Waste ink receiver and inkjet recording device

Abstract

To provide a waste ink receiver capable of preventing a waste ink from adhering to an edge part of an inclined surface of a receiving part and remaining there, and to provide an inkjet recording device.SOLUTION: A waste ink receiver 60 includes: a receiving part 65 which receives a waste ink discharged from nozzles 243 with an inclined surface 652 and causes the waste ink to flow down; and a discharge part 67 which discharges the waste ink flowing down on the inclined surface 652 into a waste ink storage part 70. The receiving part 65 includes: a wall part 66 which is disposed in contacting with the inclined surface 652 and protrudes upward from the inclined surface 652; and a wall part heating part 63 which heats the wall part 66.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a waste ink receiving device and an inkjet recording device. [Background technology]

[0002] Inkjet recording devices are equipped with a waste ink receiving device to collect waste ink ejected from the head unit during maintenance. The waste ink receiving device receives the waste ink ejected from the nozzles on an inclined surface and allows it to flow down to a waste ink container such as a waste bucket. Waste ink is fluid when heated, and when the temperature drops, its viscosity increases significantly and it gels. Therefore, various structures have been proposed for heating a slope to cause the waste ink to flow down (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). Conventional waste ink receiving devices heat the slope while detecting the temperature of the slope that receives the waste ink, and do so within a range that does not cause the slope to become excessively hot. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-30453 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-25432 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the waste ink receiving device has a wall portion that protrudes upward around the periphery of the inclined surface to prevent ink that has splashed off the inclined surface from scattering to the outside. This wall does not directly receive the waste ink ejected from the nozzles. However, the wall is located in contact with the slope. Therefore, even if the slope that receives the waste ink is heated, the temperature at the edge of the slope near the wall is easily lowered because the heat from the slope is absorbed by the wall.

[0005] As a result, the fluidity of the waste ink decreased, and the waste ink was likely to adhere to and remain on the slope. Furthermore, the waste ink ejected after that came into contact with and adhered to the waste ink remaining on the slope, which tended to increase the amount of retained waste ink. Furthermore, the waste ink ejected after that collided with the waste ink retained near the edge of the slope, making it more likely to scatter to the outside.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a waste ink receiving device and an ink jet recording device that can prevent waste ink from adhering to and remaining on the edge of the inclined surface of the receiving portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the waste ink receiving device of the present invention comprises a receiving section, a discharge section, a wall section, and a wall section heating section. The receiving section receives waste ink ejected from the nozzles on an inclined surface and allows it to flow down. The discharge section discharges the waste ink that has flowed down the inclined surface into a waste ink storage section. The wall section is disposed in contact with the inclined surface and protrudes upward from the inclined surface. The wall section heating section heats the wall section.

[0008] The inkjet recording device of the present invention comprises a head unit and a waste ink receiving device. The ink receiving device comprises a receiving section, a discharge section, a wall section, and a wall section heating section. The receiving section receives waste ink ejected from the nozzles on an inclined surface and causes it to flow down. The discharge section discharges the waste ink that has flowed down the inclined surface into a waste ink storage section. The wall section is disposed in contact with the inclined surface and protrudes upward from the inclined surface. The wall section heating section heats the wall section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent waste ink from adhering to and remaining on the edge of the inclined surface of the receiving portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the head unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the main functional configuration of an inkjet printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an ink receiving device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the arrangement of an ink receiving device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view showing a part in cross section near a corner of the ink receiving device according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same function or configuration are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the following description and drawings are illustrative of the present invention and may be omitted or simplified for the sake of convenience. Each component may be singular or plural unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the position, size, shape, range, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may not represent the actual position, size, shape, range, etc., in order to facilitate understanding of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the position, size, shape, range, etc., disclosed in the drawings.

[0012] The overall configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 includes a paper feed unit 10, an image forming unit 20, a paper discharge unit 30, a waste tub 60 as an ink receiving device, and a control unit 40. The inkjet recording apparatus 1 operates as follows under the control of the control unit 40.

[0013] The paper feed unit 10 transports the stored recording medium P to the image forming unit 20. The image forming unit 20 forms an image on the recording medium P. The paper discharge unit 30 discharges the recording medium P on which the image has been formed. The recording medium P may be paper such as plain paper or coated paper, or various other media such as fabric or sheet-like resin, on whose surface the ink that has landed can be fixed. In this embodiment, as an example, it is assumed that the recording medium P is paper.

[0014] The paper feed unit 10 has a paper feed tray 11 and a conveyance unit 12. The paper feed tray 11 stores recording media P. The conveyance unit 12 conveys the recording media P from the paper feed tray 11 to the image forming unit 20.

[0015] The paper feed tray 11 supports one or more recording media P placed thereon. The paper feed tray 11 is provided so as to move up and down depending on the amount of recording media P placed on the paper feed tray 11. The paper feed tray 11 holds the topmost recording medium P at a transport position so that the recording media P are transported by the transport unit 12 in order from the topmost one.

[0016] The conveying unit 12 has two rollers 121 and 122 and a loop-shaped belt 123. The belt 123 is supported with a predetermined tension by the two rollers 121 and 122. With the recording medium P placed on the belt 123, the belt 123 moves in a circular motion in accordance with the rotation of the rollers 121 and 122, thereby conveying the recording medium P to the image forming unit 20.

[0017] The image forming section 20 includes an image forming drum 21 , a delivery unit 22 , a paper heating section 23 , a head unit 24 , a fixing section 25 , a delivery section 26 , and an image reading sensor 27 .

[0018] The image forming drum 21 is a cylindrical member. The image forming drum 21 is rotated counterclockwise by a drive motor (not shown). The image forming drum 21 has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface along which the recording medium P is supported. The image forming drum 21 transports the recording medium P by the rotation of the image forming drum 21. The outer peripheral surface of the image forming drum 21 faces the paper heating unit 23, the head unit 24, and the fixing unit 25.

[0019] The delivery unit 22 delivers the recording medium P conveyed by the conveying section 12 to the image forming drum 21. The delivery unit 22 is provided between the conveying section 12 and the image forming drum 21. The delivery unit 22 has a claw portion 221 and a delivery drum 222. The claw portion 221 holds one end of the recording medium P conveyed by the conveying section 12. The delivery drum 222 receives the recording medium P held by the claw portion 221 from the claw portion 221 and delivers it to the image forming drum 21.

[0020] The paper heating section 23 heats the recording medium P so that the recording medium P conveyed by the image forming drum 21 reaches a predetermined temperature. The paper heating section 23 is disposed downstream of the delivery drum 222 and upstream of the head unit 24 in the rotation direction of the image forming drum 21.

[0021] The head units 24 eject ink from nozzles 243 onto the recording medium P carried on the image forming drum 21 to form an image on the recording medium P. The inkjet recording device 1 in this embodiment has four head units 24 corresponding to four colors of ink: Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black). The four head units 24 are arranged in the order of Y, M, C, and K from the upstream side in the rotation direction of the image forming drum 21.

[0022] The configuration of the head unit will be described. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the head unit, showing the surface of the head unit that faces the outer peripheral surface of the image forming drum 21. The head unit 24 includes four image forming heads 242. The four image forming heads 242 are attached to a mounting member 244. The four image forming heads 242 are arranged in a staggered pattern so that the nozzle rows are connected seamlessly in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the recording medium P (the X direction in the figure). Each of the image forming heads 242 has a plurality of image forming elements. Each of the image forming elements has a plurality of pressure chambers, a plurality of piezoelectric elements, and a plurality of nozzles 243. When a drive signal is input to deform the piezoelectric elements of each image forming element, the pressure in the pressure chamber changes due to the deformation of the piezoelectric elements, and ink is ejected from the nozzles 243 communicating with the pressure chambers. The nozzles 243 eject ink droplets at predetermined timing onto the recording medium P transported by the image forming drum 21.

[0023] The image forming head 242 has two nozzle rows. The two nozzle rows have nozzles 243 arranged at equal intervals in the X direction. The two nozzle rows are arranged so that the positions of the nozzles 243 are shifted from each other in the X direction by half the arrangement interval of the nozzles 243 in each nozzle row.

[0024] The number of nozzle rows in the image forming head 242 may be one or three or more, instead of two. The number of image forming heads 242 in the head unit 24 may be three or less, or five or more, instead of four.

[0025] The ink used in image formation is ink whose fluidity changes significantly with temperature. The ink in this embodiment is a thermal phase change ink that liquefies when heated, such as an ultraviolet curable ink. This ink is in a gel state at room temperature, including room temperature, and becomes a sol state when heated to a predetermined temperature or higher.

[0026] The waste bucket 60 is a device that receives and collects waste ink discharged from the nozzles of the inkjet head during head maintenance. In the inkjet recording apparatus 1, clogging of the nozzles 243 occurs due to an increase in the viscosity of the ink caused by drying, or the intrusion of foreign matter into the nozzles 243. For this reason, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 performs head maintenance at predetermined times. During head maintenance, the head unit 24 operates under the control of the control unit 40 to eliminate clogging of the nozzles 243. During this head maintenance, the control unit 40 executes a purge process to replace the ink in the nozzles 243. During the purge process, the control unit 40 forcibly ejects waste ink from the nozzles 243. The waste bucket 60 receives and collects the waste ink thus ejected from the nozzles 243. Details of the waste bucket 60 will be described later.

[0027] Returning to FIG. 1 , the fixing unit 25 cures and fixes the ink ejected onto the recording medium P by the head unit 24 by irradiating it with energy rays. In this embodiment, ultraviolet-curable ink is used. Therefore, the fixing unit 25 irradiates ultraviolet rays as energy rays. The fixing unit 25 has, for example, a fluorescent tube such as a low-pressure mercury lamp, and irradiates the recording medium P with ultraviolet rays by emitting light from the fluorescent tube. The fixing unit 25 is disposed downstream of the head unit 24 in the rotation direction of the image forming drum 21.

[0028] The fixing unit 25 may have any configuration as long as it can fix an image by irradiating ultraviolet rays onto the recording medium P. For example, the fixing unit 25 may be an ultraviolet laser light source, a metal halide lamp, a light-emitting diode, or the like. Furthermore, the energy rays irradiated by the fixing unit 25 are not limited to ultraviolet rays, and may be any energy rays that have the property of curing ink depending on the properties of the ink.

[0029] The delivery unit 26 transports the recording medium P, which has been irradiated with ultraviolet rays by the fixing unit 25, from the image forming drum 21 to the paper discharge unit 30. The delivery unit 26 is disposed between the image forming drum 21 and the paper discharge unit 30. The delivery unit 26 has two rollers 261 and 262, a circular belt 263, and a transfer drum 264. The belt 263 is supported by the two rollers 261 and 262 with a predetermined tension. The belt 263 transports the recording medium P by moving in a circular motion in accordance with the rotation of the rollers 261 and 262, with the recording medium P placed on the belt 263. The transfer drum 264 transfers the recording medium P from the image forming drum 21 to the belt 263.

[0030] The image reading sensor 27 reads an image on the recording medium P conveyed by the delivery unit 26. The image data read by the image reading sensor 27 is sent to the control unit 40. The paper discharge unit 30 stores the recording media P transported by the delivery unit 26. The paper discharge unit 30 has a paper discharge tray 31. The paper discharge tray 31 stacks the recording media P transported by the delivery unit 26 in order.

[0031] 3 is a block diagram showing the main functional configuration of an inkjet recording device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Inkjet recording device 1 includes paper heating unit 23, head unit 24, fixing unit 25, control unit 40, waste tub 60 serving as an ink receiving device, transport drive unit 51, operation display unit 52, input / output interface 53, and the like. The head unit 24 includes a head drive unit 241 and an image forming head 242. The head drive unit 241 supplies a drive signal that deforms a piezoelectric element to the image forming element of the image forming head 242 at an appropriate timing, thereby causing an appropriate amount of ink to be ejected from the nozzles 243 of the image forming head 242.

[0032] The control unit 40 includes a CPU 41 (Central Processing Unit), a RAM 42 (Random Access Memory), and a The CPU 40 includes a read-only memory (ROM) 43 and a storage unit 44.

[0033] The CPU 41 reads various control programs and setting data stored in the ROM 43 into the RAM and executes the programs, thereby comprehensively controlling the operation of the entire inkjet recording apparatus 1. The RAM 42 provides the CPU 41 with working memory space and temporarily stores data. The RAM 42 may include a non-volatile memory. The ROM 43 stores various control programs and setting data executed by the CPU 41.

[0034] The storage unit 44 stores print jobs input from the external device 2 via the input / output interface 53, as well as image data related to the print jobs. A print job includes information specifying image data related to the image to be formed, as well as information related to the type of recording medium P on which the image is to be formed. Information related to the type of recording medium P includes, for example, the size and thickness of the recording medium P. The storage unit 44 uses, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

[0035] The transport driving unit 51 supplies a driving signal to a motor for rotating the image forming drum 21 based on a control signal supplied from the control unit 40 . Further, the transport driving unit 51 supplies drive signals to motors for operating the transport unit 12, the delivery unit 22, and the delivery unit 26 based on control signals supplied from the control unit 40.

[0036] The operation display unit 52 has a display unit and an input unit. The display unit is, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like. The input unit is, for example, a touch panel placed over the screen of the display unit. The operation display unit 52 has the function of displaying various information to the user and the function of accepting input of various information from the user. In other words, the operation display unit 52 functions as a user interface.

[0037] The input / output interface 53 is an interface for transmitting and receiving data between the external device 2 and the control unit 40 .

[0038] The external device 2 is, for example, a personal computer. The external device 2 supplies print jobs, image data, and the like to the control unit 40 via the input / output interface 53.

[0039] A waste bucket 60 will be described as an ink receiving device in such an inkjet recording apparatus 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the arrangement of a waste bucket according to one embodiment of the present invention. Waste bucket 60 is a device that receives waste ink ejected from nozzles 243 of head unit 24 and collects it in waste ink container 70. As shown in Figure 4, waste bucket 60 is positioned below head unit 24 when it is moved to the maintenance area during maintenance.

[0040] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an ink receiving device according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the waste bucket 60 includes a receiving portion 65 having a slope 652, a slope heating portion 61, a discharge portion 67, a wall portion 66, and a wall heating portion 63.

[0041] The receiving portion 65 has a plurality of substantially triangular plate-shaped portions 651 connected to each other via bent portions 653. Each plate-shaped portion 651 is inclined, and the upper surface of each plate-shaped portion 651 forms an inclined surface 652. Each inclined surface 652 is formed into a substantially triangular flat surface. The plate-shaped portions 651 are made of, for example, metal or resin. The multiple plate-shaped portions 651 are arranged in a ring shape surrounding the center of the receiving portion 65. The top of each plate-shaped portion 651 is located toward the center of the receiving portion 65. Each inclined surface 652 slopes downward from the peripheral edge toward the center. The entire receiving portion 65 has a downward-facing polygonal pyramid shape. This receiving portion 65 can cause the liquid waste ink received by each inclined surface 652 to flow down toward the center.

[0042] The discharge portion 67 has an opening provided on the central side of the receiving portion 65. The discharge portion 67 is surrounded by multiple inclined surfaces 652 of the receiving portion 65 and is located at the lowest end of the receiving portion 65. A waste ink storage portion 70 for collecting waste ink is provided downstream of the discharge portion 67. In this embodiment, the waste ink storage portion 70 is a container located directly below the receiving portion 65. The discharge section 67 can discharge the waste ink that has been received by the inclined surface 652 and flowed down into the waste ink storage section 70.

[0043] A plurality of wall portions 66 are provided continuously on the outer periphery of the receiving portion 65 so as to surround the receiving portion 65. Each wall portion 66 protrudes upward from the corresponding inclined surface 652 at the position of the upper edge of the corresponding inclined surface 652. The wall portions 66 are also provided in contact with the inclined surfaces 652. The wall surface of this wall portion 66 on the side of the slope 652 is arranged at a steeper incline than each of the slopes 652. In this embodiment, it is arranged vertically. Therefore, the wall portion 66 has a roughly polygonal prism shape corresponding to the polygonal pyramid shape of the receiving portion 65. Furthermore, the wall portion 66 has a size and shape that is within a range that does not contact the head unit 24 when the head unit 24 moves above the waste tub 60.

[0044] Each wall portion 66 is plate-shaped. The wall portion 66 is made of, for example, metal or resin. The wall portion 66 may be made of the same material as the plate-shaped portion 651. The wall portion 66 of this embodiment is formed integrally with the receiving portion 65. Each wall portion 66 and each plate-shaped portion 651 are connected via a bent portion 654. Adjacent wall portions 66 are also connected via a bent portion 662.

[0045] The wall portion 66 is preferably formed so that its heat capacity density is equal to or greater than that of the receiving portion 65. This is because the heat retention of the wall portion 66 can be improved compared to that of the receiving portion 65. Here, the heat capacity density refers to the heat capacity per unit surface area. The heat quantity density of the wall portion 66 is the heat capacity of the wall portion 66 per unit area of ​​the wall surface 661, and the heat capacity density of the receiving portion 65 is the heat capacity of the receiving portion 65 per unit volume of the slope 652. When the wall portion 66 and the receiving portion 65 are integrally formed from the same material, the wall portion 66 may have a thickness equal to or greater than that of the plate-shaped portion 651 .

[0046] Such a wall portion 66 prevents waste ink, droplets, splashes, etc. from scattering outside the waste bucket 60 when waste ink ejected from the nozzle 243 onto the inclined surface 652 collides with or bounces off the inclined surface 652, as shown by the imaginary lines in Figure 4.

[0047] FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view showing a part in cross section near a corner of the ink receiving device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The inclined surface heating unit 61 heats the waste ink received on the inclined surface 652 via the inclined surface 652. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the inclined surface heating unit 61 is provided on the back surface of each plate-shaped unit 651, opposite the inclined surface 652. The waste tub 60 can use various heaters as the inclined surface heating section 61. The inclined surface heating section 61 may be, for example, a non-contact heater such as an infrared heater that heats without contacting the receiving section 65, or a contact heater that heats by contacting the receiving section 65.

[0048] The inclined surface heating portion 61 of this embodiment is a contact heater that contacts the back surface of the inclined surface 652 of the plate-shaped portion 651 of the receiving portion 65 to heat the receiving portion 65. Specifically, the inclined surface heating portion 61 is a rubber heater. The rubber heater is formed in a substantially triangular shape corresponding to each plate-shaped portion 651. The inclined surface heating portion 61 is provided in close contact with a wide range except for the vicinity of the bends 653 between the plate-shaped portions 651 and the vicinity of the bends 654 between each plate-shaped portion 651 and the wall portion. The inclined surface heating unit 61 heats each inclined surface 652 to a first temperature set in advance as described later. The inclined surface heating unit 61 can be turned on and off separately from the wall portion heating unit 63.

[0049] Furthermore, a first temperature detection unit 62 is provided at each predetermined detection position of the receiving unit 65. In this embodiment, the first temperature detection unit 62 is located at the middle position of the substantially triangular inclined surface 652, between the plate-shaped unit 651 and the inclined surface heating unit 61. The temperature of the inclined surface heating unit 61 is controlled based on the value detected by the first temperature detecting unit 62.

[0050] The wall heating section 63 heats the wall 66 to raise the temperature of the wall 66 . A wall heating section 63 is provided for each wall section 66. The wall heating section 63 is provided on the back side of the wall section 66, opposite the slope 652. The waste tub 60 can use various heaters as the wall heating section 63. The wall heating section 63 may be, for example, a non-contact heater such as an infrared heater that heats without contacting the wall section 66, or a contact heater that heats by contacting the wall section 66.

[0051] The wall heating portion 63 of this embodiment is a contact heater that contacts the back surface of the wall portion 66 to heat the receiving portion 65. Specifically, the inclined surface heating portion 61 is a rubber heater. The wall heating portion 63 is provided close to the upper edge of each inclined surface 652 and along the upper edge. The wall heating portion 63 is in close contact with a wide area except for the vicinity of the bent portion 654 between the plate-shaped portion 651 and the vicinity of the bent portion 662 between adjacent wall portions 66.

[0052] The wall heating portion 63 is preferably formed so that the heat capacity density of the wall heating portion 63 is equal to or greater than the heat capacity density of the inclined surface heating portion 61. This is because the wall heating portion 63 is less able to dissipate heat than the inclined surface heating portion 61 after heating. The heat capacity density is the heat capacity per unit surface area. The heat quantity density of the wall heating portion 63 is the heat capacity of the wall heating portion 63 per unit surface area of ​​the wall heating portion 63, and the heat capacity density of the inclined surface heating portion 61 is the heat capacity of the inclined surface heating portion 61 per unit surface area of ​​the inclined surface heating portion 61.

[0053] The wall heating unit 63 heats the slope 652 adjacent to the wall 66, particularly the edge of the slope 652 near the wall 66, to a temperature that maintains the fluidity of the waste ink. In other words, the wall heating unit 63 heats the wall 66 to such an extent that the heat of the slope 652 near the wall 66 is not dissipated to the wall 66. The wall heating unit 63 of this embodiment heats each wall 66 to a preset second temperature, as will be described later. The wall heating unit 63 can be turned on and off separately from the slope heating unit 61.

[0054] A second temperature detection unit 64 is provided at each predetermined detection position of the wall 66. In this embodiment, the second temperature detection unit 64 is located at an intermediate position of the wall heating unit 63, between the wall 66 and the wall heating unit 63. The temperature of the wall heating section 63 is controlled based on the value detected by the second temperature detection section 64.

[0055] Next, the method by which the slope heating section 61 and the wall heating section 63 heat each section of the waste tub 60 will be described. The waste bucket 60 heats various parts to receive and allow the waste ink ejected from the nozzles 243 during head maintenance to flow down. At room temperature, waste ink is in a gel state or a highly viscous liquid with extremely low fluidity, but when heated, it becomes a liquid with a viscosity that allows it to flow down the slope 652. On the other hand, if the temperature becomes too high, problems such as smoking may occur. Therefore, the inclined surface heating section 61 and the wall heating section 63 heat the waste ink within a limited temperature range that allows the waste ink to become a liquid that can flow down without causing any problems.

[0056] To heat the waste ink received in the receiver 65, the operator presets a first temperature as the control temperature of the inclined surface heating unit 61 of the receiver 65. The first temperature is a temperature that is higher than the temperature at which the waste ink gels or becomes highly viscous, and at which the waste ink becomes liquid with a viscosity that allows it to flow down the inclined surface 652. The first temperature is also a temperature that is lower than the temperature at which heating the waste ink causes problems such as smoking. This first temperature can be set depending on the type of waste ink. For example, when the temperature at which the waste ink gels or becomes viscous is T° C., the first temperature of the inclined surface heating unit 61 may be set to T+20° C. or higher.

[0057] Furthermore, in order to heat the wall 66, the worker presets a second temperature as the control temperature of the wall heating unit 63. The second temperature is a temperature at which the heat of the wall 66 does not allow the heat of the inclined surface 652 to be dissipated to the wall 66, and is a temperature equal to or higher than the first temperature. Furthermore, the second temperature is preferably lower than the temperature at which heating causes problems such as smoking from the waste ink.

[0058] During maintenance, the control unit 40 controls the on / off of the slope heating unit 61 based on the detection value of the first temperature detection unit 62. The control unit 40 also controls the on / off of the wall heating unit 63 based on the detection value of the second temperature detection unit 64. This allows the waste bucket 60 to drain the waste liquid received on the slope 652 of the receiving unit 65 into the waste ink storage unit 70.

[0059] According to the waste bucket 60 of this embodiment and the inkjet recording device 1 equipped with the same, the following effects can be obtained. First, wall 66 contacts inclined surface 652 of receiving portion 65 and protrudes upward from inclined surface 652. Wall 66 is provided with wall heating portion 63. Therefore, waste pail 60 can heat up wall 66 and prevent heat from receiving portion 65 from being dissipated to wall 66, which has a low temperature. This allows receiving portion 65 to prevent a drop in temperature near the edge of inclined surface 652 where wall portion 66 is provided, particularly at corners 68. Even if waste ink comes into contact with the edge or corners 68 of inclined surface 652 during maintenance, the fluidity of the waste ink will not deteriorate. This prevents waste ink from adhering to and remaining near the edge of the inclined surface 652 of the receiving portion 65.

[0060] The waste bucket 60 of this embodiment is equipped with an inclined surface heating section 61 for heating the waste ink received on the inclined surface 652. Therefore, the receiving section 65 can easily ensure the fluidity of the waste ink received on the inclined surface 652, and the waste ink can be discharged from the discharge section 67. The inclined surface heating portion 61 comes into contact with the back surface of the inclined surface 652 of the receiving portion 65 to heat the receiving portion 65. Therefore, the inclined surface heating portion 61 can heat the inclined surface 652 of the receiving portion 65 efficiently. Furthermore, the wall heating section 63 of the waste tub 60 of this embodiment also heats the wall 66 by contacting it. Therefore, the wall heating section 63 can heat the wall heating section 66 efficiently.

[0061] In the waste bucket 60 of this embodiment, the heat capacity per unit surface area of ​​the wall 66 is equal to or greater than the heat capacity per unit surface area of ​​the receiving portion 65. Therefore, after the temperature of the wall 66 is raised, the wall 66 can maintain its temperature more easily than the receiving portion 65, and is less likely to lose temperature due to heat radiation. This prevents heat from the receiving portion 65 from being dissipated to the wall portion 66 after the temperature of the wall portion 66 rises. As a result, a drop in temperature near the edge and corners 68 of the inclined surface 652 of the receiving portion 65 can be prevented.

[0062] In addition, in the waste tub 60 of this embodiment, the inclined heating section 61 is provided in contact with the receiving section 65, and the wall heating section 63 is provided in contact with the wall section 66. The heat capacity per unit area of ​​the wall heating section 63 is set to be equal to or greater than the heat capacity per unit area of ​​the inclined heating section 61. Therefore, after the temperature of the wall 66 rises, the wall heating section 63 is less likely to dissipate heat than the inclined surface heating section 61. This makes it easier for the waste bucket 60 to prevent a drop in temperature at the edges and corners 68 near the wall 66 on the inclined surface 652 of the receiving section 65.

[0063] Furthermore, in the waste tub 60 of this embodiment, the inclined surface heating section 61 is heated to a first temperature, and the wall heating section 63 is heated to a second temperature that is equal to or higher than the first temperature. Moreover, the first temperature is set to a temperature at which the waste ink has a viscosity that allows it to flow down the inclined surface 652. Therefore, waste bucket 60 can easily keep wall 66 at a temperature equal to or higher than that of receiving portion 65. This allows waste bucket 60 to reliably insulate and heat edges and corners 68 near wall 66 on sloped surface 652 of receiving portion 65 using the heat of wall 66. Therefore, waste bucket 60 can reliably allow waste ink received on sloped surface 652 of receiving portion 65 to flow downward.

[0064] In addition, in the waste bucket 60 of this embodiment, first and second temperature detection units 62, 64 are disposed at the detection positions of the wall portion 66 and the receiving portion 65, respectively. Based on the detection values ​​of the first and second temperature detection units 62, 64, the control unit 40 controls the inclined surface heating unit 61 to a first temperature and the wall portion heating unit 63 to a second temperature higher than the first temperature. Therefore, there is a possibility that the temperature of the slope 652 of the receiving portion 65 may be lower than the first temperature in areas other than the detection position, particularly the edges and corners 68 near the wall portion 66. However, in this embodiment, the wall portion heating portion 63 is controlled to a second temperature higher than the first temperature, so the wall portion 66 can supply heat to these areas. As a result, the waste bucket 60 can easily prevent the temperature of these areas from dropping.

[0065] In the waste tub 60 of this embodiment, the slope heating section 61 and the wall heating section 63 can be turned on and off separately. Therefore, waste bucket 60 can separately heat and insulate inclined surface 652 and wall portion 66, and can efficiently heat inclined surface 652 and wall portion 66 of receiving portion 65. Furthermore, waste bucket 60 can easily prevent inclined surface 652 near wall portion 66 from being excessively heated by the heat of inclined surface heating portion 61 and the heat of wall portion heating portion 63.

[0066] In the waste bucket 60 of this embodiment, the receiving portion 65 has a plurality of bent slopes 652 adjacent to each other. Furthermore, a plurality of wall portions 66 are also provided and connected to the edge portion at the connection portion of the plurality of slopes 652. Therefore, the receiving portion 65 has a corner portion 68 formed by bending and connecting the two slopes 652 and the two wall portions 66 to each other. Such corners 68 are susceptible to the thermal influence of the wall 66. However, in the waste pail 60 of this embodiment, each wall 66 is heated by the wall heating unit 63, thereby reducing the thermal influence of the wall 66 at the corners 68.

[0067] In the waste bucket 60 of this embodiment, a plurality of inclined surfaces 652 are arranged surrounding the discharge portion 67, and a wall portion 66 is provided surrounding the plurality of inclined surfaces 652. Therefore, the waste bucket 60 can be surrounded by the wall 66 around the entire periphery of the edges of the multiple slopes 652, and the wall 66 makes it easy to maintain the temperature of the edges of the slopes 652.

[0068] The above-described embodiment can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the claims of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the second temperature detection unit 64 for detecting the temperature of the wall heating unit 63 was provided on the wall 66, but this is not particularly limited. It is sufficient that the temperature of the upper edge side of the slope 652 can be maintained by heating the wall 66 with the wall heating unit 63, and the second temperature detection unit 64 does not have to be provided. Furthermore, the back surface of the wall 66 may be covered with a heat insulating material together with the wall heating unit 63 or excluding the wall heating unit 63. Furthermore, the above embodiment has described an example of a phase-change ink that is gel-like at room temperature and turns into a sol when heated, or an ink that becomes a viscous material at room temperature that cannot flow down the inclined surface 652. However, the type of ink does not need to be particularly limited. The present invention can be similarly applied to other inks. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1...inkjet recording device, 10...paper feed section, 11...paper feed tray, 12...conveyance section, 121, 122...rollers, 123...belt, 20...image forming section, 21...image forming drum, 22...delivery unit, 221...claw section, 222...delivery drum, 23...paper heating section, 24...head unit, 241...head drive section, 242...image forming head, 243...nozzle, 244...mounting member, 25...fixing section, 26...delivery section, 261, 262...rollers, 263...loop-shaped belt, 264...delivery drum, 27...image reading sensor, 30...paper discharge section , 31...paper output tray, 40...control unit, 60...waste bucket (ink receiving device), 61...slope heating unit, 62...first temperature detection unit, 63...wall heating unit, 64...second temperature detection unit, 65...receiving unit, 651...plate-shaped unit, 652...slope, 653, 654...bent portion, 66...wall, 661...wall surface, 662...bent portion, 67...discharge unit, 68...corner portion, 70...waste ink storage unit

Claims

1. a receiving portion that receives the waste ink discharged from the nozzles by a slope and allows the waste ink to flow down; a discharge section that discharges the waste ink that has flowed down the inclined surface into a waste ink storage section; a wall portion disposed in contact with the inclined surface and protruding upward from the inclined surface; a wall heating unit that heats the wall; The waste ink receiving device is provided with:

2. The waste ink receiving device according to claim 1 , further comprising a slope heating section for heating the waste ink received on the slope.

3. The waste ink receiving device according to claim 2 , wherein the inclined surface heating portion heats the receiving portion by contacting the rear surface of the inclined surface of the receiving portion.

4. The waste ink receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein the wall heating portion heats the wall by contacting the wall.

5. 2. The waste ink receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the heat capacity per unit surface area of ​​the wall portion is equal to or greater than the heat capacity per unit surface area of ​​the receiving portion.

6. the inclined surface heating portion is provided in contact with the receiving portion, and the wall portion heating portion is provided in contact with the wall portion, 3. The waste ink receiving device according to claim 2, wherein the heat capacity per unit area of ​​the wall heating portion is equal to or greater than the heat capacity per unit area of ​​the slope heating portion.

7. 3. The waste ink receiving device according to claim 2, wherein the inclined heating portion is heated to a first temperature, and the wall heating portion is heated to a second temperature equal to or higher than the first temperature.

8. The waste ink receiving device according to claim 7 , wherein the first temperature is a temperature at which the viscosity of the waste ink is such that the waste ink can flow down the inclined surface.

9. A waste ink receiving device as described in claim 7, wherein temperature detection units are arranged at detection positions of the wall portion and the receiving portion, and the inclined surface heating unit is controlled to the first temperature and the wall portion heating unit is controlled to the second temperature higher than the first temperature based on the detection values ​​of each temperature detection unit.

10. The waste ink receiving device according to claim 2 , wherein the inclined surface heating unit and the wall portion heating unit can be turned on and off separately.

11. 2. The waste ink receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the waste ink is a thermal phase change ink that is liquefied by heating.

12. The waste ink receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving portion has a plurality of inclined surfaces that are bent and adjacent to each other.

13. The waste ink receiving device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inclined surfaces are arranged to surround the discharge portion, and the wall portion is provided to surround the plurality of inclined surfaces.

14. a head unit that ejects ink from nozzles to form an image on a recording medium; a waste ink receiving device for receiving and discharging the waste ink ejected from the nozzles, The ink receiving device is a receiving portion that receives the waste ink discharged from the nozzles by a slope and causes the waste ink to flow downward; a discharge section that discharges the waste ink that has flowed down the inclined surface into a waste ink storage section; a wall portion disposed in contact with the inclined surface and protruding upward from the inclined surface; a wall heating unit that heats the wall; An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:

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