Inkjet recording device

Abstract

To provide an ink jet recording device capable of effectively removing paper powder generated from sheets.SOLUTION: An ink jet recording device includes a sheet conveyance part 4, a register roller pair 45, a recording part 5, a flat plate part 8, an adsorption roller 47 and an exhaust part 11. The exhaust part 11 is arranged in a region from the upstream side of the recording part 5 to a sheet conveyance direction Dc to the upstream side of the register roller pair 45, and sucks air above a first conveyor belt 411 and the flat plate part 8 in a direction separated from the first conveyor belt 411. The exhaust part 11 has an exhaust hood 111 and an exhaust fan 112. The exhaust fan 112 leads air in the exhaust hood 111 from a suction port 53a into a recording part housing 53, and makes air pass through an airflow passage 53c to exhaust from an exhaust port 53b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Inkjet recording devices, which record images by ejecting ink from nozzles in a recording head, are widely used as recording devices such as facsimiles, copiers, and printers because they can record high-resolution images. However, such inkjet recording devices have a problem in that paper dust generated from the paper used as the recording medium clogs the nozzles, causing nozzle ejection problems and degrading image quality.

[0003] Therefore, for example, in a conventional inkjet recording device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a plate-shaped member is disposed upstream of the recording head in the paper transport direction, and a narrow gap is formed between the lower surface of the plate-shaped member and the upper surface of the conveyor belt. When the air flow chamber below the conveyor belt is under negative pressure, air flows from the narrow gap into the air flow chamber through the suction holes in the conveyor belt and the through-holes on the upper surface of the air flow chamber. This allows paper dust adhering to the paper to be collected in the air flow chamber, making it possible to effectively remove the paper dust.

[0004] For example, a conventional inkjet recording device disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a partition that separates a first space including the recording head and the conveyor belt below it from a second space including a paper conveyance unit and a paper feed unit on the upstream and downstream sides of the first space in the paper conveyance direction. This inkjet recording device also has an air inlet that draws air into the first space and a suction / exhaust unit that exhausts air from the second space to the outside. This allows the first space to be kept free of paper dust, preventing paper dust from adhering to the recording head. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-87958 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-168781 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, with the first conventional technology, there was a concern that the air flow was insufficient in the area from the pair of resist rollers that feed paper toward the recording head to the area around the plate-like member, causing paper dust to become airborne. With the second conventional technology, there was a concern that the separation between the two spaces was incomplete, preventing an effective air flow. For these reasons, there was a concern that paper dust might not be sufficiently removed.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has as its object to provide an inkjet recording apparatus that can effectively remove paper dust generated from paper. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the inkjet recording device of the present invention includes a paper transport unit, a pair of registration rollers, a recording unit, a flat plate unit, an attraction roller, and an exhaust unit. The paper transport unit has an endless transport belt and transports paper. The pair of registration rollers sends the paper toward the paper transport unit. The recording unit is disposed opposite the outer circumferential surface of the transport belt and has a recording head that ejects ink, and ejects the ink onto the paper transported by the transport belt to record an image. The flat plate unit is adjacent to the upstream side of the recording unit in the paper transport direction, disposed opposite the outer circumferential surface of the transport belt, and extends in the paper transport direction and in a paper width direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction. The attraction roller is adjacent to the upstream side of the flat plate unit in the paper transport direction, disposed opposite the outer circumferential surface of the transport belt, and brings the paper into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the transport belt. The exhaust unit is disposed in a region from the upstream side of the recording unit to the upstream side of the pair of registration rollers in the paper transport direction, and sucks air above the conveyor belt and the flat plate portion in a direction away from the conveyor belt. The recording unit has a recording unit housing. The recording unit housing holds the recording head and includes an air intake port, an exhaust port, and an air flow passage disposed adjacent to the recording head between the air intake port and the exhaust port. The exhaust unit has an exhaust hood and an exhaust fan. The exhaust hood extends in the paper transport direction and the paper width direction from the upstream side of the recording unit to the upstream side of the pair of registration rollers in the paper transport direction, and covers above the conveyor belt, the flat plate portion, the suction roller, and the pair of registration rollers. The exhaust fan guides air within the exhaust hood from the air intake port into the recording unit housing, passes it through the air flow passage, and exhausts it from the exhaust port. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the configuration of the present invention, the exhaust unit sucks and discharges paper dust on the conveyor belt and paper dust floating above the conveyor belt and flat plate unit in the area upstream of the recording unit in the paper conveyance direction, along with air. This makes it possible to effectively remove paper dust generated from the paper. Furthermore, by circulating air inside the recording unit housing when removing paper dust, unintended temperature increases in the recording head can be suppressed, thereby suppressing ejection problems and temperature increases in the recording head caused by paper dust. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional front view of an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of the periphery of a recording unit of the inkjet recording apparatus of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus of FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a partial cross-sectional front view of the periphery of a recording unit of the inkjet recording apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] 5 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing the upstream side of the recording unit periphery in the paper transport direction of FIG. 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but 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 top view of the recording unit 5 and its surroundings of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 of FIG. 1. The inkjet recording apparatus 1 is, for example, an inkjet recording printer. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 includes a device main body 2, a paper supply unit 3, a paper transport unit 4, a recording unit 5, a drying unit 6, and a control unit 7.

[0013] The paper supply unit 3 is disposed, for example, at the bottom of the device main body 2. The paper supply unit 3 stores multiple sheets of paper (recording media) S, and separates and sends out the sheets S one by one during recording. The paper transport unit 4 transports the sheets S sent out from the paper supply unit 3 to the recording unit 5 and drying unit 6, and then discharges the sheets S after recording and drying to the paper discharge unit 21. When double-sided recording is performed, the paper transport unit 4 distributes the sheets S after recording and drying on the first side to the reversing transport unit 43, and then switches the transport direction to reverse the sheets S and transport them again to the recording unit 5 and drying unit 6.

[0014] The paper transport unit 4 has a first belt transport unit 41 and a second belt transport unit 42. The first belt transport unit 41 and the second belt transport unit 42 transport the paper S by suction and holding it on the outer circumferential surfaces (upper surfaces) of the endless first transport belt 411 and the endless second transport belt 421, respectively. The first belt transport unit 41 is disposed below the recording unit 5 and transports the paper S. The second belt transport unit 42 is disposed downstream of the first belt transport unit 41 in the paper transport direction, and is disposed in the drying unit 6 and transports the paper S.

[0015] The recording unit 5 is disposed opposite the outer peripheral surface (upper surface) of the first conveyor belt 411. That is, the recording unit 5 faces the paper S that is attracted to and held on the outer peripheral surface (upper surface) of the first conveyor belt 411 and conveyed. The recording unit 5 is disposed above the first conveyor belt 411 with a predetermined gap therebetween.

[0016] The recording unit 5 holds head units 51B, 51C, 51M, and 51Y corresponding to four colors: black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. The head units 51B, 51C, 51M, and 51Y are arranged side by side along the paper transport direction Dc so that their longitudinal directions are parallel to the paper width direction Dw, which is perpendicular to the paper transport direction Dc. Note that the four head units 51B, 51C, 51M, and 51Y have the same basic configuration, so in the following explanation, the identification symbols "B," "C," "M," and "Y" representing each color may be omitted unless there is a specific need to specify them.

[0017] Each head unit 51 for each color has a line-type inkjet recording head 52. In each head unit 51 for each color, a plurality of recording heads 52 (for example, three (52a, 52b, 52c)) are arranged in a staggered pattern along the paper width direction Dw.

[0018] The recording head 52 has a plurality of ink ejection nozzles 521 at its bottom. The plurality of ink ejection nozzles 521 are arranged in a row along the paper width direction Dw, and can eject ink over the entire recording area on the paper S. In other words, the recording head 52 has a plurality of ink ejection nozzles 521 that eject ink onto the paper S. The recording unit 5 sequentially ejects ink from the recording heads 52 of the four color head units 51B, 51C, 51M, and 51Y onto the paper S, which is adsorbed and held by the first conveyor belt 411 and conveyed, to record a full-color image or a monochrome image.

[0019] The drying unit 6 is disposed downstream of the recording unit 5 in the paper transport direction Dc, and is provided with a second belt transport unit 42. The paper S on which an ink image has been recorded in the recording unit 5 is adsorbed and held by the second transport belt 421 in the drying unit 6, and the ink is dried while being transported.

[0020] The control unit 7 includes a CPU, a memory unit, and other electronic circuits and electronic components (none of which are shown). Based on control programs and data stored in the memory unit, the CPU controls the operation of each component provided in the inkjet recording device 1 to perform processing related to the functions of the inkjet recording device 1. The paper supply unit 3, paper transport unit 4, recording unit 5, and drying unit 6 each receive commands individually from the control unit 7 and perform recording on the paper S in cooperation with each other.

[0021] Fig. 4 is a partial cross-sectional front view of the periphery of the recording unit 5 of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing the upstream side of the periphery of the recording unit 5 in Fig. 4 in the paper transport direction Dc. The outlined dashed arrows shown in Figs. 4 and 5 indicate the airflow and its direction generated by driving the exhaust unit 11, which will be described later.

[0022] The recording unit 5 has a recording unit housing 53. The recording unit housing 53 is formed, for example, in the shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box extending in the paper transport direction Dc and the paper width direction. The recording unit housing 53 houses and holds the head unit 51 therein. In other words, the recording unit housing 53 holds the recording head 52.

[0023] The bottom surface of the recording unit housing 53 faces the paper transport surface of the first transport belt 411. The bottom surface of the recording head 52, which has a plurality of ink ejection nozzles 521, is exposed to the outside at the bottom surface of the recording unit housing 53. The recording unit housing 53 includes an intake port 53a, an exhaust port 53b, and an air flow passage 53c.

[0024] The air intake 53a is disposed at the upstream end of the recording unit housing 53 in the paper transport direction Dc. The air intake 53a opens the recording unit housing 53 in the paper transport direction Dc. The air exhaust 53b is disposed at the downstream end of the recording unit housing 53 in the paper transport direction Dc. The air exhaust 53b opens the recording unit housing 53 in the paper transport direction Dc.

[0025] The air flow passage 53c is located between the intake port 53a and the exhaust port 53b. The air flow passage 53c is located, for example, above the recording head 52, adjacent to the recording head 52, and extends in the paper transport direction Dc. Air flows through the air flow passage 53c from the intake port 53a to the exhaust port 53b.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the paper transport section 4 further includes a pair of registration rollers 45, a paper suction section 46, and an adsorption roller 47.

[0027] The registration roller pair 45 is disposed downstream in the paper transport direction Dc of the paper supply unit 3. The first belt transport unit 41 and the recording unit 5 are disposed immediately downstream in the paper transport direction Dc of the registration roller pair 45. Each roller of the registration roller pair 45 is supported rotatably about a rotation axis extending along the paper width direction Dw (see FIG. 2).

[0028] The paper S sent out from the paper supply unit 3 passes through the paper transport unit 4 and reaches the registration roller pair 45. The control unit 7 corrects the skewed feed of the paper S using the registration roller pair 45, and sends out the paper S towards the first belt transport unit 41, timing it with the ink ejection operation of the recording unit 5. In other words, the registration roller pair 45 corrects the skewed feed of the paper S and sends out the paper S towards the first belt transport unit 41.

[0029] Furthermore, the paper transport unit 4 has a registration sensor (not shown). The registration sensor is disposed immediately adjacent to the upstream side of the registration roller pair 45 in the paper transport direction Dc. The registration sensor detects the paper S that is sent out from the paper supply unit 3 and reaches the registration roller pair 45. The control unit 7 controls the rotation of the registration roller pair 45 based on the detection signal of the paper S received from the registration sensor.

[0030] The first belt transport unit 41 is disposed below the recording unit 5. The first belt transport unit 41 adsorbs and holds the paper S on its upper surface, and transports the paper S along the paper transport direction Dc. The first belt transport unit 41 includes a first transport belt 411 and a roller 412.

[0031] The first conveyor belt 411 is an endless belt, and is supported by a plurality of rollers 412 arranged on the inner periphery side. The rollers 412 are arranged on the inner periphery side of the first conveyor belt 411, and are supported rotatably about a rotation axis extending along the paper width direction Dw (see FIG. 2). One of the plurality of rollers 412 is a drive roller, and the first conveyor belt 411 is rotated by the drive roller so that the upper side moves in the paper conveyance direction Dc.

[0032] 2, the first conveyor belt 411 has a plurality of ventilation holes 4111. The ventilation holes 4111 penetrate the first conveyor belt 411 from the front to the back. The outer peripheral surface of the first conveyor belt 411 is the paper transport surface. The paper S is held on the paper transport surface of the first conveyor belt 411 and transported to a position facing the recording head 52.

[0033] The paper suction unit 46 is disposed on the inner circumferential side of the first conveyor belt 411. More specifically, the paper suction unit 46 is located at the upper part of the inner circumferential side of the first conveyor belt 411, and is disposed opposite to the upper inner circumferential surface (rear surface) of the first conveyor belt 411, which is the surface opposite to the paper conveying surface of the first conveyor belt 411. The paper suction unit 46 includes a housing 461 and an intake fan 462.

[0034] The housing 461 is formed, for example, in the shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box, and has a suction chamber 4611 surrounded by walls. The suction chamber 4611 faces the upper inner circumferential surface (rear surface) of the first conveyor belt 411, which is the surface opposite the paper conveying surface, in a region from below the black head unit 51B on the upstream side in the paper conveying direction Dc to below the yellow head unit 51Y.

[0035] The housing 461 has a plurality of air intake holes 4612 arranged on its upper surface above the suction chamber 4611. The plurality of air intake holes 4612 penetrate the upper surface of the housing 461 in the vertical direction.

[0036] The intake fan 462 is disposed inside the housing 461, below the suction chamber 4611. When the intake fan 462 is driven, the paper suction unit 46 sucks in air through the intake holes 4612 and the ventilation holes 4111 (see FIG. 2), thereby adsorbing and holding the paper S on the paper conveying surface of the first conveyor belt 411.

[0037] The attraction roller 47 is located upstream of the recording unit 5 in the paper transport direction Dc and adjacent to the upstream side of the flat plate unit 8, which will be described later. The attraction roller 47 is disposed opposite the paper transport surface of the first transport belt 411 at the upstream end of the paper suction unit 46. In other words, the attraction roller 47 is disposed above the upstream end of the housing 461 in the paper transport direction Dc, across the first transport belt 411. The attraction roller 47 is supported rotatably about a rotation axis that extends along the paper width direction Dw (see FIG. 2).

[0038] The outer peripheral surface of the attraction roller 47 comes into contact with the paper transport surface of the first transport belt 411. The attraction roller 47, for example, comes into contact with the first transport belt 411 and thereby rotates in accordance with the first transport belt 411. The attraction roller 47 brings the paper S transported from the registration roller pair 45 side into contact with the paper transport surface of the first transport belt 411.

[0039] 4 and 5. The flat plate portion 8 is adjacent to the recording unit 5 on the upstream side in the paper transport direction Dc. The flat plate portion 8 is disposed opposite the paper transport surface of the first transport belt 411 on the downstream side of the suction roller 47. In other words, the flat plate portion 8 is disposed above the upstream part of the housing 461 in the paper transport direction Dc, across the first transport belt 411.

[0040] The flat plate portion 8 is disposed above the first conveyor belt 411 at a predetermined distance. The flat plate portion 8 extends in the paper conveying direction Dc and the paper width direction Dw (see FIG. 2). The flat plate portion 8 extends, for example, parallel to the paper conveying surface of the first conveyor belt 411.

[0041] The inkjet recording apparatus 1 also includes an exhaust unit 11 shown in Figures 4 and 5. The exhaust unit 11 is disposed in an area from the upstream side of the recording unit 5 in the paper transport direction Dc to the upstream side of the registration roller pair 45. The exhaust unit 11 is located above the paper transport path. The intake side of the exhaust unit 11 faces the paper transport surface of the first transport belt 411, i.e., the paper S transported on the first transport belt 411. The exhaust unit 11 has an exhaust hood 111, an exhaust fan 112, and a paper dust collection filter 113.

[0042] The exhaust hood 111 extends in the paper transport direction Dc and the paper width direction from the upstream side of the recording unit 5 in the paper transport direction Dc to the upstream side of the registration roller pair 45. The exhaust hood 111 covers the first transport belt 411, the flat plate unit 8, the suction roller 47, and the registration roller pair 45 from above.

[0043] More specifically, the exhaust hood 111 has, for example, an upper plate 111a and side plates 111b. The upper plate 111a extends upstream in the paper transport direction Dc and the paper width direction from a location adjacent to the upstream end of the recording unit 5 in the paper transport direction Dc, and curves downward in an area above the pair of registration rollers 45 and upstream. The side plates 111b are connected to the ends of the upper plate 111a on the front and rear sides in the paper width direction (the near and far sides in the depth direction of the paper surface in FIG. 5). The side plates 111b extend downward from the edges of the upper plate 111a in the paper width direction, up and down, and in the paper transport direction Dc.

[0044] The exhaust fan 112 is connected to the downstream end of the exhaust hood 111 in the paper transport direction Dc. The exhaust hood 111 has an opening in the paper transport direction Dc where the exhaust fan 112 is connected. The intake side of the exhaust fan 112 faces upstream in the paper transport direction Dc and faces the internal space of the exhaust hood 111. Multiple exhaust fans 112 may be arranged side by side in the paper width direction. The exhaust fan 112 is configured as, for example, an axial fan, but may also be a centrifugal fan such as a sirocco fan or turbo fan. The exhaust fan 112 draws air inside the exhaust hood 111 along the paper transport direction Dc.

[0045] The exhaust fan 112 is located upstream of the recording unit 5 in the paper transport direction Dc. The exhaust fan 112 guides the air inside the exhaust hood 111 from the intake port 53a into the recording unit housing 53. Furthermore, the exhaust fan 112 passes the air guided from the intake port 53a into the recording unit housing 53 through the air flow passage 53c and exhausts it from the exhaust port 53b.

[0046] The paper dust collecting filter 113 is disposed on at least one of the intake port 53a side or the exhaust port 53b side of the recording unit housing 53. In this embodiment, the paper dust collecting filter 113 is disposed on the intake port 53a side of the recording unit housing 53. This makes it difficult for paper dust to enter the air flow passage 53c located above the recording head 52. The paper dust collecting filter 113 collects paper dust contained in the air flow generated by the exhaust fan 112.

[0047] When the exhaust unit 11 is driven, the exhaust unit 11 sucks air upward toward the first conveyor belt 411. In other words, the exhaust unit 11 sucks air above the first conveyor belt 411 and the flat plate unit 8 into the exhaust hood 111 in a direction away from the first conveyor belt 411. Furthermore, the exhaust unit 11 guides the air in the exhaust hood 111 into the recording unit housing 53, passes it through the air flow passage 53c, and exhausts it.

[0048] According to the above configuration, the exhaust unit 11 sucks in and discharges paper dust on the first transport belt 411 and paper dust floating above the first transport belt 411 and the flat plate unit 8 in the area upstream of the recording unit 5 in the paper transport direction Dc, along with air. This makes it possible to effectively remove paper dust generated from the paper S. Furthermore, by circulating the air used to remove the paper dust inside the recording unit housing 53, it is possible to prevent unintended temperature increases in the recording head 52, and therefore to prevent ejection defects and temperature increases in the recording head 52 caused by paper dust.

[0049] An exhaust duct (not shown) extending to the outer wall of the apparatus main body 2, for example, is provided on the exhaust side of the recording unit housing 53.

[0050] More specifically, the exhaust fan 112 is disposed adjacent to the upstream side in the air flow direction of the intake port 53a of the recording unit housing 53. The paper dust collecting filter 113 is disposed upstream or downstream in the air flow direction of the exhaust fan 112. In this embodiment, the paper dust collecting filter 113 is disposed upstream in the air flow direction of the exhaust fan 112.

[0051] According to the above configuration, paper dust can be efficiently sucked in and discharged together with air from the upstream side of the recording unit 5 in the paper transport direction Dc to the upstream side of the registration roller pair 45. This makes it possible to more effectively remove paper dust generated from the paper S. It is also possible to prevent paper dust from flowing into the recording unit housing 53, and further to prevent paper dust from adhering to the exhaust fan 112.

[0052] The control unit 7 then rotates the exhaust fan 112 at a first rotation speed during image recording, while the control unit 7 rotates the exhaust fan 112 at a second rotation speed that is lower than the first rotation speed during non-image recording.

[0053] During image recording, i.e., when the paper S is being transported, paper dust is likely to be generated, so by rotating the exhaust fan 112 at a higher first rotation speed, it is possible to effectively remove paper dust generated from the paper S. On the other hand, during non-image recording, i.e., when the paper S is not being transported, paper dust is not generated, so by rotating the exhaust fan 112 at a lower second rotation speed, it is possible to cool only the recording head 52. This makes it possible to reduce power consumption in the inkjet recording device 1.

[0054] Furthermore, when the control unit 7 detects that the inkjet recording apparatus 1 has been powered off, it rotates the exhaust fan 112 for a predetermined period of time and then stops the fan. There is a risk that the temperature of the recording head 52 will rise even after the inkjet recording apparatus 1 has been powered off. Therefore, with this configuration, the recording head 52 can be cooled by the exhaust fan 112 after the inkjet recording apparatus 1 has been powered off.

[0055] The inkjet recording apparatus 1 also includes a temperature detection unit 12 (see FIG. 3). The temperature detection unit 12 is configured with, for example, a thermistor, and is disposed near the exterior of the apparatus main body 2. The temperature detection unit 12 detects the outside air temperature of the inkjet recording apparatus 1. A detection signal of the outside air temperature by the temperature detection unit 12 is sent to the control unit 7.

[0056] When the outside air temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 12 is below a predetermined value, the control unit 7 rotates the exhaust fan 112 during image recording and stops the exhaust fan 112 during non-image recording. If the recording head 52 is cooled more than necessary, the ink characteristics may change, resulting in a decrease in image quality. Therefore, with this configuration, it is possible to prevent the recording head 52 from becoming overcooled during non-image recording when the outside air temperature is below a predetermined value.

[0057] As described above, the recording head 52 is a line-type inkjet head. This makes it possible for the line-type inkjet head to effectively remove paper dust generated from the paper S, thereby preventing ejection defects caused by paper dust. The recording head is not limited to a line type, and the configuration of this embodiment can be applied to a serial type as well.

[0058] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0059] The present invention can be used in inkjet recording apparatuses. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1. Inkjet recording device 2. Device body 4 Paper transport section 5 Recording section 7 Control Unit 8 Flat plate part 11 Exhaust section 12 Temperature detection unit 41 First belt conveyor 45 registration roller pair 46 Paper suction section 47 Suction Roller 52 Recording head 53 Recording unit housing 53a Air intake 53b Exhaust port 53c Air flow passage 111 Exhaust hood 112 Exhaust fan 113 Paper dust collection filter 411 First conveyor belt (conveyor belt) 462 Intake fan 521 Ink ejection nozzle 4111 Ventilation hole Dc Paper transport direction Dw Paper width direction S paper

Claims

1. a paper transport unit having an endless transport belt for transporting paper; a pair of registration rollers that feed the paper toward the paper transport unit; a recording unit that is disposed opposite the outer peripheral surface of the conveyor belt and has a recording head that ejects ink, and that records an image on the paper that is conveyed by the conveyor belt by ejecting the ink; a flat plate portion disposed adjacent to the upstream side of the recording unit in the paper conveying direction, facing the outer peripheral surface of the conveying belt, and extending in the paper conveying direction and in a paper width direction perpendicular to the paper conveying direction; an attraction roller that is adjacent to the upstream side of the flat plate portion in the paper conveying direction, that is disposed opposite to the outer peripheral surface of the conveyor belt, and that brings the paper into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the conveyor belt; an exhaust unit that is disposed in a region from the upstream side of the recording unit to the upstream side of the pair of registration rollers in the paper conveying direction and that sucks air above the conveying belt and the flat plate unit in a direction away from the conveying belt; Equipped with the recording unit has a recording unit housing that holds the recording head and includes an air intake port, an air exhaust port, and an air flow passage that is disposed adjacent to the recording head between the air intake port and the air exhaust port; The exhaust section is an exhaust hood extending in the paper transport direction and the paper width direction from an upstream side of the recording unit to an upstream side of the pair of registration rollers with respect to the paper transport direction, and covering above the transport belt, the flat plate portion, the suction roller, and the pair of registration rollers; an exhaust fan that guides air in the exhaust hood from the intake port into the recording unit housing, passes the air through the air flow passage, and exhausts the air from the exhaust port; An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:

2. 2. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a paper dust collection filter disposed on at least one of the intake port side and the exhaust port side of the recording unit housing, which collects paper dust contained in the air flow generated by the exhaust fan.

3. 3. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the exhaust fan is disposed adjacent to the upstream side of the intake port in the air flow direction, and the paper dust collecting filter is disposed upstream or downstream of the exhaust fan.

4. a control unit for controlling the operation of the recording head and the exhaust fan, 4. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit rotates the exhaust fan at a first rotation speed during image recording, and rotates the exhaust fan at a second rotation speed lower than the first rotation speed during non-image recording.

5. a control unit for controlling the operation of the recording head and the exhaust fan, 5. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit, when detecting that the inkjet recording apparatus is powered off, stops the exhaust fan after rotating it for a predetermined period of time.

6. a temperature detection unit that detects an outside air temperature; a control unit that controls the operation of the recording head and the exhaust fan; Equipped with 6. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit rotates the exhaust fan during image recording and stops the rotation of the exhaust fan during non-image recording when the outside air temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is lower than a predetermined value.

7. the conveyor belt has a plurality of ventilation holes; An inkjet recording device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the paper transport unit is arranged on the inner side of the transport belt, includes an intake fan that sucks air through the air vent, and has a paper suction unit that adsorbs and holds the paper to the outer surface of the transport belt.

8. 8. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording head is a line-type inkjet head.

Images