JP7115225B2 - Device for ejecting liquid - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus for ejecting liquid.

2. Description of the Related Art In a device that ejects liquid, such as a printing device that has a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid, mist generated along with the ejection of liquid is collected by a filter or the like.

Conventionally, for example, a vent that communicates the inside and outside of a reversing conveying device that is connected to the main body of the image forming apparatus and reverses the recording surface of the recording medium, a communication port that communicates between the main body of the image forming apparatus and the reversing conveying device, There is known an air flow path formed between a vent and a communication port through which air flows, and an air flow forming means for forming an air flow (Patent Document 1).
(Patent Document 1).

JP 2013-237172 A

By the way, when a fan is used to generate an airflow and the mist is collected by a filter, there is a problem that the mist must be collected efficiently by generating an airflow that reliably flows from the mist generating portion toward the fan.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to enable efficient collection of mist.

In order to solve the above problems, an apparatus for ejecting liquid according to claim 1 of the present invention includes:
a stage that reciprocates while holding a holding member that holds a member to be coated;
an exhaust fan for generating airflow;
an airflow suction port by the exhaust fan disposed on the side of the holding member;
a partition member that partitions the inside of the device main body into a space including the suction port and a space not including the suction port;
An air flow path toward the suction port is formed between the partition member and the holding member.

According to the present invention, mist can be collected efficiently.

1 is a front explanatory view of a printing device as a device for ejecting liquid according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. It is also a side explanatory view. It is similarly a plane explanatory view. 2 is an external perspective view of an example of a cassette used in the printing apparatus; FIG. It is a perspective explanatory view of the state in which the outer peripheral cover member of the same cassette is opened. It is a schematic cross-sectional explanatory view along the width direction of the same cassette. It is front explanatory drawing with which it uses for description of the part which concerns on mist collection|recovery in the same printing apparatus. FIG. 5 is a side explanatory view for explaining recovery of mist by the mist recovery mechanism. It is also a front explanatory view. FIG. 5 is a side explanatory view of a carriage portion for explaining the arrangement position of a partition member that is a gap forming member; It is similarly explanatory drawing of a discharge unit. FIG. 5 is a side explanatory view for explaining generation of mist accumulation in a state where there is no partition member; FIG. 4 is a front explanatory view for explaining the operation of a configuration in which an exhaust fan and a filter are arranged above the suction port; It is side explanatory drawing with which description of 2nd Embodiment of this invention is presented. It is a side explanatory view similarly with which description of the effect of the same embodiment is presented. It is a front explanatory view with which description of 3rd Embodiment of this invention is presented. It is also a side explanatory view.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. A printing apparatus as an apparatus for ejecting liquid according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is an explanatory front view of the printing apparatus, FIG. 2 is an explanatory side view of the same, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory plan view of the same.

The printing apparatus 1 includes a stage 111 that detachably holds a cassette 200 in an apparatus main body 100 and moves forward and backward, and printing means 112 that prints on a printing material held in the cassette 200 held by the stage 111 . It has The cassette 200 is a holding member having a platen member 300 holding a cloth 400 (see FIG. 6), which is a member to be printed as a member to be coated.

The stage 111 is attached to a slider member 113, and the slider member 113 is held by guide members 114, 114 so as to be able to reciprocate in the arrow Y direction (feed direction). The stage 111 reciprocates by reciprocating the slider member 113 in the feeding direction.

As a result, the cassette 200, which is a holding member detachably attached to the stage 111, and the cloth 400 held by the platen member 300 of the cassette 200 also reciprocate in the Y direction.

The printing means 112 has a carriage 121 that moves in the direction of arrow X (main scanning direction) with respect to the stage 111, and the carriage 121 is provided with a liquid ejection head 122 that is a liquid ejection means for ejecting liquid.

A maintenance unit 130 for performing maintenance on the liquid ejection head 122 is arranged below the carriage 121 on the one end side in the arrow X direction. The maintenance unit 130 includes a cap 131 for capping the nozzle surface of the liquid ejection head 122 and the like.

In the printing apparatus 1 , the cassette 200 is mounted and held on the stage 111 in the apparatus main body 100 in a state in which the printed material is set on the platen member 300 of the cassette 200 . By repeating the movement of the stage 111 in the direction of the arrow Y and the reciprocating movement of the printing means 112 (carriage 121) in the direction of the arrow X, a desired image is printed on the cloth 400, which is the member to be printed.

Next, an example of a cassette used in this printing apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. FIG. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the cassette, FIG. 5 is a perspective explanatory view of the cassette with the outer peripheral cover member opened, and FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional explanatory view of the cassette along the width direction.

The cassette 200 includes a base member 201, a platen member 300 that holds a printed portion of the fabric 400 in a flat state, and an outer peripheral cover member 202 that sandwiches the fabric 400 between the platen member 300 and the platen member 300. .

The platen member 300 is composed of a platen body 301 and a platen structure 302 made of a heat-insulating member forming a holding surface for holding the fabric 400 in a flat state. The platen main body 301 has heat resistance against heating. The platen structure 302 is integrated with the platen main body 301 and protrudes from the outer peripheral side of the platen main body 301 to form a flange portion 300 b that serves as the peripheral portion of the platen member 300 .

The outer peripheral cover member 202 has a frame portion 202b forming an opening 202a through which the platen member 300 is exposed. The outer peripheral cover member 202 is provided so as to be openable and closable with respect to the base member 201 with a hinge 203 or the like. The outer peripheral cover member 202 holds the fabric 400 between itself and the flange portion 300 b of the peripheral portion of the platen member 300 .

The platen member 300 is supported by a support portion 311 with respect to the base member 201 , and an accommodation space 312 is formed between the platen member 300 and the base member 201 to accommodate the surplus portion 400 a of the cloth 400 . The surplus portion 400a corresponds to, for example, both sleeves, the neckline, and the hem of a T-shirt when printing is performed on the front surface of the T-shirt.

When the cloth 400 is held in the cassette 200 and printed, first, the peripheral cover member 202 is opened and the portion of the cloth 400 to be printed is placed on the platen member 300 . After that, the excess portion (surplus portion) 400a of the cloth 400 is pushed into the storage space 312 to store the surplus portion 400a in the storage space 312 . Then, the outer peripheral cover member 202 is closed.

As a result, the portion of the fabric 400 to be printed is held flat by the platen member 300, and is accommodated in the cassette 200 without the surplus portion 400a protruding outside.

Then, the cassette 200 in which the cloth 400 is set is mounted (set) on the stage 111 of the apparatus main body 100 of the printing apparatus 1 .

Next, the configuration of the part related to mist collection in the printing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 7 as well. FIG. 7 is an explanatory front view for the same explanation.

Here, the side where the cassette 200 is attached to and detached from the apparatus main body 100 is the front side of the apparatus main body 100, and the opposite side to the front side in the arrow Y direction is the rear side of the apparatus main body 100. FIG.

On both sides of the apparatus main body 100 and on the rear side of the apparatus main body 100, the mist collection mechanism sections 500, 500 are arranged.

The mist collection mechanism 500 includes an exhaust duct 501, a filter 502 that collects mist, and an exhaust fan 503 that is arranged downstream of the filter 502 and generates an airflow.

The exhaust duct 501 has an intake port 511, and includes an intake duct portion 501a that guides upward air sucked from the intake port 511, and an exhaust fan 503 that sucks air from the intake duct portion 501a through a filter 502. and an exhaust duct portion 501c arranged to guide the air sent out from the exhaust fan 503 toward the exhaust port 515 on the rear side.

In this case, the filter 502 and the exhaust fan 503 are arranged above the intake port 511 .

The intake port 511 of the exhaust duct 501 is arranged on both sides in the X direction at approximately the same height as the cassette 200 . As a result, mist can be sucked from both sides of the cassette 200 without interfering with the movement of the cassette 200 .

A partition member (partition plate) 550 is provided to partition the space inside the apparatus main body 100 into a first space A including the intake port 511 of the exhaust duct 501 and a second space B not including the intake port 511 of the exhaust duct 501. are placed.

The partition member 550 is arranged at a height that does not interfere with the reciprocating cassette 200 .

The partition member 550 is a gap forming member that forms a spatial gap 551 (see FIG. 7) with the cassette 200, which is a reciprocating holding member.

Next, mist recovery by the mist recovery mechanism 500 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 as well. FIG. 8 is an explanatory side view for the same explanation, and FIG. 9 is an explanatory front view for the same.

By driving the exhaust fan 503 of the mist collection mechanism section 500, air is sucked from the intake port 511 and discharged from the exhaust port 515, thereby generating an airflow 600. FIG. Due to this airflow 600 , mist generated accompanying liquid ejection from the liquid ejection head 122 during printing on the fabric 400 and mist generated during maintenance of the liquid ejection head 122 by the maintenance unit 130 are carried by the airflow 600 and sucked into the exhaust duct 501 . It is sucked from mouth 511 .

The sucked mist is collected by the filter 502 on the upstream side of the exhaust fan 503 and recovered. It should be noted that the filter 502 may be omitted or may be arranged downstream of the exhaust fan 503 if the attachment of mist to the exhaust fan 503 is not a concern.

Here, the suction port 511 is arranged on the side portion side of the cassette 200, and a partition member 550 arranged so as to separate a space A including the suction port 511 and a space B not including the suction port 511 is provided. .

As a result, an airflow path is formed for an airflow 600 from between the partition member 550 and the upper surface of the cassette 200 to the side surface of the cassette 200 toward the intake port 511 . At this time, the partition member 550 can efficiently guide the airflow 600 from the printing unit 112, which is the mist generating portion, toward the suction port 511, so that the mist can be collected efficiently.

In addition, by arranging the suction port 511 on the lateral side of the movement range of the cassette 200, dirt around the suction port 511, in which the airflow tends to be stagnated, can be kept away from the printing material.

Moreover, since the partition member 550 is arranged at a position aligned with the upper portion of the intake port 511 , even if the airflow 600 is disturbed by the operation of the cassette 200 , the airflow 600 can be easily guided to the intake port 511 . At this time, since the air current 600 always flows, the mist is less likely to adhere to the partition member 550 itself.

As a result, even when the airflow 600 inside the apparatus main body 100 is disturbed by the reciprocating movement of the carriage 121, the stage 111, and the cassette 200, mist is less likely to adhere to the partition member 550 located directly above the fabric 400. Even if it is used for a long period of time, it is possible to prevent the dirt caused by the mist from dripping and adhering to the material to be printed.

Next, the arrangement position of the partition member, which is the gap forming member, will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11 as well. FIG. 10 is a side explanatory view of the carriage portion, and FIG. 11 is an explanatory view of the ejection unit.

In this embodiment, the carriage 121 is mounted with an ejection unit 120 in which a liquid ejection head 122 and a sub-tank 123 for temporarily storing the liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head 122 are integrated.

The sub-tank 123 includes a tank body 123a that constitutes a storage portion that stores the liquid 10, a supply port portion 123b that supplies liquid into the tank body 123a, an atmosphere opening mechanism 123c that opens the inside of the tank body 123a to the atmosphere, and a An electrode pin pair 123d for detecting the liquid level is provided.

Here, as shown in FIG. 10, the height of the nozzle surface 122a of the liquid ejection head 122 is h1, the height of the upper surface 122b of the liquid ejection head 122 is h2, and the height of the upper surface 121a of the carriage 121 is h3 ( h1<h2<h3).

Referring also to FIG. 8 described above, the partition member 550 is positioned so that the lower surface 550a of the partition member 550 (the surface facing the cassette 200 as the holding member) is above the height h1 of the nozzle surface 122a of the head 122. are placed.

On the other hand, the partition member 550 is preferably arranged at a position where the lower surface 550a of the partition member 550 is lower than the height h3 of the upper surface 121a of the carriage 121 . More preferably, the lower surface 550a of the partition member 550 is arranged at a position below the height h2 of the upper surface 122b of the head 122 .

Next, the action of the partition member will be described with reference to FIG. 12 as well. FIG. 12 is an explanatory side view for explaining generation of mist accumulation in the absence of a partition member for the same explanation.

As described above, mist is generated as the liquid is ejected from the liquid ejection head 122 during printing on the print target material, or as the maintenance unit 130 maintains the liquid ejection head 122 .

Therefore, when configuring the mist collection mechanism section 500 , it is necessary to dispose the suction port 511 near the maintenance unit 130 and the carriage 121 , but avoid the movement areas of the carriage 121 , the stage 111 and the cassette 200 .

In addition, since the carriage 121, the stage 111, and the cassette 200 move, the airflow inside the apparatus main body 100 is disturbed, and mist adheres to various parts inside the apparatus main body 100. FIG. In particular, when the apparatus is used for a long period of time, the mist adheres to the interior of the apparatus main body 100, and the mist on the upper surface may form an icicle-like mist pool and fall downward.

For example, as shown in FIG. 12, even if the exhaust duct 501 and the fan 503 are arranged, the rearward movement of the cassette 200 pushes out the air behind the cassette 200, generating an airflow toward the top surface. . The airflow directed toward the top surface is stagnant on the top surface side of the apparatus main body 100, and as a result, a mist pool 603 is generated and grows.

When the liquid material, which is an aggregate of mist, falls from the mist pool 603, it may adhere to the printed material such as the fabric 400 held by the cassette 200 moving below, thereby staining the printed material.

Therefore, as in the present embodiment, the suction port 511 is arranged on the side of the cassette 200, and the partition member 550 partitions the space A including the suction port 511 and the space B not including the suction port 511. Airflow 600 always flows on the surface on the 200 side.

This makes it difficult for mist to accumulate in the partition member 550 , and thus prevents the liquid material in which the mist is gathered from dripping onto the cassette 200 .

Next, the operation of the configuration in which the exhaust fan 503 and the filter 502 are arranged above the intake port 511 will be described with reference to FIG. 13 as well. FIG. 13 is an explanatory front view for the same explanation.

If the printed member is a fabric 400, it may have unwanted fiber fragments, such as fiber fragments, attached to it. When such fiber pieces are sucked into the mist collection mechanism unit 500 , the mist adheres to the fiber pieces and solidifies, causing malfunction of the exhaust fan 503 and clogging of the filter 502 .

Therefore, by arranging the exhaust fan 503 and the filter 502 above the suction port 511, as shown in FIG. Even if it is sucked into the air, it falls downward and does not reach the exhaust fan 503 or the filter 502 .

As a result, malfunction of the exhaust fan 503 and clogging of the filter 502 can be prevented.

Next, a second embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15. FIG. FIG. 14 is an explanatory side view for explaining the same embodiment, and FIG. 15 is an explanatory side view for explaining the effects of the same embodiment.

In this embodiment, the exhaust fan 503 is arranged in an inclined posture so as to face obliquely downward toward the upstream side.

In other words, since mist is generated during printing or maintenance, arranging the suction port 511 near the liquid ejection head 122 (near the carriage 121) increases the mist collection efficiency. However, as shown in FIG. 15, when the liquid ejection head 122 is moved to the home position (on the right side in the X direction), the maintenance unit 130 is arranged directly below, so the suction port is located on the side of the cassette 200 . 511 cannot be placed.

Therefore, it is necessary to arrange the intake port 511 at a position avoiding the maintenance unit 130 , and in this embodiment, the intake port 511 is arranged on the rear side of the apparatus main body 100 .

Therefore, the exhaust fan 503 is directed obliquely downward toward the upstream side and inclined toward the liquid ejection head 122 side. This makes it easier for the exhaust fan 503 to suck in air from below, and more mist can be sucked. Moreover, even when the exhaust fan 503 is arranged above the suction port 511, a sufficient airflow can be generated.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17. FIG. FIG. 16 is an explanatory front view for explaining the same embodiment, and FIG. 17 is an explanatory side view for the same.

In this embodiment, the lowered ceiling portion 561 of the housing 560 of the mist collection mechanism portion 500 also serves as a gap forming member. The lowered ceiling portion 561 is lowered to the position of the lower surface 550a of the partition member 550 of the above-described embodiment, forming a spatial gap 551 with the cassette 200 .

In this case, the bottom surface 561 a of the ceiling portion 561 is arranged above the nozzle surface 122 a of the head 122 . On the other hand, the lower surface 561 a of the lowered ceiling portion 561 is preferably arranged below the upper surface 121 a of the carriage 121 , and more preferably below the upper surface 122 b of the head 122 .

Even with this configuration, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment.

Reference Signs List 1 printing device 111 stage 112 printing means 200 cassette 300 platen member 400 cloth (member to be coated)
500 mist collection mechanism 501 exhaust duct 502 filter 503 exhaust fan 511 suction port 515 exhaust port 550 partition member 551 gap 560 housing 561 lowered ceiling

Claims (8)

a stage that reciprocates while holding a holding member that holds a member to be coated;
an exhaust fan for generating airflow;
an airflow suction port by the exhaust fan disposed on the side of the holding member;
a partition member that partitions the inside of the device main body into a space including the suction port and a space not including the suction port;
A device for ejecting liquid, wherein an air flow path toward the suction port is formed between the partition member and the holding member. a stage that reciprocates while holding a holding member that holds a member to be coated ;
an exhaust fan for generating airflow;
an airflow suction port by the exhaust fan disposed on the side of the holding member;
a liquid ejection head for ejecting liquid onto the member to be coated ;
a carriage that holds the liquid ejection head;
a gap forming member that forms a spatial gap with the holding member;
A device for ejecting liquid, wherein a lower surface of the gap forming member is arranged above a nozzle surface of the liquid ejection head. 3. The apparatus for ejecting liquid according to claim 2, wherein the lower surface of said gap forming member is arranged below the upper surface of said carriage. 3. The apparatus for ejecting liquid according to claim 2, wherein the lower surface of said gap forming member is arranged below the upper surface of said liquid ejection head. 5. The apparatus for discharging liquid according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust fan is arranged at a position higher than the suction port. 6. The apparatus for ejecting liquid according to claim 1, further comprising a filter for collecting mist disposed upstream of said exhaust fan. 7. The apparatus for ejecting liquid according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust fan is arranged in a posture facing obliquely downward toward the upstream side. 8. The device for ejecting liquid according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the member to be coated is cloth.

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