JP4835834B2 - Recording head capping device, recording device, and liquid ejecting device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention is movable to the first position separated from the recording head and to the second position that contacts the recording head and seals the ink ejection hole array composed of the ink ejection holes. The present invention relates to a capping device including a cap unit, a recording device including the capping device, and a liquid ejecting device including the capping device.

  Here, the liquid ejecting apparatus refers to an ink jet recording apparatus, a copying machine, a facsimile, or the like that performs recording on a recording material by ejecting ink from a recording head as a liquid ejecting head to a recording material such as recording paper. In addition to the recording apparatus, instead of ink, a liquid corresponding to a specific application is ejected from the liquid ejecting head corresponding to the recording head to the ejected material corresponding to the recording material, and the liquid is ejected to the ejected material. Used to include the device to be attached. In addition to the recording head described above, the liquid ejecting head includes a color material ejecting head used for manufacturing a color filter such as a liquid crystal display, an electrode material used for forming an electrode such as an organic EL display and a surface emitting display (FED) ( Examples thereof include a conductive paste) ejection head, a bio-organic matter ejection head used for biochip manufacturing, and a sample ejection head that ejects a sample as a precision pipette.

An example of an ink jet recording apparatus or a liquid ejecting apparatus is an ink jet printer. The ink jet printer includes an ink jet recording head in a carriage, and the carriage is reciprocated in the main scanning direction by a carriage motor while being guided by guide means (for example, a guide shaft) extending in the main scanning direction.
However, if the recording head continues to record on the recording material, clogging or the like may occur at the nozzle opening for ejecting ink, and good recording may not be performed.
Therefore, the recording head performs a so-called flushing operation that moves to the capping device and discharges ink toward the cap portion during recording in order to keep the state of the nozzle opening for discharging ink in a good state. Further, after the end of recording, the recording head moves to the capping device, and the nozzle opening is sealed by the cap portion. Then, a so-called suction operation is performed, in which the inside of the cap portion becomes negative pressure by the pump and the nozzle opening is sucked.

In order to determine the relative positional relationship between the recording head and the cap portion during the flushing operation and the suction operation, a claw portion that can contact the recording head is formed on the cap portion side. And the conventional capping apparatus was comprised so that the cap holder provided with the nail | claw part and the cap part might move integrally, as shown to patent document 1. FIG.
However, since the claw portion and the cap portion move together, there is a problem that the distance between the cap portion and the recording head increases during the flushing operation, and mist is generated.

Therefore, conventionally, in the main scanning direction, a claw portion that comes into contact with one side surface of the recording head is provided, and in order to prevent the occurrence of mist, the distance between the cap portion and the recording head during the flushing operation is reduced. There was a capping device.
Here, FIG. 15 shows an example of a conventional capping device.
As shown in FIG. 15, a recording head 401 is formed on the carriage, and a nozzle opening is formed in the recording head 401. On the other hand, the cap part 402 is formed with a claw part 403 that can come into contact with the recording head 401.

  During the flushing operation and the suction operation, the carriage moves at a high speed in the direction indicated by the arrow, decelerates before the position facing the cap portion 402 of the capping device, and moves at a low speed. Since the recording head 401 of the carriage that moves at a low speed slowly comes into contact with the claw portion 403 of the cap portion 402 that stands by at the position shown in FIG. 15, the impact caused by the contact can be reduced. When the recording head 401 abuts, the recording head 401 presses the claw portion 403 by driving the carriage motor, while a biasing force is applied to the cap portion 402 to the carriage side by a spring or the like (not shown). Accordingly, since the recording head 401 and the claw portion 403 are in contact with each other with no gap, the relative positional relationship between the recording head 401 and the cap portion 402 can be determined with high accuracy. Thereafter, the drive of the carriage motor is stopped. In this state, ink is ejected from the nozzle openings, that is, a flushing operation is performed.

Note that the standby position of the cap unit 402 is provided at a distance from the recording head 401 that can suppress the occurrence of mist, and at a distance that does not contact the recording head 401 when the carriage moves. It is not necessary to move during the flushing operation.
On the other hand, in the case of the suction operation, after the carriage motor is stopped, the cap unit 402 moves and contacts the recording head side to seal the nozzle opening. Thereafter, the inside of the cap part becomes negative pressure by the pump, and the nozzle opening is sucked.

JP 2002-307701 A

However, in order to prevent a collision between the recording head and the claw portion, the recording head decelerates and moves at a low speed before the position facing the cap portion, so that the throughput may be increased.
Furthermore, when the recording head and the claw portion are brought into contact with each other for positioning, the load applied to the carriage motor is not only the carriage moving load but also the urging force of the cap portion. Therefore, the load on the carriage motor is large, which hinders downsizing the carriage motor.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and its problem is not only to prevent mist during the flushing operation, but also the carriage provided with the recording head faces the cap portion. It is an object of the present invention to provide a capping device that can accurately determine a relative positional relationship with a cap portion without decelerating when moving to a position, and that does not give an extra load to a carriage motor.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a first recording apparatus that records on a recording material by ejecting ink from an ink ejection hole provided in the recording head. A capping device comprising a cap unit that can be moved by an action part to a position and to a second position that contacts the recording head and seals an ink ejection hole array composed of the ink ejection holes, The cap unit includes a slider portion having a claw portion that can contact the recording head, and a cap portion that is accommodated in the slider portion and seals the ink ejection hole row, and the first position In the movement to and from the second position, the stroke distance of the cap portion is smaller than the stroke distance of the slider portion, and the cap portion is in the first position. , Said direct contact with the base portion of the capping device, characterized in that it is constructed from the second position to restrict the movement in the direction toward the first position.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the cap unit includes a slider portion formed with a claw portion capable of contacting the recording head, and is accommodated in the slider portion, and seals the ink ejection hole array. A cap portion, wherein the stroke distance of the cap portion is smaller than the stroke distance of the slider portion in the movement between the first position and the second position, and the first position The cap portion is configured to be in direct contact with the base portion of the capping device to restrict movement in the direction from the second position toward the first position. Therefore, at the first position, the position of the cap part in the direction connecting the second position and the first position can be determined with respect to the base part with high accuracy. That is, the distance between the cap portion and the recording head when performing the flushing operation can be provided with high accuracy. As a result, at the first position, the distance between the cap portion and the recording head can be set so small that mist is not generated and the recording head and the cap portion do not come into contact with each other.

  Moreover, the slider part provided with the said nail | claw part and the said cap part can each move only the distance as needed. For example, even when the slider portion at the first position is far away from the recording head, the cap portion at the first position can be provided at a position close to the recording head. That is, at the time of the flushing operation, the cap portion is already disposed at a position close to the ink discharge hole to such an extent that the ink discharged from the ink discharge hole can be prevented from floating as a mist. There is no need to move again to prevent it.

Still further, the position of the slider portion in the first position can be provided so that the claw portion is always separated from the recording head. In such a case, when the recording head moves to a position facing the cap portion, there is no possibility of colliding with the claw portion. Therefore, it is not necessary to decelerate the driving speed of the carriage motor from high speed to low speed just before the position facing the cap portion. As a result, when the flushing operation is performed during recording, the throughput can be shortened. Also, when performing the suction operation after recording, it is not necessary to decelerate, so that the time can be shortened accordingly.
Further, since the recording head does not contact the claw portion, there is no possibility that the load on the carriage motor increases when the recording head moves to a position facing the cap portion. Accordingly, the carriage motor can be reduced in size.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, a leg portion is provided on the opposite side of the cap portion from the side facing the recording head, and the leg portion is in contact with the base portion. It is configured.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the same function and effect as the first aspect, a leg is provided on the side of the cap that is opposite to the side facing the recording head, and the leg is It is comprised so that it may contact | abut with the said base | substrate part. Accordingly, with a simple configuration, the position of the cap portion at the first position relative to the base portion can be determined with high accuracy in the movement direction between the first position and the second position. .

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, when the cap unit moves from the second position to the first position, first, the cap portion and the slider portion move together. Then, it is configured such that only the cap portion stops when the leg portion comes into contact with the base portion, and then the slider portion stops.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the same effect as the second aspect, when the cap unit moves from the second position to the first position, first, the cap portion and the The slider part moves integrally, and then the leg part comes into contact with the base part, so that only the cap part stops, and then the slider part stops. That is, in the moving direction between the first position and the second position, the position of the cap portion at the first position can be accurately determined regardless of the position of the slider portion.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the base portion includes a leg engaging portion that engages with a leg portion of the cap portion at the first position. And at least one of the leg engaging portion or the leg portion is formed in a tapered shape.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the same function and effect as any one of the first to third aspects, the base portion includes a leg portion of the cap portion at the first position. An engaging leg engaging portion is provided, and at least one of the leg engaging portion or the leg portion is configured to be tapered. Therefore, at the first position, the position of the cap portion in the main scanning direction and the sub scanning direction can be determined with high accuracy.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, an urging means is provided between the slider portion and the base portion, and the urging means includes the slider portion. The slider portion is urged to move to the second position, and when the slider portion moves to the second position, the slider portion moves integrally after contacting the cap portion. It is comprised by these.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the same function and effect as any one of the first to fourth aspects, an urging means is provided between the slider portion and the base portion, and the attachment The biasing means biases the slider portion so as to move the slider portion to the second position, and when the slider portion moves to the second position, the slider portion comes into contact with the cap portion. It is configured to move together later. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a biasing means for biasing the cap part directly, separately from the biasing means for biasing the slider part.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording apparatus comprising: a recording unit that performs recording on a recording material by a recording head; and an ejection characteristic maintaining unit that maintains the ejection characteristics of the recording unit. The maintenance unit includes the capping device described in any one of the first to fifth aspects.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the recording apparatus includes the capping device described in any of the first to fifth aspects, in the recording apparatus, the first to fifth The effect similar to the effect of either aspect can be acquired.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, a liquid ejecting hole array composed of liquid ejecting holes provided in the liquid ejecting head in contact with the liquid ejecting head is sealed to a first position separated from the liquid ejecting head. A liquid ejecting apparatus that includes a capping device that includes a cap unit that can be moved by an action unit to a second position to be stopped, and that ejects liquid onto a medium to be ejected from a liquid ejecting hole provided in the liquid ejecting head, The cap unit includes a slider portion formed with a claw portion capable of contacting the liquid ejecting head, and a cap portion housed in the slider portion and sealing the liquid ejecting hole array, In the movement between the position and the second position, the stroke distance of the cap portion is smaller than the stroke distance of the slider portion, and in the first position, the cap , The fixed portion in direct contact with the liquid ejecting apparatus, characterized in that it is composed of the second position so as to regulate the movement in the direction toward the first position.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in a recording apparatus for recording on a recording material by ejecting ink from an ink ejection hole provided in the recording head, the recording head is moved to a first position separated from the recording head. A capping device comprising a cap unit that can be moved by an action part to a second position that abuts with and seals an ink ejection hole array composed of the ink ejection holes, the cap unit comprising the recording head And a cap portion that is accommodated in the slider portion and seals the ink ejection hole array, and includes the first position and the second position. In the movement, the stroke distance of the cap portion is smaller than the stroke distance of the slider portion, and the cap unit moves from the second position to the first position. Time, first, the slider portion and the cap portion are moved together, then only the cap portion is stopped, then the slider unit is characterized by being configured to stop.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, when the cap unit moves from the second position to the first position, first, the cap part and the slider part move together, and then Only the cap portion is stopped, and then the slider portion is stopped. For example, in the direction of movement between the first position and the second position, the cap portion at the first position is a position where mist is not generated during flushing regardless of the position of the slider portion. Can be stopped. In addition, even when the cap portion is stopped, the slider portion continues to move. Therefore, when the recording head moves to a position facing the cap unit, the claw portion of the slider portion and the recording head move. The slider portion can be moved to a position where it does not contact. At this time, since the recording head does not need to be decelerated, the throughput can be improved.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing an outline of a recording apparatus which is an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to the invention. FIG. 2 is an overall plan view showing an outline of the recording apparatus according to the present invention.
On the back side of the main body of the recording apparatus 100, a paper feed cassette 101 on which sheets as recording materials are stacked is detachably provided. Sheets stacked on the top of the sheet feeding cassette 101 are picked up by a feeding roller (not shown) driven by a feeding motor 104 and guided by a sheet guide 103 while being conveyed downstream in the conveying direction. (Not shown). The sheet fed to the conveyance roller is further conveyed to the recording unit 143 on the downstream side in the conveyance direction by a conveyance roller driven by a conveyance motor (not shown). The recording unit 143 includes a platen 105 that supports a sheet from below and a carriage 107 that is provided to face the upper side of the platen 105. Among them, the carriage 107 is driven by the carriage motor 102 while being guided by a carriage guide shaft (not shown) extending in the main scanning direction. Further, a recording head 106 that discharges ink toward the paper is provided on the bottom surface of the carriage 107. The sheet recorded by the recording unit 143 is further conveyed downstream and is discharged from the front side of the recording apparatus 100 by a discharge roller (not shown).

  Further, an ink cartridge (not shown) is loaded below the main body of the recording apparatus 100, and ink is supplied to an ink supply path (not shown) via an ink supply needle (not shown). Further, the ink is supplied to the recording head 106 of the carriage 107 via the ink supply tube 110. When the recording head 106 is flushed and cleaned, ink is ejected and sucked in the ink suction device 200 that is provided on the first digit side and maintains the ejection characteristics of the recording unit 143.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an ink suction device according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the ink suction device according to the present invention.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the ink suction device 200 is provided with a capping device 230 that can contact the recording head 106. The capping device 230 includes a cap unit 202. The cap unit 202 seals the recording head 106, and a slider that moves toward and away from the recording head 106 and guides the cap unit 204 to the recording head 106. Part 205. As shown in FIG. 4, the base portion 215 is provided with a slider guide 215 a, and one slider portion 205 is provided with a slider rib 207, and the slider portion 205 is positioned by contacting the slider guide 215 a and the slider rib 207. Has been.

  Further, the ink suction device 200 is provided with a gear unit 218 that transmits power from the conveyance motor or the feeding motor 104, and the gear unit 218 sucks the inside of the cap portion of the capping device 230 to make a negative pressure. The power is transmitted to the suction pump unit 281 that can perform the above operation. The base member 215 is provided with a lever member 210, which engages with the slider portion 205 to enable the slider portion 205 to move toward and away from the recording head 106. Specifically, the slider unit 205 is urged toward the recording head by a cap spring 211 (see FIGS. 7 to 12) between the base unit 215 and the slider unit 205. On the other hand, the lever member 210 receives power from the gear unit 218 and rotates to oppose the spring force of the cap spring 211 to move the slider portion 205 and the cap portion 204. More detailed operation will be described later with reference to FIGS. Moreover, the cap part 204 is comprised so that air can be sent in by the atmosphere release valve 219 via the atmosphere release tube 242 (refer FIG. 5).

  Further, on the 80-digit side of the ink suction device 200, a wiping device 217 is provided that allows the wiper contact portion 302 to contact the nozzle opening forming surface 106b of the recording head 106 and wipe the ink. The wiping device 217 is provided so as to be guided in the up-and-down movement direction by engagement of a wiper guide rib 215 b provided in the base portion 215 and a guide groove 303 d provided in the wiper base portion 303.

FIG. 5 is a lower perspective view showing the inside of the suction pump unit according to the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 5, a rotatable negative pressure generating member 283 is provided inside the suction pump unit 281, and a hollow pump tube 282 formed of an elastic body is provided on the circumference of the negative pressure generating member 283. Is provided. One end of the pump tube 282 is connected to a suction tube 241 connected to the bottom of the cap unit 204. A protrusion (not shown) is provided on the circumference of the negative pressure generating member 283. As the negative pressure generating member 283 rotates, the protrusion acts to squeeze the air in the pump tube to the other end of the pump tube 282. That is, the air on one end side in the pump tube can be moved to the other end side. Therefore, the suction pump unit 281 can generate a negative pressure in the cap unit via the suction tube 241.

  On the other hand, an air release valve 219 that can be opened and closed is provided at one end of the air release tube 242 connected to the bottom of the cap unit 204, and the valve is opened by an action unit (not shown) to feed air into the cap unit. be able to. Therefore, when the inside of the cap portion is in a negative pressure state by the suction pump portion 281, the negative pressure state of the cap portion 204 can be released by opening the atmosphere release valve 219.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of the capping device according to the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 6, a cap contact portion 203 is formed on the upper portion of the cap portion 204 by an elastic body so that the nozzle opening forming surface 106b can be reliably sealed. In addition, an ink absorbing material 209 capable of absorbing ink ejected from the nozzle opening is provided in the cap portion, and the ink absorbing material 209 is heated by a locking projection 204b extending from the bottom surface of the cap portion 204. It is held by a pressing member 216 welded by caulking or the like. The cap portion 204 is formed with an air release opening 227, and the air release opening 227 is connected to the air release valve 219 via an air release tube 242 connected to the bottom surface of the cap portion 204.

On the other hand, a first claw portion 214c capable of contacting the upstream and downstream surfaces of the recording head 106 in the transport direction is provided at a position biased to the 1st digit side of the slider portion 205. . In addition, a second claw portion 214d is provided that can come into contact with the one-digit side surface of the recording head 106 in the main scanning direction.
Further, a cam portion 213 is provided on the transmission downstream side of the gear unit 218. The cam portion 213 abuts on a lever member 210, which will be described later, and rotates the lever member 210 to slide the slider portion 205 and the cap portion 204. And is configured to move.
The base body 215 is provided with a pair of slider position restricting portions 359 and 359 in contact with the lower ends of the slider ribs 207 and 207 in the sub-scanning direction at a first position described later.

[About the movement of the cap unit from the first position to the second position]
Next, operations of the lever member 210, the slider unit 205, and the cap unit 204 accompanying the rotation of the cam unit 213 will be described below. Here, the first position of the capping device 230 refers to a state separated from the recording head 106, and the second position refers to sealing the nozzle opening array 106a that is in contact with the recording head 106 and includes nozzle openings. The state to do.
FIG. 7 is a side view of the first position of the cap unit of the capping device according to the present invention as seen from the 1st digit side. FIG. 8 is a front sectional view in the main scanning direction in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the slider portion 205 is urged toward the recording head by the spring force of the cap spring 211 provided between the slider portion 205 and the base portion 215.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, a rotatable cam gear 212 having a cam portion 213 is provided on the right side in the drawing to counter the spring force of the cap spring 211. The cam portion 213 can rotate the lever member 210 about the rotation shaft 210b by contacting the first lever arm 210a formed at one end of the lever member 210. A second lever arm 210 c is formed at the other end of the one lever member 210, and a lever opening portion 210 d provided in the second lever arm 210 c has a first taper portion 206 formed in a pair with the slider portion 205. , And the second tapered portion 208 is engaged. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7, the cam portion 213 contacts the first lever arm 210a, whereby the lever member 210 can be rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 7 to push down the slider portion 205. .

  Further, a leg portion 204 c that can come into contact with the base portion 215 is provided on the lower surface of the cap portion 204, and the leg portion 204 c is inserted into an opening (not shown) formed on the bottom surface of the slider portion 205. That is, the cap spring 211 does not directly abut against the cap portion 204 and is urged, but abuts against the slider portion 205 and urges it indirectly via the slider portion 205. It is possible to energize. 7 and 8, the slider portion 205 is lowered to a position where no force is applied to the cap portion 204 by the cam portion 213 and the lever member 210, and the cap portion 204 has the leg portion 204c. Is positioned in the vertical direction by abutting against the base portion 215.

  The first claw portion 214c and the second claw portion 214d are provided with a first inclined portion 214a and a second inclined portion 214e, respectively, so that the slider portion 205 can be smoothly guided by contacting the recording head 106. Furthermore, in order to reduce the frictional resistance between the first claw portion 214c or the second claw portion 214d and the recording head 106, the first claw-like first claw contact with a small contact area is provided. A contact surface 214b and a second claw contact surface 214f are provided. In addition, the nozzle opening row 106 a is formed in a range slightly smaller than the cap portion 204 on the surface that contacts the cap portion 204 of the recording head 106, that is, the nozzle opening forming surface 106 b.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the first tapered portion 206 and the second tapered portion 208 of the slider portion 205 that engage with the lever opening 210d of the second lever arm 210c are tapered in the same direction. Here, as described above, the slider portion 205 is urged upward in the figure by the cap spring 211 and is urged downward by the lever member 210 to counter the spring force. Accordingly, the slider portion 205 is urged to the left in the drawing, in other words, to the 80th digit side by the lever opening 210d, the first taper portion 206, and the second taper portion 208. At this time, the slider rib 207 of the slider portion 205 shown in FIG. 4 is regulated by the slider guide 215a of the base portion 215 and positioned in the main scanning direction.

FIG. 9 is a side view showing an operation when the cap unit of the capping device according to the present invention moves from the first position to the second position. FIG. 10 is a front sectional view in the main scanning direction in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 9, when the cam gear 212 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction in the drawing, the cam portion 213 is gradually retracted, and the abutting lever member 210 is gradually rotated in the clockwise direction. As the lever member 210 rotates, the slider portion 205 gradually moves toward the recording head.

When the cam gear 212 further rotates counterclockwise, the slider 205 further moves toward the recording head, and the first inclined portion 214a of the first claw portion 214c or the second inclined portion 214e of the second claw portion 214d is moved. , Abuts the lower side of the side surface of the recording head. This is the state shown in FIGS.
When the cam gear 212 further rotates counterclockwise from this state, the slider portion 205 tends to move further toward the recording head. Accordingly, the lower side of the side surface of the recording head gradually rises above the first inclined portion 214a of the first claw portion 214c or the second inclined portion 214e of the second claw portion 214d, and the first claw of the first claw portion 214c. It contacts the contact surface 214b or the second claw contact surface 214f of the second claw portion 214d. That is, the relative positional relationship between the slider 205 and the recording head 106 is determined with high accuracy by the first claw 214c and the second claw 214d.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 10, the slider portion 205 is guided to the right side in the drawing by being guided by the second inclined portion 214 e of the second claw portion 214 d that contacts the lower side of the one-digit side surface of the recording head 106. 1 digit is moved. That is, the slider rib 207 of the slider portion 205 shown in FIG. 4 is separated from the slider guide 215a of the base portion 215, and the slider opening 205 is made 80 by the lever opening portion 210d, the first taper portion 206, and the second taper portion 208. The force biased toward the spar is restricted by the second claw portion 214d that abuts the lower side of the side surface of the spar 1 of the recording head 106. Accordingly, since the second claw portion 214d can be in contact with the lower side of the one-digit side surface of the recording head 106 without a gap, the slider portion 205 is relatively accurate with respect to the recording head 106 in the main scanning direction. Positioned.

  When the cam gear 212 further rotates counterclockwise, the slider portion 205 further moves toward the recording head, and the bottom surface of the slider portion 205 contacts the lower surface of the cap portion 204 to move the cap portion 204 toward the recording head. Let That is, the leg portion 204c of the cap portion 204 is separated from the base portion 215, and the cap portion 204 moves together with the slider portion 205 to the recording head side.

FIG. 11 is a side view showing a second position of the cap unit of the capping apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 12 is a front sectional view in the main scanning direction in FIG.
When the cam gear 212 is further rotated counterclockwise from the state shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 and the cam portion 213 is separated from the lever member 210, as shown in FIGS. The slider portion 205 and the cap portion 204 move toward the recording head while being guided by the first claw contact surface 214b and the second claw contact surface 214f of the second claw portion 214d, and the cap contact portion 203 of the cap portion 204. Is in contact with the nozzle opening forming surface 106b on the lower surface of the recording head. When the cap unit 204 comes into contact with the recording head 106, the lever member 210 is completely free. That is, since the lever member 210 is not in contact with the cam portion 213, it does not exert any acting force on the slider portion 205. Accordingly, the force that urges the slider portion 205 toward the 80-digit side by the lever opening portion 210d, the first taper portion 206, and the second taper portion 208 is not generated. That is, at the same time that the cap unit 204 comes into contact with the recording head 106, an excessive biasing force is released in the main scanning direction. As a result, the cap part 204 can reliably seal the nozzle opening forming surface 106b.

[About the movement of the cap unit from the second position to the first position]
Next, a procedure for moving the cap unit 202 from the second position to the first position will be described.
When the cam gear 212 rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 11 from the state where the cap unit 202 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 is in the second position, the cam portion 213 separated from the lever member 210 is moved to the first position of the lever member 210. Abuts with one lever arm 210a. Then, the cam portion 213 rotates the lever member 210 counterclockwise in FIG. Accordingly, the second lever arm 210c causes the cap springs 211 and 211 to move the slider portion 205 engaged with the second lever arm 210c to the position shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 as the cam portion 213 rotates. It can be gradually moved downward against the spring force.

  At this time, the lever member 210 restricts the first taper portion 206 and the second taper portion 208 of the slider portion 205 against the spring force of the cap springs 211, 211, so that the lever member 210 described above is the slider portion 205. Is generated from the 1st digit side in the main scanning direction to the 80th digit side. Accordingly, when the cap unit 202 moves from the state shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 to the state shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the second inclined portions 214e of the second claw portions 214d and 214d provided on the slider portion 205, 214 e contacts the recording head 106. That is, the slider portion 205 is guided by the second inclined portions 214e and 214e to move downward in FIG. 10 and to the left side in the main scanning direction 80 digits. Then, the pair of slider ribs 207 and 207 provided in the slider unit 205 in the sub-scanning direction comes into contact with the pair of slider guides 215a and 215a in the sub-scanning direction provided in the base unit 215.

  Further, when the slider portion 205 moves downward in FIG. 9, the two leg portions 204 c and 204 c provided on the cap portion 204 come into contact with the base portion 215. Accordingly, the downward movement of the cap portion 204 is restricted. That is, the position of the cap portion 204 at the first position in the height direction can be determined with high accuracy. As a result, at the time of flushing, the distance between the recording head 106 and the cap portion 204 can be set so small that mist does not occur, and the recording head 106 and the cap portion 204 can be prevented from contacting each other.

In this embodiment, the leg portions 204c and 204c are provided below the cap portion 204 so as to come into contact with the base portion 215. However, instead of the leg portions 204c and 204c, the side portions of the cap portion 204 are provided. Of course, a protrusion may be provided so that the protrusion is in contact with the base portion 215.
Further, the leg portions 204c and 204c as a part of the cap portion 204 are provided so as to come into contact with the base portion 215 of the capping device 230, but instead of the base portion 215 of the capping device 230, an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus It may be brought into contact with a base portion as a fixed portion of the recording apparatus 100. In such a case, the position of the cap portion 204 in the height direction at the first position can be determined with higher accuracy.

  When the cam gear 212 further rotates clockwise in FIG. 9 from the position of the cap unit 202 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the lever member 210 further rotates counterclockwise. Then, the lever member 210 pushes down the slider unit 205 to move only the slider unit 205 downward to the position of the slider unit 205 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. At this time, the position in the height direction of the slider portion 205 at the first position, that is, the position in the movement direction between the first position and the second position is regulated by the position of the lever member 210. Further, the posture of the slider unit 205 at the first position is such that the lower ends of the pair of slider ribs 207 and 207 in the sub-scanning direction provided in the slider unit 205 are in the sub-scanning direction provided in the base unit 215. By abutting against the restricting portions 359 and 359 (see FIG. 6), a stable posture is maintained.

[Cap unit stroke]
FIGS. 13A, 13B, and 13C are side views showing strokes of the capping device according to the present invention. Among these, FIG. 13 (A) shows the state of the cap unit in the first position, and FIG. 13 (B) shows the state of the second position. FIG. 6C is a diagram showing the second position when the recording head 106 is not provided in FIG. As shown in FIG. 13C, a safety margin is given to the stroke by the distance d, so that there is no possibility that a gap is generated between the cap portion 204 and the recording head 106 in FIG. Therefore, during the suction operation, the inside of the cap portion can be surely brought into a negative pressure state.

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the cap unit according to the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 14, a cap contact portion 203 formed of an elastic body is provided on the cap portion 204 so as to contact the nozzle opening forming surface 106 b of the recording head 106. Further, a locking projection 204b is provided in the cap portion, and the ink absorbing material 209 can be held by engaging the pressing member 216 with the tip of the locking projection 204b. Further, an air release opening 227 is provided in the cap portion at the same height as the surface of the ink absorbing material 209, and air can be sent into the cap portion from the air release valve 219. Further, a suction opening 228 is provided on the bottom surface of the cap unit 204, and the suction opening 228 can send ink held by the ink absorbing material 209 in the cap unit to the suction pump unit 281 by driving the suction pump unit 281. it can. A leg portion 204c is provided on the lower surface of the cap portion 204, and the leg portion 204c is configured to contact the base body portion 215 during the course of moving from the first position to the second position. Further, a pair of tearing claw portions 204 a is provided on the diagonal side of the cap portion 204 on the lower side surface of the cap portion 204. The peeling claw portion 204a is provided so as to be able to engage with the slider portion 205 and regulate the relative position of each other when moving up and down between the first position and the second position. Yes.

  A pair of a first taper portion 206 and a second taper portion 208 are provided on the side surface of one slider portion 205 in the main scanning direction. As shown in FIGS. 8, 10, and 12, the first taper portion 206 and the second taper portion 208 are tapered in the same direction, and are engaged with the lever member 210 as described above. The urging force in the vertical direction of the cap spring 211 and the lever member 210 is configured to convert the urging force of the slider portion 205 from the 1st digit in the main scanning direction to the 80th digit side.

  Further, a pair of slider ribs 207 are provided on the side surface of the slider portion 205 in the paper conveyance direction, and the slider ribs 207 are provided so as to be able to contact a slider guide 215a provided on the base portion 215 shown in FIGS. It has been. That is, since the slider rib 207 is brought into contact with and regulated by the slider guide 215a by the force for urging the slider portion 205 to the 80-digit side, the position of the slider portion 205 at the first position is accurate in the main scanning direction. Well positioned.

  Further, a first claw portion 214c capable of contacting the upstream and downstream surfaces of the recording head 106 in the transport direction is provided at a position biased to the first digit side of the slider portion 205. . Further, in the main scanning direction, a second claw portion 214d that can come into contact with the surface on the one-digit side of the recording head 106 is provided.

[About other embodiments]
FIG. 16 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of a main part showing a first position of a capping device according to another embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 16, tapered leg taper portions 312 and 312 are provided in the vicinity of the ends of the leg portions 204c and 204c provided on the cap portion 204. On the other hand, the base body portion 215 is provided with cylindrical leg engaging portions 311 and 311 that engage with the leg portions 204c and 204c.
Here, since other members are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, the same reference numerals are used, and the description thereof is omitted.

When the cap part 204 moves from the second position described above to the first position shown in FIG. 16, the leg taper parts 312 and 312 provided on the leg parts 204c and 204c are brought into contact with the leg engaging parts 311 and 311. Touch. Therefore, the leg portions 204c and 204c can be engaged with the leg engaging portions 311 and 311 while being guided by the leg taper portions 312 and 312. The movement of the cap portion 204 to the first position is completed when the tips of the leg portions 204c and 204c hit the bottoms of the leg engaging portions 311 and 311. At this time, the cap unit 204 is configured to be accurately positioned not only in the height direction but also in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction at the first position.
In addition, in the said embodiment, although the taper-shaped part (312) was provided in the leg part side, you may provide a taper-shaped part (312) in the leg engaging part side, and also the leg part side and leg engaging part Of course, tapered portions (312) may be provided on both sides of the side.

  The capping device 230 of the present embodiment is separated from the recording head 106 in the recording device 100 that performs recording on a sheet as a recording material by ejecting ink from nozzle openings as ink ejection holes provided in the recording head 106. By the cap spring 211, the cam portion 213, and the lever member 210 as the action portions, the cap spring 211, the cam portion 213, and the lever member 210 are actuated to the first position and to the second position that contacts the recording head 106 and seals the nozzle opening row 106a configured by the nozzle openings. The capping device 230 includes a movable cap unit 202, and the cap unit 202 has a first claw portion 214c and a second claw portion 214d as claw portions 214 that can come into contact with the recording head 106. Slider portion 205 and a cap which is accommodated in the slider portion and seals the nozzle opening row 106a. Part 204, and in the movement between the first position and the second position, the stroke distance of the cap part 204 is smaller than the stroke distance of the slider part 205, and the first position The cap portion 204 is configured to directly abut against the base portion 215 of the capping device 230 and to restrict movement in the direction from the second position to the first position. To do.

In the present embodiment, leg portions 204c and 204c are provided on the side of the cap portion 204 opposite to the side facing the recording head 106, and the leg portions 204c and 204c are configured to contact the base portion 215. It is characterized by.
Further, when the cap unit 202 moves from the second position to the first position, first, the cap portion 204 and the slider portion 205 move together, and then the leg portions 204c and 204c move to the base portion. It is characterized in that only the cap portion 204 is stopped by abutting with 215, and then the slider portion 205 is stopped.

In the present embodiment, the base portion 215 is provided with leg engaging portions 311 and 311 that engage with the leg portions 204c and 204c of the cap portion 204 at the first position, and the leg engaging portions 311 and 311 or At least one of the leg portions 204c and 204c is configured to be tapered (312 and 312).
Cap springs 211 and 211 as urging means are provided between the slider portion 205 and the base portion 215. The cap springs 211 and 211 move the slider portion 205 to the second position. When the slider portion 205 moves to the second position, the slider portion 205 is configured to move integrally after contacting the cap portion 204.

  In the capping device 230 of the present embodiment, when the cap unit 202 moves from the second position to the first position, first, the cap unit 204 and the slider unit 205 move together, and then , Only the cap portion 204 is stopped, and then the slider portion 205 is stopped. In the above embodiment, the leg portions 204c and 204c, which are part of the cap portion 204, are configured to come into contact with the base portion 215 and only the cap portion 204 is stopped. Of course, the cap part 204 may be stopped without being brought into contact with the part 215. For example, the cap portion 204 may be supported by an urging means such as a spring provided in the slider portion.

In the present embodiment, the tapered first tapered portion and the second tapered portion are provided on the slider portion side, but it is needless to say that a tapered action portion can be provided on the lever member side.
Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and these are also included in the scope of the present invention. Needless to say.

1 is an overall perspective view showing an outline of a recording apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is an overall plan view schematically showing a recording apparatus according to the present invention. The perspective view which shows the ink suction device which concerns on this invention The top view which shows the ink suction device which concerns on this invention The lower perspective view which shows the inside of the suction pump part which concerns on this invention The principal part expansion perspective view of the capping apparatus concerning this invention The side view which shows the 1st position of the capping apparatus based on this invention Front sectional view in FIG. Side view showing the operation of the capping device according to the present invention. Front sectional view in FIG. The side view which shows the 2nd position of the capping apparatus based on this invention Front sectional view in FIG. (A) (B) (C) is a side view showing a stroke of a capping device according to the present invention. The exploded perspective view of the cap unit concerning the present invention Side view showing a conventional capping device The principal part expanded side sectional view which shows the 1st position of the capping apparatus which concerns on other embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Recording apparatus, 101 Paper cassette, 102 Carriage motor, 103 Paper guide, 104 Feeding motor, 105 Platen, 106 Recording head, 106a Nozzle opening row, 106b Nozzle opening formation surface, 107 Carriage, 110 Ink supply tube, 143 Recording section, 200 Ink suction device, 202 Cap unit, 203 Cap contact section, 204 Cap section, 204a Peeling claw section, 204b Locking projection, 204c Leg section, 205 Slider section, 206 First taper section, 207 Slider rib, 208 Second taper portion, 209 Ink absorbing material, 210 Lever member, 210a First lever arm, 210b Rotating shaft, 210c Second lever arm, 210d Lever opening, 211 Cap spring, 212 Cam gear, 2 3 cam part, 214 claw part, 214a first inclined part, 214b first claw contact surface, 214c first claw part, 214d second claw part, 214e second inclined part, 214f second claw contact surface, 215 Substrate, 215a Slider guide, 215b Wiper guide rib, 216 Holding member, 217 Wiping device, 218 Gear unit, 219 Air release valve, 227 Air release opening, 228 Suction opening, 230 Capping device, 241 Suction tube, 242 Air release tube , 281 Suction pump part, 282 Pump tube, 283 Negative pressure generating member, 302 Wiper contact part, 303 Wiper base part, 303d Guide groove, 311 Leg engaging part, 312 Leg taper part, 359 Slider position restricting part, 401 Recording head 402 Cap part 403 Claw part

Claims (4)

A cap that can contact the head that ejects ink;
A slider portion for accommodating the cap portion so as to be relatively movable ;
A lever member movably engaging the slider portion with respect to the head;
A capping device provided with a base portion provided with the lever member,
When moving the slider portion to the head side by the lever member, the slider portion and the cap portion are moved together by bringing the cap portion into contact with the cap portion from below,
When the slider member is moved away from the head by the lever member,
From the state in which the cap part and the slider part move together, the base part comes into contact with the protrusion of the cap part inserted through the opening of the slider part from below , and the movement of the cap part is restricted , A capping device, wherein the slider portion is further moved while the slider portion is not in contact with the base portion . The capping device according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is a leg portion provided on a lower surface of the cap portion,
The opening of the slider part is an opening formed in the bottom face of the slider part. In the capping device according to claim 1 or 2, urging means for urging the slider portion toward the head is provided between the slider portion and the base portion.
By rotating the lever member against the urging force of the urging means, the slider part is moved in a direction away from the head, and the lever member is rotated in a direction in which the urging force of the urging means is applied. By moving the slider portion, the capping device moves in the direction of the head. A liquid jet head for discharging liquid;
A cap portion capable of contacting the liquid jet head;
A slider portion for accommodating the cap portion so as to be relatively movable ;
A lever member that movably engages the slider portion with respect to the liquid ejecting head;
A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: a fixing portion provided with the lever member;
When the slider member is moved to the liquid ejecting head side by the lever member, the slider portion abuts the cap portion from below to move the slider portion and the cap portion together,
When the slider member is moved away from the liquid ejecting head by the lever member, the cap portion and the slider portion project from the state in which the cap portion and the slider portion move integrally. the movement of the cap portion fixing portion is in contact with the underside of the liquid ejecting apparatus is restricted to, the slider unit is in a state of noncontact with the fixed portion, and characterized in that is further moved the slider portion Liquid ejecting device.

Images