JP6186742B2 - Ink jet recording head cleaning method, wiper blade, and ink jet recording apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording head cleaning method, an ink jet recording head cleaning member, and an ink jet recording apparatus using the same.

  Since the head of an ink jet recording apparatus discharges ink from an ejection port formed with a fine diameter, dust, dust, paper powder from a recording medium, ink aggregates, etc. existing in the apparatus are May stick to the vicinity. Due to the influence of these deposits, the flight behavior of the ejected ink may become unstable, or the discharge port may be blocked and the discharge may become impossible, so the wiper blade surface is wiped using a wiper blade to remove the deposit. Wiping cleaning methods have been used in the past.

  On the other hand, when ink wets on the head ejection surface, the ejection direction of the ejected droplets may shift, or wiping failure may occur. It is common.

  In the technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-201014 of Patent Document 1, the cleaning member (wiper member) having a specific structure (ether polyurethane rubber) is cured with a bifunctional active hydrogen group-containing curing agent and is subjected to abrasion resistance by rubbing. It has been shown that a water repellency-imparting substance containing an active hydrogen group, for example, a reactive fluorine compound, may be combined when improving the properties, but in this case, the water repellency-imparting substance is only used as a wiper blade member. The wiper blade itself is given water repellency by being fixed inside. As described above, it has been conventionally known that a water repellent substance, oil or the like is contained in a rubber such as a wiper blade member. However, the purpose is to fix the rubber itself and improve the rubber itself.

  Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-118361 of Patent Document 2 discloses a technique in which silicone oil is contained in a wiper blade for vehicle glass as a water repellent and bleed out. Water repellency is directly imparted to the vehicle glass surface, and water repellents that do not dissolve in the water to be wiped are exemplified.

  However, recently, the application field of inkjet recording apparatuses has expanded, and more recording media are used than ever, and there are a wide variety of ink types, and the deposits on the head ejection surface are limited to mere dust, dust, and aggregates. For example, the ink repellency is reduced due to the adsorption of the ink impurity component, and it has become more microscopically complicated, and there has been a case where the influence of deposits on the head ejection surface cannot be sufficiently eliminated.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method of cleaning an ink jet recording head that can sufficiently eliminate the influence on the ink repellency and further the discharge performance due to the deposits on the head discharge surface. Another object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning member and an ink jet recording apparatus using the same.

As a result of intensive studies, the inventors of the inkjet recording apparatus provided with a wiper blade for cleaning the ejection surface of the head, the wiper blade member contains silicone oil, and further bleeds out, It has been found that removal of deposits on the head ejection surface is very effective.
Furthermore, the bleed-out silicone oil makes it difficult for deposits to adhere to the head ejection surface, and the silicone oil exhibits a lubricating effect during wiping, and protects the head ejection surface even when wiping in a dry state. I found out.
In this case, when the silicone oil has a specific structure (polyether-modified silicone oil), it has been understood that there is an advantage that even if it is mixed in the ink, there is almost no influence on the ink. In particular, it is very effective when the wiper member is made of silicone rubber.
Also, in the case of dye ink, a phenomenon such as a significant decrease in ink repellency may occur due to adsorption of impurities derived from the dye to the head ejection surface, and the present invention is very effective in preventing such a phenomenon. is there. Furthermore, when the ink contains a resin, the resin is liable to adhere and remain on the head ejection surface by drying, so that the present invention is effective.
That is, in contrast to the technique described in Patent Document 1, in the present invention, the wiper blade member contains silicone oil and then bleeded out to keep the head ejection surface clean, or cleaning efficiency. There is an effect to raise.
Further, unlike the technique described in Patent Document 2, in the present invention, the bleed-out silicone oil functions as a lubricant when wiping the head ejection surface, and is mixed with ink during wiping to prevent the head ejection surface. Shows fouling action.
Thus, the above-mentioned problems are solved by the “inkjet recording head cleaning method”, “ wiper blade ” and “inkjet recording apparatus” according to the present invention described in the following (1) to ( 14 ).
(1) cleaning by rubbing with a wiper blade ink ejection surface of the head used in the "jet recording, in cleanings method of the ink jet recording head, as the wiper blade, consisting of the wiper blade member containing a silicone oil A method for cleaning an ink jet recording head, characterized in that a wiper blade is used, the ink ejection surface is rubbed with the wiper blade, and silicone oil bleeds out in accordance with the rubbing.
(2) “The inkjet recording head cleaning method according to (1), wherein the silicone oil is a polyether-modified silicone oil”.
(3) “The method for cleaning an ink jet recording head according to (1) or (2), wherein the wiper blade member is silicone rubber.”
(4) “The inkjet recording head cleaning method according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the ink contains a dye”
(5) “The method for cleaning an ink jet recording head according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the ink contains a resin”
(6) “A wiper blade for cleaning an ejection surface of an ink jet recording head, wherein the wiper blade has a wiper blade member containing a polyether-modified silicone oil as the wiper blade.”
(7) “A wiper blade for cleaning an ejection surface of an ink jet recording head, the wiper blade having a wiper blade member containing silicone oil, and further, when the ink ejection surface is rubbed with the wiper blade, A wiper blade that bleeds out silicone oil with friction. "
(8) The wiper blade according to (7), wherein the wiper blade member is silicone rubber.
(9) “The wiper blade according to (7) or (8), wherein the silicone oil is a polyether-modified silicone oil.”
( 10 ) “An ink container or ink cartridge containing ink for ink-jet recording, an ink-jet recording head for dropping and discharging the ink by the action of energy, and a wiper blade for rubbing and cleaning the recording head An inkjet recording apparatus, wherein the wiper blade is the wiper blade according to any one of (6) to (9) . "
( 11 ) “The ink jet recording apparatus according to ( 10 ), further including an ink repellent layer made of silicone resin on a discharge surface side of the recording head.”
(12) In the cleaning method of an ink jet recording head, wherein the ink discharge surface of the head used for ink jet recording is cleaned by rubbing with a wiper blade, the wiper blade contains silicone oil, and the ink discharge surface is Ink jet recording head cleaning method, wherein silicone oil bleeds out along with rubbing. "
(13) In the cleaning method of an ink jet recording head, wherein the ink discharge surface of the head used for ink jet recording is cleaned by rubbing with a wiper blade, the wiper blade having a wiper blade member containing silicone oil as the wiper blade Ink jet recording head cleaning method, wherein the ink discharge surface is rubbed with the wiper blade, and the silicone oil bleeds out along with the rubbing.
(14) In the cleaning method of an ink jet recording head, wherein the ink discharge surface of the head used for ink jet recording is cleaned by rubbing with a wiper blade, a wiper blade member containing polyether-modified silicone oil is used as the wiper blade. A method for cleaning an ink jet recording head, characterized in that a wiper blade is used, the ink discharge surface is rubbed with the wiper blade, and the polyether-modified silicone oil bleeds out along with the rubbing.

As will be understood from the following detailed and specific description, according to the present invention, a method for cleaning an ink jet recording head that can sufficiently eliminate the influence on the ink repellency and further the ejectability due to the deposit on the head ejection surface, A cleaning member and an ink jet recording apparatus using the same are provided. That is, since the wiper blade member contains silicone oil and further bleeds out, it is very effective to remove deposits on the head discharge surface.
Furthermore, the bleed-out silicone oil makes it difficult for deposits to adhere to the head ejection surface, and the silicone oil exhibits a lubricating effect during wiping, and protects the head ejection surface even when wiping in a dry state. Yes, and in this case, the silicone oil has a specific structure (polyether-modified silicone oil), which is particularly effective for ejection stability and has little effect on the ink even when mixed into the ink. There are advantages.
In particular, it is very effective when the wiper member is made of silicone rubber.
Also, in the case of dye ink, a phenomenon such as a significant decrease in ink repellency may occur due to adsorption of impurities derived from the dye to the head ejection surface, and the present invention is very effective in preventing such a phenomenon. is there. Furthermore, when the ink contains a resin, the resin is liable to adhere and remain on the head ejection surface by drying, so that the present invention is effective.

FIG. 3 is a perspective explanatory view seen from the front side of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a mechanism unit of the recording apparatus. It is a principal part schematic plan view of the mechanism part. It is a plane schematic diagram of the mechanism part.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail. First, the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention will be described.
The ink jet recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1 stocks an apparatus main body 101, a paper feed tray 102 for loading paper mounted on the apparatus main body 101, and paper on which an image is recorded (formed) mounted on the apparatus main body 101. And a paper discharge tray 103. The upper surface of the upper cover 111 of the apparatus main body 101 is a substantially flat surface, and the front surface 112 of the front cover of the apparatus main body 101 is inclined obliquely rearward with respect to the upper surface. A paper discharge tray 103 and a paper feed tray 102 protruding toward the front side are provided. Furthermore, an end of the front surface 112 has an ink cartridge loading unit 104 that protrudes forward from the front surface 112 and is lower than the upper cover 111. An operation unit 105 such as a display is arranged. The ink cartridge loading unit 104 has an openable / closable front cover 115 for attaching and detaching the ink cartridge.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the apparatus main body 101, a carriage 133 is slidably held in the main scanning direction by guide rods 131 and stays 132 that are horizontally mounted on left and right side plates (not shown). The main scanning motor (not shown) moves and scans in the carriage scanning direction of FIG.

  On the carriage 133, a recording head 134 composed of four ink jet heads for ejecting ink droplets of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black is arranged with a plurality of ink ejection openings in a direction intersecting with the main scanning direction to eject ink droplets. Wearing the direction downward.

  As a head constituting the recording head 134, a piezoelectric actuator such as a piezoelectric element, a thermal actuator that uses a phase change due to liquid film boiling using an electrothermal transducer such as a heating resistor, and a metal phase change due to a temperature change are used. A shape memory alloy actuator, an electrostatic actuator using an electrostatic force, or the like provided as an energy generating means for discharging ink can be used.

  The ink ejection surface of the head is provided with a layer formed of Ni / PTFE eutectoid, silicone resin, and fluorine-based water repellent agent for improving ejection stability and wiping properties. In the present invention, this ink repellent layer is very effective even when it is formed of a silicone resin.

  Silicone resins are organopolysiloxanes having a siloxane bond made of Si and O as a basic skeleton and having an organic group in a side chain. Examples of methods for forming a silicone layer include coating methods and electrodeposition methods. However, it is not particularly limited. When forming the silicone layer, mask the parts that do not form the silicone layer, such as the back of the nozzle plate, except for the electrodeposition method, with photoresist, water-soluble resin, etc. A silicone layer can be formed. The thickness of the silicone layer is preferably about 0.1 to 5.0 μm, and particularly preferably 0.3 to 2.0 μm in consideration of nozzle diameter accuracy and the like.

  The carriage 133 is equipped with a sub tank 135 for each color for supplying ink of each color to the recording head 134. Ink is supplied to the sub tank 135 from an ink cartridge loaded in the ink cartridge loading unit 105 via an ink supply tube (not shown).

  On the other hand, as a paper feeding unit for feeding the paper 142 stacked on the paper stacking unit (pressure plate) 141 of the paper feed tray 103, half a month to separate and feed the paper 142 one by one from the paper stacking unit (pressure plate) 141. A separation pad 144 made of a material having a large coefficient of friction is provided opposite to the roller (sheet feeding roller) 143 and the sheet feeding roller 143, and the separation pad 144 is urged toward the sheet feeding roller 143 side. As a transport unit for transporting the paper 142 fed from the paper feed unit on the lower side of the recording head 134, a transport belt 151 for electrostatically attracting and transporting the paper 142, and a paper feed unit A counter roller 152 for transporting the paper 142 fed through the guide 145 while sandwiching it between the transport belt 151 and the paper 142 fed substantially vertically upward are changed by approximately 90 ° and copied onto the transport belt 151. A conveyance guide 153 for adjusting the pressure and a tip pressure roller 155 urged toward the conveyance belt 151 by a pressing member 154. In addition, a charging roller 156 that is a charging unit for charging the surface of the conveyance belt 151 is provided.

  Here, the conveyance belt 151 is an endless belt, and is configured to be looped around the conveyance roller 157 and the tension roller 158 in the belt conveyance direction. The transport belt 151 includes, for example, a surface layer which is a sheet adsorbing surface formed of a pure resin material having a thickness of about 40 μm which is not subjected to resistance control, for example, ETFE pure material, and resistance control by carbon using the same material as the surface layer. And a back layer (medium resistance layer, earth layer). In addition, a guide member 161 is disposed on the back side of the conveyance belt 151 so as to correspond to a printing area by the recording head 134. Further, as a paper discharge unit for discharging the paper 142 recorded by the recording head 134, a separation claw 171 for separating the paper 142 from the transport belt 151, a paper discharge roller 162, and a paper discharge roller 173 are provided. A paper discharge tray 103 is provided below the paper discharge roller 162.

  A double-sided paper feeding unit 181 is detachably mounted on the back surface of the apparatus main body 101. The double-sided paper feeding unit 181 takes in the paper 142 returned by the reverse rotation of the transport belt 151, reverses it, and feeds it again between the counter roller 152 and the transport belt 151. Further, a manual paper feed unit 182 is provided on the upper surface of the double-sided paper feed unit 181.

  In the ink jet recording apparatus configured as described above, the sheet 142 is separated and fed one by one from the sheet feeding unit, and the sheet 142 fed substantially vertically upward is guided by the guide 145, and includes the transport belt 151 and the counter roller 152. The leading end is guided by the conveying guide 153 and pressed against the conveying belt 151 by the leading end pressure roller 155, and the conveying direction is changed by approximately 90 °.

  At this time, the conveyance belt 151 is charged by the charging roller 156, and the sheet 142 is electrostatically attracted to the conveyance belt 151 and conveyed. Therefore, by driving the recording head 134 according to the image signal while moving the carriage 133, ink droplets are ejected onto the stopped paper 142 to record one line, and after the paper 142 is conveyed by a predetermined amount, Record the next line. Upon receiving a recording end signal or a signal that the trailing edge of the paper 142 has reached the recording area, the recording operation is finished and the paper 142 is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 103.

When a near-end remaining amount of ink in the sub tank 135 is detected, a required amount of ink is supplied to the sub tank 135 from the ink cartridge.
Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a maintenance device 91 according to the present invention for maintaining and recovering the nozzle state of the recording head 34 is arranged in the non-printing area on one side of the carriage 33 in the scanning direction. Yes.
The maintenance device 91 contributes to recording by discharging each cap 92 for capping each nozzle surface of the recording head 34, a wiper blade 93 for wiping the head ejection surface, and discharging the thickened recording liquid. An empty discharge receiver 94 that receives liquid droplets when performing an empty discharge that discharges non-performing liquid droplets, and a wiper cleaner 94 that is integrally formed with the empty discharge receiver and that is a cleaning member for removing the recording liquid attached to the wiper blade 93 And a cleaner roller 96 that constitutes a cleaner means for pressing the wiper blade 93 against the wiper cleaner when the wiper blade 93 is cleaned.
In the above configuration, when the recording head 34 passes through the position of the wiper blade 93 and protrudes into the movement path, the ejection port of the recording head 34 is wiped.

The wiper blade members, silicone rubber, hydrogenated nitrile rubber, polyurethane rubber, et Ji Ren propylene rubber (EPDM), butyl rubber and the like, in particular silicone rubber, is preferred.
In the present invention to contain a silicone oil to the wiper blade member, the silicone oil is a linear polymer composed of bifunctional siloxane units, the silicone oil to be contained, dimethyl silicone, methyl-phenyl silicone oil, methyl-phenyl Examples include silicone oil, alkyl-modified silicone oil, amino-modified silicone oil, epoxy-modified silicone oil, carbinol-modified silicone oil, and polyether-modified silicone oil. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Among these, polyether-modified silicone oil is particularly preferable because it has a remarkable antifouling effect on the head ejection surface and has little influence on the ink even if mixed into the ink.
The polyether-modified silicone oil has a polyoxyalkylene group which is an adduct of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide in the side chain of dimethylpolysiloxane, and has a balance between hydrophilicity and lipophilicity (HLB) depending on the number of polyoxyalkylene groups. In the present invention, various selections may be made depending on the ink to be contained.

  Commercial products can be used as these polyether-modified silicone oils. Examples of the commercially available products include L-7604 (manufactured by Toray Dow Corning Co., Ltd.), KF-353 (manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.), and the like. It is done.

As a method for manufacturing a wiper blade member containing silicone oil and bleeding out, taking silicone rubber as an example, for example, 0.5 to 5 parts by weight of vulcanizing agent, silicone oil 0 with respect to 100 parts by weight of silicone rubber compound Add 1 to 10 parts by weight and knead well on roll. These compositions are prepared by primary vulcanization at 170 ° C. for 15 minutes on a mold press and further secondary vulcanization at 200 ° C. for about 4 hours. In place of the mold press, extrusion molding or injection molding may be used.
In the present invention, the production method is not limited to these. Examples of the vulcanizing agent include benzoyl peroxide, bis-2,4-dichloroperoxide, t-butyl perbenzoate, dichloroperoxide, p-monochlorobenzoyl peroxide, and the like. is not.

  Next, the ink used in the present invention will be described. Examples of the ink component of the present invention include a colorant, a wetting agent, a water-soluble organic solvent, a surfactant, and other additives (antiseptic / antifungal agent, rust preventive agent, water-soluble ultraviolet absorber, water-soluble infrared absorber). , PH adjusting agents, etc.), resins and the like, but are not limited thereto.

In particular, any known colorant can be used as long as it is conventionally known, but the present invention is particularly effective in the case of a dye ink.
Any dye known in the art can be used. As the water-soluble dye, dyes classified in the color index into acid dyes, direct dyes, basic dyes, reactive dyes, and food dyes, preferably those having excellent water resistance and light resistance are used. Specific examples of these dyes include C.I. I. Acid Yellow 17, 23, 42, 44, 79, 142C. I. Acid Red 1,8,13,14,18,26,27,35,37,42,52,82,87,89,92,97,106,111,114,115,134,186,249,254 289, C.I. I. Acid Blue 9, 29, 45, 92, 249, C.I. I. Acid Black 1, 2, 7, 24, 26, 94, C.I. I. Food Yellow 3, 4, C.I. I. Food Red 7, 9, 14, C.I. I. Food black 1, 2 etc. are mentioned.
In addition, as a direct dye, C.I. I. Direct Yellow 1,12,24,26,33,44,50,86,120,132,142,144, C.I. I. Direct Red 1, 4, 9, 13, 17, 20, 28, 31, 39, 80, 81, 83, 89, 225, 227, C.I. I. Direct Orange 26, 29, 62, 102, C.I. I. Direct Blue 1, 2, 6, 15, 22, 25, 71, 76, 79, 86, 87, 90, 98, 163, 165, 199, 202, C.I. I. Direct black 19, 22, 32, 38, 51, 56, 71, 74, 75, 77, 154, 168, 171 and the like.
As basic dyes, C.I. I. Basic yellow 1, 2, 11, 13, 14, 15, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 32, 36, 40, 41, 45, 49, 51, 53, 63, 64, 65, 67, 70, 73, 77, 87, 91, C.I. I. Basic Red 2,12,13,14,15,18,22,23,24,27,29,35,36,38,39,46,49,51,52,54,59,68,69,70, 73, 78, 82, 102, 104, 109, 112, C.I. I. Basic blue 1,3,5,7,9,21,22,26,35,41,45,47,54,62,65,66,67,69,75,77,78,89,92,93, 105, 117, 120, 122, 124, 129, 137, 141, 147, 155, C.I. I. Basic black 2, 8 etc. are mentioned.
As reactive dyes, C.I. I. Reactive Black 3, 4, 7, 11, 12, 17, C.I. I. Reactive Yellow 1,5,11,13,14,20,21,22,25,40,47,51,55,65,67, C.I. I. Reactive Red 1,14,17,25,26,32,37,44,46,55,60,66,74,79,96,97, C.I. I. Reactive blue 1, 2, 7, 14, 15, 23, 32, 35, 38, 41, 63, 80, 95, etc. can be used.

In addition, as dyes used for intermediate hue inks, generally available dyes from yellow to orange to red hue can be mixed or used alone.
As an example, C.I. I. Direct Orange 6, 8, 10, 26, 29, 39, 41, 49, 51, 62, 102, C.I. I. Acid Orange 7, 8, 10, 33, 56, 64, C.I. I. Food Yellow 3, 4, 5 and the like. From the hue and color development surface, C.I. I. Acid Orange 33 and C.I. I. It is preferable to use Food Yellow 5. In the present invention, the effect is large in the case of dyes for intermediate hues that have not been used for ink jets so far. I. This is remarkable in the case of Acid Orange 33.

In addition to the above ink components, a resin may be added for the purpose of improving the image fixing property, improving the image quality, improving the pigment dispersibility, etc. The present invention is effective because it is recognized.
Examples of resins to be added include hydrophilic polymers such as gum arabic, tragan gum, guar gum, karaya gum, low-strength bean gum, arabinogalactone, pectin, quince seed starch, alginic acid, carrageenan, Seaweed polymers such as agar, animal polymers such as gelatin, casein, albumin and collagen, microbial polymers such as xanthene gum and dextran, and methylcellulose, ethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose in semisynthetic systems Fibrin polymers such as starch starch glycolate, starch starch phosphate sodium, etc., seaweeds such as sodium alginate, propylene glycol alginate, etc. In a pure synthetic system, polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid, acrylic acid-acrylonitrile copolymer, vinyl acetate-acrylic acid ester copolymer, acrylic acid-alkyl acrylate copolymer, styrene-acrylic acid copolymer , Styrene-methacrylic acid copolymer, styrene-acrylic acid-alkyl acrylate copolymer, styrene-methacrylic acid-alkyl acrylate copolymer, styrene-α-methylstyrene-acrylic acid copolymer, styrene- α-methylstyrene-acrylic acid copolymer-alkyl acrylate ester copolymer, styrene-maleic acid copolymer, vinylnaphthalene-maleic acid copolymer, vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer, vinyl acetate-fatty acid vinyl ethylene Copolymer, vinyl acetate-maleic acid ester copolymer Body, vinyl acetate - crotonic acid copolymer, vinyl acetate - acrylic acid copolymers and salts thereof, and the like.
The addition amount of these resins is appropriately selected in consideration of reliability.

  Recently, in place of a resin that is soluble in a solvent, a so-called resin emulsion dispersed as fine particles in a solvent is often used. The resin emulsion is obtained by dispersing resin fine particles in a solvent as a continuous phase, and may contain a dispersant such as a surfactant as necessary. The content of the resin fine particles as the dispersed phase component (the content of the resin fine particles in the resin emulsion) is generally about 10 to 70% by weight, and the particle size of the resin fine particles is particularly used for an ink jet recording apparatus. In consideration, the average particle size is preferably 10 to 1000 nm, and more preferably 20 to 300 nm, but it is not particularly limited in the present invention.

Examples of the resin fine particle component of the dispersed phase include acrylic resins, vinyl acetate resins, styrene resins, butadiene resins, styrene-butadiene resins, vinyl chloride resins, acrylic styrene resins, acrylic silicon resins, and the like. In particular, an acrylic silicon resin is effective, but in the present invention, it is not limited to the types of these resin emulsions, and is for ensuring reliability when a known one is used. It is also possible to use a resin emulsion.
Commercially available resin emulsions include Microgel E-100, E-2002, E-5002 (Styrene-acrylic resin emulsion, Nippon Paint), Boncoat 5454 (Styrene-acrylic resin emulsion, Dainippon Ink Chemical), Jonkrill. 775 (styrene-acrylic resin emulsion made by Johnson Polymer), SAE1014 (styrene-acrylic resin emulsion made by Nippon Zeon), Cybinol SK-200 (acrylic resin emulsion made by Seiden Chemical), primal AC-22, AC-61 (acrylic) Resin Emulsion manufactured by Rohm and Haas), NANOCRYL SBCX-2821, 3689 (acrylic-silicone resin emulsion manufactured by Toyo Ink), # 3070 (methyl methacrylate polymer resin EMAL) John Gokoku Dye). The content of the resin fine particles in the ink composition is generally 0.1 to 50% by weight, preferably 0.5 to 20% by weight, and more preferably 1 to 10% by weight. However, it is not particularly limited.

  The ink composition of the present invention is prepared by dispersing or dissolving the above-described constituents in a medium, and further stirring and mixing as necessary. Dispersion can be performed with a sand mill, homogenizer, ball mill, paint shaker, ultrasonic disperser, etc., and stirring and mixing can be performed with a stirrer using an ordinary stirring blade, a magnetic stirrer, a high-speed disperser, etc. The present invention does not depend on the manufacturing method. The viscosity of the ink composition thus prepared varies from about 1 mPa · s to about 50 mPa · s, but the higher the viscosity of 5 mPa · s or higher, the higher the adhesion to the head ejection surface. It is valid.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to examples. However, these examples are for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. In the following examples, “part” and “%” represent “part by mass” and “% by mass” unless otherwise specified.

[Example 1]
<Wiper blade>
The following composition is kneaded with a roll, molded to a thickness of 3 mm using a mold, subjected to primary vulcanization at 170 ° C. for 15 minutes, and then secondary vulcanized at 200 ° C. for 4 hours to obtain silicone containing silicone oil. A molded wiper blade made of rubber was prepared.
Silicone compound (KE-961-U, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) 96 parts by weight Vulcanizing agent 2 parts by weight (2,5-dimethyl-2,5-bis (t-butylperoxy) -hexane, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.)
2 parts by weight of polyether-modified silicone oil (KF-353, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.)

<Head repellent layer>
A silicone resin (SR 2411 manufactured by Toray Dow Corning Silicone Co., Ltd.) was applied onto the surface of the Ni electroforming nozzle by a spray method to form a silicone layer of about 1.0 μm to form an ink repellent layer.
At this time, the nozzle holes and the back surface of the nozzle plate were masked with a water-soluble resin, and formed by peeling and removing after forming a silicone layer. This was heated and cured in the atmosphere at 300 ° C. for 1 hour to form an ink repellent layer.

<Ink>
Water-soluble dyes C.I. I. Acid Orange 33 5 parts by weight Fluorosurfactant (FS-300, manufactured by Du Pont) 2 parts by weight 1,3-butanediol 24 parts by weight Glycerin 8 parts by weight 2-ethyl-1,3-hexanediol 2 parts by weight Antiseptic / antifungal agent (Proxel LV, manufactured by Avicia) 0.1 parts by weight

A 5% chart of ejection stability after wiping 1000 times with the wiper blade thus prepared mounted on a Ricoh inkjet printer GXe5500, filled with the ink, and further attached with ink on the head ejection surface. The presence or absence of streaks, white spots, and jet disturbance was visually evaluated according to the following criteria. The results are shown in Table 1. In the print pattern, each ink was printed with a duty ratio of 100% in a chart in which the print area in the image area is 5% of the print area of each color in the entire area of the paper surface. The printing conditions were a recording density of 360 dpi and one-pass printing.
A: There are no white spots, streaks, or jet disturbance in the solid part.
◯: There are no white spots in the solid portion, but some streaks and jet disturbance are observed.
Δ: White spots, streaks, and jet disturbance are partially observed in the solid portion.
X: White spots, streaks, and jet disturbances are observed in the whole area.

  Then, after removing the head from the printer body and washing the ink-repellent layer on the head ejection surface by pouring pure water with a washing bottle, the receding contact angle was measured, and the rate of decrease with respect to the initial value (initial value—after wiping 1000 times) ) × 100 / initial value was determined. The results are shown in Table 1.

Further, the wiper blade was removed and the adhering ink was washed and removed with pure water, and then the weight was measured to determine the rate of change relative to the initial value (initial value−after 1000 wipes) × 100 / initial value.
The results are shown in Table 1. The weight change rate is for confirming whether or not the silicone oil has bleed out, and does not show a quantitative effect.

[Example 2]
In Example 1, as shown below, it processed and evaluated similarly to Example 1 except having changed the silicone oil contained in a wiper blade.

<Wiper blade>
The following composition is kneaded with a roll and molded to a thickness of 3 mm using a mold, followed by primary vulcanization at 170 ° C. for 15 minutes, followed by secondary vulcanization at 200 ° C. for 5 hours, containing silicone oil A molded wiper blade made of silicone rubber was prepared.
Silicone compound (KE-961-U, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) 97 parts by weight Vulcanizing agent 2 parts by weight (2,5-dimethyl-2,5-bis (t-butylperoxy) -hexane, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.)
Dimethyl silicone oil (KF-96L-2cs, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical) 1 part by weight

[Example 3]
In Example 1, as shown below, it processed and evaluated like Example 1 except having changed the wiper blade.

<Wiper blade>
The following composition was kneaded with a roll and molded to a thickness of 3 mm, and then press vulcanized at 180 ° C. for 5 minutes to produce a wiper blade molded body made of EPDM rubber containing silicone oil.
EPDM base polymer (manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals) 100 parts by weight carbon black (manufactured by SEAST S Tokai Carbon) 50 parts by weight Vulcanizing agent (manufactured by Nippon Oil & Fats Park Mill D-40, manufactured by Nippon Oil & Fats) 7 parts by weight 2 parts by weight fluoroalkyl-modified silicone oil (X-22-822, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) 1 part by weight

[Example 4]
In Example 1, it processed and evaluated similarly to Example 1 except having changed the ink as shown below.

<Ink>
Water-soluble dyes C.I. I. Food Yellow 5 5 parts by weight Fluorosurfactant (FS-300, manufactured by Du Pont) 2 parts by weight 1,3-butanediol 24 parts by weight Glycerin 8 parts by weight 2-ethyl-1,3-hexanediol 2 parts by weight Antiseptic / antifungal agent (Proxel LV, manufactured by Avicia) 0.1 parts by weight Ion exchange water 58.9 parts by weight

[Example 5]
In Example 1, it processed and evaluated similarly to Example 1 except having changed the ink as shown below.

<Ink>
Black colorant (CAB-O-JET 200 (sulfone group addition type)) 20 parts by weight Surfactant (ECTD3NEX, manufactured by Nikko Chemicals) 1.5 parts by weight Acrylic silicone resin emulsion 8 parts by weight (Nanocryl SBCX-2821 Toyo Ink Made)
Glycerin 15 parts by weight 1,3-butanediol 7.5 parts by weight Ion-exchanged water 48 parts by weight

[Example 6]
In Example 1, the treatment and evaluation were performed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the head ink repellent layer and the ink were changed as shown below.

<Head repellent layer>
A modified perfluoropolyoxetane (Optool DSX, manufactured by Daikin Industries), which is a fluorine-based water repellency-imparting agent, was applied on the surface of a SUS304 nozzle by an immersion method to form an ink repellent layer having a thickness of about 0.01 μm. At this time, the inside of the nozzle hole was masked with a water-soluble resin, and after the ink repellent layer was formed, it was peeled off and heated at 120 ° C. for 1 hour to form an ink repellent layer.

<Ink>
Black colorant (CAB-O-JET 200 (sulfone group addition type)) 20 parts by weight Surfactant (ECTD3NEX, manufactured by Nikko Chemicals) 1.5 parts by weight Glycerin 15 parts by weight 1,3-butanediol 7.5 parts by weight 56 parts by weight of ion exchange water

[Comparative Example 1]
In Example 1, treatment and evaluation were performed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that a silicone rubber containing no silicone oil was used as the wiper blade member as shown below.

<Wiper blade>
The following composition is kneaded with a roll and molded to a thickness of 3 mm using a mold, followed by primary vulcanization at 170 ° C. for 15 minutes and then secondary vulcanization at 200 ° C. for 4 hours to contain silicone oil. to prepare a wiper blade molded body made of silicone rubber which does not.
Silicone compound (KE-961-U, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) 98 parts by weight Vulcanizing agent 2 parts by weight (2,5-dimethyl-2,5-bis (t-butylperoxy) -hexane, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. )

[Comparative Example 2]
In Example 3, the same treatment as in Example 3 was performed except that a silicone rubber containing no silicone oil was used as the wiper blade member as shown below.

<Wiper blade>
The following composition was kneaded with a roll and molded to a thickness of 3 mm, and then press vulcanized at 180 ° C. for 5 minutes to produce a wiper blade molded body made of EPDM rubber containing no silicone oil.
EPDM base polymer (manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals) 100 parts by weight Carbon black (Shiest S, manufactured by Tokai Carbon Co., Ltd.) 50 parts by weight Vulcanizing agent (Nippon Oil & Fats Park Mill D-40) 7 parts by weight Vulcanization accelerator (NK ester TMPT, Shin Nakamura) 2 parts by weight

[Comparative Example 3]
In Example 4, the same treatment as in Example 4 was performed except that the wiper blade of Comparative Example 1 was used.

[Comparative Example 4]
In Example 5, the same process as in Example 5 was performed except that the wiper blade of Comparative Example 1 was used.

[Comparative Example 5]
In Example 6, the same process as in Example 6 was performed except that the wiper blade of Comparative Example 1 was used.

(About FIGS. 1-3)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Main body 102 Paper feed tray 103 Paper discharge tray 104 Ink cartridge loading part 105 Operation part 111 Upper cover 112 Front cover 115 Ink cartridge loading part cover 131 Guide rod 132 Stay 133 Carriage 134 Recording head 134 Sub tank for each color 103 Paper feed tray 141 Paper stacking unit (pressure plate)
142 Paper 143 Half-moon roller (paper feed roller) as paper feeder
144 Separation Pad 151 Conveying Belt 145 Guide 152 Counter Roller 153 Conveying Guide 154 Holding Member 155 Tip Pressure Roller 156 Charging Roller 157 Conveying Roller 158 Tension Roller 161 Guide Member 171 Separation Claw 162 Discharge Roller 173 Discharge Roller 181 Double-sided Paper Feed Unit 182 Manual paper feeder (Figure 4)
6 Ink cartridge loading section 10 Ink cartridge 21 Frame 22 Flexible cable 23 Supply pump unit 25 Tube guide plate 26 Tube 31 Side rod 33 Carriage 34 Recording head 35 Sub tank 37 Ink supply tube 42 Paper 51 Conveying belt 57 Conveying roller 91 Maintenance device 92 Each Cap 93 Wiper blade 94 Wiper cleaner 96 Cleaner roller 98 Empty discharge receptacle 99 Empty discharge hole

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-201014 JP 2000-118361 A

Claims (11)

In a method for cleaning an ink jet recording head, in which an ink discharge surface of a head used for ink jet recording is cleaned by rubbing with a wiper blade, the wiper blade has a rubber containing polyether-modified silicone oil , and the wiper blade A method for cleaning an ink jet recording head, wherein the ink discharge surface is rubbed and the polyether-modified silicone oil bleeds out along with the rubbing. 2. The method of cleaning an ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein the rubber is silicone rubber. The method for cleaning an ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein the ink contains a dye. 4. The ink jet recording head cleaning method according to claim 1, wherein the ink contains a resin. A wiper blade for cleaning an ejection surface of an ink jet recording head, the wiper blade having rubber containing a polyether-modified silicone oil, and further, when the ink ejection surface is rubbed with the wiper blade. Accordingly, a wiper blade characterized in that the polyether-modified silicone oil is bleed out. The wiper blade according to claim 5, wherein the rubber is silicone rubber. Inkjet recording apparatus having an ink storage portion or an ink cartridge storing ink for inkjet recording, an inkjet recording head for dropping and discharging the ink by the action of energy, and a wiper blade for rubbing and cleaning the recording head The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the wiper blade is the wiper blade according to claim 5. 8. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising an ink repellent layer made of silicone resin on a discharge surface side of the recording head. In a method for cleaning an ink jet recording head in which an ink discharge surface of a head used for ink jet recording is cleaned by rubbing with a wiper blade, the wiper blade has a wiper blade member having rubber containing polyether-modified silicone oil. A method for cleaning an ink jet recording head, comprising using a wiper blade, rubbing the ink ejection surface with the wiper blade, and bleeding out the polyether-modified silicone oil with the rubbing. In a method for cleaning an ink jet recording head, the ink discharge surface of the head used for ink jet recording is cleaned by rubbing with a wiper blade. A method for cleaning an ink jet recording head, comprising: using a wiper blade having the wiper blade, rubbing the ink ejection surface with the wiper blade, and bleeding out the polyether-modified silicone oil with the rubbing. The method for cleaning an inkjet recording head according to claim 2 or 10, wherein the content of the polyether-modified silicone oil is 0.1 to 10 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the silicone rubber.

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