JP6147582B2 - Inkjet recording device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus having a capping mechanism for sealing a nozzle surface of an ink jet recording head having a plurality of nozzles for discharging ink droplets.

  2. Related Art Inkjet printers that include an inkjet recording head and that record print data on a recording medium by ejecting ink droplets from a plurality of nozzles are widely known. In an ink jet printer, a recording head is mounted on a carriage that moves in the width direction of a recording medium. A capping mechanism is provided to prevent the nozzle from drying by sealing the surface, and to perform a recovery process of problems such as nozzle clogging of the recording head and meniscus.

  For example, in the capping mechanism described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-312028, the cap holder can be moved up and down by a certain distance by the rotation of a cam driven by a motor, and the cap holder is held by the cap holder on the nozzle surface of the recording head Some cap bodies are in contact with the cap portion.

  A compression coil spring is installed between the cap body and the cap holder, and the cap portion of the cap body is pressed and held in the direction of the nozzle surface of the recording head by the spring force of the compression coil spring. In addition, the cap part is formed of an elastic body such as rubber, and the cap part abuts against the nozzle surface and is pressed by the spring force of the compression coil spring, and the tip of the cap part is elastically deformed to seal the nozzle surface. Airtightness.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-312028

  In the prior art, a rigid convex contact portion is provided on the cap holder, and the contact between the contact portion and the carriage limits movement of the cap holder in the carriage direction. That is, the movement of the cap holder in the carriage direction stops when the contact portion contacts the carriage. At the position where the cap holder stops, the pressure at which the cap portion hits the nozzle surface is maximized. In this process, the tip of the cap portion is deformed, and the volume in the cap is reduced. Normally, the air release valve is opened and the cap is brought into contact with the nozzle surface, and then the air release valve is closed and the cap is sealed.

  At this time, the volume in the cap may change due to a change in the external air pressure, a change in the compression coil spring, or the like. For example, depending on the state of the nozzle surface with which the cap portion abuts, deformation of the nozzle surface may occur. There is a recording head using a cover provided with an opening so that the nozzle is exposed on the nozzle surface. When the cap part comes into contact with this cover, there is a gap between the cover and the nozzle surface, and when there is ink in the cover, the cap comes into contact with the ink so that the ink spreads and destroys the meniscus. There is also a problem like this. As described above, even when the cap is hermetically sealed, changes in pressure, volume, nozzle surface, and the like inside the cap may affect the ink meniscus of the nozzle portion. Further, depending on the state of the nozzle surface, deformation may occur due to the contact pressure of the cap portion, which may affect the meniscus.

  In particular, when printing is started immediately without performing maintenance such as adjusting the meniscus of the recording head after removing the cap, there is a problem in that ejection failure such as non-ejection of ink droplets or bending occurs. If maintenance such as adjusting the meniscus is performed, there are problems such as time for ink suction, preliminary ink droplet discharge, and unnecessary ink consumption at that time.

  The present invention solves the above-described problems and provides an ink jet recording apparatus capable of suitably ejecting ink after removing a cap from a nozzle surface.

The inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention includes a recording head that has a plurality of nozzles that eject ink droplets and records an image on a recording medium, a capping mechanism that contacts the recording head and seals the nozzles, and the recording head In the ink jet recording apparatus having a carriage that reciprocates in the width direction of the recording medium and a transport unit that transports the recording medium, the capping mechanism is a seal that contacts and deforms the recording head A cap that seals the nozzle when the sealing portion contacts the recording head, a cap base that supports the cap, and an elevating unit that elevates and lowers the cap by elevating the cap base And at least two positions including the first position and the second position, the carriage abuts on the carriage, and the key depends on the corresponding position. A cam for changing the distance between the base and the recording head, and a cam driving means for rotating the cam. When the second position is in contact with the carriage, the first position is in contact with the carriage. When the cap base approaches the recording head and the first position comes into contact with the carriage, the deformation amount of the sealing portion that comes into contact with the recording head is the same as when the second position comes into contact with the carriage. rather smaller than the amount of deformation of the sealing portion abuts against the recording head, the cap is more disposed to the cap base, the longitudinal direction of the cap each are parallel, are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the cap The two camshafts and the cams on both sides of the caps on the outer sides in the longitudinal direction of the caps. It has a cylindrical main body part as a center and a convex part protruding outward from the side surface of the main body part, the first position is the side surface of the main body part, and the second position is the convex part. The two shafts are arranged in parallel and rotate in conjunction with each other.

  The present invention provides an ink jet recording apparatus that does not cause ejection failure such as non-ejection of ink droplets or bending even if printing is started immediately without performing maintenance such as adjusting the meniscus of the recording head after removing the cap. Can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the capping mechanism. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a schematic configuration for explaining an example of the ink jet recording apparatus. FIG. 3 is a diagram of a first example for explaining the operation of the cap unit. FIG. 4 is a diagram of a second example for explaining the operation of the cap unit. FIG. 5 is a diagram of a third example for explaining the operation of the cap unit. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a mechanism for raising and lowering the cap from the side. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a mechanism for raising and lowering the cap from above. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a first example of the positions of the cap unit and the recording head. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a second example of the positions of the cap unit and the recording head. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the operation.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.
First, an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a capping mechanism, and FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a schematic configuration for explaining an example of an ink jet recording apparatus. The ink jet recording apparatus will be described with reference to these drawings.

  The ink jet recording apparatus 1 horizontally arranges a film-like or plate-like recording medium 50 and conveys it in the depth direction of the paper, and records images, characters, and the like according to image data on the surface of the recording medium 50 by an ink jet method. Is.

  The schematic configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 includes a transport unit 40 that transports the recording medium 50 and a recording unit 41 that records on the recording medium 50. In addition, the recording head 9 is provided in the recording unit 41 and is in contact with the nozzle surface 28 of the recording head 9, which is disposed laterally in the conveying direction of the conveying unit 40 and below the recording unit 41. A wiper 3 for wiping the nozzle surface of the head 9 is provided. The recording head 9 is an ink jet head and ejects ink from nozzles 29 formed on the nozzle surface 28.

  Although not shown, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 includes a control unit that controls the entire apparatus including reception of image data and control of a recording operation. This control unit includes a cleaning control unit 23.

  The transport unit 40 transports the recording medium 50 onto the substantially flat platen 5 that extends in the depth direction of the sheet of FIG. The transport unit 40 includes a driving roller 7 that is rotated around a horizontal axis by the motor 6, and a pinch roller 8 that is rotatably supported around a rotation axis parallel to the rotation axis of the driving roller 7. The recording medium 50 is sandwiched between the rollers and conveyed by the rotation of the driving roller 7.

  The recording unit 41 includes a carriage rail 4 that extends in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recording medium 50 above the conveyance unit 40, a carriage 10 that is movably provided along the carriage rail 4, and the carriage 10. Motor 11 that reciprocates on the carriage rail 4 so that position control and speed control are possible, and an ink cartridge 12 that supplies recording ink to a recording head 9 mounted on the carriage 10 via a tube 13. .

  The ink cartridge 12 is provided with a plurality of colors of ink for performing color recording, and can be supplied to the recording head 9 for each color via a plurality of ink tubes 13.

  The recording head 9 is provided with a nozzle surface 28 disposed in parallel to the recording medium 50 on the platen 5 on the lower surface side of the recording head 9, and a nozzle that discharges a predetermined ink droplet downward according to image data there. A plurality of 29 are formed.

  Although details of the recording head 9 are not shown, an ink chamber for supplying ink to each nozzle 29 and an ejection mechanism using, for example, a piezoelectric element are provided. The nozzles 29 can be provided at an appropriate number and arrangement pitch according to the configuration of the ejection mechanism, the recording pixel pitch, and the like. For example, a large number such as 256 can be arranged.

  The position control and speed control of the motor 11 are performed according to control signals from a control unit (not shown). The carriage 10 is reciprocated at a predetermined speed on the recording medium 50 during a recording operation, and the wiper 3 and the cap are operated during a maintenance operation. It is possible to move to a predetermined position corresponding to 2.

  The suction unit 16 includes a cap 2 that cleans the recording head 9 by sucking ink in the recording head 9 from the nozzle 29 to the outside, a pump unit 14 that drives the cap 2, and a bottle 15 that stores waste liquid.

  The suction unit 16 includes a tube 18 connecting the cap 2 and the air release valve 17, a tube 20 connecting the cap 2 and the suction pump 19 of the pump unit 14, a tube 21 connecting the bottle 15 and the suction pump 19, and the cap 2 and recording. A cam 22 for controlling the contact position of the head 9 is provided. The suction unit 16 is controlled by the cleaning control unit 23.

  The cap 2 is provided for each recording head 9. The cap drive unit 25 moves the cap 2 up and down. The cap 2 is supported by a spring fixed to the cap base or biased in the carriage direction, and the cap 2 moves up and down in conjunction with the cap base moving up and down. The cap base is moved up and down by the cap drive unit 25. The cap driving unit 25 is controlled by the cleaning control unit 23. The position of the cam 22 is changed by a cam driving unit 24, and the cam driving unit 24 is controlled by a cleaning control unit 23. The atmosphere release valve 17 is opened and closed by the atmosphere release valve drive unit 26, and the atmosphere release valve drive unit 26 is controlled by the cleaning control unit 23. The suction pump 19 is operated by the pump drive unit 27, and the pump drive unit 27 is controlled by the cleaning control unit 23.

  The cap 2 is formed in a box shape opened on the upper side, and is a member that seals the region of the nozzle surface 28 including all the nozzles 29 of one recording head 9 from below by covering the recording head 9 from below. is there. The opening end of the cap 2 is provided with a sealing portion 30 made of an elastic body or a flexible body to form a liquid-tight and air-tight seal by being elastically pressed against the nozzle surface 28 over the entire circumference. Yes. The other part of the cap 2 is a main body part made of a member having appropriate rigidity, such as a synthetic resin or metal. The main body is fixed to the cap base or fixed by a spring biased in the carriage direction. The cap 2 moves in conjunction with the movement of the cap base. Since the main body portion is rigid and the sealing portion 30 is a flexible body, at the time of sealing, a suction space having a certain volume is formed between the nozzle surface 28 and the inner surface of the cap 2, and the suction space is somewhat negative. Even when pressure is applied, the shape of the suction space is substantially maintained.

  The ink receiving surface 31 that is the inner surface of the bottom of the cap 2 is a bottom surface that is substantially parallel to the nozzle surface 28 and faces the nozzle surface 28 at a predetermined distance during sealing. Therefore, when ink is sucked from the nozzle 29 and dropped, the ink can be stored on the ink receiving surface 31.

  A tube 20 for discharging ink stored on the ink receiving surface 31 is connected to the ink receiving surface 31, and connected to an air release valve 17 for opening the suction space from the ink receiving surface 31 side to the atmosphere. Connected to the tube 18. The suction space can be opened and sealed in accordance with opening and closing of the air release valve 17.

The cap drive unit 25 performs vertical movement for selectively switching the position of the cap 2 in the vertical direction, and includes, for example, appropriate mechanical, electromagnetic, and fluid lifting means.
Therefore, the cap drive unit 25 moves the cap 2 up and down in the vertical direction with respect to the recording head 9 that is moved on the carriage rail 4 by the motor 11 and positioned above the suction unit 16. Can be switched between a state of sealing and a state of releasing sealing.

  The suction pump 19 is for sucking contents such as air and ink in the suction space and discharging them to the outside of the suction space, and an appropriately configured fluid pump such as a rotary pump can be adopted. . The suction amount can be varied by the pump drive unit 27. For example, in the case of a rotary pump, the suction amount is changed by controlling the flow rate per unit time by changing the number of rotations of the pump by the pump drive unit 27. The pump drive unit 27 can select a high speed mode with a large suction amount and a low speed mode with a small suction amount. It may be possible to change in more stages as necessary. As an example, the suction amount in the low speed mode is set to 50% of the suction amount in the high speed mode.

  The air release valve 17 is used to open or close the opening whether or not the suction space communicates with the atmosphere via the tube 18. The atmosphere release valve 17 can be selected between an open state and a closed state by the atmosphere release valve drive unit 26. Although the structure of the air release valve 17 is not specifically limited, For example, an electromagnetic valve etc. are employable.

  The cam 22 determines the maximum rising position when the cap 22 is raised. The cam 22 can be rotated to select at least two positions. Whether the deformation of the sealing portion 30 is increased or decreased can be determined by the contact position between the cam 22 and the carriage 10.

  The cam drive unit 24, the cap drive unit 25, the atmosphere release valve drive unit 26, and the pump drive unit 27 are electrically connected to the cleaning control unit 23, and their operations are controlled by control signals from the cleaning control unit 23. It has come to be.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram of a first example for explaining the operation of the cap unit. FIG. 4 is a diagram of a second example for explaining the operation of the cap unit. FIG. 5 is a diagram of a third example for explaining the operation of the cap unit. The position of the cap 2 that moves relative to the recording head 9 and the position of the cam 22 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 3 shows the positions of the recording head 9 and the cap 2 in the recording standby state. The cam 22 is rotatably supported by the suction unit 16, and the cam 22 includes a cylindrical main body portion and a convex portion protruding outward from the main body portion. In addition, the center of the main body coincides with the rotation axis. A cylindrical main body portion and a convex portion discharging from the side surface thereof are provided, and at least two contact positions can be provided when rotated. The cams 22 are arranged at least one each on the left and right and rotate in conjunction with each other. At that time, the convex portions are also arranged so as to be located in the same direction in conjunction with each other. The positions of the cams 22 are arranged at both ends here, but may be other positions, so that the positional relationship parallel to the carriage 10 can be maintained when the cap base reaches the maximum ascent position, and the recording head 9. Any position may be used as long as the contact pressure between the nozzle surface 28 and the cap 2 can be suitably controlled.

  As the cam 22 rotates, the contact position of the cam 22 with the carriage 10 changes. When the main body and the carriage 10 abut, the crushing amount on the nozzle surface 28 of the cap 2 is large, and when the convex portion and the carriage 10 abut, the crushing amount on the nozzle surface 28 of the cap 2 is small. The place where the carriage 10 comes into contact with the cam 22 is determined in advance, and they are located on the same horizontal plane.

  In FIG. 3, since the convex portion of the cam 22 contacts the bottom surface of the carriage 10, the crushing amount on the nozzle surface 28 of the cap 2 is small. Further, in FIG. 4, since the main body portion of the cam 22 contacts the bottom surface of the carriage 10, the amount of crushing on the nozzle surface 28 of the cap 2 is large. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the cap 2 is separated from the nozzle surface 28 by the cap driving unit 25. The bottom surface of the carriage 10 is not in contact with the cam 22.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a mechanism for raising and lowering the cap from the side. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a mechanism for raising and lowering the cap from above. The cap lifting mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. The left and right first arms 36 whose ends are fixed to a rotating shaft 34 at the center of the main body 33 of the cam 22 are connected by the second arm 25. The first arm 36 and the second arm 35 are connected by a joint. That is, when the second arm 35 is moved in the right direction on the paper, the second arm 35 is moved obliquely in the upper right direction, and the rotation shaft 34 is also rotated in the left direction. Then, the cam 22 rotates in the left direction, and the convex portion 32 moves in the left direction. Conversely, when the second arm 35 is moved leftward in the drawing, the second arm 35 is moved obliquely in the upper left direction and the rotation shaft 34 is rotated rightward. Then, the cam 22 rotates in the right direction, and the convex portion 32 moves in the right direction. The cam drive unit 24 can move the position of the convex portion 32 of the cam 22 by moving the second arm 35.

  In FIG. 7, six caps 2 are arranged. A rotating shaft 34 that drives the cam 22 on the right side of the drawing is disposed between the second and third caps 2 from the right side. Four cams 22 are provided. By doing in this way, between the rotating shafts 34 becomes short, and the link mechanism which connects between the rotating shafts 34 can be made compact. The cams 22 are preferably disposed at both ends of the cap 22 in the longitudinal direction. Although there is a problem in arrangement, it is preferable that the distance between the cams 22 is sufficiently long and that the distance between the adjacent cams 22 is equal.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a first example of the positions of the cap unit and the recording head. The recording head 9 includes a guard 37 that protects the nozzle surface 28. The guard 38 is fixed on the side surface of the recording head 9 with an adhesive 38. The adhesive 38 is hermetically sealed when it covers the entire end of the guard 38 and is sealed by the cap 2. An opening is provided on the surface of the guard 38 facing the nozzle surface 28, and all the nozzles 29 are exposed from the opening. The cap 2 abuts against the back surface of the surface of the guard 38 facing the nozzle surface 28, that is, the outer surface of the guard 38. This outer surface is a surface facing the recording medium 50. The opening of the guard 38 is substantially rectangular or elliptical. The guard 38 prevents rubbing with the recording medium 50. At this time, the cap 2 contacts the surface of the guard 37. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a second example of the positions of the cap unit and the recording head. The recording head 9 includes a film 39 constituting the nozzle surface 28. A fine hole is formed in the film 39 with a laser to form a nozzle 29. A film 39 is fixed to the main body of the recording head 9 with an adhesive or the like. The cap 2 comes into contact with the nozzle surface 28 formed of the film 39 and becomes airtight.

  Depending on the state, thickness, adhesion, and fixed state of the nozzle surface 28, guard 38, film 39, etc., deformation when the cap 2 is brought into strong contact, or ink stains in the gap between the nozzle surface 28 and the guard 38 In some cases, discharge may occur and cause discharge failure. Therefore, the contact pressure of the cap 2 can be selected from a plurality of stages according to the use situation. In order not to break the meniscus of the nozzle 29, the cap is weakly contacted and airtight to prevent drying. Further, when performing maintenance of the recording head 9 after removing the cap 2, or when capping for a long period of time, the cap is strongly contacted to further increase the airtightness. Further, before recording by the recording head 9, in order to form a meniscus again, processing such as ink suction and preliminary discharge is performed.

  Further, when the cap is strongly abutted, the deformation of the sealing portion 30 is increased, and the suction space is also reduced accordingly. In addition, the abutting force on the nozzle surface 28 or the guard 38 increases, and the deformation thereof increases.

  The deformation of the sealing portion 30 of the cap 2 is a state in which the top portion of the sealing portion 30 is in contact with the recording head 9 when the convex portion 32 is in contact with the carriage 10, and the main body portion 33 is in contact with the carriage 10. In such a state, it is preferable that the sealing portion 30 spreads outward or inward, and a portion other than the top is in contact with the recording head 9.

  Next, the operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Each drive unit is controlled by the control means to execute the operation. When at least capping, a recording standby mode and other modes are provided. The recording standby mode is a state where the time until the next recording starts is short and the cap is temporarily capped. Ink drying can be prevented, and when recording is started, recording can be started without performing maintenance such as ink suction. Other modes are a maintenance mode, a long-term stop mode, etc., for example. The maintenance mode is suitable for sucking ink thickened from the nozzle with a cap, preliminarily ejecting ink into the cap, eliminating ink clogging, repairing broken meniscus, etc. In this mode, ink can be ejected. In addition, the long-term stop mode is a mode in which, for example, when the recording head is not used for more than one day, the recording head is capped to prevent the ink in the nozzles from drying. Since it is left for a long period of time, perform maintenance before use.

In explaining the operation, the cap 2 is in a lowered state before the operation.
First, the mode is confirmed in step S1. If it is the standby mode, the process proceeds to step S2, and if not, the process proceeds to step S6.

  In step S2, the cam 22 is set to the first position. The first position of the cam 22 is a position where the convex portion 32 comes into contact with the carriage 10. Next, in step S3, the atmosphere release valve 17 is opened. This is because when the cap 2 is brought into contact with the recording head 9 and the sealing portion 30 is deformed in a sealed state, the pressure in the suction space rises, and the ink meniscus of the nozzle 29 is broken. This is to prevent this from happening. Next, the cap 2 is moved in step S4. That is, the cap drive unit 25 is controlled to raise the cap base. The cap 2 also rises as the cap base rises. As the cam 22 and the carriage 10 come into contact with each other, the rise of the cap base stops. Next, in step S5, the air release valve 17 is closed and the cap space is sealed. Ink drying can be prevented. Compared with the operation after step S6, the contact pressure of the sealing portion 30 is weak, the volume change of the suction space is small, the deformation of the nozzle surface 28 and the guard 38 can be reduced, and the cause of discharge failure can be prevented, Discharge failure can be prevented.

In step S6, the cam 22 is set to the second position. The second position of the cam 22 is a position where the main body portion 33 comes into contact with the carriage 10. Next, in step S7, the atmosphere release valve 17 is opened. This is because when the cap 2 is brought into contact with the recording head 9 and the sealing portion 30 is deformed in a sealed state, the pressure in the suction space rises, and the ink meniscus of the nozzle 29 is broken. This is to prevent this from happening. Even in other modes, it is preferable not to break the meniscus with respect to the recording head 9. Next, the cap 2 is moved at step S8. That is, the cap drive unit 25 is controlled to raise the cap base. The cap 2 also rises as the cap base rises. Ascending stops when the cam 22 and the carriage 10 come into contact with each other. Next, in step S9, the atmosphere release valve 17 is closed, and the cap space is sealed. Ink drying can be prevented.
In the standby mode, when the nozzle surface 28 is sealed with the cap 2, the head may be slightly vibrated to the extent that ink is not ejected to further prevent the ink from drying.

  The present invention can be used for an ink jet printer.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inkjet recording device 3 Wiper 4 Carriage rail 5 Platen 9 Recording head 10 Carriage 16 Suction unit 17 Atmospheric release valve 19 Suction pump 22 Cam 23 Cleaning control part 24 Cam drive part 25 Cap drive part 26 Atmospheric release valve drive part 27 Pump drive part 28 Nozzle surface 29 Nozzle 30 Sealing unit 40 Transport unit 41 Recording unit 50 Recording medium

Claims (4)

A recording head that has a plurality of nozzles that eject ink droplets and records an image on a recording medium, a capping mechanism that abuts against the recording head and seals the nozzles, and the recording head are mounted. In an inkjet recording apparatus having a carriage that reciprocates in the width direction and a transport unit that transports the recording medium,
The capping mechanism is
A cap that deforms in contact with the recording head, and the sealing portion contacts the recording head and seals the nozzle; and
A cap base for supporting the cap;
Elevating means for elevating the cap by elevating the cap base;
A cam that contacts the carriage at at least two positions including a first position and a second position, and changes a distance between the cap base and the recording head according to the corresponding position;
Cam driving means for rotating the cam,
When the second position is in contact with the carriage, the cap base is closer to the recording head than when the first position is in contact with the carriage;
The amount of deformation of the sealing portion that contacts the recording head when the first position contacts the carriage is the amount of deformation of the sealing portion that contacts the recording head when the second position contacts the carriage. rather smaller than the amount of deformation,
A plurality of the caps are disposed on the cap base, and the longitudinal directions of the caps are parallel to each other,
Two shafts arranged along the longitudinal direction of the cap;
The cams are disposed on both sides of the cap of each of the shafts in the longitudinal direction;
The cam has at least a columnar main body centered on the axis, and a protrusion protruding outward from a side surface of the main body,
The first position is the side surface of the main body part, and the second position is the convex part,
2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the two axes are arranged in parallel and rotate in conjunction with each other .   An atmosphere release valve for controlling whether or not outside air is taken into the space inside the cap, and the atmosphere release valve is opened before operating the elevating means to seal the recording head with the cap. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:   The recording head includes a guard that covers a part of a nozzle surface on which the nozzles are arranged, and the guard has an opening at a position facing the nozzle surface, and all the nozzles are exposed from the opening. The sealing portion is in contact with a back side of a surface of the guard facing the nozzle surface, and a back side of a portion of the guard that is in contact with the sealing portion is separated from the nozzle surface. Alternatively, the ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2. The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one of the shafts is disposed between any of the plurality of caps disposed in the plurality.

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