Patent Application
20220402271
This application claims the benefit of priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-100914 filed on Jun. 17, 2021. The entire contents of this application are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to caps and inkjet printers including the caps.
Inkjet printers known in the related art include ink heads each including a plurality of nozzles and a nozzle surface provided with the nozzles, and perform predetermined printing on recording media in an inkjet mode. Such an inkjet printer is provided with a capping unit in order to allow ink to be suitably discharged from the nozzles. The capping unit includes a cap to cover the nozzle surface when no printing is being performed.
The capping unit covers the nozzle surface with the cap so as to define an enclosed space between the cap and the nozzle surface. With the enclosed space defined between the cap and the nozzle surface, driving a suction device (e.g., a suction pump) connected to the cap forces highly viscous ink to be discharged from the nozzles. In other words, the suction device is able to force ink to be discharged from the nozzles. Performing such an operation (which may hereinafter be referred to as a “suction operation”) reduces or eliminates clogging of the nozzles.
Japanese Patent No. 6203977, for example, discloses an inkjet printer configured to raise a cap so as to cover a nozzle surface with the cap. In the example illustrated in Japanese Patent No. 6203977, a constant force is applied from the cap to the nozzle surface. The cap is thus suitably attached to an ink head so as to define an enclosed space between the cap and the nozzle surface.
The cap includes a cap body including a lip that comes into contact with the nozzle surface, and a cap holder holding the cap body. The cap body is made of an elastically deformable material. Pressing the lip against the nozzle surface elastically deforms the lip so as to define an enclosed space between the cap and the nozzle surface. Contact of ink with the cap body over a long period of time may deform the cap body, leading to deflection of the cap body. Deflection of the cap body may create a gap between the lip and the nozzle surface upon contact of the lip with the nozzle surface, resulting in failure to suitably define an enclosed space between the cap and the nozzle surface. In the event of failure to define such an enclosed space, driving a suction device may fail to force ink to be discharged from nozzles. Failing to define such an enclosed space may dry the nozzle surface and/or the nozzles and may thus clog the nozzles with ink.
Accordingly, preferred embodiments of the present invention provide caps that are each able to prevent deflection of cap bodies.
A cap according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is for use in an inkjet printer. The inkjet printer includes a placement table on which a recording medium is to be placed, and an ink head including a plurality of nozzles and a nozzle surface provided with the plurality of nozzles. The nozzles are configured to discharge ink onto the recording medium placed on the placement table. The cap is detachably attachable to the ink head. The cap includes a cap holder including an upwardly facing opening, and a cap body fitted into the cap holder. The cap body includes an upwardly facing opening. The cap body is made of an elastically deformable material. The cap body is configured to cover the nozzle surface such that an enclosed space is defined between the cap body and the nozzle surface. The cap holder includes a first bottom wall, a first side wall extending upward from a peripheral edge of the first bottom wall and having a frame shape in a plan view, a housing space defined by the first bottom wall and the first side wall, the housing space housing the cap body, and at least one protrusion provided on an inner surface of the first side wall and extending in an up-down direction. The cap body includes a second bottom wall, a second side wall extending upward from a peripheral edge of the second bottom wall and having a frame shape in the plan view, a lip provided on an upper end of the second side wall, the lip being able to come into contact with the nozzle surface, and at least one recessed groove provided in an outer surface of the second side wall, extending in the up-down direction, and in engagement with the at least one protrusion.
In a cap according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the protrusion of the cap holder is in engagement with the recessed groove of the cap body, with the cap body fitted into the cap holder. Because the protrusion extends in the up-down direction, the recessed groove of the second side wall of the cap body in engagement with the protrusion and a portion of the second side wall located around the recessed groove are prevented from deflecting in a direction toward the first side wall (i.e., from deflecting outward of the cap body). Thus, deflection of the lip provided on the upper end of the second side wall is also prevented, making it possible to maintain the lip in a suitable state. Accordingly, if the second side wall of the cap body comes into contact with ink and undergoes, for example, swelling, deflection of the second side wall would be effectively prevented because the protrusion is in engagement with the recessed groove.
Various preferred embodiments of the present invention provide caps that are able to prevent deflection of cap bodies.
The above and other elements, features, steps, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide caps and inkjet printers (hereinafter each referred to as a “printer”) including the caps, which will be described below with reference to the drawings. The preferred embodiments described below are naturally not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Components or elements having the same functions are identified by the same reference signs, and description thereof will be simplified or omitted when deemed redundant.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The printer body 10A includes a casing extending in the main scanning direction Y. The recording medium 5 is placed on the platen 13. The printer 10 performs printing on the recording medium 5 placed on the platen 13. The platen 13 extends in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X. The platen 13 is an example of a placement table.
The conveyor 20 conveys the recording medium 5, which is placed on the platen 13, in the sub-scanning direction X. The conveyor 20 is not limited to any particular configuration, structure, or arrangement. In the present preferred embodiment, the conveyor 20 includes pinch rollers 21, grit rollers 22, and feed motors 23. The pinch rollers 21 are disposed above the platen 13 and below the guide rail 15 so as to press down the recording medium 5 from above. The grit rollers 22 are provided in the platen 13, with upper portions of the grit rollers 22 exposed upward from the platen 13. The grit rollers 22 each face an associated one of the pinch rollers 21. Any suitable number of pinch rollers 21 may be disposed at any suitable locations. Any suitable number of grit rollers 22 may be disposed at any suitable locations. In the present preferred embodiment, a first pair of the pinch roller 21 and the grit roller 22 and a second pair of the pinch roller 21 and the grit roller 22 are respectively disposed adjacent to the right and left ends of the platen 13 as illustrated in
The grit rollers 22 are each connected with an associated one of the feed motors 23. With the recording medium 5 sandwiched between the pinch rollers 21 and the grit rollers 22, driving the feed motors 23 rotates the grit rollers 22. The rotation of the grit rollers 22 conveys the recording medium 5 in the sub-scanning direction X. The feed motors 23 are controlled by the controller 100.
The guide rail 15 is disposed above the platen 13. The guide rail 15 is disposed in parallel or substantially in parallel with the platen 13. The guide rail 15 extends in the main scanning direction Y. The carriage 17 is in engagement with the guide rail 15. The carriage 17 is slidable along the guide rail 15.
The head mover 30 moves the carriage 17, the ink heads 40 (see
The right pulley 31b is connected with the carriage motor 33. Driving the carriage motor 33 rotates the right pulley 31b so as to cause the belt 32 to run between the left pulley 31a and the right pulley 31b. The running of the belt 32 moves the carriage 17, the ink heads 40, and the light applicators 38 in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rail 15. The carriage motor 33 is controlled by the controller 100.
As illustrated in
Ink to be discharged from the nozzles 41 of the ink heads is, for example, photo-curable ink. Examples of the photo-curable ink include ultraviolet-curable ink (UV ink). Ultraviolet-curable ink has the property of being cured when irradiated with ultraviolet light.
As illustrated in
The capping unit 60 according to the present preferred embodiment will now be described. The capping unit 60 attaches caps 70 (which will be described below) to the ink heads 40 so as to reduce or prevent drying of the nozzles 41 of the ink heads 40. To reduce or prevent clogging of the nozzles 41, the capping unit 60 forces the ink inside the nozzles 41 to be discharged into the caps 70 by using a suction pump 68 (which will be described below).
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
With each cap 70 attached to the associated ink head 40, the suction pump 68 performs a suction operation involving sucking a fluid (e.g., ink) from inside each enclosed space 67 so as to discharge the ink from the nozzles 41 (see
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Each cap body 82 is attachable to and detachable from the associated ink head 40. Each cap body 82 covers the nozzle surface 44 of the associated ink head 40 such that the enclosed space 67 (see
As illustrated in
In each of the caps 70 according to the present preferred embodiment, the protrusions 79 of the cap holder 72 are in engagement with the recessed grooves 89 of the cap body 82, with the cap body 82 fitted into the cap holder 72. Because the protrusions 79 extend in the up-down direction, the recessed grooves 89 of the second side wall 85 of the cap body 82 in engagement with the protrusions 79 and portions of the second side wall 85 located around the recessed grooves 89 are prevented from deflecting in a direction toward the first side wall 75 (i.e., from deflecting outward of the cap body 82). Thus, deflection of the lip 86 provided on the upper end of the second side wall 85 is also prevented, making it possible to maintain the lip 86 in a suitable state. Accordingly, if the second side wall 85 of the cap body 82 comes into contact with ink and undergoes, for example, swelling, deflection of the second side wall 85 would be effectively prevented because the protrusions 79 are in engagement with the recessed grooves 89.
In each of the caps 70 according to the present preferred embodiment, the first side wall 75 has a substantially rectangular frame shape in the plan view and includes the first long sides 75A each including a straight portion and the first short sides 75B each including a straight portion. At least the first long sides 75A are each provided with more than one protrusion 79. The second side wall 85 has a substantially rectangular frame shape in the plan view and includes the second long sides 85A each including a straight portion and the second short sides 85B each including a straight portion. At least the second long sides 85A are each provided with more than one recessed groove 89. The second long sides 85A of the second side wall 85, which has a substantially rectangular frame shape, are likely to deflect. The present preferred embodiment, however, involves providing more than one recessed groove 89 (which comes into engagement with the associated protrusion 79) on each of the second long sides 85A so as to effectively prevent deflection of the second long sides 85A.
In each of the caps 70 according to the present preferred embodiment, the first short sides 75B are each provided with more than one protrusion 79, and the second short sides 85B are each provided with more than one recessed groove 89. This configuration effectively prevents deflection of the second short sides 85B of the second side wall 85.
In each of the caps 70 according to the present preferred embodiment, the recessed grooves 89 each have a semicircular shape in the plan view. Accordingly, if swelling of the second side wall 85 caused by contact with ink, for example, brings the recessed grooves 89 into intimate contact with the protrusions 79, the resulting loads would be distributed through the semicircular recessed grooves 89.
In each of the caps 70 according to the present preferred embodiment, the recessed grooves 89 may each have a polygonal shape in the plan view. Accordingly, if swelling of the second side wall 85 caused by contact with ink, for example, brings the recessed grooves 89 into intimate contact with the protrusions 79, the resulting loads would be distributed through the polygonal recessed grooves 89.
In each of the caps 70 according to the present preferred embodiment, the protrusions 79 are each provided along an entirety of a length of the inner surface 75P of the first side wall 75 in the up-down direction, and the recessed grooves 89 are each provided along an entirety of a length of the outer surface 85Q of the second side wall 85 in the up-down direction. The present preferred embodiment thus more effectively prevents outward deflection of the cap body 82.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention has been described thus far. The preferred embodiments described above, however, are merely illustrative. The present invention may be embodied in various other forms.
In the above-described preferred embodiments, the protrusions 79 and the recessed grooves 89 each have a semicircular shape in the plan view. Alternatively, the protrusions 79 and the recessed grooves 89 may each have any other suitable shape in the plan view. In one example, the protrusions 79 and the recessed grooves 89 may each have a rectangular shape (such as a square shape or an oblong shape), a triangular shape, or a trapezoidal shape in the plan view. When the protrusions 79 and the recessed grooves 89 each have a rectangular shape, a triangular shape, or a trapezoidal shape in the plan view, the vertexes of these shapes (i.e., the points of intersection of sides of these shapes) are preferably chamfered.
In the above-described preferred embodiments, the protrusions 79 are each provided along an entirety of a length of the first side wall 75 in the up-down direction. Alternatively, the protrusions 79 may each be provided along a portion of a length of the first side wall 75 in the up-down direction or may each be divided into a plurality of segments in the up-down direction. In such cases, the recessed grooves 89 may each be provided along a portion of a length of the second side wall 85 in the up-down direction in conformity with the protrusions 79 of the first side wall 75, or may each be provided along an entirety of a length of the second side wall 85 in the up-down direction. In other words, the recessed grooves 89 may each be provided in a portion of the second side wall 85 into which the associated protrusion 79 is to be fitted such that a length of each recessed groove 89 in the up-down direction is equal to or longer than a length of the associated protrusion 79 in the up-down direction. The cap body 82 is made of an elastically deformable material. Accordingly, if each recessed groove 89 is not provided along an entirety of a length of the second side wall 85 in the up-down direction, providing the recessed grooves 89 in conformity with the protrusions 79 makes it possible to insert the cap body 82 into the cap holder 72 while elastically deforming the cap body 82, thus attaching the cap body 82 to the cap holder 72.
In the above-described preferred embodiments, the printer 10 includes the platen 13 on which the recording medium 5 is to be placed and convey the recording medium 5 in the sub-scanning direction X by using the grit rollers 22. The printer 10, however, is not limited to this configuration. The printer 10 may be, for example, a “flatbed printer”. Alternatively, the printer 10 may include a table that is able to move the recording medium 5 in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X.
In the above-described preferred embodiments, the cap mover 63 is configured to move the caps 70 upward and downward. The cap mover 63, however, is not limited to this configuration. In one example, the printer 10 may include a mover to move the carriage 17 or the ink heads 40 upward and downward, with the position of each cap 70 being immovable in the up-down direction.
The terms and expressions used herein are for description only and are not to be interpreted in a limited sense. These terms and expressions should be recognized as not excluding any equivalents to the elements shown and described herein and as allowing any modifications encompassed in the scope of the claims. The present invention may be embodied in many various forms. This disclosure should be regarded as providing preferred embodiments of the principles of the present invention. These preferred embodiments are provided with the understanding that they are not intended to limit the present invention to the preferred embodiments described in the specification and/or shown in the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described herein. The present invention encompasses any of preferred embodiments including equivalent elements, modifications, deletions, combinations, improvements and/or alterations which can be recognized by a person of ordinary skill in the art based on the disclosure. The elements of each claim should be interpreted broadly based on the terms used in the claim, and should not be limited to any of the preferred embodiments described in this specification or used during the prosecution of the present application.
While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it is to be understood that variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention, therefore, is to be determined solely by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-100914 | Jun 2021 | JP | national |
