JPH03101967A - Ink jet recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a clutch gear from being slipped off from its engaging position by a method wherein a latch member is latched to a fixing part, e.g. a side face of a transmission gear, with an engaging action by the travel of the clutch gear at the travel time of a carrier. CONSTITUTION:At the travel of a carrier 6, a key groove 4d of a clutch gear 4 engages with a key part 2h of a lead screw 2, whereby the clutch gear 4 slides on the lead screw 2 and rotates together with the lead screw 2. The clutch gear 4 is energized toward the carrier 6 by a spring 5. Normally, in recording, the clutch gear 4 is disposed in a predetermined position by a groove 2i of the lead screw 2 and rotates with the lead screw 2. With the travel of a recording head 9 to a home position, the clutch gear 4 is pressed by the carrier 6 to start engaging with a timing gear 21. The clutch gear 4 is provided with a start tooth 4c1 and a normal drive tooth 4c2. The start tooth 4c1 and the drive tooth 4c2 are provided on different positions in the width direction of the clutch gear.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to an inkjet recording device.

[Prior Art] This type of apparatus includes, in addition to the configuration related to direct recording, a configuration specific to a method of recording by ejecting ink.

In other words, depending on the recorded data, if a certain ejection port does not eject for a long time, or if the device itself is not used for a long period of time, the ink in the ejection port or the ink chamber communicating with the ejection port may increase due to water evaporation. In addition, ink droplets, water droplets, dust, etc. may adhere to the ejection port surface where the ejection port is installed, and the ejected ink droplets may be pulled by these deposits, causing The discharge direction may also be deflected. For this reason, inkjet recording devices
In order to prevent ejection failure or deflection of the ejection direction, various configurations are provided as a so-called ejection recovery system.

These ejection recovery systems include a preliminary ejection system for ejecting ink onto a predetermined ink-receiving medium and removing thickened ink, etc., to prevent ejection failures. Ink suction for sucking ink from the ejection port or ink chamber to remove the above.
Furthermore, there are capping configurations for sealing the ejection port surface and preventing ink moisture from evaporating from the ejection port.

Further, as a structure for preventing deflection of the ejection direction, there is a structure in which the ejection port surface is wiped to remove dust, ink droplets, etc. adhering to the vicinity of the ejection port.

Furthermore, in recent years, it has become common for inkjet recording apparatuses to be able to record on various recording media such as plain paper envelopes, and are designed to accommodate the particular thickness of these recording media.

That is, a mechanism is provided that adjusts the distance between the recording head and the recording medium so that the distance between the recording head and the recording medium is appropriate during recording, depending on the recording medium used.

On the other hand, in recent years, inkjet recording devices, particularly recording heads, have been manufactured using semiconductor film forming processes and microfabrication techniques, and smaller and cheaper recording heads are being realized. This results in
For example, a disposable type recording head with an integrated ink tank has also been proposed.

Along with this, there is a demand for an inkjet recording apparatus that is compact and inexpensive, and that is easier for users to use.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, miniaturization of such a device requires that the space for the arrangement or operation of the members constituting the device is limited, and that the members themselves are made smaller. As a result, each of the above-mentioned configurations, as well as other configurations of the device and related mechanisms between these configurations, need to be different from those of relatively large devices.

Among these structures, the structure related to the head moving mechanism for moving the recording head occupies a relatively large space. From this point of view, a mechanism has been proposed in which a lead screw that also serves as a guide shaft for moving the recording head is rotated by a predetermined carrier motor to move the recording head.

On the other hand, we have also proposed a configuration in which the capping mechanism for ink suction, etc. and the wiping mechanism are arranged in a position where these mechanisms overlap to save space, and the capping or wiping is performed by moving them as necessary. It has been done. The rotational force of the lead screw is used as the driving force for movement for capping and wiping, and a clutch using the rotational and axial movements of the lead screw is used to switch the transmission of driving force. mechanism is used. The operation of this clutch mechanism needs to be extremely accurate when performing capping or wiping.

As described above, the clutch gear that makes up the clutch mechanism rotates with the lead screw, and is pushed by the carrier on which the recording head is mounted and moves in the axial direction C, thereby adjusting the timing of the other clutch mechanism constituent member. It meshes with a predetermined transmission gear such as a gear.

At this meshing position, the driving force of the capping, wiping mechanism, etc. is transmitted via the transmission gear, and conventionally, at this position, the lead bin provided on the carrier engages with a predetermined groove provided on the lead screw. It was held by that. However, when some external force is applied to the lead bin that engages with this groove, the recording head may move through the introduction chamber, etc. and move to another groove, making it difficult to maintain the engaged position reliably. , clutch gear (a coil spring or other force is always acting in a direction away from the engaged position, and the movement of the recording head ensures that the clutch gear is disengaged).

If such careless disengagement occurs, there are problems such as, for example, the capping operation becomes incomplete or the wiping operation stops midway.

The present invention was made in order to solve such conventional problems, and its purpose is to provide a transmission gear that engages with a clutch gear, and which is provided on a carrier as the transmission gear rotates due to the engagement. It is an object of the present invention to provide an inkjet recording device that can eliminate inadvertent movement of a carrier and perform stable driving force transmission by locking with a locking member.

[Means for Solving the Problems] To achieve this, the present invention includes a carrier on which a recording head is mounted, a drive shaft that engages with the carrier and moves the carrier along its axis by rotation thereof, and a clutch gear that is attached, rotates in response to the rotation of the drive shaft, and moves along the drive shaft as the carrier moves; and a clutch gear that engages with the clutch gear due to the rotation and movement of the clutch gear. a transmission gear provided on the carrier, and a latching member for latching to a predetermined fixing portion for movement of the carrier in the device accompanying the meshing operation, The device is characterized in that a predetermined mechanism in the device is operated by rotation of the transmission gear due to engagement with the clutch gear at the position.

[Function] According to the above configuration, the hooking member is hooked to a fixed portion such as the side surface of the transmission gear as the clutch gear moves due to the movement of the carrier.
This makes it possible to prevent the carrier from moving inadvertently and, therefore, from disengaging the clutch gear from the engaged position. (1-Murning) [Examples] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is an external perspective view of an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the main parts of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 excluding the case, etc., and Fig. 3 (^) and (B) are also diagrams mainly showing the paper ejection system of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 1, %100 indicates an inkjet recording device, and this device 10G is used when it is mounted as shown in the figure, and when it is mounted vertically as described later.
It is used in some cases, and is relatively small. 101 is the device case, 102 is the outer cover, and 103 is the inner cover. When not in use, the inner cover is closed! The outer ii:102 is superimposed on the 03, making the device 100 compact.

-This allows the user to carry the recording device, for example, by putting it in a dedicated storage bag. In addition, the outer F[102 is connected to the recording paper 40 (as shown in the figure).
It can also be used as an O M M tj id, and in this case, reference numeral 106 in the figure becomes the placenta opening. Furthermore, outside i10
2 can also be used as a paper discharge tray as described later.

In any of the above cases, reference numeral 107 in the figure serves as a paper discharge port.

105 is a position fixing hook of the upper M102, and 104 is an operation key, a display section, etc.

Next, the configuration of the main parts of the apparatus will be explained with reference to FIG.

In the figure, 1 is a chassis, and a left side plate 1a and a right side plate 1b, which also serve as guides for recording media such as paper, are erected on the rear side. Further, the chassis 1 is provided with a motor mounting hole for rotatably supporting a carrier motor, which will be described later, but is not shown.

1h is a lead arm that supports a lead screw, which will be described later, in the axial and radial directions, and includes a bearing part (not shown).
It is pivoted on.

2 is a lead screw, and leads $2a are formed at a predetermined pitch facing the recording range. Further, on the carrier home position side of the lead screw 2, a position yM3b for setting a position for performing cap and discharge recovery is formed along a cross section perpendicular to the screw axis. Further, the lead 12a and the position groove 3b are smoothly connected to each other by the introduction groove 30.
A shaft 2g is provided at the right end of the lead screw 2, and a shaft is also provided at the left end, which are fitted into bearings provided in the front plate 1c and the lead arm lb&, respectively, and are rotatably supported relative to them. Ru. 3 is full 3 above
b, 3c, and is a lead bobbly provided on the shaft of the lead screw 2, and a bobbin 3a is provided at the end thereof. A driving force is transmitted from the motor 11 to the booster 3a via the timing belt 13. In addition, the shaft 2g on the right end side of the lead screw 2 is slidably engaged with the groove of the guide plate 1c connected to the chassis right side plate 1b and the chassis 1, and is rotated in the thrust direction by the holding part 10a of the leaf spring IO. While being pressed, the roughly shaft 2g engages with a cam groove of a cam groove plate 50a rotatably supported by a shaft provided on the guide plate 1c. Cam groove plate 50a
There are interlocking teeth around the periphery, and this and the leaf spring lO
By engaging with the ratchet portion Inc, the cam groove plate 50a can be latched at a desired rotational position. As a result, the position of the shaft 2g that engages with the cam groove is determined in the groove of the guide plate 1c, and therefore the lead screw: L-
2 at the right end of the device is determined. This configuration is used for adjusting the gap between the recording head and the platen, which will be described later.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a clutch gear, which is slidably supported in the axial direction with respect to the lead pulley 3&: and is engaged in the rotational direction by a portion of the gear provided on the lead pulley 3, which will be described later in FIG. The rotational force is transmitted. 5 is a clutch spring, and clutch gear 4
is a compression spring that biases in the direction of the lead groove.
Note that a regulating member is formed between the clutch gear 4 and the lead pulley 3 to prevent the clutch gear 4 from moving within a predetermined range in the axial direction.

A carrier 6 is slidably attached to the lead screw 2. Reference numeral 6a is a suppressing portion for pressing the edge of the clutch gear 4, and is integrally formed on the left side of the carrier. 7 is a lead pin, and lead screw 2
is engaged with the lead groove 28 of the carrier 6, and its pressing direction is guided by a guide hole (not shown) in the carrier 6. 8 is a lead pin spring, one end of which is attached to the carrier 6, and the other end pressing the lead pin 7. Reference numeral 9 denotes a recording head mounted on the carrier 6, and in the example shown in FIG. It is a disposable type that can be replaced when the ink is used up. Note that an electrothermal transducer or an electromechanical transducer is used as the ejection energy generating element disposed in the head element 9a to apply ejection energy to the ink, but it is possible to implement high-density mounting of ink ejection ports, etc. Something. The former is preferably used because the manufacturing process is simple.

A hook 6c is fixed to the carrier 6 and is attached to the recording head 9 when the carrier 6 moves as described later.
This mechanism is used to stably stop at the cap position, etc.

A carrier guide shaft 51 is slidably engaged with a guide pin 6b provided at the rear end of the carrier 6. The guide shaft 5l is an eccentric shaft 5 as described later in FIG.
1a, and these shafts 51a are connected to side plates 5lb. It is rotatably supported on the C axis by 51c. Further, the end of the shaft 51a that is supported by the side plate 51c is fixed to a positioning knob 51d, and the shaft 5l is rotated by engaging a projection provided on the knob 51d with a hole 51e provided in the side plate 51c. The location is determined. As shown in FIGS. 4(^) and (8), the above-described configuration allows the distance between the recording surface of the recording paper 8M40 and the ejection opening of the head element 9a to be appropriate depending on the type of recording paper 40. It is for. That is, by manually rotating the knob 51d, @5lf! - It can be fixed at the position where the distance between the shaft 51a and the bottle 6b is the minimum as shown in FIG. 4(8), or at the position where the distance is maximum as shown in FIG. 4(B). In response to this, the recording head 9
The recording paper 40 rotates using the lead screw 2 as a rotation axis.
is a position corresponding to relatively thin plain paper (Figure 4 (A)),
Alternatively, they are fixed at a position with a wide distance between them (FIG. 4(B)), which corresponds to relatively thick recording paper such as an envelope.

However, the configuration described above is compatible with the recording paper used during recording. That is, during the ejection recovery process, the recording head 9 is moved to the position of the recovery process system shown at the left end in FIG. At this time, the recording head 9 and the recovery system must always be in a predetermined positional relationship. Therefore, Figure 4 (^
) or (B), the recording head 9 needs to take a fixed position during the ejection recovery process. The configuration for that is shown in Figure 5 (A)! 5 and (B).

FIGS. 5(^) and (B) show diagrams corresponding to FIGS. 4(A) and (B), respectively.

In the case of FIG. 5 (8), the shaft 51a and the pin 6b can be engaged without changing the height of the engagement position between the IIiIll5l and the pin 6b. At this time, in order to maintain the height of the locked position, the parallel portion of the trapezoidal cam 51g is also engaged with the pin 6b.

5 5 In the case of FIG. fB), when the recording head 9 moves and the bin 6b is about to engage with the shaft 51a, the height of the engagement position of the bin 6b changes. For this reason, the shaft 5l is provided with a tapered portion 51f, and accordingly, the trapezoidal cam 51g
is provided with a tabular surface. As a result, the bin 6b
As the height of the engagement position with @51 (tapered portion 51f, shaft 51a) changes, the height is maintained.

With the above configuration, when the recording head 9 reaches the position of the ejection recovery system, it is possible to always maintain a predetermined height and therefore a predetermined positional relationship with the recovery system. Note that the rotationally fixed position of the recording head 9 is 2 as described above.
The present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to fix it at an intermediate position to accommodate recording paper of various thicknesses. In this case, the protrusion of the knob 51d and the hole 51e of the side plate 51c
All you have to do is increase the number of engagement positions.

Furthermore, the rotation of the knob 51d is not limited to manual operation; for example, the knob 51d may be rotated using the driving force of a paper feed motor or the like in accordance with the key manual power corresponding to the recording paper used.

Referring again to FIG. 2, reference numeral 11 is a carrier motor made of, for example, a pulse motor, and rotary pins lla are provided in alignment at the lower part of the front and rear surfaces of the carrier motor. (the one on the rear side is not shown) is rotatably attached to a motor attachment hole provided in a recovery system base 50 that is movable on the chassis 1. Of course, the rotation bottle may be provided on the recovery system base 50 and the attachment hole may be attached to the motor side.

The carrier motor 11 is rotatably attached to the encyclical bottle lla, and llb is a spring receiver, which is integrally formed with the carrier motor 11 and is a motor spring to be described later. 4 is erected parallel to the motor shaft. A circular projection is formed on the spring receiving portion, and an end portion of the coiled motor spring 14 is fixed thereto.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a motor holder, which is fixed to the motor shaft of the carrier motor 11. 13 is a timing belt,
It is stretched between the motor pulley l2 and a pulley 3a provided on the shaft of the lead screw 2. Motor spring l4 is
In the configuration of this example, a compression spring is used, and the lead arm th
It is attached between one end and the spring receiver Ilb of the carrier motor l1, so that the carrier motor 1
1 is biased in eight directions in the figure, and a bow length force is applied to the timing vent 13.

Reference numeral 15 denotes a set shaft, which is temporarily erected on a side (not shown) fixed to the base 50, to which means for improving the discharge port forming surface, a cap, and a so-called recovery system mechanism related to discharge recovery are attached.

By the way, as mentioned above, the positional relationship between this recovery system mechanism and the recording head 9 is important. For example, the recording head 9
The positional relationship between the blade and the discharge port is important for the blade to perform its function of wiping the discharge port surface well, and the positional relationship between the cap and the discharge port surface is important for the good capping function of the discharge port surface. The spacing between is important. Therefore, it is desirable that the positional relationship between these recovery system mechanisms and the recording head 9 is always kept constant. On the other hand, the recording head 9 is driven by the lead screw 2 due to the driving force being transmitted through the lead screw 2.
Record while moving along the At this time, recording paper 4
It is clear that it is desirable that the distance between 0 and the ejection opening of the recording head 9 be the same at any position of movement.

Therefore, by adjusting the distance of the recording head 9 to the recording paper,
An adjustment mechanism that allows the recording head to move parallel to the recording paper can be provided, but this adjustment may impair the fixed positional relationship with the recovery system. Therefore, in this embodiment, the carrier A recovery system base 50 provided with a motor 11 and a recovery system mechanism to be described in detail later is movable with respect to the chassis 1.

By adjusting the base 50 and the cam structure plate 50a described above, the position of the lead screw 2 is adjusted at both ends, so that the recording head 9 moves parallel to the recording paper 40. The details of the mechanism in the base 50 for this purpose are shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a partial view of the recovery system base 50 taken from the opposite direction from FIG. 2, and is partially cut away.

In the figure, 50a is a guide groove member fixed to the side surface of a groove provided on the back side of the base 50, and this member 50e
groove, and a key-shaped guide member 1k fixed to the chassis 1.
By engaging with the guide portion, the moving direction of the base 50 is regulated, and the base 50 can be prevented from floating up from the chassis 1.

In the above mechanism, as shown in detail in FIG. 2, by rotating the cam plate 50b around the shaft 50d attached to the base 50, the cam surface can be moved into one of the cam grooves of the chassis 1. Press one side while making contact with the other side. At this time, the base 50 moves in the direction guided by the connecting member 50e and the member 1k due to the reaction force of the pressing force.

Note that the cam may be configured such that the cam plate is rotated around a predetermined axis by operating a shaft that engages with a predetermined cam groove formed in the cam plate.

Along with this movement, the drive system for driving the carrier motor l1 and motor 1l attached to the base 50, that is, the tie belt 13, the boley 3, 12, the lead screw 2, etc., and the drive system attached to the base 50 are also removed. The position of one end of the lead screw 2 is adjusted while the recovery system mechanism moves together.

On the other hand, the position of the other end of the lead screw 2 is adjusted by rotating the cam groove plate 50a.

With the above adjustment, the lead screw 2 can be made parallel to the recording paper, so that the recording head can move parallel to the recording paper.

Note that this adjustment is performed by an assembly robot during the manufacturing process of the recording device, but this adjustment may also be performed on the user side, for example, during repair or the like after using the device for a long period of time.

Next, with reference to FIG. 2 and FIGS. 7(^) to (C), a means for improving the discharge port forming surface, which is one of the recovery system mechanisms, will be explained. 16 is a blade lever (see FIG. 7 (8)), and a boss portion 16a is rotatably attached to a set shaft 15. 16b is an arm portion, and 16c is a hook portion. Reference numeral 17 denotes a blade for wiping the surface on which the discharge port is formed, and it can be made of an elastic member such as silicone rubber or chloroprene (CR) rubber. l8 is the blade axis, and the blade l
7 is clamped at the center parallel to the rotation axis, and is rotatably attached to the blade lever 16. Also,
18a is a rotating piece, which is formed integrally with the blade shaft l8. An ink carrier 19 is made of a hydrophilic porous material (sintered plastic, urethane foam, etc.), and is fixed to the blade lever 16. Note that the blade l7 and the ink carrier 19 are arranged at a position overlapping a cap, which will be described later.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a set lever, which is attached to the set shaft 15 so as to be rotatable. 20a and 20b are stop teeth provided on the set lever 20, and 20c is a start tooth. 20d
are also rotating teeth, and the tooth thickness of the start 1lfT20C is approximately half that of the other teeth. 20e is an arm part, and by cutting a part of it in the plate thickness direction, the setting surface 2Of
and a reset surface 20g are formed, and the rotating piece 18 of the blade shaft l8 attached to the blade lever 16
a is fitted and combined to drive it.

A timing gear 21 is rotatably attached to the base 50 by a support member (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 7(B), the timing gear 2l has stop teeth 20a, 2 of the set lever 20 described above on a part of its outer periphery.
A stop cam 21a is formed for engaging 0b. In addition, three types of drive i2lb+ with some teeth missing,
2lb2. 21b3 is formed, and a cap cam 21c for swinging a cap lever, which will be described later, is formed at a predetermined position. In addition, a piston set cam 21f for pressing the piston of a bomb, which will be described later, is formed as a face cam, and a piston reset cam 21g is integrally formed at a predetermined interval in correspondence with the piston set cam 21f.

Reference numeral 22 denotes an ink absorber spring, which is fixed at a predetermined position on the base 50, and as shown in FIG.
2b. Reference numeral 23 denotes an ink absorber, which is made of a hydrophilic porous material like the ink carrier 19 described above. This ink absorber 23 is formed with a wiping portion 23a that the blade 17 mentioned above comes into contact with.
Furthermore, an absorbing surface 23b is formed at the lower part of the absorbing surface 23b, which the ink carrier 19 mentioned above comes into contact with to transfer ink. The absorber holding portion of the ink absorber spring 22 is pushed upward with some elastic force, and is locked in a predetermined position by a stopper (not shown). Therefore, when the ink carrier 19 mentioned above makes contact, the ink absorber 23 deflects the ink absorber spring 22 and is displaced downward, thereby ensuring the contact state.

Next, the recovery system unit, which is one of the recovery system mechanisms, will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9.

In FIGS. 8 and 9, 24 is a cylinder;
It has a cylindrical cylinder part 24a and a guide part 24b that guides a piston shaft, which will be described later.
b has an ink flow path 24 by cutting out a part in the axial direction.
c. 24d is a cap lever receiver, which is formed so that a lever seal, which will be described later, is fitted therein. Further, 24e is an ink flow path, and the cylinder portion 2
It opens at a predetermined position within 4a. Reference numeral 24f denotes a rotating lever, which is formed integrally with the cylinder 24 and is provided with a rotating force by the spring portion 22b of the ink absorber spring 22 described above. 24g is a waste ink pipe, which is formed integrally with the cylinder 24, and its tip is cut into an acute angle to facilitate insertion into a waste ink absorber to be described later.24b is a waste ink pipe inside the waste ink pipe 24g. This is an ink flow path formed in the ink flow path.

25 is a cylinder cap, which is press-fitted into the end of the cylinder 24; 25a is a lever guide, which is disposed at a position facing the cap lever receiver 24d of the cylinder 24 mentioned above.

A piston seal 26 is fitted into the cylinder 24, and its inner diameter is made slightly smaller so as to obtain a predetermined pressure contact with the piston shaft, which will be described later. Further, the surface may be coated with a lubricating coating to reduce the sliding force of the piston shaft.

27 is a piston shaft, which includes an operating shaft 27a, a piston holder 27b, a piston receiver 27C. Connection shaft 27d. and a guide shaft 27e are formed, and a groove 27f serving as an ink flow path is further formed along the connecting shaft 27d and the guide @27e. 27g is a rotation stopper, and the movement axis 2
7a ll: Formed as a groove. In addition, the operating axis 27a
A bearing portion 27h is provided at the end.

28 is a piston, and the main body forming the inner layer when viewed from the cylinder sliding part side is formed of an elastic porous material. These include foams with single pores (such as sponges) and porous bodies with continuous pores such as continuous microporous materials, but continuous microporous materials, such as open-cell foamed urethane foam, are preferable. Can be formed. Further, a plurality of continuous pores may exist in a direction crossing the direction of elastic deformation.

The outer diameter thereof is formed to be larger than the inner diameter of the cylinder 24 by a predetermined amount, and when inserted into the cylinder 24, it is in an appropriately compressed state. Also, the outer peripheral surface 28a and the end surface 28b of the piston shaft 27 that comes into contact with the piston presser 27b.
This is where the solid layer (skin film) is placed when the piston is foam-molded. Even if the piston body is made of open foam, the skin film does not allow fluid communication and is airtight. is maintained, so piston 2
8 will perform that function. In addition, as long as it does not have a skin film, a film for maintaining airtightness may be separately provided.

42 is a bomb chamber. 29 is a piston pressing roller, and the piston! It is rotatably attached to the end of M27. A piston return roller 30 is similarly attached to the end C of the piston shaft 27 so as to be rotatable. 3l is the axis of these rollers.

32 is a cap lever, and a rotating shaft 32a. An ink guide 32b and a lever guide 32c are formed. In addition, the tip has a convex spherical sealing surface 32d.
is formed. Further, an engaging portion 32e for engaging with a claw of a cap holder, which will be described later, is provided as a pair of upper and lower members. Further, the ink flow path 32f passes through the inside of the lever from the sealing surface 32d, bends at a right angle halfway, passes through the center of the ink guide 32b, and opens at the end surface thereof. Note that a cutout 32g is provided on the lower side of the ink guide 32b.

33 is a lever seal into which the ink guide 32b is fitted and which is press-fitted into the cap lever receiver 24d. 33a is a communication hole, which communicates the notch 32g of the ink guide 32b with the ink flow path 24c.

34 is a cap holder, and a hook 34a that engages with the engaging portion 32e of the cap lever 32 is provided at an opposing position. 34b is an opening for attaching a cap, which will be described later.

Reference numeral 35 denotes a cap, and a cap portion 35a is formed which serves as both a sealing cap for preventing normal ink from drying and a suction cap for sucking ink. A suction port 35b is formed in the cap 35a and opens toward the cap holder 34 through the center of the cap 35.

35c is a flange portion, which prevents the cap from coming off when attached to the cap holder 34. Further, a concave spherical cap seal portion 35d having the same curvature as the sealing surface 32d of the cap lever 32 is formed on the flange portion 35c, and when the cap lever 32 is pressed, only the opening at the center of C is closed. It is designed to communicate and the others are sealed. Since the sealing portions (32d, 3sd) are spherical, the cap member has an equalizing function (fk), and even if there is a step on the discharge port forming surface, the step can be immediately absorbed to ensure a stable seal. can maintain its condition.

Now, referring again to FIG. 2, 36 is a paper feed roller for conveying a recording medium such as paper, and is made by applying an elastic paint (urethane resin, acrylic resin, etc.) to the surface of, for example, a drawn aluminum tube. It can be formed by Also,
The roller 36 functions on its outer surface as a platen that regulates the recording surface of the recording medium, and its interior serves as a storage section for waste ink. Reference numeral 37 denotes a waste ink absorbing section provided inside the roller 35, which is a tube made of a thin plastic such as vinyl chloride and filled with an absorbing material such as polyester cotton, so that ink can be absorbed well in the axial direction. Note that the waste ink pipe 24g of the cylinder 24 is inserted into the inside of the waste ink absorbing section 37, but even if the recovery system mechanism moves with the movement of the base 50, the inside of the absorbing section 37 should be kept in place to the extent that the movement is not hindered. Supported by Furthermore, the fibers of the absorbent material themselves are preferably made of a non-liquid-absorbing material such as resin or metal, but may be slightly liquid-absorbing.

38 is fluorocarbon resin. This is a paper press plate made of carbon, ia, fiber, etc., and is divided into four parts and attached to the chassis 1, as detailed in FIG. Further, a gear 38B is fixed to one end of the shaft 38^ for releasing the pressing force of the paper pressing plate 38, and the other end engages with a bearing 38C that pivotally supports the shaft 388. The bearing 38c is fixed to the chassis 1. Note that a gear portion of the release lever meshes with the gear 38B, but is not shown here. Reference numeral 39 denotes a paper feed motor, which is connected to the paper feed roller 36 via a speed reduction mechanism having a predetermined ratio.

40 is a recording paper such as paper or film.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be explained. First, during normal recording operation, the lead screw 2 rotates via the timing belt l3 due to the rotation of the shaft of the carrier motor l1, so the carrier 6 is moved toward the printing digit direction by the lead bin 7 engaged with the lead groove 28 toward the recording paper 40. scanned along. Here, since the carrier motor 11 is biased by the motor spring 14, the timing belt 13 is always tensioned and good transmission is achieved.

When moving the carrier 6, an inertial force acts upon starting and stopping, but since the weight of the carrier motor II absorbs this inertial force, the load applied to the motor spring l4 can be reduced.
The load applied to the rotation of the motor can also be reduced. Moreover, if an air damper, a hydraulic damper, or the like is provided in connection with this spring, noise caused by vibration of the rotor of the motor l1 when the carrier 6 is started or stopped can be reduced. By appropriately selecting the weight of the motor, the weight of the carrier portion, and the coefficient of the motor spring damper, overshoot of the rotor can be reduced and noise can be reduced.

Next, the operation in the non-recording time C of this embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 10 to 16.

FIG. lθ is a timing chart showing the operation timing of each part, and the operation timing of each part as shown can be determined by the number of pulses applied to the motor 1l.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the detailed configuration of the clutch gear 4 and the timing gear 21 described above.
By engaging with h, it slides on the lead screw 2 and rotates together.

Further, the clutch gear 4 is biased toward the carrier 6 by a spring 5, and normally is at a predetermined position by the lead screw 2 at the time of recording and rotates together with the lead screw 2. When the recording head 9 moves to the home position, the clutch gear 4 is pushed by the carrier 6 and starts to engage with the timing gear 2l.

The clutch gear 4 has start teeth 4c. and normal drive @4
C2, and the start tooth 4c and the drive tooth 4c2 are positioned at different positions in the width direction of the clutch gear. Further, the driving teeth 4c are not formed in the same manner all around the gear, but have a portion having a curved surface portion 4b. Furthermore, at the end of the clutch gear 4, over the entire circumference,
A collar 4a is formed.

The timing gear 21, as shown in FIG. 7 (6),
It has a start tooth 2lb, and two types of driving teeth 21b2 and 21b3 at different positions, and these teeth 2lb+, 2
1J. 21b3 are formed at different positions in the width direction of the gear 2l.

Figures 12(A)-(C). and Figure 13(A).
(B) is a diagram showing the engaged state of the tutaratch gear 4 and the timing gear 2l, respectively.

During normal recording, they are in an engaged state as shown in FIG. 12 (^) and FIG. 13 (8). However, at this time, the first
In Figure 3(A), the lead bin 7 is not in this position,
Furthermore, although not shown, a blade l7 and an ink carrier l9 are located above the ink absorber 23.

At this time, the clutch gear 4 rotates with the rotation of the lead screw 2, but the start tooth 4c+ and the start tooth 2lb+ are not in a positional relationship to engage (see FIG. 13(A)).
reference). Therefore, the timing gear 21 does not rotate, and moreover, the drive tooth 21b2 and the collar 21h at the left end of the timing gear 2l are in a positional relationship that allows them to come into contact with the collar 4a of the clutch gear 4 with a slight gap between them. The ringing gear 2l cannot rotate in either direction.

As a result, even if some rotational force or artificial force is applied to the timing gear 2l, it will not rotate unexpectedly, and errors in the operating position of the recovery system mechanism can be prevented. can.

When the recording head 9 moves toward the home position and the carrier 6 pushes the clutch gear 4, the positional relationship between the clutch gear 4 and the timing gear 2l is finally changed to that shown in FIG. 13 (8).
It becomes as shown in . In this process, the start teeth 4c and 2
1b, so that they can be engaged with each other (however, at this time, the lead bin 7 is not yet in this position). Next, as the lead pin 7 moves from 13c to the groove 3b, the clutch gear 4 rotates clockwise in Fig. 12, and the positional relationship is shown from Fig. 12 (^) to Fig. 12 (C). 6. At this point, start! 4
Until c + and 2lb are aligned, the curved surface portion 4b as a non-meshing portion shown in FIG. 11 is the timing gear 2l.
Since the timing gear is located closest to the timing gear, the timing gear will not move inadvertently and cause other driving gears to engage first.

As a result, the gear engagement between the clutch gear 4 and the timing gear 2l always starts with the start teeth starting from each other, so that the rotation of the timing gear 2l always starts from the correct position.

As a result, the operation of the recovery system mechanism driven via the timing gear 2l becomes accurate.

Further, there are advantages such as there being no need to increase the mounting precision of the clutch gear 4 and the tying gear 21 so much.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 7(B), the timing gear 2l
Of the drive teeth, the drive tooth 21b3 whose position is different is the drive tooth that engages when the curved surface portion 4b again comes into contact with the tying gear 2l. That is, normal drive tooth 2
If these driving teeth are located at the same position as 1b2, the curved surface portion 4b
Since the drive teeth come into contact with each other, the drive teeth are moved to engage each other.

Further, while the driving teeth are engaged and the timing gear 2l is rotating, the hook 6 attached to the carrier 6 is
c slides on the side surface of the timing gear 21.

Thereby, it is possible to prevent the recording head 9 from leaving the home position due to, for example, the leet pin 7 leaving the groove 3b before predetermined teeth engage with each other. This is because the lead screw rotates twice when the recording head 9 is at the home position and performs a series of recovery processes, so the lead pin 7 may move to the groove 3c.

In addition, in the above example, the series of recovery processing is performed using the lead screw 2.
Although the rotation is performed in this embodiment, the rotation is not limited to this, and any rotation can be set, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in designing the clutch mechanism and the like.

14(A) to (D) are explanatory diagrams showing the sequential operating states of the mechanism related to the blade 17, etc., and FIG. 15(A) to (C)
16(8) and 16(B) are explanatory diagrams showing the sequential operating states of the mechanism related to the cap 35, and FIGS.
12 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of a mechanism for introducing waste ink into the waste ink storage section 37 in 6, and the operation will be explained with reference to these figures and the above-mentioned FIGS. 12 and 13.

First, the carrier 6 moves toward the home position (in the direction of arrow B). At this time, as shown in FIG. 13(A), the lead pin 7 is engaged with the lead groove 28, and the ejection port 9c of the head element 9a is connected to the ink carrier 19.
(See Figure 14 (8)). At this position, all of the ejection energy generating elements of the head element 9a are driven to perform an ejection operation (hereinafter referred to as preliminary ejection), and slightly thickened ink, etc. is ejected with that ejection force, and recovery is achieved by this preliminary ejection. The operation can be terminated. Also,
Preliminary ejection is also performed at this position, which is periodically performed to prevent ink from increasing viscosity in unused ejection ports during normal printing.

Note that FIG. 14(A) is a side view of the vicinity of the same position.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13 (6), when the lead screw 2 is rotated and the carrier 6 is moved in eight directions, the clutch gear 4 is pressed by the suppressing part 6a, and it also moves in the B direction and starts its start i4c. , is timing gap 2l
It is in a position where it can engage with the start tooth 21b1. Thereafter, the clutch gear 4 rotates in synchronization with the lead screw 2, the start teeth engage with each other, and the timing gear 2l rotates in the D direction as shown in FIG. 14(B). On the other hand, since the lead bin 7 enters the position groove 3b from the introduction groove 3c, the carrier 6 does not move even if the lead screw 2 rotates. When the timing gear 21 rotates in the D direction, the set lever 20 begins to rotate in the E direction because its gear portion and the gear portion of the set lever 20 are engaged with each other. Up until this point, the hook portion 18c of the blade lever 16 is engaged with the claw portion of the chassis, so only the set lever 20 rotates.
Although the blade lever 16 is stopped, the set surface 20f of the set lever 2o will eventually push down the encyclical piece 18a of the blade shaft 18 and rotate in the F direction, so the blade I7 will rotate in the G direction and discharge. Set into engagement with the exit surface.

When the timing gear 2l further rotates in the D direction, the hook portion l6 of the plate lever 16 is detached from the pawl portion of the chassis, and the set lever 20 and blade lever 16 also rotate further, and the blade 17 is activated as shown in FIG. 14(C). Wipe the discharge port surface of the head 9. At this time, the ink liquid etc. removed by wiping the plate 17 is removed only in one direction, that is, only downward in this case, and this expelled ink liquid etc. is not absorbed or retained in the upper part of the ink carrier 19. Ru. Also, at this time, the ink carrier 19 begins to come into contact with the ink absorber 23. When the set lever 20 further rotates, the ink carrier 19 and the blade l7 slide on the surface of the wiping part 23a of the ink absorber 23, as shown in FIG. The wiping part 23a removes ink and dust wiped by the blade l7 from the ejection port forming surface.
At the same time, ink droplets adhering to the ejection port surface are also absorbed. As a result, ink carrier 1
The ink absorbing ability of No. 9 can be maintained for a long period of time.

Further, the timing gear 2l rotates in the D direction, but since the stop teeth 20a, 20b of the set lever 20 and the stop cam 21a of the timing gear 2l face each other and contact each other, the rotation of the set lever 2o is restricted. At the same time, since the driving teeth of the timing gear 2l are cut out, there is no rotation force.

As mentioned above, since the blade and the absorber that holds the ink liquid etc. removed by the blade are the same as the ink receiver during preliminary ejection, the device can be made smaller and the time required for these recovery operations can be shortened. can.

When the tie gear 21 rotates further, the cap cam 21c of the tie main gear 2 initially regulates the rotating shaft 32a of the cap lever 32c shown in FIG. Thus, the cap 35 is stopped at a position away from the discharge port surface of the head element 9a. Next, when the timing gear 2l is further rotated in the D direction, it comes off the cap cam 21c and the regulating state is released, so that the cylinder 2
The circular lever 24f of No. 4 is biased by the spring portion 22b of the ink absorber spring 22, the cylinder 24 rotates in the direction F, and the cap portion 35a of the cap 35 comes into pressure contact with the discharge port surface, completing the capping operation. do. Note that FIG. 13(B) shows a top view at this time. At this time, the seal surface 32d and the cap seal portion 35d are also tightly sealed due to the pressing force of the cap.

Now, the above is the cleaning and capping operation of the nozzle surface, and normally the nozzle surface is cleaned and the capping operation is stopped here, and the above operation is performed in reverse according to the input of the next recording signal, and the recording operation begins.

Next, a suction recovery operation that is performed when the ejection condition is not improved even after preliminary ejection will be described.

When starting this, the timing gear 21 is further rotated from the cap position, and the cap lever 32 is pressed by the cap cam 21f, so that the cap 35 is slightly separated from the discharge port forming surface as shown in FIG. 15(C). .

When the timing gear 2l further rotates in the D direction, it comes off again from the cap cam 21f, so the cap portion 3Sa
comes into pressure contact with the discharge port surface.

Now, regarding the pump operation, when the recovery operation is started after the above-mentioned sealing cap is completed, the suction operation is started.

At this time, first, the piston set cam 21g is set to the piston due to the timing gear 2l encyclical. Since the piston pressing roller 29 attached to the Nl 27 is pushed, the piston shaft 27 moves in the H direction as shown in FIG. 16 (^).

The piston 28 is then moved in the H direction by being pressed by the piston holder 27b, and the bomb chamber 42 is brought into a negative pressure state.
Since there is a skin layer on the outer periphery of the piston 28 and the contact surface with the piston holder 27b, ink will not leak through the communication hole of the foam material.

Further, the ink flow path 24e of the cylinder 24 is connected to the piston 2.
8, the piston 28 is in a movable state only by increasing the negative pressure in the bomb chamber 42. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 16 (8) after the above-mentioned re-capping, the ink flow path 24e is opened, so that the ink in the head 9 is sucked through the suction port 35b of the cap 35. The sucked ink passes through an ink channel 32f formed inside the cap lever 32, passes through a communication hole in the lever seal 33, further passes through an ink channel 24e of the cylinder 24, and flows into the bomb chamber 42.

When the timing gear 2l further rotates, the cap 35 is moved slightly away from the discharge port surface by the cap cam 21h again, and due to the residual negative pressure in the bomb chamber, the discharge port surface and the cap portion 35
The ink inside a is suctioned to eliminate any remaining ink in these areas.

Next, when the timing gear 2l is rotated in the opposite direction (the direction indicated by arrow I in FIG. 14(D)), the piston reset cam 21i pulls the piston return roller 30, and the first
6. Move the vist shaft 27 in the direction of arrow J as shown in Figure 6 (6). . At this time, the piston 28 is connected to the piston shaft 27
Since the piston receiver 27c of the piston moves after coming into contact with each other, a gap Δ angle is created between the end surface 28b of the piston 28 and the piston retainer 27b.

As a result of the movement of the piston shaft 27 and the piston 28, the waste ink sucked into the piston chamber 42 passes through the aforementioned gap Δ angle and passes through the piston shaft structure 27f.
The ink passes through the ink flow path 24c of the cylinder 24, and further passes through the waste ink pipe 24g, and is discharged near the center of the waste ink absorber 37. At this time, since the ink flow path 24e of the cylinder 24 is closed by the piston 28&: at the beginning of the operation of the piston 28, waste ink will not flow back toward the cap.

FIG. 17 collectively shows the sequence of the preliminary ejection or suction recovery described above. However, in the diagram, blade 1
7 is in a state where wiping is possible (set state. Fig. 14 (B
)), and after wiping, the blade 17 is tilted relative to the absorber 23 (reset state. Fig. 14 (
^)), and then immediately before the set lever 20 returns to its original position, the blade l7 is brought into a set state capable of wiping. Next, with reference to FIGS. 3(^) and 3(B), the recording paper transport mechanism from recording to paper ejection in the apparatus of the wooden embodiment will be described.

In these figures, 38 is a fluorine resin as mentioned above. This is a paper press plate made of a material mixed with carbon fiber or the like, and applies a pressing force to the fed recording paper so that there is a predetermined distance between the ejection port surface of the recording head 9 and the recording paper.

The pressing force of the paper press plate 38 is based on the elastic force of the spring plate 38D. The details of this mechanism are shown in Figure 18 (A) and (
Shown in B).

FIG. 18 (8) is a diagram showing a state in which the paper pressing plate 38 is applying a pressing force to the paper feed roller. In this case, the spring plate 38 has a D-shape in which a part of the circumference is linearly cut out, and the notch part of the shaft 38^ that can slide in the rotational direction with the paper press plate 38 is connected to the spring plate 38.
At this time, the end 38E of the paper press plate receives a biasing force upward in the figure by the spring plate 38D. As a result, the paper presser plate 38 attempts to rotate clockwise around the shaft 38A, applying a pressing force to the paper feed roller 36.

On the other hand, FIG. 18 (8) shows a state in which the pressing force exerted by the paper pressing plate 38 is released. In this case, the glaze 38A rotates and the arc portion toward @38 presses the end portion 38F. At this time, the entire spring plate 38D is pushed down in the figure. As a result, the end portion 38E does not receive any biasing force from the spring plate 38D. When this biasing force is released, the shaft 38A and the paper press plate 38 are engaged with each other with a certain amount of frictional force, so that the paper press plate 38 does not change its rotational position significantly. As a result, even when it becomes necessary to release the pressing force of the paper presser plate 38, the paper presser plate does not interfere with the movement of the recording head. Further, the paper pressing mechanism described above is a mechanism that can apply a pressing force that does not prevent the paper feed roller 36 from properly conveying the recording paper within a limited space.

In other words, without using an elastic member in the paper press plate itself,
The pressing force is normally applied to the bottom chassis 1 of the device, which is a dead space.
Since the force is generated by a leaf spring arranged along the top, the degree of freedom in setting the pressing force by adjusting the length of the leaf spring increases, and the paper pressing member can be made smaller.

4.3. The leaf spring 38D is attached to the chassis 1 by a fixing member (not shown).

Referring again to FIGS. 3(8) and 3(B), 60 is a paper ejecting roller for ejecting the recorded recording paper, and 6l is a paper ejecting roller that applies pressing force to the recording paper conveyed by the paper ejecting roller 60 to perform recording. This is a spur that regulates the direction of paper discharge and generates conveying force.

Reference numeral 62 denotes a transmission roller that is disposed at an intermediate portion between the paper ejection roller 60 and the paper feed roller 36 and transmits the rotation of the paper feed roller 36 to the paper ejection roller 60. These rotations are transmitted by frictional force caused by mutual contact.

The paper ejection roller 60 has a cylindrical shape with different radii at both ends and a middle part, and the transmission roller 62 contacts the middle part of the paper ejection roller 60 with a smaller diameter. Therefore, both ends of the recording paper with the larger diameter, which carry the recording paper, rotate at a slightly higher circumferential speed than the circumferential speed of the paper feed roller 36. As a result,
When the recording paper is ejected, the recording paper is conveyed with great force, so that a good recording can be formed.

Note that coil springs having appropriate elastic coefficients are used for the rotation shafts of the transmission roller 62 and the spur 61, respectively. The details of the mechanism will be explained with reference to FIG. 19, taking the case of the spur 6l as an example.

In FIG. 19, 61A is a coil spring and the spur 6
An axis passing through the center of 1 and extending on both sides of the spur 6
1 and 1 are engaged with each other so as to be rotatable. 103B is the rotating shaft 6
This is a shaft supporting member that pivotally supports both ends of 1A, and is formed as a part of il03 shown in FIG. Axial support material 103
B supports the shaft 61A so that it can slide in the axial direction, 1
03G is a regulating member for regulating the movement of the spur 6l in the direction of the rotation axis and in a direction perpendicular thereto, and is provided on both sides of the spur 61. The regulating member 103C is also the shaft support member 103
Like B, it is formed as part of inner M103. With the above configuration, the shaft 6l^ not only supports the spur 6l, but also obtains a pressing force of the spur 6l against the paper ejection roller 60 by its bending elastic force. The inner case 103 has a spring member 103^ at its rear end, as shown in FIG. The spur 6l applies an appropriate pressing force to the paper ejection roller 60 due to the interaction between this pressing force and the elastic force of the rotation @l1ftlA.

Further, when the inner lid 103 receives the above-mentioned pressing force, the fixing member 103D of the inner ixo3 is fixed as shown in FIG. 3 (8).
The engagement between the paper discharge roller 60 and the rotating shaft 60G becomes reliable. As a result, the positional relationship between the spur 6l and the paper discharge roller 60 is always kept constant. Alternatively, by fixing the rotating shaft 60G against a hanging member, etc., a precise relationship can be maintained regardless of the accuracy of the inner cover. In the transmission roller 62, the rotary shaft 62^ made of a coil spring has the same function, and the elastic force of the shaft 62A provides a contact force to the paper feed roller 36 and the paper discharge roller 60.

As described above, the paper discharge roller 60 has a shape in which the diameter of the middle portion is smaller than that of both ends. The details of this configuration are explained in the 20th
As shown in the figure.

In FIG. 20, 608 is a cover member made of a rubber material, and 600 is a cylindrical core member whose middle portion is smaller in diameter than both 6116 portions. The paper discharge roller 60 is formed by covering the core member 600 with a vibrator-shaped cover member 60^.

As a result, it is not necessary to integrally mold such a shape with a rubber member or the like, and the paper ejection roller can be obtained relatively easily and at low cost.

Note that the groove portion 60B that is continuously provided at one end of the paper ejection roller 60 can catch the terminal end of the recording paper when it is ejected by the paper ejection roller 60, and prevents the recording paper from being misaligned. This makes it possible to ensure that the paper is ejected reliably.

Note that the shape of the core member 600 is not limited to the above, and for example, it may be a shape that is an extension of the shape of the groove portion 60B with a smaller intermediate portion, or a cylindrical shape may be obtained by covering with a rubber material.

Next, the case where the inkjet recording apparatus of this example is used in an upright position will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 and 22.

When the apparatus is used in an upright position, there are cases in which it is used with an auto feeder 200 as shown in Figure D, and cases in which thick paper such as envelopes is fed from the paper feed port on the back side of the apparatus.

In the case of normal recording paper that uses an auto feeder, the upper lid 102 can be used as a stacker for the discharged recording paper. At this time, as shown in FIG.
Fix it at a different angle than when using it as a paper guide for feeding paper.

The conditions for using the upper ii102 as a stacker are as follows.

That is, the ejected recording paper is conveyed through the air to some extent by its own straining strength, and the position where it first contacts the upper M102 or the already stacked recording paper is located at the upper end 102 of the upper cover 102.
＾Make it a neighborhood. As a result, only the leading edge of the ejected recording paper slides on the stacked recording paper, etc., and sliding can be avoided as much as possible, preventing stains on the recording paper from unfixed ink. It can be prevented. The configuration for this requires that the upper end 102A be located near the common tangent line of the paper feed roller 36 and the paper ejection roller 60 in the paper ejection direction, that is, in the case of a wooden example, and that the lower end 102B be lowered. becomes.

Further, when the trailing edge of the recording paper stopped on the upper end portion 102A is completely discharged, it is lowered at that position and stacked without sliding.

The configuration for this purpose requires the length of the top lid l02 in the paper ejection direction (the length from the upper end 102A to the lower end 102B), and using commonly used recording paper, the paper should be ejected almost horizontally as in this example. In this case, the length is 60% to 90%, more preferably 70% to 80%, of the length of the recording paper.

Note that if the configuration of the recording device or usage conditions are different and the paper ejection direction is different from the above, the length of the stacker may be determined while taking the first requirement above into consideration. Further, reference numeral 108 shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 is a roll-in prevention piece that can prevent stacked recording sheets from entering the paper feed port 106.

(Others) The present invention brings about excellent effects particularly in a bubble jet type recording head and recording apparatus among inkjet recording types.

This is because such a system can achieve higher recording density and higher definition, and it is expected that the fixing speed will be even slower depending on the recording pattern.

As for its typical structure and principles, it is preferable to use the basic principles disclosed in, for example, US Pat. No. 4,723,129 and US Pat. No. 4,740,796. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and the continuous type, but especially in the case of the on-demand type, the ink is placed in correspondence with the sheet holding the liquid (ink) and the liquid path. In the electrothermal converter,
Generating thermal energy in the electrothermal transducer and producing film boiling on the thermally active surface of the recording head by applying at least one drive signal that corresponds to recorded information and provides a rapid temperature rise above nucleate boiling. As a result, bubbles in the liquid (ink) can be formed in one-to-one correspondence with this drive signal, which is effective. The growth and contraction of the bubble causes liquid (ink) to be ejected through the ejection opening to form at least one droplet. When this drive signal is in the form of a pulse, the bubbles are immediately and appropriately contracted, and liquid (ink) ejection with particularly excellent responsiveness can be achieved, which is more preferable. This pulse-shaped drive signal is described in US Pat. No. 4,463,359. The one described in the specification of the same No. 4345262 is suitable. Furthermore, if the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 concerning the invention regarding the temperature increase rate of the heat acting surface are adopted, even more excellent recording can be performed.

The configuration of the recording head includes, in addition to the combination configuration of the ejection port and the liquid path 1 electrothermal converter (straight liquid flow path or right-angled liquid flow path) as disclosed in the above-mentioned specifications, a heat acting section. The present invention also includes configurations using the specifications of US Pat. No. 4,558,333 and US Pat. No. 4,459,800, which disclose a structure disposed in a region where the curve is bent. In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1989-5 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge part of a plurality of electrothermal converters.
No. 9-123670 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59/1989 which discloses a configuration in which a discharge portion is made to correspond to an opening that absorbs pressure waves of thermal energy.
- The effects of the present invention are also effective even with a configuration based on Publication No. 138461. In other words, regardless of the form of the recording head, recording can be performed reliably and efficiently.

In addition, even serial type recording heads such as the above example are replaceable chip-type recording heads that can be attached to the main body of the device to enable electrical connection with the main body of the device and supply of ink from the main body of the device. Alternatively, the present invention is also effective when using a cartridge type recording head that is integrally provided with the recording head itself.

In addition, regarding the type and number of recording heads installed, for example, in addition to one type that corresponds to single-color ink, there is also a plurality of recording heads that correspond to multiple inks with different recording colors and densities. It may be something that can be done.

In addition, the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention may take the form of an image output terminal for information processing equipment such as a computer, a copying apparatus combined with a reader, etc., or a facsimile apparatus having a transmitting/receiving function. It may be something.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, the latch member is attached to a fixed portion such as the side surface of the transmission gear when the clutch gear is moved in accordance with the movement of the carrier. By latching, it is possible to prevent the carrier from moving inadvertently and, therefore, from disengaging the clutch gear from the engaged position.

As a result, stable driving force can be transmitted,
The capping and wiping mechanism driven via the transmission gear can be operated reliably.

Further, for example, when a lead screw is used as the drive shaft, one rotation of the clutch gear brings the lead pin to a position where it can return to the introduction groove, but this can also be prevented by locking with the locking member.

As a result, the transmission gear can be rotated once by multiple rotations of the clutch gear.
It is also possible to set a gear ratio that rotates the clutch mechanism and the driving force transmission mechanism, increasing the degree of freedom in designing the clutch mechanism and the driving force transmission mechanism.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 is an external perspective view showing an embodiment of an inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the main parts of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 with the cover removed; Figure 3 (8) is a perspective view mainly showing the paper ejection system of the apparatus shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 (B) is a side view of the figure shown in Figure 3 (A), and Figure 4. (A) and (B) are side views showing an example of the actual travel of the recording head corresponding to the recording paper, respectively, and Figures 5 (A) and (B) are the recording at the home position corresponding to the recording paper, respectively. FIG. 6 is a rear view showing an embodiment of the head; FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing an embodiment of the engagement state of the base on which the recovery system mechanism is mounted with the chassis; FIGS. 7 (^) to (C) FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view showing an example of an actual journey of a blade and an ink carrier part to a recording head; FIGS. 8 and 9 are an exploded perspective view and a sectional view showing an example of a suction recovery system for a recording head; 1O diagram is a timing chart showing the operation timing of each part according to the embodiment, FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the clutch mechanism for transmitting driving force to the recovery system mechanism, and FIGS. (
C) is a side view showing the engagement state of the clutch gear, hook, and timing gear in the clutch mechanism shown in FIG. 11; FIGS. 13(A) and (B) are front views similar to FIG. 12; , FIGS. 14(A) to 14(D) are side views for explaining the sequential operations of the blade and the ink carrier section, and FIG. 15(
A) to (C) are side views for explaining the sequential operations of the cap section, and FIGS. 16(A) and (B) are side sectional views for explaining the operation of the pump section for performing suction recovery. , FIG. 17 is a timing chart illustrating the sequence of preliminary ejection or suction recovery processing according to this example (some other embodiments), and FIGS. 18 (A) and (B) are press operations of the paper presser plate. 19 is a side view showing an embodiment of the mechanism; FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the supported state of the spur in the paper ejection system; FIG.
22 is a perspective view showing another example of the usage state of the apparatus of this example, and FIG. 22 is a side sectional view of the state shown in FIG. 21. 1...Chassis, 2...Lead screw 2a...Lead groove, 3a...Lead bullion, 3b...Position groove, 3C...Introduction groove, 4...Clutch gear, 5...Clutch spring , 6...Carrier, 6C...Hook, 7...Lead bin, 9...Recording head, 9a...Head chip (discharge element), 9b...
・Ink tank part, 9C...Discharge port, 9d...Discharge port forming surface, l1...Carrier motor, 13...Timing belt, l5...Set shaft, l6...Blade lever 17・...Blade, l9...Ink carrier, 20...Set lever 21...Timing gear, 22...Ink absorber spring, 23...Ink absorber, 24...Cylinder, 27...・Piston shaft, 28... Piston, 29... Piston pressing roller, 32... Cap lever 34... Cap holder, 35... Cap, 35a... Cap part, 3δ... Paper feed Roller, 37... Waste ink absorber section, 38... Paper press plate, 40... Recording paper, 50... Base, 51... Guide shaft, 60... Paper ejection roller, 61. ...Spur, 62...Transmission roller, 100...Inkjet 102...Top lid, 103...Inner lid. Recording device, Fig. 3 (B) Fig. 5 Fig. 4 Fig. 6 Fig. 776- 210 Fig. 13 Fig. 15

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) A carrier on which a recording head is mounted, a drive shaft that engages with the carrier and moves the carrier along the axis by rotation thereof, and a drive shaft that is attached to the drive shaft and that is attached to the drive shaft. a clutch gear that rotates in response to the rotation of the carrier and moves along the drive shaft as the carrier moves; a transmission gear that meshes with the clutch gear due to the rotation and movement of the clutch gear; a latching member provided on the carrier for latching to a predetermined fixed portion of the device against movement of the carrier in conjunction with the meshing operation; An inkjet recording apparatus characterized in that a predetermined mechanism in the apparatus is operated by rotation of the transmission gear due to meshing of the gears. 2) The drive shaft is in the form of a lead screw, and the fixing portion on which the latching is applied is a side surface of the transmission gear, and the transmission gear is attached to the latching member as the engaging operation is performed. 2. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a groove for performing the latching by passing through the groove, and releasing the latching by passing through the groove again. 3) The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording head of the inkjet recording apparatus discharges ink droplets using heat generated by an electrothermal transducer.