JPH0623998A - Liquid for jetting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a liquid drop jetting device of excellent printing quality which is free from clogging of a nozzle and turbulence of the liquid drop. CONSTITUTION:In a liquid drop jetting device equipped with a number of jetting devices 15 which jet ink in an ink passage from a nozzle 6 by changing ink pressure in the ink passage by use of a pressure generator, an adhesive tape is used as a cleaning means 1 near the nozzle 6 in non-printing, and dust entering an inside of the nozzle 6, solidified ink, etc., can be removed. Further, the cleaning means 1 can be exchanged with a new one by removing when its adhesion is lowered.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a droplet ejection device, and more particularly to removal of deposits near an ejection port.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, ink jet printers such as a bubble jet type using an electrothermal conversion element as a pressure generator and a piezoelectric type using an electromechanical conversion element have lower noise than an impact type printer. It is getting attention for some reason.

For example, in the piezoelectric type, by changing the volume of the ink flow path by the dimensional displacement of the piezoelectric actuator, the ink in the ink flow path is ejected from the ejection port when the volume decreases, and the ink flow path when the volume increases. The ink is introduced into the inside, which is called the drop-on-demand method. Then, a large number of such ejecting devices are arranged close to each other, and ink is ejected from the ejecting devices at predetermined positions to form desired characters and images. At this time, excessive ink or dust attached to the vicinity of the ejection port in the droplet ejection causes clogging and deteriorates print quality. Therefore, in order to remove these deposits, a cleaning means has been used in which the vicinity of the ejection port is wiped with a soft cloth or the like.

[0004]

However, in the prior art, for example, as shown in the sectional view of FIG. 4, an ink flow path 5 formed of a groove sandwiched between piezoelectric transducers 4 is provided.
The first adhering matter 8 adhering to the orifice plate 7 of the ejecting device 15 composed of the orifice plate 7 having the orifice (ejection port) 6 can be wiped off, but the second adhering matter entering the inside of the ejecting port 6 can be wiped off. It is difficult to wipe off 9, and as a result, there is a problem that the ejection port 6 becomes clogged and ejection becomes impossible, or the ejection direction of the ejected droplet 30 is disturbed, resulting in deterioration of print quality. .

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a droplet ejecting apparatus having a high printing quality, which can also remove deposits that have entered the ejection port.

[0006]

In order to achieve this object, a liquid droplet ejecting apparatus of the present invention uses a pressure generator to change the volume of an ink flow passage, thereby ejecting the ink flow passage to communicate with the ink flow passage. It is equipped with a large number of ejecting devices for ejecting ink from the mouth, and further comprises a cleaning means for removing deposits in the vicinity of the ejecting mouth during non-printing operation, and the cleaning means is adhesive and removable. It is installed in.

[0007]

According to the liquid droplet ejecting apparatus of the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, the adhering matter which has entered the ejection port is removed by the cleaning means having the adhesive property during the non-printing operation. Further, when the adhesiveness of the cleaning means is lowered, the cleaning means itself is removed from the apparatus main body,
It will be replaced with a new one.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment embodying the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. For the sake of convenience, the same parts as in the conventional example and the equivalent parts will be described with the same reference numerals.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a main part of an ink jet printer equipped with a droplet ejecting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and 10 is a platen. This platen 10
It is rotatably mounted on a frame 13 by a shaft 12 and driven by a motor 14. An injection device 15 is provided so as to face the platen 10. Injection device 15
Are mounted on the carriage 18 together with the ink supply device 16. The carriage 18 is slidably supported by two guide rods 20 arranged in parallel with the axis of the platen 10, and a timing belt 24 wound around a pair of pulleys 22 is coupled to the carriage 18. Then, one pulley 22 is rotated by the motor 23, and the timing belt 24 is sent, whereby the carriage 18
Are moved along the platen 10. Carriage 1
The cleaning unit 1 is provided so as to face the ejection device 15 when the sheet 8 is moved from the platen 10 to the non-printing position.

The liquid droplet ejecting apparatus of this embodiment has an orifice plate 7 having an ink flow path 5 consisting of a groove sandwiched between piezoelectric transducers 4 and an ejection port 6, as shown in the partial sectional view of FIG. The ejecting device 15 composed of 2 is opposed to the cleaning means 1 composed of the cleaning means main body 2 and the adhesive layer 3 during the non-printing operation. For example, dust,
The solidified ink and the like adhere to the surface of the orifice plate 7 as the first deposit 8 and inside the ejection port 6 as the second deposit 9. As shown in FIG. 2, the cleaning means 1 is pressed against the front surface of the ejection device 15, and then the cleaning means 1 is separated from the ejection device 15 as shown in FIG. At this time, not only the first deposit 8 on the orifice plate 7 but also the second deposit 9 inside the injection port 6 can be removed by the adhesive force of the adhesive layer 3.

Therefore, clogging of the injection port 6 can be suppressed,
It is possible to always provide good print quality, because jetting becomes impossible and the jetting direction of jetted droplets 30 is not disturbed.

When the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer 3 decreases, the cleaning means 1 may be replaced with a new one as shown in FIG. Cleaning means body 2
The cleaning means 1 can be easily replaced by engaging the engaging portion convex 31 at the lower part of the above with the engaging portion concave 32 provided in the printer body 33.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the cleaning means 1 comprises an adhesive roller 26 provided on the cleaning means frame 25 and made of an elastic member such as sponge.
The surface of the orifice plate 7 by the adhesive roller 26
It may be moved while rotating.

[0015]

As is clear from the above description, according to the liquid droplet ejecting apparatus of the present invention, the adhering matter that has entered the ejection port is also removed by the cleaning means having the adhesive property during the non-printing operation, Further, when the tackiness of the cleaning means is lowered, the cleaning means can be easily replaced with a new one, so that high printing quality can always be maintained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a droplet jetting device showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a cleaning unit being pressed against the front surface of the ejection device.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the cleaning means removing the adhering matter on the front surface of the ejection device.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional droplet ejection device.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a mounting / demounting mechanism of the cleaning unit of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the liquid droplet ejecting apparatus of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a main part of an inkjet printer provided with the liquid droplet ejecting apparatus of the invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cleaning means 2 Cleaning means main body 3 Adhesive layer 4 Piezoelectric transducer 5 Ink 6 Orifice (ejection port) 8 First attached matter 9 Second attached matter 15 Injecting device

Front page continued (72) Inventor Masahiko Kinoshita 15-1 Naesehiro-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya City Brother Industry Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takahiro Kanegae 15-1 Naeshiro-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya City Brother Industry Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Manabu Yoshimura, 15-1, Naeshiro-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya-shi Brother Industrial Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A liquid droplet ejecting apparatus comprising a large number of ejecting devices for ejecting ink from ejection ports communicating with the ink flow path by changing the volume of the ink flow path using a pressure generator. A liquid droplet ejecting apparatus, comprising: a cleaning unit that removes deposits near the ejection port during a non-printing operation, the cleaning unit having an adhesive property and being detachably installed.