JPH08323999A - Maintenance unit - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To provide a maintenance unit that is a compact maintenance unit that is easily attached to and detached from a recording device and is easy to handle. [Constitution] The maintenance unit 30 is composed of a wipe mechanism and a waste ink chamber 130. The wipe mechanism brings the maintenance paper 40 fed from a supply spool into close contact with the head, and the nozzle plate 20 wet with ink.
Wipe the surface. The used paper 40 is collected on the take-up spool 60. The waste ink chamber 130 stores the discharged ink 150 containing bubbles or solid matter discharged by the purging operation. The maintenance unit 30
Sets the capacity of the waste ink chamber 130 so that its usage period is longer than that of the maintenance paper 40, and a sensor is provided only in the wipe mechanism to determine the maintenance unit 30 from the usage amount of the maintenance paper 40.
Determine when to replace.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a maintenance unit which is detachably arranged in an ink jet recording apparatus for ejecting ink droplets for recording and recovers waste ink generated during maintenance.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an ink jet device,
When the head surface (= nozzle surface) on which the nozzles for ejecting ink are formed gets wet or becomes dirty, it adversely affects the ejection condition of ink, such as variations in the ejection direction of ink and the particle shape of ejected ink droplets. In some cases, the original print quality of the inkjet recording device was impaired. In order to solve such a problem, a wipe mechanism for cleaning the nozzle surface of the head has been proposed.

On the other hand, air bubbles or solids that are generated or penetrated into the printer head of an ink jet printer and hinder the normal discharge and flight of small ink droplets are forced by mainly using air pressure. It was eliminated by a method called so-called purging, in which the ink was expelled together with the ink.

Usually, in an ink jet recording apparatus,
The above-mentioned wipe mechanism and purge mechanism, which are indispensable for maintaining high print quality, are separately configured, and their mechanism, control, assembly and handling are complicated. In particular, the treatment of waste ink generated by each operation has been a problem.

However, in the case of an ink jet printer using liquid ink, the waste ink collected by the wipe operation or the waste ink discharged by the purging operation is collected and impregnated in an absorber provided in the printer body. It had been. Most of the liquid ink whose main component is water-based or solvent-based is evaporated, and the volume of the liquid ink is much reduced, and only a little residue remains on the absorber. Therefore, there is no fear that the inside of the printer will be filled with the waste ink or overflow, and it is possible to eliminate the need for treating the waste ink until the life of the printer.

On the other hand, there has been proposed an ink jet printer using a solid ink which is solid at room temperature and melts by heating, that is, a so-called hot melt ink.

Specifically, in US Pat. No. 3,653,932, an ink containing a sebacic acid dialkyl ester is contained, and in US Pat. No. 4,390,369 and JP-A-58-108271, a natural wax is contained. Inks containing stearic acid in JP-A-59-22973, JP
In JP-A-83268, the number of carbon atoms is 20 to 2.
An ink containing an acid or alcohol of No. 4, and further containing a ketone having a relatively high melting point with these acids.
JP-A-48774 discloses an ink containing a thermosetting resin having a high hydroxyl value, a solid organic solvent having a melting point of more than 150 ° C., and a small amount of a dye substance.
In Japanese Patent No. 112627, a coloring material, a first solvent which is solid at room temperature and liquefies when heated to a temperature higher than room temperature, and a second solvent which dissolves the first solvent and which is liquid at room temperature and has high volatility. Ink comprising a solvent, JP-A-62-29
Japanese Patent No. 5973 proposes a synthetic wax having a polar group, an ink containing a dye soluble in the wax, and the like.

In the case of an ink jet printer using the above-mentioned solid ink, the solid ink is solid at room temperature and has a form in which it is heated and melted for printing.
It is not easily affected by the environment, and does not cause changes in ink density or alteration of ink components. That is, since solid ink never evaporates itself like liquid ink, it is not possible to store ink in the printer until it reaches the end of its life, as is the case with printers that use liquid ink. It was almost impossible due to the enormous amount of.

Therefore, in the conventional ink jet printer using the solid ink, (a) each maintenance mechanism is provided with a waste ink receiver, and the waste ink is stored in the waste ink receiver and disposed periodically, or (b) ) A waste paper is collected by recycling the waste ink and reused, or (c) Special paper with high ink absorption is prepared, and each maintenance operation is performed on this paper surface to remove the waste ink. Methods such as disposing of this paper have been made. Particularly, as a specific example of (c), a method in which the user sets the special paper one by one on the platen to perform the maintenance operation, and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,120, roll paper of special paper is incorporated. A maintenance unit is provided, the molten ink generated during the wipe and purge operations is permeated into the roll paper, and the paper is rewound and stored in the maintenance unit. When the roll paper is used up, it is replaced with this unit. And the method of disposing was proposed.

[0010]

However, various problems have occurred in such conventional methods for treating discharged ink. That is, in the method of storing the waste ink in the waste ink receiver of (a), it is necessary to provide the waste ink receiver for both the wipe mechanism and the purge mechanism, and further to prompt the user to dispose of the waste ink regularly. It is necessary to provide a mechanism such as a sensor for each. In particular, since the two types of waste ink have to be managed separately, the waste ink must be disposed of frequently, which is uncomfortable for the user.

When the circulation mechanism of (b) is provided, the structure is inevitably complicated and the size must be increased. Therefore, the inkjet printer is heavy and expensive.

Further, the special paper of (c) is expensive, and the running cost becomes high if the special paper is used. Also,
It takes a lot of time for the user to set the special paper for each maintenance operation. In addition, in the maintenance unit method equipped with roll paper, the ink is absorbed into the paper and heat is removed at the same time. There is a risk that a large amount of ink will stick to the surface of the paper in a solid state. If that happens, you will not be able to wind the paper. Therefore, in order to prevent this, the feeding speed of the roll paper must be increased, but instead, the consumption of the paper becomes considerably large. As a result, the maintenance unit is frequently replaced, which is troublesome and the running cost is high.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a small-sized maintenance unit that is easy to handle and has a long period of use.

[0014]

In order to achieve this object, the maintenance unit of the present invention uses a heat-melting ink which is solid at room temperature and melts by heating, and ejects ink droplets from a nozzle to record. A wipe mechanism that is detachably attached to a recording device equipped with an ink jet head for collecting waste ink generated during maintenance processing of the head, and wipes ink adhering to a nozzle forming surface of the head. And a waste ink chamber capable of collecting the ink discharged during the purge operation for forcibly discharging the ink from the nozzle and storing the discharged ink.

The wiping mechanism is formed in a band shape with an opening provided at a portion facing the head, and absorbs and removes ink adhering to the nozzle forming surface by contacting the head at the opening. Absorption band, a supply spool that winds the absorption band and can supply the absorption band as appropriate, a take-up spool that can wind up the absorption band that is unwound from the supply spool, and an absorption that is unwound from the supply spool. A guide member for guiding the band to the take-up spool through the opening may be provided.

The opening in the wiping mechanism is
There may be provided pressing means for urging the absorption band against the nozzle forming surface of the head with a predetermined pressure.

The maintenance unit further includes means for recognizing the usage amount of either the length of the absorption band or the capacity of the waste ink chamber, and the other not recognized is used more than the recognized one. The period may be set to be long.

A means M for detecting the remaining amount of the absorption band is provided, and the capacity M of the waste ink chamber is such that the operation ratio A of the purge operation for one wipe operation, the total length L of the absorption band, and the purge operation. Depending on the amount α of ink ejected per time and the length β of the absorption band used per wipe operation, M>
The maintenance unit according to claim 4, wherein the maintenance unit is set so as to satisfy the relational expression of A · L · α / β.

A means for detecting the amount of waste ink in the waste ink chamber is provided, and the total length L of the absorption band is the operation ratio B of the wipe operation to one purge operation, and the capacity M of the waste ink chamber. The amount of ink α discharged per purge operation,
It may be set so as to satisfy the relational expression of L> B · M · β / α by the length β of the absorption band used for one wipe operation.

It should be noted that the recognizing means has a length of the absorption band,
A sensor for measuring a physical quantity related to the usage amount of one of the volumes of the waste ink chambers may be provided.

The recognizing means has counting means for counting the number of wipe operations, and the output of the counting means and the total length L of the absorption band and the length β of the absorption band used for one wipe operation. The usage amount of the absorption band may be calculated from the above.

The recognizing means has a counting means for counting the number of times of the purging operation, the output of the counting means, the capacity M of the waste ink chamber, and the ink amount α discharged per purging operation. It is also possible to calculate the used amount of the waste ink chamber from the above.

It should be noted that the recording apparatus has a heater means, and the maintenance unit is detachably arranged near the heater means, receives heat from the heater means, and is discharged into the waste ink chamber. The meltable ink may be leveled.

The waste ink chamber may be provided with a mechanical structure for leveling the discharged hot-melt ink in the waste ink chamber.

The mechanical structure is provided on a bottom surface of the ink chamber and rotatably driven, and a rotary disk provided on an inner wall of the waste ink chamber and discharged by rotation of the rotary disk. It may be provided with a pick-up plate that regulates the height of the waste ink.

[0026]

In the maintenance unit according to claim 1 of the present invention having the above structure, the wipe mechanism wipes off the ink adhering to the nozzle forming surface of the head, and the waste ink chamber is forced to discharge the ink from the nozzle. Ink discharged during the purging operation is collected to store the discharged ink, and waste ink generated during the maintenance process of the head is collected. Since the wipe mechanism and the waste ink chamber are integrally formed, they can be easily attached to and detached from the recording device and can be handled easily.

In the maintenance unit according to the second aspect of the present invention, the wipe mechanism causes the absorption band fed from the supply spool to contact the head at the opening to absorb and remove the ink adhering to the nozzle forming surface. Then, the used absorption band is guided by the guide member and wound on the winding spool. Thus, it is possible to provide a simple and compact wipe mechanism in which supply and recovery are integrated.

In the maintenance unit according to the third aspect, the wipe mechanism urges the absorption band toward the nozzle forming surface with a predetermined pressure by the pressing mechanism provided in the opening.
Therefore, at the time of the wiping operation, the absorption band can wipe off the adhered ink sufficiently, and the nozzle plate is not damaged or worn.

The maintenance unit according to claim 4 further comprises means for recognizing the usage amount of one of the length of the absorption band and the capacity of the waste ink chamber, and the other which is not recognized is the one recognized. The usage period is set to be longer. Therefore, the replacement timing of the maintenance unit can be appropriately monitored by providing only one detection mechanism.

In the maintenance unit according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided means for detecting the remaining amount of the absorption band, and the capacity M of the waste ink chamber is such that the operation ratio A of the purging operation for one wipe operation and the absorption band. M> A · L · α by the total length L of the ink, the amount α of ink discharged per purging operation, and the length β of the absorption band used per wiping operation.
It is set to satisfy the relational expression of / β. Therefore,
It is possible to appropriately notify the user of the replacement of the maintenance unit before such a problem that the waste ink chamber overflows with the discharged ink.

The maintenance unit according to claim 6 has means for detecting the amount of waste ink in the waste ink chamber, and the total length L of the absorption band is the operation ratio B of one wipe operation to the wipe operation and the waste operation. L> by the capacity M of the ink chamber, the amount α of ink discharged per purge operation, and the length β of the absorption band used per wipe operation.
It is set so as to satisfy the relational expression of B · M · β / α. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately notify the user of the replacement of the maintenance unit before the absorption band is used up.

In the maintenance unit according to claim 7, the recognizing means is a sensor, and the length of the absorption band,
The physical quantity related to the usage amount of either one of the volumes of the waste ink chamber is accurately measured.

In the maintenance unit according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the output of the counting means, the total length L of the absorption band, and the absorption used per wipe operation are performed by the recognition means having the counting means for counting the number of wipe operations. Band length β
The usage amount of the absorption band is calculated from the above. Therefore, the replacement time of the maintenance unit can be detected without using special processing or an expensive sensor.

In the maintenance unit according to the ninth aspect, the output of the counting means, the volume M of the waste ink chamber, and the discharge operation per purge operation are performed by the recognition means having the counting means for counting the number of times of the purge operation. The used amount of the waste ink chamber is calculated from the ink amount α that is used. Therefore, the replacement time of the maintenance unit can be detected without using special processing or an expensive sensor.

In the maintenance unit according to the tenth aspect, the solid ink in the waste ink chamber is melted and leveled by receiving heat from the heating means, so that the capacity of the waste ink chamber can be used most effectively. become able to do.

In the maintenance unit according to the eleventh aspect, since the ink in the waste ink chamber is leveled by the mechanical structure, the capacity of the waste ink chamber can be effectively used.

In the maintenance unit according to the twelfth aspect, the waste ink collected in the waste ink chamber is accumulated on the rotary disk. When the rotary disk is driven to rotate, the waste ink accumulated and grown interferes with the scrap plate provided on the inner wall of the waste ink chamber, and the upper part is scraped off by the scrap plate.
As a result, the waste ink is regulated and leveled at the height at which the pick-up plate is provided. Therefore, the capacity of the waste ink chamber can be effectively used with a simple configuration.

[0038]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that, in the description, duplicated description will be omitted for portions having the same reference numerals and the same structure.

FIG. 5 presents the structure of an embodiment of the ink jet printer body adopting the present invention. In the inkjet printer main body of the present embodiment, the platen 300 is fixedly mounted on the paper conveyance substrate 310 having a horizontal guide surface, and the inkjet print head 10 is mounted on the carriage 230 so as to face the platen 300. . The print head 10 has a nozzle plate 2 in which a plurality of ink ejection nozzles are formed on the surface facing the platen 300.
0 (see FIG. 1).

Further, an ink supply device 16 (see FIG. 6) is integrally connected to the print head 10 and communicates with each other. The ink supply device 16 appropriately supplies ink used in the printing operation of the print head 10.

The carriage 230 includes a platen 300.
Is slidably supported by a smooth guide bar 240 disposed parallel to the axis of the platen 300, and is also disposed parallel to the axis of the platen 300, and the distance between the inkjet printer head 10 and the paper 290 is constant. It is also slidably supported by a carriage support bar 250 for keeping the above. A timing belt (not shown) wound around a pair of pulleys is coupled to the carriage 230.
One pulley is a carriage motor (not shown)
The carriage 230 is moved along the platen 300 by being rotated by the timing belt.

A sheet 290 is set on the sheet conveying base 310, and is conveyed to the platen 300, which is a printing portion of the ink jet printer head 10, by the friction with the rubber roller 280 mounted on the sheet conveying bar 270 and recording is started. It At the same time as the recording of the paper 290 progresses, a rubber roller 280 mounted on the paper carrying bar 270 is installed.
The sheet is conveyed by the frictional force between the sheet and the sheet, and is discharged to the right in the figure after the recording is completed.

At the right end of the guide bar 240, a maintenance position 260 is provided for judging whether the ink ejection status of each channel is good or bad and performing maintenance processing. The maintenance position 260 is provided with a channel error detection device 261 and a discharge direction detection device 262 (see FIG. 6) which are known sensors and the like. Further, at the maintenance position 260, a maintenance mechanism 263 that performs a purging operation and a wiping operation is provided.
(See FIG. 6) and a maintenance unit 30 for collecting ink ejected from each nozzle during the above-mentioned channel inspection or purging operation, or ink wiped off during a wiping operation described later.

The electrical construction of the ink jet printer of this embodiment is shown in FIG. The CPU 400 that performs overall control of the inkjet printer is an external device 50 such as a host.
It is connected to 0 and print data and control commands are transmitted and received from the external device 500. In addition, the CPU 400 has
R storing a control table for controlling each part of the device
RAM for storing the OM401 and received print data, etc.
402 is connected. Further, the CPU 400 has
A transport motor 271 for driving the sheet transport bar 270,
Carriage motor 231 for reciprocating the carriage
And a timer 410 for measuring the time related to the printing operation,
Channel error detection device 261 for channel inspection
The ejection direction detection device 262, the maintenance mechanism 263 that performs maintenance operations such as the purging operation and the wiping operation of the nozzle surface, the print head 10 that performs print recording according to print data, and the ink supply device 16 are connected. The CPU 400 controls the above units according to the control table stored in the ROM 401.

The print head 10 has a plurality of nozzles, a plurality of cavities, and an energy generating element provided corresponding to each cavity for generating energy for ejecting ink droplets. Is selectively driven based on the received print data to eject ink droplets from a target nozzle to perform print recording. In addition, the print head 1 of the present embodiment
The recording medium 0 is a so-called hot melt ink which is solid at room temperature and melts by heating. Specifically, it is a wax-based ink having a melting point of 70 ° C., which is heated to 125 ° C. to be in a molten state during printing.

Further, the maintenance mechanism 263 is provided with a pressure applying mechanism such as a pump for applying pressure to the ink supply device 16, and by driving this pressure applying mechanism, ink is excessively supplied to the print head 10 and the ink is discharged from the nozzles. A purging operation for forcibly discharging the ink is performed. Further, the maintenance mechanism 263 is detachably provided with a maintenance unit 30 for containing waste ink.

1 and 2 show the structure of a maintenance unit 30 installed in an ink jet printer which is an embodiment of the present invention. The maintenance unit 30 according to the present embodiment includes a wipe mechanism unit that wipes the surface of the nozzle plate 20 of the inkjet printer head 10 that has been wet with ink, and a waste ink chamber 130 that collects the waste ink discharged during the purging operation.

The wipe mechanism section is formed in a long shape,
A maintenance paper 40 capable of absorbing or adsorbing the melted hot melt ink, and an opening 110 provided in the upper opening in the figure to press the maintenance paper 40 against the nozzle plate 20 with an appropriate pressure, an arrow 110 in the figure.
Direction wiper rollers 80 and 90, a supply spool 50 that is a supply source of the maintenance paper 40 around which the maintenance paper 40 is wound, and a take-up spool that accommodates the maintenance paper 40 to which the ink has adhered after the wipe is completed. 60 and the maintenance paper 40 for winding the maintenance paper 40, the drive shaft 70 for externally rotating and driving the shaft center of the take-up spool 60, and a pulling force to orderly take up the maintenance paper 40 on the winding roll paper 60.
And a tension roller 100 that winds up.
The wiper rollers 80 and 90 and the tension roller 10
0 corresponds to the guide member of the present invention.

Further, in this embodiment, the maintenance mechanism 2
A detection mechanism 420 for detecting the replacement time of the maintenance unit 30 is provided at 63. Detection mechanism 42
Reference numeral 0 denotes a photo sensor, which detects the usage amount of the maintenance paper 40. The photo sensor is composed of a known photo coupler having a light emitting element and a light receiving element as a pair, and monitors the surface of the maintenance paper 40 fed from the supply spool 50. Then, when the end point mark formed near the end of the maintenance paper 40 is detected in advance, the user is notified of the replacement of the maintenance unit 30.

The detection mechanism 420 may use a mechanical sensor such as a micro switch, a magnetic sensor, or the like in addition to the photo sensor. However, in that case, it is necessary to form the end mark with a material and a shape suitable for each sensor. Further, other than the above-mentioned sensor, the usage amount may be calculated by programming. For example, it has a counter that counts the number of times the wipe operation is performed, and the usage amount is calculated from the count value n and the preset length β of the maintenance paper 40 used for each wipe operation. Alternatively, the length L of the maintenance paper 40 may be compared. In this case, when L ≦ n · β, the user is prompted to exchange.

On the other hand, the waste ink chamber 130 contains the discharged ink 1 containing bubbles and solids discharged by the purging operation.
It is for storing 50. Waste ink chamber 130
Has a large capacity so that its usage period is longer than that of the maintenance paper 40. Specifically, the capacity M of the waste ink chamber 130 is determined by the operation ratio A of the purge operation to one wipe operation, the total length L of the maintenance paper 40, the ink amount α discharged per purge operation, and the wipe operation. The length β of the maintenance paper 40 used per operation is set so that the relational expression of M> A · L · α / β (1) is satisfied. In this case,
The detection mechanism 420 can notify the user of the replacement of the maintenance unit 40 before the waste ink chamber 130 overflows with the waste ink 140.

Preferably, it is efficient to set the value (M) on the left side of the above expression (1) close to the value (A.L..alpha ./. Beta.) On the right side, and the size of the maintenance unit 40 is also set. You can make it small. However, since the value of the operation ratio A varies depending on the usage environment of the inkjet printer, it is preferable that the value on the left side has a margin of about 20 to 30% with respect to the value on the right side.

From the experimental results, in the ink jet printer head used in this example, the maintenance paper required for one wipe was 20 mm, and the amount of waste ink discharged by one purge was 0.1 cc. . Therefore, from the result of assuming the condition and the margin at the time of actual use, it seems that the waste ink chamber 130 still has a margin even when the solidified waste ink 140 is leveled in the waste ink chamber 130 and the maintenance paper 40 is exhausted. In order to achieve this, it is necessary for the maintenance unit to have a configuration in which the volume of the waste ink chamber is 14 cc or more with respect to the maintenance paper length of 1 m in the maintenance unit.

In addition, the above embodiment is the maintenance paper 4
Although the detection mechanism 420 is provided on the 0 side, conversely, the waste ink chamber 13
The detection mechanism 4 for detecting the used amount of the waste ink chamber 130
20 may be provided. Similarly, the detection mechanism 420 may use various sensors, or may calculate the total amount of discharged ink by programming and compare it with the capacity M of the waste ink chamber 130.

Further, in this case, the maintenance paper 40
Has a large overall length so that its usage period is longer than that of the waste ink chamber 130. Specifically, the total length L of the maintenance paper 40 is determined by the operation ratio B of the wipe operation to the purge operation once (B = 1 /
A), the capacity M of the waste ink chamber 130, the ink amount α discharged per purge operation, and the length β of the maintenance paper 40 used per wipe operation, L> B. It is set so as to satisfy the relational expression of M · β / α (2). In this case,
The detection mechanism 420 can notify the user of the replacement of the maintenance unit 40 before the maintenance paper 40 is used up.

Similarly, it is more efficient to set the value (L) on the left side of the equation (2) close to the value (B · M · β / α) on the right side, and the maintenance unit 40 The size of can be small. However, since the value of the operation ratio B varies depending on the usage environment of the inkjet printer, the value on the left side may have a margin of about 20 to 30% with respect to the value on the right side.

Next, the maintenance operation of this embodiment will be described.

Now, in the ink jet printer having such a structure, it is assumed that the surface of the nozzle plate 20 of the print head 10 is made wet with the molten ink by the ejection of ink droplets or the purging process described later. The ink that wets the surface of the nozzle plate 20 adversely affects the ink ejection environment such as disturbing the ejection direction of ink droplets. Therefore, in order to eject the ink normally, the wipe operation must be performed to remove the ink.

The operation of the wiping mechanism in this embodiment for wiping the molten ink on the surface of the nozzle plate 20 of the print head 10 will be described in detail. First, in order to perform the wipe operation, the carriage 230 is moved to move the print head 10 to the maintenance unit 260 at the maintenance position 260 as shown in FIG. After that, the wiper rollers 80 and 90 are pressed in the pressing direction 1
10, and the maintenance paper 40 is lightly pressed against the nozzle plate 20 with a predetermined pressure.
The pressure at this time is set to such a degree that the maintenance paper 40 is sufficiently brought into close contact with the nozzle plate 20 while the nozzle plate 20 is not scratched or worn.

When the drive shaft 70 engaged with the take-up spool 60 is rotated in the take-up direction 120 in this state, the surface of the nozzle plate 20 is wiped off with the clean maintenance paper 40 supplied from the supply spool 50. Further, the maintenance paper 40, which has absorbed the molten ink by the rotational movement of the drive shaft 70, is accommodated in the take-up spool 60 while holding the ink in the solid ink state. This cleans the surface of the nozzle plate 20.

In addition, the ink jet printer of the present embodiment, once every time the printing operation is performed for a certain time, the carriage 2
30 is sent to the maintenance position 260, the channel error detection device 261 and the ejection direction detection means 262.
Thus, the channel of the print head 10 is inspected.
Now, it is assumed that it is found that the ink jet printer is started up or ink droplets ejected from the nozzle are bent to a desired reaching point, or there is a nozzle that is not ejected. The main cause is air bubbles or solid matter generated or invaded inside the nozzle or in the ink chamber.
The only way to recover the value of 0 is to eject the factors that impede the ejection and flight of the ink droplets together with the ejected ink.

During the inspection, if the ink droplets are not normally ejected from the nozzles, that is, the ink droplets are not ejected, or the ejection direction and velocity are not normal, the position of the carriage 230 remains the same as the maintenance position. Two
At 60, a purge operation for removing ejection failure factors such as bubbles and solids in the print head 10 is started.

In the purging operation, pressure is applied to the ink supply device 16 by the pressure applying mechanism provided in the maintenance mechanism 263, the ink pressure in the print head 10 is increased, and the ink is forcibly discharged from the nozzle. . Figure 2
Shows a state when the purging operation is performed. The discharge ink 150 from the print head 10 is discharged into the waste ink chamber 130 and is stored as the solid waste ink 140.

However, when the discharged ink 150 is simply discharged to the waste ink chamber 130, the waste ink 220 is stacked in the waste ink chamber 130 as shown in FIG. Then, even if the capacity of the waste ink chamber 130 is still large, the waste ink 220 overflows from the waste ink chamber 130, and the maintenance unit 30 must be replaced early. In order to avoid this, the waste ink 220 needs to be leveled in the waste ink chamber 130.

FIG. 3 shows a structure devised to solve the problem. By installing the heating element 170 at the bottom of the maintenance position 260 of the printer main body of FIG. 5, which will be described later, when the maintenance unit 30 is placed at the maintenance position 260, the ink discharged to the waste ink chamber 130 is generated by the heating element. The waste ink 160 is melted by the heat supplied from 170 and is uniformly leveled. Therefore, the capacity of the waste ink chamber 130 can be used most effectively.

FIG. 4 is an alternative of FIG. 3 similarly devised to solve the above problems. The rotary disk 180 provided on the bottom surface of the waste ink receiver 320, the pick-up board 210 provided on the inner wall of the waste ink chamber 130, and the rotary disk 220 are connected to the drive mechanism of the carriage 230 (carriage motor 231 etc.). ), Etc. are provided. The gear 190 is rotated along with the operation of the carriage 230, so that the turntable 180 in the waste ink chamber 130 connected to the gear 190 is also rotated. Then, the waste ink 220 piled up on the turntable 180 also rotates together with the turntable 180 and interferes with the pick-up plate 210 provided on the inner wall. Therefore, the portion of the waste ink 220 that has reached above the bottom of the pick-up plate 210 is scraped off, and the waste ink 220 in the waste ink chamber 130 is leveled. Therefore, the capacity of the waste ink chamber 130 can be effectively used with a simple configuration.

Incidentally, a fragment of the waste ink 220 or ink powder from the gap between the shaft connecting the gear 190 outside the waste ink chamber 130 and the rotary plate 180 inside the waste ink chamber 130 and the bottom wall of the maintenance unit 30. A seal 200 is provided in the gap so that the above components do not leak.

As described above, in the maintenance unit 30 of this embodiment, the wiping mechanism wipes off the ink adhering to the nozzle forming surface of the head 10, and the waste ink chamber 130 is discharged with the discharged ink 150. Is stored, the waste ink generated during the maintenance process of the head 10 is collected. Since the wipe mechanism and the waste ink chamber 130 are integrally formed, they can be easily attached to and detached from the recording apparatus and can be handled easily.

The maintenance unit 3 of this embodiment is also used.
At 0, the wipe mechanism brings the absorption band fed from the supply spool into contact with the head at the opening to absorb and remove the ink adhering to the nozzle forming surface. Then, the used absorption band is guided by the guide member and wound on the winding spool. Thus, it is possible to provide a simple and compact wipe mechanism in which supply and recovery are integrated.

Furthermore, the maintenance unit 3 of this embodiment
In 0, a mechanism for recognizing the usage amount of either the length of the maintenance paper 40 or the capacity of the waste ink chamber 130 is provided, and the other not recognized is set so that the usage period is longer than the recognized one. Has been done. Therefore, the replacement timing of the maintenance unit can be appropriately monitored by providing only one detection mechanism 420.

[0071]

As is apparent from the above description, the maintenance unit of the present invention is provided with a separate chamber, which is a waste ink chamber for collecting and storing waste ink generated during the purging operation, in parallel with the wipe mechanism. Since it is an integrated replacement type maintenance unit, it can be easily attached to and detached from the recording device and is easy to handle.

If the usage amount of one of the length of the absorption band and the capacity of the waste ink chamber is recognized, and the other that is not recognized is set to have a longer usage period than the recognized one. , Only one mechanism to detect the replacement time is required.

Further, if the heater means or the mechanical structure is mounted, the ink in the waste ink chamber can be leveled and the waste ink chamber can be used efficiently, and the maintenance mechanism can be made simple and compact. I can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a maintenance unit that performs a wipe operation of an inkjet printer that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a maintenance unit that performs a purging operation of an inkjet printer that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an operation of leveling waste ink of an inkjet printer which is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is another schematic view showing the operation of leveling the waste ink of the inkjet printer according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a main part of an inkjet printer main body equipped with a maintenance unit that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an electrical configuration of an inkjet printer that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a maintenance unit used in a conventional inkjet printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Inkjet printer head 30 Maintenance unit 40 Maintenance paper 50 Supply spool 60 Take-up spool 80,90 Wiper roller 130 Waste ink chamber 140,160,220 Waste ink 150 Discharged ink 170 Heating element 180 Rotating plate 190 Gear 210 Sri plate 420 Detection mechanism

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A head which is detachably mounted on a recording apparatus equipped with an ink jet head for recording by ejecting ink droplets from a nozzle using a heat-melting ink which is solid at room temperature and melts by heating. In the maintenance unit that collects the waste ink generated during the maintenance process, the wipe mechanism that wipes the ink adhering to the nozzle forming surface of the head, and the purge mechanism that forcibly discharges the ink from the nozzle are discharged. A maintenance unit, which is integrally provided with a waste ink chamber that collects the discharged ink and allows the discharged ink to be stored. 2. The wipe mechanism is formed in a band shape with an opening provided at a portion facing the head, and absorbs and removes ink adhering to the nozzle forming surface by contacting the head at the opening. Absorption band, a supply spool that winds the absorption band and can supply the absorption band as appropriate, a take-up spool that can wind up the absorption band that is unwound from the supply spool, and an absorption that is unwound from the supply spool. The maintenance unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a guide member that guides the belt to the take-up spool through the opening. 3. The maintenance according to claim 2, wherein the opening portion of the wipe mechanism is provided with a pressing unit that urges the absorption band toward the nozzle forming surface of the head with a predetermined pressure. unit. 4. The maintenance unit further comprises a recognition means for recognizing the usage amount of either the length of the absorption band or the capacity of the waste ink chamber, and the other not recognized is more than the recognized one. The maintenance unit according to claim 2, wherein the maintenance unit is set to have a long usage period. 5. A means M for detecting the remaining amount of the absorption band, wherein the capacity M of the waste ink chamber is an operation ratio A of a purge operation for one wipe operation, a total length L of the absorption band, and a purge operation. It is set so that the relational expression of M> A.L..alpha ./. Beta. Is satisfied by the amount .alpha. Of ink discharged per one time and the length .beta. Of the absorption band used per one wipe operation. The maintenance unit according to claim 4, wherein 6. A means for detecting the amount of waste ink in the waste ink chamber, wherein the total length L of the absorption band is an operation ratio B of a wipe operation to one purge operation, and a capacity M of the waste ink chamber. The ink amount α discharged per purge operation and the absorption belt length β used per wipe operation are set to satisfy the relational expression L> B · M · β / α. The maintenance unit according to claim 4, wherein the maintenance unit is provided. 7. The maintenance according to claim 4, wherein the recognizing unit has a sensor for measuring a physical quantity related to the usage amount of one of the length of the absorption band and the capacity of the waste ink chamber. unit. 8. The recognizing means has counting means for counting the number of wipe operations, and the output of the counting means and the total length L of the absorption band and the length β of the absorption band used per wipe operation. The maintenance unit according to claim 4, wherein the usage amount of the absorption band is calculated from the above. 9. The recognizing means has a counting means for counting the number of purge operations, the output of the counting means and the capacity M of the waste ink chamber, and the ink amount α discharged per purge operation. The maintenance unit according to claim 4, wherein the usage amount of the waste ink chamber is calculated from the above. 10. The recording apparatus has a heater unit, and the maintenance unit is detachably arranged near the heater unit and receives heat from the heater unit,
The maintenance unit according to claim 1, wherein the heat-meltable ink discharged into the waste ink chamber is leveled. 11. The maintenance unit according to claim 1, wherein the waste ink chamber is provided with a mechanical structure for leveling the discharged hot-melt ink in the waste ink chamber. 12. The mechanical structure is provided on a bottom surface of the ink chamber and is rotatably driven, and a rotary disk provided on an inner wall of the waste ink chamber and discharged by rotation of the rotary disk. The maintenance unit according to claim 8, further comprising a pick-up plate that regulates the height of the waste ink.