JPH04141438A - Ink jet recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an accurate capped state by displacing caps following stopping positions of record heads so as to cap. CONSTITUTION:It is assumed that a carriage is stopped at a position where an arranging range H of 4 record heads to be covered by caps and an arranging range C of 4 caps covering outlet forming faces of the record heads separately are deviated by DELTA. When an access lever 461 is discharged, a taper 461T at a tip 461A engages with a recess 205H of a head cover 205. As the access lever 461 is supported in a displaceable manner in a carriage scanning direction S, the taper intrudes into the recess 205H by moving in a left direction. The moving in the left direction makes a displacement in the same direction as a cap holder 471 or caps 420, since a pin 533 is engaged with a long hole 531. In a state that the such of the tip 461A of the access lever into the recess 205H is completed, there is no deviation of the range H and the range C and the record heads face the caps 420, so that an accurate capping is performed when the caps 420 are advanced.

Description

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

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, recording apparatuses that perform recording on recording media such as paper and OHP sheets (hereinafter also referred to as recording paper or simply paper) have been proposed in the form of mounting recording heads using various recording methods. These recording heads include those based on a wire tod type, a thermal type, a thermal transfer type, and an inkjet type.

Among these, the inkjet method in particular jets ink directly onto the recording paper, and is attracting attention as a recording method that has advantages such as low running costs (and quiet recording operation).

Furthermore, in recent years, inkjet recording devices, especially recording heads, have been manufactured using film-forming technology and micro-processing technology in semiconductor devices, and smaller and cheaper recording heads are being realized. . Accordingly, for example, a disposable quib recording head with an integrated ink tank has been proposed, and accordingly, the structure of the apparatus itself has been made smaller and simpler.

On the other hand, an electronic typewriter is an inkjet recording device that has many of the advantages mentioned above.

It is becoming widely used as a recording device for various devices such as word processors, facsimile machines, and copying machines. In this case, the inkjet recording apparatus has a configuration that corresponds to functions, usage patterns, etc. specific to these apparatuses.

For example, you can cap the ejection ports of the print head to protect them from drying out when not in use, or apply suction pressure while capped to suck out ink and improve the ejection condition of the print head. One such example is a cap used for ejection recovery processing.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Such a cap is provided at a position where it can face the recording head, and can be attached to/separated from the ejection port forming surface by moving the cap forward or backward. However, in the case of a device that performs printing by scanning a print head with an integrated ink tank or multiple print heads installed corresponding to inks of different tones, the weight becomes large. It becomes difficult to stop the recording head correctly at a position directly facing the cap. Then, even if the cap is advanced, it may not be possible to obtain the correct cap status.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention aims to solve such problems, and for this purpose, the present invention provides an inkjet recording head that scans a recording medium in a predetermined direction, and an inkjet recording head that scans a recording medium in a predetermined direction. a cap provided at a portion of the inkjet recording head and capable of capping an ink ejection port of the inkjet recording head in response to advancement in the direction of the inkjet recording head; and means for supporting the cap so as to be displaceable in the predetermined direction. ,
During the capping process, the cap is provided with a guide means for guiding the cap along with the displacement during the advancement process.

[For I]

According to the present invention, since the capping operation can be performed while displacing the cap while the recording head is at the stop position, an accurate cap state can be obtained.

(Margin below) [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic external perspective view of an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 1, 20
01 is a main case that forms part of the device case, and is fixed to a part of the frame of the inkjet recording device, which will be described later in FIG. Cover the area excluding the area corresponding to the width. A home position of the print head is defined in one of the two end portions, and the main case 2001 houses the print head in this position during non-printing and an ejection recovery unit that performs capping of the ejection port surface of the print head at this position. covered by. As a result, when a part of the device case is opened to perform maintenance and inspection of the device, it is possible to prevent the recording head or ejection recovery unit from being accidentally touched, causing their position to shift, or damaging them themselves. I can do it.

Reference numeral 2003 denotes a middle case that similarly forms part of the device case, and mainly covers the part where the recording head moves during recording. The middle case 2003 is provided so that it can be easily attached and detached, and a spur is attached to a part of the case to correspond to a paper ejection roller, which will be described later. Press it against the paper ejection roller. Reference numeral 2005 denotes a paper feed lid which forms part of the device case and is provided so as to be openable and closable. The paper feed lid 2005 is pivoted at both ends of the near side in the drawing in its approximately rectangular shape, and is provided so that it can be opened upward in the drawing and held at a predetermined angle using this as a rotation axis. When the paper feed lid 2005 is held at this angle, it is almost in a straight line with a paper feed tray, which will be described later, and recording paper can be placed thereon. Reference numeral 2007 is an ink lid provided on the front side of the apparatus and forming a part of the apparatus case. The ink lid 2007 is rotatably supported by a shaft provided at the lower part of the front side of the device, and the lid 2007 can be rotated as needed.
007 can be opened towards the front. This makes it possible to perform attachment/detachment operations such as attachment and detachment of the ink cartridge housed inside.

Reference numeral 2009 is a paper discharge tray that is detachably attached to the apparatus. A paper discharge tray 2009 is mounted at a predetermined angle at the rear of the apparatus, and can sequentially stack recording papers that have been recorded. Reference numeral 2011 denotes an operation unit, which is provided on one side of the main case 2001 in front of the device. Operation unit 201
1 includes a display section 2011B for displaying the status of the device, etc., and keys 2011A for inputting various commands to the device.

FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B) are a side sectional view and a top view showing an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention with the apparatus cover shown in FIG. 1 removed. In addition, the second
Figure (B) shows a state in which the recording head, the carriage on which it is placed and moved, and the drive system for moving these are omitted.

In FIGS. 2(A) and (B), 601 is a paper feed tray, and the paper feed lid 2005 shown in FIG. 1 is opened (not shown in FIGS. 2(A) and CB). Together with this, the paper feed section is configured. The paper feed tray 601 is
A rotating shaft 601A provided at the rear end in the paper feeding direction is rotatably supported by a side plate 2017 forming the device frame, and the front end of the paper feeding tray 601 is supported by a spring 602.
The upper force shown in FIG. 2(A) is applied by the upper force. With these configurations, the recording paper stacked on the paper feed tray 601 (
It is not shown in FIGS. 2(A) and CB). In addition, in the following description, the recording paper includes a plastic sheet or the like, and the leading end of the paper (meaning the recording medium) is pressed by the pickup roller 604. In the paper feeding mechanism described above, 601C shown in FIG. 2(B) is a guide plate for guiding the paper according to the size of the recording paper.
D is a groove through which the guide plate 601C moves according to the size of the recording paper.

The pickup roller 604 consists of a pair of rollers, a half-moon roller 604A and an idler roller 604B. The idler roller 604B has a cross section of
It has a circular shape with a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the circumferential portion of 4A. Two pairs of pickup rollers 604 consisting of these one pair of rollers are provided near the front end of the paper feed tray 601 at a predetermined interval.
04 is fixed to a pickup roller shaft 604C that extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which recording paper is fed. One end of the pickup roller shaft 604C is rotatably supported by a part of the frame 2017, and the other end is connected to the clutch 619. Thereby, the driving force of the motor (not shown) is transmitted to the pickup roller shaft 604C via the clutch 619, and the pickup roller 604 can be rotated.

The recording paper stacked on the paper feed tray 601 is pressed by the pickup roller 604 as described above, so when the pickup roller 604 rotates, the recording paper first
The recording sheet is pushed out by the shoulder portion that connects the cutout portion and the circumferential portion of the half-moon roller 604A, and further, the recording paper conveyance path sent to.

Reference numeral 606 denotes a paper feed roller disposed on the downstream side of the pickup roller 604 on the recording paper conveyance path.

As shown in FIG. 2(B), four paper feed rollers 606 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the recording paper being conveyed, and these four paper feed rollers are used to feed the paper. It is fixed to a roller shaft 606A (not shown in FIG. 2(B)). As a result, the driving force of a paper feed motor (not shown) is transmitted to the paper feed roller shaft 606A, and the paper feed motor 606 can be rotated.

607 is a pinch roller provided corresponding to each of the paper feed rollers 606, and 6611 is arranged so that its circumferential surface is in contact with the circumferential surface of the paper feed roller 606, corresponding to each of the pinch rollers 607. The pinch roller holder is provided as a pinch roller holder, and one end of the pinch roller holder rotatably supports the pinch roller 607. Reference numeral 613 denotes a carriage rail, which is provided so as to extend over the movement area of the carriage, which will be described later. Pinch roller holder 61
1 has its other end pivotally supported by a carriage rail 613, and is biased diagonally downward in FIG. 2(A) by a spring 614 held between the carriage rail 613 and the pinch roller boulder 611. ing. As a result, the pinch roller 607 presses the recording paper conveyed between the pinch roller 607 and the paper feed roller 606, and the paper feed roller 606 can convey the recording paper by the frictional force generated by this pressing force. can.

Reference numeral 608 denotes a platen for regulating the recording surface of the recording paper, and is disposed on the recording paper conveyance path at a location downstream of the paper feed roller 606 and the like and facing a recording head to be described later. Furthermore, a paper discharge roller 609 is provided on the downstream side of the platen 608. The paper ejection roller 609 is shown in FIG. 2 (B
), nine rollers are arranged at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the conveyed recording paper, and these rollers are connected to the paper ejection roller shaft 609A.
Fixed. The paper ejection roller shaft 609A is rotated by a motor (not shown), and the main case 2001 shown in FIG.
The recording paper is ejected to the paper ejection tray 2009 shown in FIG. 1 by cooperation with the spur held by.

In the recording paper transport path described above, the paper feed tray 601
The recording sheets stacked on top are separated one by one by a pick-up roller 604 and a separating plate 605 and fed to a conveyance path, and the fed recording sheets are guided by a paper guide 608A and passed through a paper feed roller 606. pinch roller 6
07 Transported between. During this transport, the recording paper
One end of the paper edge detection sensor lever 615 is contacted, and the resulting movement of the other end of the lever 615 causes the paper edge photosensor 6 to
By changing the detection state by 17, the edge of the recording paper can be detected. Further, a reflective paper width sensor 623 is provided at the bottom of the carriage, which will be described later, and can detect the paper width of the recording paper being conveyed.

The paper feed roller 606 conveys the recording paper onto the platen 608 in response to the recording operation by the recording head, for example, one line at a time recorded by the recording head, thereby recording two images of characters, etc. on the recording paper. . At this time, the recording paper is urged toward the platen 608 by the paper presser plate spring 621, so that the recording area of the recording paper can be kept flat.

The recorded paper is discharged onto a paper discharge tray by a paper discharge roller 609.

As is clear from FIG. 2(A), the recording paper transport path from the wetted paper feed tray 601 to the paper ejection roller 609 and further to the paper ejection tray 2009 shown in FIG. Therefore, the stiffness of the recording paper allows the recording paper to come into close contact with the platen 608, thereby making it possible to keep the recording area on the recording paper flat.

In FIG. 2(A), 1 is a recording head section, and a third
It is equipped with four recording RAD chips corresponding to each ink color detailed in the figure. These head chips are attached to the carriage body 201 of the carriage section 200 so that they can be easily attached and detached. 203 is a carriage cover, and
205 is a head cover. By attaching these covers to the carriage body 201, the electrical connection to the recording chip and the positioning of the chip are performed.
Fixation etc. are done. In addition, 300 is the carriage main body 20
1. The sub-ink tank 300 collects air bubbles in the ink supply system and buffers pressure fluctuations that occur in the ink supply system as the carriage moves. It is possible to prevent the recording head from being affected by pressure fluctuations. The above-described recording head section 1 and below, the carriage body 20
1, the carriage body 201 is slidably engaged with the guide shaft 2I3 (only its cross section is shown in FIG. 2(A)), and the carriage body 201 and a portion thereof are Movement along the guide shaft 213 is enabled by driving the connected belt by a carriage motor (not shown).

Further, in FIG. 2(A), reference numeral 211 is a position lever whose position can be changed manually by the operator, and one end thereof is rotated by a shaft 211C provided in a part of the carriage body 201. Freely pivoted. Further, a hemispherical convex portion 211B is provided at the other end of the position lever 211, and this is connected to the carriage portion 20.
The position lever 211 can be fixed in three positions by engaging with recesses formed at three locations on the side plate (not shown) of the 0. The position lever 211 is as shown in Fig. 2 (A).
When the carriage main body 201 is in the positions I and H shown in FIG.
3 as a rotation axis, and assumes a position according to the contact between the position lever 211 and the carriage rail 613.

That is, the position lever 211 shown in FIG. 2(A)
At position I, a portion of the carriage body 201 is slidably abutted against the upper surface of the carriage rail 613, as shown in detail in FIG. In this abutting relationship, the recording RAD tip is located relatively close to the platen 608.

On the other hand, when the position lever 211 is at position (2), the holding member 211A, which is integrally provided with the position lever 211, comes into contact with the upper surface of the carriage rail 613. As a result, the carriage main body 201 uses this contact area as a point of action and also uses the guide shaft 213 as a fulcrum to rotate with the upward force shown in FIG. take a position.

In the above-mentioned structure of the position lever, when recording paper having relatively poor ink absorption characteristics is used, for example, by setting the lever 211 to position II, the RAD tip for recording is spaced relatively far from the platen 608. This is because, in the above case, the recording paper may cause phenomena such as waving due to ink from recording, and this may cause problems such as the recording paper rubbing against the recording surface and damaging the ejection orifice surface of the RAD chip. Position lever 211■
This is because by doing so, it is possible to prevent this problem from occurring. In addition, when using recording paper that has relatively excellent ink absorption characteristics, such consideration is not necessary.
The position lever 211 may be set to position (3).

Further, the position II+ of the position lever 211 is a position for preventing the carriage section 200 from moving to the right when the carriage section 200 is at the home position. That is, as shown in FIG. 2(B), the latching hole 61 provided near the left end of the carriage rail 613
3B is engaged with the protrusion 2110 provided at the tip of the position lever 211, and the carriage part 200 (Fig. 2 (Bl
(not shown) is prevented from moving to the right.

Note that the position of the position lever 211 can also be notified by display or sound.

That is, as described above, the position lever 211 is manually changed by the operator of this device.For example, when the gear ridge portion 200 is at the home position, the position lever 211 is at position II+. If you try to record without forgetting it, a message may be displayed to inform you that the position lever will be released.

Also, depending on the three positions of the position lever 211,
The current position of the position lever 211 may be displayed.

Furthermore, when a vibration exceeding a predetermined level is applied to the device during transportation of the device, etc., the position of the position lever is detected at the same time as when this is detected, and if this is the position I11, that is, the position where the carriage part is not fixed. This may be notified by a buzzer or the like.

According to this configuration for preventing carriage movement, it is possible to prevent accidents such as unnecessary movement of the gear ridge section 200 and recording head section 1 during transportation of the present recording apparatus and damage to these and other parts of the apparatus. can.

In FIG. 2(A), 230 is a cover fixed to the apparatus frame, and an ink supply tube that follows the movement of the carriage section 200.

Protect flexible cables, etc.

Ite in Figure 2 (A) and (B), 901.8,
901G.

901M and 901Y are ink cartridges installed in the ink supply unit described later, and each includes an ink bag and an ink bag for storing ink of black (BK), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow fY). A discharge port (stores a waste ink bag for storing ink discharged by ink suction in a certain process, etc.). An ink absorber 911 is disposed at the lower part of the ink supply unit 1- to which an ink cartridge is installed. The inflow absorber 911 has a restoring force against external forces such as oppression, and is inserted in a compressed state between the recess of the frame 913 that constitutes the supply unit l- and the bottom plate 2015 that constitutes the device frame. As a result, even if ink leaks from the ink cartridge 901, it can be absorbed by the absorber 911.Furthermore, vibrations associated with driving the motor transmitted via the bottom plate 2015 etc. can be absorbed by the absorber 911. 911, thereby reducing the noise generated as the device is driven.

Note that the absorber used for absorbing vibrations does not necessarily have to be disposed on the upper side (lower part of the ink supply unit), but can be disposed at a more effective position for reducing device noise.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the carriage section 200 and the head section 1 showing details of the recording head section 1 mounted on the carriage main body 201 described above.

In FIG. 3, lO is a recording radar chip provided corresponding to each of the four colors of ink, and since there are four in the direction perpendicular to the diagram, only one is shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. It can be done. The head depth 1O has the shape shown in the same figure and is connected in such a way that a substrate made of Si is laminated on a plate-shaped base made of A°C, and furthermore, a substrate made of Si is layered on the SL substrate to store thermal energy used for ejection. An electrothermal transducer for generating electricity, electrode wiring for supplying power to the electrothermal transducer, and a head driver for driving the electrothermal transducer according to a recording signal are formed on this substrate together with the substrate. By joining a top plate having a concave portion for forming a discharge port, a liquid path communicating therewith, and a common liquid chamber for supplying ink to the liquid path, with the concave portion inside,
Radchip IO is configured for recording. The recording radar chip of this example has 64 ejection ports on its front surface where the ejection ports are provided. A front plate 11 having openings corresponding to areas where these ejection ports are provided is disposed on the front side of the recording RAD chip 10. The electrothermal converter is disposed in the ink liquid path communicating with each of these ejection ports, and the electrothermal converter generates heat in response to the application of electric pulses to cause film boiling in the ink. Ink is ejected from the ejection port based on the generation of bubbles due to this film boiling.

The carriage cover 203, which constitutes one of the mounting members for the recording RAD chip 1O, has a connector 207 for electrical connection with the electrical wiring terminal of the recording RAD chip 1O.
are held together according to the recording head depth lO, and when the cover 203 is attached, that is, from the state in which the cover 203 is removed, which is indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. Connectors 207 connect the RAD chips IO to their respective corresponding records during the mounting state shown in FIG. This connection is recorded in Radchip lO
This is done by inserting the terminals into the four parts of the connector 207.

At this time, the four recording RAD chips 10 are attached to predetermined positions of the carriage body 201 in an accurately positioned state, and the connectors 207 are connected along these positions. For this reason, the insertion opening of the recess of the connector 207 is formed in an R-shape so that the terminal can be inserted smoothly.

The operation of the carriage cover 203 is shown in FIG. 2(A).
As shown in [i], a shaft 221 provided on the carriage body 201 engages with an elongated hole 223 formed in a part of the carriage cover 203, thereby guiding its operation. This carriage cover can particularly protect the recording chip and its terminal portion.

4(A) to 4(C) are diagrams for explaining how to attach the recording head chip 10, and FIG. 4(A) is a front view of the carriage main body 201 and the recording head 10, and FIG. (
B) is a partial side sectional view of the carriage body 201, and FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the recording head depth IO.

In these figures, reference numeral 15 indicates a guide groove formed in the recording head 10, and a guide 21 provided in the head mounting portion of the carriage body 201 when the head chip IO is mounted.
5. Reference numeral 13 denotes an inward supply pipe for supplying ink to the common liquid chamber in the recording bed chip 10, and during the above-mentioned mounting, the carriage main body 20 is
It is inserted into the supply port 219 provided in 1. With this configuration, from the sub-ink tank 300 to the supply duplex 31
1. Ink is supplied to the common liquid chamber via the supply port 219 and the supply pipe 13.

The attachment of the recording RAD chip IO to the carriage body 201 will be described with reference to FIG. 4(A).

When installing the head chip 10, first, the guide groove 5 of the head depth 10 engages with the guide 215 on the carriage side, and the head chip 10
is moved downward, and the supply pipe 13 is inserted into the supply port 219 on the carriage side. The supply pipe 13 can be smoothly inserted into the supply port 219 by the guide. This movement is stopped when a portion of the bottom of the Herad chip IO hits a portion of the bottom of the head mounting portion on the carriage side. At this time, a part of the head depth 10 is inserted into a recess formed in the carriage body 201, as shown in FIG.
The position of the discharge direction is determined. Thereafter, by attaching the head cover 205 as detailed in FIG. 5, the positions of the RAD chips for individual recording and the bits between these chips are determined.

FIGS. 5(A) to 5(C) are diagrams showing details of the head cover 205, where FIG. 5A is a front view of the head cover seen from the back side, FIG. Same figure (C)
is a partial cross-sectional view seen from above.

Hereinafter, the positioning of the head chip 10 by the head cover 205 will be explained in FIGS. 3, 4fA) and 5(A).
This will be explained with reference to 1-(C).

As explained in FIG. 4, the head cover 205 is attached to the recording chip 1o attached to the carriage main body 201, and the head cover 205 is attached to the recording chip 1o as shown in FIG.
It is attached to the carriage body 201 so as to cover the side of the O. By this attachment, the leaf springs 221 and 223 of the head cover 205 shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 use their elastic force to push the head chip 10 as shown in FIG.
Press toward the reference surface 217 shown in A) and the bottom surface 221 of the head depth mounting portion shown in FIG. 4FA). As a result, the recording Radchip 10 is arranged in the direction in which it is arranged (in the middle pressure right direction in FIG. 4(A)) and in the direction in which the ejection ports are arranged (in FIG.
A) Positioning is performed in the vertical and vertical directions. At this time, the four reference surfaces 217 and the bottom surface 22 shown in FIG.
Since the mutual positional relationship of the head chips 1 is accurately determined, the pitch between the ejection port rows of each head chip and the above-mentioned vertical positional relationship are accurately determined by mounting the head cover 205.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of positioning using a head cover.

As shown in FIG. 6, instead of the leaf spring 221 shown in FIG. 5, the head cover 205 is provided with a leaf spring 225 corresponding to each recording RAD chip. The leaf spring 225 is attached to the end of the head cover 205, and presses the chamfered portion of the head chip IO when the cover 205 is attached. Thereby, this pressing force generates component forces in the ejection direction and the ejection port arrangement direction, and the head chip 10 can be positioned in each direction.

7(A) and 7(B) are perspective views showing details of the sub-tank 300 shown in FIG. 2(A) etc., and FIG. The figure (B) shows the opposite side.

Moreover, FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view showing the sub-tank in an exploded manner.

As shown in these figures, the sub-tank 300 consists of three parts. That is, a tank member 331 for forming an ink chamber and an air chamber. Intermediate plate 33 with connecting holes formed
3. and a connecting plate 33 in which a connecting groove and a connecting pipe are formed.
Consists of 5. Each of these members can be obtained, for example, by molding a resin material, and the members can be joined by ultrasonic welding.

The tank member 331 has four chambers 3 corresponding to each color of ink.
318, 331C, 331M, and 331Y.

The middle plate 333 has, as shown in detail in FIG.
Connecting holes connecting each chamber of the tank member 331 and the connecting groove of the connecting plate 335 are formed, and among these connecting holes, reference numeral 34
1 is the connecting pipe 321 shown in FIG. 7(A).
The one designated by the reference numeral 343 is connected to the connection pipe 323 shown in FIG. It constitutes a part of the air flow path sucked from each of the above chambers by the suction force of the recovery unit. Further, although not shown in FIG. 8, connecting holes forming part of the ink supply path to the head chip 10 are formed corresponding to the positions of the respective connecting pipes 325 shown in FIG. 7(A). .

As shown in FIG. 7(A), the connection plate 335 has three
Types of connecting pipes are formed. That is, the connection tube 321 is connected to the ink supply tube from the ink cartridge 901 described above, and the connection tube 323 is connected to the suction pump of the ejection recovery unit, and the connection tube 325 is connected to the ink supply tube from the ink cartridge 901. The ink supply tube to the recording Radchip IO is connected to the connecting tube.

Furthermore, the arrangement of the connecting pipes is determined as follows. As shown in Figure 4 (Al and (B)),
First, the sub-tank 300 is attached to the carriage main body 201.
is attached so that its longitudinal direction is along the arrangement direction of each recording head. At this time, each of the connecting tubes 325 is arranged on the connecting plate 335 so as to be located 1° below the corresponding recording Radchip. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4(B), the ink supply tubes 311 that connect the respective connecting tubes 325 and the RAD chips 10 to each record can be smoothly supplied by simply bending within the plane of the figure. Become. Furthermore, since the direction of bending of the tube 311 is limited to within the above-mentioned plane, the influence of carriage movement on ink supply can be reduced. Connecting pipe 3 filled with water
Considering the shortest path from each chamber of the tank member 331 to each connection chamber and the influence of carriage movement under the installation position condition of 25, the installation position of the connection pipe 325 is as shown in FIG. 7(A).
As shown in FIG. 3, the positions are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the sub-tank 300. Therefore, connecting holes are provided in the intermediate plate 333 at positions corresponding to the respective connecting pipes 325 as described above.

The arrangement of the connecting pipes 321 and 323 is determined as follows.

First, the tubes connected to these connecting tubes are
The position of the connecting tube is determined along the longitudinal direction of the sub-ink tank 300, that is, along the moving direction of the carriage section indicated by arrow A in FIG. Second, the arrangement of the connecting tubes is determined so that the tubes corresponding to each of the four colors of ink are integrally connected to the connecting tube. Based on the above first and second arrangement conditions, the connection pipes 323 and 325 are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the carriage, respectively.

FIG. 10 is a top view showing the tube unit connected to the connecting pipes 321 and 323.
joints 351 and 353 respectively connected to 23
is shown. These tubes 355 and 357 follow the movement of the carriage in the direction shown by arrow C in the same figure, and the tubes are moved in a fixed direction (carriage movement direction) by arranging the connecting pipes filled with water. In this trailing portion of the tube, the tube only bends in certain directions. This makes it possible to reduce the influence of carriage movement on ink supply and the like.

Grooves 337 and 339 as shown in FIG. 8 are formed in the connecting plate 335 according to the arrangement of the connecting pipes 321 and 323 which have been drained, and are connected to each of the connecting pipes and each tank chamber 3.
31 (BK, C, M, Y) are connected.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the sub-ink tank 300. As shown in the figure, grooves for connecting each tank chamber and the connecting pipe can also be formed in the middle plate 333.

Figure 11 (A) and (B) are respectively Figure 2 (A)
and (B) are cross-sectional views showing details of the paper feeding mechanism shown in FIG.
B) shows the case of transporting cardboard.

In these figures, the pinch roller 607 is rotatably supported by a pinch roller holder 611, and the pinch roller holder 611 rotatably engages with the carriage rail 613 at an end 611B. Further, a spring 614 is inserted between the pinch roller holder 611 and the carriage rail 613, and the carriage rail 61
3 is biased downward in FIG. 11 by springs 631 hooked to hooks 613B at both ends thereof, as shown in FIG. It is being As a result, the pinch roller 607 can press the paper feed roller 606 due to the elastic force of the spring 614.

In the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 11(A), when relatively thin recording paper is conveyed, the pinch roller 6
The displacement of the pinch roller 607 caused by the thickness of the recording paper between the recording paper 07 and the paper feed roller 606 is absorbed by only the pinch roller holder 611 being displaced upward in FIG.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11(B), in the case of relatively thick recording paper, the pinch roller 60 due to the thickness of the paper
The displacement of 7 cannot be completely absorbed by the rotational displacement of the pinch roller holder 611, and the pinch roller holder 611 further displaces in accordance with the displacement of the pinch roller 607 and abuts its end 611A against the carriage rail 613, thereby releasing the spring. Push it up against the elastic force of 631. That is, the displacement of the pinch roller 607 when relatively thick recording paper is conveyed is absorbed by the displacement of the pinch roller holder 611 and the subsequent displacement of the carriage rail 613.

At this time, the carriage rail 613 moves along the carriage main body 201 according to the position of the position lever 211 described above.
Alternatively, since it is in contact with the holding member 211A, the carriage portion 200, that is, the recording head portion l is displaced in accordance with the displacement of the carriage rail 613.

According to the paper feed mechanism described above, when the recording paper used is relatively thin, the pinch roller 607 feeds the paper through the recording paper by displacing the pinch roller holder 611 and applying an appropriate pressing force depending on the paper thickness. The roller 606 can be acted upon.

Also, if the recording paper is relatively thick, use the pinch roller holder 6.
1.1 and the carriage rail 613 are displaced, the pinch roller 607 can apply an appropriate pressing force to the paper feed roller 606 according to the paper thickness, and the pinch roller 607 can apply an appropriate pressing force to the paper feed roller 606 depending on the paper thickness and the distance between the recording paper and the recording head. It can be set as appropriate depending on the situation. It goes without saying that the paper feeding mechanism described above operates effectively regardless of the position (I or II) of the position lever 211 described above.

The structure and operation of the paper feeding device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 12 (Al and FIG. 12 (B). In addition, in FIG. 12 (A), the recording paper is a thin sheet 610A.
In the case of Fig. 12 (Bl is the recording paper is a thick sheet 610B
The behavior of the separation plate 605 in the case of the following is shown.

In these figures, 651 is a loosely fitting groove for supporting the separation plate 605 provided in the support member 603 that forms part of the device frame, and the opening direction of the groove 651 is approximately oriented toward the center of the axis of the pickup roller 604. It is formed like this.

The separation plate 605 also has a spring 612 held between the spring holding portion 605A and the bottom of the loose fitting groove 651, and hook-shaped claw portions 605B extending downward from both sides of the spring holding portion 605A. These claws 605
B is fitted into the engagement hole 651A provided at the bottom of the loose fit groove 651, thereby preventing the separation plate 605 from falling out of the loose fit groove 651. With the above configuration, the separation plate 6
05 Furrow 6]2 while supporting the loose fitting groove 651
This allows for internal swinging and vertical movement. Note that the stiffness 6]2 is selected to have an appropriate spring constant depending on the expected stiffness range of the recording paper used for recording.

In the paper feeding device configured as described above, FIG.
As shown in A), a thin sheet 610A with a relatively weak stiffness as recording paper is placed in the feeding cassette, that is, the paper feeding tray 6.
Suppose that it is stored in 01. When the pickup roller 604 is driven by the feed signal in this state, the feed cassette h
The thin sheet 610A located at the uppermost surface on the sheet 601 is sent out. Then, the tip of the sea 1-61OA first comes into contact with the separation plate 605.

In response, the separation plate 605 is displaced to a position corresponding to the stiffness of the thin sheet 1-610A and the spring force of the spring 612 supporting the separation plate 605, and the thin sheet 610A approaches the separation plate 605. The angle (the angle formed by the recording sheet advancing direction and the plane of the separating plate) can be set to an optimal angle, and the conveying force (frictional force) generated between the half-moon roller 604A and the recording sheet can be made good. be able to.

In addition, when a thick sheet 610B with relatively strong stiffness is stored in the feeding cassette 601 and fed as shown in FIG. 605, the separating plate 60
5 is pushed down, its shoulder 605C hits the bottom of the groove 651, and it rotates using this shoulder 605C as a rotation fulcrum. As a result, the angle of approach formed between the recording sheet and the separation plate 605 can be made smaller than that shown in FIG. It is possible to prevent the conveyance force (frictional force) from becoming excessive and avoid paper feeding failures in the case of thick paper.

(Recovery Unit) FIG. 13 shows a schematic configuration of a recovery unit 400 according to this example.

Here, 401 is a unit case, and the following parts are held in this unit case 401. 40
Reference numeral 3 denotes a motor that is a driving source for operating each part in the unit, and the driving force is transmitted to a worm wheel shaft 411 via a worm 407 attached to a motor output shaft 405 and a worm wheel 409 that meshes with the worm 407.

Reference numeral 420 denotes a cap portion that can come into contact with the ejection orifice forming surface IA of the recording head 1 and cover the ejection orifice periphery, and at least the portion that contacts the ejection orifice forming surface is formed of an elastic member such as rubber. Reference numeral 430 denotes a cap press-contact/equalization part for press-contacting the cap part 420 with the discharge port forming surface IA and ensuring a close contact state by conforming to the cap part 420. 440 is a pump, and the suction tube 4 communicates with the cap portion 420.
42 and the above-mentioned sub-tank 300 through a suction tube 444 communicating with each other, a suction force is applied to each of them, and the ink is suctioned toward a waste ink absorber (not shown) in the ink tank via a waste ink duplex 446. discharge. The pump 440 is driven by a pump drive lever 452 provided on the shaft 411 and engaged with a pump drive cam 450.

In this example, the duplex 442 that communicates the gap portion 420 and the pump 440 is bent in the vertical direction -1- direction from the gear tube through hole 442A to which the tube 442 is connected, and is then connected to the pump 440 located below. It is supposed to be done. As a result, after ink is suctioned from the ejection port via the cap part 420, if suction processing (empty suction) is not performed in the uncapped state or is not performed sufficiently, a small amount of ink can be sucked into the tube 440. remain within. That is, the presence of the bend prevents all ink from flowing into the pump. By utilizing this fact, it is possible to keep the ejection port forming surface IA in a moist atmosphere in the capped state during recording interruption or stoppage, protect the ejection ports from drying, and prevent clogging and the like.

Therefore, it becomes possible to make the bow processing unnecessary or minimal when recording is resumed. In addition, when the ink is not in use for a long time or the power is turned off, sufficient empty suction can be performed to prevent ink from remaining in the tube and to prevent it from sticking in the duplex.

In addition, in this example, when the unit 400 is attached to the device, the discharge side of the pump 440 is located at the bottom in the vertical direction, and the discharge flow path is arranged so as to face downward. The ink is discharged smoothly under the influence of gravity.

FIG. 14(A) is a side sectional view of the recovery unit 400. Here, 461 is an access lever whose tip 461A enters into the recess 205+1 provided in the recording head cover 205 to directly face the cap portion 420 to the ejection port forming surface IA, and at least the tip thereof is attached to the recording head. It can be displaced or deformed in the scanning direction (direction perpendicular to the drawing). 465 is an access lever drive arm, which is coupled to the access lever 461. This arm is also rotatable around an axis 465A near one end. 467 is a cam provided on the shaft 411, and the arm 46
5 engages with pin 468 on top. 469 is bin 468
This is a spring for regulating the movement of the arm 465 by making it conform to the contour of the cam 467, and is stretched between the housing 401 and the protrusion 463 provided on the access lever 461, so that the arm 465 moves toward the cam 467 side. Gives rotational habit.

471 is a cap holder that holds the cap portion 420;
473 is a holder guide lever provided integrally with the cap holder 471, and its tip 475 is connected to the housing 401.
It protrudes through a hole made in the.

The cap holder 471 can move forward and backward with respect to the recovery unit 400 while holding the cap part 420, and as the cap holder 471 moves forward, the cap part 420 comes into contact with the discharge port forming surface IA, and as it retreats, this contact is released. In addition, the cap part 4
20 to the cap holder 471 are movable in the recording head scanning direction.

A spring 477 is provided at the tip 475 of the holder guide lever to cause the holder-side engaging portion to align with the cam that restricts the forward and backward movement of the cap holder 471.

The gap portion 420 is provided with an atmospheric communication hole, which will be described later.
This communication hole is also opened and closed via a cam 513, a drive lever 511, etc., which will also be described later. The opening/closing mechanism of the atmosphere communication hole, the advancing/retracting mechanism of the cap portion, the advancing/retracting mechanism of the access lever, etc. will be described later with reference to FIGS. 15 to 17.

In FIG. 14(A), reference numeral 481 denotes a lock portion for obtaining a locked state between the recovery unit 400 and the carriage portion 200 during recovery processing or the like.

In addition, in this example, the pump 440 is
Holder 48 as shown in FIG. 14(B) provided in 01A
It is held at 3. This holder 483 has a substantially C-shape, and holds the pump 440 by its elastic deformation and restoring force. Note that 491 and 493 are locking portions on the housing side and the pump side, respectively, and are used for positioning the pump 440 and maintaining the mounting position.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the recovery unit centered on the opening/closing mechanism of the atmospheric communication hole in the cap part, and Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the recovery unit centered on the opening/closing mechanism of the atmospheric communication hole in the cap part, and Fig. 16 is the opening/closing mechanism, the cap part advancing/retracting mechanism, and the access lever advancing/retracting tl.
FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the recovery unit, centered on the side.

First, the atmospheric communication mechanism will be explained.

In these figures, 501 is an atmosphere communication hole of the cap portion 420. Reference numeral 503 indicates an opening/closing lever, and the arm portion 503A is provided with a pad 505 for closing the atmosphere communication hole portion 501 and the arm portion 503 engages with the operating lever 511.
B, and is rotatably supported around a shaft 507. Reference numeral 509 is a spring for giving the opening/closing lever 503 the ability to rotate in the direction of closing the atmospheric communication hole.

The operating lever 511 includes a portion 511A that engages with the communication hole opening/closing cam 513 and an arm portion 503B of the opening/closing lever 503.
It has a portion 511B that engages with, and is rotatable around a shaft 515. 517 spring, which imparts a pivoting behavior to the actuating lever 511 in the direction in which the portion 511A abuts the cam 513. As a result, as the cam 513 is displaced, the space inside the cap portion 420 is communicated with/cut off from the atmosphere.

Next, a mechanism for advancing and retracting the cap portion 420 will be explained.

In FIG. 16, the cap holder 471 and the holder guide lever 473 are indicated by two-dot chain lines. 521
is a roller provided on the holder guide lever 473, which engages with the cap advancing/retracting cam 523.

531 is an elongated hole provided in the longitudinal direction of the access lever 461, into which a bottle 533 protruding from the cap holder 471 is fitted. Therefore, in this example, the cap portion 420 is guided by the elongated hole 531 when moving forward or backward.

Further, it is interlocked with the access lever 461 in the recording head scanning direction. A spring 535 cooperates with the spring 477 to bias the cap portion 420 in the backward direction. In addition, 205H should accept the entry of the access lever 461 (
This is a recess provided in the recording head cover 205.

Note that in FIG. 16, the access lever drive arm 465 is shown in a different position from that in FIG. 14 to simplify the drawing.

Next, the movement of the access lever 461 and the cap portion 420 into and out will be explained.

Generally, it is difficult to accurately stop the carriage at a position where the recording head ejection opening forming surface and the cap directly face each other. Therefore, for example, a member that can protrude toward the recovery unit side and a member that can receive it on the recording head side are provided, and by pushing the former into the latter, the carriage is forcibly set in a position where the recording head side directly faces the cap. It is possible to do so. However, a carriage like the one in this example is equipped with four recording heads, which are heavy, and forcibly displacing them as described above not only requires a large amount of force. This also causes an excessive load on the protruding member, cap, etc.

Therefore, in this example, a configuration is adopted in which the cap portion 420 side is displaced so as to directly face the recording head ejection port forming surface.

This will be explained using FIGS. 17(A) to (C).

First, the arrangement range H of the four recording heads to be covered by the cap parts and the arrangement range C of the four cap parts each covering the ejection orifice forming surface of the recording head separately are set as shown in FIG. Suppose that the carriage deviates by a certain amount and then stops.

When the access lever 461 is protruded from this state, the tapered portion 461T of the tip portion 461A eventually engages with the recess 205H of the head cover 205, and the access lever 461 is supported so as to be displaceable in the carriage scanning direction S. If there is, the bottle 533 and the elongated hole 531 will be moved into the recess 205H while moving to the left as shown in FIG.
Since these are engaged with each other, the cap holder 471 and the cap portion 420 are displaced in the same direction.

Therefore, in the state shown in FIG. 3C in which the access lever tip 461A has completed entering the recess 205H, there is no misalignment between the range H and the range C (that is, the recording head and the cap portion 4
20, so that accurate capping can be performed by advancing the cap portion 420.

In this example, strict accuracy is not required for controlling the stop position of the carriage, and the access lever can enter the recess as long as a certain degree of accuracy is secured. In other words, the two dimensions of the access lever tip shape, the two dimensions of the recess shape, etc. are selected depending on the accuracy of the carriage stop position.

In order for the tip of the access lever to enter smoothly, the entire access lever must be attached to the housing so that it can be displaced in translation in the scanning direction S, as described above, or it must be centered around the rear swing fulcrum. be attached to the housing such that it can be oscillated, and furthermore, at least the tip portion 4
61A may be elastically deformable to some extent, or a combination thereof may be adopted. In any case, it is sufficient that the elongated hole 531 constitutes a path for guiding the cap portion 420 to a predetermined position (accurate cap position) via the bottle 533 when the plunge is completed. For example, if the access lever 461 is swingable about the rear fulcrum, unlike in FIG. 17, the access lever 461 will be tilted when the entry is completed, and the ranges H and C will not face each other when the cap is not on. However, since the elongated hole 531 is also inclined, if the bottle 533 moves forward along this elongated hole 531, the cap portion 420 will eventually be able to accurately cover the recording head ejection opening forming surface.

Access lever 4 due to such entry on the cap side
61 In order to be able to follow the displacement or deformation of the barge elongated hole 531 without restricting it, and to be able to move forward and backward along the elongated length that has been displaced or deformed in this way, it is necessary to is preferably attached to the housing with some play.

In addition, in FIGS. 17(A) to (C), 540 is a blade which, like the above-mentioned parts, can move forward and backward by a cam provided in the recovery unit 400, and performs recording according to the scanning of the carriage in the protruding state. It engages with and cleans the head discharge port forming surface.

Figures 18(A) to (C) show the pump 4 used in this example.
40 configuration examples are shown.

Pump 440 includes a cylinder body 551, cylinder heads 553 and 555, a piston 557, and a valve unit 559. The valve unit 559 is attached to one cylinder head 553, and the cylinder head 553 has a portion 563 that is snap fastened to a protrusion 561 on the cylinder body 551.
This makes it possible to easily attach the valve unit 559 and cylinder head 553.

The valve unit 559 includes a valve element 565 that can open and close the ink inlet from the cap side and the sub-tank side, and a spring 567 that biases the valve element in the closing direction.

The piston 557 is arranged between a piston shaft 557A in which a flow passage 556 is formed in a part, a valve body 571 and a flange portion 573 provided on the piston shaft 557A, and the valve body and the flange in a loosely fitted state on the shaft 557A. , and a frame 570 having an ink flow path 570A formed therein. Further, the cylinder head 555 has a sealing portion 555A,
Similar to the cylinder head 553 above, the cylinder body 551
mounted on.

In such a configuration, when the piston 557 is displaced downward in the figure as shown in FIG.
5 opens the ink inlet, thereby allowing ink to be absorbed from the cap side and the sub-tank side, and
Since the valve body 571 closes the flow path 570A, the ink in the lower chamber is discharged through the pipe portion 575 without causing backflow. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5C, when the piston 557 is displaced upward, the valve body 571
A is opened, and the ink stored in the upper chamber flows into the flow path 5.
70A and 556 into the lower chamber. Further, at this time, since the valve body 565 closes the ink inlet, ink does not flow back to the cap side and the sub tank side.

The pump 440 configured and operated as described above is attached to the recovery unit housing 401 using a holder as shown in FIG. 14(B). In addition, in this example, the piston 44
A total of four 0's are provided, one for one cap, that is, one recording head. This has the following advantages:

In this example, the recording head is equipped with 4 side G, corresponding to different colored inks (yellow, magenta, cyan, black).
I'm tired. However, the amount of ink to be sucked during recovery processing varies depending on the frequency of use, ink composition, etc. of each recording head.

Therefore, if a pump is used in common, and if substantially the same negative pressure acts on each head, it is necessary to use a pump whose capacity is determined according to the amount of ink sucked from the recording head that requires the most ink consumption. This not only increases the size of the pump, but also causes more ink to be suctioned from the recording head, which requires less consumption during recovery processing.

In contrast, in this example, the capacity of each pump can be determined in accordance with the amount of ink suction required by each recording head, and the inconvenience caused when the pump is used in combination can be avoided.

FIG. 19 is a conceptual diagram of the drive system of four pumps according to this example. As shown in the figure, in this example, the pump 440 has two side sets, and each set has a cam 450 attached to a shaft 471.
and lever 452. In this example, the cam phases of each set are made equal, that is, the four pumps 440 are driven in the same phase. Therefore, assembly work becomes easy.

However, the phases of the pumps may be different, or cams and levers may be provided for each pump and driven at different phases. This is preferable from the viewpoint of arranging or driving the load in a well-balanced manner.

The operation timing of each part of the recovery unit such as the cam and each part driven by the cam can be determined, for example, as shown in FIG. 20. Note that in the figures, the "sensor" may be a sensor that detects the open state of the cap.

Furthermore, in the "small recovery" and "main recovery" modes, for example, the amount of ink suction can be made different, so-called preliminary ejection can be included, etc. Further, after the recovery process, it is preferable to make the blade protrude and clean the discharge port forming surface.

Further, in this example, the access lever is protruded prior to capping, and conversely, the capping is released prior to retraction of the access lever. This is because the cap portion 420 is moved back and forth along the elongated hole 531 of the access lever described above. Also, when applying capping,
and when canceling this, at any other appropriate timing,
The atmosphere communication hole of the cap portion 420 is opened. this is,
This is effective in preventing undesirable pressure fluctuations occurring in the space inside the cap when the cap is joined/separated, thereby preventing air from being taken into the ink ejection port or causing ink leakage.

(Arrangement of Ink Tanks) FIG. 21 is a plan view of the ink tank storage section of the apparatus of this example.

Here, 701 (to 7018, 701G, 701
M, 701Y) is an ink tank in the form of a cartridge having an ink storage section serving as an ink supply source and a waste ink storage section serving as a waste ink reservoir, and is detachable from the main body of the apparatus.

703 (7038, 703C, 7031J, 703Y
) is an ink supply pipe, which is connected to an ink storage section in an ink tank. Also, 707 (7078,
707C, 707M, 707Y) are waste ink pipes, which communicate the pump 440 with waste ink storage portions in each ink tank.

Regarding the arrangement of ink tanks, etc., the following points were particularly taken into consideration in this example.

Due to its composition, ink has different susceptibility to thickening and sticking depending on the color. For example, thickening and sticking tend to occur in the order of black (BK), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y). As a result, the ink tends to thicken and stick even within the ink supply pipe, which is a closed system. In this example, the supply pipe was constructed using a Bollier tube, but no matter what material the supply pipe is made of, a small amount of air may enter through the pipe wall.
Alternatively, the ink solvent may evaporate. Therefore, the supply pipe is long (and the amount of air entering or the amount of evaporation of the ink solvent is also large).

Therefore, in this example, all the supply pipes are routed in the same direction (in this example, on the left side in the figure), and ink tanks containing lions of ink that are likely to thicken and stick are arranged in the order of distance from the supply side. . In other words, the length of the supply tube for ink that tends to thicken and stick is made shorter (in the order of black, cyan, magenta, and yellow from the left in the figure). This makes it possible to reduce the amount of intruding air or the amount of solvent evaporation for materials that are more likely to thicken and stick. Incidentally, the above also applies to the ink discharge system leading to the waste ink storage section.

In the figure, reference numeral 800 denotes a remaining ink amount detection device, which will be described next, and is arranged between the ink storage section in the ink tank 701 and the ink supply pipe 703. Also, 707
Reference numeral 709 denotes a cable that brings together wiring related to the remaining ink amount detection device 800 and wiring related to a sensor that detects whether or not an ink tank is attached, and 709 is a connector portion thereof.

(Remaining ink amount detection system) Figure 22 (A) is a plan view of the ink pressure detection device.
Figure (B) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the same device.

801 is a flow path member having an ink flow path 803 inside, and includes a pair of upper and lower members 801A and lower member 801B.
It consists of. Upper member 801A has a circular opening 805. 807 is a ring-shaped diaphragm, the peripheral portion of which is held between the upper member 801A and the pressing member 809, and covers the peripheral portion of the opening 805. Upright stop members 811 are provided at the four upper corners of the upper member 80, and through holes 813 are vertically formed at the four corners of the presser member 809.
A stepped portion 813A is formed on the outer side of the upper part of 3. The stop member 811 has elasticity, and a stop claw 811A is formed on the outside of the tip. The upper surface of the locking claw 811A is sloped.

Each stop member 81 is provided in each through hole 813 of the holding member 809.
1 is located, and the locking claw 811A of the stopper member 811 is located at the stepped portion 8.
13A, the presser member 809 is fixed to the upper member 801A, and the diaphragm 807 is held between the upper member 801A and the presser member 809. In addition,
A protruding portion 881 is formed around the upper surface of the second side member 80A, and a notch 8 is formed around the lower surface of the corresponding presser member 809.
83 is formed, and by fitting them together, the pressing member 809 is positioned and fixed to the upper member 801A.

A support member 815 is attached to the center portion of the diaphragm 807 so as to close the inner opening, and a protrusion at the upper center of the support member 815 (located at the center of the opening 805) 8
The proximal end of the locking member 817 is fixed (for example, screwed) to the support member 815 so as to fit into the locking member 815A.

The locking member 817 includes two elastic locking pieces 8 that stand upright.
19, and a locking claw 8 is provided on the outside of the tip of each locking piece 819.
19A is formed. The upper surface of the locking claw 81.9^ is sloped. Note that the two locking pieces 819 are connected to the opening 80.
They are placed symmetrically from the center of 5.

A through hole 82] is vertically formed in the center of the holding member 809, and two locking pieces 81 are inserted into this through hole 821.
9 is located. A coiled spring 82 is installed inside the through hole 821.
3 and a spring locking ring 825 are located, and the lower end of the spring 823 is located outside of the two locking pieces 819 through the through hole 82.
It is supported by an annular protrusion (spring receiver) 821A at the bottom of 1. The spring stop ring 825 has a locking piece 8 on the inside.
The spring 823 is prevented from being removed by the locking claw 819A of No. 19, and in this state, the upper end of the spring 823 is pushed down. The spring 823 is compressed by both (the annular protrusion 821A and the spring stop ring 825). Therefore, due to the repulsive force of the spring 823 (ignoring the pressure of ink in the ink flow path 803), the upper peripheral portion of the support member 815 is moved into the annular protrusion 821A.
The diaphragm 807 and the support member 815 are pulled upward so as to come into contact with the lower surface of the diaphragm 807 and the support member 815.

A cutout 827 is formed in one example of the holding member 809, and the middle portion of a pair of contact members (conductive) 829, 831 is fixed to the bottom of the cutout 827. The tips of the pair of contact members 829 and 831 (J, the annular protrusion 821A through the hole 827A formed at the bottom of the notch 827)
Connector 833 (for connecting to an electric circuit for detecting the amount of ink remaining) is attached to the rear end of the
Lead wires 835 and 837 from are connected. A spring 82 is attached to the lower surface of the tip of the pair of contact members 829 and 831.
The upper surface of the support member 815 is pressed by the repulsive force of No. 3 to the peripheral portion (having conductivity) of the upper surface of the supporting member 815, and conducts with each other through this portion.

The ink pressure sensing device configured as described above can be assembled very easily as follows.

First, the diaphragm 8 is placed on the opening 805 of the channel member 801.
07, and then lower the holding member 809 from above the channel member 801 so that the stopper members 811 are located in the through holes 813 at the four corners. As a result, the slope of the upper surface of the locking pawl 811A of the stopper member 811 hits the inner edge of the through hole 813 of the holding member 809, and the stopper member 811 is pushed by this.
1 tilts inward and enters the through hole 8]3 (that is, the holding member 809 descends), and with the holding member 809 pressing the diaphragm 807 from above, the through hole 8]3
The locking claw 811A of the stopper member 811 is attached to the upper step portion 813A.
moves elastically (returns to its original position) and is locked, and the presser member 809 is positioned and fixed on the upper member 80]A.

Next, the spring 823 is inserted into the through hole 821, its lower end is placed on the annular protrusion 821A, and the spring stop ring 825 is placed on the annular protrusion 821A.
is positioned above the two locking pieces 819 and pushed down. As a result, the slopes of the upper surfaces of the locking claws 819A of the two locking pieces 819 are pressed against the inner edge of the spring stop ring 825, and the two
The two locking pieces 819 are inclined inwardly toward each other due to their elasticity, and the spring stop ring 825 is lowered, and the two locking pieces 819 are again tilted toward the outside due to their elasticity, and the two locking claws 819A is locked on the inner upper surface of the spring stop ring 825, and in this way, the spring stop ring 825 is prevented from being removed by the two locking pieces 819, and the spring 823 is compressed by the spring stop ring 825 and the annular protrusion 821A. . Note that the pair of contact members 829 and 831 are attached to the pressing member 809 in advance.

According to the above configuration, the distance between the spring stop ring 825 and the annular protrusion 821A is constant, and the spring 82
The compressive force (repulsive force) of No. 3 falls within a predetermined range. Thus, diaphragm 807 responds to negative pressure within a predetermined range of ink within ink flow path 803, causing support member 815 to open a pair of contact members 829, 831.

Therefore, according to the ink pressure detection device of the present invention, the detected pressure falls within the range in which the remaining amount of ink is stabilized, for example as shown by arrow A in FIG. 24, without any adjustment.

Note that normally, the pressure of ink in the ink flow path is detected by an ink sensor when the carriage is stopped or while the carriage is running (excluding when the carriage returns). This is because, as shown in FIGS. 23(A) and 23(B), when the carriage 851 returns to the left side and returns to the right side, an inertial force acts on the ink in the ink flow path 853 as shown by the arrow in the figure, and the influence As a result, extra negative pressure is applied to the ink in the ink flow path when returning to the left side, and extra pressure is applied to the ink in the ink flow path when returning to the right side, and the ink sensor 855
This is because the true amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge 857 cannot be detected.

For reference, FIGS. 25(A) and 25(B) show a plan view and a vertical cross-sectional view of a conventional ink pressure detection device (ink sensor). 859 is a channel member having an ink channel 861 inside, 863 is a holding member, the diaphragm 865 is held between these members 859, 863, and the supporting member 8 is attached to the center of the diaphragm 865.
A center portion 867A of 67 protrudes into a through hole 869 at the center of the holding member 863, and a ring-shaped adjuster 871 is screwed into the upper part of this center portion 867A. The spring 873 is compressed by the portion 869A, and when the ink in the ink flow path 861 is higher than a predetermined negative pressure, the diaphragm 865 and the support member 867 are lifted up by the repulsive force of the spring 873, and the annular protrusion 869A The peripheral upper surface of the support member 867 presses the tips of the pair of contact members 875 and 877 located on the lower surface of the support member 867 to bring them into electrical contact with each other.

According to such a configuration, when the ink in the ink flow path 861 falls below a predetermined negative pressure, the diaphragm 865 responds and the support member 867 descends, and as a result, the pair of contact members 875 and 877 The support member is separated from the tip and a predetermined negative pressure is thus detected. Therefore, the negative pressure detected by the pair of contact members 875 and 877 is caused by the spring 87
Corresponds to the repulsive force of 3.

However, in the conventional ink pressure detection device as described above, extremely troublesome adjustments must be made during assembly to bring the detected negative pressure to a predetermined value. In other words, the spring 87 can be adjusted by appropriately turning the Asia scoop 871.
3, the detected negative pressure value varies. For example, Figure 24 shows the relationship between the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge (g) and the negative pressure of ink in the ink flow path. As shown in the figure, the value of negative pressure to be detected is set to 65 ± 5 mm.
In order to make it approximately q, the pressure of the spring 873 must be finely adjusted using the adjuster 871, which is extremely troublesome.

(Supply Pipe Connection Portion) FIGS. 26(A) and 26(B) show an example of the configuration of the ink supply tube connection portion.

Here, 901 is a joint made of rubber, for example, attached to the main body frame 900, and is attached to the ink tank 7018.
~703Y is fitted into the ink supply pipe 7038 from 701Y, and ~9 is fitted into the communication pipe section 9258 described below.
It has a receiving part that receives the fitting of 25Y. This receiving part 9
03 is provided with a valve body 905 that narrows the ink flow path to such an extent that no ink leakage occurs when ~925Y is not attached to the communicating pipe portion 9258, and opens the ink flow path when it is attached.

Reference numeral 921 is a joint that is connected to the joint 901 on the main body frame 900 side to introduce ink to the recording head side, and the joint 921 has a distal end portion inserted into the receiving portion 903 of the joint 901 and a tube extending rearward. ~925Y to the communicating pipe portion 9258 having a portion, and the main body frame 900
a latch portion 927 that engages with a locking portion 907 provided on the holder, an operating portion 929 for releasing the engaged state by opening the latch portion 927 outward, and a protrusion 931 that will be described later with reference to FIG. , a frame section 9 that holds these
23 are integrally formed, for example, by molding of resin or the like. A joint member 915 made of, for example, rubber is held on the frame portion 923 and has four flow paths formed therein. At one end of these channels, a rearward extending portion of ~925Y is inserted into the communication tube portion 9258, and at the other end, ~301Y is inserted into the supply pipe 3018 leading to the recording head. Further, 917 indicates °°B°", "c", "M゛" provided near the connection part of the joint member 915 to the supply pipe 301 by printing or pasting a sticker.
301c in the supply pipes 3018 for black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, respectively.

This is a display to prevent erroneous connection of 301M and 301Y.

When joining the joint 921 to the joint 901, as shown in FIG. The latch portion 927 is pushed outward as the mounting operation is performed. When the surface portion 927T overcomes the locking portion 907, the latch portion 927 returns to its original state due to its spring properties and returns to its original position as shown in Figure (B). 921 is locked.In addition, in this state, the communication pipe portion 925 has entered the receiving portion 903 with the valve body 905 expanded, and therefore the ink communication between both joints, that is, the ink Ink communication is established between the tank side and the recording head side.

By the way, in such a mounting operation, it is conceivable that the operator performs an incorrect operation, that is, performs an erroneous mounting operation in which the joint 921 shown in FIG. In order to prevent this reliably and with a simple configuration, the following configuration is adopted in this example.

FIG. 27 is a side sectional view of the ink supply pipe connection section. In this example, the operating portion 929 and the protrusion 931 are connected to the joint 92.
1, and the operating portion 929 has a shape with a portion 943 for preventing erroneous attachment.

On the other hand, the main body frame 900 is provided with a locking portion 941 that does not interfere with the portion 943 during normal mounting as shown in the figure, but engages with the portion 943 to prevent the mounting operation when the front and back surfaces are reversed and incorrectly mounted. This prevents incorrect mounting of the joint 921 with the front and back sides reversed, and prevents ink of a different color from being introduced into the recording head provided corresponding to each color.
Inconveniences such as color mixing can be prevented.

Note that the portion 943 for preventing incorrect attachment may be provided on the frame portion 923, or may be formed by extending the protrusion 931 inward of the frame portion and rising from the extending portion.

According to this example, the ink supply tube can be connected with a simple operation without causing incorrect installation.
If the operation part 929 is operated from the state shown in FIG. 9, the engagement between the latch part 927 and the locking part 907 can be released, so that the joint 921 can be easily removed. Such ease of removal improves maintenance workability. Further, by this removal, the valve body 905 returns to the state shown in FIG. 9A, so that no ink leakage occurs.

Now, in consideration of further improving the workability of maintenance involving the removal of the joint 921, it is highly desirable not to burden the operator with paying attention to the location of the removed joint 921, etc.

Therefore, in this example, as shown in FIG.
is provided on the side plate 2017. The receiver portions 2021 may be provided as a set in a number corresponding to the number of protrusions 931, but they may also be provided corresponding to any two of the temples while maintaining balance. In addition, its location is on the side plate 20.
They may be provided at any of the 170 predetermined positions, or may be provided at various locations.

FIG. 28(B) shows a cross section taken along the line AA in FIG. 28(A) with the joint 921 placed thereon. In this way, the protrusion 9
31 is received in the hole 2023, and the lower end surface of the frame part 923 is placed on the soil surface of the support part 2021, so the joint 921 is stably held. Further, in this state, the tip of the communicating tube portion 925 faces "-", so that no ink leakage occurs.

Note that various configurations can be selected for holding the join l-921 in this way. For example, by utilizing the gap shown in the side view between the operating portion 929 and the protrusion 931, it is also possible to hook this onto a rod-shaped member provided on the side plate 2017 or the like or an edge of the side plate or the like. In this case, due to the presence of the duplex 301, the operating portion 929 is held in an inverted state from that shown in FIG. Just extend it. This is because even if it falls down, the extended portion engages with the side plate 2017 etc., thereby preventing further falling down.

In addition, in the above description, the ink supply system has a joint with a valve body on the upstream side in the ink supply direction, and a joint with a valve body on the downstream side that opens in response to insertion, but it is also possible to reverse the configuration of both joints. good.

In addition, such connections are not limited to the ink supply system.
Of course, the present invention can also be adopted for an ink discharge system leading to a waste ink storage section (in this example, provided in an ink tank).

It goes without saying that appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, on the upper side, a recording head, an ink tank, an ink supply system, an ink discharge system, an ink communication member, etc. are provided to accommodate ink of different colors, but it is not necessarily limited to ink of different colors; Each section may be provided corresponding to ink having widely different color tones, such as ink.

(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.

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 preferred. This pulse-shaped drive signal is 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.
9-1, 23670 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5 (1973) disclosing 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. 9-1.38461. That is, regardless of the form of the recording head, according to the present invention, recording can be performed reliably and efficiently.

In addition, in the case of serial type devices such as the one shown in the example above, the recording head is fixed to the device main body, or by being attached to the device main body, electrical connection with the device main body and ink flow from the device main body are possible. The present invention is also effective when using a replaceable deep-type recording head that can be supplied with ink or a cartridge-type recording head in which an ink tank is integrally provided in the recording head itself.

Furthermore, the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized by adding preliminary auxiliary means to the recording head recovery means provided as a component of the recording apparatus of the present invention.
This is preferable. Specifically, these seven types include capping means, cleaning means, pressure or suction means for the recording head as described above, and electrothermal transducers or other heating elements or Preheating means using a combination of these and a preliminary ejection mode that performs ejection other than printing are also effective for stable 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. That is, for example, the recording mode of the recording apparatus is not limited to a recording mode for only a mainstream color such as black, but may also be a recording mode in which the recording head is configured integrally or in a combination of multiple colors, The present invention is also extremely effective for devices equipped with at least one full color by color mixture.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, the capping operation can be performed while displacing the cap by bringing the recording head to the stop position, so that an accurate cap state can be obtained. .

(Margin below)

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an inkjet recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the recording head section mounted on the carriage; Figures 4 (A) to (C) are views showing how the recording head chip is installed. FIGS. 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams for explaining details of the head cover according to this example. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing recording head positioning using a head cover according to another embodiment. 7fA) and (B) are perspective views showing an example of the configuration of the sub-tank shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view thereof, and FIG. 9 is a sub-tank. 10 is a top view showing a configuration example of a connecting pipe and a tube unit used in the ink supply system, and FIGS. 11(A) and (B) are respectively, FIG. 12 is a side sectional view for explaining the operation of the paper feeding mechanism according to the present example when conveying thin paper and thick paper (Al and (Bl are the figures according to the present example when conveying thin paper and thick paper, respectively). A side sectional view for explaining the operation of the paper feeding mechanism, FIG. 13 is a schematic side sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the recovery unit according to this example, and FIGS. 14 (A) and (B) are the recovery unit 15 is a detailed side sectional view of the pump holding part and a front view of the pump holding part, FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the recovery unit centered on the opening/closing mechanism of the atmospheric communication hole in the cap, and FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the recovery unit centered on the opening/closing mechanism, etc. Figures 17(A) to (C) are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the cap advancing/retracting mechanism, etc. according to this example, and Figures 18(A) to (C) are the pumps used in this example. 19 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the pump drive system. FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the timing of the operation of each part of the recovery unit according to this example. 22A and 22B are a plan view of an ink tank storage section for explaining the ink tank arrangement according to this example, and FIGS. 23(A) and 23(B) are explanatory diagrams for explaining ink pressure fluctuations due to carriage operation, FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the remaining amount of ink and the negative pressure in the ink flow path, FIGS. 25(A) and (B) are a plan view and a vertical sectional view of a conventional ink pressure sensing device shown for comparison with the ink pressure sensing device of this example; FIGS. 26(A) and (B) 27 is a side sectional view thereof, and FIGS. 28(A) and (B) are its connecting portions. They are a perspective view and a side sectional view showing an example of a configuration for holding one joint on a side plate wall surface. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Recording Radchip, 11... Front plate, 13... Supply pipe, 15... Guide groove, 201... Carriage body, 203... Carriage cover 205... Head cover 211...・Position lever 213... Guide shaft, 215... Guide, 217... Reference surface, 221.223... Leaf spring, 300... Sub tank, 311... Tube, 3218K (C, M, Y), 3238K (C
, M, Y), 325BK (C, M... Connection pipe, 331... Tank member, 3318K (C, M, Y)... Storage chamber, 333.
... Middle plate, 335 ... Connection plate, 337C (M), 339C (M) ... Connection groove, 341
C(M), 343C(M)...Connecting hole, 400...
Recovery unit, 401... Unit housing, 403... Motor, 407... Worm, 409... Worm wheel, 420... Cap part, 440... Pump, 450... Cam, 452 ...Lever 461...Access lever 471...Cap holder, 501...Atmospheric communication hole, Y) 601...Paper feed tray, 602...Spring, 604...Pickup roller, 605... ... Separation plate, 606 ... Paper feed roller, 607 ... Pinch roller, 608 ... Platen, 609 ... Paper ejection roller, 611 ... Pinch roller holder, 613 ... Carriage rail, 614 ... Spring, 7018K (C, M, Y) ... Ink tank, 7
038K (C, M, Y)...Ink supply pipe, 70
Waste ink tube for 78K (C, M, Y), 801...
Channel member, 803... Ink channel, 807... Diaphragm, 809... Holding member, 819... Latching piece, 823... Spring, 825... Spring retaining ring, 901.921 ... joint, 905 ... valve body, 925 ... communication pipe section. Fig. 4 (C) (El) Fig. 141.438 (32) ■th "-°1, ... 14, ], 438 (35) Fig. 24 (A) 307 La 3-F CB> 28th Figure procedure amendment October 29, 1990

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) An inkjet recording head that scans a recording medium in a predetermined direction, and an inkjet recording head that is provided at a position above the predetermined direction and that moves ink of the inkjet recording head as it moves forward in the direction of the inkjet recording head. a cap capable of capping a discharge port; a means for supporting the cap so as to be displaceable in the predetermined direction; and a means for guiding the cap with the displacement during the capping process in the forward movement process. An inkjet recording device comprising: a guide means; 2) A claim characterized in that the guide means includes a plunging member that can be thrust into a receiving portion provided on the side of the inkjet recording head while being displaced or deformed, and a guide member provided along the plunging member. Item 1. The inkjet recording device according to item 1. 3) The inkjet recording head includes an electrothermal transducer that generates thermal energy that causes film boiling in the ink, as an element that generates energy used to eject the ink. Item 2. The inkjet recording device according to item 1 or 2. 4) The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of recording heads are provided corresponding to a plurality of inks having different tones.