# US 10,245,836 B2 · Head cleaning mechanism and inkjet recording apparatus including the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,245,836 B2 - Document ID: US10245836B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/908,275 - Filed: 2018-02-28 - Published: 2018-09-20 - Granted: 2019-04-02 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-14 - Assignees: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc. - Applicants: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc. - Inventors: Takuma Araki; Kenichi Satake; Yasutaka Inui - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10245836B2 ## CPC - B41J 2/16538: {with brushes or wiper blades perpendicular to the nozzle plate} - B41J 2/16508: {connected with the printer frame} - B41J 2/16511: {Constructions for cap positioning (B41J2/16547 takes precedence)} - B41J 2/16544: {Constructions for the positioning of wipers} - B41J 2/16552: {using cleaning fluids} - B41J 2/16585: {for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads} - B41J 2/16502: {Printhead constructions to prevent nozzle clogging or facilitate nozzle cleaning} - B41J 2002/16558: {Using cleaning liquid for wet wiping} - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract A head cleaning mechanism includes a recording head and a wiper. The recording head has an ink ejection surface in which ink ejection ports are opened. The wiper wipes the ink ejection surface. The recording head has a cleaning liquid supply ports disposed on an upstream side of the ink ejection port in a wiping direction, and an inclined surface inclined downward toward a downstream side in the wiping direction, a tip of the wiper being in pressure contact with the inclined surface in the wiping operation. The inclined surface has a pressure contact start position at which the wiper starts the pressure contact in the wiping operation, and a water repellent region formed at least from the pressure contact start position to a position on an upstream side of the cleaning liquid supply port in the wiping direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A head cleaning mechanism comprising: a recording head having an ink ejection surface in which a plurality of ink ejection ports are opened to eject ink onto the recording medium; and a wiper for wiping the ink ejection surface in a predetermined direction, wherein the recording head includes a plurality of cleaning liquid supply ports disposed on an upstream side of the ink ejection port in a wiping direction in which the wiper wipes the ink ejection surface, so as to supply cleaning liquid, and an inclined surface connected to a supply port formation surface in which the cleaning liquid supply ports are formed, on the upstream side in the wiping direction, the inclined surface being inclined downward toward a downstream side in the wiping direction, a tip of the wiper being in pressure contact with the inclined surface in the wiping operation, and the inclined surface has a pressure contact start position at which the wiper starts the pressure contact in the wiping operation, and a water repellent region formed at least from the pressure contact start position to a position on an upstream side of the cleaning liquid supply port in the wiping direction to have a contact angle with water of 90° or more. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The head cleaning mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a hydrophilic region having a contact angle with water of less than 90° is disposed to extend in a head width direction perpendicular to the wiping direction in a vicinity of a connecting part between the supply port formation surface and the inclined surface, on the downstream side of the water repellent region in the wiping direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The head cleaning mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the hydrophilic region is formed in the substantially entire region in the head width direction in a vicinity of the connecting part. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The head cleaning mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the hydrophilic region is formed on the supply port formation surface, and the water repellent region is formed at least from the pressure contact start position to the connecting part on the inclined surface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The head cleaning mechanism according to claim 4, wherein a contact angle with water of the hydrophilic region is smaller than a contact angle with water of the supply port formation surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The head cleaning mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the water repellent region is formed in the substantially entire region in a head width direction perpendicular to the wiping direction on the inclined surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The head cleaning mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the recording head is constituted of an ink ejection head portion having the ink ejection surface, and a cleaning liquid supplying head portion having the inclined surface and a cleaning liquid supply surface as the supply port formation surface including a cleaning liquid supply region in which the plurality of cleaning liquid supply ports are opened. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The head cleaning mechanism according to claim 7, wherein a length in the head width direction perpendicular to the wiping direction of the wiper is larger than a length in the head width direction of the ink ejection surface and is smaller than a length in the head width direction of the inclined surface, and a length in the head width direction of the water repellent region is larger than the length in the head width direction of the wiper. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The head cleaning mechanism according to claim 1, wherein an inclination angle of the inclined surface with respect to the ink ejection surface is smaller than a pressure contact angle of the tip portion of the wiper with respect to the ink ejection surface in a state where the wiper is wiping the ink ejection surface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The head cleaning mechanism according to claim 9, wherein the inclination angle is 15° or more and less than 45°. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) An inkjet recording apparatus comprising the head cleaning mechanism according to claim 1. ### Claim 12 A head cleaning mechanism comprising: a recording head having an ink ejection surface provided with an ink ejection region in which a plurality of ink ejection ports are opened to eject ink onto the recording medium; and a wiper for wiping the ink ejection surface in a predetermined direction, wherein the recording head includes an inclined surface disposed on an upstream side of the ink ejection surface in a wiping direction in which the wiper wipes the ink ejection surface, the inclined surface being inclined downward toward a downstream side in the wiping direction, a tip of the wiper being in pressure contact with the inclined surface in the wiping operation, and the inclined surface includes a plurality of cleaning liquid supply ports for supplying cleaning liquid disposed on the upstream side in the wiping direction of the pressure contact start position at which the wiper starts the pressure contact in the wiping operation, and a water repellent region formed from a position on the upstream side of the pressure contact start position in the wiping direction to a position on the downstream side, so as to have a contact angle with water of 90° or more. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The head cleaning mechanism according to claim 12, wherein the water repellent region is formed at least from the cleaning liquid supply port to the position on the downstream side in the wiping direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The head cleaning mechanism according to claim 12, wherein the water repellent region is formed from the position on the upstream side to a downstream end of the inclined surface in the wiping direction. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The head cleaning mechanism according to claim 12, wherein the water repellent region is formed in the substantially entire region in the head width direction perpendicular to the wiping direction on the inclined surface. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The head cleaning mechanism according to claim 12, wherein a hydrophilic region having a contact angle with water of less than 90° is disposed to extend in a head width direction perpendicular to the wiping direction in a vicinity of a downstream end of the inclined surface in the wiping direction, on the downstream side of the water repellent region in the wiping direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The head cleaning mechanism according to claim 16, wherein the hydrophilic region is formed in the substantially entire region in the head width direction in a vicinity of the downstream end. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The head cleaning mechanism according to claim 12, wherein the recording head is constituted of an ink ejection head portion having the ink ejection surface, and a cleaning liquid supplying head portion having the inclined surface, and a lower surface extending from the downstream end of the inclined surface in the wiping direction toward the ink ejection surface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The head cleaning mechanism according to claim 12, wherein an inclination angle of the inclined surface with respect to the ink ejection surface is smaller than a pressure contact angle of the tip portion of the wiper with respect to the ink ejection surface in a state where the wiper is wiping the ink ejection surface. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) An inkjet recording apparatus comprising the head cleaning mechanism according to claim 12.