JPH03203650A - Ink jet recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To set an inclined angle with accuracy and to easily cope with a change in inclined angle by a method wherein bearing members disposed on the both ends in a carriage travel direction are loaded so that the engaging parts of the respective members are eccentric to each other upward and downward in a sub-scanning direction. CONSTITUTION:In a carriage 11, bearing members 25 disposed on the both ends in a carriage travel direction are loaded so that the engaging parts of the respective members are eccentric to each other upward and downward in a sub-scanning direction. In this manner, a nozzle array 90 of a recording head mounted on the carriage 11 is inclined by a predetermined angle vertically to the carriage travel direction. In addition, the inclined angle is constructed by a method in which two bearing members of the same type are used to be loaded so as to be reversely eccentric to each other. This simplified construction can contribute to a lower cost. Furthermore, this invention can cope with, for example, different timings in a time-division drive only by replacing the bearing members with those of a different eccentric amount without the need of changing a carriage body in shape or the like.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to an inkjet recording device.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, recording devices that record on recording media such as paper and OHP sheets (hereinafter also referred to as recording paper or simply paper) have been proposed in the form of mounting recording heads using various recording methods. ing. These recording heads include those based on a wire tod type, a thermal type, a thermal transfer type, and an inkjet type.

Among these, the inkjet method in particular jets ink directly onto recording paper, and is attracting attention as a recording method that has advantages such as low running costs and quiet recording operation.

Furthermore, in recent years, inkjet recording devices, especially recording heads, have been manufactured using film-forming technology and micro-processing technology in semiconductor devices, and smaller and cheaper recording heads are being realized. . Accordingly, for example, a disposable type recording head with an integrated ink tank has been proposed, and as a result, the configuration of the apparatus itself has been made smaller and simpler.

On the other hand, an electronic typewriter is an inkjet recording device that has many of the advantages mentioned above.

It is becoming widely used as a recording device for various devices such as word processors, facsimile machines, and copying machines. In this case, the inkjet recording apparatus has a configuration that corresponds to the functions, usage patterns, etc. unique to these apparatuses.

Furthermore, one of the trends in electronic typewriters, word processors, etc. is to make them compact, lightweight, and portable, and from this point of view as well, a compact and simple configuration of the inkjet recording device used in these devices is desired. ing.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Incidentally, in an inkjet recording apparatus, in the case of a recording head having a plurality of ejection ports, as will be described later, there is a configuration in which each ejection port is driven in a time-division manner. In this case, in a so-called serial type device that performs printing as the print head moves, for example, if no measures are taken, The recording result corresponding to recording data of a vertical line parallel to the direction (also referred to as a direction) is a diagonal line.

In order to correct this diagonal line to a nearly vertical line, there is a structure in which the above correction is performed by tilting the portion of the carriage where the recording head is mounted, thereby tilting the ejection port array consisting of a plurality of ejection ports. .

However, this configuration has a problem in that it is difficult to achieve angular accuracy. Additionally, if the inclination angle needs to be changed in response to changes in discharge timing or carriage speed, the shape of the carriage body may not be able to accommodate this change, and the carriage may have to be replaced.
Further, even if this was done, there was a problem in that the configuration for changing the tilt angle would be complicated.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides a configuration that can achieve the above-mentioned tilt angle accuracy with a simple configuration and can easily respond to changes in the tilt angle. An object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet recording device with the following features.

[Means to solve the problem]

To this end, the present invention provides an inkjet recording apparatus that performs recording using a recording head that ejects ink droplets onto a recording medium, including a carriage on which the recording head is mounted and moves along the recording medium, and a carriage that guides the movement of the carriage. a guide shaft for moving the carriage; and a bearing member that is attached to two places on the carriage and engages the guide shaft so as to be movable in the axial direction, the respective engaging portions being eccentric with respect to the member, and bearing members that are attached to two places on the carriage and movably engaged with the guide shaft in the direction of the axis. According to the above configuration, in the carriage, for example, the bearing members disposed at both ends of the carriage in the direction of movement are , are mounted so that the engaging parts are eccentric upward and downward in the sub-scanning direction, so that the ejection port array of the print head mounted on this carriage is aligned with respect to the direction perpendicular to the direction of carriage movement. It has a predetermined angle.

(The following is a margin) [Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show an example of the external configuration of an electronic typewriter as a device to which the present invention is applicable.

Here, l is a keyboard section, in which a group of keys 2 such as keys for inputting characters such as letters and numbers, control keys, etc. are arranged, and when not in use, it can be rotated around a hinge 3 as shown in Fig. 1 (B). It can be folded as shown. Reference numeral 4 denotes a paper feed tray for feeding a sheet-like recording medium to a printer section inside the apparatus, and when not in use, it is stored covering the printer section as shown in FIG. 5 is a feed knob for manually setting and ejecting a recording medium, 6 is a display for displaying input text, etc., and 7 is a handle used when transporting the apparatus according to this example.

Further, 8 is a window which forms the cover of the electronic typewriter of this example and is provided at the top of the typewriter adjacent to the display 6;
An inkjet printer and recording paper can be seen stored as described below.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of the printer section according to this example.

Here, 9 is a head cartridge having an inkjet recording head, which will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, and 11 is a carriage on which this is mounted and for scanning in the S direction in the figure. 13, the head cartridge 9 is connected to the carriage 11;
15 is a lever for operating the hook 13. This lever 15 is provided with a marker 17 for indicating a scale provided on the cover, which will be described later, so as to read the printing position, setting position, etc. by the recording head of the head cartridge. Reference numeral 19 denotes a support plate that supports the electrical connection to the head cartridge 9. 21 is a flexible cable for connecting the electrical connection section and the main body control section.

23 is a guide shaft for guiding the carriage 11 in the S direction, and is inserted into a bearing 25 of the carriage 11. Reference numeral 27 denotes a timing belt to which the carriage 11 is fixed 99 and transmits power for moving it in the S direction, and pulleys 29A and 29B arranged on both sides of the device.
It is hung on a pedestal. Driving force is transmitted to one pulley 29B from the carriage motor 31 via a transmission mechanism such as a gear.

A conveyance roller 33 is driven by a conveyance motor 35 for regulating the recording surface of a recording medium such as paper (hereinafter also referred to as recording paper) and for conveying it during recording or the like. 37 is a paper pan for guiding the recording medium from the paper feed tray 4 side to the recording position; 39 is disposed in the middle of the recording medium feeding path to press the recording medium toward the conveyance roller 33 and convey it. It is a feed roller for. 34
A platen faces the ejection opening of the head cartridge 9 and regulates the recording surface of the recording medium. Reference numeral 41 denotes a paper discharge roller that is disposed downstream of the recording position in the recording medium conveyance direction and discharges the recording medium toward a paper discharge port (not shown). Reference numeral 42 denotes a spur provided corresponding to the paper ejection roller 41, which presses the lip 41 through the recording medium to generate a force for conveying the recording medium by the paper ejection roller 41. 43 is a feed roller 39.43 used when setting a recording medium, etc. This is a release lever for releasing the urging of each of the presser plates 459 and spurs 42.

Reference numeral 45 denotes a press plate for suppressing floating of the recording medium in the vicinity of the recording position and ensuring close contact with the conveying roller 33. In this example, an inkjet recording head that performs recording by ejecting ink is used as the recording head.

Therefore, the distance between the ink ejection orifice forming surface of the recording head and the recording surface of the recording medium is relatively small, and the distance Q must be strictly controlled to avoid contact between the recording medium and the ejection orifice forming surface. Therefore, the arrangement of the presser plate 45 is effective. 47 is a scale provided on the presser plate 45, 49 is a marker provided on the carriage 11 corresponding to this scale,
These also allow the printing position and setting position of the recording head to be read.

A cap 51 is made of an elastic material such as rubber and faces the ink ejection orifice forming surface of the recording head in the home position, and is supported so as to be able to come into contact with and separate from the recording head. This cap 51 is used to protect the print head during non-printing and during ejection recovery processing of the print head. The ejection recovery process refers to discharging ink from all ejection ports by placing the cap 51 facing the ejection port forming surface and driving an energy generating element provided inside the ink ejection ports and used for ejecting ink. This process removes the causes of ejection failure, such as air bubbles, dust, and ink that has thickened and is no longer suitable for recording. This process removes the cause of ejection failure by forcibly discharging the ink.

Reference numeral 53 denotes a pump that applies a suction force to forcefully discharge the ink, and is used to suck the ink received in the cap 51 during ejection recovery processing by such forced ejection or ejection recovery processing by preliminary ejection. 55 is a waste ink tank for storing waste ink sucked by the pump 53, and 57 is a tube that communicates the pump 53 and the waste ink tank 55.

Reference numeral 59 denotes a blade for wiping the ejection orifice forming surface of the recording head, and it has two positions: one in which it protrudes toward the recording head and performs wiping during the head movement process, and the other in a retracted position where it does not engage the ejection orifice formation surface. movably supported. 61 is a motor; 63 receives power from the motor 61 to drive the pump 53 and the cap 51 and blade 5;
This is a cam device for making each of the movements of 9.

Next, details of the above-mentioned head cartridge 9 will be explained.

FIG. 3 shows an external perspective view of a head cartridge 9 that integrates an ejection unit 9a and an ink tank 9b, which constitute an inkjet recording head main body.
Denoted at e is a pawl that is hung by a hook 13 provided on the carriage 11 when the head cartridge 9 is mounted. As is clear from the figure, the pawl 906e is disposed inside the entire extension of the recording head. Further, near the front discharge unit 9a of the head cartridge 9, a positioning abutting portion is provided, although not shown in this figure. 9
Reference numeral 06f denotes a head opening into which a support plate that stands up on the carriage 11 and supports a flexible board (electrical connection part) and a rubber pad is inserted.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are exploded perspective views of the head cartridge shown in FIG. 3, which is of a disposable type with an integrated ink storage section serving as an ink supply source, as described above.

In FIG. 9A, reference numeral 911 is a heater board in which an electrothermal conversion element (discharge heater) and wiring such as Ag for supplying power to the element are formed on a Si substrate using a film forming technique. 921 is a wiring board for the heater board 911, and the corresponding wiring is connected by wire bonding, for example.

Reference numeral 940 denotes a top plate provided with a partition wall for limiting the ink flow path, a common liquid chamber, etc., and in this example, it is made of a resin material and integrally has an orifice plate portion.

For example, 930 is a metal support, and 950 is a pressing spring. By sandwiching the heater board 911 and the top plate 940 between them and engaging them, the urging force of the pressing spring 950 causes the heater board 910 to Top plate 94
0 and fixed by crimping. Note that the support body 930 may also have a wiring board 921 attached thereto by adhesion or the like, and may also have a positioning reference for the carriage 11 that scans the head. The support body 930 also functions as a member that radiates and cools the heat of the heater board 911 that is generated during driving.

960 is a supply tank which receives ink supply from the ink storage section 9b serving as an ink supply source, and which is connected to the heater board 911.
It functions as a sub-tank that guides ink to a common liquid chamber formed by joining the top plate 940 and the top plate 940. Reference numeral 970 indicates a filter disposed within the supply tank 960 near the ink supply port to the common liquid chamber, and 980 indicates a lid member of the supply tank 960.

Reference numeral 900 denotes an absorber for impregnating ink, and is disposed within the ink tank body 9b. Reference numeral 1200 is a supply port for supplying ink to the recording element 9a consisting of the above-mentioned parts 911 to 980, and ink is injected from the supply port 1200 in a process before placing the unit in the section 1010 of the ink tank body 9b. By doing so, the absorber 900 can be impregnated with ink.

1100 is a lid member of the cartridge body, and 1300 is an atmosphere communication port provided in the lid member for communicating the inside of the cartridge with the atmosphere. 1300A is a liquid repellent member disposed inside the atmosphere communication port 1300, which prevents ink from leaking from the atmosphere communication port 1300.

When the filling of ink into the ink tank 9b via the supply port 1200 is completed, the ejection unit 9a consisting of each part 911 to 980 is positioned and disposed in the part 1010.

Positioning or fixing at this time can be performed, for example, by fitting a protrusion 1012 provided on the ink tank body 9b into a corresponding hole 931 provided on the support body 930. The head cartridge 9 shown in (B) is completed.

The ink is supplied from inside the cartridge through the supply port 1200.
, a hole 932 in the support 930 and a supply tank 96
(A) The ink is supplied into the supply tank 960 through the inlet provided on the solid surface side, and after passing through the inside, the ink is supplied from the outlet to an appropriate supply pipe and the ink inlet of the top plate 940. 9
A gasket made of, for example, silicone rubber or butyl rubber is disposed at the connecting portion for ink communication at 0 or more that flows into the common liquid chamber through the common liquid chamber, and this seals and secures the ink supply path. Ru.

5(A) and (B) respectively show the carriage 1
FIG. 1 is a top view, a left side view, and a right side view showing details of FIG.

In these figures, 606 is a support plate erected at the bottom of the carriage 11, and a flexible substrate 6
04, and a rubber pad 60 having a protrusion 605A provided corresponding to the terminal pad formed on the substrate 604.
I support 5.

Reference numeral 607 denotes an abutting member that is also erected at the bottom at the front of the carriage 1.1. Abutting member 607
is formed to have a thin wall thickness in order to secure as much space for the ink tank as possible within the limited installation space of the head cartridge 9 and carriage 11. Therefore, three ribs 608 are formed on the member 607 to ensure strength. The direction in which the ribs 608 extend is such that the carriage 11 has strength corresponding to the movement in the turning direction when the head cartridge is attached or detached.
Let the direction of movement be . Furthermore, the rib 608 is 0.1 mm from the ejection surface when the head cartridge 9 is installed.
It is formed to protrude somewhat forward. Thereby, even if the recording paper protrudes into the movement path of the recording head due to some action, it is possible to prevent the recording paper from rubbing against the ejection surface and causing damage.

The operating lever 15 for attaching and detaching the head cartridge is attached to a shaft 601d provided on the main body of the carriage 11.
It is rotatably supported by. The hook 13 is used to attach and detach the head cartridge 9, which is partially engaged, by the movement of the hook 13 when the hook 13 is engaged with a portion of the operating lever 15. The hook 13 has a long hole 603 formed therein.
C is a guide shaft 601c provided in the main body of the carriage 11
The above-mentioned attaching/detaching operations are performed by being guided by.

The attachment/detachment operation mechanism consisting of the operation lever 15, the hook 13, etc. is located on the side of the carriage 11, that is, on the side of the carriage 1.
Since the attachment/detachment operation mechanism is provided on the moving direction side of the carriage 1, the attachment/detachment operation mechanism does not form a large dead space due to movement of the carriage.

Next, the abutting portion for positioning when installing the head cartridge will be explained.

Reference numeral 601a denotes abutment portions for positioning in the left-right direction, and two abutment portions are provided on the sides of the abutment member 607. Note that for positioning in the left-right direction, an abutment section 601f provided on the support plate 606 is used in addition to the abutment section 601a.

Reference numeral 601b denotes an abutment portion for positioning in the front-rear direction, and is formed at the lower side of the abutment member 607.

Reference numeral 601c denotes abutting portions for vertical positioning, which are formed at two locations, one at the lower side of the abutment member 607 and the lower side at the side of the support plate.

FIG. 6 (Al and (B) respectively show the carriage 11
FIG. 4 is a top view and a left side view showing the state when the head cartridge 9 is installed.

In these figures, 906a is a contact part provided in the head cartridge 9 so that it can come into contact with the abutment part of the carriage 11 when the recording head is attached, and 906b and 906c are the abutment parts 601b and 601c, respectively. This is a contact part that corresponds to

Here, with reference to FIG. 6(A), the engagement relationship of each part when the recording head is mounted will be outlined.

The contact portion 906a of the head cartridge 9 is connected to the carrier 6.
At the same time, the pawl 906 of the head cartridge 9 receives a force to the left in the figure due to the urging force of the coil spring 610 via the hook 13 hooked thereto. As a result, the head cartridge 9 receives a moment force centered on the abutting portion. At this time, the substrate 906d provided on the head comes into contact with the abutting portion 601f, and as a result, the head cartridge 9 is positioned in the left-right direction and the position is maintained.

At this time, the protrusion 605A of the rubber pad 605 is compressed and deformed by contact with the substrate 906d. This deformation causes the terminal pads of the flexible substrate 604 and the substrate 9 to
A force is generated that presses the terminal 06d. In this case, since the substrate 906d is in contact with the abutment portion 601f, the amount of deformation of the protrusion 605A is constant, and the above-mentioned stable pressure contact force can be obtained.

Note that the above diagram does not show the compressed and deformed state of the protrusion 605A.

Further, the head cartridge 9 is positioned in the front-rear and up-down directions during the installation process.

FIG. 7(A) is an exploded perspective view of the carriage 11.

Here, 613 is a roller spring which will be described later, and 615 is a lever retainer for attaching the operating lever 15 to a portion 617 on the carriage 11. Reference numeral 619 constitutes one end of the flexible cable 21, and in this example, a member is used for fixing the upper edge portions of the flexible substrate 604 and the rubber pad 605, which are formed integrally therewith, to the support plate 606.
Similarly, 621 is a mounting member for fixing the lower edge portion.

In addition to the configuration described above, in this example, when the head cartridge 9 is not installed, the carriage side flexible board 6
A board cover 623 is provided to cover the flexible board 604 and protect the main body side circuit connected to the flexible board 604 from contact with an operator's hand or damage caused by such contact or the action of electrostatic force. This board cover 623 is rotatably provided with respect to the bin 621A of the member 621 when the lower edge side board is attached. Reference numeral 625 is a spring that gives the board cover 623 the ability to rotate in a direction to cover the flexible board 604, and 627 is a recessed portion in which the board cover 623 is accommodated when the head cartridge 9 is attached.

The operation of the board cover 623 will be explained using FIGS. 7(B) and 7(C). When the head cartridge 9 is not installed, as shown in FIG.
The flexible substrate 604 is covered by the urging force of 23. When the head cartridge 9 is installed from above from this state, the board cover 623 is moved by the biasing force of the spring 625 as the lower surface of the head cartridge 9 is engaged with the cover operating section 623A or as the operator's hand engages with the operating section 623A. It rotates clockwise in the figure around the bottle 621A against this. Then, the head cartridge 9 is completely installed, and the board 604
When the head side board 906d is in contact with the head side board 906d, the state shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the cover 623 is pressed by the lower surface of the head cartridge 9 and is housed in the recess 627. Note that if the head cartridge 9 is removed, the cover 6
23 immediately returns to the state shown in FIG. 6(B), so the board 6
04 protection will be provided.

FIG. 8(A) is a schematic side view mainly showing the recording medium conveyance system of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2 and the like.

FIG. 8(A) shows the arrangement of each element during normal conveyance of a recording medium. A recording medium fed from a paper feed tray (not shown) is introduced into a conveyance path formed between a conveyance roller 33 and a paper pan 37. In this conveyance path, as the conveyance roller 33 rotates clockwise in the figure, the pressure of the feed roller 39 (conveyance roller 33
The recording medium is conveyed by the frictional force between the recording medium and the recording medium. Thereafter, the recording medium is introduced between the conveyance roller 33 and the paper press plate 45, and is similarly conveyed by the frictional force between the conveyance roller 33 and the recording medium based on the pressing force of the paper press plate 45. Further, the direction of the recording medium is regulated by a paper presser plate 45, and the recording medium is conveyed along the platen 34 between the paper ejection roller 41 and the spur 42, and during this time, ink droplets are ejected from the recording head cartridge 9 onto the recording medium. Records will be made.

FIG. 8(B) is a view of the paper pan 37 and a release plate for urging the paper pan 37 toward the conveyance roller 33 as seen from above the apparatus, and is shown in a separated form for the purpose of explanation.

The mechanism involved in conveying the recording medium will be explained with reference to FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B). In these figures, 40
A release plate is a member for pressing the feed roller 39 against the conveying roller 33 via the paper pan 37 and for releasing this pressing. That is, the release plate 40 rotates by engaging the shaft portions 40C provided at both ends with the shaft support holes 101A provided in the release plate shaft support member 101 provided upright on the bottom plate 100 of the device. possible to be pivoted. As a result, 2 at one end of the release plate 40
When this portion is biased diagonally downward and to the right in FIG. 8(A) by the engaging spring 401, the release plate 40 rotates clockwise in FIG. 8(A) with the shaft portion 40G as a fulcrum. Rotate to. 371 are ribs provided at two locations on the lower side of the paper pan 37. The rib 371 comes into contact with the pressing portion 40A of the release plate 40 during the above rotation, and is pressed upward in FIG. 8(A). As a result, the feed roller 39 supported by the rib 371 presses the conveyance roller 33 .

To release the pressure from the release plate 40, as will be described later in FIG.
This is done by pushing down in the middle of Figure (A). When this pressure is released, the paper pan 37 and the feed roller 39 move downward by their own weight, and a predetermined gap is formed between the feed roller 39 and the conveyance roller 33.

372 is a rectangular protrusion formed by a portion of the paper pan 37 extending downward.

The protruding portion 372 is provided with a rectangular hole 372A,
This hole 372A and the protrusion 102 erected on the bottom plate 100
and engage with each other with a predetermined amount of play. This engagement results in
The paper pan 37 and therefore the feed roller 39 are positioned relative to the conveyance roller 33.

The structure with play in the engagement described above makes it possible to eliminate the adverse effect of so-called knock-off that occurs when the rear end of the conveyed recording medium passes through the feed roller 39. That is, as shown in FIG. 9(A), from the state in which the rear end of the recording medium is pressed against the conveying roller 33 by the feed roller 39, the recording medium is pulled out of this state and is moved to the state shown in FIG. 9(A).
As shown in B), the feed roller 39 and the conveyance roller 33
During this time, the recording medium is pushed out from between the feed roller 39 and the conveyance roller 33. In the conventional structure, especially when the recording medium is an envelope or cardboard, the force acting on each part during this extrusion causes the above-mentioned skipping phenomenon.

For example, the conventional paper pan supporting structure as shown in FIG. 9(C), that is, the boss 3 of the paper pan 37
71A is supported by the engaging portion 400A of the biasing member 400 so that it cannot escape in the front-rear direction (left-right direction in the figure), the feed roller 39 cannot escape in the opposite direction to the direction in which the recording medium is pushed out. Therefore, the conveying roller 33 rotates as the material is pushed out, and the material is transported by a predetermined amount or more. As a result, problems such as displacement of the recording position on the recording medium have occurred.

On the other hand, FIGS. 8(A), 9(A) and (B
In the configuration of this example shown in 1, as the rear end of the recording medium is pushed out, the paper pan 37 can escape to the right in the figure by the amount of play d in the engagement, so that the recording medium and the conveyance roller 33 The above-mentioned problem does not occur because the force due to extrusion does not act on the material.

Referring again to FIG. 8(A), 451 is the paper press plate 4.
5 in the direction of the platen 33.

One end of the spring 451 extending from the coil-shaped portion engages with a part of the paper pressing plate 45, and the other end engages with a part of the apparatus bottom plate 100. In addition, the paper presser plate 45, whose coil-shaped portion is pivotally supported by a part of the bottom plate 100, is also pressed by the carriage 11 via rollers 91 provided at the front end of the carriage 11, as will be described later. ing. The distance between the ejection opening of the head cartridge 9 and the recording surface of the recording medium is maintained appropriately by the pressure applied through the spring 451 and the roller 91.

The paper pressing plate 45 also applies a pressing force to the conveying roller 33 via the recording medium by the above-mentioned pressing force, and conveys the recording medium by the frictional force between the recording medium and the conveying roller 33 based on this pressing force. .

Here, in order to carry out good conveyance according to various types of recording media, the frictional force generated between the paper press plate and the recording medium and between the conveyance roller and the recording medium must be appropriate. That is, it is desirable that the frictional force between the paper press plate and the recording medium be as small as possible, and that the frictional force between the conveyance roller and the recording medium be as large as possible.

Further, it is desirable that the frictional force between the paper presser plate and the conveyance roller be as small as possible. That is, if this frictional force is large, the load on the motor etc. becomes large when so-called idle feeding is performed. Furthermore, if a predetermined gap is provided between the paper pressing plate and the conveying roller to avoid this, it becomes difficult to control the accuracy of the urging of the recording medium against the platen.

Therefore, in this example, the material of the paper press plate 45 is ROM.
(polyacetal), and the conveyance roller 33 is CR (chloroprene rubber, hardness 60°/A scale).
A mixture of 5 to 10% (weight ratio) of nylon resin single fibers was used. Note that the paper press plate 45 may be made of fluorocarbon resin.

In addition, although the hardness of the above chloroprene rubber was set to 60°,
If the angle is within the range of 50° to 70°, there will be no problem in conveying the recording paper. Further, it is not necessary that the conveyance roller 33 and the paper press plate 45 are all made of the above material, and only the contact portion may be made of the above material, and furthermore, the main body may be made of a sheet made of the above material. A paper presser plate or a conveyance roller may be formed by pasting this on a section.

By configuring the paper press plate and the conveyance roller with the above-mentioned materials, the coefficient of friction between the paper press plate 45 and the recording medium can be reduced. It can be configured to press. As a result, it is now possible to manage the distance between the recording medium and the head cartridge more easily than, for example, in the past, where it was not possible to adopt a pressing configuration that could accommodate various paper thicknesses of recording media. Furthermore, since the coefficient of friction between the recording medium and the conveyance roller is large, no slipping occurs during conveyance, and the recording medium can be conveyed favorably.

In FIG. 8(A), reference numeral 46 denotes a shaft member extending parallel to the paper pressing plate 45 and having both ends pivotally supported by the apparatus frame, and has a D-shaped cross section.

When conveying the recording medium, its rotational position is determined so that the straight line portion of the letter D is in the vertical direction (vertical direction in the figure) as shown in the figure. On the other hand, when releasing the pressure on the conveyance roller 33 by the paper pressing plate 45, move the straight line part in the horizontal direction (as shown in FIG. 8(A)) as shown in FIGS.
(in the left and right directions), it comes into contact with a part of the spring 451 and displaces it, thereby releasing the engagement between the spring 451 and the paper pressing plate 45.

As a result, only the pressing force on the paper pressing plate 45 is released without displacing its position.

As a result, even if the carriage 11 operates with this pressing force released for insertion of a recording medium, etc., the head cartridge and carriage will not interfere with the paper presser and damage the head cartridge, carriage, etc. In other words, even when the pressing force of the paper press plate is released, it is possible to move the carriage and perform various operations. Note that the pressing force applied to the paper presser plate 45 via the rollers 91 is not released at this time, but this pressing force acts on one point of the paper presser plate 45 facing the carriage 11.
There is no problem in inserting the recording medium.

In FIG. 8(A), 41 is a paper ejection roller, and a spur 42 engages with the paper ejection roller 41. A 0 spur 42 is a first O.
The sheet is urged toward the paper ejection roller 41 by the urging means shown in FIGS. Media transport is performed.

The spur 42 is urged toward the paper ejection roller 41 as described above via the holding member 42A, and also performs a detachment operation from the paper ejection roller 41 via this to release its retention. You can also do it.

The paper pan 3 shown above in FIGS. 8(A) and (B)
7 (feed roller 39) 1 paper presser foot 45 and spur 42
The biasing force is released in each manner as described above. These can be released using the release lever 4 shown in FIG.
The operations in step 3 are performed all at once, resulting in the state shown in FIG. 8(C).

Figure 1O (A) and (B), Figure 11 (A) and (
B) is a diagram showing a mechanism for releasing the biasing force;
FIGS. 10(A) and (B) are views of these mechanisms in the recording apparatus as seen from the right side, and FIGS. 11(A) and (
B) is a view seen from the left side. FIG. 10(A) and FIG. 11(A) show a state in which the biasing force during conveyance of the recording medium is not released. At this time, the release lever 43, which is rotatably supported by the shaft of the conveyance roller 33, is in a bent state due to the biasing force of a spring, which will be described later, and accordingly, the cam member 431. A gear 432', which is disposed at the other end of the end where the gear 432 and the lever 43 are disposed and is fixed to a shaft concentric with the conveyance roller 33, is attached to the shoulder 40 of the release plate 40.
It engages with a gear train that rotates B and the shaft member 46 in a predetermined positional relationship. Spur arms 421 and 421' extending from the spur holding member 42 and disposed at both ends are spring-loaded through engagement with the lever 43O and the connecting member 433 at the engagement portions 4211 and 421B', respectively. The tension force at 422 and 422' forces the device rearward. In this biased state, engaging portions 421A and 421A' provided on each spur arm
The spur 42 is engaged with the shaft of the paper ejection roller 41.
The position, pressing force, etc. of the sheet discharging roller 41 and the sheet discharging roller 41 are properly engaged.

Since the spur arm 421 and the release lever 43 are engaged with each other with a predetermined amount of backlash, the spur arm 421 and the discharge roller 41 can be properly connected without requiring much precision in the shape of the spur arm 421. This makes it possible to perform a strong bond.

Further, the rotation of the release lever 43 is transmitted to the shaft member 46 via the gear 432 and the intermediate gear train, and
an intermediate gear train on the other end side via 6 and a gear 432';
is transmitted to the connecting member 433 and finally the spur arm 421
′ is moved. At this time, play in backlash between the intervening gears is absorbed by the engagement with play between the release lever 43 and the spur arm 421.

Note that the member whose bias is released by the above configuration is not limited to a spur, and may be any form of roller as long as it is used to convey the recording medium.

FIG. 10(B) and FIG. 11(B) show a state in which the urging force of the spur 421, the paper pressing plate 45, and the paper pan 37 is released, respectively. To release these, use the release lever 4.
3 toward the front of the device against the tension of the spring 422.

That is, when the release lever 43 is rotated, the gear 432 is rotated accordingly. At this time, as described above, the shaft member 46
rotates, and the straight line part of the letter D shape is the horizontal direction. As a result, as described above in FIG. 8(A), the shaft member 46
The spring 451 is pushed in the narrowing direction, and the engagement between the spring 451 and the paper press plate 45 is released. As a result, the biasing force of the paper presser 45 is released.

Further, as the release lever 43 rotates, the cam 431 rotates. The shoulder portion 4OB of the release plate 40 described above in FIG. 8 is engaged with the cam portion of the cam member 431, and the release plate 40 lowers its position as the cam member 431 rotates and The attachment of the bread 37 to the rib 371 is released, and the rib 371 is no longer pressed. As a result, the paper pan 37 (feed roller 39) is
The biasing force is released, and the paper pan 37 moves downward due to its own weight. As the release lever 43 rotates, the shoulder portion 40B and the step-shaped cam portion of the cam member 431 finally engage with each other, thereby fixing these engagement positions, and thereby preventing the release lever 43 from rotating. The moving position is fixed.

Furthermore, as the release lever 43 rotates, the spur arm 421 moves toward the front of the device, and as described above,
Due to the rotation transmitted through the shaft member 46, the spur arm 421' on the other end side also moves toward the front of the device. As a result, the spurs 42 connected to these spur arms 421, 421' are disengaged from the paper discharge roller 41.

In this way, by rotating the release lever once,
It is possible to release the bias from the paper pan, paper presser and spur, and this can be done with a simple configuration.

Note that the paper pan is supported on the upper side by urging the Reno's plate and by engaging the protrusion provided on the bottom plate of the device with the elongated hole of the paper pan. For example, as shown in FIG.
), the shape of the engaging portion 400 may be an elongated hole, and the paper pan may escape in the direction of the elongated hole.

FIG. 12 shows a knob fixed to the shaft of the conveyance roller 33,
FIG. 13 is a schematic front view showing the assembled state of the release lever, and FIG. 13 is a schematic exploded view thereof.

In FIG. 12, a driven gear 321 for rotationally driving the conveyance roller 33 is fixed to a shaft 333 of the conveyance roller 33, and the knob 5 is attached to the shaft 333 by a spring pin 332 driven into the shaft 333. Fixed. The release lever 43 is rotatably supported between these levers, but its rotation is restricted by a spring or the like as described above.

FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the assembly order of the above configuration. As shown in the figure, a spring pin 332 is driven into the shaft 333 in advance, and a gear 331 is fixed thereto. The release lever 43 is inserted into the shaft 333 in this state through its opening 43A. The opening 43A is
Shaft 333 and spring bin 33 as shown
This allows the release lever 43 to move beyond the position where the spring pin 332 is driven in and toward the gear 331. Thereafter, the knob 44 is fixed to the shaft 333 by fitting the spring pin 332 into the fastening hole 5A while inserting the knob 5 into the shaft 333.

With the above configuration, the movement of the release lever 43 in the axial direction is regulated by the gear 331 and the knob 5,
Fixation of the knob 44 can be achieved by a spring pin 332. Furthermore, since the spring pin 332 is driven into the shaft 333 in advance, assembly is easier than driving the spring pin after inserting the lever.

(L' or lower /#:, color) FIGS. 14 and 15 are a side view and a top view, respectively, showing the mechanism around the head cartridge shown in FIG. 2 and the like.

In these figures, reference numeral 91 denotes a roller rotatably supported at the front end of the carriage 11 as described above. The roller 91 is provided so that a portion thereof protrudes forward from the ejection port surface of the head cartridge.
It comes into contact with the paper press plate 45 and rotates thereon. Also, 613
is a roller spring provided at the rear end of the carriage 11. The roller springs 613 are rollers 613A, rollers 613A
a connecting member 613B that pivotally supports the connecting member 613B;
It consists of a spring 613C that biases the rotation direction in a predetermined direction. The roller 613A is a front end plate 10 that is erected at the front end of the bottom plate 100 of the device so as to extend parallel to the aforementioned guide axis.
5 and rotates on top of it. The connecting member 613B is rotatably supported by a predetermined shaft 113 of the carriage 11, and the spring 613C is supported by a predetermined shaft of the carriage 11 to rotate the connecting member 613B counterclockwise around the shaft 113. Apply a bias like this. Due to the configuration of the roller spring 613 as described above, the carriage 11 is always urged in the direction of the paper pressing plate 45.

Reference numeral 25 denotes bearings that engage with the guide shaft 23 and are mounted on both ends of the carriage 11. As will be described in detail later, the bearings 25 are eccentrically mounted relative to the case in which they are mounted, and the two bearings 25 are mounted so that their eccentric directions are opposite. The bearing 25 on the side shown in FIG.
It is provided so as to be swingable about 12 as an axis. That is,
The part of the carriage 11 where this bearing 25 is mounted is an elongated hole, and the two protrusions 25 of the bearing 25
A is restricted from moving in the front-rear direction (left-right direction in FIG. 14) by the boss 112. As a result, this bearing 25 swings relative to the carriage 11 in accordance with the movement of the carriage 11 as will be described later. In addition, at this time, this bearing 2
5 in the direction of the guide shaft 23, the protrusion 25B provided on the bearing 25 moves on a part of the carriage 11 (for example, in FIG.
See A).

Coro 91 explained above. Roller spring 613 and bearing 25
Automatic adjustment of the distance (hereinafter also referred to as gap) between the recording medium and the ejection port surface of the head cartridge based on the configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17.

The gap is automatically adjusted according to the thickness of the recording medium inserted between the paper press plate 45 and the platen roller 33. When recording on a relatively thin and commonly used recording medium as shown in FIG. 16(A), the relative position of the bearing 25 on the left side in FIG. 16 is approximately at the center in terms of length. That is, the roller spring 613 is connected to the front end plate 105.
The carriage 11 is urged in the direction of the paper presser plate 45 by the reaction force from the front end plate 105 caused by pressing the paper presser plate 45 , so that the rollers 91 press the paper presser plate 45 . Kokoro 9
1 presses the paper press plate 45 and the above-mentioned roller spring 6
The respective reaction forces of the force with which 13 presses the front end plate 105 are:
A moment is created with the bearing on the right side in FIG. 16 as a fulcrum, and by balancing these two moments, the position of the bearing 25 in the elongated hole is determined.6 In other words,
The position of the carriage 11 relative to the guide shaft 23, which is fixed to the apparatus main body, and hence the bearing 25 is determined, and the gap d between the ejection port of the head cartridge 9 mounted thereon and the recording medium is determined.

FIG. 16(B) shows the position of the carriage 11 when recording on a relatively thick recording medium such as an envelope. In this case, Colo 91. Therefore, the carriage 11 is
), it retreats downward in the figure according to the thickness of the recording medium. As a result, the reaction force from the front end plate 105 generated by the roller spring 613 changes, and the position where the above moments are balanced changes accordingly. As a result, the relative position between the bearing 25 on the left side in the figure and the carriage 11 changes, and the front end of the carriage 11 is in the open position on the left side in Figure 16, and the gap between the ejection port and the recording medium is reduced. , the gap d is almost the same as in the case of FIG. 16(A).

At this time, the left bearing 25 relatively swings as shown by the arrow in FIG. 17 to change its position within the elongated hole.

Note that depending on the position where the rollers 91 are provided, it is possible to handle a recording medium that is thicker than normal cardboard, for example. That is,
Depending on the position where the rollers 91 are provided, the paper pressing plate 45 can be moved away from the paper press plate 45 by a large amount and the gap can be kept constant depending on the position of the rollers 91.

In the above configuration, as shown in detail in FIG. 17, the rollers 613A of the roller spring 613 come into contact with the bent diagonal portion of the front end plate 105, so the rollers 613A are pressed downward in the figure. , the entire carriage 11 is pressed downward. As a result, the carriage 11 is prevented from floating, and the direction of ink droplet ejection by the mounted head cartridge 9 is stabilized.

Referring again to FIG. 15, 111 is a notch provided at the lower left side of the carriage 11, which engages with a bobbin shaft 290A provided near the home position. This engagement occurs as the carriage 11 moves to the position where the discharge port surface is capped, and at this engagement position the discharge port surface is capped by the cap 51 (see FIG. 2).

Due to this engagement, the carriage 11 cannot move back and forth even when vibration is applied to the recording apparatus, so the cap 51 and the head cartridge 9
It does not separate from the discharge port surface, and capping can be performed reliably.

Furthermore, since the bobbin shaft 290A is also used as a member that engages with the notch 111 of the carriage 11, a special member for this engagement is not required, resulting in a simple and low-cost configuration.

Further, the notch portion 111 has a chamfered introduction portion to facilitate engagement with the bobbin shaft 290. Thereby, even if the carriage 11 is displaced depending on the paper thickness, it can be easily held.

FIG. 18 shows the head cartridge 9 and the carriage 1.
FIG. 1 is a schematic elevational view of FIG. 1 viewed from the recording medium side.

As is clear from the figure, the carriage 1 is
1 and the head cartridge 9 mounted thereon are tilted. As a result, the direction of the ejection port array is also tilted.

This inclination is achieved by using two bearings 25 whose bearing portions are eccentric as described above.

That is, the left bearing 25 (the right side in FIG. 18) is mounted so that its eccentric position is located downward, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 17, and the right bearing 25 (the first
The left side in Figure 8) uses the same type of bearing and is mounted so that its eccentric position is located upward.

The configuration in which the ejection port array is inclined as shown above is a configuration that is adopted when a plurality of ejection ports are driven in a time-division manner. In other words, when driving an inkjet recording head within a film, time-division driving is performed from the standpoint of not being able to increase the recording speed or driving power.
When 64 ejection ports arranged in the vertical direction are divided into 8 blocks and time-divisionally driven, in a configuration in which the ejection port array is not tilted, a recording as shown in FIG. 19(A) is made, taking cannage movement into consideration. When viewed macroscopically, it becomes a diagonal line. On the other hand, when recording is performed with the ejection port array tilted as in this example, recording as shown in FIG. 19(B) is performed, which becomes a vertical line when viewed macroscopically. Note that this tilted configuration is effective not only for time-divisional driving for each block shown above, but also for time-divisional driving for each ejection port.

Since the inclination according to this example is formed by the bearings 25 mounted on both ends of the carriage 11, since the distance between these bearings is relatively long, it is easy to achieve inclination accuracy. Furthermore, since it is only necessary to mount one type of bearing upside down, the configuration of the inclination becomes simple. Furthermore, if the timing of time-division driving differs depending on the carriage speed or the like, by changing only the bearing without changing the carriage, recording head, etc., it is possible to configure the inclination according to the timing. As a result, it is also possible to share the carriage and the like.

FIGS. 20(A) and 20(B) are a top view and an elevation view, respectively, showing details of the surroundings of a pulley 29B, which is located at the right end of the device among the two boobies that drive the timing belt for moving the carriage. It is a diagram.

A driven gear 291 is fixed coaxially to the pulley 29B, and the gear 291 meshes with a drive gear 294 fixed to the rotating shaft of the carriage motor 31. A shaft that fixes the pulley 29B and the gear 291 is rotatably supported by a bracket 292.

One end of a spring 293 is connected to the bracket 292, and the other end of the spring 293 is connected to a protrusion 106 erected on the bottom plate 100. As a result, the bracket 293 is urged in a direction having a predetermined angle with the direction in which the timing belt 27 extends. At this time, the bracket 292 (and the gear 291° pulley 29B pivotally supported by the bracket 292)
It is free except that movement in the vertical direction and in a predetermined direction along the bottom plate 100 is regulated by L-shaped members 295A and 295B that are erected at the bottom plate 100. Therefore, spring 293
The tension in the timing belt 27 and the meshing force between the gears 291 and 274 can be obtained according to the biasing force.

FIG. 21 and FIG. 22 are a timing chart and a flowchart, respectively, showing the control procedure of the printing position instruction mode in the inkjet printing apparatus of this example.

The recording position instruction mode according to this example is a control procedure activated when recording on format paper or recording paper that has already been partially recorded, such as in an electronic typewriter in which the recording position of this example is used. be. That is, while the carriage (print head) is moved, the print position is checked and set, and the print range is set, but no ink droplets are ejected during this time.

For this reason, preliminary ejection and capping are performed to prevent ink thickening and non-ejection, but these processes are interrupted by processes such as setting the recording position by the carriage, and the carriage is moved to the position for preliminary ejection at predetermined intervals. It is meant to be moved.

Hereinafter, the control procedure of the recording position instruction mode will be explained based on the flowchart of FIG. 22 and with reference to the timing chart of FIG. 21.

When a recording position instruction command is given by a predetermined key manually, this control procedure is started, and in step 5201, the cap 51 is
Place it in the oven (Figure 21, time 9) (Only the time points are listed below)
, in step 5202, the carriage 11 is moved toward the designated position in response to, for example, an input of the space key (time point ■). During this time, in step 5203, the carriage 11
As a result of reaching the designated position, it is determined whether or not this position has been set by a predetermined key manually, and if the determination is negative, it is determined in step 5204 whether or not a predetermined time of 7 seconds has elapsed from the cap oven.

If T seconds have elapsed, the current position of the carriage 11 is stored in step 5205, and the carriage 1i is moved to the preliminary ejection position in step 3206 (time point ■). Further, in step 5207, preliminary ejection of a predetermined amount (A times of ejection) is performed (time point ■). Thereafter, in step 5208, the carriage 11 is moved to the previously memorized position, and in step 5
At 209, movement to the designated position is performed in the same manner as above. During this time, in step 5210, it is determined whether or not there is an input for setting the designated position in the same manner as described above. If the judgment is negative, step 5211 is performed from the position command, that is, after the start of this control procedure, for a predetermined time α. It is determined whether or not seconds have elapsed. This α second is normally the appropriate time after the setting of the indicated position is completed, and leaving the recording head in the cap oven after this time will cause serious problems in ejecting ink droplets. (It is set as a thing.

If the determination in step 5211 is negative, step 521
In step 2, it is determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous preliminary ejection, and if the predetermined time has elapsed, the process goes through steps 5213 and 5214 similar to the above, and then proceeds to step 5215.
At step 5208, preliminary ejection for the B ejection is performed, and the process returns to step 5208.

If there is a designated position setting input in step 5203 or 5210, step 5216 or 521 respectively
If it is determined that α seconds have elapsed in step 5211, the process proceeds to step 3218.

In step 5218, the carriage 11 is moved to the capping position (time point ■), in step 5219 the carriage 11 is moved to the capping position (time point ■), and in step 5220, the instruction mode is reset and the present processing procedure ends.

Note that the elapsed time T seconds and α seconds can be set depending on the temperature and humidity of the atmosphere, respectively.
Alternatively, sensors such as temperature sensors may be provided, and the elapsed time may be automatically set in accordance with detection by these sensors.

The operator moves to the designated position in the above control procedure while pressing the space key. By using the scale 47 in combination, the position of the carriage 11 on the recording medium, that is, the position of the ejection port can be known. In addition, marker 49
However, this offset amount is stored in advance and is automatically corrected during recording operations and the like. The scale 47 is the paper press plate 45
Since it is written on a member unique to inkjet recording devices, the scale can be aligned very closely with the recording medium.

Similarly, in operations related to movement to the indicated position, etc., the marker 17 on the lever shown in FIGS. 2 and 15 and the window 8 of the device cover shown in FIG. In particular, the amount of movement of the carriage 11 can be known from the scale (not shown).

In this way, marker 49. l'l and the configuration used in conjunction with these are such that when the recording apparatus of this example is an inkjet type and the position confirmation operation by moving the carriage is interrupted due to preliminary ejection, etc., the carriage is returned to the position at the time of interruption. This is particularly effective when returning .

FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing a control configuration for executing the control shown in FIGS. 21 and 22.

The cap position and movement position of the carriage 11 can be known based on detection by the recovery system home sensor 65 and the carriage home sensor 67. Further, movement to the designated position, input of designated position setting, etc. are performed using the space key and predetermined keys provided on the keyboard 1. Further, in the same figure, 1000 is an MPU that executes the above control procedure, 1
001 is a ROM that stores the above control procedures, etc.
02 is a RAM that stores the current position of the carriage 11 and is used as a work area in executing the above control.
It is. Further, 1003 is a timer that measures time such as 1 second, second, α second, etc.

FIG. 24 shows the cap 51 in FIG. pump 53,
Blade 59. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the main parts of the recovery device including a motor 61, a cam device 63, and the like.

Here, 501 is an ink absorber disposed inside the cap 51, 503 is a holding member that holds the cap 51, and 503 is a holding member that holds the cap 51;
Reference numeral 05 denotes a cap lever which is rotatably attached around the bottle 507 and is used to bring the cap 51 into contact with and away from the discharge port forming surface of the discharge unit 9a by the force applied to the pin 507. Reference numeral 511 is a pin that engages with the end portion 509 of the cap lever 505 to restrict the rotation range of the cap lever 505.

A jig 513 has a hole into which the pin 507 of the cap lever 505 is inserted, and is used to attach the cap lever 505 to a support portion 515 provided on the pump 53. Reference numeral 516 is a fastening member for securing the mounting condition. Reference numeral 517 is an acting portion that applies a force to the cap 51 to bring it into contact with the discharge port forming surface, and is engaged with approximately the center of the rear side portion of the cap 51. This action part has an inlet 517A for sucked ink, and has a cap lever 505.
Inside, inside the bottle 507, inside the jig 513, and the support part 5
An ink flow path is formed inside each of the ink cartridges 15 . When the pump 53 applies a suction force, the ink is introduced into the pump 53 through these channels as shown by arrows in the figure.

A shaft 519 projects from the center of the end face of the pump 53 and has an ink flow path formed therein, and is rotatably attached to the side wall portion 520. The resulting rotational force of the internal body of the pump 53 is applied to the cap lever 505 via the support portion 515, and the cap 51 moves forward and backward accordingly. 521 is a flow path forming member coupled to the pump shaft 519, 523 is a tube 57
The installation of is a member. That is, these axes 519. An ink flow path is formed inside the flow path forming member 521 and the mounting member 523, and the ink sucked by the pump 53 passes through these flow paths and enters the waste ink tank 55 via the tube 57 as shown by the arrow in the figure. be introduced.

525 is a piston of the pump 53, 527 is a piston shaft thereof, 529 is a gasket, and 531 is a cap of the pump 53. 533 is a bottle attached to the piston shaft 527 and receives force for actuating the piston 525.

Reference numeral 535 denotes a blade lever to which the blade 59 is attached, and is rotatably supported around a shaft protruding from the end face of the pump 53, and as the blade lever 535 rotates, the blade 59 is projected or retreated toward the recording head side. 537 is a spring that applies a rotational force to the blade lever 535 in a direction that causes the blade 59 to protrude. Further, 539 is a spring that gives the pump 53 itself the ability to rotate the cap 53 in the direction toward the recording head.

541 is a gear train that transmits the rotation of the motor 61 to the cam device 63. The cam device 63 includes a cam 547 that engages with and rotates an engaging portion 545 provided on the pump 53.
and a bottle 533 provided on the piston shaft 527 of the pump 53.
Detects the home position of the cam 549 that engages with the blade lever 535 to operate the pump, the cam 553 that engages with and rotates the engaging portion 551 provided on the blade lever 535, and the home position of the cam device 63. and a cam 557 that engages with a switch 555. The operations of these cams will be described later.

FIG. 25 shows an example of the structure of the cap 51 and the like.

Here, in this example, the ink suction port 561 in the cap is opened vertically at the bottom, and an ink flow path 563 is formed toward the ink introduction port 517A provided in the action portion 517 of the cap lever 505. Further, the suction port 561 is not completely covered by the absorber 501.

Conventionally, the absorber 501 is provided over the entire surface 565 of the cap 51, and the ink flow path is located above the dashed line C.
The suction port opened at the center of the back side of the absorbent body 501 when viewed perpendicularly to the absorber 501 . According to this, during the ejection recovery process, the ink received by the ink absorber flows down the ink absorber due to the action of gravity, and the ink that could not be sucked solidifies in that area, reducing the absorption capacity of the ink absorber. This could lead to deterioration and a decrease in suction power.

On the other hand, according to this example, even if the ink flows downward due to gravity, the ink is sucked through the suction port 561 provided below, so the amount of ink remaining in the ink absorber 501 is extremely small. Therefore, deterioration due to solidification can be significantly delayed, and the life of the ink absorber or the cap 51 to which it is attached can be extended.

In this example, the ink flow path is provided in the cap lever, so the flow path 563 in the cap 51 has the configuration shown in the figure. However, if the ink suction path is provided separately, the ink flow path in the cap can be configured as shown in the figure. There is no need to configure it like this. That is, as long as the ink suction port 561 is provided below the cap 51 in the vertical direction, the configuration of the ink flow path can be determined in any manner.

FIGS. 26 and 27 are explanatory diagrams showing the outline curves of each cam of the cam device 63 and the operational positions of each part corresponding to each cam position, respectively. Note that the numerical values in FIG. 26 are the rotation angles of the cam.

In these figures, ■ indicates the cam position and the state of each part when performing a recording operation, and the cap 51 and blade 59 are separated from the discharge port forming surface of the recording head, and the pump 5
3 is at top dead center. ■ is home position switch 55
This is the position where the cam device 63 is turned off, and this position is the home position of the cam device 63. This is a position set during recording standby, etc. At this time, the cap 51 covers the discharge port forming surface, the blade 59 is retracted, and the pump 53 is also at the top dead center.

When the cam is rotated from position ■, the cap 51 remains connected to the discharge port forming surface (cap on) and the piston 5
25 moves toward the bottom dead center, and the negative pressure in the suction system leading to the cap increases. Eventually, the piston 525 reaches the ink inlet of the pump, and after a period of time when it is blocked (a period during which the valve is closed), the valve begins to open (point 109,5°), and then fully opens (point 130,5°). point), then the piston 525 reaches position O near the bottom dead center. Taking into account the fluid resistance of the ink suction system, the rotation of the cam is stopped at this position for a predetermined period of time to ensure sufficient suction, and then the cam is rotated again, the piston 525 reaches the bottom dead center and the cap is removed. 51 begins to separate from the discharge port forming surface. This much 4□
is held for a predetermined period of time.

When the cam is then rotated further, the piston 525 begins to move toward the top dead center again. During this process, the valve begins to close (20
9,5° point), then a completely occluded point (230,
On the other hand, the cap 51 is completely separated from the discharge port forming surface at position [). By driving the piston 525 several times in this vicinity, the ink remaining in the ink suction system is suctioned (empty suction) to the pump side.

The left and right spaces of the piston 525 in the pump are communicated by a flow path (not shown), and the flow path is closed when the piston moves from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, and when the piston moves from the bottom dead center to the top dead center. It is said to be open when you are heading towards the city. Further, the space on the right side of the piston communicates with a flow path provided in the pump shaft 519. Therefore, when the piston 525 moves from the bottom dead center to the top dead center in the process of empty suction, the ink introduced into the space on the left side of the piston is transferred to the space on the right side, and when the piston 525 moves from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, the ink is transferred to the space on the right side of the piston. Ink is introduced into the left-hand space from the suction system, and ink is discharged from the right-hand space into the waste ink tank.

After that, when the cam is further rotated in the forward direction, the blade 59 protrudes and becomes ready for wiping (position ■).
. When the carriage 11 is moved toward the recording area in this state, the blade 59 engages with the ejection orifice forming surface of the head and wipes the surface, thereby wiping away ink and the like adhering to the ejection orifice forming surface. Then, the cam is further rotated to move the blade 55 back and set the cam to position (3). In this state, the carriage 11 is moved toward the cap so that the discharge port forming surface of the head faces the cap 51, and then the cam is moved to position (3), the cap is turned on, and the cam is stopped.

In addition, when moving to recording, rotate the cam in the positive or negative direction from position ① to make the blade 59 protrude,
It is sufficient to record after wiping.

FIG. 28 shows an example of the configuration of the waste ink tank 55 according to this example.
Indicates the posture taken when using the device.

Here, 181 is an ink absorber that holds waste ink, and 5
5A is the bottom surface when the device is in use (the state shown in Figure 1 (A)), and 55B is the bottom surface when the device is stored as shown in Figure 1 (B) and carried by the handle 6. It is a part. 5
5C is a slope that does not face downward in the vertical direction in any case, and in the case of water cooling, a ventilation cloth 183 is provided here. This ventilation cloth 183 allows ink solvent vapor to pass through but does not allow liquid ink to pass through, and specifically, for example, Paver Road (Tigin) can be used.

By arranging the ventilation cloth 183 in this manner, almost no ink layering occurs from the waste ink tank 55, but in this example, the leakage thereof is completely prevented by making the part where it is provided on the slope 55G. That's what I do.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 29(A) and (B),
This is because when the device is in use, the portion 55A serves as the bottom and the slope 55C faces upward, and when the device is stored (during transportation), the portion 55B serves as the bottom and the slope 55C faces upward. This is because no leakage occurs through the ventilation cloth 183.

(1-Mulberry color) (Others) The present invention brings about excellent effects particularly in a bubble jet recording head and recording apparatus among ink jet recording systems.

This is because such a system can achieve higher recording density and higher definition.

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. The electrothermal converter that is
Generating thermal energy in the electrothermal transducer and producing film boiling on the thermally active surface of the recording head by applying at least one drive signal that corresponds to recorded information and provides a rapid temperature rise above nucleate boiling. This is effective because, as a result, bubbles in the liquid (ink) can be formed in pairs corresponding to the drive signals. The growth and contraction of the bubble causes liquid (ink) to be ejected through the ejection opening to form at least one droplet. If this drive signal is in the form of a pulse, bubble growth and contraction will occur immediately and appropriately.
Particularly responsive liquid (ink) ejection can be achieved,
More preferable pulse-shaped drive signals include those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262.
Those described in the specification are suitable. Furthermore, if the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 concerning the invention regarding the temperature increase rate of the heat acting surface are adopted, even more excellent recording can be performed.

As for the configuration of the recording head, in addition to a combination configuration of an ejection port, a liquid path, and an electrothermal converter (straight liquid flow path or right-angled liquid flow path), a configuration in which a heat acting part is arranged in a bending area is disclosed. U.S. Patent No. 4,558,333, U.S. Patent No. 4
A configuration using the specification of No. 459600 is also included in the present invention. In addition, JP-A-59-123670 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge part for a plurality of electrothermal converters, and a hole that absorbs pressure waves of thermal energy is disclosed. The effects of the present invention are also effective even with a configuration based on Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-138461 which discloses a configuration corresponding to the discharge portion. In other words, regardless of the form of the printhead, printing can be performed reliably and efficiently.

Furthermore, even the serial type shown above is equipped with a replaceable chip type recording head that can be attached to the main body of the device to enable electrical connection with the main body of the device and supply of ink from the main body of the device, or The present invention is also effective when using a cartridge type recording head that is integrally provided with the recording head itself as in the above embodiment.

Further, it is preferable to add recovery means for the recording head, preliminary auxiliary means, etc., which are provided as a configuration of the recording apparatus, to the present invention, because the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. Specifically, these include capping means for the recording head, cleaning means, pressure or suction means, preheating means using 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.

In addition, regarding the type and number of recording heads installed, for example, in addition to one type that corresponds to single-color ink, there is also a plurality of recording heads that correspond to multiple inks with different recording colors and densities. It may be something that can be done.

In addition, the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention can be used as an image output terminal for information processing equipment such as a computer, or as a copying apparatus combined with a reader or the like, or as a facsimile apparatus having a transmitting and receiving function. It may also be one that takes

(The following is a blank space) [Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, in the carriage, for example, the bearing members disposed at both ends of the carriage in the moving direction have their respective engaging portions in the sub-scanning direction. By being mounted so as to be eccentric in the upward and downward directions, the ejection port array of the recording head mounted on this carriage has a predetermined angle with respect to the direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the carriage.

As a result, by arranging the bearing members at both ends of the carriage, the inclination angle can be accurately determined with a simple configuration.

In addition, the configuration of the inclination angle uses two bearing members of one type,
Since the eccentric direction can be reversed and mounted, the structure becomes simpler and contributes to cost reduction.

Furthermore, it is possible to handle cases where the timing of time-division driving is different, and in this case, it is possible to handle cases by simply replacing bearing members with different eccentricities without requiring changes to the shape of the carriage body etc. Become.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1A and 1B are external perspective views of an electronic typewriter as a device according to an embodiment of the present invention during use and storage, and FIG. 2 is a diagram of a printer applicable to the present invention. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the head cartridge shown in FIG. 2; FIGS. 4 (A) and (B) are exploded perspective views of the head cartridge shown in FIG. 3. 5(A) and CB) are top views and side views of the carriage shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 6(A) and (B) show the head cartridge mounted on the carriage. 7(A), CB) and (C) are an exploded perspective view of the carriage, a side view of the carriage, and a state in which the head cartridge is mounted on the carriage. 8(A) and CB) are a side sectional view and an exploded top view of the recording medium conveyance system in the printer shown in FIG. 9(A) and (B) are schematic side views showing the structure of the feed roller relief in the above-mentioned conveyance system. FIG. 9(C) is a side sectional view showing the release state of the feed roller. FIGS. 10(A) and 10(B) are schematic side views showing a conventional example of a biasing mechanism. 11(A) and (B) are side views of the portion of the same mechanism before and after release, and FIG. 12 is a side view of the portion provided on the left side of the device before and after release.
13 is an exploded perspective view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 12; FIGS. 14 and 15 are the views shown in FIG. 2. 16(A) and 16(B) illustrate the position of the carriage depending on the thickness of the recording medium. FIG. 17 is a schematic side view for explaining changes in the guide bearing due to the above changes. FIG. 18 is a schematic front view showing a mechanism for tilting the discharge port array with respect to the moving direction of the carriage in the carriage shown in FIG. 20(A) and CB) are schematic plan views showing examples of recording when there is no recording and when recording is present. FIGS. The front view, FIGS. 21 and 22 are a timing chart and a flowchart, respectively, of the recording position instruction mode in the recording apparatus shown in FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the discharge recovery mechanism shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 25 is a side sectional view of the cap portion of the mechanism; FIG. 26 is a timing chart showing a series of recovery operations in the mechanism; FIG. 27 is a diagram showing the operation of each part in the ejection recovery operation of the mechanism over time, FIG. 28 is a schematic perspective view of a waste ink tank that stores ink discharged by the recovery operation, and FIG. 29 ( A) and (B) are diagrams showing the arrangement of the discharged ink tank when the printer is used and stored, respectively. l...keyboard, 2...key 3...hinge, 4...paper feed tray, 5...knob, 6...display unit, 7...handle, 8...window, 9... Head cartridge, 11... Carriage, 15... Operation lever 17... Marker, 19... Support plate, 23... Guide shaft, 25... Bearing, 27... Timing Belt, 29A, 29B... Pulley, 31... Carriage motor, 33... Conveyance roller, 35... Conveyance motor, 37... Vapor pan, 39... Feed roller, 40... Release Plate, 41... Paper discharge roller, 42... Spur, 43... Release lever 45... Paper press plate, 46... Shaft member, 47... Scale, 49... Marker, 51 ... Cap, 53 ... Pump, 55 ... Waste ink tank, 59 ... Blade, 61 ... Motor, 63 ... Cam device, 91 ... Roller, 183 ... Ventilation cloth , 501... Absorber, 561... Suction port, 613... Roller spring, 623... Board cover 1 Figure 3 Figure 5 (A) Figure 6 (A) Figure 6 ( B) Fig. 7 (B) Fig. 7 (C) 42A Fig. (C) Z; 1fl (it tube) Fig. 10 (A) S; (B) Left side T10 (release) Fig. 1 (B) 6 Fig. 1 (A) 3 (A) Fig. 16 (B) Fig. 20 31 Fig. 19 Fig. 23 51 Cap 0 Fig. 25 28 Figure (B) η Matarai (barber chair) Figure 29

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) An inkjet recording apparatus that performs recording using a recording head that ejects ink droplets onto a recording medium, comprising: a carriage on which the recording head is mounted and moves along the recording medium; and the movement of the carriage. a guide shaft for guiding the carriage; and a bearing member mounted at two locations on the carriage and movably engaged with the guide shaft in the axial direction,
An inkjet recording apparatus comprising: bearing members mounted with the respective engaging portions eccentrically relative to the member and with the directions of the eccentricities opposite to each other. 2) The recording head generates bubbles in the ink using thermal energy generated by an electrothermal transducer, and ejects ink droplets as the bubbles expand and contract. inkjet recording device.