JPH03234681A - Recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an optimum head cap without depending upon the thickness of a recording medium by energizing a platen toward a guide member and displacing it in response to the thickness of the medium. CONSTITUTION:A distance l between the discharge port of a head cartridge 9 and the front face of a platen 34 is optimally regulated for printing, a recording sheet inserted in a direction A is energized by a feed roller 39 toward a roller 33, and fed by its frictional force. The end of the sheet is inserted between the scraper 34A of the platen and the inside of the front face 45 of a paper pan against the force of a spring 82 while rotating the platen 34 in a direction B at a shaft 41A as a rotating center. The face 45 is suitably regulated at a gap to the discharge port forming surface, and fixed. Accordingly, the sheet on the platen 34 is held at an optimum head cap to the discharge port of a head cartridge 9 by escaping the plater 34 in the direction B without depending upon the thickness of the sheet.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a recording device that records on a recording medium.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, recording devices that record on recording media such as paper and OHP sheets (hereinafter also referred to as recording paper or simply paper) have been proposed in forms equipped with recording heads using various recording methods. ing. These recording heads include those based on a wire tod type, a thermal type, a thermal transfer type, and an inkjet type.

In particular, the inkjet method is attracting attention as a low running cost and quiet recording method because the ink is directly ejected onto the recording paper without contacting the recording head.

By the way, in this inkjet method, the recording quality varies greatly depending on the gap between the ejection ports of the recording head and the recording paper (hereinafter referred to as rad gap), so management of this head gap is very important.

However, recording paper comes in various thicknesses, ranging from those with a thickness of several tens of microns to those such as envelopes and postcards with a thickness of several hundred microns.

In order to manage the head gap in response to this, conventional head gap adjustment means such as levers and cams have been provided, and the carriage can be manually moved back and forth with respect to the fixed platen, and the platen can be moved back and forth with respect to the carriage. There was something that had a similar structure.

In addition, in order to eliminate the need for this manual operation, a support member for the platen is provided, and the platen is held at one point on this support member.
For example, some are configured to be rotatably supported around a center (upstream of the recording section) and biased against a fixed paper guide.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, in the former configuration, ■Manual operation is complicated.

■Sometimes I forget operations.

■Operators lack the means to know the paper thickness of various recording papers,
Optimal adjustment cannot be made.

There were other problems. Moreover, if you forget to perform an operation or do not perform an appropriate operation, not only will the recording quality deteriorate, but the recording head and recording paper may come into contact, staining the recording paper, or damaging the recording head. There is also a risk that the

On the other hand, in the latter configuration, (1) the provision of a support member for the platen results in an increase in the size and cost of the apparatus;

■Since it is not possible to maintain a large distance between the abutting part of the paper guide and the center of rotation of the platen, the angle of the platen changes greatly depending on the thickness of the recording paper, and the ejection direction of the recording paper is disturbed. There were problems such as the need for a configuration to secure a paper route.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention aims to solve such problems, and for this purpose, the present invention provides a recording head for recording on a recording medium in a recording apparatus that records on a recording medium. a guide member for guiding the recording medium; and a platen for regulating the recording surface of the recording medium, the platen being biased toward the guide member and displaced in the thickness direction of the recording medium. The present invention is characterized in that it is equipped with a platen that can be used.

[Function] According to the present invention, the platen is biased toward the guide member and can be displaced according to the thickness of the recording medium, so that an optimal head gap can be obtained regardless of the thickness of the recording medium. be able to.

In addition, by attaching the platen so that it can rotate around the axis of the roller for ejecting the recording medium, the recording medium is placed at the contact point between the roller and the member that works together to nip and convey the recording medium. Since the paper is fed in the opposite direction, good paper feeding can be guaranteed.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the external configuration of a document creation device (hereinafter referred to as a word processor) as a device to which the present invention can be applied.

Here, l is a keyboard section which is an input device. 2 is a display unit that displays input documents, etc.;
It is rotatably held and folded to overlap the keyboard section 1 when not in use.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a transparent or semi-transparent protective cover provided over the viewing opening for checking the operating state of the recording head. 4 is a spur cover for holding the spur. These will be described later with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a vapor supporter that supports the recording paper when the recording paper is fed and discharged, and 6 is a knob for manually feeding and discharging the recording paper.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of a printer section in the form of an inkjet recording apparatus according to this example.

Here, 9 is a head cartridge having an inkjet recording head, which will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, and 11 is a carriage on which this is mounted and for scanning in the S direction in the figure. 13, the head cartridge 9 is connected to the carriage 11;
15 is a lever for operating the hook 13. Reference numeral 19 denotes a support plate that supports the electrical connection to the head cartridge 9. 21 is an FPC for connecting the electrical connection section and the main body control section. The configuration related to this FPC is shown in Figures 9 to 11.
The figure will be described later.

Reference numeral 23 denotes a guide shaft for guiding the carriage 11 in the S direction, and is inserted into the bearing 25 of the carriage 11. A timing belt 27 is fixed to the carriage 11 and transmits power for moving the carriage 11 in the S direction, and is stretched around pulleys 29A and 29B arranged on both sides of the apparatus. Driving force is transmitted to one pulley 29B from the carriage motor 31 via a transmission mechanism such as a gear.

A conveyance roller 33 is driven by a conveyance motor 35 for regulating the recording surface of a recording medium such as paper (hereinafter also referred to as recording paper) and for conveying it during recording or the like. 37 is a vapor pan for guiding the recording medium from the side of the vapor supporter 5 to the recording position; 39 is disposed in the middle of the recording medium feeding path to press the recording medium toward the conveyance roller 33 and convey it. This is the feed roller. A platen 34 faces the ejection port of the head cartridge 9 and regulates the recording surface of the recording medium. Reference numeral 41 denotes a paper discharge roller that is disposed on the downstream side of the recording position in the recording medium conveyance direction and discharges the recording medium toward a paper discharge bay (not shown). 42 is a spur provided corresponding to the paper ejection roller 41, which presses the roller 41 through the recording medium,
A force for conveying the recording medium is generated by the paper ejection roller 41.

43 is a feed roller 39 when setting a recording medium, etc.
This is a release lever for releasing the bias of each of the nine spurs 42.

The platen 34 is rotatably supported at both ends by the shaft of a paper ejection roller 41, and is urged toward the front surface 45 of the paper pan 37 from the stop positions of the left and right plates 75, 75, and when there is no recording paper, the platen roller A plurality of portions 34A are provided in a portion 33A where 33 is smaller than the outermost circumference and are in contact with the inside of the front portion 45 of the paper pan.

A cap 51 is made of an elastic material such as rubber and faces the ink ejection orifice forming surface of the recording head in the home position, and is supported so as to be able to come into contact with and separate from the recording head. This cap 51 is used to protect the print head during non-printing and during ejection recovery processing of the print head. The ejection recovery process refers to discharging ink from all ejection ports by placing the cap 51 facing the ejection port forming surface and driving an energy generating element provided inside the ink ejection ports and used for ejecting ink. This process removes the causes of ejection failure, such as air bubbles, dust, and ink that has thickened and is no longer suitable for recording. This process removes the cause of ejection failure by forcibly discharging the ink.

Reference numeral 53 denotes a pump that applies a suction force for forcibly discharging ink, and is used to suck ink received in the cap 51 during ejection recovery processing by such forced ejection or ejection recovery processing by preliminary ejection. 55 is a first waste ink tank for storing the waste ink sucked by this pump 53, and 57 is a tube that communicates the pump 53 and the waste ink tank 55. Also, 7
0 is a second waste ink tank, which is connected to the first waste ink tank 55 via a tube 71.

Reference numeral 59 denotes a blade for wiping the ejection orifice forming surface of the recording head, and it has two positions: one in which it protrudes toward the recording head and performs wiping during the head movement process, and the other in a retracted position where it does not engage the ejection orifice formation surface. movably supported. 61 is a motor, and 63 is a cam device that receives power from the motor 61 to drive the pump 53 and move the cap 51 and blade 59, respectively.

Next, details of the above-mentioned head cartridge 9 will be explained.

FIG. 3 shows an external perspective view of a head cartridge 9 that integrates an ejection unit 9a and an ink tank 9b, which constitute an inkjet recording head main body.
Denoted at e is a pawl that is hung by a hook 13 provided on the carriage 11 when the head cartridge 9 is mounted. As is clear from the figure, the pawl 906e is disposed inside the entire extension of the recording head. Further, near the front discharge unit 9a of the head cartridge 9, a positioning abutting portion is provided, although not shown in this figure. 90
6f is a flexible substrate (
This is the head opening into which a support plate for supporting electrical connections) and rubber pads is inserted.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are exploded perspective views of the head cartridge shown in FIG. 3, which is of a disposable type with an integrated ink storage section serving as an ink supply source, as described above.

In FIG. 9A, reference numeral 911 is a heater board in which an electrothermal conversion element (discharge heater) and wiring such as Aβ for supplying electric power to the element are formed on a Si substrate using a film forming technique. 921 is a wiring board for the heater board 911, and the corresponding wiring is connected by wire bonding, for example.

Reference numeral 940 denotes a top plate provided with a partition wall for limiting the ink flow path, a common liquid chamber, etc., and in this example, it is made of a resin material and integrally has an orifice plate portion. And Figure 4 (
As shown in C), the ejection port forming surface is inclined by a predetermined angle θ with respect to a plane parallel to the recording surface of the recording paper, and has a step 940a in the vicinity of the ejection port. This is done in response to the fact that the flow path inside the orifice plate and the flow path behind it form a predetermined angle in order to process the discharge port by irradiating the laser beam from the flow path side provided on the top plate. It was given to me.

For example, 930 is a metal support, and 950 is a pressing spring. By sandwiching the heater board 911 and the top plate 940 between them and engaging them, the biasing force of the pressing spring 950 causes the heater board 91G to Top plate 94
0 and fixed by crimping. Note that the support body 930 may also be provided with a distribution board 921 by adhesion or the like, and may also have a positioning reference for the carriage 11 that scans the head. The support body 930 also functions as a member that radiates and cools the heat of the heater board 911 that is generated during driving.

960 is a supply tank which receives ink supply from the ink storage section 9b serving as an ink supply source, and which is connected to the heater board 911.
It functions as a sub-tank that guides ink to a common liquid chamber formed by joining the top plate 940 and the top plate 940. Reference numeral 970 indicates a filter disposed within the supply tank 960 near the ink supply port to the common liquid chamber, and reference numeral 980 indicates a lid member of the supply tank 960.

Reference numeral 900 denotes an absorber for impregnating ink, and is disposed within the ink tank body 9b. Reference numeral 1200 is a supply port for supplying ink to the recording element 9a, which also includes the above-mentioned parts 911 to 980, and ink is injected from the supply port 1200 in a process before placing the unit in the portion 1010 of the ink tank body 9b. By doing so, the absorber 900 can be impregnated with ink.

1100 is a lid member of the cartridge body, and 1300 is an atmosphere communication port provided in the lid member for communicating the inside of the cartridge with the atmosphere.

When the filling of ink into the ink tank 9b via the supply port 1200 is completed, the ejection unit 9a consisting of each part 911 to 980 is positioned and disposed in the part 101O.

Positioning or fixing at this time can be performed, for example, by fitting a protrusion 1012 provided on the ink tank body 9b into a corresponding hole 931 provided on the support body 930. The head cartridge 9 shown in (8) is completed.

The ink is supplied from inside the cartridge through the supply port 1200.
, a hole 932 in the support 930 and a supply tank 96
FIG. 4 of 0 (All ink is supplied into the supply tank 960 through the inlet provided on the back side, and after passing through the inside, the ink is supplied from the outlet to an appropriate supply pipe and the ink inlet 9 of the top plate 940.
42 into the common liquid chamber. A packing made of, for example, silicone rubber or butyl rubber is disposed at the above-mentioned connection portion for ink communication, and this seals the ink supply path to ensure an ink supply path.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of FIG. 2, and the structure and function of the platen 34 and the vapor pan front section 45 will be explained in further detail.

The distance β (head gap) between the ejection opening of the head cartridge 9 and the front surface of the platen 34 is adjusted optimally for printing.

Based on the above configuration, recording sheets inserted from six directions are
It is urged toward the roller 33 by the feed roller 39 and is sent by its frictional force. The leading edge of the recording paper is placed between the scoop part 34A of the platen and the inside of the vapor pan front part 45, against the force of springs 82 (provided on both sides), and rotates the platen 34 in the direction B with the axis 41A as the center of rotation. Insert it while rotating it. Note that the gap between the front part 45 and the discharge port forming surface is appropriately adjusted and fixed.

Therefore, the optimum head gap between the recording paper on the platen 34 and the ejection opening of the head cartridge 9 is maintained by the platen 34 escaping in the direction B regardless of the paper thickness.

Further, on the extension line of the front surface of the platen 34, there is a contact point between the paper ejection roller 41 and the spur 42 even when the recording paper escapes in the direction B depending on the thickness of the recording paper, so that the leading edge of the recording paper easily contacts the paper ejection roller 41 and the spur 42. You can enter between.

Further, the difference in the blade gap between the upper and lower sides of the recording section due to the tilting of the platen can be ignored because the distance H between the rotation center of the platen and the printing center is large.

Note that the platen 45 does not necessarily have to be coaxial with the roller 41. Further, the front surface portion 45 does not need to be integrally molded with the vapor pan 37, and may be fixed by adhesive or screwing. Alternatively, it may be constructed separately and fixed by other parts of the device.

FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view of a part of the printer when the head cartridge 9 is mounted, and the spur 42, the spur cover 413, and the protective cover 3 provided over the viewing opening are provided. As can be seen from this figure, the spur cover 4 overhangs the top of the head cartridge 9 to form a spur fixing part.

Therefore, if the cover 3 is transparent or semi-transparent, the operation of the head cartridge 9 can be visually observed while the cover is in the covered state.
It is strongly desired that the ink ejection portion 9a' of the ejection unit 9a at the capping position can also be visually confirmed.

However, this cannot be done with the configuration shown in FIG. In other words, in the same figure, the broken line part is the standby position of the head cartridge 9 in the capping state, and the part indicated by the broken line is the standby position of the head cartridge 9 in the capping state.
The exterior member 85 other than the normally visible frontage 3A'' is composed of an opaque molded member, so the position of the head cartridge 9 in the capping state, the ejection unit 9a,
It is impossible to visually check the ink ejection section 9a'.

Further, even if the viewing opening 3A' is simply widened in the width direction, the ink ejection portion 9a' etc. cannot be visually checked.

On the other hand, in the configuration shown in FIG. 8 adopted in this embodiment, the viewing opening 3A is widened in the width direction and is formed into an L-shape that covers the upper part of the ink discharge part 9a'. 9a' can also be visually confirmed.

In this example, a cover member 3 is provided in the viewing opening 3A to protect the inside of the apparatus such as the head cartridge lid 9 even in the non-recording position. This cover member 3 may be made of various materials, and by making it transparent or semi-transparent, it can be visually observed during capping while remaining in the covered state.

However, as long as the cover member 3 can be opened/closed or easily attached/detached and the opening 3A can be opened immediately as needed, it does not necessarily have to be transparent or translucent.

Next, the configuration related to the FPC 21 will be specifically explained.

9 and 10 are schematic front views of the recording apparatus according to the example, and FIG. 11 is a schematic front view of the recording apparatus according to the comparative example.

In FIG. 9, left and right frames 75 (not shown in FIG. 9) that stand upright from a frame 91 of the recording device are provided with rollers 33 extending left and right, and in front of the rollers 33 are similarly provided guide shafts. 23 is fixed, and a carriage 11 is provided so as to be able to slide from side to side on this.
As mentioned above, it is equipped with.

An FPC 21 is fixed to the carriage 11, which electrically connects a control circuit (not shown) to the head cartridge 9 via a connector section provided thereon. Also, FP
The other end of C21 is fixed to the frame 91.

Further, between the FPC 21 on the frame 91 and the frame 91, near the part where the FPC 21 forms the minimum radius,
A friction sheet 97 is provided. The friction sheet 97 has an adhesive applied to one side, and the adhesive allows the frame 9
It is joined to 1.

In this configuration, the carriage 11 is moved on the shaft 33 in the direction of the arrow SR in the figure by a driving means such as the motor 31. At this time, the head cartridge 5 mounted on the carriage 11 is moved from the control section via the FPC 21. A recording signal is sent to the ejection unit 9a. Then, the ejection unit 9a ejects ink onto the recording paper in response to the signal, and the recording is performed. - After the re-recording is completed, the carriage 11 stops, and the roller 33 is driven by the motor 35, etc. It is rotationally driven by the driving means, and the recording paper is sub-scanned accordingly.

After this, the carriage 11 moves in the direction of arrow SL in the figure,
The next line will be recorded.

FIG. 1O shows the moving state, and in this example, frame 9
Since the friction sheet 97 is provided on the FPC 21,
A frictional force is generated between the friction sheets 97, and the FPC 21 moves to the arc portion 21 without slipping between the frame 91 and the FPC 21.
Since A moves correctly, it does not get caught in the lower part of the carriage 11.

On the other hand, in a configuration in which the friction sheet 97 is not provided as shown in FIG.
There is a slippage between frames l, and this causes FP
A slack 21B is generated above C21, and if the carriage moves further to the right (SR direction) in this state, there is a risk that the FPC 21 will be caught in the carriage 11.

As described above, according to this example, by adopting a simple configuration in which a member with a high friction coefficient (friction sheet 97) is provided on the frame 91 of the recording device, the running of the FPC 21 can be stabilized, and therefore the FPC It becomes possible to reduce the height of the traveling section, and it is possible to provide a compact and weighing recording device.

Note that, as an example of the friction sheet 97, a sheet material made of silicone, for example, can be used.

Furthermore, in the above explanation, it is assumed that the connection between the head cartridge 9 and the control circuit is made by FPC.
Flat cables, not just for PCs.

Of course, it can be applied to all electrical connection members such as the East Line.

FIG. 12 shows the cap 51 in FIG. Pump 53.
Blade 59. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the main parts of the recovery device including a motor 61, a cam device 63, and the like.

Here, 501 is an ink absorber disposed inside the cap 51, 503 is a holding member that holds the cap 51, and 503 is a holding member that holds the cap 51;
A cap lever 05 is rotatably attached around the bottle 507, and is used to bring the cap 51 into contact with/separate from the discharge port forming surface of the discharge unit 9a by the force applied to the bottle 507. Reference numeral 511 is a pin that engages with the end portion 509 of the cap lever 505 to restrict the rotation range of the cap lever 505.

A jig 513 has a hole into which the bottle 507 of the cap lever 505 is inserted, and is used to attach the cap lever 505 to a support portion 515 provided on the pump 53. Reference numeral 516 is a fastening member for securing the mounting condition. Reference numeral 517 is an acting portion that applies a force to the cap 51 to bring it into contact with the discharge port forming surface, and is engaged with approximately the center of the rear side portion of the cap 51. This action part has an inlet 517A for sucked ink, and has a cap lever 505.
Inside, inside the bottle 507, inside the jig 513, and the support part 5
An ink flow path is formed inside each of the ink cartridges 15 . When the pump 53 applies a suction force, the ink is introduced into the pump 53 through these channels as shown by arrows in the figure.

A shaft 519 projects from the center of the end face of the pump 53 and has an ink flow path formed therein, and is rotatably attached to the side wall portion 520. The resulting rotational force of the pump 53 itself is applied to the cap lever 505 via the support portion 515, and the cap 51 moves forward and backward accordingly. 521 is a flow path forming member coupled to the pump shaft 519, 523 is a tube 57
The installation of is a member. That is, these axes 519. An ink flow path is formed inside the flow path forming member 521 and the mounting member 523, and the ink sucked by the pump 53 passes through these flow paths and enters the waste ink tank 55 via the tube 57 as shown by the arrow in the figure. be introduced.

525 is a piston of the pump 53, 527 is a piston shaft thereof, 529 is a gasket, and 531 is a cap of the pump 53. 533 is a bottle attached to the piston shaft 527 and receives force for actuating the piston 525.

Reference numeral 535 denotes a blade lever to which the blade 59 is attached, and is rotatably supported around a shaft protruding from the end face of the pump 53, and as the blade lever 535 rotates, the blade 59 is projected or retreated toward the recording head side. 537 is a spring that applies a rotational force to the blade lever 535 in a direction that causes the blade 59 to protrude. Also, 539 is the pump 53
The cap 53 is a spring that gives the cap 53 the ability to rotate in the direction toward the recording head.

541 is a gear train that transmits the rotation of the motor 61 to the cam device 63. The cam device 63 includes a cam 547 that engages with and rotates an engaging portion 545 provided on the pump 53.
and a bottle 533 provided on the piston shaft 527 of the pump 53.
Detects the home position of the cam 549 that engages with the blade lever 535 to operate the pump, the cam 553 that engages with and rotates the engaging portion 551 provided on the blade lever 535, and the home position of the cam device 63. and a cam 557 that engages with a switch 555. The operations of these cams will be described later.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing details of the cap 51 and holder 503.

The cap 51 according to this example is made of a rubber-like elastic material to improve adhesion to the orifice plate portion of the top plate 940, and when capping, apply a pressing force of about 60 g to 80 g to the orifice plate portion of the top plate. It is pressed. The tip of the rib portion, that is, the edge facing the discharge port forming surface, has the above-mentioned inclination angle θ (see Fig. 4 (C) e).
Correspondingly, in this example, they are formed parallel to each other, and have a trapezoidal cross section that is thinner at the tip and thicker at the base in order to follow the step difference in the position of the ejection port.

In addition, in accordance with the angle θ, the cap lever 503 is
Ribs 503b and 5030 are provided. That is,
The ribs 503c prevent the rubber cap itself from deforming, and the ribs 503c prevent the entire cap 51 and cap holder 503 from turning sideways on the mounting surface of the cap lever 505.
I try to prevent this by b.

14(A), (B), and (C) are a front view, a plan view, and (A) showing a more detailed structure of the cap 51, etc.
It is a side sectional view taken along the line M-M in

Here, in this example, the ink suction port 561 in the cap is opened vertically at the bottom, and an ink flow path 563 is formed toward the ink introduction port 517A provided in the action portion 517 of the cap lever 505. Further, the suction port 561 is not completely covered by the absorber 501.

Head cartridge 9 set on carriage ll
is driven by the carriage motor 31 so that its ejection port is located approximately at the center of the cap 51 of the recovery system, and a series of ejection failure recovery processes such as capping, preliminary ejection, or suction operation are performed.

Here, the top plate 940 of the head is not parallel to the recording surface of the recording medium as described above with reference to FIG. 4(C);
That is, it is not perpendicular to the pressing direction of the cap, but forms a constant angle θ (in this embodiment, θ is 5°) and has a minute step (0.2 mm in this embodiment). Furthermore, when a step motor is used as the carriage motor 31, the stop position of the carriage 11 may deviate from the target position by a predetermined amount (for example, approximately ±0.5 mm).

In order to follow the shape of the orifice plate portion of the top plate 940, the tip rib 51a should be small and have low hardness. A certain degree of strength is required.

In addition, since the orifice plate portion O of the top plate 940 has an angle θ, a force that pushes and expands the ribs is always applied to the ribs 51a of the cap 51, which causes a problem of permanent deformation when left for a long time. Become.

Taking these into consideration, in this example, the shape of the rib 91a was selected as follows. That is, in FIG. 14(C), W
, =0.3+am, W*=0.5a+m, H=0.
The above problem was solved by setting the rubber hardness to 4a+a+ and setting the rubber hardness to 60°.

At the same time, the above effect can be made more reliable by making the peripheral part 51b of the rib sufficiently large relative to the shape of the rib, for example, by making the peripheral part 51b of the rib 2 to 3 cm or more in width and 2 to 3 m11 in thickness or more. Become.

Note that the rubber used for the cap may be butyl rubber, chlorinated butyl rubber, silicone rubber, or the like.

By the way, the flat surface formed by the edge of the discharge port forming chamfer portion does not necessarily have to be parallel to the plane.

If they are parallel to each other, when the cap 51 contacts/removes, the entire edge simultaneously contacts/removes from the ejection port forming surface, and a large pressure fluctuation is instantaneously generated in the space sealed by the cap 51, causing the ink inside the ejection port to This is because the meniscus may not be held properly. In other words, by making them non-parallel, the edges gradually come into contact with the ejection port forming surface during capping until the entire surface is in close contact. Additionally, during cap ovens, the edges will gradually separate until complete separation is achieved.

From this point of view, the cap configuration shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 is not necessarily applied only to the discharge port forming surface as shown in FIG. 4(C). That is, the above-described cap structure can be applied to, for example, an ejection port forming surface formed parallel to a non-printing surface of a printing medium.

Also, from the above point of view, the plane formed by the edge does not necessarily have to be in the direction shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, but can be in any suitable direction. Furthermore, it does not necessarily have to be a flat surface, and may have a structure in which the edges are provided with irregularities.

Next, the recovery system will be explained.

Fig. 15 shows the contour curves of each cam of the cam device, Fig. 16 shows the main cam positions (the operating positions of each part except the pump corresponding to ■~@, ■, 0 in Fig. 15, 5
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing three operating positions, respectively. In addition, the first
The numerical values in Figure 5 are the rotation angles of the cam.

The functions of the recovery system unit according to this embodiment will be described using FIGS. 15 to 17.

In FIG. 15, the state marked ■ is the home position of the cam 549, and is the standby state of the recovery device during recording operation. At this time, the switch 555 is on, the cap 51 is in a state separated from the head discharge port forming surface (hereinafter referred to as an oven state), and the blade 59 is in an off state, that is, it is also in a state separated from the head discharge port forming surface. Yes (see Figure 16).

Further, the pump 53 is at the top dead center.

Next, the state (■) is a capping state, which is a state in which the head ejection port forming surface is covered and protected when the printer device is not in use. At this time, the switch 555 is off, the cap 51 is in contact with the head discharge port forming surface and is in a closed state), the pump 53 is at the top dead center, and the blade is in an off state.

State (2) is a state in which the bombing has been completed.

The switch 555 is on, the cap 51 is closed, and the pump 53 is in a state where the valve is fully open but not at bottom dead center. Further, the blade 59 is in an off state.

In the state (2), the cap 51 is ovend after the bombing is completed, and at the same time the cap 51 and the cap lever 505 are
This is the state in which the suction for drawing the ink filling the inside of the pump 53 into the pump 53 has been completed. At this time, the switch 555 is on, the cap 51 is about half of the oven, the pump 53 is at the bottom dead center, and the blade is off.

Next, the state (■) will be explained first. This is a preparatory position for starting empty suction for discharging the ink filled in the pump 53 due to pumping to the waste ink tank side. At this time, the switch 555 is on, the cap 51 is in the oven, and the pump 53 is at a position slightly below top dead center.

Further, the blade 59 is in an off state.

■ and ■ are the stop positions when performing large-air suction and hollow suction, respectively. In either position, the switch 555 is on, the cap 51 is in the oven, and the blade 59 is in the on position.
The pump 53 is in the off state, but the state of the pump 53 is at the bottom dead center in the case (3), but it is not completely lowered in the case (2).

A state of 0 is a state when wiping is performed. At this time, the switch 555 is on, the cap 51 is in the oven, and the pump is at top dead center. The blade 59 is in the on state, and the carriage 11 carrying the head cartridge 9 moves in this state, thereby wiping the head discharge port forming surface.

Next, in FIG. 17, ■ indicates the piston 52 inside the pump.
5 indicates the state at the bottom dead center. Bumping functions due to the negative pressure created by the space on the left side of the piston 525 in the space inside the pump 53. 531 is a valve port that transmits the negative pressure to the cap 51. It can be seen that in the state (2), the piston 525 has climbed over this valve port 531 and has moved further to the right. Here, the piston 525 is pressed from the left side by the shaft flange portion of the piston 527a and is in close contact with it, so that the generated negative pressure is transmitted to the cap 51 side without leaking elsewhere. Further, the ink accumulated on the right side of the piston 525 is pushed out to the waste ink tank.

■ indicates a state at top dead center. It should be noted here that the piston 525 reaches the right side of the valve port 531, and the piston 525 reaches the right side of the valve port 531.
31 is not closed. That is, in this state, the cap 51 is in communication with the atmosphere.

■ indicates the state of the pump 53 when marked ◎ in FIG. The piston 525 has passed over the valve port 531 and has moved slightly to the right.

(2) is the state at 0 in FIG. 15, and large-air suction and hollow suction are executed by reciprocating between this state and the state (2) or (2). What you should be careful about here is Benguchi 5.
31 is closed by a piston 525. The pump 53 according to this embodiment does not have anything equivalent to a valve that a normal pump has, and when positive pressure is generated inside the pump, it is closed by a piston 525. backflow may occur. Therefore, keeping the valve port 531 closed except when necessary has the effect of reducing backflow.

■ is the state when the hollow suction is finished. It should be noted here that the piston 525 stops immediately after passing over the valve port 531. If the piston 525 were to be moved to the bottom dead center ■, there would be a long period of time during which the valve port 531 would not be closed when returning to the top dead center ■ or the empty suction preparation position ■. At that time, a slight gap is created between the piston shaft flange 527a and the piston 525 to prevent positive pressure from occurring in the space on the left side, and the piston 525 is configured to communicate with the space on the right side. Positive pressure may be generated due to resistance, which may cause backflow. On the other hand, when the flow returns from the position (■) to (2) or (2) as in this example, the backflow is effectively prevented.

FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control system of the recording apparatus having the above configuration.

The cap position and movement position of the carriage 11 can be known based on detection by the recovery system home sensor 65 and the carriage home sensor 67. In the figure, 1000 is an MPo that controls each part by executing the control procedures described later with reference to FIGS. 19 to 21, 1001 is a ROM that stores programs, etc. corresponding to the control procedures, and 10
02 is a RAM used as a work area when executing control procedures. Further, 1003 is a timer that measures time, which will be described later. - Figure 19 is the M of Figure 18.
An example of a head cleaning processing procedure executed by a recovery system unit under the control of PVlooO is shown.

This procedure starts from the capping state (■) in FIG. 15 (step Sl). Bumping is executed by moving to the ◎ state (step S3), and in that state, the pump is stopped for, for example, 3 seconds to ensure sufficient ink suction (step SS), and the cap oven is turned on at the same time as the cap oven at @. Suction is performed (step S7), and the process is stopped for, for example, one second so that ink can be taken into the cap 51 and the cap lever 505 (step S9).
).

Next, empty suction is performed to discharge the ink filled in the pump 53. That is, it first moves to the empty suction preparation position 0 (step 5ll), and then moves from there to the hollow stop position (3), for example, three times (steps S13 to 5LY).

Finally, by moving from 0 to ■, large empty suction is performed (step 521), and the ink in the pump 53 is sufficiently pushed out to the waste ink tank side. Next, move to the [F] position (step 523), perform preliminary discharge (step 525), and then set the blade 59 to the ■ position.
is projected (step 527), wiping is performed (step 529), and the process returns to the initial capping state (step 531).

Note that this procedure, which includes recovery processing by suction, idle suction, preliminary ejection, etc., can be performed as appropriate in the main control routine of the apparatus, or can be activated in response to instructions from the operator.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of empty suction for taking ink accumulated by preliminary ejection appropriately executed during printing into a waste ink tank.

Since this procedure is performed by interrupting recording, it starts from the standby state indicated by ■ in Fig. 15 (
Step 541). From this state, the cam 63 is reversed to the 0 position (step 543), and then returned to the Φ position to perform hollow suction (step 545). Then, after setting it to the ■ position again (step 547), it returns to the ■ position and performs large air suction (step 549). After that, set the state to ■ and put the cap in the oven.Step 5
51), execute recording.

FIGS. 21(A) and 21(B) show an example of the record printing processing procedure according to this example.

First, when the power is turned on in FIG.
In step S63, the carriage 11 is set to the home position.Next, in step S65, a predetermined number of preliminary ejections (in this example, 1
5 or 7 times) is reset, and the counter Nl used to start the empty suction is reset in step S6.
After the cap is closed in step 7, a data signal for recording (printing) is waited for (step 569).

When the print signal is input, paper feeding is started in step s71, the cap is set to oven in step S73, and then the carriage 11 is set to the home position and preliminary ejection is performed in step S75, and the counter N1 is set. +1 step forward. Next, in step S77, a timer Tl for activating preliminary ejection at predetermined time intervals (for example, every 30 seconds) during the recording operation is reset and started, and in step S79, printing for one line is executed. do. After that, it is determined in step S81 whether the value of the timer 1 exceeds 30 seconds, and if the determination is affirmative, step S75
and steps S83 and S similar to S77, respectively.
After passing through step S85, if the determination is negative, the process immediately proceeds to step S87.

In step S87, it is determined whether the value of the counter Nl has reached "15", and if the determination is affirmative, idle suction is performed in the middle of printing one page in step S89. In this case, the second
0 The illustrated procedure is started. Thereafter, in step S91, the counter Nl is reset and restarted, and the process moves to step S93. Note that if a negative determination is made in step S87, the process immediately proceeds to step S93.

In step S93, it is determined whether recording for one page has been completed and a page break has been instructed, and if the determination is negative, the process advances to step S95 to determine the presence or absence of a print signal. Step S
If an affirmative determination is made in step S95, it is determined in step S97 whether or not there is an END signal indicating the end of recording, and if the determination is negative, the process moves to step S79 to print the next line.

On the other hand, if the print signal is not input in step S95, the process proceeds to step S99, where the timer T2 used to perform capping when print data is not input for a predetermined period of time (for example, 5 seconds) is reset and restarted. Next, in step 5lot, the presence or absence of a print signal is determined, and if the determination is affirmative, the process returns to step S79 to print the next line.

On the other hand, if the determination is negative, the timer T
It is determined whether the clock contents of 2 exceed 5 seconds, and if the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step 5104, and if the END signal is not input, the process returns to step 5IOI.

On the other hand, if 5 seconds have elapsed, the cap is closed in step 5105, and the timer Tl is set in step 5107.
At the same time, after the capping state continues for a predetermined period of time (for example, 60 seconds), the timer T3 for starting preliminary ejection is reset and restarted.

Next, after determining whether an END signal and a print signal are input (steps 5109 and 5ill), if there is a print signal, the cap is ovend in step 5113, and in step 5115, the timing content of timer T3 is set to 60.
Determine whether the time has exceeded the second. If it is affirmative here, the process advances to step S75 to perform preliminary ejection, etc., and if the determination is negative, the timer Tl is started in step 5117, and then the process returns to step S79.

By the way, if a page break command is input in step S93, the process advances to step 5119, and it is determined whether the content of the counter Nl is "7" or more. If the judgment is affirmative here, the space between pages is sucked in step 5121, and after resetting/starting the counter N1 in step 5123, on the other hand, if the judgment is negative, immediately step 51
Proceeding to step 25, the above-mentioned wiping operation is performed. Then, in step 5127, the cap is closed, and in step 5129, the paper on which recording has been completed is discharged, and then the process advances to step S69 to wait for a print signal for the next page.

Note that if the END signal is detected in step S97 or 5109, the end operation of step 5131 is executed. This is due to the empty suction (
Step 5141), reset/start of counter Nl (Step 5143), wiping (Step 5
145), closing the cap (step 5147)
, and paper ejection (step 5149).

To summarize the main operations mentioned above, firstly, preliminary ejection is performed. In this example, preliminary ejection is performed immediately before printing, and then 3
Preliminary ejection is performed at 0 second intervals. Further, a timer T+ is used for this 30 second interval integration. T is capping (C) when 5 seconds or more have passed without a print signal.
), it will be stopped, so the time during capping will not be counted in this 30 second interval, and
If capping (c) lasts for more than 60 seconds, the control procedure returns to preliminary ejection (a), and after opening the cap, preliminary ejection is performed before printing.

In this embodiment, preliminary ejection is performed inside the cap. Therefore, when repeatedly performing preliminary ejection, it is necessary to perform idle suction in order to draw the ink that accumulates in the cap into the waste ink tank. This is the empty suction shown in FIG. Basically, empty suction is performed between pages that are not printed, and if the preliminary ejection counter N is 7 or more after printing -pages, empty suction (d
) is carried out. However, even in the middle of the page being printed, N+
is 15 or more, that is, for texts that require a long printing time, empty suction (e) is performed, and empty suction is always performed at the end of printing. This is to clean the head face surface where blemishes have occurred, and this is done after the -page and all printing are completed.

As explained above, according to this example, by performing the same operation as empty suction after ink suction twice during printing or at the end of printing, ink accumulated in the cap due to printing core ejection can be efficiently removed. This has the effect of sending ink to the waste ink tank.

Further, the amount of ink accumulated in the cap due to preliminary ejection is smaller than that during ink suction during cleaning performed for ejection recovery.

Therefore, it is sufficient to perform idle suction fewer times during printing than during cleaning, and reducing the number of times as much as possible is effective in improving the effective printing speed of the recording apparatus.

The number of empty suctions during cleaning or printing is
Of course, the number of times is not limited to the upper side and can be set as appropriate.

In addition, according to this example, the reciprocation of the piston is initially short during several empty suctions, and in the last several strokes it reaches the bottom dead center, so that there is less backflow and the ink inside the cap 51 is reduced. This has the effect of ensuring that the ink is taken into the pump 53, and further reducing the amount of ink remaining in the pump 53 and realizing efficient empty suction that sends most of it to the waste ink tank.

Regarding how to change the stroke of the hollow suction operation, in the above example, the short stroke (hollow suction) was made three times and the long stroke (large hollow suction) was made once, but the number of times can be changed as appropriate. Needless to say.

Next, the waste ink tank according to this example will be explained.

As shown in FIG. 2, in this example, in addition to providing the first waste ink tank 55, a second waste ink tank 70 is provided by effectively utilizing the space inside the device, and these waste ink tanks A tube 71 connects between them. Since both tanks are provided in series with respect to the recovery system unit, waste ink generated by the ejection recovery process or the empty suction process is first introduced into the first waste ink tank 55 via the tube 57. Waste ink is stored here as long as there is room to store waste ink in the first waste ink tank 55, but if the first waste ink tank 55 can no longer store the waste ink, the waste ink will be stored here. The overflowing waste ink will be introduced into the second waste ink tank 70 via the tube 71.

In this way, in this example, the space within the apparatus is effectively utilized to provide the second waste ink tank 70, so that the apparatus can be downsized without reducing the capacity of waste ink.

Note that an appropriate ink absorber may be provided in these waste ink tanks. Further, in the figure, reference numeral 183 is a ventilation cloth that allows ink solvent vapor to pass through but not liquid ink, and specifically, for example, Paper Load (manufactured by Tijin Co., Ltd.) can be used. By arranging the ventilation cloth 183 in this manner, the waste ink tank 55J
Ink leakage from 5 and 70 can be prevented.

In the above example, two waste ink tanks are connected in series, but both can be provided in parallel with respect to the recovery system unit.

FIG. 22 shows a configuration example for this purpose. In this example, a three-way joint 57A is provided at the other end of the tube 57, one end of which is connected to the recovery system unit.
The flow of waste ink is branched by tube 72J.
The waste ink is introduced into the waste ink tanks 55 and 70 through the waste ink tanks 55 and 71, respectively. This example also provides the same effects as above.

From the point of view of installing waste ink tanks by effectively utilizing the empty spaces of the hanging devices that are dispersed, it is possible to install not only the second waste ink tank but also more waste ink tanks in appropriate empty spaces. Of course you can.

FIG. 23 shows a configuration example in which two waste ink tanks are provided in addition to the waste ink tank 55, in which the second waste ink tank 70A and the third waste ink tank 70B are arranged in parallel with respect to the waste ink tank 55. It is provided for. When waste ink overflows from the waste ink tank 55, this waste ink is branched by the joint 74 and sent to the second waste ink tank 70 via tubes 71A and 71B, respectively.
A and the third waste ink tank 70B.

With such a configuration, the amount of waste ink that can be accommodated can be further increased.

It goes without saying that any suitable configuration can be used for the connections between these waste ink tanks, or for the connections between more waste ink tanks.

(The following is a blank space) (Others) The present invention is applicable not only to the above-mentioned bubble jet type inkjet recording apparatus, but also to other types of inkjet recording apparatuses, and furthermore, to recording apparatuses that require head gap management. is also widely applicable.

However, especially when applied to an inkjet recording system, it brings about excellent effects especially in bubble jet recording heads and recording apparatuses. This is because such a system can achieve higher recording density and higher definition.

As for typical configurations and principles thereof, 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 continuous type, but especially in the case of the on-demand type, it is necessary to arrange the liquid (ink) in accordance with the sheet and liquid path that hold it. The electrothermal converter that is
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 a 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. If this drive signal is in the form of a pulse, bubble growth and contraction will occur immediately and appropriately.
Particularly responsive liquid (ink) ejection can be achieved,
More preferable pulse-shaped drive signals include those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262.
Those described in the specification are 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 ejection ports, liquid paths, and electrothermal converters (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 US Pat. No. 4,558,333 and US Pat. No. 4,459,600, which disclose configurations in which the wafer is placed in a bending region. 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 if the structure is based on the publication No.-138461. In other words, regardless of the form of the recording head, recording can be performed reliably and efficiently.

Furthermore, the present invention can be effectively applied to a full-line type recording head having a length corresponding to the maximum width of a recording medium that can be recorded by a recording apparatus.

Such a recording head may have either a configuration in which the length is satisfied by a combination of a plurality of recording heads, or a configuration as a single recording head formed integrally. In addition, even with the serial type as in the example above, the recording head is fixed to the device body or is attached to the device body, so that the electrical connection with the device body and the ink supply from the device body are possible. The present invention is also effective when a replaceable chip type recording head is used.

Further, it is preferable to add recovery means for the recording head, preliminary auxiliary means, etc., which are provided as a configuration of the recording apparatus, to the present invention, because the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. Specifically, these include a capping means for the recording head as in the above example, a cleaning means, a pressurizing or suction means, an electrothermal transducer or another heating element, or a combination thereof. It is also effective to provide stable recording by providing a preheating means for performing a preliminary ejection mode, which performs ejection other than printing.

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 be configured as an image output terminal of an information processing device such as a word processor or a computer as described above, as well as a copying apparatus combined with a league, etc.
Furthermore, it may take the form of a facsimile machine having transmitting and receiving functions.

C. Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the head gap can be adjusted accurately without complicated operations, and the recording medium can be transported favorably.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a word processor as an embodiment of a device to which the present invention is applied. 21st! iii is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the ink shed recording device as the printer section; FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the head cartridge shown in FIG. 2; FIGS. 4(A) and (B) are , an exploded perspective view and an external perspective view of the head cartridge shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 4(C) is a perspective view showing an example of the structure of the recording head top plate in FIG. 4(A), and FIG. 5 is this example. FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the printer section for explaining the head gap adjustment means according to this example, and FIGS. 7 and 8 are side sectional views of the printer section for explaining the spur cover and viewing window according to this example. 9 and 10 are top views of the printer section for explaining the spur cover and viewing window according to the comparative example and this example, respectively. Figure 11 is a front view of the printer unit for explaining FPC insertion with a conventional configuration, Figure 12 is an exploded perspective view of the ejection recovery mechanism shown in Figure 2, and Figure 13 is its cap and cap holder. 14(A), (B) and (C) are respectively a front view, a plan view and a side sectional view of the cap according to the present example, and FIG. 15 shows various parts of the discharge recovery mechanism. An explanatory diagram showing the contour curve of the cam for operation; Figures 16 and 17 are explanatory diagrams for explaining the operation of each part at the main cam positions; Figure 18 is an explanatory diagram showing the control system of the device according to this example. A block diagram showing a configuration example, FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an example of the cleaning operation procedure in the ejection recovery process, FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation procedure of the empty suction process related to the ejection recovery process, and FIG. 21 ( A) and (B) are flowcharts showing an example of a recording processing procedure according to the present example. FIGS. 22 and 23 are perspective views showing two other embodiments of the waste ink system. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Keyboard, 2... Display, 3... Viewing window, 4... Spur holder, 5... Paper supporter, 6... Knob, 9... Head cartridge, 11... - Carriage, 21... FPCl 23... Guide shaft, 27... Timing belt, 29A, 29B... Pulley, 31... Carriage motor, 33... Conveyance roller, 34... Platen, 34A... Rake part, 35... Conveyance motor, 37... Paper pan, 39... Feed roller, 41... Paper ejection roller, 41A... Paper ejection roller shaft, 42... Spur , 43...Release lever 51...Cap, 51a...Rib, 53...Pump, 55, 70.7OA, 70B 59...Blade, 82...Spring, 97...Friction sheet . ...Waste ink tank, Fig. 4 (C) Fig. 7 Fig. 5030 (A) (C) Fig. 14 Fig. 17 Fig. 18 Fig. 20

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) A recording apparatus that records on a recording medium, comprising: a recording head for recording on the recording medium; a guide member for guiding the recording medium; and a recording surface of the recording medium. A recording apparatus comprising a platen for regulating the recording medium, the platen being biased toward the guide member and movable in the thickness direction of the recording medium. 2) The recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a roller for conveying the recording medium downstream from the recording position, and the platen is rotatably attached to the shaft of the roller. . 3) The recording head has the form of an inkjet recording head that performs recording by discharging ink onto the recording medium, and the head serves as an element that generates energy for discharging the ink, and is used as an element to generate a film on the ink. 3. The recording device according to claim 1, further comprising an electrothermal converter for applying thermal energy to cause boiling.