Ejection restoration apparatus for liquid ejection head and image forming apparatus comprising ejection restoration apparatus

Information

  • Patent Application
  • 20070222815
  • Publication Number
    20070222815
  • Date Filed
    March 21, 2007
    17 years ago
  • Date Published
    September 27, 2007
    17 years ago
Abstract
The ejection restoration apparatus for a liquid ejection head having a plurality of nozzles which are disposed in a planer nozzle surface and from which liquid is ejected, includes: a first suction cap which covers a partial region of the planer nozzle surface and which has a contact portion being constituted by an elastic body and making contact with the planer nozzle surface, the partial region being smaller than area of the planer nozzle surface in which the nozzles are disposed and being larger than cross-sectional area of one of the nozzles; a suction cap movement device which moves the first suction cap in parallel with the planer nozzle surface while causing the contact portion of the first suction cap to make contact with the planer nozzle surface; a nozzle abnormality detection device which detects an abnormal nozzle suffering an abnormality, in the nozzles; and a suction control device which causes the first suction cap to suction the liquid in the abnormal nozzle detected by the nozzle abnormality detection device, wherein the first suction cap is moved on the planer nozzle surface in a state where a space defined by the first suction cap and the planer nozzle surface is set to a pressure lower than an atmospheric pressure, so that the first suction cap fulfills both a wiping function and a suctioning function.
Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The nature of this invention, as well as other objects and benefits thereof, will be explained in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures and wherein:



FIG. 1 is a general schematic drawing of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;



FIG. 2 is a principal plan diagram of the peripheral area of a print unit in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1;



FIGS. 3A to 3C are plan view perspective diagrams showing embodiments of the composition of a liquid ejection head;



FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional diagram showing the composition of a liquid ejection head;



FIG. 5 is a diagram of an ejection restoration apparatus for a liquid ejection head according to a first embodiment of the present invention;



FIG. 6 is a principal block diagram showing the system configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;



FIG. 7 is a diagram of an ejection restoration apparatus for a liquid ejection head according to a second embodiment of the present invention;



FIG. 8 is a diagram of an ejection restoration apparatus for a liquid ejection head according to a third embodiment of the present invention;



FIG. 9 is a diagram of an ejection restoration apparatus for a liquid ejection head according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; and



FIG. 10 is a diagram of an ejection restoration apparatus for a liquid ejection head according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.


Claims
  • 1. An ejection restoration apparatus for a liquid ejection head having a plurality of nozzles which are disposed in a planer nozzle surface and from which liquid is ejected, the ejection restoration apparatus comprising: a first suction cap which covers a partial region of the planer nozzle surface and which has a contact portion being constituted by an elastic body and making contact with the planer nozzle surface, the partial region being smaller than area of the planer nozzle surface in which the nozzles are disposed and being larger than cross-sectional area of one of the nozzles;a suction cap movement device which moves the first suction cap in parallel with the planer nozzle surface while causing the contact portion of the first suction cap to make contact with the planer nozzle surface;a nozzle abnormality detection device which detects an abnormal nozzle suffering an abnormality, in the nozzles; anda suction control device which causes the first suction cap to suction the liquid in the abnormal nozzle detected by the nozzle abnormality detection device,wherein the first suction cap is moved on the planer nozzle surface in a state where a space defined by the first suction cap and the planer nozzle surface is set to a pressure lower than an atmospheric pressure, so that the first suction cap fulfills both a wiping function and a suctioning function.
  • 2. The ejection restoration apparatus for a liquid ejection head as defined in claim 1, wherein: the contact portion includes a front portion situated on a front side and a rear portion situated on a rear side in terms of a movement direction of the first suction cap; andthe rear portion has a rigidity lower than the front portion.
  • 3. The ejection restoration apparatus for a liquid ejection head as defined in claim 1, further comprising a second suction cap which is provided on an outer side of the first suction cap so as to cover a whole of the first suction cap, wherein a following inequality is satisfied: P1<P2<P0,
  • 4. The ejection restoration apparatus for a liquid ejection head as defined in claim 1, further comprising a second suction cap provided on a front side of the first suction cap in terms of a movement direction of the first suction cap, wherein a following inequality is satisfied: P1<P2<P0,
  • 5. The ejection restoration apparatus for a liquid ejection head as defined in claim 1, wherein the suction cap movement device moves the first suction cap in such a manner that, in maintenance of the liquid ejection head, a movement direction of the first suction cap corresponds to a direction of flow of the liquid in a common flow channel which is supplied to the common flow channel via a liquid supply port, the common flow channel being provided on a side of the nozzles reverse to a liquid ejection side of the nozzles and supplying the nozzles with the liquid.
  • 6. An image forming apparatus comprising the ejection restoration apparatus for a liquid ejection head according to claim 1.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
2006-079416 Mar 2006 JP national