection, and suction operation are performed. Is performed.

In FIG. 7, the discharge port surface 8 of the recording head 8
In order to ensure the sealing performance between the cap 51 and the cap 51, it is preferable that the tip rib 51a of the cap 51 be small and have a low hardness. Needs some strength. In consideration of this, in the present embodiment, the shape of the rib 51a is selected as follows. That is, in FIG. 7C, the rib portion 51a
The shape, W ₁ = 0.3 mm and W ₂ = 0.5 mm and H = 0.4 mm for the rubber hardness of about 60 degrees of the rubber-like elastic material forming the rib portion 51a Was appropriate. At the same time, by making the shape of the peripheral portion 51b outside the rib portion 51a sufficiently larger than the shape of the rib 51a, for example, the outer width of the rib 51a of the peripheral portion 51b is made 2 to 3 mm or more. It was appropriate that the thickness of 51b be 2-3 mm or more. Note that as the rubber-like elastic material used for the cap 51, butyl rubber, chlorinated butyl rubber, silicon rubber, or the like can be used.

FIG. 8 shows an ink absorbing member 86 according to the present invention.
(FIG. 1), head cartridge 10 and recording material 88
FIG. 3 is a side view showing a positional relationship with the carriage as viewed from the carriage moving direction (the direction of arrow S in FIG. 1). In FIG. 8, the ink absorbing member 86 is provided with the ink absorbing surface 87 facing the head cartridge 10. Here, a length V in a direction parallel to the recording surface of the recording material 88 (FIG. 9) of the ink absorbing surface 87 and perpendicular to the carriage moving direction S is used.
₁ is at least the V of a portion that may stain a recording material when ink adheres to the head cartridge 10.
It is preferable to take parallel ₁ and longer than in the direction of length V _2. The position of the ink absorbing member 86 is such that when the head cartridge 10 comes to a position facing the ink absorbing member, the ink absorbing member 86 is located in front of the entire area of the region that may stain the recording material 88 (FIG. 9). It is preferable to arrange so that there is an absorber.

FIG. 9 is a partial plan view showing the positional relationship between the ink absorbing member 86, the head cartridge 10, and the recording material 88 according to the present invention, and the operation when the carriage is moved. In FIG. 9, the ink absorbing member 86 has an ink absorbing surface 87 closer to the head cartridge 10 than a plane 89 including the recording surface of the recording material 88, and the closest portion 90 of the head cartridge to the recording material 88. Are arranged on the recording material 88 side with respect to the scanning line 91. This is because the unnecessary ink 92 adhering to the periphery of the ejection port is brought into contact with the ink absorbing member 86 without contacting the periphery of the ejection port in the scanning of the head cartridge 10, and the unnecessary ink 92 is absorbed by the ink absorbing member 86. It is to make it. Here, since the ink absorbing member 86 is not in direct contact with the head cartridge 10, the unnecessary ink cannot be completely wiped off.
The height at which the unnecessary ink 92 is adhered can be reduced to such an extent that the ink 8 does not need to be contaminated.

In FIG. 9, reference numeral 10A denotes the head cartridge 10 immediately before passing through the ink absorbing member 86, and 10B denotes the head cartridge 1 immediately after passing.
Indicates 0. Here, in the present embodiment, the ink absorbing member 86
Since a non-swellable porous material is used, the ink absorbing surface 87 of the ink absorbing member 86 may be disposed at a position as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 without considering the swelling ratio. Will be. However, in the present embodiment, since the ink absorbing member 86 is provided on the holding plate 45 for keeping the distance between the head cartridge 10 and the recording material 88 constant, it is not necessary to perform special alignment. It is only necessary to manage the thickness of the ink absorbing member 86 and the thickness of the double-sided tape 93 for fixing the ink absorbing member 86 to the holding plate 45. In addition, the positioning in the direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the carriage 11 (the direction of the arrow S in FIG. 1) does not require strict management if the ink absorbing member 86 is made large in advance.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a control system of the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG. 1 having the above configuration. In FIG. 10, the capping position and the moving position of the carriage 11 are determined by the recovery home position sensor 6.
5 or the carriage home position sensor 67. 10 denotes an MPU that controls each unit by executing a control procedure and the like to be described later.
01 is an RO storing a program etc. corresponding to the control procedure
M and 1002 denote a RAM used as a work area when the control procedure is executed, 1003 denotes a timer for measuring a time described later, and 1004 denotes an interface unit.
Note that command data, recording data, and the like can be input from the keyboard unit 1 to the control system shown in FIG.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of the ink jet recording apparatus according to this embodiment. FIG.
In step S61, when the power is turned on, the recovery system unit is set to the recovery system home position in step S61, the cap is opened, and then the carriage 11 is set to the home position in step S63. Next, step S6
At 5, the predetermined number of preliminary ejections (15 or 7 in this example)
Reset the counter N ₁ used to start the air suction upon reaching times), and waits a data signal recording (printing) after the closing the cap at step S67 (step S69).

When a recording signal is input, step S71 is performed.
The paper feeding starts at, after open the cap at step S73, to increment a counter N ₁ by +1 performs a preliminary discharge by setting the carriage 11 in step S75 to the home position. Next, step S
77 is started it resets the timer T ₁ of the for starting the preliminary discharge at predetermined time intervals during the recording operation (for example, every 30 seconds) at, executes recording of one line in step S79. Thereafter, the value of the timer T ₁ is determined whether more than 30 seconds in step S81, the process proceeds to after a similar step S83 and S85 and steps S75 and S77, if a positive determination to step S87, whereas, If a negative determination is made, the process immediately proceeds to step S87.

The value of the step S87 in the counter N ₁ is "15" determines whether reached, perform idle suction in the middle recording one page at step S89 if an affirmative determination. At this time, the procedure shown in FIG. 20 is started. afterwards,
The counter N ₁ to re-start and reset at step S91, the process proceeds to step S93. If a negative determination is made in step S87, step S9 is immediately executed.
Proceed to 3.

In step S93, it is determined whether recording of one page has been completed and a page break has been instructed. If the determination is negative, the flow advances to step S95 to determine the presence or absence of a recording signal. If an affirmative determination is made in step S95, it is determined in step S97 whether or not there is an END signal to end the recording. If a negative determination is made, the flow shifts to step S79 to perform the next line recording.

On the other hand, when the recording signal by Tesuppu S95 is not input, the process proceeds to step S99, the timer T ₂ to be used to perform the capping is reset when the recording data is not a predetermined time (e.g. 5 seconds) Input And restart. Next, in step S101, the presence or absence of a recording signal is determined.
And record the next line. On the other hand, step S1
01 it is determined whether the watch the contents of the timer T ₂ exceeds 5 seconds at step S103 if a negative determination, if a negative determination process proceeds to step S104, returning to step S101 if there is no input of the END signal I do.

On the other hand, if 5 seconds have passed in step S103, the cap is closed in step S105.
Then, at step S107, it stops the timer T _1, a predetermined time (e.g. 60 seconds) to re-start the timer T ₃ is reset to start the preliminary ejection after the capping state continues. Next, it is determined whether or not the END signal and the recording signal are input (Step S).
109 and S111). If there is a recording signal, the cap 51 is opened in step S113, and the process proceeds to step S1.
15 determines whether the clock the contents of the timer T ₃ is greater than the 60 seconds at. If it has exceeded 60 seconds in step S115, the process proceeds to step S75 to perform preliminary ejection and the like, and then returns to step S79. On the other hand, step S
If it does not exceed 60 seconds at 115, step S1
Step S in after starting the timer T ₁ at 17
It returns to 79.

By the way, when a page break command is input at step S93, the process proceeds to step S119, it determines whether the contents of the counter N ₁ is "7" or more certain. If an affirmative determination is made in this case, performs the page between the idle suction in step S121, after performing a reset / start counter N ₁ in step S123, performs the operation of the wiping proceeds to step S125. On the other hand, step S
If a negative determination is made in 119, the process immediately proceeds to step S125 to perform the wiping operation. Then, in step S127, the cap 51 is closed, and after the recording medium (recording paper) on which recording has been completed is discharged in step S129, the process proceeds to step S69 to wait for a recording signal of the next page. In step S97 or S109, E
If the ND signal is detected, the end operation of step S131 is performed.

Here, the reason why the recording head 8 passes through the front surface of the ink absorbing member 86 according to the present invention and the amount of the unnecessary ink attached to the discharge port surface 81 of the recording head 8 is reduced is that the head cartridge 10 has a cap. 51 and toward recording (between step S77 and step S79, between step S117 and step S79, step S9
7 and step S79), after printing is performed for 30 seconds or more, when returning to the capping position to perform preliminary ejection (between step S81 and step S83), or returning to the capping position to end page recording. It is time (between step S93 and step S119).

As a result, at least at the time when the recording is performed for 30 seconds, the unnecessary ink 92
If the recording material 88 does not adhere in excess of the allowable amount, there is no risk of soiling the recording material 88 with unnecessary ink. Further, if the control as in the present embodiment is performed, it is not necessary to provide any special control for the reduction of the unnecessary ink 92 according to the present invention, and the throughput does not decrease.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of another embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 13 is a horizontal sectional view of the ink absorbing member in this embodiment. In FIG. 12, each component indicated by the same reference numeral as that in FIG. 1 indicates the same or corresponding component, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. 12 and 13, the ink absorbing member 8 in this embodiment is shown.
Numeral 6 is disposed between a discharge recovery processing device including a cap 51 and a pump 53 and a paper feeding system including a pressing plate 45 and a feed roller 39.

The ink-absorbing surface 87 of the ink-absorbing member 86 of this embodiment is formed of a non-swellable porous material as in the above-described embodiment.
At the rear, that is, on the side opposite to the recording head 8,
4 are provided. Here, the ink absorber 94 does not need to be made of the same material as the ink absorbing member 86, and may use a swellable material. However, it is necessary that a part of the ink absorber 94 be in contact with the ink absorbing member 86 for ink transmission before and after swelling. In this embodiment, the member for accommodating the ink absorbing member 86 is formed integrally with a side plate supporting a paper feed roller and the like.

With such a configuration, a material having a low or no swelling ratio is used only for maintaining non-contact with the recording head 8, and the other ink absorber is used for holding ink. Therefore, a large capacity is required as the ink absorbing member 86, and a material having a low swelling rate or having no swelling property, such as price and ink holding ability, is required. If no such material is found, the condition required for one material is reduced, and the configuration according to the present invention can be realized at low cost without requiring a special material.

Further, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, another ink absorber 94 is used in common with a waste ink tank for storing waste ink discharged from the discharge recovery processing device, so that the space in the device is effectively utilized. You can also. further,
In this embodiment, two members 86 and 94 are used as ink absorbers.
However, the present invention is not limited to this, and if there is a material whose price and performance can be sufficiently satisfied, a structure having the same function may be realized by one member.

Further, the control method of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the control method shown in the flowchart of FIG. 11. For example, the interval of the preliminary ejection is not limited to 30 seconds. The interval of the preliminary ejection may be determined based on the speed at which the ink accumulates on the ejection port surface 81 of the head cartridge 10. When the preliminary ejection is not required, it is necessary to provide a dedicated control for allowing the recording head 8 to pass in front of the ink absorbing member 86. In this case, the ink absorbing member is covered as much as possible. By arranging it near the recording material 88, it is possible to minimize a decrease in throughput. This is because the acceleration / deceleration region of the carriage 11 can be effectively used.

Further, when it is necessary to more reliably remove the unnecessary ink, or when it is necessary to provide a dedicated control for removing the unnecessary ink without requiring the preliminary ejection, the unnecessary ink adhesion of the head cartridge 10 can be prevented. The portion may be stopped at the front of the ink absorbing member 86. This is because the value of the adhesion height of the unnecessary ink on the moving head cartridge 10 and that of the unnecessary ink on the head cartridge in the stationary state is smaller than that of the latter because there is no air resistance or inertia force. This is because unnecessary ink can be more reliably removed because it is large.

When the head cartridge 10 is to be stopped in front of the ink absorbing member 86 in order to more surely remove unnecessary ink, unlike the control method shown in FIG. Figure 1
As shown in FIG. 4, the head cartridge 1 is always in front of the ink absorbing member 86 when recording is started from the capping position.
0 is temporarily stopped before recording starts (step S13).
The control method 5) may be adopted. Further, when the preliminary ejection is not required, for example, as shown in FIG.
m (steps S81 and S143), or when there is no corresponding recording and the recording time has passed 40 seconds or more (step S145), the head is moved to the front of the ink absorbing member 86. Control to move the cartridge 10 (step S13
5) may be performed. Note that, in the example shown in FIG. 15, the same control is performed when recording starts after the cap is closed (after step S73 and after step S113).

Here, the head cartridge 10 is stopped in front of the ink absorbing member 86, but only the deceleration is performed without completely stopping the head cartridge 10, and the ink absorbing member 86 is stopped.
May be passed before. Further, the interval at which the unnecessary ink 92 is removed does not necessarily have to be a fixed time, and may be variable depending on the temperature inside the printing apparatus, for example, as shown in FIG. This is because the higher the temperature in the recording apparatus, the higher the ink ejection amount of the head cartridge 10 and the higher the deposition rate of the unnecessary ink 92, and the lower the unnecessary ink removing operation, the lower the throughput. In consideration of the above, the unnecessary ink removing operation is performed to minimize the unnecessary ink removing operation. Here, it is assumed that the temperature inside the recording device is measured by a thermistor (not shown) or the like.

The values of A and B in steps S149 and S151 in FIG. 16 may be determined according to the characteristics of the head cartridge 10 to be used. In this embodiment, however, the values are determined by the following linear equations. Shall be. A = 60−TT, B = 70−TT Here, TT in the above equation is the temperature in the recording device measured by the thermistor. Alternatively, the unnecessary ink removing operation may be performed for each certain number of recording dots by counting the number of recording dots.

Further, the unnecessary ink removing operation does not necessarily have to be performed by moving the recording head 8, and it is sufficient that the recording head 8 and the ink absorbing member 86 move relatively. Accordingly, for example, as shown in FIG. 17, the ink absorbing member 86 may be moved by moving in the direction of the arrow in the figure, or both the recording head 8 and the ink absorbing member 86 may be moved.

The ink absorbing member 86 does not necessarily need to be provided at the beginning of the line, may be provided at the end of the line, or may be provided at both the beginning of the line and the end of the line. Or the cap 5
In the case where 1 is provided, it is desirable to provide the ink absorbing member 86 at least on the side where they are arranged. This is to minimize a decrease in throughput.

In addition, the ink absorbing member 86 according to the present invention
When the head cartridge 10 is used in a state in which the ink-attached portion is vertical or oblique as described above, the shape of the ink-attached portion does not need to cover the entire area, and as shown in FIG. It may be shaped to cover only the lower part of. This is because the unnecessary ink accumulates in a lower portion of the ink-attached portion due to gravity, so that the unnecessary ink can be removed without having to cover the entire ink-attached portion. Further, with such a configuration, the ink absorbing member 86 can be made small, and the present invention can be implemented in a very small space.

According to the embodiment described above, ink ejection
A plane including the surface 81 and a plane 8 including the recording surface of the recording material 88
9 and is in non-contact with the ink ejection surface 81.
And the position where the ink ejection surface 81 faces.
Ink discharge that may stain the recording material 88 when
An ink absorbing surface 87 corresponding to the entire area of the surface 81 is provided.
An ink absorbing member 86 is provided, and the ink absorbing member 86
To reduce the amount of ink 92 attached to the ink ejection surface 81
With such a configuration, the ink adheres and deposits on the ink ejection surface 81.
Adhesion of unnecessary ink to the recording material 88 by reducing the amount of ink
And the number of wiping operations is greatly reduced.
To keep the wiping performance high at all times.
The recording material 8 conventionally caused by the ink attached to the vicinity of the ejection port 82 of the ink jet recording head 8
8 can be prevented, and the recording quality can be improved.
The effect of being able to maintain is obtained.

In the above embodiment, the recording head 8
Although the serial type ink jet recording apparatus in which the (head cartridge 10) is mounted on the carriage 11 and the main scanning is performed along the recording material 88 has been described as an example, the present invention relates to the case where the entire width of the recording area of the recording material is The present invention can be similarly applied to a line type ink jet printing apparatus using a line type print head corresponding to a part thereof, and can achieve the same effect. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the recording is performed by one recording head 8 is illustrated. However, the present invention is directed to a color ink jet recording apparatus including a plurality of recording heads for recording in different colors, or the same color and the same density. Regardless of the number or type of recording heads (recording means), such as an inkjet recording apparatus for gradation recording using a plurality of recording heads that record with different inks,
It can be applied similarly and can achieve the same effect.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case of using the cartridge type recording means (head cartridge) 10 in which the recording head and the ink tank are integrated has been described as an example. Regardless of the configuration of the recording head and the ink tank, such as a configuration in which ink tanks are separately provided and these are connected by an ink supply pipe or the like, the same effects can be obtained. Things.

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. This provides an excellent effect in an ink jet recording apparatus using a recording means of a method of ejecting ink. 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 in one-to-one correspondence with the driving signal. It is effective.

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 the discharge port, the liquid path, and the electrothermal converter (linear liquid flow path or right-angle 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, as described above, 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 material (recording medium) on which a recording apparatus can record. . As such a recording head,
Either a configuration that satisfies the length by combining a plurality of recording heads, or a configuration as a single recording head that is integrally formed may be used. In addition, even in the case of the serial type as described above, the recording head fixed to the apparatus main body,
Alternatively, a replaceable chip-type recording head that can be electrically connected to the apparatus main body or supplied with ink from the apparatus main body by being attached to the apparatus main body, or an ink tank is provided integrally with the recording head itself The present invention is also effective when a cartridge type recording head is used.

It is preferable to add recovery means for the printhead provided as a configuration of the printing apparatus, preliminary auxiliary means, and the like, 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.

As described above, the types and the number of print heads to be mounted are not limited to those provided only for one color ink, and a plurality of print heads having different print colors and densities. A plurality of inks may be provided in correspondence with the above ink. That is, for example, the recording mode of the recording apparatus is not limited to the recording mode of only the mainstream color such as black, and may be any of a configuration in which the recording head is integrally formed or a combination of a plurality of recording heads. The present invention is extremely effective for an apparatus provided with at least one of color colors or full color by color mixture.

In addition, in the embodiments of the present invention described above, the ink is described as a liquid. However, an ink that solidifies at room temperature or lower and softens or liquefies at room temperature, or an ink jet ink 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 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 further, a facsimile apparatus having a transmission / reception function. And the like.

[0080]

As apparent from the foregoing description, according to the invention of claim 1, in an ink jet recording apparatus for recording by discharging ink to a recording medium from an ink jet recording head, the ink of the ink-jet recording head
A plane including the ejection surface and a plane including the recording surface of the recording material
And the ink jet recording head is located between
Is arranged in non-contact with the discharge surface and
The recording material is stained when
Equivalent to the entire area of the ink ejection surface where
An ink absorbing member having an ink absorbing surface;
The absorbing member causes the ink jet recording head to rotate inward.
Ink on the discharge surface
By reducing the amount of ink adhering and accumulating on the ink ejection surface , it is possible to suppress the adhesion of unnecessary ink to the recording material, the number of wiping operations can be greatly reduced, and the wiping performance can be constantly maintained at a high level. Provided is an ink jet recording apparatus capable of preventing a wiping blade or a discharge port from being damaged, which hinders recording quality and durability , and maintaining high recording quality .

According to the second , third and sixth aspects of the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the ink absorbing member has a small expansion coefficient.
Made of a material that does not swell
Ink attached to the recording means by the movement of the collecting member
The ink absorbing member has a small expansion coefficient.
Formed of a material that does not swell
When the jet recording head moves, the recording means
A configuration for reducing the amount of ink adhered, or
Ink discharge surface of the jet recording head, so that can be stopped at a position facing the ink absorbing member
With such a configuration, it is possible to more efficiently reduce the amount of ink adhering and depositing on the ink ejection surface , to suppress the adhesion of unnecessary ink to the recording material, and to significantly reduce the number of times of wiping, An ink jet recording apparatus capable of always maintaining high wiping performance, preventing a wiping blade or a discharge port from being damaged which hinders recording quality and durability , and maintaining high recording quality is provided. You.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing 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 schematic exploded perspective view of a discharge recovery mechanism including a cap, a pump, a cam device, and the like in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the head cartridge in FIG.

FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of the head cartridge in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a schematic partial perspective view of an ink ejection unit of the head cartridge of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically including a front view, a plan view, and a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of the cap in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a side view schematically illustrating a positional relationship between an ink absorbing member and a recording head in an ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied, as viewed from a carriage moving direction.

FIG. 9 is a schematic partial plan view showing a positional relationship between an ink absorbing member, a recording head, and a recording material and an operation at the time of carriage movement in an embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a control system of the inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a first embodiment of a recording processing procedure of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing another embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

13 is a schematic side view showing the ink absorbing member and its mounting structure in FIG. 12 viewed from the carriage moving direction.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a second embodiment of the recording processing procedure of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a third embodiment of the recording procedure of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a fourth embodiment of the recording processing procedure of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a schematic partial plan view showing another example of the positional relationship between the ink absorbing member, the recording head, and the recording material and the operation in the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 18 is a side view schematically showing another example of the positional relationship between the ink absorbing member and the recording head in the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied, as viewed from the carriage moving direction.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 8 recording means (recording head) 9 ink tank 10 head cartridge 11 carriage 19 support plate 21 flexible cable 23 guide shaft 27 timing belt 31 carriage motor 33 platen roller 35 transport motor 39 feed roller 41 discharge roller 45 presser plate 51 cap 51a rib Unit (cap) 53 Pump (discharge recovery processing device) 55 Waste ink tank 59 Wiping blade 61 Motor (discharge recovery processing device) 63 Cam device (discharge recovery processing device) 65 Home sensor of discharge recovery processing device 67 Carriage home sensor 81 Discharge port surface 82 Discharge port 84 Liquid path 85 Electrothermal converter 86 Ink absorbing member 87 Ink absorbing surface 88 Recording material 89 Flat surface including recording surface of recording material 94 Ink absorber 501 a Click absorber (cap) 505 cap lever (discharge recovery processing unit) 561 suction port (cap)

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. An ink jet recording apparatus that performs recording by discharging ink from an ink jet recording head to a recording material, wherein: a plane including an ink discharge surface of the ink jet recording head; and a plane including a recording surface of the recording material. And the ink ejection which is disposed in a non-contact manner with respect to the ink ejection surface of the ink jet recording head, and which may stain the recording material when the ink ejection surface comes to a position facing the ink ejection surface. An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: an ink absorbing member having an ink absorbing surface corresponding to the entire surface area, wherein the amount of ink attached to the ink ejection surface of the ink jet recording head is reduced by the ink absorbing member. 2. The ink absorbing member according to claim 1, wherein the ink absorbing member is made of a material having a small expansion coefficient or a material that does not swell, and the amount of ink attached to a recording unit is reduced by moving the ink absorbing member. Inkjet recording device. 3. The ink absorbing member is made of a material having a small expansion coefficient or a material that does not swell, and reduces the amount of ink attached to the recording unit by moving the ink jet recording head. 1. An ink jet recording apparatus. 4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ink jet recording head is an ink jet recording means provided with an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy used for discharging ink. . 5. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the ink jet recording head discharges the ink from a discharge port using film boiling generated in the ink by thermal energy generated by the electrothermal transducer. apparatus. 6. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink discharge surface of the ink jet recording head is configured to be able to stop at a position facing the ink absorbing member.