Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Ejector mechanism
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-29
2001-08-21
Le, N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Ejector mechanism
C347S029000, C347S035000, C347S036000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276778
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a flushing mechanism for a print head of an ink jet type or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some ink jet printers that perform printing by ejecting ink from nozzles of a print head while moving the print head back and forth have measures for preventing nozzle clogging caused by increases in ink viscosity that are caused by, for example, dry ink in nozzles that are less frequently operated, or the like. In such an ink jet printer, the flushing operation for recovering the ink ejecting performance of all the nozzles of the print head is periodically performed by withdrawing the print head into a flushing area and causing the nozzles to eject ink to an ink absorber member provided in the flushing area.
In the flushing operating, all the nozzle openings of a print head are cleaned by ejecting ink from the nozzles. Therefore, the flushing operation cannot be performed in a printing area, so that a flushing area needs to be provided separately from the printing area. In the ink jet printers of this type, a flushing area is provided contiguously or continuously to an end of the printing area, and the print head is moved beyond the printing area into the flushing area in order to perform the flushing operation.
Some ink jet printers have a plurality of print heads for performing color printing by ejecting a plurality of color inks from the heads. In such ink jet printers, a plurality of print heads are disposed in the main scanning directions on a carriage. Therefore, in an ink jet printer having a plurality of print heads, all the print heads are withdrawn to the flushing area in order to perform the flushing operation.
However, since the flushing area is provided outwardly of the printing area, the width of the printing apparatus becomes relatively great because of the space for the flushing area in addition to the area needed for the carriage to reciprocate during print operation. Therefore, the printing apparatuses, especially printing apparatuses having a plurality of print heads, tend to become large in size and impede the pursuit of a compact apparatus design, failing to meet recent user's demands for easy transportation of a printing apparatus (printer) together with a mobile-type personal computer.
Furthermore, the moving distance of the carriage also increases, which is undesirable for improvement of paper throughput.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, one aspect of the invention is to provide a high-quality printing apparatus capable of performing periodical flushing operation and performing a clogging-free smooth printing operation without impeding the pursuit of a compact apparatus design.
In accordance with the invention, a printing apparatus includes a carriage being reciprocatable in main scanning directions and being capable of carrying thereon print heads aligned in the main scanning directions, and an ink collecting device that collects waste ink ejected from the print heads during a flushing operation of cleaning a nozzle opening by ejecting ink from a nozzle of the print heads. A first flushing area is provided outwardly of an end of a printing area where the print heads are moved in the main scanning directions. The first flushing area has an area corresponding to at least one print head of the print heads, and is provided with an ink collecting device. A second flushing area is provided outwardly of another end of the printing area. The second flushing area has an area corresponding to the print heads excluding the at least one print head, and is provided with an ink collecting device.
Since the printing apparatus of the invention adopts divided flushing areas for the print heads, instead of a single flushing area having an area corresponding to all the print heads, the printing apparatus is capable of performing the flushing operation within the range of movements of the carriage needed for normal printing. Therefore, the printing apparatus eliminates the need to separately provide a moving range of the carriage for the flushing operation. Furthermore, the invention makes it possible to construct a printing apparatus capable of performing the flushing operation to prevent the clogging of the print heads while securing only the carriage moving area needed for printing. Therefore, it becomes possible to provide a compact, easy-to-carry printing apparatus capable of producing high-quality printing.
In the printing apparatus of the invention, the number of the print heads may be two. In this case, the first flushing area has an area corresponding to one of the print heads, and the second flushing area has an area corresponding to the other one of the print heads.
Thus, the divided flushing areas are provided on both sides so that the flushing operation in each flushing area is performed on the corresponding one of the two print heads, the printing apparatus needs a smaller range of movements of the carriage than a conventional printer wherein a single flushing area for the two print heads is provided on one side. Therefore, it becomes possible to provide a compact printing apparatus capable of producing high-quality printing.
The number of the print heads may also be three. In this case, the first flushing area may have an area corresponding to one of the print heads, and the second flushing area may have an area corresponding to the other two of the print heads.
Since the divided flushing areas are provided on both sides so that the flushing operation is performed on the predetermined one of the three print heads in the first flushing area and on the other two print heads in the second flushing area, the printing apparatus needs a smaller range of movements of the carriage than a conventional printer wherein a single flushing area for all the three print heads is provided on one side. Therefore, it becomes possible to provide a compact printing apparatus capable of producing high-quality printing.
The number of the print heads may also be four. In this case, the first flushing area may have an area corresponding to two of the print heads, and the second flushing area may have an area corresponding to the other two of the print heads.
Since the divided flushing areas are provided on both sides so that the flushing operation in each flushing area is performed on the corresponding two of the four print heads, the printing apparatus needs a smaller range of movements of the carriage than a conventional printer wherein a single flushing area for all the four print heads is provided on one side. Therefore, it becomes possible to provide a compact printing apparatus capable of producing high-quality printing.
If the number of the print heads is four, the first flushing area may have an area corresponding to one of the print heads, and the second flushing area may have an area corresponding to the other three of the print heads.
Since the divided flushing areas are provided on both sides so that the flushing operation is performed on the predetermined one of the four print heads in the first flushing areas and on the other three print heads in the second flushing area. Therefore, the printing apparatus needs a smaller range of movements of the carriage than a conventional printer wherein a single flushing area for all the four print heads is provided on one side. Therefore, it becomes possible to provide a compact printing apparatus capable of producing high-quality printing.
In the printing apparatus of the invention, the flushing operation of at least one print head of the print heads may be performed simultaneously with a printing operation of the print heads other than the at least one print head.
Therefore, it becomes possible to perform the flushing operation without stopping the printing operation. Hence, the time consumed solely for the flushing operation can be reduced, and the throughput time can be reduced.
Further, the ink collecting device may be formed by an ink absorber having a plurality of gaps.
Therefore, it becomes possible to provide a simple construction of
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Hsieh Shih-Wen
Le N.
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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