JP4670840B2 - Inkjet recording device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus, and more particularly to an ink jet recording apparatus capable of suitably cleaning an inclined portion of a support that supports a lower surface of a recording medium conveyed below a recording head.

  The ink jet recording apparatus includes a recording head in which a large number of nozzles are arranged in parallel. A recording sheet on which an image is to be recorded is conveyed below the recording head. The recording head ejects ink droplets from the nozzles at a predetermined timing while moving in the main scanning direction (a direction orthogonal to the recording sheet conveyance direction), whereby an image is recorded on the recording sheet. A recent inkjet recording apparatus has a function of recording an image on a recording sheet like, for example, photographic printing. Such image recording is performed without a margin on the edge of the recording paper, and is called “marginless recording”.

  When borderless recording is performed, the recording head ejects ink beyond the edge of the recording paper to the outside of the recording paper. For example, in borderless recording at the front edge and rear edge of the recording paper, the recording paper is placed on the recording head so that some of the many nozzles are arranged outside the edge of the recording paper. The ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles onto a platen disposed below the recording paper. As a result, the protruding ink adheres to the platen.

  In order to prevent the back surface of the recording paper from being soiled by this ink, for example, a configuration has been proposed in which a groove extending in the main scanning direction is provided on the platen in a range facing the nozzles. In this way, in the range where the nozzles are disposed, the recording paper is arranged on the groove provided in the platen and does not contact the platen, so that the contamination can be prevented.

  However, if this is done, the recording paper will be bent downward in the vertical direction on the groove provided in the platen and deformed so as to fall into the groove. If the distance between the nozzle of the recording head and the surface of the recording paper changes due to the bending of the recording paper, recording failure may occur.

  Therefore, in order to eliminate such inconvenience, conventionally, a paper support member is provided in the groove of the platen, and the paper support member follows the recording paper being conveyed while supporting the lower surface of the recording paper. To be rotated. Thereby, even when the recording sheet is conveyed on the platen groove, the distance between the recording sheet and the recording head is kept constant (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Further, the paper support as described above may have a shape having an inclined portion that goes downward as it goes upstream in the transport direction. In this way, the leading edge of the recording paper fed from the transport direction slides smoothly on the inclined portion and is supported by the top of the paper support, and paper jam is unlikely to occur.
JP 2005-153143 A

  However, in an ink jet recording apparatus, a paper other than the paper size intended at the time of printing may be erroneously inserted. If the wrongly inserted paper is larger than the size to be printed, there will be no damage to the device by increasing the margins on the periphery. The protruding ink stains the paper support. Further, even when there is no erroneous operation by the user as described above, mist of ink ejected from the recording head may adhere to the paper support unit. As described above, the paper support portion is soiled by the ink protruding from the recording paper, and the ink attached to the paper support portion is transferred to the back surface of the next recording paper, causing the recording paper to become dirty. Therefore, it is necessary to clean the paper support portion as appropriate. However, when the above-described inclined portion is provided on the paper support body, there is a problem that cleaning is particularly difficult. For example, even if it is attempted to wipe the ink adhering to the paper support by sliding the cleaning belt on the paper support, the belt is difficult to contact the inclined portion, and it is difficult to wipe the ink.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides an ink jet recording apparatus capable of suitably cleaning an inclined portion of a support that supports a lower surface of a recording medium conveyed below a recording head. The purpose is to do.

  In order to achieve this object, an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 has a recording head for recording an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink droplets, and transports the recording medium below the recording head. Conveying means, a top that supports the recording medium conveyed by the conveying means from its lower surface, a support that is inclined downward as it is separated from the top, and the support for conveying the recording medium Driving means for driving in the direction or the opposite direction, and follower means for driving the support by the drive means to move the support in the transport direction following the recording medium transported by the transport means; The upstream side in the transport direction or the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the tracking movement range in which the support body is moved following the recording medium by the tracking unit. There are, the support is tilted, the the recording medium conveyed to the recording head downwards, characterized in that it comprises a support cleaning means for contacting said inclined portion.

  Here, tilting the support is intended to include all operations for tilting the posture of the support, and includes, for example, an operation for rotating the support.

  An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2 is the ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein upstream holding means for holding the recording medium upstream of the support in the transport direction, and downstream of the support in the transport direction. A downstream side clamping unit that clamps the recording medium on the side, and the support cleaning unit is configured such that at least one recording medium is clamped by the upstream side clamping unit and the downstream side clamping unit, It is characterized by tilting the support.

  The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the support is configured such that the support moves from an upstream movement range located upstream of the tracking movement range in a conveying direction. Up to a downstream side movement range located downstream in the conveyance direction, and is provided so as to be able to reciprocate in the conveyance direction via the following movement range, and the support cleaning means is provided on the recording medium. The support with the top in contact is driven by the driving means to move from the following movement range to the upstream movement range or the downstream movement range, and in the upstream movement range or the downstream movement range, the support The body is tilted to bring the inclined portion into contact with the recording medium.

  The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 4 is the ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the support cleaning means passes the follow movement range between the upstream movement range and the downstream movement range. While moving the support, the drive means is controlled so that the conveyance direction speed of the recording medium conveyed by the conveyance means is different from the conveyance direction speed of the support.

  The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 5 is the ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the support cleaning means moves the support in a direction opposite to the transport direction by the support cleaning means. In the meantime, the conveyance of the recording medium by the conveyance means is stopped.

  An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 6 is the ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising guide means for guiding movement of the support in the transport direction or the opposite direction. Is characterized in that, in the upstream side movement range and the downstream side movement range, the support body is guided so as to move upward as the distance from the following movement range increases.

  The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 7 is the ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the recording head is retracted to a position where the recording medium is not in contact with the support guided upward by the guiding means. It is characterized by providing.

  An ink jet recording apparatus according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the ink jet recording apparatus according to the sixth or seventh aspect, wherein the guide means includes a rack gear whose upstream end and downstream end are lifted in an arc shape upward. And a pinion gear connected to the support and meshing with the rack gear.

  According to the ink jet recording apparatus of claim 1, the support is tilted on the upstream side in the transport direction or the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the tracking movement range in which the support is moved following the recording medium. Since the inclined portion is brought into contact with the recording medium conveyed below the head, there is an effect that the ink attached to the inclined portion of the support can be wiped with the recording medium and cleaned. In addition, since the tilting of the support body is performed on the upstream side in the transport direction or the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the follow-up movement range, it is possible to prevent the configuration of the follow-up movement range from being complicated.

  According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the second aspect, in addition to the effect achieved by the ink jet recording apparatus of the first aspect, the support cleaning unit includes at least one recording medium including an upstream side clamping unit and the downstream side clamping unit. Since the support is tilted in the state of being sandwiched between the recording medium and the recording medium, the recording medium used for wiping can be prevented from slackening, and a high cleaning effect can be obtained.

  According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the third aspect, in addition to the effect exhibited by the ink jet recording apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the support cleaning means uses the drive means to support the support in a state where the top is in contact with the recording medium. Since it is driven to move from the following movement range to the upstream side movement range or the downstream side movement range, the time required to move the support from the following movement range to the upstream side movement range or the downstream side movement range is effectively utilized. The ink adhering to the top of the support can be wiped off with a recording medium and cleaned.

  According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the fourth aspect, in addition to the effect of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the third aspect, the support is moved between the upstream movement range and the downstream movement range via the tracking movement range. Since the driving means is controlled so that the transport direction speed of the recording medium transported by the transport means is different from the transport direction speed of the support body, the support body and the recording medium move relative to each other. It is possible to obtain a high cleaning effect.

  According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the fifth aspect, in addition to the effect of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the third or fourth aspect, the conveyance of the recording medium is stopped while the support is moved in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction. Therefore, the wiping of the support is always performed on a new surface of the recording medium, and a high cleaning effect is obtained. Further, by stopping the conveyance of the recording medium, there is an effect that the support can be suitably cleaned even for a recording medium that is not long.

  According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the sixth aspect, in addition to the effect exhibited by the ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of the third to fifth aspects, the upstream moving range and the downstream moving range are separated from the following moving range. Since the support is guided so as to go upward, the support tilted in the upstream movement range and the downstream movement range is pressed against the recording medium, and the ink attached to the inclined portion of the support is removed. There exists an effect that it can clean suitably.

  According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the seventh aspect, in addition to the effect of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the sixth aspect, the recording head is retracted to a position where the recording medium is not in contact with the support guided upward by the guiding means. Therefore, the recording head can be prevented from being damaged due to the collision with the support.

  According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the eighth aspect, in addition to the effect achieved by the ink jet recording apparatus of the sixth aspect or the seventh aspect, it is possible to simply raise and tilt the support portion in the upstream movement range and the downstream movement range. There is an effect that can be realized.

  FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a multifunction machine 10 (ink jet recording apparatus) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The multi-function device 10 is a multi-function device (MFD) having a printer unit 11 at the bottom and a scanner unit 12 at the top, and has a printer function, a scanner function, a copy function, and a facsimile function. . The printer unit 11 of the multifunction machine 10 corresponds to the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention. In the multi function device 10, functions other than the printer function are arbitrary and may be omitted. That is, the present invention may be implemented as a single-function printer that does not have the scanner unit 12 and does not have a scanner function or a copy function.

  The multifunction machine 10 is connected mainly to a personal computer (not shown), and images and documents are recorded on recording paper based on print data including image data and document data transmitted from the personal computer. However, the usage mode of the multifunction device 10 is not limited to such a mode, and the multifunction device 10 is connected to an external device such as a digital camera, and image data output from the digital camera is recorded on a recording sheet or a memory. Various storage media such as a card can be loaded in the multi-function peripheral 10 and image data stored in the storage medium can be recorded on a recording sheet. Note that the configuration of the multifunction machine 10 disclosed in this specification is an example of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, and the configuration can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. is there.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printer unit 11 has an opening 13 formed in the front, and a paper feed tray 14 and a paper discharge tray 15 are provided in two upper and lower stages so that a part is exposed from the opening 13. ing. The paper feed tray 14 is for storing recording paper. The recording paper stored in the paper feed tray 14 is fed into the printer unit 11 and is discharged to the paper discharge tray 15 after a desired image is recorded.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an operation panel 20 is provided on the front upper portion of the multifunction machine 10. The operation panel 20 includes various operation buttons and a liquid crystal display unit for operating the printer unit 11 and the scanner unit 12. The multifunction device 10 operates based on an operation instruction from the operation panel 20. When the multifunction device 10 is connected to a personal computer, the multifunction device 10 operates based on an instruction transmitted from the personal computer via a printer driver or a scanner driver. Further, a slot portion 21 is provided on the front surface of the multifunction machine 10. Various small memory cards which are storage media are loaded in the slot portion 21. Based on the input from the operation panel 20, the image data recorded in the small memory card loaded in the slot unit 21 is read, and information on the image data is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit, or an arbitrary image is displayed. The data is recorded on the recording paper by the printer unit 11.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the printer unit 11. The recording head 39 is mounted on a carriage 38 (see FIG. 3), which will be described later, and is reciprocated in the main scanning direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper in FIG. 2). An ink cartridge (not shown) is disposed in the multi-function device 10 separately from the recording head 39. Cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (Bk) inks are supplied to the recording head 39 from the ink cartridge. The platen 42 is disposed to face the recording head 39 and is disposed below the recording head 39. The platen 42 supports the recording paper to be conveyed. The recording head 39 supplied with the ink ejects each ink to the platen 42 side as minute ink droplets. By reciprocating (scanning) the carriage 38 on which the recording head 39 is mounted, image recording is performed on the recording paper conveyed on the platen 42.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the paper feed roller 25 that contacts the recording papers stacked on the paper supply tray 14 separates the stacked recording papers one by one and supplies them to the transport path 23. The fed recording paper is guided so as to make a U-turn from below to above along the conveyance path 23 and reaches below the recording head 39. After image recording is performed by the recording head 39, the paper discharge tray 15 (FIG. 1). A direction in which the fed recording paper is conveyed to the lower side of the recording head 39 is referred to as a conveyance direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2, on the upstream side of the transport direction of the platen 42, there is a transport roller 60 that transports the recording paper fed from the paper feed tray 14 onto the platen 42, and the recording paper between the transport roller 60. A pressing part 61 is provided to hold the. The conveyance roller 60 and the pressing portion 61 are an example of upstream side clamping means.

  On the other hand, on the downstream side of the platen 42 in the conveyance direction, a paper discharge roller 62 that is an example of a conveyance unit that conveys a recorded recording paper, and a spur roller 63 that holds the recording paper between the paper discharge rollers 62. Is provided. The paper discharge roller 62 and the spur roller 63 are an example of a downstream clamping unit. The transport roller 60 and the paper discharge roller 62 are driven by an LF motor 71 (see FIG. 14), and intermittently feed the recording paper with a predetermined line feed width.

  The rotation of the transport roller 60 and the rotation of the paper discharge roller 62 are synchronized. Then, a rotary encoder (not shown) provided on the transport roller 60 detects the encoder disk that rotates together with the transport roller 60 with a photo interrupter, whereby the rotation of the transport roller 60 and the paper discharge roller 62 is controlled. .

  As shown in FIG. 2, a registration sensor 26 is disposed in the transport path 23 on the upstream side of the transport roller 60 in the transport direction. The registration sensor 26 is provided so as to protrude from the conveyance path 23 and detects the presence or absence of a recording sheet by contacting the recording sheet being conveyed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a sheet presence / absence detection sensor 27 is disposed in the sheet feeding tray 14. The sheet presence / absence detection sensor 27 is a sensor for detecting whether or not recording sheets are stacked on the sheet feeding tray 14.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a main configuration of the printer unit 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the printer unit 11 includes a carriage 38, a recording head 39, and a platen 42. In FIG. 3, a guide frame for guiding the movement of the carriage 38 in the main scanning direction is not shown.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a platen 42 is disposed in the image formation range by the recording head 39. On the other hand, a maintenance unit 48 provided with a purge mechanism, a waste ink tray, and the like is disposed in an area where image formation by the recording head 39 is not performed, which is an end in the main scanning direction. These maintenance units 48 perform maintenance such as removal of air bubbles and mixed color ink in the recording head 39.

  The multifunction machine 10 according to the present embodiment performs image recording with four colors of ink. However, the number of ink colors in the inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention is not particularly limited. Needless to say, the number of ink cartridges can be increased when performing image recording with eight color inks.

  4 is a perspective view of the platen 42 as viewed from above, FIG. 5 is a plan view of the platen 42, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the platen 42 as viewed from below. As described above, the platen 42 is disposed to face the recording head 39, and supports the recording sheet conveyed in the direction of the arrow 45 shown in FIG.

  The platen 42 includes a frame 41, a movable rib 46 that is an example of a support, and a drive mechanism 51 (see FIG. 6) that is an example of a drive unit.

  The frame 41 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin or a steel plate, constitutes a skeleton of the platen 42, and is locked and fixed to the multifunction machine 10. As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of slits 52 are provided on the upper surface 47 of the frame 41. The slit 52 extends from the upstream end of the upper surface 47 in the transport direction to the downstream end. And from this slit 52, the front-end | tip of the movable rib 46 provided in the flame | frame 41 protrudes upwards.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a groove 49 that penetrates the frame 41 in the main scanning direction and has the conveyance direction (the direction of the arrow 45) as a longitudinal direction is provided at the end in the main scanning direction inside the frame 41. The groove 49 is provided with an inclination in which the upstream end in the transport direction and the downstream end in the transport direction are lifted upward.

  The groove 49 is engaged with an engaging pin 50 that protrudes from a movable rib 46 described later. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, below the groove 49, there is a rack gear 411 in which the upstream end in the transport direction and the downstream end in the transport direction are lifted in an arc shape along the longitudinal direction of the groove 49. Is provided. The rack gear 411 meshes with a pinion gear 78 provided on the movable rib 46 described later. The groove 49 and the rack gear 411 guide the reciprocating movement of the movable rib 46 in the transport direction. The groove 49, the engaging pin 50, the rack gear 411, and the pinion gear 78 are examples of guide means.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the movable rib 46 provided in the frame 41 and slidable in the transport direction or the opposite direction. As shown in FIG. 7, the movable rib 46 includes a base 76 formed in a box shape and a rectangular thin plate member 77. The movable rib 46 can be made of synthetic resin or metal.

  The thin plate member 77 is formed integrally with the base 76. The thin plate-like member 77 has a mountain shape provided with a top portion 771 and an inclined portion 772 that is adjacent to the top portion 771 and goes downward from the top portion 771 toward the transport direction or the opposite side. The thin plate-like members 77 are arranged in parallel on the upper surface of the base 76 at predetermined intervals along the main scanning direction. This predetermined interval corresponds to the pitch of the slits 52. Accordingly, the plurality of thin plate-like members 77 protrude upward from the respective slits 52.

  As shown in FIG. 7, an engagement pin 50 and a pinion gear 78 are provided at the end of the base 76 in the main scanning direction. The engaging pin 50 is engaged with the groove 49 described above (see FIG. 4), and the pinion gear 78 is engaged with the rack gear 411 described above.

  A drive mechanism for reciprocating the movable rib 46 in the transport direction will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the platen 42. As shown in FIG. 8, the platen 42 is provided with a drive mechanism 51 for driving the movable rib 46. The drive mechanism 51 is a power transmission mechanism for moving the movable rib 46 in the conveyance direction. As shown in FIG. 7, the drive mechanism 51 is provided with a rotating plate 512, a swinging member 513, and a shaft 514.

  The rotating plate 512 is formed in a disk shape and is rotatably supported by a rotation center shaft 515. The rotation center shaft 515 is fixed and is inserted through the center of the rotation plate 512. The rotational force of the rotating plate 512 is transmitted from the paper discharge roller 62, but the transmission mechanism related to this transmission is not shown. As shown in FIG. 8, the rotating plate 512 includes a circular groove 516. The base end portion of the swing member 513 is engaged with the circular groove 516.

  The swing member 513 is rotatably supported by a swing center shaft 517. An engagement pin protruding upward is provided at the base end portion of the swing member 513, and the engagement pin is fitted in the circular groove 516 of the rotating plate 512. When the engagement pin relatively moves along the circular groove 516, the swing member 513 rotates about the swing center shaft 517. That is, the swing member 513 swings about the swing center shaft 517, so that the tip of the swing member 513 slides in an arc shape centering on the swing center shaft 517. Become.

  Further, the tip of the swing member 513 is connected to the base 76 of the movable platen 46 so as to be relatively rotatable. Therefore, when the tip of the swing member 513 slides in an arc shape around the swing center shaft 517, the movable platen 46 slides in the transport direction or the opposite direction.

  Further, a shaft 514 that is rotatable relative to the base 76 is provided on the bottom surface side of the base 76. The shaft 514 is connected to the base 76 at the center in the axial direction of the base 76, and the above-described pinion gear 78 is provided at the tip thereof. Therefore, when the movable platen 46 slides in the transport direction or in the opposite direction, the shaft 514 moves with the base 76 in the transport direction or in the opposite direction while rotating, but the pinion gear 78 provided at the tip 514 of the shaft The base 76 can move without being tilted by the rack gear 411 meshing with the rack gear 411.

  Therefore, as described above, the swinging member 513 swings, and the tip of the swinging member 513 slides in an arc shape centered on the swinging center axis 516, whereby the movable rib 46 slides on the frame 41, It is moved in the transport direction (the direction of arrow 122 shown in FIG. 6) or in the opposite direction.

The operation of the movable rib 46 will be described with reference to FIG. 9A and 9B are side views schematically showing the movable rib 46, FIG. 9A is a diagram for explaining the operation of the movable rib 46 during image formation, and FIG. 9B is a diagram when the movable rib 46 is cleaned. It is a figure explaining operation | movement. In FIG. 9A, L ₀ indicates the nozzle formation range on the lower surface of the recording head 39, and L ₂ indicates the horizontal movement range in which the movable rib 46 moves horizontally. Moreover, the figure shown in FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram, and the shape of each member and the magnitude relationship between each member are not illustrated accurately.

When image formation is started by the recording head 39 moves, the recording sheet is transported immediately before the platen 42, movable rib 46, the upstream side in the conveying direction of the horizontal movement range L ₂ (conveying roller 60 side) to the end Then greet the recording paper.

Thereafter, the movable ribs 46, while supporting the front end of the recording sheet from the lower side, to the transport direction downstream side end of the horizontal movement range L _2, and follow the recording sheet to the conveying direction (arrow 91 direction) Moving.

On the other hand, the recording paper is transported, even if the rear end of the recording sheet reaches on the platen 42, a movable rib 46 again, the upstream side in the conveying direction of the horizontal movement range L ₂ (conveying roller 60 side) to the end It moves to meet the rear end of the recording paper, supports it from the lower surface, and slides in the transport direction (arrow 91 direction) following the rear end of the recording paper.

As shown in FIG. 9, the horizontal movement range L ₂ of the movable rib 46 is longer in the transport direction than the nozzle formation range L ₁ on the lower surface of the recording head 39, so that the recording paper is formed on the lower surface of the recording head 39. The front end and the rear end of the recording sheet are moved to the movable rib 46 after passing through the nozzle positioned at the upstream end in the transport direction and passing through the nozzle positioned at the downstream end in the transport direction. It is supported from the lower surface side and conveyed without bending. As a result, while ink droplets are ejected from the recording head 39, the distance between the recording paper and the recording head 39 is kept constant, and high-quality printing is realized.

With reference to FIG.9 (b), operation | movement of the movable rib 46 at the time of cleaning is demonstrated. In FIG. 9 (b), L ₂ is as described above, shows a horizontal movement range of the movable ribs 46, L _1, of the moving range of the movable ribs 46, in the conveying direction downstream side of the horizontal movement range L ₂ indicates a range in which the movable rib 46 is moved, L _3, of the movement range of the movable ribs 46, indicating the range in which the movable rib 46 is moved in the conveying direction upstream side of the horizontal movement range L _2. When starting the cleaning, the movable ribs 46, via moves from the initial position is the conveyance direction central position of the horizontal movement range L _2, until the movement range L ₁ on the downstream side in the conveying direction, from which a horizontal movement range L ₂ to, move to moving range L ₃ on the upstream side in the transport direction, back to the last initial position.

As described above, the frame 41 of the platen 42 is provided with the groove 49 and the rack gear 411 for guiding the movable rib 49 upward at both ends in the transport direction, and therefore, the movable rib 46 in the movement ranges L ₁ and L ₃ . Is tilted. As a result, the inclined portion 772 comes into contact with the recording sheet conveyed below the recording head 39. In this way, the ink attached to the inclined portion 77 can be wiped off with the recording medium and cleaned. Also, tilting of the movable ribs 49, so the horizontal movement range L ₂ is performed in the upstream side or downstream side can be suppressed that the configuration of the horizontal movement range L ₂ is complicated.

Also, moves in a state where one sheet of the recording paper is nipped by the conveying roller 60 and the pressing portion 61 is sandwiched by the sheet discharge roller 62 and the spur roller 63 at the same time, until the movable ribs 46 the ends of the movement range L ₃ To be tilted. In this way, the slack of the recording paper used for wiping is suppressed, and a high cleaning effect can be obtained.

Further, when the movable rib 46 is reciprocated in the movement ranges L ₁ and L ₃ , the movable rib 46 passes through the horizontal movement range L _2. At this time, the top 771 of the movable rib 46 is the recording paper. Therefore, the ink adhering to the top of the movable rib 46 can be wiped off by the recording paper.

Also, during cleaning of the movable ribs 46, while moving the movable ribs 46 between the moving range L ₃ and the moving range L _1, the transport direction of the recording sheet conveyed by the conveying roller 60 and the discharge roller 62 (arrow 91 direction) and the speed in the conveyance direction of the movable rib 46 are always different from each other. In this way, since the movable rib 46 always moves relative to the recording paper, a high cleaning effect can be obtained.

  Further, when the movable rib 46 is moved in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction, the conveyance of the recording paper is stopped. That is, the conveyance speed is set to zero. In this way, wiping of the movable rib 46 is always performed on a new surface of the recording paper, and a high cleaning effect can be obtained, and the movable rib 46 is preferably used even for a recording paper that is not long. Can be cleaned.

  In FIG. 9, the positional relationship between the members is not accurately illustrated in order to make the members easy to see. Actually, the gap between the recording head 39 and the recording paper is very small. As described above, when the movable rib 46 is tilted for cleaning, the movable rib 46 is raised by being guided by the groove 49 and the rack gear 411, so that the gap between the recording head 39 and the recording sheet is reduced. If the movable rib 46 is cleaned while the recording head 39 is being moved, the recording head 39 and the movable rib 46 may collide. Therefore, in this embodiment, when cleaning the operating rib 46, the recording head 39 is raised to increase the gap with the recording paper. A configuration for raising the recording head 39 will be described later with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an external configuration of the carriage 38 on which the recording head 39 is mounted. FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view of the carriage 38 taken along the line X-X, and FIG. 11B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part showing the main part of the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. FIG. 12A is a sectional view of the carriage 38 in which the gap adjusting member 88 is slid, and corresponds to FIG. FIG. 12B is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a main part of the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 11 and 12 are schematic cross-sectional views, and the relative magnitude relationships of the members are not necessarily illustrated accurately.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the carriage 38 includes a carriage body 85, a sliding member 86 that slides on the guide frames 43 and 44 to support the carriage body 85 at a predetermined height, and a sliding member 86. A coil spring 87 that elastically biases upward, and a gap adjustment member 88 interposed between the carriage body 85 and the sliding member 86 are provided. The sliding member 86, the coil spring 87, and the gap adjusting member 88 are respectively assembled on both sides of the carriage main body 85 in the recording sheet conveyance direction corresponding to the guide frames 43 and 44. A configuration on the upstream side in the recording paper conveyance direction will be described as an example.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the sliding member 86 includes a sliding contact plate 89 and a foot 90 extending upward from the sliding contact plate 89. The foot portion 90 has a guide groove 92, which is formed in the extending direction of the foot portion 90 and opens at the extending end of the foot portion 90 (upper side in FIG. 11). A support rib 98 of a carriage body 85, which will be described later, is fitted into the guide groove 92.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the carriage main body 85 is formed with a through hole 97 into which the foot portion 90 of the sliding member 86 is inserted, and a support rib 98 to be inserted into the guide groove 92 of the sliding member 86. Yes. The support rib 98 is fitted into the guide groove 92 of the slide member 86, so that the slide member 86 is supported so as to move up and down along the guide groove 92.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the gap adjusting member 88 is an elongated rod-like flat plate, and is interposed between the sliding member 86 and the support rib 98. The thickness of the gap adjusting member 88 (vertical direction in FIG. 11) is changed in three stages in the sliding direction of the gap adjusting member 88. Specifically, the thinnest thin-walled portion 99, the middle middle-walled portion 101, and the thickest thick-walled portion 102 are formed adjacent to each other so that the thickness changes stepwise in one direction. Yes.

  In the gap adjusting member 88, a long hole 103 penetrating in the thickness direction across the thin wall portion 99, the middle wall portion 101, and the thick wall portion 102 is formed at the approximate center in the short direction of the gap adjusting member 88. The foot 90 is penetrated through the long hole 103.

  Then, the elastic biasing force of the coil spring 87 acts on the sliding member 86, and the sliding member 86 is elastically biased so as to be positioned on the uppermost side within the vertical movement range allowed by the support rib 98. In addition, since the gap adjusting member 88 is interposed between the support rib 98 and the sliding contact plate 89 of the sliding member 86, the sliding member 86 is elastically provided by the thickness of the gap adjusting member 88. Moved down against the forces. In other words, the carriage body 85 is raised with respect to the sliding member 86. Since the carriage 38 on which the recording head 39 is mounted is supported at a predetermined height on the guide frames 43 and 44 by the sliding member 86 of the carriage body 85 as shown in FIG. By raising the carriage body 85 with respect to the member 86, the carriage body 85 rises with respect to the guide frames 43 and 44 as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 13 is a side view showing the carriage 38 and the recording head 39 mounted on the carriage 38. The drawing on the right side of the drawing shows a state in which the height of the carriage 38 is set to the middle height of three stages. The figure on the left side of the drawing shows a state where the height of the carriage 38 is set to the maximum height of three stages. In the present embodiment, at the time of normal image formation, the height of the carriage 38 is set to the middle height of three stages as shown in the right side of FIG. The middle height of the three stages is a state in which the inner thickness portion 101 of the gap adjusting member 88 is interposed between the support rib 98 and the sliding contact plate 89 of the sliding member 86.

On the other hand, at the time of cleaning the movable rib 46 described above, the height of the carriage 38 is set to the maximum height in three stages as shown in the left side of FIG. The maximum height of the three stages is a state in which the thick portion 102 of the gap adjusting member 88 is interposed between the support rib 98 and the sliding contact plate 39 of the sliding member 86. Thus, the lower surface of the recording head 39 away from the platen 42, it is possible to prevent a collision between the second movable rib 46 is raised to the height T _2. In FIG. 13, the guide frames 43 and 44 and the sliding member 86 are not shown.

  As described with reference to FIG. 11, since the gap adjusting member 88 protrudes outward from the carriage 38, the control unit 64 moves the carriage 38 when increasing the height of the carriage 38. Thus, the height of the carriage 38 can be adjusted by sliding the gap adjusting member 88 to a desired position with respect to the carriage body 85 by bringing the end of the gap adjusting member 88 into contact with a predetermined contact portion. it can.

  FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the control unit 64 of the multifunction machine 10. The control unit 64 controls the overall operation of the multifunction machine 10 including not only the printer unit 3 but also the scanner unit 2, but the scanner unit 12 is not the main configuration of the present invention, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted. As shown in the figure, the control unit 64 is a microcomputer mainly including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 65, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 66, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 67, and an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable ROM) 68. And is connected to an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 70 via a bus 69.

  The ROM 66 stores a program for controlling various operations of the multifunction machine 10. The RAM 67 is used as a storage area or a work area for temporarily recording various data used when the CPU 65 executes the program. The EEPROM 68 stores settings and flags that should be retained even after the power is turned off.

  The ASIC 70 generates a phase excitation signal and the like for energizing the LF (conveyance) motor 71 in accordance with a command from the CPU 65, applies the signal to the drive circuit 72 of the LF motor 71, and drives the drive signal via the drive circuit 72. The LF motor 71 is rotated by energizing the LF motor 71.

  The drive circuit 72 drives the LF motor 71 connected to the paper feed roller 25, the transport roller 60, the paper discharge roller 62, etc., and receives the output signal from the ASIC 70 to rotate the LF motor 71. Form an electrical signal. The LF motor 71 rotates in response to the electric signal, and the rotational force of the LF motor 71 is supplied to the paper feed roller 25, the transport roller 60, and the paper discharge roller 62 via a known drive mechanism including a gear, a drive shaft, and the like. Communicated.

  The ASIC 70 generates a phase excitation signal and the like for energizing a CR (carriage) motor 73 in accordance with a command from the CPU 65, applies the signal to the drive circuit 74 of the CR motor 73, and drives the drive signal via the drive circuit 74. Is applied to the CR motor 73 to control the rotation of the CR motor 73.

  The drive circuit 74 drives the CR motor 73 connected to the carriage 38 and receives an output signal from the ASIC 70 to form an electrical signal for rotating the CR motor 73. Upon receipt of the electrical signal, the CR motor 73 rotates, and the rotational force of the CR motor 73 is transmitted to the carriage 38, whereby the carriage 38 is reciprocated.

  The drive circuit 75 selectively ejects ink from the recording head 39 to the recording paper at a predetermined timing. The drive circuit 75 receives an output signal generated by the ASIC 70 based on a drive control procedure output from the CPU 65. The recording head 39 is driven and controlled.

  The ASIC 70 includes a scanner unit 12, an operation panel 20 for instructing operation of the multifunction device 10, a slot unit 21 into which various small memory cards are inserted, an external device such as a personal computer, and data via a parallel cable or a USB cable. Are connected to the parallel interface 78 and the USB interface 79, the registration sensor 26, the paper presence / absence detection sensor 27, and the like. Further, an NCU (Network Control Unit) 80 and a modem (MODEM) 81 for realizing the facsimile function are connected.

  With reference to FIG. 15 and FIG. 16, the borderless printing process executed in the multi-function device 10 configured as described above will be described. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a borderless printing process executed by the multifunction machine 10, and FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cleaning operation of the movable rib 46 executed in the borderless printing process shown in FIG. FIG. Hereinafter, the borderless printing process illustrated in FIG. 15 will be described with reference to FIG. 16 as appropriate. This borderless printing process is a process that is executed every time the multifunction machine 10 is instructed to perform borderless printing without providing a margin.

  First, an image forming process for performing borderless printing is executed (S31). In this image forming process, the recording head 39 ejects ink droplets toward the platen 42 and the carriage 38 on which the recording head 39 is mounted reciprocates. By (scanning), image recording is performed on the recording paper on the platen 42. The transport roller 60 and the paper discharge roller 62 are driven by an LF motor 71 (see FIG. 14) and intermittently feed the recording paper with a predetermined line feed width. Further, the movable rib 46 is driven by the drive mechanism 51, and the movable rib 46 is moved following the recording sheet conveyed.

  Next, 1 is added to the variable i indicating the number of times of borderless printing since the last time the movable rib 46 was cleaned (S2). Next, it is determined whether or not the value of the variable i is n (for example, 5) (S4). If the variable i is less than n (S4: No), it is determined that the stain on the movable rib 46 is within an allowable range, and the cleaning process is terminated.

  On the other hand, if the value of the variable i is determined to be n (S4: Yes), it is determined that it is time to execute the cleaning of the movable rib 46, the recording sheet in the sheet feeding tray 14 is fed, and the recording sheet The recording sheet is conveyed until the leading end in the conveying direction is nipped between the paper discharge roller 62 and the spur roller 63 (S6).

Next, the height of the carriage 38 is increased by adjusting the gap adjusting member 88 described above, and the recording head 39 is retracted upward by increasing the gap between the recording head 39 and the platen 42 (S8). . Then, the movable rib 46 is moved from the initial position to the horizontal movement range L with one end of the recording paper held between the paper discharge roller 62 and the spur roller 63 and the other end held between the transport roller 60 and the pressing portion 61. ₂ is moved to the downstream end in the transport direction with the moving speed V _{rib 0} , and the recording paper is moved in the transport direction with the transport speed V _{paper 0} (S10). In the following, the moving speed of the movable rib 46 is represented by V _{rib k} , and the recording paper conveyance speed is represented by V _{paper k} (k is an integer). Both V _{rib k} and V _{paper k} are recording paper. This value is positive in the transport direction. In the steps S10 to S18 of the cleaning process shown in FIG. 15, the relationship of V _{rib k} > V _{paper k} is always established. Even in step S10, the recording paper moves in the transport direction at a speed higher than that of the movable rib 76. Therefore, the top 771 of the movable rib 76 that is in contact with the lower surface of the recording paper is always wiped by the new surface of the recording paper. Will be.

Then, the horizontal movement range L ₂ of the conveyance direction downstream side end movable ribs 46 which has been moved up, is moved in _{V-shaped ribs 1} to the moving range L ₁ on the downstream side in the conveying direction, conveying the recording sheet in V _{Paper 1} (S12).

  As shown in FIG. 16, at this time, the movable rib 46 tilts to the upstream side in the transport direction, the inclined portion 772 on the downstream side in the transport direction contacts the recording paper, and the ink attached to the inclined portion 772 is caused by the recording paper. Wiped off.

Returning to FIG. Then, the movable rib 46 is moved to the transport direction downstream side end of the movement range L _1, it is moved to the conveyance direction upstream side end of the movement range L ₃ (S14).

  As shown in FIG. 16, when moving to the upstream end in the transport direction of the movement range L3, the movable rib 46 tilts to the downstream side in the transport direction, and the inclined portion 772 on the upstream side in the transport direction comes into contact with the recording paper, and the inclination Ink adhering to the portion 772 is wiped off by the recording paper. Note that while the movable rib 46 moves in the direction opposite to the transport direction, the transport of the recording paper is stopped (the transport speed is set to 0).

Returning to FIG. Then, the upstream side end movable ribs 46 which has been moved to the movement range L _3, to the transport direction upstream side end of the horizontal movement range L _2, is moved in the _{V-shaped ribs 2,} the recording paper V _{paper 2} (S16). Then, the movable rib 46 is returned to the normal position by the V _{rib 0} , and the recording paper is conveyed by the V _{paper 0} (S18).

  Next, the cleaning sheet is discharged to the discharge tray 15 (S20). Next, the height of the carriage 38 is adjusted by the gap adjusting member 88, the recording head 39 is moved to the maintenance unit 48 (see FIG. 3), and the recording head 39 is capped to prevent the nozzles from drying (S22). ). Then, the variable i indicating the number of times of borderless printing is set to 0 (S24), a message notifying the end of the cleaning process is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit of the operation panel 20 (S26), and the process is terminated.

According to the multifunction machine 10 of the present embodiment, the horizontal movement range L _2, in the upstream side or downstream side, the movable rib 46 is caused to tilt, the recording sheet conveyed downwardly recording head 39, Since the inclined portion 772 is brought into contact, the ink adhering to the inclined portion 772 of the movable rib 46 can be wiped with a recording sheet and cleaned. Also, tilting of the movable ribs 46, so the horizontal movement range L ₂ is performed in the upstream side or downstream side, it is possible to prevent the configuration of the horizontal movement range L ₂ is complicated.

Referring to FIG. 16, the speed V _{rib k} of the movable rib 46 and the recording paper conveyance speed V _{paper k} will be described in more detail.

As shown in FIG. 16, since the horizontal movement range L ₂ has a sufficient distance, the relative movement distance between the recording paper and the movable rib 46 in the horizontal movement range L ₂ is sufficiently large. The top portion 771 is suitably cleaned with recording paper.

Here, in order to suppress an increase in the size of the apparatus, there is a case where the distances in the transport ranges L ₁ and L _{3 in the} conveyance direction cannot be sufficiently set as compared with the horizontal movement range L ₂ . Even in such a case, if the relative movement distance between the recording sheet and the movable rib 46 in the movement ranges L ₁ and L ₃ can be set to the same level as the horizontal movement range L ₂ , the inclined portion 772 can be moved. Also, a cleaning effect as high as that of the top 771 can be expected.

Therefore, the present inventor has derived an example of the appropriate speed V _{rib k of} the movable rib 46 and the recording paper transport speed V _{paper k} using the following mathematical formula. The speeds shown below are merely examples, and are not intended to be limited to these.
<Derivation of V- _{rib 1} and V- _{paper 1} >
The feeding direction distance of the movement range L ₁ and L1, the feeding direction distance of the horizontal movement range L ₂ and L2. The relative movement distance between the recording sheet and the movable ribs 46 when the movable rib 46 is moved to the downstream side in the transport direction in the movement range L ₁ is expressed by the following (1).
(V _{paper 1-} V _{rib 1} ) * t1 (1)
However, t1 is the cleaning time. On the other hand, when the movable rib 46 moves downstream in the conveyance direction within the movement range L1, the conveyance speed of the recording paper is 0, so the relative movement distance between the recording paper and the movable rib 46 is L1. It becomes. Therefore, the relative movement distance between the recording sheet and the movable ribs 46 during moving the moving range L ₁ is expressed by the following equation (2).
(V _{paper 1} -V _{rib 1} ) * t1 + L1 (2)
(2) the relative moving distance of the formula is, since the feeding direction distance of the horizontal movement range L ₂ may if equal to L2, the following equation (3) is satisfied.
(V _{paper 1} -V _{rib 1} ) * t1 + L1 = L2 (3)
Further, the following formula (4) is established.
V _{rib 1} * t1 = L1 (4)
Therefore, the following formula (5) is derived by arranging the formulas (3) and (4).
V _{rib 1} = (L1 / L2) * V _{paper 1} (5)
<Derivation of V- _{rib 3} and V- _{paper 3} >
The following equation (6) is derived based on the same concept as the V _{paper 1} and the V _{rib 1} .
V _{rib 3} = (L1 / L2) * V _{paper 3} (5)
By using the V _{paper 1} and the V _{rib 1} or the V _{paper 3} and the V _{rib 3} satisfying the above expression (5) or (6), it is not possible to secure a sufficient distance in the movement ranges L ₁ and L _3. Even in this case, the inclined portion 772 can be suitably cleaned.

  Although the present invention has been described based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various improvements and modifications can be easily made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Can be inferred.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the cleaning operation of the movable rib 46 is performed on the condition that the number of executions of borderless printing is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. Instead, the cleaning operation of the movable rib 46, that is, the processing from S6 to S22 in the cleaning process (see FIG. 15) is executed automatically every predetermined time or based on an instruction from the user. It may be configured. Further, when a user instruction for the cleaning operation of the movable rib 46 is made from a personal computer connected to the multifunction machine 10, a message for notifying the end of the cleaning operation is displayed on the monitor of the personal computer to which the instruction is input. May be displayed.

  In the above-described embodiment, the thin plate-like member 77 of the movable rib 46 is described as having a mountain shape. However, any shape having a configuration corresponding to the top portion 771 and the inclined portion 772 may be used. Other shapes such as a trapezoidal shape in which the top portion 771 is formed flat and a shape in which the inclined portion 772 is curved in an arc shape may be used.

  In the above-described embodiment, when the movable rib 46 is cleaned, the recording head 39 is retracted upward in order to prevent a collision with the movable rib 46. Instead, the recording head 39 is replaced with a maintenance unit. You may comprise so that it may withdraw to the position where 48 was provided. Even in this case, the collision between the recording head 39 and the movable rib 46 can be prevented.

  In the above-described embodiment, the movable rib 46 tilts only once to the upstream end in the transport direction when moved to the downstream end in the transport direction, and moves in the transport direction when moved to the upstream end in the transport direction. Although it is tilted only once to the downstream end, it may be tilted a plurality of times by reciprocating in the upstream and downstream sides in the transport direction.

1 is an external perspective view of a multifunction peripheral according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of a printer part typically. It is a perspective view which shows the main structures of a printer part. It is the perspective view which looked at the platen from the upper side. It is a top view of a platen. It is the perspective view which looked at the platen from the lower side. It is a perspective view which shows the movable rib provided in the flame | frame. It is a bottom view of a platen. FIG. 4 is a side view schematically showing the movable rib, where (a) is a diagram for explaining the operation of the movable rib during image formation, and (b) is a diagram for explaining the operation during cleaning of the movable rib. . FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view showing an external configuration of a carriage. (A) is XX sectional drawing of a carriage, (b) is a figure which expands and shows the principal part of sectional drawing shown to (a). (A) is XX sectional drawing of the carriage which slidably moved the gap adjustment member, (b) is a figure which expands and shows the principal part of sectional drawing shown to (a). It is a side view which shows a carriage. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control unit of the multifunction machine. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a cleaning process executed by the multifunction machine. FIG. 16 is an explanatory view schematically showing the operation of the movable rib when the cleaning process shown in FIG. 15 is executed.

Explanation of symbols

10 MFP (inkjet recording device)
39 Recording head 46 Movable rib (support)
49 Groove (guide means)
50 engaging pin (guide means)
51 Drive mechanism (drive means)
60 Conveying roller (conveying means, upstream clamping means)
61 Holding part (upstream clamping means)
62 Paper discharge roller (conveying means, downstream clamping means)
63 Spur roller (downstream clamping means)
78 Pinion gear (guide means)
411 Rack gear (guide means)
771 Top 772 Inclined portion L ₁ Movement range (downstream movement range)
L ₂ following movement range L ₃ movement range (upstream side movement range)
V- _{paper k} transport speed (recording medium transport speed)
V- _{rib k} moving speed (speed in the conveying direction of the support)
S1 Image formation processing (follow-up means)
S8 Retreat means S6-S22 Support body cleaning means

Claims (8)

An inkjet recording apparatus having a recording head for recording an image on a recording medium by discharging ink droplets,
Conveying means for conveying a recording medium below the recording head;
A support having a top for supporting the recording medium transported by the transport means from the lower surface thereof, and an inclined portion directed downward as being separated from the top;
Drive means for driving the support in the transport direction of the recording medium or in the opposite direction;
Follow-up means for driving the support by the driving means and moving the support in the carrying direction following the recording medium carried by the carrying means;
The support body is tilted on the upstream side in the transport direction or the downstream side in the transport direction from the follow-up movement range in which the support body is moved following the recording medium by the follow-up means, and is transported below the recording head. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a support cleaning means for bringing the inclined portion into contact with a recording medium. Upstream-side clamping means for clamping the recording medium on the upstream side in the transport direction from the support;
Downstream holding means for holding the recording medium downstream in the transport direction from the support,
2. The support cleaning means tilts the support in a state where at least one recording medium is held between the upstream holding means and the downstream holding means. The ink jet recording apparatus described. The support body passes from the upstream movement range located upstream in the conveyance direction of the following movement range to the downstream movement range located downstream in the conveyance direction of the following movement range via the following movement range. , Provided so as to be capable of reciprocating in the transport direction,
The support cleaning means drives the support in a state where the top is in contact with the recording medium by the driving means to move from the follow movement range to the upstream movement range or the downstream movement range, and to the upstream side The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support is tilted in the moving range or the downstream moving range, and the inclined portion is brought into contact with the recording medium.   The support cleaning means transports the recording medium in the transport direction while being transported by the transport means while moving the support via the follow movement range between the upstream movement range and the downstream movement range. 4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the driving unit is controlled so as to be different from a conveyance direction speed of the support.   The said support body cleaning means stops conveyance of the recording medium by the said conveyance means, while the said support body is moved to the reverse direction of the said conveyance direction by the said support body cleaning means. 2. An ink jet recording apparatus according to 1. Comprising guide means for guiding movement of the support in the transport direction or in the opposite direction;
6. The guide device according to claim 3, wherein the guide means guides the support so as to move upward as the distance from the follow-up movement range increases in the upstream-side movement range and the downstream-side movement range. Any one of the inkjet recording apparatuses.   7. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a retracting means for retracting the recording head to a position where the recording head is not in contact with the support guided upward by the guiding means.   The guide means includes a rack gear whose upstream end and downstream end in the conveying direction are lifted in an arc shape upward, and a pinion gear connected to the support and meshing with the rack gear. The ink jet recording apparatus according to 6 or 7.

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