A vertically-lifting printhead maintenance device

Abstract

The utility model relates to printer technical field especially relates to a vertical lift's print head maintenance device, including bottom plate, the top of bottom plate is fixedly installed with drive motor through support, drive motor is connected with the lead screw through the shaft coupling of fixed connection, the top fixed connection of bottom plate is used to support the bearing seat of lead screw, the front and back moving plate is connected with the up and down moving plate rotationally through oval connecting piece, the top both sides of bottom plate are fixedly connected with left and right vertical board through bolt, and the tray is fixedly installed on the up and down moving plate. The utility model drives motor work directly through printer control system, need not manual frequent manual regulation or operation simple mechanical structure, can realize the automatic connection of print head maintenance process and printing production process, reduces manual operation step and time cost, avoids the maintenance delay problem caused by manual operation fatigue or negligence simultaneously, and significantly improves overall production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of printer technology, and in particular to a vertically lifting printhead maintenance device. Background Technology

[0002] In the modern printing industry and office automation, printers, as core equipment for information output and mass printing, directly determine print quality, equipment lifespan, and operational stability through the performance of their printheads. As inkjet printing technology rapidly advances towards higher resolution, higher speed, and wider format, the number of nozzles in printheads continues to increase while orifice diameters shrink (some high-precision printheads have reduced nozzle orifice diameters to the micrometer level). This places more stringent demands on the daily maintenance of printheads.

[0003] During the operation of printer equipment, the printhead is the core execution component. The accuracy of its cleaning, calibration and other maintenance operations directly affects the print quality and equipment life. Traditional printhead maintenance devices mostly adopt manual adjustment or simple mechanical lifting structures, which not only require frequent manual intervention, but also make it difficult to accurately control the lifting height. Operational errors often lead to inadequate maintenance or printhead damage due to bumps. Especially in industrial high-speed printing scenarios, this extensive maintenance method can no longer meet the needs of efficient and precise production. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing traditional printhead maintenance devices, which mostly use manual adjustment or simple mechanical lifting structures. These devices not only require frequent manual intervention but also have difficulty in accurately controlling the lifting height. As a result, maintenance is often inadequate or the printhead is damaged due to operational errors. This crude maintenance method can no longer meet the needs of efficient and precise production, especially in industrial high-speed printing scenarios. Therefore, this invention proposes a vertically lifting printhead maintenance device.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A vertically lifting printhead maintenance device includes a base plate. A drive motor is fixedly mounted on the top of the base plate via a bracket. The drive motor is fixedly connected to a lead screw via a coupling. A bearing seat for supporting the lead screw is fixedly connected to the top of the base plate. The lead screw is threadedly connected to a front and rear moving plate. The front and rear moving plates are rotatably connected to an upper and lower moving plate via an elliptical connector. Left and right upright plates are fixedly connected to the top two sides of the base plate via bolts. A tray is fixedly mounted on the upper and lower moving plates. The drive motor drives the lead screw to rotate under the control of the printer control system, which in turn drives the front and rear moving plates to move back and forth, and pushes the upper and lower moving plates and the tray to make vertical lifting and lowering movements through the elliptical connector.

[0006] Preferably, the left and right upright plates are provided with horizontal and vertical slots; the front and rear movable plates are slidably connected to the horizontal slots of the left and right upright plates by multiple screws; the upper and lower movable plates are slidably connected to the vertical slots of the left and right upright plates by multiple screws.

[0007] Preferably, a knob is fixedly connected to the end of the lead screw away from the drive motor. The knob has a groove on its front for indicating the working status of the lead screw and is used to manually drive the lead screw to rotate in the power-off state to realize the lifting and lowering of the device.

[0008] Preferably, a photoelectric limit switch for detecting the lifting height is fixedly installed on the top of the base plate, and a limit plate is fixedly installed on the bottom of the tray, the position of the limit plate being adapted to the position of the photoelectric limit switch.

[0009] Preferably, the elliptical connector is connected to the front and rear moving plates and the upper and lower moving plates respectively by plug screws, so as to convert the horizontal movement of the front and rear moving plates into the vertical movement of the upper and lower moving plates.

[0010] Preferably, an ink-absorbing pad for moisturizing, drawing ink, or cleaning the printhead is fixedly installed on the tray, and a silicone scraper for wiping the surface of the printhead is fixedly installed on the tray.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: 1. In use, this utility model can directly drive the motor through the printer control system, eliminating the need for frequent manual adjustments or operation of simple mechanical structures, thus completely changing the traditional maintenance method of "manual supervision and repetitive operation". Especially in industrial high-speed printing scenarios, it can realize the automated connection between the printhead maintenance process and the printing production process, reducing manual operation steps and time costs, while avoiding maintenance delays caused by human fatigue or negligence, significantly improving overall production efficiency.

[0012] 2. In use, this utility model can drive the front and rear moving plates to move horizontally through the lead screw transmission, and then accurately convert the horizontal movement into the vertical lifting of the upper and lower moving plates through the elliptical connector. Compared with the traditional simple mechanical lifting structure, the transmission gap is smaller and the movement trajectory is more stable. It can accurately control the lifting height of the tray and maintenance parts, ensuring that the contact distance and pressure between the ink absorption pad, silicone scraper and the print head always meet the maintenance standards, and avoiding printing quality problems caused by "inadequate maintenance".

[0013] 3. When this utility model is in use, on the one hand, the photoelectric limit switch and the limit plate work together to detect the lifting position in real time and realize automatic limit, preventing the print head from being bumped due to excessive lifting; on the other hand, the knob at the end of the lead screw can be manually and accurately adjusted when the power is off, further avoiding the risk of equipment damage in case of emergencies, and fundamentally solving the pain point of "operational errors easily damage the print head" in traditional devices.

[0014] 4. In use, this utility model integrates an ink-absorbing pad and a silicone scraper on the tray, which can simultaneously perform multiple maintenance operations such as moisturizing, ink extraction, cleaning, and surface wiping of the printhead without the need to replace additional maintenance components, and is compatible with the maintenance needs of different printhead models. At the same time, the upper and lower moving plates are slidably connected to the vertical slots of the left and right upright plates through plug screws, and the front and rear moving plates are slidably engaged with the horizontal slots, ensuring that the tray always remains horizontal during the lifting process, avoiding problems such as incomplete local maintenance or uneven force on the printhead caused by the tilt of maintenance components, and improving the consistency of maintenance results. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a vertically lifting printhead maintenance device proposed in this utility model; Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the back of a vertically lifting printhead maintenance device proposed in this utility model; Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the vertically lifting printhead maintenance device proposed in this utility model. Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the back of a vertically lifting printhead maintenance device proposed in this utility model.

[0016] In the diagram: 1. Base plate; 2. Drive motor; 3. Coupling; 4. Lead screw; 5. Bearing housing; 6. Knob; 7. Photoelectric limit switch; 8. Limit plate; 9. Front and rear moving plates; 10. Plug screw; 11. Left and right upright plates; 12. Up and down moving plates; 13. Oval connector; 14. Tray; 15. Ink absorption pad; 16. Silicone scraper. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present utility model without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0018] Reference Figures 1-4A vertically lifting printhead maintenance device includes a base plate 1, which serves as the mounting reference for the device. A drive motor 2 is fixedly mounted on the top of the base plate via a bracket. The drive motor 2 is either a stepper motor or a servo motor and is electrically connected to the printer control system. It can receive pulse signals from the control system to achieve precise speed and direction control. The output shaft of the drive motor 2 is fixedly connected to one end of the lead screw 4 through the coupling 3 to achieve coaxial power transmission; at the same time, the top of the base plate 1 is fixedly connected to the other end of the lead screw 4. The end of the lead screw 4 away from the drive motor 2 is rotatably engaged with the bearing seat 5 through the bearing to ensure that the lead screw 4 maintains coaxiality during rotation and avoids radial offset. The lead screw 4 is threadedly connected to a front and rear moving plate 9. The two sides of the front and rear moving plate 9 are respectively slidably engaged with the left and right upright plates 11. The left and right upright plates 11 are fixedly connected to the top two sides of the base plate 1 by bolts, and the left and right upright plates 11 are respectively provided with horizontal slots. Two plug screws 10 are fixedly installed on each of the left and right sides of the front and rear moving plate 9. The screw part of the plug screw 10 is embedded in the horizontal slot of the left and right upright plates 11 and slides with the inner wall of the slot, forming a horizontal guide structure for the front and rear moving plate 9, ensuring that it only moves back and forth in the horizontal direction under the drive of the lead screw 4, without vertical movement. The top of the front and rear moving plate 9 is rotatably connected to the upper and lower moving plate 12 through an elliptical connector 13. Specifically, the two ends of the elliptical connector 13 are respectively hinged to the front and rear moving plate 9 and the upper and lower moving plate 12 through a screw 10. The screw of the screw 10 passes through the mounting hole of the elliptical connector 13 and is threaded to the corresponding moving plate. The elliptical connector 13 can rotate freely around the axis of the screw 10, forming the core transmission structure of the crank-slider mechanism, which is used to convert the horizontal linear motion of the front and rear moving plate 9 into the vertical linear motion of the upper and lower moving plate 12.

[0019] The vertical moving plate 12 also slides in cooperation with the left and right upright plates 11: vertical slots are opened on the left and right upright plates 11 at positions corresponding to the vertical moving plate 12. Two screws 10 are fixedly installed on each of the left and right sides of the vertical moving plate 12. The screw part of the screw 10 is embedded in the vertical slot and slides in cooperation with the inner wall of the slot, forming a vertical guide structure for the vertical moving plate 12, which restricts it to rise and fall only in the vertical direction, ensuring the stability of the movement.

[0020] A tray 14 is fixedly installed on the top of the vertically movable plate 12. This tray 14 serves as the carrier for performing maintenance operations, and two types of core maintenance components are integrated on its top: Ink-absorbing pad 15: Installed in the middle area of ​​tray 14 by adhesive or bolt fixing. The ink-absorbing pad 15 is made of high-density sponge or porous elastic material. It absorbs printhead maintenance fluid inside and can come into contact with the printhead when tray 14 rises to achieve moisturizing, ink extraction (through an external negative pressure device, not shown in the figure) or cleaning operations for the printhead. Silicone scraper 16: It is installed on the edge area of ​​the tray 14 by means of clips or screws. The top edge of the silicone scraper 16 has an acute angle structure and is adapted to the movement trajectory of the print head. It can wipe the residual ink on the surface of the print head during the lifting and lowering of the tray 14 to avoid ink accumulation affecting the print quality. The end of the lead screw 4 away from the drive motor 2 extends to the outside of the bearing seat 5 and is fixedly connected to a knob 6. The front of the knob 6 has grooves evenly distributed along the circumference. The grooves have two functions: first, as a status indicator, the rotation angle of the lead screw 4 and the position of the front and rear moving plates 9 can be intuitively judged by the relative position of the grooves and the reference line on the bearing seat 5; second, as a manual operation component, in the power-off state of the device, the operator can drive the lead screw 4 to rotate by rotating the knob 6, thereby driving the tray 14 to rise and fall, which is convenient for emergency maintenance or debugging. A photoelectric limit switch 7 is fixedly installed on the top of the base plate 1, corresponding to the lifting trajectory of the tray 14. The photoelectric limit switch 7 is electrically connected to the printer control system and is used to detect the lifting height of the device. At the same time, a limit piece 8 is fixedly installed on the bottom of the tray 14. The position of the limit piece 8 is adapted to the position of the photoelectric limit switch 7. When the limit piece 8 descends with the tray 14 to the detection area of ​​the photoelectric limit switch 7, the photoelectric limit switch 7 is triggered and sends a signal to the control system. At this time, the height of the tray 14 is defined as "lowest point 0", realizing the zero calibration of the lifting height. When it is necessary to lift to different heights, the printer control system controls the rotation angle of the drive motor 2 according to preset parameters, thereby driving the lifting mechanism to accurately lift to the specified height.

[0021] It should be noted that the specific models and specifications of the drive motor 2, photoelectric limit switch 7, and ink absorption pad 15 need to be selected and determined according to the actual specifications of the device. The specific selection calculation method adopts the existing technology in this field, so it will not be elaborated. All of them can be powered by external devices and controlled to open and close.

[0022] Working principle: When the printer needs printhead maintenance, the printer control system first sends a signal to the photoelectric limit switch 7 to confirm whether the limit plate 8 is at the "lowest point 0" position, completing the zeroing calibration of the lifting height. After calibration, the control system sends a pulse signal to the drive motor 2, which drives the lead screw 4 to rotate forward. The lead screw 4, through threaded transmission, causes the front and rear moving plates 9 to move forward along the horizontal slots of the left and right vertical plates 11. When the front and rear moving plates 9 move, they push the upper and lower moving plates 12 to rise along the vertical slots of the left and right vertical plates 11 through the elliptical connector 13. The upper and lower moving plates 12 simultaneously drive the tray 14 to rise until the control system controls the drive motor 2 to stop according to preset parameters. At this time, the ink absorption pad 15 on the tray 14 contacts the printhead, the external negative pressure device is activated, and the ink absorption pad 15 performs moisturizing, ink extraction, or cleaning operations on the printhead. At the same time, the silicone scraper 16 wipes the residual ink on the surface of the printhead during the rise of the tray 14. After maintenance is completed, the printer control system sends a reverse pulse signal to the drive motor 2. The drive motor 2 drives the lead screw 4 to reverse, causing the front and rear moving plates 9 to move backward along the horizontal slot. The elliptical connector 13 pulls the upper and lower moving plates 12 down along the vertical slot, and the tray 14 moves down accordingly. When the limit plate 8 at the bottom of the tray 14 enters the detection area of ​​the photoelectric limit switch 7, the photoelectric limit switch 7 is triggered and sends a signal to the control system. The control system controls the drive motor 2 to stop running, and the tray 14 returns to the "lowest point 0". The device completes one maintenance cycle and waits for the next maintenance instruction. In case of power failure, the operator can rotate the knob 6 to drive the lead screw 4 to rotate and manually control the raising and lowering of the tray 14 to complete emergency maintenance.

[0023] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model, but the protection scope of the present utility model is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or changes made by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present utility model, based on the technical solution and the inventive concept of the present utility model, should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A vertically lifting printhead maintenance device, comprising a base plate (1), characterized in that, A drive motor (2) is fixedly installed on the top of the base plate (1) by a bracket. The drive motor (2) is fixedly connected to a lead screw (4) via a coupling (3). A bearing seat (5) for supporting the lead screw (4) is fixedly connected to the top of the base plate (1). The lead screw (4) is threadedly connected to a front and rear moving plate (9). The front and rear moving plate (9) is rotatably connected to an upper and lower moving plate (12) via an elliptical connector (13). Left and right upright plates (11) are fixedly connected to the top two sides of the base plate (1) by bolts. A tray (14) is fixedly installed on the upper and lower moving plate (12). The drive motor (2) drives the lead screw (4) to rotate under the control of the printer control system, thereby driving the front and rear moving plates (9) to move back and forth, and pushing the upper and lower moving plates (12) and the tray (14) to make vertical lifting and lowering movements through the elliptical connector (13).

2. The vertically lifting printhead maintenance device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The left and right upright plates (11) are provided with horizontal and vertical slots; the front and rear moving plates (9) are slidably connected to the horizontal slots of the left and right upright plates (11) by multiple screws (10); the upper and lower moving plates (12) are slidably connected to the vertical slots of the left and right upright plates (11) by multiple screws (10).

3. The vertically lifting printhead maintenance device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A knob (6) is fixedly connected to one end of the lead screw (4) away from the drive motor (2). The knob (6) has a groove on its front for indicating the working status of the lead screw (4) and is used to manually drive the lead screw (4) to rotate in the power-off state to realize the lifting and lowering of the device.

4. The vertically lifting printhead maintenance device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the base plate (1) is fixedly equipped with a photoelectric limit switch (7) for detecting the lifting height position, and the bottom of the tray (14) is fixedly equipped with a limit piece (8), the position of the limit piece (8) is adapted to the position of the photoelectric limit switch (7).

5. A vertically lifting printhead maintenance device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elliptical connector (13) is connected to the front and rear moving plates (9) and the upper and lower moving plates (12) respectively by the plug screw (10), which converts the horizontal movement of the front and rear moving plates (9) into the vertical movement of the upper and lower moving plates (12).

6. The vertically lifting printhead maintenance device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tray (14) is fixedly installed with an ink-absorbing pad (15) for moisturizing, drawing ink or cleaning the printhead, and a silicone scraper (16) for wiping the surface of the printhead is fixedly installed on the tray (14).

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