Head cap, liquid discharge apparatus, and head capping method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11738560-B2
Application number	US-202117380184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2021
Priority date	Aug 25, 2020
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

A head cap configured to maintain a head configured to discharge a liquid from nozzles formed in a nozzle surface, the head cap includes a cap configured to cap the nozzle surface of the head, and a holder holding the cap, the holder being detachably attachable to one of a carriage mounting the head and a guide configured to guide the carriage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A head cap configured to maintain a head configured to discharge a liquid from nozzles formed in a nozzle surface, the head cap comprising:
a cap configured to cap the nozzle surface of the head; and
a holder holding the cap, the holder being detachably attachable to one of a carriage mounting the head and a guide configured to guide the carriage.

2. The head cap according to claim 1 ,
wherein the holder includes an absorber configured to absorb a liquid in the holder.

3. The head cap according to claim 2 ,
wherein the absorber is disposed below the cap.

4. The head cap according to claim 1 ,
the cap is sealed by the nozzle surface in a state in which the holder is attached to at least one of the carriage and the guide.

5. The head cap according to claim 1 ,
wherein the holder includes an engaging portion engageable with one of the carriage and the guide.

6. The head cap according to claim 5 ,
wherein the engaging portion of the holder is a hook.

7. The head cap according to claim 6 ,
wherein the hook of the holder is engageable with a protrusion on the carriage.

8. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
a head including nozzles formed in a nozzle surface, the head configured to discharge a liquid from the nozzles;
a carriage mounting the head;
a guide configured to guide the carriage; and
the head cap according to claim 5 ,
wherein the carriage includes an engaged portion engageable with the engaging portion of the holder of the head cap.

9. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a maintenance device configured to maintain the head,
wherein the maintenance device includes:
a cap configured to cap the nozzle surface of the head; and
a wiper configured to wipe the nozzle surface of the head.

10. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the head cap includes a sealed channel coupled to the cap, and the sealed channel is closed by a sealing.

11. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the head is configured to discharge the liquid onto a target, and the target is a fabric.

12. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a platen configured to hold a target,
wherein the head is configured to discharge the liquid onto the target held by the platen, and
the platen is movable between a first position at which the platen faces the head and a second position at which the platen does not face the head.

13. A head capping method comprising:
moving a platen configured to hold a target from a first position at which the platen faces a head to a second position at which the platen does not face the head, the head configured to discharge a liquid from nozzles formed in a nozzle surface onto the target;
attaching the head cap according to claim 1 to one of the carriage mounting the head and a guide configured to guide the carriage; and
capping the nozzle surface of the head with the head cap.

14. The head cap according to claim 1 , wherein based on the holder being detachably attached to one of the carriage mounting the head and the guide, the holder is in direct contact with the detachably attached one of the carriage mounting the head and the guide.

Assignees

• Okeguchi Muneyuki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Okeguchi Muneyuki

Classifications

• B41J2/16508

  connected with the printer frame · CPC title

• B41J2/16517 Primary

  Cleaning of print head nozzles (B41J2/16505, B41J2/1707 take precedence) · CPC title

• B41J2/01 Primary

  Ink jet · CPC title

• B41J2/1742

  Open waste ink collectors, e.g. ink receiving from a print head above the collector during borderless printing · CPC title

• B41J2/16511 Primary

  Constructions for cap positioning (B41J2/16547 takes precedence) · CPC title