JPS62288047A - Ink jet recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To rapidly perform recording operation by cleaning the orifice part of a recording head within a short time, by providing a rotatable and movable cleaning member for removing the liquid and/or foreign matter adhered to orifices to a restoration device. CONSTITUTION:When a restoration device 1a moves toward a recording head 7 in the direction shown by an arrow B, an orifice surface 7a is contacted with a cleaning member 1 and a shaft 8 is pressed to a holder 9 with the movement of the restoration device 1a and, therefore, the cleaning member 1 performs the cleaning of the orifice surface 7a from above to below along a groove 10. The cleaning member 1 present at a solid line position in the first place moves in the direction shown by an arrow (c) and, subsequently, the restoration device 1a moves toward the recording head 7 as it is to perform the capping of orifices by a cap 4 and, when said device 1a is separated from the recording head 7, the cleaning member 1 returns to the solid line position by the springs 8a mounted to both ends of the shaft 8. As the cleaning member, a cylindrical member comprising an elastomer such as plastic or rubber or one formed by applying flocking to the shaft 8 in a blade form may be used.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention 3. Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus having a recovery device having a cap for sealing around an orifice of an inkjet recording head.

[Conventional technology]

Inkjet recording devices have been known as devices that are quiet, low-cost, and capable of recording various types of graphics, characters, etc. by dot recording.

Due to the nature of using liquid ink, this type of device encountered different technical problems than devices that used inoclin ribbons.

For example, in an on-demand type device, ink is ejected from the fine orifice of the nozzle only at the timing when a dot is needed (by the driving energy of a piezoelectric element, heating element, etc.), so the length of the non-driving period K There are problems in which the viscosity of the ink changes, air bubbles form inside the nozzle, and foreign matter such as paper scraps, dust, and dirt adheres to the orifice, making it impossible to perform normal recording.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

Therefore, in an on-demand type ink jet printing apparatus, a means for restoring the print head to a normal state is required.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a recovery device for a recording head of a conventional inkjet recording apparatus, and this recovery device is provided at a predetermined position fK, such as at the end of a scanning area of the recording head.

The recovery device t is constructed by attaching each member with reference numerals on a base. In the figure, reference numeral 4 is a cap made of silicone rubber, etc., and this cap 4 is approximately attached to the tip of the recording head (not shown). It is installed airtight.

The block-shaped member including this cap 4 is the motor 17J.
C is moved back and forth via the gear 17a, and the cap 4
The cap 4 is attached to the tip of the recording head that has been moved to the opposing position it.

A blade 2 attached to the side surface of the cap 4 is made of silicone rubber or the like, and foreign matter can be removed by rubbing a head against the tip of the blade 2. The release lever 19 is used to retreat the blade 2t after the recovery operation.

Conventionally, with the above configuration, the cap 4 was attached to the front surface of the recording head. In addition, the liquid in the foreign matter adhering to the orifice was removed by rubbing it against the cleaning blade 2, which was made of rubber or the like at the tip of the head.

However, with such a method, it is difficult to completely recover the head, and in conventional methods, the device is often set to repeat the recovery operation many times to ensure complete safety.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to solve the problems mentioned above, the original F! A is
In an inkjet recording apparatus having a recovery device having a cap for sealing around an orifice of an inkjet recording head, the recovery device is rotatable and movable for removing liquid and/or foreign matter adhering to the orifice. An inkjet recording device is provided which is characterized by having a cleaning member.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1: FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the main parts of a recovery device of an embodiment of the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention.

In the recovery device of this embodiment, a rotatable and movable cleaning member 1 is provided in the cap 4 of the conventional recovery device as shown in FIG. #'i, When the cap 4 is in a predetermined position and sealing around the orifice of the recording head (not shown), it moves toward the orifice if desired, and comes into contact with the orifice to remove the liquid and paper waste attached to the orifice. , dust,
Remove foreign objects such as dust.

The cleaning member 1 is rotatably supported by an arm 5,
The arm 5 is supported by the shaft 5a of the row 23. The shaft 5aFi of the row 23 is connected to a drive source (not shown), and the row 25#'i is rotated by the drive of the drive source. low 23
and the cleaning member 1 are in contact with each other, so the row 23
The cleaning member 1 rotates as the cleaning member 1 rotates. 6 is a stopper.

Next, the operation of the main parts of the recovery device constructed as described above will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. F,! f
, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 show a recovery device xt of an embodiment of the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic top view illustrating the operation of main parts. However, the upper lid of the cap 4 is omitted.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, numeral 7 denotes a recording head, and the recording head 7 has an orifice on an orifice surface 7a.

When cleaning the orifice, as shown in FIG. 2, the cap 4 moves toward the recording head 7 at a predetermined position, and the cleaning member 1 comes into contact with the orifice on the orifice surface 7a.

When the row 25 rotates in the direction of arrow a by a drive source (not shown), the cleaning member 1 rotates in the direction of arrow A accordingly. As the roller 3 rotates in the direction of the arrow a, the arm 5Fi is pressed against the stopper 6, so the contact between the cleaning member 1 and the orifice surface 7a continues.

When the cleaning of the orifice is completed, the row 23 is rotated in the direction of arrow C by a drive source (not shown). Along with this rotation, the cleaning member 1 rotates in the direction of arrow d. At the same time, the arm 5 separates from the stopper 6,
Capping of the recording head 7 by the cap 4 may continue in this state while moving in the direction of the arrow e;
The orifice may be cleaned again by the cleaning member 1, or the recording head 7 may be immediately separated from the cap 4 and recording may be started. As a result, the cleaning member 1 and the orifice surface 7a are separated.

By the way, another example of the cleaning member 1 is shown in FIG. 4 (41, (B)).
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing another example of the cleaning member 1 according to the present invention.

The cleaning member 1 may be a cylindrical member made of an elastic material such as plastic or rubber as shown in FIGS. Alternatively, the shaft 8 may be flocked in the shape of a blade, or it may be integrally molded from an elastic material such as plastic or rubber, as shown in FIG. 4(B). The number of blades is not limited to eight, but may be any number7).

Further, the driving source (not shown) for the row 23 may be driven by any driving method such as manual driving in addition to motor driving.

In such an inkjet recording device f, the cleaning member can be brought into contact with and separated from the orifice as desired during capping, so that the orifice surface can be kept clean without being worn out.

Also, since a cleaning member is installed inside the cap,
The outside of the cap will not get dirty due to ink scattering.

Embodiment 2: FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the main parts of a recovery device of another embodiment of the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention.

In the recovery device ft of this embodiment, a cleaning member 1 is provided in front of the cap 4.

The cleaning member 1 is moved when the recovery device #, 1a moves in the direction of the arrow M toward the recording head 7 at the ninth time when the cap 4 performs the cleaning of the orifice of the orifice surface 7a of the recording head 7. Along with this, the orifice surface 7a is cleaned.

The cleaning member 1 is supported at both ends by a shaft 8.
The shaft 8 is movable along the groove 10.

A predetermined tensile force is applied to the shaft 8 by a spring 8a#i. 9 is a holder for pushing the shaft 8.

Next, the operation of the main parts of the recovery device configured as described above will be explained using FIG. 11c6 and FIG. 7. 6 is a schematic top view for explaining the operation of the main parts of the recovery device of another embodiment of the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a schematic front view thereof.

First, when the recovery device ft1a is directed towards the recording head 7, the arrow B
move in the direction of At this time, with the movement of the zero recovery device R1a whose orifice surface 7a is in contact with the cleaning member 1, the shaft 8 is pushed by the holder 9.
cleans the orifice surface from top to bottom along the groove 10.

As shown in FIG. The orifice is capped by 4.

When the recovery device ii 1a is detached from the recording head 7, the springs 8a attached to both ends of the shaft 8 allow the cleaning member 1 to return to the position shown by the solid line in FIG.

With such movement of the cleaning member 1, the orifice surface 7a is cleaned again.

The cleaning member 1 may be a cylindrical member made of an elastic material such as plastic or rubber, as shown in FIGS. It may be the same as that described while referring to Figures (AJ, (Bl).

Such an inkjet recording apparatus can reliably clean the orifice surface during carving/printing with a simple configuration.

The cleaning member can be easily replaced.

In the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention described above,
Although we have described the case where the recovery device performs capping and cleaning of the orifice surface, it is also possible to further provide a suction tube or the like to perform suction recovery of an orifice that does not eject ink due to clogging, etc. Needless to say.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention as described above, an excellent inkjet recording device hct- is provided, which can reliably and completely remove the liquid and/or foreign matter adhering to the orifice portion of the recording head in a short period of time, and can quickly perform a recording operation. can do.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the main parts of a recovery device of an embodiment of the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention. FIGS. 2 and 3 are schematic top views for explaining the operation of the main parts of the recovery device of one embodiment of the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention. FIGS. 4(M) and 4(B) are perspective views showing other examples of the cleaning member according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the main parts of the recovery device of another embodiment of the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic top view for explaining the operation of the main parts of the recovery device of another embodiment of the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a schematic front view thereof. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a recording head recovery device of a conventional inkjet recording apparatus. 1...Cleaning member 1a...Recovery device 2...Blade 500. Roller 3-+, shaft 4...cap θ2) 5...arm 6...stopper 7...recording head 7a...orifice surface 8...shaft 8a...spring 9...holder 10. ...Groove 17...Motor 17a...Gear 19...Release lever (-

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In an inkjet recording apparatus having a recovery device having a cap for sealing around an orifice of an inkjet recording head, the recovery device is rotatable and movable for removing liquid and/or foreign matter adhering to the orifice. An inkjet recording device characterized in that it has a cleaning member that can be cleaned.