JPH0732600A - Ink jet recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a good recording with no mixing of wiped inks by arranging a wiper piece for an extrusion outlet for another recording color so as to shift it from the lower side in the vertical direction of the lower end part of a wiper piece provided for each recording color. CONSTITUTION:A wiper piece 6 is provided at a position being brought into contact with a face of a recording head outlet for each recording color and facing to a recording head 3 outside of a drum 1 and it is arranged on a supporting means 7 in such a way that wiper pieces for other recording colors are not overlapped on the lower side in the vertical direction of the lower end part of the wiper piece 6 for each recording color. In this constitution, when the recording head 3 reaches the position being brought into contact with the wiper piece 6 out the recording region of the outside of a drum 1, the ink drop adhered on the front face of the recording head 3 is wiped out. The wiped ink follows the wiper piece 6 and falls down from the lower end part of the wiper piece 6. Here, as it is arranged in such a way that the wiper pieces 6 of other recording color do not overlap in the ink falling direction, the fallen ink does not adhere on other wiper pieces for other recording colors.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus, and more particularly to an ink jet recording apparatus having improved cleaning means for the ink ejection surface of a recording head.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional ink jet recording apparatus, a part of ink ejected from an ink ejection port on a recording head ejection port surface toward a recording sheet is easily repelled and adhered from the recording sheet to the recording head ejection port surface. The adhered ink has various adverse effects, such as affecting the ejection of ink and hindering good recording, contaminating the recording paper when replacing the recording paper, and clogging the ink ejection openings. One method of removing this adverse effect is to provide a wiper piece that comes into contact with the recording head ejection port surface, and move it relative to and linearly with the recording head to wipe off the ink adhering to the recording head ejection port surface. Conceivable. In this method, the recording head and the wiper piece are in pressure contact with each other and relatively move, so that the ink droplets on the ejection port surface of the recording head are wiped off. A cleaning device for an ink ejection surface of a recording head in an inkjet recording device in which recording heads having a plurality of ink ejection ports having different recording colors are arranged side by side in the vertical direction will be described with reference to FIG. 7. Reference numeral 1 denotes a drum which is rotationally driven by a drive source (not shown). A plurality of recording heads 3 are arranged in the circumferential direction of the recording paper mounting surface 2 so as to face the recording paper mounting surface 2 on the outer peripheral portion of the drum 1. The recording paper mounting surface 2 is arranged vertically with a proper interval. The recording head 3 is fixed to a support means 4, and the support means 4 is slidably fitted in a guide means 5. As a result, the recording head 3 records on the recording paper (not shown) wound around the recording paper mounting surface 2 by rotating the drum 1 and sliding the supporting means 4 on the guide means 5. On the other hand, a wiper piece 6 is provided outside the drum 1 at a position facing the recording head 3 and capable of interfering with the ejection port surface of the recording head, and the wiper piece 6 is arranged on a supporting means 7. In such a configuration, when the recording head 3 reaches the position where it comes into contact with the wiper piece 6 outside the recording area outside the drum 1, the ink droplets adhering to the front surface of the recording head 3 are wiped off. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing another conventional example of the recording head. The recording heads 3'having different recording colors are arranged in the horizontal direction,
This is reciprocally slid on the guide means 5 to perform main scanning, and further recording is performed while sub-scanning the recording paper in a direction different from the main scanning. Even in such a configuration, when the recording head 3'reaches a position where it comes into contact with the wiper piece 6 outside the recording area, the ink droplets adhering to the front surface of the recording head 3'will be wiped off as in the conventional example.

[0003]

However, the above-mentioned conventional example has the following drawbacks.

1) In an ink jet recording apparatus in which recording heads having a plurality of ink ejection ports of different recording colors are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, the wiped ink travels down a wiper piece and drops from above. Ink that has adhered to the ink ejection port surface of the recording head of another recording color disposed therebelow and has dripped from the ink ejection port is mixed, and color mixing occurs, which hinders good recording.

2) In an ink jet recording apparatus in which recording heads having a plurality of ink ejection ports of different recording colors are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction, the wiped ink is placed next on the same surface with the ink adhered thereto. In order to contact the ink ejection port surface of the recording head of another recording color, ink of another recording color is mixed from the ink ejection port,
Color mixing occurs, which hinders good recording.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a recording head having a plurality of ink ejection ports having different recording colors, and a wiper strip for wiping off ink droplets adhering to the ink ejection port surface. In an ink jet recording apparatus of a type in which the wiper piece comes into contact with an ink ejection surface of the recording head as the recording head scans, the wiper piece is provided for each recording color, and the wiper piece for each recording color is provided. By arranging the wiper strips for the other recording color ejection ports so that they are offset from the lower side in the vertical direction of the lower end, ink drops wiped from the ejection port surface of the recording head travel along the wiper strips and When it is further dropped, it is prevented from adhering to the recording head of another recording color or the wiper piece of another recording, thereby preventing the color mixture of the inks and obtaining good recording.

[0007]

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following examples.

(First Embodiment) The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a front view of a wiper piece and its supporting means. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a drum which is rotationally driven by a drive source (not shown), and a plurality of recording heads are arranged in the circumferential direction of the recording paper mounting surface 2 so as to face the recording paper mounting surface 2 on the outer peripheral portion of the drum 1. 3 is arranged at an appropriate interval with respect to the recording paper mounting surface 2. The recording head 3 is fixed to a supporting means 4,
The support means 4 is slidably fitted to the guide means 5.
Therefore, the recording head 3 records on the recording paper (not shown) wound around the recording paper mounting surface 2 by rotating the drum 1 and sliding the supporting means 4 on the guide means 5. On the other hand, a wiper piece 6 is provided outside the drum 1 at a position facing the recording head 3 and in contact with the ejection port surface of the recording head for each recording color, and the supporting means 7 has a wiper piece for each recording color. Wiper strips of other recording colors are arranged vertically below the lower end so as not to overlap. In such a configuration, when the recording head 3 reaches the position where it comes into contact with the wiper piece 6 outside the recording area outside the drum 1, the ink droplets adhering to the front surface of the recording head 3 are wiped off. The wiped ink travels along the wiper piece and falls from the lower end portion of the wiper piece. Here, since the wiper strips of other recording colors are arranged so as not to overlap in the ink drop direction, the dropped ink does not adhere to the wiper strips of other recording colors.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 4 is a front view showing another embodiment of the wiper piece 6 and its supporting means 7 shown in FIG.
FIG. 5 is a side view thereof. It is possible to obtain the same effect as the configuration of the first embodiment in which a plurality of wiper pieces are arranged in a staggered manner by cutting one wiper piece 6 and arranging it diagonally.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a recording head of an ink jet recording apparatus for performing main scanning by reciprocating the recording head and further recording while sub-scanning the recording paper in a direction different from the main scanning. Is. On the ink ejection port surface 8, a plurality of ink ejection ports having different recording colors are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. With respect to the recording head having such a structure, the same effect can be obtained by the cleaning means used in the first or second embodiment.

In the above embodiment, the recording is performed by winding the recording paper around the rotating drum, but as another format, a so-called serial scan type recording apparatus in which the recording paper is moved in a plane is also used. The same effect can be achieved. Further, with respect to other recording formats, the same effect can be obtained by using the solving means of the present invention.

[0013]

According to the present invention, a wiper piece for wiping off ink droplets adhering to the ejection port surface of a recording head having a plurality of ink ejection ports having different recording colors is provided for each recording color, and By arranging the wiper strip for each recording color vertically below the lower end of the wiper strip so that other wipers of other recording colors do not overlap, the ink droplets wiped from the ejection port surface of the recording head travel along the wiper strip. When it drops from the bottom edge, it does not fall on the wiper pieces of other recording colors, so the wiped ink will not mix
Good recording can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an inkjet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a wiper piece supporting means.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing another example of the wiper piece supporting means.

FIG. 5 is a side view of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of a recording head to which the present invention can be applied.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional inkjet recording apparatus.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional inkjet recording head.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 rotating drum 3 recording head 5 recording head guide means 6 wiper piece

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A recording head having a plurality of ink ejection ports of different recording colors, and a wiper strip for wiping off ink droplets adhering to the ink ejection port surface, wherein the wiper strip scans the recording head. In the ink jet recording apparatus of the type that comes into contact with the ink discharge port surface of the recording head, the wiper strip is provided for each recording color, and the wiper strip bottom end of each recording color is shifted from the lower side in the vertical direction. An ink jet recording apparatus, wherein a wiper piece for another recording color ejection port is provided.