JPH0416346B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus equipped with a cleaner means for cleaning or restoring the function of the ejection orifice surface of a recording head.

As such an inkjet printer, for example, one having a configuration as shown in FIG. 1 has been proposed. Here, 1 is a recording paper, 2 is a paper feed roller that feeds the paper 1 in the sub-scanning direction, 3 is a paper feed pulse motor that drives the paper feed roller 2, and 4 and 5 are guide rollers that form a recording plane. . Reference numeral 6 denotes a carriage on which four color recording heads 7Y, 7M, 7C and 7BK (general number 7) are mounted, and is driven by a foot feed pulse motor 9 via a timing belt 8, and is mounted on a guide rail 10. It reciprocates along the main scanning direction. 11 is an ink supply pipe that supplies ink to each head 7Y to 7BK, 12Y, 12M, 12C and 12BK
(assuming the overall number is 12) are yellow Y, respectively.
These are magenta M, cyan C, and black BK ink tanks, and are sent to head 7Y through pipe 11.
Connects to 7BK. 13 is each head 7Y~7BK
This is a flexible printed wiring board that supplies drive pulses to each nozzle within the flexible printed wiring board.

7Y, 7M, 7C and 7BK are yellow Y, magenta M, cyan C and black respectively.
This is a multi-nozzle inkjet head for BK, and each head has a pitch of, for example, 8 pieces/mm.
It has a large number of nozzles arranged in a straight line in the sub-scanning direction, and inks of each color are ejected from the nozzles toward the recording paper 1 by driving pulses supplied through each flexible printed wiring board 13. As a method for ejecting this ink, for example, a bubble jet method is used in which a heating element is embedded in a nozzle and ink droplets are ejected by a valve (bubble) generated by heat generated by a pressure pulse.

A recording apparatus having a multi-nozzle head as described above can perform image recording at a much higher speed than a recording apparatus having a single nozzle or a small number of nozzles. However, since the diameter of each nozzle (spout opening) of the recording head 7 is extremely small, the nozzle part is easily clogged by impurities in the nozzle, dryness, paper powder, dust in the air, etc. Cleaning or restoring the function of the nozzle was not easy. For example, as a structure for eliminating nozzle clogging, conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 56-77159 or Japanese Utility Model Application No. 55-13065, a corpus cavernosum is brought into pressure contact with the nozzle surface, and then rubbed up and down. It is suggested that something be done. However, the press-contacting action and the up-and-down rubbing action are performed by completely independent and separate drive sources, which results in complicated control, complicated configuration, and an increase in the size of the device. It cannot be said that it is desirable. Furthermore, in the color recording apparatus described above, the amount of each color ink used differs depending on the type of recorded image, so the liquid level in each ink tank 12 becomes uneven, which causes the ink pressure to fluctuate and the image quality to deteriorate. The problem was that it deteriorated. Furthermore, since the ink tank 12 requires a considerable volume, it becomes an obstacle to the effective use of space, and the overall size of the apparatus cannot be sufficiently miniaturized.

The present invention achieves reliable cleaning by using a single drive source for cleaning the head with a cleaner and by adopting a simple configuration, without causing the complexity of control, the complexity of the configuration, and the increase in the size of the device. The purpose is to provide an inkjet recording device that can

The present invention has been proposed to achieve the above-mentioned object, and includes a head cleaner that comes into contact with the ink ejection part of a recording head to clean it or restore its function.
An inkjet recording device comprising a support member for supporting the head cleaner and a moving means for moving the support member relative to the recording head,
The moving means includes a single drive source, a guide member that is driven by the drive source and includes a guide groove that guides the support member into contact with an ink ejection portion of a recording head, and the guide member. is provided in the middle of the guide groove to restrict the movement of the support member for the abutment, to move the support member in a direction different from the abutment movement direction, and to cause the support member to move in a direction different from the abutment movement direction. The present invention is characterized in that it includes a stopper member for performing sliding cleaning of the ink ejection portion.

According to the present invention, the nozzle surface can be reliably and easily cleaned by the cleaning member with a simple configuration, and the ejection characteristics of the head can be stably maintained.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings. Components common to those of the conventional device shown in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

2 to 4 show an example of the configuration of the recording apparatus of the present invention, where 21 is a main tank provided on the side opposite to the sub tank 12 with the carriage 6 in between, and both tanks 21 and 12 are They communicate with each other at the bottom via a flexible communication tube 22 as shown in FIG. 23 is an air hole penetrating the ceilings of tanks 21 and 12. 24 is an inverted L-shaped angle serving as a liquid level adjustment means (level adjustment mechanism) for independently adjusting the height of each sub-tank 21, and is inserted into a guide groove 26 provided in a vertical fixing plate 25 as shown in FIG. Slideably insert and lock screw 2
7 to fix it at an arbitrary height. Reference numeral 28 designates a locking screw mounting plate that covers a part of each guide groove 26 and is fixed integrally with the fixing plate 25. Further, it is preferable to provide a translucent plate or a liquid level inspection port on the back surface of each main tank 21 so that the position of the liquid level can be detected, and further provide an indicator means for indicating a predetermined liquid level position. In this case, the indicator means may be a thin string with one end fixed. Further, each main tank 21 is attached near the upper part of a base 40, which will be described later, via an angle 24 or the like.

Reference numeral 31 denotes a head cleaner that comes into contact with the nozzles (jet ports) of each recording head 7 to clean the nozzles, eliminate clogging, and restore ink ejection characteristics. Consists of a flat plate. 32 is each head cleaner 3
This is a supporter (cleaner holder) on which the cleaner 1 is attached in a replaceable manner, and has a top-front fall prevention plate 33, a lower fall-prevention plate 34, a side stopper 35 on both sides, and a back plate 36, as shown in FIG. Reference numeral 37 denotes a leaf spring whose bent top part is fixed to approximately the center of the back surface of the supporter 32, and is attached to the base 40 via a guide screw 38 and a fixing screw 39. Therefore, each head cleaner 31 is attached to the same base 40 via the supporter 32 or the like. As shown in FIG. 8A, the leaf spring 37 has a guide screw 38 at its upper part.
It has an elongated hole 41 for a vertical guide that freely slides and engages with the supporter 32 and the base 40, and when it is pressed between the supporter 32 and the base 40, it is guided along the elongated hole 41 and as shown in FIG. 8B. The head cleaner 31 extends upward as shown by the chain line, thereby moving the head cleaner 31 in contact with the recording head 7 relatively upward by a distance l via the supporter 32.

As shown in FIG. 2, a base 40 for moving the head cleaner 31 toward the recording head 7 is disposed on one side or on both sides of the moving ends of the carriage 6 that has passed the position of the recording paper 1. 42 and 4
3 is a slide shaft (guide shaft) that guides the movement of the base 40 having an L-shaped cross section;
2 is a pair of legs 44 provided on one side of the base 40;
The other slide shaft 43 supports the lower surface of a slider 46 provided on the opposite side of the base 40 from below and freely slides into contact with the slider 46 via the slide bearing 45. Reference numeral 47 denotes a return spring that returns the base 40 to its original position when the base 40 is tilted in the direction of arrow A. One end of the spring 47 is attached to the bottom of the base 40, and the other end is attached to a predetermined stationary point (fixed point). ). 48 is base 4
It is an L-shaped rotation stopper that regulates the tilt of 0. One end is fixed to the bottom of the base 40, and the other end is bent below the slide shaft 43, so that when the base 40 tilts beyond a predetermined angle, the slide shaft stops. 43 to limit the inclination of the base 40.

Reference numeral 51 designates a pin protruding from the lower surface of the leg portion 44 of the base 40, which engages with the spiral groove 53 of the grooved cam shaft 52 and slides thereon. 54 is a notched cylindrical stopper fixed to the center of the grooved cam shaft 52 with a fixing screw 55.
It is a support member (hereinafter referred to as a stopper),
While restricting the movement of the pin 51 in the direction of the recording head, the pin 51 is rotated together with the shaft 52 in the direction of arrow B as shown in FIG. The base 40 is rotated as a fulcrum, thereby rotating the base 40 in the direction of arrow A as shown by the chain line in FIG. 56 is a reducer 57, a pulley 58, a belt 59 and a pulley 60
61 is a manual knob (handle) connected coaxially with the grooved camshaft 52. The slide shaft 42 is provided parallel to the grooved cam shaft 52 and substantially perpendicular to the moving direction (main scanning direction) of the carriage 6, so that the nozzles of each recording head 7 and the head cleaner 31 are in parallel contact with each other. I can contact you. (In this embodiment, the head cleaner 31 can be displaced by a leaf spring 37, which will be described later, so that when it makes contact, it can make good and reliable contact with the ink jetting section.) The grooved cam shaft 52 is rotatably supported by the fixed plates 25 and 63 via a pair of bearings 62, but the slide shaft 42 is directly fixed to the fixed plates 25 and 63. 64 is the fixed plate 25 and 6
This is the stay shaft that supports 3.

Next, the operation of the recording apparatus of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 to 9.

When cleaning the recording head, use the carriage 6
is moved to the running end and each nozzle of the recording head 7 on the carriage 6 is stopped at a position facing each head cleaner 31 which is a recovery system. Next, the grooved cam shaft 52 is rotated by driving the motor 56 or turning the knob 61 by hand. Groove cam shaft 5
2, the pin 51 slides on the spiral groove 53 of the grooved cam shaft 52, and the base 40 moves along the slide shaft 42 in a direction approaching the recording head 7 via the pin 51. , head cleaner 31
is brought into contact with the recording head 7. Further, the base 40 is moved toward the recording head, and the leaf spring 37 is pressed to move its apex C vertically upward (see FIGS. 3 and 8B). Therefore, the head cleaner 31 cleans the nozzles (ink ejecting parts) of the recording head 7.
It is rubbed upward along the nozzle surface while being pressed against the surface of the nozzle. At that time, head cleaner 3
1 uses a porous member with good ink absorbency, so the nozzles of the head 7 can be cleaned well and clogging can be eliminated.

Next, the pin 51 comes into contact with the stopper 54, and when the stopper 54 rotates together with the grooved cam shaft 52 in the direction of arrow B (see FIG. 9), the pin 51 engages with one end of the notch of the stopper 54. So,
The base 40 rotates in the direction of arrow A about the slide shaft 42 via the pin 51 (see FIG. 4). Therefore, the head cleaner 31 is twisted by a predetermined angle relative to the nozzles of the recording head 7. In this way, since the head cleaner 31 is applied to the nozzle and then moved in multiple directions for cleaning or functional recovery, more complete cleaning can be achieved. Next, stop the motor 56 or turn the knob 61
When the rotation is stopped, the base 40 returns to its original position due to the biasing force of the spring 47, and the slider 46 is seated on the slide shaft 43. Subsequently, the motor 56 or the knob 61 is rotated in the reverse direction to remove the head cleaner 31 from the recording head 7 and return it to the initial position. It is also suitable to repeat the above cleaning operation multiple times depending on the state of clogging of the nozzles. Note that in place of the stopper 51, a micro switch (not shown) for detecting the movement position of the base 40 or the pin 51 and a plunger (not shown) that extends upward in response to the detection signal of the micro switch are provided. A plunger may be disposed below the base 40 near the slider 46, and the plunger may be driven to rotate the base 40 in the direction of arrow A when the base 40 reaches a predetermined position. Furthermore, it is also preferable to apply vibrations such as ultrasonic vibrations to the head cleaner 31.

In this way, the recording head can be properly cleaned by simply driving a simple cleaning mechanism consisting of a guide member and a stopper member using the same drive source.

Furthermore, when replacing the head cleaner 31, which is a cleaning member, the replacement work is completed by pulling out only the head cleaner 31 to be replaced from the supporter 32 and inserting a new head cleaner 31 into the place where it was pulled out. In this way, head cleaner 3
Since the head cleaner 1 has a supporter 32 that allows the head cleaner 31 to be freely replaced, it is extremely easy to replace the head cleaner 31 with a new one, and maintenance work is simplified. Therefore,
Cleaning work can always be performed using the head cleaner 31 in the best condition, and optimal nozzle function can be maintained. Furthermore, since a plurality of head cleaners 31 are mounted on the same base 40,
The mechanism is simple, and head cleaning can be performed using the same drive source, making the work easier.

The head cleaning mechanism (recovery system) 70 of the present invention described above can be provided at both left and right ends in the main scanning direction as shown in the second figure. When a plurality of head cleaning mechanisms 70 are provided in this manner, the head cleaning operation can be continued even if one of the head cleaners 31 becomes unusable, and a new head cleaner 31 can be replaced during that time. Therefore, maintenance and inspection work becomes easy, and there is no need to interrupt printing work for a long time to replace the head cleaner 31. In addition, there is no need to return the carriage 6 to the position of the head cleaning mechanism 70 on one side before performing head cleaning work, and when the recording head 7 becomes clogged, the head cleaning mechanism 70 closest to the carriage 6 can be moved. Since the head cleaning operation time can be reduced, the head cleaning operation time can be shortened. Furthermore, the head cleaner 31 of the mechanism 70 on the right side
and the head cleaner 31 of the left mechanism 70.
For example, one cleaner 31 can have a relatively good ink absorbency, and the other cleaner 31 can have a relatively poor ink absorbency. It is possible to perform more appropriate cleaning in response to the clogged state. In addition to cleaning the recording head 7 when the nozzles are clogged, it is also preferable to clean the recording head 7 automatically at regular intervals or when the power is turned on. It is also possible to provide a plurality of head cleaning mechanisms 70 in the rotational direction on the same side.

Next, points regarding the ink tanks 21 and 12 will be described. The ink E in each main tank 21 enters the corresponding sub-tank 12 through the communication pipe 22, is supplied to the recording head 7 through the ink supply pipe 11, and is supplied from the nozzles of the recording head 7 in response to drive pulses. Exhale. At this time,
Since the supply of ink E is mainly performed by the siphon effect, in order to maintain a predetermined supply ink pressure, the liquid level of each main tank 21 must be adjusted to the lowest nozzle position corresponding to the lowest surface of the recording head 7. It is necessary to perform maintenance at a position a predetermined distance D downward from the center. However, since the amount of ink used differs for each color,
If printing continues, the liquid levels in each main tank 21 via the sub-tank 12 will become uneven. If left as is, there will be a large difference in the ink ejection pressure for each head 7Y, 7M, 7C, and 7BK, making it impossible to obtain an image with faithful tones, but by adjusting the position of the angle 24, each If the height of the liquid level in the main tank 21 is adjusted to a predetermined liquid level position, such inconvenience can be easily solved. In addition, since a means for adjusting the height of the ink liquid level is provided to adjust the position of the liquid level with respect to the recording head 7, the ink pressure can be kept constant without replenishing ink. You can always get good image quality.

Furthermore, a head cleaning mechanism 7 which is a recovery system is provided.
Since the ink tank 21 is arranged in the empty space near the point 0, space can be used effectively and the entire recording device can be downsized, and the number of parts required for supporting the ink tank can be significantly reduced. You can also. Further, since the head cleaning mechanism 70 and the ink tank 21 are located close to each other, there is an advantage that only one inspection port is required for maintenance and inspection. Further, since the head cleaning mechanism 70 generates vibrations during operation, it is possible to apply vibrations to the pigment type ink in the ink tank 21 and obtain a stirring effect.

Furthermore, another ink tank 21 is provided in addition to the ink tank 12, and both tanks 12 and 21 are placed on separate sides with the carriage 6 interposed therebetween, and both tanks 12 and 21 are communicated with each other through a communication pipe 22. Therefore, one sub tank 12
The volume of the sub-tank 12 can be reduced.
Since there is no restriction on the location of the ink supply pipe 11, the ink supply pipe 11 itself can be routed freely. Furthermore, since the number of ink tanks increases, the overall ink storage capacity also increases. Since the sub-tank 12 is fixed and the height of one of the main tanks 21 can be adjusted, the liquid level position of the sub-tank 12 can be adjusted freely, and the ink liquid pressure can be easily adjusted.

It goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to a monochrome recording device. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to multi-nozzle inkjet printers.

As explained above, with a single driving source,
Since the cleaner is moved forward and rubbed on the head nozzle surface, it is possible to reliably eliminate clogging of the recording head and obtain good image quality despite the extremely simple structure.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional device, Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the main part configuration of the recording device of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a front view showing the main part of Fig. 2 in detail with a part cut away. Figure 4 is the left side view of Figure 3, Figure 5 is the left side view of Figure 2.
6 is a right side view showing the main parts of FIG. 3, FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of FIG. 2, and FIGS. B is a side view and a front view showing the leaf spring part in Fig. 3, and Fig. 9 is a side view and front view showing the leaf spring part in Fig. 3.
It is a sectional view showing a stopper part of the figure. 1... Recording paper, 2... Paper feed roller, 3... Paper feed pulse motor, 4, 5... Guide roller, 6... Carriage, 7, 7Y, 7M, 7C, 7BK... Recording head, 8... Timing belt, 9... Head Feed pulse motor, 10... Guide rail, 11... Ink supply pulp, 12, 12Y, 12M, 12C, 12
BK...Ink tank (sub tank), 13...Flexible printed wiring board, 21...Main tank (ink tank), 22...Communication pipe, 23...Air hole, 24
...Angle, 25...Fixing plate, 26...Guide groove, 2
7... Locking screw, 28... Mounting plate, 31... Head cleaner, 32... Supporter, 33... Fall prevention plate,
34... Retaining plate, 35... Side stopper, 36
... Rear plate, 37... Leaf spring, 38... Guide screw, 39
...fixing screw, 40...base, 41...long hole, 42,4
3... Slide shaft, 44... Leg, 45... Slide bearing, 46... Slider, 47... Spring, 48... Rotation stopper, 51... Pin, 52... Groove cam shaft, 53... Spiral groove, 54... Stopper, 55... Fixed Screw, 56...Motor, 57...Reducer, 58...Pulley, 59...Belt, 60...Pulley, 61...Knob, 62...Bearing,
63...fixing plate, 64...stay, 70...head cleaning mechanism.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A head cleaner that comes into contact with the ink ejection portion of the recording head to clean or restore its function, a support member that supports the head cleaner, and a moving means that moves the support member relative to the recording head. In the inkjet recording apparatus, the moving means includes a single drive source, and a guide groove that is driven by the drive source and guides the support member to come into contact with an ink ejection section of a recording head. and a guide member provided in the middle of a guide groove of the guide member to restrict movement of the support member for the abutting, and to cause the support member to move in a direction different from the abutting movement direction. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising: a stopper member for performing rubbing cleaning of the ink ejection section by movement of the support member. 2. The recording head includes a plurality of the ink ejection sections, and has heating elements for generating thermal energy used for ejecting ink corresponding to the plurality of ink ejection sections, and 2. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaner has a flat surface that comes into contact with all of the plurality of ink ejection sections.