JPH08216420A - Ink jet nozzle capping device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To cap an ink jet nozzle without a separate driving source such as a motor and assuredly cap it even when a stopping position of an ink carrier is not strictly set. CONSTITUTION: A gear 20, an arm 17 and a cap 18 are provided at an ink carrier 2. A rack gear 19 is provided at a fixed member of an ink jet printer device 1. The gear 20 is engaged with the rack gear 19 by moving force generated by the movement of the ink carrier 2 and rotated, so that the arm 17 is rotated. Thus, operation for capping an ink jet nozzle 4a with the cap 18 is performed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a capping device which is used in a recording device such as an ink jet type printer or a facsimile machine and which covers a nozzle when the ink jet nozzle is not used.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ink jet nozzle used in an ink jet type recording apparatus is provided with a so-called capping device, which is a device for covering a lid (cap) to prevent the ink from being dried when it is not used. In a conventional capping device, a cap member and a cap mechanism are provided on a fixed side member of a recording device, and are separately provided as a drive source of the cap mechanism in conjunction with an operation in which an ink carrier moves out of a home station at the start of printing. The motor operates to drive the cam or worm gear mechanism to lower the cap member in the state where the inkjet nozzle is capped, and after printing is completed, the ink carrier moves in tandem with the movement to the home station. The cap is capped by rotating the motor in the reverse direction and raising the cap member.

[0003]

However, the capping device for the ink jet nozzle as described above requires a separate motor as a drive source for the capping operation, and thus the cost of the capping device increases. Yes, and because the cap member and the cap mechanism are attached to the fixed side member of the recording device,
In order to cover the inkjet nozzle provided on the ink carrier that performs the moving operation with the cap, the stop position of the ink carrier needs to be set precisely, and if the stop position shifts, the cap cannot be covered. Furthermore, when the inkjet nozzle and the cap member are relatively inclined, a gap may be created between the inkjet nozzle and the cap member, and the ink may be dried. The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a separate drive source such as a motor is not required for the capping device of the inkjet nozzle, and the setting of the stop position of the ink carrier is not strictly required. Another object of the present invention is to provide a capping device for an inkjet nozzle, which can surely perform capping without forming a gap between the inkjet nozzle and the cap member.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, an ink jet nozzle capping device according to a first aspect of the present invention ejects ink in an ink cartridge from an ink jet nozzle onto a recording medium by an ink jet method. A capping device used in a recording device for performing printing by covering a cap when the inkjet nozzle is not used, in which an ink carrier for carrying an ink cartridge is attached to and detached from the inkjet nozzle, and the cap is attached and detached. And a cap mechanism for operating the ink carrier. The cap mechanism is configured to be driven by using a moving force that accompanies the transfer operation of the ink carrier to and from the home station. According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the ink jet nozzle capping device according to the first aspect, the cap mechanism has a rotation arm provided with a cap attached to a tip end portion and rotatably provided on an ink carrier. And a driven gear integrally provided on the rotating shaft portion of the rotating arm, the driven gear meshes with the transfer operation of the ink carrier to and from the home station. The rack gear is attached to the fixed side member of the printing apparatus. Further, in the ink jet nozzle capping device of the invention described in claim 3, in the structure described in claim 1 or 2, the cap is provided at the tip of the rotating arm.
It is rotatably supported around an axis orthogonal to the rotating surface of the rotating arm.

[0005]

According to the ink jet nozzle capping device of the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, the cap mechanism is operated by using the moving force associated with the transfer operation of the ink carrier to the home station and the transfer operation of the ink carrier to cover the ink jet nozzle. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide a motor or the like as a drive source for capping. Further, since the cap and the cap mechanism are attached to the ink carrier side, capping can be reliably performed without strictly setting the stop position of the ink carrier. According to the ink jet nozzle capping device of the second aspect, the driven gear provided in the cap mechanism is provided on the fixing member side of the printing device in accordance with the transfer operation of the ink carrier to and from the home station. The cap provided on the tip of the rotating arm that rotates by meshing with the rack gear attached to the inkjet cap caps the inkjet nozzle, so that a separate drive source such as a motor is not required. It is possible to cap the inkjet nozzle. Further, according to the ink jet nozzle capping device of the third aspect, since the cap is rotatably supported by the tip of the rotating arm, even when the ink jet nozzle and the cap are relatively inclined. It is possible to perform capping without creating a gap between the inkjet nozzle and the cap, and it is possible to prevent the ink from drying.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inkjet printer device having an inkjet nozzle capping device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The inkjet printer device 1 includes an ink carrier 2 that is linearly reciprocally movable, and the ink carrier 2 includes an inkjet nozzle 4a that ejects ink onto a printing paper 3 that is a recording medium to perform printing. Cartridge 4
To hold and transport. This ink carrier 2
Is held by a guide shaft 7 and a guide plate 8 mounted between the chassis side plates 5 and 6 so as to be linearly reciprocable, and is linearly reciprocally driven by a toothed drive belt 9 during printing. The toothed drive belt 9 transmits the rotational drive of the motor 10 provided as a drive source for the linear reciprocal movement of the ink carrier 2 to the ink carrier 2.

A platen roller 12 and a platen roller 1 which convey the print sheet 3 by being rotationally driven by a motor (not shown) as a conveyance mechanism for the print sheet 3
2, the tension roller 13 is driven by the platen roller 12 so as to sandwich the print sheet 3 between the platen roller 12 and the platen roller 12 and assists the conveyance of the print sheet 3, and the print sheet 3 is rotated by a motor (not shown). A discharge roller 14 for discharging the
The printing paper 3 is sandwiched between the paper ejection roller 14 and the printing paper 3
A driven paper discharge tension roller 15 is provided to assist the paper discharge. Platen roller 12, tension roller 13, paper ejection roller 14, and paper ejection tension roller 15
Is hung between the chassis side plates 5 and 6 and is rotatably supported.

The capping device of the present ink jet nozzle has an arm (rotating arm) 17 rotatably supported by a rotating shaft 16 attached to an ink carrier 2, and a cap 18 provided at the tip of this arm 17. And a rack gear 19 provided in the home station and having a linear gear formed on the upper surface thereof, and a gear 20 (driven gear) integrally formed with the arm 17 and rotatably supported by the rotary shaft 16. . The gear 20 is engaged with the rack gear 19 to rotate. Since the arm 17 is formed integrally with the gear 20, it rotates with the rotation of the gear 20. The cap 18 at the tip of the arm 17 is made of a rubber material or a resin material, and is rotatably supported by a shaft orthogonal to the rotating surface of the arm 17.

Next, the operation of the ink jet printer device 1 having the above structure will be described. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which the capping device does not cap the inkjet nozzle 4a, and FIGS. 3A and 3B are front views and side views showing a state in which the capping device caps the inkjet nozzle 4a. It is a figure. When the printing paper 3 is carried in between the platen roller 12 and the tension roller 13 by a paper feeding device (not shown) and the transportation of the printing paper 3 is started, the ink carrier 2 waiting in the home station is guided by the guide. The inkjet nozzle 4a is supported by the shaft 7 and linearly reciprocates by the toothed belt 9 using the motor 10 as a driving source, and the inkjet nozzle 4a moves on the printing surface of the printing paper 3 at a constant interval.

When the ink carrier 2 is moved out of the home station to start printing, the cap 18 keeps the ink jet nozzle 4a capped (see FIGS. 3A and 3B). 1 moves to the left in FIG. 1 as the ink carrier 2 moves out of the home station, the gear 20 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 1 by meshing with the rack gear 19. In accordance with the counterclockwise rotation of the gear 20, the arm 17 formed integrally with the gear 20 also rotates counterclockwise, so that the cap 18 provided at the tip of the arm 17 includes the inkjet nozzle 4a. Leave from. When the ink carrier 2 moves to a position where the gear 20 does not mesh with the rack gear 19,
The cap 18 and the arm 17 are held at the position where the rotation is completed by the frictional force of the shaft supporting portion or the like, and the inkjet nozzle 4a is kept in a released state (see FIG. 2).

When the ink jet nozzle 4a moves to a desired position for printing, the ink jet nozzle 4a ejects ink particles onto the printing surface of the printing paper 3 to print at a position between the platen roller 12 and the paper discharge roller 14. . When the inkjet nozzle 4a finishes printing on the entire printing surface of the printing paper 3, the printing paper 3 is ejected outside the inkjet printer device 1 by the paper ejection roller 14 and the paper ejection tension roller 15, and the ink carrier 2 is ejected to the home station. Start the import operation. When the ink carrier 2 moves into the home station, the gear 20 and the rack gear 19 mesh again, so that the gear 20 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1 and the arm 17 also rotates clockwise. This rotation causes the arm 17 to move to the cap 18
Rotates to a position where it covers the inkjet nozzle 4a, and the inkjet nozzle 4a is capped (see FIGS. 3A and 3B). Gear 20 and rack gear 19
Is so that when the ink carrier 2 is moved out of the home station, the cap 18 opens the inkjet nozzle 4a and the arm 17 is rotated to a position where the movement of the ink carrier 2 is not hindered.
The number of gear teeth is set so that the cap 18 caps the inkjet nozzle 4a when the transfer to the home station is completely completed.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a structure in which the cap 18 is pivotally supported by the arm 17. FIG. 3 and FIG. 3 (a)
The structure of the cap 18 and the operation during capping will be described with reference to FIG. Cap holding portions 17a and 17b are formed at the tip of the arm 17, and the cap 1 is provided at the center of the side surface of the cap holding portions 17a and 17b.
Shaft members 17c and 17d for rotatably supporting the shaft 8 are provided. The heights and intervals of the cap holding portions 17a and 17b, and the set positions of the shaft members 17c and 17d in the cap holding portions 17a and 17b are set so that the cap 18 is rotatable. In addition, the shaft member 17c,
17d is provided so as to be orthogonal to the rotation surface of the arm 17. When the inkjet nozzle 4a is capped by the rotation of the arm 17, the cap 18 rotates corresponding to the relative inclination between the inkjet nozzle 4a and the cap 18, and the inkjet nozzle 4a and the cap 1 are rotated.
Rotate minutely so as to make close contact with 8 and without creating a gap.

As described above, according to the ink jet nozzle capping device of this embodiment, the gear 20 and the arm 1 are provided.
Since the cap 7 and the cap 18 are attached to the ink carrier 2 side by the rotating shaft 16, the capping is surely performed without strictly setting the stop position of the ink carrier 2. Setting can be done easily. Further, the rack gear 19 and the gear 20 mesh with each other as the ink carrier 2 moves into and out of the home station, and the gear 20 rotates. The arm 17 rotates using this rotation as a drive source. Since the cap 18 caps the inkjet nozzle 4a, the cap can be capped on the inkjet nozzle 4a without requiring a separate drive source such as a motor. Further, since the cap 18 is rotatably provided at the tip of the arm 17, even when the inkjet nozzle 4a and the cap 18 are relatively inclined, no gap is created between the inkjet nozzle 4a and the cap 18. Capping can be performed and the ink in the ink cartridge 4 can be prevented from drying.

The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, but various modifications can be made. For example,
The rotation that serves as a drive source for the rotation of the arm 17 is not limited to the engagement between the gear 20 and the rack gear 19, and a rubber roller is provided instead of the gear 20 and a rubber friction plate is provided instead of the rack gear 19. The rotation of the rubber roller, which is caused by the contact of the ink carrier 2 with the movement of the ink carrier 2 into and out of the home station, may be used as the driving source of the rotation of the arm 17. Further, the shape of the arm 17 does not necessarily have to be the shape shown in this embodiment, and the arm 17
Other shapes may be used as long as they do not hinder the capping of the inkjet nozzle 4a and the movement of the ink carrier 2 by the rotation of the.

[0015]

As described above, according to the ink jet nozzle capping device of the first aspect of the present invention,
The cap mechanism is configured to be driven by using the moving force associated with the transfer operation of the ink carrier to the home station and the transfer operation of the ink carrier, so that the cap can be attached to and detached from the inkjet nozzle. No drive source is required. Further, since the cap and the cap mechanism are provided on the ink carrier side, capping can be reliably performed without strictly setting the stop position of the ink carrier, and the stop position of the ink carrier can be set easily. It becomes possible. According to the ink jet nozzle capping device of the second aspect of the present invention, the driven gear provided on the ink carrier is moved in accordance with the transfer operation of the ink carrier to and from the home station. It rotates by meshing with a rack gear mounted on a fixing member on the printing device side, and the rotation arm rotates with this rotation as a drive source to cap the inkjet nozzle, so that a drive source such as a motor is separately provided. Capping can be performed without providing the above. According to the ink jet nozzle capping device of the third aspect of the invention, the cap is rotatably supported by the tip of the rotating arm about an axis orthogonal to the rotating surface of the rotating arm. Therefore, even if the relative positional relationship between the inkjet nozzle and the cap is misaligned, capping can be performed without creating a gap between the two, and ink drying can be prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inkjet printer device including an inkjet nozzle capping device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which the capping device of this embodiment does not cap an inkjet nozzle.

3 (a) and 3 (b) are a front view and a side view showing a state where the capping device of the present embodiment caps an inkjet nozzle.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a structure in which a cap is pivotally supported by an arm in the capping device of this embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Ink Carrier 4 Ink Cartridge 4a Inkjet Nozzle 16 Rotating Shaft 17 Arm 17c Shaft Member 17d Shaft Member 18 Cap 19 Rack Gear 20 Gear

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A capping device which is used in a recording device for performing printing by ejecting ink in an ink cartridge from an inkjet nozzle onto a recording medium by an inkjet method, and a cap which covers a cap when the inkjet nozzle is not used, In the ink carrier that carries the cartridge,
A cap that is attached to and detached from the inkjet nozzle and a cap mechanism for attaching and detaching the cap are provided, and the cap mechanism uses a moving force associated with an operation of moving the ink carrier into and out of a home station. A capping device for an ink jet nozzle, which is configured to be driven by the following. 2. The cap mechanism is integrally provided on a rotary arm having the cap attached to a front end thereof and being rotatably provided on the ink carrier, and a rotary shaft portion of the rotary arm. A driven gear, and a rack gear that is meshed with the driven gear as the ink carrier moves into and out of the home station and is mounted on a stationary member of the printing apparatus. The capping device for an inkjet nozzle according to claim 1. 3. The cap is rotatably supported at an end of the rotating arm around an axis orthogonal to a rotating surface of the rotating arm.
Alternatively, the inkjet nozzle capping device according to claim 2.