JP5872886B2 - Inkjet recording device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus that performs recording on a recording medium such as paper by ejecting ink from nozzles.

An ink jet recording apparatus generally includes a transport belt that moves a recording medium such as paper in the transport direction, and ejects ink from nozzles toward the recording medium transported by the transport belt to perform recording on the recording medium. Configured to do.
An image forming apparatus includes an endless belt-like conveyance belt, a meandering detection sensor that detects meandering of the conveyance belt, and a correction unit that corrects meandering of the conveyance belt based on a detection result of the meandering detection sensor. An apparatus is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2008-107644 A

  In the ink jet recording apparatus, when the meandering detection sensor described in Patent Document 1 is provided, ink ejected from the nozzles may adhere to the meandering detection sensor. In this case, in order to remove the ink adhering to the meandering detection sensor and clean the meandering detection sensor, it is necessary to take measures such as providing a new mechanism. Therefore, there is a demand for an ink jet recording apparatus that can clean a sensor to which ink ejected from nozzles is attached with a simple configuration.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of cleaning a sensor to which ink ejected from nozzles adheres with a simple configuration.

  The present invention has a nozzle surface on which nozzles for ink discharge are formed, a recording head that records an image on a recording medium with ink discharged from the nozzles, a sensor, and a non-discharge that the nozzles do not discharge ink The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a moving unit that moves in time; and a cleaning member that moves in conjunction with the movement of the moving unit and removes ink adhering to the sensor to clean the sensor.

  The sensor is preferably located in the vicinity of the recording head when the nozzle discharges ink.

  In addition, the image forming apparatus further includes a conveyance unit having a conveyance belt that moves the recording medium in the conveyance direction, and the sensor moves the recording medium with the conveyance belt, and / or the recording head records an image on the recording medium. A sensor that performs detection related to operation is preferable.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said moving part is the said conveyance unit.

  In addition, a recording head unit in which the recording head is integrally provided, a wiper member that cleans the nozzle surface of the recording head, and a cap member that covers the nozzle surface facing the nozzle surface are integrally provided. It is preferable that the sensor is provided integrally with any one or more of the transport unit, the recording head unit, and the maintenance unit.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said moving part is the said maintenance unit.

  The sensor is an optical sensor including a light emitting unit having a light emitting surface exposed to the outside and a light receiving unit having a light receiving surface exposed to the outside, and the cleaning member includes the light emitting surface and / or Alternatively, by moving in the direction along the light emitting surface and / or the light receiving surface while being in contact with the light receiving surface, the ink adhering to the light emitting surface and / or the light receiving surface is wiped off, and the moving unit moves The direction is a direction different from the direction along the light emitting surface and / or the light receiving surface, and the cleaning member is moved to the light emitting surface by using the movement of the moving unit by changing the moving direction of the moving unit. It is preferable to further include a movement direction conversion unit that moves in a direction along the light receiving surface.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of cleaning a sensor to which ink ejected from a nozzle adheres with a simple configuration.

1 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing an outline of an ink jet recording apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention from the front side. FIG. 2 is a front view showing peripheral portions of a recording head unit 19 and a transport unit 30 in the inkjet recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. 2 is a plan view showing peripheral portions of a recording head unit 19, a transport unit 30, and a maintenance unit 50 in the inkjet recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. It is a front view which shows the state which the maintenance unit 50 moved below the inkjet recording device 1 shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of a meandering detection sensor 37, a sensor cleaning member 38, and a moving direction conversion unit 39. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the moving direction conversion part 39, Comprising: It is a figure which shows the state which the sensor cleaning member 38 has evacuated from the light emission surface 373A of the meandering detection sensor 37, and the light-receiving surface 374A. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the moving direction conversion part 39, Comprising: It is a figure which shows the state which the sensor cleaning member 38 contact | abuts to the light emission surface 373A and light-receiving surface 374A of the meandering detection sensor 37. FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The outline of the overall structure of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing an outline of an ink jet recording apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention from the front side. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the periphery of the recording head unit 19 and the transport unit 30 in the inkjet recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the periphery of the recording head unit 19, the transport unit 30, and the maintenance unit 50 in the inkjet recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view showing a state in which the maintenance unit 50 is moved below the ink jet recording apparatus 1 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a recording head unit 19 having a recording unit 20, a transport unit 30 as a moving unit, and an elevation of the transport unit 30 in a main body 2. The apparatus 40 and the maintenance unit 50 are provided.
The ink jet recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment further includes a paper feed cassette 3, a paper feed roller 4, a paper transport path 5, a registration roller pair 6, a drying device 7, a paper discharge roller pair 8, and paper discharge. A mouth 9 and a paper discharge tray 10 are provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the transport unit 30 includes a housing (not shown), a drive roller 32, a driven roller 33, a transport belt 31 spanned between the drive roller 32 and the driven roller 33, and a transport belt. A tension roller 34 that adjusts the tension of 31, a suction unit 36, a meandering detection sensor 37 as a sensor, a sensor cleaning member 38 as a cleaning member, and a moving direction conversion unit 39. The conveyance belt 31 moves the paper T as a recording medium in the conveyance direction P. A large number of air suction through holes (not shown) are provided on the upper surfaces of the transport belt 31 and the suction unit 36, respectively.

When the driving roller 32 and the driven roller 33 are rotated counterclockwise when viewed from the front, the placement conveyance surface 31A formed on the upper surface portion of the conveyance belt 31 is in the conveyance direction P in the horizontal plane (XY plane). It is moved horizontally from one side to the other. That is, the transport direction P substantially coincides with the horizontal direction X on the placement transport surface 31 </ b> A of the transport belt 31. The suction unit 36 is disposed on the lower side (opposite side) 31 </ b> A of the carrying belt 31.
As the conveyor belt 31, a belt in which both ends are overlapped and joined to form an endless shape, a seamless belt (seamless), or the like can be used.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the meander detection sensor 37 has one end in the paper width direction Y perpendicular to the transport direction P in the transport belt 31 on the downstream side in the transport direction P of the recording head 22 (described later). Placed on the side. The meander detection sensor 37 is a sensor that detects the meandering amount of the transport belt 31 by detecting the position of one end of the transport belt 31 in the paper width direction Y.
The sensor cleaning member 38 is moved in conjunction with the movement of the transport unit 30 by a movement direction conversion unit 39 described later, and cleans the meandering detection sensor 37.
Details of the meandering detection sensor 37, the sensor cleaning member 38, and the movement direction conversion unit 39 will be described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, at a predetermined recording time, the paper T as a recording medium is introduced and placed on the placement and conveyance surface 31 </ b> A of the conveyance belt 31 from one side in the conveyance direction P. The placement conveyance surface 31A is suctioned by a downward airflow acting on the conveyance belt 31 through a suction through hole (not shown) on the upper surface of the conveyance belt 31 and the adsorption unit 36 in accordance with the operation of the adsorption unit 36. There is power. The paper T placed on the placement conveyance surface 31A of the conveyance belt 31 is attracted to the placement conveyance surface 31A by the suction force of the downward airflow and conveyed toward the other side in the conveyance direction P. In this way, ink is ejected from the line-shaped recording head 22 of the recording unit 20 (described later) toward the paper T that is conveyed while being adsorbed to the placement and conveyance surface 31 </ b> A of the conveyance belt 31. An image or the like is recorded (printed).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the paper feed cassette 3 accommodates the paper T in a stacked state, and is disposed on the upstream side in the transport direction P of the transport unit 30 below the inside of the main body 2. The paper feed roller 4 is disposed above the paper feed cassette 3. The paper feed roller 4 feeds the paper T toward the upper right of the paper feed cassette 3 in FIG.

  The sheet conveyance path 5, the registration roller pair 6, the recording unit 20, and the conveyance unit 30 are arranged on the downstream side in the conveyance direction P of the paper feed cassette 3. The paper T sent out from the paper feed cassette 3 reaches the registration roller pair 6 through the paper transport path 5. The registration roller pair 6 corrects the oblique feeding of the paper T and feeds the paper T again. A paper leading edge detection sensor (not shown) is provided in the paper conveyance path 5 between the recording unit 20 and the registration roller pair 6. The front end portion of the paper T is detected by the paper front end detection sensor, and based on the detected timing, the recording unit 20 performs an ink ejection operation as described later.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the drying device 7 is disposed on the downstream side in the transport direction P of the transport unit 30 above the inside of the main body 2. The drying device 7 dries the ink on the paper T after being recorded by the ink ejected by the recording unit 20.

  The paper discharge roller pair 8, the paper discharge port 9, and the paper discharge tray 10 are arranged in this order on the downstream side in the transport direction P of the drying device 7. The paper T, which has been dried by the drying device 7, is sent to the downstream side in the transport direction P by the paper discharge roller pair 8, and is sent to the paper discharge tray 10 provided outside the main body 2 through the paper discharge port 9. And discharged to the outside of the main body 2.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the recording unit 20 includes a line-shaped recording head 22 corresponding to four colors and a rectangular and plate-shaped head frame 21. The line recording heads 22 corresponding to the four colors are a black line recording head 22K, a cyan line recording head 22C, a magenta line recording head 22M, and a yellow line recording head 22Y. . These four color line-shaped recording heads 22K, 22C, 22M and 22Y extend long along the paper width direction (orthogonal direction) Y orthogonal to the transport direction P (horizontal direction X).
In the first embodiment, in each of the four color line recording heads 22K, 22C, 22M and 22Y, three recording heads per one color line recording head are arranged in a zigzag pattern along the sheet width direction Y. doing. Note that “line-shaped recording head” is also simply referred to as “recording head” unless there is a particular need for distinction.

The four color line-shaped recording heads 22K, 22C, 22M and 22Y are arranged in order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction P along the transport direction P of the transport belt 31. The head frame 21 is attached by arranging the four color line-shaped recording heads 22K, 22C, 22M and 22Y in the order of arrangement described above.
In the present embodiment, the four color linear recording heads 22K, 22C, 22M and 22Y and the head frame 21 are unitized. A unit in which the four color line-shaped recording heads 22K, 22C, 22M and 22Y and the head frame 21 are integrally provided is referred to as a recording head unit 19. The recording head unit 19 is fixed to the main body 2.

  As shown in FIG. 1, below the transport unit 30, four ink tanks 23K, 23C, 23M, and 23Y are arranged corresponding to the four color line-shaped recording heads 22K, 22C, 22M, and 22Y, respectively. ing. The four color inks are supplied from the four ink tanks 23K, 23C, 23M, and 23Y to the corresponding line-shaped recording heads 22K, 22C, 22M, and 22Y through supply tubes (not shown).

  In the following description, except for the case where the configuration of the characteristic portion described later is described, the identification of the four color line recording heads 22K, 22C, 22M and 22Y and the four ink tanks 23K, 23C, 23M and 23Y is performed. The symbols “K”, “C”, “M”, and “Y” are omitted, and are simply described as “(line) recording head 22” and “ink tank 23”. The same applies to “cap 51”, “cap receiving portion 61”, “wiper member 62”, “wiper case 63”, and the like, which will be described later.

  Each line-shaped recording head 22 of the recording unit 20 is mounted on the mounting / conveying surface 31A of the conveying belt 31 based on image data information (for example, characters, figures, patterns) received from an external computer (not shown). Four color inks are ejected toward the placed paper T. Each line-shaped recording head 22 is fixed to the main body 2 together with the head frame 21. Then, along with the rotational movement of the conveyor belt 31, four color inks are sequentially ejected from each line-like recording head 22 at a predetermined timing. As a result, four color inks of black, cyan, magenta, and yellow are superimposed on the paper T, and a color ink image is printed (recorded).

  As an ink discharge method from the recording head 22, for example, a piezo method in which ink is pushed out using a piezo element (not shown), or bubbles are generated by a heating element (not shown), and ink is discharged by applying pressure. Various discharge methods such as a thermal ink jet method can be employed.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the lifting device 40 of the transport unit 30 is disposed below the transport unit 30. The lifting device 40 moves the transport unit 30 up and down (moves) with respect to the recording head 22 in a direction Z (hereinafter also referred to as “vertical direction Z”) perpendicular to the horizontal plane (XY plane). By the movement of the transport unit 30 in the vertical direction Z by the lifting device 40, the placement transport surface 31 </ b> A of the transport belt 31 can be relatively approached or separated from the nozzle surface 221 (see FIG. 2) of the recording head 22. It is configured. On the nozzle surface 221, ink discharge nozzles are formed. As a result, the transport unit 30 moves to a recording position (printing position) for recording an image on the paper T by approaching the recording head 22 shown in FIG. 2 and a separation position for separating from the recording head 22 shown in FIG. It is configured to be possible. The transport unit 30 is moved in the vertical direction Z by the lifting device 40 when the nozzles of the recording head 22 are not ejecting ink.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the lifting device 40 includes two eccentric cams 41 disposed on the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction P below the transport belt 31. A total of four eccentric cams 41 are provided, two on each of the front side and the back side of the transport unit 30. The eccentric circumferential surface of the eccentric cam 41 approaches the outer bottom surface of the transport unit 30 from below. As shown in FIG. 1, each eccentric cam 41 includes a shaft portion 42 that extends in the paper width direction Y, and is configured by a cam having a rotational axis that is unevenly distributed. The eccentric cam 41 is rotated around the shaft portion 42 via a motor (not shown). The eccentric cam 41 includes a plurality of bearings 43 at the peripheral edge thereof. A part of the peripheral surface of the bearing 43 protrudes outward from the peripheral surface of the eccentric cam 41.

  The bearing 43 is rotatable about an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the eccentric cam 41. The bearings 43 are sequentially arranged from the distal end side of the eccentric cam 41 toward the rotation axis side. In a normal printing state, as shown in FIG. 1, the bearing 43 farthest from the shaft portion 42 contacts the outer bottom surface of the transport unit 30 from below. Thereby, the conveyance unit 30 is moved upward to the highest position shown in FIG.

From this state, the eccentric cam 41 on the upstream side in the transport direction P is rotated counterclockwise in front view, and the eccentric cam 41 on the downstream side in the transport direction P is rotated clockwise in front view. Accordingly, the plurality of bearings 43 sequentially contact the outer bottom surface of the transport unit 30 in order of the bearing 43 farthest from the shaft portion 42 to the bearing 43 closest to the shaft portion 42. Therefore, the transport unit 30 can be lowered.
The plurality of bearings 43 are arranged at intervals such that when the eccentric cam 41 rotates, the two bearings 43 adjacent in the peripheral direction simultaneously have a period of contact with the outer bottom surface of the transport unit 30.

  By rotating the eccentric cam 41 of the elevating device 40 and lowering the conveyance unit 30, the placement conveyance surface 31 </ b> A of the conveyance belt 31 in the conveyance unit 30 faces downward with respect to the recording head 22 as shown in FIG. 4. Spaced apart. As a result, the maintenance unit 50 is detached from the recording head 22. In the state where the maintenance unit 50 is detached from the recording head 22, ink is ejected from an ink ejection nozzle (not shown) of the recording head 22, thereby ejecting high viscosity ink remaining in the nozzle. Thus, it is possible to execute discharge recovery processing for eliminating ink clogging, that is, purge.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the conveyance unit 30 is returned to the normal recording position (printing position) by rotating the eccentric cam 41 of the elevating device 40 in the direction opposite to the above to raise the conveyance unit 30. . As a result, the maintenance unit 50 can be mounted on the nozzle surface 221 of the recording head 22.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the maintenance unit 50 is disposed at a position on the side of the recording unit 20 (outside the sheet conveyance area) and at a lower position during image formation. Further, the maintenance unit 50 moves below the recording unit 20 as necessary. As shown in FIG. 3, the maintenance unit 50 includes a wiper member 62, a wiper case 63, a cap 51 as a cap member, a cap lower receiving portion 61, a cap base member 52, a slide mechanism 53, and not shown. And a vertical drive mechanism. The maintenance unit 50 is configured to be horizontally movable in the paper width direction Y by a slide mechanism 53 (see FIG. 3). 2 and 4, the drawing of the slide mechanism 53 of the maintenance unit 50 is omitted.

  The maintenance unit 50 is disposed above the transport unit 30 and is configured to be lifted and lowered together with the transport unit 30 by the lifting device 40. Therefore, the maintenance unit 50 can attach and detach the cap 51 to the recording head 22.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the cap 51 is arranged for each color (four colors) along the transport direction P (X), and further corresponds to the three recording heads 22 arranged in a staggered pattern in the paper width direction Y. In total, twelve are provided, three for each color. The cap 51 faces the nozzle surface 221 of the recording head 22 and covers the nozzle surface 221.

One cap lower receiving portion 61 is arranged below one cap 51 for one color corresponding to three caps 51 for one color. The four cap lower receiving portions 61 corresponding to the four colors are integrally formed to form the receiving portion unit 60.
The cap base member 52 holds the cap 51 and the receiving unit 60.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the slide mechanism 53 extends in the sheet width direction Y perpendicular to the transport direction P from the position where the recording unit 20 and the transport unit 30 are arranged toward the back side. The slide mechanism 53 includes two endless transfer belts 54 arranged at intervals in the transport direction P.

  The transfer belt 54 supports the cap base member 52 so as to straddle between the two transfer belts 54. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 3, the slide mechanism 53 positions the cap base member 52 on the mounting position (indicated by a two-dot chain line) immediately below the recording unit 20 and on the back side of the arrangement location of the recording unit 20. It can be slid between the retracted position. That is, with the slide mechanism 53, the cap 51 can take two positions with respect to the recording head 22, that is, a mounting position below the recording head 22 and a retracted position located on the back side of the recording unit 20.

The cap 51 is attached to the recording head 22 by the maintenance unit 50. The operation will be described below.
When the cap 1 is attached to each recording head 22, the printer 1 uses the lifting device 40 (see FIG. 1) to lower the transport unit 30 from the position during normal printing, as shown in FIG. Thereby, a gap is formed between the recording unit 20 including the recording head 22 and the transport unit 30.

  Thereafter, the cap base member 52 is inserted into a gap formed between the recording head 22 of the recording unit 20 and the transport unit 30 using the slide mechanism 53. Then, the cap base member 52 is disposed below the recording head 22 and raised by a vertical drive mechanism (not shown). As a result, the cap 51 is mounted in contact with the nozzle surface 221 on the bottom surface of the recording head 22. As the vertical drive mechanism, for example, a mechanism that synchronously drives cams and the like disposed at the four corners of the cap base member 52 is used.

As shown in FIG. 3, the wiper member 62 and the wiper case 63 are arranged on one end side in the paper width direction Y of the maintenance unit 50.
The wiper member 62 cleans the nozzle surface 221 of the recording head 22. The wiper member 62 is disposed corresponding to the recording head 22. Four wiper members 62 are arranged for each of the three recording heads 22 arranged in two rows in a staggered manner in the paper width direction Y for each color (four colors). Specifically, the wiper member 62 includes, for each color (four colors), two wiper members 62 corresponding to one row of each recording head 22 and two wiper members 62 corresponding to the other row. In total, 16 are provided, four for each color.

  Each wiper member 62K, 62C, 62M, 62Y is formed in a plate shape by an elastic body. The wiper members 62K, 62C, 62M, and 62Y are erected vertically on the wiper cases 63K, 63C, 63M, and 63Y (extending in the vertical direction Z) so as to be orthogonal to the paper width direction Y. .

  The wiper members 62K, 62C, 62M, and 62Y are connected to a moving mechanism (not shown). The moving mechanism integrally moves the plurality of wiper members 62 along the paper width direction Y. As a result, the wiper members 25K, 25C, 25M, and 25Y move along the paper width direction Y, which is the direction along the nozzle surface 221 after the tips contact the respective recording heads 22K, 22C, 22M, and 22Y. As a result, the nozzle surface 221 is cleaned.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 2, 4, and 5 to 7, the configuration related to the characteristic part in the inkjet recording apparatus 1 of the first embodiment will be described in detail.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the meandering detection sensor 37, the sensor cleaning member 38, and the moving direction conversion unit 39. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the moving direction conversion unit 39 and shows a state in which the sensor cleaning member 38 is retracted from the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A of the meandering detection sensor 37. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the moving direction conversion unit 39 and shows a state in which the sensor cleaning member 38 is in contact with the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A of the meandering detection sensor 37.

The meandering detection sensor 37, the sensor cleaning member 38, and the moving direction conversion unit 39 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2, the meandering detection sensor 37 is disposed on the downstream side of the recording head 22 </ b> Y on the most downstream side in the transport direction P of the recording head 22 and on the upstream side of the driving roller 32. The meandering detection sensor 37 is a sensor that performs detection related to an operation in which the conveyance belt 31 moves the paper T. Specifically, the meandering detection sensor 37 is a sensor that detects meandering of the transport belt 31.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the meandering detection sensor 37 is arranged on one end side in the paper width direction Y of the conveyance belt 31. The meander detection sensor 37 detects the meandering of the transport belt 31 by detecting the position of the transport belt 31 in the paper width direction Y at one end of the transport belt 31 in the paper width direction Y.
The meandering detection sensor 37 is mounted on the upper side of a planar substrate 371 extending in the vertical direction Z. A connector 372 is mounted on the lower side of the substrate 371. The meandering detection sensor 37 is fixed to the housing of the transport unit 30 via the substrate 371 and / or the connector 372.

  The meandering detection sensor 37 is positioned in the vicinity of the recording head 22 when the nozzles of the recording head 22 discharge ink. Examples of ejection when ink is ejected from the nozzles of the recording head 22 include recording when an image or the like is recorded on the paper T.

Hereinafter, “the vicinity of the recording head 22” will be described.
The meandering detection sensor 37 is provided integrally with the transport unit 30, and is disposed in the upper portion of the transport belt 31 in the vertical direction Z (the portion of the transport belt 31 on the side of the loading transport surface 31 </ b> A). The During recording in which an image or the like is recorded on the paper T, the transport unit 30 is positioned at a recording position (see FIG. 2) that approaches the nozzle surface 221 of the recording head 22. At the recording position (see FIG. 2), since the transport unit 30 is raised most by the lifting device 40, the meandering detection sensor 37 provided integrally with the transport unit 30 has the nozzle surface 221 of the recording head 22 in the vertical direction Z. Is closest to At this recording position (see FIG. 2), ink is ejected from the ink ejection nozzles (not shown) of the recording head 22 toward the paper T placed on the placement conveyance surface 31A of the conveyance belt 31. . The ink ejected from the nozzles of the recording head 22 includes mist-like (mist-like) ink that is moved by wind generated when the transport belt 31 is moved or by wind generated by suction of the suction unit 36. It is.

  Thus, the meandering detection sensor 37 is located at a position where ink ejected from the nozzles of the recording head 22 adheres at the recording position (see FIG. 2) during recording. The position where the ink ejected from the nozzles of the recording head 22 adheres is “near the recording head 22”. In other words, “in the vicinity of the recording head 22” means a position where ink ejected from the nozzles of the recording head 22 adheres.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the meander detection sensor 37 is formed in a U shape that is recessed from one side in the paper width direction Y when viewed in the transport direction P. One end portion of the conveyance belt 31 in the paper width direction Y is disposed in the recessed portion of the meandering detection sensor 37.

  As the meandering detection sensor 37, an optical sensor having a light emitting unit 373 and a light receiving unit 374 can be used. The light emitting unit 373 and the light receiving unit 374 are arranged apart from each other in the up-down direction Z across the depressed portion of the meandering detection sensor 37.

  In the present embodiment, the light emitting unit 373 is disposed on the upper side in the vertical direction Z, and has a light emitting surface 373A exposed to the outside on the lower side. The light receiving unit 374 is disposed on the lower side in the vertical direction Z and has a light receiving surface 374A exposed to the outside on the upper side. The light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A are formed in a planar shape. The light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A are arranged to face each other in a parallel state.

  The meandering detection sensor 37 transmits or blocks light in the optical path between the light emitting unit 373 and the light receiving unit 374 when the position in the paper width direction Y at one end of the transport belt 31 in the paper width direction Y changes. Can be detected. The meandering detection sensor 37 detects meandering of the conveyance belt 31 by detecting light transmission or light shielding due to a change in the position in the paper width direction Y at one end of the conveyance belt 31 in the paper width direction Y.

  The sensor cleaning member 38 removes ink attached to the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A of the meandering detection sensor 37 and cleans the meandering detection sensor 37. The sensor cleaning member 38 has a retreat position (see FIG. 6) that retreats from the meander detection sensor 37 and a contact position (see FIG. 7) that abuts on the meander detection sensor 37 by movement of a moving direction conversion unit 39 described later. It is configured to be movable.

  The sensor cleaning members 38, 38 are moved from the contact position to the retracted position, or moved from the retracted position to the contact position, thereby contacting the light emitting surface 373 A and the light receiving surface 374 A of the meandering detection sensor 37. By moving in the transport direction P, which is a direction along 373A and the light receiving surface 374A, the ink adhering to the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A of the meandering detection sensor 37 is wiped off.

The sensor cleaning member 38 is attached to a conveyance direction slide part 392 of a movement direction conversion part 39 to be described later. The sensor cleaning member 38 is moved by using the movement of the conveyance unit 30 by changing its direction (movement direction of the conveyance unit 30) by a movement direction conversion unit 39, which will be described later, and cleans the meander detection sensor 37.
As the sensor cleaning member 38, for example, a nonwoven fabric or the like is used.

The movement direction conversion unit 39 includes a vertical slide unit (first slide unit) 391, a first base member 394, a first biasing member 393, a guide box body 397, and a transport direction slide unit (second slide unit). ) provided 392, and the second base member 396, a second biasing member 395, a.

The vertical slide portion 391 includes an upper end portion 391A, a lower end portion 391B, and an inclined portion 391C that connects the upper end portion 391A and the lower end portion 391B.
The upper surface of the upper end portion 391A of the vertical slide portion 391 can contact the lower portion of the head frame 21 of the recording head unit 19. The lower surface of the lower end portion 391 </ b> B of the vertical slide portion 391 is connected to the first biasing member 393 while being in contact with the first biasing member 393.

The inclined portion 391C is formed in a linear shape that is inclined with respect to the vertical direction Z. The inclined portion 391C is inclined from the upstream side in the transport direction P toward the downstream side as it goes from the upper side to the lower side.
The inclined portion 391C has an inclined surface 391D formed on the upstream side in the transport direction P. The inclined surface 391D is formed in a flat shape and is inclined at the same angle as the inclination of the inclined portion 391C from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction P as it goes from the upper side to the lower side. .

  The first base member 394 is disposed on the lower side in the vertical direction Z of the vertical slide portion 391. The first base member 394 is fixed directly or indirectly to the housing of the transport unit 30. The first base member 394 supports the first biasing member 393 on the lower side in the vertical direction Z.

The first urging member 393 is disposed between the vertical slide portion 391 and the first base member 394 so that the urging force acts in the vertical direction Z. The upper end portion of the first urging member 393 is in contact with the lower surface of the lower end portion 391B of the vertical slide portion 391. A lower end portion of the first urging member 393 contacts the first base member 394. The first urging member 393 applies the vertical slide portion 391 downward toward the transport unit 30 when the transport unit 30 is raised and the upper end portion 391A of the vertical slide portion 391 is pressed by the transport unit 30. Rush.
The guide box 397 guides the movement of the vertical slide portion 391 in the vertical direction Z on the side surface in the paper width direction Y and the side surface in the transport direction P of the vertical slide portion 391.

  The vertical slide portion 391 configured in this manner moves in the vertical direction Z when pressed by the recording head unit 19 in conjunction with the movement of the transport unit 30 in the vertical direction Z. The vertical slide portion 391 is restricted from moving in the transport direction P and the paper width direction Y by the guide box 397. Therefore, the vertical slide portion 391 moves in the vertical direction Z while maintaining the inclination of the inclined portion 391C without tilting or moving in the transport direction P or the paper width direction Y.

  When the transport unit 30 is located at the recording position (see FIG. 2), the upper end portion 391A of the vertical slide portion 391 is pressed against the head frame 21 of the recording head unit 19, and the vertical slide portion 391 is As shown in FIG. 6, it is located on the lower side in the vertical direction Z. When the transport unit 30 is located at the separation position (see FIG. 4), the pressing by the head frame 21 of the recording head unit 19 at the upper end portion 391A of the vertical slide portion 391 is released, and the vertical slide portion. 391 is located on the upper side in the vertical direction Z, as shown in FIG.

The conveyance direction slide part 392 includes a frame part 392A and a slide linear part 392D. The slide linear portion 392D and the frame portion 392A are integrally formed, and the whole is formed long in the transport direction P.
A through hole 392B is formed in the frame portion 392A. The through hole 392B is formed so as to penetrate the transport direction slide portion 392 in the vertical direction Z. An inclined portion 391C of the vertical slide portion 391 is inserted in the through hole 392B so as to be movable in the vertical direction Z. An inclined surface 392C with which the inclined surface 391D of the vertical slide portion 391 abuts is formed on the inner surface of the portion of the frame portion 392A where the upstream through hole 392B in the transport direction P is formed.

  Similarly to the inclined surface 391D of the vertical slide portion 391, the inclined surface 392C of the conveyance direction slide portion 392 is inclined from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveyance direction P as it goes from the upper side to the lower side. Yes. The inclined surface 392C of the transport direction slide portion 392 slidably contacts the inclined surface 391D of the vertical direction slide portion 391 in a state where the vertical direction slide portion 391 is inserted through the through hole 392B.

  The slide linear portion 392D is connected to the frame portion 392A and is disposed on the downstream side in the transport direction P of the frame portion 392A. The slide linear portion 392D is formed long in the transport direction P, and is formed in a U-shape that is recessed from one side in the paper width direction Y when viewed from the transport direction P. One end of the conveyance belt 31 in the paper width direction Y is disposed in the recessed portion.

Sensor cleaning members 38 and 38 are attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the downstream end of the slide linear portion 392D in the transport direction P, respectively.
The downstream end of the slide linear portion 392D in the transport direction P is in a state where the sensor cleaning members 38, 38 attached to the upper surface and the lower surface are in contact with the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A of the meandering detection sensor 37. It is configured to be insertable between the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A.

  The second base member 396 is disposed on the upstream side in the transport direction P of the transport direction slide portion 392. The second base member 396 is fixed directly or indirectly to the housing of the transport unit 30. The second base member 396 supports the second biasing member 395 on the upstream side in the transport direction P.

  The second urging member 395 is disposed between the conveyance direction slide portion 392 and the second base member 396 so that the urging force acts in the conveyance direction P. The downstream end portion of the second urging member 395 in the transport direction P is in contact with the upstream side surface of the transport direction slide portion 392 in the transport direction P. The upstream end of the second urging member 395 in the transport direction P is in contact with the second base member 396. The second urging member 395 urges the transport direction slide portion 392 toward the meandering detection sensor 37 side.

  The conveyance direction slide portion 392 configured in this manner is in contact with the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A in contact with the sensor cleaning members 38 and 38 in conjunction with the movement in the vertical direction Z of the vertical slide portion 391. 7) and the sensor cleaning members 38, 38 are configured to be movable between the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A (see FIG. 6). The sensor cleaning members 38, 38 are slid in a state where they are in contact with the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A, both when moving from the contact position to the retracted position and when moving from the retracted position to the contact position. Therefore, the ink attached to the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A can be wiped off.

The movement direction conversion unit 39 configured as described above can move the sensor cleaning member 38 by using the movement of the conveyance unit 30 by converting the direction (movement direction of the conveyance unit 30).
Specifically, in this embodiment, the moving direction of the transport unit 30 is different from the direction along the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A. That is, the moving direction of the transport unit 30 is the vertical direction Z, while the direction along the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A is the direction along the transport direction P.

  The movement direction conversion unit 39 is interposed between the conveyance unit 30 and the meandering detection sensor 37 so that the movement of the conveyance unit 30 can be used by changing its direction (movement direction of the conveyance unit 30). The vertical slide part 391 of the movement direction conversion part 39 is the vertical slide part by the recording head unit 19 when the vertical slide part 391 is pressed by the recording head unit 19 as the transport unit 30 moves in the vertical direction Z. The pressing to 391 is released, and the 391 is moved in the vertical direction Z. The inclined surface 391D of the vertical slide portion 391 and the inclined surface 392C of the transport direction slide portion 392 are slidable in contact with each other. Therefore, the movement direction slide part 392 moves in the vertical direction Z, which is the movement of the conveyance unit 30, when the vertical direction slide part 391 is moved in the vertical direction Z. It is converted and used and moved in the transport direction P.

  In this way, the movement direction conversion unit 39 uses the movement in the vertical direction Z of the transport unit 30 by converting the direction (the movement direction in the vertical direction Z of the transport unit 30), and uses the sensor cleaning members 38, 38. Are moved in the transport direction P, which is a direction along the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A. Therefore, the sensor cleaning members 38 and 38 attached to the end of the transport direction slide portion 392 are moved by the transport direction slide portion 392 moving in the direction (transport direction P) along the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A. The meandering detection sensor 37 moves while contacting the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A. Thereby, the sensor cleaning members 38 and 38 can wipe off ink adhering to the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A.

Next, an operation for recording an image or the like by the inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment will be briefly described.
The paper T as a recording medium is introduced and placed on the placement and conveyance surface 31A of the conveyance belt 31 from one side in the conveyance direction P. The placement conveyance surface 31A is suctioned by a downward airflow acting on the conveyance belt 31 through a suction through hole (not shown) on the upper surface of the conveyance belt 31 and the adsorption unit 36 in accordance with the operation of the adsorption unit 36. The sheet T placed on the placement conveyance surface 31A of the conveyance belt 31 is attracted to the placement conveyance surface 31A and attracted to the other side in the conveyance direction P by the suction force generated by the downward airflow. It is conveyed toward.

  The inks of the four color line-shaped recording heads 22K, 22C, 22M and 22Y of the recording unit 20 toward the paper T conveyed in the conveyance direction P while being attracted to the placement conveyance surface 31A of the conveyance belt 31. Images and the like are recorded (printed) on the paper T by sequentially ejecting four color inks from the nozzle surface 221 of the ejection nozzle (not shown).

  The paper T on which an image or the like has been recorded with the four colors of ink ejected by the recording unit 20 is sent to the drying device 7 where the ink is dried. The paper T, which has been dried by the drying device 7, is sent to the downstream side in the transport direction P by the paper discharge roller pair 8, and is sent to the paper discharge tray 10 provided outside the main body 2 through the paper discharge port 9. And discharged to the outside of the main body 2.

Before the start of the recording operation for the image or the like as described above, the transport unit 30 is separated from the state in which the cap 51 is attached to the recording head 22 until the cap 51 is removed and the preparation for the recording operation is completed. Move from the position (see FIG. 4) to the recording position (see FIG. 2).
On the other hand, after the image forming operation is completed, the conveyance unit 30 is separated from the recording position (see FIG. 2) from the recording position (see FIG. 2) until the cap 51 is attached to the recording head 22 after the recording operation is completed. ). Note that the transport unit 30 also moves away from the recording position (see FIG. 2) when performing the above-described purging or when performing jam processing for removing the paper T from the jammed state (paper jammed state) of the paper T. 4).

  When the transport unit 30 moves from the recording position (see FIG. 2) to the separated position (see FIG. 4), the transport unit 30 moves downward from the recording position (see FIG. 2), so 391 is moved from the lower side (see FIG. 6) in the vertical direction Z to the upper side (see FIG. 7) by the urging force of the first urging member 393 after the pressing by the recording head unit 19 is released. The inclined surface 391D of the vertical slide portion 391 and the inclined surface 392C of the transport direction slide portion 392 are inclined so as to go from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction P from the upper side to the lower side. Further, the transport direction slide portion 392 is biased toward the downstream side in the transport direction P by the second biasing member 395. Therefore, when the vertical slide portion 391 is moved upward in the vertical direction Z, the slide is carried out while the inclined surface 391D of the vertical slide portion 391 and the inclined surface 392C of the transfer direction slide portion 392 are in contact with each other. The direction slide part 392 is moved from the upstream side (see FIG. 6) in the transport direction P to the downstream side (see FIG. 7) by the biasing force of the second biasing member 395.

  Thereby, the sensor cleaning members 38 and 38 provided at the end of the conveyance direction slide portion 392 move from the upstream side (see FIG. 6) in the conveyance direction P toward the downstream side (see FIG. 7). It moves from the retracted position (see FIG. 6) to the contact position (see FIG. 7). By the movement of the sensor cleaning member 38, the sensor cleaning member 38 can wipe off ink adhering to the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A.

  On the other hand, when the transport unit 30 moves from the separated position (see FIG. 4) to the recording position (see FIG. 2), the transport unit 30 moves upward from the separated position (see FIG. 4), thereby 30 is in contact with the recording head unit 19. The vertical slide portion 391 is pressed by the recording head unit 19 against the urging force of the first urging member 393, and from the upper side in the vertical direction Z (see FIG. 7) to the lower side (see FIG. 6). Moved. The inclined surface 391D of the vertical slide portion 391 and the inclined surface 392C of the transport direction slide portion 392 are inclined so as to go from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction P from the upper side to the lower side. Therefore, when the vertical slide portion 391 is moved downward in the vertical direction Z, the slide surface 391D of the vertical slide portion 391 and the slide surface 392C of the transport direction slide portion 392 are slid and transported. The direction slide portion 392 is moved from the downstream side (see FIG. 7) in the transport direction P to the upstream side (see FIG. 6) against the biasing force of the second biasing member 395.

  Thereby, the sensor cleaning members 38 and 38 provided at the end of the transport direction slide portion 392 move from the downstream side (see FIG. 7) in the transport direction P toward the upstream side (see FIG. 6). It moves from the contact position (see FIG. 7) to the retracted position (see FIG. 6). By the movement of the sensor cleaning member 38, the sensor cleaning member 38 can wipe off ink adhering to the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A.

As described above, in conjunction with the movement of the transport unit 30, the sensor cleaning member 38 is moved in the transport direction P, which is the direction along the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A of the meander detection sensor 37, and the meander detection sensor 37 is moved. Can be cleaned.
As a result, the sensor cleaning member 38 effectively uses the existing operation of the transport unit 30 without newly providing a mechanism for operating the sensor cleaning member 38, and the sensor cleaning member 38 has the light emitting surface 373 </ b> A and the light receiving surface of the meandering detection sensor 37. The ink attached to 374A can be wiped off.
Further, the moving direction of the transport unit 30 is different from the direction along the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A. Even in such a case, the sensor cleaning member 38 can be cleaned by using the movement of the transport unit 30 by changing its direction (the movement direction of the transport unit 30).

According to the ink jet recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, for example, the following effects are exhibited.
The ink jet recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment has a nozzle surface 221 on which nozzles for ink discharge are formed, a recording head 22 that records an image on a paper T with ink discharged from the nozzles, a meander detection sensor 37, and the like. The nozzle 30 is moved in conjunction with the movement of the transport unit 30 when the ink is not ejected, and the ink that adheres to the meander detection sensor 37 is removed, and the meander detection sensor 37 is cleaned. A sensor cleaning member 38 to perform.

  Therefore, the sensor cleaning member 38 removes ink adhering to the meander detection sensor 37 by moving the transport unit 30 when the nozzles of the recording head 22 do not eject ink, thereby cleaning the meander detection sensor 37. It can be performed. As a result, the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A of the meandering detection sensor 37 can be obtained with a simple configuration by effectively utilizing the existing operation of the transport unit 30 without newly providing a mechanism for moving the sensor cleaning member 38. Can be cleaned.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus further includes a conveyance unit 30 having a conveyance belt 31 that moves the paper T in the conveyance direction P, and the meandering detection sensor 37 detects detection related to the operation of the conveyance belt 31 moving the paper T. It is a sensor to perform. Therefore, by cleaning the meandering detection sensor 37, it can be accurately detected that the conveyor belt 31 is meandering and operating, so that the conveyor belt 31 can be operated stably.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the conveyance unit 30 is comprised as a moving part. Therefore, the meandering detection sensor 37 can be cleaned using an operation in which the transport unit 30 moves in the vertical direction Z.

  In the present embodiment, the meandering detection sensor 37 is an optical sensor including a light emitting unit 373 having a light emitting surface 373A exposed to the outside and a light receiving unit 374 having a light receiving surface 374A exposed to the outside. The sensor cleaning member 38 moves in a direction along the light emitting surface 373A and / or the light receiving surface 374A in a state of being in contact with the light emitting surface 373A and / or the light receiving surface 374A, thereby moving the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A. The adhering ink is wiped off, and the moving direction of the transport unit 30 is different from the direction along the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A, and the direction of movement of the transport unit 30 (the moving direction of the transport unit 30) is changed. The sensor cleaning member 38 is moved in the direction along the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A. Further comprising a moving direction converting unit 39 for.

  Therefore, the movement direction conversion unit 39 uses the movement of the transport unit 30 by converting the direction (the movement direction of the transport unit 30) and moves the sensor cleaning member 38 in the direction along the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A. Let Thereby, even if the moving direction of the transport unit 30 is different from the direction along the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A, the movement of the transport unit 30 is used by converting the direction (the moving direction of the transport unit 30). Accordingly, the sensor cleaning member 38 can be cleaned by effectively using the existing operation of the transport unit 30.

As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described, this invention can be implemented with a various form, without being limited to embodiment mentioned above.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the sensor cleaning member 38 is configured to remove the ink attached to the meandering detection sensor 37 provided integrally with the transport unit 30, but is not limited thereto. For example, the sensor cleaning member 38 may be configured to remove ink adhering to a sensor provided integrally with the main body 2, the recording head unit 19, or the maintenance unit 50. Specifically, for example, the sensor provided integrally with the main body 2, the recording head unit 19, or the maintenance unit 50 may be a paper leading edge detection sensor, a floating detection sensor, or the like.
As described above, the paper leading edge detection sensor is a sensor that detects the leading edge of the paper T. The paper leading edge detection sensor is provided integrally with the housing of the main body 2, for example.
The float detection sensor is a sensor that detects the lift of a sheet when the sheet is lifted from the conveyor belt by a certain amount or more. The floating detection sensor is provided integrally with the recording head unit 19, for example.

  In the embodiment, the ejection when the nozzles of the recording head 22 eject ink is the recording time when an image or the like is recorded on the paper T. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the nozzle of the recording head 22 ejects ink, it is also when purge is executed. When performing the purge, the maintenance unit 50 approaches the nozzle surface 221 of the recording head 22 at a position below the recording head unit 19. Therefore, for example, when a sensor is provided integrally with the maintenance unit 50, the sensor provided integrally with the maintenance unit 50 is positioned in the vicinity of the recording head 22 when purging is performed. In this case, the configuration of the present invention may be configured to perform cleaning on a sensor that is provided integrally with the maintenance unit 50 and that is positioned in the vicinity of the recording head 22.

In the embodiment, the sensor provided integrally with the transport unit 30 is the meandering detection sensor 37, but is not limited thereto. For example, the sensor provided integrally with the transport unit 30 may be a print completion detection sensor, a meandering correction cam origin detection sensor, or the like.
The print completion detection sensor is a sensor that detects that the rear end of the paper has passed through the print area of the paper. The print completion detection sensor is provided integrally with the transport unit 30, for example.
The meandering correction cam origin detection sensor is a sensor that detects the position of the origin of the cam in order to set the cam angle for correcting the meandering of the transport belt 31 to a predetermined angle. The meandering correction cam origin detection sensor is provided integrally with the transport unit 30, for example.

In the embodiment, the meandering detection sensor 37 that performs detection related to the operation of the transport belt 31 moving the paper T is cleaned. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a sensor that performs detection related to the operation of the recording head 22 recording an image on the paper T, such as the above-described paper leading edge detection sensor, the above-described floating detection sensor, and the above-described print completion detection sensor, is cleaned. You may comprise as follows.
In this case, the operation of recording the image on the paper T can be stably performed by cleaning the sensor that performs the detection related to the operation of the recording head 22 recording the image on the paper T.

In the above embodiment, the meandering detection sensor 37 is cleaned in conjunction with the movement of the transport unit 30, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the maintenance unit 50 may be configured as a moving unit so that the sensor is cleaned in conjunction with the movement of the maintenance unit 50.
Specifically, when purging is performed or when the cap is attached to the recording head, the maintenance unit 50 moves in the vertical direction Z and the transport direction P. Therefore, the cleaning may be performed in conjunction with the movement of the maintenance unit 50 in the vertical direction Z, or the cleaning may be performed in conjunction with the movement of the maintenance unit 50 in the paper width direction Y. Good.
In another embodiment, when the transport unit 30 is configured to move in the paper width direction Y, the sensor is cleaned in conjunction with the movement of the transport unit 30 in the paper width direction Y. Also good.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the movement of the conveyance unit 30 was changed and utilized for the direction (movement direction of the conveyance unit 30) by the movement direction conversion part 39, it is not restrict | limited. When the moving direction of the transport unit 30 is the same as the direction along the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A, the transport unit 30 is moved without changing its direction (the moving direction of the transport unit 30). Alternatively, the sensor cleaning member 38 may be moved in the same direction as the sensor to clean the sensor.

  In the above embodiment, the sensor cleaning member 38 is configured to clean both the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the sensor cleaning member 38 may be configured to perform cleaning of one of the light emitting surface 373A and the light receiving surface 374A of the meandering detection sensor 37.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Inkjet recording device, 19 ... Recording head unit, 22 (K, C, M, Y) ... Line-shaped recording head (recording head), 30 ... Conveyance unit (moving part), 37 ... Meander detection Sensor (sensor) 31... Conveying belt 38. Sensor cleaning member (cleaning member) 39. Movement direction changing portion 50... Maintenance unit 51 (K, C, M, Y). , 62 (K, C, M, Y): Wiper member, 221: Nozzle surface, 372: Light emitting portion, 373A: Light emitting surface, 373: Light receiving portion, 374A: Light receiving surface, P: Conveyance Direction, T ... paper (recording medium)

Claims (4)

A recording head unit comprising a recording head having a nozzle surface on which nozzles for ink ejection are formed and recording an image on a recording medium with ink ejected from the nozzles;
A moving unit that moves when the nozzles do not eject ink and does not eject ink;
A sensor provided in the moving unit;
A moving direction conversion unit that is provided in the moving unit and converts the moving direction of the moving unit into a movement in a direction different from the moving direction of the moving unit;
The movement direction conversion unit is attached to the movement direction conversion unit, is moved in a direction different from the movement direction of the movement unit by the movement direction conversion unit in conjunction with the movement of the movement unit, and removes ink adhering to the sensor, A cleaning member for cleaning the sensor,
The moving direction conversion unit includes:
A first slide part having an inclined part that moves in the sliding direction in conjunction with the movement of the moving part and is inclined with respect to the sliding direction;
A second slide part having a through-hole through which the inclined part is movably inserted in the sliding direction and to which the cleaning member is attached;
A first biasing member that biases the first slide portion toward the recording head unit;
A second biasing member that biases the second slide portion toward the different direction,
The first slide part is configured to change a relative position with respect to the second slide part when moving in the slide direction in conjunction with the movement of the moving part.
The second slide part is configured such that when the first slide part moves in the sliding direction, a relative position with respect to the sensor provided in the moving part changes.
The first slide portion is pressed against the recording head unit at the time of ejection when the nozzles eject ink, and the pressure on the recording head unit is released at the time of non-ejection,
With the movement of the moving part, the first slide part has the first slide part in the state where the first slide part is pressed against the recording head unit and the state where the pressure on the recording head unit is released. Due to the urging force of the urging member, the relative position with respect to the second slide part changes in the sliding direction,
Along with a change in the relative position of the first slide part with respect to the second slide part, the second slide part converts the change in the relative position of the first slide part with respect to the second slide part, thereby An ink jet recording apparatus in which a relative position with respect to the sensor is changed by moving in a direction different from the sliding direction in a state where the inclined portion is in contact with the inner side surface of the through hole by the urging force of the second urging member. . The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is positioned in the vicinity of the recording head when the nozzle discharges ink. A transport unit having a transport belt for moving the recording medium in the transport direction;
3. The ink jet recording according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is a sensor that performs detection related to an operation in which the conveyance belt moves a recording medium and / or an operation in which the recording head records an image on the recording medium. apparatus. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the moving unit is the transport unit.

Images