Patent ID: 8277014
Filing Date: 2012-10-02
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: an inkjet head in which is formed an ejection surface from which ink is ejected; a conveyor mechanism which has a conveyor surface opposed to the ejection surface and which is configured to convey a recording medium placed on the conveyor surface, in a medium conveyance direction; a relative movement mechanism configured to move at least one of the conveyor mechanism and the ink-jet head relative to each other such that the conveyor mechanism and the ink jet head are located selectively at one of: a recording position at which an image is recorded on the recording medium with the ink ejected from the ink-jet head; and a medium removal position at which a distance between the ejection surface and the conveyor mechanism is larger than that when the conveyor mechanism and the ink jet head are located at the recording position and at which a jammed recording medium jammed between the ejection surface and the conveyor mechanism is allowed to be removed; a detecting device configured to detect an occurrence of a jam of the recording medium between the ink jet head and the conveyor mechanism; an output device configured to output a jam-clearing completion signal indicative of completion of a jam-clearing processing for clearing the jam of the recording medium, in response to a prescribed operation; a sensor for detecting the recording medium existing between the ink jet head and the conveyor mechanism; a relative-movement control device configured to control the relative movement mechanism and including (a) a first control portion configured to control the relative movement mechanism such that the relative movement mechanism conducts a first operation in which said at least one of the conveyor mechanism and the ink-jet head is moved relative to each other such that the conveyor mechanism and the ink jet head are located at the medium removal position from the recording position when the detecting device detects the occurrence of the jam of the recording medium and such that the relative movement mechanism conducts, after the first operation, a second operation in which said at least one of the conveyor mechanism and the ink-jet head is moved relative to each other such that the conveyor mechanism and the inkjet head are located at the recording position from the medium removal position when the output device outputs the jam-clearing completion signal and (b) a second control portion configured to control the relative movement mechanism to prevent the conveyor mechanism and the inkjet head from moving relatively toward each other when the sensor detects the recording medium in the second operation; and an intervening member which is located so as to be interposed between the ink jet head and the conveyor mechanism when the first control portion controls the relative movement mechanism to conduct the first operation, wherein the sensor is disposed integrally with the intervening member.