JP3603303B2 - Ink jet recording device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus provided with a capping unit for sucking and discharging ink from a recording head by receiving a negative pressure from a suction pump.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Ink jet recording apparatuses have been used in many types of printing including color printing in recent years because noise during printing is relatively small and small dots can be formed with high density.
Such an ink jet type recording apparatus is provided with an ink jet type recording head which receives supply of ink from an ink cartridge, and a paper feeding means for moving a recording sheet relatively to the recording head.
Then, recording is performed by ejecting ink droplets on recording paper to form dots while moving the recording head in accordance with the print signal. In this case, a recording head capable of ejecting, for example, black, yellow, cyan, and magenta inks is mounted on the carriage, and full-color printing is enabled by changing the ejection ratio of each ink.
[0003]
As described above, the ink jet recording apparatus has the following problems in relation to performing printing by discharging ink as ink droplets from nozzles onto recording paper. That is, clogging occurs in the nozzle opening due to an increase in ink viscosity due to evaporation of the ink solvent from the nozzle opening, solidification of the ink on the nozzle forming surface, and adhesion of dust, and further, bubbles are mixed in the recording head, This is a problem of causing printing failure.
[0004]
Therefore, the ink jet recording apparatus includes a capping unit that seals the nozzle forming surface of the recording head during non-printing, a suction pump that suctions and discharges ink into the capping unit, and a device that performs suction and discharge of ink by the suction pump. Wiping means (cleaner) for cleaning the nozzle forming surface of the recording head.
Then, in order to prevent the occurrence of clogging of the nozzle openings and the incorporation of air bubbles into the recording head, ink is forcibly sucked and discharged from the recording head into the capping unit by a suction pump, and then the recording head is cleaned by a cleaner. Wiping is performed on the nozzle forming surface.
[0005]
The process of forcibly discharging the ink, which is performed to eliminate the clogging of the recording head or when bubbles remain in the recording head, is called a cleaning operation. The process is executed when printing is resumed after a long pause in the recording apparatus, or when the user recognizes a print quality defect such as blurred print and operates the cleaning switch.
[0006]
By the way, the capping means used in this type of ink jet recording apparatus is configured as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, for example. FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the capping unit when the recording head is in the capping state, and FIG. 12 is a plan view showing a state where the recording head is sealed by the capping unit. These figures show a state in which the cap member is deformed by receiving a negative pressure as described later.
As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the capping unit 6 includes a rectangular box-shaped cap holder 9 that opens upward, and a cap member 7 made of a soft material having ink resistance.
[0007]
The cap member 7 has an upper end portion slightly protruding above the cap holder 9 and has an annular seal portion 7b for the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H. In the cap member 7, an ink absorbing sheet 8 made of a porous material having excellent ink resistance and ink absorbing properties is accommodated. When the carriage (not shown) moves the position where the capping means 6 is moved, the slider 10 supporting the cap holder 9 is moved upward by a rotating arm or the like while maintaining a substantially horizontal posture, and the recording head is moved. The nozzle forming surface of H is configured to be sealed by the seal member 7b.
[0008]
On the other hand, the cap holder 9 is provided with an ink outlet 7a communicating with the inside of the cap member 7, and a tube T connected to the ink outlet 7a and reaching a suction pump (not shown) is connected. I have.
[0009]
In the above-described configuration, when the carriage moves to the capping unit side, the slider 10 is pushed up, and the seal portion 7b of the cap member 7 seals the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H. Then, by operating the suction pump, a negative pressure is applied to the internal space (airtight space) formed by the cap member 7 via the tube T.
[0010]
As a result, ink is sucked and discharged from the nozzle opening h of the recording head H into the internal space of the cap member 7, absorbed by the ink absorbing sheet 8 in the cap member 7, and stored in the cap member 7.
At the time when the ink suction from the recording head H is completed, the capping means 6 is moved slightly downward, the sealing of the recording head H by the cap member 7b is released, and the suction pump is operated. An operation sequence for discharging the ink stored in the printer is executed.
[0011]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
According to the capping means having the above-described configuration, the cap member 7 is formed of a soft material such as rubber or elastomer in order to ensure a good sealing state with respect to the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H.
Therefore, when it is attempted to suction ink from the nozzle opening h by applying a negative pressure to the inside of the cap member 7, the cap member 7b is deformed inward as shown in FIGS.
[0012]
Generally, the capping means 6 is configured so as to be able to move up and down with respect to the recording head H by the above-described rotating arm or the like in accordance with the movement of the carriage. , Ie, the load on the carriage motor is reduced.
[0013]
However, as the material of the cap member 7 has lower elasticity, the degree of deformation when receiving a negative pressure by the suction pump becomes more remarkable.
In addition, recently, the number of nozzle openings h arranged on the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H has also increased, and the suction capacity of the suction pump has been increased accordingly.
Note that the maximum negative pressure at the time of suction by the suction pump may reach approximately -0.8 atm.
[0014]
Under such conditions, the sealing portion 7b of the cap member 7 is deformed so as to fall inward at the time of capping, and in this state, the sealing portion 7b of the cap member 7 is pressed against the nozzle forming surface. Therefore, the deformed state is obtained in which the seal portion 7b falls down further inward.
[0015]
For this reason, as shown in FIG. 10, the sealing portion 7b of the cap member 7 not only covers a part of the nozzle opening h, but also foreign matters easily adhere to the nozzle member forming surface of the cap member 7 by pressing. A normal suction and discharge operation of waste ink cannot be obtained in some of the nozzle openings h.
Further, since the entire nozzle forming surface is not sealed at the time of capping, it is not possible to sufficiently suck and discharge waste ink that has flowed into the peripheral portion of the head due to repetition of the cleaning operation.
As a result, there has been a problem that a good cleaning effect cannot be obtained, and that print smears cannot be generated to guarantee print quality.
[0016]
The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus that can obtain a good cleaning effect and can guarantee print quality. Things.
[0017]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above-described object, an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention has an ink jet recording head that discharges ink droplets in accordance with print data, and a nozzle forming surface of the recording head that is sealed. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a capping unit for sucking and discharging ink from a nozzle forming surface, wherein the capping unit is a soft material for forming an airtight space in the nozzle forming surface by contacting the nozzle forming surface. A bottomed box-shaped cap member made of a material, and a cap holder made of a hard material holding the cap member, wherein the cap holder is provided with an ink absorber surrounding the cap member, The height of the ink absorber is set to be smaller than the height of the cap member in the uncapped state. It is characterized in that.
[0018]
With such a configuration, collapse of the cap member due to pressure contact with the nozzle forming surface at the time of ink suction and discharge is suppressed, and a normal ink suction and discharge operation can be obtained, and the sealing property of the cap member is ensured. be able to.
Further, the waste ink that has flowed into the peripheral portion of the head during cleaning is absorbed by the ink absorber that comes into contact with the nozzle forming surface.
Therefore, since a good cleaning effect can be obtained, printing smear does not occur and printing quality can be guaranteed.
In particular, since the height of the ink absorber is set to be smaller than the height of the cap member in the non-capping state, the cap member and the ink absorber are sequentially formed by nozzle formation during capping. It can be brought into contact with a surface.
[0019]
Further, the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the ink absorber is formed of a soft material having higher elasticity than the elasticity of the cap member.
With such a configuration, at the time of capping, the ink absorber comes into contact with the nozzle forming surface with a higher elastic deformation rate than the cap member.
[0020]
Further, the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the ink absorber is formed of a hard material having elasticity lower than elasticity of the cap member.
With such a configuration, at the time of capping, the cap member comes into contact with the nozzle forming surface with a higher elastic deformation rate than the ink absorber.
[0021]
Here, in a state where the cap member is in contact with the nozzle forming surface, a gap dimension δ between a tip end surface of the ink absorber and an edge of the nozzle forming surface is about δ = 0.2 mm. It is desirable to set the dimensions.
With this configuration, a good degree of close contact between the ink absorber and the nozzle forming surface can be obtained at the time of ink suction and discharge, and crushing of the cap member due to pressure contact with the nozzle forming surface can be effectively suppressed.
When δ is greater than 0.2 mm, the degree of close contact between the ink absorber and the nozzle forming surface during capping is reduced, and the ability to remove ink is reduced. If δ is δ <0.2 mm, the ink absorber is excessively crushed during capping, and the sealing property is reduced.
[0022]
The tip of the ink absorber has a rectangular cross section.
In this case, a configuration having a semicircular or triangular cross section may be adopted.
With such a configuration, the front end portion of the ink absorber is easily crushed by pressing against the nozzle forming surface.
[0023]
Further, it is preferable that the ink absorber is integrally attached to the cap holder.
[0025]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention will be described based on an embodiment shown in the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.
In FIG. 1, a carriage denoted by reference numeral 1 is coupled to a part of a timing belt 3 that reciprocates by a carriage motor 2. Then, it is configured to be guided by the guide rod 4 and reciprocate in the axial direction of the platen 5.
[0026]
A recording head for black ink and a recording head for color ink are mounted on the lower surface of the carriage 1 so as to face the recording paper P during printing. A black ink cartridge C1 and a color ink cartridge C2 for supplying ink to the two recording heads are detachably mounted on the upper surface of the carriage 1. Thus, when ink is introduced into each recording head, printing is performed by ejecting ink droplets onto the recording paper P in accordance with the print data.
[0027]
A capping unit 6 is disposed in a non-printing area (home position) at the end of the recording apparatus. The capping means 6 has two cap members (described later) made of an elastic material such as an elastomer formed in a size that can be sealed with a sealed space on the nozzle forming surface of each recording head in parallel in the carriage moving direction. It is arranged in the state where it was done.
[0028]
Then, when the recording head moves directly above the capping means 6, the recording head rises to the head side, and the nozzle forming surface of each recording head can be sealed by the cap member. A suction pump 50 for applying a negative pressure to the internal space (sealed space) of each cap member is disposed below the capping means 6.
[0029]
The capping unit 6 functions as a lid for sealing the nozzle forming surface of the recording head during non-printing to prevent drying of the ink in the nozzle openings, and applies a drive signal unrelated to printing to the recording head. And a function as an ink receiver at the time of a flushing operation for causing the ink droplets to be ejected idle. The capping means 6 also has a cleaning function of applying a negative pressure from the suction pump 50 to the recording head to suck and discharge ink.
[0030]
A cleaner 20 (cleaning member 21) is arranged near the printing area side of the capping means 6 so as to be able to advance and retreat in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the reciprocating direction of the recording head (carriage). Thus, when the carriage 1 moves toward the capping unit, the cleaning member 21 can move on the moving path of the recording head.
[0031]
FIGS. 2 to 4 mainly show the configurations of the capping unit and the wiping unit in the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 shows a state as viewed from above the recording apparatus, and FIGS. 3 and 4 show a non-capping state and a capping state as viewed from the side.
3 and 4, the carriage denoted by reference numeral 1 is coupled to a part of the timing belt 3 (shown in FIG. 1) as described above. Then, it is guided by a guide rod 4 (shown in FIG. 1), and is configured to be able to reciprocate in parallel to the paper guide plate G.
[0032]
The capping means 6 arranged in the non-printing area (home position) at the end of the recording apparatus has a size capable of sealing the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H (only one is shown) with a sealed space as described above. And a cap member 7 (only one is shown) formed of an elastic material such as an elastomer.
[0033]
At the bottom of the cap member 7 of the capping means 6, an ink discharge port 7a is provided as shown in FIG. One end of a tube (not shown) constituting a part of the suction pump 50 is connected to the ink discharge port 7 a of the cap member 7. Thus, the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H is sealed by the cap member 7 during non-printing. Then, when a cleaning command is received, a negative pressure from the suction pump 50 is applied to the internal space of the capping unit 6, and ink can be forcibly discharged from the recording head H.
An ink absorbing sheet 8 is accommodated in the cap member 7 so as to absorb the ink from the recording head H and temporarily hold the ink.
[0034]
The cap member 7 is formed integrally with the cap holder 9 by means such as a two-color molding method. The cap holder 9 is formed of a rectangular box, and flat plate-shaped spring receiving portions 9a are provided on both side walls so as to protrude in the horizontal direction. The cap holder 9 is held on a slider 10 constituting a slider elevating mechanism, and is constantly urged toward the recording head by a compression spring 11 elastically mounted between the slider 10 and the spring receiving portion 9a. I have.
[0035]
An engaging portion 9b is provided at the center of one end and both sides of the other end of the cap holder 9, and the slider 10 is provided with locking members 10a corresponding to the engaging portions 9b, respectively. . Accordingly, the cap holder 9 is restricted from moving upward, that is, moving toward the recording head, by the engaging members 9b being locked by the locking members 10a.
[0036]
A pair of long holes 12 are formed in the bottom of the slider 10 so as to extend substantially in the horizontal direction. Each of the long holes 12 has a pair of horizontal shafts located at a free end of a slider rotating arm 14. 15 are movably held. The opposite free end of the arm 14 is held rotatably with respect to the frame member 13. Accordingly, the slider 10 can rise up with an arc-shaped trajectory with respect to the frame member 13 via the arm 14.
[0037]
Guide pieces 10b are provided at both end portions of the slider 10 on the non-printing area side. Each of these guide pieces 10 b is configured to be held by each of the guide grooves 16 provided in the frame member 13. A low portion 16a and a high portion 16b are disposed at both ends of each of the guide grooves 16, and an inclined portion 16c is disposed between the both portions 16a and 16b.
[0038]
Further, one of the two guide pieces 10b is connected to the frame member 13 via a tension spring 17, as shown in FIG. Thus, the slider 10 is biased so as to approach the print area and move away from the recording head H, that is, in the present embodiment (FIG. 3), downward.
[0039]
Then, as shown in FIG. 4, when the carriage 1 moves directly above the capping means 6, the engaging body 1a provided on the carriage 1 comes into contact with an engaging portion 10c provided upright on the slider 10. By contact, the slider 10 rises up through the arm 14 against the elasticity of the tension spring 17. Thereby, the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H is sealed with the cap member 7.
[0040]
When the carriage 1 moves to the printing area, the contact of the engaging body 1a with the engaging portion 10c is released, and the slider 10 is brought into a state shown in FIG. Is made. Thereby, the sealing of the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H by the cap member 7 is released.
[0041]
As shown in FIG. 3, the sealing surface of the cap member 7, that is, the upper end surface that contacts the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H, is not parallel to the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H. Are located. In other words, the sealing surface of the cap member 7 is inclined so that the printing area side is located slightly below the end of the home position side (the right side in FIG. 3).
[0042]
When the cap member 7 seals the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H, the cap member 7 first comes into contact with the nozzle forming surface from the end on the home position side, and the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H Acts to seal the whole. When the cap member 7 releases the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H, the cap member 7 is first separated from the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H from the end of the printing area side, It acts to separate in parallel.
[0043]
On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a wiping unit (wiping) for wiping the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H with the movement of the carriage 1 is provided on the printing area side adjacent to the capping unit 6. Cleaner) 20 is disposed. The wiping means 20 has a wiping member (cleaning member) 21 made of an elastic material such as rubber, for example, and a holder 22 for holding the wiping member 21.
[0044]
The wiping means 20 is configured to move in the horizontal direction, advance the wiping member 21 to a wiping position in the movement path of the recording head H, and retreat from the movement position to outside the movement path.
Therefore, dust and paper dust adhering to the nozzle forming surface before ink suction is removed by the wiping member 21 during the cleaning operation, and ink adhering to the nozzle forming surface after ink suction is wiped off.
[0045]
In this case, in this embodiment, the moving operation of the wiping unit 20 and the suction operation of the pump for reducing the internal space of the capping unit 6 to a negative pressure include a paper feed for conveying the recording paper P on the paper guide G. The driving force of a motor (not shown) is used. The wiping member 21 is configured to advance and retreat inside and outside the moving path of the recording head H with the driving operation of the pump.
[0046]
In the above configuration, when the carriage 1 moves to the non-printing area (home position) side by the driving of the carriage motor 2, the engaging body 1a of the carriage 1 engages with the engaging portion 10c of the slider 10. Then, as the carriage 1 still moves to the home position, the slider 10 rises via the arm 14 against the elasticity of the tension spring 17 as shown in FIG. In this case, the guide piece 10b of the slider 10 moves from the low portion 16a of the guide groove 16 to the high portion 16b via the inclined portion 16c. Thus, the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H is sealed by the cap member 7.
[0047]
In this manner, when the sealing of the nozzle forming surface by the cap member 7 is completed, the cap member 7 shuts off the communication with the atmosphere and becomes airtight, thereby suppressing the evaporation of the ink from the nozzle openings and the recording head H. Acts to prevent clogging.
[0048]
On the other hand, when the carriage 1 moves to the printing area side by driving of the carriage motor, the engaging body 1a of the carriage 1 separates from the engaging portion 10c of the slider 10.
Therefore, the slider 10 is lowered via the arm 14 by the elastic force of the tension spring 17. In this case, the guide piece 10b of the slider 10 moves from the high portion 16b to the low portion 16a via the inclined portion 16c. Thereby, the sealing state of the recording head H by the cap member 7 is released.
[0049]
5 to 7 show the capping means according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the assembly in a state where the ink absorber is attached to the cap holder. 6 and 7 are a plan view and a sectional view showing the assembly in a state where the ink absorber and the cap member are attached to the cap holder. 5 to 7, the same members as those in FIGS. 2 to 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals.
As shown in FIG. 5, the cap holder 9 is formed of a rectangular box made of, for example, a hard material and opening upward.
[0050]
The open end face 9c1 of the cap holder 9 is arranged on substantially the same plane as the upper face of the spring receiving portion 9a. A rectangular frame-shaped wall 9c2 is provided along the end of the cap holder 9 inside the opening end face 9c1. Four reinforcing ribs 9e are provided to rise upward along inner surfaces 9d in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction of the wall 9c2. The bottom of the cap holder 9 is provided with an engagement hole 9f for engaging with the cap member 7. Three engaging holes 9f are respectively arranged along the base end of the reinforcing rib 9e formed along the longitudinal direction of the cap holder 9, and are formed along the short direction of the cap holder 9. Two reinforcing ribs 9e are arranged along the base end of each reinforcing rib 9e.
[0051]
Further, at the bottom of the cap holder 9, six columnar bodies 9g projecting upward are integrally provided. The columnar body 9g penetrates the ink absorbing sheet 8 so that the ink absorbing sheet 8 can be stably held in the internal space of the capping means 6.
[0052]
A rectangular frame-shaped ink absorber 70 surrounding the wall 9c2 is attached to the cap holder 9 by, for example, an insert molding method. The ink absorber 70 is formed of a soft material having elasticity larger than the elasticity of the cap member 7, and has a height dimension larger than the height dimension of the cap member 7 in the non-capping state. Have been. As a result, when the capping means 6 rises during capping, the ink absorber 70 first comes into contact with the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H and is elastically deformed. Next, the cap member 7 abuts on the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H and is elastically deformed. In this case, the ink absorber 70 comes into contact with the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H with a larger elastic deformation amount (elastic deformation ratio) than the cap member 7.
[0053]
On the other hand, the cap member 7 is attached to the cap holder 9 by, for example, a two-color molding method.
The cap member 7 is made of a soft material such as elastomer or rubber as described above.
[0054]
The cap member 7 is formed on the inner surface of the cap holder 9 so as to protrude from the wall 9c2. The cap member 7 has a protruding portion having a substantially triangular cross section, and a seal portion 7b which is in contact with the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H is formed at the top. Thereby, the degree of closeness of the seal portion 7b abutting on the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H is increased, and the internal space of the capping means 6 can be maintained in a well-sealed state.
[0055]
With the above configuration, the ink absorber 70 and the cap member 7 are pressed against the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H during ink suction and discharge. For this reason, collapse of the cap member 7 due to pressure contact with the nozzle forming surface is suppressed, a normal ink suction / discharge operation can be obtained, and the sealing property of the cap member 7 can be ensured.
Further, the waste ink that has flowed into the peripheral portion of the head during cleaning is absorbed by the ink absorber 70 that comes into contact with the nozzle forming surface while being pressed.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, since a good cleaning effect can be obtained, print smear does not occur, and print quality can be guaranteed.
[0056]
In the present embodiment, the case where the height of the ink absorber 70 is set to a size larger than the height of the cap member 7 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. You may. In this case, when the capping means 6 rises during capping, first, the cap member 7 comes into contact with the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H and is elastically deformed. Next, the ink absorber 70 comes into contact with the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H, and is elastically deformed with a higher elastic deformation rate than the cap member 7.
[0057]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the assembly in a state where the ink absorber and the cap member are attached to the cap holder. In the figure, the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 5 to 7 denote the slider, the cap holder, and the cap member.
As shown in FIG. 8, a rectangular frame-shaped ink absorber 80 surrounding the wall portion 9c2 (shown in FIGS. 5 and 6) is attached to the cap holder 9 by, for example, an insert molding method.
[0058]
The ink absorber 80 is formed of a hard material having elasticity smaller than the elasticity of the cap member 7, and its height is larger than the height of the cap member 7 in the non-capping state. Set to small dimensions. That is, the ink absorber 80 is arranged with a predetermined gap at the edge of the nozzle forming surface when the cap member 7 is in contact with the nozzle forming surface. As a result, when the capping means 6 rises during capping, first, the cap member 7 comes into contact with the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H and is elastically deformed. Next, the ink absorber 80 comes into contact with the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H.
[0059]
In this case, in order to obtain a good degree of close contact with the nozzle forming surface of the ink absorber 80 at the time of ink suction and discharge, and to suppress crushing of the cap member 7 due to pressure contact with the nozzle forming surface, the cap member 7 has a good In the contact state, the gap dimension δ between the front end surface of the ink absorber 80 and the edge of the nozzle forming surface is desirably a dimension such that δ = about 0.2 mm.
[0060]
If δ> 0.2 mm, the degree of close contact of the ink absorber 80 with the nozzle forming surface is reduced, and the ability to remove waste ink is reduced. When δ <0.2 mm, the ink absorber 80 is excessively crushed at the time of capping, and the sealing property is reduced.
[0061]
With the above configuration, the ink absorber 80 and the cap member 7 are pressed against the nozzle forming surface of the recording head H at the time of ink suction and discharge. For this reason, collapse of the cap member 7 due to pressure contact with the nozzle forming surface is suppressed, a normal ink suction / discharge operation can be obtained, and the sealing property of the cap member 7 can be ensured.
Further, the waste ink that has flowed into the peripheral portion of the head during cleaning is absorbed by the ink absorber 80 that is in close contact with the nozzle forming surface.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, a good cleaning effect can be obtained, so that print smear does not occur and print quality can be guaranteed.
[0062]
In the embodiment, the case has been described in which the cross-sectional shape of the tip portions of the ink absorbers 70 and 80 is rectangular. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the tip portions are crushed by pressure contact with the nozzle forming surface. The shape may be a planar shape that facilitates the formation, for example, a substantially semicircular or triangular shape as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, respectively. Accordingly, when the heights of the ink absorbers 70 and 80 are smaller than the height of the cap member 7, the sealing property of the cap member 7 can be guaranteed without sacrificing the ink absorbing ability.
[0063]
【The invention's effect】
As is clear from the above description, according to the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, since a good cleaning effect can be obtained, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of print stains and to guarantee print quality.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a plan view mainly showing a configuration of a capping unit and a wiping unit in the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 3 is a side view showing the non-capping state of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a side view showing the capping state of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the assembly in a state where the ink absorber is attached to the cap holder in the ink jet recording apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the assembly in a state where the ink absorber and the cap member are attached to the cap holder in the ink jet recording apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an assembly in a state where an ink absorber and a cap member are attached to a cap holder in the ink jet recording apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an assembly in a state where an ink absorber and a cap member are attached to a cap holder in an ink jet recording apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a modified example (1) of the tip end portion of the ink absorber.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification (2) of the tip portion of the ink absorber.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view for explaining capping means of a conventional ink jet recording apparatus.
FIG. 12 is a plan view seen through for explaining capping means of a conventional ink jet recording apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 carriage
2 Carriage motor
3 Timing belt
4 Guide rod
5 Platen
6 Capping means
7 Cap member
9 Cap holder
10 Slider
70 Ink absorber
H recording head
P Recording paper

Claims (8)

An ink jet recording head that ejects ink droplets corresponding to print data,
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a nozzle forming surface of the recording head; and capping means for sucking and discharging ink from the nozzle forming surface.
The capping means includes a bottomed box-shaped cap member made of a soft material for contacting the nozzle forming surface to form an airtight space therein, and a cap holder made of a hard material holding the cap member And having
An ink absorber surrounding the cap member is attached to the cap holder,
An ink jet recording apparatus, wherein a height dimension of the ink absorber is set smaller than a height dimension of the cap member in a non-capping state. An ink jet recording head that ejects ink droplets corresponding to print data,
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a nozzle forming surface of the recording head; and capping means for sucking and discharging ink from the nozzle forming surface.
The capping means includes a bottomed box-shaped cap member made of a soft material for contacting the nozzle forming surface to form an airtight space therein, and a cap holder made of a hard material holding the cap member And having
An ink absorber surrounding the cap member is attached to the cap holder,
An ink jet recording apparatus, wherein the ink absorber is formed of a soft material having higher elasticity than the elasticity of the cap member. An ink jet recording head that ejects ink droplets corresponding to print data,
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a nozzle forming surface of the recording head; and capping means for sucking and discharging ink from the nozzle forming surface.
The capping means includes a bottomed box-shaped cap member made of a soft material for contacting the nozzle forming surface to form an airtight space therein, and a cap holder made of a hard material holding the cap member And having
An ink absorber surrounding the cap member is attached to the cap holder,
The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink absorber is formed of a hard material having elasticity lower than elasticity of the cap member. In a state where the cap member is in contact with the nozzle forming surface, a gap dimension δ between a tip end surface of the ink absorber and an edge of the nozzle forming surface is set to a dimension such that δ = 0.2 mm. 4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: 5. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional shape of a tip portion of the ink absorber is rectangular. 5. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional shape of a tip portion of the ink absorber is semicircular. 5. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional shape of a tip portion of the ink absorber is a triangle. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink absorber is integrally attached to the cap holder.

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