Inkjet recording apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9289996-B2
Application number	US-201113341008-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2011
Priority date	Jan 6, 2011
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

An inkjet recording apparatus that suppresses temperature rising of a recording head to decrease standby time when the recording head is high in temperature, thereby reducing a drop in recording speed and degradation in image quality. The inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head configured to have a discharge port surface in which a discharge port for discharging ink is formed, a temperature sensor configured to detect temperature of the recording head, and a cleaning unit configured to make contact with the recording head to clean the discharge port surface. The inkjet recording apparatus controls whether to make the cleaning unit contact the discharge port surface based on the recording head temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:
a recording head having a discharge port surface in which discharge ports for discharging ink are formed;
a counter counts an amount of ink used by the recording head;
a cleaning web performs a wiping operation of wiping the discharge port surface on the basis of a value obtained from the counter;
a detection unit detects a temperature of the recording head; and
a control unit causing the cleaning web to be in contact with the discharge port surface to suppress temperature rising of the recording head without performing the wiping operation, based on the temperature detected by the detection unit.

2. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls time duration to cause the cleaning web to contact the discharge port surface based on the temperature detected by the detection unit.

3. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls a contact area of the cleaning web with the discharge port surface based on the temperature detected by the detection unit.

4. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit causes the cleaning web to contact a portion of the discharge port surface where temperature is relatively high.

5. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit causes the cleaning web to contact a portion of the recording head other than the discharge port surface.

6. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a cooling unit for cooling the cleaning web.

7. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising a second detection unit for detecting temperature of the cooling unit,
wherein the control unit controls whether to cool the cleaning web with the cooling unit based on the temperature detected by the second detection unit.

8. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a heat dissipation unit for dissipating heat of the cleaning web.

9. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a changing unit changing an area of the cleaning web which wipes the discharge port surface.

10. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the changing unit comprises a feed roller that feeds the cleaning web and a winding roller that winds the cleaning web.

Assignees

• Suzuki Kazuo
• Uetsuki Masaya
• Danzuka Toshimitsu
• Kato Masataka
• Ibe Tsuyoshi
• Tomida Asako
• Komatsu Hiroaki
• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Suzuki Kazuo
• Uetsuki Masaya
• Danzuka Toshimitsu
• Kato Masataka
• Ibe Tsuyoshi
• Tomida Asako
• Komatsu Hiroaki

Classifications

• B41J29/38

  Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism · CPC title

• B41J2/16535 Primary

  using wiping constructions (B41J2/16552 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B41J2002/1655

  with wiping surface parallel with nozzle plate and mounted on reels, e.g. cleaning ribbon cassettes · CPC title

• B41J29/377

  Cooling or ventilating arrangements · CPC title

• B41J2/195

  for monitoring ink quality · CPC title