Capping unit having a decreased load during a peeling operation and ink-jet recording apparatus using the same

A capping unit comprising:

• a holder receiving member whose movement is interlocked with a movement of a recording head or a carriage for carrying the recording head, a central portion of the holder receiving member is rotatably supported;
• first and second cap holders which are accommodated in the holder receiving member;
• and
• first and second caps which communicate with a pump unit and are accommodated in the first and second holders in such a manner that the first and second caps have predetermined gaps with respect to the first and second cap holders, respectively, wherein the gap is substantially defined such that the elastic deformation of the cap is absorbable when the recording head is sealed up by the cap.

A capping unit comprising:

• a cap holder receiving member whose movement is interlocked with the movement of a recording head or a carriage for carrying the recording head, a central portion of the cap holder receiving member is rotatably supported by a shaft perpendicularly intersecting the moving direction of a carriage;
• first and second cap holders which are accommodated in the holder receiving member;
• and
• first and second caps which are urged by springs toward the recording head at two places in the moving direction of the carriage and accommodated in the cap holder receiving member in such a manner as to be symmetrical with respect to the shaft.

An ink-jet recording apparatus comprising:

• a carriage;
• an ink-jet recording head installed on said carriage;
• and
• a capping unit in a non-printing area, the capping unit comprising:
• a cap holder receiving member which is pressed by a recording head or a carriage for carrying the recording head, a central portion of the holder receiving member is rotatably supported by a shaft perpendicularly intersecting the moving direction of the carriage within a plane in parallel to a plane including the moving direction of the carriage;
• first and second cap holders each of which is urged toward the recording head by a spring which is brought into contact with the cap holder receiving member at two places in the moving direction of the carriage and supported by the holder receiving member, said first and second cap holders having one point on a center line on a first end side of said first and second cap holders as a first contact point and two points holding the center line therebetween as second and third contact point on a second end of said first and second cap holders, a distance from said second contact point to a surface of the recording head is greater than a distance from said third contact point to said surface of the recording head;
• and
• first and second caps respectively held by the first and second cap holders.

An ink-jet recording apparatus comprising:

• a carriage;
• an ink-jet recording head installed on said carriage;
• and
• a capping unit in a non-printing area, the capping unit comprising:
• a holder receiving member whose movement is interlocked with the movement of a recording head or a carriage for carrying the recording head, a central portion of the holder receiving member being rotatably supported;
• first and second cap holders which are accommodated in the holder receiving member;
• and
• first and second caps which communicate with a pump unit and are accommodated in the first and second holders in such a manner that the first and second caps have predetermined gap with respect to the first and second holders, respectively, wherein the gap is substantially defined such that the elastic deformation of the cap is absorbable when the recording head is sealed up by the cap.

An ink-jet recording apparatus comprising:

• a carriage;
• an ink-jet recording head installed on said carriage;
• and
• a capping unit in a non-printing area, wherein said capping unit comprises;
• a holder receiving member;
• and
• a cap accommodated in said holder receiving member to be pressed by said recording head or said carriage for carrying the recording head, wherein said cap is connected to an atmospheric open valve or a pump unit via tubes which are so twisted as to become parallel to a plane extending in the moving direction of the carriage, wherein the tubes are mutually directed in a same direction.

An ink-jet recording apparatus comprising:

• a carriage;
• an ink-jet recording head installed on said carriage;
• and
• a capping unit in a non-printing area, the capping unit comprising:
• a cap holder receiving member which is pressed by a recording head or a carriage for carrying the recording head to move, a central portion of the holder receiving member being rotatably supported by a shaft perpendicularly intersecting the moving direction of the carriage;
• and
• first and second caps which are urged by springs in contact with the holder receiving member toward the recording head at two places in the moving direction of the carriage and held by a first and a second holder accommodated in the holder receiving member.

An ink-jet recording apparatus comprising:

• a carriage;
• an ink-jet recording head installed on said carriage;
• and
• a capping unit in a non-printing area, the capping unit comprising:
• a cap holder receiving member whose movement is interlocked with a movement of a recording head or a carriage for carrying a recording head, a central portion of the cap holder receiving member is rotatably supported by a shaft perpendicularly intersecting the moving direction of a carriage;
• first and second cap holders which are accommodated in the cap holder receiving member;
• and
• a first and a second cap which are urged by springs toward the recording head at two places in the moving direction of the carriage and accommodated in the holder receiving member in such a manner as to be symmetrical with respect to the shaft.