JPH02286344A - Ink jet recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable exchanging ink jet cartridges easily and safely by providing the outlet port-facing surface of a carriage and the space-forming recess thereof so that an outlet port-forming surface and the outlet port-facing surface are prevented from slidingly rubbing or coming in contact with each other. CONSTITUTION:A biased surface 84 to be biased by a biasing pin 20 provided on the carriage 1 side is formed as a specified slope in one side face on the front side of an ink jet cartridge 15. Guide parts 16 for regulating mounting of a recording head 14 to the opening 1b of the carriage 1 are formed in both side faces of the cartridge 15 and guided by a guide part 17 on the cartridge side to guide the head 14 into the opening 1b. Therefore, when the guide parts 16 and 17 are brought into contact with each other, positioning is performed approximately, the recording head 14 can be easily let down into the opening 1b, and an outlet port-forming surface 14a is prevented from coming in contact with an outlet port-facing surface 1a in the vicinity of the opening.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an inkjet recording device that performs recording by ejecting ink as droplets onto a recording medium, and particularly relates to an inkjet recording device that performs recording by ejecting ink as droplets onto a recording medium, and particularly relates to a carriage on which a recording head is removably mounted. The present invention relates to an inkjet recording device equipped with the following.

[Background technology]

For example, in an inkjet recording device that integrates a recording head and an ink tank and has an inkjet cartridge that is replaceably mounted on a carriage, the inkjet cartridge can be replaced by checking the connection between the connector part of the inkjet cartridge and the connector part on the main body side. This is performed after releasing the suppressed state by the positioning member for positioning the ink cartridge and placing the inkjet cartridge in a released state where it can be freely attached and detached.

To take out an inkjet cartridge that is now in a removable and open state, move the recording head upwards from the carriage opening, or pull the inkjet cartridge upwards. In the case of the above device, after the print head is pulled out from the opening, the inkjet cartridge is further moved along one surface of the carriage facing the ejection ports of the print head (hereinafter referred to as the ejection port facing surface) and then pulled out. You can take it out by doing this.

On the other hand, in order to install the inkjet cartridge, it is sufficient to follow the procedure reverse to the above-described removal method.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

When replacing the inkjet cartridge as described above, if the carriage L is machined so that the surface 1a facing the ejection port is flat as shown in FIG. There was a risk that a portion near the outlet (hereinafter referred to as the outlet forming surface 14a) would rub or come into contact with the outlet facing surface 1a.

In particular, when the ejection port forming surface 14a and the ejection port opposing surface 1a rub or come into contact when the inkjet cartridge 15 is installed, the ejection port 2 formed on the ejection port forming surface 14a may There is a risk that dust, foreign matter, etc. that were present on the opposing surface la may enter and block the discharge port 2, or that if rubbed, the resistance may cause damage to the area around the discharge port. . As mentioned above, if dust or foreign matter enters the ejection port 2, it may cause unstable ink ejection or non-ejection, which may appear as white streaks on the recorded image, or if the ejection port 2 is damaged. This may cause problems such as the amount of ink ejected being greater than a predetermined amount or the direction of ejection changing, leading to a decrease in the quality of the recorded image.

Further, the surface of the ejection port forming surface 14a of the recording head 15 is treated to be water repellent in order to prevent ink mist and the like from adhering to the surface.

If the discharge port forming surface 14a that has been subjected to the water repellent treatment as described above and the discharge port facing surface 1a rub or come into contact during replacement, the water repellent agent used for the water repellent treatment may be removed. There is. In this way, if the water repellent treatment agent is spilled, ink mist etc. will adhere to the ejection port forming surface 14a, and ink droplets will be formed around the ejection port, making it difficult to eject ink droplets from the ejection port. For example, the discharge direction may be misaligned, leading to a decrease in image quality.

The present invention has been proposed to solve the various problems mentioned above, and when replacing an inkjet cartridge, there is a risk that the ejection port forming surface and the ejection port facing surface may rub or come into contact with each other. An object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet recording device equipped with a carriage configured such that an inkjet cartridge can be easily and safely replaced without any problems.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present inventor provides the following inkjet recording apparatus.

That is, an inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention that achieves the above object is an inkjet recording apparatus including a carriage that removably holds an inkjet cartridge equipped with a recording head having ejection ports on its surface, wherein the carriage The head is characterized by having a recessed portion that forms a space that prevents the ejection port from coming into contact with the ejection port facing surface of the carriage that faces the ejection port when the head is attached or removed.

Further, an inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention that achieves the above object is an inkjet recording apparatus comprising an inkjet cartridge equipped with the recording head having an ejection port on the surface, and a carriage that detachably holds the inkjet cartridge.
A space is formed between the ejection port facing surface and the ejection port so that the ejection port facing surface of the carriage facing the ejection port does not come into contact with the ejection port when the recording head is attached or removed. It is characterized by

[For production]

Since a carriage is used that has a space between the ejection port forming surface and the ejection port facing surface, there is a risk that the ejection port forming surface and the ejection port opposing surface may rub against each other when replacing the inkjet cartridge. There is no.

[Example of implementation]

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are cross-sectional views showing peripheral parts of an inkjet cartridge and a carriage of an inkjet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied, and show a state in which the inkjet cartridge is mounted on the carriage.

1 and 2, a carriage 1 for removably mounting an inkjet cartridge 15 equipped with a recording head 14 is slidably mounted on a scanning rail 3, and supported on one side by a sliding rail 4. and recording medium 3
Scanned in a direction perpendicular to zero. In accordance with this scanning of the carriage 1, ink is ejected from the ejection port 2 of the print head 14 (equipped with a thermal energy generating element (not shown) that generates thermal energy used to eject ink according to a print signal). Then, a desired image is recorded on the recording medium 30 by sequentially conveying the recording medium 30 by the conveying rollers 5, 6, 7, and 8.

Here, the inkjet cartridge 15 used in this embodiment has a configuration as shown in FIG. 3. That is, on one side surface on the front side of the inkjet cartridge 15, a pressed surface 84 that is pressed by the pressing bottle 20 provided on the carriage l side is formed as a predetermined slope. In addition, inkjet cartridge 15
Guide portions 16 are formed on both side surfaces of the recording head 14 to restrict attachment of the recording head 14 to the opening 1b of the carriage 1.

This guide portion is guided by the guide portion on the carriage side shown in FIG. 3, and guides the recording head 14 into the opening lb.

Therefore, by bringing the guide portion 16 on the inkjet cartridge side and the guide portion 17 on the carriage side into contact with each other, approximate positioning is achieved, and the recording head 14 can be easily dropped into the opening 1b. There is no possibility that the discharge port forming surface 14a will come into contact with the discharge port facing surface 1a near the opening.

That is, in order to load the inkjet cartridge 15 into the carriage 1, first, the inkjet cartridge 15 is advanced along the ejection port facing surface 1a, and then the guide portion 16 on the inkjet cartridge side and the guide portion 17 on the carriage side are aligned. Just drop it from above while they are touching each other. Then, the rotating lever 2 shown in FIG.
0 and the link mechanism 21 interlocked with the rotation lever 20, the front part of the carriage l (where the main body side connector and the press bottle 20 for positioning the inkjet cartridge are provided) is moved to the inkjet cartridge 15 indicated by the arrow A.
By moving it to the side, the main body side connector provided on the front surface of the carriage and the press bottle 20 for positioning enter and engage with the connector part and the pressed part of the inkjet cartridge, and the inkjet cartridge is positioned and fixed.

Here, positioning of the inkjet cartridge 15 will be described in more detail. The recording head 14 loaded on the carriage as described above has its abutment surface 14b-
14c is positioned and fixed by abutting and being pressed against the abutment surface lc-1d of the carriage l. That is, the suppression pin 20 that engages with the connector holder comes into contact with the pressed surface 84 of the inkjet cartridge, applying a pressing force to the recording head 14, and as shown in FIG.
The recording head 14 abuts against the abutment surface 1g in the opening tb, and the recording head 14 is positioned with respect to the carriage l in the scanning direction. Furthermore, since the pressed surfaces 84 of the pressing pins 1O and the recording heads 1 are formed of slopes, the abutment surfaces 14c of the recording heads 1 abut against the abutment surfaces 1f of the carriage 1 at the same time due to their force, causing the recording to occur. The head 14 is positioned at the same time in the height direction. Note that 20a is a coil spring that presses the pressing pin 20.

When replacing the inkjet cartridge 15 that has been pressed and fixed as described above, the rotation lever 20 is rotated to move the front part of the carriage 1 in the direction of arrow B in FIG. After releasing the pressure and opening the inkjet cartridge, it can be easily replaced.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the discharge port facing surface 1a of the carriage is configured as a concave portion having a predetermined radius.

Therefore, when replacing the inkjet cartridge, as shown in FIG. There is no rubbing against the outlet facing surface 1a.

For example, even if the inkjet cartridge is replaced with the inkjet cartridge tilted as shown by the broken line in FIG. 4, the above-mentioned state is maintained.

Here, the rounded recesses of the discharge port facing surface 1a may be at least four parts having a radius such that the discharge port forming surface 14a and the discharge port facing surface 1a do not come into contact with each other, and the value of the radius is particularly determined. Although not specified, it is preferable to specify the width and shape of the recording head 14 or the shape of the ejection port forming surface 14a side.

As mentioned above, the shape of the surface of the recording rad carriage facing the ejection port may be a concave portion having a predetermined radius.
The shape may be as shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 6, FIG. 7, etc.

In FIG. 5, the intersection of the discharge port facing surface 1a and the side walls 1b provided on both sides thereof is formed as a predetermined radius,
This is an embodiment in which the rounded intersection 1c restricts the etched portion of the ejection port forming surface 14a of the recording head 15 to prevent the ejection port forming surface 14a from coming into contact with the ejection port facing surface la. be.

In FIG. 5, the width P of the recording head 14 and the width O of the portion of the intersection 1c formed on both sides of the surface facing the ejection ports where the rounded shape begins to be processed are P>.

The radius of the intersection 1c must be selected so that the ejection port portion and its surroundings do not come into contact with the ejection port facing surface 14a even when the recording head is tilted. is preferred.

Further, FIGS. 6 and 7 show examples of embodiments in which a concave portion is formed on the discharge port facing surface 1a by a slope having a predetermined angle.

In this case as well, the ejection port facing surface 1a is formed as a recessed portion having a slope at an angle such that at least the ejection port forming surface 14a of the recording head 14 does not rub against the ejection port facing surface 1a, regardless of whether the print head is attached or removed. It must be.

Furthermore, FIG. 8 shows that by forming a minute convex shape 1d on the ejection port facing surface 1a of the carriage l, the ejection port forming surface 14a of the recording head, that is, the ejection port and the vicinity thereof, become the ejection port facing surface 1a. This is an example of a mode in which contact is avoided. In this embodiment, it is necessary to form the convex shape 1d so that the following three conditions are satisfied.

That is, as shown in FIG. 8(a), the width l of the recording head and the distance between the convex portions 1c satisfy the relationship l>k, and furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8(b), In order to The distance m satisfies the relationship m < n. Further, when the recording head is tilted as shown in FIG. 8(c), the convex portion is at a lower height than the location where the ejection ports are located when the recording head is tilted to the maximum, or the height of the ejection ports is The purpose is to satisfy the relationship that it is formed on the side wall lc side.

By satisfying these three conditions, the ejection port forming surface 14a of the recording head does not come into contact with the ejection port facing surface 1a and the convex portion le, and in addition,
The recording head can be attached and detached without rubbing against the surface.

In the embodiment described above, the ejection port forming surface 1 of the recording head
In order to replace the recording head 4a without rubbing against the surface 1a of the RAD carriage facing the discharge port, a predetermined space is formed between the two by applying various processes to the surface facing the discharge port. showed something.

However, in order to prevent the ejection port portion of the ejection port forming surface and the vicinity thereof from rubbing against the surface facing the ejection port during attachment and detachment, it is necessary not only to use the above-mentioned embodiment but also as shown in FIG. 9, for example. There are convex shapes 1 on both sides of the head section of the recording head so that
4b may be formed to prevent rubbing between the two,
In addition, various configurations that satisfy the spirit of the present invention can be adopted.

As explained above, by machining the ejection port facing surface or the print head, a space is formed between the ejection port portion of the print head and its surrounding area, and the ejection port facing surface of the recording rad carriage. The recording head can be attached and detached and replaced without rubbing. Further, since guide portions for inserting the inkjet cartridge into the opening of the carriage are provided on the inkjet cartridge side and the carriage side, the recording head of the inkjet cartridge can be easily and reliably inserted into the opening.

〔effect〕

Since a space is formed between the ejection port facing surface of the carriage and the ejection port forming surface of the recording head, the ejection port facing surface and the ejection port forming surface will not slide when the inkjet cartridge is attached/detached or replaced. It is possible to provide an inkjet recording apparatus in which the recording head can be attached and detached without rubbing.

Therefore, the ejection ports of the print head are not clogged or damaged, and ink mist can be prevented from adhering to the vicinity of the ejection ports.
It is possible to solve the problems of ink non-ejection and misalignment of the ejection direction, and to provide an inkjet recording apparatus with excellent image quality.

In addition, to insert the recording head of an inkjet cartridge into the opening of the carriage, all you have to do is to touch the guide members provided on the inkjet cartridge and the carriage and drop the inkjet cartridge into the opening. can.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view schematically showing a part of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. 1 and a partially cut away partial sectional view. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing an inkjet cartridge and a carriage according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the shape of a carriage according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 to 9 are schematic diagrams showing other embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 1O is a schematic diagram showing a conventional carriage. l... Carriage la... Discharge port facing surface ib... Opening 2... Discharge port 13.
... Ink tank 14 ... Recording head 14a
...Ejection forming surface 15...Inkjet cartridge 20...Push pin 84...Pressed surface? Figure 7

Claims (7)

[Claims] (1) In an inkjet recording apparatus equipped with a carriage that removably holds an inkjet cartridge equipped with a recording head having an ejection port on its surface, the carriage faces the ejection port when the printhead is attached or removed. An inkjet recording apparatus characterized in that the inkjet recording apparatus has a concave portion that forms a space such that a surface facing the ejection port does not come into contact with the ejection port. (2) The carriage is provided with an opening into which the recording head of the inkjet cartridge is fitted, and the carriage engages with a guide section provided on the inkjet cartridge side so that the recording head fits into the opening. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a guide member for guiding the inkjet recording apparatus. (3) In an inkjet recording apparatus comprising an inkjet cartridge equipped with the recording head having an ejection port on its surface, and a carriage that detachably holds the print head, the carriage faces the ejection port when the print head is attached or detached. An inkjet recording apparatus characterized in that a space is formed between the ejection port facing surface and the ejection port so that the ejection port facing surface and the ejection port do not come into contact with each other. (4) The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a recessed portion for forming the space is formed on the surface facing the ejection port. (5) Claim 3 characterized in that the surface facing the discharge port is formed with a convex shape at a position that does not come into contact with the discharge port.
The inkjet recording device described in . (6) The carriage is provided with an opening into which the recording head fits, and each of the inkjet cartridge and the carriage includes a guide for guiding the recording head to fit into the opening. 4. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the members are respectively provided. (7) The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the recording head includes a thermal energy generating element that generates thermal energy used to eject ink.