JP2006069739A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a recording device capable of effectively collecting and removing foreign objects flying inside the device. <P>SOLUTION: In the recording device, a recording paper sheet RM supplied by a paper feeding part 34 is conveyed to a printing part 50 by a paper sheet conveying part 41 and printing is carried out by a recording head 51. The device is provided with an adhering member 92 away from at least the recording paper sheet RM and a movable member of the paper sheet conveying part 41 for collecting the foreign objects flying around. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording apparatus having means for collecting and removing foreign matters scattered inside the apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a recording apparatus having a printing unit, a sheet feeding unit, a sheet conveying unit, and a sheet discharging unit is known. In addition, printing means used in such a recording apparatus are often high-resolution regardless of the printing method in order to obtain a high-definition image.

  For this reason, the printing means is always provided with foreign matter adhesion preventing means for preventing foreign matter such as dust and paper dust from adhering. The foreign matter adhesion preventing means is for preventing dust and dust flying in the air and paper dust generated especially when feeding recording paper from entering the apparatus and adhering to the printing means.

  When foreign matter such as dust or paper dust adheres to the printing means, printing is interrupted and causes image loss or the like regardless of the printing method. For example, in an optical writing type such as an optical writing type such as a laser printer or an LED printer, image loss occurs due to light being blocked by adhesion of a foreign substance. Further, in the system using a corona charger for charging the photosensitive drum, non-uniform charging occurs due to the adhesion of foreign matters, resulting in image unevenness and image defects. Further, in the case of an ink jet printer, there is a problem that foreign matters adhere to nozzles and nozzle plates. In general, a nozzle has a small hole diameter of several tens of μm. Therefore, if a large foreign matter such as paper dust adheres to the nozzle hole, the droplet cannot be discharged or the discharge direction is deviated. And cause image loss. Moreover, even if it does not adhere to the nozzle hole itself or just adheres to the nozzle plate in the vicinity thereof, it may cause ejection failure.

  For this reason as well, it is considered very important to prevent foreign matter from adhering to the printing unit by preventing foreign matter from entering the recording apparatus.

  Therefore, conventionally, as means for preventing the adhesion of foreign matter, methods such as generating an air flow in the recording apparatus and capturing the foreign matter with a filter have been proposed.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, two substances having different positions are selected from a charging row in which two substances of different types are rubbed against each other and easily charged positively, and substances that are easily charged negatively are arranged in the lower order. In addition, there is disclosed a dust collector that sucks and collects dust in the air by rubbing these two substances against each other to generate static electricity.

  Patent Document 2 provides an exhaust device that allows air to flow from the recording head casing to the transport mechanism casing in the transport path of the recording medium from the transport mechanism casing to the recording head casing. An ink jet recording apparatus is disclosed in which there is provided charge applying means for applying a charge of a predetermined charging polarity to a recording medium or fine powder or dust of a recording medium component adhering to the surface of the recording medium in the vicinity of the carry-in port. Yes.

  Further, in Patent Document 3, the ink is ejected when a brushing drive signal is supplied to a moving path of a liquid ejecting head that is loaded on a carriage that scans in the width direction of the target and ejects liquid from a nozzle opening to adhere to the target. A liquid recovery unit for receiving liquid is disposed, and a unit box having an opening for receiving liquid ejected based on the brushing operation of the liquid ejection head, and a suction unit for sucking air in the unit box In addition, a liquid ejecting apparatus including a rotor unit that captures a liquid generated by a brushing operation and sucked together with air in a unit box by a centrifugal separation action is disclosed.

Further, in Patent Document 4, a flow of air blown to the cover glass by air blown from the air duct and an air flow forming an air curtain in front of the air flow are formed, and the surface of the cover glass is formed by these air flows. There is disclosed a dust adhesion preventing apparatus for preventing dust from adhering to the surface and removing the adhered dust.
JP 2003-144970 A JP 2003-220695 A JP 2003-159824 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-80343

  However, these Patent Documents 1 to 4 have the following problems.

  Patent Document 1 describes that foreign matters are adsorbed by charges generated by frictional charging. That is, by rubbing two kinds of different materials, a substance that is easily charged positively such as dust is adsorbed to a substance that is easily charged negatively such as Teflon (registered trademark). In Patent Document 1, such foreign matter collecting means for collecting such foreign matters is provided independently, and a frictional charging member is disposed in the collecting means. However, normally, the image recording apparatus has components densely mounted at a high density, and if the foreign matter collecting means is separately provided separately, it leads to an increase in the size of the entire apparatus and can therefore be used. The type of device is limited.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 provides a charge imparting unit that imparts a charge having a predetermined charging polarity to fine powder or dust of a recording medium component, and adsorbs foreign matter by the charge. In Patent Document 2, a corona charger is used as the charge applying means, and charges are applied by the corona charger. However, corona charging is less affected by the installation environment, like friction charging, and the effect is stable. However, it is necessary to prepare a separate power supply for corona charging, which requires a larger installation volume and increases the size. Will lead to. Moreover, since a corona power supply outputs a high voltage, the installation place and method are limited due to insulation and safety. Furthermore, in the case of negative charging, ozone is generated, so that special necessity such as installation of an ozone filter also arises.

  Further, Patent Document 3 discloses a suction unit that performs a brushing operation or the like to ensure ejection stability from the nozzles of the liquid ejecting head, and sucks ambient air to collect mist generated by the brushing operation. And a centrifuge having a rotor for collecting the collected mist. However, although the centrifugal separation means has a high mist collecting effect, the centrifugal separation means becomes a noise generation source because it rotates at a high speed, and the centrifugal recording means itself increases the size of the recording apparatus.

  Furthermore, Patent Document 4 is provided with an air curtain and further provided with an air shower for preventing adhesion. Any device that uses air may use a fan in the apparatus, and the air curtain has no particular member to be arranged, so that the influence on the size of the apparatus is small. However, dust and paper dust are usually charged, and simply spraying air is further charged and difficult to remove completely, and the effect is not sufficient. Moreover, dust and paper dust may float again only by blowing off with air, and may adhere to other places in the apparatus and be recontaminated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a recording apparatus that can effectively collect and remove foreign matters scattered inside the apparatus.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sheet feeding unit for supplying a recording sheet, a sheet conveying unit for conveying the recording sheet supplied from the sheet feeding unit, and the recording sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying unit. A printing means for performing printing, and a foreign matter collecting means having an adhesive that collects foreign matters scattered around at least the recording paper and the movable member of the paper conveying means. It is a feature.

  According to a second aspect of the invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the foreign matter collecting means is further arranged so as to separate a partial space on the upstream side of the printing means.

  According to a third aspect of the invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the foreign matter collecting means is further arranged so as to separate a space of the paper feeding means upstream of the printing means. .

  The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an intake fan having an intake filter for taking in air from outside and an exhaust fan for discharging internal air, and at least the printing. It is characterized by generating an air flow that is not directed to the means.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an air curtain arranged so as to separate the space of the sheet feeding unit upstream of the printing unit, The foreign matter collecting means is arranged in the vicinity of the air curtain and / or downstream of the air curtain in the air blowing direction.

  The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the foreign matter collecting means has an adhesive or an adhesive sheet as an adhesive.

  A seventh aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the sixth aspect of the invention, the foreign matter collecting means is formed to have a wide area facing the recording sheet.

  The invention described in claim 8 is characterized in that, in the invention described in claim 6, a plurality of the foreign matter collecting means are arranged in parallel.

  A ninth aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the sixth aspect of the invention, the foreign matter collecting means has irregularities formed on a surface thereof.

  A tenth aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the sixth aspect of the invention, the foreign matter collecting means forms a curved portion in which the end opposite to the air blowing direction of the air curtain is curved. Yes.

  The invention according to claim 11 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the foreign matter collecting means has a liquid as an adhesive.

  A twelfth aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the invention of the eleventh aspect, the foreign matter collecting means causes the liquid to flow on the surface of the substrate.

  The invention according to claim 13 is the invention according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the liquid is ink.

  The invention according to claim 14 is the invention according to claim 13, wherein the ink is waste ink.

  The invention described in claim 15 is characterized in that, in the invention described in claim 11 or 12, the liquid is water.

  A sixteenth aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the invention of the fifteenth aspect, the water is condensed water generated by cooling of the cooling means.

  A seventeenth aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the fifteenth or sixteenth aspect of the invention, the foreign matter collecting means is coated with a surfactant on the surface of the substrate.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a recording apparatus that can effectively collect and remove foreign matters scattered inside the apparatus.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a color ink jet recording apparatus as a recording apparatus applied to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a recording apparatus main body. The recording apparatus main body 1 includes a printer main body 10 mainly including a printing unit 50 as a printing unit and a paper feeding unit 34 as a paper feeding unit, and the printer. The printer 10 is configured by the printer base 20 on which the main body 10 is placed and the platen 40 is accommodated.

  The printer main body 10 is provided with line type ink jet recording heads 51 corresponding to the number of colors as the printing unit 50. Here, there are four colors of black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y), and four recording heads 51 are mounted. The paper feed unit 34 includes a paper feed table 31, a paper feed roller 30, and registration rollers 32 and 33. The paper feed table 31 is for loading recording paper RM and is provided on the side of the printer main body 10. A paper feed roller 30 is disposed on the paper feed tray 31 in proximity to the recording paper RM. The paper feed roller 30 separates the recording paper RM from the paper feed tray 31 one by one and feeds it into the apparatus. Registration rollers 32 and 33 are arranged in the supply path of the recording paper RM conveyed through the paper feed roller 30. The registration rollers 32 and 33 adjust the printing timing of the recording paper RM, and convey the adjusted recording paper RM to the platen 40 via a paper feed roller 43 that is in contact with a conveyance roller 41a described later.

  On the other hand, a belt-type platen 40 is accommodated in the printer base 20. The platen 40 can handle a wide range of paper types such as paper size, thickness, and shape.

  The platen 40 includes a paper transport unit 41 and a paper suction unit 42 as paper transport means. The paper transport unit 41 includes a plurality (three in the illustrated example) of transport rollers 41a and a transport belt 41b suspended from the transport rollers 41a. The transport roller 41a is rotationally driven by a driving unit (not shown). Thus, the conveying belt 41b is moved at a position facing the printing unit 50. In this case, the conveyance belt 41b has a wide plane corresponding to the printing range of each recording head 51 of the printing unit 50, and is a line-type inkjet printing unit that requires a very large work area of color printing. 50 operations can be covered. Further, the transport belt 41b is guided and moved along a belt guide 42a disposed to face the printing unit 50. The belt guide 42 a is for stabilizing the moving direction of the transport belt 41 b at a position corresponding to the printing unit 50.

  The sheet adsorbing portion 42 includes a plurality of through holes 42b and adsorption fans 42c formed in the belt guide 42a. The suction fan 42c is disposed below the belt guide 42a, and the suction fan 42c sucks air from the many through holes 42b of the belt guide 42a, so that the recording paper RM is kept flat on the transport belt 41b. It is adsorbed as it is.

  A stacker 70 is disposed on the side of the printer main body 10. The stacker 70 is configured such that image recording is performed by the printing unit 50 while being adsorbed onto the conveyance belt 41b, and then the recording paper RM discharged to the outside of the printer main body 10 is accumulated.

  By the way, the color ink jet recording apparatus configured as described above is provided with various fans for forming an air flow inside the recording apparatus main body 1. These air flows are for the purpose of removing heat generated from an electric circuit inside the printer, protecting the recording head 51 from foreign matters such as paper dust generated in the recording apparatus main body 1 and dust entering from the outside of the printer, and image defects This is used for the purpose of preventing the occurrence of the occurrence of misalignment, and for the purpose of keeping the gap between the recording head 51 and the recording sheet RM properly by attracting the recording sheet RM to the transport belt 41b.

  First, the purpose of removing the heat generated inside the recording apparatus main body 1 is solved by taking in cold air from the outside of the recording apparatus main body 1 and discharging it again outside the printer together with the heat inside the recording apparatus main body 1. In this case, an intake fan 62 is provided on the upper surface of the printer body 10. The intake fan 62 is provided with an intake filter 62a so that air from which dust and the like are removed is taken into the apparatus main body 1. Further, exhaust fans 64 and 63a are disposed on the printer main body 10 and the printer mount 20, respectively. These exhaust fans 64 and 63a are taken into the inside of the recording apparatus main body 1 from the intake fan 62, and are used to exhaust the internally circulated air together with heat.

  For the purpose of adsorbing the recording paper RM to the conveying belt 41b and maintaining the gap between the recording head 51 and the recording paper RM properly, as described above, the through holes 42b formed in the belt guide 42a and the adsorption fan A sheet adsorbing portion 42 composed of 42c is provided, and air is sucked out from the many through holes 42b of the belt guide 42a by the adsorbing fan 42c, so that the recording sheet RM is adsorbed on the conveying belt 41b while maintaining the flatness. I have to.

  In order to protect the recording head 51 from foreign matters such as paper dust generated in the recording apparatus main body 1 and dust entering from the outside of the printer, the following method is employed.

  In this case, in the color ink jet recording apparatus applied to the present embodiment, the line type ink jet recording head 51 having a very large number of nozzles having tens of thousands of minute openings of several tens of μm is used. It has been. If even one of these nozzles is clogged due to the entry of some foreign matter, an image defect will occur. For this reason, it is necessary to take measures against paper dust generated by the recording paper RM generated inside the recording apparatus main body 1. The recording paper RM tends to generate dust du mainly consisting of paper dust due to friction with the paper feed roller 30 particularly during paper feeding, and the generated paper dust enters the apparatus together with the recording paper RM. In addition, foreign substances such as dust may also enter along with the air flow accompanying the recording paper RM or the movement of the recording paper RM. Many of these foreign matters such as paper dust and dust are minute and lightweight, and therefore, they are scattered in various places. Particularly, when they adhere to the nozzle plate of the recording head 51, ink droplet ejection failure is caused. Further, if the ink enters the recording head 51 from the nozzle hole, it becomes a discharge failure that cannot be recovered as a fixed nozzle missing, and not only the image defect occurs, but also an expensive head is replaced to repair the recording. The device itself has a long downtime, which causes great inconvenience to the user.

  For this reason, in order to effectively capture foreign matters such as paper dust from the paper supply unit 34 and dust entering from the outside, and to prevent image loss due to nozzle omission caused by such foreign matters adhering to the recording head 51. These measures are extremely important.

  First, the exhaust fan 64 provided in the printer main body 10 described above is used to remove the dust du mainly composed of paper dust generated by the friction between the paper feed roller 30 and the recording paper RM. In this case, when dust du made of paper dust is generated due to friction between the paper feed roller 30 and the recording paper RM, the dust du is discharged to the outside together with the discharge of the internal air by the exhaust fan 64 immediately thereafter.

  Further, in order to remove the dust du floating inside the recording apparatus main body 1, the above-described intake fan 62 provided on the upper surface of the printer main body 10 and the exhaust fan 63a provided on the printer mount 20 are used. In this case, an air flow discharged from the exhaust fan 63a from the intake fan 62 via the printing unit 50 and the platen 40 is generated, and the internal air is discharged by the exhaust fan 63a without circulating the dust du. It is made to discharge outside. Further, the exhaust fan 63a also discharges exhaust from the suction fan 42c of the paper suction unit 42.

  Thus, the air flow generated inside the recording apparatus main body 1 prevents the dust du generated from the recording paper RM and the like being conveyed from being directed toward the printing unit 50 and is quickly discharged to the outside.

  In addition, a partition 61 is provided inside the printer base 20 to prevent the entry of dust du from the paper supply unit 34 into the platen 40 and to make the above-described air flow effective.

  By actively generating airflow using the intake fan 62 and the exhaust fans 63a and 64 in this way, dust can be effectively prevented from adhering to the recording head 51 and stable without causing image defects over a long period of time. Can be printed.

  On the other hand, in order to realize highly reliable image printing, the paper curtain 34 is positively separated by the air curtain, and the paper dust is further utilized by using the air flow generated from the air curtain. The dust is effectively captured.

  In this case, an intake fan 90 is disposed on the upper portion of the printer body 10. The intake fan 90 is provided with an intake filter 90a for preventing entry of foreign matter from the outside. A blower duct 91 is disposed on the front surface of the intake fan 90. The air duct 91 is for guiding the air blown from the intake fan 90 to a predetermined place. Further, the air outlet 91a of the air duct 91 is positioned between the paper feeding unit 34 and the printing unit 50, and the air curtain AC blown from the air blowing port 91a evacuates the space of the paper feeding unit 34 upstream of the printing unit 50. It comes to separate. Further, an adhesive member 92 as a foreign matter collecting means is disposed in the vicinity of the air outlet 91a of the air duct 91. The two adhesive members 92 are provided at the front and rear positions across the air outlet 91a of the air duct 91.

  The adhesive member 92 is also arranged so as to separate the space of the paper feed unit 34 upstream of the printing unit 50, and dust du such as paper dust blown off by the air curtain AC blown from the blowout port 91a of the blower duct 91. To adsorb.

  A paper guide member 93 is disposed in the vicinity of the adhesive member 92. The paper guide member 93 is for preventing the recording paper RM being conveyed from sticking to the adhesive member 92 and causing paper jams.

  The adhesive member 92 may be disposed downstream of the air curtain AC in the air blowing direction.

  FIG. 2 is a view for explaining the positional relationship between the intake fan 90, the air duct 91, the adhesive member 92, and the paper transport unit 41. Here, a view seen from the transport direction side of the recording paper RM is shown. ing. In this case, the intake fan 90, the intake filter 90a, the air duct 91, and the adhesive member 92 have a width dimension that covers the width dimension of the recording sheet RM, and the air curtain AC and the sheet feeding section 34 are separated from each other. The space between the printing units 50 is partitioned so that the printing unit 50 is shielded from dust du such as paper dust entering from the paper feeding unit 34 side.

  The partition of the space between the paper feed unit 34 and the printing unit 50 can be expected to have a certain effect even with a generally known partition plate. However, when such a partition plate is used, the partition plate and the recording paper RM Since a gap for passing the recording paper RM is required, it is difficult to completely block the recording paper RM. On the other hand, the air curtain AC using the intake fan 90 can substantially cut off the gap between the paper feeding unit 34 and the printing unit 50 from the viewpoint of preventing foreign matter from entering by the air flow. The effect of preventing foreign matter adhesion to 51 can be expected.

  In addition, in order to sufficiently function such a blocking effect by the air curtain AC, it is necessary to select a means for exhibiting a sufficient effect as a means for collecting foreign matter. For this reason, the adhesive member 92 is disposed at the outlet 91a of the blower duct 91 so as to supplement the foreign matter blown off by the air so as not to be scattered toward the recording head 51 side. Further, the adhesive member 92 is disposed in the vicinity of the outlet 91a so that the foreign matter can be effectively collected before it is scattered far away. Here, the adhesive member 92 includes a structure in which a pressure-sensitive adhesive is directly applied to a structural material such as plastic or metal, and a structure in which a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet in which a pressure-sensitive adhesive is applied to a base such as paper is attached to the structure material. In any case, it may be easy to replace in consideration of exchangeability. The pressure-sensitive adhesive is generally used and may be any of thermosetting rubber type, acrylic type, thermosetting silicone type and non-thermosetting type rubber type.

  Further, the distance g between the adhesive member 92 and the recording paper RM shown in FIG. 2 is important. If the distance g is too small in order to pursue the effect of collecting foreign matter by the adhesive member 92, the recording paper is reduced. The sheet may stick to the adhesive member 92 due to fluctuations in the height of the paper surface, such as warpage due to RM moisture absorption or flapping during conveyance, which may cause paper jams. In order to prevent this, a paper guide member 93 made of a grated thread or a net-like plate having a large number of openings is disposed between the adhesive member 92 and the recording paper RM so that the recording paper RM directly contacts the adhesive member 92. I'm trying not to get it.

  FIG. 3 illustrates the relationship between the air flow around the adhesive member 92 caused by the air curtain AC generated by the intake fan 90 and the air flow inside the printer main body 10.

  In this case, the air flow AF1 (indicated by the thin line arrow) of the air duct AC of the air duct 91 exits the air outlet 91a of the air duct 91 and then hits the adhesive member 92 to attach foreign matters such as dust to the adhesive member 92. Let Further, the airflow AF2 (thick arrow in the figure) on the recording head 51 side of the air duct 91 inside the printer main body 10 assists the effect of preventing foreign matter from entering the recording head 51. The air flow AF2 is a downward flow from the top, travels along the side surface of the adhesive member 92 on the recording head 51 side, creates a downward flow, and prevents foreign matter from scattering toward the recording head 51 side. On the other hand, the airflow AF3 (thick arrow in the figure) on the paper feed unit 34 side of the air duct 91 flows from the bottom to the top, and the paper dust generated upstream from the paper feed roller 43 is recorded on the recording head. It does not go to the 51 side. In this way, foreign matter adhesion to the recording head 51 is effectively prevented by the synergistic action of the airflow AF1 by the air curtain AC and the airflows AF2 and AF3 inside the printer main body 10.

  Therefore, in this way, an air curtain AC is generated between the paper feed unit 34 and the printing unit 50 by the air blown from the blowout port 91a of the blower duct 91, and further, the air curtain from the blowout port 91a. Since the adhesive member 92 that collects the foreign matter scattered by the airflow is disposed in the vicinity of the AC, foreign matters such as paper dust generated from the paper supply unit 34 and dust entering from the outside are placed on the printing unit 50 side. Intrusion can be reliably blocked by the air curtain AC, and foreign substances scattered inside the apparatus can be effectively collected and removed by the adhesive member 92. Thereby, it is possible to reliably prevent foreign matter from adhering to the recording head 51 of the printing unit 50 and causing printing defects.

  In addition, the adhesive member 92 that collects the foreign matter is disposed with a slight gap without contacting the movable members such as the recording paper RM, the transport roller 41a of the paper transport unit 41, and the transport belt 41b. There is no possibility that the recording paper RM is deformed or contaminated by the 92, and a stable operation can be obtained without causing the adhesive member 92 to become a load when the paper transport unit 41 is moved.

(Modification 1 of the first embodiment)
FIG. 4 shows a schematic configuration of a main part of the first modification of the first embodiment. The same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those in FIG.

  In this case, the adhesive member 92 is formed with a sufficiently large thickness dimension D compared to the adhesive member 92 of the first embodiment.

  In this way, the adhesive member 92 can be formed with a large area of the portion facing the recording sheet RM shown in FIG. 2 due to the large thickness dimension D. It becomes easy to collect, and the effect of preventing foreign matter from adhering to the recording head 51 can be further enhanced.

(Modification 2 of the first embodiment)
FIG. 5 shows a schematic configuration of a main part of the second modification of the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those in FIG.

  In this case, a plurality (three in the illustrated example) of adhesive members 92 are disposed before and after the air duct 91.

  Even in this case, since the total width dimension can be sufficiently increased by the plurality of adhesive members 92, the effect of collecting dust and the like can be enhanced as in the first modification. Further, since the air flow AF2 on the recording head 51 side and the air flow AF3 on the paper feed unit 34 side in the printer main body 10 can be caused to flow between the respective adhesive members 92, it is as if there are a plurality of air curtains. An effect is acquired and the shielding effect of foreign materials, such as dust, can be heightened. Thereby, the foreign matter adhesion preventing effect on the recording head 51 can be further enhanced.

(Modification 3 of the first embodiment)
FIG. 6 shows a schematic configuration of a main part of the third modification of the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those in FIG.

  Also in this case, a plurality of (two in the illustrated example) adhesive members 92 are disposed before and after the air duct 91, and the adhesive member 92 closest to the air duct 91 is the outlet of the air duct 91. 91a is integrally provided.

  Even if it does in this way, the effect similar to the modification 2 can be acquired. Furthermore, since the adhesive member 92 is provided at the outlet 91a of the air duct 91, foreign matters such as dust can be immediately collected immediately after the air curtain AC is blown out, and the effect of preventing foreign matter from adhering to the recording head 51 is enhanced. be able to.

(Modification 4 of the first embodiment)
FIG. 7 shows a schematic configuration of the main part of Modification 4 of the first embodiment, and the same parts as those in FIG.

  In this case, the adhesive member 92 has a concavo-convex portion 92 a formed on the side surface on the air duct 91 side. The uneven portion 92a is inclined with respect to the airflow AF2 on the recording head 51 side and the airflow AF3 on the paper feed unit 34 along the direction in which the respective flows become smooth.

  In this way, by providing the uneven portion 92a on the side surface of the adhesive member 92, the surface area of the adhesive member 92 can be increased, so that floating foreign matters such as dust on the airflows AF1 to AF3 are effectively collected. be able to. Further, these uneven portions 92a are provided with an inclination angle along the flow of the airflows AF2 and AF3, and are shaped so as not to obstruct the flow of the respective airflows AF2 and AF3. The air volume of the air does not decrease, and the floating foreign matter can be effectively collected.

(Modification 5 of the first embodiment)
FIG. 8 shows a schematic configuration of the main part of Modification 5 of the first embodiment, and the same parts as those in FIG.

  In this case, the adhesive member 92 bends the end portion of the air duct 91 opposite to the air outlet 91a, and forms a curved portion 92b where the distance from the air duct 91 gradually increases upward.

  In this way, since the curved portion 92b is formed above the adhesive member 92, the air flow AF2 on the recording head 51 side flowing from the upper portion of the adhesive member 92 flows from a wide space toward a narrow space. The air volume can be increased and the effect of collecting floating foreign matters can be enhanced. Further, the air flow AF1 by the air curtain AC flowing in the upper direction of the adhesive member 92 flows from a narrow space toward a wide space, so that the air volume rapidly decreases and foreign objects can be easily captured.

  According to the modified examples 1 to 5 described above, the airflow AF1 from the air curtain AC and the airflows AF2 and AF3 in the printer main body 10 are coordinated, and the number and arrangement of the adhesive members 92 and the shape are further devised. Thus, the foreign matter can be effectively collected, and the effect of preventing the foreign matter from adhering to the recording head 51 can be enhanced.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 9 shows a schematic configuration of a color ink jet recording apparatus as a recording apparatus applied to the second embodiment of the present invention, and the same parts as those in FIG.

  The second embodiment is characterized in that the ink of the color ink jet recording apparatus is used instead of the adhesive member.

  In this case, a waste liquid tank 95 is disposed in the printer base 20. The waste liquid tank 95 is a waste ink bottle that stores waste ink generated during head maintenance such as purging performed to recover the discharge performance and ink overflowed from the tank. In the waste liquid tank 95, usually, waste ink is stored until the tank is full. When the tank is full, the whole tank is discarded.

  In the second embodiment, the waste ink in the waste liquid tank 95 is used as a foreign matter adsorbate. A waste liquid transport pump 97 is disposed in the upper part of the printer main body 10. The waste liquid transport pump 97 is for sucking up the waste ink in the waste liquid tank 95.

  An ink reservoir 96 is connected to the waste liquid transport pump 97 via a transport pipe 97a. The ink reservoir 96 is arranged on the upper part of the printer main body 10 so that the waste ink in the waste liquid tank 95 sucked up by the waste liquid transport pump 97 is supplied through the transport pipe 97a.

  An intake fan 90 is disposed alongside the ink reservoir 96. The air duct 91 connected to the intake fan 90 is disposed in a space between the paper feeding unit 34 and the printing unit 50. Two foreign matter collecting members 94 are arranged as foreign matter collecting means at front and rear positions sandwiching the air duct 91. These foreign matter collecting members 94 extend to the vicinity of the paper guide member 93 through the air outlet 91a of the air duct 91, and drop the waste ink as adsorbed matter stored in the ink reservoir 96 little by little along the peripheral surface of the substrate. It has come to be. The waste ink dropped along the peripheral surface of the foreign material collecting member 94 is liquid and viscous, and adsorbs fine foreign materials such as paper dust and dust and takes them into the interior.

  An ink receiving member 99 is disposed below the foreign material collecting member 94. The ink receiving member 99 is for receiving waste ink containing foreign matter that flows down from the peripheral surface of the foreign matter collecting member 94.

  A waste ink reservoir 98 is disposed below the ink receiving member 99 via a pipe 990. The waste ink reservoir 98 is for collecting waste ink containing foreign matters once received by the ink receiving member 99.

  Advantages of using such waste ink as a foreign matter collecting means include that the ink is a viscous liquid and that it is easy to take in foreign matter, and in particular, when oil-based ink is used, the viscosity is high and it is easy to adsorb. Moreover, since it is easy to be charged with high resistance, the foreign matter is usually charged, so the adsorption effect is further enhanced. Furthermore, the oil-based ink has a small surface tension and high wettability compared to water and the like, and can be spread thinly and uniformly on the foreign matter collecting member 94. Further, since waste ink is used, it is also a great feature that it is not necessary to prepare a special liquid separately. Oil-based inks have a high saturated vapor pressure and are difficult to volatilize, so there is little diffusion of odors and vapors, and measures against these diffusions are unnecessary. However, if sufficient countermeasures are required depending on the application of the printer, diffusion of these odors and vapors can be prevented by adding an activated carbon filter or a commercially available solvent absorption filter. Also, inks other than oil-based inks can be used. Water-based inks generally have a low viscosity, high surface tension, and high volatility compared to oil-based inks. There is no problem. However, since it is highly volatile, care must be taken because it dries and adheres to the collecting member if it does not flow more than oil-based ink. UV ink is suitable because it has the same physical properties as oil and does not dry. However, depending on the composition, it has a strong solvent odor, and such an ink requires the addition of an activated carbon filter or the like to the apparatus. Solvent-based inks called solvent inks are generally not suitable for use because they are highly dry, have a strong odor, and the solvent is toxic, but what is called mild solvent, which has been increasing in recent years, depends on the type of solvent. However, since it is neither odor nor toxic, it can be used by increasing the ink flow rate to be dropped like the water-based ink.

  FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a method of collecting waste ink containing foreign matter that flows down the peripheral surface of the foreign matter collecting member 94.

  Waste ink IC, which is dripped little by little along the peripheral surface of the foreign material collecting member 94 from the ink ink reservoir 96, is blown off by the air curtain of the blower duct 91, and collects the foreign material that is wandering around. In this case, since the foreign matter collecting member 94 is positioned above the recording paper RM of the paper transporting section 41, the waste ink that has caught the foreign matter drips on the recording paper RM as it is, and the recording paper RM is soiled. End up. Therefore, as shown in the drawing, the lower end portion of the foreign material collecting member 94 is cut obliquely, and the waste ink IC dropped along the outer peripheral surface is collected at a position outside one end portion in the width direction of the recording paper RM. This is received by the ink receiving member 99 to prevent the ink from dripping onto the recording paper RM. The waste ink containing the foreign matter once received by the ink receiving member 99 is stored in the waste ink reservoir 98. The waste ink reservoir 98 is stored until the waste ink containing the foreign matter is full, and when it is full, the entire tank is discarded.

  Regarding dropping the waste ink IC along the outer peripheral surface of the foreign material collecting member 94, there is a concern about the danger of contamination in the printer, but the printer does not move frequently. The ink in the ink reservoir 96 may be returned to the waste liquid tank 95, and the amount of waste ink dropped on the outer peripheral surface of the foreign matter collecting member 94 is small and only a very thin ink layer is formed. The possibility of scattering is very small.

  In this embodiment, waste ink is used for collecting foreign matter, but it is of course possible to use liquids other than dedicated ink, new ink, and oil-based / water-based ink.

  Therefore, in this way, the waste ink stored in the ink reservoir 96 is dripped little by little along the peripheral surface of the foreign matter collecting member 94 disposed between the paper feed unit 34 and the printing unit 50. Therefore, also in this case, the foreign matter scattered inside the apparatus can be effectively collected and removed by the waste ink dropped along the foreign matter collecting member 94. Thereby, it is possible to reliably prevent foreign matter from adhering to the recording head 51 of the printing unit 50 and causing printing defects.

  In addition, if waste ink is used as the ink, it is not necessary to prepare a separate liquid for collecting foreign matter, so that the maintenance cost can be reduced and a space for storing a separate liquid for collecting foreign matter. This contributes to space saving.

(Modification 1 of the second embodiment)
FIG. 11 shows a schematic configuration of the main part of Modification 1 of the second embodiment, and the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those in FIG.

  FIG. 11 shows another example of a method for collecting waste ink containing foreign matter that flows down the peripheral surface of the base material of the foreign matter collecting member 94.

  In this case, since the two foreign matter collecting members 94 are provided on the front and rear sides of the air duct 91, the one foreign matter collecting member 94 is disposed at one end in the width direction of the recording paper RM by obliquely cutting the lower end portion. The waste ink IC is collected at a position outside the portion, and is temporarily received by the ink receiving member 99a and stored in the waste ink reservoir 98a. The other foreign matter collecting member 94 is opposite to the oblique cutting direction of the lower end portion. Thus, the waste ink IC is collected at a position outside the other end in the width direction of the recording paper RM, received by the ink receiving member 99b, and stored in the waste ink reservoir 98b.

  In this case, compared with the second embodiment, the range in which the gap between the foreign matter collecting member 94 and the recording paper RM becomes wider can be reduced, and accordingly, the foreign matter collecting effect can be enhanced accordingly. The effect of preventing foreign matter from adhering to the recording head 51 can be further enhanced.

(Modification 2 of the second embodiment)
FIG. 12 shows a schematic configuration of a main part of the second modification of the second embodiment, and the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those in FIG.

  In this case, the foreign matter collecting member 94 disposed on the front and rear sides with the air duct 91 interposed therebetween has a bowl-shaped bent portion 94a formed along the lower side edge. The bowl-shaped bent portions 94a are provided on both surfaces of the foreign material collecting member 94, respectively. These saddle-shaped bent portions 94a are for receiving waste ink containing foreign matter that flows down the outer peripheral surface of the foreign matter collecting member 94. The received waste ink is stored in the waste ink reservoir via the saddle-like bent portion 94a. Recover to 98.

  In this way, the gap between the foreign matter collecting member 94 and the recording paper RM can be made substantially parallel, and there is no portion where the gap becomes wider as compared with the case of the second embodiment, so that the foreign matter collecting effect is enhanced. Therefore, the effect of preventing foreign matter from adhering to the recording head 51 can be further enhanced.

  Although not illustrated or described in the second embodiment including such a modification, the configuration and shape of the foreign matter collecting member 94 are the same as those of the first modification including the various modifications described above. Of course, it is possible to take the form described in the embodiment.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 13 shows a schematic configuration of a color ink jet recording apparatus as a recording apparatus applied to the third embodiment of the present invention. The same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those in FIG.

  In this case, two foreign matter collecting members 100 are arranged as foreign matter collecting means at the front and rear positions with the air duct 91 arranged between the paper feed unit 34 and the printing unit 50 interposed therebetween. This foreign matter collecting member 100 has a cooling means (not shown) built therein. As a cooling means, means such as a Peltier element, a refrigerant (water or coolant) cooled by a refrigerator, a heat pipe, or the like is used. In addition, a cooling control unit 101 that controls cooling by the cooling unit is provided in the vicinity of the foreign matter collecting member 100.

  The foreign matter collecting member 100 is cooled below the dew point by the cooling means, and moisture in the air is condensed on the surface. The foreign matter collecting member 100 causes water condensed on the surface to flow down along the peripheral surface of the substrate, and adsorbs and takes in fine foreign matters such as paper dust and dust in the middle.

  In this case, the cooling temperature set in the cooling means by the cooling control unit 101 needs to be controlled according to the environmental temperature and humidity. That is, the cooling temperature of the cooling means is a temperature at which condensation occurs but does not freeze, and since the moisture content in the air is different due to high and low humidity, it is necessary to control so that an appropriate amount is condensed on the foreign matter collecting member 100. . Moreover, since the condensed water is easy to dry, it is necessary to control such that the amount of water necessary for always collecting the outer peripheral surface of the foreign material collecting member 100 by dripping and collecting can be always obtained. These controls are performed by combining a temperature / humidity sensor (not shown) .For example, at low temperatures and low humidity in winter, the water is partially or fully frozen after being cooled strongly to secure the necessary water. If the heating means such as heating and defrosting is then provided, the effect is easily exhibited.

  Further, the foreign matter collecting member 100 is applied with a surfactant or the like on the surface. This improves the wettability of water having a high surface tension on the surface of the foreign material collecting member 100, and a thin water layer can be developed without being scattered in the form of droplets. Dripping and the like can be prevented, and the foreign matter collecting effect can also be enhanced.

  A water receiving member 102 is disposed below the foreign material collecting member 100. The water receiving member 102 is for receiving water containing foreign matter that flows down from the outer peripheral surface of the foreign matter collecting member 100. A waste water reservoir 103 is disposed below the water receiving member 102 via a pipe 102a. The waste water reservoir 103 is for recovering waste water containing foreign matters once received by the water receiving member 102.

  In this way, water condensed on the surface of the foreign material collecting member 100, that is, water contained in the air is used, so that it is not necessary to prepare a liquid for collecting foreign material separately and replenishment. Economically advantageous. Moreover, since water is harmless, odorless and highly safe, a stable effect can be expected.

  In addition, although such 3rd Embodiment is not illustrated or demonstrated, it is the form which was demonstrated in 1st Embodiment and 2nd Embodiment including the various modifications mentioned above. Of course, it is possible to take

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, In the implementation stage, it can change variously in the range which does not change the summary. For example, in the above-described embodiments, the line head type ink jet recording apparatus has been described. However, adhesion of foreign matters such as a serial scan type ink jet recording apparatus, an optical recording type laser printer, and an LED printer affects the image formation. Needless to say, any of the recording devices that are likely to give high effects.

  Furthermore, the above embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed constituent elements. For example, even if some constituent requirements are deleted from all the constituent requirements shown in the embodiment, the problem described in the column of the problem to be solved by the invention can be solved, and is described in the column of the effect of the invention. If the above effect is obtained, a configuration from which this configuration requirement is deleted can be extracted as an invention.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a color ink jet recording apparatus as a recording apparatus applied to a first embodiment of the present invention. The figure for demonstrating the positional relationship with the sheet | seat conveyance part, and the air intake fan, ventilation duct, and adhesive member which are used for 1st Embodiment. The figure for demonstrating the relationship between the airflow by the air curtain produced | generated by the air intake fan used for 1st Embodiment, and the airflow inside a printer main body. The figure which shows schematic structure of the principal part of the modification 1 of 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows schematic structure of the principal part of the modification 2 of 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows schematic structure of the principal part of the modification 3 of 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows schematic structure of the principal part of the modification 4 of 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows schematic structure of the principal part of the modification 5 of 1st Embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a color ink jet recording apparatus as a recording apparatus applied to a second embodiment of the present invention. The figure for demonstrating the collection | recovery method of the waste ink containing the foreign material which flows down the foreign material collection member surrounding surface used for 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows schematic structure of the principal part of the modification 1 of 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows schematic structure of the principal part of the modification 2 of 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a color inkjet recording apparatus as a recording apparatus applied to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Recording apparatus main body, 10 ... Printer main body 20 ... Printer mount, 30 ... Paper feed roller 31 ... Paper feed stand, 32.33 ... Registration roller 34 ... Paper feed part, 40 ... Platen, 41 ... Paper conveyance part 41a ... Conveyance Roller, 41b ... Conveying belt 42 ... Paper suction part, 42a ... Belt guide 42b ... Through hole, 42c ... Suction fan, 43 ... Paper feed roller 50 ... Printing part, 51 ... Recording head 61 ... Partition, 62, 63a. 64 ... Intake fan 62a ... Intake filter, 70 ... Stacker 90 ... Intake fan, 90a ... Intake filter 91 ... Air duct, 91a ... Outlet 92 ... Adhesive member, 92a ... Uneven portion 92b ... Curved portion, 93 ... Paper guide member 94 ... Foreign matter collecting member, 94a ... bowl-shaped bent portion, 95 ... waste liquid tank 96 ... ink reservoir, 97 ... waste liquid transport pump 97a ... transport pipe, 98, 98a, 98b ... waste ink reservoir 99, 99a, 99b ... ink receiver Member 990 ... Pipe, 100 ... Foreign matter collecting member 101 ... Cooling controller, 102 ... Water receiving member, 102a ... Pipe 103 ... Waste water reservoir

Claims (17)

Paper feeding means for supplying recording paper;
A paper conveying means for conveying the recording paper supplied from the paper feeding means;
Printing means for printing on the recording paper conveyed by the paper conveying means;
A recording apparatus comprising: a foreign matter collecting means having an adhesive that collects foreign matters scattered at least around the recording paper and the movable member of the paper conveying means. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the foreign matter collecting means is further arranged so as to separate a partial space on the upstream side of the printing means. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the foreign matter collecting means is further arranged to separate a space of the paper feeding means upstream of the printing means. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an intake fan having an intake filter for taking in air from outside and an exhaust fan for exhausting internal air, and generating an air flow at least not directed to the printing means. A recording apparatus according to claim 1. Furthermore, an air curtain is arranged so as to separate the space of the paper feeding means upstream of the printing means, and the foreign matter collecting means is in the vicinity of the air curtain or downstream of the air curtain in the air blowing direction. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is disposed. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the foreign matter collecting means includes an adhesive or an adhesive sheet as an adhesive. The recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the foreign matter collecting means is formed with a wide area of a portion facing the recording sheet. The recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of the foreign matter collecting means are arranged side by side. The recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the foreign matter collecting means has irregularities formed on a surface thereof. The recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the foreign matter collecting means forms a curved portion in which an end of the air curtain opposite to an air blowing direction is curved. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the foreign matter collecting means has a liquid as an adhesive. The recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the foreign matter collecting means causes the liquid to flow on a surface of a base material. The recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the liquid is ink. The recording apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the ink is waste ink. The recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the liquid is water. The recording apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the water is condensed water generated by cooling of a cooling unit. The recording apparatus according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the foreign matter collecting means is coated with a surfactant on the surface of the substrate.

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