An automatic cleaning inkjet device

Abstract

The application discloses an automatic cleaning inkjet device, and relates to the technical field of inkjet equipment, which comprises a supporting frame, an inkjet module and a cleaning module. The inkjet module comprises a first shell and a plurality of nozzles. The first shell is arranged on one side of the supporting frame. The nozzles are arranged in the inner cavity of the first shell and exposed from the lower end of the first shell. The cleaning module comprises a second shell, an ink collecting structure and an ink scraping structure. The second shell is arranged on the other side of the supporting frame. The ink collecting structure and the ink scraping structure are both arranged in the second shell and can be synchronously extended from the second shell towards the first shell. The ink scraping structure is partially arranged above the ink collecting structure. The ink scraping structure is used for cleaning residual ink at the nozzles. The ink collecting structure is used for receiving the ink scraped by the ink scraping structure. The application can improve the cleaning efficiency of the nozzles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of inkjet equipment technology, and in particular to an automatic cleaning printing device. Background Technology

[0002] Printing equipment can spray ink at designated locations to achieve printing. However, after a period of inactivity or pause, the nozzles of the printhead are prone to clogging, which can lead to uneven ink flow or incomplete inkjet printing during the next printing session. Current solutions for nozzle clogging involve scraping the nozzles with a scraper. Existing scraping methods clean the nozzles by moving the printing module to a fixed scraper position. These methods are complex, require repeated movement of the printing module, and are slow and inefficient. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application aims to address at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this application proposes an automatic cleaning printing device that can improve the cleaning efficiency of the printhead.

[0004] This application provides an automatic cleaning inkjet printing device, comprising:

[0005] Support frame;

[0006] A printing module, comprising a first housing and a plurality of printheads, wherein the first housing is disposed on one side of the support frame, and the printheads are disposed in the inner cavity of the first housing and protrude from the lower end of the first housing;

[0007] The cleaning module includes a second housing, an ink collection structure, and an ink scraping structure. The second housing is located on the other side of the support frame. The ink collection structure and the ink scraping structure are both located inside the second housing and can extend synchronously from the second housing toward the first housing. The ink scraping structure is partially located above the ink collection structure. The ink scraping structure is used to clean residual ink at the printhead, and the ink collection structure is used to receive the ink scraped off by the ink scraping structure.

[0008] The automatic cleaning inkjet printing device according to the embodiments of this application has at least the following beneficial effects: the first housing of the printing module and the second housing of the cleaning module are respectively disposed on different sides of the support frame, and the scraping structure and the ink collection structure located in the second housing can both extend synchronously from the direction towards the first housing. After the printhead of the printing module completes the printing work, the scraping structure and the ink collection structure extend from the second housing to the bottom of the printhead. The scraping structure scrapes off the ink remaining on the printhead, and the scraped ink flows into the ink collection structure, thereby completing the printhead self-cleaning process. The automatic cleaning inkjet printing device provided by this application can complete the printhead cleaning process by having the scraping structure in the cleaning module extend directly from the second housing. It does not require moving the printing module back and forth to a dedicated cleaning station, nor does it require a complex structure for support. This application improves the cleaning efficiency of the printhead.

[0009] According to some embodiments of this application, the other side of the support frame is provided with a first guide rail along its own length direction, and the second housing is provided with at least one first connecting plate, the first connecting plate being slidably connected to the first guide rail by a first slider.

[0010] According to some embodiments of this application, the ink collection structure includes a carrier box and a push cylinder. The fixed part of the push cylinder is disposed on the inner wall of one side of the second housing. The driving end of the push cylinder is connected to the outer wall of the carrier box and the ink scraping structure, and is used to drive the carrier box and the ink scraping structure to move synchronously. The ink scraping structure is disposed inside the carrier box.

[0011] According to some embodiments of this application, the ink collection structure further includes a second guide rail and a second slider that cooperates with the second guide rail. The second slider is disposed on the inner wall of the other side of the second housing, and the second guide rail is disposed on the outer wall of the carrier box near the second slider.

[0012] According to some embodiments of this application, the ink scraping structure includes a moving component and a scraper assembly. The scraper assembly is connected to the moving component and disposed above the ink collection structure. The moving component is used to drive the scraper assembly to move.

[0013] According to some embodiments of this application, the moving component includes a moving motor, a conveyor belt assembly, and a support plate. The driving end of the moving motor is connected to the conveyor belt assembly for driving the conveyor belt assembly. The support plate is connected to the conveyor belt assembly, and the scraper assembly is disposed on the support plate.

[0014] According to some embodiments of this application, the conveyor belt assembly further includes a third guide rail and a third slider. The third guide rail is disposed on the second housing along the transmission direction of the conveyor belt assembly and is located on the rear side of the ink collection structure. The bottom of the support plate is slidably connected to the third guide rail via the third slider.

[0015] According to some embodiments of this application, the scraper assembly includes a mounting base and a scraper body. The scraper body is disposed on the mounting base. The mounting base has a spray hole below the scraper body. The mounting base also has a liquid inlet hole and an adjustment hole. The liquid inlet hole communicates with the spray hole and is used to connect with external cleaning liquid. The adjustment hole is used to adjust the flow of cleaning liquid from the liquid inlet hole to the spray hole. The ink collection structure has a waste discharge hole.

[0016] According to some embodiments of this application, a fourth guide rail is provided on one side of the support frame along its own length direction, a second connecting plate is provided on the first housing, the second connecting plate is slidably connected to the fourth guide rail through a fourth slider, and a first sensor is provided on the second connecting plate for sensing the position of the first housing in the horizontal direction.

[0017] According to some embodiments of this application, the second connecting plate is vertically provided with a fifth guide rail on the side opposite to the fourth slider. The first housing is slidably disposed on the fifth guide rail via the fifth slider. The first housing is provided with a drive motor, the drive end of which is connected to the second connecting plate. The second connecting plate is also provided with a sensing plate. The first housing is provided with a second sensor corresponding to the sensing plate, which is used to sense the position of the first housing in the vertical direction.

[0018] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will become apparent and readily understood in conjunction with the following description of the embodiments, in which:

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic cleaning inkjet printing device provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0021] Figure 2 Another structural schematic diagram of the automatic cleaning inkjet printing apparatus provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic cleaning inkjet printing apparatus (removing the first and second housings) provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0023] Figure 4 Another perspective structural schematic diagram of an automatically cleaning inkjet printing apparatus (removing the first and second housings) provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a cleaning module provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0025] The attached icons are numbered as follows:

[0026] Support frame 100; First guide rail 110; Fourth guide rail 120; Printing module 200; First housing 210; Second connecting plate 211; Fourth slider 212; Fifth guide rail 213; Drive motor 214; Sensor 215; Fifth slider 216; First sensor 217; Printhead 220; Cleaning module 300; Second housing 310; First connecting plate 311; First slider 312; Waste discharge hole 313; Ink collection structure 320; Carrier box 321; Push cylinder 322; Second guide rail 323; Second slider 324; Scraper structure 330; Moving motor 331; Conveyor belt assembly 332; Support plate 333; Third guide rail 334; Third slider 335; Mounting base 336; Scraper body 337; Spray hole 341; Inlet hole 342; Adjustment hole 343. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0028] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0029] In the description of this application, the use of "first" and "second" is for the purpose of distinguishing technical features only, and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated or the order of the technical features indicated.

[0030] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly defined, terms such as "setup," "installation," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this application in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0031] Printing equipment can spray ink at designated locations to achieve printing. However, after a period of inactivity or pause, the nozzles of the printhead are prone to clogging, which can lead to uneven ink flow or incomplete inkjet printing during the next printing session. Current solutions for nozzle clogging involve scraping the nozzles with a scraper. Existing scraping methods clean the nozzles by moving the printing module to a fixed scraper position. These methods are complex, require repeated movement of the printing module, and are slow and inefficient.

[0032] Based on this, this application provides an automatic cleaning inkjet printing device to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. The solution provided by this application will be described in detail below.

[0033] Reference Figures 1 to 4 This application provides an automatic cleaning inkjet printing device, including: a support frame 100, an inkjet printing module 200, and a cleaning module 300. The inkjet printing module 200 includes a first housing 210 and a plurality of printheads 220. The first housing 210 is disposed on one side of the support frame 100, and the printheads 220 are disposed in the inner cavity of the first housing 210 and protrude from the lower end of the first housing 210. The cleaning module 300 includes a second housing 310, an ink collection structure 320, and an ink scraper structure 330. The second housing 310 is disposed on the other side of the support frame 100. The ink collection structure 320 and the ink scraper structure 330 are both disposed inside the second housing 310 and can both extend synchronously from the second housing 310 toward the first housing 210. The ink scraper structure 330 is partially disposed above the ink collection structure 320. The ink scraper structure 330 is used to clean residual ink at the printheads 220, and the ink collection structure 320 is used to receive the ink scraped off by the ink scraper structure 330. The first housing 210 of the printing module 200 and the second housing 310 of the cleaning module 300 are respectively disposed on different sides of the support frame 100. The scraper structure 330 and the ink collection structure 320 located in the second housing 310 can extend synchronously from the direction toward the first housing 210. After the printhead 220 of the printing module 200 completes the printing work, the scraper structure 330 and the ink collection structure 320 extend from the second housing 310 to the bottom of the printhead 220. The scraper structure 330 scrapes off the ink remaining on the printhead 220, and the scraped ink flows into the ink collection structure 320, thereby completing the self-cleaning process of the printhead 220. The automatic cleaning printing device provided in this application allows the ink scraper structure 330 in the cleaning module 300 to extend directly from the second housing 310 to complete the cleaning process of the printhead 220. This eliminates the need to move the printing module 200 back and forth to a dedicated cleaning station and eliminates the need for complex structures for support. This application improves the cleaning efficiency of the printhead 220.

[0034] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 4It is understood that the support frame 100 has a first guide rail 110 along its length on the other side, and the second housing 310 has at least one first connecting plate 311. The first connecting plate 311 is slidably connected to the first guide rail 110 via a first slider 312. Through the cooperation of the first guide rail 110 and the first slider 312, the second housing 310 can slide on the support frame 100, thereby adjusting the horizontal position of the second housing 310. This can be specifically adjusted according to different specifications of nozzles 220, improving the flexibility of the placement of the cleaning module 300.

[0035] Reference Figure 5 It is understood that the ink collection structure 320 includes a carrier box 321 and a push cylinder 322. The fixed part of the push cylinder 322 is disposed on the inner wall of one side of the second housing 310. The drive end of the push cylinder 322 is connected to the outer wall of the carrier box 321 and the scraper structure 330. Specifically, the drive end of the push cylinder 322 is connected to the outer wall of the carrier box 321 and the outer wall of the moving motor 331, for driving the carrier box 321 and the scraper structure 330 to move synchronously. The scraper structure 330 is disposed inside the carrier box 321. After the printhead 220 of the printing module 200 completes the printing work, the cylinder 322 drives the carrier box 321 and the scraper structure 330 to extend towards the first housing. The scraper structure 330 scrapes off the residual ink on the printhead 220 and the scraped ink flows into the carrier box 321 to complete the collection of residual ink. The carrier box 321 and the scraper structure 330 can be directly pushed out by the cylinder 322 to reach the position below the printhead 220. There is no need to move the printing module 200 back and forth to a dedicated cleaning station, which improves the cleaning efficiency of the printhead 220.

[0036] Continue to refer to Figure 5 It is understood that the ink collection structure 320 also includes a second guide rail 323 and a second slider 324 that cooperates with the second guide rail 323. The second slider 324 is disposed on the inner wall of the other side of the second housing 310, and the second guide rail 323 is disposed on the outer wall of the carrier box 321 near the second slider 324. Through the cooperation of the second guide rail 323 and the second slider 324, the extension and retraction processes of the carrier box 321 and the ink scraper structure 330 are guided, thereby improving the stability of the extension and retraction processes of the carrier box 321 and the ink scraper structure 330.

[0037] Understandably, the ink scraping structure 330 includes a moving component and a scraper assembly. The scraper assembly is connected to the moving component and positioned above the ink collection structure 320. The moving component drives the scraper assembly to move. Through the driving action of the moving component, the scraper assembly can move on the lower surface of the printhead 220, thereby scraping away and cleaning residual ink on the printhead 220.

[0038] Reference Figure 5 It is understood that the moving component includes a moving motor 331, a conveyor belt assembly 332, and a support plate 333. The drive end of the moving motor 331 is connected to the conveyor belt assembly 332 to drive the conveyor belt assembly 332. The support plate 333 is connected to the conveyor belt assembly 332, and the scraper assembly is disposed on the support plate 333. The moving motor 331 is connected to a roller at one end of the conveyor belt assembly 332. When the moving motor 331 is working, it drives the conveyor belt assembly 332 through the roller, thereby driving the support plate 333 disposed on the conveyor belt assembly 332 to move. This allows the scraper assembly on the support plate 333 to move on the lower surface of the printhead 220, achieving contact cleaning of the printhead 220 and thus scraping away residual ink on the printhead 220.

[0039] Continue to refer to Figure 5 It is understood that the conveyor belt assembly 332 also includes a third guide rail 334 and a third slider 335. The third guide rail 334 is disposed on the second housing 310 along the transmission direction of the conveyor belt assembly 332 and is located on the rear side of the ink collection structure 320. The bottom of the support plate 333 is slidably connected to the third guide rail 334 through the third slider 335. Through the cooperation of the third guide rail 334 and the third slider 335, the movement of the support plate 333 is guided, improving the stability of the scraper assembly located on the support plate 333 on the lower surface of the printhead 220, achieving contact cleaning of the printhead 220, and improving the reliability of the automatic cleaning printing device during the cleaning process.

[0040] Continue to refer to Figure 5It is understood that the scraper assembly includes a mounting base 336 and a scraper body 337. The scraper body 337 is made of a relatively soft material and can deform to a certain extent when in contact with the printhead 220. The scraper body 337 is mounted on the mounting base 336. The mounting base 336 has a spray hole 341 below the scraper body 337. The mounting base 336 also has a liquid inlet hole 342 and an adjustment hole 343. The liquid inlet hole 342 is connected to the spray hole 341 and is used to connect with external cleaning fluid. The adjustment hole 343 is used to adjust the flow of cleaning fluid from the liquid inlet hole 342 to the spray hole 341. The ink collection structure 320 has a waste discharge hole 313, specifically the waste discharge hole 313 on the carrier box 321. After the scraper body 337 finishes scraping the ink off the printhead 220, most of the ink flows onto the carrier box 321 of the ink collection structure 320, while some ink remains on the scraper body 337. After the ink solidifies, the residual ink affects the smoothness of the surface of the scraper body 337, thus failing to achieve the desired cleaning effect or easily damaging the printhead 220 during the next cleaning. The scraper body 337 needs to be cleaned with cleaning fluid before and after scraping the printhead 220. The cleaning fluid enters through the inlet hole 342 of the mounting base 336, and the amount of cleaning fluid sprayed from the spray hole 341 is adjusted through the adjustment hole 343 to clean the scraper body 337, ensuring that the scraper body 337 can scrape the printhead 220 cleanly each time without damaging the printhead 220. Meanwhile, the scraped ink or cleaning fluid after rinsing the scraper body 337 is discharged from the waste discharge hole 313 of the carrier box 321. Optionally, an air pump can be connected after the waste discharge hole 313 to improve the efficiency of waste liquid discharge.

[0041] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 3 It is understood that a fourth guide rail 120 is provided on one side of the support frame 100 along its length, and a second connecting plate 211 is provided on the first outer shell 210. The second connecting plate 211 is slidably connected to the fourth guide rail 120 via a fourth slider 212. A first sensor 217 is provided on the second connecting plate 211 to sense the horizontal position of the first outer shell 210. Through the cooperation of the fourth guide rail 120 and the fourth slider 212, the first outer shell 210 can slide on the support frame 100, thereby adjusting the horizontal position of the first outer shell 210 according to different materials to be printed. At the same time, the first sensor 217 can sense the position of the first outer shell 210, improving the flexibility of the printing module 200 in printing materials of different specifications.

[0042] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 4It is understood that the second connecting plate 211 has a fifth guide rail 213 vertically arranged on the side opposite to the fourth slider 212. The first housing 210 is slidably arranged on the fifth guide rail 213 via the fifth slider 216. The first housing 210 is provided with a drive motor 214. The drive end of the drive motor 214 is connected to the second connecting plate 211. The second connecting plate 211 is also provided with a sensing plate 215. The first housing 210 is provided with a second sensor corresponding to the sensing plate 215, which is used to sense the position of the first housing 210 in the vertical direction. The relative position between the first housing 210 and the second connecting plate 211 can be changed by the drive motor 214, thereby adjusting the vertical position of the printhead 220. The vertical position of the printhead 220 can be adjusted adaptively according to the printing and cleaning states, thus better protecting the printhead 220 and improving the flexibility of vertical adjustment of the printhead 220. At the same time, the cooperation of the fifth guide rail 213 and the fifth slider 216 enables the first housing 210 to move more smoothly in the vertical direction. The cooperation of the second sensor and the sensing plate 215 can obtain the vertical position of the printhead 220 in real time.

[0043] The embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of this application.

Claims

1. An automatically cleaning inkjet device, characterized by, include: Support frame; A printing module, comprising a first housing and a plurality of printheads, wherein the first housing is disposed on one side of the support frame, and the printheads are disposed in the inner cavity of the first housing and protrude from the lower end of the first housing; The cleaning module includes a second housing, an ink collection structure, and an ink scraping structure. The second housing is disposed on the other side of the support frame. The ink collection structure and the ink scraping structure are both disposed inside the second housing and can extend synchronously from the second housing toward the first housing. The ink scraping structure is partially disposed above the ink collection structure. The ink scraping structure is used to clean residual ink at the printhead, and the ink collection structure is used to receive the ink scraped off by the ink scraping structure. The ink collection structure includes a carrier box and a push cylinder. The fixed part of the push cylinder is disposed on the inner wall of one side of the second housing. The driving end of the push cylinder is connected to the outer wall of the carrier box and the ink scraping structure, and is used to drive the carrier box and the ink scraping structure to move synchronously. The ink scraping structure is disposed inside the carrier box. The ink scraping structure includes a scraper assembly, which includes a mounting base and a scraper body. The scraper body is disposed on the mounting base. The mounting base has a spray hole below the scraper body. The mounting base also has a liquid inlet and an adjustment hole. The liquid inlet communicates with the spray hole and is used to connect with external cleaning liquid. The adjustment hole is used to adjust the flow of cleaning liquid from the liquid inlet to the spray hole. The ink collection structure has a waste discharge hole. The support frame has a fourth guide rail along its length on one side, and a second connecting plate is provided on the first housing. The second connecting plate is slidably connected to the fourth guide rail via a fourth slider. A first sensor is provided on the second connecting plate to sense the position of the first housing in the horizontal direction.

2. The self-cleaning jet printing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The other side of the support frame is provided with a first guide rail along its own length direction, and the second outer shell is provided with at least one first connecting plate, which is slidably connected to the first guide rail by a first slider.

3. The self-cleaning inkjet device of claim 1, wherein, The ink collection structure also includes a second guide rail and a second slider that cooperates with the second guide rail. The second slider is disposed on the inner wall of the other side of the second housing, and the second guide rail is disposed on the outer wall of the carrier box near the second slider.

4. The self-cleaning inkjet device of claim 1, wherein, The ink scraping structure also includes a moving component, the scraper assembly is connected to the moving component and disposed above the ink collection structure, and the moving component is used to drive the scraper assembly to move.

5. The self-cleaning inkjet device of claim 4, wherein, The moving component includes a moving motor, a conveyor belt assembly, and a support plate. The drive end of the moving motor is connected to the conveyor belt assembly to drive the conveyor belt assembly. The support plate is connected to the conveyor belt assembly, and the scraper assembly is disposed on the support plate.

6. The self-cleaning inkjet device of claim 5, wherein, The conveyor belt assembly further includes a third guide rail and a third slider. The third guide rail is disposed on the second housing along the transmission direction of the conveyor belt assembly and is located on the rear side of the ink collection structure. The bottom of the support plate is slidably connected to the third guide rail through the third slider.

7. The self-cleaning inkjet device of claim 1, wherein, The second connecting plate is vertically provided with a fifth guide rail on the side opposite to the fourth sliding block, the first shell is slidably arranged on the fifth guide rail through a fifth sliding block, a driving motor is arranged on the first shell, a driving end of the driving motor is connected with the second connecting plate, an inductive sheet is further arranged on the second connecting plate, and a second inductor corresponding to the inductive sheet is arranged on the first shell and used for sensing the position of the first shell in the vertical direction.

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