JPH02217255A - Cleaning device of liquid ejection recording device and liquid ejection recording device with cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make an ink absorber detachable from a specified position using an external manipulation so that it is constantly maintained in a condition suitable to cleaning by providing a constitution in which the unit has part of the ink absorber stored in a casing in exposable manner. CONSTITUTION:Ink is discharged to a recording sheet 11 from a recording head 1 while a carriage 5 is moved and data is recorded. In addition, if ink discharge becomes faulty due to the contamination of an ink discharge surface 3 of the head 1 or the blocking of a discharge hole 4A, the recording head 1 is guided to a position opposed to a suction pump unit 16, and absorbs and discharges ink. Furthermore, ink attaching to the discharge surface 3 is wiped off using a wiper 6. Then the recording head 1 is again guided to a position opposed to a cleaning cassette 20, and the attaching ink which remains unremoved with the wiper 6 is adsorbed and removed by pressing the exposed part of the ink absorber 24 against the discharge surface 3. If the cleaner is no longer capable of cleaning satisfactorily due to the repeated cleaning action, the cleaning cassette 20 is removed from a cassette holder 21 and replaced with a new one.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a cleaning device for a liquid jet recording device and a liquid jet recording device equipped with a stand attached to the cleaning device. The present invention relates to a cleaning device for a liquid jet recording device that can be cleaned by cleaning the liquid jet recording device, and a liquid jet recording device equipped with the cleaning device.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art Liquid jet recording apparatuses, so-called inkjet recording apparatuses, that perform recording by ejecting recording liquid as flying droplets have been well known. Such a liquid jet recording device causes its recording head to eject a recording liquid (hereinafter referred to as ink) onto the recording surface of a recording material such as paper or a plastic sheet to form flying droplets. Equipped with an ink ejection port for The carriage carrying the recording head is moved parallel to the recording surface of the recording material, and at this time, ink is ejected from the ejection ports of the recording head to perform recording.

In normal cases, the surface where the ejection ports of the print head are arranged (
A cleaning means is provided for cleaning ink, dirt, etc. adhering to the ejection port surface.

FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining an example of such a liquid jet recording head.

In FIG. 6, 1 faces the recording material 2, and the recording material 2
The recording head is moved horizontally to scan the front surface of the printer.

On the ink ejection port surface 3 of the recording disk 1 facing the recording material 2, ejection ports 4 are provided in a row 4A of one or more desired number depending on the recording density and the like. As shown in the schematic diagram of FIG.
It is installed in. Although not shown in the drawings, the recording head 1 includes a heating element, a piezoelectric element, etc. for supplying ejection energy to the ink filled in the liquid path as an ink droplet ejection means for ejecting ink droplets from the ejection ports 3. A discharge energy generating element is provided. Further, in FIG. 6, reference numeral 6 denotes a plate-shaped cleaning plate which is a cleaning means for cleaning the ink ejection surface 3 of the recording head 1.

By the way, the recording head 1 as described above is mounted on the carriage 5.
Recording is performed by moving the carriage 5 parallel to the paper surface of the recording material 2 and causing ink droplets ejected and formed from the recording head 1 to land on the recording material 2. With such recording operations, some of the ink may flow out during ink ejection, or an ink film may be formed by the flowed ink on the print head 1, particularly its ejection surface 3. It is unavoidable that various types of dirt are formed due to the formation of solid matter by the ink or ink film, or the adhesion of dust floating in the atmosphere to the ink or solid matter.

If the above-mentioned dirt is formed near the ejection port 4, it not only causes stains on the recording material, but also causes phenomena such as the ejection direction of ink droplets changing or ink droplets not being ejected due to this dirt. This is a major cause of recording instability.

Therefore, in order to remove such dirt from the recording head,
In a liquid jet recording apparatus, a wiping plate 6 or the like is provided as a head cleaning means, and dirt and unnecessary ink have been removed using the wiping plate 6, for example, in the following manner.

That is, by moving the recording head 1 in the direction of arrow P in FIG. 6 and bringing the wiping plate 6 into contact with the discharge surface 3 of the recording head 1, the dirt on the discharge surface 3 is removed in the same manner as in a car wiper. Since the cleaning plate performs cleaning by physical contact between the recording head 1 and the cleaning plate, the cleaning does not damage the ejection port surface 3. , they have been constructed of materials that provide a sufficient leaning effect.

Further, in consideration of cleaning efficiency, the cleaning plate 6 is normally provided so as to be kept perpendicular to the scanning direction of the recording head 1 and to come into contact with the ejection surface 3 when the recording head 1 moves. Furthermore, the cleaning operation can be performed constantly during the recording operation, but generally a cleaning plate 6 is installed outside the recording area of the recording head 1, and the cleaning operation can be performed periodically or at any time depending on how dirty the recording head 1 is. Then, the recording head 1 is moved to the wiping plate installation position, and the recording head 1 is brought into contact with the wiping plate 6. In some cases, a wiping plate may be installed within the recording area, and its installation method may be either a fixed type or a movable type that protrudes to a position where it comes into contact with the recording pad 1 only during cleaning. The method has been adopted.

By the way, in cleaning the ink ejection surface 3 of the recording head 1, relying only on the above-mentioned solid wiping plate is not sufficient as a recovery operation for ejection failures that cause print distortion and the like. Therefore, a method has been adopted in which the remaining ink is further adsorbed and removed by pressing it against, for example, Bel Eater or the Belk outlet surface 3, which has ink absorbing properties and does not have the risk of forming particles due to wear.
In particular, currently, it is said that the most effective method for cleaning is to use both a wiping plate and an ink absorber and take advantage of the characteristics of each.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the liquid jet recording device having the conventional cleaning means as described above, the shape of Bel Eater used as an ink absorber changes when it absorbs ink, so it is difficult to eject ink. Not only does the adhesion with the surface deteriorate, resulting in a decrease in cleaning ability, but also dust in the air, paper powder from the recording sheet, etc. adhere to the surface of the ink absorber, further impairing the cleaning function.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to focus on the above-mentioned conventional problems and to solve the problems. An object of the present invention is to provide an injection recording device.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve such an object, the present invention is designed to apply pressure to the ink ejection surface of a print head that performs printing by ejecting ink for recording after a recovery operation is performed to remove the ink adhering to the ink ejection surface. In a cleaning device for a liquid jet recording device equipped with an absorbable ink absorber, the ink absorber is housed in a housing to form a unit, and a part of the ink absorber can be exposed through an exposure window provided in the housing. It is characterized in that the unit is replaceable.

Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention provides a liquid jet recording head that includes a liquid jet recording head having an ink discharge port surface on which ink discharge ports for discharging ink are arranged, and an ink absorber that can come into contact with the ink discharge port surface. The recording apparatus is characterized in that it includes a casing that houses an ink absorber and has a window that exposes a part of the ink absorber, and a detachable mechanism that allows the casing and the main body of the apparatus to be removed.

[For production]

According to the present invention, a part of the ink absorber is housed in a housing so as to be exposed to form a unit, and the unit is a cassette type that can be attached and detached to a predetermined position in the main body of the recording apparatus, so that the user can easily set the ink absorber at a desired time. The ink absorber can be easily replaced, making it possible to keep the ink absorber in a clean state at all times.Furthermore, a lid is provided that can be opened and closed when the ink absorber is exposed, and this lid is opened by the mounting operation. By doing so, you can prevent your hands from getting dirty when replacing the battery.

Furthermore, by forming the casing from a transparent material, the user can recognize when to replace the unit just by looking at a portion of the unit.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail and specifically below based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Here, 11 is a recording sheet that is a recording material, 12 is a guide that holds the recording sheet 11 at a recording position, and 13 is a timing belt that is connected to the carriage 5 and moves the carriage 5 in parallel along the recording sheet 11. , 14 is a pulley, and 15 is a motor for driving the belt. Reference numeral 16 denotes a recovery suction pump unit installed outside the recording area, for example at a home position, and is provided with a cap member 17 on the side facing the ejection surface of the recording head 1. Furthermore, at this home position, A position detection sensor 18 is provided to detect the position of the carriage 5 when it is guided.

20 is an ink absorber unit (hereinafter referred to as a cleaning cassette) according to the present invention, and zl is a cassette holder provided on the frame 22 side of the apparatus, to which the outer casing 23 of the cleaning cassette 20 is detachably attached. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the cleaning cassette 20 has an ink absorber 24 housed therein, and a part of the ink absorber 24 is moved by the spring force of a leaf spring 25, which is an elastic member provided behind the cleaning cassette 20. Note that as the ink absorber 24, Bell Eater can be used as a suitable example, but it is not limited to Bell Eater. Any porous material with excellent chemical resistance may be used, and the elastic member may be formed integrally with the housing.

The cleaning cassette 20 is configured to be movable together with the suction pump unit 16 in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper by a drive means (not shown), and as will be described later, during cleaning, the cleaning cassette 20 is moved to the opposite position. The ink absorber z4 is moved toward the ejection surface 3 of the guided recording head 1, and the protruding portion of the ink absorber z4 comes into pressure contact with the ejection surface 3 due to the above-mentioned spring force and adsorbs the adhered ink from that surface.

Further, since the ink absorber 24 changes its shape and expands when it absorbs ink, the outer casing 23 is designed to maintain a sufficient space for the ink absorber 24.

Therefore, in the liquid jet recording device according to the present invention,
While the carriage 5 is being moved, ink is ejected from the recording head 1 toward the recording sheet 11 to perform recording. During this time, if the ink ejection surface 3 of the head 1 becomes dirty or the ejection port 4 is clogged, causing ink ejection failure, the recording head 1 is guided to a position opposite the suction pump unit 16, and the ink is sucked and ejected. After that, the ink adhering to the ejection surface 3 is further wiped off by a wiping plate 6.

After that, the recording head 1 is again guided to the position facing the cleaning cassette 20, and the exposed part of the ink absorber 24 is pressed against the ejection surface 3, so that the adhered ink that cannot be wiped off by the wiping plate 6 can be adsorbed and removed. Take. That is, since the ink absorber 24 is porous, the attached ink is taken into the interior thereof by capillary action. However, when cleaning is repeated in this way, the ink absorber 24 swells and changes as the ink is absorbed, and as mentioned above, dirt adheres and accumulates on the surface of the ink absorber 24, causing cleaning Prevents functional decline.

However, according to the present invention, when the cleaning function deteriorates, the cleaning cassette 20 can be easily removed as a unit from the cassette holder 21 and replaced with a new one.
As shown in FIG. 3, the cassette 20 is inserted into and removed from the cassette holder 21 (see FIG. 1) provided at the bottom of the recording device using the cassette attachment/detachment port 31 provided on the exterior 30 of the recording device. You can easily perform the exchange by simply doing the following.

Figures 4A to 4C show the construction of a leaning cassette according to another embodiment of the present invention. This example is designed to prevent the user from inadvertently staining his or her hands with a used cassette. That is, FIGS. 4A and 4
In Figure B, 32 is a door that is a cover member that allows the exposure window 26 to be opened and closed freely; 33 is an engaging claw provided at the lower end of the door;
As shown in FIG. 4B, a spring 4 is an elastic member provided at the upper part of the door 32 along the inner wall of the outer casing 23, and this spring 34 can keep the screen 32 in a closed state. In contrast, the cassette holder 21 has a fourth C.
As shown in the figure, a frame portion 21A is provided protruding from the upper edge of the front surface. Note that the elastic member may be formed integrally with the door and/or the casing.

In the cleaning cassette 20 configured in this way, the door 32 is kept closed by the spring force of the spring 34 before it is installed in the recording device, but when the cassette 20 is installed in the cassette holder 21, the door 32 is kept closed. Due to the mounting operation, the engaging claw 33 of the folding screen 32 engages with the frame 21^ of the cassette holder 21, and as shown in FIG.
can be pulled upward against the spring force to expose a portion of the ink absorber 24 through the exposure window 26.

FIGS. 58 and 5B further illustrate the construction of a cleaning cassette according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the outer casing 23 of the cassette 20 itself or at least the part visible from the outside is formed of a transparent material.
You can observe how the ink penetrates.

That is, when the ink is black, for example, as the number of times of cleaning increases and approaches the limit, the color of the ink absorber 24 changes from a partial discoloration to the entire discoloration. By visually checking the degree of discoloration while the cassette is still attached to the cassette, you can determine when it is time to replace the cassette. Although not shown, it goes without saying that in the cleaning cassette 20 of the form shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C, the outer casing 23 can be made transparent so that similar effects can be obtained.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, a part of the ink absorber is housed in a housing so as to be exposed to form a unit, and can be attached to and detached from the outside at a predetermined position. The ink absorber can be easily replaced at a desired time by the user, and the ink absorber can always be kept in a state suitable for cleaning.

In addition, if a lid that can be opened and closed is provided on the exposed portion of the ink absorber and the lid is opened in response to the mounting operation, there is no risk of the user getting his or her hands dirty when replacing the ink absorber.

Furthermore, by forming at least a portion of the casing from a transparent material, the user can visually recognize when it is time to replace the unit from the outside.

Shikoku, FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the state of the liquid jet recording head mounted on the carriage.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of a liquid jet recording device according to the present invention. FIGS. 2A and 2B are front and side views showing an example of the configuration of a cleaning unit according to the present invention, and FIG. 4A and 4B are perspective views and sectional views of a cleaning unit according to another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4C is a perspective view showing the cleaning unit in an attached state; 5A and 56 are front and side views of a cleaning unit according to still another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a conventional liquid jet recording head.
Recording head, 3... Ink ejection surface, 4... Ejection port, 5... Carriage, 6... Wiping plate, 16... Suction pump unit, 20... Cleaning cassette, 21. ...Cassette holder, 23...Outer casing, 24...Ink absorber, 25...Leaf spring, 26...Exposure window, 32...Door, 34...Spring. 20Cleaning link jttsut zhA deactivation/1 city map Figure 3 Figure 2A Figure $2A121's thumbs up Dm Figure 28 Figure 5A fan 5A 1! l's key ffi 6 convex Figure 58

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) In a cleaning device for a liquid jet recording device that is provided with an ink absorber capable of absorbing ink adhering to the ink discharge port surface of a recording head that performs recording by discharging recording ink. A cleaning device for a liquid jet recording apparatus, comprising a casing that accommodates the ink absorber and allows a part of the ink absorber to be exposed. 2) The cleaning device for a liquid jet recording device according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a protrusion that can be connected to the liquid jet recording device. 3) The cleaning device for a liquid jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes a cover member that covers an exposed portion of the ink absorber. 4) The cleaning device for a liquid jet recording apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising an elastic member that urges the covering member in a direction to cover the exposed portion. 5) The cleaning device for a liquid jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic member provided between the ink absorber and the housing to bias the ink absorber in an exposing direction. 6) A liquid jet recording device comprising: a liquid jet recording head having an ink discharge port surface on which ink discharge ports are disposed for discharging ink; and an ink absorber capable of contacting the ink discharge port surface; A liquid jet recording apparatus comprising: a housing that houses an absorber and has a window that exposes a part of the ink absorber; and a detachable mechanism that allows the housing and the apparatus main body to be detached.