JP3359290B2 - Recovery device for inkjet recording head - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recovery apparatus for an ink jet recording head which performs recording on a recording medium by discharging ink droplets from nozzles, and more particularly to a recovery apparatus for a full multi-type ink jet recording head.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, various recording methods have been developed as recording apparatuses. Among them, an ink jet recording method is excellent in quietness and high-speed recording because it is not in contact with a recording medium. It is widely used because density recording is possible and colorization and miniaturization are easy, and a full multi-type ink jet recording head and the like are known.

In such a conventional full multi-type ink jet recording head, generally, as shown in FIG. 6, an ink ejection port surface of an ink jet recording head 101 provided with a number of nozzles 102 arranged in a line. 1
01a, a cap member 103 having a cup-shaped cross section in which a rubber plate-like blade 104 is provided on the side is disposed, and the nozzle row of the ink jet recording head 101 is arranged so that the blade 104 wipes the ink discharge port surface 101a. It is relatively moved by a horizontal wiping operation in the perpendicular direction. Further, the waste ink used in the recovery process of the ink jet recording head 101 is discharged from a discharge port at a fixed position of the pump to a fixed place of the waste ink absorber.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, the following problems are observed.

(1) In the case of a nozzle recovery process by pressurizing the liquid chamber of a full multi-type ink jet recording head, the amount of leaked ink is large, and the ink is repelled when wiped sideways, and the peripheral portion of the ink jet recording head is damaged. Dirt,
For example, the ink may be fixed, which may cause a malfunction of each operation.

(2) In some full multi-type ink jet recording head rows, there is a fixing promoting ink jet recording head, and ink is repelled by a horizontal wiping blade and adheres to the nozzle portion of another ink jet recording head. Therefore, there is a possibility that the nozzle may cause a defective ink ejection.

(3) To protect the nozzle on the face,
In the case of the ink jet recording head in which the nozzle row is in a depressed state, the remaining wiping occurs in the horizontal wiping.

(4) If a structure for sucking leaked ink is adopted,
A separate suction pump is required, which increases the size of the device and increases the cost.

(5) The ink absorption efficiency is poor because the ink diffusion is limited only from a specific position of the waste ink absorber. In addition, there are times when it cannot be absorbed completely, and there are cases where overflow occurs.

[0010] An object of the present invention is to eliminate such a problem in the prior art by wiping the ink discharge port surface along the longitudinal direction to prevent the ink from splashing and absorbing the wiped ink into the ink absorber. An object of the present invention is to provide a recovery device for an ink jet recording head which is caused to discharge by a pump.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, in order to achieve the above-described object, an ink jet recording head recovery apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a multi-type ink jet recording head in which ejection ports are arranged in a plurality of rows. A recovery device configured to wipe ink adhering to the surface with a blade, integrally providing an ink absorber adjacent to the wiping side of the blade, and connecting a pump to the ink absorber; The absorber moves and scans along the arrangement direction of the ejection ports of the multi-type ink jet recording head, and the contact between the tube connected to the ink absorber and the blade and the ink ejection port surface of the recording head. A pressing roller that is moved by an operation and presses a part of the tube, wherein the pressing roller moves forward in a direction away from the pressing portion of the pressed tube. Characterized in that to perform a sucking action by moving the blade.

Further, in the ink jet recording head recovery apparatus according to the present invention, the blade may be separated from the ink discharge port surface of the recording head by an operation of separating the blade from the original state in a state where the pressing of the tube by the pressing roller is released. In addition to returning to the position, the suction-collected ink is discharged.

Further, in the recovery device for an ink jet recording head according to the present invention, the recovery device further includes a waste ink absorber, and an ink discharge port of a tube constituting the pump moves with blade return scanning. In addition, the discharged ink is not concentrated and discharged to the waste ink absorber but is dispersed and discharged.

Further, in the ink jet recording head recovery apparatus of the present invention, a blade wipes ink adhered to an ink discharge port surface of a multi-type ink jet recording head in which discharge ports are arranged in a plurality of rows. In a recovery device configured by integrally providing an ink absorber adjacent to the ink absorber and connecting a pump to the ink absorber, the blade and the ink absorber are arranged in an array of ejection openings of a multi-type inkjet recording head. A pump connected to the ink absorber is provided with a bellows tube connected to the ink absorber, and a pump at the connection end side between the absorber and the bellows tube. A first one-way valve that permits only the movement of fluid from the body to the bellows tube side; Second to allow fluid movement only on the side
And a one-way valve, wherein the blade is moved in a direction in which the bellows-like tube is extended to perform a suction action.

[0015]

[0016]

[0017]

[0018]

According to the ink jet recording head recovery apparatus of the present invention thus constituted, in order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems (1) to (4), the blade wiping direction is set to be vertical. As the wiping, a configuration in which the blade operates along the nozzle row when the inkjet recording head is at a predetermined height may be used. In addition, an ink absorber is provided on the ink wiping surface side of the blade to temporarily store the wiped ink and communicate the ink absorber and the ink suction pump,
The ink may be immediately sucked from the ink absorber. Further, the suction pump uses a mechanism that operates by blade operation so that the blade sucks ink on the outward path where the blade wipes the ink, and a mechanism that discharges the sucked ink on the blade return path, and a position where the blade does not contact the ink jet recording head. By maintaining the relationship, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the suction and discharge operations of the pump can be switched.

Further, in the case of an ink jet recording head of a full multi type ink jet recording head in which the surface of the nozzle row is depressed, the shape of the tip of the blade is configured to substantially match the surface of the nozzle row. Make sure there is no wiping residue. In addition, since the ink discharge port moves during the blade scanning due to the squeezing operation of the tube, the ink can be sprayed over a wide area of the waste ink absorber, and the ink absorption efficiency is improved and the above (5) ) Can be solved.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

(Embodiment 1) FIGS. 1 to 4 are schematic views showing a first embodiment of a recovery apparatus for an ink jet recording head according to the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a forward scanning state in which a wiping operation by a blade is performed. FIG. 2 is a view showing the backward scanning state of the blade return operation, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the overall appearance, and FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of the ink jet recording head and the blade.

As schematically shown in FIG. 3, an ink jet recording apparatus 1 to which the present invention is applied includes an ink jet printing section 2 having a plurality of full line type ink jet recording heads 10, and an ink jet recording head 10. It is roughly constituted by a recovery device 3 for performing a recovery process of the ink ejection port surface 10a, and a transport device 4 for transporting the recording paper P for performing recording.

The ink jet printing unit 2 includes a frame 20
A plurality of inkjet recording heads 10 are arranged in the inside, and the transporting device 4 is configured by hanging a transport belt 5 endlessly on a pair of transport rollers 6 and appropriately driven by a drive source such as a drive motor (not shown). It is driven, and a recording paper P for performing recording is placed and conveyed, and predetermined recording is performed by the inkjet printing unit 2.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the printing unit 2 of the ink jet recording apparatus 1 according to the present invention comprises a plurality of ink jet recording heads 10 mounted in a frame 20. Is a full multi-type ink jet recording head in which the nozzles 11 are arranged at a high density, and are arranged in the frame 20 in parallel. The frame body 20 has two roller supporting portions 21 provided at an interval, and rollers 22 are rotatably provided at the tips of the roller supporting portions 21, respectively. Further, the roller 22 of the one roller supporting portion 21 is a driving roller 2 driven by the electric motor 18 of the driving mechanism 17.
3 is disposed at a position facing the same.

Further, the frame 20 moves up and down between a position where the ink discharge port surface 10a of the ink jet recording head 10 is wiped and a position where the frame 20 is raised so that the blade 12 can return and move in a free state. Frame 20 so that it can move
Is provided with a rack 24 extending in the vertical direction,
A pinion 25 meshing with the rack 24 is attached to a shaft of an electric motor 26. Accordingly, the frame 20 is formed to be moved up and down via the pinion 25 and the rack 24 by the operation of the electric motor 26.

The recovery device 3 of the ink jet recording apparatus 1 according to the present invention includes a blade 12 for wiping ink adhered to the ink discharge port surface 10a of the ink jet recording head 10, and an ink absorbing member provided on the wiping side adjacent to the blade 12. Body 13, a blade support member 14 provided with the blade 12 and the ink absorber 13, and one end of the blade support member 14
And a tube driving roller 22 and 23 for feeding and retracting the tube 15. The tube 15 has the other end opened to the waste ink absorber 16.

In such a recovery device 3 of the present invention,
The blade 12 is made of an elastic material such as rubber, and is mounted on a blade support member 14 together with the ink absorber 13. The blade 12 and the ink absorber 13 are attached together to the blade support member 14, and a tube 15 is connected to one side of the blade support member 14 and extends substantially horizontally. It extends outward through the cutout portion 28 provided. Cap frame 2
7, a roller 23 is provided outside the notch 28, and the roller 23 is driven by an electric motor 18 via a reduction gear 18a. Is hanging down.

Further, the blade supporting member 14 is
The recording paper P is fitted and supported so as to be able to reciprocate in a direction substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction of the recording paper P along the line 9. The ink absorber 13 is provided on the blade supporting member 14 on the wiping side adjacent to the blade 12, and further, a cap 30 having a cup-shaped cross section is provided on the upper surface of the guide 29. It is mounted on the cap frame 27. The cap frame 27 is assembled in a frame shape, and a guide 29 is mounted inside one of the frame members.
A rack 31 is provided for reciprocating in the horizontal direction in parallel with the transport direction. A pinion 32 meshing with the rack 31 is attached to a shaft of an electric motor 33. Accordingly, the cap frame 27 can be reciprocated in a direction parallel to the recording paper P conveyance direction by the rack 31 via the pinion 32 by the operation of the electric motor 33.

The tube 15 has one end attached to the blade support member 14, an opening portion of the tube 15 communicated with the ink absorber 13, and extends horizontally outside the blade support member 14 to form a cap frame. It extends outwardly through a notch 28 in the body 27. In addition, tube 1
Numeral 5 extends downward at a substantially right angle via the roller 23, and a weight 32 (FIG. 3) or a return spring 33 (FIG. 1) is provided in the middle of the tube 15 extending vertically downward. The opening at the other end of the tube 15 opens laterally as a discharge port 19. Therefore, tube 1
The waste ink flowing through 5 is discharged from the outlet 19 toward the waste ink absorber 16 and absorbed.

The ink jet recording head 10 according to the present invention
As shown in FIG. 4, the blade 12 is preferably formed in a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the ink-discharge port surface 10a having a depressed shape.
With the shape shown in the figure, wiping can be performed so that there is no ink wiping residue.

In the ink jet recording apparatus 1 having such an ink jet recording head 10 of the present invention,
In the case of this embodiment, the ink jet recording method is an ink jet method in which a liquid is discharged by thermal energy,
By arranging the illustrated nozzles 11 at high density, high-definition recording can be realized.

In the present embodiment, the wiping position of the blade 12 is as follows.
Since the amount of penetration and wiping with respect to 0 is appropriately selected, wiping of the ink is most effectively performed.

According to the present invention configured as described above, in the ink jet recording head recovery device 3, as shown in FIG. 1, the blade 12 is located at the end position of the outward path (right end in the drawing). In the positioned state, first, the ink jet recording head 10 is lowered, and the rollers 22 of the roller support 21 press the tube 15 between the rollers 22 of the driving side.

In such a state, the electric motor 18 of the driving mechanism 17 is driven to position the blade 12 at the distal end position, thereby completing the preparation. In the wiping operation by the blade 12, the tip of the blade 12 is in contact with the ink discharge port surface 10 a of the ink jet recording head 10 and is bent, and the tube 15 is sandwiched between the rollers 22 and 23 and pressed. Therefore, in such a state, first, when the electric motor 18 is operated and the roller 23 is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 1, the tube 15 is extended to the left in the drawing, and the blade supporting member 14 is moved. Since the ink ejection port face 10a is moved along the guide 29, the blade 12 wipes the ink ejection port face 10a of the ink jet recording head 10 along the longitudinal direction, and the ink adhering to the ink ejection port face 10a is satisfactorily wiped off. .

The ink wiped off by the blade 12 is absorbed by the ink absorber 13 and sucked into the tube 15. The tube 15 fed out while being held between the rollers 22 and 23 tries to return from the pressed state to the original state by the elasticity of the tube 15 after passing through the rollers 22 and 23, so that the internal volume of the tube 15 is enlarged. The pressure in the tube 15 is reduced by the
The ink contained in 3 is sucked into the tube 15. FIG. 1 shows a forward scanning state showing such a wiping operation by the blade 12.

When the wiping operation of the ink ejection port surface 10a of the ink jet recording head 10 by the blade 12 is completed, the frame 20 is raised to the retracted position as shown in FIG. The ink jet recording head 10 is lifted to separate the ink discharge port face 10a from the blade 12, and the tube pump constituted by the rollers 22, 23 is released to release the rollers 22,
Since the pressing of the tube 15 by 23 is released, the tube 15 is in a free state. In the state shown in FIG. 2, the weight 32 or the spring 33 acts, and the tube 15 returns to the scanning start position in FIG. 1 while containing the ink. Therefore, the ink in the tube 15 is discharged from the discharge port 19 toward the waste ink absorber 16, and at the same time, the discharge port 19 of the tube 15 moves so as to descend downward. The ink 16 is uniformly dispersed and discharged from above to below, and is absorbed by the ink absorber 16, thereby improving the absorption efficiency.

Further, the discharge of the ink is not limited to be performed at the time of the backward movement of the blade 12, but may be performed at the time of the forward movement of the blade 12.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the recording quality of the ink jet recording head 10 by keeping the ink discharge port surface 10a of the ink jet recording head 10 clean, and to maintain high definition recording.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the ink jet recording head recovery apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a forward scan state in which a wiping operation by a blade is performed, as in the first embodiment.
As shown, in this second embodiment of the recovery device of the present invention, a bellows pump is used in place of the tube pump of the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, the recovery device 3 ′ comprises a blade 12 for wiping the ink discharge port surface 10 a of the ink jet recording head 10, a blade support member 34 provided with an ink absorber 13 adjacent to the blade 12, A bellows 35 connected to the ink absorber 13 mounted on the blade support member 34 via a one-way valve 36, a lead screw 37 for reciprocating the blade support member 34, and an electric motor 38 for driving the lead screw 37. Preferably, a similar one-way valve 36 'is provided at the other end of the bellows 35.

Therefore, when the lead screw 37 is rotated by the electric motor 38 during the forward scanning movement of the blade 12 and the blade support member 34 is moved in the direction of the arrow as shown in the figure and the bellows 35 is extended, the inside of the bellows 35 is depressurized. Therefore, the one-way valve 36 on the blade 12 side is opened, and the ink wiped by the blade 12 flows from the ink absorber 13 into the bellows 35 and accumulates in the bellows 35.

In this way, the ink accumulated in the bellows 35 is then removed when the blade 12 moves backward, the lead screw 37 is rotated in the reverse direction, and the blade support member 34 is moved in the opposite direction. 35 is compressed, the one-way valve 36 on the blade 12 side
Is closed and the one-way valve 36 'on the other end of the bellows 35 is opened, so that the ink in the bellows 35 is released from the opened one-way valve 3'.
The ink is discharged through the tube 39 through the tube 6 ', and is absorbed by the waste ink absorber as in the first embodiment, and is suitably treated.

[0043]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recovery device for an ink jet recording head, wherein a blade is used to wipe off ink adhering to an ink discharge port surface of a multi-type ink jet recording head in which discharge ports are arranged in a plurality of rows. An ink absorber is provided integrally adjacent to the wiping side of the blade, and in a recovery device configured by connecting a pump to the ink absorber, the blade and the ink absorber are provided in a multi-type inkjet recording head. The moving scan is performed along the direction in which the ejection ports are arranged, and is moved by a contact operation between the tube connected to the ink absorber and the ink ejection port surface of the recording head to press a part of the tube. A pressure roller that moves the blade in a direction away from the pressing portion of the pressed tube. So that the blade can wipe the ink discharge port surface of the ink jet recording head and wipe the remaining ink droplets to keep it clean. In conjunction with the nozzle, the tube is squeezed by the pressing roller to generate a negative pressure, and the ink moved to the ink absorber can be collected, and the ink is cleaned along the nozzle array. Thus, the cleaning performance can be stably obtained, and the suction mechanism can be configured with a simple configuration without disposing a large-scale pump mechanism or the like.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the ink jet recording head recovery device according to the first aspect, wherein the blade is released from the pressure of the tube by the pressure roller by the separating operation between the blade and the ink ejection port surface of the recording head. In addition to returning to the original position and discharging the ink collected by suction, the ink ejection port surface of the ink jet recording head can be kept clean by the blade, and
The blade can be suitably returned without any obstruction.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recovery device for an ink jet recording head, wherein the recovery device further includes a waste ink absorber, and an ink outlet of a tube constituting the pump is used for blade return scanning. Accordingly, the discharged ink is not concentrated and discharged to the waste ink absorber but is dispersed and discharged, so that the waste ink is suitably discharged.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recovery apparatus for an ink jet recording head, wherein the ink attached to the ink ejection port surface of a multi-type ink jet recording head having a plurality of ejection ports arranged in a row is wiped by a blade. In addition to integrally providing an ink absorber adjacent to the wiping side,
In the recovery device configured by connecting a pump to the ink absorber, the blade and the ink absorber move and scan along the direction in which the ejection openings of the multi-type inkjet recording head are arranged. The pump connected to the body allows only the movement of the fluid from the absorber to the bellows tube side at the connection end side between the absorber and the bellows tube connected to the ink absorber. A first one-way valve, and a second one-way valve that permits the movement of fluid only outward from the bellows-shaped tube on the other end side of the bellows-shaped tube, and the direction in which the bellows-shaped tube is extended. Since the suction action is performed by moving the blade, the surface of the ink discharge port can be wiped to wipe out remaining ink droplets, thereby keeping the blade clean. It moves up and down bets recording head is suitably operated without any way inconvenience is interlocked with operation of the pump,
By performing cleaning along the nozzle arrangement, the cleaning performance can be stably obtained, and the suction mechanism can be configured with a simple configuration without disposing a large-scale pump mechanism or the like.

[0047]

[0048]

[0049]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view of a recovery apparatus for an ink jet recording head according to the present invention in a blade going forward state according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the recovery device for an ink jet recording head of the present invention shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing an entire appearance of a recovery device for an ink jet recording head of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a nozzle face surface shape and a blade shape of the ink jet recording head of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic explanatory view of Embodiment 2 of the recovery device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory view showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 inkjet recording device 2 inkjet printing unit 3 recovery device 4 transport device 5 transport belt 6 transport roller 10 inkjet print head 11 nozzle 12 blade 13 ink absorber 14 blade support member 15 tube 16 waste ink absorber 17 drive mechanism 18 motor 19 discharge Outlet (tube) 20 Frame 21 Roller support 22 Roller 23 Roller 24 Rack 25 Pinion 26 Electric motor 27 Cap frame 28 Notch 29 Guide 30 Cap 31 Rack 32 Weight 33 Return spring 34 Blade support member 35 Bellows 36 One Directional valve 36 'One-way valve 37 Lead screw 38 Motor

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-9-48134 (JP, A) JP-A-6-15814 (JP, A) JP-A-8-25653 (JP, A) JP-A-2- 11332 (JP, A) JP-A-62-227753 (JP, A)

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A multi-type ink jet recording head having a plurality of ejection openings arranged in a plurality of rows, the ink attached to an ink ejection opening surface is wiped by a blade, and an ink absorber is integrally provided adjacent to a wiping side of the blade. A recovery device configured by connecting a pump to the ink absorber, wherein the blade and the ink absorber move and scan along a direction in which ejection openings of a multi-type inkjet recording head are arranged. A tube connected to the ink absorber, and a pressing roller that is moved by a contact operation between the blade and the ink ejection port surface of the recording head and presses a part of the tube, and includes a pressing portion of the pressed tube. A recovery device characterized in that a suction action is performed by moving the blade in a direction away from the blade. 2. The blade returns to its original position in a state where the pressing of the tube by the pressing roller is released by the separating operation between the blade and the ink ejection port surface of the recording head, and the ink collected by suction is recovered. The recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the device is discharged. 3. The recovery device further includes a waste ink absorber, wherein an ink discharge port of a tube constituting the pump moves along with blade return scanning, and the discharged ink moves relative to the waste ink absorber. 2. The recovery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discharge is performed in a dispersed manner without being concentratedly discharged. 4. A multi-type ink jet recording head having a plurality of ejection ports arranged in a plurality of rows, the ink attached to the ink ejection port surface is wiped by a blade, and an ink absorber is integrally provided adjacent to the wiping side of the blade. A recovery device configured by connecting a pump to the ink absorber, wherein the blade and the ink absorber move and scan along a direction in which ejection openings of a multi-type inkjet recording head are arranged. A pump connected to the ink absorber, a bellows-shaped tube connected to the ink absorber,
The connection end side between the absorber and the bellows-shaped tube, which permits only the movement of fluid from the absorber to the bellows-shaped tube side
(1) a one-way valve, a second one-way valve on the other end side of the bellows-shaped tube that allows the fluid to move only outward from the bellows-shaped tube, and the blade is moved in a direction in which the bellows-shaped tube is extended. A recovery device characterized in that a suction action is performed by moving the recovery device.