Thermal ink jet recording device and method of cleaning a recording head
AssigneeHitachi Koki Co., Ltd.
InventorMasao Mitani
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an ink jet recording device of the type wherein ink droplets are ejected from orifices using thermal energy and the heater for supplying the thermal energy is oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the orifice surface, a cleaning unit is provided for cleaning the head of the device. The cleaning unit includes an integral wiper and ink pool. In cleaning the head, ink that gathers on the wiper will drip downward by its own weight, resulting in very little spread toward adjacent orifice, thereby minimizing the degree at which different color inks mix on the surface of the head.
Claims19
An ink jet recording device comprising:
- a thermal ink jet recording head formed with at least two rows of nozzles aligned in a direction, the nozzles being in fluid communication with atmosphere by orifices, said thermal ink jet recording head having an orifice surface formed with at least two rows of orifices aligned in closely spaced relation, from which ink droplets of at least two colors are ejected and which face downwardly at least during cleaning;
- a cleaning unit including an integral wiper and ink pool, the wiper for wiping the orifice surface of said thermal ink jet recording head, and the ink pool for receiving ink dripping from the wiper when the wiper wipes the orifice surface;
- and
- an ejection control unit for causing an ink droplet from each nozzle to be ejected toward the ink pool directly after wiping.
An ink jet recording device comprising:
- a plurality of rows of nozzles aligned substantially parallel with each other, each nozzle being in fluid communication with atmosphere by an orifice, orifices being aligned in substantially parallel rows on an orifice surface;
- and
- a cap formed with substantially parallel grooves for separately covering each of the substantially parallel rows of orifices on the orifice surface.
A method of cleaning an ink jet recording device having an orifice surface provided with at least two rows of orifices from which ink droplets of at least two colors are ejected, said at least two rows of orifices of the orifice surface being aligned in closely spaced relation and facing downwardly at least during cleaning, the method comprising steps of:
- abutting a wiper of a cleaning unit against the orifice surface so that the wiper deforms from a natural shape;
- wiping the orifice surface by moving the wiper thereacross, ink clinging to the orifice surface being squeegeed off the orifice surface so as to drip down the wiper;
- catching the dripping ink in an ink pool of the cleaning unit, the ink pool being integrally formed on either side of the wiper;
- and
- causing an ink droplet from each orifice to be ejected toward the ink pool directly after wiping.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.