Patent ID: 6220692
Filing Date: 2001-04-24
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An ink-jet recording apparatus that performs printing of images or characters on a recording medium by moving a carriage for carrying, having a recording head for ejecting ink drops, comprising:a locking mechanism capable of locking the carriage in a predetermined position, the locking mechanism including a locking lever arm having an engaging portion movable between a locked position where the engaging portion is engaged with the carriage and an unlocked position where the engaging portion is released from the carriage;an ink suction pump for sucking ink from ink nozzles on a nozzle-forming surface of the recording head while the carriage is set at the predetermined position;a head wiping member, the head wiping member including an elastic blade movable between a forward position where the head wiping member is in contact with the nozzle-forming surface and a backward position where the head wiping member is away from the nozzle-forming surface for wiping off foreign materials from the nozzle-forming surface of the recording head; anda driving mechanism, the driving mechanism including a motor and a power transmission mechanism for transmitting driving force of the motor to the ink suction pump, the locking lever arm of the locking mechanism and the elastic blade of the head wiping member,the power transmission mechanism having a rotary-motion transmission mechanism for transmitting rotary motion of the motor to the ink suction pump, a first conversion mechanism for converting rotary motion into a reciprocating movement of the elastic blade, and a second conversion mechanism for converting the reciprocating movement into the locking motion of the locking lever arm.