Image recording apparatus including first and second guide portions for moving cap unit toward head to cover nozzle surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11964487-B2
Application number	US-202217666091-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2022
Priority date	Mar 26, 2021
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

An image recording apparatus includes: a carriage movable in a first direction; a head mounted on the carriage; a holder movable in the first direction; a cap unit mounted on the holder; and first and second guide portions. The cap unit is movable relative to the holder in the first direction and is also movable toward and away from the head in a second direction crossing the first direction. The head is configured to abut on a second abutment portion of the cap unit in accordance with movement of the carriage in the first direction toward a first abutment portion of the holder. The first guide portion is configured to guide the holder in the first direction. The second guide portion is configured to guide the holder in the second direction to move the cap unit toward the head in accordance with movement of the holder in the first direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image recording apparatus comprising:
a carriage movable in a first direction;
a head mounted on the carriage and having a nozzle surface formed with nozzles to eject liquid through the nozzles;
a plate assembly movable in the first direction and including a first abutment portion, the carriage being movable in the first direction toward the first abutment portion to abut in the first direction on the first abutment portion;
a cap unit mounted on the plate assembly and movable relative to the plate assembly in the first direction, the cap unit including a cap configured to cover the nozzle surface, the cap unit being also movable toward and away from the head in a second direction crossing the first direction to cover and uncover the nozzle surface, the cap unit including a second abutment portion, the head being configured to abut, in the first direction, on the second abutment portion in accordance with movement of the carriage in the first direction toward the first abutment portion;
a first guide portion configured to guide the plate assembly the first direction toward the first abutment portion; and
a second guide portion configured to guide the plate assembly or the cap unit in the second direction to move the cap unit toward the head in accordance with movement of the plate assembly in the first direction.

2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first urging member urging the plate assembly direction opposite the first direction away from the first abutment portion;
a second urging member urging the cap unit in the direction opposite the first direction relative to the plate assembly; and
a stopper configured to abut on the cap unit to restrict the cap unit from moving further in the direction opposite the first direction relative to the plate assembly against an urging force of the second urging member while the plate assembly moves in the first direction following movement of the carriage in the first direction in a state where the carriage is in abutment with the first abutment portion.

3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cap unit is movable to a first position, to a second position and to a third position while the second guide portion guides the plate assembly or the cap unit toward the head in the second direction,
wherein the head is separated from the second abutment portion and the cap uncovers the nozzle surface of the head while the cap unit is at the first position,
wherein the head is in abutment with the second abutment portion and the cap uncovers the nozzle surface of the head while the cap unit is at the second position, and
wherein the head is in abutment with the second abutment portion and the cap covers the nozzle surface of the head while the cap unit is at the third position.

4. The image recording apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the second position is closer to the first abutment portion than the first position is to the first abutment portion in the first direction, and
wherein the third position is closer to the first abutment portion than the second position is to the first abutment portion in the first direction.

5. The image recording apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising a protruding portion protruding from one of the plate assembly and the cap unit,
wherein the second guide portion is a guide slot in which the protruding portion is inserted, the guide slot extending to approach the head in the second direction as extending in the first direction toward the first abutment portion.

6. The image recording apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the guide slot has a linear part extending linearly in the first direction, the linear part being configured to guide the plate assembly or the cap unit in the first direction while maintaining the cap unit at the second position.

7. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a protruding portion protruding from the plate assembly,
wherein the first guide portion is a guide slot in which the protruding portion is inserted, the guide slot extending in the first direction.

8. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a convex portion protruding from one of the cap unit and the plate assembly; and
a slot portion extending in the first direction and formed in a remaining one of the cap unit and the plate assembly, the convex portion being received in the slot portion to allow the cap unit to be movable in the first direction relative to the plate assembly.

9. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cap unit includes two of the second abutment portions positioned to be spaced apart from each other in a third direction crossing the first direction and the second direction, and
wherein the head has a surface facing in the first direction and configured to abut on at least one of the two second abutment portions while moving in the first direction.

10. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the head comprises a first head and a second head spaced apart from each other in the first direction, the first head having a first nozzle surface and the second head having a second nozzle surface,
wherein the cap unit comprises: a first cap unit configured to cover the first nozzle surface and movable in the first direction relative to the plate assembly; and a second cap unit configured to cover the second nozzle surface and movable in the first direction relative to the plate assembly, and
wherein the cap unit includes two of the second abutment portions, one of the second abutment portions being provided at the first cap unit and a remaining one of the second abutment portions being provided at the second cap unit.

11. The image recording apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein the first head occupies a region partially overlapped with a region that the second head occupies in a third direction crossing the first direction and the second direction,
wherein the first head is positioned closer to the first abutment portion than the second head is to the first abutment portion in the first direction, and
wherein the second guide portion is configured to guide the plate assembly or the second cap unit to move the second cap unit toward the second head in the second direction when the second abutment portion of the second cap unit is positioned between the first head and the second head in the first direction.

12. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first guide portion and the second guide portion constitute a single member.

13. An image recording apparatus comprising:
a carriage movable in a first direction;
a head mounted on the carriage and having a nozzle surface formed with nozzles to eject liquid through the nozzles;
a plate assembly movable in the first direction and including a first abutment portion, the carriage being movable in the first direction toward the first abutment portion to abut, in the first direction, on the first abutment portion;
a cap unit mounted on the plate assembly and movable relative to the plate assembly in the first direction, the cap unit including a cap configured to cover the nozzle surface, the cap unit being also movable toward and away from the head in a second direction crossing the first direction to cover and uncover the nozzle surface, the cap unit including a second abutment portion the head being configured to abut, in the first direction, on the second abutment portion in accordance with movement of the carriage in the first direction toward the first abutment

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Arakawa Yuta

Classifications

• B41J2/16511 Primary

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

• B41J2002/16514

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B41J2/16508 Primary

  connected with the printer frame · CPC title

• B41J2002/16576

  Cleaning means pushed or actuated by print head movement · CPC title

• B41J2/16514

  creating a distance between cap and printhead, e.g. for suction or pressurising · CPC title