The ink absorption mechanism of the wipe cleaner

Abstract

The present invention provides an ink absorption mechanism for a wiper cleaner that allows for easy installation and replacement of a large ink absorber. It is characterized by comprising: an ink absorber (32) that absorbs ink adhering to a wiper (8) by abutting against the wiper; and an ink absorber support (34) that supports the ink absorber (32) above the wiper (8) when the abutting area is released so that the wiper (8) can abut against the ink absorber (32) from below by performing an upward movement. The ink absorber (32) includes: a mounting portion formed in a flat plate shape, which is mounted and supported on the ink absorber support (34); and an extension portion (32e) that bends from the edge of the mounting portion and extends downward.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an ink absorption mechanism for a wiper cleaner, and more particularly to an ink absorption mechanism for a wiper cleaner that absorbs ink adhering to a wiper after wiping a printhead. Background Technology

[0002] Typically, inkjet printers have a printhead with nozzles on its lower surface that eject ink. Ink is ejected onto the upper surface of a sheet-like medium (printing medium) positioned below the printhead for printing. For high-precision printing, the state of the ink in the nozzles, known as the nozzle meniscus (ink surface), is crucial. For example, when unwanted ink droplets adhere to the nozzles, it can cause the ejected ink droplets to bend during flight, have landing deviations, and produce poorly shaped ink dots. As a result, a poor nozzle meniscus can lead to degraded print quality. Therefore, in inkjet printers, in addition to adjusting the nozzle meniscus, the printhead's ejection surface is cleaned using a wiper.

[0003] For example, a long, scraper-shaped wiper is pre-installed in a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction of the head (carriage). Wiping is performed on the head's ejection surface in the following manner: through the scanning motion of the head and the up-and-down movement of the wiper, the ejection surface of the head comes into contact with the upper surface or upper edge of the wiper, thereby wiping away the adhering ink. Furthermore, ink adheres to the upper surface or upper part of the wiper after wiping. When the ejection surface is wiped again directly, the ink adhering to the wiper will flow back to the ejection surface. Therefore, by bringing the upper surface or upper part of the wiper into contact with an ink absorber such as a sponge, the ink absorber absorbs the adhering ink, thereby removing the ink residue on the wiper.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a wiper cleaner that uses an ink absorber to absorb ink adhering to a wiper. The ink absorber is held on a plate and mounted on a cleaner holder, and the plate is detachably mounted on the cleaner holder. The ink absorber is replaced by pulling the plate out of the cleaner holder and replacing the old ink absorber with a new one.

[0005] Existing technical documents

[0006] Patent documents

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-116851 Summary of the Invention

[0008] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0009] In the wiper cleaner described in Patent Document 1, the size of the usable ink absorber is the same as or less than that of the cleaner holder. Therefore, in the cleaner holder disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a difficulty in increasing the volume of the ink absorber while reducing the frequency of ink absorber replacement.

[0010] The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide an ink absorption mechanism for a wiper cleaner that can easily install a large ink absorber and easily replace the ink absorber.

[0011] Methods for solving problems

[0012] The ink absorption mechanism of the wiper cleaner of the present invention is characterized by having: an ink absorber that absorbs ink adhering to the wiper by abutting against the wiper; and an ink absorber support portion that supports the ink absorber at a position above the wiper when the abutting area is open so that the wiper can abut against the ink absorber from below by performing an upward movement. The ink absorber includes: a mounting portion that is formed in the shape of a flat plate and is mounted and supported by the ink absorber support portion; and an extension portion that bends from the edge of the mounting portion and extends downward.

[0013] According to this structure, the flat ink absorber has an extended region that curves downward from the edge of the mounting portion supported by the ink absorber support. Therefore, the volume of the ink absorber can be increased. That is, the size of the ink absorber is not limited to the size of the ink absorber support, but can be set to any size. This reduces the frequency of ink absorber replacement. Furthermore, since the ink absorber is mounted and supported by the ink absorber support, the ink absorber can be easily installed, and the replacement of the ink absorber is also easier.

[0014] Invention Effects

[0015] According to the ink absorption mechanism of the wiper cleaner of the present invention, the volume of the ink absorber for absorbing attached ink can be increased, thereby reducing the frequency of ink absorber replacement. Furthermore, the ink absorber can be installed simply by placing the mounting portion in a positioned state on the ink absorber support portion, making ink absorber replacement easier. Therefore, this contributes to improving the operating rate of inkjet printers equipped with the ink absorption mechanism of the wiper cleaner of the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram showing the layout of the main parts of an inkjet printer equipped with the ink absorption mechanism of the wiping cleaner of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 A diagram illustrating the configuration relationship between the wiper and the ink absorption mechanism of the wiper cleaner in an inkjet printer.

[0018] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A three-dimensional diagram of the ink absorption mechanism of a wiping cleaner.

[0019] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A three-dimensional diagram of the ink absorption mechanism of a wiper cleaner, showing the state in which the ink absorber is not retained.

[0020] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 A top view of the ink absorption mechanism of a wiping cleaner.

[0021] Figure 6 yes Figure 2 A top view of the ink absorber of the ink absorption mechanism of the wiping cleaner.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of another embodiment of the ink absorption mechanism of the wiper cleaner of the present invention, showing a state in which the ink absorber is not retained.

[0023] Figure 8 Indicates in Figure 7 The state in which an ink absorber is placed in the ink absorption mechanism and the cover component is not closed. Detailed Implementation

[0024] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the ink absorption mechanism of the wiper cleaner of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram showing the layout of the main parts of an inkjet printer equipped with an ink absorption mechanism for wiping cleaners according to one embodiment. This inkjet printer has, for example, the same structure as the inkjet printer described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-131609, therefore an overall structural diagram is omitted. Specifically, this inkjet printer is configured such that an operation panel for the user to perform printing-related operations, a cover covering the main body, etc., are provided on the upper surface of the main body, which is supported by legs. Furthermore, an outlet for discharging media (printing media) is provided on the front surface of the main body, and a guide for guiding the media is provided in front of and below this outlet.

[0025] In this inkjet printer, for example, a series of sheet-like media wound on rollers is fed above an impression plate. After printing, ink is ejected from the impression plate onto the upper surface of the media, and then the media is discharged from the outlet onto a guide. As described later, a head 1, positioned above the impression plate and ejecting ink, is mounted on a carriage 2. The carriage 2 reciprocates in a direction intersecting the media transport direction, ejecting ink from the head 1 during the intersection with the media. The reciprocating (scanning) direction of the head 1 is the primary scanning direction, and the media transport direction (including its opposite direction) is the secondary scanning direction. It should be noted that the media can be sheet-like, and its material can be resin sheets or other materials besides recording paper. Furthermore, the sheet-like media does not necessarily need to be continuously transported; for example, it can be a sheet material separately positioned on the impression plate.

[0026] Figure 1 (a) is a top view showing the general layout of the main parts of the inkjet printer. Figure 1 (b) is its left-side view. Figure 2 This is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration relationship between the wiper 8 and the ink absorption mechanism 33 of the wiper cleaner.

[0027] exist Figure 1 In (a), the right side of the figure is defined as the front of the inkjet printer, and the left side is defined as the rear. Therefore, Figure 1 (b) is the left-side view. These directions will be used for explanation below.

[0028] The inkjet printer of this embodiment has two heads 1 on the lower surface of the carriage 2. As described above, the medium moves from the rear to the front of the printer in the sub-scanning direction, during which the carriage 2 and the heads 1 reciprocate in the main scanning direction, i.e., the left-right direction of the printer. When the heads 1 reciprocate relative to the main scanning direction, very small amounts of ink droplets are ejected from multiple (numerous) ejection nozzles provided on the lower surface of the heads 1, and these ink droplets fall onto the upper surface of the medium for printing. The portion of the lower surface of the heads 1 where the ejection nozzles are provided is called the ejection surface 1a. It should be noted that... Figure 1 The position of head 1 shown in (a) is the original position of the printer in standby mode, which is different from the position during printing.

[0029] The wiper 8 for the ejection surface 1a of the wiping head 1 is held by a wiper holder 9, which is housed within a movable ink receiving container 14 that is elongated in the front-rear direction (see [link]). Figure 2 With the wiping head 1 spraying surface 1a in the case, the wiper 8 is fixed to... Figure 1At position (a), with the upper surface (upper edge) of the wiper 8 in contact with the ejection surface 1a of the head 1, the head 1 is scanned (moved) in the main scanning (left and right) direction to wipe (remove) ink and other substances adhering to the ejection surface 1a.

[0030] In this embodiment, the wiper 8 is a scraper-shaped material that is both soft and strong, elongated in the front-to-back direction and thinner in the left-to-right direction, and is arranged with its upper surface (upper edge) parallel to the ejection surface 1a of the head 1. The wiper holder 9 that holds the wiper 8 is also elongated in the front-to-back direction, and holds the wiper 8 so that the wiper 8 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the holder. It should be noted that, when viewed from the front, an arm base end 11 is integrally provided on the left side of the wiper holder 9, and an arm portion 10 is integrally provided that protrudes to the left from the arm base end 11 and then extends downward.

[0031] The movable ink receiving container 14 is elongated in the front-to-back direction, specifically, from the wiping position of the ejection surface 1a of the wiping head 1 of the wiping device 8. Figure 1 The position shown in (a) is connected to the position where the ink absorber 32 is provided, i.e., the standby position. In this embodiment, the wiper 8 and the wiper holder 9 reciprocate from the wiping position to the standby position via the wiper moving mechanism 13. In order to accommodate the wiper holder 9 during its movement, the movable ink receiving container 14 is connected from the wiping position to the standby position.

[0032] Furthermore, in order to allow the upper part of the wiper 8 and the wiper holder 9 to reciprocate in an upwardly protruding state, such that the cleaning fluid dripping from the cleaning fluid nozzle 52 (described later) drips onto the upper surface of the wiper 8, the movable ink receiving container 14 has an upper opening. When viewed from the front, the movable ink receiving container 14 has a guide member 16 integrally provided on the upper left side of its upper part, consisting of a continuous round rod extending in the front-rear direction (see reference). Figure 2 The guide member 16 is slidably inserted into the arm base end 11 of the wiper holder 9, and the recess 17 at the lower end of the arm base end 11 engages with the upper left edge of the movable ink receiving container 14. Thus, while restricting the position of the wiper holder 9 and the wiper 8 relative to the movable ink receiving container 14 in the up-down and left-right directions, the wiper 8 (wiper holder 9) is allowed to reciprocate in the front-back direction.

[0033] A separate fixed ink receiving container 15 is provided below the movable ink receiving container 14 in the standby position.

[0034] With the wiper 8 and wiper holder 9 in the standby position, an ink absorber 32 is provided above the standby position for absorbing and removing ink adhering to the wiper 8 (see reference). Figure 2 The ink absorber 32 is made of a sponge made of polyolefin resin in a flat shape. It is arranged above the wiper 8 in the standby position in a horizontally extended manner while it is held in the ink absorption mechanism 33 of the wiper cleaner.

[0035] Figure 3 A perspective view of the ink-absorbing mechanism 33 of the wiper cleaner with the ink absorber 32 in place is shown. Figure 4 A perspective view of the ink-absorbing mechanism 33 of the wiper cleaner in a state where the ink absorber 32 is not held. Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Top view. Figure 6 A top view shows the ink absorber 32 held by the ink absorption mechanism 33 of the wiper cleaner.

[0036] The ink absorption mechanism 33 of this wipe cleaner mainly consists of an ink absorber support 34 and a cover member 35. The ink absorber support 34 is supported on the lower surface (supported portion 32d) of one end of a flat, horizontally extending ink absorber 32 that extends above the wiper 8. The cover member 35 is installed on the ink absorber support 34 in an openable and closable manner and covers the upper surface of the flat, horizontally extending ink absorber 32 when closed. That is, one end 32a (supported portion 32d) of the flat, horizontally extending ink absorber 32 above the wiper 8 is held by the ink absorber support 34 and the cover member 35.

[0037] like Figure 6 As shown, the ink absorber 32 is flat and, for example, is made of polyolefin resin sponge. Details are shown in the following descriptions of the components. The ink absorber 32 has a mounting portion 32d, an extension region 32e, a wiper contact region 32c, and ends 32a and 32b. The boundary between the mounting portion 32d and the extension region 32e is referred to as the edge portion 32f. A hole 42 and a slit-shaped insertion hole 51 are formed in the mounting portion.

[0038] According to Figure 2 As understood, the lower surface of the horizontally extending, flat ink absorber 32 is open above the wiper 8 in the standby position. That is, above the wiper 8, the lower surface of the ink absorber 32 is not supported by the ink absorber support 34. Therefore, when the wiper 8 is raised in the standby position by the lifting mechanism 6, the upper surface (including the upper edge) of the wiper 8 abuts against the lower surface of the ink absorber 32 over its entire length, and the adhering wiper ink is absorbed and removed by the ink absorber 32.

[0039] The wiper contact area 32c that the wiper 8 abuts can be set by making the width of the cover member 35 in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the opening and closing rotation axis 49 greater than the width of the ink absorber support 34 in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the opening and closing rotation axis 49. Therefore, the wiper contact area 32c can be easily set without affecting the installation of the ink absorber 32 onto the ink adsorption mechanism 33 of the wiper cleaner.

[0040] Based on the results of various experiments, when the pressing force of the wiper 8 on the ink absorber 32 based on the lifting mechanism 6 is set to 3.5N or more, the ink absorber 32, which is made of a sponge of polyolefin resin, can reliably absorb and remove the ink from the wiper. To withstand this pressing force, the upper surface of the horizontally unfolding flat ink absorber 32 in the area where the wiper 8 is pressed from below is covered by a metal cover member 35. It should be noted that, as described later, the cover member 35 engages with the claw portion 37 of the engaging portion 36 provided on the ink absorber support portion 34, thus preventing it from easily falling off (moving) even when the wiper 8 is pressed against the ink absorber 32 from below.

[0041] The ink absorber support portion 34 is made of a resin material with a specified elasticity and is integrally formed. It mainly comprises: a plate-shaped support portion 38 that supports the lower surface of a horizontally extending plate-shaped ink absorber 32; a plate-shaped guide portion 39 that extends downward from the right end of the support portion 38; a plate-shaped back plate portion 40 that separates to the right from the guide portion 39 with a specified gap, and extends downward parallel to the guide portion 39 and from the support portion 38; and a wall portion 41 that protrudes upward from both ends of the support portion 38 in the front-rear direction. On the upper surface of the support portion 38, protrusions 43 are provided at both ends in the front-rear direction for insertion into holes 42 provided in the plate-shaped ink absorber 32.

[0042] Additionally, a plate-shaped engaging portion 36, which is elongated in the front-rear direction and protrudes upward, is provided on the rib 44 that protrudes to the left from the guide portion 39 (see reference). Figure 2 The engaging portion 36 extends upward through a slit-shaped through hole 45 that is elongated in the front-rear direction and is provided on the support portion 38. A claw portion 37 protrudes from the right side of its upper end and engages with the upper surface of the cover member 35 in the closed state.

[0043] The cover member 35 is made of a rigid metal material and integrally formed, and mainly includes: a plate-shaped cover portion 46 that covers and presses the upper surface of the horizontally unfolding plate-shaped ink absorber 32; a plate-shaped handle portion 47 that extends downward from the left end of the cover portion 46; and a connecting portion 48 that protrudes to the right from both ends of the cover portion 46 in the front-rear direction. The connecting portion 48 of the cover member 35 is located inside the wall portion 41 of the ink absorber support portion 34 in the front-rear direction, and a rotating shaft 49 is inserted through the connecting portion 48 and the wall portion 41 of the ink absorber support portion 34. Therefore, the cover member 35 can be opened from... Figure 2 The ink absorber clamping position (closed position) shown by the solid line in the figure is rotated to the open position shown by the double-dotted line in the figure, thereby installing the cover member 35 relative to the ink absorber support 34 in a manner that allows it to be opened and closed.

[0044] Furthermore, in the closed state, the cover member 35 has an opening 50 that is elongated in the front-rear direction and through which the claw 37 of the locking part 36 can be inserted, facing the engaging part 36 of the ink absorber support 34. Therefore, when the ink absorber 32 is mounted on the support 38 of the ink absorber support 34, and the cover member 35 is rotated to the closed position to close, the claw 37 formed at the upper end of the engaging part 36 passes through the opening 50 of the cover member 35 and, through the elastic restoring force of the engaging part 36, covers the upper surface of the cover part 46 of the cover member 35. The claw 37 engages with the upper surface of the cover member 35, thereby preventing the cover member 35 from opening when the wiper is pressed. It should be noted that when the cover member 35 is opened, the engaging part 36 is pressed in the opposite direction to the protruding direction of the claw part 37 to release the engagement of the claw part 37 with the cover member 35. In this state, the cover member 35 is opened by hooking the finger on the handle part 47.

[0045] A slit-shaped insertion hole 51, elongated in the front-to-back direction, is provided between the guide portion 39 and the back plate portion 40 of the ink absorber support portion 34. The end 32b of the flat ink absorber 32, opposite to one end 32a of the side that abuts the wiper contact area 32c, is inserted into the insertion hole 51. The end 32b of the ink absorber 32, opposite to the wiper side, passes along the back plate portion 40 of the ink absorber support portion 34 through the gap between it and the movable ink receiving container 14, and then hangs down into the interior of the fixed ink receiving container 15. That is, the extended portion 32e of the ink absorber 32 bends from the edge 32f of the mounting portion 32d, maintaining a vertical state. Therefore, in the contact area of ​​the wiper 8, i.e. Figure 2The wiping ink absorbed by the ink absorber 32 in the upper left part gradually diffuses and permeates towards the opposite end 32b inside the ink absorber 32, eventually reaching the opposite end 32b. Therefore, if the end 32b of the ink absorber 32 on the side opposite to the contact area of ​​the wiper 8 hangs down into the fixed ink receiving container 15, even if the absorbed wiping ink drips from the opposite end 32b, it can be received by the fixed ink receiving container 15, preventing the wiping ink from leaking into the inside or outside of the printer.

[0046] It should be noted that an additional support is installed on the upper part of the ink absorber support 34 of the ink absorption mechanism 33 of the wiper cleaner. Figure 1 The cleaning fluid nozzle 52 is shown. This nozzle protrudes obliquely to the left and rear from the ink absorber support 34, and its protruding tip is positioned opposite the upper surface of the wiper 8, which moves in the front-rear direction within the movable ink receiving container 14. The cleaning fluid is supplied to the nozzle 52 via a tube (not shown), and drips from the lower surface of the protruding tip. In this embodiment, the wiper 8 is normally in a standby position and moves towards the wiping position when the wiping head 1's ejection surface 1a is open. During this movement, midway along the path of the wiper 8, while moving the wiper 8 in a forward-backward direction (especially backward), cleaning fluid is dripped from above using the cleaning fluid nozzle 52. This washes away, for example, the ink on the part of the wiper 8 that was not absorbed by the ink absorber 32, except for the upper surface (upper edge). Furthermore, by allowing the cleaning fluid to adhere to the upper surface (upper edge) of the wiper 8, the subsequent wiping of the ejection surface 1a of the head 1 becomes more reliable. In addition, since the wiper ink washed away by the cleaning fluid drips / flows directly into the movable ink receiving container 14, it is possible to prevent the wiper ink from leaking into the inside or outside of the printer.

[0047] Figure 7 and Figure 8 Another embodiment of the ink absorption mechanism 33 of the wiper cleaner of the present invention is shown. Figure 7 This shows the state without the ink absorber 32. Figure 8 The image shows the state where the ink absorber 32 is placed and the cover member 35 is not closed. Parts having the same function as in the embodiment described above are labeled with the same reference numerals.

[0048] The difference between the ink absorption mechanism 33 of the wiper cleaner described above and the one described above is that a protrusion 58 protruding toward the cover member 35 is formed in the ink absorber support portion 34. Figure 7In the example shown, four protrusions 58 are provided on the edges of the ink absorber support 34 in the left and right directions. In addition, when the ink absorber 32 is placed on the ink absorber support 34, an anti-detachment claw 56 is provided at the top of the protrusion 43, which facilitates the positioning of the ink absorber 32, to prevent the ink absorber 32 from falling off.

[0049] Therefore, when the ink absorber 32 is mounted on the support portion 38 of the ink absorber support portion 34, and the open cover member 35 is rotated to the closed position to close, the ink absorber 32 is clamped and fixed between the protrusion 58 of the ink absorber support portion 34 and the cover member 35. That is, in the above embodiment, the ink absorber 32 is fixed in a state where it is clamped between the ink absorber support portion 34 and the cover member 35, but in this other embodiment, the ink absorber 32 is clamped by the protrusion 58 of the ink absorber support portion 34 and the cover member 35.

[0050] As a result, the contact area between the ink absorber 32 and the ink absorber support 34 becomes smaller. Even if there is a deviation in the thickness of the ink absorber 32, when the cover member 35 is closed and the claw 37 of the engaging part 36 engages with the upper surface of the cover part 46 of the cover member 35, the ink absorber 32 is pressed and flattened by the cover member 35 at the part of the protrusion 58, and the thickness of the ink absorber 32 becomes smaller, so the cover member 35 can be closed.

[0051] Furthermore, since four protrusions 58 are provided on the left and right edges of the ink absorber support portion 34, the ink absorber 32 can be reliably clamped between the cover member 35 and the protrusions 58.

[0052] Furthermore, when the ink absorber 32 is mounted on the ink absorber support 34, the anti-detachment claw 56 can prevent it from accidentally falling off during use, thus enabling the inkjet printer to be used effectively.

[0053] In this embodiment, the ink absorption mechanism 33 of the wiper cleaner uses an ink absorber support 34 and a cover member 35 to hold one end 32a (the mounted part 32d) of a flat ink absorber 32, while the other end 32b hangs down into the ink receiving container 15. This increases the volume of the ink absorber 32 and reduces the frequency of ink absorber 32 replacement. Furthermore, the cover member 35 is freely openable and closable relative to the ink absorber support 34, making it easy to replace the ink absorber 32.

[0054] It should be noted that since the lower end 32b of the extended area 32e extends to the ink receiving container 15 located below, the remaining ink that cannot be absorbed when the ink absorber 32 exceeds the ink absorption limit can be received by the ink receiving container 15, thus preventing the printer body from being contaminated by the remaining ink.

[0055] It should be noted that a cover member 35 with a specified rigidity is provided at the upper part of the ink absorber support 34, covering the upper area of ​​the supported ink absorber 32. When the wiper 8 abuts against the ink absorber 32 from below, the cover member 35 can prevent the ink absorber 32 from being lifted upwards. That is, the ink absorber 32 is always well held between the ink absorber support 34 and the cover member 35, thereby maintaining good ink absorption.

[0056] It should be noted that, since a protrusion 58 protruding toward the cover member 35 is formed in the ink absorber support portion 34, when the cover member 35 is closed and the claw portion 37 of the engaging portion 36 engages with the upper surface of the cover portion 46 of the cover member 35, the ink absorber 32 is pressed and crushed by the cover member 35 at the portion of the protrusion 58, thereby reducing the thickness of the ink absorber 32 and allowing the cover member 35 to be closed. That is, the ink absorber 32 is held by the protrusion 58 and the cover member 35, and the contact area between the ink absorber 32 and the ink absorber support portion 34 is reduced, so that the ink absorber 32 can be mounted even if there is a deviation in the thickness of the ink absorber 32.

[0057] It should be noted that the ink absorber support portion 34 is provided with a locking portion 36 having claws 37, and the cover member 35 is provided with an opening 50 where the claws 37 can engage. The ink absorber 32 is clamped and fixed between the ink absorber support portion 34 and the cover member 35 through the locking mechanism. Thus, the ink absorber 32 is fixed in a state where it is clamped between the ink absorber support portion 34 and the cover member 35, enabling it to perform ink absorption effectively. Furthermore, the ink absorber 32 can be easily replaced by releasing the locking mechanism between the claws 37 and the opening 50.

[0058] It should be noted that the ink absorber support portion 34 is provided with a protrusion 43 protruding towards the cover portion 35. At the top of the protrusion 43 is an anti-detachment claw 56 to prevent the mounted ink absorber 32 from falling off. The mounted portion 32d of the ink absorber 32 is provided with a hole 42 through which the protrusion 43 passes and a slit-shaped insertion hole 51 through which the claw 37 of the ink absorber support portion 34 passes. Therefore, when replacing the ink absorber 32, the ink absorber 32 passes through the hole 42 and the slit-shaped insertion hole 51 of the ink absorber support portion 34 via the protrusion 43 and the claw 37, respectively, allowing for easy and accurate positioning onto the ink absorber support portion 34 and enabling rapid replacement operations.

[0059] In addition, the presence of the anti-detachment claw 56 prevents the ink absorber 32 from accidentally detaching during use, ensuring proper operation of the inkjet printer.

[0060] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, a method is shown in which a cleaning fluid nozzle 52 is mounted on the upper part of the ink absorber support portion 34 of the ink absorption mechanism 33 of the wiping cleaner, but the invention is not limited to this method. Furthermore, the ink absorber 32 is not a perfectly rectangular shape, but has a shape with protrusions at the corners or top, but the invention is not limited to this method. Moreover, the layout of the main components of the inkjet printer in the above embodiment is an example, and can be appropriately changed and set according to the application and specifications.

[0061] Furthermore, four protrusions 58 are provided on the edges of the ink absorber support 34 in the left and right directions, but their location and number are not limited to this embodiment. For example, two protrusions may be provided near the protrusions 43 of the ink absorber support 34. In addition, the number can be appropriately determined according to the material and size of the ink absorber 32.

[0062] Label Explanation

[0063] 1 head

[0064] 1a Ejection surface

[0065] 8 Wipers

[0066] 9 Wiper retainer

[0067] 13 Wiper Moving Mechanism

[0068] 14 Movable ink receiving container

[0069] 15 Ink Receiving Container

[0070] 32 Ink absorber

[0071] 33. Ink absorption mechanism for wiping cleaners

[0072] 34 Ink absorber support

[0073] 35. Cover components.

Claims

1. An ink-absorbing mechanism for a wiper cleaner, characterized in that, have: An ink absorber absorbs ink adhering to a wiper by coming into contact with the wiper; and The ink absorber support portion supports the ink absorber at a position above the wiper, with the contact area open to allow the wiper to come into contact with the ink absorber from below during an upward movement. The ink absorber includes: a mounting portion, formed in a flat plate shape, which is mounted and supported on the ink absorber support portion; and an extension portion, which curves downward from the edge of the mounting portion. The ink absorber support includes: a plate-shaped support portion that supports the lower surface of the mounted portion; a plate-shaped guide portion that extends downward from the right end of the support portion; a plate-shaped back plate portion that separates to the right from the guide portion by a predetermined gap and extends downward parallel to the guide portion and from the support portion; and a wall portion that protrudes upward from both ends of the support portion in the front-rear direction. A cover member is provided at the upper part of the ink absorber support. The cover member covers the upper area of ​​the supported ink absorber and has a specified rigidity. The cover member is installed relative to the wall in an openable and closable manner. The extended region extends downward through the gap.

2. The ink absorption mechanism of the wiper cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower end of the extended region extends to an ink receiving container located below.

3. The ink absorption mechanism of the wiper cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that, A protrusion is formed on the ink absorber support portion that protrudes toward the cover member.

4. The ink absorption mechanism of the wiper cleaner according to claim 3, characterized in that, The ink absorber support portion is provided with a locking portion having claws, and the cover member is provided with an opening portion for the claws to engage. The ink absorber is clamped and fixed between the ink absorber support and the cover member by the engagement.

5. The ink absorption mechanism of the wiper cleaner according to claim 4, characterized in that, The ink absorber support portion is provided with a protrusion that extends toward the cover member, and an anti-detachment claw portion is formed at the top of the protrusion to prevent the placed ink absorber from falling off. The ink absorber has a hole and a slit-shaped insertion hole in the mounting portion. The hole is through which the protrusion passes, and the slit-shaped insertion hole is through which the engaging portion and the claw portion provided in the ink absorber support portion pass.

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