JPH02286343A - Ink head - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To contrive to realize stable recording characteristics by providing a dust-removing member with a almost the same dimensions as the arrangement length of ink outlet ports in parallel with the arrangement direction of the ink outlet ports. CONSTITUTION:A drop-shaped ink 4 is put out from an ink outlet port 2, while an ink head 1 scans over a recording paper 5. A put out ink 4 is shaped into a drop and jumps to the recording paper 5 to form a recording dot 6 on the recording paper 5 to obtain a specified picture image. Because the tip of a dust-removing member 3 comes in contact with and slides on the recording paper 5 surface while scanning, there is no dust on the recording paper 5 in the front of the outlet port 2 to prevent nozzle clogging, in which dust sticks on the outlet port 2, to stabilize recording characteristics. Because a plurality of the outlet ports 2 are arranged in a straight line, recording over a width (a) can be conducted simultaneously and efficiently. When a dust-removing member 3 is provided in parallel with the arrangement direction of the outlet ports 2, it is possible to provide respective outlet ports 2 in close vicinity to the removing member 3 and at equal distances therefrom and to make conditions of recording and scanning at each outlet port 2 constant.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a method for ejecting droplets of liquid ink toward a recording sheet.
The present invention relates to an ink recording device that performs recording by flying ink.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional ink recording apparatuses can be roughly divided into two types. One of these is so-called continuous printing, in which minute ink droplets are continuously ejected and flown, and only the ink droplets necessary for recording are selected from among them, guided and attached to the recording paper, and recorded. The other method is the so-called on-demand method, in which ink droplets are ejected and flown toward the recording surface to perform recording only when necessary for recording.

By the way, one of the ink recording apparatuses for implementing the latter method is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 54-51837. FIG. 4 shows the configuration of this conventional inkjet recording apparatus, where 2 is an ink discharge port, 4 is ink, 9 is an ink chamber, 10 is a heating element provided in the ink chamber 9, and 11 is a heating element 10. These bubbles are generated when the ink 4 is heated.

In the conventional ink recording device configured as described above, the liquid ink 4 in the ink chamber 9 is heated by the heating element 10 to generate bubbles 10 in the ink chamber 9, and the pressure increases due to the increase in volume of the bubbles 10. Recording is performed by ejecting ink 4 from the ink ejection opening 2, making it fly, and adhering it to a recording paper (not shown).

In this case, recording is performed at a predetermined position on the recording paper by ejecting the ink 4 while changing the relative position between the recording paper and the ink ejection openings 2. Therefore, the ink 4 is ejected while moving the ink ejection port 2 or the recording paper.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, the above configuration has the following problems. In other words, ink is ejected from the ejection port, flies in the form of droplets, and adheres to the recording paper to perform recording.
When recording is performed while an ink head with an ink ejection port is moved along the surface of the recording paper, dust such as paper powder adhering to the surface of the recording paper may float near the recording paper due to air currents generated on the surface. However, if a part of the ink adheres to the ejection port, it will interfere with ink ejection and the ejection characteristics will change.

In view of this, an object of the present invention is to realize stable recording characteristics by removing dust from the surface of recording paper.

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention has a plurality of ink ejection ports arranged in a straight line, and a dust removal device having a dimension substantially the same as the arrangement length of the ink ejection ports in parallel to the arrangement direction of the ink ejection ports. This is an ink head characterized by being provided with a member. Further, the ink head is characterized in that a needle-shaped dust removal member having an ink ejection port and whose surface is made of a conductive material is provided near the ink ejection port.

Effect of the Invention With the above-described configuration, the present invention makes it possible to cause the dust on the recording paper to adhere to the dust removal member and remove it from the surface of the recording paper by bringing the dust removal member into contact with and sliding on the surface of the recording paper during recording scanning. can. Therefore, so-called nozzle clogging, in which the ink ejection openings are clogged with dust and the ink ejection characteristics change, is prevented, and the recording characteristics are stabilized. Further, by using a conductive material for the dust removing member, charging of the dust removing member is prevented. Furthermore, by making the dust removal member needle-like, charging of the recording paper can be prevented, and dust can be removed reliably.

Embodiment FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an ink recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram when recording is performed using the head shown in FIG. 1. In FIG.
are recording dots, and 7 is dust. The dust removing member 3 is constructed integrally with the ink head. A plurality of ink discharge ports 2 are arranged in a straight line, and a dust removal member 3 having a length b that is approximately the same as the length a of the ink discharge ports 2 is provided parallel to the direction in which the ink discharge ports 2 are arranged.

The operation of the ink head of this embodiment configured as described above will be described below. In FIG. 2, droplet-shaped ink 4 is ejected from an ink ejection port 2, and at the same time, an ink head 1 scans a recording paper 5. This operation is called recording scanning. The ejected ink 4 becomes droplets and flies to the recording paper 5, forming recording dots 6 on the recording paper 5 to obtain a predetermined image. Here, since the tip of the dust removing member 3 contacts the surface of the recording paper 5 and scans while sliding, the dust 7 on the surface of the recording paper 5 adheres to the tip of the dust removing member 3. As a result, there is no dust on the recording paper 5 in front of the ink ejection port 2.
To prevent nozzle clogging caused by dust adhering to the ink ejection port 2 and to stabilize recording characteristics.

By arranging a plurality of ink ejection ports 2 in a straight line, printing of a width a can be performed simultaneously and efficiently. By providing the dust removal member 3 parallel to the arrangement direction of the ink ejection ports 2, each ink ejection port 2 can be provided close to the dust removal member 3 and at an equal distance from each other. The conditions for recording scanning at the exit 2 can be made constant.

Since the array length a of the ink ejection ports 2 and the length b of the dust removal member 3 are approximately equal, dust is reliably removed from the position in front of the ink ejection ports 2. Furthermore, when recording on a line adjacent to a recorded line, the dust removal member does not slide on the surface of the already recorded dots and disturb the shape of the unfixed dots.

In addition, the distance from the tip of the ink ejection port 2 to the surface of the recording paper 5 is always kept constant regardless of the waviness of the surface of the recording paper 5 or the scanning accuracy of the ink head 1.
Another effect is that the time it takes for the dots to reach the recording paper 5 is constant, and the position and shape of the recording dots are stabilized. Furthermore, if printing is performed in a direction in which the dust removal member 3 is on the recording scanning side of the ink ejection port 2, even if the printed dots 6 are not sufficiently dried and fixed immediately after printing, the printed dots will be removed by rubbing the surface. 6 will not be deformed. Furthermore, even if recording is performed without bringing the dust removal member into contact with the recording paper, the ink ejection openings are still effectively protected from surrounding dust.

When a portion of the resin on the exterior of an on-demand type ink head was used to form the protrusion of the dust removal member shown in FIG. 1 and printing was performed, disturbances in printing due to dust were reduced.

FIG. 3 shows a structural diagram of an ink head in another embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 8 denotes a dust removing member made of a needle-shaped conductive material.

When the ink head 1 in FIG. 3 is brought into contact with the surface of the recording paper 5 as shown in FIG. 2 while recording and scanning, and the dust 7 is attached to the tip of the dust removal member 8, the dust removal member 8 is made of a conductive material. With this structure, static electricity is hardly generated due to sliding between the recording paper 5 and the dust removal member 8, and the dust removal member 8
Electrification can be prevented by having a configuration in which the electrification is released to ground (not shown). Further, by making the dust removing member 8 needle-like in shape, static electricity on the surface of the recording paper is removed by discharge at the tip of the needle. Therefore, the static electricity of the recording paper 5 is eliminated, and the dust removal member 8 does not generate static electricity, so that the recording paper and the ink head do not attract surrounding dust, and the amount of dust can be reliably reduced. When printing was carried out using the dust removing member 8 as a carbon needle brush, the printing quality was further improved than in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and cleaning of the dust removing member became easier.

As described above, according to these embodiments, an ink head with improved characteristics such as print quality can be obtained.

In these embodiments, possible means for increasing the pressure in the ink chamber 3 include means for generating bubbles in the ink using a heating element, means for deforming a piezoelectric material by applying an electric signal, and the like. Also, instead of using an on-demand method, minute ink droplets are continuously ejected and flown, and only the ink droplets necessary for recording are selected from among them and guided and attached to the recording paper to perform recording. Similar effects can be obtained using a so-called continuous method.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, an ink head with improved printing quality can be provided by providing a dust removal member near the ink ejection opening, and its practical effects are significant.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of an ink head in a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of an ink head for recording using the ink head of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a structural diagram of an ink head in another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional structural diagram of a conventional ink head. 1... Ink head, 2... Ink discharge port, 3...
・Dust removal member, 4... Ink, 5... Recording paper, 6
...Record dot, 7...Dust agent's name Patent attorney Shigetaka Awano 1 person Figure Figure

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) It has a plurality of ink ejection ports arranged in a straight line, and is provided with a dust removal member having a dimension substantially the same as the length of the arrangement of the ink ejection ports, parallel to the arrangement direction of the ink ejection ports. Ink head. (2) An ink head having an ink ejection port, and further comprising a dust removal member having a surface made of a conductive material provided near the ink ejection port. (3) The ink head according to claim 2, wherein the dust removing member is needle-shaped.