JPH08321925A - Ink jet recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [PROBLEMS] To provide an inkjet recording apparatus including an image reading unit capable of detecting white-based stains caused by an ink mist. A white reference serving as a reading reference of a scanner unit (not shown) that is replaced with the head cartridge 5 on a platen 23 of the inkjet recording apparatus, outside and inside a printing range of the recording head 3 of the head cartridge 5, respectively. 21 and 22 are arranged.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus, and more particularly to an inkjet recording apparatus having an image reading function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional ink jet recording apparatus is provided with a carrier in which a recording head, which is a recording means for recording on a recording medium, and a head cartridge in which an ink tank is integrated are detachably mounted. The carrier is capable of reciprocating in a plane parallel to the recording medium and in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the recording medium.

When the head cartridge is mounted on a carrier, the recording head ejects ink in response to a recording signal in synchronization with the reciprocating movement of the carrier, thereby recording on a recording medium. Then, each time one line of recording is performed as the carrier moves, the recording medium is conveyed and the next line of recording is performed.

Further, the carrier can be equipped with a scanner unit having the same external shape as the head cartridge, which is an optical reading means for reading an image of a document.

Further, a white reference, which is a reference for calibrating the image input level when mounted on the scanner unit, is provided somewhere within the scanning range of the carrier at a position facing the head portion of the scanner unit. .

[0006]

However, in the conventional ink jet recording apparatus, very fine ink particles (ink mist) other than the ink droplets used for printing are scattered in the air, and the inside of the apparatus becomes dirty due to long-term use. There is a problem. Therefore, there is a problem that the white standard is also soiled and the user needs to clean it carefully.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior art.
An object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet recording apparatus including an image reading unit capable of detecting white-based stains caused by ink mist.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a recording means for recording on a recording paper and an optical reading means for reading an image on the recording paper. In an inkjet recording apparatus that can be selectively mounted on a carrier that reciprocates on a straight line in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the optical reading means, a white reference that is a reference of a reading level of the optical reading unit is the optical reading. A plurality of carriers are arranged on the moving path of the carrier facing the means.

In the ink jet recording apparatus, the recording means and the optical reading means can be exchanged with respect to the carrier, and the white reference is mounted on the carrier. And a white reference stain level is detected by comparing the reading levels of the white reference inside and outside the print range by the optical reading means. To do.

The recording means is provided with an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy for ejecting ink, and the film boiling generated in the ink is utilized by the thermal energy applied by the electrothermal converter. Ink is ejected from the ejection port.

[0011]

In the present invention configured as described above, the white reference serving as the reference of the reading level of the optical reading means is arranged on the moving path of the carrier facing the optical reading means, and a plurality of different dirt types are provided. The white reference stain state is determined by comparing the white reference.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a first embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, an ink jet recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment is provided with a carrier 2 having a head cartridge 5 in which a recording head 3 constituting recording means and an ink tank 4 are integrated. The carrier 2 is supported by a guide shaft 6 and a guide rail 7 so as to be slidable in its axial direction. The carrier 2 is driven by a carrier motor 8 driving a belt pulley 10 supporting a carrier belt 9.

Further, the recording apparatus 1 records on the recording paper P by driving the recording head 3 in synchronization with the reciprocating movement of the carrier 2 and ejecting ink in accordance with a recording signal. That is, the recording head 3 has a fine liquid discharge port (orifice), a liquid passage, and an energy acting portion provided in a part of the liquid passage, and a generating means for generating a liquid forming energy that acts on the liquid in the acting portion. Is equipped with. Specifically, the generating unit has a heat generating element, vaporizes ink by heat energy generated by the heat generating element to generate bubbles, and expands the ink droplets to eject ink droplets. Such a recording head is called a bubble jet recording head.

By the movement of the carrier 2 in the axial direction, 1
After the line recording is performed, the recording paper P is conveyed to perform the next line recording. The conveyance of the recording paper P is performed by the conveyance roller 1.
1 and a pair of rotating bodies of the pinch roller 12 abutting on it, and a pair of rotating bodies of the discharge roller 13 and a spur 14 abutting on this. The drive of these transport rollers is performed by the transport motor 15.

The paper is fed to the recording apparatus by the ASF 16. First, a predetermined number of sheets are set to a position where they hit the sheet stopper 17. AS depending on paper feed signal
The F motor 18 drives the paper feed roller 19 and the separation roller 20 to feed the paper to the recording apparatus main body one by one.

In this embodiment, the head cartridge 5 has an outer shape compatible with the head cartridge 5.
Instead of the recording sheet P, a scanner unit (not shown), which is an optical reading unit, is mounted on the carrier 2 so that an image of a document to be conveyed instead of the recording paper P is read.

Further, in order to cope with changes in the level of the reading sensor and the illumination lamp due to aging, the white reference 21 indicating the brightness reference is located at a position outside the printing range, and the white reference 22.
Is placed in the print range.

In the ink jet recording apparatus 1 described above, most of the ejected ink adheres to the recording paper P, but a very small amount becomes fog and the recording head 3
As it floats in the vicinity, it adheres to the recording device after long use. Similarly, the ink mist adheres to the white reference 21 outside the printing range, and the white reference level changes.

However, since the white reference 22 within the printing range is arranged on the lower side of the recording paper P, the stain caused by the ink mist is small. Therefore, the levels of the white reference 21 and the white reference 22 are compared, and when the white reference 21 is darker than a preset value, it is determined that the stain is caused by the ink mist, and a display prompting the cleaning of the white reference is displayed.

On the other hand, the ink jet recording apparatus 1 rarely erroneously prints on the platen 23 even if there is no recording sheet P in case of an accident such as a paper jam. In that case, the white reference 22 becomes dirty. However, at this time, since the other white reference 21 is outside the printing range, the white reference 21 is not printed. Therefore, the levels of the white reference 21 and the white reference 22 are compared, and when the white reference 22 is darker than a preset value, it is determined that the platen printing has been performed, and a display prompting the cleaning of the white reference is displayed.

The control operation for determining such white-based stains is shown in the flow chart of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, first, when a sheet is set in the print area in step S1, an alarm is issued (step S2). When the paper is not set in step S1, the carrier equipped with the scanner unit is scanned over the entire movement range to detect the stain of the white reference, and each of the white reference installed inside and outside the printing area is scanned. Read (steps S3 and S4).

Next, when it is determined in step S5 that the difference between the read output A and the read output B is larger than the set value α, it is determined that the white reference outside the print area is dirty, and the white reference outside the print area is determined. The alarm is issued (step S6) until it is determined that the cleaning is performed (step S7).

In step S7, it is determined that the cleaning is to be performed, and the white reference cleaning outside the print area is executed (step S8). Then, it is judged whether or not the cleaning is completed by the set time (step S
9). When completed, the normal standby mode is set (step S10).

On the other hand, assuming that the difference between the read output A and the read output B is not larger than the set value α, step S
At 11, the difference between read output A and read output B is the set value-
If it is determined that it is smaller than α, it is determined that the white reference inside the print area is dirty, and an alarm is issued until it is determined that the white reference in the print area is cleaned (step S13) (step S12). After that, the above step S
The same is done from 8 to S10.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the white reference is installed inside and outside the printing range, so that the white reference stain can be determined even if the reading level of the sensor changes.

(Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing a platen cleaning cartridge according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 3, the platen cleaning cartridge 24 is used by replacing it with a head cartridge, and a cleaning member 25 made of a member that absorbs ink such as sponge is arranged at a portion corresponding to a print portion of the head cartridge. . The cleaning member 25 is supported by a lever 26,
Spring 27 is biased to fit within the cleaning cartridge. The other end of the lever 26 is pushed by the wall surface of the carrier 2 when the cartridge is mounted on the carrier 2. Therefore, when the cartridge is not mounted on the carrier 2, the cleaning member 25 fits in the cartridge, and when the cartridge is mounted on the carrier 2, the cleaning member 25 comes out to a predetermined position.

If the recording apparatus judges that two white standards are required and that cleaning is necessary, a display prompting the user to mount a cleaning cartridge instead of the head cartridge is displayed.

The recording apparatus main body discriminates the platen cleaning cartridge 24 and sets the cleaning mode. In the cleaning mode, the carrier 2 is reciprocally driven several times in the main scanning direction to wipe off the ink adhering to the platen. In this mode, scanning is performed only within the printing range in order to protect the cap that is arranged on the platen side and caps the printing portion of the recording head.

(Third Embodiment) Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of an image reading cartridge according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the platen cleaning member 25 is integrally provided on the image reading cartridge 29 as shown in FIG.

The cleaning member 25 of this embodiment is provided in the vicinity of the image reading sensor 31, and the tip of the cleaning member 25 moves up and down by the action of the solenoid 30.

In this embodiment, since the platen cleaner is integrally provided in the image reading apparatus, if the platen or the white reference is determined to be dirty by the white reference determination, it is automatically set when there is no paper. The platen can be cleaned. Further, even when the paper is present in the printer, a message to that effect is displayed and the operator can immediately clean the paper if the paper is removed.

[0039]

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, the present invention is an ink jet recording apparatus in which the optical image reading means is replaced with the recording means of the ink jet recording apparatus or provided on the carrier. By arranging at least two white standards separately in the print range and outside the print range, it is possible to determine the state of the white reference stain due to printing.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a first embodiment of an inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a control operation for determining white reference stains.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing a platen cleaning cartridge according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of an image reading cartridge according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 inkjet recording device 2 carrier 3 recording head 4 ink tank 5 head cartridge 6 guide shaft 7 guide rail 8 carrier motor 9 carrier belt 10 belt pulley 11 transport roller 12 pinch roller 13 discharge roller 14 spur 15 transport motor 16 ASF 17 paper stopper 18 ASF motor 19 Paper feed roller 20 Separation roller 21, 22 White reference 23 Platen 24 Platen cleaning cartridge 25 Cleaning member 26 Lever 27 Spring 29 Image reading cartridge 30 Solenoid 31 Reading sensor

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Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A recording unit for recording on a recording sheet and an optical reading unit for reading an image on the recording sheet are reciprocally moved in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the recording sheet and on a straight line. In an inkjet recording apparatus mountable on a carrier, a plurality of white standards serving as a standard for a reading level of the optical reading unit are arranged on a moving path of the carrier facing the optical reading unit. An inkjet recording device characterized by the above. 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording unit and the optical reading unit are replaceable with respect to the carrier. 3. The ink jet recording according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the white reference is arranged outside and inside a printing range of the recording means mounted on the carrier. apparatus. 4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein white reference stains are detected by comparing read levels of the white reference inside and outside the printing range by the optical reading unit. 5. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording unit includes an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy for ejecting ink. 6. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the recording unit ejects the ink from the ejection port by utilizing film boiling generated in the ink by the thermal energy applied by the electrothermal converter. Recording device.