JP5026155B2 - Carriage unit and inkjet recording apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a carriage unit mounted on an ink jet recording apparatus that ejects ink droplets from nozzles and records images, characters, and the like on a recording medium, and an ink jet recording apparatus having the carriage unit. .

  Currently, there are many ink jet recording apparatuses that record images and characters by ejecting ink droplets onto a recording medium such as recording paper. This type of recording apparatus performs recording by supplying ink from an ink tank or an ink cartridge to an inkjet head via an ink supply tube and ejecting ink droplets from the nozzles of the inkjet head onto a recording medium. As such a recording apparatus, for example, a large-sized ink jet printer capable of recording on a recording medium having a width exceeding 64 inches from a small one such as a home printer or a fax machine is known.

  Of these, heaters are generally incorporated in large-scale ink jet printers that quickly dry the printing surface to improve the fixability of ink on the recording medium and facilitate the handling of the recording medium after recording. It is. Normally, this heater is attached to a platen on which the recording medium moves on the upper surface, and heats the platen to about 40 ° C. As a result, the ink droplets adhering to the recording medium can be dried quickly, and the ink droplets can be prevented from spreading around. As a result, clear printing without blurring spots and blurring is realized.

  However, since the ink droplets are forcibly dried by the heater, there is a disadvantage that steam is inevitably generated by the evaporation of the ink droplets during the recording. In particular, when highly volatile ink is used, when the temperature of the heater is increased, or when the ambient temperature where the printer is placed is low, steam is prominently generated.

  Here, when recording is performed by the ink jet printer, the carriage is reciprocated in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction in which the recording medium is sent out. A plurality of inkjet heads with nozzle holes facing the recording medium are mounted on the carriage. During reciprocation, recording is performed by ejecting ink droplets from the nozzle holes of each inkjet head.

  However, steam is generated during recording as described above, and the carriage has to reciprocate in the steam atmosphere. For this reason, adhesion and condensation of ink volatile components such as steam occur on the nozzle surface of the ink jet head in which the nozzle holes are formed. As a result, volatile components and dew condensation adhere to the vicinity of the nozzle, and the meniscus may be broken, leading to ink ejection failure. In particular, in order to perform clear recording, the distance between the ink jet head and the recording medium may be close, but in this case, steam is more likely to adhere, and the above-described problem is likely to occur.

Therefore, printers are known in which various countermeasures are considered in order to deal with the above-described problems. For example, a printer is known that has a mechanism for removing condensation that adheres to the lower surface (nozzle surface) of an ink jet head when the ink jet head deviates from the upper region (printing region) of the recording medium (see Patent Document 1). ). Also known is a printer that prevents adhesion of condensation by blowing air around the inkjet head or sucking air around the inkjet head (see Patent Document 2). Also known is a printer that uses a fan to send air to the periphery of an inkjet head to create a flow of airflow, and removes steam from this flow (see Patent Document 3).
JP 2005-14560 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-22194 Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-212323

  However, conventional printers still have the following problems.

  That is, in the printer described in Patent Document 1, the condensation is removed by blowing air to the nozzle surface to blow condensation, sucking condensation on the nozzle surface, or wiping the condensation on the nozzle surface. In any case, since the dew condensation that has adhered to the nozzle surface is only removed later, there was no change in the carriage moving in the steam. For this reason, there is a possibility that ejection failure may occur due to impurities contained in the steam. In addition, when air is blown, the air enters the nozzle hole, which increases the possibility of causing a discharge failure.

  Further, in the printer described in Patent Document 2, since air is simply blown from the side of the ink jet head, the ejected ink droplets do not fly straight and cannot be recorded correctly. On the other hand, when suction is performed, steam is attracted to the ink jet head side, and discharge defects are more likely to occur.

  In addition, in the printer described in Patent Document 3, steam is removed by the airflow generated by the fan, but in the same manner as described above, the ejected ink droplets do not fly straight and may not be recorded correctly. .

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and its purpose is to reciprocate the ink-jet head without exposing the nozzle surface to steam and to eliminate defective discharge, and to track the ink droplets. It is an object to provide a carriage unit that can perform accurate and high-quality recording by reciprocating an inkjet head without affecting it, and an inkjet recording apparatus having the carriage unit.

  The present invention provides the following means in order to solve the above problems.

A carriage unit according to the present invention is a carriage unit that reciprocates along a perpendicular direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction on a recording medium conveyed while being placed on the upper surface of a platen, and has a nozzle hole formed therein. An inkjet head having a nozzle surface that discharges the supplied ink to the outside as ink droplets from the nozzle hole, and a head to which the plurality of inkjet heads are fixed with the nozzle surface facing the recording medium A carriage having a base, and a frame portion formed on the carriage around the inkjet head, and disposed between the head base and the recording medium so as to be closer to the recording medium than the nozzle hole; Moving means for reciprocating the carriage along the orthogonal direction and at least during the reciprocating movement Performing blowing of the fluid outside of said frame portion, said comprising a fluid supply means for flowing so away from forcefully the frame portion of the air floating on a recording medium, wherein the carriage, said frame portion A cover that covers the plurality of inkjet heads and the top of the head base with a gap between them, a storage box that is provided in the cover, and stores the plurality of inkjet heads therein, and a storage box It is formed to be openable and closable, and is closed when a plurality of the inkjet heads are in operation, and partitions the space in the storage box and the space in the cover, and opens when the plurality of inkjet heads are stopped. An open / close door that communicates the space in the storage box and the space in the cover, and the fluid supply means After capturing in the cover, it said performing said discharged to the outside of the frame portion blowing from the gap, or those characterized that you cool the plurality of inkjet heads which are housed in the storage box is there.

  When recording characters, images, and the like by ejecting ink onto a recording medium by the carriage unit according to the present invention, first, the carriage is reciprocated by the moving means simultaneously with the conveyance of the recording medium. At this time, the carriage is reciprocated in a direction substantially perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recording medium. Along with the reciprocal movement of the carriage, the plurality of ink jet heads fixed to the head base simultaneously reciprocate with the nozzle surface in which the nozzle holes are formed facing the recording medium. Then, each inkjet head is operated at a predetermined timing, and the supplied ink is ejected to the outside from a nozzle hole of a predetermined size. At this time, the ink is ejected in the form of droplets, that is, ink droplets. As a result, characters, images, etc. can be recorded on the recording medium.

  In addition, since the recording medium is conveyed while being placed on the upper surface of the platen heated by the heater, the ink droplets attached to the recording medium can be quickly dried. Therefore, it is possible to perform clear recording without blurring spots or bleeding.

  By the way, a frame portion formed around the plurality of ink jet heads is fixed to the head base of the carriage in a state of being arranged between the head base and the recording medium. That is, the plurality of inkjet heads perform recording by ejecting ink droplets in a space sandwiched between the frame portions. Then, while the carriage is reciprocated to perform recording on the recording medium, the fluid supply means sprays the fluid outside the frame (the side where the plurality of inkjet heads are not present), and the recording medium The air drifting upward is forced to flow away from the frame. For this reason, steam generated on drying of the ink droplets and drifting on the recording medium can be forcibly separated from the frame portion.

  Therefore, the carriage can be reciprocated while the steam is scraped with the fluid, and unlike the conventional one, it is possible to minimize the possibility that the carriage itself directly hits the steam. Moreover, the frame portion is formed as close as possible to the recording medium rather than the nozzle hole. Therefore, it is possible to prevent as much as possible that the air that has flowed by the spraying of the fluid enters the plurality of ink jet heads beyond the frame portion. That is, it is possible to prevent steam from entering from the outside beyond the frame portion due to the influence of flow. Therefore, the plurality of inkjet heads can be prevented from being exposed to steam, and steam can be prevented from adhering to the nozzle surface. As a result, it is possible to prevent a discharge failure due to the generation of steam. In addition, since the flowing air or steam hardly penetrates into the plurality of ink jet heads beyond the frame portion, the flight trajectory of the ink droplets ejected from the nozzle holes is not affected at all. Therefore, ink droplets can be ejected straight toward the recording medium.

As a result, accurate and high-quality recording can be performed.
In the carriage unit according to the present invention, the upper portions of the plurality of inkjet heads and the upper portion of the head base are covered with the cover. At this time, a gap is opened between the cover and the frame portion. In addition, a storage box in which a plurality of inkjet heads are stored and an opening / closing door is formed is provided in the cover.
Then, while reciprocating the carriage to perform recording on the recording medium and operating the plurality of inkjet heads, the fluid supply means once takes the fluid into the cover, and then draws the fluid from the gap into the frame portion. Discharge outside and spray. Thereby, the steam can be forced to flow away from the frame portion. During recording, the open / close door is closed, so that the fluid taken into the cover does not flow into the storage box.
On the other hand, when recording is not performed, that is, when the carriage is moved from above the recording medium to the outside of the recording area and a plurality of inkjet heads are stopped, the open / close door is opened.
Thus, the space in the cover communicates with the space in the storage box, and the fluid supply means takes in the fluid into the cover. Then, the taken-in fluid flows into the storage box from the cover and cools the plurality of inkjet heads. Thus, when recording is not being performed, the inkjet head can be efficiently cooled using the fluid.
In particular, when recording is performed for a long time, the temperature of the ink jet head itself may rise due to heat generation, which may cause ejection failure. However, as described above, since the ink jet head can be cooled by using the time during which recording is not performed, it is possible to prevent ejection failure due to temperature rise.
Further, when the temperature of the ink jet head rises, the temperature of the ink also rises. As a result, the size (diameter) of the ejected ink droplet changes depending on the temperature, which may cause a density defect or a reduction in image quality. This can also be prevented in advance, and high-quality recording can be performed.

  The carriage unit according to the present invention is the carriage unit according to the present invention, wherein the fluid supply means is a plurality of fans fixed to the carriage, and the frame portion is disposed between the plurality of fans. It is characterized by that.

  In the carriage unit according to the present invention, fluid can be reliably sprayed by driving the fan, and steam can be forced to flow. In particular, since the fan reciprocates together with the carriage, the carriage can be reciprocated while scraping off steam with a fluid more reliably. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the carriage itself from being exposed to steam as much as possible. And since the frame part is arrange | positioned between fans, steam can be pulled away from this frame part equally centering on a frame part. In addition, since a cheap and frequently used fan is used, the configuration can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

  The carriage unit according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the carriage unit according to the present invention, the fan blows the fluid away from the frame portion in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the recording medium. To do.

  In the carriage unit according to the present invention, the steam can be moved away from the frame portion in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the recording medium by the fan. Therefore, the carriage can be reciprocated while the steam is more surely scraped with the fluid. In particular, steam that is slightly away from the carriage can be efficiently blown away.

  In the carriage unit according to the present invention, in the carriage unit according to the present invention, the fan blows the fluid toward the recording medium in a direction substantially orthogonal to the surface of the recording medium. It is a feature.

  In the carriage unit according to the present invention, the fluid is sprayed toward the recording medium in a direction substantially orthogonal to the surface of the recording medium by the fan. Then, after the fluid hits the surface of the recording medium, the fluid flows so as to be dispersed in four directions around the position. Thereby, steam can be kept away from a frame part. Therefore, the carriage can be reciprocated while scraping off steam with fluid more reliably. In particular, the steam near the carriage can be efficiently blown off.

  In the carriage unit according to the present invention, in the carriage unit according to the present invention, the fan can move in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the recording medium with respect to the carriage. It is characterized by this.

  In the carriage unit according to the present invention, since the fan can be moved in a direction substantially orthogonal to the surface of the recording medium, the speed of the fluid reaching the vicinity of the recording medium can be easily changed. Therefore, the fluid speed can be adjusted to an optimum value in accordance with the carriage moving speed, the distance between the recording medium and the nozzle surface, the state of occurrence of steam, and the like, and steam can be efficiently blown off.

  Further, the carriage unit according to the present invention is the carriage unit according to the present invention, wherein the fan is fixed to the carriage so that the posture can be changed, and the direction of spraying the fluid is from the direction substantially perpendicular to the recording target. It changes in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the medium.

  In the carriage unit according to the present invention, by changing (tilting) the attitude of the fan, the direction in which the fluid is sprayed can be freely set between a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the recording medium and a direction substantially parallel to the surface. Can be changed. Therefore, the direction of spraying the fluid can be adjusted to an optimum direction according to the state of occurrence of steam, and steam can be efficiently blown away.

  Further, in the carriage unit according to the present invention, in the carriage unit according to the present invention, the fan further changes its posture so that the direction in which the fluid is blown is directed in a traveling direction in which the recording medium is conveyed. It is a feature.

  In the carriage unit according to the present invention, the posture of the fan can be changed (tilted) so as to face the traveling direction in which the recording medium is conveyed. In particular, when recording is performed while reciprocating the carriage a plurality of times on the same line with respect to the recording medium, that is, when recording is performed in a plurality of passes (for example, four passes), the progress side of the recording medium Since the ink droplet ejection is repeated a plurality of times, steam is likely to be concentrated. Even in this case, since the fluid is sprayed toward the traveling direction side, the steam generated in a concentrated manner can be efficiently blown off.

  The carriage unit according to the present invention is the carriage unit according to the present invention, wherein the carriage includes a cover that covers the plurality of inkjet heads and the head base in a state where a gap is formed between the carriage unit and the frame portion. And the fluid supply means takes the fluid into the cover and cools the plurality of inkjet heads, and then discharges the fluid from the gap to the outside of the frame portion to perform the spraying. To do.

  In the carriage unit according to the present invention, the upper portions of the plurality of inkjet heads and the upper portion of the head base are covered with the cover. At this time, a gap is opened between the cover and the frame portion.

  Then, while the carriage is reciprocated to perform recording on the recording medium, the fluid supply means does not simply spray the fluid, but once the fluid is taken into the cover and the plurality of inkjet heads are cooled. Then, the fluid is discharged from the gap to the outside of the frame portion and sprayed. Therefore, in addition to forcibly flowing the steam away from the frame portion, the inkjet head can be simultaneously cooled using the fluid.

  In particular, when recording is performed for a long time, the temperature of the ink jet head itself may rise due to heat generation, which may cause ejection failure. However, since the ink jet head can be cooled as described above, it is possible to prevent ejection failure due to temperature rise.

  Further, when the temperature of the ink jet head rises, the temperature of the ink also rises. As a result, the size (diameter) of the ejected ink droplet changes depending on the temperature, which may cause a density defect or a reduction in image quality. This can also be prevented in advance, and high-quality recording can be performed.

  The carriage unit according to the present invention is the carriage unit according to the present invention, wherein the fluid supply means has a fan fixed in the cover, and takes the fluid into the cover using the fan. It is characterized by.

  In the carriage unit according to the present invention, the fluid can be easily taken into the cover by driving the fan, and cooling and spraying can be reliably performed. In particular, since an inexpensive and frequently used fan is used, the configuration can be simplified and the cost can be reduced. In addition, since the fan is fixed in the cover, the space can be used effectively and the size can be reduced.

  The carriage unit according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the carriage unit according to the present invention, the fan is a blower fan.

  In the carriage unit according to the present invention, since the blower fan is used, the direction of the fluid once taken into the cover can be changed to a predetermined angle direction, such as changing to a right angle. Therefore, this fluid can be used as a cooling fluid without waste, and the degree of freedom in design can be improved.

  The ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention is connected to the carriage unit of the present invention, a transport unit for transporting the recording medium in the transport direction, and a plurality of the ink jet heads, and the ink is enclosed inside. And a plurality of ink cartridges.

  In the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, the recording medium can be accurately recorded in a desired range of the recording medium by reciprocating the carriage by the carriage unit while conveying the recording medium by the conveying means. .

  In particular, since the nozzle surface is not exposed to steam and the carriage unit is reciprocated without affecting the flight trajectory of ink droplets, and equipped with a carriage unit that can perform accurate and high-quality recording, the inkjet recording apparatus itself High quality can be achieved.

  According to the carriage unit of the present invention, it is possible to reciprocate a carriage on which a plurality of inkjet heads are mounted without affecting the flight trajectory of ink droplets and without exposing the nozzle surface to steam. Recording with high image quality.

  In addition, the nozzle surface is not exposed to ink volatile components such as steam and condensation, and since there is no ink ejection failure, the temperature of the heater can be raised. Therefore, ink droplets can be dried more efficiently, productivity can be improved, and image quality can be improved by reducing the possibility of image collapse. In addition, since the flight trajectory of the ink droplet is not affected at all, the carriage can be moved at high speed, and the recording time can be shortened as much as possible to increase the productivity.

  Further, according to the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, since the carriage unit described above is provided, accurate and high quality recording can be performed, and high quality can be achieved. In particular, it can be used as a large-sized inkjet printer or the like.

(First embodiment)
A first embodiment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, an ink jet printer will be described as an example of an ink jet recording apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the inkjet printer 1 according to the present embodiment transports recording paper (recording medium) P in a predetermined transport direction L <b> 1 (a direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1). And a carriage unit 4 that reciprocally moves a plurality of inkjet heads 3 that discharge ink W of different colors in an orthogonal direction L2 that is orthogonal to the transport direction L1, and a plurality of inkjet heads 3, respectively. And a plurality of sealed ink cartridges 5.

  That is, the inkjet printer 1 records characters, images, and the like on the recording paper P by moving the inkjet head 3 in the orthogonal direction L2 orthogonal to the conveying direction L1 while conveying the recording paper P in the conveying direction L1. Inkjet printer. In the present embodiment, six inkjet heads 3 are provided, and black (Bk), cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), light magenta (Lm), and light cyan (Lc) inks W are ejected. This is an example. These six inkjet heads 3 have the same configuration.

  The carriage unit 4 is a unit that reciprocates along the orthogonal direction L2 on the recording paper P that is conveyed while being placed on the upper surface of the platen 11 heated by the heater 10, and is shown in FIGS. As shown, the inkjet head 3, the carriage 6, the frame portion 7, the moving means 8, and the fluid supply means 9 are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the inkjet head 3 is fixed to the head base 6 a of the carriage 6 with the nozzle surface 16 b facing the recording paper P. At this time, the nozzle surface 16b is fixed in a state of protruding from the head base 6a to the recording paper P side, and the plurality of nozzle holes 16a are fixed so as to be aligned along the transport direction L1. Further, the six inkjet heads 3 are fixed so as to be aligned in the orthogonal direction L2 in which the carriage 6 moves.

  Each ink jet head 3 is connected to the ink cartridge 5 via an ink tube 27 as shown in FIG. The ink tube 27 is a long and flexible tube made of a soft material so as not to affect the movement of the carriage 6.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the frame portion 7 described above is fixed to the head base 6 a of the carriage 6. The frame portion 7 is formed around the plurality of inkjet heads 3 and is fixed so as to be disposed between the head base 6 a and the recording paper P. In the present embodiment, a description will be given by taking as an example the frame portion 7 formed so as to surround the plurality of inkjet heads 3 protruding from the head base 6a to the recording paper P side.

  Further, the height of the frame portion 7 is adjusted so as to be closer to the recording paper P than the nozzle surface 16b in which the nozzle holes 16a are formed. As a result, it is possible to prevent or block as much as possible the air flowing by the fan 9 which is one of the fluid supply means described later from entering the inside beyond the frame portion 7. Yes. In particular, by configuring so as to surround the plurality of inkjet heads 3 as in the present embodiment, air that has flowed from any direction is less likely to enter the inside, so that it is flowed by the fan 9 to the nozzle surface 16b. It is possible to prevent direct contact with air. Therefore, the influence on the flight trajectory of the ink droplet W1 can be eliminated, which is more preferable.

  However, the frame portion 7 may be arranged in a part of the periphery of the inkjet head 3 instead of surrounding the plurality of inkjet heads 3. When the frame portion 7 is arranged between the fan 9 and the inkjet head 3, there is a possibility that air or steam E that has flowed into the inside of the frame portion 7 will wrap around from a location where the frame portion 7 is not arranged. Since air or steam E can be removed by the fan 9, the amount of steam E entering the inside of the frame portion 7 can be suppressed as much as possible, and air flowing by the fan 9 can be prevented from directly hitting the inkjet head 3. . Accordingly, the nozzle surface 16 is not easily exposed to the steam E, and the flight trajectory of the ink droplet W1 is not easily affected.

  The fluid supply means 9 blows air (fluid) outside the frame portion 7 at least during the reciprocating movement of the carriage 6, forcing the air drifting on the recording paper P from the frame portion 7. It is made to flow so as to separate.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, two fans fixed on both sides of the orthogonal direction L <b> 2 that is the moving direction of the carriage 6 function as the fluid supply means 9. Hereinafter, this fan will be described with the same reference numerals as the fluid supply means 9. Further, the frame portion 7 is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the fans 9. Moreover, in the present embodiment, a case where the fan 9 is fixed so as to blow air toward the recording paper P in a direction substantially orthogonal to the surface of the recording paper P will be described as an example.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the carriage 6 to which the fan 9 is fixed as described above is movably fixed on a carriage rail (not shown) fixed to the base 30 in a state of being arranged along the orthogonal direction L2. And connected to a conveyor belt 32 wound around a pair of pulleys 31. Of the pair of pulleys 31, one pulley 31 receives a rotational driving force from a drive motor 33 fixed to the base 30 and rotates. The other pulley (not shown) is rotated by the conveyor belt 32. As a result, the carriage 6 can reciprocate in the orthogonal direction L2.

  That is, the carriage rail, the pair of pulleys 31, the conveyance belt 32 and the drive motor 33 constitute the moving means 8.

  The base 30 is provided with a transport roller 34 along the same orthogonal direction L2 as the carriage rail. The transport roller 34 includes a single lower roller located below the recording paper P and a plurality of upper rollers located above the recording paper P. The lower roller is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown), and the upper roller functions as a pinch roller that presses the recording paper P and rotates along with the conveyance of the recording paper P. In other words, the transport roller 34 is driven by a motor (not shown) and rotates in the opposite direction with the recording paper P sandwiched therebetween. Thereby, the recording paper P is conveyed in the conveyance direction L1. That is, the transport roller 34 functions as the transport unit 2.

  A platen 11 in which a heater 10 is incorporated is disposed on the lower surface of the recording paper P. Further, the platen 11 is provided with a suction mechanism (not shown). As a result, the recording paper P slides while adhering to the upper surface of the platen 11 and is conveyed by the conveying roller 34.

  The plurality of ink cartridges 5 are detachably fixed on the base 30. In other words, it can be easily replaced according to the remaining amount of the enclosed ink W. At this time, the height of the ink cartridge 5 is adjusted with respect to the nozzle hole 16a so that a predetermined negative pressure is applied to the nozzle hole 16a.

  The base 30 is provided with a suction unit 40 and a wipe unit 41. The suction unit 40 is provided at a position where the carriage 6 is deviated from the upper area (printing area) (printing area) of the recording paper P, that is, at a home position, and includes a suction cap 40a and a suction pump 40b. The suction cap 40a has a suction hole (not shown) that contacts the nozzle surface 16b of each inkjet head 3 and communicates with the nozzle hole 16a. The suction pump 40b is a pump that forcibly discharges the ink W by performing suction in the nozzle hole 16a through the suction hole. Accordingly, when the nozzle hole 16a is clogged for some reason, suction is performed at the home position, and the clogging in the nozzle hole 16a can be eliminated by forcibly discharging the ink W. . The discharged ink W is collected in a waste liquid tank 40c connected to the suction pump 40b.

  The wipe unit 41 is provided between the recording paper P and the suction unit 40, and is an elastic body that contacts the nozzle surface 16b during operation of the wipe unit 41 and wipes the nozzle surface 16b to remove dirt and the like. It has a porous wipe part 41a. Thereby, the nozzle surface 16b of each inkjet head 3 is maintained in a clean state as much as possible.

  By the way, as shown in FIG. 2, a frame portion 7 surrounding the periphery of the plurality of inkjet heads 3 is fixed to the head base 6 a in a state of being disposed between the head base 6 a and the recording paper P. That is, the plurality of inkjet heads 3 perform recording by ejecting the ink droplets W1 in the space surrounded by the frame portion 7. During the reciprocating movement of the carriage 6, the fan 9 blows air outside the frame portion 7 to force the air drifting on the recording paper P to flow away from the frame portion 7. . Therefore, it is possible to forcibly separate the steam E that is generated when the ink droplet W <b> 1 is dried and drifts on the recording paper P from the frame portion 7.

  Moreover, the fan 9 of this embodiment blows air toward the recording paper P. Then, after the air hits the surface of the recording paper P, the air flows so as to be dispersed in four directions around the position. However, since the flowing air has the frame portion 7, it is difficult to enter the inside of the frame portion 7. Thereby, the steam E can be reliably moved away from the frame portion 7. In particular, the steam E near the carriage 6 can be efficiently blown off.

  Therefore, the carriage 6 can be reciprocated while scraping the steam E with air, and unlike the conventional one, the carriage 6 itself can be prevented from directly hitting the steam E as much as possible. Moreover, the frame portion 7 is formed as close as possible to the recording paper P, and prevents the steam E from entering the frame portion 7 due to the influence of air flow. Therefore, the plurality of inkjet heads 3 surrounded by the frame portion 7 can be prevented from being exposed to the steam E, and the steam E can be prevented from adhering to the nozzle surface 16b and the nozzle hole 16a. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent discharge failure due to the generation of steam E. In addition, since air or steam E that has flowed into the frame portion 7 does not enter, there is no influence on the flight trajectory of the ink droplet W1 ejected from the nozzle hole 16a. Therefore, the ink droplet W1 can be ejected straight toward the recording paper P. As a result, accurate and high-quality recording can be performed.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, the fan 9 is fixed to the carriage 6 and reciprocates together with the carriage 6, so that the carriage 6 can be reciprocated while the steam E is scraped with the air blown more reliably. Therefore, the carriage 6 itself is less likely to hit the steam E. Moreover, since the fan 9 is fixed so as to sandwich the frame portion 7 therebetween, the steam E can be evenly pulled away from the frame portion 7 with the frame portion 7 as the center. In addition, since the inexpensive and frequently used fan 9 is used, the configuration can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

  When the recording is completed, the carriage 6 moves from the recording paper P to the outside of the recording area and is positioned at the home position as shown in FIG. Then, the suction cap 40a comes into contact with the nozzle surface 16b of each inkjet head 3, and the nozzle hole 16a and the suction hole are in communication with each other. Then, the suction pump 40b is operated to forcibly discharge the ink W through the nozzle hole 16a and the suction hole. Thereby, even if the nozzle hole 16a is clogged due to intrusion of dust or the like during recording, it can be removed by forced ink W discharge. Therefore, when the next recording is performed, it is possible to perform the recording with the optimum ink jet head 3 with no possibility of ejection failure.

  Moreover, the nozzle surface 16b is wiped by the wipe part 41a by cleaning as needed. Therefore, recording can be performed with the inkjet head 3 having the clean nozzle surface 16b at all times.

  As described above, according to the inkjet printer 1 of the present embodiment, the carriage on which the plurality of inkjet heads 3 are mounted without affecting the flight trajectory of the ink droplet W1 and without exposing the nozzle surface 16b to the steam E. Since 6 can be reciprocated, accurate and high-quality recording can be performed. Therefore, the quality of the inkjet printer 1 itself can be improved.

  Further, since the nozzle surface 16b is not exposed to the steam E, more steam E can be generated in order to dry the ink W quickly, that is, the temperature of the heater 10 can be raised. Accordingly, the ink droplets W1 can be dried more efficiently, and productivity can be improved. Further, it is possible to improve the image quality by reducing the possibility of image collapse. In addition, since the flight trajectory of the ink droplet W1 is not affected at all, the carriage 6 can be moved at high speed, and the recording time can be shortened as much as possible to increase the productivity.

  In the above embodiment, the fan 9 is fixed to the carriage 6 with the recording paper P facing toward the recording paper P, and air is blown toward the recording paper P in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the recording paper P. The spraying direction is not limited to this direction.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the fan 9 may be fixed to the carriage 6 in a state of being directed sideways, and air may be blown away from the frame portion 7 in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the recording paper P. In this case, by operating the fan 9, the steam E generated when the ink droplets W1 are dried can be blown away in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the recording paper P, and the steam E can be moved away from the frame portion 7. . Therefore, even in this case, the carriage 6 can be reciprocated while the steam E is scraped with air. In particular, the steam E slightly away from the carriage 6 can be wiped off efficiently.

  In the above embodiment, the fan 9 may be configured to be movable along a direction orthogonal to the surface of the recording paper P as shown in FIG. In this case, for example, a slide groove may be formed on the side surface of the carriage 6 and the fan 9 may be moved along the slide groove by a drive source such as a motor.

  With this configuration, it is possible to easily change the speed of air reaching the vicinity of the recording paper P by changing the distance between the fan 9 and the recording paper P by the movement of the fan 9. Accordingly, the speed of the air can be adjusted to an optimum value according to the moving speed of the carriage 6, the distance between the recording paper P and the nozzle surface 16b, the generation state of the steam E, and the like. Can be blown away.

  In addition to moving the fan 9, as shown in FIG. 5, the fan 9 is fixed so that its posture changes (angle changes) with respect to the carriage 6, and the blowing direction of the air is changed to that of the recording paper P. It may be changed between a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface and a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the recording paper P. In this case, for example, one end side of the fan 9 may be rotatably connected to a shaft attached to the carriage 6 and the fan 9 may be rotated around the rotation axis of the shaft by a driving source such as a motor.

  By comprising in this way, the blowing direction of air can be adjusted to the optimal direction according to the generation | occurrence | production condition etc. of the steam E, and the steam E can be blown away efficiently.

  Further, when the posture of the fan 9 is changed, it is preferable that the air blowing direction is directed to the traveling direction in which the recording paper P is conveyed as shown in FIG.

  In particular, when recording is performed while the carriage 6 is reciprocated a plurality of times on the same line on the recording paper P, that is, when recording is performed in a plurality of passes (for example, four passes), the recording paper P Since the ejection of the ink droplet W1 is repeated a plurality of times on the traveling side, the steam E tends to be concentrated and generated. Even in this case, since the air can be blown toward the traveling direction side, the steam E generated in a concentrated manner can be blown off efficiently. Moreover, the longer the number of passes, the longer the time for which the carriage 6 exists on the same line, and the steam E tends to be concentrated. Even in this case, the steam E can be blown off.

  Particularly in recent years, in order to perform high-quality printing while preventing bleeding and the like, it has become the mainstream to perform recording in multiple passes, but according to the present invention, even in such a case, Recording can be performed while the steam E is effectively blown away.

  By the way, when the fan 9 is configured to be movable or changeable in posture as described above, the duty of the fan 9, the height of the fan 9, and the angle of the fan 9 are appropriately changed based on several conditions. However, recording is preferably performed.

  This case will be specifically described.

  First, as the amount of recording data (image data, character data, etc.) increases, the ejection amount of the ink droplet W1 increases. Therefore, at least one of the duty of the fan 9 and the height of the fan 9 depends on the capacity of the recording data. It is necessary to change one of them. Usually, it is necessary to increase the duty of the fan 9 and decrease the height of the fan 9 as the recording data increases, that is, as the injection amount increases. Increasing the duty of the fan 9 increases the air volume of the fan 9. Further, by reducing the height of the fan 9, the wind force on the surface of the recording paper P increases.

  Further, as the temperature difference (gap) between the set temperature of the heater 10 and the ambient environmental temperature increases, steam E is more likely to be generated. Therefore, according to this temperature difference, the duty of the fan 9 and the height of the fan 9 are also different. It is necessary to change at least one of them. In general, the larger the temperature difference, the higher the duty of the fan 9 and the lower the height of the fan 9.

  Further, since the distance between the nozzle surface 16b and the recording paper P becomes shorter as the height of the carriage 6 is lower, it is easily affected by the steam E. Therefore, it is necessary to change at least one of the duty of the fan 9 and the height of the fan 9 according to the height of the carriage 6. Usually, the lower the height of the carriage 6, the higher the duty of the fan 9 and the lower the height of the fan 9. In addition to the above, it is necessary to change the speed according to the speed at which the carriage 6 reciprocates and the number of passes. In particular, it is necessary to change the angle of the fan 9 according to the number of passes as described above.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, when recording is started, various conditions are input to a control unit (not shown) (S1). That is, the print data capacity, the set temperature of the heater 10, the moving speed of the carriage 6, the height of the carriage 6 and the number of passes are input. Based on these input conditions, the control unit determines the operating conditions of the fan 9, that is, the duty of the fan 9, the height of the fan 9, and the angle of the fan 9, and the determined duty, height, and angle. The fan 9 is set to operate so as to become (S2). The control unit calculates the temperature difference by comparing the input set temperature of the heater 10 and the actually measured ambient environment temperature, and determines the operating condition of the fan 9 based on the calculated temperature difference. The control unit stores operating conditions corresponding to various conditions in advance, searches the stored operating conditions based on the input conditions, determines the operating conditions corresponding to the input conditions, and operates the fan 9. To control.

  Next, recording is performed while operating the fan 9 (S3). At this time, the ejection amount of the ink droplet W1 is appropriately changed according to the recording range, and the temperature of the nozzle surface 16b is appropriately changed during recording due to the influence of heat generation of the inkjet head 3 and the like. Therefore, the control unit appropriately changes the setting of the fan 9 based on the recording data input first and the temperature difference between the temperature of the nozzle surface 16b and the ambient environment temperature (S4).

  Thereby, the duty, height, and angle of the fan 9 can be adjusted to an optimal state at all times during recording, and recording can be performed while blowing off the steam E reliably and efficiently, which is more preferable. Is the method. Finally, the carriage 6 is stopped (S5) and moved to the home position, and then the fan 9 is stopped (S6) to complete the recording.

  Moreover, although the case where the six inkjet heads 3 were fixed to the head base 6a was mentioned as an example in the said embodiment, it is not restricted to this case, You may set the number of the inkjet heads 3 freely. For example, it may be 5 or less, or 7 or more. In particular, when the number of the ink jet heads 3 is increased, the periphery of all the ink jet heads 3 is not surrounded by one frame portion 7, but is surrounded by each of the ink jet heads 3 divided by a plurality of frame portions 7. It doesn't matter. For example, when there are twelve inkjet heads 3 as shown in FIG. 8, the circumference of the inkjet head 3 divided into six parts may be surrounded by two frame portions 7. A fan 9 may be provided between the frame portion 7 and the frame portion 7.

  In this way, even when the number of inkjet heads 3 is increased, the carriage 6 can be reciprocated while the steam E is reliably blown away, and the nozzle surface 16b is not exposed to the steam E. .

Further, in the above embodiment, the recording paper P is transported as shown in FIG. 9 through a head unit including six inkjet heads 3, a head base 6 a, and two fans 9 in one carriage 6. A plurality of them may be arranged in the transport direction L1. By doing so, it is possible to perform recording by ejecting the ink droplets W1 more efficiently. Even in this case, the same effects can be achieved.
(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that the air from the fan 9 is used only for the purpose of blowing off the steam E in the first embodiment, but the carriage unit 50 of the second embodiment is different from this. In addition, it is also used for the purpose of cooling each inkjet head 3.

  That is, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the carriage 51 of the present embodiment includes a cover 52 that covers the plurality of inkjet heads 3 and the head base 6 a with a gap between the frame portion 7 and a cover 52. A storage box 53 is provided in the cover 52 and stores a plurality of inkjet heads 3 therein. A shutter (opening / closing window) 54 is formed in the storage box 53 so as to be freely opened and closed. The shutter 54 is closed when the plurality of inkjet heads 3 are in operation, and partitions the space in the storage box 53 and the space in the cover 52, and the plurality of inkjet heads 3 are stopped. So that the space in the storage box 53 and the space in the cover 52 communicate with each other when the carriage 51 is located outside the recording area on the home position side and recording is not being performed. Operation is controlled.

  Further, the fan 9 of the present embodiment is fixed to the upper surface in the cover 52, and takes air into the cover 52. The fan 9 discharges the taken-in air from the gap between the cover 52 and the head base 6 a to the outside of the frame portion 7 and uses it for blowing, or cools the plurality of inkjet heads 3 stored in the storage box 53. Or use it.

  The operation of the carriage unit 50 configured as described above will be described below. The carriage unit 50 is controlled by a control unit (not shown).

  First, while the carriage 51 is reciprocated and the plurality of inkjet heads 3 are operated, as shown in FIG. 12, the fan 9 once takes air into the cover 52 and then draws air from the gap into the frame portion 7. Discharge outside and spray. Thereby, the steam E can be forced to flow away from the frame portion 7. During recording, the shutter 54 is in a closed state, and the air taken into the cover 52 does not flow into the storage box 53.

  On the other hand, when recording is not performed, that is, when the carriage 51 is moved out of the recording area from above the recording paper P and the plurality of inkjet heads 3 are stopped, as shown in FIG. Is in an open state, allowing the space in the cover 52 to communicate with the space in the storage box 53, and the fan 9 takes air into the cover 52. Then, the taken-in air flows from the cover 52 into the storage box 53 and cools the plurality of inkjet heads 3. Thus, when recording is not performed, the inkjet head 3 can be efficiently cooled using the air taken in by the fan 9.

  In particular, when recording is performed for a long time, the temperature of the ink jet head 3 itself may rise due to heat generation, which may cause ejection failure. However, as described above, since the inkjet head 3 can be cooled by using the time during which recording is not performed, it is possible to prevent ejection failure due to temperature rise. Further, the temperature of the ink W also rises due to the temperature rise of the inkjet head 3. Then, the size (diameter) of the ejected ink droplet W1 changes depending on the temperature, which may cause a density defect and a decrease in image quality. This can also be prevented in advance according to the carriage unit 50 of the present embodiment, and high-quality recording can be performed.

  Further, when the shutter 54 is opened and the inkjet head 3 is cooled, as shown in FIG. 13, cooling air leaks from between the adjacent inkjet heads 3 to the nozzle surface 16b side, but the shutter 54 is opened. Since recording is not performed in the state, the flight trajectory of the ink droplet W1 is not affected at all.

  In the present embodiment, it is preferable to determine whether the shutter 54 is opened or closed according to the temperature of the inkjet head 3. This case will be specifically described.

  At the beginning of recording, as shown in FIG. 14, various conditions are input to a control unit (not shown) (S10). That is, the print data capacity, the set temperature of the heater 10, the moving speed of the carriage 51, the height of the carriage 51, and the number of passes are input. The control unit determines the operating condition of the fan 9, that is, the duty of the fan 9 based on these input conditions, and sets the operation of the fan 9 so as to be the determined duty (S11). The control unit compares the input set temperature of the heater 10 with the actually measured ambient environment temperature to calculate a temperature difference, and determines the operating condition of the fan 9 based on the calculated temperature difference. Yes.

  Next, recording is performed while operating the fan 9 (S12). At this time, the ink jet head 3 itself generates heat according to the recording time and the temperature rises. Therefore, the control unit compares the temperature of the inkjet head 3 measured during recording with a threshold value, and determines whether the temperature of the inkjet head 3 is equal to or lower than the threshold value (S13). As a result, if it is determined that the measured temperature is equal to or lower than the threshold value, recording is continued with the shutter 54 kept closed (S14).

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the measured temperature is higher than the threshold value, recording is temporarily stopped and the carriage 51 is moved to the home position outside the recording area, and the shutter 54 is opened and the inkjet head 3 is moved. Cool down (S15). At this time, in order to perform cooling more quickly, it is preferable that the carriage 51 is once placed on the suction unit 40, that is, the ink jet head 3 is placed on the suction cap 40a. Then, when the temperature of the inkjet head 3 becomes equal to or lower than the threshold value, the shutter 54 is closed again to resume recording.

As described above, it is more preferable to perform cooling by determining opening / closing of the shutter 54 based on the temperature of the inkjet head 3. Finally, after the carriage 51 is stopped (S16) and moved to the home position, the fan 9 is stopped (S17), thereby completing the recording.
(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the third embodiment, the same components as those in the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The difference between the third embodiment and the second embodiment is that the cooling timing of the inkjet head 3 is controlled by opening and closing the shutter 54 in the second embodiment, but the carriage unit 60 of the third embodiment is always This is a point of cooling the inkjet head 3.

  That is, the carriage 61 of the present embodiment is composed of a head base 6a and a cover 62 as shown in FIGS. The head base 6a of the present embodiment is formed in a plate shape so that the parts other than the nozzles of the head can be cooled as much as possible, so that air does not leak outside between the adjacent inkjet heads 3. In addition, two fans 9 are fixed to the upper surface in the cover 62 so as to be adjacent to each other.

  According to the carriage unit 60 configured as described above, the air is once taken into the cover 62 by the fan 9 to cool the plurality of inkjet heads 3, and then discharged from the gap to the outside of the frame portion 7 for spraying. . Therefore, even during recording, the steam E can be caused to flow away from the frame portion 7 and the inkjet head 3 can be cooled at the same time. Therefore, the temperature rise of the inkjet head 3 can be suppressed more efficiently. In addition, since air does not leak to the nozzle surface 16b side from between the adjacent inkjet heads 3, the flight trajectory of the ink droplet W1 is not affected at all.

  In this embodiment, it is preferable to perform recording while appropriately changing the duty of the fan 9 based on several conditions. This case will be specifically described.

  First, when starting recording, as shown in FIG. 17, various conditions are input to a control unit (not shown) (S20). That is, the print data capacity, the set temperature of the heater 10, the moving speed of the carriage 61, the height of the carriage 61, and the number of passes are input. The control unit determines the operating condition of the fan 9, that is, the duty of the fan 9, based on these input conditions, and sets the operation of the fan 9 to the determined duty (S21). The control unit calculates the temperature difference by comparing the input set temperature of the heater 10 and the actually measured ambient environment temperature, and determines the operating condition of the fan 9 based on the calculated temperature difference. Yes.

  Next, recording is performed while operating the fan 9 (S22). At this time, the ejection amount of the ink droplet W1 is appropriately changed according to the recording range, and the temperature of the nozzle surface 16b is appropriately changed during recording due to the influence of heat generation of the inkjet head 3 and the like. Therefore, the control unit appropriately changes the setting of the fan 9 based on the first input recording data and the current temperature difference between the nozzle surface 16b temperature and the ambient environment temperature (S23).

  Thus, the duty of the fan 9 can be optimized, and recording can be performed while blowing off the steam E reliably and efficiently, which is a more preferable method. Finally, the carriage 61 is stopped (S24) and moved to the home position, and then the fan 9 is stopped (S25), thereby completing the recording.

  In the third embodiment, the fan 9 is fixed to the upper surface of the cover 62. However, as shown in FIGS. 18 to 21, the fan 9 may be fixed to the side surface of the cover 62.

  The two fans 9 are respectively fixed to the side surfaces of the cover 62 with their positions slightly shifted in the short direction of the cover 62 (L5 direction shown in FIG. 19). The two fans 9 are blower fans, and the air taken into the cover 62 through a plurality of air intake holes 62a formed on the side surface and the upper surface of the cover 62 is discharged toward the recording paper P through the gap. It is supposed to be. That is, the two fans 9 change the direction of the taken-in air and discharge it to the recording paper P side.

  According to the carriage unit 60 configured in this manner, a plurality of inkjet heads 3 can be cooled by taking in air from the air intake holes 62a formed on the side surface and the upper surface of the cover 62, and after cooling. By discharging the air from the gap, the steam E can be blown off at the same time.

  In particular, since the fan 9 is fixed to the side surface, the air taken into the plurality of ink jet heads 3 can be applied more efficiently, and the cooling efficiency can be increased. In addition, the heat generated from the inkjet head 3 can be released to the outside through the air intake holes 62a. Also in this point, the cooling efficiency is excellent. Moreover, since the blower fan 9 is used, the direction of the air taken into the cover 62 can be easily changed. Therefore, the position of the fan 9 can be disposed on the side surface of the cover 62, and air can be used as a cooling fluid without waste, and the degree of freedom in design can be improved.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 21, the fan 9 is fixed to the side surface of the cover 62, is in contact with the outer edge of the outlet of the fan 9, and uses a flow path formed in a direction in which the carriage 61 and the recording paper P face each other. The air blown out from the fan 9 is guided and discharged. Further, the front end of the flow path is formed so that the flow path is enlarged, and the discharged air is easily spread in the width direction of the inkjet head 3. Therefore, the steam E at the position where the inkjet head 3 is scanned is easily diffused.

  Further, instead of fixing the fan 9 to the side surface of the cover 62 as described above, the fan 9 may be fixed to the gap between the cover 70 and the head base 6a as shown in FIGS. . In this case, a normal fan 9 is used, and air is taken into the cover 70 from a plurality of air intake holes 70 a formed on the upper surface of the cover 70. In particular, since the fan 9 is disposed as close as possible to the recording paper P and is provided so as to face the recording paper P, a large amount of air can be blown toward the recording paper P at a time. it can. Therefore, the steam E can be blown away more efficiently.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 22, the frame portion 7 is disposed closer to the recording paper P than the air discharge port of the fan 9, so that the air exhausted from the fan 9 is placed inside the frame portion 7. It is hard to get in. Further, the amount of air flowing directly from the air intake port 70a to the fan 9 can be reduced by narrowing the path through which air flows, such as by making the upper portion of the fan 9 of the cover 70 an inclined surface with respect to the carriage movement direction. Can do. Therefore, the flow of air for cooling the inkjet head 3 can be increased, and the steam E can be blown away while cooling efficiently.

  The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the ink jet printer 1 has been described as an example of the ink jet recording apparatus, but is not limited to the printer. For example, a fax machine or an on-demand printer may be used. However, it can be suitably used as an ink jet printer in which ink discharged onto a recording medium using a heater is dried on a platen.

  In each of the above embodiments, the fluid supply means has been described as a fan. However, the present invention is not limited to a fan, and at least during the reciprocating movement of the carriage, air is blown outside the frame portion, and steam is generated. As long as it blows away.

  For example, as shown in FIGS. 24 to 26, a duct 92 may be provided outside the cover 91 as fluid supply means. The duct 92 has an air intake port 92a on the upper surface side of the cover 91, and an air discharge port 92b on the recording paper P side. With this configuration, when the carriage 90 moves to the right with respect to the paper surface, air is taken in from the air intake port 92a of the right duct 92, and this air is transferred to the recording paper P from the air exhaust port 92b. Can be sprayed. On the other hand, when the carriage 90 moves leftward with respect to the paper surface, air can be blown onto the recording paper P using the left duct 92 in the same manner.

  As described above, when the carriage 90 is reciprocated, the recording paper P can be blown with air to blow off the steam E, and the same effects as the first embodiment can be obtained.

  Further, air is blown onto the recording paper P by using an air intake port 92a disposed at the top of the cover 91 where the concentration of steam E is low and an air exhaust port 92b disposed near the recording paper P. ing. At this time, since the air discharge port 92b is disposed at a position farther from the recording paper P than the frame portion 7, the air discharged from the air discharge port 92b is difficult to enter directly inside the frame portion 7. ing. Accordingly, the flight trajectory of the ink droplet W1 ejected from the inkjet head 3 is not affected.

  In particular, since the fluid supply means can be configured simply by attaching the duct 92 without using a fan or the like, the configuration can be simplified. Even in this case, by forming the plurality of openings 91a on the upper surface of the cover 91, the heat generated by the plurality of inkjet heads 3 can be released to the outside, and the temperature of the inkjet head 3 excessively increases. Can be prevented. Note that by increasing the opening area of the air intake port 92a of the duct 92 as much as possible and reducing the opening area of the air discharge port 92b, the air volume and the air speed can be increased, and a large amount of air can be taken in and blown onto the recording paper P. Since it is possible, it is more preferable.

1 is a front view showing a first embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention. It is a block diagram of the carriage unit which comprises the inkjet recording device shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the modification of the carriage unit shown in FIG. 2, Comprising: FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a modification of the carriage unit illustrated in FIG. 2, and is a configuration diagram of the carriage unit in which a fan is fixed so as to be movable in a direction substantially orthogonal to the surface of the recording paper. It is a figure which shows the modification of the carriage unit shown in FIG. 2, Comprising: It is a block diagram of the carriage unit by which the inclination of a fan is fixed so that a blowing direction changes so that a blowing direction may change. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a modification of the carriage unit shown in FIG. 2, and is a configuration diagram of the carriage unit in which the fan inclination is fixed so that the blowing direction is directed to the recording paper advance direction. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow when recording is performed by the ink jet recording apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a modification of the carriage unit illustrated in FIG. 2, and is a configuration diagram of the carriage unit in which a large number of inkjet heads are provided. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a modification of the carriage unit illustrated in FIG. 2, and is a configuration diagram of the carriage unit in which a plurality of units including an ink jet head and a fan are provided in the recording medium conveyance direction. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, and is a configuration diagram of a carriage unit in which an ink jet head is accommodated in a storage box in which a shutter is formed. It is a cross-sectional arrow BB figure shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the carriage unit illustrated in FIG. 10 is operated, and is a diagram illustrating a state in which air is blown to a recording sheet by operating a fan with a shutter closed. It is a figure which shows the state which is operating the carriage unit shown in FIG. 10, Comprising: It is a figure which shows the state which operates the fan in the state which opened the shutter, and cools the inkjet head. It is the flowchart which showed an example of the flow in the case of recording by the inkjet recording device of 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a third embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, and is a configuration diagram of a carriage unit in which an ink jet head is accommodated in a cover. FIG. 16 is a top view of the carriage unit shown in FIG. 15. It is the flowchart which showed an example of the flow in the case of recording by the inkjet recording device of 3rd Embodiment. FIG. 16 is a view showing a modification of the carriage unit shown in FIG. 15, and is a configuration diagram of the carriage unit in which a fan is fixed to a side surface in the cover. FIG. 19 is a top view of the carriage unit shown in FIG. 18. It is the side view seen from the arrow B direction shown in FIG. FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional arrow CC view shown in FIG. 19. FIG. 16 is a view showing still another modified example of the carriage unit shown in FIG. 15. It is a top view of the carriage unit shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the carriage unit modification which concerns on this invention, Comprising: It is a block diagram of the carriage unit which blows air using a duct, while a carriage reciprocates. FIG. 25 is a top view of the carriage unit shown in FIG. 24. FIG. 25 is a side view of the carriage unit shown in FIG. 24.

Explanation of symbols

P Recording paper (recording medium)
W ink W1 ink droplet L1 transport direction L2 orthogonal direction 1 Inkjet printer (inkjet recording device)
2 Conveying means 3 Inkjet heads 4, 50, 60 Carriage unit 5 Ink cartridges 6, 51, 61, 90 Carriage 6a Head base 7 Frame portion 8 Moving means 9 Fan (fluid supply means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Heater 11 Platen 16a Nozzle hole 16b Nozzle surface 52, 70 Cover 53 Storage box 54 Shutter (opening / closing door)
92 Duct (fluid supply means)

Claims (11)

A carriage unit that reciprocates along a direction orthogonal to the transport direction on a recording medium that is transported while being placed on the upper surface of the platen,
An inkjet head having a nozzle surface in which nozzle holes are formed, and discharging the supplied ink as ink droplets from the nozzle holes to the outside;
A carriage having a head base to which a plurality of the inkjet heads are fixed in a state where the nozzle surface faces the recording medium;
A frame portion formed on the carriage around the inkjet head and disposed between the head base and the recording medium so as to be closer to the recording medium than the nozzle hole;
Moving means for reciprocating the carriage along the orthogonal direction;
Fluid supply means for spraying fluid outside the frame during at least the reciprocating movement and forcing the air drifting on the recording medium to flow away from the frame. ,
The carriage includes a cover that covers a plurality of the inkjet heads and the head base with a gap between the carriage and the frame portion;
A storage box provided in the cover and storing the plurality of inkjet heads therein;
The storage box is formed to be openable and closable. When the plurality of inkjet heads are in operation, the storage box is in a closed state to partition the space in the storage box and the space in the cover, and the plurality of inkjet heads are stopped. An open / close door that is in an open state when connected to the space in the storage box and the space in the cover,
The fluid supply means once takes the fluid into the cover and then discharges the fluid to the outside of the frame portion from the gap to perform the spraying, or a plurality of the inkjet heads stored in the storage box carriage unit, characterized that you cool. The carriage unit according to claim 1, wherein
The fluid supply means is a plurality of fans fixed to the carriage;
The carriage unit, wherein the frame portion is disposed between the plurality of fans. The carriage unit according to claim 2,
The carriage unit sprays the fluid so as to move away from the frame portion in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the recording medium. The carriage unit according to claim 2,
The carriage unit, wherein the fan blows the fluid toward the recording medium in a direction substantially orthogonal to the surface of the recording medium. The carriage unit according to claim 4, wherein
The carriage unit, wherein the fan is movable along a direction substantially orthogonal to the surface of the recording medium with respect to the carriage. The carriage unit according to claim 4 or 5,
The fan is fixed to the carriage in such a manner that its posture can be changed, and the spray direction of the fluid changes from a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the recording medium. A carriage unit characterized by. The carriage unit according to claim 6, wherein
The carriage unit further changes its posture so that a direction in which the fluid is sprayed is directed in a traveling direction in which the recording medium is conveyed. In the carriage unit according to claim 1, before Symbol fluid supply means, after temporarily cooling the plurality of ink jet heads incorporated into said cover said fluid, and discharged to the outside of the frame portion through the gap A carriage unit that performs the spraying.   The carriage unit according to claim 1 or 8,
  The carriage unit characterized in that the fluid supply means has a fan fixed in the cover, and takes in the fluid into the cover using the fan.   The carriage unit according to claim 9, wherein
  The carriage unit, wherein the fan is a blower fan.   The carriage unit according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
  Conveying means for conveying the recording medium in the conveying direction;
  An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a plurality of ink cartridges each connected to the plurality of ink jet heads and enclosing the ink therein.

Images