Ink jet recording device and control method for ink jet device

Abstract

To provide an ink jet recording device and a control method for an ink jet device capable of suppressing the deterioration of a printing performance.SOLUTION: An ink jet recording device includes a conveyance unit, a recording head, a circuit board, a head housing, and a cooling mechanism. The conveyance unit has a conveyance belt that conveys a recording medium. The recording head includes multiple nozzles that eject ink onto the recording medium conveyed by the conveyance unit. The circuit board controls the ejection operation of ejecting ink from the nozzles. The head housing accommodates the recording head and the circuit board inside. The cooling mechanism cools the circuit board. The cooling mechanism includes a first duct, a second duct and a blower fan. The first duct connects the interior and exterior of the head housing. The second duct branches from the first duct and extends toward a space between the conveyance belt and the ink ejection surface. The blower fan is arranged in the first duct or second duct to generate airflow.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus and a method for controlling an inkjet apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional inkjet recording device includes a transport unit, a recording head, a circuit board, a head housing, and a cooling mechanism. The transport unit has a transport belt that transports the recording medium. The recording head has a plurality of nozzles that eject ink onto the recording medium transported by the transport unit. The circuit board controls the ejection operation of the ink ejected from the nozzles. The head housing accommodates the recording head and the circuit board inside. The cooling mechanism generates an airflow inside the head housing to cool the circuit board. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-103039 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when the inkjet recording device disclosed in Patent Document 1 ejects ink onto a recording medium, ink mist is generated and adheres to the conveyor belt or nozzles, which can result in reduced printing performance.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet recording apparatus and a method for controlling an inkjet apparatus that are capable of suppressing a deterioration in printing performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a first configuration of the present invention is an inkjet recording device including a transport section, a recording head, a circuit board, a head housing, and a cooling mechanism. The transport section has a transport belt that transports a recording medium. The recording head has a plurality of nozzles that eject ink onto the recording medium transported by the transport section. The circuit board controls an ejection operation that ejects ink from the nozzles. The head housing accommodates the recording head and the circuit board therein. The cooling mechanism cools the circuit board. The cooling mechanism includes a first duct, a second duct, and a blower fan. The first duct connects the inside and outside of the head housing. The second duct branches off from the first duct and extends toward between the transport belt and the ink ejection surface. The blower fan is disposed in the first duct or the second duct to generate an air flow.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a second aspect of the present invention is a control method for an inkjet recording device including a transport unit, a recording head, a circuit board, a head housing, and a cooling mechanism. The transport unit has a transport belt that transports a recording medium. The recording head has a plurality of nozzles that eject ink onto the recording medium transported by the transport unit. The circuit board controls an ejection operation that ejects ink from the nozzles. The head housing accommodates the recording head and the circuit board therein. The cooling mechanism cools the circuit board. The cooling mechanism has a first duct, a second duct, and a blower fan. The first duct connects the inside and outside of the head housing. The second duct branches off from the first duct and extends toward between the transport belt and the ink ejection surface. The blower fan is disposed in the first duct or the second duct to generate an air flow. During a printing operation in which ink is ejected onto a recording medium, the flow direction of the airflow is switched to the first duct, and when the printing operation is stopped, the flow direction of the airflow is switched to the second duct. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an inkjet recording apparatus capable of suppressing a decrease in printing performance.

[0009] According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for controlling an inkjet recording apparatus that is capable of suppressing a decrease in printing performance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a printer 100 as an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a recording unit 9 of a printer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a recording unit 9 of a printer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a recording unit 9 of a printer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view showing the periphery of a cooling mechanism 30 of the printer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view showing the periphery of a cooling mechanism 30 of the printer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the periphery of the cooling mechanism 30 of the printer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the periphery of the cooling mechanism 30 of the printer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] 1. Configuration of the Inkjet Recording Apparatus DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printer 100 as an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] The printer 100 has a paper feed cassette 2 which is a paper storage section. The paper feed cassette 2 is located at the bottom inside the printer main body 1. Inside the paper feed cassette 2, paper P which is an example of a recording medium is stored.

[0013] A paper feeder 3 is disposed downstream of the paper feed cassette 2 in the paper transport direction, i.e., above the right side of the paper feed cassette 2 in Fig. 1. The paper feeder 3 separates and sends out the paper P one by one toward the upper right of the paper feed cassette 2 in Fig. 1.

[0014] The printer 100 has a first paper transport path 4a inside. The first paper transport path 4a is located in the upper right corner, which is the paper feed direction, of the paper feed cassette 2. The paper P sent out from the paper feed cassette 2 is transported vertically upward along the side of the printer body 1 by the first paper transport path 4a.

[0015] A pair of registration rollers 7 is provided at the downstream end of the first paper transport path 4a in the paper transport direction. Furthermore, a first transport unit (transport section) 5 and a recording section 9 are disposed immediately downstream in the paper transport direction of the pair of registration rollers 7. That is, the printer 100 includes the first transport unit (transport section) 5 and the recording section 9.

[0016] The paper P sent out from the paper feed cassette 2 passes through the first paper transport path 4a and reaches the pair of registration rollers 7. The pair of registration rollers 7 corrects the skewed feed of the paper P, while timing it with the ink ejection operation performed by the recording unit 9, and sends the paper P toward the first transport unit 5 (particularly the transport belt 8 described later).

[0017] The paper P sent to the first transport unit 5 by the registration roller pair 7 is transported by the transport belt 8 to a position facing a recording section 9 (particularly a recording head 17 described later). That is, the first transport unit (transport section) 5 has the transport belt 8 that transports the paper (recording medium) P. An image is recorded on the paper P by ejecting ink from the recording section 9 onto the paper P.

[0018] The printer 100 includes a control unit 110. The control unit 110 performs overall control of the printer 100. Specifically, the control unit 110 is connected to the recording unit 9, and controls the ejection of ink in the recording unit 9. The recording unit 9 will be described in detail later.

[0019] In the paper transport direction, a second transport unit 6 is disposed downstream of the first transport unit 5 (on the left side in FIG. 1). The paper P on which an image has been recorded by the recording unit 9 is sent to the second transport unit 6. The ink ejected onto the surface of the paper P is dried while passing through the second transport unit 6.

[0020] In the paper transport direction, a decurler unit 14 is provided downstream of the second transport unit 6 and near the left side surface of the printer body 1. The paper P from which the ink has been dried by the second transport unit 6 is sent to the decurler unit 14, where any curl in the paper P is straightened out.

[0021] In the paper transport direction, a second paper transport path 4b is provided downstream (upper in FIG. 1) of the decurler unit 14. When double-sided recording is not performed, the paper P that has passed through the decurler unit 14 passes through the second paper transport path 4b and is discharged to a paper discharge tray 15 provided outside the left side of the printer 100.

[0022] A reversing transport path 16 for double-sided recording is provided at the top of the printer body 1, above the recording unit 9 and the second transport unit 6. When double-sided recording is performed, after recording on one side (first side) of the paper P is completed and the paper P passes through the second transport unit 6 and the decurler unit 14, it is sent to the reversing transport path 16 via the second paper transport path 4b.

[0023] The paper P sent to the reversing transport path 16 has its transport direction switched so that recording can be performed on the other side (second side) of the paper P. The paper P then passes over the top of the printer body 1 and is transported to the right side, passes through the pair of registration rollers 7, and is sent again to the first transport unit 5 with its second side facing up. In the first transport unit 5, the paper P is transported to a position facing the recording section 9, and an image is recorded on the second side by ink ejection from the recording section 9. After double-sided recording, the paper P passes through the second transport unit 6, the decurler section 14, and the second paper transport path 4b in that order, and is discharged to the paper discharge tray 15.

[0024] In addition, a maintenance unit 19 and a cap unit 20 are disposed below the second transport unit 6. When performing purging, the maintenance unit 19 moves horizontally below the recording section 9, wipes off ink extruded from nozzles (not shown) of the recording head 17, and collects the wiped ink. Purging refers to the operation of forcibly extruding ink from the nozzles of the recording head 17 in order to expel thickened ink, foreign matter, air bubbles, etc., from the nozzles.

[0025] When capping the ink ejection surface F1 (see FIG. 4) of the recording head 17, the cap unit 20 moves horizontally below the recording section 9, and then moves upward to be attached to the lower surface of the recording head 17.

[0026] 2. Configuration of the recording unit Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the recording unit 9 of the printer 100, and Figs. 3 and 4 are side cross-sectional views of the recording unit 9. Fig. 3 is a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the head housing 10, and Fig. 4 is a cross section perpendicular to the lateral direction (X direction) of the head housing 10. The recording unit 9 has the head housing 10, a recording head 17, a circuit board 12, a heat sink 13, and a cooling mechanism 30. In other words, the printer 100 has the recording head 17, the circuit board 12, the head housing 10, and the cooling mechanism 30.

[0027] The head housing 10 is a rectangular box that houses multiple recording heads 17, a circuit board 12, and a heat sink 13. In this embodiment, the head housing 10 is arranged so that its short side direction coincides with the paper transport direction (X direction) and its long side direction coincides with the paper width direction (Y direction). The paper width direction (Y direction) is perpendicular to the paper transport direction (X direction).

[0028] In this embodiment, one end face of the head housing 10 in the paper width direction (Y direction) is open to form an opening 10a. A portion of the other end face of the head housing 10 in the paper width direction (Y direction) is open to communicate with a first duct 31 constituting the cooling mechanism 30. The cooling mechanism 30 will be described in detail later. In this embodiment, the head housing 10 is disposed so that its short side direction coincides with the paper transport direction (X direction), but the orientation of the head housing 10 may be changed.

[0029] The bottom surface of the head housing 10 is open, and the ink ejection surface F1 of the recording head 17 is exposed from the bottom surface of the head housing 10.

[0030] The head housing 10 contains recording heads 17 corresponding to four colors of ink (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black). A plurality of recording heads 17 of the same color are arranged along the paper width direction (Y direction). Recording heads 17 of different colors are arranged side by side in the paper transport direction (X direction). A predetermined gap H (for example, 1 mm) is formed between the ink ejection surface F1 of the recording head 17 and the transport surface 8a of the transport belt 8.

[0031] A large number of nozzles (not shown) are arranged on the ink ejection surface F1 (nozzle surface) of the recording head 17. That is, the recording head 17 has a plurality of nozzles (not shown) that eject ink onto paper (recording medium) P transported by a first transport unit (transport section) 5. The recording heads 17 are each connected to ink stored in an ink tank (not shown). Ink of four colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) stored in the ink tank (not shown) is supplied to the recording head 17 for each color.

[0032] Each recording head 17 includes a plurality of actuators (not shown) that eject ink, a circuit board 12, and a heat sink 13. The actuator includes, for example, a pressure chamber in which ink is stored, a vibration plate that separates part of the pressure chamber, and a piezoelectric element that vibrates the vibration plate. The vibration plate vibrates as the piezoelectric element expands and contracts. This causes the volume of the pressure chamber to decrease and increase. The change in volume of the pressure chamber causes the ink in the pressure chamber to be ejected. The type of actuator is not particularly limited.

[0033] The circuit board 12 has an IC mounted thereon and is connected to an actuator. The circuit board 12 drives and controls the actuator to eject ink from a nozzle (not shown). In other words, the circuit board 12 controls the ejection operation of ejecting ink from the nozzle. In this embodiment, the circuit board 12 stands upright from the bottom surface of the head housing 10 and is aligned parallel to the side surface of the head housing 10.

[0034] The circuit board 12 is connected to a control unit 110 (see FIG. 1). The control unit 110 transmits a control signal to the circuit board 12 during a printing operation. The circuit board 12 ejects ink from a nozzle (not shown) in response to the control signal received from the control unit 110. As a result, four colors of ink, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, are superimposed on the paper P that is attracted to and held on the conveying surface 8a of the conveyor belt 8 and conveyed, forming a color image.

[0035] In this embodiment, the heat sink 13 is formed in a plate shape and extends in the paper width direction (Y direction). Two heat sinks 13 are arranged sandwiching one circuit board 12 from both sides in the paper transport direction (X direction). The circuit board 12 and the heat sink 13 are arranged in parallel. The heat sinks 13 of the recording heads 17 of adjacent colors have a gap in the paper transport direction (X direction). This allows air to flow smoothly in the paper width direction (Y direction) inside the head housing 10. Therefore, heat generated in the circuit board 12 is efficiently dissipated via the heat sink 13.

[0036] 3. Cooling mechanism configuration 5 and 6 are enlarged side cross-sectional views showing the periphery of the cooling mechanism 30, with Fig. 5 showing a state during printing operation and Fig. 6 showing a state when printing is stopped. The cooling mechanism 30 cools the circuit board 12 by changing the positions of the restricting portion 341 and the restricting portion 342. The cooling mechanism 30 includes a first duct 31, a second duct 32, a blower fan 33, and a switching portion 34. The switching portion 34 includes a first opening / closing valve 34a and a second opening / closing valve 34b.

[0037] The first duct 31 is connected to an end face on the other side of the head housing 10 in the paper width direction (Y direction) and extends to the other side in the paper width direction (Y direction). This allows the inside of the first duct 31 to communicate with the inside of the head housing 10. In other words, the first duct 31 allows the inside and outside of the head housing 10 to communicate with each other.

[0038] The second duct 32 branches off from the first duct 31 and extends downward. A vent 320 is opened at the lower end surface of the second duct 32. The vent 320 is disposed at a predetermined distance in the vertical direction from the transport surface 8a of the transport belt 8, and faces the gap H between the ink ejection surface F1 of the recording head 17 and the transport surface 8a of the transport belt 8. In other words, the second duct 32 branches off from the first duct 31 and extends toward between the transport belt 8 and the nozzles (not shown).

[0039] In this embodiment, the blower fan 33 is disposed in the first duct 31, and generates airflow S1 or airflow S2 in the paper transport direction (X direction). The airflow S1 is an airflow that flows in a direction approaching the head housing 10 in the paper width direction (Y direction) (see FIG. 5). The airflow S2 is an airflow that flows in a direction away from the head housing 10 in the paper width direction (Y direction) (see FIG. 6).

[0040] The blower fan 33 is connected to the control unit 110 and can switch the generated airflow between airflow S1 and airflow S2. The blower fan 33 can generate airflow S1 or airflow S2 by reversing the rotation direction of one fan. Note that the blower fan 33 may include a fan that generates airflow S1 and a fan that generates airflow S2 as separate members.

[0041] The switching unit 34 switches the flow direction of the airflow generated by the blower fan 33. By switching the switching unit 34, one of the airflow flowing inside the head housing 10 and the airflow flowing through the gap H is generated. The switching unit 34 has a first on-off valve 34a and a second on-off valve 34b. The first on-off valve 34a is disposed closer to the head housing 10 (downstream of the airflow S1) than the branching portion 31a between the first duct 31 and the second duct 32, and opens and closes the first duct 31. The second on-off valve 34b opens and closes the second duct 32.

[0042] The first on-off valve 34a is a check valve that opens the first duct 31 to the airflow flowing in one direction (the direction toward the head housing 10) and closes it to the airflow flowing in the other direction (the direction away from the head housing 10). The second on-off valve 34b is a check valve that opens when the first on-off valve 34a is closed and closes when the first on-off valve 34a is opened.

[0043] Specifically, the first on-off valve 34a is made of, for example, a film, and its lower end (one end in the vertical direction Z) is supported so as to be rotatable in the paper width direction (Y direction). When the first on-off valve 34a is in a state in which it stands up in the vertical direction (Z direction), the first duct 31 is closed. On the other hand, when the first on-off valve 34a is in a state in which it is laid down in the paper width direction (Y direction), the first duct 31 is opened.

[0044] In this embodiment, the first duct 31 has a restricting portion 341 that protrudes downward from the upper end of the inner circumferential surface. The restricting portion 341 is disposed upstream of the first on-off valve 34a in the upright state in the airflow S1, and contacts the tip of the first on-off valve 34a.

[0045] As a result, the first on-off valve 34a falls toward the inside of the head housing 10 due to the wind pressure of the airflow S1 (see FIG. 5). At this time, the first duct 31 is opened toward the head housing 10, and the airflow S1 flows into the head housing 10. The airflow S1 that has flowed into the head housing 10 passes through the heat sink 13 and is blown out of the head housing 10 from the opening 10a. As a result, the circuit board 12 is cooled via the heat sink 13 by the airflow S1.

[0046] Meanwhile, the first on-off valve 34a is sucked in a direction away from the head housing 10 by the wind pressure of the airflow S2 (see FIG. 6). As a result, the first on-off valve 34a is held in an upright state in contact with the restricting portion 341. At this time, the first duct 31 is closed with respect to the head housing 10.

[0047] The second on-off valve 34b is made of, for example, a film, and the other end in the paper width direction (Y direction) is supported so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction (Z direction). When the second on-off valve 34b is in a state in which it stands up in the vertical direction (Z direction), the second duct 32 is opened. On the other hand, when the second on-off valve 34b is in a state in which it is laid down in the paper width direction (Y direction), the second duct 32 is closed.

[0048] In this embodiment, the second duct 32 has a restricting portion 342 that protrudes from one end of the inner circumferential surface in the paper width direction (Y direction) to the other side. The restricting portion 342 is disposed below the second on-off valve 34b in the fallen state, and contacts the tip end of the second on-off valve 34b in the paper width direction (Y direction).

[0049] As a result, when the airflow S1 flows through the first duct 31, the second on-off valve 34b is pressed downward by the airflow branching from the first duct 31 to the second duct 32, and the second duct 32 is closed (see FIG. 5). This prevents the airflow S1 from flowing into the second duct 32, and suppresses a decrease in the cooling efficiency of the circuit board 12 by the airflow S1.

[0050] On the other hand, when the airflow S2 flows through the first duct 31, the second on-off valve 34b is sucked upward and stands up (in the Z direction) (see FIG. 5). This opens the second duct 32, and the airflow flows into the second duct 32 from the ventilation port 320 and merges with the airflow S2. At this time, the mist-like ink floating in the gap H flows into the second duct 32 through the ventilation port 320. This prevents the mist-like ink from adhering to the nozzles and thus prevents a decrease in printing performance. Note that the first on-off valve 34a is closed by the airflow S2, so that a decrease in suction performance due to the airflow S2 can be suppressed.

[0051] [4. Printer control method] During printing operation, the control unit 110 drives the blower fan 33 to generate airflow S1. This opens the first on-off valve 34a constituting the switching unit 34, and generates an airflow that flows inside the head housing 10. On the other hand, when printing is stopped, the control unit 110 drives the blower fan 33 to generate airflow S2. This opens the second on-off valve 34b constituting the switching unit 34, and generates an airflow that flows through the gap H. That is, during printing operation, an airflow that flows inside the head housing 10 is generated, and when printing operation is stopped, an airflow that flows between the conveyor belt 8 and the nozzle (not shown) is generated.

[0052] This allows the circuit board 12 to be efficiently cooled during a printing operation in which the circuit board 12 generates heat, and allows floating ink to be efficiently removed after the printing operation is stopped.

[0053] According to this embodiment, by forming the second duct 32 that branches off from the first duct 31 and extends toward between the conveyor belt 8 and the nozzle (not shown), the mist-like ink floating in the gap H can be removed by utilizing the airflow for cooling the circuit board 12 generated by the blower fan 33. This makes it possible to provide a printer 100 that can suppress a decrease in printing performance while suppressing an increase in manufacturing costs.

[0054] In addition, the switching unit 34 can switch the airflow generated by the blower fan 33 to either the airflow S1 flowing inside the head housing 10 or the airflow S2 flowing through the second duct 32. This allows the airflow generated by the blower fan 33 to be switched to either cooling the circuit board 12 or removing the mist of ink floating in the gap H depending on the purpose of use. This can improve the efficiency of cooling the circuit board 12 and the efficiency of removing the mist of ink.

[0055] The switching unit 34 also has a first on-off valve 34a and a second on-off valve 34b. This allows the switching unit 34 to be provided with a simple configuration, and the manufacturing costs of the printer 100 can be reduced.

[0056] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 are side cross-sectional views showing modified examples of the cooling mechanism 30, in which the second on-off valve 34b can be opened by the airflow S1 and the first on-off valve 34a can be opened by the airflow S2 by changing the positions of the restricting portion 341 and the restricting portion 342.

[0057] Specifically, the restricting portion 341 is disposed downstream of the airflow S1 from the first on-off valve 34a in the upright state, and is in contact with the upper end of the first on-off valve 34a. The restricting portion 342 is disposed above the second on-off valve 34b in the laid-down state, and is in contact with the leading end of the second on-off valve 34b in the paper width direction (Y direction).

[0058] As a result, the first opening / closing valve 34a comes into contact with the regulating portion 341 in an upright state due to the wind pressure of the airflow S1. At this time, the first duct 31 is closed relative to the head housing 10. The second opening / closing valve 34b is pressed downward by the airflow S1 flowing into the second duct 32 and opens. As a result, the airflow S1 is blown out from the second duct 32 to the gap H through the ventilation hole 320. At this time, the mist-like ink floating in the gap H is expelled to the outside of the gap H by the airflow S1 blown out from the ventilation hole 320. Therefore, the mist-like ink is prevented from adhering to the nozzle, and the printing performance is prevented from deteriorating. Note that, since the first opening / closing valve 34a is in a closed state due to the airflow S1, the performance of expelling the floating ink due to the airflow S1 can be suppressed from deteriorating.

[0059] On the other hand, when the airflow S2 flows through the first duct 31, the first on-off valve 34a is sucked toward the branching portion 31a and falls down. This causes the first duct 31 to open toward the head housing 10, and the airflow that has flowed through the head housing 10 flows into the first duct 31. The airflow that has flowed into the head housing 10 from the opening 10a merges with the airflow S1 in the first duct 31 and is discharged to the outside of the head housing 10. This causes the circuit board 12 to be cooled via the heat sink 13 by the airflow flowing through the head housing 10.

[0060] When the airflow S2 flows through the first duct 31, the second on-off valve 34b is sucked toward the branching portion 31a (upper side) to close the second duct 32. This prevents a decrease in the intake performance of the airflow S2 to the head housing 10, and suppresses a decrease in the cooling efficiency of the circuit board 12.

[0061] Furthermore, the number of recording heads 17 is not particularly limited. For example, one, two, three, five or more recording heads 17 can be arranged for each color.

[0062] The arrangement of the restricting portions 341, 342 can be changed according to the rotational positions of the first on-off valve 34a and the second on-off valve 34b. [Industrial Applicability]

[0063] The present invention can be used in an inkjet recording apparatus having nozzles that eject water-based ink onto a recording medium. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1 Printer body 2 Paper Cassette 3 Paper feeder 4a First paper transport path 4b Second paper transport path 5 First conveying unit (conveying section) 6 Second transport unit 7 Registration Roller Pair 8 Conveyor belt 8a Conveying surface 9. Recording Section 10 Head housing 10a opening 12 Circuit Board 13 Heat sink 14 Decaler section 15 Paper output tray 16 Reversing conveyor path 17 Recording head 19 Maintenance Unit 20 Cap Units 30 Cooling mechanism 31 First Duct 31a Branch 32 Second Duct 33 Blower fan 34 Switching section 34a First opening and closing valve 34b Second opening and closing valve 100 Printers (inkjet recording devices) 110 Control section 320 Vent 341, 342 Regulatory Department F1 Ink ejection surface H Gap P paper S1, S2 Airflow Z vertical direction

Claims

1. a conveying unit having a conveying belt for conveying a recording medium; a recording head having a plurality of nozzles that eject ink onto the recording medium transported by the transport unit; a circuit board for controlling an ejection operation for ejecting ink from the nozzles; a head housing that accommodates the recording head and the circuit board therein; a cooling mechanism for cooling the circuit board; In an inkjet recording apparatus comprising: The cooling mechanism includes: a first duct communicating the inside and the outside of the head housing; a second duct branching from the first duct and extending toward a gap between the conveyor belt and the nozzle; A blower fan disposed in the first duct or the second duct to generate an airflow; An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:

2. The cooling mechanism includes: A switching unit that switches the flow direction of the airflow generated by the blower fan, The ink jet device according to claim 1 , wherein switching of the switching unit generates one of an air current flowing inside the head housing and an air current flowing between the conveyor belt and the nozzles.

3. The switching unit is a first on-off valve that is disposed closer to the head housing than a branch point between the first duct and the second duct and opens and closes the first duct; a second on-off valve that opens and closes the second duct; having the first on-off valve is a check valve that opens the first duct to an airflow flowing in one direction and closes the first duct to an airflow flowing in the other direction, The ink jet device according to claim 2 , wherein the second on-off valve is a check valve that opens when the first on-off valve is closed and closes when the first on-off valve is opened.

4. generating an air flow that flows inside the head housing during a printing operation in which the ink is ejected onto the recording medium; The inkjet device according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising: an air current that flows between the transport belt and the nozzles when the printing operation is stopped.

5. a conveying unit having a conveying belt for conveying a recording medium; a recording head having a plurality of nozzles that eject ink onto the recording medium transported by the transport unit; a circuit board for controlling the ejection operation of ink ejected from the nozzles; a head housing that accommodates the recording head and the circuit board therein; a cooling mechanism for cooling the circuit board; A method for controlling an inkjet recording apparatus comprising: The cooling mechanism includes: a first duct communicating the inside and the outside of the head housing; a second duct branching from the first duct and extending toward a gap between the conveyor belt and the nozzle; A blower fan disposed in the first duct or the second duct to generate an airflow; having generating an air flow that flows inside the head housing during a printing operation in which the ink is ejected onto the recording medium; The method for controlling an inkjet device further comprises generating an air flow that flows between the conveyor belt and the nozzles when the printing operation is stopped.

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