JPS631550A - Recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent contamination of a recording paper with ink and to prevent inferior printing, by placing a spacer member between the recording paper and a nozzle film body, thereby maintaining the gap between the recording paper and the nozzle film body accurately. CONSTITUTION:When a nozzle film body 1 and a spacer member 7 are reciprocated, ink in an ink supply means 8 arranged on the spacer member 7 is led by capillary action into a nozzle hole 2 along a slight gap between the nozzle film body 1 and a thermal head body 4 so as to feed a driving signal to a thermal dot element 3. Consequently, ink in the nozzle hole 2 is heated then ejected outwardly by the bubble pressure of as to print onto a a recording paper 6. The recording paper 6 is arranged on the upper face of the spacer member 7 and pressure contacted against the spacer member 7 so as to maintain the gap between the recording paper 6 and the nozzle film body 1 accurately, whereby the ink adhered to the nozzle film body 1 is prevented from adhering carelessly onto the recording paper 6, thus preventing the inferior printing completely.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] a. INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION FIELD The present invention relates to a recording device, and particularly to a recording device that prints using ink jetted from a large number of nozzle holes formed in a nozzle film body, accurately maintains the distance between the nozzle film body and recording paper, and records. Concerning new improvements to avoid staining paper with ink.

b. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION As an inkjet recording device using this type of nozzle film body that has been used in the past, the structure shown in JP-A-60-71260, shown in FIG. ing.

That is, in FIG. 17, what is indicated by the symbol I is a nozzle film body having a large number of nozzle holes 2. A thermal head body 4 having a large number of thermal dot elements 3 is provided on the lower surface of the nozzle film body l.

The conventional recording apparatus is configured as described above, and its operation will be explained below.

Each nozzle hole 2 of the nozzle film body 1 that has passed through the ink reservoir 5 is filled with ink and joined to the thermal head body 4, and in this state, the thermal head body 4
By sending a required drive signal to the thermal dot elements 3, the ink in each required nozzle hole 2 is ejected by the bubble pressure caused by heating, and printing is performed on the recording paper 6.

C. Problems to be Solved by the Invention Conventional recording devices were configured as described above.
Ink is also attached to the surface of the nozzle film body 1,
It is almost difficult to maintain an accurate distance (preferably 0.2 mm) between the nozzle film body 1 and the recording paper 6 and to keep them in a non-contact state. Contact often occurs, and the recording paper 6 may be stained with ink. When such a situation occurs, printing defects occur, which is a major obstacle to practical use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to promptly solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a recording apparatus that does not cause printing defects due to ink adhesion.

d. Means for Solving the Problems The recording apparatus according to the present invention includes a fixedly disposed thermal head body having a large number of thermal dot elements;
a nozzle film body bonded to the thermal dot element and having a large number of nozzle holes; a spacer member disposed on one surface of the nozzle film body; and a spacer member for simultaneously reciprocating the nozzle film body and the spacer member. This configuration includes a reciprocating drive means and an ink supply means for supplying ink into the nozzle hole.

e. Function: In the recording apparatus according to the present invention, the nozzle film body and the spacer member are reciprocated on the thermal head body by the reciprocating drive means, thereby causing the ink to slide on the thermal head body of the nozzle film body. The ink is supplied into the nozzle hole by the pump action, capillary action, and suction action in the nozzle hole, and the desired printing is performed by a drive signal to the thermal head body.

In addition, since a spacer member is interposed between the recording paper and the nozzle film body, the distance between the recording paper and the nozzle film body is maintained accurately, and the recording paper is completely prevented from being stained by ink and printing defects. It is possible to perform inkjet printing without any printing defects.

f. Embodiments Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the recording apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Note that the same reference numerals as in the conventional example will be used for explanation.

1 to 16 show preferred embodiments of the recording apparatus according to the present invention, and first, the configurations shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically show the first embodiment-1. FIG.

In FIG. 1, the reference numeral 1 is approximately 0.01 mm to 0.2 mm formed by etching or the like.
(preferably 0.02 mm) is a nozzle film body equipped with a large number of nozzle holes 2 having a hole diameter of 0.02 mm, and this nozzle film body! is made of a heat-resistant thin metal or thin resin film, and each nozzle hole 2 is formed to pass through this nozzle film body l.

On the lower surface of the nozzle film body 1, a thermal head body 4 having a thermal dot element (heating element) 3 which is frequently damaged is fixed to a main body (not shown).

Said nozzle film body! is tensioned in the direction of the arrow A by a pair of rotating bodies (not shown), and the width W of the nozzle film body l is placed on the top surface of the nozzle film body l.
A spacer member 7 having the same width is provided, and this spacer member 7 has an ink supply means 8 consisting of a concave portion in contact with the nozzle film body l. is the supply pipe l
G, is supplied via the connector 10a and the coupling body 11.

The spacer member 7 is made of a flexible film made of metal or resin and has a thickness of about 0.2 mm.

A recording paper 6 wound around a platen (not shown) is disposed on the upper surface of the spacer member 7, and by pressing the platen onto the spacer member 7, the recording paper 6 and the upper surface of the nozzle film body 1 are separated. The distance between
The nozzle film body L and the spacer member 7 are completely prevented from inadvertently adhering to the recording paper 6 and causing printing defects. ,
It is integrally provided and configured to reciprocate in the direction of arrow B by a reciprocating drive means (not shown).

The configuration in FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration in FIG. 1.

The first embodiment of the recording apparatus according to the present invention is constructed as described above, and its operation will be described below.

In the state shown in FIG. 1, when the nozzle film body 1 and the spacer retainer 7 are reciprocated with a stroke of about 1 mm by a reciprocating drive means (not shown), the ink in the ink supply means 8 is transferred to the nozzle film body 1. Thermal head body 4
The thermal dot element 3 is guided into the nozzle hole 2 located on the thermal dot element 3 by capillary action along the small gap formed between the two, and the required drive signal is supplied to the thermal dot element 3. The ink inside the nozzle hole 2 is heated and jetted outward by bubble pressure,
Printing is performed on the recording paper 6.

In the case of Moeju, the lower surface of the nozzle film body 1 is not flat but has continuous unevenness due to the frequently damaged nozzle holes 2. Therefore, ink flows through each nozzle as the nozzle film body l reciprocates. Continuous supply is achieved by the pump action and suction action in the use hole 2 and the aforementioned capillary action.

Furthermore, when the nozzle hole 2 has deteriorated, a new nozzle hole 2 can be used by moving the nozzle film body l by a predetermined amount as shown in FIG.

Next, the configuration shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is a side view and a perspective view showing a second embodiment according to the present invention in which a planar thermal head body is used. 7 is housed in a cassette case body 12.

That is, the nozzle film body 1 described above is wound around a take-up shaft 12a and a supply shaft 12b, which are rotatable bodies that are rotatably provided in the cassette case body 12, and are stretched in the direction of the arrow. has been done.

This supply shaft 12b has a Toshitan spring case 12bA.
The winding 112a is urged in the direction of the arrow C by the winding l[lI:
2 Ratchet l3 and pawl I4 provided in conjunction with a
It is held by a ratchet feed elastic lever l7 of a solenoid I6 provided on the main body 15, and by actuating this solenoid 16, the ratchet feed elastic lever 17 rotates and feeds the ratchet l3, so that the nozzle film body l is moved to a desired position. Fixed quantity winding, nozzle hole 2
will be exchanged.

An elastic spacer member 7 is provided on the cassette case body 12 in a cantilevered manner via a fixing portion 7a, and the ink supply means 8 of the spacer member 7 is slightly spaced apart from the thermal dot element 3. placed in position.

On the upper surface of the spacer member 7 is a platen on which the recording paper 6 is wound! The platen I8 is rotatably provided at one end of a platen lever 20 which is provided in a cantilevered manner by a shaft support l9.

The side plate L2c of the cassette case body 12 has a mounting pin 22 and each cassette reciprocating lever 21 movably coupled to one end of a pair of cassette reciprocating levers 2l provided on the main body l5, and the mounting pin 22 extends completely above the cassette case body 12, and is detachably attached to the cassette case body 12 or the main body I5 with a nut 23.

The other end of each of the cassette reciprocating levers 21 is rotatably supported on the main body I5 via a shaft support 24, and is connected to a grooved shaft 26 of a drive motor 25 provided on the main body I5.
is movably provided in a cam hole 27 formed in the center of each cassette forward I lever 2l.

Therefore, by rotating this drive motor 25, the cassette case body 12 is reciprocated in the direction of arrow D via the grooved shaft 26 and each cassette reciprocating lever 21.

Note that the other parts are given the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.
The cassette reciprocating lever 21 and the grooved shaft 26 constitute a reciprocating drive means.

In the configuration described above, when the drive motor 25 is rotated,
As mentioned above, since the cassette case body 12 reciprocates in the direction of arrow D, the thermal head body 4 fixedly disposed
On the other hand, the nozzle film body l and the spacer member 7 simultaneously move back and forth in the direction of the arrow D, and as in the case of the first embodiment, ink is supplied to each nozzle hole 2 and printing is performed. It will be done.

When replacing the nozzle hole 2 of the nozzle film body l, operate the solenoid l6, rotate the ratchet l3 with the ratchet feed elastic lever l7, and press the claw l.
This is done by locking at 4. Furthermore, when replacing the cassette case body 12, it can be removed upward by loosening and removing each nut 23.

The configuration shown in FIG. 5 shows a state where printing is stopped, and when each cassette reciprocating lever 2l is rotated,
Since the cassette case body 12 moves by a considerable amount in the direction perpendicular to the arrow D, the spacer member 7
The ink supply means 8 is positioned above the thermal dot element 3, and the nozzle hole 2 located above the thermal dot element 3 can be prevented from drying, and the ink can be completely ejected during the next printing. be able to.

The configuration shown in FIG. 6 has an ink supply means 8 formed in a part of the thermal head body 4, and is configured to supply ink from below.

FIG. 7 shows the thermal head body 4 and the thermal head body 4.
A case is shown in which the ink supply means 8 is provided in a recess formed between the holding member 28 that holds the ink supply means 8 and the holding member 28 that holds the ink supply means 8.

The configuration shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 uses a commonly used end face type thermal head body 4, and a pair of reciprocating shafts 31 are attached to the cassette wall 30 and side plate 30a of the cassette case body 12. The reciprocating shaft 3l is provided via a spring 32 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the case body 12, and the reciprocating shaft 3l and the cassette wall portion 33 are coupled via a spring pin 34.

Inside this cassette case body 12, a winding shaft 121 and a supply shaft 1 are disposed, as in the configuration shown in FIG.
2b, and the solenoid 16 is configured to move the nozzle film body l by a predetermined amount when the nozzle hole 2 deteriorates.

Further, a spacer member 7 is provided in a cantilevered manner on the upper surface of the cassette case body 12.

Furthermore, each of the aforementioned reciprocating axes 3! , an eccentric shaft 35 serving as a reciprocating drive means is provided rotatably in the direction of the arrow G, and by rotating the eccentric shaft 35, the reciprocating shaft 3l moves in the direction of the arrow H (that is, the direction of the cassette case body 12). It is configured to be able to reciprocate with a predetermined stroke in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and in the same direction as the moving direction of the nozzle film body l. Therefore, during printing, by reciprocating the cassette case body 12 by the rotation of the eccentric shaft 35, ink is transferred to the nozzle hole 2 of the nozzle film body l, as explained in the operation explanation of FIGS. 3 and 4. It can be constantly supplied to the lower part of the printer, and printing is performed in the same way as described above.

Note that the same parts as in FIGS. 3 and 4 are given the same reference numerals, and their explanations will be omitted to avoid duplication.

10 to 13 are other embodiments of the nozzle film body l, in which a recess 36 having a diameter larger than the diameter of the nozzle hole 2 is formed in the upper part of the nozzle hole 2, Since the length of the nozzle hole 2 is preferably 0.02 mm, it has the effect of supplementing the strength of the nozzle film body 1. In the above case, the recording paper 6 is placed on the top surface of this nozzle film body I.
If the recording paper 6 is in direct contact with the recording paper 6, it is possible to effectively prevent ink from adhering to the recording paper 6.

In the case shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the nozzle film body l and the spacer member 7 are made of magnetic material, and the magnetism of the magnet 37 provided on the lower surface of the thermal head body 4 allows
The nozzle film body 1 and the spacer member 7 are attracted to the upper surface of the thermal head body 4, and are reciprocated in the direction of arrow D by a reciprocating drive means shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 16, the nozzle film body l and the spacer member 7 are made of an elastic material, and one end 7a and 1a of the nozzle film body 1 are made of an elastic material.
The nozzle film body 1 and the spacer member 7 are held by cantilever members 38, and are elastically pressed against the thermal head body 4.

In addition, the number of nozzle holes 2 in each of the embodiments described above is such that a plurality of nozzle holes 2 are formed for each thermal dot element 3, thereby completely preventing printing defects from ink clogging in the event that it occurs. can be prevented.

g. Effects of the Invention Since the recording apparatus according to the present invention has the above-described configuration and operation, it can achieve various effects as described below.

(l) During printing, the nozzle film body and spacer member are
Because of the reciprocating movement, the ink from the ink supply means is guided to the nozzle hole on the thermal dot element after passing between the nozzle film body and the thermal head body, making it possible to perform reliable printing without running out of ink. .

(2). The spacer member on the nozzle film body can maintain a constant gap between the recording paper and the nozzle film body, prevent ink from adhering, and provide clear print.

(3). Since the nozzle film body, spacer KS material, etc. can be made into a cassette, maintenance is extremely easy.

(4). If the nozzle hole deteriorates, the nozzle film body can be immediately moved and replaced with a new nozzle hole, allowing complete printing.

(5). Since the ink does not come into direct contact with the top surface of the nozzle film body, by applying a hydrophobic coating to the top surface,
It is possible to prevent ink from adhering to the top surface of the nozzle film.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 16 show a recording device according to the present invention.
Figure 1 is a side sectional view showing the schematic configuration;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a side sectional view showing another embodiment, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of Fig. 3, and Figs. 5 to 7 are cross sections showing the thermal head body. 8 is a side sectional view showing another embodiment, FIG. 9 is a perspective view of FIG. 8, FIG. 10 and FIG. 12 are sectional views showing other embodiments of the nozzle film body, and FIG. 13 are plan views of FIGS. 10 and 12, FIG. 14 is a side sectional view showing another embodiment, FIG. 15 is a perspective view of FIG. 14, and FIG. 16 is another embodiment. FIG. 17 is a side sectional view showing an example, and FIG. 17 is a sectional view showing a conventional configuration. ! 1 is a nozzle film body, 2 is a nozzle hole, 3 is a thermal dot element, 4 is a thermal dot body, 6 is a recording paper, 7 is a spacer member, 8 is an ink supply means, 12a. 1
2b is a rotating body, and 12 is a cassette case body.

Claims (11)

[Claims] (1) A thermal head body 4 having a large number of thermal dot elements 3 and fixedly disposed; a nozzle film body 1 joined to the thermal dot elements 3 and having a large number of nozzle holes 2; A spacer member 7 disposed on one surface of the nozzle film body 1, a reciprocating drive means for reciprocating the nozzle film body 1 and the spacer member 7, and a reciprocating drive means for supplying ink into the nozzle hole 2. By reciprocating the nozzle film body 1 and the spacer member 7 by the reciprocating drive means, the ink is supplied into the nozzle hole 2 and is arranged on the spacer member 7. A recording device characterized in that printing is performed by jetting and supplying ink onto a recording paper 6 provided. (2) The spacer member 7 is fixedly provided on the nozzle film body 1, and the ink supply means 8 is formed on the spacer member 7. Recording device as described. (3) The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the spacer members 7 are provided on the nozzle film body 1 at predetermined intervals. (4) The nozzle film body 1 includes a pair of rotating bodies 12a, 1 rotatably provided in the cassette case body 12.
2b, the spacer member 7 is provided on the cassette case body 12, and the cassette case body 12 is reciprocated by the reciprocating drive means. The recording device according to the range 1 or 2. (5) The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink supply means 8 is formed in the thermal head body 4. (6) Holding member 2 that holds the thermal head body 4
8. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink supply means 8 is formed between the holding member 28 and the thermal head body 4. (7) The recording device according to claim 4, wherein the cassette case body 12 is reciprocated in its axial direction. (8) The recording device according to claim 4, wherein the cassette case body 12 is reciprocated in a direction perpendicular to its axial direction. (9) According to any one of claims 1 to 8, a recess 36 having a larger diameter than the nozzle hole 2 is formed in communication with the nozzle hole 2. Recording device as described. (10) The nozzle film body 1 and the spacer member 7 are made of a magnetic material and are held on the thermal head body 4 by a magnet 37 provided at a lower part of the thermal head body 4. A recording device according to claim 4. (11) A patent characterized in that the nozzle film body 1 and the spacer member 7 are held in a cantilever manner by a cantilever member 38 due to their spring properties, and are in pressure contact with the thermal head body 4. A recording device according to claim 4.