JP3906635B2 - Inkjet recording device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus that records characters, images, and the like on a sheet-like print recording medium such as recording paper or a recording film by ejecting ink droplets from nozzle openings of an ink jet head.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Related Art Some inkjet recording apparatuses such as printers and plotters include, for example, a paper feeding unit that feeds recording paper to a recording unit, and a recording unit that records on the fed recording paper. In the recording unit, ink droplets are ejected from the recording head attached to the carriage as the carriage reciprocates, and the recording paper is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction. Then, recording on the recording paper is performed by synchronizing the ink droplet ejection operation and the recording paper transporting operation.
[0003]
In such a recording apparatus, ink droplets ejected on the outer side of the recording sheet contaminate the recording sheet and the apparatus. Also, the ink droplets ejected outside the recording paper are likely to be mist, and if this ink mist adheres near the nozzle opening of the recording head, the ejection of the ink droplets becomes unstable due to the adhering ink mist. In order to prevent such problems caused by unnecessary ink droplets, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-341848 discloses an ink absorbing material that absorbs unnecessary ink droplets ejected outside the recording paper on the back side of the recording paper. A recording apparatus is disclosed. In this recording apparatus, an ink absorbing material having a size corresponding to a recordable area is provided.
[0004]
Some of these types of recording apparatuses are provided with a so-called borderless printing mode for printing over the entire area of the recording paper. In this borderless printing mode, print data in a range somewhat larger than the area of the recording paper is prepared, and ink droplets are ejected to an area exceeding four sides. For this reason, in this recording apparatus as well as the conventional recording apparatus, an ink absorbing material is disposed on the back side of the recording paper.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, the amount of ink droplets that become mist is generally very small. This very small amount of ink droplets is strongly subjected to the viscous resistance of air, so that the flightable distance is very short. For this reason, there is a possibility that some ink droplets do not reach the ink absorbing material and become mist by simply disposing the ink absorbing material of the conventional apparatus.
[0006]
In addition, this type of recording apparatus has a strong demand for higher image quality, and accordingly, the amount of ink droplets is extremely small, for example, 2 pL (picoliter). Accordingly, when recording is performed in the above-described borderless printing mode using such a very small amount of ink droplets, the ink absorbing material is disposed on the back side of the recording paper, so that the outer side of the recording paper. There is a possibility that the ink droplets ejected in step mist will not reach the ink absorbing material.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to reliably collect unnecessary ink droplets and prevent the occurrence of ink mist.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention has been proposed in order to achieve the above object, and according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording head comprising a nozzle array having a plurality of nozzle openings formed in a nozzle surface, and the recording head. A head scanning mechanism for moving the head in the recording width direction, and a medium conveying mechanism for conveying a sheet-like print recording medium in a medium feeding direction orthogonal to the recording width direction, operating the head scanning mechanism and the paper feeding mechanism. In an ink jet recording apparatus that performs recording on a print recording medium by discharging ink droplets from a nozzle opening while
A suction wall forming member for forming a suction passage in a region corresponding to a movable range of the recording head, and an opening of the suction passage as a nozzle surface of the recording head. Arranged on the back side of the print recording medium so that the opening side tip of the upright wall can be in contact with the back side of the print recording medium in a state of facing,
At the opening of the suction passage, a plurality of ribs that are long in the medium feeding direction and whose upper surface is lower than the opening-side tip of the standing wall in the recording width direction,
A suction drive source communicates with the suction passage to enable negative pressure,
By covering the opening of the suction passage with the print recording medium while the suction drive source is activated, unnecessary ink droplets that become ink mist near the edge of the print recording medium are sucked into the suction passage. ,
In the ink jet recording apparatus, the suction driving source is selectively operated in accordance with a setting period of a borderless printing mode.
[0011]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the suction communication port through which the suction passage communicates with the suction drive source is provided at a position corresponding to the approximate center of the print recording medium having the smallest recordable width. The inkjet recording apparatus according to Item 1.
[0012]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the ink jet recording apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the bottom member is made of an ink absorbing material capable of absorbing ink droplets.
[0013]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the width of the suction passage on the side of the medium feeding direction is made wider than the length of the nozzle row. The inkjet according to any one of the first to third aspects, Type recording device.
[0014]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the length of the suction passage in the recording width direction is longer than the width of the maximum recordable print recording medium. The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of the above.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, an ink jet printer (hereinafter simply referred to as “printer”) is taken as an example of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention.
[0017]
First, the overall configuration of the printer will be described. Here, FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic structure of the printer, and FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the inside of the printer. As shown in these drawings, the printer 1 includes a sheet feeding unit 3 that feeds a recording sheet 2 that is a kind of sheet-like print recording medium, and a recording that records an image or the like on the fed recording sheet 2. A section 4 and a paper discharge section 5 for transporting the recorded recording paper 2 in the paper discharge direction are provided.
[0018]
The paper feed unit 3 functions as a medium supply unit and is provided in a rear portion of the printer 11. This paper feed unit 3 feeds the recording plate 2 on the support plate 6 to the recording unit 4 side by friction, with a support plate 6 capable of supporting a plurality of recording papers 2 in a stacked state in the paper thickness direction. A paper roller 7 and a guide plate 8 for guiding the recording paper 2 fed by the paper feeding roller 7 to the recording unit 4 side are provided. The support plate 6 is provided with a pair of left and right edge guides 9 that regulate the position of the recording paper 2 by contacting the side edges (that is, edge portions) in the width direction of the recording paper 2. That is, the edge guide 9 includes a right edge guide 9A located on the right side when viewed from the front of the printer 1 and a left edge guide 9B located on the left side.
[0019]
In the present embodiment, the right edge guide 9A is provided integrally with the support plate 6 at the right end of the support plate 6, and the left edge guide 9B is disposed so as to be movable in the left-right direction that is the recording width direction. For this reason, the support plate 6 is provided with a guide groove portion 10 in which a mounting base portion (not shown) of the left edge guide 9B is fitted in the left-right direction, and the left edge guide 9B extends along the guide groove portion 10. It is attached so as to be movable in the recording width direction. Then, the user moves the left edge guide 9B in the left-right direction according to the paper width of the recording paper 2 to be used, and brings the guide surfaces of both edge guides 9A, 9B into contact with the side edges in the width direction of the recording paper 2. Then, the position of the recording paper 2 supported on the support plate 6 is regulated. As a result, the pair of edge guides 9A and 9B can regulate the position with respect to the recording paper 2 of a plurality of sizes from, for example, a postcard size to A4 size. Further, the recording paper 2 can be guided straight from the paper feeding unit 3 to the recording unit 4 by the edge guides 9A and 9B.
[0020]
Here, the postcard size recording paper 2 corresponds to a recording paper having the minimum recordable width in this embodiment, and the A4 size recording paper 2 corresponds to a recording paper having the maximum recordable width. However, the recordable paper size is not limited to this example, and can be arbitrarily determined. For example, the recordable paper size may be determined within a range from a business card size smaller than the postcard size to an A3 size larger than the A4 size.
[0021]
A rotation shaft of a paper feed motor 11 (see FIG. 3) is connected to the paper feed roller 7, and the paper feed roller 7 is rotated by a driving force of the paper feed motor 11. When the paper feeding roller 7 rotates, the recording paper 2 positioned at the top of the plurality of recording papers 2 supported on the support plate 6 comes into contact with the surface of the paper feeding roller 7 to feed the paper. As the roller 7 rotates, it is conveyed and supplied to the recording unit 4. The paper feed motor 11 is electrically connected to the printer controller 12 shown in FIG. 3, and the operation is controlled by a drive signal from the printer controller 12.
[0022]
The recording unit 4 is provided with a cartridge holding unit that detachably holds the ink cartridge 15 and has a recording head 16 attached thereto, and the carriage 17 along a main scanning direction (paper width direction) that is a recording width direction. A guide shaft 18 that guides the recording paper 2, a paper feed mechanism that transports the recording paper 2, a carriage scanning mechanism that moves the carriage 17 along the guide shaft 18, and an ink droplet that is ejected outside the printing paper. An ink droplet suction mechanism.
[0023]
As shown in FIG. 4A, a nozzle plate 19 is disposed on the surface (lower surface) of the recording head 16 facing the recording paper 2. As shown in FIG. 4C, the nozzle plate 19 is provided with a plurality of nozzle rows 20 side by side in which a plurality of nozzle openings are formed in a row. Therefore, the outer surface of the nozzle plate 19 functions as the nozzle surface in the present invention. In the present embodiment, seven nozzle rows 20 are arranged side by side, and the arrangement direction of these nozzle rows 20 is aligned in the recording width direction. The length W1 of each nozzle row 20 is set to be shorter than the width W2 of the nozzle plate 19 in the paper feed direction. In the recording head 16, the ink supplied from the ink cartridge 15 is ejected from each nozzle opening according to the print data.
The recording head 16 may have any configuration as long as ink droplets can be ejected from the nozzle openings. For example, the recording head 16 using a piezoelectric vibrator, which is a kind of electromechanical transducer, can be used as the pressure generating element. Further, the recording head 16 using a magnetostrictive element which is a kind of electromechanical transducer as a pressure generating element may be used. Furthermore, the recording head 16 using a heat generating element as the pressure generating element may be used.
[0024]
The paper feed mechanism functions as a medium transport mechanism in the present invention, and transports the recording paper 2 in a paper feed direction (corresponding to the medium feed direction in the present invention) orthogonal to the recording width direction. The paper feed mechanism of this embodiment includes a paper feed roller 22, a paper feed motor 23 shown in FIG. 3, and a printer controller 12 shown in FIG. The paper feed roller 22 includes a large-diameter driving roller located on the lower side and a small-diameter driven roller located on the upper side. A rotation shaft of a paper feed motor 23 is connected to the drive roller, and the drive roller is rotated by a driving force of the paper feed motor 23. The driven roller rotates following the rotation of the driving roller. The paper feed motor 23 is electrically connected to the printer controller 12, and its operation is controlled by a drive signal from the printer controller 12.
[0025]
The carriage scanning mechanism functions as a head scanning mechanism in the present invention, and moves the carriage 17 in the main scanning direction. The carriage scanning mechanism of the present embodiment includes a pulse motor 24 shown in FIG. 3, a power transmission unit that moves the carriage 17 by the rotation of the pulse motor 24, and a printer controller 12 that controls the operation of the pulse motor 24. The The power transmission unit may have any configuration, but for example, is provided on the left and right one end sides of the printer 1 and is provided on the left and right other end sides of the printer 1 and a drive pulley connected to the rotation shaft of the pulse motor 24. And a timing belt that is spanned between the drive pulley and the idle pulley and connected to the carriage 17. In this carriage scanning mechanism, the recording head 16 can be moved in a range wider than the width of the recording sheet 2 having the maximum recordable width. In this embodiment, it is possible to move in a wider range than the width of the A4 size recording paper 2 which is the maximum recordable width.
[0026]
The ink droplet suction mechanism is disposed on the back side of the recording paper 2 and exhausts the air sucked from the suction port 27a and the suction passage forming member 26 that partitions the suction channel 25 for sucking ink droplets from the exhaust port 27b. Air pump 27, a suction passage 28 connecting suction passage forming member 26 and suction port 27a of air pump 27, and the suction passage 25 is made negative by the operation of air pump 27 and discharged from the nozzle opening. The unnecessary ink droplets are sucked into the suction passage 25 and collected. The ink droplet suction mechanism will be described in detail later.
[0027]
The paper discharge unit 5 includes a paper discharge roller 29 including a large-diameter driving roller and a small-diameter driven roller adjacent to the upper side of the driving roller. A paper discharge motor 30 (see FIG. 3) whose operation is controlled by the printer controller 12 is connected to the drive roller. The driving roller is rotated by the driving force of the paper discharge motor 30, and the driven roller is rotated by the rotation of the driving roller. Then, the recorded recording paper 2 is nipped between the driving roller and the driven roller and conveyed in the discharging direction.
[0028]
Next, the electrical configuration of the printer 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the printer 1 includes a printer controller 12 and a print engine 33.
[0029]
The printer controller 12 functions as a controller that controls operations of the recording unit 4, the paper feeding unit 3, and the like. The printer controller 12 includes an interface 34 that receives print data from a host computer (not shown), a RAM 35 that stores various data, a ROM 36 that stores control routines for various data processing, a CPU, and the like. A control unit 37 comprising: an oscillation circuit 38 that generates a clock signal; a drive signal generation circuit 39 that generates a drive signal to be supplied to the recording head 16; and print data and drive signals that are developed for each dot. And an interface 40 for transmitting to the print engine 33. The print engine 33 includes the pulse motor 24, the paper feed motor 11, the paper feed motor 23, the paper discharge motor 30, the air pump 27, and the recording head 16.
[0030]
The interface 34 receives, for example, print data composed of any one or a plurality of data of a character code, a graphic function, and image data from a host computer or the like. In addition, a control command (recording mode setting information) for designating a recording mode transmitted from the host computer and a control command (marginless printing mode setting information) for designating a borderless printing mode are also input through this interface 34. On the other hand, the interface 34 outputs a busy signal (BUSY), an acknowledge signal (ACK), and the like to the host computer.
[0031]
The control unit 37 controls the operation of the printer 1. That is, the respective units constituting the print engine 33 are operated based on print data and control commands transmitted from the host computer and a control routine stored in the ROM 36.
[0032]
Next, the ink droplet suction mechanism that is the main part of the present invention will be described in detail. As described above, the ink droplet suction mechanism includes the suction passage forming member 26, the air pump 27, and the suction path 28.
[0033]
As shown in FIG. 4, the suction passage forming member 26 is a synthetic resin casing 51 that is formed as a box-like body that is long in the recording width direction with the surface facing the recording head 16 open, and the casing 51. And an ink absorbing material 52 that constitutes the bottom surface of the suction passage 25. The casing 51 includes a bottom plate 53 made of a rectangular plate-shaped member, an upright wall 54 erected from each side of the bottom plate 53 in an upward direction substantially orthogonal to the surface direction of the bottom plate 53, and an opening of the upright wall 54. It is comprised from the elongate rib 55 constructed in the side edge part toward the paper feed direction.
[0034]
The width of the bottom plate 53 on the paper feed direction side is set to be slightly wider than the width of the nozzle surface of the recording head 16, as indicated by reference numeral W3 in FIG. Further, the length of the bottom plate 53 in the recording width direction is set to be slightly longer than the movable range of the recording head 16, as indicated by a symbol L in FIG. Accordingly, the opening shape of the casing 51 is also a rectangular shape having a width W3 and a length L, like the bottom plate 53. The bottom plate 53 is provided with a bottom communication port 53a through which the suction port of the suction channel 28 communicates, penetrating in the plate thickness direction. The bottom communication port 53a is formed at the approximate center in the width direction of the recording sheet 2A having the minimum recordable width, which is approximately the center in the width direction of the bottom plate 53. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4B, a bottom communication port 53a is opened at a position corresponding to the center in the width direction of the postcard-size recording paper 2A. The rib 55 is a beam member having a rectangular cross section, and the thickness in the vertical direction and the width in the recording width direction are set within a range of about 1 to 3 mm, for example. The rib 55 has an upper surface that is flush with the opening end of the standing wall 54 or slightly lower than the leading end of the standing wall 54, and a plurality of ribs 55 are arranged at regular intervals along the recording width direction. It is installed.
[0035]
The ink absorbing material 52 functions as a bottom member of the present invention and is a block-shaped member made of a material capable of absorbing and holding ink, for example, felt or sponge, and a casing partitioned by a bottom plate 53 and a standing wall 54. It is processed into a shape that just fits in the internal space 51. The height of the ink absorbing material 52 is set to be slightly lower than the height H2 of the standing wall 54, as indicated by reference numeral H1 in FIG. Specifically, when the ink absorbing material 52 is pushed into the bottom plate 53 side of the casing 51, the opening side surface of the ink absorbing material 52 is slightly lower than the lower surface of the rib 55 (that is, toward the bottom plate 53 side), for example, 1 to 3 mm. The height is set to a level that is lowered. As a result, in the mounted state of the ink absorbing material 52, a relatively narrow step is formed between the opening-side tip of the standing wall 54 and the opening-side surface of the ink absorbing material 52, and the space formed by this step is a suction passage. It functions as 25. That is, the standing wall 54 on the opening side of the ink absorbing material 52 defines the side surface of the suction passage 25.
[0036]
The suction passage 25 is communicated with the bottom communication port 53 a of the bottom plate 53 through a through communication passage 56 that linearly penetrates the height direction of the ink absorbing material 52. The opening on the suction passage 25 side of the through communication passage 56 functions as a suction communication port in the present invention, and is the same position as the bottom communication port 53a when viewed from the opening side of the casing 51, that is, a postcard-size recording sheet 2 Of the bottom plate 53 (in other words, the opening in the casing 51) at a position corresponding to substantially the center in the width direction.
[0037]
The suction passage forming member 26 configured as described above is arranged in a region corresponding to the scanning range of the recording head 16 with the opening of the casing 51 facing the surface of the nozzle plate 19. Thereby, the suction passage 25 is formed along the surface direction of the recording paper 2. As shown in FIG. 1, both end portions of the suction passage forming member 26 in the longitudinal direction, that is, in the recording width direction are respectively the maximum width recording paper 2B supplied to the recording unit 4 (in this embodiment, A4 size recording paper). ) On the outside of both side edges. Preferably, the recording paper 2B is positioned outside the both side edges by a length equal to or longer than one recording head. This is because ink droplets ejected by this flushing operation are also absorbed by the ink absorbing material 52 of the suction passage forming member 26 when performing a so-called flushing operation for forcibly ejecting ink droplets to restore the function of the recording head 16. This is to make it happen. That is, the suction passage forming member 26 also functions as a flushing collection unit that collects the ejected ink droplets during the flushing operation. In addition, regarding the attachment height of the suction passage forming member 26, as shown in FIG. 4A, the height at which the opening end surface of the standing wall 54 is just in contact with the back surface of the recording paper 2, or the standing wall 54. The height of the front end surface of the recording paper 2 is set as close as possible to the back surface of the recording paper 2.
[0038]
The air pump 27 is a suction drive source of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, a suction fan 27d that is rotated by a motor (not shown) is disposed in a case 27c provided with a suction port 27a and an exhaust port 27b. Is made up of. Then, by operating the motor, the suction fan 27d is rotated to generate an air flow from the suction port 27a to the exhaust port 27b. Thus, air is sucked from the suction port 27a and exhausted from the exhaust port 27b. The air pump 27 is not limited to this configuration as long as it can suck air from the suction port 27a. For example, a so-called “ironing” type air pump that exhausts air in the tube from the end of the tube by sandwiching the tube with a roller and moving the roller along the tube may be used.
The suction path 28 is made of a flexible tube or a resin molding material. In this embodiment, it is made of a resin tube. The suction port of the suction path 28 is connected to the bottom communication port 53 a of the bottom plate 53, and the outlet of the suction path 28 is connected to the suction port 27 a of the air pump 27.
Accordingly, when the air pump 27 is operated, air is sucked from the suction port 27a of the air pump 27, and sequentially passes through the suction passage 25 of the suction passage forming member 26, the through communication passage 56 of the ink absorbing material 52, and the suction passage 28. Air flow is generated.
[0039]
Next, the operation of the printer 1 will be described.
[0040]
First, the recording paper 2 is set in the paper feeding unit 3. The recording paper 2 is set by first moving the left edge guide 9B in the left direction so that the distance from the right edge guide 9A to the left edge guide 9B is wider than the paper width of the recording paper 2, and then the right edge guide 9B. The recording paper 2 is placed between the guide 9A and the left edge guide 9B, and then the left edge guide 9B is moved to the right so that the left edge of the recording paper 2 contacts the guide surface of the left edge guide 9B. It is made by letting.
[0041]
When the recording paper 2 is set, the printer 1 performs a recording operation based on print data and control commands transmitted from the host computer. Here, in the present embodiment, the control unit 37 (suction control unit) controls the ink droplet suction operation performed by the suction passage forming member 26 based on the control command. That is, based on the print mode control information of the control command, when the print mode control information designates the borderless print mode, the control unit 37 controls the air pump 27 for the set period of the borderless print mode. Operate. As a result, the suction passage 25 becomes negative pressure during the period when the borderless printing mode is set, and the ink droplets can be sucked. As described above, when the air pump 27 is selectively operated according to the setting period of the borderless printing mode, power consumption by the air pump 27 can be suppressed, which contributes to power saving of the printer 1.
[0042]
The operation control of the air pump 27 is not limited to this control. For example, the air pump 27 may be selectively activated over the execution period of the recording operation based on the received print data regardless of the print mode, or the air pump 27 may be operated in conjunction with the power-on of the printer 1 regardless of the control command. The pump 27 may be operated.
[0043]
When the control command is received, the printer controller 12 (control unit 37) records the image or the like on the recording paper 2 by appropriately operating each unit constituting the print engine 33 based on the received control command. That is, in the paper feed unit 3, the paper feed motor 11 is operated to feed the recording paper 2 to the recording unit 4. In the recording unit 4, the pulse motor 24, the recording head 16, and the paper feed motor 23 are operated, and recording is performed by landing ink droplets on the fed recording paper 2.
[0044]
More specifically, first, the recording paper 2 is positioned from the preparation position shown in FIG. 5A to the leading edge detection position shown in FIG. Here, the preparation position is, for example, a position where the leading end of the paper covers the upstanding wall 54a on the upstream side in the paper feeding direction of the suction passage forming member 26, and the leading end detection position is, for example, paper feeding more than the suction passage forming member 26. This is the position where the leading edge of the sheet is detected by the sheet detection sensor 57 provided on the downstream side in the direction.
[0045]
If the recording paper 2 is positioned at the leading edge detection position, the recording paper 2 is positioned at the recording start position shown in FIG. At the recording start position, the opening of the through communication path 56 is covered with the recording paper 2 when viewed from the opening side of the suction path forming member 26. Then, the conveyance to the recording start position is performed by returning the recording paper 2 to the upstream side in the paper feeding direction by a predetermined distance from this position with reference to the leading edge detection position.
At this recording start position, since the opening of the suction passage forming member 26 is partially covered by the recording paper 2, the opening area of the suction passage 25 formed along the surface direction of the recording paper 2 is reduced. That is, the opening of the suction passage 25 in this state is between the edge portion of the recording paper 2 (in the state of FIG. 5C, the leading edge and the left and right side edges correspond) and the opening side surface of the ink absorbing material 52. The area of this opening is relatively narrow because the step between the opening end of the standing wall 54 and the opening side surface of the ink absorbing material 52 is as short as several millimeters. Therefore, in the state where the air pump 27 is activated and the suction passage 25 is in a negative pressure, the speed of the air flow in the vicinity of the edge portion of the recording paper 2 can be increased.
In the present embodiment, the opening-side front end surface of the standing wall 54 is brought into contact with or as close as possible to the back surface of the recording paper 2, so that air is efficiently taken in from the opening of the suction passage 25. Can do.
[0046]
When the recording paper 2 is positioned at the recording start position, the carriage 17 is moved in the recording width direction by the operation of the pulse motor 24, and the recording head 16 is operated during the movement of the carriage 17 to eject ink droplets from the nozzle openings. Let That is, the recording head 16 is main-scanned. At this time, in the borderless printing mode, ink droplets are also ejected outside the edge portion of the recording paper 2, but as described above, the speed of the air flow near the edge portion is increased, so that it does not participate in recording. Unnecessary ink droplets are sucked into the suction passage 25 by the air flow having an increased speed.
In this way, since unnecessary ink droplets are actively sucked and collected, it is possible to reliably prevent the unnecessary ink droplets from becoming mist and floating. Further, since the bottom portion of the suction passage 25 is constituted by the ink absorbing material 52 capable of absorbing ink droplets, the ink droplet sucked into the suction passage 25 can be absorbed and held by the ink absorbing material 52, and suction. It is possible to more reliably prevent the recording paper 2 from being damaged by the ink droplets. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since the plurality of ribs 55 are installed in the recording width direction at the opening of the casing 51, the recording paper 2 is recessed toward the suction passage 25 due to the negative pressure of the suction passage 25 and absorbs ink. Contact with the material 52 can be prevented, and it can be supported straight along the paper feed direction. That is, the recording paper 2 can be supported without being bent. Further, since the air is rectified by the rib 55, the ink droplets can be absorbed by the ink absorbing material 52 in a relatively uniform state.
[0047]
In this embodiment, the opening (suction communication port) of the through communication passage 56 where the suction passage 25 and the air pump 27 communicate with each other is the center in the width direction of the postcard size recording paper 2 which is the minimum recordable width. Thus, the ink droplets are reliably sucked in any size of the recording paper 2 when recording on the recording paper 2 of a plurality of sizes. Yes.
Further, since the width W3 in the paper feed direction in the suction passage 25 is determined to be wider than the length W1 of the nozzle row 20, more specifically, wider than the width W2 of the nozzle plate 19, ink droplets are placed in the suction passage 25. Suction can be reliably performed. In this case, if the width W3 of the suction passage 25 in the paper feeding direction is set to be larger than the length W1 of the nozzle row 20 and equal to or less than the width W2 of the nozzle plate 19, the nozzle plate 19 is moved away from the recording paper 2. Since the opening of the suction passage 25 is covered, ink droplets can be efficiently sucked in this place.
[0048]
When the recording head 16 crosses the area to be recorded, the operation of the pulse motor 24 is stopped, the carriage 17 is stopped, the paper feed motor 23 is operated again, and the recording paper 2 is conveyed by one pitch. For example, the recording paper 2 is conveyed to the position shown in FIG. 5D, that is, the position where the leading edge of the recording paper 2 covers the standing wall 54 b on the downstream side in the paper feeding direction in the suction passage forming member 26. When the recording paper 2 is conveyed by one pitch, the pulse motor 24 and the recording head 16 are operated to perform main scanning. In this case, the opening of the suction passage 25 becomes a space between the left and right side edges of the recording paper 2 and the opening side surface of the ink absorbing material 52, and the air flow speed can be increased as described above. Therefore, even in this state, unnecessary ink droplets that are not involved in recording can be positively sucked into the suction passage 25, and it is possible to reliably prevent the ink droplets from becoming mist and floating.
[0049]
Thereafter, the main scanning of the recording head 16 and the conveyance of the recording paper 2 are repeated, and images and the like are recorded in order from the upstream side of the recording paper 2 in the paper feeding direction.
[0050]
By the way, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made based on the description of the scope of claims.
[0051]
For example, regarding the air pump 27, although it was the structure provided with the single air pump 27 in the said embodiment, it is not limited to this structure. For example, a plurality of sets of air pumps 27 and suction paths 28 (through communication paths 56) may be provided.
[0052]
Further, regarding the edge guide 9, in the above embodiment, the right edge guide 9A is arranged in a fixed state, and the left edge guide 9B is arranged in a state movable in the recording width direction. It is not limited to. For example, the left and right edge guides 9A and 9B may be configured to be movable in the recording width direction.
[0053]
Further, regarding the recording head 16, the recording head 16 including the nozzle plate 19 is illustrated in the above embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the recording head 16 may be formed by integrally forming nozzle openings in a flow path forming member that forms an ink flow path from a common ink chamber to a nozzle opening through a pressure chamber. And in this structure, the surface in which the nozzle opening was provided functions as a nozzle surface.
[0054]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the recording sheet 2 has been illustrated and described with respect to the print recording medium, but is not limited to the recording sheet 2. This print recording medium may be, for example, a sheet-like resin film. Further, the print recording medium is not limited to a sheet-like print recording medium, and may be, for example, a print recording medium wound in a roll shape.
[0055]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the suction passage forming member that forms the suction passage in the region corresponding to the movable range of the recording head is disposed in a state where the opening of the suction passage is opposed to the nozzle surface of the recording head. It is arranged on the back surface side of the print recording medium so that the opening side end of the upright wall can come into contact with the back surface of the print recording medium, and is elongated in the medium feeding direction at the opening of the suction passage, and its upper surface is A plurality of ribs that are lower than the front end of the standing wall on the opening side are installed in the recording width direction, and a suction drive source is connected to the suction passage so that negative pressure can be achieved. Since the unnecessary ink droplets that become ink mist near the edge portion of the print recording medium are sucked into the suction passage by partially covering the recording medium with the print recording medium, the opening area of the suction passage is narrowed by the print recording medium and the air flow is reduced. Increase the flow of Door can be. Unnecessary ink droplets can be placed on the air flow with increased speed, and the ink droplets can be reliably collected in the suction passage. For this reason, generation | occurrence | production of ink mist can be prevented reliably.
In addition, since the suction drive source is selectively operated in accordance with the setting period of the borderless printing mode, the power consumption by the suction drive source can be reduced compared to the case where the suction drive source is always operated, thereby It is possible to contribute to power saving of the apparatus.
[0056]
Further, since the suction passage forming member is arranged so that the front end of the standing wall on the opening side can come into contact with the back surface of the print recording medium, air suction is concentrated on the opening of the suction passage corresponding to the edge portion of the print recording medium. Therefore, unnecessary ink droplets can be efficiently sucked into the suction passage.
[0057]
In addition, since a plurality of ribs that are long in the medium feeding direction are installed in the recording width direction at the opening of the suction passage, the print recording medium is supported by the ribs, so that the recording paper is bent even if the suction passage is negatively pressurized. Can support without.
[0058]
In addition, when the suction communication port that communicates the suction passage and the suction drive source is opened at a position corresponding to the approximate center of the print record medium having the smallest recordable width, when recording on a print record medium of a plurality of sizes. The ink droplets can be sucked most efficiently.
[0059]
In addition, when the bottom member is made of an ink absorbing material capable of absorbing ink droplets, the sucked ink droplets are absorbed by the ink absorbing material, thereby preventing a problem that the collected ink droplets leak out. And the inside of the apparatus can be kept clean.
[0060]
Also, when the width on the medium feeding direction side in the suction passage is made wider than the length of the nozzle row, or the length on the recording width direction side in the suction passage is made longer than the width of the maximum recordable recording medium. Can reliably collect unnecessary ink droplets.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic structure of a printer.
FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the inside of the printer.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of the printer.
4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating the structure of a suction passage forming member, where FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of the suction passage forming member cut along the paper feeding direction, and FIG. (C) is a figure explaining the relationship between the opening width of a suction passage, the width | variety of a nozzle plate, and the length of a nozzle row.
FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating a conveyance state of a recording sheet, where FIG. 5A is a preparation position, FIG. 5B is a leading edge detection position, FIG. 5C is a recording start position, and FIG. Each of the positions conveyed is indicated.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Inkjet printer
2 Recording paper
3 Paper feeder
4 Recording section
5 Output section
6 Support plate
7 Paper feed roller
8 Guide plate
9 Edge guide
10 Guide groove
11 Paper feed motor
12 Printer controller
15 Ink cartridge
16 Recording head
17 Carriage
18 Guide shaft
19 Nozzle plate
20 nozzle rows
22 Paper feed roller
23 Paper feed motor
24 pulse motor
25 Suction passage
26 Suction passage forming member
27 Air pump
28 Suction path
29 Paper discharge roller
30 Paper discharge motor
33 Print Engine
34 Interface
35 RAM
36 ROM
37 Control unit
38 Oscillator circuit
39 Drive signal generation circuit
40 interface
51 casing
52 Ink absorber
53 Bottom plate
54 Standing wall
55 Ribs
56 Through passage
57 Paper detection sensor

Claims (5)

A recording head in which a nozzle row having a plurality of nozzle openings is formed in the nozzle surface, a head scanning mechanism for moving the recording head in the recording width direction, and a sheet-like print recording medium orthogonal to the recording width direction In an ink jet recording apparatus that includes a medium transport mechanism that transports in a medium transport direction and performs recording on a print recording medium by ejecting ink droplets from nozzle openings while operating a head scanning mechanism and a paper transport mechanism.
A suction wall forming member for forming a suction passage in a region corresponding to a movable range of the recording head, and an opening of the suction passage as a nozzle surface of the recording head. Arranged on the back side of the print recording medium so that the opening side tip of the upright wall can be in contact with the back side of the print recording medium in a state of facing,
At the opening of the suction passage, a plurality of ribs that are long in the medium feeding direction and whose upper surface is lower than the opening-side tip of the standing wall in the recording width direction,
A suction drive source communicates with the suction passage to enable negative pressure,
By covering the opening of the suction passage with the print recording medium while the suction drive source is activated, unnecessary ink droplets that become ink mist near the edge of the print recording medium are sucked into the suction passage. ,
An ink jet recording apparatus, wherein the suction drive source is selectively operated in accordance with a set period of a borderless printing mode.   2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a suction communication port through which the suction passage and the suction drive source communicate with each other is provided at a position corresponding to approximately the center of a print recording medium having a minimum recordable width. .   3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bottom member is made of an ink absorbing material capable of absorbing ink droplets.   4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a width of the suction passage on a medium feeding direction side is wider than a length of a nozzle row. 5.   The inkjet type according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a length in the recording width direction side of the suction passage is made longer than a width of the maximum recordable print recording medium. Recording device.

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