Waste liquid recovery device

Abstract

To shorten a time of the whole waste liquid recovery without any overflow or scattering of a waste liquid.SOLUTION: A waste liquid recovery device applied to an inkjet printing device 1 to recover ink, which is received at a receiving tray 40, into a waste liquid tank includes an ink receiving tray tilting mechanism (tilting member 51, front movable member 54, rear movable member 55, retaining ring 514, retaining ring 515, torsion coil spring 516) for tilting the receiving tray 40 on a transportation part 2 for transporting a sheet, where the ink receiving tray tilting mechanism tilts the receiving tray 40 to discharge the ink from the ink receiving tray 40 while the transportation part 2 is in a descent operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a waste liquid recovery device that recovers waste liquid generated during head cleaning. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, an inkjet printing device is equipped with a waste liquid recovery device that collects waste ink ejected from an inkjet head (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a head) during maintenance, etc., in a tray inserted between the head and the conveying mechanism, and stores the waste liquid in a waste liquid tank while moving the tray to a storage position.

[0003] The waste liquid recovery device includes a tray for recovering waste ink and a waste liquid tank for storing the waste ink recovered by the tray. The tray is generally called an ink pan. Such a waste liquid recovery device is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1.

[0004] The tray is moved to a maintenance position directly below the head during maintenance, and to a retracted position during printing where it does not interfere with the printing process. In the retracted position, the tray is stored in a nearly vertical position to keep the printing device compact.

[0005] The waste liquid collected in the tray is transferred to the waste liquid tank via the waste liquid hose while the tray is being moved from the maintenance position to the evacuation position. When the tray is tilted from horizontal to vertical, the force of the tilt can cause the waste liquid to overflow or splash. Therefore, in Patent Document 1, the tray is temporarily stopped in a tilted position slightly forward of the vertical position to prevent the waste liquid from concentrating in the waste liquid hose connected to the waste liquid tank. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-116893 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, the waste liquid recovery device described in Patent Document 1 has a step of temporarily stopping the device in a tilted state before being vertical, which increases the overall operation time for maintenance.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a waste liquid recovery device that can reduce the overall time required for recovering waste liquid without causing the waste liquid to overflow or scatter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the waste liquid recovery device according to the present invention is characterized by: In a waste liquid recovery device that recovers ink received in an ink tray into a waste liquid tank, An ink tray tilting mechanism for tilting an ink tray on a transport device for transporting paper is provided, and the ink tray is tilted by the ink tray tilting mechanism while the transport device is lowering, thereby discharging ink from the ink tray. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the features of the waste liquid recovery device of the present invention, the waste liquid does not overflow or scatter, and the overall time required for recovering the waste liquid can be shortened. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a waste liquid recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention when applied to, for example, an inkjet printing device. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a waste liquid recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention when applied to, for example, an inkjet printing device. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a waste liquid recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention when applied to, for example, an inkjet printing device. [Figure 4]1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the structure of a waste liquid recovery device of an inkjet printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the structure of a waste liquid recovery device of an inkjet printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of the waste liquid recovery device of the inkjet printing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of the waste liquid recovery device of the inkjet printing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of the waste liquid recovery device of the inkjet printing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of the waste liquid recovery device of the inkjet printing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of the waste liquid recovery device of the inkjet printing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of the waste liquid recovery device of the inkjet printing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of the waste liquid recovery device of the inkjet printing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent parts and components are designated by the same or equivalent reference numerals throughout the drawings. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic and may differ from the actual product. Furthermore, the drawings may include parts with different dimensional relationships and ratios.

[0013] Furthermore, the embodiments shown below are merely examples of devices that embody the technical concept of the present invention, and the technical concept of the present invention does not limit the arrangement of each component to that shown below. Various modifications can be made to the technical concept of the present invention within the scope of the claims.

[0014] (Configuration of inkjet printing device 1) Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a waste liquid recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention when applied to, for example, an inkjet printing device. In Fig. 1, left and right are defined as left and right directions, up and down are defined as up and down directions, the front of the page is defined as F (front) direction, and the back of the page is defined as R (rear).

[0015] The inkjet printing apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 1 includes a transport unit 2, a head unit 3, and a waste liquid recovery device 4. Note that Fig. 1 shows only the configuration necessary to explain the present invention.

[0016] The transport unit 2 includes a transport belt 21 disposed opposite the head unit 3, a drive roller 22 that drives the transport belt 21 to rotate, and driven rollers 23, 24, and 25 that are driven by the drive roller 22.

[0017] The conveyor belt 21 is stretched over a drive roller 22 and driven rollers 23, 24, and 25, and during printing, moves endlessly by being driven by the drive roller 22, holding and conveying a recording medium (paper) supplied from a supply unit (not shown) provided on the left side.

[0018] The transport unit 2 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction by a vertical motor (not shown) or the like. The transport unit 2 is movable vertically so as not to interfere with the waste liquid recovery device 4 when performing maintenance on the head unit 3.

[0019] The head unit 3 has line-type inkjet heads 31C, 31K, 31M, and 31Y, and prints images based on a print job by ejecting ink onto a recording medium transported from left to right by the transport belt 21. The inkjet heads 31C, 31K, 31M, and 31Y are arranged at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction above the transport unit 2. Inkjet head 31C ejects cyan ink, 31K ejects black ink, 31M ejects magenta ink, and 31Y ejects yellow ink from nozzles formed on the ink ejection surface. In the following description, the alphabetical subscripts will be omitted and the heads will be referred to as inkjet heads 31.

[0020] The waste liquid recovery device 4 includes a tray 40, a waste liquid hose 41, a waste liquid tank 42, a deployment mechanism 43, and a control unit 44. The waste liquid recovery device 4 receives waste liquid generated during maintenance of the inkjet head 31 in the concave tray 40 and recovers the waste liquid in the waste liquid tank 42.

[0021] Fig. 1 shows a first stop position P1 of the tray 40. Fig. 2 shows a second stop position P2 of the tray 40. Fig. 3 shows a third stop position P3 of the tray 40. The tray 40 can be moved between the first stop position P1 and the third stop position P3 by the unfolding mechanism 43.

[0022] The unfolding mechanism 43 is composed of, for example, three joints and two arms, and changes the position and posture of the tray 40. The control unit 44 controls motors (not shown) that drive the joints to move the tray 40. The unfolding mechanism 43 is a general type.

[0023] 1 is disposed substantially horizontally directly below the inkjet head 31, and receives waste ink generated by a purging process that unclogs the inkjet head 31 and a wiping process that removes foreign matter from the ejection surface of the inkjet head 31. In this case, the transport unit 2 is lowered to a position where it does not interfere with the tray 40.

[0024] 2 is tilted so that the bottom surface of the tray 40 forms a predetermined angle of elevation between the inkjet head 31 and the lowered conveying unit 2. The tray 40 at the second stop position P2 discharges the waste liquid received at the first stop position P1 into the waste liquid tank 42 via the waste liquid hose 41.

[0025] 3, the tray 40 is tilted more at the third stop position P3 than at the second stop position P2. The angle of elevation of the bottom surface of the tray 40 at the third stop position P3 is greater than the angle of elevation of the bottom surface of the tray 40 at the second stop position P2. By tilting the tray 40 more greatly in this way, the size of the inkjet printing apparatus 1 in the left-right direction can be reduced.

[0026] 4 and 5 are explanatory diagrams illustrating the structure of the waste liquid recovery device of the inkjet printing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] The tray 40 is provided with a wiper 52 that performs a wiping process to remove foreign matter from the ejection surfaces of the inkjet heads 31. The wiper 52 is provided so as to be slidable in the F (front)-R (rear) direction by being guided by guide rods 53a and 53b. The wiper 52 reaches its home position when positioned at the rearmost position, and wipes the ejection surfaces of the inkjet heads 31 by sliding from the home position to the front side.

[0028] A front movable member 54 is provided on the front side of the wiper 52, and a rear movable member 55 is provided on the rear side of the wiper 52.

[0029] Further, a tilting member 51 for tilting the tray 40 is provided on the outer side of the tray 40.

[0030] The tilting member 51 includes a rear tilting member 511 provided on the rear side of the tray 40, a front tilting member 512 provided on the front side of the tray 40, and a connecting member 513 provided below the tray 40 and connecting the rear tilting member 511 and the front tilting member 512.

[0031] A retaining ring 515 and a torsion coil spring 516 are further provided on the front side of the tray 40, and a retaining ring 514 is provided on the rear side of the tray 40.

[0032] The tilting member 51, the front movable member 54, the rear movable member 55, the retaining ring 514, the retaining ring 515, and the torsion coil spring 516 are collectively referred to as an ink tray tilting mechanism.

[0033] 6 to 11 are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of the waste liquid recovery device of the inkjet printing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] As shown in Figure 6, the rear movable member 55 has an upper guide portion 551 on the right side of the rotating shaft 51a, which has an inclined surface on its lower side that slopes downward from the rear side to the front side, and a lower guide portion 552 on the left side of the rotating shaft 51a, which has an inclined surface on its upper side that slopes upward from the rear side to the front side.

[0035] When the wiper 52 is at the rear side (home position), the rear tilting member 511 slides rearward while contacting the inclined surfaces of the upper guide portion 551 and the lower guide portion 552 of the rear movable member 55, and is held in a state where it is pressed against the retaining ring 514. At this time, the rear tilting member 511 is pressed from above by the inclined surface of the upper guide portion 551 and from below by the inclined surface of the lower guide portion 552, so that rotation about the rotation shaft 51a is suppressed.

[0036] When the wiper 52 slides to the front side, the rear movable member 55 slides to the front side accordingly, and the rear tilting member 511 is released.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 7, the front movable member 54 has an upper guide portion 541 having, on its lower side, an inclined surface that slopes downward from the front side toward the rear side.

[0038] When the wiper 52 slides further toward the front side, as shown in FIG. 7, the upper guide portion 541 of the front movable member 54 first comes into contact with the torsion coil spring 516 and presses the arm portion 516a of the coil spring 56 downward.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 8, the front movable member 54 is provided with a push-out portion 542 adjacent to the left side of the upper guide portion 541.

[0040] When the wiper 52 further slides the front movable member 54 toward the front side, as shown in FIG. 8, the pushing portion 542 of the front movable member 54 subsequently comes into contact with the front tilting member 512, moving the front tilting member 512 toward the front until it comes into contact with the retaining ring 515.

[0041] 9, when the wiper 52 has completed moving to the front position, the front tilting member 512, which has been moved toward the front, comes into contact with the retaining ring 515. The position where the front tilting member 512 comes into contact with the retaining ring 515 is located above the torsion coil spring 516.

[0042] 10, when the wiper 52 slides rearward, the torsion coil spring 516 returns due to the biasing force, and the arm 516a of the torsion coil spring 516 contacts and pushes up the front tilting member 512 from below, causing it to rotate in the direction F1 around the rotation shaft 51a. As a result, the connecting member 513 contacts the conveyor belt 21, lifting the tray 40 and tilting it in the direction of arrow F2.

[0043] Next, when the wiper 52 slides toward the rear, as shown in Fig. 11, the rear tilting member 511 comes into contact with the inclined surfaces of the upper guide portion 551 and the lower guide portion 552 of the rear movable member 55, and is rotated about the rotation shaft 51a while sliding toward the rear until it is pressed against the retaining ring 514. At this time, because the rear tilting member 511 and the front tilting member 512 are connected by the connecting member 513, the front tilting member 512 is released from being lifted by the torsion coil spring 516. Then, when the movement of the wiper 52 is completed, it returns to the state shown in Fig. 6.

[0044] 12A and 12B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of the waste liquid recovery device of the inkjet printing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 12A shows the first stop position P1 of the tray 40, and Fig. 12B shows the tray 40 in transition from the first stop position P1 to the second stop position P2.

[0045] 12(a), the tray 40 at the first stop position P1 is disposed substantially horizontally directly below the inkjet head 31, and receives waste ink generated by a purging process that unclogs the inkjet head 31 and a wiping process that removes foreign matter from the ejection surface of the inkjet head 31. As a result, an ink reservoir IK is formed inside the tray 40.

[0046] 12(b), when the wiper 52 slides rearward while the tray 40 is moving from the first stop position P1 to the second stop position P2, that is, while the transport unit 2 is descending, the tilting member 51 rotates in the F1 direction, thereby lifting and tilting the tray 40. As a result, the ink pool IK inside the tray 40 is discharged into the waste liquid tank 42 via the waste liquid hose 41.

[0047] In the waste liquid recovery device of the inkjet printing device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the tray 40 is tilted mechanically, but it is also possible to use, for example, an electrically powered component such as a solenoid and a motor to tilt the tray 40 while the conveying section 2 is descending, thereby discharging ink from the ink tray 40.

[0048] (Addendum) The present application discloses the following inventions.

[0049] (Appendix 1) In a waste liquid recovery device that recovers ink received in an ink tray into a waste liquid tank, An ink tray tilting mechanism is provided on the transport device that transports paper, and the ink tray is tilted by the ink tray tilting mechanism while the transport device is lowering, thereby discharging ink from the ink tray. A waste liquid recovery device characterized by:

[0050] This makes it possible to provide a waste liquid recovery device that can reduce the overall time required for waste liquid recovery without causing overflow or scattering of waste liquid. In addition, since the inclination of the ink tray can be kept constant even when the transport device is lowered, overflow and scattering of waste liquid can be reliably prevented. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1. Inkjet printing device 2. Conveyor section 3 Head Unit 4. Waste liquid recovery device 21 Conveyor belt 31 Inkjet head 40 tray (ink tray) 41 Waste liquid hose 42 Waste liquid tank 43 Deployment mechanism section 44 Control Unit 51 tilting member 52 wiper 53a Guide rod 53b Guide rod 54 Front moving member 55 Rear movable member 511 Rear tilt member 512 Front tilt member 513 Connecting members 514,515 Retaining ring 516 Torsion coil spring 516a Arm

Claims

[Claim 1] In a waste liquid recovery device that recovers ink received in an ink tray into a waste liquid tank, An ink tray tilting mechanism is provided on the transport device that transports paper, and the ink tray is tilted by the ink tray tilting mechanism while the transport device is lowering, thereby discharging ink from the ink tray. A waste liquid recovery device characterized by:

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