JP3603637B2 - Ink jet recording device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus equipped with an ink jet recording head that is mounted on a carriage that moves in the width direction of a recording sheet and ejects ink droplets from nozzle openings, and particularly relates to a recording head that occurs when the apparatus is at rest. The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus configured to enable control of a mode of clogging of a nozzle opening, and to easily recover defective ejection of ink from the nozzle opening by a suction operation of the nozzle opening of a recording head.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Ink jet recording apparatuses have been used in many types of printing including color printing in recent years because noise during printing is relatively small and small dots can be formed with high density. Such an ink jet recording apparatus includes an ink jet recording head that receives supply of ink from an ink cartridge, and a paper feeding unit that moves recording paper relative to the recording head, and records the recording head on a carriage. Recording is performed by ejecting ink droplets onto the recording paper while moving in the width direction of the paper.
[0003]
The carriage is equipped with a recording head that can eject black ink and each color ink of yellow, cyan, and magenta, and not only text printing with black ink, but also full-color printing by changing the ejection ratio of each ink. It is possible.
[0004]
Since the ink jet recording head discharges the ink pressurized in the pressure generating chamber from the nozzles as ink droplets onto the recording paper to perform printing, the ink viscosity increases due to evaporation of the solvent from the nozzle opening, and There is a problem that printing is poor due to solidification of the toner, adhesion of dust, and mixing of air bubbles.
[0005]
For this purpose, the ink jet recording apparatus is provided with capping means for sealing the nozzle openings of the recording head during non-printing (at rest) and a wiping member for wiping the nozzle plate as necessary. The capping means functions as a lid for preventing drying of the ink at the nozzle openings when printing is stopped, and by suppressing clogging due to drying of the nozzle openings of the recording head, the printing operation at the time of resuming printing. It is designed to ensure reliability.
[0006]
Further, the capping means seals the nozzle plate, sucks ink from the nozzle openings by negative pressure from a suction pump as negative pressure generating means, causes clogging due to solidification of ink in the nozzle openings, It also has a function of resolving ink ejection failure due to air bubbles in the ink jet head, which is generally called a cleaning operation.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, the capping unit functions as a lid for preventing the ink from drying at the nozzle openings during the pause of printing, so that when the pause period of the recording apparatus is relatively short, the evaporation of water from the nozzle tip may be prevented. It is suppressed and does not immediately fall into a state that requires function recovery by the suction operation.
[0008]
However, when left for a long time in the capping state, the ink evaporates, but gradually, the ink gradually thickens and solidifies not only at the nozzle tip but also at the back of the nozzle. Have a problem. This state is shown in FIG. In FIG. 8, reference numeral 7a denotes a nozzle plate as a nozzle forming surface in a cross-sectional state. From the nozzle opening 7b formed in the nozzle plate, solidification of the ink proceeds further to the back, and the nozzle opening 7b is closed. .
[0009]
This is because, in an atmosphere in which water evaporation is suppressed, water gradually evaporates from the nozzle opening, and a concentration distribution of the ink occurs, so that a phenomenon occurs in which the ink penetrates to compensate for this. It develops into a problem that it is gradually solidified deep into the nozzle. In such a state, even if the recovery operation of the recording head by suction is performed, it is impossible to remove the solidified material 15 of the ink, and in many cases, the function of the recording head cannot be recovered. It becomes.
[0010]
In particular, in recent recording apparatuses, there is a tendency to increase the dye concentration of ink in order to improve print quality, and to use pigment as an ink material. Due to the evaporation of water, the viscosity of such ink greatly increases, and the ink becomes non-fluid, so that the above-mentioned phenomenon appears remarkably.
[0011]
On the other hand, when the nozzle plate is not sealed in the closed state by the capping means as described above during the suspension period of the apparatus, the ink is rapidly dried at the nozzle opening portion, so that the film of the solidified ink is formed in the nozzle opening portion. Has been found to be covered like a lid.
[0012]
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the same situation. A solidified material 15 due to drying of ink is formed like a lid at a shallow position of an outlet portion in a nozzle opening 7b formed in a nozzle plate 7a. Since the solidified material 15 is formed by being rapidly solidified by rapid drying of the ink, the solidified material 15 is formed with almost no occurrence of the former phenomenon that the ink penetrates due to the concentration distribution of the ink. As described above, the phenomenon that the solidification proceeds to the depth of the nozzle opening does not develop. In such a situation, it has been found that the ink ejection function of the recording head can be sufficiently recovered by sucking the ink by the capping unit.
[0013]
The present invention has been made by paying attention to the above-described phenomenon, and particularly when the recording apparatus is to be suspended for a long period of time or by detecting the elapsed time of the suspension, the capping state of the recording head is changed. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of ensuring the printing reliability.
[0014]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, which is mounted on a carriage that moves in the width direction of a recording sheet, ejects ink droplets from nozzle openings, An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a capping means for sealing a nozzle forming surface of a head and receiving a negative pressure from a negative pressure generating means,
The relationship between the capping unit and the nozzle forming surface of the recording head is configured to take a short-term storage mode and a long-term storage mode when the recording apparatus is at rest. Thus, the nozzle forming surface of the recording head is sealed and the internal space of the capping means is controlled to be sealed.
In the ink jet recording apparatus, a damper mechanism for absorbing a pressure fluctuation in the internal space of the capping unit in the short-term storage mode is provided.
Further, in such an ink jet recording apparatus, the long-term storage mode while the recording apparatus is at rest is controlled such that the internal space of the capping unit is kept in communication with the atmosphere.
Further, the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention is mounted on a carriage that moves in the width direction of the recording paper, and seals an ink jet recording head that ejects ink droplets from nozzle openings and a nozzle forming surface of the recording head. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a capping unit receiving a negative pressure from a negative pressure generating unit; wherein a relationship between the capping unit and a nozzle forming surface of a recording head is a short-term storage mode and a long-term storage while the recording device is at rest. And a short-term storage mode and a long-term storage mode are selected by a carriage lock member that positions the carriage in two stages.
Further, in the ink jet recording apparatus, the carriage lock member is configured to be positioned by operating an operation lever or by driving an actuator.
Further, the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention is mounted on a carriage that moves in the width direction of the recording paper, and seals an ink jet recording head that ejects ink droplets from nozzle openings and a nozzle forming surface of the recording head. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a capping unit that receives a negative pressure from a negative pressure generating unit, wherein a relationship between the capping unit and a nozzle forming surface of the recording head is such that an internal space of the capping unit communicates with the atmosphere. In one storage mode, the internal space of the capping means is configured to be able to take a plurality of storage modes having different diffusion resistances of water vapor, and the long-term storage mode in which the internal space of the capping means is in communication with the atmosphere is a capping mode. The means is controlled to be separated from the nozzle forming surface of the recording head.
Further, in such an ink jet recording apparatus, in the long-term storage mode, the capping means is controlled so as to be located immediately below the nozzle forming surface of the recording head.
Further, the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention is mounted on a carriage that moves in the width direction of the recording paper, and seals an ink jet recording head that ejects ink droplets from nozzle openings and a nozzle forming surface of the recording head. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a capping unit that receives a negative pressure from a negative pressure generating unit, wherein a relationship between the capping unit and a nozzle forming surface of the recording head is such that an internal space of the capping unit communicates with the atmosphere. In a certain storage mode, the internal space of the capping means is configured to be capable of taking a plurality of storage modes having different water vapor diffusion resistances. The long-term storage mode in which the internal space of the capping means has the water vapor diffusion resistance is the capping means. Is maintained in a state of communicating with the atmosphere through a flow path connected to the negative pressure generating means. It is characterized in.
Further, in such an ink jet type recording apparatus, a valve control means for maintaining an atmosphere release valve in an open state is provided in order to maintain a state in which the internal space of the capping means communicates with the atmosphere.
Further, in such an ink jet recording apparatus, the valve control means is configured to be controlled by operating an operation lever or by driving an actuator.
In the ink jet recording apparatus, the actuator is configured to be driven by operating an operation switch provided in the recording apparatus.
In the ink jet recording apparatus, the actuator is configured to be driven based on command data input to a printer driver.
Further, in the ink jet recording apparatus, a pause timer for measuring a pause time of the recording apparatus is further provided, and when the measured time of the pause timer exceeds a predetermined value, the actuator is driven to set a long-term storage mode. It is characterized in that it is configured to perform.
[0021]
According to the ink jet type recording apparatus configured as described above, when the recording apparatus is in the halt state without using the recording apparatus, the short-term storage mode and the long-term storage mode can be selected by the user. Storage mode is realized.
[0022]
Then, when the short-term storage mode is selected, the nozzle forming surface of the recording head is sealed by the capping unit, and the internal space of the capping unit is controlled so as to increase the diffusion resistance with the atmosphere. Thus, the moisturizing state of the nozzle forming surface is maintained, and in a shorter period of time, it is possible to execute the printing operation without executing the cleaning operation.
[0023]
On the other hand, when the long-term storage mode is selected, the diffusion resistance with the atmosphere is reduced, and in some cases, the capping means is released from the nozzle forming surface. This suppresses the situation where the solidification of the ink proceeds to the depth of the nozzle opening, and thus the clogging of the nozzle opening can be easily eliminated by the cleaning operation.
[0024]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention will be described based on an embodiment shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a recording apparatus main body to which the present invention is applied. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a carriage. The carriage 1 is configured to be reciprocated in the axial direction of a platen 5 by being guided by a guide member 4 via a timing belt 3 driven by a carriage motor 2. . An ink jet recording head 7 is mounted on the side of the carriage 1 facing the recording paper 6, and a black ink cartridge 8 for supplying ink to the recording head 7 and a color ink cartridge 9 are detachably mounted above the recording head 7. Loaded as possible.
[0025]
In the drawing, reference numeral 10 denotes capping means disposed in a non-printing area (home position), which is configured to seal the nozzle forming surface of the recording head 7 when the recording head 7 moves directly above. I have. Below the capping unit 10, a suction pump 11 is provided as a negative pressure generating unit for applying a negative pressure to the internal space of the capping unit 10.
[0026]
The capping means 10 is configured so that the short-term storage mode and the long-term storage mode are selected during the suspension period of the printing apparatus as described later, and applies a drive signal unrelated to printing to the printing head. It also functions as an ink receiver at the time of a flushing operation in which ink droplets are ejected idle, and also has a cleaning function of sucking ink by applying a negative pressure from the suction pump 11 to the recording head 7.
[0027]
As shown in FIG. 1, a wiping member 12 made of an elastic plate such as rubber is disposed in the vicinity of the capping unit 10, and when the carriage 1 reciprocates toward the capping unit 10, the recording head 7 The wiping operation for wiping the nozzle forming surface is performed.
[0028]
FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment according to the present invention, in which a part of a state where a nozzle forming surface of a recording head moved to a non-printing area is capped by capping means is shown in a sectional view. I have. The capping means 10 includes a rectangular cap holder 10a having an open upper surface, and a cap member made of a flexible material accommodated in the cap holder 10a and having an upper edge slightly protruding from the cap holder 10a. 10b, an ink absorbing material 10c formed of a porous material disposed on the inner bottom of the cap member 10b, a slider 10d for supporting the cap holder 10a on the lower bottom surface, and the slider 10d was maintained in a substantially horizontal posture. The rotating arm 10e can move up and down with respect to the chassis.
[0029]
The state shown in FIG. 2 shows a state in which the slider 10d rises toward the recording head 7 via the rotating arm 10e, and the nozzle plate 7a of the recording head 7 is sealed by the cap member 10b.
[0030]
A suction port 10f is formed in the cap holder 10a so as to penetrate the cap member 10b. A suction tube 21 is connected to the suction port 10f and connected to the suction pump 11, and the discharge side of the suction pump 11 is configured to be guided to the waste liquid tank 13. Similarly, an air release port 10g is formed in the cap holder 10a so as to penetrate the cap member 10b, and a valve member 22 made of an elastic substance such as rubber is arranged in the air release port 10g so as to be able to contact and separate therefrom. The air release valve 10g and the valve member 22 constitute an air introduction valve.
[0031]
The valve member 22 is housed in a holder 23, and is configured to be pressed against the air release port 10 g by the urging force of the compression spring 24, and sucks the holder 23 against the urging force of the compression spring 24. The valve is opened by the operation of the actuator 25. The air introduction valve constituted by the air release port 10g and the valve member 22 is arranged at the other end of the tube via a tube connected to the cap member 10b as necessary. May be.
[0032]
A damper mechanism 26 is connected to an intermediate portion of the suction tube 21 extending from the suction port 10f to the suction pump 11. An opening 26a communicating with the suction tube 21 is formed in the damper mechanism 26, and a damper member 26b formed of a flexible member is arranged so as to cover a space through the opening 26a.
[0033]
As shown in FIG. 2, the damper mechanism 26 seals the nozzle forming surface 7a of the recording head 7 with the capping unit 10 to keep the internal space of the capping unit closed. This is for absorbing pressure fluctuations in the capping means 10 due to the influence of the above, and thereby acts to prevent the meniscus formed at the nozzle opening of the recording head from being destroyed.
[0034]
Although not shown in the figure, a valve is arranged between the damper mechanism 26 and the suction pump 11 to close the valve so that the closed state of the internal space of the capping means can be maintained. It is desirable. This is because it is difficult to maintain a sealed state in the pump when a so-called tube pump is used as the suction pump 11, and when a sealed state can be maintained using a pump other than the tube pump, The valve is not necessary.
[0035]
The above configuration shows the state of the short-term storage mode in which the nozzle forming surface of the recording head is sealed by the capping unit and the internal space of the capping unit is kept in a closed state. That is, in this state, the nozzle forming surface 7a of the recording head is sealed by the cap member 10b of the capping means 10, and is kept in a sealed and wet state. Therefore, when printing is resumed, the reliability of printing can be ensured by the timer cleaning function for managing whether or not to perform cleaning according to the idle time of the apparatus.
[0036]
Next, FIGS. 3 and 4 show a second embodiment according to the present invention, a part of which is shown by a cross-sectional view as in FIG. In FIGS. 3 and 4, parts corresponding to those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and accordingly, description of the parts will be omitted as appropriate. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a flag piece 31 which abuts a part of the carriage is attached to the slider 10d constituting the capping means 10 in an upright state by moving the carriage 1 to the non-printing area side. I have. When a part of the carriage 1 comes into contact with the flag piece 31, the slider 10d rises toward the recording head 7 via the rotating arm 10e, and the nozzle forming surface 7a of the recording head 7 is sealed by the cap member 10b. It is configured to:
[0037]
On the other hand, in a state where the carriage 1 is located immediately above and near the capping unit 10, a carriage lock member 32 that advances horizontally to the print area side of the capping unit 10 to lock the position of the capping unit 10 is arranged. In the carriage lock member 32, locking surfaces 32a and 32b are arranged in a stepwise manner so that the position of the capping means 10 can be positioned in two steps.
[0038]
When the degree of advance of the carriage lock member 32 in the horizontal direction is increased, the locking surface 32a contacts the side wall of the carriage 1 to lock the carriage 1 in the state shown in FIG. When the degree of advance in the horizontal direction is reduced, the locking surface 32b contacts the side wall of the carriage 1 so that the carriage 1 can be locked in the state shown in FIG.
[0039]
As shown in FIG. 3, when the slider 10d rises toward the recording head 7 via the rotation arm 10e, the air release port 10g formed in the cap holder 10a is connected to the valve member attached to the chassis. 22, the atmosphere introduction valve is closed. Therefore, the state shown in FIG. 3 is a short-term storage mode in which the nozzle forming surface of the recording head is sealed by the capping means and the internal space of the capping means is kept in a sealed state, similarly to the state shown in FIG. The state of is shown.
[0040]
Further, as shown in FIG. 4, when the carriage 1 is locked by the locking surface 32b of the carriage lock member 32 and the carriage 1 is slightly shifted to the printing area side, the slider 10d is supported, although not shown. The rotating arm 10e is urged by a tension spring in the left-rotating direction in the drawing, so that the capping means 10 descends with the rotation of the rotating arm 10e, and the capping means moves to the nozzle forming surface of the recording head. It is made in a state separated from.
[0041]
The state shown in FIG. 4 shows a long-term storage mode in which the nozzle forming surface of the recording head is completely exposed to the atmosphere. In this state, the ink at the nozzle openings dries quickly. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, a solidified material 15 due to drying of the ink is formed like a lid at a shallow position of the outlet portion of the nozzle opening 7b formed in the nozzle plate 7a, and solidification proceeds to the depth of the nozzle opening. It does not develop into the phenomenon of doing. Therefore, by sucking the ink by the capping means, it is possible to sufficiently recover the ink discharge function of the recording head.
[0042]
In the state shown in FIG. 4, the flag piece 31 attached to the slider 10 d abuts on the side wall of the carriage 1 because the rotating arm 10 e is urged by a tension spring in the left-rotating direction in the figure. It is drawn to the state that did. Therefore, the capping means 10 is controlled so as to be located immediately below the nozzle forming surface of the recording head 7. By maintaining this state, even if the ink leaks from the nozzle opening of the recording head due to, for example, vibration or the like, the ink leaked by the capping unit 10 can be reliably received.
[0043]
The carriage lock member 32 may be advanced by operating an operation lever (not shown) so that the state shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4 can be selected. Further, the carriage lock member 32 includes an actuator and is provided in a recording apparatus. You may comprise so that it may be driven by operation of an operation switch. Further, the actuator may be configured to be driven based on command data input to a printer driver as described later.
[0044]
Next, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show a third embodiment according to the present invention, and a part thereof is shown by a cross-sectional view similarly to FIG. 2 to FIG. In FIGS. 5 and 6, parts corresponding to FIGS. 2 to 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and accordingly, description of the parts will be omitted as appropriate. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a valve control means 33 for moving the holder 23 holding the valve member 22 is provided.
[0045]
The control member 33 as the valve control means is formed in a U-shape by forming a groove from the end to the center, and has tapered portions at the ends of both legs. By inserting the control member 33 between the chassis and the plate 23a formed at the end of the holder 23, the valve member 22 in contact with the air release port 10g is separated as shown in FIG. And the valve is opened.
[0046]
The state shown in FIG. 5 shows the state of the short-term storage mode in which the nozzle forming surface of the recording head is sealed by the capping unit and the internal space of the capping unit is kept in a closed state, similarly to FIG. 2 or FIG. ing. On the other hand, in the state shown in FIG. 6, the internal space of the capping means is in communication with the atmosphere via a flow path from the inside of the cap member 10b to the atmosphere release port 10g. This channel acts as a diffusion resistance of water vapor, and maintains the internal space of the capping unit at the same atmospheric pressure while maintaining the internal space of the capping unit in a moist state, thereby forming a long-term storage mode. ing.
[0047]
Further, in the state shown in FIG. 5, a valve is disposed in a part of the suction tube 21 connected to the suction port 10f of the cap holder 10a, and the valve is controlled to be opened in the long-term storage mode, so that the capping means can be operated. The internal space can be in communication with the atmosphere. Also in this case, the flow path from the inside of the cap member 10b to the valve via the suction tube acts as a diffusion resistance of water vapor, and the internal space of the capping unit is kept large while the internal space of the capping unit is kept moist. It is made to keep it equal to the atmospheric pressure.
[0048]
The control member 33 as the valve control means shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 and the valve arranged in a part of the suction tube 21 are moved by operating an operation lever (not shown) to move to the state shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. May be selected, or an actuator may be provided and driven by operation of an operation switch provided in the recording apparatus. Further, the actuator may be configured to be driven based on command data input to a printer driver as described later.
[0049]
FIG. 7 shows an example of a circuit configuration in which the short-term storage mode and the long-term storage mode are controlled based on command data input to a printer driver. In FIG. 7, the recording head 7, the ink cartridges 8, 9, the capping means 10, the suction pump 11, the waste liquid tank 13, and the atmosphere release valve 22, which have already been described, are denoted by the same reference numerals, and therefore the description thereof is omitted. .
[0050]
In FIG. 7, reference numeral 40 denotes a host computer. The host computer 40 has a built-in printer driver 41. The input device 42 inputs well-known data such as paper size and font. Data about the long-term storage mode is also input.
[0051]
The print data is sent from the printer driver 41 to the print control unit 43, and the print control unit 43 generates bitmap data based on the print data, generates a drive signal by the head drive unit 44, and 7 is configured to eject ink. The head drive unit 44 receives a flushing command signal from the flushing control unit 45 and outputs a drive signal for a flushing operation to the recording head 7 in addition to the drive signal based on the print data. Is also configured to be able to perform idle discharge.
[0052]
Reference numeral 46 denotes a cleaning control unit. The pump driving unit 47 is operated by a command from the cleaning control unit 46, and the suction pump 11 is driven and controlled. The cleaning control unit 46 is configured to be supplied with a command signal from the print control unit 43 and a cleaning command detection unit (CL command detection unit) 48.
[0053]
A command switch 49 is connected to the cleaning command detecting means 48. When the user presses the switch 49, the command detecting means 48 is operated to execute a manual cleaning operation. Have been.
[0054]
On the other hand, a commercial power supply is supplied to a power supply circuit 50 for generating a drive power supply (secondary power supply) for the printing apparatus via a main switch 51, and the secondary power supply from the power supply circuit 50 is provided by a relay or the like. The printing apparatus is configured to be supplied as drive power to the recording apparatus via the driven contact 52. Opening and closing of the contact 52 is controlled by a secondary power supply control means 53. The secondary power supply control means 53 opens the contact 52 by, for example, a power-off command given to the host computer 40 by the input device 42. Control is exercised.
[0055]
A pause timer 54 is connected to the secondary power control means 53. The pause timer 54 is reset when the secondary power is turned on, and measures the elapsed time from when the secondary power is turned off. I do. When a predetermined elapsed time is counted by the pause timer 54, a command signal is sent to the drive control means 55, and the drive control means 55 receives the command signal, and controls the carriage lock (CR) drive means 56 and the valve control. The control signal is transmitted to the means 57, the carriage motor driving means 58 and the like.
[0056]
Thereby, when the pause time of the recording apparatus exceeds a predetermined value, for example, the actuator 25 for driving the valve member 22 described in FIG. 2 is operated to open the valve member 22, and the long-term storage mode is selected. Is made. Here, the predetermined value is a time during which normal printing can be performed at least by an operation such as flushing without requiring a rapid rotation operation by the suction pump.
[0057]
Further, even when the valve is arranged on the suction tube 21 side as described above, the actuator can be operated to open the valve, and the long-term storage mode can be selected.
[0058]
Further, the control signal from the carriage lock (CR) drive means 56 activates, for example, the actuator for driving the carriage lock member 32 described with reference to FIGS. By driving 2, the long-term storage mode as shown in FIG. 4 can be selected. Similarly, by driving the actuator for driving the control member 33 as the valve control means described in FIGS. 5 and 6, the valve member 22 can be opened to select the long-term storage mode.
[0059]
【The invention's effect】
As is apparent from the above description, according to the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, the relationship between the capping unit and the nozzle forming surface of the recording head can take the short-term storage mode and the long-term storage mode while the recording apparatus is at rest. It is configured as follows. Therefore, particularly when the long-term storage mode selected when the printing apparatus is stopped for a long period of time is set, it is possible to suppress the solidification of the ink from progressing to the depth of the nozzle opening. Can be easily eliminated.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a main body of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view showing a first embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view showing a capping state in a second embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state where a capping unit is opened in a second embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of a third embodiment according to the present invention, in which an atmosphere release valve is in a closed state.
FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of a third embodiment according to the present invention, in which an atmosphere release valve is opened.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of a control circuit in the printing apparatus shown in FIG.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a first example of a solidified state of ink at a nozzle opening of a recording head.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a second example of a solidified state of ink at a nozzle opening of a recording head.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 carriage
4 Guide member
6 Recording paper
7 Ink jet recording head
7a Nozzle plate (nozzle forming surface)
7b Nozzle opening
10 Capping means
10a Cap holder
10b Cap member
10f suction port
10g air opening
11 Suction pump (negative pressure generating means)
12 Wiping member
13 Waste liquid tank
14 Atmospheric release valve
22 Valve member (atmosphere introduction valve)
31 Flag pieces
32 Carriage lock member
33 Valve control means
40 Host computer
41 Printer Driver
42 input device
53 Secondary power control means
54 Pause timer
55 Drive control means
56 carriage lock member driving means
57 Valve drive means
58 Carriage motor drive means

Claims (13)

An ink jet recording head which is mounted on a carriage which moves in the width direction of the recording paper and ejects ink droplets from nozzle openings, and which receives a negative pressure from a negative pressure generating means by sealing a nozzle forming surface of the recording head; An ink jet recording apparatus having capping means,
The relationship between the capping means and the nozzle forming surface of the recording head is configured to be able to take a short-term storage mode and a long-term storage mode while the recording apparatus is at rest,
The short-term storage mode during the suspension of the recording apparatus is controlled such that the nozzle forming surface of the recording head is sealed by the capping unit and the internal space of the capping unit is kept in a sealed state. Recording device. 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a damper mechanism for absorbing a pressure fluctuation in an internal space of the capping unit in the short-term storage mode. 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the long-term storage mode while the recording apparatus is stopped is controlled such that the internal space of the capping unit is kept in communication with the atmosphere. An ink jet recording head which is mounted on a carriage which moves in the width direction of the recording paper and ejects ink droplets from nozzle openings, and which receives a negative pressure from a negative pressure generating means by sealing a nozzle forming surface of the recording head; An ink jet recording apparatus having capping means,
The relationship between the capping means and the nozzle forming surface of the recording head is configured to be able to take a short-term storage mode and a long-term storage mode while the recording apparatus is at rest,
An ink jet recording apparatus, wherein the short-term storage mode and the long-term storage mode are selected by a carriage lock member for positioning the carriage position in two stages. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the carriage lock member is configured to be positioned by operating an operation lever or by driving an actuator. An ink jet recording head which is mounted on a carriage which moves in the width direction of the recording paper and ejects ink droplets from nozzle openings, and which receives a negative pressure from a negative pressure generating means by sealing a nozzle forming surface of the recording head; An ink jet recording apparatus having capping means,
In the storage mode in which the relationship between the capping unit and the nozzle forming surface of the recording head is such that the internal space of the capping unit is in communication with the atmosphere, a plurality of storage modes in which the internal space of the capping unit has a different diffusion resistance of water vapor. It is configured to be able to take
The long-term storage mode in which the internal space of the capping unit communicates with the atmosphere is controlled such that the capping unit is separated from the nozzle forming surface of the recording head. 7. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein in the long-term storage mode, the capping unit is controlled so as to be located immediately below a nozzle forming surface of a recording head. An ink jet recording head which is mounted on a carriage which moves in the width direction of the recording paper and ejects ink droplets from nozzle openings, and which receives a negative pressure from a negative pressure generating means by sealing a nozzle forming surface of the recording head; An ink jet recording apparatus having capping means,
In the storage mode in which the relationship between the capping unit and the nozzle forming surface of the recording head is such that the internal space of the capping unit is in communication with the atmosphere, a plurality of storage modes in which the internal space of the capping unit has a different diffusion resistance of water vapor. It is configured to be able to take
In the long-term storage mode in which the internal space of the capping unit has a diffusion resistance of water vapor, the internal space of the capping unit is maintained in a state of communicating with the atmosphere via a flow path connected to the negative pressure generating unit. Ink jet recording apparatus. 9. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising valve control means for maintaining an atmosphere release valve in an open state in order to maintain a state in which an internal space of the capping means communicates with the atmosphere. 10. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the valve control means is controlled by operating an operation lever or by driving an actuator. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the actuator is configured to be driven by operating an operation switch provided in the recording apparatus. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the actuator is configured to be driven based on command data input to a printer driver. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a pause timer for measuring a pause time of the recording apparatus, wherein the actuator is driven to set a long-term storage mode when the measured time of the pause timer exceeds a predetermined value. 11. The ink jet recording apparatus according to 10.

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