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US 5,517,219 AGranted
Ink jet recording apparatus having an improved capping mechanism
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorHaruo Uchida
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ink jet recording apparatus for recording by discharging ink from a recording head to a recording medium includes a cap for enclosing a discharge port of the recording head, which is attached to a cap holder. The cap is brought into direct contact with the recording head with the cap holder being swingable as a fulcrum at a position corresponding to a substantially central portion of the recording head.
Claims11
An ink jet recording apparatus for recording by discharging an ink onto a recording medium, comprising:
- movable ink jet recording means for recording, said ink jet recording means having a plurality of discharge ports, by discharging the ink through said discharge ports onto the recording medium;
- a plurality of caps provided in correspondence with said discharge ports, so that each of said caps encloses at least one corresponding of said discharge ports of said recording means;
- a cap holder, attached to said caps and disposed along a direction of movement of said recording means, said cap holder having a first end and a second end and said caps including a first end cap located near the first end and a second end cap located near the second end;
- and
- a fulcrum about which said cap holder is swingable, said fulcrum being located at a substantially central portion of said cap holder with respect to a distance from said first end cap to said second end cap along which the caps are provided;
- wherein said caps are movable into direct contact with said recording means while said cap holder is swingable about said fulcrum, said cap holder being in contact with said fulcrum only while said caps are moved into contact with said recording means.
3 more elements
An ink jet recording apparatus for recording by discharging an ink onto a recording medium, comprising:
- movable ink jet recording means for recording, said ink jet recording means having a plurality of discharge ports, by discharging the ink through said discharge ports onto the recording medium;
- a plurality of caps provided in correspondence with said discharge ports, so that each of said caps encloses at least one corresponding of said discharge ports of said recording means;
- a cap holder attached to said caps and disposed along a direction of movement of said recording means, said cap holder having a first end and a second end and said caps including a first end cap located near the first end and a second end cap located near the second end;
- a fulcrum about which said cap holder is swingable, said fulcrum being located at a substantially central portion of said cap holder with respect to a distance from said first end cap to said second end cap along which the caps are provided,
- wherein said caps are movable into direct contact with said recording means while said cap holder is swingable around said fulcrum, said cap holder being in contact with said fulcrum only while said caps are moved into contact with said recording means;
- a tube, conducting ink discharged from the discharge ports of an associated one of said caps to one of a pump and a waste ink treating member, wherein said associated one of said caps and said tube are connected directly or via a connector member;
- and
- guide means for guiding at least one of said caps, the connector member and said tube to move in forward and backward directions with respect to said recording means and to prevent movement in directions other than the forward and backward directions.
5 more elements
A cap mechanism for capping a discharge port of ink jet recording means for recording, said ink jet recording means having a plurality of discharge ports, comprising:
- a plurality of caps provided in correspondence with and configured to enclose said discharge ports, so that each of said caps encloses at least one corresponding of said discharge ports of the recording means;
- a cap holder attached to said caps and disposed along a direction of movement of said recording means, said cap holder having a first end and a second end and said caps including a first end cap located near the first end and a second end cap located near the second end;
- and
- a fulcrum about which said cap holder is swingable, said fulcrum being located at a substantially central portion of said cap holder with respect to a length along which the caps are provided,
- wherein said caps are movable into direct contact with the recording means while said cap holder is swingable about said fulcrum, said cap holder being in contact with said fulcrum only while said caps are moved into contact with said recording means.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.