JP2003165236A - Ink-jet recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink-jet recorder which can prevent waste liquid ink sucked out through nozzle openings or the like from being absorbed not fully at a waste liquid storage part in a cleaning operation after a long-term preservation state. <P>SOLUTION: The ink-jet recorder is provided with an ink-jet recording head 2 which includes nozzle openings 14, pressure generation chambers 15 communicating with the openings, and pressure generation elements for applying a pressure change to the chambers 15, a cleaning unit 4 for carrying out the cleaning operation by applying a negative pressure to a suction chamber 32B connected to a suction pump 13 in a state with nozzle openings 14 being sealed via the suction chamber 32B, and the waste liquid storage part 37 to which the waste liquid ink sucked out of the suction chamber 32B is sent via an inflow pipe 36B. An absorption promotion space 46 for allowing the ink to spread in a nearly horizontal plane direction is set to a waste liquid absorber 42 in the waste liquid storage part 37. Therefore, the waste liquid ink spreading in a liquid state is absorbed by the whole of the waste liquid absorber 42 through a wide absorption face. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet type recording apparatus for recording an image or a character on a recording sheet by ejecting an ink droplet from a nozzle opening by expanding or contracting a piezoelectric vibrator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a peripheral structure of an ink jet recording apparatus which has been generally adopted. This apparatus includes a carriage 3 in which an ink cartridge 1 is mounted on an upper portion and a recording head 2 is attached to a lower surface, and a cleaning unit 4 which seals the recording head 2 or the like.

The carriage 3 is provided with a timing belt 5
It is connected to a stepping motor 6 via a guide bar 7, and is reciprocally moved in the paper width direction of the recording paper 8 by being guided by a guide bar 7. A drive circuit 9 is provided to control the ink ejection state from the recording head 2. The drive circuit 9 is arranged in the housing case 10, and the housing case 10 is fixed to the wall frame member 11. Drive signals and various control signals from the drive circuit 9 are input to the recording head 2 via the flexible flat cable 12.

The recording head 2 is attached to the surface of the carriage 3 facing the recording paper 8 (the lower surface in this example). Then, ink is supplied to the recording head 2 from the ink cartridge 1, and while moving the carriage 3, ink droplets are ejected onto the upper surface of the recording paper 8 to print an image or a character by a dot matrix.

The cleaning unit 4 is provided in a non-printing area within the moving range of the carriage 3, and seals the nozzle surface of the recording head 2 during printing suspension to prevent the nozzle openings from drying as much as possible. There is. Also,
The cleaning unit 4 is connected to the suction pump 13 and applies a negative pressure to the nozzle openings of the recording head 2 to suck ink from the nozzle openings during the cleaning operation. Furthermore, this cleaning unit 4
It may also function as a container for receiving ink droplets ejected from the recording head 2 by the flushing operation.

When printing is performed while reciprocating the carriage 3, the flexible flat cable 12 is used.
A drive signal or the like is input from the drive circuit 9 to the recording head 2 while continuously performing continuous bending deformation.

An ink jet recording head (hereinafter referred to as "recording head") using a longitudinally vibrating piezoelectric vibrator generally has a large number of nozzle openings 1 as shown in FIGS.
4 and the flow path unit 16 in which the pressure generating chamber 15 is formed,
The flow path unit 16 is attached and a head case 18 in which the piezoelectric vibrator 17 is housed is provided.

The flow passage unit 16 has a nozzle opening 14
Is a nozzle plate 1 arranged in a line in a direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG.
9 and the pressure generating chamber 15 communicating with each nozzle opening 14
And a sealing plate 21 that closes the lower openings of the pressure generating chambers 15 are stacked. The flow path substrate 20 is formed with an ink storage chamber 23 that communicates with each pressure generation chamber 15 via the ink supply passage 22 and stores the ink supplied to each pressure generation chamber 15. In this example, the nozzle opening 14 and the pressure generating chamber 15
There are two rows of.

The head case 18 is made of synthetic resin,
The piezoelectric vibrator 17 is housed in a space 24 that penetrates vertically. The space 24 extends in the direction in which the nozzle openings 14 are arranged in rows, and two spaces 24 are provided corresponding to the rows of the nozzle openings 14. The piezoelectric vibrator 17 has a rear end side fixed to a fixed substrate 25 attached to the head case 18, and a front end face fixed to an island portion 26 on the lower surface of the sealing plate 21.

Then, the drive signal generated by the drive circuit 9 is input from the flexible flat cable 12 to the piezoelectric vibrator 17 via the conducting wire 27, whereby the piezoelectric vibrator 17 is expanded and contracted in the longitudinal direction. Due to the expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric vibrator 17, the island portion 26 of the sealing plate 21 is vibrated to change the pressure inside the pressure generating chamber 15 so that the ink inside the pressure generating chamber 15 is ejected as an ink droplet from the nozzle opening 14. It has become. In the figure, reference numeral 28 is an ink supply pipe for supplying ink from the ink cartridge 1 to the ink storage chamber 23.

The sealing plate 21 has a structure in which a resin thin film 21A and a metal thin film 21B are laminated. In the portion of the head case 18 corresponding to the ink storage chamber 23,
The resin thin film 21A is arranged. Resin thin film 2
1A is made of a polyphenylene sulfide film (hereinafter referred to as “PPS film”), and a damper recess 29 is formed through the PPS film 21A to allow pressure fluctuations in the ink storage chamber 23 at the time of ejection to escape. When the damper recess 29 is present as an independent space that does not communicate with the outside, the air in the damper recess 29 permeates the PPS film 21A and is eluted into the ink, and the atmospheric pressure in the damper recess 29 decreases to lower the PPS. The tension of the film 21A becomes high and it becomes difficult to obtain a sufficient damper effect. Therefore, from the back surface of the damper recess 29, the head case 1
By forming an external communication hole 30 penetrating toward the opposite side of 8 and communicating the damper recess 29 to the outside,
The pressure drop in the damper recess 29 as described above is prevented.

As described above, in the above recording head, the cleaning unit forcibly sucking the high-viscosity ink when the water content of the ink in the flow path evaporates and the viscosity increases due to being left unused. It is equipped with 4. When the recording head moves to the cleaning position in the non-printing area, the cleaning unit 4 seals the nozzle surface 31 of the recording head as shown in FIG. 8 and sucks ink from the nozzle opening 14 to clog the ink. To recover.

In the cleaning unit 4, the box-shaped cap body 32 having a shallow depth is made of a semi-hard rubber material and is opened upward. The cap body 32 is fitted in the cap case 33, and the opening edge 34 of the cap body is configured so as to be in close contact with the surface of the nozzle plate 19, that is, the nozzle surface 31. The internal space of the cap body 32 configured as described above serves as a suction chamber 32B. A suction port 35 is opened in a bottom surface 32A of the cap body 32, and a suction pipe 36 is connected to the suction port 35.
A suction pump 13 is arranged in the middle of 6. To the end of the suction pipe 36, a waste liquid storage portion 37 containing a waste liquid absorbent such as sponge is connected.

At the bottom surface 32A of the cap body 32, an air introducing port 38 is opened, and an air introducing pipe 39 is provided there.
Is connected, and an opening / closing valve 40 that connects and disconnects the flow of this pipeline is disposed in the middle of the connection.

Ink cartridge 1 shown in FIG.
Are simply illustrated in a small size, and an ink supply pipe 28 extending from each ink cartridge 1 is connected to the ink storage chamber 23.

FIG. 8 shows a state in which the recording head 2 is stopped at the cleaning position and the nozzle surface 31 is sealed by the opening edge 34. When the opening / closing valve 40 is closed and the suction pump 13 is operated, the high-viscosity ink stagnant in the nozzle opening 14 and its vicinity is sucked out and stored in the bottom portion of the cap body 32. After that, when the open / close valve 40 is opened and the suction pump 13 is continuously operated,
The high-viscosity ink in the cap body 32 is sent to the waste liquid storage section 37. After the above cleaning operation is completed, the recording head 2 shifts to the printing operation.

The waste liquid storage section 37 shown in FIG. 8 will be described in detail. A waste liquid tank 41 having an outer shape of a rectangular parallelepiped is formed of synthetic resin, and a waste liquid absorbing material 42 is accommodated therein. The waste liquid absorbent 42 is made of sponge, felt,
Any material may be used as long as it absorbs ink, such as absorbent paper, and is a sponge material here. A receiving hole 43 having a circular cross section is provided in the center of the waste liquid absorbent 42.
2 is opened in a state of penetrating through 2, while the waste liquid tank 41
Is opened to the atmosphere through the opening portion 44.

The suction pipe 36 is inserted into the receiving hole 43, and its lower end portion, that is, the opening end 36A is positioned inside the receiving hole 43. Although not shown,
By supporting the suction pipe 36 to a stationary member in the vicinity by using an appropriate clamp stopper, the vertical position of the open end 36A of the suction pipe 36 is set. Reference numeral 45 is the ink surface.

[0019]

In the above-mentioned ink jet recording apparatus, the high-viscosity ink is sucked out from the nozzle opening 14 by a cleaning operation after being left unused and the like, and the waste ink is removed as described above. Waste liquid storage part 3
It is generally carried out that the waste liquid is sent to the waste liquid 7 and absorbed by the waste liquid absorbent 42 in the waste liquid storage part 37. in this case,
If the ink used is a pigment-based ink, the waste liquid absorbent 42 is clogged in a short time because the concentration of the pigment solid content in the waste liquid is high. In the above clogging, the solid pigment content is the waste liquid absorbent 4
2 is generated by the gradual accumulation on the surface portion of the second ink, which lowers the permeability of the subsequent ink and causes the waste liquid absorbent 42
The overall absorption function will not be fully exerted. Such a phenomenon remarkably appears when the contact area between the ink and the waste liquid absorbent 42 is small.

To explain the above problem with reference to FIG. 8, the waste liquid ink flowing from the suction pipe 36 into the receiving hole 43 has a higher ink pressure below the receiving hole 43.
Clogging progresses from below, and then gradually moves upward. Therefore, the vicinity of the inner surface of the receiving hole 43 becomes a clogging layer, and the ink absorption at the position far from the receiving hole 43 is extremely small or almost not absorbed. In the drawing shown in FIG. 8, the area where the pear-skin cloth is applied around the receiving hole 43 is the portion where the waste liquid ink is impregnated, and the portion where the density of the pear-skin cloth is high indicates that the degree of clogging is high. .

As the clogging progresses as described above,
Since the absorption of the waste liquid ink in the receiving hole 43 is remarkably reduced, the ink surface 45 in the receiving hole 43 is gradually increased and the opening end 36A is immersed in the liquid. In this case, the back pressure of the suction pump 13 increases, so that the suction port 3
The suction force from No. 5 decreases, the amount of high-viscosity ink remaining in the suction chamber 32B increases, and bubbles easily occur in the suction chamber 32B. When the bubbles adhere to the vicinity of the nozzle opening 14, the bubbles remain as they are, causing color mixing and the like, and a normal cleaning operation cannot be achieved. Further, due to the adhesion of air bubbles, the ink liquid surface (meniscus) of the nozzle opening is destroyed, the direction of ink ejection is changed, and the size of the ejected droplet becomes abnormal, so that proper printing quality cannot be obtained.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a main object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of sufficiently enhancing the waste liquid absorbing function of the waste liquid storage section.

[0023]

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a nozzle opening provided in a nozzle plate, a pressure generating chamber communicating with the nozzle opening, and a pressure fluctuation in the pressure generating chamber. An ink jet type recording head including a pressure generating element, and a cleaning unit for performing a cleaning operation by applying a negative pressure to the suction chamber in a state where the nozzle plate is sealed via a suction chamber connected to a suction pump. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: and a waste liquid storage part into which ink as a waste liquid sucked out from the suction chamber is sent through an inflow pipe, wherein the waste liquid absorbent material is disposed in the waste liquid storage part. The point is that an absorption promoting space is provided to allow the ink to spread in a substantially horizontal direction.

That is, in the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, the waste liquid absorbing material arranged in the waste liquid storing portion is provided with the absorption promoting space which allows the ink to spread in the substantially horizontal plane direction.

Therefore, when the ink as waste liquid is sent from the inflow pipe to the waste liquid storage portion, it first flows into the absorption promoting space and flows from that portion so as to spread in a substantially horizontal plane direction. Then, the absorption promoting space is substantially filled with the waste liquid ink. With such a filling, the waste liquid ink is uniformly absorbed from the inner surface of the absorption promoting space, which has a large absorption area on the waste liquid absorbent side, and the waste liquid ink permeates the entire waste liquid absorbing material. The waste liquid storage function is demonstrated. Further, since the large absorption area is utilized, even if the waste liquid absorbing material is clogged due to the ink solid content, it becomes acceptable and the waste liquid absorbing material can function for a long period of time.

In the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, the vertical dimension of the absorption promoting space is set to a small value so that the ink flowing into the absorption promoting space is easily absorbed by the waste liquid absorbing material. In this case, since the waste liquid ink that has flowed into the absorption promoting space immediately fills this space, contact between the waste liquid ink and the waste liquid absorbing material is established at the same time as the above filling, and the absorption into the waste liquid absorbing material is early. It is suitable for surely starting the ink within the above range and continuing to absorb the succeeding waste liquid ink without interruption.

In the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, when the absorption promoting space is provided between the bottom portion of the waste liquid tank containing the waste liquid absorbing material and the waste liquid absorbing material, a synthetic resin material, a metal material, etc. Since the bottom of the waste liquid tank made in step 2 forms the bottom of the absorption promotion space, the waste ink that has flowed into the absorption promotion space smoothly spreads in the horizontal direction and flows, and is even from the large inner surface of the absorption promotion space. It is advantageous for the waste liquid storage section to function normally since absorption is started. Further, since the absorption promotion space is arranged at the bottom of the waste liquid tank, when the liquid level of the inflowing waste liquid ink reaches a certain level in sequence, the liquid pressure of the waste liquid ink in the absorption promotion space increases. Therefore, a pressure action is generated on the waste liquid absorbent, and the absorption is further promoted.

In the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, when the distance member for forming the absorption promoting space is arranged at the bottom, the function of maintaining the gap of the distance member can be utilized, so that the waste liquid tank An absorption promoting space is reliably formed between the bottom and the waste liquid absorbent. Further, by disposing the distance member, the vertical space dimension of the absorption promoting space can be accurately set, which is effective for further enhancing the absorption function of the waste liquid ink.

In the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, when the distance member is formed by the rib provided on the bottom portion, the member forming the bottom portion of the waste liquid tank may be deformed due to the rib. Therefore, when the waste liquid tank is made of synthetic resin, the ribs may be simultaneously formed, and when the waste liquid tank is made of a metal plate, the metal plate may be plastically worked to form the ribs. Therefore, in the case of the rib structure, the manufacture is simple and the rib height can be set accurately, so that the vertical space dimension of the absorption promoting space can be set accurately and the absorption of the waste liquid ink can be performed. It is effective in enhancing the function.

In the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, when the bottom is provided with a guide member for guiding the ink to the entire absorption promoting space, the waste liquid ink is positively guided by the guide member. The waste liquid ink is guided over the entire absorption promotion space, and it is effective to make full use of the large absorption area of the absorption promotion space to absorb the waste liquid ink into the entire waste liquid absorption material. The guide member is made of a material having an absorption function similar to that of the waste liquid absorbent, so that the guide member can have both the guide function and the absorption function. It is possible to utilize the entire area of the above and the absorption function of the guide member itself, and maximize the capacity of the waste liquid storage section. Further, since this guide member can be formed by deforming the bottom surface of the waste liquid tank, the guide member can be simply formed without increasing the number of parts.

In the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, when the guide member has a guide slope, the waste liquid ink is caused to flow down along the slope, so that the waste ink is flowed along the slope in all directions. It is effective to guide the waste liquid ink to the entire area of the absorption promotion space and to fully utilize the large absorption area of the absorption promotion space to absorb the waste liquid ink in the entire waste liquid absorption material.

In the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, when an ink introducing hole is formed in the waste liquid absorbing material facing the guide slope, the waste liquid ink flowing down the guide slope flows into the ink introducing hole. From doing
The waste liquid ink that has entered the ink introduction hole penetrates into every corner of the waste liquid absorbent, and the absorption function of the waste liquid absorbent can be utilized to the maximum. By appropriately selecting the number, length, direction, etc. of the ink introduction holes, the absorbing function can be sufficiently enhanced.

In the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, the absorption promoting space is arranged above the waste liquid absorbing material, and the upper surface of the waste liquid absorbing material is provided with a guide slope for guiding the ink to the entire absorption promoting space. In this case, since the waste liquid ink spreads over the entire absorption promotion space due to the guide slope and flows down, the waste liquid ink is absorbed by the waste liquid absorbing material on the way of this flow, and from the surface area of the entire waste liquid absorbing material. The waste liquid ink is absorbed, and the whole waste liquid absorbing material is absorbed, and the function as the waste liquid storage section is normally performed.

In the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, when the opening end of the inflow pipe is arranged at a position separated from the ink liquid surface in the waste liquid storage portion, the opening end is immersed in the ink liquid surface. Therefore, the waste liquid ink sucked into the suction pump is smoothly fed to a predetermined portion of the waste liquid absorbing material, and is normally absorbed by the waste liquid absorbing material through the absorption promoting space.

If the open end of the inflow pipe is immersed in the ink liquid, the back pressure of the suction pump increases and the suction function from the suction chamber decreases. When the function of the suction pump deteriorates, the amount of high-viscosity ink remaining in the suction chamber increases, and bubbles easily occur in the suction chamber. If the bubbles adhere to the vicinity of the nozzle opening, the bubbles remain as they are, causing color mixing and the like, and a normal cleaning operation cannot be achieved. Further, due to the adhesion of air bubbles, the ink liquid surface (meniscus) of the nozzle opening is destroyed, the direction of ink ejection is changed, and the size of the ejected droplet becomes abnormal, so that proper printing quality cannot be obtained. However,
By separating the opening end from the ink surface as described above, the problems of the print quality and the like described above are solved.

[0036]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

1 to 5 show an embodiment of an ink jet type recording apparatus of the present invention, which is basically the same as that shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, and hereinafter, the same portions are denoted by the same reference numerals. Explain.

An ink jet type recording head (hereinafter referred to as "recording head") using a longitudinally vibrating piezoelectric vibrator is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG.
And the flow channel unit 16 in which the
6 is attached, and a head case 18 in which the piezoelectric vibrator 17 is housed is provided.

The flow path unit 16 includes the nozzle opening 14
Is a nozzle plate 1 arranged in a line in a direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG.
9 and the pressure generating chamber 15 communicating with each nozzle opening 14
And a sealing plate 21 that closes the lower openings of the pressure generating chambers 15 are stacked. The flow path substrate 20 is formed with an ink storage chamber 23 that communicates with each pressure generation chamber 15 via the ink supply passage 22 and stores the ink supplied to each pressure generation chamber 15. In this example, the nozzle opening 14 and the pressure generating chamber 15
There are two rows of.

The head case 18 is formed by injection-molding a thermosetting resin or a thermoplastic resin, and the piezoelectric vibrator 17 is housed in a space 24 that vertically penetrates. The space 24 extends in the direction in which the nozzle openings 14 are arranged in rows, and two spaces 24 are provided corresponding to the rows of the nozzle openings 14. The piezoelectric vibrator 17 has a head case 1 on the rear end side.
It is fixed to the fixed substrate 25 attached to the No. 8 and the tip surface is fixed to the island portion 26 on the lower surface of the sealing plate 21.

Then, the drive signal generated by the drive circuit as shown in FIG. 6 is input to the piezoelectric vibrator 17 from the flexible flat cable through the conducting wire 27, whereby the piezoelectric vibrator 17 is expanded and contracted in the longitudinal direction. Let Due to the expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric vibrator 17, the island portion 26 of the sealing plate 21 is vibrated to change the pressure inside the pressure generating chamber 15 so that the ink inside the pressure generating chamber 15 is ejected as an ink droplet from the nozzle opening 14. It has become. In the figure, reference numeral 28 is an ink supply pipe for supplying ink from the ink cartridge 1 to the ink storage chamber 23.

The sealing plate 21 has a structure in which a resin thin film 21A and a metal thin film 21B are laminated. In the portion of the head case 18 corresponding to the ink storage chamber 23,
The resin thin film 21A is arranged. Resin thin film 2
1A is made of a polyphenylene sulfide film (hereinafter referred to as “PPS film”), and a damper recess 29 is formed through the PPS film 21A to allow pressure fluctuations in the ink storage chamber 23 at the time of ejection to escape. When the damper recess 29 is present as an independent space that does not communicate with the outside, the air in the damper recess 29 permeates the PPS film 21A and is eluted into the ink, and the atmospheric pressure in the damper recess 29 decreases to lower the PPS. The tension of the film 21A becomes high and it becomes difficult to obtain a sufficient damper effect. Therefore, from the back surface of the damper recess 29, the head case 1
By forming an external communication hole 30 penetrating toward the opposite side of 8 and communicating the damper recess 29 to the outside,
The pressure drop in the damper recess 29 as described above is prevented.

In the recording head 2, as described above, cleaning for forcibly sucking high-viscosity ink when the water content of the ink in the flow path evaporates and the viscosity rises due to being left unused. The unit 4 is provided. When the recording head moves to the cleaning position in the non-printing area, the cleaning unit 4 seals the nozzle surface 31 of the recording head as shown in FIG.
Ink is sucked from the nozzle to recover the clogging.

In the cleaning unit 4, the box-shaped cap body 32 having a shallow depth is made of a semi-hard rubber material and is open upward. The cap body 32 is fitted in the cap case 33, and the opening edge 34 of the cap body is configured so as to be in close contact with the surface of the nozzle plate 19, that is, the nozzle surface 31. The internal space of the cap body 32 configured as described above serves as a suction chamber 32B. A suction port 35 is opened in a bottom surface 32A of the cap body 32, and a suction pipe 36 is connected to the suction port 35.
A suction pump 13 is arranged in the middle of 6. To the end of the suction pipe 36, a waste liquid storage portion 37 containing a waste liquid absorbent such as sponge is connected.

At the bottom surface 32A of the cap body 32, an air introducing port 38 is opened, and an air introducing pipe 39 is provided there.
Is connected, and an opening / closing valve 40 that connects and disconnects the flow of this pipeline is disposed in the middle of the connection.

Ink cartridge 1 shown in FIG.
Are simply illustrated in a small size, and an ink supply pipe 28 extending from each ink cartridge 1 is connected to the ink storage chamber 23.

FIG. 1 shows a state in which the recording head 2 is stopped at the cleaning position and the nozzle surface 31 is sealed by the opening edge 34. When the opening / closing valve 40 is closed and the suction pump 13 is operated, the high-viscosity ink stagnant in the nozzle opening 14 and its vicinity is sucked out and stored in the bottom portion of the cap body 32. After that, when the open / close valve 40 is opened and the suction pump 13 is continuously operated,
The high-viscosity ink in the cap body 32 is sent to the waste liquid storage section 37. After the above cleaning operation is completed, the recording head 2 shifts to the printing operation.

The waste liquid reservoir 37 shown in FIG. 1 will be described in detail. A waste liquid tank 41 having an outer shape of a rectangular parallelepiped is formed of a synthetic resin or a metal plate, and a waste liquid absorbing material 42 is contained therein. The waste liquid absorbent 42 may be any material that absorbs ink, such as sponge, felt, and absorbent paper, and is a sponge material here. A receiving hole 43 having a circular cross section is formed in the center of the waste liquid absorbent 42.
Is opened so as to penetrate the waste liquid absorbent 42, while
The upper part of the waste liquid tank 41 is opened to the atmosphere through the opening 44.

In FIG. 1, in consideration of the flow path configuration of the waste liquid ink to the waste liquid storage portion 37, the pipe path from the suction port 35 to the suction pump 13 is referred to as a suction pipe 36, and the suction pump 13 and the subsequent pipes are inflow pipe 36B. The inflow pipe 36B is inserted into the receiving hole 43, and the lower end portion thereof, that is, the opening end 36A is positioned inside the receiving hole 43.
Although not shown in the figure, the upper and lower positions of the open end 36A of the inflow pipe 36B are set by supporting the inflow pipe 36B on a stationary member in the vicinity by using an appropriate clamp stopper.

The waste liquid absorbing material 42 is provided with an absorption promoting space 46 which allows the waste liquid ink to spread in a substantially horizontal plane direction. The waste liquid absorbing material 42 is made of a sponge material, and the absorption promoting space 46 is preferably formed at the same time when the sponge material is formed. FIG. 2 is a perspective view in which the waste liquid absorbent 42 is inverted. The waste liquid absorbent 42 is sized to fit snugly into the waste liquid tank 41, and the absorption promoting space 46 is provided between the bottom portion 47 of the waste liquid tank 41 and the waste liquid absorbent 42.

The space size of the absorption promoting space 46 in the vertical direction is uniform over the entire space 46. In order to realize this, the bottom portion 47 is made flat, and the portion corresponding to the ceiling surface of the absorption promoting space 46 is made flat. Then, the flat surface on the ceiling side is made as wide as possible and serves as a main absorption surface 48 of the waste liquid absorbent 42. In order to determine the dimension in the vertical direction, a distance member 49 having a height L1 is integrally provided around the waste liquid absorbent 42.

The vertical dimension of the absorption promoting space 46 is set to a small value in order to facilitate absorption of the waste liquid ink flowing into the space 46. This value is the same as the height L1 of the distance member 49 described above.

Reference numeral 45 is an ink liquid surface of the waste liquid ink, and the inflow pipe 36B is located at a position separated from the liquid surface 45.
The open end 36A of is arranged. That is, the vertical distance, which is the dimension L2 in FIG. 1, is set as the separation distance.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show a case where the distance member 49 is formed of a rib, and is a cross-sectional view and a plan view, respectively. The waste liquid tank 41 here is a metal plate manufactured by press molding, and the ribs 50 are simultaneously molded during this press molding. As is clear from FIG. 3B, the ribs 50 are set to have short lengths, and three ribs 50 are arranged in a shifted state. By doing so, the absorption promoting space 46 communicates with the entire bottom surface of the waste liquid tank 41. Although not shown, such ribs 50 may be formed simultaneously when the waste liquid tank 41 is formed of synthetic resin. Further, the arrangement of the ribs 50 is not limited to that shown in the drawing, and for example, the ribs 50 may be arranged radially or in an N-shape. In addition, reference numeral L1 in FIG.
L2 is the same as that described in FIG.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are sectional views when the guide member 51 is arranged on the bottom portion 47, and a guide slope 51A is provided for guiding the waste liquid ink. As the guide member 51, a separate component made of a synthetic resin material, a metal material, or the like is fixed to the bottom portion 47. Here, the guide member 51 is used.
A sponge material similar to the waste liquid absorbing material 42 is used in order to give itself absorbability of the waste liquid ink. Also,
Although not shown, the bottom 47 is raised so that the guide member 5
1 can also be formed.

The absorbing surface 48 of the waste liquid absorbing material 42 is provided with the same inclination as that of the guide slope 51A,
A slight gap is formed in the vertical direction between the absorption surface 48 and the guide slope 51A, and this gap serves as the absorption promotion space 46. The absorption promotion space 46 in FIG. 4 (A) allows the waste liquid ink to spread substantially in the horizontal direction, so the actual inclination angle of the guide slope 51A is set to a very small angle. The volume of the waste liquid absorbent 42 is secured as large as possible. At the same time, the absorption promoting space 46 extends over substantially the entire area of the waste liquid tank 41.

Since the guide member 51 has a flat pyramid shape or a conical shape, the absorbing surface 48 also has an inclined shape suitable for it.

FIG. 4B shows a case in which the ink introduction hole 52 is added to the structure of the above-mentioned (A), and the inclination angle of the guide member 51 is enlarged for easy understanding. . The ink introduction holes 52 are communicated with the absorption promotion space 46, and a plurality of ink introduction holes 52 are arranged in various directions in order to absorb the waste liquid ink in the entire area of the waste liquid absorbent 42, and the lengths thereof are also selected.

In both (A) and (B) of FIG.
The separation distance L2 is given.

FIG. 5 shows a case where the absorption promoting space 46 is arranged above the waste liquid absorbent 42 and a guide slope 42A is provided on the upper surface of the waste liquid absorbent 42.
In the case of FIG. 3A, the guide slope 42A is a spherical type, and the opening end 36A of the inflow pipe 36B is directly above the top of the guide slope 42A.
Are arranged, and at the same time, the separation distance L2 is set. On the other hand, FIG. 6B shows the case where the guide slope 42A is a conical shape or a pyramid shape, and the opening end 36A is opened at the same position as in FIG.

In both (A) and (B),
A thick portion 42B for absorption is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the waste liquid absorbent 42.

In the embodiment described above, the waste liquid tank 41 is illustrated as a rectangular box type, but it may be circular or elliptical when viewed two-dimensionally.

In the first embodiment, as shown in the respective drawings, the waste liquid absorbing material 42 disposed in the waste liquid storing portion 37 absorbs the ink so that the ink can spread in a substantially horizontal plane direction. This is the case where the promotion space 46 is provided.

Therefore, when the ink as the waste liquid is sent from the inflow pipe 36B to the waste liquid storage portion 37, it first flows into the absorption promoting space 46 and flows from the position so as to spread in the substantially horizontal plane direction. Then, the absorption promoting space 46 is substantially filled with the waste liquid ink. With such filling, the waste liquid ink is uniformly absorbed from the absorbing surface 48, which has a large absorption area on the waste liquid absorbing material 42 side,
The permeation of the waste liquid ink into the entire waste liquid absorbing material 42 is performed,
The expected waste liquid storage function is demonstrated. Also, the absorption surface 4
Since the large area of 8 is utilized, even if the clogging of the waste liquid absorbent 42 due to the ink solid content occurs, the clogging is acceptable and the waste liquid absorbent 42 can function for a long period of time.

In the second embodiment, as shown in the respective drawings, the vertical dimension L1 of the absorption promoting space 46 is such that the waste liquid ink flowing into the absorption promoting space 46 is absorbed by the waste liquid absorbing material 42. This is the case when the value is set to a small value that facilitates Other than that, the same as the above embodiment,
Similar parts are given the same reference numerals.

Since the waste liquid ink flowing into the absorption promoting space 46 immediately fills the space 46, the contact between the waste liquid ink and the waste liquid absorbing material 42 is established at the same time when the ink is filled, and the waste liquid absorbing material 42 is contacted. It is suitable for surely starting the absorption at an early stage and for continuing to absorb the subsequent waste liquid ink without interruption. Other than that, the same operational effects as those of the above-described embodiment are obtained.

In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the absorption promoting space 46 is provided between the bottom portion 47 of the waste liquid tank 41 accommodating the waste liquid absorbent 42 and the waste liquid absorbent 42. That is the case. Other than that, it is the same as each of the above-described embodiments, and the same reference numerals are given to the same portions.

Since the bottom portion 47 of the waste liquid tank 41 made of a synthetic resin material or a metal material forms the bottom surface of the absorption promoting space 46, the waste liquid ink flowing into the absorption promoting space 46 smoothly moves in the horizontal direction. It spreads and flows, and absorption starts uniformly from the large inner surface of the absorption promoting space 46, that is, the absorption surface 48, which is advantageous for the waste liquid storage section 37 to function normally. Further, since the absorption promotion space 46 is arranged at the bottom of the waste liquid tank 41, when the liquid surface of the inflowing waste ink reaches a certain level in sequence, the liquid of the waste ink in the absorption promotion space 46 is reached. Since the pressure increases, a pressurizing action is generated on the waste liquid absorbent 42, and absorption is further promoted. Other than that, the same operational effects as the above-described respective embodiments are exhibited.

The fourth embodiment is a case where a distance member 49 for forming the absorption promoting space 46 is arranged on the bottom portion 47. In FIG. 1, the distance member 49 is integrally formed with the waste liquid absorbing material on the outer peripheral portion of the waste liquid absorbing material 42. In FIG. 3, it is formed in the form of ribs 50 formed on the bottom 47. Other than that,
This is the same as each of the above-described embodiments, and the same portions are denoted by the same reference numerals.

Since the distance maintaining function of the distance member 49 can be utilized, the absorption promoting space 46 is reliably formed between the bottom portion 47 of the waste liquid tank 41 and the waste liquid absorbing material 42. Further, by disposing the distance member 49, the vertical space dimension L1 of the absorption promoting space 46 can be accurately set, which is effective for further enhancing the function of absorbing the waste liquid ink. Other than that, the same operational effects as the above-described respective embodiments are exhibited.

In the fifth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the distance member 49 is formed by ribs 50 provided on the bottom 47. Other than that, it is the same as each of the above-described embodiments, and the same reference numerals are given to the same portions.

Since the deformation of the ribs 50 may be applied to the member forming the bottom portion 47 of the waste liquid tank 41, when the waste liquid tank 41 is made of synthetic resin, the ribs may be simultaneously formed. When the tank 41 is made of a metal plate, the metal plate is subjected to plastic working to form the rib 5
0 may be molded. Therefore, in the case of the rib structure, the manufacturing is simple, and the rib height can be set accurately, so that the vertical space dimension L of the absorption promoting space 46.
1 can be set accurately, which is effective for further enhancing the absorption function of the waste liquid ink. Other than that, the same operational effects as the above-described respective embodiments are exhibited.

In the sixth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the bottom portion 47 is provided with a guide member 51 for guiding the ink to the entire area of the absorption promotion space 46. Other than that, it is the same as each of the above-described embodiments, and the same reference numerals are given to the same portions.

Since the waste liquid ink is positively guided by the guide member 51, the waste liquid ink is guided over the entire absorption promotion space 46, and the absorption surface 48 having a large area of the absorption promotion space 46 is fully utilized. It is effective to absorb the waste liquid ink into the entire waste liquid absorbing material 42. And
By manufacturing the guide member 51 from a material having an absorption function similar to that of the waste liquid absorbent 42, the guide member 5
It is possible to perform both the guide function and the absorption function with respect to 1, the entire area of the waste liquid absorbent 42 and the absorption function of the guide member 51 itself can be utilized, and the capacity of the waste liquid storage part 37 is maximized. Can be demonstrated. Further, since the guide member 51 can also be configured by deforming the bottom surface of the waste liquid tank 41, the guide member 51 can be simply configured without increasing the number of parts. Other than that, the same operational effects as the above-described respective embodiments are exhibited.

The seventh embodiment is a case where a guide slope 51A is formed on the guide member 51 as shown in FIG. Other than that, it is the same as each of the above-described embodiments, and the same reference numerals are given to the same portions.

Since the waste liquid ink is made to flow down along the guide slope 51A, the waste liquid ink is guided in all directions along the guide slope 51A, that is, the entire absorption promotion space 46, and the large absorption of the absorption promotion space 46 is achieved. It is effective to make full use of the area and to absorb the waste liquid ink in the entire waste liquid absorbent 42. Other than that, the same operational effects as the above-described respective embodiments are exhibited.

In the eighth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4B, the waste liquid absorbent 4 facing the guide slope 51A.
This is the case where the ink introduction hole 52 is formed in the second nozzle 2. Other than that, it is the same as each of the above-described embodiments, and the same reference numerals are given to the same portions.

The waste liquid ink flowing down the guide slope 51A flows into the ink introducing hole 52, so that the waste liquid ink in the ink introducing hole 52 permeates to every corner of the waste liquid absorbing material 42 and the waste liquid absorbing material 42 You can make the most of the absorption function. By appropriately selecting the number, length, direction, etc. of the ink introduction holes 52, the waste liquid ink can be guided to an expected position, and the absorbing function of the waste liquid absorbing material can be sufficiently enhanced. Other than that, the same operational effects as the above-described respective embodiments are exhibited.

In the ninth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the absorption promoting space 46 is arranged above the waste liquid absorbing material 42, and the ink absorbing promotion space is formed on the upper surface of the waste liquid absorbing material 42. This is the case where the guide slope 42A that guides the entire area of 46 is provided. A thick portion 42B is arranged on the outer peripheral portion of the waste liquid absorbent 42. Other than that, it is the same as each of the above-described embodiments, and the same reference numerals are given to the same portions.

Since the waste liquid ink spreads and flows down through the entire absorption promotion space 46 by the guide slope 42A, the waste liquid ink is sequentially absorbed by the waste liquid absorbent 42 while flowing down, and the surface area of the entire waste liquid absorbent 42 is absorbed. Therefore, the waste liquid ink is absorbed, and the entire waste liquid absorbing material 42 is absorbed, so that the function as the waste liquid storage portion 37 is normally performed. If the waste liquid ink is not completely absorbed while flowing down, it will be absorbed by the thick portion 42B, and ultimately the waste liquid absorbent 42 will be utilized to the maximum extent. Other than that, the same operational effects as the above-described respective embodiments are exhibited.

The tenth embodiment is a case where the open end 36A of the inflow pipe 36B is arranged at a position separated from the ink liquid surface 45 in the waste liquid reservoir 37. Figure 1, Figure 3,
In each of FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the separation distance between the opening end 36A and the ink surface 45 is indicated by the symbol L2. Other than that, it is the same as each of the above-described embodiments, and the same reference numerals are given to the same portions.

Since the opening end 36A is not immersed in the ink surface 45, the waste liquid ink sucked by the suction pump 13 is smoothly fed to a predetermined position of the waste liquid absorbing material 42, and the absorption promoting space is formed. It is normally absorbed by the waste liquid absorbent 42 via 46.

If the open end 36A of the inflow pipe 36B is immersed in the ink liquid, the back pressure of the suction pump 13 will increase and the suction function from the suction chamber 32B will deteriorate. When the function of the suction pump 13 deteriorates,
The amount of high-viscosity ink remaining in the suction chamber 32B increases, and bubbles easily occur in the suction chamber 32B. If the air bubbles adhere to the vicinity of the nozzle opening 14, the air bubbles remain as they are, resulting in mixed corrosion and the like, and a normal cleaning operation cannot be achieved. In addition, due to the adhesion of bubbles, the nozzle opening 1
The ink surface (meniscus) of 4 is destroyed, the direction of ink ejection is changed, and the size of the ejected droplet becomes abnormal.
Proper print quality cannot be obtained. However, by separating the opening end 36A from the ink liquid surface 45 as described above, the problems of the print quality and the like described above are solved. Other than that, the same operational effects as the above-described respective embodiments are exhibited.

[0084]

As described above, according to the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, when the ink as the waste liquid is sent from the inflow pipe to the waste liquid storage portion, it first flows into the absorption promoting space. Then, the fluid flows so as to spread from the location in the substantially horizontal direction, and the absorption promoting space is substantially filled with the waste liquid ink. With such a filling, the waste liquid ink is uniformly absorbed from the inner surface of the absorption promoting space, which has a large absorption area on the waste liquid absorbent side, and the waste liquid ink permeates the entire waste liquid absorbing material. The waste liquid storage function is demonstrated. Further, since the large absorption area is utilized, even if the waste liquid absorbing material is clogged due to the ink solid content, it becomes acceptable and the waste liquid absorbing material can function for a long period of time.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a waste liquid absorbent contained in a waste liquid storage section.

3A and 3B are drawings showing another embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, where FIG. 3A is a sectional view and FIG.
[B]-[B] sectional drawing of.

FIG. 4 is a view showing still another embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, and is a sectional view of both (A) and (B).

FIG. 5 is a drawing showing still another embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, and is a sectional view of both (A) and (B).

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a peripheral structure of a conventional ink jet recording apparatus.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a conventional ink jet recording head.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the inkjet recording head.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ink cartridge 2 recording head 3 carriage 4 cleaning unit 5 Timing belt 6 stepping motor 7 Guide bar 8 recording paper 9 drive circuit 10 storage cases 11 Wall frame members 12 Flexible flat cable 13 Suction pump 14 nozzle opening 15 Pressure generation chamber 16 channel unit 17 Piezoelectric vibrator 18 head case 19 nozzle plate 20 flow path substrate 21 sealing plate 21A resin thin film 21B Metal thin film 22 Ink supply path 23 Ink storage chamber 24 spaces 25 fixed board 26 islands 27 Conduction line 28 Ink supply pipe 29 Recessed part for damper 30 External communication hole 31 Nozzle surface 32 cap body 32A bottom 32B suction chamber 33 cap case 34 Opening edge 35 Suction port 36 Suction tube 36A open end 36B inflow pipe 37 Waste liquid storage 38 Atmosphere inlet 39 Atmosphere introduction pipe 40 open / close valve 41 Waste liquid tank 42 Waste liquid absorbent 42A guide slope 42B thick part 43 receiving hole 44 Open section 45 ink level 46 absorption promotion space 47 bottom 48 absorption surface 49 Distance member 50 ribs 51 Guide member 52 Ink introduction hole L1 vertical dimension L2 separation distance

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. An ink jet recording head comprising a nozzle opening provided in a nozzle plate, a pressure generating chamber communicating with the nozzle opening, and a pressure generating element for giving a pressure fluctuation to the pressure generating chamber, A cleaning unit that performs a cleaning operation by applying a negative pressure to the suction chamber in a state in which the nozzle plate is sealed via a suction chamber connected to a suction pump, and an inflow pipe for the ink as waste liquid sucked from the suction chamber. An ink jet recording apparatus having a waste liquid storage part fed through the ink jet recording device, wherein a waste liquid absorbing material arranged in the waste liquid storage part has an absorption promoting space that allows the ink to spread in a substantially horizontal plane direction. An inkjet recording apparatus, which is provided. 2. The vertical dimension of the absorption promoting space is:
The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a small value is set so that the ink flowing into the absorption promoting space is easily absorbed by the waste liquid absorbing material. 3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the absorption promoting space is provided between a bottom portion of a waste liquid tank containing the waste liquid absorbing material and the waste liquid absorbing material. 4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a distance member for forming the absorption promoting space is arranged on the bottom portion. 5. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the distance member is formed by a rib provided on the bottom portion. 6. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a guide member that guides the ink to the entire absorption promoting space is provided on the bottom portion. 7. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a guide slope is formed on the guide member. 8. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein an ink introduction hole is formed in the waste liquid absorbing material facing the guide slope. 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the absorption promoting space is arranged above the waste liquid absorbing material, and a guide slope for guiding ink to the entire absorption promoting space is provided on an upper surface of the waste liquid absorbing material. Inkjet recording device. 10. The opening end of the inflow pipe is arranged at a position separated from the ink surface in the waste liquid storage section.
10. The inkjet recording device according to any one of items 9 to 10.