Inkjet recording device

Abstract

The present invention provides an inkjet recording device that can maintain a constant distance between the recording head and the maintenance unit during maintenance. [Solution] The inkjet recording device 1 comprises a recording head 51 and a maintenance unit 81. The guide member 812 of the maintenance unit 81 is supported by the maintenance unit 81 so as to be able to reciprocate so as to approach or move away from the ink ejection surface of the recording head 51 in the direction normal to the maintenance surface of the maintenance unit 81, and contacts the recording head 51 during maintenance processing.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus. [Background Art]

[0002] As recording apparatuses such as printers and copiers, inkjet recording apparatuses that record an image by ejecting ink onto a recording medium such as a sheet are widely used because they can record high-definition images. In recent years, inkjet recording apparatuses have been demanded to be reduced in size and save space, and some apparatuses are configured such that a recording head is disposed inclined with respect to the horizontal direction and ejects ink at an angle closer to the horizontal direction from the vertical direction.

[0003] Further, in an inkjet recording apparatus, ink remaining on the ink ejection surface of the recording head may solidify and cause ejection failure. In response to this, conventional techniques related to maintenance such as capping, wiping, and flushing of the ink ejection surface are known in order to suppress solidification of ink on the ink ejection surface and remove solidified ink.

[0004] For example, in a cleaning device for a conventional liquid ejecting apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, a cap head including a cap portion and a wiping member is supported by a cap frame via a slider. The slider is slidable with respect to the cap frame, and is supported movably in the vertical direction toward and away from the nozzle formation surface of the recording head. The cap head is movable to a flushing position, a wiping position, and a capping position by approaching or separating relative to the nozzle formation surface of the recording head. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-83706 [Summary of the Invention] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, in conventional technology, the cap head and the nozzle-forming surface of the recording head do not directly interact to determine their relative positions, which presented a challenge in maintaining a constant distance between the cap head and the nozzle-forming surface. This raised concerns that variations in the contact pressure of the wiping member against the nozzle-forming surface might occur, and that the distance between the cap and the nozzle-forming surface during flushing might not be properly set.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and aims to provide an inkjet recording apparatus that can maintain a constant distance between the recording head and the maintenance unit during maintenance processing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention comprises a transport unit, a recording head, a maintenance unit, a first moving mechanism, and a second moving mechanism. The transport unit transports a recording medium. The recording head has an ink ejection surface from which nozzles for ejecting ink onto the recording medium open, and the ink ejection surface is positioned parallel to and opposite the transport surface of the transport unit. The maintenance unit performs maintenance on the ink ejection surface of the recording head. The first moving mechanism moves the recording head to select a recording position close to the transport unit and a maintenance position spaced away from the recording position. The second moving mechanism moves the maintenance unit to select an insertion position between the transport surface and the ink ejection surface and a retracted position moved away from the insertion position. The maintenance unit comprises a maintenance surface, a guide member, and a third moving mechanism. The maintenance surface is positioned parallel to and opposite the ink ejection surface of the recording head and performs maintenance on the ink ejection surface. The guide member is supported by the maintenance unit so as to be able to reciprocate so as to approach or move away from the ink ejection surface in a direction normal to the maintenance surface, and contacts the recording head during the maintenance process. The third movement mechanism moves the guide member in a direction normal to the maintenance surface to select between a protruding position where it protrudes from the maintenance surface and a housing position where it is housed within the maintenance unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the configuration of the present invention, a guide member provided on the maintenance unit protrudes from the maintenance surface toward the ink ejection surface in a direction normal to the maintenance surface and contacts the recording head. As a result, the recording head and the maintenance unit are directly involved via the guide member, and the opposing distance between the ink ejection surface and the maintenance surface is determined. Therefore, during maintenance, it becomes possible to maintain a constant opposing distance between the ink ejection surface of the recording head and the maintenance surface of the maintenance unit. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an inkjet recording device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the recording section of an inkjet recording device. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the maintenance unit of the inkjet recording device. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the maintenance unit, showing the guide member positioned in a protruding position. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a side view of the recording section and maintenance unit surrounding the inkjet recording device. [Figure 6] Figure 2 is a side view of the recording unit and maintenance unit, showing the capped state of the ink ejection surface. [Figure 7] Figure 2 is a side view of the recording unit and maintenance unit, showing the starting position of the wiping process on the ink ejection surface. [Figure 8] Figure 7 is a partially enlarged side view of the recording unit and maintenance unit. [Figure 9] Figure 7 is a side view of the recording unit and maintenance unit, showing the end position of the wiping process on the ink ejection surface. [Figure 10] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the maintenance unit, showing the guide member in its housing position. [Figure 11] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the maintenance unit, showing the guide member positioned in a protruding position. [Figure 12] Figure 2 is a side view of the recording unit and maintenance unit, showing the flushing state of the recording head. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional front view of an inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a recording unit 5 of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 in FIG. 1. The inkjet recording apparatus 1 is, for example, an inkjet recording type printer. As shown in FIG. 1, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 includes an apparatus main body 2, a sheet supply unit 3, a sheet conveyance unit (conveyance unit) 4, a recording unit 5, a drying unit 6, and a control unit 7.

[0013] The sheet supply unit 3 is disposed, for example, at a lower portion of the apparatus main body 2. The sheet supply unit 3 accommodates a plurality of sheets (recording media) S, and separates and feeds out the sheets S one by one during recording.

[0014] The sheet conveyance unit 4 is disposed downstream of the sheet supply unit 3 in the sheet conveyance direction and above the sheet supply unit 3. The sheet conveyance unit 4 conveys the sheet S fed from the sheet supply unit 3. The sheet conveyance unit 4 conveys the sheet S to the recording unit 5 and the drying unit 6, and further discharges the recorded and dried sheet S to a sheet discharge unit 21.

[0015] The sheet conveyance unit 4 includes a belt conveyance unit 41. The belt conveyance unit 41 has an endlessly formed conveyance belt 411. The conveyance belt 411 is disposed such that a conveyance surface 411a for conveying the sheet S is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. In the present embodiment, the conveyance belt 411 is inclined at an angle of, for example, 60 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction. Further, the conveyance belt 411 is disposed opposite to the recording unit 5. The belt conveyance unit 41 suction-holds and conveys the sheet S in a region of the outer circumferential surface of the conveyance belt 411 facing the recording unit 5.

[0016] The recording unit 5 includes a recording head 51. The recording head 51 is located on the downstream side of the sheet supply unit 3 in the sheet conveyance direction, and is disposed opposite to the belt conveyance unit 41. The recording head 51 has an ink ejection surface 51a. The ink ejection surface 51a is disposed opposite and parallel to the conveyance surface 411a of the conveyance belt 411. Since the conveyance surface 411a of the conveyance belt 411 is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction, the ink ejection surface 51a is disposed inclined with respect to the horizontal direction (for example, an inclination angle of 60 degrees). A large number of ink ejection nozzles (not shown) are open and arranged on the ink ejection surface 51a.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the recording head 51 includes a pair of positioning holes 52 and two sets of paired positioning members 53.

[0018] Each of the pair of positioning holes 52 is located at the central portion in the sheet conveyance direction Dc of the four-color recording head 51, and is disposed outside each of both end portions of the ink ejection surface 51a in the sheet width direction Dw orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction Dc (the depth direction of the paper plane in FIG. 1), opposite to the conveyance surface 411a of the conveyance belt 411. The positioning hole 52 is configured as a concave portion recessed from the ink ejection surface 51a toward the inside of the recording head 51 in a direction away from the conveyance surface 411a.

[0019] Note that, with respect to the pair of positioning holes 52, the belt conveyance unit 41 includes a pair of positioning pieces 412 (see FIG. 5). The pair of positioning pieces 412 are disposed outside each of both end portions of the conveyance belt 411 in the sheet width direction Dw, opposite to the ink ejection surface 51a of the recording head 51. The positioning piece 412 is a wedge-shaped or triangular member formed to protrude by a predetermined distance from the conveyance surface 411a of the conveyance belt 411 toward the ink ejection surface 51a. The pair of positioning pieces 412 are inserted into the pair of positioning holes 52 formed in the recording head 51.

[0020] The two pairs of positioning members 53 are positioned outside the pair of positioning holes 52 in the sheet width direction Dw. Each of the two pairs of positioning members 53 is located outside the discharge area of ​​the ink discharge surface 51a and at each end in the sheet width direction Dw, and is positioned opposite the conveying surface 411a of the conveying belt 411. Each of the pairs of positioning members 53 is positioned side by side along the ink discharge surface 51a in the sheet conveying direction Dc.

[0021] The positioning member 53 is an arc-shaped or disc-shaped member positioned to protrude a predetermined distance from the ink discharge surface 51a toward the transport surface 411a. The outer circumferential surface of the positioning member 53 contacts the area outside the transport region of the sheet S on the transport surface 411a (both ends in the sheet width direction Dw). As a result, the ink discharge surface 51a faces the sheet S that is held and transported by suction on the transport surface 411a of the transport belt 411, and is positioned at a predetermined distance from the transport belt 411.

[0022] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the recording unit 5 is equipped with recording heads 51 corresponding to four colors: black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. The four recording heads 51 are arranged side by side along the sheet transport direction Dc such that their longitudinal direction is parallel to the sheet width direction Dw. Each of the four recording heads 51 is individually supplied with four colors of ink stored in an ink container 54 located outside the recording unit 5.

[0023] The inkjet recording device 1 also includes an ink container 54 and an ink supply system 55. The ink container 54 includes ink containers 54K, 54C, 54M, and 54Y, which correspond to the four colors black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, respectively. The ink containers 54K, 54C, 54M, and 54Y store the inks of black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, respectively.

[0024] The ink supply system 55 consists of an ink supply path, a pump, an on / off valve, a check valve, etc. (none of which are shown). Based on a control signal from the control unit 7, the ink supply system 55 individually supplies the four colors (black, cyan, magenta, and yellow) of ink stored in the ink containers 54K, 54C, 54M, and 54Y to each of the recording heads 51 corresponding to each color. The recording unit 5 sequentially ejects ink from the four recording heads 51 toward the sheet S being transported by the transport belt 411, recording a full-color or monochrome image on the sheet S.

[0025] The drying unit 6 is located downstream of the recording unit 5 in the sheet transport direction and above the recording unit 5. The sheet S on which the ink image has been recorded in the recording unit 5 is transported by the sheet transport unit 4 in the drying unit 6, during which time the ink is dried. The sheet S on which the image has been recorded, dried, and printing is complete is discharged to the sheet discharge unit 21 located on the upper surface of the main body 2 of the device.

[0026] The control unit 7 includes a CPU, an image processing unit, a memory unit, and other electronic circuits and electronic components (none of which are shown). The CPU controls the operation of each component provided in the inkjet recording device 1 based on control programs and data stored in the memory unit, and performs processing related to the functions of the inkjet recording device 1. The sheet supply unit 3, sheet transport unit 4, recording unit 5, and drying unit 6 each receive individual commands from the control unit 7 and perform recording on the sheet S in conjunction with each other. The memory unit is composed of a combination of non-volatile storage devices such as program ROM (Read Only Memory) and data ROM, and volatile storage devices such as RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0027] Furthermore, the inkjet recording device 1 includes a maintenance unit 8. The maintenance unit 8 includes a maintenance unit 81, a suction pump 82, and a waste ink tank 83.

[0028] The maintenance unit 81 is detachable from the ink ejection surface 51a of the recording head 51. The maintenance unit 81 performs maintenance on the ink ejection surface 51a of the recording head 51. When maintenance is not performed on the recording head 51, the maintenance unit 81 is positioned in a retracted position below the recording head 51, as shown in Figure 1.

[0029] In the inkjet recording device 1, maintenance processing for the recording head 51 is performed at predetermined timings. This maintenance processing for the recording head 51 is performed, for example, when recording starts after a long period of inactivity, or in between recording operations. When performing maintenance processing for the recording head 51, the control unit 7 moves the maintenance unit 81 to an insertion position between the transport surface 411a of the transport belt 411 and the ink ejection surface 51a of the recording head 51 (the position indicated by the dashed line in Figure 1; see Figures 6, 7, and 12) using a moving mechanism described later.

[0030] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the maintenance unit 81 of the inkjet recording device 1 shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the maintenance unit 81 of Figure 3, showing the guide member 812 positioned in a protruding position. The maintenance unit 81 is positioned opposite the recording head 51 during maintenance of the recording head 51. The maintenance unit 81 comprises a maintenance surface 81a, a pair of positioning pieces 811, and a pair of guide members 812.

[0031] The maintenance surface 81a is positioned parallel to and opposite the ink ejection surface 51a of the recording head 51. Because the ink ejection surface 51a is inclined with respect to the horizontal, the maintenance surface 81a is also inclined with respect to the horizontal. The maintenance surface 81a performs maintenance on the ink ejection surface 51a.

[0032] The maintenance unit 81 has a cap portion 813 and a wipe portion 814 on its maintenance surface 81a.

[0033] The cap portion 813 is attached to the ink ejection surface 51a of the recording head 51 at the start of recording after a long period of inactivity or between recording operations, in order to suppress drying of the ink ejection surface 51a and inside the nozzles, and to remove thickened ink, solidified ink, foreign matter, etc. The cap portion 813 has a concave cap member 813c that covers the ink ejection surface 51a.

[0034] The cap member 813c is detachable from the ink ejection surface 51a. When the cap portion 813 is positioned to cover the ink ejection surface 51a, a closed space is formed between the ink ejection surface 51a and the cap member 813c. In maintenance procedures using the cap portion 813, for example, a suction purge process is performed by using a suction pump 82 to suction the closed space between the ink ejection surface 51a and the cap portion 813, thereby forcibly sucking ink out of all the nozzles of the recording head 51.

[0035] Furthermore, the recording head 51 periodically performs a flushing (dry ejection) process to eject ink from the nozzles in order to reduce and prevent nozzle clogging due to ink drying. During the flushing process, for example, ink is ejected in a line extending in the sheet width direction Dw at a timing different from the ink ejection timing to the sheet S (during image recording), that is, during non-image recording times when ink is not ejected onto the sheet S.

[0036] The wipe unit 814 performs a wiping operation on the ink ejection surface 51a of the recording head 51 to remove thickened ink, solidified ink, foreign matter, etc., that has adhered to the ink ejection surface 51a, either when recording starts after a long period of inactivity or in between recording operations. The wipe unit 814 has a wiper 814w that contacts the ink ejection surface 51a to wipe away ink, foreign matter, etc.

[0037] The wiper 814w is made of rubber, such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber), and is an elastic member formed in a plate shape. The wipe section 814 has a plurality of wipers 814w arranged side by side in the sheet transport direction Dc and the sheet width direction Dw. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the wipe section 814 has a total of eight wipers 814w, with two rows in the sheet transport direction Dc and four in the sheet width direction Dw. Each of the eight wipers 814w is attached to the maintenance surface 81a at an angle with respect to the sheet width direction Dw.

[0038] The wiper 814w makes contact with the ink ejection surface 51a at a predetermined pressure as the maintenance surface 81a approaches the ink ejection surface 51a. The wiper 814w moves in the sheet transport direction Dc of the ink ejection surface 51a as the maintenance unit 81 moves relative to the recording head 51, wiping away any residue such as ink from the ink ejection surface 51a. Because the wiper 814w is inclined with respect to the sheet width direction Dw, it moves smoothly on the ink ejection surface 51a, allowing it to cleanly wipe away any residue from the ink ejection surface 51a.

[0039] Residual materials such as ink (purge ink) sucked from the nozzle into the cap section 813, ink discharged from the nozzle during the flushing process, and ink wiped off from the ink discharge surface 51a during the wiping process are discharged to the outside of the maintenance unit 81 by the suction pump 82, and then collected in the waste ink tank 83 via a waste ink recovery channel (not shown).

[0040] Each of the pair of positioning pieces 811 is positioned on the outside of both ends of the cap portion 813 in the sheet width direction Dw, facing the ink ejection surface 51a of the recording head 51. The positioning pieces 811 are wedge-shaped or triangular members formed to protrude a predetermined distance from the maintenance surface 81a toward the ink ejection surface 51a. When the maintenance surface 81a approaches the ink ejection surface 51a during maintenance processing by the maintenance unit 81, the pair of positioning pieces 811 are inserted into a pair of positioning holes 52 (see Figure 2) formed in the recording head 51.

[0041] The guide members 812 are located at both ends of the sheet width direction Dw of the maintenance unit 81, outside the maintenance surface 81a and the positioning piece 811, and are positioned opposite the ink ejection surface 51a of the recording head 51. The guide members 812 are supported by the maintenance unit 81 so as to be able to reciprocate, moving closer to or further away from the ink ejection surface 51a in the direction normal to the maintenance surface 81a. During maintenance, the guide members 812 come into contact with the recording head 51.

[0042] Next, the movement mechanisms of the recording unit 5 and the maintenance unit 81 will be described. Figure 5 is a side view of the area around the recording unit 5 and the maintenance unit 81 of the inkjet recording device 1 shown in Figure 1. Figures 6 and 7 are side views of the recording unit 5 and the maintenance unit 81 shown in Figure 2, showing the capped state of the ink ejection surface 51a and the starting position of the wiping process. Figure 8 is a partially enlarged side view of the recording unit 5 and the maintenance unit 81 shown in Figure 7. Figure 9 is a side view of the recording unit 5 and the maintenance unit 81 shown in Figure 7, showing the ending position of the wiping process on the ink ejection surface 51a.

[0043] The inkjet recording device 1 includes a first moving mechanism 11, a second moving mechanism 12, and a third moving mechanism 13 for the movement of the recording unit 5 and the maintenance unit 81, respectively.

[0044] The first moving mechanism 11 moves the recording unit 5 (recording head 51) horizontally in a first moving direction Dm1 relative to the device body 2. The first moving mechanism 11 includes a pair of first guide rails 111, two pairs of first guide pins 112, and a first drive unit (not shown). In this embodiment, the first moving mechanism 11 has one combination of the pair of first guide rails 111 and two pairs of first guide pins 112, but it may have two or more such combinations.

[0045] A pair of first guide rails 111 are fixed to the inner surface of the side wall of the device body 2. Each of the pair of first guide rails 111 is positioned opposite the recording unit 5 in the sheet width direction (the depth direction of the paper in Figures 5, 6, and 7) on the outside of one end and the other end of the recording unit 5 in the sheet width direction. The first guide rails 111 extend horizontally in a direction that moves them closer to and further away from the belt conveying unit 41.

[0046] Two pairs of first guide pins 112 are fixed to the outer surface of the side wall of the recording unit 5. Each of the two pairs of first guide pins 112 is provided on the side surfaces of the recording head 51, one end and the other end in the sheet width direction, and protrudes outward in the sheet width direction. Each of the pairs of first guide pins 112 is arranged horizontally along the first guide rails 111 which are arranged opposite each other in the sheet width direction. The first guide pins 112 are supported on the first guide rails 111 so as to be able to reciprocate horizontally along the first guide rails 111 which are arranged opposite each other in the sheet width direction.

[0047] The first drive unit includes a drive source such as a motor and a drive mechanism such as a gear group or a wire and pulley (neither of which are shown). The motor is connected to the recording unit 5 via the drive mechanism. When the motor is driven, the first moving mechanism 11 moves the recording unit 5 horizontally along the first guide rail 111. More specifically, the first moving mechanism 11 moves the recording head 51 to select and position it between a recording position close to the belt transport unit 41 (see Figure 1) and a maintenance position further away from the recording position (see Figures 5, 6, and 7).

[0048] According to the above configuration, when moving the recording head 51 from the recording position to the maintenance position, the recording head 51 is moved horizontally, so the inkjet recording device 1 does not need to be made unnecessarily tall. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the increase in the height of the inkjet recording device 1. This makes it possible to position the operation section of the inkjet recording device 1 at a suitable height, thereby improving user operability. In addition, it is possible to secure sufficient space for storing the sheet S at the bottom of the device, thereby improving the convenience of the device.

[0049] The second movement mechanism 12 moves the maintenance unit 81 in a second movement direction Dm2, which is perpendicular to the main body of the device 2. The second movement direction Dm2 is perpendicular to the first movement direction Dm1. The second movement mechanism 12 includes a pair of second guide rails 121, two pairs of second guide pins 122, and a second drive unit (not shown). In this embodiment, the second movement mechanism 12 has one combination of the pair of second guide rails 121 and two pairs of second guide pins 122, but it may have two or more such combinations.

[0050] A pair of second guide rails 121 are fixed to the inner surface of the side wall of the device body 2. Each of the pair of second guide rails 121 is positioned opposite the maintenance unit 81 in the sheet width direction, on the outside of one end and the other end of the maintenance unit 81. The second guide rails 121 extend perpendicularly to the recording unit 5, which moves along the first guide rail 111, in directions of approaching and moving away from it.

[0051] Two pairs of second guide pins 122 are fixed to the outer surface of the side wall of the maintenance unit 81. Each of the two pairs of second guide pins 122 is provided on the side surfaces of the maintenance unit 81, one end and the other end in the sheet width direction, and protrudes outward in the sheet width direction. Each of the pairs of second guide pins 122 is positioned vertically along the second guide rails 121 which are opposed to each other in the sheet width direction. The second guide pins 122 are supported by the second guide rails 121 so as to be able to reciprocate vertically along the second guide rails 121 which are opposed to each other in the sheet width direction.

[0052] The second drive unit includes a drive source such as a motor and a drive mechanism such as a gear group or a wire and pulley (neither of which are shown). The motor is connected to the maintenance unit 81 via the drive mechanism. When the motor is driven, the second moving mechanism 12 moves the maintenance unit 81 vertically along the second guide rail 121. More specifically, the second moving mechanism 12 moves the maintenance unit 81 to select an insertion position between the transport surface 411a and the ink ejection surface 51a (see Figures 6 and 7) and a retracted position (see Figures 1 and 5) that is moved away from the insertion position.

[0053] Furthermore, the second moving mechanism 12 retracts the maintenance unit 81 to a retracted position below the recording unit 5. With this configuration, the movement of the maintenance unit 81 to the retracted position prevents the inkjet recording device 1 from becoming unnecessarily tall. Therefore, it becomes possible to avoid increasing the size of the inkjet recording device 1 in the height direction.

[0054] The third moving mechanism 13 moves the guide member 812 in the direction normal to the maintenance surface 81a of the maintenance unit 81. Figures 10 and 11 are cross-sectional side views of the maintenance unit 81 of Figure 3, showing the guide member 812 in the housing position and the protruding position. The third moving mechanism 13 includes two pairs of third guide rails 131 and a third drive unit 133.

[0055] The two pairs of third guide rails 131 are located inside the maintenance unit 81, adjacent to the maintenance surface 81a, and are provided on the outside of both ends of the maintenance surface 81a in the sheet width direction. Each of the two pairs of third guide rails 131 is adjacent to each of the pair of guide members 812. The pair of third guide rails 131 are positioned opposite the guide members 812 in the sheet transport direction Dc, on the outside of one end and the other end of the guide members 812. The third guide rails 131 extend in a direction approaching and moving away from the maintenance surface 81a, along the direction normal to the maintenance surface 81a.

[0056] The guide member 812 is sandwiched between each of a pair of third guide rails 131 that are arranged opposite each other in the sheet transport direction Dc. The guide member 812 is supported by the third guide rails 131 so as to be able to reciprocate along the third guide rails 131 in a direction parallel to the normal direction of the maintenance surface 81a.

[0057] The third drive unit 133 includes a drive source (not shown), such as a motor, and a drive mechanism including a gear group and a cam member 134.

[0058] The cam member 134 is positioned inside the maintenance unit 81. The cam member 134 is positioned on the opposite side of the guide member 812 from the maintenance surface 81a, separated by the guide member 812. The cam member 134 contacts the outer surface of the guide member 812 from the opposite side of the maintenance surface 81a (the inside side of the maintenance unit 81).

[0059] The cam member 134 is connected to the drive source of the third drive unit 133 and obtains rotational power from the drive source. The cam member 134 rotates around the axis of the rotation shaft 134x which extends in the seat width direction. The cam member 134 has a major axis portion and a minor axis portion with different radial lengths from the central axis of rotation, and as it rotates, the distance from the central axis to the contact point with the cap portion 813 changes.

[0060] As shown in Figure 10, when the short diameter portion of the cam member 134 faces the guide member 812, the guide member 812 is positioned in a housing position, housed within the maintenance unit 81, away from the maintenance surface 81a. Then, when the cam member 134 rotates by a predetermined amount from the state in Figure 10, and the long diameter portion of the cam member 134 faces the guide member 812, as shown in Figure 11, the guide member 812 moves to protrude in the normal direction from the maintenance surface 81a, and is positioned in a protruding position that protrudes by a predetermined amount relative to the maintenance surface 81a.

[0061] As described above, when the motor is driven, the third moving mechanism 13 moves the guide member 812 along the third guide rail 131 in the direction normal to the maintenance surface 81a. More specifically, the cam member 134 rotates while in contact with the guide member 812, selectively positioning the guide member 812 between a protruding position where it protrudes from the maintenance surface 81a (see Figures 7 and 11) and a retracted position where it is housed within the maintenance unit 81 (see Figures 6 and 10).

[0062] According to the above configuration, the guide member 812 provided on the maintenance unit 81 protrudes from the maintenance surface 81a in the normal direction toward the ink ejection surface 51a and contacts the recording head 51. As a result, the recording head 51 and the maintenance unit 81 are directly involved with each other via the guide member 812, and the opposing distance between the ink ejection surface 51a and the maintenance surface 81a is determined. Therefore, during maintenance, it becomes possible to maintain a constant opposing distance between the ink ejection surface 51a of the recording head 51 and the maintenance surface 81a of the maintenance unit 81.

[0063] Furthermore, the guide member 812 contacts a positioning member 53 provided on the recording head 51 and positioned opposite the maintenance surface 81a. In other words, the distance between the ink ejection surface 51a and the maintenance surface 81a can be set using the guide member 812 via the positioning member 53, which is used to position the recording head 51 relative to the transport belt 411. Therefore, the distance between the ink ejection surface 51a and the maintenance surface 81a can be set with high precision, and maintenance processing on the ink ejection surface 51a can be performed effectively.

[0064] When performing capping on the ink ejection surface 51a, as shown in Figures 6 and 10, the third moving mechanism 13 positions the guide member 812 in its storage position, and the recording head 51 is brought into contact with the guide member 812 (maintenance unit 81) via the positioning member 53. In the state of contact between the recording head 51 and the guide member 812 in its storage position, the cap portion 813 is positioned to cover the ink ejection surface 51a.

[0065] According to the above configuration, when performing capping on the ink ejection surface 51a, an appropriate opposing distance between the ink ejection surface 51a and the maintenance surface 81a is determined. The direct interaction between the recording head 51 and the maintenance unit 81 makes it possible to maintain this opposing distance at a constant level, thereby enabling the capping process on the ink ejection surface 51a to be performed effectively.

[0066] When performing a wiping process on the ink ejection surface 51a, as shown in Figures 7 and 11, the third moving mechanism 13 positions the guide member 812 in a protruding position, and the recording head 51 is brought into contact with the guide member 812 (maintenance unit 81) via the positioning member 53. In the state of contact between the recording head 51 and the guide member 812 in the protruding position, the wiping section 814 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the ink ejection surface 51a in the direction normal to the maintenance surface 81a, and at the starting position of the wiping process downstream of the ink ejection surface 51a in the sheet transport direction.

[0067] Then, the first moving mechanism 11 moves the recording head 51, and the second moving mechanism 12 moves the maintenance unit 81, so that the wipe unit 814 comes into contact with the ink ejection surface 51a and performs a wiping process to wipe away the ink. With this configuration, when performing a wiping process on the ink ejection surface 51a, an appropriate opposing distance between the ink ejection surface 51a and the maintenance surface 81a is determined. Because the recording head 51 and the maintenance unit 81 are directly involved with each other, it is possible to maintain this opposing distance at a constant level, and the wiping process on the ink ejection surface 51a can be performed effectively.

[0068] Furthermore, the first movement direction Dm1 of the recording head 51 by the first movement mechanism 11 and the second movement direction Dm2 of the maintenance unit 81 by the second movement mechanism 12 are perpendicular to each other. The ink ejection surface 51a and the maintenance surface 81a are inclined with respect to the first movement direction Dm1 and the second movement direction Dm2. During the wiping process, the first movement mechanism 11 moves the recording head 51 toward the maintenance unit 81, and the second movement mechanism 12 moves the maintenance unit 81 toward the recording head 51.

[0069] As a result, the recording head 51 and the maintenance unit 81 move from the starting position of the wiping process shown in Figure 7 to the ending position of the wiping process shown in Figure 9. The wiping unit 814 moves in the sheet transport direction Dc from the starting position of the wiping process downstream of the ink ejection surface 51a to the ending position of the wiping process upstream of the ink ejection surface 51a. With this configuration, the wiping unit 814 can be suitably brought into contact with the ink ejection surface 51a, which is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction, and the wiping process can be performed. This makes it possible to effectively perform a wiping process on the inclined ink ejection surface 51a.

[0070] The operation of the first moving mechanism 11 and the second moving mechanism 12 is controlled by the control unit 7. The control unit 7 transmits a control signal to at least one of the first moving mechanism 11 and the second moving mechanism 12 such that the moving speed of the recording head 51 is equal to or greater than the moving speed of the maintenance unit 81.

[0071] With the above configuration, the recording head 51 is always pressed against the maintenance unit 81. This prevents the recording head 51 and the maintenance unit 81 from unintentionally separating. In other words, it becomes possible to enhance the effect of maintaining a constant distance between the ink ejection surface 51a of the recording head 51 and the maintenance surface 81a of the maintenance unit 81 during maintenance.

[0072] The protruding positions of the guide member 812 include a first protruding position and a second protruding position. The first protruding position of the guide member 812 is the arrangement when wiping is performed on the ink discharge surface 51a, as shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9. The second protruding position of the guide member 812 is an arrangement in which the protruding length of the guide member 812 is shorter than that of the first protruding position, as shown in Figure 12.

[0073] Figure 12 is a side view of the recording unit 5 and maintenance unit 81 in Figure 2, and shows the flushing state of the recording head 51. More specifically, the protruding length L2 of the guide member 812 at the first protruding position shown in Figure 12 is shorter than the protruding length L1 of the guide member 812 at the first protruding position shown in Figure 7.

[0074] In the state where the recording head 51 is in contact with the guide member 812 at the second protruding position, the cap portion 813 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the ink ejection surface 51a in the direction normal to the maintenance surface 81a, and is positioned opposite the ink ejection surface 51a. The recording head 51 then performs a flushing process in which ink is ejected from the nozzles of the ink ejection surface 51a when not recording an image. The ejected ink during the flushing process is discharged into the cap member 813c and transported to the waste ink tank 83 by the suction pump 82.

[0075] According to the above configuration, when the recording head 51 performs ink flushing (empty ejection), an appropriate opposing distance between the ink ejection surface 51a and the maintenance surface 81a is determined. By having the recording head 51 and the maintenance unit 81 directly interact, it becomes possible to maintain this opposing distance at a constant level, and the flushing process of the recording head 51 can be performed effectively.

[0076] Furthermore, since the ink ejection surface 51a is not completely capped, the time required for flushing can be minimized, for example, when flushing is performed between consecutive sheets S during continuous recording. This makes it possible to shorten the recording time to the sheet S while performing maintenance on the recording head 51.

[0077] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made to implement the invention without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0078] This invention is applicable to inkjet recording devices. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0079] 1. Inkjet recording device 2. Main unit of the device 5. Records Section 8. Maintenance Department 11 1st movement mechanism 12 Second movement mechanism 13 Third movement mechanism 41 Belt conveying section (conveying section) 51 Recording head 51a Ink ejection surface 53 Positioning member 81 Maintenance Unit 81a Maintenance 411 Conveyor belt 411a Conveying surface 812 Guide member 813 Cap section 813c Cap component 814 Wipe section 814w wiper Dc Sheet transport direction Dw Seat width direction Dm1 1st movement direction Dm2 2nd movement direction S Sheet (Recording medium)

Claims

1. A transport unit that transports the recording medium, A recording head having an ink ejection surface from which nozzles for ejecting ink open onto the recording medium, wherein the ink ejection surface is positioned parallel to and opposite the transport surface of the transport unit, A maintenance unit that performs maintenance on the ink ejection surface of the recording head, A first moving mechanism moves the recording head to select and position it between a recording position close to the transport unit and a maintenance position spaced apart from the recording position. A second moving mechanism moves the maintenance unit to select and position it between an insertion position between the transport surface and the ink ejection surface, and a retracted position moved away from the insertion position. Equipped with, The aforementioned maintenance unit is A maintenance surface is positioned parallel to and opposite the ink ejection surface of the recording head, and performs maintenance on the ink ejection surface, A guide member is supported by the maintenance unit so as to be able to reciprocate so as to approach or move away from the ink ejection surface in the normal direction from the maintenance surface, and contacts the recording head during the maintenance process, A third moving mechanism moves the guide member in the direction normal to the maintenance surface to select and position it between a protruding position that protrudes from the maintenance surface and a housing position that houses it within the maintenance unit. An inkjet recording device characterized by comprising the following features.

2. The recording head includes a positioning member positioned outside the ejection area of ​​the ink ejection surface and facing the maintenance surface of the maintenance unit, The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide member is in contact with the positioning member.

3. The maintenance unit has a cap portion on the maintenance surface that covers the ink ejection surface of the recording head, In the state of contact between the recording head and the guide member in the housing position, The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the cap portion is attached to the ink ejection surface.

4. The maintenance unit has a wipe portion on the maintenance surface for wiping off the ink from the ink ejection surface. In the state of contact between the recording head and the guide member in the protruding position, The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the wipe portion contacts the ink ejection surface and performs a wiping process to wipe away the ink.

5. The first movement direction of the recording head by the first movement mechanism and the second movement direction of the maintenance unit by the second movement mechanism are orthogonal to each other. The ink ejection surface and the maintenance surface are inclined with respect to the first and second movement directions, In the wiping process described above, The first moving mechanism moves the recording head in a direction approaching the maintenance unit. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the second moving mechanism moves the maintenance unit in a direction away from the recording head.

6. The system includes a control unit that controls the operation of the first moving mechanism and the second moving mechanism, The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the control unit transmits a control signal to at least one of the first moving mechanism and the second moving mechanism such that the moving speed of the recording head is equal to or greater than the moving speed of the maintenance unit.

7. The protruding position of the guide member is The first protruding position when performing the wiping process, A second protruding position in which the protruding length of the guide member is shorter than that of the first protruding position, Includes, In the state of contact between the recording head and the guide member at the second protruding position, The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the recording head performs a flushing process to eject the ink from the nozzle when not recording an image.

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