JPH0471713B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an inkjet recording device, and more particularly to an inkjet recording device equipped with an ink absorbing member that absorbs ink at a position corresponding to an inkjet recording head.

[Prior Art] As such an inkjet recording apparatus, one having a configuration as shown in FIG. 1, for example, 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 head 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 ink ejection ports (hereinafter referred to as nozzles) arranged in a straight line in the sub-scanning direction, and ink of each color is ejected toward the recording paper 1 by driving pulses supplied via each flexible printed wiring board 13. Discharge from the nozzle. This ink ejection method is as follows:
For example, a bubble jet method is used in which a heating element is embedded in a nozzle and ink droplets are ejected using bubbles generated by heat generated by a pressure pulse.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] A recording device having a multi-nozzle head as described above can perform image recording at a much higher speed than a recording device having a single or a small number of nozzles. However, since the diameter of each nozzle (ejection port) of the recording head 7 is extremely small, the nozzles are easily clogged by ink impurities, dryness, paper powder, dust in the air, etc. Cleaning or restoring the function of the nozzle was not easy. In addition, in the above-mentioned color recording device, 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, resulting in fluctuations in ink pressure and deterioration of image quality. There was a problem with that. Furthermore, the ink tank 12
Since this requires a considerable volume, it becomes an obstacle to effective use of space, and it is not possible to sufficiently downsize the entire device.

In view of the above points, the present invention makes it possible to easily replace the ink absorbing member, reduce the ink absorption rate and downsize the device, and achieve long-term ink recovery with simple operations. The object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet recording device.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an ink jet recording apparatus including an ink absorbing member that absorbs ink at a position corresponding to an ink jet recording head, wherein the ink absorbing member is , the ink-absorbing member is attached to a supporter that is flat and has a back plate, a falling-off preventing member, and a falling-preventing member without being fixed with the upper part of the ink-absorbing member protruding above the falling-preventing member. is held,
It is characterized in that the protruding portion is used to insert and remove the supporter.

Further, the present invention is preferably characterized in that the ink jet recording head is a bubble jet type recording head having a heat generating element for ejecting ink by forming bubbles by generating heat.

[Function] In the present invention, the ink-absorbing member has a flat plate shape, and the upper part of the ink-absorbing member is placed above the fall-preventing member with respect to the supporter including the back plate, the falling-off preventing member, and the falling-preventing member. The cleaner is held in place without being fixed in a protruding state, and the protruding part is used to insert and remove the cleaner from the supporter. Therefore, when replacing the cleaner, the cleaner is not contaminated by the discharge recovery process of the head. Replacement is extremely simple and easy, as all you have to do is pull out the old cleaner from the supporter without being affected by other components, and insert a new cleaner there. Therefore, the cleaner can be easily replaced without interrupting the recording operation for a long period of time. Further, according to the present invention,
Even if the capacity of the ink absorbing member is reduced, the reliability of the apparatus can be improved because it is easy to replace.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described 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 inkjet 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 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. It is slidably inserted and fixed at an arbitrary height using locking screws 27. 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 their clogging, and restore the ink ejection characteristics. It 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 which is slidably engaged 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 is 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 in the direction of 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 is tilted beyond a predetermined angle, the slide shaft 43 to limit the inclination of the base 40.

51 is 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. Reference numeral 54 designates a notched cylindrical stopper/recess member (hereinafter referred to as a stopper) fixed to the center of the grooved cam shaft 52 with a fixing screw 55, which restricts the movement of the pin 51 in the direction of the recording head and at the same time As shown in FIG. 9, by rotating together with the shaft 52 in the direction of arrow B, the pin 51 in contact with the notch is rotated about the slide shaft 42, thereby moving the base 40 to the fourth position. Rotate in the direction of arrow A as shown by the chain line in the figure. 56 is a motor that freely drives the grooved camshaft 52 in forward and reverse directions and stops via the reducer 57, pulley 58, belt 59, and pulley 60, and 61 is a manual knob (handle) coaxially connected to 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. Make it possible to contact them. The grooved cam shaft 52 is rotatably supported by the fixed plates 25 and 63 via a pair of bearings 62, while the slide shaft 42 is directly fixed to the fixed plates 25 and 63. 64 is a stay shaft that supports the fixed plates 25 and 63.

Next, the operation of the inkjet 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 stopped at a position where each nozzle of the recording head 7 on the carriage 6 faces 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. Furthermore, the base 40
is moved toward the recording head side, and the leaf spring 37 is pressed to move its apex C vertically upward (third
(see Figure and Figure 8B). Therefore, the head cleaner 31 is pressed against the nozzle (ink ejecting part) of the recording head 7 and is rubbed upward along the nozzle surface. At this time, since the head cleaner 31 uses a porous member with good ink absorbency, 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 instead of the stopper 54, a micro switch (not shown) for detecting the movement position of the base 40 or the pin 51,
A plunger (not shown) that extends upward in response to the detection signal of the microswitch is provided, and the plunger is placed below the base 40 near the slider 46, so that when the base 40 reaches a predetermined position, The base 40 may be rotated in the direction of arrow A by driving the plunger. Furthermore, it is also preferable to apply vibrations such as ultrasonic vibrations to the head cleaner 31.

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 removed location. Since the head cleaner 31 is provided with the 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 be performed using the head cleaner 31 that is always in the best condition, and optimal nozzle function can be maintained. Furthermore, a plurality of head cleaners 31
Since they are mounted on the same base 40, the mechanism becomes simple and the head cleaning operation can be performed using the same drive source, making the operation 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 always return the carriage 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 is used. Because you can
Head cleaning work time can be shortened.
Furthermore, the characteristics of the head cleaner 31 of the right mechanism 70 and the head cleaner 31 of the left mechanism 70 are made different, for example, one cleaner 31 has relatively good ink absorbency, and the other cleaner 31 has a relatively good ink absorption property. Since different grades can be used, such as those with relatively poor ink absorbability, more appropriate cleaning can be performed in response to nozzle clogging conditions. 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 in each main tank 21 must be adjusted from the lowest nozzle position corresponding to the lowest surface of the recording head 7. It is necessary to maintain it at a position a predetermined distance D downward. 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 images 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. Furthermore, 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 easily obtain good image quality at all times.

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, the head cleaning mechanism 70 can provide a stirring effect by applying vibration to the pigment type ink during operation.

Furthermore, another ink tank 21 is provided in addition to the ink tank 12, and both tanks 12 and 21 are arranged on different sides with the carriage 6 in between, 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.

According to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, since the head cleaner for cleaning the nozzles of the recording head is provided with a means for attaching the head cleaner in a replaceable manner, it is possible to easily replace a new head cleaner and improve the head cleaning work. can.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, the cleaner composed of the flat ink absorbing member has the following effects:
Since the cleaner is not fixed to the supporter and is only held by the back plate, the retaining member, and the retaining member, replacing the cleaner is difficult because it is contaminated by the discharge recovery process of the head. Replacement can be completed simply and easily by simply pulling out the cleaner from the supporter without being affected by other components and inserting a new cleaner there. Therefore, the cleaner can be easily replaced without interrupting the recording operation for a long period of time. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an inkjet recording device that has excellent operability, is inexpensive, and has improved long-term reliability.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional apparatus, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the main part configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the main part of FIG. 4 is a left side view of FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a front view showing the main parts of FIG. 2 in detail,
Fig. 6 is a right side view showing the main part of Fig. 3, Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of Fig. 2, and Fig. 8 A and B show the leaf spring portion of Fig. 3. A side view and a front view, and FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing the stopper portion of FIG. 3. 1...Recording paper, 2...Paper feed roller, 3...Paper feed pulse motor, 4, 5...Guide roller, 6
...carriage, 7, (7Y, 7M, 7C, 7
BK)...Recording head, 8...Timing belt, 9...Head feed pulse motor, 10...Guide rail, 11...Ink supply pipe, 12,
(12Y, 12M, 12C, 12BK)... Ink tank (sub tank), 13... Flexible printed circuit board, 21... Main tank (ink tank), 22... Communication pipe, 23... Air hole, 24...
...Angle, 25...Fixing plate, 26...Guide plate, 27...Locking screw, 28...Mounting plate,
31...Head cleaner, 32...Supporter, 3
3... Fall prevention plate, 34... Fall prevention plate, 35...
... Side stopper, 36 ... Rear plate, 37 ... Leaf spring, 38 ... Guide screw, 39 ... Fixing screw, 4
0... Base, 41... Long hole, 42, 43... 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...Fixing 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. An inkjet recording device equipped with an ink-absorbing member that absorbs ink at a position corresponding to an inkjet recording head, wherein the ink-absorbing member has a flat plate shape, and includes a back plate and a retaining member. The ink-absorbing member is mounted and held without being fixed in a state in which the upper part of the ink-absorbing member projects above the fall-prevention member, and the ink-absorbing member is attached to a supporter provided with a fall-prevention member, and the ink-absorbing member is attached and held without being fixed to the supporter provided with the fall-prevention member. An inkjet recording device characterized in that the inkjet recording device can be inserted into and removed from the supporter. 2. The ink jet recording head according to claim 1, wherein the ink jet recording head is a bubble jet recording head having a heat generating element for ejecting ink by forming bubbles by generating heat. Device.