JP3573207B2 - Ink jet recording device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus, and more particularly, to an ink jet recording apparatus characterized by a mechanism for performing a maintenance operation of a recording head and a supply / discharge operation of recording paper by a single drive motor.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the ink jet type recording apparatus, a driving system for executing a recording sheet supply / discharge operation and a recording head maintenance operation is required in addition to the carriage running operation as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-163, and a small printer is required. In order to reduce the size and cost of the apparatus, a mechanism is employed in which the sheet supply / discharge operation and the maintenance operation of the recording head are executed by a single drive motor.
[0003]
This type of mechanism generally includes a switching mechanism that switches the driving force of the paper feed motor between the driving system of the pump and the driving system of the paper supply / discharge at each time the carriage moves from the home position to the printing area and from the printing area to the home position. In addition, since the switching mechanism employs a mechanism for selectively meshing the switching gear with each gear of the paper supply / discharge system and the pump system, the meshing does not go smoothly, and the meshing teeth do not interlock. In addition to the drawback, there is a problem that the timing of paper feeding may be deviated due to deviation, and also, there is a problem that this switching mechanism requires many members.
In addition, in the ink jet recording apparatus, it is necessary to provide a cleaning mechanism for keeping the recording head in a good state at all times outside the recording / writing area of the recording head. growing. In particular, in an ink jet recording apparatus that uses two types of inks of the same color, such as yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, for color printing, a recording head that ejects these inks as ink droplets is necessarily large. In other words, the capping unit and the cleaning mechanism configured in association with the size of the recording head also inevitably increase in size.
As a result, if the carriage, the recording head, the capping unit, and the cleaning mechanism are arranged at a high density in the box in an attempt to reduce the size of the recording apparatus, the margin is reduced and, for example, the cleaning unit is moved by the backlash or play during the recording operation. In such a case, there is a problem that the carriage and the cleaner unit come into contact with each other to hinder recording and writing.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-224895
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to minimize the width dimension as much as possible while reliably preventing interference between a cleaner unit and a carriage. An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
That is, in order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a capping means for moving a carriage on which a recording head is mounted in one movement direction to move toward the recording head to seal the recording head; It is disposed on the print area side of the head so as to be movable and displaceable in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the carriage, and enters the moving path of the capping means when the capping means is moved to a position for sealing the recording head. Cleaning means for cleaning a nozzle surface of the recording head, the cleaning means being configured to be capable ofOne side surface of the capping unit functions as a contact surface for preventing the cleaning unit from protruding into the traveling area of the recording head.I did it.
[0006]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Therefore, the details of the present invention will be described below based on embodiments.
FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. A carriage 1 is connected to a carriage motor 2 by a timing belt 3 so as to reciprocate in the width direction of a recording sheet 4. An ink jet recording head 5 that presses ink by an actuator to eject ink droplets from nozzle openings is provided on a surface facing the ink jet recording head 4, and an ink cartridge 6 that supplies ink to the recording head 5 is detachably mounted on the upper surface. are doing.
[0007]
The recording paper 4 is fed at a constant pitch by a transport roller 8 connected to a paper feed motor 7 via a power transmission mechanism described later in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the carriage 1. Outside the printing area, a capping unit 9 for sealing the recording head 5 and a cleaner unit 10 on the printing area side of the capping unit 9 are provided.
[0008]
The capping unit 9 seals the recording head 5 during non-printing to prevent clogging of the nozzle opening, and receives a supply of negative pressure from the pump unit 11 to record when ink is filled or when clogging is eliminated. It has a function of forcibly ejecting ink from the head 5. In addition, the code | symbol 12 in a figure shows a cut sheet feeder.
[0009]
2 and 3 show an embodiment of the above-described driving force transmission mechanism. The conveying roller 8 has a gear 13 at one end, and a pinion 14 on a shaft of the paper feed motor 7 to an idler 15. The drive shaft 16 has a gear 17 at one end, and engages with the gear 13 via a clutch mechanism 18 to transmit power to the cut sheet feeder 12. Is driven from a pinion 14 of the paper feed motor 7 via an idler 19 and a paper discharge roller gear 20 by a gear 22 provided at the other end of the paper discharge roller 21. The clutch mechanism 18 is configured such that a spring (not shown) normally keeps a position away from the gears 13 and 17 as shown in FIG. 2 and connects the gears 13 and 17 when pressed by the carriage 1. Have been.
[0010]
Next, the configuration of each part will be described. The pump unit 11 is mounted on a surface on the home position side of the pump frame 23 fixed in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the carriage 1. A gear 26 that meshes with a gear 22 of the paper discharge roller 21 via an idler 25 is rotatably provided on a shaft 24 of the pump unit 11. The gear 26 has a cleaner cam 29 provided with an arm 28 that is frictionally rotated by being pressed by a spring 27 on its rear surface so as to freely rotate. The arm 28 moves the cleaner unit 10.
[0011]
A ratchet wheel 31, an intermediate transmission wheel 32, and a pump wheel 33 are stacked and mounted on the shaft 24 of the pump unit 11 so that the intermediate transmission wheel 32 is freely rotatable. The ratchet wheel 31 has a projection 31a on the surface facing the intermediate transmission wheel 32, the intermediate transmission wheel 32 has projections 32a and 32b on both surfaces, and the pump wheel 33 has a projection on the surface facing the intermediate transmission wheel 32. 33a is protruded.
[0012]
As a result, the ratchet wheel 31 rotates, and the power is not transmitted to the intermediate transmission wheel 32 until the projection 31 a contacts the projection 32 a of the intermediate transmission wheel 32. Further, even if the projection 31a of the ratchet wheel 31 abuts on the projection 32a of the intermediate transmission wheel 32, power is not transmitted to the pump wheel 33 until the projection 32b abuts on the projection 33a of the pump wheel 33. That is, when the rotation direction of the paper feed motor 7 is switched, a rotation transmission delay of up to about two rotations is provided between the ratchet wheel 31 and the pump wheel 33.
[0013]
As is well known, the pump wheel 33 is provided with two shaft holes 33b, 33b each having one end extending in the center direction and the other end extending in the outer peripheral direction. The tube 35 is formed in the pump casing by shifting the rollers 34, 34 pivotally supported by the shaft holes 33b, 33b in the outer circumferential direction or the center direction, that is, by rotating the paper feed motor 7 forward or reverse. It is configured to switch between a pump action handled between the tube 36 and a release action that does not pressurize the tube 35.
[0014]
The cleaner unit 10 is formed by forming a groove 38 on the upper surface of the cleaner holder 37 and inserting a cleaning blade 39 having a height such that the tip can elastically contact the nozzle plate of the recording head 5. The cleaner holder 37 has a guide protrusion 40 formed on a side portion thereof engaged with a guide groove 42 extending in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the carriage 1 at an upper portion of the pump casing 36, and has a length extending vertically at a tip end. The hole 43 is engaged with the projection 28 a of the arm 28 of the cleaner cam 29. Further, the cleaner holder 37 has a locking projection 44 formed between the cleaning blade 39 and the guide projection 40 to engage with the carriage stopper 1a provided on the side surface of the carriage 1.
[0015]
Accordingly, when the cleaner cam 29 rotates, the guide groove 40 reciprocates, and when the cleaner blade 29 moves from the retracted position to the cleaning position, that is, from the right end position in the drawing to the traveling area of the carriage 1, the cleaning blade 39 is repelled by the recording head 5. It is configured to wipe the nozzle surface in contact with it and to suppress the movement of the cap 80 described later in the starting end direction.
[0016]
FIGS. 4 and 5 show an embodiment of the capping unit 9. The cap frame 51 is provided with two locking projections 52, 52 protruding at one end by a locking hole of the pump frame 23 described above. By engaging with 23b, 23b, it is attached with its longitudinal direction facing the running direction of the carriage 1.
[0017]
The cap frame 51 has, on both sides thereof, a cam groove 53 including an upward inclined portion 53a and a horizontal portion 53b extending from the start end to the end of the home position, that is, extending from left to right in FIG. 53 are provided on both sides, and the protrusions 57 of the slider 56 are slidably mounted thereon.
[0018]
The slider 56 has a contact piece 56a that contacts the carriage 1 at the end, and a distance Ls from the contact piece 56a to the longitudinal length Lc of the cap 80 from the contact piece 56a, as shown in FIG. A holder receiving portion for supporting the cap 80 is formed at a separated position. The slider 56 is provided with guide pieces 56b, 56b for guiding the recording head 5 on both sides, and the terminal end is supported by the cam groove 53 of the cap frame 51 by the projection 57, and the start end is supported by the spring 58 at the terminal end. Is held by a lever 59 that constitutes a link that has received a rotational urging force.
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 6A, the protrusion 57 is formed at a position having substantially the same height (ΔH ≒ 0) as the sealing surface 80a of the cap 80. As described above, when the slider 56 moves to the capping position and seals the recording head 1, the shift amount ΔL1 when the slider 56 rotates around the protrusion 57 can be minimized. On the other hand, in the case where it is formed at another position (57 ') at any height, the deviation amount [Delta] L2 becomes large, and it is difficult to obtain a reliable seal.
[0020]
The lever 59 supporting the lower part of the slider 56 is set so that its arm length, that is, the lift amount ΔH1 is larger than the lift amount ΔH2 of the inclined portion 53a of the cam groove 53, as shown in FIG. ing. The load at the time of capping can be reduced by bringing the inclined portion 53a closer to horizontal. As a result, the current for driving the carriage motor 2 is suppressed to a small value, the impact on the carriage 1 is reduced, troubles such as missing dots due to meniscus destruction of the recording head 5 are prevented, and high reliability can be secured. Further, since the load at the time of capping is reduced, the length of the lever 59 can be shortened, the amount of movement in the horizontal direction due to the amount of rotation can be suppressed, and the size of the entire capping device can be suppressed.
[0021]
The slider 56 is engaged with the distal end of the lever 59 through an engagement hole 60 having a length L formed at a lower portion thereof, and has a degree of freedom L (FIG. 6A) corresponding to the length of the engagement hole 60. , And is configured to be pulled toward the starting end side, that is, the lower end side of the inclined portion 53a while maintaining the uncapped state.
[0022]
Thereby, under the non-capping state, the lowest area is moved to a position overlapping with the operation area of the cleaner unit 10, and the contact surface 63 b of the cap holder 63 is moved to the area facing the tip end surface of the cleaner unit 10. Displacement prevents the cleaner unit 10 from protruding into the movement area of the carriage 1. As a result, the capping unit 9 can be disposed as close to the recording paper 4 as possible along the movement path of the carriage 1 without requiring a large safety tolerance. It is possible to reduce the width dimension.
[0023]
On the upper surface of the slider 56, spring receiving seats 62 are formed on the left and right sides and in the moving direction of the carriage 1 so that the center lines in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the cap 80 are symmetrical lines. Also, projections 65 and 65 'are formed on both sides of the starting end side to engage with the grooves 64 and 64' of the cap holder 63, and further, the end side engages with the projection 66 of the cap holder 63 on the center line. A groove 67 is formed.
[0024]
The cap holder 63 has spring receiving portions 68, 68 extending therefrom so as to protrude on both sides thereof. Spring receiving seats 69, 69 are formed on the cap holder 63 in the moving direction of the carriage 1, and both sides on the starting end side are formed. Grooves 64, 64 'engaging with the protrusions 65, 65' of the slider 56 are formed at the end, and a protrusion 66 engaging with the groove 67 of the slider is formed on the center line on the end side.
[0025]
Then, one of the grooves 64, 64 ', for example, the bottom surface of the groove 64' is slightly higher than the other groove 64, or one of the protrusions 65, 65 ', for example, 65' is a groove 64 'than the other protrusion 65. Are formed so as to protrude the surface facing the.
[0026]
With such a configuration, the cap holder 63 has its grooves 64 and 64 ′ engaged with the protrusions 65 and 65 ′ of the slider 56, and the protrusion 66 engaged with the groove 67 of the slider 56. With the compression spring 70 inserted, the slider 56 is supported at three points in a posture in which one side on the starting end side is slightly lower than the other end in a state of being urged upward. Specifically, it is set so as to be 1 mm or more, or the inclination of the recording head 5 with respect to the nozzle surface is 2 degrees or more.
[0027]
Further, since the cap holder 63 is supported at three points, the positioning height of the sealing surface of the cap 80 housed therein can be adjusted more accurately. Further, when the cap 80 is separated from the recording head 5, the peeling force is applied with the outer side of the cap 80 as a fulcrum to amplify the moment, and even if the cap 80 is adhered to the recording head 5 by solidification of ink or the like. However, they can be easily separated.
[0028]
As described above, since the cap holder 63 is resiliently pressed toward the recording head 5 by the compression springs 70 on both sides outside the sealing area, the compression force by the compression springs 70 on both sides is reduced as shown in FIG. Assuming that the distances from the PA, Pb, spring 70 to the sealing point of the cap 80 are La, Lb, and the distance between the sealing points, that is, the width W of the cap 80, the reaction forces Ra, Rb of each sealing point are respectively
Ra = {Pa (W + La) -Pb · Lb} / W
Rb = {Pb (W + Lb) -Pa · La} / W
It becomes.
In order to make the adhesion with the recording head 5 constant, it is necessary to make the reaction forces Ra and Rb at each sealing point the same.
{Pa (W + La) -Pb · Lb} = {Pb (W + Lb) -Pa · La}
Pa (W + 2La) = Pb (W + 2Lb)
Condition
Pa = Pb
La = Lb
Needs to be satisfied.
That is, the same load may be used for the compression springs 70 on both sides, and these springs 70 may be arranged at positions symmetrical with respect to the cap 80.
[0029]
On the other hand, the cap holder 63 changes the height of one of the grooves 64 and 64 ′ or the thickness of one of the protrusions 65 and 65 ′ to take a posture in which one side on the starting end side is slightly lower. When the recording head 5 starts to contact the recording head 5, the load becomes unbalanced.
That is, as shown in FIG. 8B, the reaction forces Ra and Rd of the support points A and D are respectively
Ra = {Pa (W '+ La) -Pb.Lb'} / W '
Rd = {Pb (W '+ Lb')-Pa.La} / W '
It becomes.
And, since the respective loads Pa and Pb are set to the same value as described above,
Ra = Pa + {Pa (La-Lb ')} / W'
Rd = Pa + {Pa (Lb'-La)} / W '
In addition, since La> Lb ', naturally, it becomes {Pa (La-Lb')} / W '> 0.
Ra = Pa + {Pa (La−Lb ′)} / W ′> Pa
It becomes.
[0030]
That is, when the cap 80 starts to come into close contact with the recording head 5, a load larger by {Pa (La−Lb ′)} / W ′ than the load Pa by the spring 70 itself acts on the contact point. The core properties and adhesion are increased.
In addition, in order to increase the incremental load {Pa (La−Lb ′)} / W ′ at the initial stage of close contact, W ′ and Lb may be reduced and La may be increased. Since it is determined, it is a practical method to increase La and decrease Lb '.
[0031]
FIG. 8C shows the distance between the cap and the recording head between the cap of the present invention and the conventional cap holding the cap with two springs located at the center line inside the sealing area of the cap. This shows the relationship with the load acting on the recording head. In the present invention shown by the solid line (A), a sufficient load can be applied at the initial stage of contact, whereas in the conventional one, a dotted line ( As shown in B), the contact load is applied only immediately before the contact with the entire surface.
[0032]
The cap holder 63 has two projections 71 implanted on the center line of the bottom surface 63a, and two cylindrical bodies 72, 73 formed on the start end side so as to be symmetrical about the center line. The tubular body 73 is extended vertically to the tube 35 of the pump unit 11, and the tubular body 72 is extended to the outside so as to be bent parallel to the bottom surface and toward the terminal end, and to be described later via a tube 74 via a tube 74. It is connected to the seat 75.
[0033]
Since the tubes 35 and 74 are mounted as close as possible to the center line of the cap 80 and are arranged perpendicular to the cap and parallel to the direction of movement, the bending moment acting on the cap 80 is minimized. It becomes possible to reduce.
[0034]
The valve seat 75 is fixed to the terminal end of the slider 56, and a valve 77 is fixed to the valve seat 75. The operating rod 79 is in contact with an abutting piece 76 provided on the cap frame 51 so as to be slidable in the carriage moving direction, and such that the valve 77 always keeps the closed position in a state of being biased by a spring 78. It is attached to the slider 56 at a position facing 77.
[0035]
The cap holder 63 holds a cap 80 formed of an elastic member such as rubber having ink resistance inside by concave portions 81 and 82 formed in the cap 80, a projection 71 and a claw 83.
[0036]
The cap 80 has concave portions 84 and 85 formed on the bottom surface thereof so as to communicate with the cylindrical bodies 72 and 73, and holds two ink absorbing sheets 86 and 87 made of a porous material having ink resistance with claws 88. are doing.
[0037]
FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of the cut sheet feeder 12 with its paper feed mechanism, which comprises a hopper 90, a separation pad 94, and a paper feed roller 100.
The hopper 90 is urged toward the paper feed roller by a spring 92 interposed between the lower back surface of the hopper 90 and the frame 91, and the spring 93 feeds the paper feed roller 100 on a lower surface facing the paper feed roller 100. A separation pad 94 urged in the direction of the normal line is provided. The separation pad 94 is configured to move up and down in accordance with a sheet feeding operation during one rotation of the sheet feeding roller 100 by a cam (not shown) provided on the sheet feeding roller driving shaft 16.
[0038]
The paper feed roller 100 has an arc portion 100a and a linear portion 100b, and is formed as a roller having a D-shaped cross section so as to generate a high frictional force with a recording sheet. It is attached to a drive shaft 16 and is configured to make one rotation during a paper feeding operation by a paper feed motor 7 via a gear 17.
[0039]
The bush 101 has a cam surface 102 formed so as to exclude a region facing the linear portion 100b of the paper feed roller 100 with the center axis interposed therebetween, and is configured to move the idle roller 103 on the cam surface 102.
[0040]
The idle roller 103 is rotatably held by a shaft 105 that can move within the elongated hole 104 on the frame 91, and is attached to the separation pad 94 so as to be vertically movable.
[0041]
With this configuration, when the paper feed roller 100 is rotated counterclockwise by a predetermined angle, the separating pad 94 is separated from the paper feed hopper 100 by a cam mechanism (not shown), and the recording paper is fed to the hopper 90 by a paper return lever (not shown). Pushed back. Almost at the same time as the recording paper is returned to the hopper 90, the separation pad 94 is pressed against the paper feed hopper 100.
[0042]
Then, when the paper feed roller 100 rotates clockwise, the hopper 90 is momentarily pushed up by the spring 92, and the paper P is also pushed up, and the arc portion 100a of the paper feed roller 100 is pressed against the paper on the front surface.
When the paper feed roller 100 continues to rotate, the paper is sent toward the separation pad 94. In this manner, the recording sheet is fed between the separation pad 94 by the rotation of the arc portion 100 a, one sheet is separated from the plurality of recording sheets by the separation pad 94, and further sent to the transport roller 8. At this point, since the arc portion 100a of the paper feed roller 100 passes through the separation pad 94 and the linear portion 100b is opposed, the idle roller 103 engaged with the cam surface 102 presses the recording paper against the separation pad 94. Further, it is possible to prevent a plurality of unseparated recording sheets from being sent to the transport roller 8 in an extra manner.
[0043]
Then, when the paper feed roller 100 makes one more rotation, the original state is reset to prepare for the next paper feed.
[0044]
Next, the operation of the device configured as described above will be described based on the flowcharts shown in FIGS.
During the pause, the locking projection 44 of the cleaner unit 10 is engaged with the carriage stopper 1a to lock the carriage 1 as shown in FIG. As shown, the cleaner unit 10 is retracted from the recording head 5, and the carriage lock is released (step (a) in FIG. 20).
[0045]
As a result, the carriage 1 can be moved, so that the carriage 1 is slightly moved in the direction of the starting end to form a gap ΔG between the recording head 5 and the cap 80 as shown in FIG. 12 (step (b) in FIG. 20). In this state, a flushing signal is supplied to the recording head 5 to eject ink droplets from the nozzles to the cap 80 (step (c) in FIG. 20). In this state, since the surface of the cap 80 is inclined at an angle θ with respect to the nozzle surface of the recording head 5, ink splashing from the ink absorbing sheet 86 can be prevented from adhering to the nozzle surface as much as possible. . Since the slight movement of the carriage in the paper end direction is performed by the length L of the engagement hole 60 of the lever 59, the lever 59 maintains the inoperative state. Even if it abuts, the impact on the carriage 1 can be reduced as much as possible, and the meniscus of the recording head 5 can be prevented from being damaged, so that highly reliable printing can be ensured.
[0046]
Then, the carriage 1 is moved to the end opposite to the home position, and the gear 13 is engaged with the gear 17 of the feed roller drive shaft 16 by the clutch mechanism 18 (step (d) in FIG. 20). Is slightly reversed, and the paper return operation is performed by the automatic sheet feeder 12 (step (e) in FIG. 20). The ratchet wheel 31 has its projection 31a delayed by the intermediate transmission wheel 32 adjacent thereto, so that the transmission of the driving force to the pump wheel 33 is cut off, and the ratchet wheel 31 is cut without applying unnecessary load to the paper feed motor 7. The paper return operation in the sheet feeder 12 is performed.
[0047]
Then, when the paper feed motor 7 is rotated forward, the paper feed roller 100 rotates forward to transport the recording paper to the biting area of the transport roller 8 (step (f) in FIG. 20). Then, the carriage 1 is moved to the home position side to disengage the gear 13 by the clutch mechanism 18 and the gear 17 of the feed roller drive shaft 16 (step (g) in FIG. 20), and the paper feed motor 7 is rotated in reverse. The recording paper is discharged from the transport roller 8 to eliminate the skew of the paper (step (h) in FIG. 20).
[0048]
The carriage 1 is moved to a position where the clutch mechanism 18 can be engaged so that the gear 13 and the gear 17 of the feed roller drive shaft 16 are engaged (step (i) in FIG. 20), and the paper feed motor 7 is rotated forward. Then, the recording sheet is transported by the transport rollers 8 and the cut sheet feeder 12 is reset (step (nu) in FIG. 20). Then, the carriage 1 is moved to the home position side to disengage the gear 13 by the clutch mechanism 18 and the gear 17 of the feed roller drive shaft 16 (step (l) in FIG. 20), and the paper feed motor 7 is rotated in reverse. Then, the leading edge of the sheet is positioned at a predetermined position by the conveying roller 8 (step (ヲ) in FIG. 20), and the sheet feed motor 7 is rotated forward to execute the sheet positioning and backlash removal (FIG. 20). Step (W)) and the printing operation starts (Step (F) in FIG. 20).
[0049]
The forward rotation and the reverse rotation of the paper feed motor 7 have a small amount of rotation and alternately repeat the forward rotation and the reverse rotation, so that the pump unit 11 maintains the inoperative state due to the transmission delay effect of the intermediate transmission wheel 32. That is, only the load necessary to convey the paper acts on the paper feed motor 7.
[0050]
When paper is set and printing is started in this way, every time the recording head 5 finishes printing one line, the paper feed motor 7 rotates forward to execute paper feed for one line. Although the transmission delay by the intermediate transmission wheel 32 does not function due to the subsequent forward rotation of the paper feed motor 7, the pump unit 11 does not function as a pump because the roller 34 is drawn toward the center and rotates. No unnecessary load is applied to the feed motor 7.
[0051]
In a state where the paper feed motor 7 rotates in the forward direction, the carriage 1 reciprocates in the print area, and the recording head 5 performs printing, the cleaner unit 10 is reset as shown in FIG. Since the slider 56 of the capping unit 9 is located at a lower position by the lever 59 receiving the urging force of the spring 58, the recording head 5 Even when they move above the cap 80, they do not come into contact with each other.
[0052]
Further, the urging force of the return spring 61 moves the print area side by an amount corresponding to the length L of the engagement hole 60 of the lever 59, and the contact surface 63 b of the cap holder 63 faces the cleaner unit 10. I have. Thus, even if the paper feed motor 7 rotates in the reverse direction, that is, in the direction in which the cleaner unit 10 is pushed into the traveling area of the recording head 5, the cap holder 63 allows the cleaner unit 10 to protrude into the traveling area of the recording head 5. Is prevented, a situation that hinders the recording operation is prevented.
[0053]
When the recording operation is completed, the carriage 1 is moved to the home position by the carriage motor 2. In the course of this movement, as shown in FIG. 14, the carriage 1 comes into contact with the contact piece 56a of the slider 56, and the slider 56 is turned against the return spring 61 and the lever 59 is turned against the spring 58. While moving toward the end.
[0054]
In this movement process, the lever 59 rises with the movement of the carriage 1, and the projection 57 of the slider 56 moves on the slope 53 a of the cam groove 53. When the protrusion 57 of the slider 56 pressed by the carriage 1 is further moved to the horizontal portion 53b of the cam groove 53, the cap holder 63 is in a posture in which one side of the starting end is slightly lower in the process. Due to the fact that the cap 80 is attached to the slider 56 as described above, the cap 80 first comes in contact with the nozzle surface of the recording head 5 at a point on the end side thereof by the compression force of the full compression spring 70. Then, as shown in FIG. 15, when the slider 56 has moved to the end portion, the entire circumference of the cap 80 receives the compressive force of the full compression spring 70 and abuts on the nozzle surface of the recording head 5 to securely seal. .
[0055]
In the process from the initial stage of the contact to the entire sealing, the projection 57 is located at substantially the same height (ΔH ≒ 0) as the sealing surface 80a of the cap 80, and as shown in FIG. When the slider 56 moves to the capping position, the displacement amount ΔL1 when the slider 56 rotates about the projection 57 is extremely small, and reliably contacts the nozzle surface of the recording head 5 to securely seal.
[0056]
In this sealed state, the contact surface 63b of the cap holder 63 is retracted from the path of the cleaner unit 10. Therefore, when the paper feed motor 7 is rotated in reverse, the cleaner cam 29 rotated counterclockwise in FIG. Then, the cleaner unit 10 is caused to protrude into the traveling area of the recording head 5 by the arm 28. When the cleaning unit 10 is rotated in the reverse direction to a position where the cleaning operation is possible, the locking projection 44 of the cleaner unit 10 engages with the carriage stopper 1a to lock the carriage 1 as shown in FIG. Hinder the movement.
[0057]
When clogging occurs in the recording head 1 due to long-time printing or the like, cleaning is required.
From the sealed state shown in FIG. 10, the paper feed motor 7 is rotated forward to discharge the recording paper, and the cleaner unit 10 is retracted from the recording head 5 to release the carriage lock as shown in FIG. 21 Step (a)). As a result, the carriage 1 can be moved. When the carriage 1 is further moved from the capping state shown in FIG. 15 to the position shown in FIG. 16, the operating rod 79 provided on the slider 56 is moved to the cap frame. The valve 77 of the valve seat 75 is opened to the atmosphere by making contact with the contact piece 76 of FIG. 51 (step (b) in FIG. 21).
[0058]
When the paper feed motor 7 is rotated in the reverse direction in this state, the cleaner unit 10 projects on the traveling path of the recording head 5, and the cleaner unit 10 is set to a position where cleaning can be performed as shown in FIG. (C)). Of course, since the paper feed motor 7 is reverse rotation after normal rotation, the reverse rotation of the paper feed motor 7 is not transmitted to the pump wheel 33 by the intermediate transmission wheel 32, and the pump unit 11 maintains the inoperative state.
[0059]
Next, when the carriage 1 is moved to the start end side, the cleaning blade 39 comes into contact with the nozzle surface of the recording head 5 as shown in FIG. 18, so that the carriage 1 is moved to the wiping end position to attach to the nozzle surface. The removed ink is wiped (step (d) in FIG. 21). At this time, since the cleaning blade 39 is in contact with the cap holder 63, the ink adhering to the cleaning blade 39 by wiping moves to the cap holder 63 or the cap 80. The wiping operation can be maintained as small as possible, and the reliability of the wiping operation can be ensured.
[0060]
When the cleaning is completed, the paper feed motor 7 is rotated forward by the same amount as the reverse rotation, and the cleaner unit 10 is returned to the retracted position again as shown in FIG. 19 (step (e) in FIG. 21), and the carriage 1 is moved. The recording head 5 is moved to the idle suction position to move and displace the slider 56 to the terminal end, and the recording head 5 is set to the idle suction state shown in FIG. 16 (step (f) in FIG. 21).
[0061]
The paper feed motor 7 is rotated by the transmission delay by the intermediate transmission wheel 32 (step (g) in FIG. 21), and the carriage 1 is slightly moved to the start end side to bring the recording head 1 into the sealed state shown in FIG. Set (step (h) in FIG. 21). As a result, the slider 56 is separated from the terminal end, so that the operating rod 79 on the slider 56 is separated from the contact piece 76 of the cap frame 51 and is closed by the valve 77 by the urging force of the spring 78.
[0062]
When the paper feed motor 7 is reversed in this state, the power is transmitted to the pump unit 9, the suction force acts on the cap 80, the ink is sucked from the recording head 5 with a strong pressure and is forcibly ejected, and the nozzle The clogging is eliminated, and the recording head 5 is restored to a normal state (FIG. 21 step (i)).
[0063]
The print head 5 is set to the idle suction position shown in FIG. 16 by slightly moving and displacing the carriage 1 to the terminal end (FIG. 21 step (N)), and the paper feed motor 7 is rotated at a low speed to rotate the print head 5. Only the ink remaining in the cap 80 is sucked and discharged to a waste ink tank (not shown) without applying unnecessary suction force to the ink (step (l) in FIG. 21).
[0064]
At the end of the idle suction, since the cleaner unit 10 is set at the position shown in FIG. 17, the paper feed motor 7 is rotated forward to evacuate the cleaner unit 10 (step (ヲ) in FIG. 21). 1 is moved to the wiping end position (step (W) in FIG. 21).
[0065]
At the end of the cleaning operation, the paper feed motor 7 is rotated in the reverse direction to eliminate the transmission delay caused by the intermediate transmission wheel 32 caused by the previous forward rotation (step (f) in FIG. 21), and the pump unit 11 is operated. The ink remaining in the cap 80 is sucked with a strong suction force without applying a suction force to the recording head 5 (FIG. 21).
Step (Y)).
[0066]
Then, the paper feed motor 7 is caused to rotate normally to retract the cleaner unit 10 from the traveling path of the recording head 5 as shown in FIG. 16 (step (T) in FIG. 21). Then, the carriage 1 is moved toward the end portion again, and the recording head 5 is sealed in the idle suction state by the cap 80 as shown in FIG. 16 (step (d) in FIG. 21). Since the cleaner unit 10 is retracted from the traveling path of the recording head 5, the cleaning blade 39 does not contact the nozzle surface of the recording head 5.
[0067]
The paper feed motor 7 is rotated in the reverse direction to eliminate the transmission delay due to the intermediate transmission wheel 32 (step (S) in FIG. 21), and the carriage 1 is slightly moved to the start end side so that the recording head 1 is closed as shown in FIG. It is set to the stop state (step (T) in FIG. 21). As a result, the slider 56 is separated from the terminal end, and the valve 77 is closed by the operating rod 79.
[0068]
When the paper feed motor 7 is rotated at a low speed in this state, power is transmitted to the pump unit 9, a weak suction force acts on the cap 80, and ink is forcibly discharged from the recording head 5 with a weak suction force, and Is restored (step (a) in FIG. 22).
[0069]
After the end of the suction, the carriage 1 is slightly moved to the end portion to set the print head 5 to the idle suction state shown in FIG. 16 (step (b) in FIG. 22), and the paper feed motor 7 is rotated at a low speed to rotate the print head. From step 5, only the ink remaining in the cap 80 is sucked by applying a suction force that does not cause the ink to be ejected and discharged to a waste ink tank (not shown) (step (c) in FIG. 22).
[0070]
At the end of the idle suction, the cleaner unit 10 is already set as shown in FIG. 17 by the reverse rotation of the above step (c), so that the carriage 1 is moved to the wiping end position as shown in FIG. Then, wiping is performed (step (d) in FIG. 22).
[0071]
When the paper feed motor 7 is rotated in the reverse direction at the end of the cleaning operation, the reverse rotation continues from the previous time. Therefore, the pump unit 11 operates without causing a transmission delay by the intermediate transmission wheel 32, and the cap 80 The remaining ink without being sealed is sucked with a strong negative pressure (step (e) in FIG. 22).
[0072]
By rotating the paper feed motor 7 forward within the transmission delay of the intermediate transmission wheel 32, the cleaner unit 10 is retracted from the traveling path of the recording head 5 as shown in FIG. 19 (step (f) in FIG. 22). Then, the carriage 1 is moved again toward the terminal end, and the recording head 5 is sealed with the cap 80 in the idle suction state as shown in FIG. 16 (step (g) in FIG. 22). Since the cleaner unit 10 is retracted from the traveling path of the recording head 5, the cleaning blade 39 does not contact the nozzle surface of the recording head 5.
[0073]
The paper feed motor 7 is rotated in the reverse direction to eliminate the transmission delay caused by the intermediate transmission wheel 32 due to the previous forward rotation (step (h) in FIG. 22), and the carriage 1 is slightly moved to the start end to move the recording head 1 to the position shown in FIG. The valve seat 77 is closed by setting to the sealed state shown in FIG. 15 (step (i) in FIG. 22).
[0074]
When the paper feed motor 7 is rotated at a low speed in this state, power is transmitted to the pump unit 9, a weak suction force acts on the cap 80, and ink is forcibly discharged from the recording head 5 with a weak suction force, and The meniscus is recovered (step (nu) in FIG. 22).
[0075]
After the suction is completed, the carriage 1 is slightly displaced to the terminal end to set the recording head 5 to the idle suction state shown in FIG. 16 (step (l) in FIG. 22), and the paper feed motor 7 is reversely rotated at a low speed. Only the ink remaining in the cap 80 is sucked with a suction force that does not cause the ink to be ejected from the recording head 5 (step (ヲ) in FIG. 22).
[0076]
At the end of the idle suction, the cleaner is already set as shown in FIG. 17 by the reverse rotation of the paper feed motor 7 in the above-mentioned step (ヲ), so that the carriage 1 is moved to the wiping end position shown in FIG. Thus, wiping of the recording head 5 is performed (step (W) in FIG. 22).
[0077]
When the paper feed motor 7 is rotated in the reverse direction at the end of the cleaning operation, the pump unit 11 is operated and released from the recording head 5 without causing a transmission delay by the intermediate transmission wheel 32 because the reverse rotation is continued from the previous time. In this state, the ink remaining in the cap 80 is sucked with a strong suction force, and the ink in the cap 80 is reliably discharged to the waste ink tank (step (f) in FIG. 22).
[0078]
When the paper feed motor 7 is rotated in the forward direction until the projection 32b of the intermediate transmission wheel 32 contacts the projection 33a of the pump wheel 33 and slightly rotates the pump wheel 33, the cleaner unit 11 is reset, and the pump unit is reset. The roller 34 moves toward the center and separates from the tube 35, and the pump unit 11 is set in the release state (FIG. 22, step (Y)).
[0079]
At the stage when all the cleaning steps have been completed, the carriage 1 is moved to the home position to be in the state shown in FIG. 15, so that the entire circumference of the cap 80 receives the compression force of the full compression spring 70 and the nozzle of the recording head 5 Then, the flushing operation is suspended (step (d) in FIG. 22), and the paper feed motor 7 is rotated in the reverse direction as shown in FIG. The carriage 1 is locked by engaging the locking projections 44 of the cleaner unit 10 with the carriage stopper 1a, thereby preventing unnecessary movement of the carriage 1 (step (S) in FIG. 22).
[0080]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention as described above,In a state where the recording head is sealed by the capping means, the cleaning means can enter the end side of the recording head, so that the cleaning means overlaps the width direction dimension overlapping with the cleaning means,Making the device smallerCan be.
Also,Since one side of the capping means is a surface for preventing the cleaning means from protruding, the cleaning means protrudes when the paper feed motor rotates in a direction opposite to the paper feeding direction, and comes into contact with the recording head and hinders the recording / writing operation. Can be prevented beforehand.
[0081]
In addition, by positioning the capping unit, which has entered the operating area of the cleaning unit by the guide unit, at a position where the capping unit does not contact the recording head, it is possible to allow a part of the carriage to enter the home position during scanning. Even in the case of a large carriage carrying a color ink tank, it is possible to write a recorded image up to the full side of a recording sheet.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing one embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a driving power transmission system of the recording apparatus.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a pump unit in the same device.
FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b) are perspective views showing one embodiment of a capping unit used in the above apparatus, as viewed from both sides.
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing one embodiment of a capping unit used in the same device.
FIGS. 6A to 6C are diagrams for explaining respective sizes of a slider and a cap frame, and a diagram for explaining a displacement amount at the time of capping.
FIGS. 7A to 7C are a top view showing an embodiment of a cap holder with a cap inserted, a cross-sectional view showing the cap removed, and an embodiment of the cap, respectively. FIG.
FIG. 8 (a)IsIt is an explanatory view showing a load acting on the cap, FIG. (B) is an explanatory view showing a load at the initial stage of contact with the recording head, and FIG. (C) is a view showing the cap of the present invention and the sealing region of the cap. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a distance between the cap and the recording head and a load applied to the recording head by the cap when the cap is held by two springs positioned on the inner center line.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an embodiment of a sheet feeding mechanism of the cut sheet feeder.
FIGS. 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a state where the carriage is locked by the cleaner unit in the operation of the cleaner unit and the capping unit from the top and the side, respectively.
FIGS. 11 (a) and 11 (b) are views showing the state in which the carriage is unlocked from the plane and the side, respectively, among the operations of the cleaner unit and the capping unit.
FIGS. 12A and 12B are diagrams showing a flushing state of the operation of the cleaner unit and the capping unit from a plane and a side, respectively.
FIGS. 13 (a) and 13 (b) are views showing a locked state of the cleaner unit from the plane and the side of the operation of the cleaner unit and the capping unit, respectively.
FIGS. 14 (a) and (b) are diagrams showing a process of raising a slider by a carriage from the plane and the side, among operations of a cleaner unit and a capping unit, respectively.
FIGS. 15A and 15B are views showing the sealed state of the recording head from the plane and the side, among the operations of the cleaner unit and the capping unit, respectively.
FIGS. 16 (a) and (b) are diagrams showing the idle suction state from the top and the side of the operation of the cleaner unit and the capping unit, respectively.
FIGS. 17 (a) and (b) are views showing a state where the cleaner unit is set to a cleaning-capable state from among a plane and a side, among the operations of the cleaner unit and the capping unit, respectively.
FIGS. 18 (a) and (b) are views showing a cleaning state of the operation of the cleaner unit and the capping unit from the plane and the side, respectively.
FIGS. 19 (a) and (b) are a plan view and a side view showing a state in which the cleaner unit is reset after cleaning in the operations of the cleaner unit and the capping unit, respectively.
FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing a printing operation of the above device.
FIG. 21 is a diagram showing the first half of the cleaning operation of the above device.
FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a latter half of a cleaning operation of the above device.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 carriage
5 Recording head
9 Capping unit
10 Cleaner unit
39 Cleaning blade

Claims (4)

Capping means for moving the carriage in which the recording head is mounted in one movement direction to the recording head side to seal the recording head,
On the print area side of the recording head, the recording head is disposed so as to be movable and displaceable in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the carriage, and in a state where the capping unit is moved to a position for sealing the recording head, the moving path of the capping unit is Cleaning means for cleaning the nozzle surface of the recording head which is configured to be able to enter the recording head. One side surface of the capping means functions as a contact surface for preventing the cleaning means from protruding into the travel area of the recording head. Inkjet recording device. 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit includes a carriage fixing unit that engages with the carriage to prevent the carriage from moving. 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the capping unit in the operation area of the cleaning unit includes a guiding unit for guiding the capping unit to a lower position without contacting the recording head. 5. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said guide means comprises at least one horizontal cam, at least one link, and slide means provided on said link.

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