Cap device

Abstract

To provide a technology that can effectively remove ink adhering to the nozzle surface of an ink head. [Solution] The cap device (30; 30A) is for covering an ink head (20) which has a plurality of nozzles (26-29) arranged in a row for ejecting ink (21-24). The cap device (30; 30A) has a case (31) and water-repellent members (32-35; 32A-35A) provided inside the case (31) to repel ink (21-24). The case (31) has a bottom surface (31a) facing the ink head (20) and a wall surface (31b) rising from the bottom surface (31a) toward the ink head (20). The water-repellent members (32-35; 32A-35A) protrude from the bottom surface (31a) toward the nozzles (26-29).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cap device.

Background Art

[0002] As an inkjet printer, there is known one having an ink head that discharges ink and a cap device that can cover the ink head to prevent the ink head from drying. As a prior art related to the cap device, there is a technique disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0003] As shown in Patent Document 1, it is shown that the cap device is provided with an absorber for absorbing ink inside a case facing the ink head. By bringing the absorber close to and facing the ink head, the ink adhering to the ink head can be absorbed by the absorber.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] There is a limit to the amount of ink that can be absorbed by the absorber, and there may be a case where the ink adhering to the nozzle surface of the ink head cannot be absorbed. In this case, there is a risk that the ink adhering to the nozzle surface of the ink head cannot be sufficiently removed by the absorber. There is room for improvement in this regard.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of satisfactorily removing the ink adhering to the nozzle surface of the ink head.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] According to this disclosure, a cap device for covering an ink head in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink are formed in a row, It comprises a case and a water-repellent member provided inside the case that repels the ink, The case has a bottom surface facing the ink head and a wall surface rising from the bottom surface toward the ink head. A cap device is provided in which the water-repellent member protrudes from the bottom surface toward the nozzle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] This disclosure provides a technology that can effectively remove ink adhering to the nozzle surface of an ink head. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view of the main part of a printer device using the capping device according to Example 1. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This figure illustrates the operation of the capping device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view showing the ink head facing the capping device according to Example 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the embodiments shown in the attached drawings are examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0011] <Example 1> Example 1 will be described based on the drawings.

[0012] Regarding printer device 10 Refer to Figure 1. The printer device 10 is an inkjet printer. The printer device 10 has an ink head 20 having nozzles 26 to 29 for ejecting ink 21 to 24, and a cap device 30 that is detachably provided to the ink head 20.

[0013] Regarding the ink head 20 The ink head 20 is, for example, provided to be displaceable in the main scanning direction relative to the object to be printed, and prints by ejecting ink 21-24 while displacing. After printing is finished, it moves to a standby position above the capping device 30. Hereinafter, the lower surface of the ink head 20 may be referred to as the "ejection surface 20a" from which ink 21-24 is ejected.

[0014] Regarding inks 21-24 Inks 21-24 are, for example, four different colors of ink. For instance, ink 21 is black, ink 22 is cyan, ink 23 is magenta, and ink 24 is yellow. Note that inks 21-24 can consist of one to three colors, or five or more colors.

[0015] Regarding nozzles 26-29 and nozzle rows 26L-29L Nozzles 26-29 are provided according to each ink 21-24. Refer to Figure 2 as well. Multiple nozzles 26 are formed in a row along a line in the sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction. A row of multiple nozzles 26 formed on a single line is called a nozzle row 26L.

[0016] Similarly, multiple nozzles 27-29 are formed on a single line. A row of multiple nozzles 27-29 formed on a single line is called nozzle row 27L-29L.

[0017] Regarding the capping device 30 Refer only to FIG. 1. The cap device 30 includes a case 31 provided opposite to the ejection surface 20a, and water-repellent members 32 to 35 provided on the case 31 for removing the inks 21 to 24 adhering to the nozzles 26 to 29.

[0018] The cap device 30 may be provided so as to be able to move up and down with respect to the ink head 20. When the ink head 20 moves above the cap device 30 after printing is completed, the case 31 can be brought into close contact with the ink head 20 by raising the cap device 30.

[0019] ·Regarding the case 31 The case 31 has a substantially rectangular bottom surface 31a facing the ink head 20 and wall surfaces 31b rising from the respective sides of the bottom surface 31a toward the ink head 20. The case 31 may separately include a discharging means for discharging the inks 21 to 24 discharged from the ink head 20 to the outside.

[0020] ·Regarding the water-repellent members 32 to 35 The water-repellent members 32 to 35 are provided inside the region surrounded by the bottom surface 31a and the wall surfaces 31b. The water-repellent members 32 to 35 have a substantially triangular shape in a cross-sectional view, with the bottom side contacting the bottom surface 31a and the apex facing the centers of the nozzles 26 to 29. The water-repellent members 32 to 35 may be hollow members, or may be members formed by bending a plate so as to have a substantially triangular shape in a cross-sectional view. The cross-sectional shape of the water-repellent members 32 to 35 is not limited to a substantially triangular shape, and may be a shape with corners such as a substantially polygonal shape, as long as the apex angle faces the centers of the nozzles 26 to 29.

[0021] [[ID=二十]]The water-repellent members 32 to 35 are made of, for example, rubber as the material. The water-repellent members 32 to 35 may be formed of a resin such as polypropylene or polyacetal, or metal. Also, the water-repellent members 32 to 35 may be members whose surfaces are water-repellent processed.

[0022] Refer to Figure 2 as well. The water-repellent members 32-35 are arranged linearly along the nozzle rows 26L-29L. That is, the water-repellent members 32-35 extend in the sub-scanning direction. In the sub-scanning direction, the length L1 of the opening of the case 31 and the length L2 of the water-repellent members 32-35 are greater than or equal to the length L3 of the nozzle rows 26L-29L.

[0023] Refer to Figure 3. After printing, ink 21-24 may be adhering to the ejection surface 20a of the ink head 20. The tips of the water-repellent members 32-35 are positioned with a small gap between them and the ejection surface 20a, so that the ink 21-24 adhering to the ejection surface 20a flows down the water-repellent members 32-35 to the bottom surface 31a.

[0024] <Example 2> Next, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0025] Figure 4 shows a printer device 10A using the cap device 30A according to Example 2. The water-repellent members 32A to 35A used in the cap device 30A according to Example 2 have a different shape from the water-repellent members 32 to 35 used in the cap device according to Example 1 (Figure 1, reference numeral 30). Other basic configurations are the same as those of the cap device according to Example 1. For parts common to Example 1, the reference numerals are reused and detailed explanations are omitted.

[0026] Regarding water-repellent materials 32A~35A The water-repellent members 32A to 35A are provided inside the region enclosed by the bottom surface 31a and the wall surface 31b. The water-repellent members 32A to 35A have a substantially rectangular shape in cross-section, with their bottom edges abutting the bottom surface 31a and their top edges facing the centers of the nozzles 26 to 29. Preferably, the length of the top edges of the water-repellent members 32A to 35A in the main scanning direction in cross-section is less than or equal to the length of the nozzles 26 to 29 in the main scanning direction. The water-repellent members 32A to 35A may be hollow members, for example, members made by bending a plate so that it has a substantially rectangular shape in cross-section. The cross-sectional shape of the water-repellent members 32A to 35A may be substantially semicircular, with the curved sides facing the centers of the nozzles 26 to 29. That is, the water-repellent members 32A to 35A only need to protrude toward the centers of the nozzles 26 to 29.

[0027] The water-repellent members 32A to 35A are, for example, made of rubber. The water-repellent members 32A to 35A may also be made of resins such as polypropylene or polyacetal, or metal. Furthermore, the water-repellent members 32A to 35A may have a water-repellent coating on their surface. It is preferable that the tip portions of the water-repellent members 32A to 35A are positioned with a slight gap between them and the discharge surface 20a.

[0028] The water-repellent members 32A to 35A are arranged linearly along the nozzle rows 26L to 29L. The length of the opening of the case 31 and the length of the water-repellent members 32A to 35A are greater than or equal to the length of the nozzle rows 26L to 29L (see Figure 2).

[0029] The capping devices 30 and 30A described above are summarized below.

[0030] Refer to Figure 3. Firstly, the capping device 30 is for covering the ink head 20, which has a plurality of nozzles 26 arranged in a row for ejecting ink 21. The capping device 30 has a case 31 and water-repellent members 32 to 35 provided inside the case 31 that repel ink 21. The case 31 has a bottom surface 31a facing the ink head 20 and a wall surface 31b rising from the bottom surface 31a toward the ink head 20. The water-repellent members 32 to 35 protrude from the bottom surface 31a toward the nozzles 26.

[0031] The water-repellent members 32-35 repel the ink 21, thus effectively removing the ink 21 adhering to the nozzle 26. The same applies to the capping device 30A (see Figure 4).

[0032] Refer to Figure 2. Secondly, in the first capping device 30, in the sub-scanning direction (the direction in which the nozzles 26 are lined up), the length L1 of the opening of the case 31 and the length L1 of the water-repellent members 32-35 are greater than or equal to the length L1 of the nozzle row in which the nozzles 26 are lined up. Excess ink 21 can be removed from all nozzles 26. The same applies to the capping device 30A (see Figure 4).

[0033] Refer to Figure 3. Thirdly, in the first or second capping device 30, the cross-sections of the water-repellent members 32-35 are such that their apex angles face the nozzles 26, based on the cross-section obtained by cutting the water-repellent members 32-35 in a plane perpendicular to the direction in which the nozzles 26 are arranged. The ink 21 repelled at the apex angles can be easily flowed along the hypotenuse toward the bottom surface 31a. This prevents the ink 21 from remaining on the water-repellent members 32-35.

[0034] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the examples provided, provided that it achieves the functions and effects of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0035] The capping device of the present invention is suitable for inkjet printers. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0036] 20... Ink head 21-24... Ink 26-29...Nozzles, 26L-29L...Nozzle rows 30, 30A... Capping device 31...Case, 31a...Bottom, 31b...Wall 32-35, 32A-35A...Water-repellent material

Claims

1. A cap device for covering an ink head, which has multiple nozzles arranged in a row for ejecting ink, It comprises a case and a water-repellent member provided inside the case that repels the ink, The case has a bottom surface facing the ink head and a wall surface rising from the bottom surface toward the ink head. The water-repellent member is a cap device that protrudes from the bottom surface toward the nozzle.

2. The cap device according to claim 1, wherein in the direction in which the nozzles are arranged, the length of the opening of the case and the length of the water-repellent member are greater than or equal to the length of the nozzle row in which the nozzles are arranged.

3. The cap device according to claim 1, wherein, with reference to a cross-section obtained by cutting the water-repellent member with a plane perpendicular to the direction in which the nozzles are arranged, the cross-section of the water-repellent member has a shape in which its apex angle faces the nozzles.

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