JP2022092288A - Inkjet recording device, cleaning device and wiper blade - Google Patents

Abstract

To prevent ink wiped with a wiper from scattering.SOLUTION: An inkjet recording device 100 comprises an elastically deformable wiper blade 55 that wipes an ejection surface 20F of a recording head 21. In the wiper blade, a contact part that contacts the ejection surface is arranged to incline with respect to a front end of the ejection surface in a wiping direction, and the contact part is divided into a plurality of contact regions 56, 57 and 58. In at least one contact region, inclined portions 57a and 58a inclined from a front side toward a rear side are formed at a rear side part in a wiping direction X2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

The present invention relates to an inkjet recording device that ejects ink to a recording medium for recording, a cleaning device provided therein, and a wiper blade.

In an inkjet recording device, foreign matter such as ink and paper dust adhering to the surface (ejection surface) on which the ejection port of the recording head is formed causes a factor of deteriorating the ejection performance of the ejection port. For this reason, the inkjet recording device is provided with a cleaning device that removes foreign matter by wiping the discharge surface with a wiper blade made of an elastic member.

During the wiping operation by the cleaning device, the wiper blade is elastically deformed by pressure contact with the discharge surface of the recording head. Therefore, when the wiper blade is separated from the recording head after the wiping is completed, the ink adhering to the wiper blade may be scattered with the force of elastic recovery, and the recording medium and the peripheral portion may be soiled.

Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which the wiper blade is obliquely brought into contact with the arrangement direction of the discharge port of the recording head. According to this, since the wiper blade is gradually separated from the ejection surface, it is possible to reduce the momentum when the wiper blade elastically returns and suppress the scattering of ink.

Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which the tip of the wiper is divided by a slit and the ejection port forming surface of the chip portion constituting the ejection surface of the recording head and the peripheral surface thereof are independently wiped off. .. According to this, even when a step is formed between the discharge port forming surface and the surrounding surface, each surface can be properly wiped.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-127432 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-67028

However, when the techniques of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are combined, the elastic deformation of the wiper is gradually restored at the central portion of the wiper that wipes the chip portion, so that ink scattering can be suppressed. However, for both ends of the wiper that wipes the outer surface of the ejection port forming surface, the elastic deformation of the wiper is instantaneously restored even if the wiper is brought into contact with the wiper at an angle, so ink scattering should be suppressed. Can't.

An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of suppressing the scattering of ink wiped by a wiper.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention has a recording head having an ejection surface in which a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting ink are arranged, and elastically deformable to wipe the ejection surface along a predetermined wiping direction intersecting the arrangement direction of the ejection ports. An inkjet recording apparatus having a wiper blade, wherein the wiper blade is arranged so that a contact portion in contact with the discharge surface is inclined with respect to the front end of the discharge surface in the wiping direction, and the contact portion is arranged. The contact region is divided into a plurality of contact regions, and the contact region is characterized in that an inclined portion inclined from the front to the rear is formed in the rear portion in the wiping direction.

According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the scattering of the ink wiped by the wiper.

The perspective view which shows the schematic structure of the inkjet recording apparatus in embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side view of a carriage unit in the inkjet recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1. The block diagram which shows the structure of the control system in the inkjet recording apparatus shown in FIG. The explanatory view which shows the recovery operation of the recording head in an embodiment. The figure which shows the positional relationship between the discharge surface of a recording head, and a wiper blade. The figure which shows the arrangement of the wiper blade in 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows the dimensional shape of the wiper blade in 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows the wiping operation and the state which ink scatters. The figure which shows the arrangement of the wiper blade in 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows the dimensional shape of the wiper blade in 2nd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an internal configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus (hereinafter, simply referred to as a recording apparatus) 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The recording device 100 is connected to a host PC (personal computer) 12 that sends image information to the recording device 100. Further, the recording device 100 holds the recording head 21 for ejecting ink and the recording head 21 so as to be movable in the Y direction, and also has a main scanning direction along the carriage rail guide 40 (X direction (X1, X2 direction) in FIG. 1). ) With a carriage unit 20 movably held. The carriage unit 20 is connected to a drive belt 32 that is moved by the driving force of the carriage scanning motor 30, and moves in the main scanning direction together with the drive belt 32. In this embodiment, a DC motor is used as the carriage scanning motor, but a stepping motor can also be used instead.

Further, the inkjet recording apparatus 100 is provided with a platen member 10 that supports the recording medium and a paper placing portion 11 on which the recording paper as the recording medium is placed below the platen member 10. When it is detected that the user has set the recording paper from the F direction with respect to the paper mounting portion 11, the lifter portion (not shown) lifts up the paper mounting portion 11 in the vertical direction (Z direction). As a result, the recording paper is sandwiched and fixed between the paper placing portion 11 and the platen member 10. The plantain member 10 is provided with an opening 10a so that a portion corresponding to the recording area R of the recording paper in the fixed state is exposed. The recording head 21 ejects ink to the recording medium exposed at the opening 10a to perform recording.

Further, the recording device 100 is provided with a recovery unit 50 for maintaining and recovering the ejection performance of the ejection port of the recording head 21. The recovery unit 50 is arranged at the home position, which is the end of the recording device 100 (the end on the right side in FIG. 1), and performs a recovery operation of the recording head 21 at an arbitrary timing. The recovery unit 50 is forced from a cleaning device that wipes off foreign matter adhering to the lower surface of the recording head 21, that is, the surface on the side where the ejection port for ejecting ink is formed, and the ejection port of the recording head. A suction recovery device for sucking ink is provided.

The cleaning device is provided with a wiper blade 55 (FIG. 4), which will be described later, for wiping the discharge surface of the recording head 21, and a blade elevating mechanism (not shown) for raising and lowering the wiper blade 55 (FIG. 4). The details of the wiper blade 55 will be described in detail later.

Further, the suction recovery device includes a cap member 51 (FIG. 4) that covers the discharge port of the recording head 21, a capping motor that brings the cap member 51 into contact with the discharge surface, and a cap member 51 that generates a negative pressure (not shown). It is equipped with a suction pump, a maintenance cartridge 58, and the like.

In the recording device having the above configuration, the carriage unit 20 that receives the driving force of the carriage scanning motor 30 moves in the main scanning direction, and ejects ink from the recording head 21 at the timing of passing over the recording area R. As a result, recording is performed on the recording medium. An encoder scale 33 of the linear encoder is provided on the operating region of the carriage unit 20. By reading the position of the encoder scale 33 with the encoder sensor 34 (FIG. 3) provided in the carriage unit 20, the position of the carriage unit 20 is detected. Further, when performing the recovery operation of the discharge port of the recording head 21, the carriage unit 20 is moved onto the recovery unit 50 provided at the home position of the recording device, and the recovery operation described later is performed.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of the carriage unit 20. In the present embodiment, the recording head 21 is provided with a head chip 23 (FIG. 6) having a discharge port for ejecting ink and an ink tank (not shown) integrally provided in the head body 22 (FIG. 5). Has a configuration. The recording head 21 constitutes a recording system carriage 24 together with the recording head holder 25, and is supported by the drive system carriage 26. The recording head holder 25 is provided with a recording head control board (not shown) that makes contact with the conductive portion provided in the recording head 21, and the recording head 21 is attached by communicating with the control portion by the conductive member. Is transmitted to the control unit.

The drive system carriage 26 is connected to a drive belt 32 that is moved by the driving force of the carriage scanning motor 30 described above, and moves in the main scanning direction (X direction) while being guided by the carriage rail guide 40. On the other hand, the recording system carriage 24 is movably supported in the drive system carriage 26 in a direction (Y direction) intersecting the main scanning direction. Further, the recording system carriage 24 is urged in the Y direction by the urging member 27 so as to abut on a predetermined position in the drive system carriage 26.

During the recording operation, the recording head 21 moves to the recording area R together with the drive system carriage 26. After that, the recording head 21 ejects ink while scanning the recording paper located in the recording area R together with the drive system carriage 26 to perform recording. The recording head 21 is formed with a discharge port row composed of a plurality of discharge ports arranged along the Y direction intersecting the main scanning direction (X direction), and has a width corresponding to the length of the discharge port row (the length of the discharge port row). Recording is performed in the area (length in the Y direction).

When the recording for one area is completed, the drive system carriage 24 starts to recover (move in the X2 direction) from a predetermined position. At this time, the recording head 21 moves in the Y direction by a guide rail (not shown), and records while scanning a region different from the region on the recording medium previously recorded. A predetermined image is recorded in the recording area R of the recording medium by the reciprocating scanning of the recording head.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system provided in the recording device 100. The control unit 300 of the recording device 100 is connected to the host computer 12 via the interface controller 301. The control unit 300 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 306, and controls each component of the recording device 100 by executing a control program stored in the program ROM 302. Further, the control unit 300 includes a work RAM 304 as a memory used as a work area for various data processing and a reception buffer, and an image memory 303 as a development unit for recorded data.

The control circuit 307 of the control unit 300 includes a recording head control unit 308 that drives the recording head 21. Further, the output port 311 includes a motor control unit 313 that controls the drive of each motor. The motor control unit 313 controls a carriage scanning motor 30 for moving the recording head 21 and a lift-up motor 316 for driving a lifter unit (not shown). Further, the motor control unit 313 generates a wiper up that generates a driving force of a capping motor 317 for moving the cap member 51, a pump motor 318 for controlling the suction pump, and a blade elevating mechanism 54 for moving the wiper blade up and down. It controls the motor 319. Further, the control unit 300 is provided with an operation panel 305 for the user to input various instructions and data.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a recovery operation of the recording head 21, which is carried out in order to maintain and recover the ejection performance of the recording head 21 in the present embodiment.

FIG. 4A is a diagram showing a suction recovery operation for recovering the ejection performance of the ejection port 21a by sucking the ink in the recording head 21. A capping motor 317 provided in the capping elevating mechanism 52 is driven to bring the cap member 51 into contact with the discharge surface 20F of the recording head 21. In this state, the pump motor 318 is driven to generate a negative pressure in the cap member 51. As a result, the thickened ink generated in the recording head is sucked through the ejection port 21a and discharged to the maintenance cartridge 58.

FIG. 4B shows an operation of pulling the cap member 51, which has been in contact with the recording head 21, away from the discharge surface 20F after the suction operation. By driving the capping motor 317, the cap member 51 is moved downward (in the direction of the arrow b), and the cap member 51 is separated from the discharge surface 20F. At this time, the ink I drawn out by the suction operation is attached to the ejection surface 20F of the recording head 21.

FIG. 4C shows a wiping preparation operation for wiping the ink I adhering to the ejection surface 20F of the recording head 21. In order to wipe the ink I adhering to the ejection surface 20F of the recording head 21, the wiper blade 55 moves in the arrow c direction (upward) until the amount of penetration into the ejection surface 20F becomes Ts. This operation is performed by operating the blade elevating mechanism 54 by the driving force of the wiper up motor 319.

FIG. 4D shows a state in which the discharge surface 20F of the recording head 21 is wiped by the wiping operation. When the carriage unit 20 is moved in the forward scanning direction indicated by the arrow X1 by the driving force of the carriage scanning motor 30, the recording head 21 comes into contact with the wiper blade 55 at the position where the intrusion amount Ts is reached. The wiper blade 55 made of an elastically deformable member (elastic member) is elastically deformed as shown in FIG. 4D. Then, due to the movement of the recording head 21 in the main scanning direction (X1 direction), the contact portion located at the end of the wiper blade 55 slides on the discharge surface 20F of the recording head 21 and adheres to the discharge surface 20F. Wipe off the ink I.

Here, with reference to FIG. 5, the positional relationship between the discharge surface 20F of the recording head 21 and the wiper blade 55 in the present embodiment will be described.

FIG. 5A is a bottom view showing a state in which the recording head 21 is viewed from below. In the recording head 21, the ejection surface 20F facing the recording paper includes the bottom surface 22a of the head main body 22 and the chip surface (discharge port forming surface) 23a which is the bottom surface of the head chip 23 fixed to the central portion of the bottom surface 22a. including.

On the chip surface 23a, an ejection port row 23b is formed in which a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting ink are arranged along the Y direction. The bottom surface 22a of the head body 22 forming the outer shape of the discharge surface 20F has a rectangular shape. The discharge port row 23b extends in a direction parallel to the front end of the discharge surface 20F in the wiping direction (Y direction). Further, the discharge surface 20F is formed with convex portions 22b and 22c extending along both ends of the head tip 23 in the Y direction.

FIG. 5B is a side view showing a state in which the recording head 21 shown in FIG. 5A is viewed from the side. As shown in FIG. 5B, the above-mentioned convex portions 22b and 22c project downward from the bottom surface 22a of the head main body 22. Further, the chip surface 23a of the head chip 23 is slightly recessed from the bottom surface 22a of the head main body 22.

As described above, the head surface 20F of the recording head 21 has an uneven shape. As shown in FIG. 5C, two slits 55b and 55c are formed at the tip of the wiper blade 55 in order to properly wipe the entire discharge surface 20F without being affected by the uneven shape. There is. FIG. 5C is a side view of the wiper blade 55 as viewed from the side of the head body 22. As is clear from the comparison between FIGS. 5B and 5C, the two slits 55b and 55c of the wiper blade 55 correspond to the protrusions 22b and 22c formed on the discharge surface 20F of the recording head 21. It is formed in the position where it is. Therefore, when the wiper blade 55 abuts on the discharge surface 20F and is wiped as described above, the convex portions 22b and 22c formed on the discharge surface 20F pass through the slit 55b of the wiper blade 55. Therefore, the wiper blade 55 can slide on the discharge surface 20F without interfering with the convex portions 22b and 22c.

Further, the contact portion of the wiper blade 55 with the discharge surface 20F is divided into three contact regions (first contact region 56, second contact region 57, 58) by the slits 55b and 55c. Here, the contact area 56 is an area for wiping the chip surface 23a of the head chip 23. The contact areas 57 and 58 provided on both sides of the contact area 56 are areas for wiping the bottom surface 22a of the head body 22.

6A and 6B are views showing the arrangement and shape of the wiper blade 55 in the first embodiment, FIG. 6A is a plan view of the recording head 21 and the wiper blade 55, and FIG. 6B is a recording head 21. It is a side view of the wiper blade 55 and the wiper blade 55.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the wiper blade 55 in the present embodiment is arranged at an angle of 10 to 20 degrees with respect to the forming direction (Y direction) of the discharge port row 23b. Further, in the present embodiment, the wiper blade 55 is arranged in the movement path of the recording head 21 from the installation position of the cap member 51 to the opening 10a of the platen 10. Therefore, while the recording head 21 moves in the direction (X1 direction) from the position facing the cap member 51, which is the home position, toward the opening 10a, the wiper blade 55 slides in contact with the discharge surface to perform wiping. At this time, the wiper blade 55 contacts the discharge surface 20F in the order of the contact areas 57, 56, 58. Hereinafter, in the present specification, the side of the wiper blade 55 where the contact area 57 is formed is defined as the front side in the wiping direction, and the side where the contact area 58 is formed is defined as the rear side in the wiping direction.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, the wiper blade 55 is formed with an inclined portion 57a that is linearly inclined from the contact region 57 located on the front side in the wiping direction (X2 direction) to the slit 55b. There is. Further, the wiper blade 55 is formed with an inclined portion 58a that is linearly inclined from the contact region 58 located on the rear side in the wiping direction to the rear end portion thereof.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing elements required for specifying the shape of the wiper blade 55 in the first embodiment. 7 (a) is a plan view of the recording head 21 and the wiper blade 55, and FIG. 7 (b) is a plan view and a side view of the wiper blade 55. The slits 55b, 55c and the inclined portions 57a, 58a formed in the wiper blade 55 need to be configured so as not to come into contact with the discharge surface 20F of the recording head 21 in the wiping operation. Further, it is necessary to surely wipe the tip surface 23a of the head tip 23 by using the wiper blade 55. In order to form the wiper blade 55 so as to satisfy such a requirement, the dimensional shape and the magnitude relationship of the following parts of the wiper blade 55 may be specified.
-Length of contact area 56 of wiper blade 55: Lc
-Lengths of contact areas 57 and 58 of the wiper blade 55: Le
-Length of the wiper blade 55 that does not abut on the discharge surface 20F of the recording head 21: Lb
-Overlapping length (penetration amount) when the wiper blade 55 abuts on the recording head 21: Ts
-Length of discharge port row 23b: Ln
-Length from the end of the discharge port row 23b to the end of the convex portion 22b Length: Lg
The contact angle of the wiper blade 55 with respect to the arrangement direction of the discharge port: θ
・ Lc * cosθ> Ln

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing how the ink collected by the wiper blade 55A is scattered when the ejection surface 20F of the recording head 21 is wiped by the wiper blade. 8 (A1) to (A3) are diagrams showing the wiping operation of the first comparative example with respect to the present embodiment. The wiper blade 55A shown in the first comparative example does not have inclined portions 57a and 58a like the wiper blade 55 of the present embodiment, but only slits 55b and 55c are formed. Further, the tip of the wiper blade 55A is not tilted with respect to the direction in which the discharge port row extends (Y direction). That is, it is arranged in parallel with the end portion of the discharge surface 20F of the recording head 21.

In the wiping from (A1) to (A2) of the first comparative example, the wiper blade 55A slides on the discharge surface 20F while being in contact with the discharge surface 20F of the recording head 21 in an elastically deformed state, and slides on the discharge surface 20F. Wipe off the ink adhering to. As a result, the collected ink is held between the wiper blade 55A and the ejection surface 20F.

At the end of the wiping operation, that is, when the wiper blade 55A is separated from the end portion of the discharge surface 20F, both ends of the wiper blade 55A are instantly released from the discharge surface 20F at the same timing. As a result, a large elastic restoring force is generated in the wiper blade 55, and the ink collected by the wiping operation of the wiper blade vigorously scatters in the wiping direction as shown in (A3). Further, the wiper blade 55A that moves at high speed due to a large elastic restoring force is elastically deformed in the direction opposite to the wiping direction beyond the initial state before the elastic deformation, and the restoring force generated by the elastic deformation causes the wiper blade 55A to be elastically deformed. , Moves in the direction opposite to the wiping direction. Due to the movement of the wiper blade 55A at this time, the ink adhering to the wiper blade 55A is scattered in the direction opposite to the wiping direction. As described above, in the first comparative example shown in (A1) to (A3), there is a problem that most of the ink collected by the wiping operation is scattered over a wide area in the recording device 100 and stains the internal mechanism and the recording paper. Occurs.

8 (B1) to (B3) are diagrams showing the wiping operation of the second comparative example with respect to the present embodiment. The wiper blade 55B in the second comparative example does not have the inclined portions 57a and 58a like the wiper blade 55 of the present embodiment, but only the slits 55b and 55c are formed. However, the wiper blade 55B of the second comparative example is arranged in a state of being tilted with respect to the direction (Y direction) in which the discharge ports of the recording head 21 are arranged. For example, the recording head 21 is arranged with an inclination of 10 to 20 degrees with respect to the end of the discharge surface 21S.

In the wiping operation from (B1) to (B2) of the second comparative example, the wiper blade 55B slides on the discharge surface 20F while being in contact with the discharge surface 20F of the recording head 21 in an elastically deformed state. Wipe off the ink adhering to the 20th floor. As a result, the collected ink is held between the wiper blade 55 and the ejection surface 20F. (B2) shows the state immediately before the wiper blade 55 is separated from the discharge surface 20F. In the wiper blade 55B, the contact portion on the front side of the paper surface in FIG. 8 is in contact with the discharge surface 20F, but the contact portion on the back side of the paper surface in FIG. 8 is not already in contact with the discharge surface 20F. It is in a standing state as compared with the contact portion of the wiper blade 55 on the front side of the paper surface.

In this way, the elastic deformation of the wiper blade 55B is gradually released from the back side of the paper surface of the drawing. Therefore, as shown in (B3), the elastic restoring force generated in the wiper blade 55B when the wiper blade 55B is completely separated from the discharge surface 20F is smaller than that in the case of (A3), and is in the wiping direction. The moving speed of is also reduced. Therefore, the amount and range of ink scattering in (B3) are smaller than those in (A3). However, when the contact area of the wiper blade 55B is a narrow area as shown in the contact area 57 of FIG. 5C, even if the tip of the contact area is inclined with respect to the end of the discharge surface 20S. The timing at which both ends of the contact region are separated from the discharge surface 20F is substantially the same. Therefore, when the width of the contact region when separated from the ejection surface 20F is narrow, the elastic restoring force is not reduced so much, and a large amount of ink is still scattered in the device or on the paper surface.

FIGS. 8 (C1) to 8 (C3) are views showing the Wypink operation in the present embodiment. The wiper blade 55 in the present embodiment is divided into three contact areas 56, 57, 58 by slits 55b and 55C, and each of the narrow contact areas 57, 58 is rearward in the wiping direction (X2 direction). The inclined portions 55b and 55c are formed. Further, the contact portion of the wiper blade 55 is inclined at an angle of 10 to 20 degrees with respect to the end portion of the discharge surface 20F parallel to the arrangement direction (Y direction) of the discharge ports.

In the wiper blade 55B of the present embodiment, the tip portion of the contact region 56 that wipes the head tip 23 has a wide width and is inclined with respect to the end portion of the discharge surface 20. Therefore, the tip of the contact region 56 is gradually released from the discharge surface 20F. As a result, even when the contact region 60 is completely separated from the ejection surface 20F, a large elastic restoring force is not generated, and the ink collected by the contact region 60 is not scattered over a wide range.

Further, since the inclined portions 57a and 57b are formed in the rear portions in the wiping direction in the contact regions 57 and 58 having a relatively narrow width, there is a time difference in the timing at which both ends of each region are separated from the discharge surface 20F. Occurs. That is, the wiper blade 55 gradually separates from the discharge surface 20F. Therefore, in any of the contact areas 57 and 58, the elastic restoring force generated when the ink is completely separated from the ejection surface 20S is significantly reduced as compared with the second comparative example, and the ink collected by the wiping operation is scraped. The amount of ink scattered and the range of ink scattered are also greatly suppressed. Further, since the moving speed of the wiper blade 55 when separated from the ejection surface 20S is also reduced, the degree of elastic deformation in the direction opposite to the wiping direction is significantly suppressed, and the direction opposite to the wiping direction, that is, the recording paper. Ink scattering in the existing direction is also suppressed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the stain on the inside of the device and the recording paper due to the ink wiped by the wiper blade 55, and improve the quality of the recorded image and the ejection performance of the recording device. And the life can be improved.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. Since the basic configuration of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, the following description will focus on the characteristic shape of the wiper blade 55 of the present embodiment. In FIGS. 9 and 10, the same or corresponding parts as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals.

9A and 9B are views showing the arrangement and shape of the wiper blade 155 in the second embodiment, FIG. 9A is a plan view of the recording head 21 and the wiper blade 155, and FIG. 9B is a recording head 21. And a plan view of the wiper blade 155.

The wiper blade 155 in the present embodiment wipes (wiping) the ink adhering to the ejection surface 20F including the bottom surface 22a of the head main body 22 and the tip surface 23a of the head tip 23, as in the first embodiment. .. Therefore, also in this embodiment, the wiper blade 155 is formed with slits 155b and 155c that avoid interference with the convex portions 22b and 22c of the discharge surface 20F. Further, the tip of the wiper blade 155 is divided into three contact regions 156, 157, and 158 by the slits 155b and 155c. Here, the contact area 156 is a contact area for wiping the chip surface of the head chip 23, and the contact areas 157 and 158 are contact areas for wiping the bottom surface 22a of the head body 22. Further, the wiper blade 155 of the present embodiment is arranged with an inclination of 10 to 20 degrees with respect to the direction (Y direction) in which the discharge port row 23b extends.

Further, the wiper blade 155 is formed with an inclined portion 157a having a curved shape from the contact region 157 located on the front side in the wiping operation direction (X2 direction) to the slit 155b. Further, the wiper blade 155 is formed with an inclined portion 158a having a curved shape from the contact region 158 located on the rear side in the wiping operation direction to the rear end portion thereof. In the illustrated example, the inclined portions 157a and 158a all have an arc shape.

10A and 10B are views showing the dimensions and shapes of the wiper blade 55 in the second embodiment, FIG. 10A is a plan view of the recording head 21 and the wiper blade 55, and FIG. 10B is a plan view of the wiper blade 55. And a side view. Also in this embodiment, the slits 155b and 155c formed in the wiper blade 55 and the inclined portions 157a and 158a need to be configured so as not to come into contact with the discharge surface 20F of the recording head 21 in the wiping operation. Further, it is necessary to surely wipe the tip surface 23a of the head tip 23 by using the wiper blade 55. Therefore, also in the present embodiment, when the wiper blade 155 corresponding to such a requirement is formed, Lc, Le, Lb, Ts, Ln, θ and the like of the wiper blade 155 may be appropriately set.

(Other embodiments)
In the above embodiment, an example in which one row of discharge port rows is formed is shown as a recording head to which the present invention is applied, but the present invention can also be applied to a recording head in which a plurality of discharge port rows are arranged side by side. be. In the case of a recording head having a plurality of ejection port rows, the ink color ejected from each ejection port row may be a single color or a plurality of colors.

Further, the number of recording heads 21 is not limited to one, and a plurality of recording heads 21 may be provided. When a plurality of recording heads are provided, the wiper blade 55 can be configured to use one wiper blade for one recording head. It is also possible to configure a plurality of recording heads to be wiped with one wiper blade.

Further, in the above embodiment, as a notch for dividing the contact portion of the wiper blade with the discharge surface into a plurality of contact regions, a slit having a width capable of passing through the convex portion formed on the discharge surface is formed. An example is shown. However, a notch other than the slit may be formed as long as the shape matches the uneven shape of the recording head. For example, a notch or a V-shaped notch may be formed at the tip of the wiper blade.

Further, in the above embodiment, an example of wiping the discharge surface of the recording head by moving the recording head with respect to the wiper blade is shown. On the other hand, it is also possible to configure the wiper blade to wipe the discharge surface by moving the wiper blade while the recording head is in a fixed position. It is also possible to move both the recording head and the wiper blade at the same time to perform the wiping operation.

Further, in the above embodiment, the inclined portion is formed only in the contact region (contact region located at both ends) corresponding to the bottom surface of the head body among the plurality of contact regions. However, the inclined portion may be formed not only in the contact region corresponding to the bottom surface of the head body but also in the contact region corresponding to the discharge port forming surface of the head tip. That is, if a region in which the discharge port forming surface can be properly wiped can be secured, an inclined portion may be formed in the contact portion in charge of wiping the discharge port forming surface.

100 Inkjet recording device 20F Discharge surface 21 Recording head 55 Wiper blades 56, 57, 58 Contact areas 57a, 58a Inclined portion X2 Wiping direction

Claims (11)

A recording head having an ejection surface in which a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting ink are arranged, an elastically deformable wiper blade that wipes the ejection surface along a predetermined wiping direction intersecting the arrangement direction of the ejection ports, and an elastically deformable wiper blade. It is an inkjet recording device having
The wiper blade is arranged so that the contact portion in contact with the discharge surface is inclined with respect to the front end of the discharge surface in the wiping direction.
The contact portion is divided into a plurality of contact regions.
An inkjet recording apparatus characterized in that, in at least one of the contact regions, an inclined portion inclined from the front to the rear is formed in the rear portion in the wiping direction. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inclined portion is formed in a linear shape. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inclined portion is formed in a curved shape. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inclined portion is formed in an arc shape. The discharge surface is composed of a discharge port forming surface of a head tip on which the discharge port is formed and a bottom surface of a head body that holds the head tip.
4. The fourth aspect of claim 4, wherein the contact portion includes a first contact region that contacts the discharge port forming surface and performs wiping, and a second contact region that contacts the bottom surface and performs wiping. Inkjet recording device. The discharge surface has two protrusions extending in the wiping direction along both ends of the discharge port forming surface.
The wiper blade has two notches to avoid contact with the two protrusions.
The fifth aspect of claim 5, wherein the contact portion is divided into a first contact region and two second contact regions located on both sides of the first contact portion by the two notches. Inkjet recording device. The inkjet according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the wiping is performed by moving the recording head with respect to the wiper blade held in a predetermined position along the wiping direction. Recording device. The wiping is performed by moving the wiper blade with respect to the recording head held in a predetermined position while moving the recording head along the wiping direction, according to claims 1 to 7. The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of the following items. The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the wiper blade is inclined at an angle of 10 degrees to 20 degrees with respect to the arrangement direction of the discharge ports. A cleaning device having an elastically deformable wiper blade that wipes the discharge surface along a predetermined wiping direction that intersects the arrangement direction of a plurality of discharge ports formed on the discharge surface of the recording head.
The wiper blade is arranged so that the contact portion in contact with the discharge surface is inclined with respect to the front end of the discharge surface in the wiping direction.
The contact portion is divided into a plurality of contact regions.
A cleaning device characterized in that, in at least one of the contact regions, an inclined portion inclined from the front to the rear is formed in the rear portion in the wiping direction. An elastically deformable wiper blade that wipes the discharge surface along a predetermined wiping direction that intersects the arrangement direction of a plurality of discharge ports formed on the discharge surface of the recording head.
The wiper blade is arranged so that the contact portion in contact with the discharge surface is inclined with respect to the front end of the discharge surface in the wiping direction.
The contact portion is divided into a plurality of contact regions.
The wiper blade is characterized in that at least one of the contact regions is formed with an inclined portion inclined from the front to the rear in the rear portion in the wiping direction.

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