Maintenance device and inkjet recording apparatus

Abstract

The invention provides a maintenance device and an ink jet recording apparatus. The maintenance device includes an end cap, an air supply port, and a suppression member. And the end cover is arranged on the nozzle surface of the ink jet head. And the air supply port is formed in the end cover. The suppression member is provided at least between the air supply port and the nozzle surface, and has a first gap between the suppression member and the air supply port, and a second gap between the suppression member and the nozzle surface. Therefore, the humidified air is not in direct contact with the nozzle surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a maintenance device for maintaining an inkjet head and an inkjet recording device. Background Art

[0002] In an inkjet recording device using water-based ink, when printing is not performed, water evaporates from the ink in the nozzle, causing viscosity to increase, which may cause poor discharge (discharge) or clogging. Therefore, in the prior art, a technology for suppressing the evaporation of water from the ink in the nozzle is being studied. For example, there is a device that supplies humidified air into the end cap covering the discharge surface (nozzle surface) of the inkjet head.

[0003] However, in the above device, the humidified air is in direct contact with the nozzle surface, and condensation may occur on the nozzle surface, causing the ink to be pulled out of the nozzle by the condensation. In addition, the airflow of the humidified air may cause the ink in the nozzle to vibrate and cause the ink to fall. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to prevent humidified air from directly contacting the nozzle surface.

[0005] The maintenance device of the present invention comprises an end cap, an air supply port and a suppressing member. The end cap is mounted on the nozzle surface of the inkjet head. The air supply port is arranged on the end cap. The suppressing member is arranged at least between the air supply port and the nozzle surface, has a first gap between the suppressing member and the air supply port, and has a second gap between the suppressing member and the nozzle surface.

[0006] Furthermore, an inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention includes the inkjet head and any one of the maintenance devices described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing the appearance of the image forming system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0008] Figure 2 It is a front view schematically showing the internal structure of the inkjet recording device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 3 It is a front view schematically showing the head unit and the maintenance device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 4 It is a plan view schematically showing the head unit and the wiping unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 5It is a plan view schematically showing the end cap unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional view showing an ink jet head according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 7 It is a front view showing the operation of the maintenance device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 8 It is a perspective view showing the end cap unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Fig. 9 It is a plan view showing the end cap unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Fig.10 Yes means Fig. 9 Cross-sectional view of section II.

[0017] Fig.11 It is an exploded view showing the end cap unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Fig.12 It is a figure which shows the flow of air and humidified air in the end cap unit which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention.

[0019] Fig.13 It is a plan view showing the positions of the humidification tank and the recovery tank according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Fig.14 It is a cross-sectional view showing the flow of humidified air in the end cap according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Fig.15 It is a cross-sectional view showing an end cap unit including a suppression member according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Fig.16 It is a plan view showing an end cap having a suppression member according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Fig.17 It is a cross-sectional view showing an end cap unit including a suppression member according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Fig.18 It is a plan view showing an end cap having a suppression member according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] [First embodiment] Next, refer to the attached Figure 1An inkjet recording device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0026] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing the appearance of the image forming system 100 . Figure 2 It is a front view schematically showing the internal structure of the inkjet recording device 1 . Figure 3 It is a front view schematically showing the head unit 11 and the maintenance device 30 . Figure 4 It is a plan view schematically showing the head unit 11 and the wiping unit 32 . Figure 5 1 is a plan view schematically showing the end cap unit 31 . Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional view showing the inkjet head 12 . Figure 7 30 is a front view showing the operation of the maintenance device 30. Figure 2 The front side of the paper in the figure is the front side (front side) of the inkjet recording device 1, and the left and right directions are described based on the direction of viewing the inkjet recording device 1 from the front. In each figure, U, Lo, L, R, Fr, and Rr represent up, down, left, right, front, and back, respectively.

[0027] Image forming system 100 (see Figure 1 ) includes a paper supply device 110, an inkjet recording device 1, a drying device 120, and a post-processing device 130. The paper supply device 110 stores thousands of sheets and supplies the sheets to the inkjet recording device 1. The inkjet recording device 1 forms an image on the sheet by inkjet method. The drying device 120 heats the sheet conveyed from the inkjet recording device 1 to dry the ink. The post-processing device 130 performs post-processing such as punching, binding, and folding on the sheet conveyed from the drying device 120.

[0028] Inkjet recording device 1 (refer to Figure 2 ) has a main body shell 3 in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. In the central part of the main body shell 3, there is provided a conveying unit 7 for sucking a sheet and conveying it in the Y direction. Above the conveying unit 7, there is provided an imaging unit 6 for discharging ink to form an image. On the right side of the main body shell 3, there is provided a paper feed port 8 for introducing a sheet from a paper feed device 110. On the left side of the main body shell 3, there is provided a discharge port 9 for discharging the sheet with an image formed thereon to a drying device 120. Inside the main body shell 3, there is provided a conveying path 10 that starts from the paper feed port 8 and passes through the gap between the conveying unit 7 and the imaging unit 6 to reach the discharge port 9. A registration roller 18 is provided at a position upstream of the conveying unit 7 in the conveying direction Y.

[0029] The conveying unit 7 includes an endless conveyor belt 21 and a suction portion 24. The conveyor belt 21 has a plurality of air holes (not shown in the figure), and is wound around a driving roller 25 and a driven roller 22. The upper surface of the suction portion 24 has a plurality of air holes (not shown in the figure), and is in contact with the inner surface of the conveyor belt 21. The suction portion 24 sucks air through the air holes of the conveyor belt 21 and the air holes of the suction portion 24, thereby adsorbing the sheet to the conveyor belt 21. The driving roller 25 is driven counterclockwise by a driving portion (not shown in the figure) including a motor and a reduction gear, thereby rotating the conveyor belt 21 in the counterclockwise direction, and the sheet adsorbed to the conveyor belt 21 is conveyed along the Y direction.

[0030] The imaging unit 6 includes a plurality of (four in this embodiment) head units 11. The head units 11 (see Figure 3 , Figure 4 ) has one or more (three in this embodiment) inkjet heads 12. Each head unit 11 is connected to an ink cartridge 20 filled with black, cyan, magenta, and yellow inks.

[0031] Inkjet head 12 (see Figure 6 ) has a rectangular parallelepiped housing 12H with the front-to-back direction as the longitudinal direction, a nozzle plate 14 provided at the bottom of the housing 12H, and a socket 12S for connecting a pipe for supplying ink. The nozzle plate 14 has a plurality of nozzles 14N arranged in the front-to-back direction. The nozzle 14N has a branch flow path 14B branching from the downstream side of the socket 12S, and an outlet 14A provided on the lower surface of the nozzle plate 14, i.e., the nozzle surface 14F. The vibration plate 14V also serves as a part of the inner wall of the branch flow path 14B. A pressure element 14Z is provided on the vibration plate 14V. As the pressure element 14Z, a piezoelectric element, an electrostatic actuator, a heater, etc. are used. A driving circuit 12D for driving the pressure element 14Z is connected to the pressure element 14Z.

[0032] Control unit 2 (refer to Figure 2 ) has a computing unit and a storage unit (not shown). The computing unit is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The storage unit includes storage media such as ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory). The computing unit performs various processes by reading and executing the control program stored in the storage unit. In addition, the control unit 2 can also be implemented by an integrated circuit without using software.

[0033] A display operation unit 19 (see Figure 1 , Figure 2 The display operation unit 19 includes a display panel, a touch screen and a keyboard (not shown) stacked on the display panel. The control unit 2 displays a screen showing an operation menu, status, etc. of the inkjet recording device 1 on the display panel, and controls each unit of the inkjet recording device 1 according to the operation detected by the touch screen and the keyboard.

[0034] The basic image forming operation of the inkjet recording device 1 is as follows. When an image forming job is input to the inkjet recording device 1 from the display operation unit 19, an external computer, etc., the paper feed device 110 feeds the sheet to the conveying path 10 through the paper feed port 8, and the registration roller 18 whose rotation is stopped corrects the skew of the sheet. When the registration roller 18 feeds the sheet to the conveying unit 7 at a predetermined timing, the conveying unit 7 adsorbs the sheet to the conveying belt 21 and conveys it in the Y direction. Ink is discharged from the inkjet head 12 to the sheet to form an image on the sheet. The sheet with the image formed is discharged to the drying device 120 through the discharge port 9.

[0035] [Maintenance device] Next, the maintenance device 30 will be described. The four head units 11 have the same structure, and since the four maintenance devices 30 have the same structure, one head unit 11 and one maintenance device 30 provided on the right side thereof will be described below.

[0036] The head unit 11 includes a head base 11B (see Figure 3 , Figure 4 ). Three inkjet heads 12 are arranged alternately on the head base 11B.

[0037] Maintenance device 30 (see Figure 3 ) is provided on the side (right side in this embodiment) of the head unit 11. The maintenance device 30 includes an end cap unit 31 and a wiping unit 32.

[0038] [End cap unit] End cap unit 31 (refer to Figure 3 , Figure 5 ) has the same number of end caps 72 as the inkjet heads 12 of the head unit 11 (three in this embodiment). The three end caps 72 are staggered in the same manner as the inkjet heads 12, and are supported by the frame 71. Two end caps 72 are arranged front and back on the right side of the center in the left-right direction of the frame 71, and one end cap 72 is arranged on the left side. One end cap 72 on the left side is arranged in the middle position in the front-back direction of the two end caps 72 on the right side.

[0039] [Wipe unit] Wiping unit 32 (see Figure 3, Figure 4 ) has a waste liquid tray 81 and a cleaning component 82. The waste liquid tray 81 has the same number of recesses 81U as the inkjet heads 12 possessed by the head unit 11. The plurality of recesses 81U are staggered in the same manner as the inkjet heads 12. The cleaning component 82 is provided in each of the recesses 81U. The cleaning component 82 is, for example, a scraper. The waste liquid tray 81 has a driving unit (not shown) that causes the cleaning component 82 to slide along the nozzle surface 14F. The waste liquid tray 81 is mounted on the plurality of end caps 72. In other words, the wiping unit 32 is mounted on the end cap unit 31. A cleaning liquid supply device 13 (see Figure 6 ).

[0040] [Head lifting device] Head lifting device 11L (refer to Figure 4 ) are provided on both the front and rear sides of the head base 11B. The head lifting device 11L is composed of, for example, a ball screw, a belt drive device, etc. The head lifting device 11L raises and lowers the head unit 11 between the image forming position and the retreat position. Image forming position (refer to Figure 7 (A) in the figure means that the distance between the conveying path 10 (the upper surface of the conveying belt 21) for conveying the sheet and the nozzle surface 14F is a predetermined distance suitable for image formation. The image forming position is the lower limit position of the lifting range of the head unit 11 by the head lifting device 11L. The retreat position (refer to Figure 7 (B)) means a position where the head unit 11 does not interfere with the wiping unit 32 when the cap unit 31 and the wiping unit 32 are slid using the cap sliding device 34 described later. The retracted position means the upper limit position of the lifting range of the head unit 11.

[0041] [End cover sliding device] End cover sliding device 34 (refer to Figure 5 ) are provided on both the front and rear sides of the frame 71 of the end cover unit 31. The end cover sliding device 34 is composed of, for example, a ball screw, a belt drive device, etc. The end cover sliding device 34 slides the end cover unit 31 between a home position and a maintenance position. The home position (refer to Figure 7 (A) in FIG. 1 is a position on the right side of the head unit 11 at the image forming position. Figure 7 (F)) in the figure means a position below the head unit 11 at the retracted position.

[0042] [Wipe lift device] Wiping lifting device 35 (refer to Figure 4) are provided on both sides of the waste liquid tray 81 of the wiping unit 32. The wiping lifting device 35 is composed of, for example, a ball screw, a belt drive device, etc. The wiping lifting device 35 enables the wiping unit 32 to be in a contact position (refer to Figure 7 (B) in the figure), and the waste liquid tray 81 is separated from the end cover 72 by a predetermined distance (refer to Figure 7 The (E) in the figure rises and falls.

[0043] Next, the structure of the end cap unit 31 will be described in detail. Figure 8 It is a perspective view showing the end cap unit 31 . Fig. 9 It is a plan view showing the end cap unit 31 . Fig.10 Yes means Fig. 9 Cross-sectional view of section II. Fig.11 It is an exploded view showing the end cover unit 31 . Fig.12 It is a figure which shows the flow of the air A and the humidified air WA in the end cap unit 31. Fig.13 It is a plan view showing the positions of the humidification tank 92 and the recovery tank 94 . Fig.14 It is a cross-sectional view showing the flow of the humidified air WA in the end cover 72 .

[0044] [End cap] End cap 72 (see Figures 8 to 10 ) is formed into a box shape with an opening at the top. The end cover 72 has a bottom 72B that is roughly rectangular with the front-to-back direction as the length direction, and a side wall portion 72W that stands upright from the edge of the bottom 72B. The side wall portion 72W is formed of a flexible material such as rubber. An air supply port 72NA and an exhaust port 72EA are provided on the bottom 72B. On the right rear side and the left side of the end cover 72, an air supply port 72NA is provided on the rear side, and an exhaust port 72EA is provided on the front side. On the right front side of the end cover 72, an air supply port 72NA is provided on the front side, and an exhaust port 72EA is provided on the rear side.

[0045] [Humidification tank and recovery tank] Below the frame 71 (see Figure 8 , Figures 11 to 13 ), the same number of humidifying tanks 92 as the end caps 72 (three in this embodiment) and one recovery tank 94 are provided. The humidifying tanks 92 and the recovery tanks 94 are supported by the frame 91. Each humidifying tank 92 is respectively arranged below the air supply port 72NA of each end cap 72. The recovery tank 94 has a shape including all the exhaust ports 72EA when viewed from above, and is arranged below all the exhaust ports 72EA.

[0046] The air supply port 72NA of each end cap 72 is connected to an air supply pipe 72N (see Fig.10). An exhaust pipe 72E that allows the end cover 72 to communicate with the recovery tank 94 is connected to the exhaust port 72EA of each end cover 72. That is, the recovery tank 94 is connected to three exhaust pipes 72E.

[0047] The air pump 95 passes through the recovery flow path 95E (see Figure 8 , Fig. 9 , Fig.11 ) is connected to the recovery tank 94, and is connected to all the humidification tanks 92 through the supply flow path 95N. The air pump 95 recovers the air A from the recovery tank 94 through the recovery flow path 95E, and supplies the recovered air A to all the humidification tanks 92 through the supply flow path 95N (refer to Fig.12 ).

[0048] All humidification tanks 92 are connected through a connecting pipe 92C (see Fig.10 , Fig.11 , Fig.12 ) is connected to the humidification sub-tank 93. The humidification sub-tank 93 is connected to a humidification medium tank 93T and a humidification medium pump 93P. The humidification medium tank 93T stores a humidification medium WM (see Fig.14 The humidifying medium WM is, for example, water. The humidifying medium pump 93P supplies the humidifying medium WM from the humidifying medium tank 93T to the humidifying sub-tank 93. The humidifying sub-tank 93 is provided with a liquid level sensor 93S (see Figure 8 , Fig. 9 , Fig.11 The humidifying tank 92 is provided with a heater 92H for heating the humidifying medium WM (see Fig.10 ).

[0049] Next, the basic operation of the maintenance device 30 will be described. Figure 7 In (A)), the head unit 11 is located at the image forming position, and the end cap unit 31 is located at the starting position. The wiping unit 32 is placed on the end cap unit 31. That is, the waste liquid tray 81 is in contact with the end cap 72. The control unit 2 performs the following processing at a predetermined timing. The so-called predetermined timing refers to, for example, the timing at which the viscosity of the ink in the nozzle 14N is expected to increase, specifically, the situation where the period during which the image forming operation is not performed continues for a predetermined period, etc.

[0050] First, the control unit 2 operates the head lifting device 11L to raise the head unit 11 to the retracted position (see Figure 7 Next, the control unit 2 operates the end cover sliding device 34 to slide the end cover unit 31 to the maintenance position (see Figure 7At this time, since the wiper unit 32 is placed on the end cap unit 31, the wiper unit 32 also slides toward the maintenance position together with the end cap unit 31. Next, the control unit 2 operates the head lifting device 11L to lower the head unit 11 to a height at which the nozzle surface 14F contacts the cleaning member 82 (see Figure 7 (D) in the.

[0051] Next, after a predetermined amount of ink is forcibly discharged from the inkjet head 12, the control unit 2 supplies cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface 14F and causes the cleaning member 82 to slide along the nozzle surface 14F. As a result, the ink remaining on the nozzle surface 14F is diluted by the cleaning liquid, and waste liquid containing the ink and the cleaning liquid is scraped off by the cleaning member 82 and falls into the waste liquid tray 81.

[0052] Next, the control unit 2 operates the head lifting device 11L to raise the head unit 11 to the retracted position (see Figure 7 Then, the control unit 2 operates the end cover sliding device 34 to slide the end cover unit 31 and the wiping unit 32 to the starting position (refer to Figure 7 (B) in the figure.

[0053] Next, the control unit 2 operates the wiping lifting device 35 to raise the wiping unit 32 to the separation position (see Figure 7 Next, the control unit 2 operates the end cover sliding device 34 to slide the end cover unit 31 to the maintenance position (see Figure 7 At this time, since the wiping unit 32 is separated from the end cover unit 31, the wiping unit 32 stays at the starting position, and only the end cover unit 31 slides to the maintenance position.

[0054] Next, the control unit 2 operates the head lifting device 11L to lower the head unit 11 to a height where the nozzle surface 14F contacts the end cap 72 (see Figure 7 In this way, the end cap 72 is mounted on the nozzle surface 14F.

[0055] Next, the control unit 2 humidifies the inside of the end cap 72. The control unit 2 monitors the measured value through the liquid level sensor 93S, and maintains the height of the liquid level in the humidification sub-tank 93 within a specified range. Specifically, when the measured value of the liquid level is lower than the specified range, a specified amount of humidification medium WM is replenished from the humidification medium tank 93T to the humidification sub-tank 93 using the humidification medium pump 93P. Since the humidification sub-tank 93 is connected to the humidification tank 92 through the connecting pipe 92C, the height of the liquid level of the humidification medium WM in the humidification sub-tank 93 and all the humidification tanks 92 becomes uniform.

[0056] Air pump 95 (refer to Fig.12) The air A is recovered from the recovery tank 94 through the recovery flow path 95E, and the recovered air A is supplied to all the humidification tanks 92 through the supply flow path 95N. The end of the supply flow path 95N on the humidification tank 92 side is arranged at a position lower than the liquid level of the humidification medium WM (refer to Fig.14 ). Therefore, in the humidifying tank 92, air A is blown into the humidifying medium WM to generate bubbles B. During the period from when the bubbles B float to the liquid surface, the water vapor pressure of the bubbles B increases. In addition, since the humidifying medium WM in the humidifying tank 92 is heated by the heater 92H, it is easy to generate water vapor. Therefore, the space above the liquid surface of the humidifying tank 92 is filled with humidified air WA with increased water vapor pressure, and the humidified air WA flows into the end cap 72 through the air supply pipe 72N.

[0057] On the other hand, in the recovery tank 94, air A is sucked by the air pump 95, thereby generating negative pressure. Therefore, in the end cap 72, an air flow of humidified air WA is generated from the air supply port 72NA to the exhaust port 72EA. In addition, since the humidified air WA heated by the heater 92H is supplied to the end cap 72, convection occurs in the end cap 72, and the high-temperature humidified air WA is supplied to the nozzle surface 14F. In this way, the humidified air WA contacts the ink in the nozzle 14N, and the viscosity of the ink is suppressed from increasing.

[0058] When an image forming job is to be executed, the control unit 2 operates the head lifting device 11L to raise the head unit 11 to the retracted position (see Figure 7 (F) in the figure, the end cover sliding device 34 is operated to slide the end cover unit 31 to the starting position (refer to Figure 7 (E) in the figure), the wiping lifting device 35 is operated to lower the wiping unit 32 to the contact position (refer to Figure 7 Then, the control unit 2 operates the head lifting device 11L to lower the head unit 11 to the image forming position to perform the image forming operation.

[0059] In addition, the humidified air WA flowing into the end cap 72 through the air supply pipe 72N rises toward the nozzle surface 14F. Therefore, the humidified air WA directly contacts the nozzle surface 14F. In this case, condensation occurs on the nozzle surface 14F, and the ink may flow out of the nozzle 14N due to the condensation. In addition, the ink in the nozzle 14N may vibrate due to the airflow of the humidified air WA, thereby causing the ink to fall. There is a concern that the fallen ink may accumulate in the end cap 72 and hinder the flow of the humidified air WA or clog the air supply pipe 72N.

[0060] Therefore, the maintenance device 30 according to the present embodiment includes the suppression member 73 . Fig.15 It is a cross-sectional view showing the end cap unit 31 having the suppression member 73 . Fig.167 is a top view showing the end cap 72 having the suppression member 73. Fig.15 Yes means Fig.16 Cross-sectional view of section II-II.

[0061] The maintenance device 30 involved in this embodiment includes an end cap 72, an air supply port 72NA, and a suppressing member 73, wherein the end cap 72 is mounted on the nozzle surface 14F of the inkjet head 12; the air supply port 72NA is provided on the end cap 72; the suppressing member 73 is provided at least between the air supply port 72NA and the nozzle surface 14F, and has a first gap G1 between it and the air supply port 72NA, and has a second gap G2 between it and the nozzle surface 14F. The details are as follows.

[0062] The suppression member 73 is disposed above the air supply port 72NA. The suppression member 73 is a plate-shaped member with the vertical direction as the thickness direction, and is formed of resin. The suppression member 73 is supported by a support 73P provided at the bottom 72B of the end cover 72. The dimensions of the suppression member 73 in the front-to-back direction and the left-to-right direction are larger than those of the air supply port 72NA. The suppression member 73 is provided so as to cover at least the entirety of the air supply port 72NA when viewed from above. A first gap G1 is provided between the air supply port 72NA and the lower surface of the suppression member 73. A second gap G2 is provided between the nozzle surface 14F and the upper surface of the suppression member 73.

[0063] A portion WA1 (see FIG. 2A ) of the humidified air that flows into the end cap 72 from the air supply port 72NA Fig.15 ) flows forward from the first gap G1 and is sucked into the exhaust port 72EA. Another portion WA2 of the humidified air flows from the first gap G1 to the rear of the suppression member 73 to the second gap G2, flows forward from the second gap G2 and is sucked into the exhaust port 72EA. Another portion WA3 of the humidified air (see Fig.16 ) flows forward from the space on the left and right of the suppression member 73 and is sucked into the exhaust port 72EA. That is, the humidified air WA flows along the lower surface and the upper surface of the suppression member 73 above the air supply port 72NA, so the humidified air WA does not directly contact the nozzle surface 14F above the air supply port 72NA. As a result, condensation on the nozzle surface 14F is suppressed, thereby preventing the ink from flowing out of the nozzle 14N due to the condensation. In addition, since the vibration of the ink in the nozzle 14N is reduced, the drop of the ink is suppressed.

[0064] The reason why the suppression member 73 is formed of resin is as follows. The suppression member 73 may take away heat from the humidified air WA, causing condensation to occur on the suppression member 73. In particular, in the present embodiment, a heater 92H is provided in the humidifying tank 92 in order to increase the amount of water vapor in the humidified air WA, so condensation is prone to occur. When condensation occurs, the water vapor pressure of the humidified air WA decreases, thereby reducing the humidification effect on the ink in the nozzle 14N. In order to suppress condensation, it is desirable to form the suppression member 73 from a material with low thermal conductivity. Generally speaking, the thermal conductivity of resin is lower than that of metal, and therefore, resin is suitable as a material for the suppression member 73.

[0065] According to the maintenance device 30 involved in the present embodiment described above, the end cap 72, the air supply port 72NA and the suppression member 73 are provided, wherein the end cap 72 is mounted on the nozzle surface 14F of the inkjet head 12; the air supply port 72NA is provided on the end cap 72; the suppression member 73 is provided at least between the air supply port 72NA and the nozzle surface 14F, and has a first gap G1 between it and the air supply port 72NA, and has a second gap G2 between it and the nozzle surface 14F. According to the present embodiment, the humidified air WA can be prevented from directly contacting the nozzle surface 14F.

[0066] Moreover, according to the maintenance device 30 which concerns on this embodiment, the suppression member 73 is formed of resin. According to this embodiment, condensation of the humidified air WA can be suppressed.

[0067] Furthermore, the inkjet recording apparatus according to the present embodiment includes the inkjet head 12 and the maintenance device 30. According to the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress an increase in the viscosity of the ink in the nozzles 14N of the inkjet head 12.

[0068] [Second embodiment] Fig.17 It is a cross-sectional view showing the end cap unit 31 including the suppression member 74 according to the second embodiment. Fig.18 It is a plan view showing an end cap 72 having a suppressing member 74 according to the second embodiment.

[0069] The suppression member 74 is arranged along the direction from the air supply port 72NA side to the exhaust port 72EA side. Specifically, the suppression member 74 is a rectangular plate-shaped member with the direction from the air supply port 72NA side to the exhaust port 72EA side as the length direction. The suppression member 74 is supported by a support 74P provided at the bottom 72B of the end cover 72. The rear end portion of the suppression member 74 is arranged above the air supply port 72NA. The front end portion of the suppression member 74 is located at a position further back than the exhaust port 72EA. A first gap G1 is provided between the air supply port 72NA and the lower surface of the suppression member 74. A second gap G2 is provided between the nozzle surface 14F and the upper surface of the suppression member 74.

[0070] The suppression member 74 has a through hole 74H extending from the air supply port 72NA to the nozzle surface 14F at a position not facing the air supply port 72NA. The through holes 74H are provided at a plurality of locations (three locations in this embodiment) along the direction from the air supply port 72NA to the exhaust port 72EA.

[0071] A portion WA1 (see FIG. 2A ) of the humidified air that flows into the end cap 72 from the air supply port 72NA Fig.15 ) flows forward in the first gap G1 and is sucked into the exhaust port 72EA. Another portion WA2 of the humidified air flows from the first gap G1 to the rear of the suppression member 74 and goes around to the second gap G2, flows forward in the second gap G2 and is sucked into the exhaust port 72EA. Another portion WA3 of the humidified air (see Fig.16 ) flows forward in the space on the left and right of the suppression member 73 and is sucked into the exhaust port 72EA. That is, the humidified air WA flows along the lower surface and the upper surface of the suppression member 74 in a wider range than that in the above-mentioned embodiment, so that the humidified air WA does not directly contact the nozzle surface 14F in a wider range than that in the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0072] In addition, a portion WA4 of the humidified air flowing toward the exhaust port 72EA in the first gap G1 flows from the first gap G1 to the second gap G2 through the through hole 74H, so that the insufficient supply of the humidified air WA can be supplemented by the suppression member 74. In addition, the humidified air WA is also supplied to the nozzle surface 14F away from the air supply port 72NA through the through hole 74H, so that the uniformity of humidification of the nozzle surface 14F is improved.

[0073] According to the maintenance device 30 involved in the present embodiment described above, the end cap 72 has the exhaust port 72EA, and the suppression member 74 is provided along the direction from the air supply port 72NA side to the exhaust port 72EA side. According to the present embodiment, a wide range along the direction from the air supply port 72NA side to the exhaust port 72EA side can be covered, so that the humidified air WA does not directly contact the nozzle surface 14F.

[0074] According to the maintenance device 30 of the present embodiment, the suppressing member 74 has the through hole 74H extending from the air supply port 72NA to the nozzle surface 14F at a position not facing the air supply port 72NA. According to the present embodiment, the suppressing member 74 can supplement the insufficient supply of the humidified air WA.

[0075] According to the maintenance device 30 of this embodiment, the end cap 72 has the exhaust port 72EA, and the through holes 74H are provided at a plurality of locations along the direction from the air supply port 72NA to the exhaust port 72EA. According to this embodiment, the uniformity of humidifying the nozzle surface 14F can be improved.

Claims

1. A maintenance device, characterized in that: It has an end cap, an air supply port and a suppression component, wherein: The end cap is mounted on the nozzle surface of the inkjet head; The air supply port is arranged on the end cover; The suppressing member is provided at least between the air supply port and the nozzle surface, has a first gap between the suppressing member and the air supply port, and has a second gap between the suppressing member and the nozzle surface.

2. The maintenance device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end cover has an exhaust port, The suppression member is provided along a direction from the air supply port side to the air exhaust port side.

3. The maintenance device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The suppressing member has one or more through holes penetrating from the air supply port side to the nozzle surface side at a position not facing the air supply port.

4. The maintenance device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The end cover has an exhaust port, The through holes are provided at a plurality of locations along a direction from the air supply port side to the air exhaust port side.

5. The maintenance device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The suppressing member is formed of resin.

6. An inkjet recording device, characterized in that: have: the inkjet head; and The maintenance device of claim 1.

Images