JPH0924610A - Ink jet recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate and ensure the inspection and cleaning of an ink delivery port surface and a head holder and surely prevent the setting negligence and faulty installation of a delivery recovering mechanism from occurring by a structure wherein a large space is formed between the delivery recovering mechanism and a recording head. SOLUTION: Some part or the whole of delivery recorvering device 80, which can abut against or separate from an ink delivery port surface 21 is made separable by more than its normal moving stroke and the movement of the delivery recovering device 80 is so constituted as to be done manually. Further, the closing direction movement of the door 198 of a recording device is prohibited under the condition that the delivery recovering device 8 is in its separated state.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus for recording by ejecting ink from a recording means onto a recording material.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A recording device having a function such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile or the like, or a recording device used as an output device such as a composite electronic device including a computer or a word processor or a workstation, is based on paper based on the recording information. It is configured to record an image (including characters and symbols) on a recording material (recording medium) such as a recording medium or a plastic thin plate. The recording apparatus, depending on the recording method, inkjet type, wire dot type, thermal type,
It can be divided into laser beam type and the like.

In a serial type recording apparatus for recording while performing main scanning in a direction intersecting with a recording material conveying direction (sub-scanning direction), after the recording material is set at a predetermined recording position, the recording material is set on the recording material. The entire recording material is recorded by combining the recording operation by the recording means moving along with the conveying operation of feeding the recording material in the direction intersecting the moving direction of the recording means.

On the other hand, in a line type recording apparatus which records a recording material only in a sub-scanning direction in which the recording material is fed in the conveying direction, the recording material is set at a predetermined recording position and the recording for one line is continuously performed. A predetermined amount of paper feed (pitch feed) is performed while performing the recording, and an image is recorded on the entire recording material.

[0005] Among the above recording apparatuses, an ink jet recording apparatus (ink jet recording apparatus) performs recording by discharging ink from a recording means (recording head) onto a recording material. It is easy, can record high-definition images at high speed, can record on plain paper without requiring special processing, running cost is low, and because it is a non-impact method, there is little noise, and It has the advantage that it is easy to record a color image using multicolor inks. Above all, a line type using a full multi-type recording means in which a large number of discharge ports are arranged in the paper width direction can further increase the recording speed.

[0006] In particular, an ink jet type recording means (recording head) for discharging ink by using thermal energy,
Through a semiconductor manufacturing process such as etching, vapor deposition, sputtering, etc., an electrothermal converter, an electrode,
By forming the liquid path wall, the top plate, and the like, it is possible to easily manufacture a device having a high-density liquid path arrangement (discharge port arrangement), and to further reduce the size. On the other hand, there are various requirements for the material of the recording material,
In recent years, ordinary recording materials such as paper and resin thin plates (OHP
Etc.), the use of thin paper or processed paper (paper with bunch holes, perforated paper for filing, paper of any shape, etc.) has come to be required.

Conventionally, in the ink jet recording apparatus, foreign matter such as ink liquid, adhered ink, dust, and paper dust adheres to the ejection opening surface of the recording head due to the recording operation, and these adhered substances prevent normal ink ejection. Sometimes. Therefore, as a means for removing these deposits, a cleaning mechanism has been provided in which a wiping blade made of a rubber-like elastic body made of urethane rubber or the like wipes and cleans the discharge port surface.

As one mode of the wiping operation by such a cleaning mechanism, the wiping blade is moved in the left-right direction while the wiping blade is inserted into the movement path of the ejection port surface so that the wiping blade is ejected. The surface is rubbed, that is, the reciprocating movement of the recording head (carriage) is used to wipe the ejection port surface.

Further, in order to remove the thickened ink in the ejection port of the recording head, ink is introduced into the recording head, the thickened ink in the ejection port is discharged to the outside, and dust on the surface of the ejection port is removed. A discharge recovery operation such as flushing is performed. Generally, in a serial scan type printing apparatus that prints by reciprocally moving a print head, the print head can be faced to a predetermined position (for example, a home position) outside a print area to recover the discharge as described above. A discharge recovery device that operates is provided.

FIG. 7 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing a conventional example of a discharge recovery device. In FIG. 7, the discharge recovery device 80 is
It is provided so as to be able to move forward and backward with respect to the recording head 1 in the home position, and in this figure, a state is shown in which the recording head 1 is contacted and the ejection port is sealed. The cap 81 for sealing the recording head 1 includes a cap seal 82 made of a rubber-like elastic material such as silicon rubber, a cap case 83 for supporting the cap seal 82, and a cap formed integrally with the cap case 83. It consists of a base 84.

The cap base 84 is a pair of rails 85.
It is guided and supported on the upper side so as to be movable in the axial direction. The pair of rails 85 are attached to a cover 86 fixed to a support body 93 which is a fixing member, and a compression coil spring 87 is arranged on each rail 85. Compression coil spring 8
One end of 7 abuts on the cover 86 and the other end of the cap base 8
4, the restoring force of the compression coil spring 87 acts to urge the cap portion 81 toward the recording head 1 to keep the ejection port surface in a sealed state.

Further, the recording head 1 of the cap portion 81
In the retreat operation (separation operation) from (1), the cam shaft 88 supported by the cover 86 is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown) to bring the eccentric 89 on the cam shaft 88 into contact with the cap base 84. The cap base 84 is attached to the compression coil spring 87.
By moving it along the rails 85 against the above. Therefore, the forward / backward movement of the ejection recovery device 80 with respect to the recording head 1 is performed by the restoring force of the compression coil spring 87 and the displacement of the eccentric cam 89.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of recording means for color recording are mounted on a common head holder. In FIG. 8, in a recording apparatus capable of recording a full-color image, each of a plurality (4 in this example) of recording heads 1 (1B, 1Y, 1M, 1C) is connected to one (common) via packing 1P. Supported by the head holder 2.

In FIG. 7, in this case, the discharge recovery device 8
The cap portion 81 of 0 holds the front surface of the head holder 2 in a sealed manner with a cap seal 82. Cap case 8
A porous member 90 for preventing the ejection port of the recording head 1 from drying is arranged in the inside 3. The porous member 90 is in contact with the lower portion of the head holder 2 during capping.

When the thickened ink in the ejection port of the recording head 1 is ejected in the ejection recovery operation, the porous member 90 absorbs and holds it and keeps the inside of the cap 81 wet. Also,
Ink that can no longer be absorbed and held is cap case 8
It is collected in a waste ink bottle 92 mounted on a bottom plate 94 of the apparatus main body through a flexible waste ink tube 91 communicating with 3.

[0016]

However, even if the above-mentioned cleaning mechanism and discharge recovery device are operated, when a recording operation is performed for a long period of time, ink that has been wiped off the discharge port or its periphery is gradually increased. However, there are inconveniences such as increase in viscosity and sticking, and dust and paper powder sticking to cause defective ejection of ink (including non-ejection).

Particularly, in a full-color ink jet recording apparatus using a plurality of recording heads, since a plurality of recording heads of different colors are mounted on one head holder as described above, the head holder and the recording heads are separated from each other. Ink tends to collect in the slight gaps and steps, and dust and paper dust also tend to adhere.

When the viscosity of the ink increases, even if the wiping operation by the cleaning mechanism is repeated, the area where the thickened ink adheres only spreads, and the ink does not stop at one recording head and reach another recording head. There is a problem that the adhesion spreads, and the other recording heads have to be replaced.

Even if the recording head that is contaminated via the head holder is removed and cleaned and then mounted again on the head holder, or when a new recording head is mounted on the head holder, the thickened ink remains on the head holder itself. If they are attached, the recording head is again contaminated by the wiping operation, and the life of the recording head cannot be extended so much. Therefore, it is necessary to clean the head holder itself.

When cleaning the head holder, the head holder may be removed from the carriage for cleaning, but if such a cleaning method is adopted, the reproducibility of the position when the head holder is reattached becomes a problem. The reason is that an inclination is generated in the gap between the head holder supporting a plurality of recording heads and the recording material (recording paper), or between the carriage reciprocating direction and the head holder (ejection port array). This is because if the tilt occurs, the recording image quality deteriorates.

For example, 400 dpi (1 pixel is 63.5 μm)
When recording at a density of m), unless the positional accuracy of the ejection openings (accuracy of ink droplet landing positions) between the recording heads is within 1/3 pixel, or at most within 1/2 pixel, the color misregistration of the recorded image will occur. The color unevenness becomes noticeable and a satisfactory image cannot be obtained.

It is also conceivable to carry out cleaning or the like with the cap of the ejection recovery device separated from the head holder (recording head). However, as shown in FIG. Since the heads are separated from each other so as not to hinder the reciprocating movement of the heads, the gap is about several millimeters, and it is not possible to secure a space for cleaning or visually recognizable. Furthermore, since maintenance such as cleaning is usually performed with the main power supply turned off, there is a disadvantage in that the cap 81 cannot be moved back and forth during cleaning.

The present invention has been made in view of the above disadvantages of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to inspect the ejection port surface of a recording means or the surface of a head holder supporting a plurality of recording means. It is an object of the present invention to provide an inkjet recording apparatus provided with an ejection recovery device capable of forming a space for maintenance without removing a recording unit or a head holder when cleaning.

[0024]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention of claim 1 is an ink jet recording apparatus for recording by ejecting ink from a recording means to a recording material, and an ink ejection surface of the recording means. An ejection recovery device for advancing and retreating to maintain the ink ejection function, and a moving means for moving a part or the whole of the ejection recovery device in a direction away from the recording means by more than the stroke of advancing and retracting, It is characterized by having.

According to the structure of the first aspect, since the moving means forms a large space between the recording means and the ejection recovery device, the degree of contamination of the ejection opening of the recording means and its peripheral portion can be visually observed. It can be confirmed, and a working space for cleaning the discharge port surface can be secured.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the moving means is configured to be manually operated, so that the recording means can operate as a recording means even when the recording apparatus is not powered on. A large space can be formed between the discharge recovery device and the discharge port of the recording means and the surrounding area can be visually checked to ensure the working space for cleaning the discharge port surface. The present invention provides an inkjet recording device capable of performing the above.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the structure of the first aspect, when the discharge recovery device is separated from the recording device by the moving device, the door of the recording device is moved by the moving device or the discharge recovery device. By providing a structure in which movement in the closing direction is prohibited by interfering with a part of the apparatus, it is possible to further provide an inkjet recording apparatus capable of surely notifying that the ejection recovery apparatus is not mounted at the regular position. It is a thing.

[0028]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. FIG. 1 is a front perspective view schematically showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied. Note that FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a recording unit when the present invention is applied to a serial scan type full-color inkjet recording apparatus.

In FIG. 1, recording means (recording head) 1
Is composed of a plurality of (four) recording heads 1C, 1M, 1Y, and 1B that use different color inks, and is mounted on the head holder 2 as in the conventional example of FIG. In the case of color recording, these recording heads use, for example, cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (B) inks. The ejection port surfaces of the recording heads 1C, 1M, 1Y, and 1B are aligned (arranged) in the vertical direction (conveying direction of the recording material) in FIG.
A plurality of discharge ports are formed.

In the following description, when referring to all or any one of the plurality of recording means (recording heads) 1C, 1M, 1Y, and 1B, the recording means 1 or recording head 1 is simply used. Further, ink is supplied to these recording heads from the corresponding ink tanks through the ink supply tubes, and these ink tanks and ink supply tubes also refer to all or any one of them. Similarly, the subscripts of C, M, Y, and B will be omitted. The ink used in each recording head 1 is supplied from the ink supply device 4 through an ink supply tube (not shown).

In FIG. 1, the head holder 2 to which each recording head 1 is mounted is mounted on the carriage 3.
The carriage 3 is fixed to a part of a belt 11 stretched between a drive pulley 9a on a motor shaft of a head carriage motor 9 and a driven pulley 9b arranged on the opposite side of the apparatus main body, and is used for main scanning. It is guided and supported on a pair of main scanning rails (guide rails) 3a, 3a installed in the direction (left and right direction in FIG. 1) so as to be capable of reciprocating with high accuracy. Therefore, the carriage 3 carrying the recording head 1 reciprocates by the operation of the head carriage motor 9.

The pair of main scanning rails (guide rails)
Another carriage (ink carriage) 5 is reciprocally guided and supported on 3a and 3a. The ink supply device 4 is mounted on the ink carriage 5. The ink supply device 4 includes four ink cartridges for supplying the ink of the corresponding color to each recording head 1.

The ink carriage 5 is fixed to a part of a belt 12 stretched between a drive pulley 10a on the motor shaft of the ink carriage motor 10 and a driven pulley 10b arranged on the opposite side of the apparatus main body. Has been done. Therefore, the ink carriage 5 equipped with the ink supply device 4
Are reciprocated by the operation of the ink carriage motor 10.

As described above, the recording head 1 and the ink supply device 4 are independently moved to eliminate the stress applied to each ink supply tube, and
Vibrations or the like generated by the movement of the ink supply device 4, which is a relatively heavy body, are prevented from being transmitted to the recording head 1 side.

On the other hand, the recording material 14 such as a sheet of paper or a plastic thin plate is fed from a sheet feeding system (not shown), and is sandwiched between the first pair of conveying rollers 7A and 7B and the second pair of conveying rollers 6A and 6B. Recording is performed by the recording head 1 between the pair of conveying rollers. Second conveying roller pair 6A, 6
The transport speed of B is set to be slightly higher than the transport speed of the first transport rollers 7A and 7B, and the recording material 14 is held flat in the recording portion between the pair of rollers with proper tension. Has been done. Note that instead of applying tension to the recording material 14, the recording material 14 may be brought into close contact with the platen 16 having a flat surface portion by electrostatic attraction or air suction so as to maintain the planar shape.

The recording means (recording head) 1 is an ink jet recording means for ejecting ink by utilizing thermal energy and is provided with an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy. Further, the recording unit 1 performs recording by ejecting ink from an ejection port by utilizing a pressure change caused by growth and contraction of bubbles due to film boiling caused by thermal energy applied by the electrothermal converter. Is.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view schematically showing the structure of the ink ejection portion of the recording means (recording head) 1.
In FIG. 2, the ejection port surface 2 facing the recording material 14 with a predetermined gap (for example, about 0.5 to 2.0 mm) facing the body.
1, a plurality of discharge ports 22 are formed at a predetermined pitch,
An electrothermal converter (heat-generating resistor, etc.) 25 for generating energy for ejecting ink is disposed along the wall surface of each liquid passage 24 that connects the common liquid chamber 23 and each ejection port 22.

In this example, in the recording head 1, the ejection port 22 is in the moving direction of the carriage 3 (main scanning direction).
They are mounted on the carriage 3 in such a positional relationship that they are lined up in a direction intersecting with. Thus, the corresponding electrothermal converter 25 is driven (energized) based on the image signal or the ejection signal.
Then, the recording head 1 is configured to cause the ink in the liquid path 24 to film-boil and eject the ink from the ejection port 22 by the pressure generated at that time.

In FIG. 1, the ejection recovery device 80 performs the recovery operation of the ejection port 22 of the recording head 1.
The discharge recovery device 80 has the same function as that of the conventional example. That is, the ejection recovery device 80 is intended to eliminate ejection defects and maintain normal ejection by ejecting ink from each ejection port 22 by suctioning or pressurizing ink (pressurizing ink in this embodiment). .

FIG. 3 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing the state of the first embodiment of the ejection recovery device and its moving means of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied, when it is mounted in the normal position, and FIG. 4 is shown in FIG. It is a typical longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a state when the discharge recovery device of the first embodiment is separated. In FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the ejection recovery device 80 is arranged at a position outside the recording area, although it is within the movement range of the carriage 3. During standby, as shown in FIG. 3, the ejection port 2 of the recording head 1
2 is capped by the cap portion 81 of the discharge recovery device 80.

In FIG. 1, a cleaning mechanism (wiping mechanism) 8 for wiping and cleaning the ejection port surface of the recording head 1 by using the movement of the carriage 3 outside the recording area.
Are arranged. When the cleaning mechanism 8 cleans the ejection port surface 21 of each recording head 1, the same wiping blade comes into contact with the plurality of recording heads 1, so that ink mixing may occur between the ejection ports 22 of each recording head 1. There is.

As a method of preventing this ink color mixing, before starting the recording operation, ink is ejected (idle ejection) from each recording head 1 toward the ink absorber 15 and the ejection port 2 is ejected.
The method of discharging the mixed color ink in 2 is adopted. The ink absorber 15 is arranged at a position adjacent to the cleaning mechanism 8 as shown in the drawing. During the recording operation, the recording head 1
Recording starts from the left side in FIG. 1, and recording line 1
The process is performed as in step 7, and the recording data for one line is recorded by reaching the right side.

When the recording for one line is completed, the carriage 3 and the ink supply device 4 return to the left side (recording start position) again. In the meantime, the recording material 14 is fed (conveyed) by a height L corresponding to one line by the first conveying roller pair 7A, 7B and the second conveying roller pair 6A, 6B, and the next line is recorded. Stop at the position indicated. Then, the recording of the next line is performed in the same manner as described above. By repeating such a recording operation and a paper feeding operation, image recording is performed on the entire area of the recording material 14.

Next, the operation of the discharge recovery device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a sectional view for explaining the arrangement and configuration of the recording head 1, the ink supply device 4, and the ejection recovery device 80 at the time of ejection recovery, and the carriage 3 for the recording head is omitted. First, the flow of ink will be described.

In FIG. 3, a supporting member (side plates 41, 42) for detachably fitting and holding the ink cartridge 40 on the ink carriage 5 which slides on two main scanning rails 3a, 3a parallel to each other. Is erected.
In addition, in the ink carriage 5, the ink cartridge 4
Ink tank 4 for storing ink supplied from 0
3 are provided. An ejection port projecting from the ink cartridge 40 inserted through the opening of the top plate of the ink carriage 5 is detachably fitted into the opening 44 of the ink tank 43.

A support 48 is erected at a position adjacent to the side plate 41 on the ink carriage 5, and the ink tube 4 extending from the ink tank 43 to the recording head 1 is provided.
7, 54 are supported by the support plate 48. Further, the ink tank 4 is provided below the ink carriage 5.
A pump 45 is arranged so as to connect the inside of the No. 3 and the ink supply tube 47.

The pump 45 is for performing an ejection recovery process for removing clogging of the ejection port 22 and the liquid passage 24 of the recording head 1 by pressurizing and supplying the ink C to the recording head 1. is there. Reference numeral 46 is the pump 4
5 shows the ink outlet of 5. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the ejection recovery operation is performed by a method of pressurizing and circulating the ink in the recording head 1.

Further, the ejection recovery operation is executed in a state where the cap 81 is in contact with the ejection port surface 21 of the recording head 1 as shown in FIG. That is, by operating the pump 45, the ink C from the ink tank 43 is pressurized and sent from the ink outlet 46 to the ink supply tube 47. The pressurized ink reaches the ink connecting portion 53 provided on the support plate 48 through the supply tube 47.

Further, the pressurized ink is sent to a supply tube 49 having one end communicating with the ink connecting portion 53 and the other end communicating with the recording head 1, and the supply tube 49 is positioned in the recording head 1. It is supplied into the common liquid chamber 23 of the recording head 1 through the connected filter 50. The pressurized ink that has reached the common liquid chamber 23 is transferred to each liquid passage 24 shown in FIG.
After passing through the discharge port 22, the discharge recovery device 80 is discharged into the cap 81.

By discharging the ink from the ejection port 22 into the cap 81 in this manner, dust, thickened ink and the like adhering to the ejection port 22 and the ejection port surface 21 are washed away into the cap 81 together with the ink. The discharged ink permeates the porous member (ink absorber) 90 loaded in the cap 81, and is further collected from the porous member 90 into the waste ink bottle 92 through the waste ink tube 91. In addition, a part of the ink passes from the common liquid chamber 23 through the filter 51 and the return tube 52, and further through the ink connecting portion 53 and the tube 54.
Return to 3.

In the ejection recovery operation, the ink C in the ink tank 43 is positively sent into the recording head 1 by the pumping operation of the pump 45, but the pump 45 is stopped during the normal recording operation. However, the ink consumed by recording is pumped from the ink tank 43 by the capillary force of the liquid passage 24 of the recording head 1 to the pump 4 which is in an open state.
5 and the ink supply tubes 47, 49, 54 and 52 are naturally replenished into the recording head 1.

In the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied, an ejection recovery device 80 for maintaining the ink ejection function is provided so as to be able to move forward and backward with respect to the ejection port surface 21 of the recording means 1.
And a moving means 100 for moving a part or the whole of the discharge recovery device 80 in a direction away from the recording means 1 by more than the stroke of the advance / retreat operation. Next, FIG.
The moving means of the discharge recovery device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

3 and 4, the moving means 100 is slidably supported on a support 96 fixed to a bottom plate 94 and a stay 95 of the recording apparatus main body, and the discharge recovery is provided on the moving means 100. The device 80 is installed. In FIG. 3, two elongated holes 102 and 103 are formed in the moving base 101 of the moving means 100, and two long holes 102 and 103 of the supporting body 96 are formed.
Pins 97 and 98 are fixed to the place, and the pin 97 is attached to the long hole 10
The movable base 101 is slidably mounted (mounted) on the support body 96 by fitting the pins 98 into the elongated holes 103 while fitting the pins into the elongated holes 103.

The discharge recovery device 80 is mounted on the movable base 101. And the tension coil spring 10
By connecting both ends of 4 to the support body 96 and the moving base 101, the moving base 101 equipped with the discharge recovery device 80 is mounted.
Is urged toward the recording head 1. Then, the one end 101a of the moving base 101 is brought into contact with the stay 95 by the urging force of the tension coil spring 104, so that the moving base 101 and the ejection recovery device 80 are positioned with respect to the recording head 1.

In FIG. 3, the ejection recovery device 80 is provided so as to be capable of advancing and retracting with respect to the recording head 1 in the home position, and in this figure, the ejection recovery device 80 is in contact with the recording head 1 and the ejection port is sealed. Has been done. The cap 81 for sealing the recording head 1 includes a cap seal 82 made of a rubber-like elastic material such as silicon rubber, and the cap seal 82.
Cap case 83 for supporting the cap case 8
3 and a cap base 84 integrally formed.

The cap base 84 is a pair of rails 85.
It is guided and supported on the upper side so as to be movable in the axial direction. The pair of rails 85 are attached to a cover 86 fixed to the moving base 101, and a compression coil spring 87 is arranged on each rail 85. Since one end of the compression coil spring 87 is in contact with the cover 86 and the other end is in contact with the cap base 84, the restoring force (spring force) of the compression coil spring 87 urges the cap portion 81 toward the recording head 1. Then, it acts so as to maintain the discharge port surface 21 in a sealed state.

Further, the recording head 1 of the cap portion 81
In the retreat operation (separation operation) from (1), the cam shaft 88 supported by the cover 86 is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown) to bring the eccentric 89 on the cam shaft 88 into contact with the cap base 84. The cap base 84 is attached to the compression coil spring 87.
By moving it along the rails 85 against the above. Therefore, the forward / backward movement of the ejection recovery device 80 with respect to the recording head 1 is performed by the restoring force (spring force) of the compression coil spring 87 and the displacement of the eccentric cam 89.

In FIG. 3, the tension coil spring 10 for urging the movable base 101 toward the recording head 1.
The spring force of No. 4 is set to be larger than the spring force (biasing force) of the compression coil spring 87 provided in the discharge recovery device 80. Further, the moving means 100 is provided with a manual lever 105 for moving operation. The manual lever 105 is pivotally supported at its one end by a pin 97 fixed to the support body 96 as a fulcrum.

At the other end of the manual lever 105, a handle portion 1 is provided.
06 is provided. Further, a roller 107 that rolls on the wall surface 101b (FIG. 4) of the moving base 101 is attached to a part of the manual lever 105. Further, the manual lever 105 is biased clockwise around the pin (support shaft) 97 by a torsion coil spring (not shown).

Next, the operation of the discharge recovery device 80 and its moving means 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 3, a door (including covers) 198 of the recording apparatus is included.
To release. The door 198 is opened counterclockwise (in the direction of arrow B) around the hinge 197 with respect to the apparatus body. In this way, by opening the door 198, a switch (not shown) is turned off, the power supply or the electric signal line is cut off, and the electric operation of the recording apparatus is disabled.

Next, when the handle portion 106 of the manual lever 105 is manually rotated in the direction of arrow A, as shown in FIG.
The roller 107 of the manual lever 105 rolls the wall surface 101b of the moving base 101 from bottom to top,
Is guided by the long holes 102 and 103 and the pins 97 and 98, and moves largely to the left in the drawing against the spring force of the tension coil spring 104.

When the manual lever 105 exceeds the neutral point (in this embodiment, the roller 107 is above the pin 97), a part of the manual lever 105 abuts on the stopper 101C of the moving base 101 to move the moving base. 101 and manual lever 10
5 is self-locked to the position (position largely moved to the left in the drawing) by the restoring force (spring force) of the tension coil spring 104, and is held in the state of FIG.

If the manual lever 105 is not rotated to the neutral point, the moving base 101 and the manual lever 105 are
The restoring force (spring force) of the tension coil spring 104 returns it to the original position (position in FIG. 3). Manual lever 105
Is self-locked as described above, the discharge recovery device 8
The movement in the direction of separating from the recording head 1 of 0 is completed,
A large space is formed between the cap portion 81 and the recording head 1 (and the head holder 2). Therefore, a working space for visually confirming the degree of dirt on the ejection port 22 of the recording head 1 and the surface of the head holder 2 and for cleaning them (cleaning) is secured.

FIG. 5 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing the state of the second embodiment of the ejection recovery device and its moving means of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied when the cap is opened. In FIG. 5, the discharge recovery device 80 is mounted on the frame 201. The support 203 is fixed to the bottom plate 94. The frame body 201 is rotatably supported about a support shaft 204 provided on the support body 203. The support shaft 204 is arranged at a position that substantially coincides with a vertically downward extension surface of the ejection port surface (surface of the head holder 2) of the recording head 1. The axis of the support shaft 204 is parallel to the main scanning rail 3a (FIGS. 1 and 3).

A lock lever 205 is provided on the frame 201. This lock lever 205 is
It is rotatably supported by a pin 208 fixed to the frame body 2,
The portion near the other end of the lock lever 205 and the frame 201
A tension coil spring 209 is stretched between and. When the ejection recovery device 80 and the moving means 200 are attached to the recording device (including the state in which the recording head 1 is capped), the tip hook portion 206 of the lock lever 205 engages with the stay 95, Thus, the ejection recovery device 80 and the moving means 200 are positioned (state indicated by a chain double-dashed line in FIG. 5).

The ink jet recording apparatus according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5 has substantially the same structure as that of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 except for the ejection recovery device 80. Therefore, corresponding portions are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The operation of the moving means 200 according to the second embodiment of FIG. 5 is as follows. First, the door (including covers) 198 of the recording device is opened to expose the ejection recovery device 80 and the moving means 200. Next, the lock lever 20
The grip 207 of 5 is gripped, and the lock lever 205 is rotated clockwise around the pin 208.

Then, the lever tip (hook portion) 206 separates from the stay 95, and the frame body 201 having the discharge recovery device 80 mounted thereon can rotate counterclockwise about the support shaft 204. That is, the cap portion 81 of the ejection recovery device 80 becomes movable in the direction away from the recording head 1. And
When the frame body 201 is rotated counterclockwise and a part 202 of the frame body 201 abuts on the bottom plate 94, the moving means 200 is moved.
Is completed. The state at the time of completion of the movement of the moving means 200 is shown by a solid line in FIG.

Also in the second embodiment of FIG. 5, FIG.
The moving means 200 is moved (rotated) in the same manner as in the first embodiment.
By doing so, a large space is formed between the cap portion 81 and the recording head 1, and therefore, it becomes possible to visually confirm the degree of dirt on the ejection port of the recording head 1 and the surface of the head holder 2. It is also possible to secure a work space for cleaning them.

Further, in the discharge recovery device 80 rotated by the moving means 200, the cap portion 81 can be easily visually confirmed by looking from above. That is, it is possible to confirm the state of deformation and clogging of the porous member 90 provided in the cap 81, and also the degree of dirt of the lip portion of the cap seal 82 that abuts the head holder 2. it can. In addition, since a large space is formed, each component can be easily cleaned or replaced as necessary.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a state of the ejection recovery device and the moving means of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied during capping of the third embodiment. FIG.
In, the discharge recovery device 80 is mounted on the box 301. This box 301 is a waste ink tube 9 for introducing and collecting the ink discharged in the discharge recovery process.
1 and a waste ink bottle (waste ink tank) 92 are included.

Arms 302 are provided on one surface of the box body 301 (two locations, upper and lower in the illustrated example). on the other hand,
Support plates 303 are fixed to the stay 95 and the bottom plate 94 of the apparatus main body at two positions (upper and lower two positions), and each of these support plates 303 is provided with a support shaft 304 having a concentric vertical axis. ing. And the box 301
The upper and lower arms 302, 302 are pivotally supported in the horizontal direction about the vertical axis by fitting the tips of the upper and lower arms 302, 302 to concentric vertical axes (support axes) 304, 304. .

As shown in FIG. 6, the spindles 304, 304 are provided on the ejection port surface 21 (head holder 2) of the recording head 1.
Ink supply device 4 on a surface that substantially coincides with the extended surface of the
Of the main scanning rails 3a, 3a. Further, the box body 301 is provided with the same locking mechanism as in the case of the above-mentioned embodiment, and the box body 30
6 is positioned and held at a predetermined open position by engaging with the stay 95 when released from the state of FIG. 6 (when separated from the recording head 1).

The structure and operation of the moving means 300 of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6 are different from those of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5 in that the direction of rotation (movement) of the box 301 is horizontal. This point is substantially the same as the case of FIG. That is, the third embodiment of FIG. 6 is different from the above-described embodiments in the points described above, but has substantially the same configuration in other portions, and therefore, corresponding portions are designated by the same reference numerals, Detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Also in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, first, the door 198 (FIGS. 4 and 5) of the recording apparatus is opened to eject the discharge recovery apparatus 8.
0 and the moving means 300 are exposed. Next, as in the case of FIG. 5, the lock lever 205 is operated to release the engagement with the stay 95, and the box 301 is rotated counterclockwise around the support shaft 304. As a result, the ejection recovery device 80 mounted on the box 301 moves (rotates) in a direction away from the recording head 1 and rotates about 90 degrees to the front surface of the ink supply device 4.

Therefore, when the user is positioned on the front surface of the recording apparatus, the ejection port 22 of the recording head 1 and the surface of the head holder 2 are exposed on the front surface, and a wide space is formed there, and the recording head 1 is exposed. The degree of dirt on the discharge port surface 21 and the surface of the head holder 2 can easily be visually confirmed, and cleaning work thereof can be easily performed.

Further, in the third embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the opening of the cap 81 of the discharge recovery device 80 (abutting portion with the head holder 2) is exposed to the right as seen from the user. . Therefore, the recording head 1 (head holder 2)
And the cap portion 81 is in a state of being juxtaposed to the front side and the right side as viewed from the user. Therefore, it becomes possible to confirm the dirt of the recording head 1 in association with the cap portion 81,
In addition, a large working space can be secured, and cleaning of each part and replacement of parts can be easily performed.

According to the embodiment described above, when the moving means 100, 200, 300 of the discharge recovery device 80 is operated, it cannot be operated unless the door 198 of the recording device is opened first. Even if the recording start key is pressed by mistake, the power supply or the signal line is cut off, so that the recording device does not start operating.

Further, the door 1 may be used during or after the work.
Even if the user tries to close 98, the moving means 100, 200, 3
When 00 is at a position separated from the recording head 1,
For example, as shown by the chain double-dashed line 198 in FIG. 4, part of the moving means or part of the discharge recovery device 80 is the door 1.
The door 198 cannot move to the normal closed position, as it will interfere with 98. Therefore, it is possible to inform the operator that there is an abnormality, and it is possible to completely prevent forgetting to set the moving means 100, 200, 300 or incomplete mounting.

That is, the moving means 100, 200, 30
By providing 0, the recording means 1 and the ejection recovery device 80
It becomes possible to form a large space between the discharge port 22 and its surroundings, which makes it easy to visually confirm the degree of contamination of the discharge port 22 and its surroundings, and also provides a sufficient working space for cleaning them. Can be secured. Further, since the moving means is configured to be manually operated, the above operation can be performed even when the recording apparatus is not powered on.

Further, when the ejection recovery device 80 is in a separated state largely separated from the recording head 1 by the moving means 100, 200, 300, even if the door 198 of the recording device is tried to be closed, the door 198 goes to the closed position. Since movement is prohibited due to interference, the user can be surely informed that the ejection recovery device 80 is not mounted at the proper position, and therefore, forgetting to set the ejection recovery device 80 and incomplete mounting can be completely prevented. can do.

In the above embodiments, the case of the serial recording method in which the recording means is moved in the main scanning direction has been described as an example, but the present invention has a length covering the entire width or a part of the recording material. The same can be applied to the line recording method in which the line recording means is used to perform recording only in the sub-scan, and the same effect can be achieved.

Further, the present invention, in addition to a single-color recording apparatus for recording with one recording means, a color recording apparatus using a plurality of recording means for recording with different colors, or a plurality of recording apparatuses for recording with the same color but different densities. The same can be applied to the gradation recording apparatus using the recording means, and further to the recording apparatus in which these are combined, and the same effect can be achieved.

Furthermore, the present invention uses a replaceable head cartridge in which a recording head and an ink tank are integrated, a structure in which the recording head and the ink tank are separate bodies, and the space between them is connected by an ink supply tube or the like. The same can be applied to any arrangement of the recording head and the ink tank, and the same effect can be obtained.

In the case of an ink jet recording apparatus, the present invention can be applied to, for example, a recording means using an electromechanical transducer such as a piezo element, but among others, ink is produced by utilizing thermal energy. This brings about an excellent effect in an ink jet recording apparatus using a recording means of ejection type. According to such a method, it is possible to achieve higher density and higher definition of recording.

[0086]

As is clear from the above description, according to the first aspect of the invention, in the ink jet recording apparatus for recording by ejecting ink from the recording means to the recording material, the ejection port surface of the recording means is provided. An ejection recovery device for advancing and retreating to maintain the ink ejection function, and a moving means for moving a part or the whole of the ejection recovery device in a direction away from the recording means by more than the stroke of advancing and retracting, With the above structure, a space for maintenance is formed without removing the recording means or the head holder when inspecting and cleaning the ejection port surface of the recording means or the surface of the head holder supporting the plurality of recording means. An inkjet recording apparatus provided with a discharge recovery device capable of performing the above is provided.

According to the invention of claim 2, in addition to the configuration of claim 1, the moving means is configured to be manually operated. Therefore, in addition to the above effects, the recording apparatus is powered on. Even when it is not present, it is possible to form a large space between the recording means and the ejection recovery device, and it is possible to visually check the degree of contamination of the ejection opening of the recording means and its peripheral portion and to clean them. An ink jet recording apparatus capable of being provided is provided.

According to the invention of claim 3, in addition to the structure of claim 1, when the discharge recovery device is separated from the recording device by the moving device, the door of the recording device is the moving device or the door. The inkjet recovery device is configured to be prohibited from moving in the closing direction by interfering with a part of the discharge recovery device. Therefore, in addition to the above effects, it is possible to reliably notify that the discharge recovery device is not mounted at the proper position. A recording device is provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view schematically showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of an inkjet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view schematically showing the structure of an ink ejection portion of the recording means in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a state when the ejection recovery device and the moving means of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied are mounted in the normal position in the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing a state when the ejection recovery device of the first embodiment of FIG. 3 is separated.

FIG. 5 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration and operation of a second embodiment of the ejection recovery device and the moving means of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a state of the third embodiment of the ejection recovery device and the moving means of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied, at the time of mounting in the normal position.

FIG. 7 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing an example of a discharge recovery device of a conventional inkjet recording device.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a state in which a plurality of recording units are mounted on a common head holder.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Recording means (recording head) 2 Head holder 3 Carriage 3a Main scanning rail 4 Ink supply device 5 Ink carriage 8 Cleaning mechanism 9 Head carriage motor 10 Ink carriage motor 14 Recording material 15 Ink absorber 21 Discharge port surface 22 Discharge port 23 Common liquid chamber 24 Liquid path 25 Electrothermal converter 40 Ink cartridge 43 Ink tank 45 Pump 80 Ejection recovery device 81 Cap (part) 82 Cap seal 83 Cap case 84 Cap base 85 Rail 86 Cover 87 Compression coil spring 88 Cam shaft 89 Eccentricity Cam 90 Porous member 92 Waste ink bottle 94 Bottom plate 95 Stay 96 Support base 97 pins 98 pins 100 Moving means 101 Moving base 101a One end of moving base 101b Wall surface 101c Stopper 102 Long hole 103 Long hole 104 Tension coil spring 105 Manual lever 106 Handle part 107 Roller 197 Hinge 198 Door 200 Moving means 201 Frame body 204 Spindle 205 Lock lever 206 Tip hook portion 207 Handle 208 pin 209 Tension coil spring 300 Moving means 301 Box body 302 Arm 303 Support 304 Spindle

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. In an inkjet recording apparatus for recording by ejecting ink from a recording means onto a recording material, ejection recovery for maintaining an ink ejection function is provided so as to be capable of advancing and retreating with respect to an ejection port surface of the recording means. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising: an apparatus; and a moving unit that moves a part or the whole of the discharge recovery apparatus in a direction away from the recording unit by a stroke of the advance / retreat or more. 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving unit is manually operated. 3. When the discharge recovery device is separated from the recording device by the moving device, the door of the recording device interferes with a part of the moving device or the discharge recovery device and is prohibited from moving in the closing direction. The method according to claim 1, wherein
3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1. 4. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording means is an inkjet recording means including an electrothermal converter that generates thermal energy used for ejecting ink. . 5. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said recording means discharges the ink from a discharge port by utilizing film boiling generated in the ink by thermal energy generated by the electrothermal transducer. .