JP4136508B2 - Foreign matter removal device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for removing foreign substances present in a liquid using a filter.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Inkjet printers record images by ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles arranged in an inkjet head onto a recording medium. In an ink jet printer, ink is supplied from an ink tank to an ink jet head through a supply path such as a tube. The ink supplied to the ink jet head passes through a filter provided immediately before the nozzle, and foreign matters in the ink and bubbles generated at the time of supply are removed. As an apparatus for removing this kind of foreign matter, for example, as described in JP-A-9-173722, means for separating a casing in which a filter is built into upper and lower chambers by a partition plate and discharging foreign matter to the lower chamber There is a device provided.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
When the filter for removing foreign matter of an ink jet printer is used for a long period of time, clogging occurs due to the trapped foreign matter and air bubbles, making it difficult for ink to pass through. For this reason, it is necessary to periodically perform maintenance such as replacement and cleaning of the filter, which is not only complicated for the user but also increases the running cost.
[0004]
An object of this invention is to provide the foreign material removal apparatus which can clean a filter efficiently with a simple apparatus structure.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a normal flow path for allowing liquid to pass during normal use in an apparatus for removing foreign matter present in the liquid using a filter installed between the flow paths of the liquid, and The flow path is configured with a cleaning flow path that allows liquid to pass during cleaning of the filter, and a blocking member that prevents liquid from passing through the normal flow path and introduces liquid into the cleaning flow path is provided. It is characterized in that the filter is arranged so as to pass the liquid in the direction opposite to the liquid flow direction during normal use and to be positioned in the cleaning flow path.
[0006]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 schematically shows an ink jet printer embodying the present invention. The ink jet head 10 of the ink jet printer 2 is held by a carriage 12 inserted through a guide shaft 11 extending in the main scanning direction M, reciprocates in the main scanning direction M by the carriage 12, and is subordinately driven by a conveyance roller (not shown). Image recording is performed on the recording medium 13 that is intermittently conveyed in the scanning direction S (see FIG. 2).
[0007]
A plurality of nozzles 16 having discharge ports 15 are arranged on a surface (hereinafter referred to as a nozzle arrangement surface) 14 facing the recording medium 13 of the inkjet head 10. An ink discharge means (not shown) is connected to the nozzle 16, and ink is discharged from the discharge port 15 toward the recording medium 13 by the ink discharge means.
[0008]
For example, as shown in FIG. 2, nozzles 16 a to 16 d for recording lines of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (BK) are provided on the nozzle array surface 14 in the sub-scanning direction S. Are arranged side by side. In addition, an ink discharge hole 17 through which ink is discharged after cleaning a filter 30 (see FIG. 3) described later is provided. In addition, the nozzle 16 may add dark yellow, light magenta, light cyan, or the like.
[0009]
At the time of printing, a drive signal corresponding to the image data to be printed is given to each ink ejection unit. As a result, ink droplets of a size and quantity corresponding to the image data are ejected toward the recording medium 13, and the ink droplets adhere to the recording medium 13 to obtain a full color image.
[0010]
In FIG. 1, ink is supplied to a sub tank 18 of the inkjet head 10 from an ink tank 19 in which ink is stored through an ink supply path 20. Note that the sub tank 18 and the ink tank 19 are provided for the amount of ink to be used (in this case, four types of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black).
[0011]
A foreign matter removing device 21 is provided between the sub tank 18 and the nozzle 16. As shown in FIG. 3, the foreign matter removing device 21 includes a filter 30, a normal flow path 31, a cleaning flow path 32, and first and second closing members 33 and 34. For example, a mesh or porous filter is used as the filter 30. The filter 30 is disposed in the normal flow path 31 and removes foreign substances existing in the ink during normal use shown in FIG. Further, at the time of cleaning shown in (B), the ink is rotated 90 ° upward from the position at the time of normal use, and the ink is passed in the direction opposite to the direction of the ink flow line at the time of normal use. It arrange | positions so that it may be located in.
[0012]
The normal flow path 31 is directly connected from the sub tank 18 to the nozzle 16. The inlet of the cleaning channel 32 is provided above the normal channel 31 and the outlet thereof is connected to the ink discharge hole 17.
[0013]
The first closing member 33 is arranged so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the ink stream line so as not to interfere with the ink passing through the normal flow path 31 during normal use. Further, during cleaning, the filter 30 is rotated 90 ° upward in conjunction with the rotation of the filter 30, thereby preventing the ink from passing through the normal flow path 31 and introducing the liquid into the cleaning flow path 32. The 2nd obstruction | occlusion member 34 is provided in the middle of the cleaning flow path 32, and can move between the blocking position shown to (A), and the open position shown to (B). The second closing member 34 moves between a blocking position and an open position, thereby allowing ink to pass through and blocking the cleaning flow path 32 during normal use and cleaning.
[0014]
When cleaning the filter, the filter 30 and the first closing member 33 are turned upward by 90 °, and the second closing member 34 is moved to the open position so that the ink flows from the normal flow path 31 to the cleaning flow path 32. Introduce to. At this time, since the ink passes through the filter 30 in the direction opposite to the direction of the ink flow line during normal use, the filter 30 does not allow foreign matter or bubbles to flow out into the normal flow path 31. 30 clogging can be eliminated.
[0015]
After a predetermined cleaning time has elapsed, the ink containing foreign matter that has flowed out of the cleaning flow path 32 into the ink discharge hole 17 is sucked by a suction cap via an ink suction pump (not shown) and collected in a waste liquid tank. After the cleaning is completed, the filter 30 and the first and second closing members 33 and 34 are returned to the normal use state of (A).
[0016]
The timing for cleaning the filter can be changed as appropriate according to the use environment and frequency of the printer. Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the filter is being fixed in the flow path, you may use the structure which can isolate | separate a filter from a flow path.
[0017]
In the above embodiment, a so-called serial printer has been described, but the present invention can also be applied to other printers such as a line printer. In addition, the present invention is not limited to an apparatus that removes foreign matter in ink with an ink jet printer. For example, an apparatus that purifies water applied to a photosensitive material after exposure in a photo print system using a laser exposure thermal development transfer system. It can also be applied to water purifiers used in ordinary households, automobile fuel purification devices, and the like.
[0018]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the foreign matter removing apparatus of the present invention, the normal flow path that allows liquid to pass during normal use, the cleaning flow path that allows liquid to pass during cleaning of the filter, and the passage of liquid to the normal flow path. A blocking member for blocking and introducing the liquid into the cleaning flow path is provided so that the liquid can pass in a direction opposite to the liquid flow direction during normal use and be positioned in the cleaning flow path during cleaning. Since the filter is disposed, the filter can be efficiently cleaned with a simple apparatus configuration.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an ink jet printer embodying the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the arrangement of nozzles on a nozzle array surface.
FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a foreign matter removing apparatus, in which FIG. 3A illustrates a state during normal use, and FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Inkjet printer 10 Inkjet head 13 Recording medium 16 Nozzle 21 Foreign matter removing device 30 Filter 31 Normal flow path 32 Cleaning flow path 33 First blocking member

Claims (4)

With a filter installed in a flow path of the liquid, the apparatus for removing foreign matter present in the liquid,
A normal flow path that allows liquid to pass during normal use, and a bifurcation branch from the normal flow path, and the flow path is configured with a cleaning flow path that allows liquid to pass when cleaning the filter,
One end of the filter is integrated with one end of the filter so that an angle formed with the filter is an angle formed between an inlet of the cleaning flow path and a surface perpendicular to the flow direction of the liquid during normal use. A closing member that is rotatable with the filter around the one end is provided.
During the cleaning, the closing member closes the normal channel at a position downstream of the inlet of the cleaning channel in the direction of the liquid flow line during normal use, and goes from the inlet to the downstream normal channel. the passage of liquid to prevent, during the normal use, the closure member, by the angle worth rotation of said filter to the downstream side from the position at the time of the cleaning, to release the blockage of the normal passages , to allow the passage of liquid to the normal flow path of the from said inlet downstream,
During the cleaning, the filter is moved to the inlet as the upstream side of the flow line direction of the liquid during normal use faces the entering-opening, towards the surface of the upstream side from the surface of the downstream Installed so that the liquid passes through and is introduced into the cleaning flow path from the inlet,
During the normal use, the filter moves to the position of the closing member at the time of cleaning, and the surface facing the inlet faces the upstream side, and the surface facing the inlet moves from the surface facing the downstream side. through the liquid toward, installed foreign matter removing apparatus according to claim Rukoto as liquid is introduced into the normal passage of the downstream side of the inlet. A liquid ejection apparatus comprising the foreign matter removing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
A liquid discharge apparatus, wherein a discharge port for discharging liquid from the cleaning flow path is provided on a nozzle array surface of a liquid discharge head in which a plurality of nozzles each having a liquid discharge port are arranged. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the liquid discharged from the discharge port is sucked by a suction cap via a suction pump. Normal flow passage through which the liquid in normal use, and in a normal-flow constituted by the cleaning passage bifurcated from passage path, using a filter that typically Ru said installed in the normal flow path during use, in the liquid In the method of removing existing foreign matter,
At the time of cleaning the filter, one end thereof is connected to one end of the filter so that an angle formed with the filter is an angle formed between an inlet of the cleaning flow path and a surface perpendicular to a liquid flow direction during normal use. A closing member that is integrated and rotatable with the filter around the one end is a normal flow path at a position downstream of the inlet of the cleaning flow path in the liquid flow direction during normal use. closing the said as well as preventing the passage of liquid to the normal flow path of the downstream side of the inlet, as the upstream side of the flow line direction of the liquid during normal use faces the entering-port, said inlet The filter is installed such that the filter moves, the liquid passes from the downstream surface toward the upstream surface, and the liquid is introduced from the inlet into the cleaning flow path .
During the normal use, the blocking member is rotated from the cleaning position to the downstream side by an angle formed with the filter, thereby releasing the blockage of the normal flow path, so that the normal channel on the downstream side from the inlet is released. A surface that allows liquid to pass through the flow path, moves the filter to the position of the closing member at the time of cleaning, and faces the inlet to the upstream side and faces the inlet the downstream liquid passes towards the surface of said so that the liquid from the inlet to the normal flow path of the downstream is introduced, the foreign matter removing method, wherein Rukoto the filter is installed from.

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