JP2003341108A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an image recorder in which deterioration of a carrying means and lowering of image recording accuracy are prevented while reducing the labor and cost of manufacture greatly. <P>SOLUTION: The image recorder 1 comprising line heads 3a-3d having ink ejection openings 4a-4d arranged side by side along a direction perpendicular to the carrying direction of a recording medium P and being disposed above the recording medium P being carried is further provided with a platen member 10a, i.e., a hollow tubular body extending in a direction perpendicular to the carrying direction of the recording medium P, disposed oppositely to the line head 3a and supporting the recording medium P from below wherein the platen member 10a has a group of holes made oppositely to respective ink ejection openings 4a-4d. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus, and more particularly to an image recording apparatus for recording a predetermined image by ejecting ink from a plurality of ink ejection openings provided on a line head onto a recording medium. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, based on predetermined image information,
An image recording apparatus has been proposed which records a predetermined image (including characters and symbols) on a recording medium such as paper or a thin plastic plate. In recent years, a long line head having an ink ejection port formed over the entire width of a recording region of a recording medium is provided, and ink is ejected from the ink ejection port to the recording medium conveyed in a predetermined direction by a conveying unit. An image recording apparatus (inkjet printer) that records a predetermined image by using the above has been proposed and put into practical use.

In such an image recording apparatus (inkjet printer), when left for a long time, the ink remaining in the ink ejection port of the line head dries and hardens, and clogging occurs to deteriorate the ink ejection characteristics. There is. Therefore, in order to maintain the ink ejection characteristics, so-called preliminary ejection may be performed during non-recording.

Such preliminary ejection is often performed on a conveyor belt which is a means for conveying the recording medium, and the ink ejected on the conveyor belt is a roller cleaner or a blade cleaner installed on the downstream side of the conveyor belt. It was wiped off by a belt cleaning member such as. In recent years, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-127362, a method has been proposed in which a belt cleaning member is provided in the vicinity of the downstream of each ink ejection port to quickly wipe off the ink adhering to the conveyor belt. There is.

[0005]

However, if the method of performing the preliminary ejection on the conveyor belt and wiping off the ink adhering to the conveyor belt with the belt cleaning member as described above, the ink on the conveyor belt is sufficiently wiped. It may remain without being taken. When the surface of the conveyor belt is contaminated due to the residual ink, the conveyor belt itself is deteriorated, and the transfer speed of the conveyor belt is erroneously detected, resulting in inaccurate speed control, which may reduce image recording accuracy. It was In addition, the ink remaining on the conveyor belt may be transferred to the back surface of the next recording medium, and the recording medium may be contaminated.

Further, as described above, when the method of performing the preliminary discharge on the conveyor belt and wiping the ink adhering to the conveyor belt with the belt cleaning member is adopted, a complicated mechanism or control means for driving the belt cleaning member is required. It was necessary, and it took time and cost to manufacture the device.

An object of the present invention is to provide an image recording apparatus,
This is to prevent the deterioration of the conveying means and the deterioration of the image recording accuracy, and to significantly reduce the labor and cost in manufacturing.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 has a plurality of ink ejection ports arranged in parallel along a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the recording medium and conveys the medium. In an image recording apparatus including a line head disposed above the recording medium, the hollow cylindrical body extending in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the recording medium faces the line head. A platen member that is disposed at a position to support the recording medium from below is provided, and the platen member has a group of holes provided so as to face each of the ink ejection ports.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the recording medium is a hollow cylindrical body extending in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the recording medium, and is arranged at a position facing the line head to lower the recording medium. Since the platen member has a group of holes provided so as to face each of the ink ejection ports, the ink preliminarily ejected from each of the ink ejection ports passes through the group of holes. It can be dropped inside.

Therefore, it is not necessary to perform the preliminary ejection on the conveyor belt which is the conveyor as in the conventional case, so that the deterioration of the conveyor belt and the deterioration of the image recording accuracy can be prevented.
In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a belt cleaning member for wiping off the ink adhering to the conveyor belt at the time of preliminary ejection, the labor and cost for manufacturing the device can be significantly reduced.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to the first aspect, the platen member is rotatable about a rotation shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium. The hole group is configured by arranging a plurality of hole rows, which are holes arranged in parallel along the direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium, in the circumferential direction of the platen member. It is characterized by

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the platen member is rotatable about a rotary shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to the recording medium conveying direction, and the group of holes includes the recording medium. Since a plurality of holes are arranged in the circumferential direction of the platen member, the holes are formed in the peripheral wall of the platen member. The non-exposed portion remains along the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the recording medium, and the conveyed recording medium can be supported by the portion not provided with this hole. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the recording medium from excessively bending downward due to the holes.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to the first aspect, the platen member is rotatable about a rotation axis extending in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium. At the same time, the hole group faces the ink discharge port during the preliminary discharge, while the part where the hole group is not provided faces the ink discharge port when the recording medium is conveyed. It is characterized in that the position is controlled.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the platen member is rotatable about a rotary shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium and at the time of preliminary ejection, the hole group is formed. Is opposed to the ink ejection port, while the rotational position is controlled so that the portion not provided with the hole group when the recording medium is conveyed faces the ink ejection port.
During the preliminary ejection, the ink ejected from each ink ejection port can be dripped into the platen member through the hole group, while the hole group of the platen member is not provided when the recording medium is conveyed. The portion can reliably support the conveyed recording medium.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in the image recording apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the platen member is provided with an ink receiving means inside.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the ink ejected from each ink ejection port of the line head and dropped into the platen member through the group of holes provided in the platen member is received by the ink receiving means. You can

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to the fourth aspect, the ink that faces the hole group when the hole group of the platen member is arranged immediately above the ink receiving means. It is characterized in that the ink is controlled to be ejected from the ejection port.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, when the hole group of the platen member is arranged immediately above the ink receiving means, the ink is controlled to be ejected from the ink ejection port facing the hole group. Therefore, the ink that has been ejected from the ink ejection port of the line head and that has dropped into the platen member through the hole group can be reliably received by the ink receiving means.

The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to claim 4 or 5.
In the image recording apparatus described in the above, the ink receiving means,
It is a waste ink container having an opening on the side of the ink ejection port.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, the waste ink container receives the ink ejected from each ink ejection port of the line head and dripping into the platen member through the group of holes provided in the platen member. Can be stored.

According to a seventh aspect of the invention, in the image recording apparatus according to the sixth aspect, the waste ink container is in communication with an ink accumulating means.

According to the seventh aspect of the invention, the ink discharged from each ink discharge port of the line head and dropped through the group of holes provided in the platen member and stored in the waste ink container is collected. Can lead to means.

The invention according to claim 8 is the invention according to claim 4 or 5.
In the image recording apparatus described in the above, the ink receiving means,
It is characterized by being an ink absorbing material.

According to the eighth aspect of the invention, the ink that has been ejected from each ink ejection port of the line head and that has dropped into the platen member through the group of holes provided in the platen member is received by the ink absorbing material. Can be absorbed.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the image recording apparatus according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, the image forming apparatus further comprises a conveying roller for nipping and conveying the recording medium, and the platen member rotates together with the conveying roller. It is characterized by being made possible.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, since the platen member can be rotated together with the conveying roller when the recording medium is conveyed by the conveying roller, friction generated between the platen member and the recording medium is caused. It is possible to reduce the number of times, and it is possible to facilitate the transport operation of the recording medium.

[0027]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment] An image recording apparatus exemplified in the present embodiment is provided with a long line head in which an ink ejection port is formed over the entire width of a recording region of a recording medium. It is an inkjet printer that discharges ink from a discharge outlet onto a recording medium to record a predetermined image.

First, the mechanical structure of the ink jet printer according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing a main part of the inkjet printer according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of a platen member 10a included in the inkjet printer 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ink jet printer 1 includes conveying rollers (conveying means) 2a and 2b for conveying recording paper (recording medium) P in a predetermined direction, spurs 2c, and
The line head 3 arranged above the conveyed recording paper P
a to 3d, platen members 10a to 10d which are arranged at positions facing the line heads 3a to 3d and support the recording paper P from below, and the like.

The transport rollers 2a and 2b have a function of transporting the recording paper P in the direction of the arrow Y in FIG. 1, and are driven by a transport motor (not shown) directly connected to the shaft of the transport roller 2b. ing. By rotating the conveying roller 2b by the conveying motor, the recording sheet P is sandwiched between the conveying rollers 2a and 2b, and the recording sheet P is held in FIG.
It can be conveyed at a constant speed in the direction of arrow Y.

In the vicinity of the transport rollers 2a, 2b,
Recording paper detection means for detecting the conveyed recording paper P is provided. The signal detected by the recording paper detection means is transmitted to the CPU 50 described later and used in the recording paper detection step S12 described later.

The spurs 2c are conveying means arranged downstream of the conveying path of the recording paper P, and are ink ejection ports 4a to 4d.
Recording paper P on which an image is formed by ejecting ink from the recording paper P
The recording paper P is conveyed with a small contact area so as not to stain the surface of the recording paper P.

Each of the line heads 3a to 3d has a plurality of ink ejection ports 4a to 4d arranged in parallel along a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the recording paper P (direction of arrow Y in FIG. 1). Ink is ejected from the ink ejection ports 4a to 4d onto the recording paper P to record a predetermined image. Ink of each color of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black is ejected from the ink ejection ports 4a to 4d, respectively. In addition, the "line head" in the present invention includes a relatively long divided head in which a plurality of divided heads are joined together to form a long length.

An ink tank is connected to the ink ejection ports 4a to 4d of the line heads 3a to 3d through an ink tube (not shown), and the ink tubes are connected to the insides of the line heads 3a to 3d. An ink flow path (not shown) that communicates is provided.

In the ink jet printer 1 according to this embodiment, the non-ejection time (not shown) for measuring the time (non-ejection time) during which the ink is not ejected from the ink ejection ports 4a to 4d is measured. Measuring means are provided. The non-ejection time measured by the non-ejection time measuring means is used in the preliminary ejection necessity determination step S2 described later.

The platen members 10a to 10d are made of recording paper P.
1 is a long hollow cylindrical body extending in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the recording paper P, and is arranged at a position facing the line heads 3a to 3d as shown in FIG. Fulfills the function of supporting. Also, the platen member 1
0a to 10d also function as means for receiving the ink droplets 5a to 5d at the time of preliminary ejection of the line heads 3a to 3d.

The platen members 10a to 10d are rotated about their central axes Ca to Cd by a platen rotating means (not shown).
It is supposed to be rotatable around. The platen rotating means is
Conventionally adopted mechanism, for example, platen member 1
It can be constituted by ball bearings, gears, motors, etc. provided at both ends in the length direction of 0a to 10d. Further, the platen members 10a to 10d are provided with a rotational position detecting means (not shown) for detecting the rotational position thereof. A signal relating to the rotational position of the platen members 10a to 10d detected by the rotational position detecting means is transmitted to the CPU 50 described later, and the preliminary ejection step S described later is performed.
3, used in S15.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the platen member 10a. Since the platen members 10a to 10d have substantially the same configuration, the configuration will be described below with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the platen member 10a extends in a direction (direction of arrow X in FIG. 2) perpendicular to the conveying direction of the recording paper P (direction of arrow Y in FIGS. 1 and 2). Platen members 10a to 10d that are long hollow cylinders
Has a hole group provided so as to face each of the ink ejection ports 4a. Hereinafter, this hole group will be described.

The group of holes provided in the platen member includes a hole row 12a composed of a plurality of rectangular holes 11a having a long narrow width and arranged in parallel along the direction of arrow X in FIG.
4 rows are arranged in the circumferential direction. Further, the hole group includes holes 11a adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the platen member 10a.
The end portions of the platen member 10a and the platen member 10a are arranged so as to be stacked in the length direction of the platen member 10a. In FIG. 2, the vicinity of the end of the hole 11a adjacent in the circumferential direction of the platen member 10a is
An area (overlap area) 13a having a predetermined width is shown, which is arranged in a state of being overlapped in the length direction of the platen member 10a.

The hole group thus provided so as to face the ink ejection port 4a has a width larger than the diameter of the ink ejection port 4a and is ejected from the ink ejection port 4a of the line head 3a. It functions to pass the ink droplet 5a and drop it onto a waste ink container 20a (described later) provided inside the platen member 10a. The hole group in the present embodiment is, as is clear from FIG.
If any two hole rows 12a adjacent to each other are selected,
It is configured to be compatible with all ink ejection ports.

The hole group is formed by arranging a plurality of holes 12a, which are holes 11a arranged in parallel along the direction of arrow X in FIG. 2, in the circumferential direction of the platen member 10a. On the peripheral wall of the member 10a, a portion 14a where the hole 11a is not provided remains along the direction of the arrow X. The portion 14a where the hole 11a is not provided can support the conveyed recording paper P, and can prevent the recording paper P from being excessively bent downward by the hole 11a.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the hole groups are arranged such that the vicinity of the ends of the holes 11a adjacent in the circumferential direction of the platen member 10a are overlapped in the length direction of the platen member 10a. The ink droplet 5a ejected from the ink ejection port 4a corresponding to the vicinity of the end of the hole 11a can be surely passed and dropped into the platen member 10a.

In the hollow portion 15a of the platen member 10a,
As shown in FIG. 2, a waste ink container 20a which is an ink receiving means is arranged. The waste ink container 20a is ejected from the ink ejection port 4a of the line head 3a, and the hole 11
The function of receiving and accumulating the ink that has passed through a and dropped into the platen member 10a is stored.

The waste ink container 20a has an ink discharge port 4a.
It has an opening 21a opened to the side and is fixed in the hollow portion 15a of the platen member 10a by a fixing means (not shown), and does not rotate together with the rotation operation of the platen member 10a. The waste ink container 20a is communicatively connected to a waste ink tank 40, which is an ink accumulating means, via a waste ink tube 30a (see FIG. 1).

Next, the electrical configuration of the ink jet printer 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the electrical configuration of the inkjet printer 1.

The ink jet printer 1 according to the present embodiment has a CPU 50 and an input device 6 as shown in FIG.
0, the conveyance roller 2b, the line heads 3a to 3d, the platen members 10a to 10d, and the like.

The CPU 50 is a control means mounted on a predetermined control board, and has a function of integrally controlling the entire ink jet printer 1. The input device 60 is the CPU 50 via an input interface (not shown).
Is connected to the CPU 50 and inputs a signal relating to predetermined image information to the CPU 50. Examples of the input device 60 include a personal computer connected via a network and an image reading device that reads various images.

The carrying roller 2b is connected to the CPU 50 via an output interface (not shown) and a carrying motor.
The recording paper P is conveyed in a predetermined direction (direction of arrow Y in FIGS. 1 and 2) at a predetermined speed under the control of the CPU 50. The line heads 3a to 3d are connected to the CPU 50 via an output interface (not shown).
Connected to the ink ejection port 4a under the control of the CPU 50.
4d to discharge a predetermined amount of ink of a predetermined color to record a predetermined image on the recording paper P. Platen member 10
a to 10d are connected to the CPU 50 via an output interface or platen rotating means (not shown), and
The rotational position can be freely changed under the control of the PU 50.

Next, the control operation of the ink jet printer 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the following description, the “preliminary ejection operation” is intended to maintain the ink ejection characteristics by preventing the ink remaining in the ink ejection openings of the line head from drying and hardening, and to maintain the ink ejection characteristics during non-recording. It means the operation of ejecting a small amount of ink from the.

First, the conveyance motor is driven by the control of the CPU 50 to rotate the conveyance roller 2b, and the recording paper P is
The sheet is conveyed in the direction of arrow Y in FIGS. 1 and 2 while being sandwiched by the conveying rollers 2a and 2b (recording sheet conveying step: S
1). Next, the CPU 50 determines whether or not the preliminary ejection operation is necessary (preliminary ejection necessity determination step: S2).

In the preliminary ejection necessity determining step S2, the non-ejection time measuring means provided in the ink ejection ports 4a to 4d determines that the elapsed time from the previous ejection (non-ejection time) is a predetermined time. A determination method is adopted in which it is determined whether or not it is longer, and when it is determined that it is longer, it is determined that the preliminary ejection operation is necessary.

When it is determined in the preliminary discharge necessity determination step S2 that the preliminary discharge operation is necessary, the CPU 50
Drives the platen rotating means to drive the platen members 10a to
10d is rotated, the hole groups provided in the platen members 10a to 10d are arranged corresponding to the positions of the ink ejection ports 4a to 4d, and the preliminary ejection operation is performed (preliminary ejection step: S
3). At this time, under the control of the CPU 50, when the hole group of the platen member 10a is arranged immediately above the waste ink container 20a, the ink is ejected from the ink ejection port 4a facing the hole group.

Here, the mode of control operation of the platen members 10a to 10d in the preliminary discharge step S3 will be described by taking the platen member 10a shown in FIG. 2 as an example. First, C
The PU 50 rotates the platen member 10a to arrange the one hole array 12a immediately below the ink ejection port 4a, and ejects the ink from the ink ejection port 4a corresponding to the position of the hole 11a forming the one hole array 12a. Pre-discharge. Then CPU5
In the case of 0, the platen member 10a is rotated to dispose another adjacent hole row 12a immediately below the ink ejection opening 4a, and the ink ejection opening 4a corresponding to the position of the hole 11a forming the other hole row 12a. Preliminarily eject ink. Hereinafter, this procedure is repeated to preliminarily eject ink from all the ink ejection ports 4a.

In this preliminary ejection step S3,
Under control of the CPU 50, each platen member 10a-10
It is also possible to drive d separately.

For example, at the rear end of the recording paper P being conveyed, the magenta and the ink from the ink discharge ports 4b, 4c, and 4d, respectively.
While the cyan and black inks are ejected to record an image, the platen member 1 is controlled by the CPU 50.
Only the hole group 0a is arranged immediately below the ink ejection port 4a, and only the yellow ink can be preliminarily ejected from the ink ejection port 4a.

While the image is being recorded by ejecting yellow and magenta ink from the ink ejection ports 4a and 4b at the front end of the recording paper P being conveyed, the CP
By controlling U50, the hole groups of the platen members 10c and 10d may be arranged immediately below the ink ejection ports 4c and 4d, and the cyan and black inks may be preliminarily ejected from the ink ejection ports 4c and 4d.

By separately controlling the driving of the platen members 10a to 10d in this manner, it is possible to reduce the interval between the plurality of recording papers P which are continuously conveyed. As a result, the image recording speed (printing speed) can be increased.
After the preliminary discharge step S3, the control operation is ended.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the preliminary ejection necessity determination step S2 that the preliminary ejection operation is unnecessary, CP
U50 drives the platen rotating means to drive the platen member 1
0a to 10d are rotated in accordance with the rotation operation of the transport roller 2b (platen rotation step: S4). Then, the control operation ends.

In the ink jet printer 1 according to this embodiment, the recording paper P is conveyed in the conveying direction (see FIGS. 1 and 2).
(Direction of arrow Y in FIG. 2) and a hollow cylindrical body extending in a direction perpendicular to direction (direction of arrow X in FIG. 2) and arranged at a position facing the line heads 3a to 3d to support the recording paper P from below. Equipped with platen members 4a-4d,
The platen members 10a to 10d are used for the ink ejection port 4
The ink droplets 5a to 5d preliminarily ejected from the ink ejection ports 4a to 4d have a hole group facing each of a to 4d.
d through the platen members 10a-10
It can be dropped in d.

Therefore, it is not necessary to perform the preliminary ejection on the conveyor belt which is the conveyor as in the conventional case, so that the deterioration of the conveyor belt and the deterioration of the image recording accuracy can be prevented.
In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a belt cleaning member for wiping off the ink adhering to the conveyor belt at the time of preliminary ejection, the labor and cost for manufacturing the device can be significantly reduced.

Further, in the ink jet printer 1 according to the present embodiment, the platen member 10a (-10
The hole group of d) includes a hole row 12a including a plurality of holes 11a arranged in parallel along the direction of arrow X in FIG.
Since it is configured by arranging a plurality of rows in the circumferential direction of, the portion 14a where the hole 11a is not provided remains on the peripheral wall of the platen member 10a along the direction of the arrow X,
By the portion 14a where the hole 11a is not provided,
The conveyed recording paper P can be supported. Therefore,
It is possible to prevent the recording paper P from being excessively bent downward by the hole 11a.

Further, in the ink jet printer 1 according to this embodiment, the platen member 10a (-10
Since the hole group of d) is configured such that the vicinity of the end of the hole 11a adjacent to the platen member 10a in the circumferential direction is arranged in a state of being overlapped in the length direction of the platen member 10a,
The ink droplet 5a ejected from the ink ejection port 4a corresponding to the vicinity of the end of the hole 11a can be surely passed and dropped in the platen member 10a.

In the ink jet printer 1 according to this embodiment, the platen member 10a (-10
Since the hollow portion 15a of d) is provided with the waste ink container 20a as an ink receiving means, the line head 3a (to 3)
The ink ejected from each of the ink ejection ports 4a (to 4d) in (d) and dropped into the platen member 10a (to 10d) through the group of holes provided in the platen member 10a (to 10d) is used as the waste ink container 20a. It can be received and stored by the receiving means.

In the ink jet printer 1 according to the present embodiment, the hole group of the platen member 10a (-10d) is controlled by the CPU 50 so that the waste ink container 20 is formed.
Since the ink is ejected from the ink ejection port 4a (to 4d) facing the hole group when the ink is ejected from just above a, it is ejected from the ink ejection port 4a (to 4d) of the line head 3a (to 3d). The platen member 10a (-10
The ink dropped in d) can be reliably received by the waste ink container 20a.

Further, in the ink jet printer 1 according to the present embodiment, the waste ink container 20a is connected to the waste ink tank 40 as the ink accumulating means through the waste ink tube 30a, so that the line head 3a is connected. The ink discharged from each of the ink discharge ports 4a (to 4d) of (to 3d) and dripping through the group of holes provided in the platen member 10a (to 10d) and stored in the waste ink container 20a is used as the waste ink. It can be led to the tank 40.

Further, in the ink jet printer 1 according to the present embodiment, the carrying roller 2b is used as the carrying means.
Since the platen member 10a (-10d) can be rotated together with the transport roller 2b by the control of the CPU 50, the platen member 10a (-10d) can be rotated.
The friction generated between d) and the recording paper P can be reduced, and the recording paper P can be conveyed smoothly.

[Second Embodiment] First, the configuration of an ink jet printer according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. The ink jet printer according to the present embodiment has a configuration in which the platen member and the ink receiving means of the ink jet printer 1 according to the first embodiment are changed, and other configurations are substantially the same, and thus duplicated. The description of the configuration to be performed is omitted.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing the platen member 10A of the ink jet printer according to the present embodiment and the line head 3a arranged so as to face the platen member 10A.

The platen member 10A of the ink jet printer according to the present embodiment is a hollow cylindrical body as shown in FIG. 5 and has a hole group provided so as to face the ink ejection port 4a. . The hole group is configured by arranging three hole rows 12A composed of a plurality of elliptical holes 11A arranged in parallel along the direction of arrow X in FIG. 5 in the circumferential direction of the platen member 10A. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the vicinity of the ends of the holes 11A that are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the platen member 10A are arranged in a state of being overlapped in the length direction of the platen member 10A.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, in the hollow portion 15A of the platen member 10A of the ink jet printer according to the present embodiment, the ink absorbing material 7 as the ink receiving means is provided.
0 is provided. The ink absorbing material 70 has a function of receiving and absorbing the ink droplet 5a ejected from the ink ejection port 4a of the line head 3a and dropped through the hole 11A into the platen member 10A. Ink absorber 7
As 0, an open-cell foam having a water absorbing property, a non-woven fabric, a felt or the like can be adopted. The ink absorbed by the ink absorbing material 70 is diffused into the atmosphere by drying with time.

The elliptical hole 11A provided so as to face the ink ejection port 4a in this manner is the ink ejection port 4a.
The line head 3a has a width larger than the diameter of a.
Of the ink droplets 5a ejected from the ink ejection port 4a of the ink absorption member 70 provided inside the platen member 10A.
Performs the function of dropping onto.

Next, the control operation of the ink jet printer according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6A is an explanatory diagram showing the rotating posture of the platen member 10A during the recording paper conveyance, and FIG. 6B is an explanatory diagram showing the rotating posture of the platen member 10A during the preliminary ejection. . In addition, in FIG. 6, the platen member 10A is shown in a cross-sectional view in a case where a portion where the hole 11A is provided is cut. Further, among the electrical configurations used in the following description, those substantially the same as those of the inkjet printer 1 according to the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment. explain.

First, under the control of the CPU 50, the carry motor is driven to rotate the carry roller 2b, and the recording paper P is
It is conveyed in the direction of arrow Y in FIGS. 5 and 6 while being sandwiched by the conveyance rollers 2a and 2b (recording paper conveyance step: S
11). Next, the CPU 50 detects the conveyed recording paper P by the recording paper detecting means and determines whether the recording paper P has been conveyed to a predetermined position (recording paper detecting step: S12).

When it is determined in the recording paper detection step S12 that the recording paper P has been conveyed to the predetermined position,
The CPU 50 drives the platen rotating means to rotate the platen member 10A, and the portion 14 where the hole group is not provided is
A is arranged so as to face the ink ejection port 4a (platen rotating step: S13, see FIG. 6A). Then, the control operation ends.

On the other hand, when it is determined in the recording paper detection step S12 that the recording paper P has not been conveyed to the predetermined position, the CPU 50 causes the non-ejection time provided in the ink ejection port 4a of the line head 3a. Based on the non-ejection time detected by the measuring means, it is determined whether or not the preliminary ejection operation is necessary (preliminary ejection necessity determination step: S1.
4).

When it is determined in the preliminary discharge necessity determination step S14 that the preliminary discharge operation is necessary, the CPU 5
0 drives the platen rotating means to drive the platen member 10A.
Is rotated to arrange the hole group provided in the platen member 10A so as to correspond to the position of the ink ejection port 4a (FIG. 6B).
), The preliminary discharge operation is performed (preliminary discharge step: S1
5) The control operation ends. Preliminary ejection necessity determination step S1
When it is determined in 4 that the preliminary ejection operation is not necessary, the control operation is ended as it is.

In the ink jet printer according to this embodiment, the CPU 50 causes the portion 14A where the hole group is not provided when the recording paper P is conveyed to face the ink ejection port 4a, while the hole group is ejected when the preliminary ejection is performed. The rotation position of the platen member 10A is controlled so as to face the 4a. Therefore, when the recording paper P is conveyed, the conveyed recording paper P can be reliably supported by the portion 14A of the platen member 10A where the hole group is not provided. Further, at the time of preliminary ejection, the ink ejected from the ink ejection port 4a is passed through the hole group and the platen member 1 is ejected.
It can be dropped into 0A.

Further, in the ink jet printer according to this embodiment, the hollow portion 15 of the platen member 10A is used.
Since the ink absorbing member 70 is used as the ink receiving means in A, the ink is ejected from the ink ejection port 4a of the line head 3a and dripped into the platen member 10A through the group of holes provided in the platen member 10A. Ink can be received and absorbed by the ink absorber 70.

[0081]

According to the first aspect of the invention, the recording medium is a hollow cylindrical body extending in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the recording medium and is arranged at a position facing the line head. Is provided with a platen member that supports the ink from below, and the platen member has a hole group provided so as to face each of the ink ejection ports, so that the ink preliminarily ejected from each ink ejection port passes through the hole group, It can be dropped into the platen member.

Therefore, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary to carry out preliminary ejection on the conveyor belt which is the conveyor means, so that deterioration of the conveyor belt and deterioration of image recording accuracy can be prevented.
In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a belt cleaning member for wiping off the ink adhering to the conveyor belt at the time of preliminary ejection, the labor and cost for manufacturing the device can be significantly reduced.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the hole group of the platen member has a hole row composed of a plurality of holes arranged in parallel along the direction perpendicular to the recording medium conveyance direction in the circumferential direction of the platen member. Since it is arranged in a plurality of rows, the peripheral wall of the platen member has a portion where no hole is provided along the direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium, and a portion where this hole is not provided. Thus, the conveyed recording medium can be supported. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the recording medium from excessively bending downward due to the holes.

According to the third aspect of the invention, during the preliminary ejection, the ink ejected from each ink ejection port is
While the droplets can be dripped into the platen member through the hole group, the conveyed recording medium can be reliably supported by the portion of the platen member where the hole group is not provided when the recording medium is conveyed. .

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the ink ejected from each ink ejection port of the line head and dropped into the platen member through the group of holes provided in the platen member is received by the ink receiving means. You can

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, when the hole group of the platen member is arranged immediately above the ink receiving means, the ink is ejected from the ink ejection port facing the hole group. The ink ejected from the ink ejection port and dropped into the platen member through the hole group can be reliably received by the ink receiving means.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, the waste ink container receives the ink discharged from each ink discharge port of the line head and dropped into the platen member through the group of holes provided in the platen member. Can be stored.

According to the invention described in claim 7, the ink discharged from each ink discharge port of the line head and dropped through the group of holes provided in the platen member and stored in the waste ink container is collected. Can lead to means.

According to the eighth aspect of the invention, the ink that has been ejected from each ink ejection port of the line head and that has dropped into the platen member through the group of holes provided in the platen member is received by the ink absorbing material. Can be absorbed.

According to the ninth aspect of the invention, since the platen member can be rotated together with the conveying roller when the recording medium is conveyed by the conveying roller, the friction generated between the platen member and the recording medium is caused. It is possible to reduce the number of times, and it is possible to facilitate the transport operation of the recording medium.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing a main part of an inkjet printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of a platen member included in the inkjet printer shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining an electrical configuration of the inkjet printer shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a control operation of the inkjet printer shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing a platen member of an inkjet printer according to a second embodiment of the present invention and a line head arranged to face the platen member.

6A and 6B are views for explaining the control operation of the inkjet printer shown in FIG. 5, in which FIG.
(B) is an explanatory view showing a rotation posture of the platen member at the time of preliminary discharge.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining a control operation of the inkjet printer shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 inkjet printer 2a, 2b Transport rollers 2c spur 3a-3d line head 4a to 4d ink ejection port 5a-5d ink drops 10a, 10A Platen member 10b to 10d Platen member 11a, 11A holes 12a hole row 13a overlapping area 14a Portion not provided with holes 15a hollow part 20a to 20d waste ink container 30a to 30d Waste ink tube 40 waste ink tank 50 CPU 60 input device 70 ink absorber S1 Recording paper conveyance process S2 Preliminary ejection necessity determination process S3 preliminary discharge process S4 Platen rotation process S11 Recording paper conveyance process S12 Recording paper detection process S13 Platen rotation process S14 Preliminary ejection necessity determination step S15 Preliminary ejection process

Continued front page    (72) Inventor Satoshi Sekine             2970 Ishikawa-cho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo Konica stock             Inside the company F term (reference) 2C056 EA16 EC12 FA13 HA29 HA33                       JC10 JC15 JC23                 2C058 AB18 AC07 AF31 DA01 DA10                       DA34

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An image recording apparatus comprising: a line head having a plurality of ink ejection openings arranged in parallel along a direction perpendicular to a recording medium conveyance direction and arranged above the conveyed recording medium. A hollow cylindrical body extending in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium, the platen member being disposed at a position facing the line head and supporting the recording medium from below, An image recording apparatus, wherein the platen member has a group of holes provided so as to face each of the ink ejection ports. 2. The platen member is rotatable about a rotary shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium, and the hole group is aligned with the transport direction of the recording medium. 2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of hole rows, each of which is formed of a plurality of holes arranged in parallel at right angles, are arranged in the circumferential direction of the platen member. 3. The platen member is rotatable about a rotation shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium, and the group of holes is configured to eject the ink at the time of preliminary ejection. On the other hand, the rotational position thereof is controlled so that a portion where the hole group is not provided faces the ink ejection port when the recording medium is conveyed. The image recording apparatus described. 4. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the platen member is provided with an ink receiving means inside thereof. 5. When the hole group of the platen member is arranged directly above the ink receiving means, the ink is controlled to be ejected from the ink ejection port facing the hole group. The image recording apparatus according to claim 4. 6. The image recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the ink receiving means is a waste ink container having an opening on the ink ejection port side. 7. The image recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the waste ink container is in communication with an ink collecting means. 8. The ink receiving means is an ink absorbing material.
The image recording apparatus described. 9. The image according to claim 1, further comprising a conveyance roller for nipping and conveying the recording medium, wherein the platen member is rotatable with the conveyance roller. Recording device.