Claims
- 1. An ink jet recording apparatus for use with a recording head unit having a discharge port face having a discharge port for discharging ink, said apparatus comprising:
- a cleaning member for cleaning said ink discharge port face;
- an absorbing member for cleaning said cleaning member while being in contact therewith, said absorbing member being integral with said recording head unit; and
- means for setting a first cleaning mode of cleaning said discharge port face with said cleaning member and a second cleaning mode of cleaning said cleaning member with said absorbing member,
- wherein in the second cleaning mode said cleaning member is at a position so that a contact area between said cleaning member and said absorbing member is larger than a contact area between said cleaning member and said discharge port face in the first cleaning mode.
- 2. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said absorbing member is an ink absorbing member.
- 3. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said absorbing member is located upstream of the discharge port face with respect to a scanning direction of the recording head unit when said cleaning member cleans.
- 4. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said absorbing member is located downstream of the discharge port face with respect to a scanning direction of the recording head unit when said cleaning member cleans.
- 5. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an ink tank.
- 6. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording head unit includes heat generating means for generating heat energy used to discharge the ink.
- 7. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said heat generating means causes rapid temperature elevation exceeding nucleate boiling in the ink in accordance with a driving signal, thereby causing formation of a bubble in the ink.
- 8. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the ink is discharged through the discharge port in accordance with growth and shrinkage of the bubble.
- 9. An ink jet recording apparatus for use with a recording head unit having a discharge port face having a discharge port for discharging ink, the recording head unit being scanned in a main scan direction across a conveyance direction of a recording medium, and a cleaning member for cleaning said ink discharge port face, said apparatus comprising:
- an absorbing member for cleaning the cleaning member while being in contact therewith; and
- means for setting a first cleaning mode of cleaning said discharge port face with the cleaning member and a second cleaning mode of cleaning the cleaning member with said absorbing member,
- wherein said absorbing member is scanned in the main scan direction together with the recording head unit, and in the second cleaning mode the cleaning member is at a position so that a contact area between the cleaning member and said absorbing member is larger than a contact area between the cleaning member and the discharge port face in the first cleaning mode.
- 10. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the recording head unit includes heat generating means for generating heat energy used to discharge the ink.
- 11. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said heat generating means causes rapid temperature elevation exceeding nucleate boiling in the ink in accordance with a driving signal, thereby causing formation of a bubble in the ink.
- 12. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the ink is discharged through the discharge port in accordance with growth and shrinkage of the bubble.
- 13. An ink jet recording apparatus for use with a recording head unit having a discharge port face having a discharge port for discharging ink, said apparatus comprising:
- a cleaning member for cleaning said ink discharge port face;
- an absorbing member for cleaning said cleaning member while being in contact therewith, said absorbing member being integral with said recording head unit; and
- means for setting a first cleaning mode of cleaning said discharge port face with said cleaning member and a second cleaning mode of cleaning said cleaning member with said absorbing member,
- wherein a relative moving speed of the cleaning member and said absorbing member in the second cleaning mode is set to be slower than a relative moving speed of the cleaning member and said discharge port face in the first cleaning mode.
- 14. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the recording head unit includes heat generating means for generating heat energy used to discharge the ink.
- 15. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said heat generating means causes rapid temperature elevation exceeding nucleate boiling in the ink in accordance with a driving signal, thereby causing formation of a bubble in the ink.
- 16. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the ink is discharged through the discharge port in accordance with growth and shrinkage of the bubble.
- 17. An ink jet recording apparatus for use with a recording head unit having a discharge port face having a discharge port for discharging ink, the recording head unit being scanned in a main scan direction across a conveyance direction of a recording medium, and a cleaning member for cleaning said ink discharge port face, said apparatus comprising:
- an absorbing member for cleaning the cleaning member while being in contact therewith; and
- means for setting a first cleaning mode of cleaning said discharge port face with the cleaning member and a second cleaning mode of cleaning the cleaning member with said absorbing member,
- wherein said absorbing member is scanned in the main scan direction together with the recording head unit, and a relative moving speed of the cleaning member and said absorbing member in the second cleaning mode is set to be slower than a relative moving speed of the cleaning member and said discharge port face in the first cleaning mode.
- 18. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the recording head unit includes heat generating means for generating heat energy used to discharge the ink.
- 19. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said heat generating means causes rapid temperature elevation exceeding nucleate boiling in the ink in accordance with a driving signal, thereby causing formation of a bubble in the ink.
- 20. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the ink is discharged through the discharge port in accordance with growth and shrinkage of the bubble.
- 21. An ink jet recording apparatus for use with a recording head unit having a discharge port face having a discharge port for discharging ink, said apparatus comprising:
- a first cleaning member for cleaning said ink discharge port face;
- a second cleaning member for cleaning said first cleaning member while being in contact therewith, said second cleaning member being integral with said recording head unit; and
- means for setting a first cleaning mode of cleaning said discharge port face with said first cleaning member and a second cleaning mode of cleaning said first cleaning member with said second cleaning member,
- wherein in the second cleaning mode said first cleaning member is at a position so that a contact area between said first cleaning member and said second cleaning member is larger than a contact area between said first cleaning member and said discharge port face in the first cleaning mode.
- 22. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the recording head unit includes heat generating means for generating heat energy used to discharge the ink.
- 23. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said heat generating means causes rapid temperature elevation exceeding nucleate boiling in the ink in accordance with a driving signal, thereby causing formation of a bubble in the ink.
- 24. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the ink is discharged through the discharge port in accordance with growth and shrinkage of the bubble.
- 25. An ink jet recording apparatus for use with a recording head unit having a discharge port face having a discharge port for discharging ink, the recording head unit being scanned in a main scan direction across a conveyance direction of a recording medium, and a first cleaning member for cleaning said ink discharge port face, said apparatus comprising:
- a second cleaning member for cleaning the first cleaning member while being in contact therewith; and
- means for setting a first cleaning mode of cleaning said discharge port face with the first cleaning member and a second cleaning mode of cleaning the first cleaning member with said second cleaning member,
- wherein said second cleaning member is scanned in the main scan direction together with the recording head unit, and in the second cleaning mode the first cleaning member is at a position so that a contact area between the first cleaning member and said second cleaning member is larger than a contact area between the first cleaning member and the discharge port face in the first cleaning mode.
- 26. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the recording head unit includes heat generating means for generating heat energy used to discharge the ink.
- 27. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said heat generating means causes rapid temperature elevation exceeding nucleate boiling in the ink in accordance with a driving signal, thereby causing formation of a bubble in the ink.
- 28. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the ink is discharged through the discharge port in accordance with growth and shrinkage of the bubble.
- 29. An ink jet recording apparatus for use with a recording head unit having a discharge port face having a discharge port for discharging ink, said apparatus comprising:
- a first cleaning member for cleaning said ink discharge port face;
- a second cleaning member for cleaning said first cleaning member while being in contact therewith, said second cleaning member being integral with said recording head unit; and
- means for setting a first cleaning mode of cleaning said discharge port face with said first cleaning member and a second cleaning mode of cleaning said first cleaning member with said second cleaning member,
- wherein a relative moving speed of the first cleaning member and said second cleaning member in the second cleaning mode is set to be slower than a relative moving speed of the first cleaning member and said discharge port face in the first cleaning mode.
- 30. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the recording head unit includes heat generating means for generating heat energy used to discharge the ink.
- 31. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said heat generating means causes rapid temperature elevation exceeding nucleate boiling in the ink in accordance with a driving signal, thereby causing formation of a bubble in the ink.
- 32. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the ink is discharged through the discharge port in accordance with growth and shrinkage of the bubble.
- 33. An ink jet recording apparatus for use with a recording head unit having a discharge port face having a discharge port for discharging ink, the recording head unit being scanned in a main scan direction across a conveyance direction of a recording medium, and a first cleaning member for cleaning said ink discharge port face, said apparatus comprising:
- a second cleaning member for cleaning the first cleaning member while being in contact therewith; and
- means for setting a first cleaning mode of cleaning said discharge port face with the first cleaning member and a second cleaning mode of cleaning the first cleaning member with said second cleaning member,
- wherein said second cleaning member is scanned in the main scan direction together with the recording head unit, and a relative moving speed of the first cleaning member and said second cleaning member in the second cleaning mode is set to be slower than a relative moving speed of the first cleaning member and said discharge port face in the first cleaning mode.
- 34. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the recording head unit includes heat generating means for generating heat energy used to discharge the ink.
- 35. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said heat generating means causes rapid temperature elevation exceeding nucleate boiling in the ink in accordance with a driving signal, thereby causing formation of a bubble in the ink.
- 36. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the ink is discharged through the discharge port in accordance with growth and shrinkage of the bubble.
Priority Claims (6)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
3-2238 |
Jan 1991 |
JPX |
|
3-2240 |
Jan 1991 |
JPX |
|
3-4743 |
Jan 1991 |
JPX |
|
3-4745 |
Jan 1991 |
JPX |
|
3-4746 |
Jan 1991 |
JPX |
|
3-4747 |
Jan 1991 |
JPX |
|
Parent Case Info
This application is a division, of application Ser. No. 07/818,587 filed Jan. 9, 1992, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (16)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0398348 |
Nov 1990 |
EPX |
54-056847 |
May 1979 |
JPX |
59-45162 |
Mar 1984 |
JPX |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
818587 |
Jan 1992 |
|