JPH04235039A - Recording means and ink jet recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the creeping of ink by providing an ink penetration preventing part to the side surface of a head in the vicinity of the emitting orifice-forming surface thereof. CONSTITUTION:A wiping member 124 is pushed up only when wiping operation is required and, when a series of the wiping operations to a recording head 102 are completed, the wiping member 124 falls to hold a standby state. When a cap device 105 is separated from the emitting surface 122 of the recording head 102 at first at the starting time of recording and a carriage moves to a home position, the recording head 102 successively comes into contact with the wiping member 124 pushed out from the standby state to form the clean emitting surface. The ink droplets 125 on the emitting surface of the head are wipen off by the wiping member 124 and the scraped up ink droplets are absorbed by an absorbing body 113 or 123.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording means used to deposit ink onto a recording medium to obtain a desired record, and an inkjet recording apparatus in which the recording means is detachably mounted.

0002

[Background Art] In recent years, office automation equipment such as personal computers and word processors has become widespread, and one of the methods for outputting information input by these equipment is to eject ink from a recording device and deposit it on a recording material. There is an inkjet recording method that allows desired recording to be achieved. This is a device that uses mechanical or thermal energy from an ink jet head equipped with multiple ejection ports to cause a change in the state of the ink, causing the ink to fly from the ejection ports and adhere to the recording material for recording. It is.

[0003] In this type of recording method, there is an increasing demand for reproduction of color photographs and color originals when connected to color image reading devices and color video devices, and color inkjet recording devices that use multiple inks are being developed. It is being actively developed. In such color recording, there is a demand for not only halftone image recording but also high-definition color image recording. In order to satisfy these demands, it is required that all the multiple discharge ports have the same diameter, that the formed discharge ports have the same directionality, and that the discharge pressure is completely constant. .

[0004] However, in the current state of inkjet recording heads, from a structural or manufacturing standpoint, there may be variations between the ejection ports inherent in the head, or differences in the resistance value of the resistor may occur, although slight, in heads that utilize thermal energy. I end up. When ink is ejected from such a head, these factors have a synergistic effect, resulting in variations in the amount of ink ejected and deviations in ejection. Under such ejection conditions, density unevenness was particularly noticeable in halftone recorded images, and it was not possible to sufficiently meet the demands for high-definition image recording.

In order to satisfy this requirement, data regarding the density unevenness of each inkjet head is measured when manufacturing the inkjet head, and correction data for correcting the drive conditions of the head and various characteristics when performing image processing is stored in advance in the semiconductor. A method has been proposed in which the above-mentioned problem is improved by writing in a memory (for example, ROM) and installing it in a product to control the discharge.

On the other hand, with the aim of achieving low cost and high recording quality in an apparatus, a type of recording head cartridge has been proposed in which a recording head section and an ink tank section are integrated and are detachable from the apparatus. With this type of head, it is not possible to perform matching between the main body of the apparatus and the cartridge in advance. Therefore, it has been proposed that the cartridge be provided with a memory device that stores the above-mentioned head characteristics.

By the way, in inkjet recording, recording is performed by ejecting ink from an ejection port, but ink errors occur due to the ink rebounding when the ink is ejected or when it adheres to the recording material. This may adhere to the ejection port forming surface and cause wetting with the ink, or paper powder, dust, etc. may be mixed with the ink mist and adhered thereto. In such a state, the ejection ports may become clogged, making it impossible to eject ink properly, resulting in ejection failure.

[0008] Therefore, an elastic plate material or an ink absorber, or both an ink absorber and an elastic plate material are provided, and these are made to rub against the ejection orifice forming surface of the recording head and adhere to the ejection orifice forming surface. A mechanism is used to clean ink droplets and dirt. In particular, it is effective to use an elastic plate (cleaning blade).

[0009]

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, with the cleaning blade, after cleaning the discharge port formation surface by rubbing, when the cleaning blade separates from the discharge port formation surface, the elasticity of the blade causes the wiping to occur. Ink etc. will be blown away. The splashed ink may stain the inside of the apparatus, the ink may flow around the side of the head, and the ink may adhere to a memory device provided in the head, resulting in malfunction or destruction.

An object of the present invention is to provide a recording means that can achieve high-quality recording by eliminating these causes, and to provide an inkjet recording apparatus equipped with the recording means.

[0011]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention has been proposed to achieve the above-mentioned object, and it is possible to achieve the above-mentioned object without ink adhering to the semiconductor memory, and without causing ink mist to fly into the device. In order to clean the ejection orifice forming surface of the recording head, it has been found that good effects can be obtained by providing an ink intrusion prevention member on the side surface of the head near the ejection orifice forming surface.

The present invention has been made based on the above-mentioned knowledge, and includes a recording head portion having an ejection port for ejecting ink and an ink passage communicating with the ejection port and guiding the ink;
In the recording means that integrally includes an ink tank section that stores ink to be supplied to the recording head section, the recording head section includes an element storing parameter information related to ink ejection characteristics, and an element that stores parameter information related to ink ejection characteristics, and an ink tank section that stores ink supplied to the recording head section. The invention is characterized in that it includes a protection member disposed in a side area adjacent to the forming surface to prevent ink from going around.

The present invention also has an ejection port for ejecting ink and an ink passage that communicates with the ejection port and guides the ink. integrally comprising a recording head section equipped with a protection member disposed in an adjacent area for preventing ink from going around; and an ink tank section storing ink supplied to the recording head section; A recording head cartridge that is removably attachable to an apparatus, a support member that includes an electrical connection portion to which the recording head cartridge is attached and allows transmission of recording signals, and a recording area formed by the recording head cartridge. The present invention is characterized by comprising a cleaning member that is disposed in a separated area and comes into contact with the discharge port forming surface to clean the discharge port forming surface.

With this configuration, it is possible to effectively prevent ink from adhering to the semiconductor memory or electrical contacts mounted on the recording head cartridge due to ink scattering, and also to prevent ink mist from scattering into the apparatus, thereby increasing reliability. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a recording means that can achieve high quality recording with high performance, and an inkjet recording apparatus capable of mounting the recording means.

[0015]

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, in order to show the overall structure of the present invention, FIG. 7 shows a liquid jet recording apparatus 100 using the present invention.

This device is a serial color printer with a 400 dpi, cartridge-type head consisting of 128 nozzles that uses thermal energy to cause a change in the state of the ink and eject the ink from the ejection port.
It uses C, M, Y, and K colors to enable color printing. C, M, Y, K cartridge head 1
-C, M, Y, and K are removable from the carriage 101, and have a head drive frequency f=4 KHz. By being driven on the support rod 9a of the carriage by a stepping motor via a drive belt 9c,
Move left and right to print (explanation of detailed printer movements will be omitted here).

Reference numeral 300 is a capping device for preventing the recording head from drying out, and reference numeral 500 is a pump for recovering from clogging of the recording head.

Next, a control system for driving each member of the recording apparatus will be explained. As shown in FIG. 8, this control system includes, for example, a CPU 20a such as a microprocessor,
A control system 20, an interface 21, an operation panel 22, and a ROM 20b that stores control programs and various data for the CPU 20a, and a RAM 20c that is used as a work area for the CPU 20a and temporarily stores various data. (carriage drive motor 23, paper feed motor drive motor 24, first conveyance roller pair drive motor 25, first conveyance roller pair drive motor 26) from a driver 27 and a recording head drive driver 28. Become.

The control section 20 inputs various information (for example, character pitch, character type, etc.) from the operation panel 22, information about the amount of ink remaining for recording, and a storage signal from the external device 29 via the interface 21. Further, the control section 20 inputs ON/OFF signals and signals for driving each motor via an interface 21, and drives each member based on the image signal.

The structure of the recording head cartridge, which is the main part of the present invention, will now be explained.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing an example of an ink jet head cartridge 1 of the present invention. Reference numeral 110 denotes a recording head section which ejects ink from ejection ports on the lower surface of 110, which will be described later. Reference numeral 111 is an ink tank portion, and 112 is a printed board, which will be described later, with exposed electrical contacts. 1
Reference numeral 13 denotes an ink absorber provided on a side surface continuous with the ejection port forming surface of the head portion.

In FIG. 2, 112 is a printed circuit board;
14 is an aluminum heat sink, 115 is a heater board consisting of a heating element and a diode matrix, and 116 is an EEPROM (non-volatile memory) in which density unevenness information etc. are stored in advance.
, and 117 are contact electrodes that form a joint with the main body. Note that the linear ejection port group is not illustrated here.

As described above, on the printed circuit board 112 containing the heating elements of the inkjet recording heads, there is an EEPRO for storing density unevenness information specific to each recording head.
Implement M116.

Needless to say, 116 is another device,
For example, it may be an EPROM or a battery backed up SRAM.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show examples of ink stains on the ejection surface of the head.

(A) shows the capping device 300 of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram of an ink mark 120 attached to a portion where the peripheral portion of the ink is in contact with.

Reference numeral 121 indicates ink ejection ports, and in this embodiment, 128 of them are arranged in a line at a density of 400 dpi.

By the way, in the recording head 1, as mentioned above, a so-called wetting state occurs on the ejection surface due to minute ink droplets 125.

(B) shows the ejection surface 122 generated during recording.
Indicates the wet state. In this case, the size of the ink droplet 125 also varies, and the higher the proportion of the solid area occupied by the recording, the easier it is to wet the ink droplet, but in general, a small droplet is several μm, and a large droplet is several hundreds μm.

Next, we will explain how to clean the dirt on the discharge surface shown in FIGS. 3(A) and 3(B) and restore it to a clean state as shown in FIG. 3(C). Let me explain using (c). In FIG. 5(a), 102 is the aforementioned head, and the heads of the four colors shown in FIG. 7 are housed in the aforementioned carriage 101 side by side. 113 is the aforementioned head 10
2, and 123 is the absorber added to the carriage 10.
This is an absorber added to 1.

The wiping member 124 rises in the direction of the arrow Y only when a wiping operation is necessary, and when the series of wiping operations for the recording head 102 is completed, it descends in the direction of the arrow Y' and enters the standby state. keep it. Therefore, at the start of recording, when the cap device 105 is separated from the ejection surface 122 of the recording head 102 and the carriage (not shown) moves from the home position in the direction of the arrow X, the cleaning device 124 rises from the standby state. The recording heads 102 come into contact one after another. In this way, a clean discharge surface as shown in FIG. 3C is generated.

FIG. 7 shows an enlarged view of this situation for easy understanding.
FIG. 9. It can be seen that the ink droplets 125 on the ejection surface of the head are wiped away by the wiping member 124. The collected ink droplets are absorbed by the absorber 113 or 123 described above.

The problem here is that the ink blown away by the wiping member is not completely absorbed by the absorbers 113 and 123, and the ink is removed from between 113 and 123 in FIG.
This could cause problems such as scattering onto the upper part of 2, contaminating the memory 116 in FIG. 2 and the contact electrode 117, and destroying the shoots and elements. Therefore, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, the head-added absorber 113 is added to the same side (side A) on the printed board where the memory is mounted, so that ink droplets will not come up. Further, by arranging the electrode portion and memory at least 30 mm from the ejection surface of the head, the influence of ink droplet scattering is eliminated.

[Second Embodiment] FIG. 4 shows another embodiment.

Compared to FIG. 2, 116 nonvolatile memories are mounted on the opposite side of the printed board. Such needs arise due to restrictions on wiring on the printed board 112, etc. However, the absorber 116 and the absorber 113 are located on the reflection side.

However, the lower part of the nonvolatile memory is covered with an aluminum plate 114 to prevent the scattered ink from reaching 116.

[0038] Also, the aluminum plate 114 is made into a shape with holes made,
Needless to say, it would be more effective if the entire 116 nonvolatile memory could be covered. The appearance of the head is the same as that shown in FIG. 1, and an absorber 113 for absorbing ink scattered by the wiping member is also required.

[Third Embodiment] In the first embodiment described above, an example was shown in which an ink absorber was provided only on one side.
A configuration is shown that further reliably suppresses ink flying and prevents ink from adhering to a semiconductor memory. As shown in FIG. 10, absorbers are provided on both sides of the head. That is, in FIG. 10, 124 is a blade, 121 is an ink discharge port, 113 is an absorber that absorbs ink attached to the blade and cleans the blade, and 11
6 is a semiconductor element. The blade 124 is arranged at a position where the amount of penetration is optimal for cleaning the ejection port surface 121 when the recording head returns to the home position. Therefore, assuming that the direction in which the recording head returns is the X direction, the blade 124 first cleans the ejection port surface of the recording head while rubbing it. The ink collected by the blade 124 is absorbed by a cleaning absorber 116 provided in the recording head. Next, the cleaned blade 124 wipes the recording head, and the collected ink is absorbed by the cleaning absorber, and the blade 124 is cleaned.

[0040] The recording head will be cleaned one after another. Next, when the carriage reverses and starts scanning in the Y direction in the figure, the ink collected when cleaning the recording head 1 is transferred to the blade cleaning absorber 1 provided in the recording head 1.
Absorbed by 3. Then the cleaned blade 12
4, the recording head 1c is wiped, the swept ink is absorbed by the blade absorber 113C, and the blade 124 is cleaned. The recording heads 1b, 1 are sequentially
By performing the cleaning step a, it is possible to prevent ink from scattering inside the machine regardless of the direction of wiping.

By providing absorbers on both the upstream and downstream sides of the recording head in the cleaning direction, the ink on the blade can be cleaned well, and the elasticity of the blade prevents the ink from scattering. This prevents ink from getting around to the semiconductor elements mounted on the recording head, preventing malfunctions and destruction of the semiconductor elements, and further suppressing electrical backspot leaks between the head and the device and contamination inside the machine. can.

By configuring the absorber to be provided with grooves as shown in FIG. 11, the cleaning performance of the blade is dramatically improved, so that the cleaning characteristics of the discharge port are improved and the reliability of discharge is increased.

Furthermore, an absorber may be provided on the side surface of the ejection port in the sub-scanning direction. This is because the ink collected by cleaning the ejection ports may gradually become larger ink droplets and flow down in the direction of gravity. Leaving this falling ink as it is causes the generation of ink mist, which leads to contamination inside the machine and damage due to adhesion to semiconductor elements. Therefore, by arranging an absorber on the side surface of the ejection port in the sub-scanning direction, it is possible to absorb the spilled ink and prevent the above-mentioned adverse effects caused by the ink spilling inside the machine.

[Fourth Embodiment] In the embodiments described above, the purpose was to prevent malfunctions, destruction, etc. due to ink swept away by the blade adhering to semiconductor elements and electrical contacts.

This example focuses on the mist with a very small dot diameter that is generated separately from the main dot that is generated during ejection, or the ink mist that is scattered due to the reaction when the ink lands on the recording material. .

Since the amount of ink mist generated is very small, it does not cause a problem in the initial stage, but the amount increases with time, and due to the low mass, it is generated by scanning the carriage, for example. It is dispersed throughout the cabin by air currents. Therefore, the generation of this ink mist can also cause malfunction or destruction of semiconductor elements and electrical contacts.

In this embodiment, the ink mist is forcibly collected on the ejection port forming surface of the head, and the collected mist is moved to the absorber by a blade, thereby preventing harmful effects caused by the mist.

That is, the ink is charged, the difference between the surface potential of the recording material and the potential between the recording head is adjusted, and the ink mist is deposited and collected on the ejection orifice forming surface of the recording head, and is then deposited on the ejection orifice forming surface. Wipe off the ink with a blade and let it be absorbed by the ink absorber.

The means for charging the ink mist, the means for measuring the surface potential of the recording material, and the means for adjusting the potential between the recording material and the ejection orifice forming surface of the head are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2-1999.
The configuration disclosed in No. 9101 can be used.

(Others) The present invention particularly relates to means for generating thermal energy as energy used to eject ink, in an inkjet recording system.
For example, the present invention provides an excellent effect in a recording head or recording apparatus that is equipped with an electrothermal converter (for example, an electrothermal converter, a laser beam, etc.) and uses the thermal energy to cause a change in the state of the ink. This is because such a system can achieve higher recording density and higher definition.

For its typical configuration and principle, see, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4,740.
Preferably, it is carried out using the basic principles disclosed in the '796 specification. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and continuous type, but
In particular, in the case of the on-demand type, an electrothermal transducer is placed corresponding to the sheet holding the liquid (ink) or the liquid path, and the electrothermal transducer is placed at a temperature that rapidly exceeds nucleate boiling, corresponding to the recorded information. By applying at least one drive signal that provides a rise, the electrothermal transducer generates thermal energy that causes film boiling on the thermally active surface of the recording head, resulting in a liquid ( This is effective because it can form air bubbles within the ink. The growth and contraction of these bubbles causes the liquid (ink) to be ejected through the ejection opening.
Form at least one drop. It is more preferable to use this drive signal in a pulse form, since the growth and contraction of bubbles can be carried out immediately and appropriately, so that ejection of liquid (ink) with particularly excellent responsiveness can be achieved. This pulse-shaped drive signal is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,359 and U.S. Pat.
262 is suitable. Further, if the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 concerning the temperature increase rate of the heat acting surface are adopted, even more excellent recording can be achieved.

In addition to the configuration of the recording head that combines the ejection ports, liquid paths, and electrothermal converters (straight liquid flow path or right-angled liquid flow path) as disclosed in the above-mentioned specifications, U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,333 and U.S. Pat. No. 4 disclose a configuration in which a heat acting part is arranged in a bending region.
A configuration using the specification of No. 459600 is also included in the present invention. In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 123670 of 1982 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge part for a plurality of electrothermal converters, and a hole that absorbs pressure waves of thermal energy is disclosed. The present invention is also effective as a configuration based on Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 138461 of 1982, which discloses a configuration in which the discharge portion corresponds to the discharge portion.

Furthermore, a full-line type recording head having a length corresponding to the width of the maximum recording medium that can be recorded by the recording apparatus can be produced by combining a plurality of recording heads as disclosed in the above-mentioned specification. Either a configuration that satisfies the length or a configuration as a single recording head formed integrally may be used, but the present invention can more effectively exhibit the above-mentioned effects.

In addition, a replaceable chip-type recording head that is attached to the apparatus main body enables electrical connection with the apparatus main body and ink supply from the apparatus main body, or a print head that is integrated into the print head itself. The present invention is also effective when a cartridge type recording head is used.

Further, it is preferable to add recovery means, preliminary auxiliary means, etc. for the recording head, which are provided as a configuration of the recording apparatus of the present invention, because the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. Specifically, these include capping means, cleaning means, pressure or suction means, preheating means for the recording head using an electrothermal transducer or another heating element, or a combination thereof. ,
It is also effective to perform a preliminary ejection mode in which ejection is performed separately from printing in order to perform stable printing.

Furthermore, the recording mode of the recording apparatus is not limited to a recording mode for only mainstream colors such as black, but may also include a recording head that is configured integrally or a combination of a plurality of recording heads, or multiple colors of different colors or The present invention is also extremely effective for devices equipped with at least one of the following: , full color by color mixing.

Although the embodiments of the present invention described above are explained using liquid ink, the present invention can be applied to ink that is solid at room temperature or ink that is soft at room temperature. Can be used. The above-mentioned inkjet device generally adjusts the temperature of the ink itself within the range of 30°C to 70°C to keep the viscosity of the ink within a stable ejection range. It is sufficient if the ink is liquid. In addition, the temperature rise caused by thermal energy can be actively prevented by using the energy to change the state of the ink from a solid state to a liquid state, or an ink that solidifies when left standing is used to prevent ink evaporation. In any case, the ink may be liquefied by application of thermal energy in accordance with the recording signal and ejected as liquid ink, or the ink may have already begun to solidify by the time it reaches the recording medium. The present invention is also applicable to the use of ink that is liquefied for the first time. In such a case, the ink is held in a liquid or solid state in the recesses or through holes of the porous sheet, as described in JP-A-54-56847 or JP-A-60-71260. It may also be in a form that faces the electrothermal converter. In the present invention, the most effective method for each of the above-mentioned inks is to implement the above-mentioned film boiling method.

[0058]

As explained above, 1) an ink absorber is provided in the vicinity of the ink ejection section on the side of the semiconductor element mounting surface in the head; Or cover the semiconductor element with an aluminum heat sink. 2) The structure of the recording head is 30m from the ink ejection part.
Electrical contacts with the outside of the semiconductor memory element and the head are provided at positions separated by at least m. This prevents the adverse effects of ink scattering on semiconductor elements and electrical contacts, making it possible to form a highly reliable recording device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a recording head.

FIG. 2 is an external view of the printed board inside the recording head.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the state of ink stains on the ejection surface of the recording head.

FIG. 4 is another example of an external view of a printed board inside the recording head.

FIG. 5 is a head surface wiping diagram.

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of the head surface wiping diagram.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of the recording device.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a control system.

FIG. 9 is another head surface wiping diagram.

FIG. 10 is another head surface wiping diagram.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of another head.

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A recording head section having an ejection opening for ejecting ink and an ink passage communicating with the ejection opening and guiding the ink; and an ink tank section for storing ink to be supplied to the recording head section. In the recording means, the recording head section is disposed in a side area adjacent to an element storing parameter information related to ink ejection characteristics and the ejection port forming surface, and is configured to prevent ink from going around. A recording means comprising: a protection member for preventing 2. The recording means is configured to record three points from the ejection port forming surface.
2. The recording means according to claim 1, wherein the element and an electrical contact for transmitting a recording signal are provided in a region spaced apart from each other by 0 mm or more. 3. The recording means according to claim 1, wherein the protection member is provided on a side surface on which the element is arranged. 4. The recording means according to claim 1, wherein the protection member is provided on a side surface opposite to the side surface on which the element is arranged. 5. The recording means according to claim 1, wherein the protection member is provided on both the side surface on which the element is arranged and the opposite side surface. 6. The recording means according to claim 1, wherein the protection member is an absorber that absorbs ink. 7. The recording means according to claim 1, wherein the protection member is a cover member that prevents ink from entering the element. 8. The recording means ejects ink from the ejection port using thermal energy, and includes an electrothermal converter for generating the thermal energy. Recording means according to item 1. 9. An element comprising an ejection opening for ejecting ink and an ink passage that communicates with the ejection opening and guides the ink, and in which parameter information relating to ink ejection characteristics is stored, and an element on the ejection opening forming surface. integrally comprising a recording head section equipped with a protection member disposed in an adjacent area for preventing ink from going around; and an ink tank section storing ink supplied to the recording head section; a support member including a recording head cartridge that is detachable from the apparatus; and an electrical connection section to which the recording head cartridge is attached and allows transmission of recording signals;
An inkjet recording apparatus comprising: a cleaning member disposed in an area outside the recording area of the recording head cartridge, the cleaning member coming into contact with the ejection orifice forming surface to clean the ejection orifice forming surface. 10. The discharge port forming surface and the cleaning member include:
Inkjet recording according to claim 9, characterized in that the protection member is configured to come into contact with the recording head cartridge when it moves to the recording area, and the protection member is provided on the downstream side in the direction of movement of the cleaning member. Device. 11. The discharge port forming surface and the cleaning member include:
Inkjet recording according to claim 9, characterized in that the protection member is configured to come into contact with the recording head cartridge when it moves to the recording area, and the protection member is provided on the upstream side in the direction of movement of the cleaning member. Device. 12. The recording means ejects ink from the ejection port using thermal energy, and includes an electrothermal converter for generating the thermal energy. Item 9. The inkjet recording device according to item 9. 13. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the protection member is provided on both sides of the side surface adjacent to the ejection port forming surface.