JPS62109648A - Ink jet recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To conduct discharge recovery processing positively by providing a means, in which a gas is introduced to the inside from a discharge opening and a means in which the introduced gas is discharged from the discharge opening together with ink. CONSTITUTION:A head 1 is capped by a joining section 3 at a home position, a lever 9 is ON-operated and a vent valve 5A is closed, a pump 6 is operated and ink is sucked from a discharge opening 2, the insides of the joining section 3 and a suction tube 4 are filled with ink, and the excess filling is prevented by opening a solenoid valve 8. The lever 9 is positioned at a neutral position and the pump 6 is stopped, a joining-section carrier mechanism is controlled and joining/separation between a cap 3A and the discharge opening 2 are repeated several times, air is fed into the head 1 by the elasticity of the cap 3A, and the lever 9 is ON-operated again and the pump 6 is operated. Since air is introduced into the head 1 and a supply tube 17 at that time, air is sucked quickly and large suction force is obtained, thus positively removing foreign matters such as bubbles remaining in a filter 30, etc.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an inkjet recording device.

[Prior Art] In inkjet recording devices, droplets are ejected due to clogging of ink ejection ports such as orifices provided in the print head, or air bubbles entering the ink supply path leading to the ink ejection ports. Performance may deteriorate and ink ejection failure may occur.

Therefore, in conventional inkjet recording devices, a suction means is provided on the outside of the ejection port to face it, and the ink is caused to flow at a certain speed by suctioning the ink from the ejection port or by pressurizing the inside of the ink supply path. By discharging from the discharge port, the cause of the discharge failure is removed.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] However, in inkjet recording devices, ejection ports,
Because the flow resistance is high at the print head, corners and steps in the supply path, and filters for removing foreign matter installed in the supply path, it is not possible to obtain a sufficient flow velocity. There was a problem in that only the ink was simply discharged without removing the air bubbles etc. that had accumulated therein, and the cause of the ejection failure could not be properly removed.

In addition, in order to eliminate such causes of discharge failure, it is possible to secure the flow rate by applying suction force by a suction means or pressurizing force by a pressurizing means.
For this purpose, a problem arises in that the size of the apparatus cannot be avoided.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention solves these problems and makes it possible to ensure a sufficient flow velocity without increasing the size of the device, thereby making it possible to perform reliable discharge recovery processing. The purpose is to provide an inkjet recording device.

Therefore, in the present invention, in an inkjet recording apparatus that performs recording by ejecting ink from an ejection port onto a recording medium, an introduction means for introducing gas inward from the ejection port, and a means for introducing gas into the recording medium together with the ink. It is characterized by comprising a discharge means for discharging from the discharge port.

[Function] That is, according to the present invention, ink is discharged at high speed together with the gas introduced into the ink supply path inside the ejection port, which not only prevents ejection failure factors such as ejection port clogging, but also
Foreign matter in the ink supply path leading to the ejection port, such as air bubbles and dust accumulated in the filter in the supply path, steps, corners, etc. of the supply path, can be appropriately removed.

[Example code] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

Figures 1 (A) and (B) show an example of the external configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applicable and the configuration of an operation panel provided on the front of the apparatus, and Figures 2 and 3 are similar to Figure 1 (^ ), and in this example, a so-called serial type inkjet recording device will be illustrated.

First, in FIG. 1 (8), 1000 is the device main body, 1
100 is a power switch, and 1200 is an operation panel.

As shown in FIG. 12(n), the operation panel 1200 includes an OFF switch 1210 for the operator to command the conveyance of a recording medium such as paper, an LP switch 1220, and an online switch for giving online commands to, for example, a mask device. In addition to command means such as a switch 1230, display means such as an online lamp 1250 for displaying the online status of the device, an alarm lamp 1260 for reporting an abnormality, and a ready lamp 1270 for reporting a ready state are provided. be able to.

2 and 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a head having an ink discharge port on the front surface facing the recording paper P, and a sub-tank 12 that supplies ink to the liquid chamber in the head 1 via a tube 17, as well as a shaft. The carriage 22 is attached to a carriage 22 that moves in the S direction in the figure on the 23, and in the process of movement, ink droplets are ejected from the ejection ports to record on the recording paper P whose recording section is regulated by the platen 2. conduct. An ink cartridge 13 is detachably held in the main body 1200, and has an ink bag 20 and a stopper 19 made of an elastic member inside, and a supply tube is opened by inserting a hollow needle 18 into the stopper 19 to an appropriate position. An ink flow path communication state with the sub-tank 12 is obtained via the sub-tank 14.

Here, the ink supplied to the head 1 is maintained at a negative pressure compared to the water head at the ejection port. The water head of the supplied ink is always kept substantially constant by the water level adjustment tube 15, and the ink is supplied toward the ejection port by surface tension, so that the ink does not retreat from the ejection port. Furthermore, it also prevents ink from leaking from the ejection ports due to vibrations or the like.

Reference numeral 100 denotes a cap device that is disposed, for example, at the home position of the carriage 22, and caps the head 1 when the carriage 22 is positioned at the home position. In this cap device 100, 3 is made of an elastic member that can be bonded to the front surface of the head 1, and 7A and 7B each have a cap 3A for protecting the ejection port during non-recording. These are gears and cams for positioning the gears that constitute a joint conveyance mechanism for conveying in the T direction in the figure to perform joining/detachment with the head 1. The positioning of this junction/all theory is
For example, this can be done by turning on/off the contact 110 of the switch 11 using the cam 7B.

6 is a pump as a suction means, and tube 1 is used to maintain the ink level in the tube 4 and sub tank 12.
5 to the inside of the joint part 3 and the inside of the sub-tank 12, respectively, to perform suction. 8 is atmosphere release tube 5
The opening/closing means disposed in the joint portion 3 for opening the inside of the joint portion 3 to the atmosphere can be, for example, a solenoid valve. Also,
For example, a closable ventilation valve is provided between the electromagnetic valve 8 of the tube 5 and the junction 3. Reference numeral 9 denotes an operating lever, which has a portion capable of closing the vent valve and a protrusion 9^ that engages with the pump contact 6^ to drive the pump 6.

In this example, a lever control member including, for example, a spring or a latch is provided so that the lever 9 can be set to the on position, the off position, and an intermediate position therebetween, and after the lever 9 is moved from the off position to the on position. When the operation is released, it is held at an intermediate position, and when the operation is released after a movement operation from the intermediate position to the on position, it is returned to the off position. In the on position, the vent valve 5A is closed and the pump contacts 6A are lowered to the lowest position to perform suction operation, and in the intermediate position, the vent valve 5A is closed.
Pump contact 6A returns with A closed, and in the off position, vent valve 5^ is open and pump contact 6A remains closed.
The engagement with the protrusion 9A is released.

Further, as will be described later, the output of the switch 11 and the movement position of the lever 9 are detected by the control section, and the conveyance of the joint 3, the drive of the electromagnetic valve 8, etc. are controlled.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the configuration of the main part of the apparatus of the present invention. In this example, air is introduced into the recording head 1 by applying pressure from the outside of the ejection port, and then suction is performed by the pump 6. A discharge recovery process is performed, and when applying pressure, the bonding section 3 is bonded to the head 1 by repeating the bonding/111 theory.

In the figure, 5^ is an air valve provided in the middle of the atmosphere release tube 5, which can be closed by its portion 9B in response to the operation of the operating lever 9. 3B is an ink absorber that is provided on the cap 3A and can hold ink, and can be made of, for example, a porous material with liquid absorption properties. Note that the cap 3^ can generally be made of various rubber materials such as silicone rubber and butyl rubber.

A filter 30 is disposed in the middle of the ink supply tube 17 to collect foreign matter such as deer dust in the supplied ink and prevent the foreign matter from entering the recording head 1 side.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a waste ink absorber disposed in the ink cartridge 13, which receives the waste ink sucked by the pump 6 via the waste ink tube IO.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the configuration of the control system of the apparatus according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 200 is a control unit in the form of a microcomputer having, for example, a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc.;
Each part is controlled according to the processing procedures stored in the OM, and the head 1 is
drive to record. PS is a paper sensor that detects recording paper P, and in response to the detection, the control unit 20θ drives the platen roller 21 via a paper feeding mechanism 21A including a paper feeding motor to control paper feeding. C5 is a carriage position sensor, and the control unit 200 controls the carriage 2 via the carriage motor 22^ in accordance with the detected position information.
Controls the drive of 2 and positioning to the home position.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a conveyance mechanism having drive members such as a motor for conveying the joint portion 3 in addition to a gear 7A and a cam 7B. Position the joint. Reference numerals 1205 and 1255 indicate command means and display means, respectively, provided on the operation panel shown in FIG. 1(B). LS is a position sensor of the lever 9, which can be arranged, for example, in connection with the pump contact 6A.

FIG. 6 shows recovery IAJ'l by the control unit 200 shown in FIG.
! An example of the procedure, Figures 7 to 9. The figure shows an example of the operation of each part in the process.

First, when the carriage 22 is positioned at the home position at an appropriate timing such as when the power is turned on or during recording processing, the bonding portion 3 is moved relative to the head 1 in step 51 of FIG. 6 to perform capping. In this state, the operator moves the lever 9 from the off position to the on position in step S3 (point A in FIG. 7), and waits for a predetermined time until the alarm lamp stops flashing in step S5. In step S7, the lever 9 is released. When moving to the on position, suction processing from the ejection port 2 is performed, and the joint portion 3 and the suction duplex 4 are filled with ink. At this time, excessive filling is prevented by opening the solenoid valve 8 for a predetermined time (period B in FIG. 7) in step S9.

Next, in step Sit, the joint conveyance mechanism 7 is controlled to join the cap 38 and the discharge port 2/II! Repeat lt prolapse several times (period B in Figure 7). At this time, air is sent into the head 1 through the discharge port 2 by the cap 38, which is an elastic body. In addition, the cap 38 and tube 4 are filled with ink to reduce the volume of the pushed-in portion, and the filled ink acts as an elastic body, so air is pushed in effectively. In addition,
In relation to the air introduction process in step Sll, the eighth
As shown in the figure, during this C period, the cap 3A is connected to the discharge port 2.
If the solenoid valve 8 is opened only just before the ink is separated from the ink, the negative pressure that momentarily occurs at the joint immediately before the separation can be removed, and the introduced air can be discharged (the meniscus moves forward) and the ink can be removed. This will prevent it from scattering.

Next, in step 513, the alarm lamp 1260 and the online lamp 1250 are blinked alternately to notify the operator of the end of the air introduction process. Then,
For example, when the operator moves the lever 9 from the intermediate position to the on position in step 515 (time point E) after a predetermined period of time (time point F), the suction process is started, and after a predetermined time period (time point F), the solenoid valve 9 to open. Then step 51
The operator turns off the lever 9 at step 9, and closes the solenoid valve 8 at step 521.

At this time, air is introduced behind the discharge port 2, that is, into the head 1 and the supply tube 17, so when negative pressure suction is performed by the pump 6 in this state, - air is introduced from the discharge port 2. The flow path resistance is substantially reduced and a large suction force is obtained. Therefore, the cause of the ejection failure in the ink supply path from the sub-tank 12 to the ejection port 2, that is, the foreign matter such as air bubbles accumulated in the filter 30 and the corner 9 steps, is reliably removed.

Note that ink suction is performed in IA filling in steps S3 to S7 to fill the cap 38 and the suction tube 4 with ink to ensure that the pressurizing force due to bonding is applied to the discharge port 2 when air is introduced to the rear of the discharge port 2. This is to ensure that the Further, the reason why the timing of opening the solenoid valve 8 is delayed relative to the timing of turning on the lever 9 in the process of step S17 is as follows.

With the discharge port 2 closed by the cap 3A, and the vent valve 58 and the solenoid valve 8 closed, FIGS. 7, 8, and 9
When the pump 6 is turned on (in operation) at time E in the diagram,
Suction is performed through the suction tube 4, negative pressure (ink suction negative pressure) is generated within the cap 38 and the atmosphere release tube 5, and suction processing from the ejection port 2 is performed.

At this time, the ink sucked together with air from the ejection port 2 fills the inside of the cap 3A and leaks from the ink absorber 3B. Further, the atmosphere-opening tube 5 may also be filled with ink. However, if this state remains as it is, subsequent ink ejection will be adversely affected.

Therefore, in this example, a time point F after a predetermined period of time has elapsed from time point E.
Then, the solenoid valve 8 is turned on (opened) to communicate the atmosphere release tube 5 with the atmosphere. Then, the ink leaking from the ink absorber 3B and the ink in the atmosphere release tube 5 are sent to the pump 6 via the suction tube 4.

As shown in FIG. 9, the pressure inside the cap 3A (suction pressure waveform) becomes negative pressure with a slight rise angle at the time E when the pump 6 is turned on, and becomes negative pressure at the time F when the solenoid valve 8 is turned on (opened). The pressure suddenly returns to atmospheric pressure. Therefore, ink suction is not performed after time F.

Here, during a period of 9 (F-E) from the time point E when the pump 6 is turned on to the time point F when the solenoid valve 8 is turned on, the control unit 200
can be controlled by Also, is there a timer that controls the opening and closing of the solenoid valve? It may also be poorly controlled. This time FE, that is, the ink suction time, can be changed appropriately by adjusting the control section 200 or the timer.

In the above implementation and example, the lever 9 is operated manually by the operator. However, it is extremely easy to perform this by providing appropriate command means and driving means, or by providing a driving means to perform the control in the process of control.Furthermore, even in the case of manual operation, Starting from the dashed line at point A in FIGS.
The recovery operation can also be simplified by providing a switch or the like.

In addition, the pressurization for pushing air through the discharge port is performed by the cap 3A to prevent clogging of the nozzle and the incorporation of dust, etc., but the discharge port 2 is separate from the cap 3A.
A pressurized cap may be provided to force air in.

Furthermore, as long as sufficient air can be introduced in one joining, only one joining operation may be performed without repeating joining.

In addition, in the above embodiment, air was introduced by pressurizing from the outside of the discharge port 2, but air is introduced by creating a negative pressure state inside the discharge port 2. You can also do that.

FIG. 10 shows another example of the configuration of the main part of the present invention.

In the figure, reference numeral 40 denotes a restricting means disposed in the middle of the supply tube 14 to cut off or reduce the ink supply, and can be, for example, a solenoid valve. In this example, by closing the electromagnetic valve 40 and operating the pump 6 in that state, the supply path from the sub-tank 12 to the discharge port 2 is brought into a negative pressure state, which is used for suction and introduction of ink from the discharge port 2. -It is a + thing.

A vent valve 5A provided in the middle of the atmosphere opening tube 5 can be closed by its portion 9B in response to operation of the operating lever 9. The ink absorber 3B, which is provided within the cap 3A and is capable of retaining ink, can be made of, for example, a porous material with liquid absorption properties. Note that the cap 3A can generally be made of various rubber materials such as silicone rubber and butyl rubber.

Soi 1 Luta 30 installed in the middle of the ink supply cuff
The recording head 1 collects foreign matter such as dust in the supplied ink and records it.
Prevent foreign matter from entering the side. Ink cartridge 13
The waste ink absorber 16 disposed in the absorber 16 receives the waste ink sucked by the pump 6 through a waste ink chewing force of 0.

FIG. 11 shows an example of the configuration of a control system of a device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 300 is, for example, a CPU, ROM, R
It is a control unit in the form of a microcomputer with AM, etc., and is stored in ROM. Each part is controlled according to processing procedures, etc., and the head 1 is driven to perform recording based on image data received from a host device or the like. In addition, the control unit 30
0 controls paper feeding by driving the platen roller 21 via a paper feeding mechanism 21A including a paper feeding motor. Further, in accordance with the carriage position information detected by the carriage position sensor C5, the control unit 300 controls the driving of the carriage 22 and the positioning to the home position etc. via the carriage motor 22A.

In addition to the gear 78 and the cam 7B, the control unit 300 also includes the gear 78 and the cam 7B.
Using a transport mechanism 7 having a drive member such as a motor for transporting the joint 3, the joint 3 is positioned relative to the head 1 in accordance with a contact signal from the switch 11. 1205
and 1255 are command means and display means, respectively, provided on the operation panel shown in FIG. 1(B). The position sensor LS can be arranged in conjunction with the lever 9, for example the pump contact 68. In addition, the control unit 300
During the recovery process, the opening and closing of the solenoid valve 40 is controlled.

FIG. 12 shows an example of a recovery processing procedure by the control unit 300 shown in FIG.

First, when the carriage 22 is positioned at the home position at an appropriate timing such as when the power is turned on or during recording IA processing, the bonding portion 3 is moved relative to the head 1 in step 5101 to perform capping. Then step 510
At 3? i! After the solenoid valve 8 is turned off, the solenoid valve 40 is turned off in step 5105 to cut off the ink supply path from the ink cartridge 20.

In this state, in step 5107, the lever 9 is moved from the off position to the on position, and then the operation of the lever 9 is released. At this time, the vent valve 5A is closed, and as the lever 9 moves to the on position, the suction tube 1
The inside of the cap 3A and the inside of the ink supply path from the sub-tank 12 to the ejection port 2 are brought into a negative pressure state. Then, by opening the solenoid valve 8 in step 5109, air is sucked in from the discharge port 2 through the atmosphere release tube 5. Next, in step 5111, the solenoid valve 4o is opened, and in step 5113, the solenoid valve 8 is closed, and then
When the lever 9 is moved from the intermediate position to the on position in step 5115, the suction process is started.

At this time, air is introduced behind the discharge port 2, that is, into the head 1 and the supply tube 17, so when negative pressure suction is performed by the pump 6 in this state, - air is introduced from the discharge port 2. The flow path resistance is substantially reduced and a large suction force is obtained. Therefore, the cause of the ejection failure in the ink supply path from the sub-tank 12 to the ejection port 2, that is, the air bubbles and foreign matter accumulated in the filter 30 and the one-step corner portion are reliably removed.

As shown in FIG. 13, in addition to the solenoid valve 40, for example, an opening/closing means 42 such as a solenoid valve that can be controlled by the control unit may be provided in the middle of the suction tube 4 to perform the air introduction process.

That is, for example, when the solenoid valve 8 is opened after the solenoid valve 40 is closed and the pump 6 is operated with the solenoid valve 42 in the leap state, a large negative pressure is generated inside the head 1 through the tube 15. occurs, so the ink in the head 1 is transferred to the supply tube 1.
The air flows back to the sub-tank 12 side via the air outlet 7, and the grass air is sucked in from the discharge port 2.

Thereafter, by operating the pump 6 with the electromagnetic valves 40 and 42 open and the electromagnetic valve 8 closed, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

Further, as shown in FIG. 14, in addition to the electromagnetic valve 40, a three-way switching valve 44 is provided in the middle of the suction duplex 4, and the three-way switching valve 44 is communicated with the middle of the supply tube 17, for example, a portion 17A. The air introduction process may be performed by providing a bypass tube 46 and appropriately switching the three-way valve 44 to select the suction path on the suction tube 4 side or the bypass tube 46 side.

That is, for example, after opening the solenoid valve 40 and opening the solenoid valve 8, the suction path is connected to the bypass tube 46 using the three-way valve 44.
If the pump 6 is operated in this state, air can be taken in from the discharge port 2.7+) to at least the portion 17A.

Then, the solenoid valve 40 is opened, the solenoid valve 8 is closed, and the three-way valve 4 is closed.
4 to the suction tube 4 side and the pump 6 is operated, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 15, a communication tube 52 is provided to communicate the supply tube 17 and the suction tube 4, and the connection part with the supply tube 17 is connected to a position where the sub-tank 12 side and the head 1 side are communicated. A three-way valve 54 that can be switched to a position where the tube 52 side and the head 1 side communicate with each other, and a joint 3 at the connection with the suction tube 4
The position where the side and the pump 6 side communicate with each other and the communication tube 5
A switchable three-way valve 56 may be disposed at a position and '' where the 2 side and the pump 6 side are communicated, and the air introduction process from the discharge port 2 may be performed.

That is, for example, normally, the three-way valve 54 is set to communicate with the sub-tank 12 and the print head so that ink can be supplied to the head 1, and the three-way valve 56 is set to communicate with the joint portion 3 and the pump 6.

During the recovery process, the three-way valve 54 is switched to a position where the head 1 and the communication tube 52 communicate with each other, and the three-way valve 56 is set to a position where the communication tube 52 and the pump 6 are communicated with each other. That is, two three-way valves allow the head 1 to connect part of the supply tube 17, the communication tube 52 and the suction tube 4.
It communicates with the pump 6 via.

In this state, if the pump 6 is operated with the joint 3 separated from the head 1, or with the electromagnetic valve 8 open and the cap 3A still joined to the head 1, the ink in the head 1 will be drained from the supply tube. It is sucked from the side, and the discharge port 2
Air is drawn into the head 1 from.

Therefore, if the three-way valves 54 and 56 are returned to their normal states and then the recovery operation is performed in the same manner as in the above example, the same effect can be obtained.

In the examples shown in FIGS. 10 to 15, the pump 6 is also used as a negative pressure generating means for introducing air into the head 1, but other negative pressure generating means may be used.

FIG. 16 shows an example of this, in which a three-way valve 64 is provided in the middle of the supply tube 17, and the three-way valve 64 is connected to the waste ink absorber 16 via a pump 66 as a negative pressure generating means and a waste ink tube 67. This made it possible. This three-way valve 64 can form a path that communicates the head 1 side and the pump 66 side. Further, 63 is an operating lever for the pump 66.

In this configuration, the three-way valve 64 normally communicates the subtank 2 and the head 1 to maintain a state in which ink can be supplied. During the recovery process, the three-way valve 64 is
After switching the and pump 66 to the communication position, the operating lever 6
3, the pump 66 is operated to generate negative pressure, and air is taken into the head 1 from the discharge port 2. At this time, the joining portion 3 is left in a state where it is separated from the head 1, or the solenoid valve 8 is opened and the joining portion 3 is left in a state where it is joined to the head 1.

The ink sucked by the pump 66 is sent to the waste ink tube 6.
The waste ink is collected by the waste ink absorber 16 in the ink tank 13 via the waste ink absorber 16 via the ink tank 7 . Then, the three-way valve 64 may be returned to its normal state and a recovery operation similar to that described above may be performed.

In the examples shown in FIGS. 10 to 16, when generating negative pressure inside the discharge port 2 and introducing air from the discharge port 2,
Although a solenoid valve or a three-way valve is installed at an appropriate position in the supply system and switched as appropriate to perform the recovery process, the ink supply is performed by inserting a hollow needle 18 into the stopper 19 made of an elastic member of the ink bag 2o. Focusing on what is done by pointing,
It can be done as follows.

FIGS. 17(A) and 17(B) show an example of the configuration of a connecting portion between the supply tube 14 and the ink cartridge 13. Normally, the needle hole 18A of the needle 18 enters the space 19A in the stopper 19 of the ink bag 20 to establish ink continuity, as shown in FIG. 2A. On the other hand, during the recovery process, the positional relationship between the ink cartridge 13 and the needle 18 is
), if the needle hole 18A of the needle 18 is positioned within the elastic member of the stopper 19, the stopper 19 will close the needle hole 18A.
A becomes occluded.

FIGS. 18 to 21 show various configuration examples of an apparatus that is capable of performing the position setting shown in FIG. 17.

Mazu, Figure 8 (A) and Garlic (1), Yo, I...
car.

The fitting guide 24 of the apparatus main body 1000 for receiving the ridge 13 is provided with click points 24A and 24B for holding the ink cartridge 13 in two positions, that is, a position that blocks the supply path and a position that makes the supply path conductive. The cartridge 13 is provided with a locking portion 138 that is locked by these click points. Further, 29 is a needle position fixing member fixed to the main body 1000.

By doing so, in connection with the recovery process, if the ink cartridge 13 is positioned by the operator's operation or by an appropriate driving means, the ink cut-off state at the click point 24A (FIG. 2(B)) or the click point 24B can be achieved. A conductive state ((8) in the same figure) is obtained.

19(8) and (B) show the ink cartridge 13
A stopper 25 that can be moved up and down is provided at the bottom of the fitting path, and when the stopper 25 is lowered, the ink is in a conductive state (see Fig.
A)) is obtained, and when the stopper 25 is in the raised position, the ink cutoff state ((n) in the same figure) is obtained. Note that this stopper 25 may be provided at an appropriate location other than the fitting path, for example, on the fitting guide 24.

FIGS. 20(A) and 20(B) show the ink cartridge 13.
By aligning the alignment mark 26 provided on the main body 1000 with the alignment mark 27 provided near the fitting portion of the main body 1000, an ink cut-off state (FIG. 2(B)) is obtained. If the marks are not aligned and the parts are fitted to the innermost part, a conductive state as shown in FIG. 5A is obtained.

Alternatively, the position may be set using a mark on the main body and the edge of the ink cartridge 13.

FIGS. 21(A) and 21(B) show the ink cartridge 13.
This is an example in which the attachment 28 is detachably attached for positioning. Depending on whether or not the attachment 28 is attached, a cutoff state ((B) in the same figure) or a conductive state ((A) in the same figure) can be obtained.

In addition, according to the examples shown in FIGS. 17 to 21, not only can the ink supply path be reliably shut off, but also it is extremely easy to obtain the shut-off state. In addition, these examples are not limited to devices that suck ink from outside the ejection port 2;
It can also be widely applied to devices that perform recovery processing by pressurizing the inside of the ejection port to push out ink.

In the above embodiment, air is introduced from the outside of the discharge port 2, but as mentioned above, there is a large flow path resistance in the discharge port 2, so the air introduction process cannot be performed quickly. It is possible that Therefore, in this example, the front surface I of the head 1 is
Configure A as follows.

FIGS. 22A, 22B, and 22C show three examples of head front IA (7) configurations. (8) in the figure is a general configuration example for the head front surface 1, and such a configuration may be used when the air introduction process is not urgent. However, if quick and reliable introduction is desired, a dummy ejection port, which has a larger cross-sectional area than the ejection port 2 and is not used for actual recording, is used, as shown in Figures (B) and (C). It is sufficient to provide an exit 28.

In other words, the holding force of the meniscus at the discharge port is determined by surface tension, so the larger the cross-sectional area (radius r in the case of a circular discharge port), the smaller the holding force of the meniscus.
Therefore, air can be easily taken in when pressurized or negative pressure is introduced. It goes without saying that the number and location of the dummy discharge ports 2A can be selected as desired.

In the above description, the present invention has been applied to a serial type inkjet recording device, but it goes without saying that it can be applied to any type of inkjet recording device that performs recording by ejecting ink through ejection ports. . For example, it may be a full multi-type device that includes a plurality of ejection units in the width direction of the recording paper.

Further, in the above description, the pump and the like are operated manually, but it is also easy to operate them in the control process using an appropriate drive means.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize an inkjet recording apparatus that can secure a sufficient flow velocity and perform reliable ejection recovery processing without increasing the size of the apparatus.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1(A) and 1(B) are a perspective view and a front view showing an example of the external appearance of an inkjet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applicable and an example of the configuration of an operation panel provided on the front of the apparatus, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are 1A is a perspective view and a plan view showing an example of the configuration of a recording unit housed in the device shown in FIG. 1A, respectively. FIG. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control system in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. A flowchart showing an example, FIGS. 7 to 9 are timing charts showing the operation of each part in the recovery process, and FIG. A schematic diagram showing an example of a device in which air is taken in from the outlet, FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control system in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, and FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the control system according to the embodiment shown in FIG. A flowchart showing an example of a recovery processing procedure; FIGS. 13 to 16 are schematic diagrams showing four examples of other configurations of the device in which the inside of the discharge port is in a negative pressure state and Imperial Qi is taken in from the discharge port; 17(A) and (B) are cross-sectional views showing the connection state between the ink supply tube and the ink cartridge, and FIGS. 18(A) and (B) to FIG. Configuration 1 of the device that allows ink cartridge position setting shown in (A) and (B)
...Head, 2...Discharge port, 3...Joint part, 38...Cap, 3B...Ink absorber, 4.15...Ink suction tube, 5...Atmospheric release Tube, 5^...Vent valve, 6...Pump, 6^...Pump contact, 7...Joint conveyance mechanism, 8...Solenoid valve, 9...Operation lever, 1O- IQ”＞Ifs, j, , '゛12...
Sub-tank, 13... Ink cartridge, 14.17... Ink supply duplex, 16... Waste ink absorber, 18... Needle, 18A... Needle hole, 19... Plug, 19A...・Space part, 20... Ink bag, 22... Carriage, 24... Fitting guide, 30... Filter, 40.42... Solenoid valve, 44.54.64... Three-way switching Valve, 66...Pump, 200.300...Control unit, 1000...Device main body, 1200...Operation panel. Figure 17 (A> Figure 18 (A) +84 Figure 17 (B) Figure 21 (A) 〆3q JP-A-662-1O9648 (18) 2B IC1↑7-

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) An inkjet recording apparatus that performs recording by discharging ink from a discharge port onto a recording medium, comprising: an introduction means for introducing gas inward from the discharge port; An inkjet recording apparatus comprising: a discharge means for discharging ink together with the discharge port from the discharge port. 2) The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ejection means includes a suction means that is connected to the ejection port and performs suction.