JPH03234665A - Ink cartridge and ink jet recording device loaded by same cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent noise when vibration is added or damage when impact is added, etc., from happening by a method wherein a waste ink absorbing member has a storage area which stores a part of the bottom part of an ink tank, and a holding area which holds the other part of the bottom part of the ink tank. CONSTITUTION:By providing gaps 97a at both ends of an ink tank 94 and supporting the ink tank 94 by a flexible felt type waste ink absorber 96, the ink tank 94 is slightly rotatably held. By doing this, to perform an assured connection without positional slip becomes possible. In addition, in order to prevent noise due to the movement of the ink tank 94 by vibration or impact from generating, or to prevent a box body from being damaged and to utilize space effectively, the central part of the waste ink absorber 96 is removed, and the deepest part of the ink tank 94 is fitted in this space, and the ink tank 94 is held by the remaining outer periphery. For this reason, the title ink cartridge has a structure in which vibration or impact can be absorbed by the flexibility of the waste ink absorber 96, and at the same time, the degree of freedom for the ink tank 94 can be maintained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an ink cartridge storing ink and an inkjet recording apparatus to which the cartridge is installed.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, the ink tank of an inkjet recording device has been configured to have a cartridge type ink tank so that a user can easily change the ink tank and replenish the ink when the ink runs out. There was something. For example, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5,641,148, a cartridge-type ink tank has a flexible bag, and ink is filled in the bag to release it to atmospheric pressure and prevent evaporation. Structures that achieve both are widely known. Since this method can be realized without adding a complicated atmosphere release mechanism, it is very effective as a means of constructing an inexpensive and compact ink tank.

Furthermore, an ink cartridge is also known in which a waste liquid absorber is added to the ink tank of the above-mentioned type, and the ink tank and waste liquid tank are enclosed in a housing with a member interposed therebetween to integrate the ink tank and the waste liquid tank. This type of ink cartridge usually uses felt, foamed resin, or the like as a waste liquid absorber, and is configured to hold and collect waste ink.

[Problem that the invention is trying to solve]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, when the ink tank is filled with ink and the weight of the ink tank is large, rubbing may occur with the casing that encloses the tank, and especially when the tank is a rigid container with an atmospheric communication means instead of a bag In some cases, the backlash with the casing may cause problems such as noise when vibration is applied and damage when impact is applied.

[Means for Solving the Problems (and Effects)] As a result of studies to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors have developed an ink absorber. #We have discovered that it can function as a military absorbent material and have come up with the present invention.

That is, the present invention provides an ink cartridge having an ink tank section that stores ink supplied to an inkjet recording head, and a waste ink water absorbing member that absorbs waste ink discharged in response to a recovery operation of the inkjet recording head. In this method, the waste ink absorbing member has a storage area that stores a part of the bottom of the ink tank part and a holding area that holds another part of the bottom of the ink tank part. It is.

Further, the present invention provides an inkjet recording apparatus including an inkjet recording head that discharges ink from an ejection port to form an image, and an ink supply means that supplies ink to the inkjet recording head, the ink supply means is equipped with a removable ink cartridge, and the ink cartridge includes an ink tank section that stores ink to be supplied to the inkjet recording head;
and a waste ink water absorbing member that absorbs waste ink discharged in response to a recovery operation of the ink cartridge recording head, and the waste ink water absorbing member is a storage that stores a part of the bottom of the ink tank portion. and a holding area that holds another part of the bottom of the ink tank section.

According to the present invention, since the ink absorber is a shock absorber, the ink tank can be well protected and held. In addition, the shape of the ink tank has a sloped surface at the bottom to ensure good ink supply, but an ink absorber is placed in the space created by forming the slope near the side of the ink tank. This allows for effective use of space.

[Example] Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically explained based on Examples.

FIG. 1(A) is a central cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a facsimile apparatus that characteristically represents the present invention. FIG. 1(B) is a top plan view thereof, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the open state. The facsimile apparatus of this embodiment is broadly divided into a document transport system A, an optical system B, a power supply section C, an electric circuit board D, a recording paper transport system E, a decal system F, a supply system G, and a recovery system H. Here, the document conveying system A and the optical system B constitute a document reading section for setting and taking a document image. As a basic operation of a facsimile machine, when a document 2 is set during transmission or copying, the document conveyance system A receives a drive from a drive means (not shown) to read the document image of the document 2. roller rows (rollers R1, R2, R3
・Transfer sequentially using R4). Then, the document line information at the document reading line (main scanning line) position that is fixed during transportation reaches the line CCD 100 by the condenser lens Le through the reflected optical path of the optical system B (lamp L tomirror M1M2), where it is converted into an electrical signal. The original information is read.

During reception or copying, the recording paper conveyance system E sequentially conveys the recording paper 1 wound into a roll along the path shown in the figure by a row of rollers driven by a drive means (not shown), and rolls the recording paper 1 along the route as shown in FIG. Ink is ejected from the ejection openings of the recording head 38 onto the recording paper recording line, and recording is performed. Recording head 3
Ink is ejected from the ejection openings 8 using thermal energy. This thermal energy is generated by an electrothermal transducer included in the recording head 38. Note that the power supply section C normally obtains general AC power, converts it into all necessary voltages and currents within the device, and supplies the converted voltages and currents to each section. The electric circuit, centered on the electric circuit board, controls the functional operation of each part of this device, centered on the microcomputer system, and also controls the connection and release of the transmission line and the input and output of image information signals. Let's do it. The supply system G supplies ink to the recording head, and the recovery &H performs cleaning and capping of the ejection opening surface necessary for the head.

As shown in FIG. 1(B), the apparatus of the roll recording paper 1 is located almost at the center, and on the left side, the document conveyance system A, the optical system B, and the power supply section C are arranged in a vertical direction C. ing. Also, on the right side, in order from the top, there are recording heads 38. Recording head recovery system H, ink supply system G equipped with ink tank 86
is located. Since the recording head 38°, the recording head recovery system H, and the ink supply system G including the ink tank 786 are arranged in this order from the top, in this embodiment, even if the apparatus is tilted, the recording head 38 can be The ratio of pressure change from the ink tank 86 to the orifice surface is reduced (the pressure to each ejection port becomes uniform), and good recording is possible. This is because the distance between the orifice surface of the recording head and the ink tank can be increased even though the apparatus has been made smaller.

The various configurations and operations will be explained below.

First, the operation of transporting recording paper will be explained step by step. A roll of recording paper 1 is loaded, and this recording paper 1 passes through a decurling system F for correcting curling, and is sandwiched between a driving conveyance roller 7 and a driven roller (platen roller) 8 that comes into contact with the conveyance roller 7. transported. The conveying roller 7 is driven by a driving means (not shown), and uses a stepping motor as a driving source, for example.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the relationship of parts in the longitudinal direction around the driven roller 8 (platen roller). A first platen side plate 13 fixed to or integrally formed with the recording frame 19
a and the second platen side plate 13b support the driven roller 8 with play, with the shaft passing through an opening 13c larger than the shaft diameter. Then, E is attached to both ends of the shaft portion of the driven roller 8.
Rings 29 and 30 are attached as pull-out stops. Furthermore, the coaxiality of the inner diameter and outer diameter is precisely defined in both shaft parts, and a bearing 10 is fitted to the core part of the driven roller 8 and is rotatable.
a and 10b are arranged.

On the other hand, the 341 platen side plate 13a and the second platen side plate 13b are slidably disposed with platen pressing shafts 12a and 12b fitted on their inner surfaces, respectively, as shown in the figure.

One end of the platen pressing shafts 12a, 12b is configured to apply a contact pressing force to the bearings 10a, 10b of the driven roller 8 by the action of the springs lla, llb.

Now, returning to FIG. 1, the recording head 38 is in the recording position, and at this time, the driven roller 8 exerts a pressing force against the conveying roller 7 and the bearing 10a against the recording head 38. and 10b, they are brought into contact and positioned in two directions. That is, the direction of the pressing force of the platen pressing shafts 12a, 12b on the driven roller 8 is as described above.
10b is set in a direction in which it abuts against the recording head 38. At the same time, the flexible thin plate recording guide 14 rotates the recording head 38 about the head shaft 36 to come to the recording position.

In this way, the sheet bus is aligned with the recording line position, and the recording head 38 discharges ink at the recording line position from the discharge opening during recording.

Next, the recording paper 1 is guided by the first curvature guide 15 and the first paper ejection guide 20, and the roller rows 17a to 17g and the roller row 18a contact the first paper ejection roller 21 and the paper ejection roller 21. It is guided and conveyed while being sandwiched between ~18g.

Note that the first paper ejection roller 21 receives driving force from the same drive system as the transport roller 7, and the peripheral speed of the first paper ejection roller 21 is slightly smaller than the peripheral speed of the transport roller 7. It is set to be fast.

Here, a perspective view showing the relationship of parts in the longitudinal direction around the first paper ejection roller 21 is shown in FIG. Rollers 17a to 17g and rollers 18a to 18g are arranged alternately with first curvature guides 15a to 15f, and are rotatably supported by shafts 31 and 32, respectively, and both ends of the shafts are fixed with E rings or the like. There is. Further, the shaft 32 has both ends, a first paper discharge roller receiving side 9a and a second paper discharge roller receiving side 19 fixed to or integrally formed with the recording frame 19.
b, and in the horizontal direction it is regulated by being passed through a vertical hole that fits with the diameter of the shaft 32, and furthermore, both sides are regulated by E-rings (
(not shown). The figure shows 16 representative
Springs 16a to 16f, shown only at a, create a compressive force between the recording chassis 19 and the first curvature guides 15a to 15f (see FIG. 1).
18g comes into contact with the paper discharge roller 21 with a pressing force. As a result, when the recording paper 1 is pinched, a conveying force is generated. Then, the recording paper 1 passes between the two blades 22a and 22b of the cutter 22 that cuts the recording paper for each received page, is further guided by the upper paper discharge guide 23 and the rear paper discharge guide 24, and then is guided to the second paper discharge roller. 25, and the rollers 27a to 27g and rollers 28a to 28g that abut the rollers 25 and 25, and are guided and conveyed.

Further, the second paper ejection roller 25 receives a driving force from a drive system, and its circumferential speed is set to be slightly faster than the circumferential speed of the first paper ejection roller 21. Here, similarly to the area around the first paper ejection roller 21 described above, the rollers 27a to 27g and the rollers 28a to 28g are arranged alternately with the second curvature guides 26a to 26f and are rotatably supported by the shafts 33 and 34, respectively. There is. The shaft 34 is prevented from being pulled out with E-rings or the like at both ends, and the shaft 33 is fitted with the diameter of the shaft 33 in the horizontal direction of paper discharge roller receiving sides 19c and 19d, which are fixed to or integrally formed with the recording frame 19 at both ends. It is regulated by being passed through the vertical hole in the hole, and both ends are secured with E-rings, etc. to prevent it from coming out. The recording chassis 19 and the second curvature guides 26a to 2 are connected by the springs 35a to 35f.
A compressive force is generated between the rollers 27a and 6f (see Fig. 1), and the rollers 27a to
27g and the rollers 28a to 28g abut against the second paper discharge roller 25 with a pressing force, and when the recording paper 1 is nipped, a conveyance force is generated. The recording paper that has been recorded in this way is ejected,
Each page is cut by a cutter and is further subjected to the conveyance force of the discharge roller 39, and the leading edge is smoothly received and held by the stacker 40. As a result, the operator can take out the recording paper held in the stacker 40.

The recording paper conveyance system is configured and operates as described above. Here, the state shown in FIG. 1 represents the time of recording, and the recording frame 19 can be opened and closed with the hinge 19e of the recording frame 19 as the axis center when replacing the recording paper or in the event of trouble in conveying the recording paper. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, it can be opened just at the recording paper transport path, and each component is connected to the recording frame 19 on the upper side and the main body frame 6 on the lower side.
It is designed to belong to the 3rd side. This recording frame 1
9 and its associated components are shown in FIG. 5.

In this way, in this embodiment, the recording heads 38 .
A recording head recovery system H and an ink supply system G are arranged.

Then, the recording paper 1 on which recording was performed by the recording head 38
is guided in the horizontal direction above the recording head 38 and then lowered and stored in the discharge stacker 40. The path for guiding the recording paper in the horizontal direction is in contact with the opening of the main body. Therefore, according to this embodiment, even if a paper jam occurs, it is easy to remove it, and even if a paper jam occurs, capping can be performed without damaging the head surface. Furthermore, even if ink leaks during capping, the recording paper will not be soiled.

Next, positioning of the driven roller 8 (platen roller 8) will be explained.

First, FIG. 6 shows the state of parts around the driven roller 8 when the main body of the apparatus is in a standby state. The recording guide 14 is arranged so as not to come into contact with the driven roller 8 when no external force is applied. Therefore, in the standby state, the recording paper 1 contacts the outer periphery of the driven roller 8 at a smaller angle than in the printing state. At this time, the position of the driven roller 8 is such that the outer periphery of the driven roller 8 is pressed by the platen pressing shafts 12a, 12b and comes into contact with the conveyance roller 7, and the core metal of the driven roller 8 is provided on the platen side plates 13a, 13b. A through hole 1 that is 0.1 mm to several mm larger than the outer circumference of the core metal
It is determined by contacting 3c. Both the conveying roller 7 and the driven roller 8 have a core made of a rigid iron ring and a roller made of a flexible material such as rubber arranged on the outer periphery C.

Next, Fig. 7 shows a state in which the recording head 38 is rotating clockwise around the head shaft 36 in order for this device to enter the recording state from the standby state. It is something. First, when the head 38 rotates as described above by driving the motor KM, the plurality of protrusions 38c provided on the recording surface of the head 38 come into contact with the tip of the recording guide 14.
The recording guide 14 begins to be elastically deformed. head 3 here
The protrusion 38c provided on the recording surface of 8 becomes higher toward the corner, so that the recording guide 14 and the recording head 38 are elastically deformed to be separated by the height of the protrusion (6 in the figure). It turns out.

The reason why the projections 38c become higher toward the corners is to facilitate the removal of ink during a wiping operation of the recording surface of the head, which will be described later.

When the recording head 38 further rotates clockwise and moves to the recording state shown in FIG. 1, both ends of the recording surface of the recording head 38 come into contact with the bearings 10a and 10b. This determines the distance between the recording surface of the recording head 38 and the platen roller (driven roller) 8. In this embodiment, the outer periphery of the bearings 10a and 10b is larger than the outer periphery of the driven roller 8, and the amount thereof is set to be several millimeters smaller than the height δ of the protrusion of the recording head 38. ing. As a result, the guide 14 reliably contacts the outer periphery of the platen roller 8, and the recording paper can be conveyed. At the time of recording, the conveyance roller 7
rotates clockwise, and the external force causes the platen roller 8 to rotate counterclockwise and move toward the recording head 38. Therefore, with the above-described configuration, the platen roller 8 comes into contact with the guide 14 through the recording paper. Therefore, the springs lla and ttb described above are not necessarily necessary, and the platen roller 8 can be brought into contact with its own weight alone.

Next, the configuration of peripheral parts of the recording head 38 will be explained using the perspective view of FIG. 8. The recording head 38 includes a head main body part 38f including a heat generating part, an electric component part, and a glass ink liquid chamber part, a filter front part 38d, a filter rear part 38e, and a head front plate 3 disposed on the outside of the head main part.
8c. In addition, 38dl before the filter and 38e after the filter are 38dl before the head ink connection part and 38e after the head ink connection part, respectively.
1, each of which is tightly sealed and connected to the ink supply front 71 by screwing the ink supply tube across a sealing member (not shown).

Reference numeral 38a is a two-dot chain line in an imaginary figure that connects the straight lines in which the nozzles are lined up and the center lines of the nozzles.
Multiple 8's are lined up. Although it will be referred to as a nozzle 38a hereinafter, it actually has a hole several tens of microns in diameter, and the hole is connected to the ink supply tubes 71, 7'2. Here, the opposite ends of the ink supply tubes 71 and 72 are a supply pipe joint front 84 and a supply pipe joint rear 84, which will be described later.
5. Now, the surface on which the nozzle 38 is opened is denoted by 38b in the figure, and will be called the orifice surface. Here, the head front plate 38g is formed of metal or a molded member, and the space between the orifice surface 38b and the head front plate 38g is filled with silicone rubber or the like and is completely sealed. The filters 38d and 38e are for preventing dust in the ink from entering the nozzle portion. 37a and 37b are the front and rear parts of the head arm, and are made of engineered plastic, which is rigid and does not easily deform due to heat at high temperatures, or sintered metal, die-cast metal, etc., and are attached to the BJ head 38 with screws, etc., respectively. It is permanently installed.

The front head arm 37a and the rear head arm 37b are fixed to the head shaft 36 with screws, and because of the above-mentioned special configuration, the head shaft 36 and the BJ head 3
8 is fixedly installed. The head shaft 36 is rotatably supported by a main body frame 56 via a bearing (not shown), and the head shaft 36 is connected to a drive system composed of gears, belts KB, etc. C, and further connected to a stepping motor KM. is connected to.

Next, the configuration of peripheral parts of the cap 41 will be explained using the perspective view of FIG. 9. Although the shape of the cap 41 will be described in detail later, the cap 41 is made of a flexible material such as silicone rubber that is resistant to mechanical creep and has a high permeability to gases such as water vapor. 42 is a cap keel made of a rigid material such as aluminum or stainless steel, and short shafts 46a, 46b, 46c, 46d, and 46e are fixed to the cap keel 42 by screws as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. are doing.

The short shafts 46a to 46e are preferably made of a rust-resistant and rigid material such as stainless steel. In this embodiment, the short axis is 46 a%
Although e is screwed, it may be joined by press-fitting, adhesive, etc. Also, the cap keel 42 and the short shaft 46
It is also possible to integrally shape a to e by molding or the like.

Here, the bottom shape of the cap 41 first connects the cap keel 42 and the short shafts 46a to 46e, and the combined cap keel 42 and the short shafts 46a to 46e
Embedding 46e in an open mold and injecting or sandwiching silicone rubber, which is the raw material for the cap 41C
Therefore, the cap 41 is baked onto the cap keel 42 by integrally molding it. Here, it goes without saying that the shape of the mold described above matches the external shape of the cap 41. Now, 60 is a recovery frame made of rust-resistant and rigid material such as stainless steel, and the four sides are bent to increase the rigidity of the recovery frame (60a to 60d1
．． :) It's launching. The recovery frame 60 has a short axis 4
Short shaft bearings 61a, 61b, 61c that receive 6a to 46e
, 61d, and 61e are fixed with screws (not shown) or the like. Note that the bearings 61a to 61e may be coupled to the frame 60 by welding or adhesion. Further, as described later, the short axis 46a is long and the short axis 46b-c-d
is fitted into a so-called blind hole, and the short shaft 46e is fitted in position. That is, the outer diameter of each of the short shafts 46a to 46e is the same, and the inner diameter portion 61eI of the short shaft bearing 61e and the outer diameter of the short shaft 46e are made to have diameters that just fit together, so that they cannot slide against the stainless steel short shaft 46e. The short shaft bearings 61a to ale are made of a polyacetal resin with good dynamic properties.

In contrast to the short shaft bearing 61e, the short shaft bearing 61a has a long portion 6 extending in the longitudinal direction of the cap 41 as shown in FIG.
1a is formed. The length of the elongated hole 61a in the short direction is made to fit with the short shaft 46a. The diameter of the holes 61b, 61cl, 61d opened in the short shaft bearings 61b, 61c, 61d is the same as that of the short shaft 46b.
It is made larger in the range of 0.1 mm to 1 mm than the external shape of ~46d. Next, compression springs 47a to 47e are screwed to the outside of the short shafts 46a to 46e, respectively, with short shaft stops 56a to 56e sandwiched between them from the back side of the recovery frame 6o, as shown in the figure.

As a result of being screwed, the compression springs 47a to 47e are in a compressed state with the cap keel and the short shaft bearings 61a to 61e being sandwiched. The movement of the cap 41 at this time will be described in detail later.

Next, 50 and 52 are the front of the first wiper and the second wiper, respectively, and are made of a flexible material such as rubber with good wear resistance. Some 50a.

The straightness of the straight portion 52a is strictly controlled to ensure that there are no edges or debris. Further, the first wiper 50 is fixed to the first wiper stay 49, and the second wiper 52 is fixed to the second wiper stay 51 with screws or the like (not shown). Both the first wiper stay 49 and the second wiper stay 52 are made of rust-resistant and rigid metal such as stainless steel.

Furthermore, the first wiper stay 49 and the second wiper stay 51 are screwed to the recovery frame 60 as shown in FIG. 9.

At this time, the protrusion 41a of the cap 41, which will be described later, and the wiper tips 50a and 52a are arranged so that their parallelism is accurate. Further, the protrusion 41a and the wiper tip 50
a.52a and the wiper stay 49 of the recovery frame 60
・51 is installed on the surface, cam gear front 59a1 cam gear rear 5
The two-dot chain line α5 in FIG. 9, which is an imaginary line connecting the center lines of the respective boss portions 59a and 59b1 of 9b, is arranged so that the parallelism thereof, which will be described later, is accurate. Also the 9th
As shown in the figure, the height of the tip 50a of the second wiper is higher than the height of the tip 50a of the first wiper with respect to the recovery frame 60.
The height of 2a relative to the recovery frame 60 is configured to be higher.

For this configuration, the heights of the above-mentioned flexible parts such as rubber of the first wiper 5o and the second wiper rear 52 may be changed, or the heights of the 341 wiper stay 49 and the second wiper stay 5o may be changed.
The height of the rigid part of 1 may be changed.Next 54 is a recovery frame bearing, and the recovery frame shaft 55 shown in FIG. 54a in its lateral direction.

Although the recovery frame shaft 55 is fixed to the main body frame 63 here, the recovery frame shaft 55 may be rotatably supported by the main body frame 1-Muro 3. The material of the recovery frame bearing 54 is sliding. It is made of polyacetal resin with good dynamic performance and is fixed to the recovery frame 60 with screws. At this time, the recovery frame bearing 5
The fixation position of No. 4 to the recovery frame 60 is in the arrow β direction in FIG. Here again,
The center of the hole 61C1 of the short shaft bearing 61c is also shown in the figure, and is located at the center of the recovery frame 60 in the direction of the arrow β. Furthermore, the center of the hole 61b1 of the short shaft bearing 61b and the center of the hole 61d1 of the short shaft bearing 61d are located symmetrically in the direction of arrow β with 61C1 as the center. Further, the center of the elongated hole 61a of the short shaft bearing 61a in the direction of arrow β and the center of the hole 61e1 of the short shaft bearing 61e are similarly aligned with the hole 61c.
, are located symmetrically in the direction of the arrow β, with , as the center. Now,
The distance between the center of the hole 61a and the center of the hole 61b1, the distance between the center of the hole 61b1 and the center of the hole 61c+, the hole 6
Distance between the center of 1C1 and the center of the hole 61d, the hole 61d
It is desirable that the four distances between the center of the hole 61e1 and the center of the hole 61e1 be equal. Next, reference numeral 62 denotes a recovery frame shaft, which is disposed across both side plates of the main body frame 63. This recovery frame shaft 62 is connected to the main body frame 63
It is rotatably supported around a bearing (not shown) disposed in the. Furthermore, this recovery frame shaft 62 has a cap guide front 48 which will be described later on the inside of both main body frames 63.
Idler gears 57a and 57b are fixed so as to be located outside of the rear cap guide 48b. The means for fixing the idler gears 57a and 57b to the recovery frame shaft 62 is a parallel pin or a spring pin (both not shown) and an E centering ring due to the installation of the recovery frame shaft 62 into the main body frame 63. It is fixed. Further, as shown in the figure, an outer idler gear 58 is attached to the recovery frame shaft 62 with the main body frame 63 in between.
The D-cut portion formed at the end of the holder is used to prevent rotation. Next, the idler gears 57a and 57b have
Cam gears 59a and 59b are arranged so that they mesh exactly. The cam gears 59a and 59b are located outside the cap guides 48a and 48b and inside the main body frame 63, and are rotatably supported around cam gear shafts 70a and 70b fixed to the main body frame 63. There is. Here, the gears 57a-57b and 59a-59b are modules and have the same number of teeth. Furthermore, gear 58 and gear 57
a, 57b, 59a, and 59b have the same number of teeth.

Here, the gear 58 is connected to a stepping motor CM.

The cam gear 59 has the above-mentioned number of teeth.
When a and 59b rotate once, by connecting gears that rotate exactly once, the rotation angle and rotation position of the gears can be detected by a microswitch slit type sensor (not shown), etc., and the cam gear This is to detect the positions of the boss portion 59a1 of the cam gear 59a and the boss portion 59b1 of the cam gear 59b. Therefore, the cam gears 59a and 59
If a gear, timing pulley, etc. that rotates once in synchronization with one rotation of b is present in the drive system, if the position of the gear, timing pulley, etc. is detected, the gears 57a and 57b can be detected as in this embodiment. - In addition, cap guides 48a and 48b are fixed to the zero recovery frame 60, which does not require the number of teeth of 59a and 59b to be the same. The cap guides 48a and 48b are made of polyacetal resin with good sliding performance. and cap guide 48a
・48b has the boss portion 59a of the cam gear 59a-59b
, , 59b, and the groove portion 48a that fits in the widthwise direction.
48bl is formed and fitted as shown in FIG. Here, the boss portions 59a, . . . and the boss portions 59b
, are placed exactly opposite each other.

Due to the above-mentioned configuration, when the outer idler gear 58 rotates, the recovery frame 60 swings about the recovery frame shaft 55 in the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. 10 (center sectional view). will be carried out.

Now, the area around the recovery frame 60 has the above-mentioned special component configuration. Therefore, in FIG. 9, the recovery frame 60 is positioned by a plane formed by the two-dot chain line α and the recovery frame axis 55. Here, the two-dot chain line α and the head axis 36 are arranged so that their parallelism is accurate. Although the recovery frame 60 is positioned by the plane formed by the double-dot chain line α and the recovery frame axis 55, it is not fixed by the above-mentioned components, and in the direction indicated by the arrow θ in FIG. In the γ direction, the recovery frame 60 is configured to have a degree of freedom.

Next, the first cap guide 48a and the second cap guide 4
The arrangement position of 8b on the recovery frame 60 in the direction of arrow θ in the figure will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

First cap guide 48a, second cap guide 48b
U-shaped cutout portions 48a and 4Bb are formed in both of the holes, and the intervals between the U-shaped holes are formed with high accuracy. The intervals between the U-shaped notches 48a and 48b1 are indicated by arrows in the figure. And the U-shaped hole 48a1
- At the center of the interval 48b1, the protrusion 41 of the cap 41
The first cap guide 48a and the second cap guide 48b are disposed on the recovery frame 60 so that the width in the width direction a (indicated by an arrow in the figure) is centered at the center.

Next, the first rad arm 3 fa1, the second rad arm 37
b has circular protrusions, 37a, 37b1, respectively, 37a1 in front of the head arm, 37a in the rear of the head arm.
7b. Then, the circular protrusion 37
The aI 37b1 is arranged such that the ink outlet of the nozzle portion 38a is located at the center of the circular protrusion. Further, the circular protrusion 37a,
37b, the diameter is exactly that of the cap guides 48a, 4.
It is formed so as to fit into the interval between the U-shaped cutout portions 8b.

Now, since the configuration is as described above, when the capping recovery frame 60 is raised by the rotation of the cam gears 59a and 59b, the cap guides 48a-48
U-shaped notch 48a1-48b of b, head arm 37a
- The circular protrusions 37a and 37bl of 37b are guided respectively, and the nozzle part 38a and the protrusion 4 of the cap 41
1a will be exactly opposite.

Here, in this embodiment, the recovery frame 80 can be displaced in the θ direction and the γ direction shown by the arrows (FIG. 9) due to the above-described configuration. Therefore, in this embodiment, the U-shaped holes 48a, 48bI and the protrusions 37al, 37b,
Even if there is a slight positional shift when the protrusion 37a is fitted.

37b, U half-hole part 48aI ・48bI slope 48c
Once it comes into contact with the slope 48c and the hole 48,
The recovery frame 80 can be displaced in the horizontal direction while being guided by a1 and 48b1, and the two can be reliably fitted.

A cap 41 and a head front plate 38, which will be described further below.
Positioning with c will also inevitably be performed. Furthermore, even if the recovery frame 60 approaches the nozzle orifice surface 38b with an inclination, the protrusion 41'a and the nozzle part 38a approach while maintaining the opposing positional relationship.

Next, cap 41. Cap keel 42. Valve 43, valve cover 44. The shape and operation of the waste ink tube 45 are
This will be explained using FIGS. 10 to 15.

FIG. 10 shows the state immediately after the head 38 and the cap 41 come into contact, FIG. 11 shows the state where the head 38 and the cap 41 are separated, and FIG. 12 shows the state when the cap 41 has moved toward the head 38. In FIG. 13, the protrusion 41a presses and seals the nozzle 38a, and the spring 4
7 is a diagram showing a state in which the cap 41 is elastically deformed; FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a state in which the cap 41 is separated from the head 38;
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a standby state. Also, in each figure, (
A) is a side view viewed from the side plate direction, (B) is a cross-sectional view in the transverse direction, and (C) is a cross-sectional view in the longitudinal direction. However, in Figure 11 (
A) is a similar side view, and (B) is a longitudinal sectional view.

First, in Fig. 10, Fig. 10(A), Fig. 410(B)
), FIG. 10(C) is a diagram showing the state at the moment when the cap 41 contacts the head front plate 38C. In FIG. 10(B), where the cap 41 has not yet been deformed,
The cross-sectional shape of the cap 41 will be explained in detail. The side portions of the cap 41 are formed with an inclination such that the distance between the side portions increases as the distance increases upward as shown in FIG. 10(B).

The slanted side surface section is connected to the curved section 8 in the figure, and the thickness of section a is thinner than the other parts as shown in the figure. In this embodiment, part a has a curved shape that changes smoothly, but it may have an edge shape that changes suddenly. In the case of an etched shape, the thickness of the etched portion is reduced. Similarly, the 10th
In Figure (C), the cross-sectional shape of the cap 41 in the lateral direction is also formed to open outward as it goes upward in the drawing.

In the lateral cross-sectional shape of the cap 41, the wall thickness of the cap 41 that contacts the head front plate 38c is the same as that of the contact portion with the head front plate 38c in the longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the cap 41 shown in FIG. 10(B). It is made thicker. This is because, in the present embodiment described above, the cap 41 is accurately positioned with respect to the head 38 in the transverse direction, but not accurately positioned in the longitudinal direction. If the positioning is done accurately with respect to the head 38, it is not necessary to configure it as in this embodiment.Now, returning to FIG. 10(C), the cap 41
The shape of the side surface portion is connected to a smoothly changing curved portion similar to that shown in FIG. 10(B), and the wall thickness of portion b is thinner. In addition, in this embodiment, FIG. 10 (B
) and FIG. 10(C), the thickness changes smoothly so that it becomes thinner as it goes downward in the figure. Well, Hto
Returning to Figure (B), a protrusion 41a integrally molded with the cap 41 is disposed in the sealed space of the cap 41. The protrusion 41a is disposed at such a position that the apex of the rounded portion 41c of the protrusion 41a is located opposite the nozzle portion 38a. The length of the protrusion 41a in the longitudinal direction is longer at both ends than the entire length of the nozzle portion 38a. Next, cap 41
There is a through hole 41b in the cap 41, and the through hole 41b in the cap 41 is connected to the through hole 41 in the cap keel 42.
It also communicates with b. A valve 4 is provided in the through hole 41b.
3 are arranged. Even if no pressure is applied to the valve 43, since the valve 43 is formed of a flexible member, a sealed state from the atmosphere can be created. Here, the reason why the valve 43 is able to function as a valve is that the cap keel 42 is formed of a rigid member as described above, and the valve 43 is made of a rigid member.
This is because the flatness of the contact surface of the cap keel 42 with the cap keel 42 is made with high accuracy.

Next, there is a valve cover 44 around the valve 43.
A cap keel 42 and a valve cover 44 are sealed and fixed around the valve keel 42 . Further, the valve cover 44 is connected in a sealed manner to a waste ink tube 45. cap 4
1 is from the state shown in Fig. 10 to Fig. 3410 (A)
As the cam gears 59a and 59b rotate in the direction of arrow d in the figure, they begin to approach the recording head 38.

With the movement of the cam gears 59a and 59b described above, the side surface of the cap 41 begins to move in the direction of arrow C in the ITO diagram (B) and the WILO diagram (C) while maintaining contact with the head front plate 38C. This movement is because the side surface of the cap 41 is formed to open as it goes upward. Now, the reason why the cap 41 moves in the direction of arrow C is not only due to the shape of the cap 41 as described above, but also because
This is also because the pressure within the sealed space of the cap 41 begins to rise due to the volume reduction within the sealed space of the cap 41. As the pressure within the sealed space of the cap 41 increases,
The valve 43 begins to open, and the atmosphere in the sealed space and waste ink (not shown) begin to flow from the valve 43 toward the waste ink tube 45 . FIG. 12 shows the state when the cam gears 59a and 59b are further rotated in the direction of arrow d.

In FIG. 12(B), the side surface of the cap 41 comes into contact with a rising portion at the edge of the head front plate 38c, and movement in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 10 is stopped. As described above, the side surface portion of the cap 41 in the width direction shown in FIG. 12(C) is thicker than the side surface portion in the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, the wall thickness of the side surface of the cap 41 in the above-mentioned and <'N12 figure (C) is changed; If the thickness of the portion is made as thin as the thickness of the side surface in the longitudinal direction, the portion will come into contact with the rising portion of the edge of the front plate 38C, and the same function as that of this embodiment can be realized.

Now, in FIG. 12(B), the side portion of the cap 41 is subjected to bending stress at the portion shown at the rear portion 8 which comes into contact with the edge of the head front plate 38c.

It deforms as shown in the figure. The thick portion of the side surface of the cap 41, including the surface that comes into contact with the head front plate 38c, receives a buckling load, and the portion a is bent and deformed, so that it does not buckle. The above contents are
Similar deformation of the side surface of the cap 41 occurs, including the deformation of the 6th portion in FIG. 12(C). Here, in FIG. 12(C), the compression spring 47a
has not yet begun to undergo deformation.

In FIG. 12(B), the pressure in the sealed space created by the cap 41 becomes higher than the pressure in the state shown in FIG. 10, and the valve 43 is opened and the cap 41
The atmosphere in the sealed space 1 and the aforementioned waste ink are sent to the waste ink tube 45.

When the cam gears 59a and 59b further rotate in the direction of arrow d, the cap 41 further approaches the head 38, and the protrusion 41a of the cap 4o comes into contact with the nozzle 38a. At this point, the cap 40 is hardly deformed except for the protrusion 41a. When the cam gears 59a and 59b further rotate in the direction of arrow d,
The compression spring 47a begins to deform, and the reaction force of the compression spring 47a is applied to the nozzle portion 38a of the protrusion 41a of the cap 41.
It acts as a pressing force on the Note that from FIG. 10 to FIG. 15, only the compression spring 47a is shown in the figures, but the other compression springs 47b, 47c, 47d, 47
The spring e also moves in the same way as the compression spring 47a. Here, the time during which the protrusion 41a presses the nozzle 38a is approximately several seconds required for circulating the ink liquid within the head 38. At this time, the pump operates to circulate the ink liquid.

Now, as described above, FIG. 13 shows a state in which the compression spring 47a is deformed and the boss portions 59a, -59b of the cam gears 59a, 59b are located at the uppermost position. In FIG. 13, there is almost no change in the volume of the closed space formed by the cap 41, the valve 43 is only in a state of sealing off the atmosphere, and the pressure in the closed space and the pressure of the atmosphere are in equilibrium. 13th
The state of each part when the cam gears 59a and 59b rotate in the direction of arrow e from the state shown in the figure is shown below.

Here, the rotation direction of the cam gears 59a and 59b is determined by the boss portion 5.
It is necessary to move from the top to the bottom or from the bottom to the top in the drawings of 9aI and 59bl. For example, in FIG. 13, the cam gears 59a and 5
Even if 9b rotates in the opposite direction to the direction of arrow e, the operations described below occur in the same way. In FIG. 14, cap 4
The volume of the sealed space 1 increases again, the inside of the sealed space becomes a negative pressure state with respect to the atmosphere, and the valve 43 becomes closed as shown in the figure. Therefore, cap 4
1, the recording head 38
Ink is discharged from the nozzle portion 38a, and the ink is discharged from the nozzle portion 8a.
The ink in a will be refreshed.

Finally, FIG. 15 shows the cap 41 in a standby state, when the apparatus shown in this embodiment is not performing any recording, recovery, etc.
It shows the status of peripheral parts including. In this figure, the cam gear has stopped rotating. Figure 15 (
In B), the pressure in the sealed space of the cap 41 and the atmospheric pressure are in equilibrium. At this time, the valve 43
Although no external force is acting to open or close the valve 43, the shape of the valve 43 causes the cap 4 to close.
The water vapor in the sealed space of No. 1 is no longer released to the atmosphere.

Next, the ink supply and recovery system will be described. This unit consists of an ink tank, an ink tube, a pump, etc., and has the functions of holding ink, supplying ink normally to the recording head, and preventing clogging of nozzles when air bubbles form in the conduit. If it occurs, it has a function to remove it.

FIG. 16 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the present invention in detail. In FIG. 16, 38 is a recording head, 76 is an ink pump, 86 is an ink cartridge having an ink tank and a waste ink absorber, and 87 is an air opening called a breather.

Initial supply of ink to the recording head 38 is performed as follows. In other words, the state in which the cap 41 is brought into close contact with the recording head (first
3, the ink pump 76 is operated and the ink cartridge 86
The ink is circulated in the direction shown by the arrow E, and the inside of the conduit including the inside of the recording head is filled with ink. At this time, cap 4
Although some ink flows out from the ink cartridge 1, it is returned to the ink cartridge 86 through the waste ink tube 45 and collected in the built-in waste ink absorber 96.

When the initial supply of ink is completed, the recording head 38 becomes ready for ejection, but since the ink pump used in this embodiment is a pump that does not block the flow path when stopped, the ink supply during ejection is as follows. Head ink connection part front and rear 38d, 38
This is done from both e.

When the amount of ink decreases due to ejection, the same amount of air as the amount of decrease must enter the tank, and the breather 87 serves as an air opening for this purpose. This breather 8
7 is equipped with check valves that open in both directions when there is a very small pressure difference inside the tank.It opens even if a slight negative or positive pressure is generated inside the tank, and it essentially works as an air hole, but it also prevents dirt from entering the tank. The purpose is to suppress the intrusion and evaporation of

Reference numeral 92 denotes an ink-out detection section, which detects the absence of ink in the tank 94, and the detection is performed as follows. That is, since the float chamber 90 is exposed to the atmosphere through a breather 87 that is common to the ink tank 94, the liquid level inside the float chamber 90 and the floating float 89 are at the same water level 91a as the ink liquid level 91 in the uncrank 94. shows. Therefore, a sensor 88 that detects the interruption of the light beam is arranged at a suitable location in the lower part of the float chamber 90, and as the ink liquid level 91 decreases, that is, the water level 91a of the detection section decreases, the float 89
decreases and blocks the light beam from the sensor 88, thereby detecting the absence of ink.

Next, the recovery operation will be described. The recovery operation is an operation to remove air bubbles and clogging that prevent normal ejection, and is performed in conjunction with the recovery system according to the recovery sequence described later, but the recovery operation is exactly the same as the initial supply of ink. In other words, the ink pump 76 is operated with the cap 41 in close contact with the recording head 38 (this state is shown in FIG. 13), the ink is circulated along the path shown by arrow A, and air bubbles are drawn into the ink tank. Collect it and release it outward from the breather.
In addition, clogging in the nozzle can be removed by releasing the contact between the protrusion 41a in the cap 41 and the nozzle 38a and driving the pump. At this time, pressurized ink also flows into the float chamber 90, but the float 8°9 rises and comes into close contact with the upper surface of the float chamber 90, blocking the flow path to the breather 87, so the ink enters the breather 87. Never.

FIG. 17 shows a supply recovery system embodying the configuration of this embodiment,
It is a perspective view of a component. In this FIG. 17, 73 is a base of this unit, and an ink cartridge 8, which will be described later.
Reference numeral 74 is a member called a joint plate, which is formed by fixing various flow path connecting portions, respectively.The joint plate 74 has a cartridge guide 78 for positioning the ink cartridge 86; Cartridge joints 79 a, 79 b, and 79 c are used to connect pipes to draw ink out when the ink cartridge 86 is installed and to release the ink to the atmosphere. A waste ink joint 81 that leads to a waste ink absorber 96 provided inside the ink cartridge 86, an air joint 80 that connects a breather that vents to the atmosphere with an air tube 83, and a joint that sends ink to the recording head. 1
．． Connect the second ink supply tubes 71 and 72! 1.
An ink pump 76 driven by m2 supply pipe joints 84 and 85 and a pump motor 77 is coupled. The ink joint 79, which is connected to the ink tank 94 housed in the ink cartridge 86 as described above, supplies ink during recording to the first ink supply section 79a, the second ink supply section 79b, and the atmosphere communication connection section 79c. A configuration is provided in which the three functions of the ink tank 94 are centrally provided, and the first ink supply port 95a, the second ink supply port 95b, and the atmosphere communication port 95c, which have a corresponding relationship with the ink tank 94 side, are connected at once. I'm taking it.

Therefore, the atmosphere communication part to the ink tank was achieved by a joint, and the ink tank was formed using a hard resin material that made it possible to store a large amount of ink without using an ink tank format using an ink bag. I was able to take it.

Furthermore, the first ink supply port 95a% and the second ink supply port 9
5b and the first ink supply section 79c%'i42 ink supply section 79b are connected, and ink supply during recording is performed from both supply areas, and during initial ink filling and recovery operations,
A circulation path is configured from the ink tank, passing through the printing head via a pump, and returning to the ink tank.

In other words, as mentioned above, the tank, the supply path, and the atmosphere communication part are directly jointed, so although the ink tank is made of hard resin, functions such as sub-tanks that were conventionally necessary for stable supply are omitted. In this example, these members are individually fixed to the joint plate 74, but they may be integrally formed with the joint plate.

Furthermore, the joint plate 74 has a flow path groove 7 that becomes an ink flow path.
A flow path plate 75 provided with the ink flow path 5a is combined, and most of the piping and connections of the ink flow path are configured in this portion.

That is, by fixing the joint part 79 attached to the joint plate 74 connected to the ink tank 94, it is possible to create a configuration in which the ink path 75a does not need to move in that part. It becomes.

For this purpose, the flow path plate with the flow path formed thereon is connected to the joint plate 79.
By simply bonding it to the back surface of the ink tank 94, a part of the ink path from the ink tank 94 to the recording head can be formed.

On the other hand, as will be described later, the ink tank 94 disposed within the ink cartridge 86 is housed with a degree of freedom within the housings 93a and 93b that constitute the cartridge 86.

By storing the ink tank side with a degree of freedom, it is possible to easily ensure the engagement state of the mounting part when mounting the cartridge to the fixed joint part 79, and the mounting of the cartridge can be ensured. The quality can be ensured.

By forming the flow path by joining the joint plate 74 and the flow path plate 75 in this manner, the ink path from the ink tank can be configured without complicated routing.

The ink cartridge 86, as shown in Figure 7418,
The ink tank 94 is made of a resin with good liquid contact, and the waste ink absorber 96 is made of a water-absorbing material such as felt or porous material that has excellent ink absorption and retention properties. They are housed in common casings 93a and 93b made of good materials. Ink supply and atmosphere release are done at joint part 9.
5 to the cartridge 79 on the joint plate 74 side. In this way, the entire ink cartridge 86 is configured to be removable from the base 73 on the apparatus side.

Figure 19(a) shows the structure of this part in more detail.
, (b), Fig. 19 (a) is a side cross-section of the ink cartridge showing the main part of the ink cartridge main body 86, and Fig. 19 (b) shows the ink cartridge when connected to the cartridge joint of the supply system. A part of the joint portion 95 is shown cut away. When removing the ink cartridge 86,
To prevent ink from leaking, the joint portion 95 has a built-in metal ball 99 that is pressed against the joint opening 95a by a spring 98, and when the ink cartridge is removed from the apparatus, the metal ball 99 comes into close contact with the seal rubber 101. The structure is such that the opening 95a of the joint portion is sealed.

In addition, this figure 19 (a), (b) and the second figure showing the front cross section.
As shown in FIG. 0, the ink tank 94 has an inclined bottom surface. That is, the joint portion 95 is provided with an inclined surface 94a that collects the flow of ink from the rear, and an inclined surface 94b that collects the flow of ink from the side of the ink tank 94 to the joint portion 95. The ink is introduced into the outlet tube 1 which is bent so that it opens at the deepest part.
00 and is sent to the supply system. By forming the inclined surfaces 94a and 94b at the bottom of the ink tank in this way, all the ink can be collected near the outlet tube 100, making it possible to use the ink without wasting it. Furthermore, even if the device is installed with a slight inclination, ink can be taken out without wasting it. With such a configuration, the aforementioned waste ink absorber 96 is housed in a substantially U-shape in the area within the resulting casing.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the joint portion 95 has three channels,
In other words, there are two ink supply paths and one atmosphere release path.
However, in order to ensure reliable connection at this point, the ink tank 94 must be able to move freely within the housings 93a and 93b by an appropriate amount, as shown in FIG. It is held with a gap 97 in between.

In particular, when connecting multiple joints, not only the degree of freedom in the vertical and horizontal directions, but also the degree of freedom in the rotational direction is required. In this example, in order to obtain the degree of freedom in the rotational direction of the joint portion 95 with respect to the central axis, the ink tank 94 is constructed using a gap 97a provided at both ends of the ink tank 94 and a flexible felt-like waste ink absorber 96. By supporting it, it is held rotatable by a certain amount. This makes it possible to perform a reliable connection without positional deviation. Furthermore, in this case, the ink tank 94 may be damaged due to vibration or impact.
In order to prevent the ink absorber 96 from moving and causing abnormal noise or damaging the housing, and to make effective use of space, remove the central part of the waste ink absorber 96 as shown in Figure S18. The deepest part of the ink tank 94 is fitted into this part and held by the remaining outer periphery, so that the flexibility of the waste ink absorber 96 absorbs the shock, and the structure is such that the degree of freedom can be maintained. In this way, the waste ink absorber is inserted into the deepest part of the ink tank 94 and held at the outer periphery, and since it is made of soft material such as felt, the ink tank can be protected from external impact, and as mentioned above. This will prevent the ink tank from shaking.

Next, the recovery sequence will be described. In this operation, the recovery system and supply system work together to remove air bubbles and clogging in the flow path.
This is an operation necessary to maintain normal records. FIG. 22 shows a flowchart of this operation, and FIG. 23 shows a schematic diagram of the operation. In FIG. 23, for ease of explanation, a unit consisting of a recording head 38, a head arm, etc. is shown as a head unit 65, a cap 41, a wiper 50, etc.
．． The head unit 65 is rotatable around the head shaft 36, and the cap unit 64 is rotatable around the recovery frame shaft 55. The recovery operation procedure will be explained below.

In the normal standby state, as described above, the relationship between the recording head 38 and the cap 41 is maintained in a sealed state as shown in FIG. 15, where the periphery of the cap is slightly bent. The recovery operation begins with the cam gear 5 as shown in FIG.
9a and 59b rotate to press the protrusion 41a inside the cap 41 against the nozzle 38a at the tip of the recording head (the position of the cap unit at this time is called the pressing position) (S22-1). Next, in this state, the ink pump 76
to circulate the ink in the supply path (S22-2),
Remove bubbles from the pipeline. The reason why the protrusion 41a is pressed against the nozzle 38a is to prevent part of the ink from being circulated due to the pressure of the ink pump and flowing out from the nozzle, resulting in wasted waste ink.

Next, the cap unit 64 is lowered as shown at the center opening F in FIG. 23(a) (this state is called the retracted position) (S
22-3), and the head unit 65 as shown in FIG. 3(b).
The center opening G and the cap unit 64 rotate as shown in the center opening H in FIG. 23(b) to reach the wiping start position (S
22-4).

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 23(C), the head unit 65 rotates in the direction of the arrow ■ in the figure, and the wipers 50 and 52 installed on the cap unit 64 remove the ink droplets from the ejection orifice forming surface 38b of the recording head. The user performs an operation of wiping off dirt, dust, etc. (S22-5).

FIG. 23(c) The center opening I is the ejection opening forming surface 3 of the recording head.
8b is shown passing through the first wiper, but in this example, there are two wipers, so
When the second wiper has finished removing the wiper, the cap unit 64 moves back to the retracted position as shown in the center opening J of FIG. 23(d), and the head unit 65 returns to its original position (S22-7). Finally, the cap unit 64 rises and returns to the normal standby state as shown in FIG.
S22-8) The recovery operation ends.

Cleaning in this embodiment will be additionally explained. As described above, the print head used in this embodiment is a so-called full line type in which ejection ports are formed over the entire print width of the print medium. However,
When the ejection port forming surface becomes extremely long in this manner, cleaning the ejection port surface once using one blade is not enough to perform cleaning. This is due to the fact that it is difficult to make the pressing force on the discharge port surface of the spray uniform over the entire width due to the length.

Therefore, in this example, the reliability of cleaning is ensured by sequentially cleaning the discharge port surface using the blades 50 and 52 and two blades.

Particularly during cleaning, it is important that the two blades independently contact the ejection orifice forming surface of the recording head to perform cleaning, thereby obtaining the so-called Mitaka-buki effect. By sequentially arranging two blades in this way, the cleaning time is shorter than when performing two leaning operations with one blade. Further, in this example, the blade 50 that first contacts the recording head and the blade 52 that contacts the recording head subsequently have different sizes. This is because the length is set so that the tip of the blade comes into contact with the ejection port surface during the movement path of the print head in order for the print head to rotate around the head shaft 36. It is. Therefore, by driving the cap unit together with the rotating operation of the recording head, cleaning can be performed even if the lengths of the blades 50 and 52 are the same or have the same feed length relationship as in this example. can.

For cleaning with blades, it is not necessary to use two blades as described above, but more than two blades may be used, or in this example, both blades 50.5
Although the same material is used in both cases, the same material or different materials having different properties may be used to enhance the cleaning effect.

Next, FIG. 24 shows the sequence at the start of printing.

The start of recording is performed as follows. First step 52
4-1, a print start signal is input to the print head which is in a standby state where the ejection port formation surface of the print head is simply covered by a cap, as shown in FIG. Then, as shown in step 524-2, the recording head and the cap are separated from each other as shown in FIG. 11, that is, the cap unit is retreated to the retracted position.

Next, while maintaining the state shown in FIG. 11, sporadic to several hundred preliminary ejections are performed from all the nozzles of the recording head, as shown in step 524-3.

This makes it possible to make the ejection state of the recording head uniform across all nozzles.

Then, after the preliminary ejection is completed, the cap unit and head unit are moved to configure the wiping operation start state shown in FIG. 23(a) as shown in step 524-4. Thereafter, as shown in step 524-5, a series of wiping operations are performed as shown in FIGS. Furthermore, the recording head unit is moved and its state is maintained. Thereafter, the recording signals are sequentially applied manually to achieve the desired recording.

Finally, the recovery operation performed by circulating ink will be described in more detail. This embodiment has an air bubble sensor 103 shown in FIG. 16, which makes it possible to detect air bubbles present in the supply tube. Therefore, two types of recovery operations are possible: automatic recovery that is performed at predetermined fixed time intervals, and temporary recovery that is performed when bubble sensor 103 accidentally detects bubbles. The latter can be realized by having the bubble sensor 103, which makes it possible to reduce the accidental non-discharge that has occurred up to now and improve the reliability of the device. especially,
Considerable extra circulation time or number of cycles should be set to ensure that all bubbles are removed, regardless of the amount of bubbles or their location. was. However, in this embodiment, the recording head is concerned. Bubble sensors 103a and 103b are provided both upstream and downstream in the ink flow direction during circulation.

Therefore, when bubbles are not detected by both bubble sensors, the recovery operation is immediately stopped. In particular, if the signal from the bubble sensor 103b installed on the downstream side in the ink flow direction during circulation detects the removal (absence) of bubbles, after some time has elapsed (until the bubbles are discharged from the position of the sensor to the tank). time), the ink pump is stopped, so there is no need to take extra circulation time as in the conventional method, and as a result, the recovery sequence can be completed in a short time. Moreover, since the recovery is stopped after bubble removal is detected, the reliability of bubble removal is increased. As a result, it is possible to reduce the amount of ink that was previously consumed by recovery, and it is also possible to avoid running out of ink when receiving FAXs and non-receiving conditions during the recovery operation.

In this embodiment, a recording head is used that has supply pipes at both ends and recovers by circulation, but the present invention is applied to a recording head that has only one supply pipe and recovers by suction from the front of the nozzle. It goes without saying that it is okay to do so. It is also possible to reduce costs by forming the bubble sensor integrally with the structure of the head.

The present invention provides excellent effects particularly in bubble jet recording heads and recording apparatuses among ink jet recording systems.

As for typical configurations and principles thereof, it is preferable to use the basic principles disclosed in, for example, US Pat. No. 4,723,129 and US Pat. No. 4,740,796. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and continuous type, but especially in the case of the on-demand type, it is necessary to arrange the liquid (ink) in accordance with the sheet and liquid path that hold it. By applying at least one drive signal that corresponds to recorded information and causes a rapid temperature rise exceeding nucleate boiling to the electrothermal transducer, the electrothermal transducer generates thermal energy, and the recording head This is effective because it causes film boiling on the heat acting surface of the liquid (ink), resulting in the formation of bubbles in the liquid (ink) in one-to-one correspondence with this drive signal. The growth and contraction of the bubble causes liquid (ink) to be ejected through the ejection opening to form at least one drop. It is more preferable to use a pulsed drive signal as this drive signal, because the growth and contraction of bubbles can be carried out immediately and appropriately, and the liquid (ink) can be ejected with particularly excellent responsiveness. As this pulse-shaped drive signal, those described in US Pat. No. 4,463,359 and US Pat. No. 4,345,262 are suitable. Incidentally, US Patent No. 43 relates to the temperature increase rate of the heat acting surface.
If the conditions described in the specification of No. 13124 are adopted, even more excellent recording can be performed.

The configuration of the recording head includes, in addition to the combined configuration of ejection ports, liquid paths, and electrothermal converters (straight liquid flow path or right-angled liquid flow path) as disclosed in the above-mentioned specifications, a heat acting section. US Pat. No. 4,558,333 and US Pat. No. 4,459,600 disclose a configuration in which the
The present invention also includes a configuration using the specification of the above specification.

In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 123670 of 1981 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge part of a plurality of electrothermal converters, and an opening that absorbs pressure waves of thermal energy is disclosed. The present invention is also effective as a configuration based on Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 138461 of 1982, which discloses a configuration corresponding to the discharge section.

Furthermore, as a full-line type recording head having a length corresponding to the width of the maximum recording medium that can be recorded by the recording apparatus, the length can be increased by combining multiple recording heads as disclosed in the above-mentioned specification. Either a configuration that satisfies the above requirements or a configuration as a single recording head formed integrally may be used, but the present invention can more effectively exhibit the above-mentioned effects.

In addition, a replaceable chip-type recording head that is attached to the device body enables electrical connection to the device body and ink supply from the device body, or a chip-type recording head that is installed integrally with the recording head itself. The present invention is also effective when a cartridge type recording head is used.

Further, it is preferable to add recovery means, preliminary auxiliary means, etc. for the recording head, which are provided as a configuration of the recording apparatus of the present invention, because the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. Specifically, these include preheating means for the recording head using a caving means, a cleaning means, a pressurizing or suction means, an electrothermal transducer or another heating element, or a combination thereof. It is also effective to perform a preliminary ejection mode in which ejection is performed separately from printing in order to perform stable printing.

Furthermore, the recording mode of the recording device is not limited to a recording mode in which only the mainstream color such as black is used; the recording head may be configured integrally or in combination with a plurality of recording heads; [Another embodiment] In this embodiment, the waste ink absorber is provided at the bottom of the ink tank. It is also possible to obtain a more reliable impact absorption effect. It is also possible to add appropriate elasticity to the waste ink absorber to prevent the absorbed waste ink from being squeezed out by the weight of the ink tank.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the flexible member at the bottom of the ink tank is also used as a waste ink absorber, but apart from the waste ink absorber, a member with excellent shock absorption properties is provided, and the casing itself has a flexible structure. Needless to say, the same effect can be obtained.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to claim IC of the present invention, the periphery of the ink tank is held by a flexible member, and the flexible member is used as a waste ink absorber, thereby reducing vibration and vibration. fI! It is possible to obtain an inexpensive and compact ink cartridge that is resistant to water damage, efficiently utilizes space, and is compact. Moreover, according to claim 4, it is possible to downsize the inkjet device, reduce running costs, and improve reliability.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1(A) is a side sectional view of a facsimile machine to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied; FIG. 1(B) is a top plan view thereof; FIG. 342 is a side sectional view showing the open state; The figure is a perspective view of the vicinity of the platen roller, and Figure 4 is a perspective view of the paper ejection roller. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the recording frame, Figures 6 and 7 are side views of the vicinity of the recording head, Figure 8 is a perspective view of the recording head, Figure 349 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the cap, Figure 10, (A) (B) and (C) are diagrams showing the state immediately after the head and cap come into contact, and Figure 11 (A)
(B) is a diagram showing the state in which the head and the cap are separated from each other, Figure 12 (A), (B), and (C) are diagrams showing the state in which the cap is moving toward the head, Figure 13 (A)・(
B) and (C) are diagrams showing the state in which the protrusion presses and seals the nozzle, and the spring is elastically deformed. Diagrams showing the state of separation, Figure 15 (A) and (B)
・(C) is a diagram showing a standby state; FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram schematically showing an example of a configuration of an ink supply path of an inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention; FIG. FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of an ink supply means of an inkjet recording device, and FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view showing an exploded configuration example of an ink cartridge installed in the inkjet recording device according to the present invention. (a) and (b) are a partially cutaway sectional view showing a side surface of an example of the configuration of an ink cartridge, and a partially enlarged sectional view showing a state of engagement with an ink supply means; 21 is a schematic diagram showing a top surface of an example of an ink cartridge configuration; FIG. 22 is an ink jet according to the present invention. A flowchart showing an example of a recovery sequence that can be applied to a recording device; FIGS. 23(a), (b), (c), and (d) are schematic side views showing recovery operations in order; FIG. , is a flowchart showing an example of a sequence from a standby state to a recording state. 1... Recording paper 2... Document 7... Conveyance roller 14... Recording guide 22... Cutter 38... Recording head 41... Cap 50.52... Wiper 60... Recovery frame 86... Ink cartridge 12 (172b / lza izb lol 27 troubles

Claims (7)

[Claims] (1) An ink cartridge having an ink tank section that stores ink supplied to an inkjet recording head, and a waste ink water absorption member that absorbs waste ink discharged in response to a recovery operation of the inkjet recording head, The ink cartridge is characterized in that the waste ink absorbing member has a storage area that stores a part of the bottom of the ink tank part and a holding area that holds another part of the bottom of the ink tank part. (2) The ink tank section is made of a hard resin molded body and has a bottom section formed of an inclined surface that causes ink to flow toward the ink supply port area. 1. The ink cartridge according to 1. (3) The storage area of the waste ink water absorber has a U-shape cut out so that the vicinity of the area where the ink supply port of the ink tank portion is provided is stored. The ink cartridge according to claim 1 or 2. (4) In an inkjet recording apparatus comprising an inkjet recording head that discharges ink from an ejection port to form an image, and an ink supply means that supplies ink to the inkjet recording head, the ink supply means is detachable. The ink cartridge includes an ink tank section that stores ink supplied to the inkjet recording head, and a waste tank section that absorbs waste ink that is discharged in response to the recovery operation of the ink cartridge recording head. an ink water absorbing member, the waste ink water absorbing member having a storage area that stores a part of the bottom of the ink tank part and a holding area that holds another part of the bottom of the ink tank part. An inkjet recording device comprising: (5) The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the inkjet recording head is a full-length type in which ejection ports are formed over the entire width of the recording area of the recording medium. (6) The inkjet recording head discharges ink using thermal energy, and includes an electrothermal converter for generating the thermal energy. The inkjet recording device according to any one of the above. (7) The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the inkjet recording apparatus is a facsimile machine having a document reading section.