JP5262635B2 - Fluid ejection device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fluid jet apparatus capable of rapidly performing recording operation and maintenance operation with simpler configuration, and making the time when the recording operation can not be performed as short as possible. <P>SOLUTION: The fluid jet apparatus includes a roller guide 20 having an aperture 20E on its peripheral surface and made rotatable centering an axis nearly orthogonal to a recording paper conveying direction. In a period in which recording paper is at a position where it is opposed to a recording head 5, the aperture 20E of the roller guide 20 is at a position where it is not opposed to the recording head 5, and in a period in which the recording paper is not at the position where it is opposed to the recording head 5, the roller guide 20 rotates to a position where the aperture 20E of the roller guide 20 is opposed to the recording head 5. In a state where an ink receiving device 12 is located inside the roller guide 20 and the recording head 5 and an ink receiving container 21 are opposed through the aperture 20E, maintenance operation such as flushing is performed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fluid ejecting apparatus.

  As a fluid ejecting apparatus that ejects a fluid onto a medium such as a paper sheet, for example, an ink jet recording apparatus is known. In this type of recording apparatus, for example, a transport device including an endless belt that supports paper sheets and a driving roller that rotationally drives the endless belt is used, and the endless belt is rotated while the paper sheets are in contact with the endless belt. 2. Description of the Related Art A recording apparatus configured to convey paper sheets by driving is known.

  However, the endless belt is difficult to ensure the strength of the joint and is difficult to bend at a small angle, so the diameter of the conveying roller is increased. Then, the maintenance unit disposed below the endless belt is separated from the recording head. In this state, it is difficult to perform capping and wiping of the recording head, and it is necessary to raise the maintenance unit toward the recording head. In addition, when flushing using the maintenance unit, if the distance from the recording head is large, fluid may be ejected to the area other than the ink receiving container. It is necessary to let

In view of this, there has been disclosed an ink jet printer configured to perform a maintenance operation on an ink jet head by moving a conveyor belt facing the ink jet head and then raising the maintenance unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2006-321239 A

  However, the configuration of the above-described Patent Document 1 has a problem that it takes time to raise and lower the maintenance unit. Further, since the transport belt is moved prior to the ascending operation and the descending operation of the maintenance unit, there arises a problem that the recording paper (medium) cannot be transported while the transport belt is moved.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and is a fluid ejecting apparatus that can quickly perform a recording operation and a maintenance operation with a simpler configuration, and can shorten a time during which the recording operation cannot be performed as much as possible. The purpose is to provide.

In order to achieve the above object, a fluid ejecting apparatus of the present invention supports a fluid ejecting head that ejects fluid from a nozzle, and a medium transported at a position facing the nozzle, along the transported medium. A medium support portion that is rotatable about an axis and includes a cylindrical body having an opening on a peripheral surface thereof, and is disposed at a position facing the fluid ejecting head inside the cylindrical body, And a maintenance device that does not rotate in accordance with the rotation of the cylindrical body, wherein the medium is supported at a position where the opening of the cylindrical body does not face the nozzle, and the cylindrical body The nozzle and the maintenance device are opposed to each other through the opening of the cylindrical body at a position where the opening of the fluid jet head faces the nozzle. Maintenance operation It is performed, and the maintenance device is characterized in that it is movable in the direction along the axis.

  According to the fluid ejecting apparatus of the present invention, the period in which the medium is in a position facing the fluid ejecting head is in a position where the opening of the cylindrical body constituting the medium support portion is not facing the fluid ejecting head. The body guides the conveyance of the medium, and the recording operation is performed while the medium is smoothly conveyed through the cylindrical body. On the other hand, during a period when the medium is not in a position facing the fluid ejecting head, the maintenance device is located inside the cylindrical body, and the fluid ejecting head and the maintenance device face each other through the opening of the cylindrical body. The maintenance operation of the fluid ejecting head is performed. At this time, since the fluid jet head and the maintenance device can be directly opposed to each other only by rotating the cylindrical body by a predetermined angle, the time required for the maintenance operation such as flushing can be shortened, and the recording operation cannot be performed. Can be shortened.

In the fluid ejecting apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, the fluid ejecting head includes a plurality of fluid ejecting heads in a direction substantially orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the medium, and the opening of the cylindrical body corresponds to each position of the plurality of fluid ejecting heads. A plurality of configurations may be provided.
According to this configuration, the plurality of openings provided corresponding to each fluid ejecting head can be arranged, for example, in a straight line or shifted in the circumferential direction. The time required for the maintenance operation can be further shortened by optimizing the sequence of the maintenance operation. In addition, since the opening area can be reduced as compared with the configuration in which one opening is formed over a plurality of fluid ejecting heads, the strength as the medium support portion can be ensured.

In the fluid ejecting apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, the cylindrical body may be configured to rotate in the forward direction with respect to the medium transport direction when the medium is transported.
According to this structure, the resistance at the time of conveyance of the medium which arises by friction with a cylindrical body and a medium can be reduced, and a medium can be conveyed smoothly.

In the fluid ejection device of the present invention, the maintenance device may be located inside the cylindrical body even during a period when the maintenance operation is not performed.
According to this configuration, it is not necessary to move the maintenance device when starting the maintenance operation, and the time required for the maintenance operation can be further shortened.

In the fluid ejection device of the present invention, the maintenance device may be configured to be movable between the inside and the outside of the cylindrical body.
According to this configuration, for example, when flushing is performed as a maintenance operation, the fluid received by the fluid receiving portion of the maintenance device can be removed outside the cylindrical body, and the maintenance device can be easily managed.

In the fluid ejecting apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, the medium support portion may include a medium guide member that guides the conveyance of the medium on the upstream side and the downstream side of the cylindrical body in the medium conveyance direction.
According to this configuration, the cylindrical body and the medium guide member can cooperate to smoothly convey the medium.

In the fluid ejecting apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, when the medium guide member is provided, a tip portion of the medium guide member that is downstream of the cylindrical body in the medium transport direction is lower than a medium support surface of the medium guide member. It is desirable to be in position.
According to this configuration, the medium is less likely to be caught in the gap between the cylindrical body and the medium guide member on the downstream side in the medium conveyance direction of the cylindrical body, and the medium can be stably conveyed.

In the fluid ejecting apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, the medium guide member may further include a removing member for removing the fluid adhering to the cylindrical body or the fixed substance of the fluid.
According to this configuration, even if the fluid scatters on the cylindrical body located at the position facing the fluid ejecting head, the scattered fluid or the fixed substance thereof is removed from the cylindrical body by the removing member, so that the contamination of the medium Can be prevented and a stable conveying operation can be secured.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a fluid ejection device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, an ink jet printer is exemplified as the fluid ejecting apparatus according to the invention.
In each drawing used for the following description, the scale of each member is appropriately changed to make each member a recognizable size.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an ink jet printer (hereinafter referred to as an ink jet printer) of the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, an ink jet printer 1 (fluid ejecting apparatus) includes a control device 2 that controls the operation of each unit. Connected to the control device 2 are an input device 3 for inputting various information relating to the operation of the ink jet printer 1 and a storage device 4 for storing various information relating to the operation of the ink jet printer 1.

  The ink jet printer 1 includes a plurality of recording heads 5 (fluid ejecting heads) that perform recording on recording paper (medium) with ink (fluid), and drive signals that are input to the piezoelectric elements 6 of the recording heads 5. Is connected to the control device 2. Further, the control device 2 includes a recording paper transport mechanism 8 for transporting the recording paper, a head moving mechanism 9 for moving the recording head 5, and a roller guide for rotating a roller guide (cylindrical body) described later. A maintenance device 11 for performing maintenance of the rotation mechanism 10 and the recording head 5 is connected. The maintenance device 11 includes an ink receiving device 12 and a wiping device 13.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the main configuration of the ink jet printer 1 of the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 2, the inkjet printer 1 includes a plurality of printer units 15. Each printer unit 15 includes a recording head 5 that ejects ink onto the recording paper 16, a recording paper support portion 19 (medium support portion) that supports the recording paper 16 onto which ink is ejected, and the recording head 5 during flushing. And an ink receiving device 12 for receiving the ejected ink. In the present embodiment, two sets of printer units 15 are arranged along the conveyance direction of the recording paper 16 (the direction of the arrow X in FIG. 2).

  Each recording head 5 is disposed opposite to the ink receiving device 12 provided on the recording paper support 19 with the nozzle forming surface 5A on which the plurality of nozzles 5B are formed facing downward. In the case of the present embodiment, each recording paper support portion 19 includes an upstream fixed guide 17 (medium guide member), a roller guide 20 (cylindrical body), and a downstream fixed that are sequentially arranged along the conveyance direction of the recording paper 16. A guide 18 (medium guide member) is provided. The recording paper support unit 19 supports the recording paper 16 by the adjacent upstream fixing guide 17, roller guide 20, and downstream fixing guide 18. The recording paper 16 is transported in the direction indicated by the arrow X in FIG. 2 on the recording paper support portion 19, and the paper jams are prevented by arranging the guides 17, 20, 18 without any substantial gap. Thus, the recording paper 16 is smoothly conveyed on the recording paper support unit 19. The detailed configuration of the recording paper support unit 19 will be described later.

  In the following description, if necessary, of the two recording paper support sections 19, the recording paper support section 19 on the upstream side in the recording paper conveyance direction is referred to as the “first recording paper support section 19A”, and the downstream recording sheet recording section 19 is used. The paper support portion may be referred to as “second recording paper support portion 19B”. Further, the upstream fixed guide, the roller guide, and the downstream fixed guide of the first recording paper support portion 19A are respectively referred to as “first upstream fixed guide 17A”, “first roller guide 20A”, and “first downstream fixed guide 18A”. The upstream fixed guide, the roller guide, and the downstream fixed guide of the second recording paper support portion 19B are referred to as “second upstream fixed guide 17B”, “second roller guide 20B”, and “second downstream fixed”, respectively. It may also be referred to as “guide 18B”.

  In the case of this embodiment, the ink receiving device 12 is disposed in the internal space of the roller guide 20. The ink receiving device 12 includes an ink receiving container 21 and an ink absorber (not shown) disposed in the ink receiving container 21.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the main configuration of the ink jet printer 1 of the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 3, the dimensions of the upstream fixed guide 17, the roller guide 20, and the downstream fixed guide 18 in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction X of the recording paper 16 are larger than the distance between the recording heads 5 at both ends. Its overall shape is rectangular in plan view. In the case of the present embodiment, among the constituent members of the recording paper support unit 19, the upstream fixed guide 17 and the downstream fixed guide 18 are fixed, and the roller guide 20 is an axis orthogonal to the conveyance direction X of the recording paper 16. It can be rotated around the center. In the present embodiment, each roller guide 20 is configured to rotate individually by the roller guide rotation mechanism 10.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the nozzle row L of the recording head 5, and shows a plurality of rows of lines by the arranged nozzles 5B. This figure shows a state in which the recording head 5 is viewed from the nozzle forming surface 5A side of the recording head 5. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, each of the printing units 27Y, 27M, 27C, 27K1, and 27K2 has a nozzle row L in which a large number of nozzles 5B for ejecting ink droplets are arranged and arranged. The formed region is a nozzle formation region 28 shown in FIG. The nozzle formation region 28 is defined by a region connecting the outer ends of the nozzles 5B arranged on the outermost periphery among all the nozzles 5B formed on the nozzle formation surface 5A. The nozzle row L is one row line by the nozzle 5B or a plurality of rows by the nozzle 5B, and the number of nozzles 5B and the number of lines are set as appropriate. By increasing the number of lines, a wide range of recording can be performed at once, and the resolution of the image can be increased.

Next, the recording paper support 19 that is a feature of the present invention will be described in detail.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the recording paper support 19. 6A is a side view seen from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 5, and FIG. 6B is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 6A. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE ′ of FIG.

  Each recording paper support 19 includes an upstream fixed guide 17 (medium guide member), a roller guide 20 (cylindrical body), and a downstream fixed guide 18 (medium guide member) that are sequentially arranged along the conveyance direction of the recording paper 16. ). Accordingly, when the two recording paper support portions 19A and 19B are viewed as a whole, the first upstream fixed guide 17A, the first roller guide 20A, and the first downstream side are directed from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the recording paper 16. The fixed guide 18A, the second upstream side fixed guide 17B, the second roller guide 20B, and the second downstream side fixed guide 18B are arranged in this order. Among these members, the first downstream fixed guide 18A and the second upstream fixed guide 17B are joined and integrated.

  The roller guide 20 is configured by a cylindrical body having a central axis disposed in a direction substantially orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording paper 16. A plurality of (six in this embodiment) openings 20 </ b> E are provided on the circumferential surface of the roller guide 20 corresponding to the positions of the recording heads 5. In the present embodiment, the plurality of openings 20 </ b> E are linearly arranged in the axial direction of the roller guide 20. The size of the opening 20 </ b> E needs to be large enough that at least ink ejected from the recording head 5 can pass through without touching the roller guide 20. In the present embodiment, the ink receiving device 12 does not move. However, the opening 20E has a size that allows the ink receiving container 21 to pass through, and the ink receiving container 21 faces the recording head 5 during the flushing operation. It is good also as a structure which raises.

  On the peripheral surface of the roller guide 20, a plurality of drive rollers 23 (two in this embodiment, two on the side of the roller guide 20 and one on the lower side) are installed. The drive roller 23 can be rotated by a drive source such as a motor (not shown), and has a function of rotating the roller guide 20 while supporting the roller guide 20 from the outside. Here, each drive roller 23 rotates clockwise, for example in FIG. 6A, so that the roller guide 20 in contact with the drive roller 23 rotates counterclockwise. According to this configuration, when the roller guide 20 is rotated during conveyance of the recording paper 16, the rotation direction of the roller guide 20 is forward with respect to the conveyance direction of the recording paper 16 at that time. The resistance during conveyance of the recording paper caused by friction with the paper 16 can be reduced, and the recording paper 16 can be smoothly conveyed. At this time, it is more preferable to match the circumferential speed of the roller guide 20 and the conveyance speed of the recording paper 16 because the frictional resistance can be minimized.

  Thus, since the roller guide 20 is rotated while being supported by the drive roller 23 located on the peripheral surface, it is not necessary to have a rotating shaft inside the cylindrical body. Therefore, the inside of the cylindrical body can be a complete space in which no structure for driving is arranged, and the ink receiving device 12 can be accommodated inside the roller guide 20 without any trouble.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the upstream side fixed guide 17 and the downstream side fixed guide 18 both have end surfaces facing the roller guide 20 that are curved surfaces along the circumferential surface of the roller guide 20. The edge part of has a sharp shape. The recording paper support surface 17F of the upstream fixed guide 17, the top portion 20T of the roller guide 20, and the recording paper support surface 18F of the downstream fixed guide 18 are substantially on the same plane, and the recording paper 16 is conveyed on these surfaces. Is done. However, the upstream fixed guide 17 and the downstream fixed guide 18 have different tip shapes on the side facing the roller guide 20, and as shown in FIG. 6B, the upstream fixed guide 17 supports the recording paper. Whereas the surface 17F is a flat surface up to the leading end, the downstream fixed guide 18 has an upper surface on the leading end side inclined downward, and the leading end portion 18S is at a position lower than the recording paper support surface 18F. According to this configuration, when the recording paper 16 is conveyed onto the roller guide 20, the leading edge of the recording paper 16 is sandwiched between the roller guide 20 and the downstream fixed guide 18 on the downstream side of the roller guide 20. Therefore, the recording paper 16 can be stably conveyed.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, blades 24 (removal members) are installed on the upper surfaces of the first downstream fixed guide 18A and the second upstream fixed guide 17B. The blade 24 is made of a plate material having spring properties, and both ends of the recording paper 16 in the transport direction protrude from the tips of the fixed guides 18A and 17B toward the roller guides 20A and 20B, respectively, and the roller guides 20A and 20B. It is the structure which touches slightly to the surrounding surface. By providing this blade 24, the gap between the roller guide 20A and the first downstream fixed guide 18A becomes narrower, and the leading edge of the recording paper 16 is hardly sandwiched in this gap. Further, even if ink adheres to the circumferential surface of the roller guide 20A located immediately below the recording head 5, the ink and its fixed matter are scraped off by the blade 24 that contacts the circumferential surface, and the circumferential surface becomes clean. . As a result, the recording paper 16 can be prevented from being stained, and the friction resistance between the roller guides 20A and 20B and the recording paper 16 can be made uniform, so that the recording paper 16 can be conveyed more stably.

  When attention is paid to the relationship between the roller guides 20A, 20B and the blade 24, the first roller guide 20A rotates clockwise in FIG. 6A, and the second roller guide 20B rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 6A. It is desirable to rotate it. If these are in the reverse direction, the frictional resistance of the blade 24 increases with respect to the rotation of the roller guides 20A and 20B, or the scraped ink may accumulate on the roller guides 20A and 20B. This is because.

Next, the operation of the roller guide 20 will be described.
For example, when recording on the recording paper 16, the recording paper 16 is positioned directly below the recording head 5, and at this time, the opening portions 20 </ b> E of both the roller guides 20 are not positioned directly below the recording head 5. By the way, it will be in the state of either stopping or the roller guide 20 rotating.

  Next, when recording on the recording paper 16 is completed and the end of the recording paper 16 has passed under the recording head 5 is detected by any means, the ink jet printer 1 performs, for example, an instruction from the control device 2. Start maintenance operations such as flushing. At this time, if the opening 20E is not directly under the recording head 5, the roller guide 20 rotates, and stops when the opening 20E is positioned directly under the recording head 5. In this state, since the recording head 5 and the ink receiving container 21 are directly opposed to each other, a flushing operation can be executed. The flushing operation itself is not a special operation and is a conventional operation, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  After the flushing operation is completed, the roller guide 20 is in the same state as during recording, that is, the opening 20E of both roller guides 20 is not located directly below the recording head 5, in preparation for the next recording operation on the recording paper 16. The roller guide 20 continues to rotate.

  According to the inkjet printer 1 of the present embodiment, since the opening 20E of the roller guide 20 is in a position not facing the recording head 5 during the period in which the recording paper 16 is in the position facing the recording head 5, the roller guide 20 is The recording paper 16 is conveyed while being guided, and a recording operation is performed. On the other hand, during a period when the recording paper 16 is not in a position facing the recording head 5 (for example, a period until recording on one recording paper is completed and the next recording paper is conveyed), the ink receiving device 12 is The flushing operation is performed in a state where the recording head 5 and the ink receiving container 21 are directly opposed to each other via the opening 20E of the roller guide 20 located inside the roller guide 20. At this time, since the flushing operation can be started only by rotating the roller guide 20 by a predetermined angle, the time required for the flushing operation can be shortened, and the time during which the recording operation cannot be performed can be shortened.

  In particular, in the case of the present embodiment, the ink receiving device 12 is located inside the roller guide 20 even during recording, and can be sufficiently close to the recording head 5, so that the ink receiving container 21 does not particularly rise. The flushing operation is possible, and the time during which the recording operation cannot be performed can be shortened. Alternatively, even when the flushing operation is performed in a state where the ink receiving container 21 is raised and the nozzle forming surface 5A of the recording head 5 is capped, the moving distance and moving time of the ink receiving container 21 are short. That's it. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the time during which the recording operation cannot be performed and to realize an ink jet printer capable of high speed operation.

[Second Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
The basic configuration of the ink jet printer of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and only the configuration of the recording paper support portion is different, so only this portion will be described.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the recording paper support in the ink jet printer of this embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the same.
In these drawings, the same components as those used in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  In the recording paper support portion of the present embodiment, the upstream side fixed guide 17, the roller guide 20, and the downstream side fixed guide 18 themselves have the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, and the ink receiving unit disposed inside the roller guide 20. Only the configuration of the apparatus is different from that of the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the ink receiving device 12 including the ink receiving container 21 is installed in the roller guide 20, whereas in the present embodiment, the belt guide type ink receiving in the roller guide 20. A device 12A is installed.

  Inside the roller guide 20, an endless belt 32 supported at both ends by a driving roller 31 is disposed. The central portion of the belt 32 is located inside the roller guide 20, but both end portions of the belt 32 and the driving roller 31 are disposed outside the roller guide 20. The driving roller 31 is connected to a driving source such as a motor (not shown), and the driving roller 31 can be rotated by this driving source. Appropriate tension is applied to the belt 32 by the driving rollers 31 at both ends, and the belt 32 moves in the inner space of the roller guide 20 along the axial direction of the roller guide 20 as the driving roller 31 rotates. At least the outer surface of the belt 32 (the surface on the side facing the recording head 5) is fixed with an ink absorbing material made of felt, sponge or the like having excellent ink absorbability. Further, on the side of the driving roller 31 outside the roller guide 20, an ink separation roller 33 is disposed at a position where the belt 32 is sandwiched between the driving roller 31.

  In the case of this embodiment, the operation of the roller guide 20 when starting the flushing operation is the same as that of the first embodiment. Then, the belt 32 directly receives the ink ejected from the recording head 5 during the flushing operation through the opening 20E of the roller guide 20. In this embodiment, since the member that receives ink is the belt 32, the belt 32 that is a member that receives ink can be arranged closer to the recording head 5 than in the case of the ink receiving container 21 of the first embodiment. It is. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to raise the ink receiving device 12A.

  During the flushing operation or after the completion of the predetermined number of flushing operations, the belt 32 moves, and the ink absorbing material containing ink is sandwiched between the drive roller 31 and the ink separation roller 33 to the ink separation roller 33. Pressed. At this time, the ink absorbing material is compressed, and the ink in the ink absorbing material is squeezed out and removed from the belt 32. Then, the belt 32 from which the ink has been removed moves to the upper side around the lower side of the inner space of the roller guide 20 and waits to receive ink for the next flushing operation.

  Also in the present embodiment, the flushing operation can be performed only by rotating the roller guide 20 by a predetermined angle, and the flushing operation can be performed even if the ink receiving device 12A does not rise, so that the time during which the recording operation cannot be performed can be shortened. The same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained such that an inkjet printer capable of high-speed operation can be realized. Further, since the ink absorbed by the belt absorbent during the flushing is removed by the ink separation roller 33, the ink absorbent is prevented from being saturated and the belt 32 can always exhibit the function as an ink receiving member. . Furthermore, since no ink remains in the ink absorbing material, it is possible to reduce the adhesion of the ink onto the belt due to the accumulation of ink and the evaporation of moisture, and a stable operation is possible.

  In the present embodiment, both the upper side and the lower side of the belt 32 are arranged inside the roller guide 20. However, depending on the dimensional relationship between the roller guide 20 and the belt 32, etc. Only the side may be arranged inside the roller guide 20 and the lower side may be arranged outside (downward) the roller guide 20.

[Third Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
The basic configuration of the ink jet printer of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and only the configuration of the recording paper support portion is different, so only this portion will be described.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of the recording paper support in the ink jet printer of this embodiment.
In FIG. 11, the same reference numerals are given to the same constituent members as those in FIG. 6A used in the first embodiment, and description thereof will be omitted.

  In the first embodiment, the ink receiving device 12 is always disposed inside the roller guide 20 regardless of whether it is during a recording operation or during a flushing operation. On the other hand, in the ink jet printer of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, an opening having a size that allows the ink receiving device 12 </ b> B to pass through at a position facing the opening 20 </ b> E on the peripheral surface of the roller guide 20. A portion 20F is provided. During the recording operation, the ink receiving device 12B stands by below the roller guide 20. When the flushing operation is started, the ink receiving device 12B moves into the roller guide 20 through the opening 20F, and the flushing operation is performed. Is called.

  In the case of the present embodiment, the entire maintenance unit including the belt mechanism has been moved although the time required for the flushing operation is slightly longer because the movement distance of the ink receiving device 12B is longer than that of the first embodiment. Compared with the apparatus, the time during which the recording operation cannot be performed can be sufficiently shortened.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
The basic configuration of the ink jet printer of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and only the configuration of the recording paper support portion is different, so only this portion will be described.
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of the recording paper support in the ink jet printer of this embodiment.
In FIG. 12, the same components as those in FIG. 7 used in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  In the ink jet printer of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the lower inner surface of the roller guide 20 directly receives the ink ejected from the recording head 5 during the flushing operation through the opening 20E of the roller guide 20. become. Further, an ink absorbing material 42 having a size that substantially matches the inner diameter of the roller guide 20 is installed at the tip of a piston 41 that extends inward from the side of the roller guide 20 and can be reciprocated.

  Also in the present embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained in which the time during which the recording operation cannot be performed can be shortened and an inkjet printer capable of high-speed operation can be realized. In addition, since the ink ejected on the inner surface of the roller guide 20 during the flushing operation is wiped off by the ink absorbing material 42 in the liquid state, it is possible to reduce the sticking of the ink on the belt due to the accumulation of ink and the evaporation of moisture. Stable operation is possible.

  The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, since the plurality of openings of the roller guide are arranged linearly along the longitudinal direction of the circumferential surface, each recording head is in a state where the roller guide is stopped at a position where each opening faces the recording head. It was the structure which performs a flushing operation | movement. Instead of this configuration, the plurality of openings of the roller guide may be arranged at positions shifted in the circumferential direction. In this case, the flushing operation may be sequentially performed from the recording head that comes to the position where the opening is opposed while the roller guide rotates.

  Further, not only the line head as described above, but also a moving operation in the main scanning direction for ejecting ink while moving the recording head in the main scanning direction (recording paper width direction), and the recording paper is moved in the sub-scanning direction. The present invention can also be applied to a so-called serial head type printer that performs printing in combination with operations.

Further, the present invention can be applied to various fluid ejecting apparatuses including a fluid ejecting head that ejects a minute amount of liquid droplets. In addition, a droplet means the state of the fluid discharged from the said fluid ejecting apparatus, and includes what pulls a tail in granular shape, tear shape, and thread shape. The fluid here may be any material that can be ejected by the fluid ejecting apparatus. For example, it is sufficient that the substance is in a liquid phase, and a liquid material having high or low viscosity, sol, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals (metal melts) In addition, a fluid such as a fluid as a state of a substance as well as a material in which particles of a functional material made of a solid such as a pigment or a metal particle are dissolved, dispersed, or mixed in a solvent are included.
In addition, typical examples of the fluid include ink and liquid crystal as described in the embodiment. Here, the ink includes general water-based inks and oil-based inks, and various fluid compositions such as gel inks and hot-melt inks.

  As a specific example of the fluid ejecting apparatus, for example, a fluid containing a material such as an electrode material or a color material used in the manufacture of a liquid crystal display, an EL (electroluminescence) display, a surface emitting display, a color filter, or the like in a dispersed or dissolved form. It may be a fluid ejecting apparatus for ejecting, a fluid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a bio-organic matter used for biochip manufacturing, a fluid ejecting apparatus that is used as a precision pipette and ejects a fluid as a sample, a printing apparatus, a microdispenser, or the like.

  In addition, transparent resin liquids such as UV curable resins to form fluid injection devices that inject lubricating oil onto precision machines such as watches and cameras, micro hemispherical lenses (optical lenses) used in optical communication elements, etc. The present invention may be applied to a fluid ejecting apparatus that ejects a liquid onto a substrate and a fluid ejecting apparatus that ejects an etching solution such as acid or alkali to etch the substrate.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of an inkjet printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the inkjet printer of this embodiment. It is a top view which shows the principal part of the inkjet printer of this embodiment. It is a top view which shows an example of the nozzle row of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an overall configuration of a recording paper support unit of the present embodiment. 6A is a side view seen from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 5, and FIG. 6B is an enlarged view of a portion P in FIG. 6A. It is sectional drawing which follows the E-E 'line | wire of FIG. 6 (A). It is a perspective view which shows the whole structure of the recording paper support part of 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which follows the A-A 'line of FIG. FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the whole structure of the recording paper support part of 3rd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the whole structure of the recording paper support part of 4th Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Inkjet printer (fluid ejecting apparatus), 5 ... Recording head (fluid ejecting head), 12, 12A, 12B ... Ink receiving apparatus (maintenance apparatus), 16 ... Recording paper (medium), 17, 17A, 17B ... Upstream side Fixed guide (medium guide member), 18, 18A, 18B ... downstream fixed guide (medium guide member), 19, 19A, 19B ... recording paper support (medium support), 24 ... blade (removal member).

Claims (6)

A fluid ejection head that ejects fluid from a nozzle;
A medium support unit that supports a medium transported at a position facing the nozzle, is rotatable about an axis along the transported medium, and includes a cylindrical body having an opening on a peripheral surface ;
A maintenance device that is disposed in a position facing the fluid ejecting head inside the cylindrical body, and that does not rotate with the rotation of the cylindrical body;
A fluid ejection device comprising:
The cylindrical body supports the medium at a position where the opening of the cylindrical body does not face the nozzle, and the nozzle and the nozzle via the opening of the cylindrical body at a position where the opening of the cylindrical body faces the nozzle. Facing the maintenance device,
With the opening facing the nozzle, a maintenance operation of the fluid ejecting head is performed ,
The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the maintenance device is movable in a direction along the axis . A plurality of the fluid ejecting heads in a direction along the axis;
The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of openings of the cylindrical body are provided corresponding to positions of the plurality of fluid ejecting heads.   The fluid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the maintenance device is movable between the inside and the outside of the cylindrical body.   4. The medium support member according to claim 1, further comprising a medium guide member that guides the conveyance of the medium on an upstream side and a downstream side of the cylindrical body in the conveyance direction of the medium. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to the item.   5. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a tip end portion of the medium guide member, which is downstream of the cylindrical body in a conveyance direction of the medium, is located at a position lower than a medium support surface of the medium guide member. .   6. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the medium guiding member further includes a removing member for removing the fluid adhering to the cylindrical body or the fixed substance of the fluid.

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