JP2007216464A - Recording head capping device, recording device, and liquid ejecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

Even when the cap portion is tilted with respect to the recording head by a frictional force generated when a claw portion provided on the cap portion presses the recording head when the cap portion moves to seal the recording head. The cap portion reliably seals the nozzle opening row of the recording head.
A cap unit 230 seals a claw portion (214d) that can contact one side surface of a recording head 106, a slider portion 205 formed with the claw portion, and an ink discharge hole array 106a of the recording head. A cap portion 204 that swings, a swinging means 361 that swings the cap portion with respect to the slider portion, and a passive power portion (206, 208) that receives a force from a power acting portion (210d) provided on the acting portion side. When the ink discharge hole array is sealed, the force from the power acting portion is applied to the recording head via the claw portion, the claw portion guides the cap unit 202, and the swinging means The cap portion is swung in the direction in which the force from the power acting portion is applied to the recording head via the claw portion.
[Selection] Figure 15

Description

  The present invention is movable to the first position separated from the recording head and to the second position that contacts the recording head and seals the ink ejection hole array composed of the ink ejection holes. The present invention relates to a capping device including a cap unit, a recording device including the capping device, and a liquid ejecting device including the capping device.

  Here, the liquid ejecting apparatus refers to an ink jet recording apparatus, a copying machine, a facsimile, or the like that performs recording on a recording material by ejecting ink from a recording head as a liquid ejecting head to a recording material such as recording paper. In addition to the recording apparatus, instead of ink, a liquid corresponding to a specific application is ejected from the liquid ejecting head corresponding to the recording head to the ejected material corresponding to the recording material, and the liquid is ejected to the ejected material. Used to include the device to be attached. In addition to the recording head described above, the liquid ejecting head includes a color material ejecting head used for manufacturing a color filter such as a liquid crystal display, an electrode material used for forming an electrode such as an organic EL display and a surface emitting display (FED) ( Examples thereof include a conductive paste) ejection head, a bio-organic matter ejection head used for biochip manufacturing, and a sample ejection head that ejects a sample as a precision pipette.

An example of an ink jet recording apparatus or a liquid ejecting apparatus is an ink jet printer. The ink jet printer includes an ink jet recording head in a carriage, and the carriage is reciprocated in the main scanning direction by a carriage motor while being guided by guide means (for example, a guide shaft) extending in the main scanning direction.
However, if the recording head continues to record on the recording material, clogging or the like may occur at the nozzle opening for ejecting ink, and good recording may not be performed.
Therefore, the recording head performs a so-called flushing operation that moves to the capping device and discharges ink toward the cap portion during recording in order to keep the state of the nozzle opening for discharging ink in a good state. Further, after the end of recording, the recording head moves to the capping device, and the nozzle opening is sealed by the cap portion. Then, a so-called suction operation is performed, in which the inside of the cap portion becomes negative pressure by the pump and the nozzle opening is sucked.

In order to determine the relative positional relationship between the recording head and the cap portion during the flushing operation and the suction operation, a claw portion that can contact the recording head is formed on the cap portion side. And the conventional capping apparatus was comprised so that the cap holder provided with the nail | claw part and the cap part might move integrally, as shown to patent document 1. FIG.
However, since the claw portion and the cap portion move together, there is a problem that the distance between the cap portion and the recording head increases during the flushing operation, and mist is generated.

Therefore, conventionally, in the main scanning direction, a claw portion that comes into contact with one side surface of the recording head is provided, and in order to prevent the occurrence of mist, the distance between the cap portion and the recording head during the flushing operation is reduced. There was a capping device.
Here, FIGS. 23A and 23B show an example of a conventional capping apparatus. FIG. 23A shows a state where the cap portion is lowered, and FIG. 23B shows a state where the cap portion is raised.
As shown in FIGS. 23A and 23B, a recording head 401 is formed on the carriage, and a nozzle opening row 404 is formed on the recording head 401. On the other hand, the cap portion 402 is formed with a contact portion 405 that can come into contact with the nozzle opening forming surface of the recording head 401 and a claw portion 403 that can come into contact with the side surface of the recording head 401.

  During the flushing operation and the suction operation, the carriage moves at a high speed in the direction from left to right as indicated by the black arrow in FIG. 23A and decelerates in front of the position facing the cap portion 402 of the capping device. Move at low speed. Since the recording head 401 of the carriage that moves at a low speed slowly comes into contact with the claw portion 403 of the cap portion 402 that stands by at the position shown in FIG. 23A, the impact caused by the contact can be reduced. When the recording head 401 abuts, the recording head 401 presses the claw portion 403 by driving a carriage motor (not shown), while the cap portion 402 is pressed from the right indicated by a white arrow on the carriage side by a spring or the like (not shown). A biasing force was applied in the direction toward the left. Accordingly, since the recording head 401 and the claw portion 403 are in contact with each other with no gap, the relative positional relationship between the recording head 401 and the cap portion 402 can be determined with high accuracy. Thereafter, the drive of the carriage motor is stopped. In this state, ink is ejected from the nozzle opening row 404, that is, a flushing operation is performed.

Note that the standby position of the cap unit 402 is provided at a distance from the recording head 401 that can suppress the occurrence of mist, and at a distance that does not contact the recording head 401 when the carriage moves. It is not necessary to move during the flushing operation.
On the other hand, in the case of the suction operation, as shown in FIG. 23B, after the carriage motor is stopped, the cap unit 402 moves and contacts the recording head side to seal the nozzle opening row 404. Thereafter, the inside of the cap portion becomes negative pressure by the pump, and the nozzle opening row 404 is sucked.

JP 2002-307701 A

  However, the claw portion 403 is provided so as to bias one side surface of the recording head 401 when the cap portion 402 is raised to perform the suction operation. That is, when the cap part 402 is raised, a frictional resistance is generated only on the side where the claw part 403 is provided. Accordingly, when the cap portion 402 is raised and the formation surface of the nozzle opening row 404 is to be sealed, the cap portion is tilted so as to rotate clockwise as indicated by an arrow in the figure, and the nozzle opening row 404 of the cap portion 402 is formed. On the claw portion side of the abutting portion 405 that abuts with the forming surface of the nozzle, there is a possibility that a gap is formed between the forming surface of the nozzle opening row 404 and the like. In such a case, there is a possibility that the inside of the cap portion cannot be made negative pressure even if the pump is driven.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and the problem is that when the cap portion moves to seal the recording head, the claw portion provided in the cap portion presses the recording head. It is an object of the present invention to provide a capping device capable of reliably sealing a nozzle opening row of a recording head even when the cap portion is inclined with respect to the recording head by a frictional force generated by the above.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a first recording apparatus that records on a recording material by ejecting ink from an ink ejection hole provided in the recording head. A capping device comprising a cap unit that can be moved by an action part to a position and to a second position that contacts the recording head and seals an ink ejection hole array composed of the ink ejection holes, The cap unit includes a claw portion that can come into contact with one side surface of the recording head, a slider portion on which the claw portion is formed, a cap portion that is housed in the slider portion and seals the ink ejection hole array, The first position and the second position are provided with swinging means for swinging the cap portion with respect to the slider portion, and a power passive portion that receives a force from a power action portion provided on the action portion side. And the position of When moving between them, the force from the power acting portion is applied to the recording head via the claw portion, the claw portion guides the cap unit, and the swinging means In the direction in which the force from the portion is applied to the recording head via the claw portion, in the direction in which the force from the power acting portion acts, and in the moving direction between the first position and the second position. The cap portion is configured to swing around a direction orthogonal to the axis.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the capping device includes a swinging unit that swings the cap unit with respect to the slider unit, and the swinging unit receives a force from the power application unit. A direction in which a force from the power application unit acts and a direction orthogonal to the moving direction between the first position and the second position in a direction to be applied to the recording head via the claw portion The shaft is configured to swing the cap portion. Therefore, when the cap unit moves from the first position to the second position, a frictional force is generated between the claw portion and the recording head, and the slider portion including the claw portion is generated by the frictional force. Even when the posture of the recording head becomes unstable, the cap portion can swing with respect to the slider portion, and the cap portion can be opposed to the recording head with a good posture. As a result, the ink ejection hole array of the recording head can be reliably sealed in the direction in which the force from the power acting portion acts.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the swinging means is a direction in which a force from the power acting portion acts and a movement direction between the first position and the second position. And a recess that engages with the protruding portion. The protruding portion extends in a direction orthogonal to the protruding portion.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the same function and effect as in the first aspect, the swinging means includes the direction in which the force from the power acting portion acts, the first position, and the second position. A protrusion extending in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction between the protrusion and the recess, and a recess engaging with the protrusion. Therefore, the rocking means can be provided with a simple configuration by engaging the protrusion and the recess.
Further, the slider portion of the cap portion is provided in the direction in which the force from the power acting portion acts by providing either one of the ridge portion or the concave portion on the cap portion and providing the other on the slider portion. It is possible to determine the position with respect to.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the action unit that moves the cap unit includes a spring that biases the cap unit toward the second position, and the spring against the spring. And a lever member for moving the cap unit, wherein a plurality of the springs are arranged only in the direction in which the protrusions are extended.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects as in the second aspect, a plurality of the springs are arranged only in the direction in which the protrusions are extended. Therefore, there is no possibility that the spring prevents the cap portion from swinging in the direction in which the force from the power acting portion acts on the slider portion.
In addition, since a plurality of the springs are arranged in the direction in which the protruding portion extends, the posture of the slider portion and the cap portion with respect to the recording head can be stabilized in the direction. That is, the plurality of springs can cause the cap portion to follow the formation surface on which the ink ejection hole array of the recording head is formed in the direction in which the protruding portion extends. Therefore, the cap part can seal the ink ejection hole row more reliably.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, at least one of the power acting part or the power passive part includes a tapered part, and the tapered part is A force for urging the cap unit from the first position toward the second position is converted to a force from the power application unit.

  According to the 4th aspect of this invention, in addition to the effect similar to any one of the 1st-3rd aspect, at least one of the said power action part or the said power passive part is equipped with a taper-shaped part. The tapered portion is configured to convert a force for urging the cap unit from the first position toward the second position into a force from the power acting portion. In other words, the direction of the urging force can be changed to another direction by the tapered portion to be a force from the power acting portion. Therefore, there is no need to newly provide a biasing member.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the direction of the force from the power application unit is configured in a main scanning direction.
The carriage provided with the recording head is reciprocated in the main scanning direction by the carriage motor while being guided by the guide means (for example, a guide shaft) extending in the main scanning direction as described above. Therefore, when moving to the position facing the cap unit and stopping, the variation in the carriage stop position is naturally the variation in the main scanning direction compared to the sub-scanning direction (the recording material conveyance direction). It is clear that is large. Therefore, in order to reliably seal the ink ejection hole array of the recording head during the suction operation, the cap unit needs to be positioned relative to the recording head so as to follow the variation in the main scanning direction. .

  Therefore, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the same function and effect as in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the direction of the force from the power operating unit is configured in the main scanning direction. Yes. Accordingly, in the main scanning direction, the relative positional relationship between the cap unit and the recording head at the second position can be determined with high accuracy. In other words, when the cap unit moves to the second position, even if there is a large variation in the stop position of the recording head in the main scanning direction, the cap unit is moved in the main scanning direction in the main scanning direction. It can be positioned relative to the recording head so as to follow.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the power release that prevents the power acting unit from exerting a force on the power passive unit at the second position. Means are provided.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the same function and effect as in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the power release unit is provided, so that the power passive unit in the second position is provided. On the other hand, it is possible to prevent the power acting portion from applying a force. That is, in the state where the cap unit is in contact with the recording head and the ink discharge hole array composed of the ink discharge holes is sealed, an excessive force does not act on the cap unit. The hole array can be sealed. As a result, for example, it is possible to perform a good suction operation by setting the inside of the cap unit to a negative pressure.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording apparatus comprising: a recording unit that performs recording on a recording material by a recording head; and an ejection characteristic maintaining unit that maintains the ejection characteristics of the recording unit. The maintenance unit includes the capping device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects.
According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the recording apparatus includes the capping device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the recording apparatus includes any one of the first to sixth aspects. The same effect as the effect of an aspect can be obtained.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, a liquid ejecting hole array configured by liquid ejecting holes provided in the liquid ejecting head in contact with the liquid ejecting head is sealed to a first position separated from the liquid ejecting head. A liquid ejecting apparatus that includes a capping device that includes a cap unit that can be moved by an action unit to a second position to be stopped, and that ejects liquid onto a medium to be ejected from a liquid ejecting hole provided in the liquid ejecting head, The cap unit includes a claw portion that can come into contact with one side surface of the liquid ejecting head, a slider portion on which the claw portion is formed, and a cap portion that is accommodated in the slider portion and seals the liquid ejecting hole array. Oscillating means for oscillating the cap part with respect to the slider part, and a power passive part for receiving a force from a power action part provided on the action part side, the first position and the 2nd place When moving between the two, the force from the power application unit is applied to the liquid ejecting head via the claw unit, the claw unit guides the cap unit, In the direction in which the force from the power application unit is applied to the liquid ejecting head via the claw unit, the direction in which the force from the power application unit is applied and between the first position and the second position. The cap portion is configured to swing about a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the cap.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing an outline of a recording apparatus which is an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to the invention. FIG. 2 is an overall plan view showing an outline of the recording apparatus according to the present invention.
On the back side of the main body of the recording apparatus 100, a hopper 101 on which sheets as recording materials are stacked is provided so as to be swingable with the upper part as a fulcrum. The sheets stacked on the top of the hopper 101 are fed by the feeding unit 144 to the recording unit side, which is the downstream side in the transport direction. Specifically, the stacked sheets are picked up by a feeding roller (not shown) driven by a feeding motor 104 and conveyed downstream in the conveying direction while being guided by left and right sheet guides 103 and 103. It is fed to a roller (not shown). The sheet fed to the conveyance roller is further conveyed to the recording unit 143 on the downstream side in the conveyance direction by a conveyance roller driven by a conveyance motor (not shown). The recording unit 143 includes a platen 105 that supports a sheet from below and a carriage 107 that is provided to face the upper side of the platen 105. Among them, the carriage 107 is driven by the carriage motor 102 while being guided by a carriage guide shaft (not shown) extending in the main scanning direction. Further, a recording head 106 that discharges ink toward the paper is provided on the bottom surface of the carriage 107. The sheet recorded by the recording unit 143 is further conveyed downstream and is discharged from the front side of the recording apparatus 100 by a discharge roller (not shown).

  Further, an ink cartridge (not shown) is loaded below the main body of the recording apparatus 100, and ink is supplied to an ink supply path (not shown) via an ink supply needle (not shown). Further, the ink is supplied to the recording head 106 of the carriage 107 via the ink supply tube 110. When the recording head 106 is flushed and cleaned, ink is ejected and sucked in the ink suction device 200 that is provided on the first digit side and maintains the ejection characteristics of the recording unit 143. The ink suction device 200 includes a cap unit 204, and is configured to seal the recording head 106 by moving the cap unit 204 in the vertical direction.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an ink suction device according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the ink suction device according to the present invention.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the ink suction device 200 is provided with a capping device 230 that can contact the recording head 106. The capping device 230 includes a cap unit 202. The cap unit 202 seals the recording head 106, and a slider that moves toward and away from the recording head 106 and guides the cap unit 204 to the recording head 106. Part 205. As shown in FIG. 4, the base 215 is provided with a pair of slider guides 215 a and 215 a in the transport direction that is the sub-scanning direction, and a pair of slider ribs on the upstream and downstream sides of the slider 205 in the transport direction. 207 and 207 are provided, and the slider portion 205 is positioned in the main scanning direction by contacting the slider guides 215a and 215a with the slider ribs 207 and 207. As will be described in detail later, a pair of slider inclined portions 356 and 356 provided on the slider portion 205 and a pair of slider guides 215a and 215a provided on the base portion 215 come into contact with each other, whereby the slider portion 205 is Positioned in the transport direction.

  Further, the ink suction device 200 is provided with a gear unit 218 that transmits power from the conveyance motor or the feeding motor 104, and the gear unit 218 sucks the inside of the cap portion of the capping device 230 to make a negative pressure. The power is transmitted to the suction pump unit 281 that can perform the above operation. The base member 215 is provided with a lever member 210, which engages with the slider portion 205 to enable the slider portion 205 to move toward and away from the recording head 106. Specifically, the slider unit 205 is urged toward the recording head by two cap springs 211 and 211 (see FIGS. 7 to 12) between the base unit 215 and the slider unit 205. On the other hand, the lever member 210 receives power from the gear unit 218 and rotates to oppose the spring force of the two cap springs 211 and 211 to move the slider portion 205 and the cap portion 204. Is provided. More detailed operation will be described later with reference to FIGS. Moreover, the cap part 204 is comprised so that air can be sent in by the atmosphere release valve 219 via the atmosphere release tube 242 (refer FIG. 5).

  Further, on the 80th digit side of the ink suction device 200, a wiping device 217 is provided in which the wiper abutting portion 302 abuts on the nozzle opening forming surface 106b (see FIG. 7) of the recording head 106 and can wipe off ink. It has been. The wiping device 217 is provided so as to be guided in the up-and-down movement direction by engagement of a wiper guide rib 215 b provided in the base portion 215 and a guide groove 303 d provided in the wiper base portion 303.

FIG. 5 is a lower perspective view showing the inside of the suction pump unit according to the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 5, a rotatable negative pressure generating member 283 is provided inside the suction pump unit 281, and a hollow pump tube 282 formed of an elastic body is provided on the circumference of the negative pressure generating member 283. Is provided. One end of the pump tube 282 is connected to a suction tube 241 connected to the bottom of the cap unit 204. A projection (not shown) is provided on the circumference of the negative pressure generating member 283. As the negative pressure generating member 283 rotates, the protrusion acts to squeeze the air in the pump tube toward the other end side of the pump tube 282. That is, the air on one end side in the pump tube can be moved to the other end side. Therefore, the suction pump unit 281 can generate a negative pressure in the cap unit via the suction tube 241.

On the other hand, an air release valve 219 that can be opened and closed is provided at one end of the air release tube 242 connected to the bottom of the cap unit 204, and the valve is opened by an action unit (not shown) to feed air into the cap unit. be able to. Therefore, when the inside of the cap portion is in a negative pressure state by the suction pump portion 281, the negative pressure state of the cap portion 204 can be released by opening the atmosphere release valve 219.
Also, below the cap portion 204, leg portions 204c and 204c, a first peeling claw portion 351, and a second peeling claw portion 352, which will be described later, are provided.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of the capping device according to the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 6, a cap contact portion 203 is formed on the upper portion of the cap portion 204 by an elastic body so that the nozzle opening forming surface 106b can be reliably sealed. Further, an ink absorbing material 209 capable of absorbing ink ejected from the nozzle opening is provided in the cap portion, and the ink absorbing material 209 is provided with locking protrusions 204b and 204b extending from the bottom surface of the cap portion 204. Are held by a pressing member 216 welded by heat caulking or the like. The cap portion 204 is formed with an air release opening 227, and the air release opening 227 is connected to the air release valve 219 via an air release tube 242 connected to the bottom surface of the cap portion 204.

On the other hand, a pair of first claw portions 214c that can come into contact with the respective upstream and downstream surfaces of the recording head 106 in the sheet conveyance direction are located at positions shifted to the first digit side of the slider portion 205. 214c is provided. In the main scanning direction, two second claw portions 214d and 214d that can come into contact with the one-digit surface of the recording head 106 are provided. An ink scattering prevention wall 357 for preventing ink scattering is provided between the two second claw portions 214d and 214d.
Further, a cam portion 213 is provided on the downstream side in the transmission direction of the gear unit 218. The cam portion 213 abuts on a lever member 210, which will be described later, and rotates the lever member 210 so that the slider portion 205 and the cap. The unit 204 is configured to move.

  The state shown in FIG. 6 is a first position where the cap unit 202 is separated from the recording head 106, and the lower ends of the pair of slider ribs 207 and 207 provided on the slider unit 205 of the cap unit 202 are provided on the base unit 215. The posture of the slider portion 205 can be stabilized by abutting against the pair of slider position restricting portions 359 and 359 (see FIGS. 9, 11, and 14).

Next, operations of the lever member 210, the slider unit 205, and the cap unit 204 accompanying the rotation of the cam unit 213 will be described below.
In the specification of the present application, the first position of the cap unit 202 (cap unit 204, slider unit 205) of the capping device 230 is the cap unit 202 (cap unit) that the cap unit 204 takes away from the recording head 106. 204, the position of the slider portion 205), and the second position is a cap unit 202 (cap) that takes the state in which the cap portion 204 is in contact with the recording head 106 and seals the nozzle opening row 106a composed of nozzle openings. Part 204 and slider part 205).

[Capping unit rise]
FIG. 7 is a sectional side view of the first position of the cap unit of the capping device according to the present invention as seen from the 80th digit side. FIG. 8 is a front sectional view in the main scanning direction in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the slider portion 205 is urged toward the recording head by two cap springs 211 and 211 provided between the slider portion 205 and the base portion 215. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, a cam gear 212 including a cam portion 213 is rotatably provided on the left side in the drawing so as to counter the urging force of the two cap springs 211 and 211. The cam portion 213 is provided so as to rotate the lever member 210 with the rotation shaft 210b as a fulcrum by contacting a first lever arm 210a formed at one end of the lever member 210.
In FIG. 7, the lever member 210 is indicated by a one-dot chain line for the sake of easy understanding (similar to FIGS. 9, 11, and 14).

A pair of second lever arms 210c and 210c are formed at the other end of one lever member 210 so as to sandwich the slider portion 205 in the main scanning direction (see FIG. 8), and the second lever arms 210c and 210c The provided lever openings 210 d and 210 d are provided so as to engage with a first tapered portion 206 and a second tapered portion 208 formed in a pair on the slider portion 205. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, the cam portion 213 abuts on the first lever arm 210a, whereby the lever member 210 can be rotated clockwise in FIG. 7 to push down the slider portion 205.
Here, as shown in FIG. 8, the first taper portion 206 and the second taper portion 208 are configured to be tapered in the same direction.

  When the slider portion 205 is pushed down, a pair of slider inclined portions 356 and 356 in the transport direction provided in the slider portion 205 and a pair of slider guides 215a and 215a in the transport direction provided in the base portion 215 are mutually connected. The guide inclined portions 360 and 360 provided so that the distance gradually decreases downward are in contact with each other to guide the slider portion 205. Therefore, the slider unit 205 can be accurately positioned in the transport direction, which is the sub-scanning direction at the first position.

  Further, regarding the position in the height direction of the slider portion 205 at the first position, the levers of the pair of second lever arms 210c and 210c with which the first taper portion 206 and the second taper portion 208 of the slider portion 205 are engaged. The slider part 205 can be accurately positioned by the openings 210d and 210d. At this time, the slider portion 205 can swing around the first taper portion 206 and the second taper portion 208 as a fulcrum, but a pair of slider position restriction portions 359 and 359 are provided in the transport direction provided in the base portion 215. The slider rib 205 is provided so as to abut against the slider ribs 207 and 207 so as to regulate the posture of the slider portion 205.

  Furthermore, as for the position in the main scanning direction at the first position of the slider portion 205, a pair of slider ribs 207 and 207 are provided on the base portion 215 in the transport direction provided on the slider portion 205 as shown in FIG. The slider portion 205 can be accurately positioned by being pressed by the pair of slider guides 215a and 215a in the transport direction. More specifically, the slider portion 205 is separated from the recording head 106 due to the urging forces of the two cap springs 211 and 211 acting on the recording head side and the rotation of the lever member 210 accompanying the rotation of the cam portion 213. A pressing force acting on the side is provided so as to oppose. At this time, by engaging the lever opening portions 210d and 210d of the pair of second lever arms 210c and 210c with the first taper portion 206 and the second taper portion 208 configured to be tapered in the same direction. A biasing force is generated to move the slider portion 205 to the left side in the drawing with respect to the lever member 210. Then, the urging force presses the slider ribs 207 and 207 of the slider portion 205 to the slider guides 215 a and 215 a of the base portion 215 via the slider portion 205. Therefore, the position in the main scanning direction at the first position of the slider unit 205 can be accurately positioned.

  On the other hand, the position of the cap portion 204 in the main position in the main scanning direction and the conveyance direction is arranged in the slider portion 205 because the slider portion 205 can be accurately positioned as described above. The cap part 204 can also be positioned with high accuracy. At this time, a gap is provided between the slider unit 205 and the cap unit 204. However, since the gap is slight, the cap unit 204 in the first position in the main scanning direction and the conveyance direction. There is no problem with positioning accuracy.

As for the position in the height direction of the cap portion 204 at the first position, the two leg portions 204c and 204c provided on the cap portion 204 are provided with two leg insertion openings provided on the slider portion 205. 363 and 363 are inserted into contact with two base protrusions 362 and 362 provided on the base 215, respectively. Therefore, the cap part 204 can be accurately positioned in the height direction of the cap part 204 at the first position. As a result, at the time of flushing, the distance between the recording head 106 and the cap portion 204 can be set so small that mist does not occur, and the recording head 106 and the cap portion 204 can be prevented from contacting each other.
Here, in a state where the leg portions 204c and 204c are inserted through the leg insertion openings 363 and 363, a slight gap described later is provided between the leg portions 204c and 204c and the leg insertion openings 363 and 363. Yes.

  As is clear from the above, the two cap springs 211 and 211 do not directly abut against the cap part 204 and are urged, but abut against the slider part 205 to urge the slider part 205. The cap part 204 can be urged indirectly via the. In the state shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the slider portion 205 is lowered to a position where no force is applied to the cap portion 204 by the cam portion 213 and the lever member 210. And the cap part 204 is positioned in the up-down direction, when the leg parts 204c and 204c contact | abut with the base | substrate protrusion parts 362 and 362, respectively.

  Further, the first claw portions 214c and 214c and the second claw portions 214d and 214d are respectively provided with first inclined portions so that the slider portion 205 can be smoothly guided by coming into contact with the recording head 106. Portions 214a and 214a and second inclined portions 214e and 214e are provided. Further, the frictional resistance between the first claw portions 214c and 214c or the second claw portions 214d and 214d and the recording head 106 is reduced on the base side from the first inclined portions 214a and 214a and the second inclined portions 214e and 214e. The first claw contact surfaces 214b and 214b and the second claw contact surfaces 214f and 214f each having a ridge shape having a small contact area are provided. In addition, the nozzle opening row 106 a is formed in a range slightly smaller than the cap portion 204 on the surface that contacts the cap portion 204 of the recording head 106, that is, the nozzle opening forming surface 106 b.

  The carriage 107 moves to the one digit side while recording on the paper by the recording head 106 or before and after the recording is performed, and the recording head 106 is opposed to the cap unit 204 as shown in FIGS. Move to the position where you want to. Then, a so-called flushing operation is performed in which ink is ejected from the nozzle opening row 106a toward the ink absorbing material 209 in the cap portion. At this time, since the first claw portions 214c and 214c and the second claw portions 214d and 214d are configured not to contact the recording head 106, the carriage 107 caps the recording head 106 at a high speed. It is possible to move to a position where it opposes the section 204 until it moves and stop suddenly. That is, unlike the prior art shown in FIG. 23A, it is not necessary to decelerate the carriage 107 in advance, and accordingly, the throughput can be shortened as compared with the prior art.

FIG. 9 is a side sectional view showing an operation of the capping device according to the present invention when the cap unit moves from the first position to the second position. FIG. 10 is a front sectional view in the main scanning direction in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 9, when the cam gear 212 is rotated clockwise in the figure, the cam portion 213 is gradually retracted, and the abutting lever member 210 is gradually rotated counterclockwise. As the lever member 210 rotates, the slider portion 205 gradually moves toward the recording head. As the slider portion 205 gradually moves toward the upper recording head, the slider ribs 207 and 207 move away from the slider position restricting portions 359 and 359 of the base portion 215.

When the cam gear 212 further rotates in the clockwise direction, the slider portion 205 further moves toward the recording head, and the first inclined portion 214a of the first claw portion 214c and the second claw portions 214d and 214d of the pair are moved. The second inclined portions 214e and 214e are in contact with the lower side of the side surface of the recording head. This is the state shown in FIGS.
Here, the second inclined portions 214e and 214e of the second claw portions 214d and 214d are always provided so as to contact the lower side of the side surface of the recording head.

FIG. 11 is a side sectional view showing a position immediately before the second position of the cap unit of the capping apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 12 is a front sectional view in the main scanning direction in FIG.
When the cam gear 212 further rotates clockwise in FIG. 11 from the state shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the slider portion 205 tends to move further toward the recording head. Therefore, the lower side of the side surface of the recording head gradually rises above the first inclined portion 214a of the first claw portion 214c and the second inclined portions 214e and 214e of the second claw portions 214d and 214d, The first claw contact portions 214c and 214c are in contact with the first claw contact surfaces 214b and 214b and the second claw contact portions 214d and 214d are in contact with the second claw contact surfaces 214f and 214f. That is, the relative positional relationship between the slider 205 and the recording head 106 is accurately determined by the first claw portions 214c and 214c and the second claw portions 214d and 214d.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 11, in the transport direction, the pair of slider inclined portions 356 and 356 of the slider portion 205 are separated from the pair of slider guides 215a and 215a of the base portion 215 from the guide inclined portions 360 and 360, respectively. It is separated. Accordingly, the slider unit 205 can follow the position of the recording head 106 within the range of the gap generated when the recording heads are separated.
On the other hand, in the main scanning direction, when moving from the state shown in FIG. 10 to the state shown in FIG. 12, the second inclined portions of the second claw portions 214d and 214d that come into contact with the lower side of the side surface on the first digit side of the recording head 106. Guided by 214e, 214e, the slider unit 205 moves to the right side in the drawing, in other words, to the one digit side. That is, the pair of slider ribs 207 and 207 in the transport direction provided in the slider portion 205 shown in FIG. 4 is gradually separated from the pair of slider guides 215a and 215a in the transport direction provided in the base portion 215 and the lever opening. The force that the slider portion 205 generated by the portions 210d and 210d, the first taper portion 206, and the second taper portion 208 is urged to the 80th digit side is in contact with the lower side of the first digit side surface of the recording head 106. It is regulated by the claw portions 214d and 214d. Accordingly, the second claw portions 214d and 214d can be in contact with the lower side of the one-digit side surface of the recording head 106 without a gap. That is, the slider unit 205 can be positioned relative to the recording head 106 with high accuracy in the main scanning direction.

  Further, since the two claw portions 214d and 214d provided are in contact with the recording head 106 without a gap, the recording head 160 and the slider are set with the moving direction between the first position and the second position as an axis. It can be prevented that the portion 205 is relatively twisted.

  Further, when the cam gear 212 further rotates clockwise in FIG. 11, the slider portion 205 further moves to the recording head side, and V-shaped portions 358 and 358 provided on the bottom surface of the slider portion 205 are formed on the lower surface of the cap portion 204. Thus, a pair of protrusions 355, 355 (see FIG. 18) provided on the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction on the base side of the leg portions 204c, 204c are brought into contact with each other to move the cap portion 204 to the recording head side. Let In other words, the leg portions 204 c and 204 c of the cap portion 204 are separated from the base projections 362 and 362 of the base portion 215, and the cap portion 204 moves together with the slider portion 205 to the recording head side. Since the protrusions 355, 355,... And the V-shaped parts 358, 358 are extended in the transport direction, the protrusions 355, 355, and the V-shaped parts 358, 358 are engaged with each other. Thus, the position of the cap unit 204 in the main scanning direction with respect to the slider unit 205 can be determined with higher accuracy.

  Furthermore, since the protrusions 355, 355,... Extend in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction between the first position and the second position, the first position and the second position As a result, the cap part 204 and the slider part 205 can be prevented from being relatively twisted. At this time, as described above, the recording head 160 and the slider portion 205 can be prevented from being in a relatively twisted relationship, so that the cap portion 204 and the recording head 106 are in a twisted relationship. Can be prevented.

FIG. 13 is a front cross-sectional view showing a state in which the state further moves to the second position side than the state shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 13, during the movement from the first position to the second position, the urging force is applied to the slider portion 205 from the 1st digit side to the 80th digit side in the main scanning direction. A frictional resistance is generated between the second claw contact surfaces 214 f and 214 f of the second claw portions 214 d and 214 d and the one-digit side surface of the recording head 106. Accordingly, the slider portion 205 is slightly tilted clockwise as indicated by an arrow in the figure due to the frictional resistance. At this time, since the cap unit 204 moves integrally with the slider unit 205, the cap unit 204 is slightly tilted clockwise together with the slider unit 205 and is not in a posture parallel to the nozzle opening forming surface 106 b of the recording head 106.
In the present embodiment, the angle at which the slider portion 205 tilts clockwise with respect to the recording head 106 by the frictional resistance as shown by the arrow in the drawing is only about 0.3 degrees.

FIG. 14 is a side cross-sectional view showing a second position of the cap unit of the capping device according to the present invention. FIG. 15 is a front sectional view in the main scanning direction in FIG.
When the cam gear 212 further rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 14 from the state shown in FIG. 13, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the first claw contact surfaces 214b, 214b of the first claw portions 214c, 214c and The slider portion 205 and the cap portion 204 move to the recording head side while being guided by the second claw contact surfaces 214f and 214f of the second claw portions 214d and 214d, and the cap contact portion 203 of the cap portion 204 is moved to the bottom surface of the recording head. The nozzle opening forming surface 106b. Thereafter, when the cam gear 212 further rotates clockwise in FIG. 14, the cam portion 213 is separated from the lever member 210.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 15, the cap portion 204 comes into contact with the nozzle opening forming surface 106 b from the 80th digit side in the main scanning direction at the cap contact portion 203. Here, the gap described above is provided between the cap portion 204 and the slider portion 205. The cap portion 204 receives the urging force of the two cap springs 211 and 211 via the slider portion 205, and the ridge portions 355, 355... Of the cap portion 204 and the V-shaped portion 358 of the slider portion 205. Since the swinging means 361 composed of 358 acts, the cap portion 204 is parallel to the nozzle opening forming surface 106b while swinging in the counterclockwise direction indicated by the arrow in the figure with the swinging means 361 as a fulcrum. In this way, the cap contact portion 203 is brought into contact with the nozzle opening forming surface 106b with the posture corrected. Therefore, the nozzle opening row 106a can be reliably sealed. That is, the cap contact portion 203 gradually moves the nozzle opening forming surface while pushing excess air between the cap portion 204 and the recording head 106 toward the 1st digit side from the 80th digit side to the 1st digit side in the main scanning direction. Since it contacts 106b, it can seal reliably.

Further, at this time, if mist is present between the cap unit 204 and the recording head 106, the mist is moved to the one digit side in the main scanning direction, that is, on the side opposite to the conveyance path, together with the excess air. Can do. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the conveyance path side is soiled.
In the present embodiment, as described above, since the slider portion 205 is inclined by about 0.3 degrees with respect to the recording head 106, the cap portion 204 is inclined counterclockwise with respect to the slider portion 205 as indicated by an arrow in the figure. The angle is only about 0.3 degrees.

  The capping device 230 is provided with a power release means 231, and the power release means 231 includes a cam portion 213, a lever member 210, a first taper portion 206, and a second taper portion 208. When the cap unit 204 comes into contact with the recording head 106, the lever member 210 is completely free. That is, since the lever member 210 is not in contact with the cam portion 213, it does not exert any acting force on the slider portion 205. Therefore, the lever opening portions 210d and 210d, the first taper portion 206, and the second taper portion 208 do not generate a force for urging the slider portion 205 to the 80 digit side. In other words, the power release means 231 is attached to the first taper portion 206 and the second taper portion 208 of the slider portion 205 in the main scanning direction at the same time that the cap portion 204 is completely in contact with the recording head 106. It is possible to prevent the force urged toward the 80-digit side, which is a force, from acting. As a result, the cap part 204 can reliably seal the nozzle opening forming surface 106b.

[Descent of capping unit]
Next, the movement of the cap unit 202 of the capping device 230 from the second position to the first position will be described.
When the cam gear 212 shown in FIG. 14 gradually turns counterclockwise from the second position of the cap unit 202 shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the lever member 210 gradually turns clockwise. Then, the cap member 204 is moved away from the nozzle opening forming surface 106b while generating a force for urging the slider portion 205 to the 80-digit side again, and the lever member 210 has two cap springs 211, 211. The slider portion 205 and the cap portion 204 are gradually pushed down toward the first position side to the position shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 while resisting the urging force.

  When the cam gear 212 shown in FIG. 11 is gradually turned counterclockwise from the position shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the lever member 210 is further turned clockwise. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the contact portion between the lower side of the recording head 106 on the one digit side and the second claw portions 214d and 214d extends from the second contact surface to the second inclined portions 214e and 214e. In order to move, the lever member 210 gradually pushes down the cap portion 204 and the slider portion 205 downward as the first position.

  At this time, the urging force is generated in the slider unit 205 from the 1st digit side in the main scanning direction to the 80th digit side, and therefore the lower side of the 1st digit side of the recording head 106 and the second claw portions 214d and 214d. By the contact / guide with the second inclined portions 214e, 214e, the slider portion 205 and the slider portion 205 move together and move downward as well as to the 80th digit in the main scanning direction. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the pair of slider ribs 207 and 207 provided on the slider portion 205 and the pair of slider guides 215 a and 215 a provided on the base portion 215 come into contact with each other. Therefore, the positions of the slider unit 205 and the cap unit 204 can be determined with high accuracy in the main scanning direction.

  Further, the leg portions 204c and 204c provided on the cap portion 204 come into contact with the base protrusions 362 and 362 provided on the base portion 215, whereby the position of the cap portion 204 in the height direction at the first position. Can be determined with high accuracy. As a result, at the time of flushing, the distance between the recording head 106 and the cap portion 204 can be set so small that mist does not occur, and the recording head 106 and the cap portion 204 can be prevented from contacting each other. Then, after the movement of the cap portion 204 is stopped in the height direction, the lever member 210 further pushes down only the slider portion 205.

When the cam gear 212 shown in FIG. 9 is gradually turned counterclockwise from the position shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the lever member 210 is further turned clockwise.
7 and 8, only the slider portion 205 is pushed down, and a pair of slider inclined portions 356 and 356 provided in the slider portion 205 and a pair of slider guides 215a and 215a provided in the base portion 215 are guided. By contacting and guiding the inclined portions 360 and 360, the positions of the slider portion 205 and the cap portion 204 in the transport direction can be determined with high accuracy. Then, the cam gear 212 stops at the position shown in FIG. 7, and the rotation of the lever member 210 is stopped.

  At this time, the slider portion 205 receives the urging force of the two cap springs 211 and 211, but the upward movement is restricted by the lever member 210. That is, the position in the height direction of the slider portion 205 at the first position can be determined with high accuracy by the lever member 210. Then, the pair of slider ribs 207 and 207 provided on the slider unit 205 abuts on the slider position restricting units 359 and 359 provided on the base unit 215, so that the posture of the slider unit 205 at the first position is The recording head 106 can be regulated to be substantially parallel to the nozzle opening forming surface 106b.

[Capping unit stroke]
16A, 16B, and 16C are side views showing strokes of the capping device according to the present invention.
FIG. 16A shows the state of the cap unit in the first position, and FIG. 16B shows the state of the second position. FIG. 6C is a diagram showing the second position when the recording head 106 is not provided in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 16C, a safety margin is given to the stroke by the distance d, so that the possibility that a gap is generated between the cap portion 204 and the recording head 106 in FIG. 16B can be reduced. it can. Therefore, during the suction operation, the inside of the cap portion can be surely brought into a negative pressure state.

[Details of capping unit]
17 and 18 are exploded perspective views of the cap unit according to the present invention. FIG. 19 is an enlarged front cross-sectional view of the main part of the cap unit.
As shown in FIG. 17, a cap contact portion 203 made of an elastic material is provided on the upper portion of the cap portion 204 to contact the nozzle opening forming surface 106b of the recording head 106. Further, a locking projection 204b is provided in the cap portion, and the ink absorbing material 209 can be held by engaging a pressing member 216 (see FIG. 6) with the tip of the locking projection 204b. Further, an air release opening 227 is provided in the cap portion at the same height as the surface of the ink absorbing material 209, and air can be sent into the cap portion from the air release valve 219.

Further, a suction opening 228 is provided on the bottom surface of the cap unit 204, and the suction opening 228 sends ink held by the ink absorbing material 209 in the cap unit to the suction pump unit 281 by driving the suction pump unit 281. Can do. Legs 204c and 204c are provided on the lower surface of the cap part 204, and the leg parts 204c and 204c are in contact with the base protrusions 362 and 362 of the base part 215 at the first position of the cap part 204. It is configured. Further, on the lower side surface of the cap part 204, a first peeling claw part 351 and a second peeling claw part 352 are provided on a diagonal line of the cap part 204. When the first peeling claw portion 351 and the second peeling claw portion 352 move up and down between the first position and the second position, the first restriction portion 353 and the second restriction portion 353 provided in the slider portion 205 are provided. It is provided so as to be able to engage with the restricting portions 354 and restrict their relative positions. The regulation will be described later.
An ink scattering prevention wall 357 for preventing ink scattering is provided between the two second claw portions 214d and 214d.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the cap unit 202 is provided with swinging means 361, and the swinging means 361 includes projecting ridge portions 355, 355... And V-shaped portions 358, 358. More specifically, on the base side of the legs 204c and 204c of the cap part 204, ridges 355, 355... Extending in the transport direction are upstream and downstream in the transport direction of the respective legs 204c and 204c. Is provided. And on the upstream and downstream sides in the conveying direction of the respective leg insertion openings 363, 363 provided on the bottom surface of the slider part 205, a mortar-shaped V-shaped part 358 engaged with the ridges 355, 355, 358 is provided.

As shown in FIG. 19, when the protrusions 355, 355... And the V-shaped portions 358, 358 are engaged with each other, a slight gap is provided between the cap portion 204 and the slider portion 205 as described above. Therefore, the cap unit 204 and the slider unit 205 can swing in the main scanning direction. In the present embodiment, the cap unit 204 and the slider unit 205 are configured to be able to incline about 2 degrees in the main scanning direction.
Accordingly, in the slider portion 205, a force that urges from the 1st digit side to the 80th digit side in the main scanning direction acts, and the second inclined portions 214e and 214e and the second contact surfaces of the second claw portions 214d and 214d, Even when a frictional resistance is generated between the recording head 106 and the posture of the slider portion 205 is inclined with respect to the nozzle opening forming surface 106 b of the recording head 106, the cap portion 204 is mainly connected to the slider portion 205. By swinging in the scanning direction, the posture of the cap unit 204 can be made parallel to the nozzle opening forming surface 106 b of the recording head 106. The cap contact portion 203 of the cap portion 204 can be in close contact with the nozzle opening forming surface 106b.

Further, the protrusions 355, 355... And the V-shaped portions 358, 358 are engaged with each other, so that the relative position between the cap portion 204 and the slider portion 205 can be accurately determined in the main scanning direction. it can. At this time, as described above, the relative positions of the slider unit 205 and the recording head 106 in the main scanning direction can be accurately determined by the second claws 214d and 214d. And the relative position in the main scanning direction can be determined with high accuracy. As a result, the cap unit 204 can reliably seal the nozzle opening row 106a.
In this embodiment, the ridge is provided on the cap portion side and the V-shaped portion is provided on the slider portion side. However, as a reverse configuration, the V-shaped portion is provided on the cap portion side and the ridge portion is provided on the slider portion side. Of course, it may be.

[Peeling off the cap when the capping unit descends]
Then, the effect of the 1st peeling nail | claw part 351 and the 2nd peeling claw part 352 of the cap part 204 is demonstrated.
20 to 22 are front sectional views showing the operation of the capping apparatus according to the present invention. Here, the cut surface is on the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the cut surfaces in FIGS. 8, 10, 12, 13, and 15. As shown in FIGS. 20-22, the slider part is cut | disconnected in the downstream of a cap part. Of these, FIG. 20 shows a second position of the same cap unit as FIG. 15, and FIG. 21 shows a state where the slider portion is slightly pushed down from the position shown in FIG. 22 shows a state where the slider portion is further pushed down from the position shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 20, the cap part 204 is provided with the first peeling claw part 351 and the second peeling claw part 352 diagonally with respect to the sealing surface of the cap part 204 as described above. .
Here, the “sealing surface” refers to a surface formed by a contact portion when the cap contact portion 203 contacts the nozzle opening forming surface 106b.

On the other hand, the slider portion 205 is provided with a first restricting portion 353 and a second restricting portion 354 at positions where they can come into contact with the first peeling claw portion 351 and the second peeling claw portion 352 of the cap portion 204, respectively. It has been. The first peeling claw portion 351, the second peeling claw portion 352, the first restriction portion 353, and the second restriction portion 354 are provided so as to restrict the relative positions of the slider portion 205 and the cap portion 204. Yes. The distance H1 between the first peeling claw portion 351 and the first restriction portion 353 and the distance H2 between the second peeling claw portion 352 and the second restriction portion 354 are:
Distance H1 <distance H2
The relationship is established.

  As shown in FIG. 21, even when the lever member 210 is rotated from the state shown in FIG. 20 and the slider portion 205 is gradually pushed down, the urging force of the two cap springs 211 and 211 and the solidification of the ink There is a possibility that the cap unit 204 remains in close contact with the nozzle opening forming surface 106b of the recording head 106. In this case, when the slider unit 205 moves downward, the first claw portions 214c and 214c and the second claw portions 214d and 214d are separated from the recording head 106. Thereafter, the first peeling claw portion 351 and the first restriction portion 353 come into contact with each other, so that a force to push down the cap portion 204 acts on the corresponding scanning location on the 1st digit side in the main scanning direction and on the upstream side in the transport direction. To do.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 22, when the lever member 210 further pushes down the slider portion 205, the second peeling claw portion 352 and the second restriction portion 354 are moved due to the time difference due to the difference between the distance H1 and the distance H2. Since the contact is made, a force to push down the cap portion 204 acts on the 80-digit side in the main scanning direction and the downstream side in the transport direction of the contact point. That is, the cap portion 204 that is in close contact with the nozzle opening forming surface 106b is moved from the 1st digit side in the main scanning direction and upstream in the conveying direction to the 80th digit side in the main scanning direction on the diagonal line of the sealing surface of the cap portion 204 and downstream in the conveying direction. Toward the nozzle opening forming surface 106b.

At this time, by providing a time difference depending on the difference between the distance H1 and the distance H2, the cap portion 204 that is in close contact with the nozzle opening forming surface 106b is not peeled off at a stretch, but gradually peeled off from the edge portion of the cap portion 204. Therefore, the cap part 204 can be peeled off from the nozzle opening forming surface 106b with a small force as compared with the case of peeling at a stroke.
Further, since the ink is gradually peeled off from the edge portion of the cap portion 204, the scattering of ink at the time of peeling can be reduced as compared with the case of peeling at a stroke.
In the present embodiment, two sets (two locations) of the peeling claw portions (351, 352) and the restriction portions (353, 354) are provided, but it is needless to say that three sets (three locations) or more may be used.

  In this embodiment, after the first claw portions 214c and 214c and the second claw portions 214d and 214d are separated from the recording head 106, the first peeling claw portion 351 and the first restriction portion 353 are contacted. After that, the second peeling claw portion 352 and the second restricting portion 354 are configured to contact each other. Therefore, the first claw portions 214c and 214c and the second claw portions 214d and 214d, which are loads generated when the cam portion 213 rotates the lever member 210 and pushes down the slider portion 205, and the recording head 106 are used. Friction force generated between them, force to peel the cap portion 204 through the first peeling claw portion 351 (force to push down), and cap portion 204 through the second peeling claw portion 352 The timing of the force to be peeled off (force to push down) can be dispersed. As a result, the power source device for rotating the cam portion 213 can be reduced in size.

Further, the one-digit side in the main scanning direction is configured to be a relatively short distance H1. That is, in the cap unit 204, the side opposite to the side on which the paper is conveyed is first peeled off from the nozzle opening forming surface 106b, so that even if the ink is scattered when the paper is peeled off, Can be prevented from being scattered to the side to be conveyed. As a result, even when the ink is scattered at the time of peeling, there is no possibility that the paper and the conveyance path are soiled by the scattered ink.
Incidentally, since the ink scattering prevention wall 357 is provided between the two second claw portions 214d and 214d of the slider portion 205, even when the ink is scattered to the one digit side in the main scanning direction, Scattering to the surroundings can be prevented.

  The capping device 230 of the present embodiment is separated from the recording head 106 in the recording device 100 that performs recording on a sheet as a recording material by ejecting ink from nozzle openings as ink ejection holes provided in the recording head 106. Two cap springs 211 as the action portion to the first position and to the second position that contacts the recording head 106 and seals the nozzle opening row 106a as the ink ejection hole row configured by the ink ejection holes, 211, a capping device 230 having a cap unit 202 movable by a cam portion 213 and a lever member 210. The cap unit 202 is a second claw portion that can come into contact with one side surface of the recording head 106. The claw portions 214d and 214d, the slider portion 205 on which the second claw portions 214d and 214d are formed, and a slide A cap part 204 which is housed in the part and seals the nozzle opening row 106a, a swinging means 361 for swinging the cap part 204 with respect to the slider part 205, and a power provided on the lever member side as the action part side A first tapered portion 206 and a second tapered portion 208 as power passive portions that receive a force from the lever member 210 as an action portion, and when moving between the first position and the second position In addition, the force from the lever member 210 serving as the power acting portion of the slider portion 205 is applied to the recording head 106 via the second claw portions 214d and 214d, and the second claw portions 214d and 214d serve as the cap unit 202. The swinging means 361 applies the force from the lever member 210 as the power acting portion to the recording head 106 via the second claw portions 214d and 214d. The cap part 204 is centered on the direction in which the force from the lever member 210 as the power acting part acts in the scanning direction and the direction orthogonal to the moving direction between the first position and the second position. It is characterized by being made to rock | fluctuate.

Among these, the swinging means 361 is a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the force from the lever member 210 as the power acting portion acts and the moving direction between the first position and the second position. It is characterized by having protrusions 355, 355... Extending in the conveying direction, and V-shaped parts 358, 358 as recesses engaging with the protrusions 355, 355.
In the present embodiment, the action portions (211, 213, 210) that move the cap unit 202 include two cap springs 211, 211 as springs that urge the cap unit 202 toward the second position. And a lever member 210 that moves the cap unit 202 against the two cap springs 211, 211. The two cap springs 211, 211 are in the direction in which the protrusions 355, 355,. A plurality of elements are arranged only in the transport direction.

Further, in the present embodiment, at least one of the lever openings 210d and 210d of the lever member 210 as the power acting portion or the first tapered portion 206 and the second tapered portion 208 as the power passive portion is a tapered portion (206, 208), and the tapered portions (206, 208) apply a force for urging the cap unit 202 from the first position toward the second position. ) To convert the force into a force.
Furthermore, in this embodiment, the direction of the force from the power application unit (210, 210d, 210d) is configured in the main scanning direction.
Still further, in the capping device 230 of the present embodiment, the lever member 210 as the power acting portion does not act on the first taper portion 206 and the second taper portion 208 as the power passive portion at the second position. Power release means 231 is provided.

In addition, although the 1st taper part and 2nd taper part as a power passive part of this embodiment are formed in the taper shape, of course, an inclined surface may be sufficient. Of course, an inclined surface or a tapered portion is provided on the lever member side as the power acting portion, so that a force for urging the slider portion toward the 80 digit side can be generated.
Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and these are also included in the scope of the present invention. Needless to say.

1 is an overall perspective view showing an outline of a recording apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is an overall plan view showing an outline of a recording apparatus according to the present invention. The perspective view which shows the ink suction device which concerns on this invention The top view which shows the ink suction device which concerns on this invention The lower perspective view which shows the inside of the suction pump part which concerns on this invention The principal part expansion perspective view of the capping apparatus concerning this invention Sectional side view which shows the 1st position of the capping apparatus based on this invention Front sectional view in FIG. Side sectional view showing the operation of the capping device according to the present invention. Front sectional view in FIG. Sectional side view which shows the position just before the 2nd position of the capping apparatus based on this invention Front sectional view in FIG. Front sectional drawing which shows a mode that it moved to the 2nd position side further from FIG. Sectional side view which shows the 2nd position of the capping apparatus based on this invention Front sectional view in FIG. The side view which shows the stroke of the capping apparatus based on this invention The exploded perspective view of the cap unit concerning the present invention The disassembled perspective view of the cap unit which concerns on this invention (a cap part is a downward perspective view) The principal part expanded front sectional view which shows the rocking | fluctuation means of the cap unit which concerns on this invention Front sectional view showing the operation of the capping device according to the present invention. Front sectional view showing the operation of the capping device according to the present invention. Front sectional view showing the operation of the capping device according to the present invention. Side view showing a conventional capping device

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Recording device, 101 Hopper, 102 Carriage motor, 103 Paper guide, 104 Feeding motor, 105 Platen, 106 Recording head, 106a Nozzle opening row, 106b Nozzle opening formation surface, 107 Carriage, 110 Ink supply tube, 143 Recording unit , 200 Ink suction device, 202 Cap unit, 203 Cap contact part, 204 Cap part, 204b Locking protrusion, 204c Leg part, 205 Slider part, 206 First taper part, 207 Slider rib, 208 Second taper part, 209 Ink Absorbent, 210 Lever member, 210a First lever arm, 210b Rotating shaft, 210c Second lever arm, 210d Lever opening, 211 Cap spring, 212 Cam gear, 213 Cam part, 214 Claw part, 214 a first inclined portion, 214b first claw contact surface, 214c first claw portion, 214d second claw portion, 214e second inclined portion, 214f second claw contact surface, 215 base portion, 215a slider guide, 215b Wiper guide rib, 216 holding member, 217 wiping device, 218 gear unit, 219 atmosphere release valve, 227 atmosphere release opening, 228 suction opening, 230 capping device, 231 power release means, 241 suction tube, 242 atmosphere release tube, 281 Suction pump section, 282 pump tube, 283 negative pressure generating member, 302 wiper contact section, 303 wiper base section, 303d guide groove, 351 first peeling claw section, 352 second peeling claw section, 353 first regulating section 354 Second restriction portion, 355 Projection portion, 356 Slider tilt Part, 357 ink scattering prevention wall, 358 V-shaped part, 359 slider position restricting part, 360 guide inclined part, 361 swinging means, 362 base protrusion, 363 leg insertion opening, 401 (in the prior art) recording head, 402 Cap part, 403 claw part, 404 nozzle opening row, 405 contact part

Claims (8)

In a recording apparatus that performs recording on a recording material by ejecting ink from an ink ejection hole provided in a recording head, the recording head is configured to be in contact with the recording head and to be in contact with the recording head. A capping device provided with a cap unit that can be moved by a working portion to a second position for sealing the ink ejection hole row to be sealed,
The cap unit is
A claw portion capable of coming into contact with one side surface of the recording head;
A slider portion on which the claw portion is formed;
A cap portion housed in the slider portion and sealing the ink ejection hole row;
Rocking means for rocking the cap portion with respect to the slider portion;
A power passive unit that receives a force from a power operating unit provided on the operating unit side,
When moving between the first position and the second position, the force from the power acting portion is applied to the recording head via the claw portion, and the claw portion is applied to the cap unit. To guide
The swinging means includes a direction in which the force from the power application unit is applied to the direction in which the force from the power application unit is applied to the recording head via the claw unit, the first position, and the second position. The capping device is configured to swing the cap portion about a direction orthogonal to the moving direction between the cap portion and the position. The swinging means according to claim 1,
A ridge extending in a direction in which a force from the power acting portion acts and a direction perpendicular to a moving direction between the first position and the second position;
A capping device comprising a recess that engages with the protrusion. In Claim 2, the action part which moves the cap unit comprises:
A spring for biasing the cap unit toward the second position;
A lever member that moves the cap unit against the spring;
The capping device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the springs are disposed only in a direction in which the protruding portion extends. In any one of Claims 1 thru | or 3, At least one of the said power action part or the said power passive part is equipped with a taper-shaped part,
The tapered portion is configured to convert a force for urging the cap unit from the first position toward the second position into a force from the power acting portion. Capping device.   5. The capping device according to claim 1, wherein a direction of a force from the power application unit is configured in a main scanning direction.   6. The power release unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a power release unit that prevents the power acting unit from exerting a force on the power passive unit in the second position. 7. Capping device. A recording unit that performs recording on the recording material by the recording head; and
A recording apparatus comprising an ejection characteristic maintaining unit for maintaining the ejection characteristics of the recording unit,
The discharge characteristic maintaining unit is
A recording apparatus comprising the capping device according to claim 1. Acting to a first position spaced apart from the liquid ejecting head and to a second position sealing the liquid ejecting hole array formed by the liquid ejecting holes provided in the liquid ejecting head in contact with the liquid ejecting head A liquid ejecting apparatus that includes a capping device that includes a cap unit that can be moved by a unit, and that ejects liquid onto a target medium from a liquid ejecting hole provided in the liquid ejecting head,
The cap unit is
A claw portion capable of coming into contact with one side surface of the liquid jet head;
A slider portion on which the claw portion is formed;
A cap portion accommodated in the slider portion and sealing the liquid ejection hole row;
Rocking means for rocking the cap portion with respect to the slider portion;
A power passive unit that receives a force from a power operating unit provided on the operating unit side,
When moving between the first position and the second position, the force from the power application unit is applied to the liquid ejecting head via the claw unit, and the claw unit is configured to be the cap. Guide the unit,
In the direction in which the force from the power application unit is applied to the liquid ejecting head via the claw unit, the swinging unit has a direction in which the force from the power application unit is applied, the first position, and the first position. The liquid ejecting apparatus is configured to swing the cap portion about a direction orthogonal to the moving direction between the two positions.

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