JPH04247956A - Ink jet recording head, ink jet recorder with the head, and method for cleaning the recording head of the recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent ink from stagnating in a gap of a head mounting part and from mixing when a blade wipes a plurality of heads and lower a production cost by positively cleaning the blade for wiping delivery port forming surfaces of the ink jet recording heads after wiping and by appropriately determining the dimensions of members for cleaning. CONSTITUTION:An absorbing body 104 is provided on the side face of a recording head unit 100. After wiping a delivery face 101a, a blade 401 engages with the absorbing body 104 to be cleaned. On the other hand, the dimension and the like of the absorbing body are determined corresponding to a capacity of a tank containing ink to be supplied to the unit 100. In this manner, the absorbing body 104 is prevented from having a size larger or smaller than required.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inkjet head, an inkjet recording apparatus using the inkjet recording head, and a method for cleaning the ink ejection orifice surface of the recording head in the recording apparatus.

0002

[Prior Art] As a conventional inkjet recording device,
To remove ink mist generated when ink is ejected from the recording head, wet ink on the ejection port array surface due to satellite ink generated when ink is refilled, and suction remaining ink generated during recovery processing by suction etc. Some are equipped with a recovery device. This recovery device is mainly used to forcefully discharge ink from the ejection port.
For example, it consists of a suction device and a wiping device that cleans the discharge port arrangement surface by wiping it. The configuration of the wiping device is, for example, for wiping the ejection port array surface of an inkjet recording head having a plurality of ejection ports
In order to perform cleaning, a blade made of an elastic material or the like is brought into direct contact with the ejection port array surface and is moved relative to the recording head while sliding the ejection port array surface (hereinafter also referred to as the ejection surface). However, the ejection port and its surrounding area are cleaned to maintain ejection stability.

Here, using FIG. 41, a conventional cleaning operation for this problem will be explained, taking as an example ink adhesion on the ejection surface caused by suction recovery.

A carriage 902 having an inkjet recording head 901 is mounted on a main scanning rail 903 so as to be movable in the printing direction (direction of arrow C). When the ejection ports of the inkjet recording head 901 become clogged, a holder 905 having a rubber cap 904 that forms a sealed shape around the head is moved in the direction of arrow a by a driving means (not shown), and the rubber cap 904 closes the inkjet recording head. It comes into contact with the discharge surface 901a of 901 and stops at a position where a sealed shape can be formed. In this state, suction recovery is performed using a suction pump 907 via a tube 906. Inkjet recording head 901 by suction
The ink drawn out is conveyed to a waste ink processing member 909 via a tube 908. After suction recovery, the holder 90 with the rubber cap 904 is removed by a driving means (not shown).
5 in the direction of arrow b. At this time, ink droplets I drawn out from the nozzles by suction recovery remain on the ejection surface 901a of the inkjet recording head 901. Here, a carriage 902 having an inkjet recording head 901
[(A) state] moves in the direction of arrow C, the ejection surface 901a is wiped by the rubber blade 910 held by the blade holder 911 [(B) state], and the ink droplet I on the ejection surface 901a is ejected. It is removed from surface 901a.

[0005]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in order to improve the cleaning performance of the ejection surface of an inkjet recording head and to stabilize the ejection characteristics for long-term use, in the past, it has been particularly difficult to use a cartridge type head or multiple heads. The following problems may occur with color printing apparatuses that perform printing.

Firstly, there is a problem in that ink accumulates in the gap between the head and the carriage.

That is, as shown in the state (B) of FIG. 41, when wiping the ink droplets remaining on the ejection surface of the head after printing or suction, the ink enters the gap between the head and the carriage and becomes long. After a period of use, the ink that has accumulated here may drip or be scattered due to engagement with the blade, causing a phenomenon in which the printed surface or back surface of the printed matter is smeared. Also, if dust gets mixed in with the ink accumulated here or the ink thickens, it will be transferred to the blade during cleaning and get mixed into the ejection opening of the head downstream in the wiping direction, causing print distortion and defects. There was also a risk that it would cause discharge. Furthermore, non-ejection due to the mixed dust and thickened ink may have an adverse effect on the element that generates the energy used for ink ejection (for example, burning of the heating element).

[0008] Secondly, there is the problem of harmful effects caused by swept ink during wiping.

In other words, many recent inkjet recording heads have a plurality of ejection ports arranged in an array, and when wiping, a blade wider than the range of the ejection port arrangement is used to perform wiping, but as the number of ejection ports increases, The amount of remaining ink droplets becomes considerably large, and during wiping, they tend to accumulate on the ejection port arrangement surface on the downstream side of the upper blade in the wiping direction. If ink droplets that have accumulated in this area become stuck after long-term use, problems such as poor sealing of the cap may occur. If this occurs, not only will print deviation and non-ejection be likely to occur due to defective capping when the recording head is not in use, but also there is a risk that defective suction and defective wiping may occur.

Furthermore, thirdly, there is the problem of color mixing when wiping a plurality of heads in succession.

For example, if we consider wiping the heads one after another in an apparatus in which a plurality of heads are arranged corresponding to inks of different tones, after ink suction or printing, the area near the ejection port of the head on the upstream side of the wiping Ink (wet ink) adhering to the ejection surface of the head is transferred to the blade side by wiping, and there is a risk that ink of a different color may enter the ejection inner side of the downstream head. Then, it is conceivable that color mixing due to mixing of different color inks or ejection failure due to mixing of inks with different components may occur.

A fourth problem is that when the head is in the form of a cartridge, there is a problem that occurs when replacing the head. That is, when replacing a cartridge type head, if ink adheres to the head for the above reason, an operator may stain his hands or clothes when replacing the head.

[0013]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and for this purpose, the present invention provides a discharge section for discharging ink onto a recording medium, and a discharge section provided near the discharge section. The ink capacity in the ink tank containing the ink to be supplied to the ejection unit is I[g
], when the volume of the absorbing member is A [cm3],
It is characterized in that the relationship 1/15000<A/I<1/5 holds true.

[0014] Here, the weight of the ink that can be used for recording among the ink stored in the ink tank is L* [g]
In this case, the relationship 1/12500<A/I*<3/10 can be established.

[0015] Furthermore, the absorbent member can be made of a material having a swelling rate of 0.02% or less when liquid is absorbed.

[0016] Furthermore, the absorbent member has a liquid absorption rate of 30% or more.
60% of the material.

[0017] Furthermore, a storage means storing predetermined information can be provided on the side opposite to the side where the absorbing member is provided.

[0018] Furthermore, the ejection section may include an electrothermal transducer that generates thermal energy that causes film boiling in the ink as the energy used to eject the ink.

On the other hand, the inkjet head cartridge of the present invention is characterized in that it integrally includes the above-mentioned inkjet recording head and an ink tank containing ink to be supplied to the head.

Furthermore, the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention is capable of mounting a recording head having a discharge section for discharging ink onto a recording medium and an absorbing member provided near the discharge section, and the recording head. a mounting member, a wiping member that can be engaged with the discharge part and the absorption member, and a wiping direction regulation that defines a wiping direction such that the wiping member engages with the absorption member after engaging with the discharge part. It is characterized by having the means.

[0021] Here, as the recording head, one having the above configuration can be employed.

[0022] Furthermore, the mounting member may be provided with a second absorbent member that the wiping member engages with after the wiping member engages with the absorbent member.

Furthermore, the recording head may have the form of a head cartridge in which an ink tank containing ink to be supplied to the ejection section is integrated.

In addition, the mounting member can mount a plurality of the recording heads, and the plurality of recording heads can be mounted with the absorbing members facing in the same direction.

Additionally, the plurality of recording heads include:
It can be provided corresponding to inks of different color tones.

[0026] Furthermore, the volume of the absorbing member can be made different for each of the plurality of recording heads.

In addition, the recording head cleaning method of the present invention provides a method for cleaning a recording head that includes a discharge section for discharging ink onto a recording medium and an absorbing member provided near the discharge section. It is characterized in that after the wiping member is engaged to perform cleaning, the wiping member is engaged with the absorbent member.

[0028] Here, the wiping member may be used to perform continuous operation on a plurality of the recording heads.

[0029]

[Operation] According to the present invention, the wiping member can be cleaned by arranging the absorbing member adjacent to the ejecting portion of the recording head and engaging the wiping member with the absorbing member after wiping the ejecting portion. .

Therefore, it is possible to remove impurities that may have an adverse effect on the head, such as dust and thickened/fixed ink adhering to the wiping member or cap, and at the same time, this can be done efficiently. It is excellent in preventing problems that have occurred, such as problems caused by ink accumulating in the gap between the head and carriage, problems caused by swept ink during wiping, color mixing when wiping multiple heads, and staining of the operator when replacing cartridge heads. It has become effective, and it has become possible to improve durability and recording characteristics.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the swelling rate and water absorption rate of the absorbing member provided in the above-mentioned head are clarified, and the ink weight of the ink tank, the recordable ink weight,
By clarifying the relationship with the size of the absorbing member, it has become possible to derive optimal conditions for the structure of the absorbing member in terms of size, function, and cost. (1) Overall description of head cartridge (1.1) FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a head cartridge that can be mounted on a carriage (described later with reference to FIG. 13) of an inkjet recording apparatus according to this embodiment. The cartridge according to this example includes an ink tank unit 200 and a head unit 100.
Further, the head unit 100 can be attached to the ink tank unit 200 as described later. A wiring connector 102 for receiving signals for driving the ink ejection section 101 of the head unit 100 and for outputting an ink level detection signal is provided at a position aligned with the head unit 100 and the ink tank unit 200. . Therefore, in the posture taken when this cartridge is loaded into a carriage, which will be described later, the height H can be reduced, and the thickness of the cartridge can be reduced. This allows the carriage to be made smaller when the cartridges are arranged side by side as will be described later with reference to FIG.

When mounting the head cartridge on the carriage, the head cartridge can be placed on the carriage by grasping the knob 201 provided on the ink tank unit 200 with the ejection section 101 facing downward. When it is installed, the pin provided on the carriage side will be connected to the head unit 1.
00 pin engaging portion 103, and the head unit 10
0 positioning is done. This aspect will be described later.

In the head cartridge according to this example, an absorber 104 for cleaning a member that wipes the surface of the ink ejecting section 101 to clean it is juxtaposed to the ink ejecting section 101. Further, an atmosphere communication port 203 through which air is introduced as ink is consumed is provided approximately at the center of the ink tank unit 200.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the head cartridge shown in FIG. 1. The head cartridge according to this example is
It consists of a head unit 100 and an ink tank unit 200, and the detailed configuration of these units will be explained using this figure and the like.

(1.2) Head unit The standard for mounting the components of the head unit 100 is the base plate 111 made of Al or the like, and on it is a base plate 111 for generating energy used for ink ejection. A substrate 112 on which a group of elements is formed and a printed circuit board (PCB) 115 having wiring for supplying power to the elements are mounted, and these are connected by wire bonding or the like. The substrate 112 includes, as the element, an electrothermal transducer that generates thermal energy that causes film boiling in ink in accordance with the energization timing based on a facsimile signal, a read signal from a copying machine, or a recording signal from a host. In this case, 128 pieces are provided in a row. However, their arrangement and number are not particularly limited. In the following, this substrate 112 will be referred to as a heater board.

The wiring connector 102 described above is connected to the PCB 11.
A drive signal from a control circuit (not shown) is received by the wiring connector 102 and connected to the PCB 115.
is supplied to the heater board 112 via. PCB11
5 is a double-sided wiring board in this example, and further contains information specific to the head, such as appropriate driving conditions for the electrothermal transducer, I
ROM-format IC 128 and capacitor 12 that store D number, ink color information, drive condition correction data (head shading (HS) data), PWM control conditions, etc.
9 are arranged.

FIG. 3 shows the base plate 111 and PCB 11.
5, the PCB 115 has an outline indicated by a thick solid line, and the base plate 111 has an outline indicated by hatching. As shown, IC 128 and capacitor 129 are connected to the PCB
115 is disposed on the joint surface side with the base plate 111 and at a position corresponding to the notch 111A of the base plate 111. As a result, if the height of the IC etc. when installed is equal to or less than the thickness of the base plate 111, the PCB
When the base plate 115 and the base plate 111 are bonded, the IC and the like do not protrude from the surface. Therefore, there is no need to consider the storage mode corresponding to these protrusions in the manufacturing process.

The heater board 112 has a common liquid chamber for temporarily storing ink supplied from the ink tank unit 200 side, and a recessed portion for forming a group of liquid paths that communicate the liquid chamber and the discharge port. A top plate 113 is arranged. Further, an ejection port forming member (orifice plate) 113A having an ink ejection port formed therein is integrally formed on the top plate 113. 114 is the top plate 113 and heater board 1
12 are brought into close contact with each other to form the discharge portion 101, so this is a presser spring that applies uniform pressure (linear pressure) to the vicinity of the discharge port.

FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are a top view and a side view of the pressure spring 114, respectively. The pressing spring 114 according to the present example is located at a portion 113U that is bent into a substantially U-shaped cross section in order to linearly and elastically apply a pressing force to the top plate 113, and is located on the side of the portion 113U.
The front leg part 113F is provided with a claw 113L that hooks on the lower surface of the heater board 112 bonded on the base plate 111 by using the escape hole 111F provided in the part 1.
It has a pair of rear legs 113R and 113L which are bent downward after extending rearward of 13U and support the force acting on the pressing spring 113 on the base plate 111. The rear legs 113R and 113L have different lengths of extension, and the former has a through hole 11 provided in the PCB 115 to avoid wiring.
5R, the latter directly connects both the base plate 11
Abuts on 1. If there is no need to avoid such wiring, the lengths of the extension portions may be equal. In any case, since the acting force is also supported by the rear legs, undesirable force effects due to the deformation of the sealant that may later be positioned around the discharge part or the effects of sticking in the deformed state are dispersed and uniformly distributed. Pressure distribution can be maintained.

The portion 113U is provided with an opening for receiving an ink introduction tube provided on the top plate 113. The portion 113U also includes a pair of raised portions 113 that protrude outward along the open edge of the U-shape.
B, which compensates for the decrease in strength due to the formation of the aperture. In this example, the portion 113U is bent by hooking the claw 113L of the front leg portion onto the lower surface of the heater board 112, and the elastic force generated thereby is applied to the top plate 113 by the lower portion of the U-shaped portion 113U. In other words, the top plate 1
13 and the heater board 112 are linearly and uniformly pressed along the direction in which the discharge ports are arranged, so that they are joined together without creating any undesirable gaps.

The main feature of the present invention is a jig that generates a U-shaped pressing force and uses the pressing force to uniformly apply strong pressure in the direction in which the ejection ports are arranged. The configuration for realizing this will be explained below.

That is, when a print head has a plurality of ejection ports and ink paths, a common liquid chamber common to these is generally provided in the print head. This common liquid chamber is usually formed by forming a liquid chamber between an integral member formed on the top plate and a heater board (on which an electrothermal transducer for discharge and wiring and pads for driving these elements are formed). It is constructed by pressure-welding the top plate integral member.

By the way, if a uniform pressure is applied on the liquid chamber side to seal each other during this pressure contact, the pressure contact force on the discharge port side will become non-uniform. This non-uniformity of the pressure contact force on the discharge port side may cause problems such as dispersion of the thermal energy generated by the electrothermal converter, making it impossible to perform the discharge well. For this reason, a configuration is often adopted in which the liquid chamber side is sealed with a material such as a silicone sealant called a sealant, and the arrangement direction on the discharge port side is strongly pressed with a uniform pressing force. However, perhaps because strain tends to concentrate in the sealing portion on the liquid chamber side even when it is bonded, defective products with poor sealing properties have sometimes been produced. When we investigated this point, we found that because many thin films are partially laminated on the surface of the heater board, there is a step difference, albeit a very small one, and that this step causes the concentration of the above-mentioned strain.

In the example, as shown in FIG.
In order to eliminate this difference in level, a protective layer (3021), which was conventionally provided only on the portion 3021 where the ink path and electrothermal converter are disposed.
In this example, the common liquid chamber 302
A Ta protective layer 3024 is formed over the entire inside of the liquid chamber 3900 and up to the lower surface of the partition wall 3900 for forming a liquid chamber (up to half the width of the wall in this example). As a result, this protective layer 3024 and the partition wall 390
0 is made close to the size of the gap between the heater board 112 and the top plate on the ejection section and ink path side. As a result, the level difference in the ink existing area is significantly improved, and the sealing performance, durability, and reliability are improved. An excellent head was obtained with almost no problems of peeling from the heater boat or ink leakage.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the ink existing area,
In particular, by providing the same protective layer up to the common liquid chamber side, it has become possible to provide a recording head in which the bonding is stable and highly reliable, and the uniform pressure is maintained.

[0046] As mentioned above, by forming the Ta protective layer over the entire common liquid chamber, the detection accuracy of temperature adjustment and temperature detection could be improved, and the ink ejection condition could also be improved. This configuration is more suitable for the head used or for a head having a heating heater indicated by 3023 in FIG.

Referring again to FIG. 2, reference numeral 116 is a head unit cover, which has an ink supply pipe section 116A that enters the ink tank unit 200, and a cover for ink communication between this and the ink introduction pipe section on the top plate side. Ink channel 116
B, three pins 116C for three-point positioning or fixing to the base plate 111, pin engaging portion 103, absorber 1
This is a member formed by integrally molding the mounting part of 04 and other necessary parts. A channel lid 117 is arranged for the ink channel 116B. In addition, a filter 11 for removing air bubbles and dust is provided at the tip of the ink supply pipe 116A.
8 is disposed, and an O-ring for preventing ink leakage from the joint is disposed.

When assembling the above head unit, the pin 111P protruding from the base plate must be connected to the PCB.
115 so as to be inserted into the through hole 115P, and the two are fixed by adhesive or the like. In fixing both of them, precision is not required so much. This is because the heater board 112, which should be mounted with high precision on the base plate 111, is fixed separately from the PCB 115.

Next, the heater board 112 is placed and fixed on the base plate 111 with high accuracy, and the necessary electrical connections are made with the PCB 115. After arranging the top plate 113 and the springs 114 and performing adhesion and sealing as necessary, three pins 116C protruding from the cover are inserted into the holes 111C of the base plate 111 for positioning. Thereafter, by heat-sealing these three pins 116C, a head unit as shown in FIG. 5 is completed.

(1.3) Ink Tank Unit In FIG. 2, 211 is an ink container forming the main body of the ink tank unit, 215 is an ink absorber for impregnating ink, and 216 is an ink tank lid. Reference numeral 212 designates an electrode pin for detecting the remaining amount of ink, the tip of which is inserted into the ink absorber 215, and the base is welded to the wall of the container to seal and fix it. 213 and 214
is a contact member related to the pin 212, and these components of the ink tank unit 200 will be described in detail.

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are a top view, a bottom view and a side view of the ink container, respectively, and the structure of the ink container will be explained using these figures.

[0052] The ink container 211 generally includes a pin 212,
It integrally includes a portion 220 for attaching the contact members 213, 214 and the above-described head unit 100, a supply port 231 for receiving the entry of the ink supply pipe portion 116A, and a knob 201, and is located on the bottom side in FIG. It has a hollow cylindrical portion 233 that is erected approximately at the center thereof. The height of the cylindrical portion 233 is approximately equal to the thickness of the ink container. Such an ink container can be formed by integral molding of resin.

The bottom side of the cylindrical portion 233 is open in consideration of the ink filling process, and after filling, the cap 217 shown in FIG. 2 is attached to close it off from the atmosphere. On the other hand, in FIG. 2, a spiral or meandering groove 235 is provided on the upper end surface (in the illustrated example, a spiral groove), and at one end 235A of the groove (in the illustrated example, the center of the spiral groove), a cylindrical portion 235 is provided. An aperture is provided that leads to the internal space of. This opening communicates with a tube (not shown) whose end is open at the center of the cylindrical portion 233 . The end of this tube is spaced apart from the attached cap 217 at a predetermined distance to achieve atmospheric communication within the tank. Further, the other end 235B of the groove is located at a portion of the atmosphere communication port 203 provided in the tank lid 216.

A plurality of (four in the illustrated example) grooves 237 are provided on the side surface of the cylindrical portion 233 at equal circumferential angles and communicate with the internal space of the cylindrical portion 233 . This allows communication between the inside of the ink tank unit and the atmosphere.
This is through the atmosphere communication port 203, the spiral groove 235, the internal space of the cylindrical portion 233, and the groove 237. The inner space of the cylindrical portion 233 functions as a buffer portion to prevent ink leakage due to vibration or rocking. Further, since the spiral groove 233 that lengthens the path leading to the atmosphere communication port 203 is present, ink leakage can be prevented even more effectively.

Furthermore, by providing a plurality of grooves 237 at equal circumferential angles on the side surface of the cylindrical portion 233 located approximately at the center of the ink tank as in this example, the absorber 215 located around the grooves 237 is On the other hand, it is possible to maintain a uniform balance with the atmosphere and prevent local concentration of ink within the absorber. This is the absorber compression area (supply port 231
It is also possible to ensure smooth ink supply to the surrounding area).

Note that this groove 237 extends to a region below the center of the thickness W1 of the container in FIG. . In addition, it is formed in a range that takes into consideration the position of the remaining amount detection pin 212, thereby ensuring an even ink presence state or an atmosphere communication state around the area where the pin is present, and improving the accuracy of remaining amount detection. be able to. Note that instead of providing a slit-like groove, a group of discontinuous openings may be provided.

Referring again to FIG. 2, the ink-impregnated absorber 215 according to this example has a hole 215A for receiving the insertion of the cylindrical portion 233 and preventing a compressed region from occurring around the cylindrical portion 233. It is provided. By locating the cylindrical portion 233 in this hole 215A, the absorbent body 21
5 is not compressed by the cylindrical portion 233, and no ink remains in the compressed portion where the negative pressure is high. On the other hand, in the absorber 215 according to the present example, the portion located at the supply port 231 is slightly bulged with respect to the shape of the space formed by the ink tank lid 216 and the ink container 211 (indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 2). It has a shape. As a result, the absorber 2
When the absorber 21 is stored in the ink tank unit, the swollen part becomes compressed.
5, the capillary force is high in that part, and the absorber 215
The ink distribution inside is always concentrated on the supply port 231 side. Therefore, ink can be smoothly introduced into the supply port 231 side.

FIG. 9 is a back view of the tank lid 216. On the back surface of the tank lid 216, there is a groove 2 provided on the top surface of the cylindrical portion.
A portion 261 is provided for forming a spiral atmosphere communication path together with the portion 35 .

In assembling the ink tank unit having the above-mentioned parts, first the ink container 211
The absorber 215 is housed in the case. Then, a pin 212 for detecting the remaining amount is inserted through a hole 241 provided on the side of the container 211, and the holding portion 245 holds the container 212 in a state where the contact members 213 and 214 are connected to the pin 212. After that, the tank lid 21
6, cover the ink container 211, press fit them together, glue them together,
Join by heat welding, ultrasonic welding, or other appropriate method. Next, air is removed and ink is injected while appropriately closing or opening the atmosphere communication port 203, the ink supply port 231, and the bottom opening of the cylindrical portion. After ink is injected, the opening on the bottom side of the cylindrical portion is closed by press-fitting the cap 217 or other appropriate method, and the ink tank unit 20 as shown in FIG.
Get 0.

In the ink tank unit according to this example, a member (cylindrical portion 233) that forms a space serving as a buffer for preventing ink leakage is integrally provided on the ink container 211 side. This makes it possible to simultaneously and uniformly weld the edge of the container and the upper surface of the cylindrical portion 233 in the step of attaching the lid 216, resulting in excellent sealing performance. In addition, an absorber 215 is attached to the integrally molded ink container 211.
Since the ink tank unit can be constructed by welding the lid 216 after storing the buffer, the manufacturing process is simplified compared to the case where the buffer forming member is disposed on the lid side.

Note that in this example, the ink tank unit 20
One corner of the 0 is rounded, so that the lever operation for attaching it to the carriage, which will be described later, can be performed smoothly. Furthermore, incorrect attachment of the tank lid does not occur.

(1.4) Attaching the head unit to the ink tank unit Using FIGS. 5, 10 and 11, install the head unit 10.
0 to the ink tank unit 200 will be explained. In addition, FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the installation mode,
Appropriate parts are broken and simplified.

First, in FIGS. 5 and 10, 161
and 221 are a projection provided on the cover 116 of the head unit 100 and an ink tank unit 2, respectively.
This is a latch having spring properties provided on the container 216 of No. 00, and engagement between the two prevents the head unit 100 from falling off (displacement in the Z' direction in FIG. 11). Figure 5,
10 and 11, 163 is the head cover 11
6 and is a fitting portion consisting of a portion 165 and an abutting portion 167 that face each other with a predetermined interval, and a fitting portion 223 on the container side engages between the portions 165 and abuts against the abutting portion 167. When the head unit 10
0 in the y and y' directions in FIG. 11 as well as in the mounting direction (Z direction in FIG. 11).

In FIG. 10, reference numerals 227 and 229 are regulating members, and in the figure, the lower surface portions of each are the portions 11 on the rear edge side of the base plate 111 when the head unit is installed.
1B (see FIG. 11) to restrict upward displacement of the head unit 100 (in the y' direction in FIG. 11). Alternatively, a regulating member may be used to engage the rear edge of the head unit 100 to regulate its displacement in the right or left direction (x or x' direction in FIG. 11). Further, as shown in FIG. 11, a convex portion 251 provided at the innermost part of the head unit mounting portion of the container can be fitted into a recessed portion 171 provided at the rear end edge of the base plate 111. When the head unit is attached, displacement of one end of the base plate 111 in the left-right direction (x, x' directions in FIG. 11) is restricted.

Reference numeral 253 denotes a rail provided along the head unit mounting direction in the head unit mounting portion of the container 211, and the head unit 100 is mounted on the back side of the rail as shown in FIG.
A convex portion 253A is provided for slightly displacing it in the upward direction (y' direction in FIG. 11).

On the other hand, the contact members 213 and 214 connected to the electrodes 212 and 212 are bent appropriately to avoid contact between the two (note that the bending is not shown in FIG. 11 for the sake of simplicity). 10, but any one may be used) and extends to the back side in the head unit mounting direction, and the tip portions 213A and 214A extend in the y direction in FIG. 11 (downward in FIG. 10). It has a leaf spring shape so as to exert a biasing force. Further, the tip of the leaf spring shape is located near the convex portion 253A. The PCB 115 is provided with contact surfaces 173 and 174 that can come into contact with the contact member tip portions 213A and 214A, respectively. That is, when the head unit 100 is attached, the head unit 100 is slightly displaced upward in FIG. 10 (y' direction in FIG. 11) by the convex portion 253A, and is also displaced by the contact member tips 213A and 214A near the convex portion. It is urged in a direction opposite to the above direction and is held in a state where it abuts on the convex portion 253A. Further, since the head unit is elastically biased near the convex portion 253A forming the abutting portion, it is possible to prevent play from occurring in the biasing direction.

In FIGS. 10 and 11, 259 is located below the pin 212 and the tip of the contact member (
This is a regulating member provided on the (y-direction in FIG. 11) side, and can engage with the PCB 115 during the bonding operation.

Next, the mounting operation of the head unit 100 will be explained using mainly FIG. 11.

To install the head unit, slide the head unit 100 as shown by the arrow in FIG. Let me go. In addition, during the sliding process, the head unit 100 is
Even if it is displaced in the middle y' direction, the regulating member 25 is not attached to the PCB 115.
9 engages, further displacement is regulated and the PCB 115 does not come into contact with the pin 112 or the contact member and damage them.

As the head unit 100 is further slid, the tip 213A of the contact member on the front side in the mounting direction eventually presses the vicinity of the contact surface 174 of the PCB 115.
The head unit 100 is in a temporarily pressed state. In this state, the supply pipe 116A faces the supply port 231.

Head unit 1 temporarily held in this way
When 00 is further pushed in, the tip 214A of the contact member located on the back side in the mounting direction eventually begins to abut against the contact surface 174. In this state, the supply pipe 116A is almost fitted into the supply port 231, and the concave portion 171 and the convex portion 251, the fitting portion 163 and the fitting portion 2
23 begin to engage with each other. Additionally, the latch 221 begins to ride on the slope of the protrusion 161.

When the mounting operation is completed, the contact member tips 213A and 214A touch the contact surfaces 173 and 1, respectively.
74, and the supply pipe 116A is completely connected to the supply port 23.
1, the base plate 111 is pressed against the abutting surface on the convex part 253A by the bias caused by the contact, and the concave part 171 and the convex part 251, the fitting part 163 and the fitting part 223, the protrusion 161 and the latch 221, regulation member 227
, 229 and the base plate 111, and the regulating member 229 and the rear edge portion 169 of the head cover, displacement in each direction is regulated, and the head unit 100 becomes attached to the ink tank unit 200. In addition, the regulation of each of the directions and the rotational directions θx, θy, and θz involves not only the engagement relationship of each part described above but also the fitting between the ink supply pipe 116A and the ink supply port 231.

Note that when the head unit 100 and the ink tank unit 200 are to be removed when the ink in the ink tank has been consumed or when performing maintenance on either unit, the latch 221 must be released from the protrusion 161. However, if the head unit 100 is slid from the ink tank unit 200 in the direction opposite to the mounting direction, the two can be easily separated.

According to this embodiment as described above, since the electrode contact surface is located on the back side of the PCB, by providing the tip of the contact member on the back side in the mounting direction, the amount of sliding of the tip on the PCB can be reduced. In addition, a rail 253 that guides the slide installation
By providing this, the slide can be performed smoothly, and the rail can also function as a reinforcing member. In addition, contact member tip portions 213A and 214A are shaped like leaf springs and are placed near the abutment surface of the protrusion 253A so as to double as a pressing member for the abutment surface, thereby ensuring reliable contact with the contact surface. In addition, the number of parts is reduced, and furthermore, the head unit 100 can be held without significant play. In addition, when the head unit is installed, the pin 212 and the contact members 213, 214 are housed in the space formed by the head cover 116 and the PCB 115, so these members are reliably protected from misalignment due to external factors and dust adhesion. This detection can also be prevented.

[0075] By adopting the above configuration, the head unit 100 can be used as an ink tank unit 200.
However, it is not necessary to hold the head unit completely rigidly as long as the ink supply section is maintained in a connected state and the positioning accuracy of the head unit is not deteriorated due to the play. A specific slight play (fixed and held after the device is installed) is preferably within ±3 μm. In short, when the head unit 100 is installed in the main body of the printer that uses it, its ejection section 10
1 should be set at an appropriate position, and the coupling between the head unit 100 and the ink tank 200 should be done to prevent inconveniences caused by vibration or other influences during use, such as ink leakage from the ink supply section. , it is only necessary to ensure that the positioning accuracy is not deteriorated due to rattling of the head unit as described later. In this sense, the head cartridge of this example is one in which the ink tank unit 200 and the head unit 100 are temporarily held to such an extent that the above-mentioned inconvenience does not occur (however, in the example, there is no play in the y direction in FIG. 11). From this point of view, the structure and mounting operation of the respective engaging portions can be significantly simplified. This becomes even more effective by arranging each engaging portion substantially at the rear of the head unit, that is, on the opposite side from the discharge portion 101.

The above engagement relationship may be configured as long as the head unit side and the ink tank unit side have one of the uneven engagement portions, but preferably, as in the above example, each has a plurality of engagement portions. It is preferable to have convex portions and concave portions. Also,
In this example, the base plate 111 is fitted into the gap on the lower side of the regulating members 227 and 229 in FIG. 10 to regulate the vertical direction thereof. This is base plate 1
11 is preferably positioned to some extent in the vertical direction in FIG. 10, but it is also possible to simply restrict upward displacement. In addition, a PC integrated with the heater board
Such an engagement relationship may be achieved with respect to B.

The above idea applies not only to the reliable positioning of only minute parts, such as positioning near the discharge port of the discharge section, but also to surface positioning of the discharge section and cleaning of blades, etc., which will be described later for cleaning the discharge section. This has the effect of making positioning relative to the absorbent member (absorbent body) easier. Therefore,
A head unit having such an absorbent body is also particularly excellent.

In this example, when the head unit 100 is attached to the ink tank unit 200 as described above, the supply pipe 116A enters the inside of the supply port 231, compresses the ink absorber 215, and compresses that part. The structure is designed to increase the capillary force of the ink and smoothly introduce ink into the supply port or supply pipe side. In order to make this even more effective, this example further adopts the following configuration.

Since the pin 212 is inserted into the absorbent body 215 before the supply pipe 116A enters, by determining the arrangement relationship as follows, the pin 212 can be inserted into the absorbent body 215 at least in that part. It can function as a member that cooperates with the supply tube 116A to form the maximum compression section. That is, the pin 212 is also used as a member for guiding the ink in the direction of the supply pipe 116A by performing the compression.

FIGS. 12A and 12B are diagrams for explaining the arrangement relationship, in which (a) is a top view, and (b) is a side view with the tip of the supply pipe projected onto the pin 212 (shown with hatching). It is. As shown in FIG. 12(a), the distance from the inner wall surface of the ink container into which the supply pipe 116A is inserted to the pin 212 is L (for example, 6 mm), and the supply pipe 116A is
When the amount of penetration is 1 (for example, 3 mm), it is practically preferable that L/4≦1≦3L/4 to obtain an appropriate compression state (1=L/2 in the figure). In addition, supply port 2
31 and the height of the insertion hole of the pin 211 are appropriate.
As shown in FIG. 2B, it is highly desirable that the pin 212 pass approximately through the center of the projection plane shown by hatching. In order to maintain the compressed state, the thickness of the pin 212 (at least the pin near the supply pipe 116A involved in the compression) is preferably about 0.5 to 2.0 mm.

[0081] By doing the above, as shown in FIG. 2(c), the compressed portion 215A of the absorber is formed by the supply pipe 116A and the pin 212, and a more preferable ink supply state is achieved for the supply pipe side. can be secured. (2) Example of a device using a head cartridge (2.1) Attaching a head cartridge to a carriage FIGS. 13 and 14 respectively show a cartridge mounting member in an inkjet recording device in the form of a serial printer to which the above-mentioned head cartridge can be attached. FIG. 3 is a perspective view and a side view showing an example of the structure around the carriage. The figure shows an example of positioning and loading four head cartridges (each containing ink of a different color (for example, yellow, magenta, cyan, black); hereinafter simply referred to as cartridges) on the carriage 2. There is.

Four push pins 10 are engaged with the connector holder 40 as a holding member, and are urged leftward in FIG. 14 by a spring 10a. Here, the connector holder 40 as a holding member engages with the link 21 via the shaft 20, and further, as shown in FIG. It is movable in the left-right direction, and is configured to move rightward to release pressure and enable cartridge replacement, and move leftward to accept loading of a cartridge.

Therefore, when loading the cartridge into the loading section 2f, the recording head section 86 of the cartridge is first dropped into the distal end recess 2f1 of the loading section 2f from above. Then, when the operating lever 7 is rotated clockwise about the shaft 9, the holder 40 advances and the groove 190 of the cartridge (
1) into the guide 54 on the carriage 2 side (see FIG. 14), the pin 10 engages with the cartridge, and the cartridge is loaded into the loading section 2f. Reference numeral 59 denotes a spring, which is provided on the carriage 2 side and is connected to the loading section 2.
A biasing force is generated to push the cartridge loaded in f backward and position it more accurately. The tip portions 10b of the push pins 10 abut on the pin engaging portions 103 of the four cartridges, respectively, and press the cartridges. Further, the outer circumferential surface 10 of the push pin 10 comes into contact with a predetermined abutment surface on the carriage 2, and is structured to independently receive the generated thrust force in a direction perpendicular to the push pin axis. Therefore, since the holding member 40 receives only the reaction force of the spring 10a and no thrust force acts on it, the release lever 7 can be operated with a small operating force even when releasing a plurality of cartridges at the same time. It becomes possible.

Next, the wiring connector 102 on the cartridge side
The mechanism or operation for fitting and disengaging the connector (main body connector) 6 provided on the main body side to be engaged with this will be explained.

When the wiring connector 102 is inserted into the main body connector 6, the engagement shaft 6a integrated with the main body connector 6 is inserted into the engagement hole fitting portion of the connector holder 40 by the elastic force of the tension spring 41 (see FIG. 14). When the lever 7 is operated with the connector 40b fitted, the main body connector 6 and the connector holder 40 move together. and carriage 2
The wiring connector 10 is approximately positioned by loading the cartridge C loaded into the loading portion 2f of the wiring connector 10.
2 and the main body connector 6, which is approximately positioned by the engagement shaft 6a fitting into the fitting portion 40b, meet,
The main body connector 6 is guided by the slope (not shown) of the main body connector 6 and is fitted (coupled) with the wiring connector 102 . Thereafter, the connector holder 40 moves a predetermined distance toward the back in FIG. 13 (this movement is performed by rotating the lever 7). Here, the predetermined distance is the distance by which the engagement shaft 6a separates from the fitting portion 40b, and is the distance by which the connector holder 40 moves to move the main body connector 6 from the positioned state to the movable (released) state. .

[0086] The main body connector 6 is connected to the wiring connector 1.
02 and the tension spring 41 (see FIG. 14), the main body connector 6 is connected to the connector holder 40.
be freed from In other words, the engagement is released. Here, since the large diameter portion of the engagement hole 40a has a larger diameter than the engagement shaft 6a of the main body connector 6, a gap is created between the two. Therefore, the fitting (coupling) of the main body connector 6 and the head connector 85
At this time, the main body connector 6 is released from the connector holder 40, so the cartridge is positioned with respect to the carriage 2 only by the pressing force of the push pin 10, and the recording head 86 cannot be accurately positioned with respect to the carriage 2. It is guaranteed.

Next, when removing (releasing) the cartridge, move the lever 7 from the upright position to the horizontal position (
13) in the counterclockwise direction. Then, although the engagement shaft 6a is coupled with the head connector 85 with strong force, as the connector holder 40 moves to the right, the side surface of the large diameter part of the engagement hole 40a hits the engagement shaft 6a, and as shown in FIG. The main body connector 6 is separated (released) from the head connector 8 while pushing the engagement shaft 6a in the direction toward the inner depths. At the same time, the push pin 10 also moves together with the connector holder 40 and moves away from the head unit 100.

Note that in FIG. 13 or 14, 11
a scanning rail extending in the main scanning direction of the carriage 2 and slidably supporting the carriage 2; 11a a bearing; 51 a flexible cable for transmitting and receiving various signals with the cartridge via a connector; 52 is carriage 2
This is a belt that transmits the driving force for reciprocating. Reference numerals 17, 18, and 15, 16 denote a pair of rollers arranged in order before and after the recording position of the ejection section 101 of the head unit 100 in a recording medium conveyance mechanism to nip and convey the recording medium; 50 denotes a pair of rollers for carrying the recording medium; This is a platen that keeps the recording surface flat.

In order to perform recording on a recording medium without causing any misalignment between the heads, each head unit, especially its ejection section, must be accurately positioned on the carriage. In the recording device according to this example, the abutting portions 55 of both the head unit and the carriage engage with each other as shown in FIG. Positioning is performed in the left-right direction in FIG. 14, and positioning is also performed in the height direction by engagement of the abutting portions 56. Furthermore, positioning in the scanning direction in FIG. 13 is performed as follows.

FIG. 15 is a front view of the inkjet head cartridge when it is mounted on the carriage 2. The head unit 100 is compressed by the contact pressing force Fs generated by the leaf spring-shaped contact member tips 213A and 214A.
The base plate 111 is pressed, and its abutting surface abuts the abutting surface 253A on the ink tank unit,
The head unit 100 and the ink tank unit 200 are fixed without play in the pressing direction. The pressing force is FS x 2≈800g, which is sufficient for biasing. In the head cartridge, the abutment surface 1b of the head unit 100 is abutment surface 2b of the carriage 2, and the abutment surface 200a of the tank unit 200 is abutment surface 2d on the carriage side, and component force generated by the pressing force F of the push pin 10 is applied. Fb and Fd are brought into pressure contact and positioning is performed. Therefore, reliable positioning of the head cartridge including the head unit 100 in the left-right direction in FIG. 15 can be achieved.

[0091] In this example, the contact member tips 213A, 2
14A is shaped like a leaf spring, and its elastic force presses the head unit 100 against the ink tank unit 200 to eliminate looseness in the pressing direction, thereby ensuring that the head unit 100 can be positioned on the carriage. In this way, instead of using the contact member itself as a pressing member, as shown in FIG. 16, a pressing member 299 is used.
may be provided separately. This also eliminates play in the left-right direction in FIG. 16 and ensures positioning of the carriage in that direction.

Further, in the above example, a spherical protrusion is provided on the slope of the head unit side pin engaging portion 103 in order to ensure a reliable pressing force by the pin 10.

This effect will be explained using FIG. 17. When the pin engaging part 103' is a flat tapered surface as shown in FIG. ,
Alternatively, even if the pin axes are tilted and they are not parallel, there is no problem if they always contact in the same posture, but if the contact posture is not uniform due to manufacturing errors in the head cartridge, the contact position of the two will be There is a possibility that the pin tip 10b is deviated by the length of the tapered surface, and therefore the point of application of the pressing force is deviated, so that appropriate pressing force may not be applied to each part.

In contrast, in this example, since the spherical protrusion 103A is provided as shown in Figure (b), the point of action can be kept almost uniform even if the abutment posture is shifted.

In order to maintain the point of action in this way, instead of or in addition to providing a spherical protrusion on the tapered surface of the pin engaging portion 103, the pin tip 10b may be made spherical. Alternatively, a spherical portion may be provided.

(2.2) Schematic diagram of recording device FIGS. 14 and 18 are schematic diagrams of a recording device such as a printer, a copying machine, or a facsimile machine to which the above configuration is applied.

The recording apparatus main body 1000 has a cover 1101 that can be opened and closed on the operation side. This cover 11
When 01 is opened around the central axis of rotation, the inside of the main body is opened. By this opening, the lever 7 mentioned above
This makes it possible to rotate the cartridge, thereby making it possible to attach and detach the cartridge to and from the main body of the device. Lever 7 indicated by a solid line in the diagram
indicates a position where the cartridge of FIG. 1 can be installed, and in this position, cover 1101 is prevented from moving to the closed state. Note that the cartridges indicated by broken lines in the figure are in the process of being installed, and the cartridges indicated by solid lines are positioned in the apparatus main body at a predetermined position where recording is possible. At this time, the ejection opening forming surface of the head unit 100 of the cartridge faces parallel to the guide surface of the platen 50, and the protruding recording head portion protrudes downward from the carriage and is positioned between the recording medium conveying rollers 16 and 18. ing. Reference numeral 1102 indicates a flexible sheet for the electrical wiring section, and reference numeral 12 indicates a rail for supporting and guiding the carriage 2 together with the aforementioned rail 11.

The connector holder 40 is shown in a state after the cartridge has been installed and the lever 7 is in the state shown by the broken line to complete fixing the cartridge to the carriage. Reference numerals 20 and 2202 denote shafts provided on both side surfaces in the direction of relative movement of the connector holder 40 with respect to the carriage, and are juxtaposed at the same positional level. This shaft has a cylindrical shape that is movable within two elongated holes having its central long axis on a straight line on both sides of the carriage. In the figure, axis 20
, 2202 correspond to the lever 7 shown in solid lines at the position shown in solid lines. These axes 20, 2202 further ensure translation of the connector holder. In this example, the shafts 20 and 2202 are provided outside the connector main body and are arranged near the top of the recording head positioning push pin 10, so that the positional accuracy of the recording head positioning push pin 10 is improved. In addition, an axis similar to the axes 20 and 2202 is provided in the connector body to stabilize parallel movement of the connector body,
Furthermore, after the connector is connected, it can be configured to provide freedom in the front-rear direction and in the left-right direction corresponding to the gap between the connector and the side plate. In this embodiment, the elongated hole for the shaft 2202 is set so that after the connector body is connected to the connector, the shaft 2202 is not fixed in the front-rear direction, and the positioning of the positioning push pin 10 is dominated only by the shaft 20. It is preferable to

FIG. 18 is a side view of the engagement relationship between the lever 7 and the shaft 20, and corresponds to the side view of FIG. 13. Figure 13
As explained above, the link 21 connects the lever 7 and the shaft 20. In this figure, the above-mentioned main body of the apparatus is shown as being applied to a copying machine, and the structure will be briefly explained below.The optical system reading means is located below the upper original pressure bonding plate and the original platen glass. , a means 212 for converting the read information into an electrical signal is provided, and this signal is converted into a drive signal for the recording head via the flexible sheet 1102 to form a full color ink image. 2210 is a cassette that is inserted into the lower part of the main body from the ejection tray 2213 side and carries out the recording medium in the opposite direction to the insertion direction; 2211 is a feeding roller provided corresponding to the recording medium carrying out section of the cassette; be.

(2.3) Overview of recovery system unit Next, the recovery system unit according to this example will be explained.

FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram of an inkjet recording apparatus for explaining the installation location and general configuration of the recovery system unit. In this example, the recovery system unit is shown in FIG.
It is located on the home position side on the right side of 3.

In the recovery system unit, 300 is a cap unit provided corresponding to each of the plurality of cartridges C having the head unit 100, and is slidable in the left and right directions in the figure as the carriage 2 moves, and can also be moved up and down. It is possible to go up and down in the direction. When the carriage 2 is at the home position, it is connected to the discharge section 101 of the head unit to cap it. The structure of this cap unit 300 will be described later with reference to FIG.

In the recovery system unit, 401 is a blade as a wiping member, and 403 is a blade 4.
For example, a blade cleaner made of an absorbent material is used to completely clean the blade. In this example,
The blade 401 is held by a blade lifting mechanism driven by the movement of the carriage 2, and the blade 401 is moved to a protruding (raised) position for cleaning by wiping the ejection port formation surface of the recording head unit 100. It can be set in a retracted (lowered) position so as not to interfere with the In this example, cleaning is performed by wiping with the blade 401 when the carriage 2 moves from the right side to the left side in the figure. The elevating mechanism for these blades 401 will be described later with reference to FIG. 20. Note that if there is a portion on the ejection port forming surface of the head unit 100 that is not wiped by the blade 401, an auxiliary grade (indicated by reference numeral 402 in FIG. 19) is placed at the position where this portion is wiped.
may be provided.

[0104] Furthermore, in recovery units, 500
is a pump unit that communicates with the cap unit 300, and the cap unit 300 is connected to the head unit 100.
It is used to generate negative pressure when performing suction processing etc. by joining the

FIG. 20 is a front view showing a detailed configuration example of the recovery system unit. Such a recovery system unit is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 126655/1999 proposed by the applicant.
Since it is possible to use the one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 1-122878 (which claims priority), its configuration will be briefly described here.

First, the cap unit 300 is a cap 30 that tightly fits around the discharge port of the head unit 100.
2, a holder 303 that supports it, and an absorber 306 that receives ink during idle ejection processing and suction processing,
Suction tube 3 for suctioning this received ink
04, and a connecting tube 305 that communicates with the pump unit 500. This cap unit 3
00 are provided in the same number (four in this example) at positions corresponding to the respective cartridges C, and the cap holders 33
Supported by 0.

332 and 334 are cap holders 33
It is a pin protruding from 0, and is a fixed recovery base 350.
cam grooves 352 and 354 for guiding the cap holder 330 in the horizontal and vertical directions in the figure, respectively. A spring 360 is stretched between one pin 334 of the cap holder 330 and the rising portion 364 of the recovery system base 350, so that the cap holder 330 is placed in the illustrated position, that is, the left end position and the lowered position. A biasing force is applied so that it is held in place. Note that the position where the head unit 100 of the cartridge C mounted on the carriage 2 faces the cap holder 330 or the cap unit 300 in this position is the start position of the carriage 2 during one scan recording process. .

[0108] Reference numeral 342 denotes an engaging portion that is raised from the cap holder 330 and engages with the carriage 2 at a position to the right of the start position. When the carriage 2 moves further to the right in the figure from the start position, the cap holder 330 is moved by the engaging portion 342 against the biasing force of the spring 360. At this time, the cap holder 330 is guided along the cam grooves 352 and 354 via the pins 332 and 334, and is displaced rightward and upward. Therefore, the cap 302 is
It comes into close contact with the periphery of the 00 discharge port and is capped. Note that the position of the carriage 2 when this capping is performed is defined as the recovery position.

[0109] The cap 302 is made of an elastic material,
It consists of a fixed part to be joined to the holder 303 and an edge part for tensioning the tubular structure to this fixed part, and these parts are integrally molded. The cap 302 can be made of an elastic material such as silicone rubber or butyl rubber.

Next, a mechanism for lifting and lowering the blade 401 will be explained.

Referring to FIG. 20, 410 is a blade holder that can be raised and lowered, and a blade 401 is attached to the upper part of the blade holder using a suitable fixture. 412 is a holder return spring for biasing the blade holder 410 toward the lowered position.

A lock lever 430 is rotatable around a pin 414 protruding from the blade holder 410 and locks the blade holder 410 in its raised position by engaging with the upper surface of the stopper 432; It is biased clockwise in the figure by a spring 434. Further, in the illustrated state, the blade holder 410 is engaged with a protruding portion 416 and held at the illustrated position.

440 is rotatable around a pin 418 protruding from the blade holder 410;
This is a release lever for releasing the locked state of the lock lever 430 in the raised position of 10, and the lock is released by rotating clockwise in the figure around the pin 418. That is, the release lever 440 is provided with a pin 442 that engages with the lock lever 430, and when the release lever 440 rotates clockwise around the pin 418 in the figure, the pin 442 pushes the lock lever 430 into the pin position. 414 to release the engagement between the lock lever 430 and the top surface of the stopper 432.

A cam member 450 transmits a driving force for raising the blade holder 410 as the carriage 2 moves, and a pin 3 protruding from the recovery system base 350.
It is held rotatably around 70.

By the above-described mechanism, the blade 401 rises as the cap unit 300 slides due to the displacement of the carriage 2 to the right in FIG. Wiping is performed as the device moves in the opposite direction. At this time, in this example, the ink that has been wiped and received by the blade 401 is absorbed by the absorber provided in the head unit and the carriage, which will be described later, and color mixing between the heads and other problems do not occur. It may flow down the surface of the blade 401. This can be cleaned as follows.

[0116] When the carriage 2 moves from the left, the blade 401 descends. Blade cleaner 403
Even if this is attached to the cap unit 300, it is in contact with the blade 401 because the cap unit 300 has already returned to its original position. Therefore, as the blade 401 descends, even if ink adheres to its surface, all of this ink is received by the absorbent cleaner 403, and the blade 401 is reliably wiped.

[0117] Since the blade portion that engages with the ejection port forming surface is cleaned by the head unit absorber described below and furthermore by the carriage side absorber, some of the ink that may adhere is removed between the heads. It does not affect color mixing. Furthermore, if the cleaning by the head unit absorber and the carriage absorber is complete, the cleaner 403 may not necessarily be provided.

[0118] Furthermore, in the above example, the recovery unit has a mechanism for mechanically engaging the carriage and lifting and lowering the cap and blade as it moves. A separate means for performing this may be provided.

(3) Blade Cleaning (3.1) Function of Absorber 104 The head unit 100 shown in FIG. 1 is provided with an absorber 104 as a first absorber adjacent to the discharge port forming surface. be. In this embodiment, when the carriage 2 in the cap position moves to the left in FIG.
01 and cleans it, preventing inconveniences such as color mixing with the next head, sweeping of wiped ink 9 onto the ejection surface, wrapping around the head and carriage, and dirt when replacing the head cartridge. I try to do that. The details and operation of this absorber will be explained below.

FIGS. 21 and 22 are a sectional view and an enlarged perspective view, respectively, of the recovery unit according to this embodiment, viewed from the front side (the side opposite to FIG. 19).

As described above, the head unit 100 is fixed to the carriage 2, and the carriage 2 is attached to the main scanning rail 11.
It is held in place and is attached so as to be movable in the printing direction (direction of arrow c). For example, the head unit 10
A holder 330 having a cap 300 that forms a sealed space in the head in a non-printing position (state (A) in FIG. 21) when the discharge port 101b of No. 0 is clogged.
moves in the direction of arrow a, and the cap 300 moves toward the discharge surface 101.
It comes into contact with a and stops at a position where it can form a closed shape. In this state, suction recovery is performed by the pump unit 500 via the tube 304. head unit 1 by suction
The ink drawn out from 00 is conveyed to waste ink processing member 509 via tube 508. After suction recovery, the holder 330 having the cap 300 is retracted in the direction of arrow b. At this time, the ejection surface 1 of the head unit 100
Ink I drawn out from the ejection port 101b by suction recovery remains in 01a. Here, the carriage 2 (state (A)) moves in the direction of arrow c, and the blade 401 held by the blade holder 410 wipes the discharge surface 101a (state (B) in FIG. 21).
The ink I on the area a is removed from the ejection surface 101a.

As described above, one absorber 104 is fixed to the head unit 100 on the downstream side of the wiping side by means of adhesive, thermal caulking, or the like. In addition, in the configuration on the head side, a tapered portion is formed in a portion of the ejection surface 101a adjacent to the absorber 104 and located on the wiping upstream side of the absorber 104, so that the edge portion of the absorber 104 protrudes. It has become.

The material of the absorber 104 is a polyolefin-based porous member that hardly swells when liquid is absorbed (for example, a porous sintered body of polyethylene is subjected to a hydrophilic treatment, so that it does not swell). Rate is 0.01-0.0
2%. Product name: Sunfine AQ (Asahi Kasei Corporation).

Next, the behavior of ink droplets during wiping will be explained using FIGS. 23(a) and 23(b).

FIG. 23 is an enlarged view of the ejection surface portion of FIG. 21. Ink I attached to the ejection surface 101a due to suction recovery is removed from the ejection surface 101a by the blade 401 as the carriage 2 moves in the direction of arrow c, moves along the ejection surface 101a with the blade 401, and is deposited on the ejection surface 101a. By contacting the edge 104a of the absorber 104 of the head at the formed tapered portion 101c, the ink I is scraped off from the blade 401, and the ink is once stored in the tapered portion 101c. Immediately, ink I
' is absorbed by the absorber 104 (state I' in (a))
. Then, the carriage 2 further moves in the direction of arrow c, and when the blade 401 reaches the next head, the ink is completely removed from the edge 401a of the blade 401 (state (b)). Therefore, the ink removed from the ejection surface 101a does not affect the next head, preventing problems such as color mixing, and wiping can be performed while the edge 401a of the blade 401 is always clean. Become.

[0126] By providing the absorber in the area adjacent to the head in this manner, ink adhering to the blade 401 can be effectively removed.

[0127] In this example, as in the above-described embodiments, an IC or the like containing information is attached to the recording head substrate side. There is a risk that this IC or the like will be damaged if scattered ink adheres to it during a cleaning operation or the like.

[0128] Therefore, it is preferable to provide an absorber on the side surface of the substrate on which the IC is disposed.

[0129] It is more preferable if the IC is provided on the side surface of the substrate located on the downstream side of the head ejection port with respect to the cleaning direction, in view of the above-mentioned blade cleaning effect.

[0130] Also, in the cleaning direction, even if the absorber is on the side opposite to the IC as in this example, when cleaning multiple heads in succession, the side surface on which the IC is provided should be cleaned before head cleaning. Since the ink passes through the ink, there is no damage caused by ink scattering, etc.

In the embodiment, the configuration of the head unit 100 is such that the tapered portion 101c is formed in the portion of the ejection surface 101a adjacent to the absorber 104.
A similar effect can be obtained by forming a groove 101d in the ejection surface 1a adjacent to the absorber 12 as shown in FIG.

Further, as shown in FIG. 25, the discharge surface 101a
Rather than forming a recess on the absorber 104 side, the discharge surface 1
It may also be configured to protrude from 01a. In other words, if the discharge surface 101a adjacent to the absorber 104 and upstream of the absorber 104 in the wiping direction is concave than the absorber 104 and the edge portion 104 of the absorber 104 protrudes, the same effect can be obtained. That's what it means. Furthermore, both may be combined.

Further, in the embodiment, a wiping configuration in the main scanning direction (printing direction) has been described, but a configuration similar to this embodiment can be achieved even in a configuration in which wiping is performed in a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction. This will be discussed later with reference to FIG.

(3.2) Specifications of absorber Here, the structure of the absorber will be explained.

First, in the above configuration, the head unit 1
The amount of ink transferred from 00 to the absorber 104 by the cleaning operation of the blade 401 will be described.

The inkjet head of this example has 128 ejection ports and an image density of 400 dpi. Furthermore, as described above, ink is supplied by the ink tank unit 200 that is integrated with the head unit 100. The weight of the ink stored in the ink tank unit 200 is 6
0g, and the specific gravity of the ink is 1.05. Of these, it is assumed that the weight of the ink that can be used for printing is 40 to 50 g. To determine the amount of ink remaining, as described above, electrode pins are placed inside the tank to detect the amount of ink remaining, and changes in resistance between the electrodes as the amount of ink decreases are detected, making stable ink ejection impossible. It is possible to notify the operator of the time to replace the ink cartridge immediately beforehand.

[0137] The number of printable sheets of the above ink tank unit will be explained.

[0138] The most commonly used printing duty is 10% to 30% per head, and the ink weight in the ink tank is 60g (usable weight 40 to 50g).
In this case, the number of printable sheets is assumed to be 300 to 1000 sheets. This assumption includes the ink used for printing as ink consumption, the ink used during the suction recovery mentioned above, and the ink used before printing, after printing, or during printing (one line) in order to keep the ejection state of each nozzle constant. Next 1 after printing
In addition, there are inks used when performing an operation called "dry ejection" or "preliminary ejection" in which a fixed number of ejections are ejected from all ejection ports after the cleaning operation by the blade 401, and the above-mentioned printing is possible. Number of sheets: 300-1
000 sheets is obtained from an actual value measured in a certain print mode and recovery mode, which will be described later.

Next, the amount of ink transferred from the head unit to the absorber 104 due to the cleaning operation of the blade 401 will be described.

The cleaning operation of the blade 401 is roughly divided into two types: (a) cleaning ink remaining on the head surface due to suction recovery; and (b) cleaning ink adhering to the head surface due to printing. It is a kind.

First, the amount of ink when cleaning ink remaining on the head surface by suction recovery in (a) will be explained. The ink remaining on the head surface after one suction recovery operation is separated from the ink remaining in the ejection port and the cap 300.
The part where the head unit 100 came into contact with the head unit 100 (cap trace)
0.000 including the ink left behind (cap trace ink)
It will be 3g to 0.0015g. This includes water-repellent treatment on the head surface (discharge surface 101a portion and cap abutting portion), water-repellent treatment around the head abutment portion of the cap 300, and an absorber (not shown) placed inside the cap 300. These values were obtained from experimental values under the condition that the gap between the ejection surface 101a and the absorbent body was 0.2 to 1 mm during capping (suction).

[0142] The suction recovery sequence may be set so that one suction recovery is performed every predetermined number of prints (for example, 10 sheets). This is based on the phenomenon described in 1 above that bubbles are generated in the liquid chamber of the head due to printing, and as the bubbles grow, they block the liquid path and cause ejection failure.
The purpose is to prevent this in advance by suctioning every time 0 sheets are printed.

Therefore, assuming the amount of ink transferred to the head absorbing member in the above sequence, the maximum is 0.0.
015g (MAX value of residual ink) x 100 times (= number of prints 1000 sheets/10 sheets) = 0.15g, minimum is 0.0
003g (MIN value of residual ink) x 30 times (=number of printed sheets 300 sheets/10 sheets) = 0.009g.

Next, the amount of ink used to clean the ink adhering to the head surface due to (b) printing will be explained. The amount of ink that adheres to the head surface due to printing (
(referred to as wet ink) varies depending on the printing duty.
As shown in FIG. 26, when the print duty is low, the amount of wet ink is small, and as the duty becomes high, the amount of wet ink increases, and the amount of increase tends to be large when the print duty is around 70 to 100%. A4 size paper 1
The amount of wet ink for sheet printing is 0.0 when the print duty is 10%.
5 x 10-5g, 1.5 x 1 when printing duty is 30%
It will be 0-5g.

The amount of wet ink varies depending on the gap between the ejection surface 101a and the recording sheet material (inter-paper gap), and the narrower the gap, the more the amount of wet ink tends to increase. FIG. 26 shows values when the paper gap is set to 0.5 to 0.9 mm. Further, the amount of wet ink increases in proportion to the number of ejection ports. FIG. 26 shows the values when there are 128 nozzles.

[0146] Assuming a sequence in which cleaning is performed once after printing one sheet, the amount of ink transferred to the absorber 104 is at most 1.5 x 10-5 g (amount of wet ink when printing duty is 30%) x 1000 times. = 0.015 g, minimum 0.5 x 10 -5 g (wet ink amount when printing duty is 10%) x 300 times = 0.0015 g.

Based on the results of (a) and (b), assuming the amount of ink transferred to the absorber 104 by cleaning, the maximum is 0.15g (maximum value of (a)) + 0.015
g (maximum value of (b)) = 0.165g minimum 0.009
g (minimum value of (a)) + 0.0015g (minimum value of (b)) = 0.0105g.

[0148] According to the above calculation result, the absorber 104 of the head must be able to hold ink of 0.165 g or more, which is the maximum amount of ink.

Next, the structure of the absorber 104 will be described.

[0150] The material may be any material as long as it can achieve the above-mentioned ink absorption, and may have swelling properties. However, from the viewpoint of downsizing the device and preventing the absorbed ink from dripping, non-swellable materials are preferred. That is, as mentioned above, it is a polyolefin porous sintered body subjected to hydrophilic treatment (trade name: Sunfine AQ, manufactured by Asahi Kasei Corporation, etc.), and has a swelling ratio of 0.01 to 0.
Preferably, it is as small as 0.02%. Therefore, even if it absorbs ink, there is almost no change in the volume of the absorbing member itself, so it has the advantage that it can be used in areas where strict precision is required. That is, since this embodiment is also attached to the head, it is possible to ensure the gap between the head cartridge and the main scanning carriage 2 when the head cartridge is attached/detached and in the attached state, and to improve the gap accuracy between the absorber 104 and the recording sheet. It is effective for Therefore, it is quite possible to use a material that has swelling properties, but since the area where the absorber is installed is a very narrow space, there is a risk that ink may leak out if it swells in that area. Therefore, when this point is taken into consideration, non-swellable materials are more preferable. The liquid absorption rate of such an absorber 104 is 35 to 50%.

Next, the amount of ink evaporation will be explained. The amount of ink evaporation varies depending on the environment. In a low humidity environment (for example, 10% or less), all of the evaporable components of the ink will evaporate. However, in a high humidity environment (e.g. 80% or more)
In this case, the evaporation speed becomes slower and the amount of evaporation becomes smaller. In other words, in actual use, the size of the absorber must be determined based on the amount of evaporation in a high-humidity environment. In the ink of the example, 80% evaporates and 20% remains in a low humidity environment, and 30% evaporates and 70% remains in a high humidity environment.

[0152] The size of the absorbent body 104 is set based on the above conditions.

[0153] Volume of absorber 104 and head unit 10
The following relational expression holds between 0 and the amount of ink transferred to the absorber 104.

Head absorber volume: A [cm3] Head absorber absorption rate: B Ink specific gravity: C [g/cm3] (set to 1.0 to 1.1) Amount of ink transferred from the head to the head absorber: i [g]
Ratio of residual ink after evaporation: D ABC>iD...(1) A>iD/
BC...(2) The volume A of the head absorber is determined from the equation (2).

(a) When A is the largest, i=A+B
Maximum value of = 0.165g, D = value under high humidity = 0.7,
B = minimum value = 0.35, C = ink specific gravity minimum value = 1.0
0, A=(0.165×0.7)/(0.35×1.00)
=0.33 [cm3] (b) When A is the smallest i = minimum value of A + B = 0.0105g, D = value under low humidity = 0.2, B = maximum value = 0.5, C = Maximum ink specific gravity = 1.1, A = (0.0105 x 0.2) / (0.5 x 1.1) =
0.004 [cm3] (c) Minimum required volume Ai in this example = maximum value of A + B = 0.165 g, D = value under high humidity = 0.7, B
=0.35, C=1.05, A=(0.165×0
．． 7)/(0.35×1.05)=0.31[cm3
] Next, the ink capacity of the ink cartridge is I [g] = 60
[g] (printable ink amount is 40 to 50 g), the following relationship holds true with the volume A of the head absorber.

(a) A/I>0.33/60=11/2
000 (b) A/I>0.004/60=1/15000(c
A/I Considering the conditions, it must be of a size that satisfies a relationship of 11/2000 or more.

[0157] The volume of the head absorber in Example 1 is 0.34
~0.4 [cm3], which is larger than the minimum required volume of 0.31 [cm3] in this embodiment (c) and satisfies the condition.

Next, the factors that determine the maximum value of the volume A of the absorber will be explained. First, assume the maximum amount when cleaning ink remaining on the head surface by suction recovery in (a) above. Suction recovery is done once per sheet. Therefore, the amount of ink is 0.0015g (MA of residual ink
X value) x 1000 times = 1.5g. Furthermore, if a mode is added in which suction recovery is commanded by the operator, and the operation is to perform suction once per sheet, the amount will be 0.0015g (maximum value of residual ink) x 1000 times = 1.5g. Therefore, the worst value in case (a) is 1.5g+1.
Let 5g=3g.

Next, the maximum amount of ink that adheres to the head surface due to the above (b) printing will be assumed. Assuming that printing is performed with a printing duty of 100%, the amount of ink is 7 x 10-5 g (wetting amount when printing duty is 100%) x 1000 times = 0.07 g from Fig. 26.

[0160] Therefore, the maximum value of the ink weight i transferred to the absorber is (a) + (b) = 3g + 0.07g = 3.0
It becomes 7g.

[0161] When the volume A of the head absorber is calculated from these values, i=3.07g, D=0.7, B=0.35, C
=1.00, A=(3.07×0.7)/(0.35×1.00)=
6.14 [cm3] A/I=6.14/60≒1/6 Therefore, it is highly desirable that the volume A of the absorber is 6.14 g or more, and it is necessary that the relationship of A/I of 1/6 or more holds true. becomes. Furthermore, in actual design, it is desirable to consider the safety factor and set the volume to about twice the above set value. In other words, 6.14×2=12.28 [cm3], A/I=12
．． 28/60≒1/5, and if A/I is set to 1/5 or more, there will be no functional problem.

However, since the space around the head is limited and the price of the absorber itself increases as the volume increases, it is best to minimize it to the extent that there is no functional problem. It is preferable to set the upper limit value of A/I to 1/5.

Next, considering the volume A of the head absorber and the printable ink weight I* of the ink cartridge, we find that maximum value A/I* <12.28/40≒3/10 minimum value A/I* > 0.004/50=1/1250
A relationship of 0 holds true.

[0164] In this embodiment, the size of the absorber of each head is the same for all four heads, but the size of the absorber may be changed for each head as long as the above-mentioned conditions are satisfied. This is because the amount of ink that adheres to the ejection surface 101a during printing may vary depending on the position of the head. As shown in FIG. 21, when the printing direction is in the direction of arrow C, the amount of ink that adheres to the head ejection surface 101a due to printing may increase in accordance with the order of head arrangement in the printing direction. This is because the density of minute ink droplets floating in the space around the head during printing increases as the head moves downstream in the printing direction, and a phenomenon occurs in which more ink adheres to the ejection surface as the head becomes downstream. Therefore, in accordance with this behavior, the size of the absorber of the head can be set differently for each head within a range that satisfies the above conditions.

(3.3) Other Examples of Absorber Arrangement In the above embodiment, the absorber 10 is provided in the head unit 100.
4 was provided to prevent inconveniences such as color mixing, but
An embodiment will be described in which this effect is further enhanced.

FIGS. 27 and 28 are a sectional view and an enlarged perspective view, respectively, of the recovery unit according to this embodiment as seen from the front side, and each part that can be constructed in the same manner as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 is shown. Corresponding parts are given the same reference numerals.

Also in this example, as shown in FIG. 27, wiping is performed during the carriage movement in the c direction from state A to state B, and the blade 401 is removed by the absorber 104.
Clean the blade slightly
The ink that may remain on the blade 401 is absorbed by an absorber 73 serving as a second absorbing member provided on the carriage 2, thereby cleaning the blade 401 more completely. Note that the absorbent body 73 can also be made of the same material as the absorbent body 104, and can be arranged using the same fixing method.

The operation of this example will be explained using FIG. 29.

The ink I attached to the ejection surface 101a due to suction recovery is removed from the ejection surface 101a by the blade 401 as the carriage 2 moves in the direction of arrow c, moves along the ejection surface 101a together with the rubber blade 401, and is ejected. The ink I is scraped off from the blade 401 by contacting the edge 104a of the absorber 104 of the head at the tapered portion 101c formed on the surface 101a.
Ink is once stored in the tapered portion 101c. Then, the ink I' is immediately absorbed by the absorber 104 (I' in (a)
situation). Then, when the carriage 2 further moves in the direction of arrow c, the blade 401 then moves to the absorber 73 of the carriage.
Move by rubbing. At this time, a small amount of ink I that could not be removed by the absorber 104 of the head is left on the blade 401.
'' is absorbed by the absorber 73, and when reaching the next head, the ink is completely removed from the edge 104a of the blade 401 (state (b)).Therefore, the ink removed from the ejection surface 101a is completely removed from the edge 104a of the blade 401. It is possible to prevent color mixing without affecting the next head, and to perform wiping with the edge 104a of the blade 401 always in a clean state.

[0170] The absorber 73 on the carriage side is made as large as possible within the limited space because the head absorber 104 is also replaced as a unit when the head is replaced, whereas the absorber 73 on the carriage side cannot be easily replaced. It is better to do so. In other words, since the head-side absorber is refreshed regularly, the carriage-side absorber 7, which is difficult to replace,
By improving the durability of No. 3, the head-side absorber can be downsized, and the head cartridge and, in turn, the device can be downsized and cost reduced.

[0171] Here, the absorber 104 in this example,
The desirable relationship between dimensions such as 73 is as follows.

FIG. 30 is an explanatory diagram of the relationship between dimensions of each part,
WN is the width of the array range of the discharge ports 101b (including so-called dummy nozzles). WC is the width of the range 101e covered by the cap 300, and since all the outlet ports 101b should be located in the space formed by the cap 300, WN<WC. Furthermore, WB is the width of the blade 401, and considering that the ink droplet I often remains within the range 101e, this range 101e
It is highly desirable to be able to wipe completely, so WC<WB. Further, WH is the width of the absorber 104 provided in the head unit 100, and since it comes into contact with the blade 401 to clean it, WB≦WH. The above relationship is shown in Figure 21.
, also applies to the embodiment shown in FIG.

WK is the width of the absorber 73 provided in the carriage according to this example, and the width of the blade 401 by the absorber 104 is
Considering that ink that cannot be completely absorbed during the cleaning process may spread outward, WH≦W
It is K. That is, in this example, WN<WC<W
The dimensions of each part are determined so that the relationship B≦WH≦WK holds true.

FIGS. 31 and 32 show two other embodiments. These are generally shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, respectively.
The head unit has the shape shown in , except that the ejection port 1b has a recess 1 in the ejection surface to protect it.
01a'.

For heads like these, FIG.
A relationship like this can be adopted. That is, the discharge surface is formed by the cap abutting surface 101e and a concave portion 101a' which is a surface to be wiped that is recessed from this surface. Wiping can be performed using two blades, including a second blade having a width WB2 that wipes the cap contacting surface portion of the cap. By the way, the width of the cap is WC.

At this time, the following relationship exists between the blade width WB' (maximum blade width formed by WB1 and WB2) and the cap width WC.

[0177] WB1<WC, WN<WB1, but WB'>WC, that is, the width WB1 of the blade that wipes at least the area around the discharge port.
must be wider than the discharge port array width WN, but does not necessarily have to be wider than the cap width WC; for wiping the cap marks, the maximum width WB' is the sum of the first blade width WB1 and the second blade width WB2. This indicates that it is good if it is wider than the cap width WC.

Note that this applies to head units having the shapes shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 or 27 and 28,
Needless to say, the present invention can be similarly applied to a device in which the discharge port is arranged in a recessed portion.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the main scanning direction (
Although we have described a configuration in which wiping is performed in other directions (for example, in a direction e perpendicular to the main scanning direction C, as shown in FIG. 34), a similar configuration is effective. There is. Further, this also applies to a structure in which the carriage 2 does not include the absorber 73.

(3.4) Ejection port shape and wiping direction Next, this embodiment is defined to prevent inconveniences such as returning dust and the like to the inside of the ejection port, drawing out ink from the ejection port, and color mixing due to wiping. The relationship between the ejection port shape and the wiping direction will be explained. By the way, to show the wiping conditions of this example, urethane rubber is used as the material of the blade 401, and the contact condition is a rubber hardness of 65° (JIS
A), free length L = 9 mm, amount of penetration into the discharge port d =
The thickness is 1.5 mm, the thickness t is 0.7 mm, and the wiping speed v is 180 mm/sec.

In FIG. 35, the ejection port shape of the head is trapezoidal (isosceles trapezoid in this example), and a plurality of ejection ports are formed in the X direction in the figure.

[0182] For the trapezoid, vertices P1, P4, P5, P
Considering the axes X2, X3, Y1, Y2, Y3, and Y4 that pass through ) (however, b>a). By the way, the angle <(P5)(P1)(P2) is 60°,
The angle <(P1)(P5)(P6) is 30°.

Next, considering X1 as an axis perpendicular to the axis of the wiping direction CC (in this example device, the direction opposite to the carriage movement direction C in FIGS. 21 and 27), It can be seen that the trapezoidal shape of the discharge port is not axisymmetric. Also, when X1 cut off by the circumference of the discharge port is maximum (maximum width is b)
The first axis becomes the X2 axis (referred to as the separation axis), and there are two line segments cut by the intersections P1 and P4 of the X2 axis and the periphery of the discharge port (line segment forming the outline). can. One is a line segment from P1 to P4 through P2 and P3 (referred to as perimeter component 1, its length L1 = b), and the other is a line segment from P1 to P4 through P5 and P6. (referred to as perimeter length component 2. Its length L2 = a + √3 (ba - a)
). At this time, the relationship between perimeter components 1 and 2 is L1<
It becomes L2.

[0184] When performing wiping in this example,
As shown in FIG. 35, the ejection ports are wiped in the CC direction, thereby making it possible to reduce the incorporation of dust, the drawing of ink from the ejection ports, and color mixing.

[0185] The relationship between the wiping direction and the ejection port shape, which produces such an effect, will be described in detail.

(a) Dust (dust, etc.) attached around the discharge port
The amount of paper dust, etc.), thickened, and fixed ink that is expected to get mixed into the ejection port when it is wiped with a blade varies depending on the direction of wiping. In other words, the amount of dust, thickened, and fixed ink attached to the periphery of the ejection port is proportional to the circumference of the ejection port, and at the point when the blade passes through the maximum width of the ejection port in the direction of movement. Foreign matter entering the discharge port is the most common. In the process of contacting the inside of the discharge port after the blade contacts the discharge port circumference, the longer the discharge port circumference before contacting the discharge port, the more the blade tends to increase.

In FIG. 35, when cleaning from the wipe pink direction CC, only L1 (=b) of dust, thickened, and fixed ink (hereinafter also referred to as impurities) gets mixed into the ejection port, but vice versa. For cleaning from the direction, L2(=a+√
3(b-a)) of impurities, the amount of impurities mixed in is large by the difference (L2-L1=ab+√3(b-a)).

(b) As shown in FIG. 36, the blade 10
4 enters the ejection port 101b, contacts the ink meniscus M formed in the ejection port as the blade moves, and adheres to the blade (the ink is drawn out due to the surface tension of the ink itself and the liquid repellency of the blade). The phenomenon of drawing the liquid (the amount varies) out of the discharge port differs depending on the direction of wiping. In other words, the length of the contact between the blade and the ejection port when the blade 104 finishes passing through the ejection port is related to the amount of ink drawn out, and the longer the length of the part parallel to the blade around the ejection port, The amount of ink drawn tends to increase. In addition, ink withdrawal is related to the wiping speed and the amount of penetration into the blade's ejection port.As the speed increases, the amount of ink withdrawal decreases, but the wiping performance, which is the basis of wiping, tends to decrease at the same time. As the number increases, the amount of ink drawn out decreases, but the wiping performance tends to decrease. In other words,
This is closely related to the blade contact conditions, but it is desirable to define the wiping direction as in this example, as this will widen the permissible range of the contact conditions. In Fig. 35, for cleaning from the wiping direction CC, only a contact length a (proportional to the amount of ink adhesion) is required when the blade is removed from the ejection port, but for cleaning from the opposite direction, Since a lot of ink is drawn out due to the contact having a length b, a lot of ink is drawn out by the difference (ba). FIGS. 37(a) and 37(b) show the difference in ink draw-out when the wiping direction is set as in this example and when it is reversed, respectively.

(c) Due to the same phenomenon as described in (b), the more ink is drawn out, the more ink sticks to the blade, and as the blade moves, it is transferred to the downstream head in the wiping direction. Color mixing occurs when inks of different colors are transported and come into contact again within the ejection port. The phenomenon here is the same as in (b), so the explanation will be omitted.

FIG. 38 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment. In this embodiment, a simple head configuration and a wiping direction will be explained.

In FIG. 38, (a) is a sectional view of the head, and (b) is a front view of the head, showing the shape of the discharge port 111b''. Heater board 11 on which a chip 812 is mounted and a heater, semiconductor, etc. formed on the chip
2' is provided. On top of that, a grooved top plate 11 made of PSF (polysulfone), etc., has grooves for forming a common liquid chamber 813 and a liquid path 815, and has an integral discharge port forming plate.
3' is pressed against the silicon chip by a spring 114 similar to that described above. Incidentally, the base plate 111' and the top plate 113' are joined at an angle of θ=15°. Further, the wiping direction by the blade is the CC direction in the figure. The discharge port shape is basically trapezoidal, but the corners are rounded. This is done to improve the ejection characteristics by increasing the separation of the ink from the ejection port 111b' and at the same time reducing the flow path resistance when the ink is separated from the ejection port. . The reason why the head's discharge port is shaped so that the heater side widens as shown in the figure is because the channel structure inside the discharge port is trapezoidal in order to achieve foaming stability, and the discharge port is shaped by a laser on the top plate. This is to prevent being kicked when drilling holes.

Next, the relationship between the head configuration and the wiping direction in this example will be explained in detail. Figure 39 is Figure 38
FIG. 2 is a further enlarged view showing the force relationship exerted by the blade during wiping. When wiping is performed in the direction shown in the figure, a resultant force f' of the contact pressure f of the blade and the frictional force μN is added, and a force is exerted to move the grooved top plate in the direction of the resultant force. In the wiping direction of this example, the gap 2 is narrowed, but if wiping is performed in the opposite direction, a force acts in the direction that tends to widen the gap 2. Here, g
Regarding the roles of ap1 and gap2, gap1
is the crosstalk (between adjacent liquid paths) in the liquid path arrangement direction (
Gap2 is related to crosstalk on the front side in one passage (occurrence of escape of foaming power), and in both cases, the wider the gap, the greater the crosstalk. The occurrence of crosstalk causes various problems such as uneven ejection speed, uneven ejection amount, deviation, and non-ejection. gap1
The gap 2 is designed to be kept constant by applying a spring load from above, but the gap 2 relies only on the frictional force between the grooved top plate and the silicon chip and is easily moved. Therefore, it is desirable to perform wiping using the method of this example.

FIG. 40 is a diagram illustrating still another embodiment. In the figure (a), when the discharge port shape is triangular,
(b) shows the case of a pentagonal shape. By applying the wiping direction based on the same idea as in the above example, (a
), the direction is CC1, and (b), the direction is CC2.

[0194] In the above example, a polygon was explained, but it is also applicable to a case of a curved line or the like.

(Others) The present invention is particularly applicable to inkjet recording methods, including means for generating thermal energy as the energy used to eject ink.
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.

[0196] For its typical configuration and principle, see, for example, US Pat. No. 4,723,129 and US Pat.
Preferably, it is carried out using the basic principles disclosed in the '796 specification. This method is the so-called on-demand type.
It is applicable to both continuous types, but in particular, in the case of on-demand type, it is applicable to the electrothermal converter placed corresponding to the sheet holding the liquid (ink) or the liquid path. , by applying at least one drive signal that corresponds to recorded information and provides a rapid temperature rise exceeding nucleate boiling, the electrothermal transducer generates thermal energy to produce film boiling on the thermally active surface of the recording head. liquid (ink) that corresponds one-to-one to this drive signal.
This is effective because it can form air bubbles inside. The growth and contraction of the bubble causes liquid (ink) to be ejected through the ejection opening to form at least one droplet. 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, making it possible to eject liquid (ink) with particularly excellent responsiveness. This pulse-shaped drive signal is described in US Pat. No. 4,463,359 and US Pat.
345262 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.

[0197] In addition to the configuration of the recording head that is a combination 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, U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,333 and U.S. Pat. No. 44 disclose a configuration in which a heat acting part is arranged in a bending region.
A configuration using the specification of No. 59600 is also included in the present invention. In addition, JP-A-59-123670 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 effects of the present invention are also effective even with a configuration based on Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 138461/1985 which discloses a configuration corresponding to the discharge section. That is, regardless of the form of the recording head, according to the present invention, recording can be performed reliably and efficiently.

Furthermore, the present invention can be effectively applied to a full-line type recording head having a length corresponding to the maximum width of a recording medium that can be recorded by a recording apparatus. Such a recording head may have either a configuration in which the length is satisfied by a combination of a plurality of recording heads, or a configuration as a single recording head formed integrally.

In addition, even in the case of a serial type as in the above example, the recording head is fixed to the device main body, or it is attached to the device main body to connect electrically with the device main body and to prevent ink from flowing from the device main body. The present invention is also effective when using a replaceable chip-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.

[0200] Furthermore, it is preferable to add recovery means for the recording head, preliminary auxiliary means, etc., which are provided as a configuration of the recording apparatus, to the present invention because the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. . Specifically, these include capping means for the recording head, cleaning means, pressure or suction means, preheating means 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.

[0201] Regarding the type and number of recording heads to be mounted, for example, in addition to a single head that corresponds to a single color ink, there are also systems that correspond to multiple inks of different recording colors and densities. A plurality of them may be provided. 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.

In addition, in the embodiments of the present invention described above, the ink is described as a liquid, but the ink that solidifies at room temperature or lower, and that softens or liquefies at room temperature, or the inkjet method. In general, the temperature of the ink itself is adjusted within the range of 30°C to 70°C to keep the viscosity of the ink within the stable ejection range. Any eggplant is fine. In addition, the temperature increase 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 ink that solidifies when left standing is used to prevent ink evaporation. In any case, the ink is liquefied by applying thermal energy in accordance with the recording signal, and the liquid ink is ejected, or the ink has already begun to solidify by the time it reaches the recording medium. The present invention is also applicable when using ink that is liquefied only by energy. The ink used in such cases is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 54-56847 or Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-1989.
As described in Japanese Patent No. 71260, the material may be held in a liquid or solid state in a porous sheet recess or through-hole and face an 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.

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

[0204]

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention,
The wiping member can be cleaned by disposing an absorbing member adjacent to the ejection portion of the recording head and engaging the wiping member with the absorbing member after wiping the ejection portion.

[0205] Therefore, it is possible to remove impurities that may have an adverse effect on the head, such as dust and thickened/fixed ink adhering to the wiping member or cap, and at the same time, this can be done efficiently. It is excellent in preventing problems that have occurred, such as problems caused by ink accumulating in the gap between the head and carriage, problems caused by swept ink during wiping, color mixing when wiping multiple heads, and staining of the operator when replacing cartridge heads. It has become effective, and it has become possible to improve durability and recording characteristics.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the swelling rate and water absorption rate of the absorbing member provided in the above-mentioned head are clarified, and the ink weight of the ink tank, the recordable ink weight,
By clarifying the relationship with the size of the absorbing member, it has become possible to derive optimal conditions for the structure of the absorbing member in terms of size, function, and cost.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the external configuration of a head cartridge that can be mounted on a carriage of an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a plan view for explaining the bonding relationship between the base plate and the PCB in the head unit of the head cartridge.

FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are a plan view and a side view, respectively, showing a configuration example of a presser spring used in the head unit.

FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing an example of the external configuration of the head unit.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the ink container in the ink tank unit of the head cartridge according to the present example.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the same.

FIG. 8 is a side sectional view thereof.

FIG. 9 is a back view of the lid member in the ink tank unit.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of the external configuration of an ink tank unit.

FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the operation when attaching the head unit to the ink tank unit.

12A, 12B, and 12C show the relationship between the ink supply pipe provided on the head unit side and the ink remaining amount detection pin provided on the ink tank unit side, and the effect due to that relationship. It is an explanatory diagram for explanation.

13 is a perspective view showing the vicinity of a carriage of the inkjet recording apparatus to which the head cartridge shown in FIG. 1 is installed; FIG.

FIG. 14 is a schematic side view thereof.

FIG. 15 is a schematic front view of the head cartridge according to the embodiment for explaining how it is attached to the carriage.

FIG. 16 is a schematic front view of a head cartridge according to another embodiment for explaining a state in which the head cartridge is attached to a carriage.

17A and 17B are explanatory diagrams of the engagement relationship between the carriage-side engagement pin and the head cartridge-side pin engagement portion.

FIG. 18 is a schematic side sectional view for explaining a copying apparatus configured using the inkjet recording apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a schematic perspective view of the inkjet recording apparatus.

FIG. 20 is a front view showing a detailed configuration example of the recovery system unit.

FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram for explaining wiping and blade cleaning operations for a head unit of a head cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the same.

23(a) and 23(b) are partially enlarged views of FIG. 21 for explaining the same.

FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the configuration of a portion to be wiped and a blade cleaning portion of the head unit.

FIG. 25 is an explanatory diagram showing still another configuration example.

FIG. 26 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the print duty and the amount of leaked ink, which is one factor for determining the specifications of the absorber provided in the head unit.

FIG. 27 is an explanatory diagram for explaining wiping and blade cleaning operations for a head unit of a head cartridge according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 28 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the same.

29(a) and 29(b) are partially enlarged views of FIG. 27 for explaining the same.

30 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the relationship among the ink ejection port array range, cap width, blade width, head-side absorber width, and carriage-side absorber width in the embodiment of FIG. 27; FIG.

31 is an explanatory diagram showing a head unit in which the ink ejection port arrangement surface is concave as a modification of FIG. 24; FIG.

32 is an explanatory diagram showing a head unit in which the ink ejection port array surface is concave as a modification of FIG. 25; FIG.

33 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the relationship between the ink ejection port array range, the cap width, and the first and second blade widths for the configurations of FIGS. 31 and 32. FIG.

FIG. 34 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a head cartridge having a configuration in which the carriage movement direction and the wiping direction are different.

FIG. 35 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a wiping direction for a trapezoidal discharge port.

FIG. 36 is a schematic side sectional view for explaining the wiping.

37A and 37B are explanatory diagrams for explaining the results caused by the difference in the wiping direction. FIG.

38(a) and 38(b) are a side sectional view and a front view, respectively, for explaining the wiping direction for discharge ports having other shapes.

FIG. 39 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the wiping.

40(a) and 40(b) are explanatory diagrams for explaining the wiping direction for the ejection port adopting still another shape.

FIG. 41 is a top view of a heater board according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 42 is an explanatory diagram for explaining conventional problems that may occur due to wiping.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 Carriage 2f Cartridge attachment part 6 Main body connector 7 Operation lever 10 Pin 10a Spring 10b Pin tip 11 Scanning rail 15, 16, 17, 18 Roller 40 Connector holder 50 Platen 52 Belt 100 Head unit 101 Discharge part 101a Discharge surface 101b Discharge port 102 Wiring connector 103 Pin engagement part 104 Head side absorber 111 Base plate 112 Heater board 113 Top plate 114 Pressing spring 115 PCB 116 Head cover 128 ROM 161 Projection 163 Fitting part 171 Recess 173, 174 Contact surface 116A Supply pipe 200 Ink tank unit 201 Knob 203 Atmospheric communication port 211 Ink container 212 Remaining amount detection pins 213, 214 Contact members 213A, 214A Contact member tip 215 Absorber 216 Container lid 217 Cap 221 Latch 223 Fitting portions 227, 229 Regulating member 233 Cylindrical portion 235 Spiral groove 251 Convex portion 253 Slide rail 253A Convex portion 300 Cap unit 302 Cap 303 Holder 304 Suction tube 401 Blade 410 Blade holder 500 Pump unit 1000 Recording device main body

Claims (21)

[Claims] 1. An ink tank comprising an ejecting section for ejecting ink onto a recording medium and an absorbing member provided near the ejecting section, and storing ink to be supplied to the ejecting section. An inkjet recording characterized in that the following relationship holds true: 1/15000<A/I<1/5, where I [g] is the ink capacity of the absorbing member, and A [cm3] is the volume of the absorbing member. head. 2. When the weight of the ink that can be used for recording among the ink stored in the ink tank is L* [g], the relationship 1/12500<A/I*<3/10 holds true. The inkjet recording head according to claim 1, characterized in that: 3. The absorbent member has a swelling ratio of 0 when liquid is absorbed.
．． 3. The inkjet recording head according to claim 1, wherein the inkjet recording head is made of a material of 0.2% or less. 4. The absorbent member has a liquid absorption rate of 30% to 60%.
Claims 1 to 3 characterized in that the material is made of %
The inkjet recording head according to any one of the above. 5. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, further comprising storage means storing predetermined information on a side opposite to the side where the absorbing member is provided. 6. The ejection unit includes an electrothermal converter that generates thermal energy that causes film boiling in the ink as energy used to eject the ink. 5. The inkjet recording head according to any one of 5. 7. An inkjet head cartridge, comprising integrally the inkjet recording head according to claim 1 and an ink tank containing ink to be supplied to the head. 8. A recording head having an ejection part for ejecting ink onto a recording medium, an absorbing member provided near the ejection part, a mounting member on which the recording head can be mounted, and the ejection part. and a wiping member that can be engaged with the absorbing member; and a wiping direction defining means that defines a wiping direction so that the wiping member engages with the absorbing member after engaging with the discharge part. An inkjet recording device featuring: 9. Ink capacity in an ink tank storing ink to be supplied to the ejection section is I [g],
When the volume of the absorbing member is A [cm2], 1/
9. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the following relationship holds: 15000<A/I<1/5. 10. When the weight of the ink that can be used for recording among the ink stored in the ink tank is L* [g], the following relationship holds: 1/12500<A/I*<3/10. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that: 11. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the absorbing member is made of a material having a swelling rate of 0.02% or less when liquid is absorbed. 12. The absorbent member has a liquid absorption rate of 30% to 6.
12. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the inkjet recording apparatus is made of 0% material. 13. The recording head according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the recording head has a storage means for storing information about itself on a side opposite to the side where the absorbing member is provided. inkjet recording device. 14. The ejection unit includes an electrothermal converter that generates thermal energy that causes film boiling in the ink as energy used to eject the ink. 15. The inkjet recording device according to any one of 14. 15. Claim 9, wherein the mounting member is provided with a second absorbent member that the wiping member engages with after the wiping member engages with the absorbent member.
15. The inkjet recording device according to any one of items 1 to 14. 16. The recording head according to claim 9, wherein the recording head has the form of a head cartridge that integrates an ink tank containing ink to be supplied to the ejection section. inkjet recording device. 17. The mounting member is capable of mounting a plurality of the recording heads, and the plurality of recording heads are mounted with the absorbing member facing the same direction. The inkjet recording device according to any one of the above. 18. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of recording heads are provided corresponding to inks having different tones. 19. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the absorbing member has a different volume for each of the plurality of recording heads. 20. A recording head having an ejection section for ejecting ink onto a recording medium and an absorbing member provided near the ejection section is cleaned by engaging a wiping member with the ejection section. A method for cleaning a recording head, comprising: subsequently engaging the wiping member with the absorbing member. 21. The recording head cleaning method according to claim 20, wherein the wiping member is used to perform a continuous operation on a plurality of the recording heads.