Claims
- 1. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising:
- a carriage on which first and second ink jet recording heads each having nozzle openings are mounted; and
- a slider having first and second cap members which seal the nozzle openings of the first and second ink jet recording heads, respectively, said slider being supported solely at a center portion of said slider that is located between the first and second cap members by a support member which is rotatable about a first shaft elongated in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of said carriage and which is movable in the moving direction of said carriage, the support member being movable also in a direction opposing the recording heads in accordance with the movement of said slider; wherein
- each of the first and second cap members is rotatably supported on said slider and the first and second cap members are independently rotatable of each other.
- 2. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support member includes:
- a coil spring which buckles when said slider is moved to a capping position and generates a resilient force in the direction opposing the recording heads; and
- a lever having a first end which is swingably attached to a second shaft of a base through a slot,
- wherein the first shaft is rotatably supported by a second end of the lever.
- 3. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said slider includes an abutting device for abutting against said carriage to receive a driving force from said carriage.
- 4. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second cap members includes a suction port and an air release port that communicates with the air through a valve unit, and the suction ports of the first and second cap members are connected to first and second suction pumps, respectively.
- 5. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a valve unit is mounted on said slider and respective air release ports of the cap members communicate with the air through the valve unit, and
- wherein said valve unit closes when said slider reaches a capping position so that the respective air release ports cease communicating with the air.
- 6. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the valve unit closes in response to the movement of said slider to the capping position.
- 7. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said valve unit comprises an operation device that abuts against a surface and moves when said slider moves to the capping position and wherein the valve unit closes in response to the movement of the operation device.
- 8. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said slider comprises:
- a second shaft rotatably supporting the first cap member; and
- a third shaft offset from said second shaft in the moving direction of said carriage and rotatably supporting the second cap member.
- 9. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
- a rotation drive source; and
- a tube pump including:
- a first tube connected to one of said first and second cap members;
- a first roller; and
- a first guide piece which rotatably supports said first roller,
- wherein said rotation drive source rotates in a first direction to guide said first roller away from said first tube and rotates in a second direction to forcibly guide said first roller towards said first tube such that said first roller substantially presses against said first tube.
- 10. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a driving wheel train, wherein
- said first guide piece comprises a guide slot,
- said roller rotates about a roller shaft and said roller shaft is slidably disposed within said guide slot,
- said driving wheel train rotates such that said roller shaft slides away from said tube within said guide slot when said rotation drive source rotates in said first direction, and
- said driving wheel train rotates such that said roller shaft slides towards said tube within said guide slot when said rotation drive source rotates in said second direction.
- 11. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said rotation drive source at least indirectly rotates in response to electrical power to guide said first roller away from said first tube and to guide said first roller towards said first tube.
- 12. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:
- a motor operably connected to said rotation drive source for driving said rotation drive source in said first and second directions.
- 13. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said rotation drive source comprises:
- a drive wheel operably coupled to said first guide piece, wherein said first guide piece guides said first roller away from said first tube when said drive wheel rotates in said first direction and guides said first roller towards from said first tube when said drive wheel rotates in said second direction.
- 14. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said rotation drive source comprises:
- a motor operably connected to said first guide piece, wherein said first guide piece guides said first roller away from said first tube when said motor rotates in said first direction and guides said first roller towards from said first tube when said motor rotates in said second direction.
- 15. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising:
- a carriage on which first and second ink jet recording heads each having nozzle openings are mounted;
- first and second cap members which seal the nozzle openings of said first and second ink jet recording heads, respectively, and
- a suction device which sucks the ink, said suction device being selectively driven in accordance with a rotation direction of a rotation drive source, suction ports of said cap members being connected to said suction device, wherein said suction device includes a tube pump comprising:
- a first tube connected to one of said first and second cap members;
- a first roller;
- a first guide piece which rotatably supports said first roller,
- wherein said rotation drive source rotates in a first direction to guide said first roller away from said first tube and rotates in a second direction to forcibly guide said first roller towards said first tube such that said first roller substantially presses against said first tube.
- 16. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 15, wherein
- said first guide piece rotates about a first guide piece axis in accordance with said rotation direction of said rotation drive source, and
- said first guide piece comprises a first guide slot which is curved such that a first end of said first guide slot is closer to said first guide piece axis than a second end of said first guide slot.
- 17. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said first guide slot curves around said first guide piece axis.
- 18. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 16, wherein
- said first roller rotates about a first roller shaft and said first roller shaft is slidably disposed within said first guide slot,
- said first guide piece rotates such that said first roller shaft slides away from said first tube within said first guide slot when said rotation drive source rotates in said first direction, and
- said first guide piece rotates such that said first roller shaft slides towards said first tube within said first guide slot when said rotation drive source rotates in said second direction.
- 19. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said first tube is connected to said first cap member and said tube pump further comprises:
- a second tube connected to said second cap member;
- a second roller; and
- a second guide piece which rotatably supports said second roller,
- wherein said rotation drive source rotates in said first direction to forcibly guide said second roller towards said second tube such that said second roller substantially presses against said second tube and rotates in said second direction to guide said second roller away from said second tube.
- 20. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 19, wherein
- said first guide piece rotates about a first guide piece axis in accordance with said rotation direction of said rotation drive source, and
- said first guide piece comprises a first guide slot which is curved such that a first end of said first guide slot is closer to said first guide piece axis than a second end of said first guide slot.
- 21. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 20, wherein
- said first roller rotates about a first roller shaft and said first roller shaft is slidably disposed within said first guide slot,
- said first guide piece rotates such that said first roller shaft slides away from said first tube within said first guide slot when said rotation drive source rotates in said first direction, and
- said first guide piece rotates such that said first roller shaft slides towards said first tube within said first guide slot when said rotation drive source rotates in said second direction.
- 22. An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising
- a carriage on which first and second ink jet recording heads each having nozzle openings are mounted;
- first and second cap members which seal the nozzle openings of said first and second ink jet recording heads, respectively, and
- a suction device which sucks the ink, wherein suction ports of said cap members arc connected to said suction device and said suction device includes a tube pump having:
- a pump chamber, a part of which is open so as to provide an insertion port for first and second tubes;
- a first driving wheel having a first roller cooperating with an inner wall face of said pump chamber to press the first tube, said first driving wheel being rotated about a shaft portion of said pump chamber,
- a second driving wheel having a second roller cooperating with the inner wall face of said pump chamber to press the second tube, said second driving wheel being rotated about the shaft portion of said pump chamber,
- wherein the first tube has a first loop portion, the first loop portion being formed by crossing portions of the first tube to produce an .alpha.-like shape, and the first loop portion being inserted into said pump chamber to be disposed along the inner wall face of said pump chambers,
- wherein the second tube has a second loop portion, the second loop portion being formed by crossing portions of the second tube to produce an .alpha.-like shape, and the second loop portion being inserted into said pump chamber to be disposed along the inner wall face of said pump chamber,
- wherein the first roller is pressed against the first tube when the first drive wheel rotates in a first direction and is not pressed against the first tube when the first drive wheel rotates in a second direction, and
- wherein the second roller is pressed against the second tube when the second drive wheel rotates in the second direction and is not pressed against the second tube when the second drive wheel rotates in the first direction.
- 23. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 22, wherein a first guide slot is formed in said first driving wheel, and the first roller is transferred by the first guide slot between a tube pressurizing state and a tube nonpressurizing state in accordance with a rotation direction of the first drive wheel.
- 24. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said guide slot is curved such that a first end of said guide slot is closer to said shaft portion than a second end of said guide slot.
- 25. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 23, wherein a second guide slot is formed in said second driving wheel, and the second roller is transferred by the second guide slot between the tube pressurizing state and the tube nonpressurizing state in accordance with a rotation direction of the second driving wheel.
- 26. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the pump chamber comprises a first pump chamber section having a first inner wall face and a second pump chamber section having a second inner wall face, and
- wherein the first loop portion is disposed along the first inner wall face and the second loop portion is disposed along the second inner wall face.
- 27. A method for performing a suction operation in an ink jet recording apparatus having a recording head and a pump including a tube and a roller rolling over the tube to produce a pumping action, the pump being rotatable in two directions, comprising the steps of:
- (a) placing the recording head in a nonsuction position;
- (b) rotating the pump in a first direction to press the roller against the tube and to roll the roller over the tube in the first direction when the head is in said nonsuction position;
- (c) transferring the recording head to a suction position after said rotating of the pump in the first direction, to set an ink suction enabled state; and
- (d) rotating the pump in the first direction by an amount required for regenerating the recording head, using the ink suction enabled state as a reference, to suck ink in the recording head.
- 28. The method according to claim 27, wherein:
- the recording head additionally has a cap for covering the recording head, to shield the head from ambient air;
- the nonsuction position corresponds to a noncapping position in which the cap is not covering the recording head; and
- the suction position corresponds to a capping position in which the cap covers the recording head.
- 29. The method according to claim 27, further comprising the steps of:
- (e) placing the recording head in said nonsuction position after said step (d); and
- (f) rotating the pump in the first direction to remove ink remaining in the tube after said step (e).
- 30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising the step of:
- (g) rotating the pump in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction after said step (f), wherein rotating the pump in said step (g) substantially reduces pressure exerted from the roller against the tube.
- 31. The method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of:
- (e) rotating the pump in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction after said step (d).
- 32. The method according to claim 31, wherein rotating the pump in said step (e) substantially reduces pressure exerted from the roller against the tube.
- 33. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising:
- a carriage on which first and second ink jet recording heads each having nozzle openings are mounted;
- first and second cap members which seal the nozzle openings of said first and second ink jet recording heads, respectively, and
- a suction device which sucks the ink, said suction device being selectively driven in accordance with a rotation direction of a rotation drive source, suction ports of said cap members being connected to said suction device, wherein said suction device comprises:
- a first tube pump connected to said first cap member; and
- a second tube pump connected to said second cap member,
- wherein said first and second tube pumps are driven in accordance with said rotation direction of said rotation drive source such that said first tube pump sucks ink from said first ink jet recording head via said first cap member when said rotation drive source is rotated in a first direction and wherein said second tube pump sucks ink from said second ink jet recording head via said second cap member when said rotation drive source is rotated in a second direction.
- 34. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 33, further comprising:
- a motor operably connected to said rotation drive source for driving said rotation drive source in said first and second directions.
- 35. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said rotation drive source comprises:
- a drive wheel that is rotated in said first and second directions by said motor.
- 36. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said first tube pump does not suck ink from said first ink jet recording head when said rotation drive source is rotated in said second direction and does not suck ink from said second ink jet recording head when said rotation drive source is rotated in said first direction.
- 37. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said rotation drive source comprises:
- a motor operably connected to said suction device, wherein said first tube pump sucks ink from said first ink jet recording head when said motor rotates in said first direction and said second tube pump sucks ink from said second ink jet recording head when said motor rotates in said second direction.
Priority Claims (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
5-341309 |
Dec 1993 |
JPX |
|
6-069049 |
Mar 1994 |
JPX |
|
6-085791 |
Mar 1994 |
JPX |
|
6-190314 |
Aug 1994 |
JPX |
|
Parent Case Info
This is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 08/352,632, filed Dec. 9, 1994 abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (14)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0 313 204 A2 |
Apr 1989 |
EPX |
0 398 347 A2 |
Nov 1990 |
EPX |
0 424 859 A2 |
May 1991 |
EPX |
0494674A1 |
Jan 1992 |
EPX |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
352632 |
Dec 1994 |
|