JPH0449051A - Ink jet recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To externally discharge leaked ink out of a sheath and to prevent a danger of smoking/firing due to invasion of ink to an electric section by forming an open port at the lower parts of recovering means, an ink supply tank, the sheath of a periphery. CONSTITUTION:Open ports 18a communicating with the exterior of a lower case 18 for forming part of a recorder sheath is formed of a region 18b corresponding to recovering means arranging area, and a region 18c corresponding to an ink cartridge arranging area. For example, the ports 18a are formed at five positions of the region 18b as an oval hole, and at eleven positions of the region 18c. Thus, even if a discharge ink tube 14 is removed, ink discharged in recovering means 13 is discharged out of the recorder through the ports 18a. Accordingly, the ink is not retained in the recorder. Thus, the ink stored in the case 18 is prevented from being fed to an electric section (a power source 23, a printed board 22) to prevent smoking/firing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus such as a printer or a facsimile, and more particularly to an inkjet recording apparatus having a recovery system capable of recovering waste ink from a recording head.

[Conventional technology]

A recording device such as a printer or facsimile is a device that records on a sheet (recording medium such as paper or a thin plastic plate) by driving a recording head based on a print data signal, and its recording methods include thermal type, There are various methods such as a wire tod method, and an inkjet method is one of them.

An inkjet recording apparatus is configured to perform recording by ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles provided in front of a recording head based on a print data signal and fixing it on a sheet. At this time, in order to promote fixation of the ink onto the sheet (in a dry state where water has evaporated), a fixing device is used that heats the back surface of the sheet using, for example, a surface heater.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of the configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus.

In FIG. 4, a recording sheet (recording medium) 1 such as paper or a thin plastic plate is a cut sheet, and the recording sheets 1 stacked on a cut sheet feeder are separated one by one from the top layer by a separation claw 2 and a paper feed roller. 3 and fed.

Paper feed roller 4 and pinch roller 5.5 pressed against it
By controlling the rotation of the paper feed roller 4, the recording sheet 1 fed between the
and is set to the recording start state.

The recording head 6 is an inkjet recording head, and this recording head 6 is attached to a carriage 7. In the case of an inkjet recording device, the front of the recording head 6 (
A plurality of ink ejection ports are arranged vertically on the printing surface), and the carriage 7 is main scanned in the printing digit direction (direction across the recording sheet 1) of recording sort 1 to record an image for one line. Each time one line is recorded, the next line is recorded by sub-scanning by feeding the paper.

At a position facing the recording head 6, a fixing device 8 is installed which serves as a platen and a guide plate that guides the recording sheet 1 along the sheet feeding path.

The fixing device 8 is a surface heater in which heater wires (not shown) are attached to a sheet metal.

The recording sheet 1 that has passed through the fixing device is discharged onto a stacker 11 by a discharge roller 9 disposed on the discharge side thereof and a spur roller 10a provided in a spur roller unit 10 that is in pressure contact with the discharge roller 9.

A paper pressing plate 12 is arranged below the printing area, which is the main scanning range of the recording head 6, for pressing the recording sheet 1 against the fixing device 8 as close as possible to the printing area.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration and arrangement of an inkjet recording apparatus.

In FIG. 5, a recovery system 13 is provided at a position opposite to the recording head 6 and separate from the platen 8, which recovers the recording head 6 by suctioning ink when the recording head 6 becomes clogged. The recovery system 13 is provided with a suction 013a that is jointed with the recording head 6 and sucks ink, and an ink drain 13b that discharges the sucked ink to the outside of the recovery system 13, and the ink is connected to the ink drain 13b. The ink is guided to an ink tank 15 through a tube 14 . On the other hand, a tube 17 from a supply ink cartridge 16 is connected to the recording head 6, and is filled with consumed ink.

[Problem that the invention is trying to solve]

However, in conventional inkjet recording devices, the ink discharge tube from the recovery system's ink discharge tube to the discharge ink tank is located in a place that is completely invisible to the user. No impairment appears in other functions. Therefore, since the user continues to use the device without noticing any abnormality, there is a risk that ink dripping from the recovery system may flow into the electrical components and cause smoke or fire. Alternatively, if the ink supply tube from the ink supply tank to the recording head is disconnected at the connection point, the user will notice that printing will not be done properly, but if a large amount of ink in the ink tank leaks, As mentioned above, this may flow into the electrical equipment section where the power supply section, elements, etc. are installed, causing smoke and ignition. The present invention has been made in order to improve these problems, and provides an inkjet recording device in which even if ink leaks, ink will not go around the electrical component and there is no risk of smoke or fire. With the goal.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet recording device that makes the user aware of the problem and allows the user to repair it appropriately.

[Means for Solving the Problem #Mokon Misaki] The present invention has been proposed to achieve the above-mentioned object, and the present invention has been proposed in order to achieve the above-mentioned object. and a recovery means for recovering the waste ink discharged from the ink ejection surface of the recording means while in contact with and covering the ink ejection surface of the recording means. In an inkjet recording device disposed in a part of the exterior of the device, an opening communicating with the outside is provided in an area of the exterior corresponding to the location where the ink supply means or the recovery means is disposed. Features.

The present invention also provides an ink supply means for supplying ink to a recording means for depositing ink on a recording material to form an image; A recovery means for recovering waste ink discharged from the ink ejection surface of the recording means, a printed circuit board on which elements for controlling these drives are mounted, and a power supply unit serving as a power source for these are installed on the exterior of the apparatus. In an inkjet recording device installed in a part of the inkjet recording device, an inkjet recording device is provided in an area communicating with the outside between the location of the ink supply means or recovery means of the exterior and the printed circuit board or power supply section. It is characterized by having an open mouth.

According to the present invention, by providing an open port in the exterior of the area where the ink discharge port of the recovery system is provided, leaked ink does not accumulate inside the printer and ink does not flow into the electrical components. be.

Furthermore, since the ink leaks to the outside, it is possible to reliably notify the user of the ink leak.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 13 denotes a recovery means equipped with a cap member 3a that comes into contact with the ink ejection surface of the recording head 6 and covers the ink ejection surface, and is used to protect the head 6 and perform the ejection recovery operation of the head. The waste ink discharged from the rad is discharged to a waste ink tank 15 via a waste ink tube 14.

6 is a recording head, which is mounted on a carriage 7 that moves relative to the recording material conveyed along the platen 4;
Ink is supplied from the ink supply tank 16 via the supply tube 7, and the ink is ejected in accordance with a recording signal to record an image.

Reference numeral 20 denotes an ink cartridge in which a waste ink tank 15 and an ink supply tank 16 are integrated, and which is removably installed in the main body of the apparatus. Further, 22 is a printed circuit board on which various elements are mounted. A power source 23 is a power source for driving various elements on the printed circuit board, the carriage, and the recovery means.

The lower case 18, which constitutes a part of the exterior of the device in which these are arranged, has an open port 18a communicating with the outside, an area 18b corresponding to the recovery means installation area, and an area 18b corresponding to the ink cartridge installation area. 18c.

In this example, the openings 18a are formed as oblong holes, and five openings are formed in the recovery means installation area corresponding area 18b, and eleven openings are formed in the ink cartridge installation ring corresponding area 18c. Of course, the open mouth has these shapes,
Without being limited to the form, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, the following effects can be achieved by providing only one opening 018a directly below the ink discharge tube 13b that connects the recovery means 13 and the ink discharge tube 14. is obtained.

That is, for example, if the opening 18a is formed in the form shown in FIG. Since the ink discharged inside is discharged to the outside of the device through the opening 18a, ink does not accumulate inside the device.

Therefore, the ink accumulated in the lower case 18 can be prevented from flowing into the electrical components (power supply 23, printed circuit board 22), and smoke and ignition can be prevented.
A user can detect an abnormality in the recording device by detecting ink that has flowed out of the exterior.

Moreover, the opening 018a is connected to the discharge port 13a and the discharge ink tube 1.
4, as well as the joint between the discharge ink tube 14 and the discharge ink tank 15, the joint between the head 6 and the supply tube 17, and the supply tube 1.
The same effect as described above can be obtained even if it is provided directly below the joint between the ink supply tank and the ink supply tank.

Furthermore, the opening 18a may be provided not directly below each joint as described above, but in an intermediate area between the area where the recovery means 13 and the ink cartridge 20 are placed and the area where the printed circuit board 22 and the power source 23 are placed. Even if the opening 018a is provided in the intermediate region, ink leaked from the ink cartridge 20 or the recovery means 13 can be prevented from entering the electrical components (printed circuit board 22, power supply 23). Therefore, it is possible to prevent smoke and ignition in the electrical components due to ink getting around, and to improve safety.

Furthermore, for example, if the opening 18a is an oblong round opening as shown in FIG. 1 and a plurality of openings are provided, it can also function as an inlet/outlet for air inside and outside the device, and there is no need to separately form a louver for cooling the device. It also has the effect of eliminating

In the above example, only a hole was provided in the lower case 18, but
As shown in FIG. 3, a rib 18e surrounds the area directly below the ink drain 13b of the recovery system 13, and an ink discharge hole 18d is provided at a part of the corner of the rib 18e, so that the recording device No matter whether you tilt it forward, backward, left or right,
Since the leaked ink goes out of the exterior through the ink escape hole 18d, the ink does not reach the electrical equipment section.

In the illustration, there are two diagonal ink escape holes 1 in some corners.
8d, but the effect will be further improved if holes are provided at the four corners of the rib 18c.

The present invention brings about excellent effects particularly in a bubble jet type recording head and recording apparatus proposed by Canon Co., Ltd. among inkjet recording types.

As for typical configurations and principles thereof, it is preferable to use the basic principles disclosed in, for example, US Pat. No. 4,723,129 and US Pat. No. 4,740,796. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and continuous type, but especially in the case of the on-demand type, it is necessary to arrange the liquid (ink) in accordance with the sheet and liquid path that hold it. has been used as an electrothermal converter,
By applying at least one drive signal corresponding to recorded information and providing a rapid temperature rise above nucleate boiling, thermal energy is generated in the electrothermal transducer to cause film boiling on the thermally active surface of the recording head. As a result, bubbles in the liquid (ink) can be formed in one-to-one correspondence with this drive signal, which is effective. The growth and contraction of the bubble causes liquid (ink) to be ejected through the ejection opening to form at least one drop. It is more preferable to use this drive signal in a pulse form, since the growth and contraction of bubbles can be carried out immediately and appropriately, so that ejection of liquid (ink) with particularly excellent responsiveness can be achieved. As this pulse-shaped drive signal, those described in US Pat. No. 4,463,359 and US Pat. No. 4,345,262 are suitable. Incidentally, U.S. Patent No. 431 for the invention regarding the temperature increase rate of the heat acting surface
If the conditions described in specification No. 3124 are adopted,
Even better recording can be performed.

The configuration of the recording head includes, in addition to the combined configuration of ejection ports, liquid paths, and electrothermal converters (straight liquid flow path or right-angled liquid flow path) as disclosed in the above-mentioned specifications, a heat acting section. US Pat. No. 4,558,333 and US Pat. No. 4,459,600 disclose a configuration in which the
The present invention also includes a configuration using the specification of the above specification.

In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 123670 of 1982 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge part for a plurality of electrothermal converters, and a hole that absorbs pressure waves of thermal energy is disclosed. The present invention is also effective as a configuration based on Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 138461 of 1982, which discloses a configuration in which the discharge portion corresponds to the discharge portion.

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

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

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

Furthermore, the recording mode of the recording device is not limited to a recording mode in which only the mainstream color such as black is used; the recording head may be configured integrally or in combination with a plurality of recording heads; The present invention is also extremely effective for devices equipped with at least one full color image.

Although the embodiments of the present invention described above are explained using liquid ink, the present invention can also use ink that is solid at room temperature or ink that is soft at room temperature. can. In the above-mentioned inkjet devices, the temperature of the ink itself is generally adjusted within the range of 30°C to 70°C to keep the viscosity of the ink within a stable ejection range. It is sufficient if the ink is liquid. In addition, it is possible to actively prevent temperature rise due to thermal energy by using it as energy to transform the ink from a solid state to a liquid state, or to use ink that solidifies when left in order to prevent ink evaporation. In any case, the ink may be liquefied by application of thermal energy in accordance with the recording signal and ejected as liquid ink, or the ink may have already begun to solidify by the time it reaches the recording medium. The present invention is also applicable to the use of ink that is liquefied for the first time. In such a case, the ink is
JP-A-54-56847 or JP-A-60-7
In a state where it is held as a liquid or solid in the porous sheet recesses or through holes, as described in Japanese Patent No. 1260,
It may also be in a form that faces the electrothermal converter.

In the present invention, the most effective method for each of the above-mentioned inks is to implement the above-mentioned film boiling method.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, leaked ink can be discharged to the outside of the exterior by providing an opening in the exterior of the recovery means and the ink supply tank at the bottom and around the exterior. This makes it possible to prevent the danger of smoke and fire caused by ink entering the electrical components.

Further, by surrounding the area directly below the ink drain hole with a rib and providing an ink escape hole at the corner, the above effect can be further ensured.

Furthermore, since the ink flows out of the apparatus, it is easy for the user to detect the abnormality even if, for example, an abnormality occurs only on the ink discharge side.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the lower exterior of an inkjet recording apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are schematic perspective views of the vicinity of the recovery means of the inkjet recording apparatus according to other embodiments. , a longitudinal sectional view and a plan view showing an example of the structure of an inkjet recording apparatus, FIGS. 4 and 5 are a longitudinal sectional view and a plan view showing the structure of a conventional inkjet recording apparatus main body. 6...Recording head 13...Recovery system 13a...Suction port 13b...Drained ink tank 15...Drained ink tank 18...Lower case 18a, 18d...Opening port

Claims (6)

[Claims] (1) an ink supply means for supplying ink to a recording means that deposits ink on a recording material to form an image; and an ink supply means that contacts the ink ejection surface of the recording means and covers the ink ejection surface. A recovery means for recovering waste ink discharged from an ink ejection surface of the inkjet recording device is disposed in a part of the exterior of the device, wherein the ink supply means or the recovery means is disposed in the exterior. An inkjet recording device characterized in that an opening is provided in a corresponding area to communicate with the outside. (2) The inkjet recording apparatus is characterized in that the opening port is provided in an area corresponding to a position where the ink supply means and the recovery means are provided. (3) an ink supply means for supplying ink to a recording means that deposits ink on a recording material to form an image; and an ink supply means that contacts an ink ejection surface of the recording means and covers the ink ejection surface. A recovery means for recovering the waste ink discharged from the ink ejection surface of the ink discharge surface, a printed circuit board equipped with elements for controlling these drives, and a power supply unit that powers these are included as part of the exterior of the device. In the inkjet recording device, an open opening is provided in an area of the exterior corresponding to a location between the ink supply means or the recovery means and the printed circuit board or the power supply unit and communicates with the outside. An inkjet recording device comprising: (4) The inkjet recording according to any one of claims (1), (2), and (3), wherein the opening port also serves as an air cooling louver for cooling the atmosphere inside the apparatus. Device. (5) Claims (1), (2), (3), or (4) characterized in that a rib is provided to surround the ink discharge port of the recovery system, and an open port is provided at the corner of the rib. ). (6) The recording means includes an electrothermal converter as an energy generating element that generates energy for ejecting ink, uses the heat generated by the converter to cause film boiling, and utilizes the pressure change. Claims (1), (2), (3), characterized in that:
The inkjet recording device according to (4) or (5).