Ink jet printer sealing method and apparatus

Abstract: Apparatus for sealing the front surface (1a) of a printing head (1) of an ink jet printer when the latter is not in operation, comprises a seal means (6) adapted to make an air-tight seal with the front surface (1a) and to form therewith an evacuable space (7) communicating with conduit means provided with suction means (10) to suck ink out of the printing head (1) and with valve means (11) which, when open, brings the space (7) into communication with the exterior of the seal means (6). Operation of the suction means (10) and of the valve means (11) is controlled in use by first operating the suction means (10) while the valve means (11) is closed so as to reduce the pressure in the space (7) to an increasing extent throughout a first period of time (t₁). Thereafter preliminary opening and closing actions (I) of the valve means (11) are effected during a second period of time (t₂). Thereafter further opening and closing actions (II) of the valve means (11) are effected at least once after a third period of time (t₃) has elapsed from the end of the second period of time (t₂), the third period of time (t₃) being shorter than the first period of time (t₁).

Description: This invention relates to sealing the front surface of a printer head of an ink jet printer when the latter is not in operation. In an ink jet printer mounted on a miniaturised electronic machine, the ink flows back from the front surface of a printing head of the printer due to the vibration or tilting of the printer while it is being transported, or the ink in a nozzle or nozzles of the printer may dry if the printer is not used for a long period of time, whereby to cause imperfect printing. The capping device disclosed in JP-B-15911/1988 is designed so as to cover a printing head with a cap while the printer is not in use. The cap has a suction means therein by means of which a meniscus of the ink which has moved back into the printing head is returned to a normal position when the ink is not ejected normally when the printer is used again. This capping device may have a normal meniscus sucking and returning effect with respect to an ink jet head of the type in which an ink tank communicates with the outside air. However, in an jet printer having a head damper in an ink flow passage connecting a nozzle and an ink pack together, the head damper having a diaphragm for absorbing pressure variations in the ink caused by the back-and-forth movement of a carriage, the interior of the head damper is subjected to a vacuum as the ink is sucked. Consequently, when the cap is removed to expose the nozzle tip to the atmospheric air with the vacuum in the head damper increasing to a certain extent, the meniscus moves back again due to the vacuum, so that the problem of imperfect ejection of ink cannot be solved. In a known capping device of this kind, moreover, a cap is formed so that it can be turned in only one direction. Such a known cap is schematically shown in Figure 10. As shown in Figure 10, a cap 52 is supported on a cap support member 53 so that the cap 52 can be turned around a fulcrum 52a. The cap support member 53 can be turned around a fulcrum 53a, and cap opening and closing operations are carried out by a cam means 55. In a cap-closed state, the cap 52 is urged constantly against a printing head 51 by a coiled tension spring 54. The cap 52 is constructed so that, for example, even when the printing head 51 is moved longitudinally as shown by a double-headed arrow A with respect to the cap 52, the cap support member 53 is turned around the fulcrum 53a as shown by a double-headed arrow B with the cap 52 turned around the fulcrum 52a as shown by a double-headed arrow C, to enable the cap 52 to cover the printing head 51 in the same posture at all times. However, since the cap 52 in the known capping device of this kind can be turned in only one plane, any lack of parallelization of the cap 52 and the printing head 51 in a plane which is perpendicular to the plane in which the cap is turned is offset by utilizing the elasticity of the cap 52 which is made of a resilient material. Therefore, a variation occurs in the pressure distribution on the contact surfaces of the cap 52 and the printing head 51. This may be adequate in a capping device whose cap 52 is small in the widthwise direction thereof which is perpendicular to the direction in which the cap is turned. However, in a capping device whose cap has to be large due to the nozzles provided in a plurality of rows in a printing head, imperfect capping occurs due to the changes in the posture of the cap. This causes drying of the ink in the vicinity of the nozzles which can result in imperfect ejection of the ink, and also causes leakage of the ink from the cap, which can result in the contamination of the interior of an electronic machine. When the posture of the cap which is being air-tightly engaged with a printing head is varied, it can thus become difficult to carry out a stable capping operation each time. JP-A-260341/1985 discloses the construction of a capping device provided with an expansible diaphragm-carrying chamber at an intermediate portion of a thin tube connected to a cap. JP-A-273855/1987 discloses a capping device in which an ink ejecting nozzle-covering protective cap is provided with a suction pump and with a valve means for controlling the pressure of the cap. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a capping device based on a combination of the capping devices of JP-A-260341/1985 and JP-A-273855/1987. It does not form part of the state of the art within the meaning of Article 54(2) EPC. During a non-printing period of time, a cap 42 covers a plurality of printing nozzles 41a in a printing head 41 as shown in Figure 9, and, during a printing period of time, the cap 42 is removed from the printing head 41 by a cap opening and closing means (not shown). The cap 42 communicates by way of a flexible tube 49 with a suction pump 44. When imperfect ejection of the ink occurs, the suction pump 44 is operated to suck the ink from the nozzles 41a in the printing head 41, and a resetting operation is carried out. The interior of the cap 42 communicates by way of a flexible tube 47, an expansible chamber 45 having an expansible diaphragm 45a therein, and a flexible tube 48 with a valve means 46 which is adapted to release the vacuum generated by the suction pump 44. The flexible tubes 47, 48, 49 are of a high ink resistance. In the capping device thus constructed, the variation of the volume of the air in the parts which communicate with the cap 42, which occurs due to a change of the environmental conditions in a non-printing period, is absorbed in the expansible chamber 45 to prevent the rearward displacement of the meniscus at the free end portions of the nozzles 41a. When an ink jet printer in a capped non-printing state is left as it is at a high temperature, the water in any ink on the front surface of the nozzles 41a and in the interior of the flexible tubes 47, 48, 49 which communicate with the known cap 42 evaporates, so that the partial pressure of the vapour in the tubes 47, 48, 49 becomes high. Consequently, the expansible chamber 45 expands so as to absorb this pressure. However, the partial pressure of the molecules of air decreases as the partial pressure of the vapour increases, and the partial pressure of the air in the cap 42 becomes low with respect to the partial pressure of the outside air. In a known tube 47, 48, 49 which is in such a condition, and which consists of a material, such as polyethylene or polytetrafluoroethylene which has been selected by attaching prime importance to the ink resistance and which has been such as to permit air molecules to pass therethrough comparatively easily, the air molecules permeate from the outside air into the interior thereof to cause the volume of the inner portion of the tube to increase. This volume increase soon becomes unable to be absorbed by the expansible diaphragm 45a, and the internal pressure increases together with the partial vapour pressure with respect to the outside air. This internal pressure, with an ambient temperature of 40°C, increases up to a level in the neighbourhood of 55.3 mmHg, which is a saturated vapour pressure at this temperature. Therefore, this pressure overcomes the strength of the meniscus of the ink at the front end portions of the nozzles 41a. This causes backward displacement of the meniscus and imperfect discharge of the ink. According to the invention, a method of sealing the front surface of a printing head of an ink jet printer when the latter is not in operation comprising applying to the front surface a seal means which makes an air-tight seal therewith and which forms therewith an evacuable space which communicates with suction means by means of which ink may be sucked out of the printing head and valve means which, when open, brings the space into communication with the exterior of the seal means, is characterised by operating the suction means while the valve means is closed so as to reduce the pressure in the space to an increasing extent throughout a first period of time, thereafter effecting preliminary opening and closing actions of the valve means during a second period of time, and thereafter effecting further opening and closing actions of the valve means at least once after a third period of time has elapsed from the end of the second period of time, the third period of time being shorter than the first period of time. Thus, in an apparatus according to the present invention, the interior of the means may be arranged to be at a normal pressure without causing the meniscus of the ink in a nozzle of the printer to be displaced backwards. Preferably, at the end of the first period of time, there is a maximum degree of vacuum in the space. The pressure in the space is preferably substantially atmospheric pressure at the end of the second period of time. Preferably, the valve means is closed at the end of the further opening and closing actions after the operation of the suction means has been stopped. According to one aspect, the invention extends to apparatus for sealing the front surface of a printing head of an ink jet printer when the latter is not in operation, the apparatus comprising: a seal means provided on an ink jet printer and adapted to air-tightly seal the front end of a printing head during a non-printing period of time, which seal means is provided with a suction means adapted to suck the ink from said printing head and a valve means, which, when open, communicates the interior of the seal means with the exterior thereof; first operating means which effects preliminary opening and closing actions of the valve means after rising suction time of the suction means has elapsed; second operating means which effects primary opening and closing actions of the valve means at least once after a period of time shorter than the rising suction time has elapsed after the completion of the preliminary opening and closing actions; and control means which consecutively operates the first and second operating means. According to another aspect, the invention extends to an apparatus including a seal means adapted to make an air-tight seal with the front surface of a printing head of an ink jet printer, and to form therewith an evacuable space; conduit means communicating with the space, the conduit means being provided with suction means, by means of which ink may be sucked out of the printing head, and with valve means which, when open, bring the space into communication with the exterior of the seal means; first operating means which operates the suction means while the valve means is closed so as to reduce the pressure in the space to an increasing extent throughout a first period of time second operating means which effects preliminary opening and closing actions of the valve means during a second period time; third operating means which effects further opening and closing actions of the valve means at least once after a third period of time has elapsed from the end of the second period of time, the third period of time being shorter than the first period of time; and control means which consecutively operates the first, second and third operating means. The seal means is preferably carried by a support member in such a way that the seal means can be moved in a plurality of different planes with respect to the support member. Thus the seal means and the support member may have mutually engaging parts one of which is constituted by a projection having a hemispherical surface and the other of which is constituted by a hemispherical surface of the said projection. There is preferably a posture control spring which urges the seal means towards a predetermined position with respect to the support member. The seal means is preferably carried by a support member in such a way that the seal means can be moved in a plurality of different planes with respect to the support member. Thus the seal means and the support member may have mutually engaging parts one of which is constituted by a projection having a hemispherical surface and the other of which is constituted by a hemispherical recess whose diameter is slightly larger than that of the hemispherical surface of the said projection. There is preferably a posture control spring which urges the seal means towards a predetermined position with respect to the support member. The conduit means preferably comprises at least one flexible tube means which comprises a tube member made of a material having a high ink corrosion resistance, the outer surface of the tube member being covered by material having a high gas penetration resistance. Preferably, the high gas penetration resistant material has a transmittance of nitrogen gas not exceeding 100 (cc/m 2 -24hr-atm/25 microns). The tube member may be an inner tube of a double-tube flexible tube means whose outer tube is made of the high gas penetration resistant material. Alternatively, the flexible tube means may be of single tube construction, the outer surface of the tube member being provided with a coating of the high gas penetration resistant material. Thus, the coating may be of a metal which has been evaporated onto the outer surface of the tube member. In its preferred form, moreover, an apparatus according to the present invention enables imperfect engagement of the seal means with the printing head to be avoided so as to avoid desiccation and leakage of the ink, and thus ensure very high reliability. The present invention enables a printing operation to be carried out immediately without causing the meniscus of ink at the front ends of the nozzles to be displaced backwards, even after the printer to which the apparatus has been applied has been left in a high-temperature place for a comparatively long period of time. The invention is illustrated, merely by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of an embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view of a valve means which may be used in the embodiment of Figure 1; Figure 2A is a circuit diagram of an electronic control means which may be used in the embodiment of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a graph showing the relationship between valve opening and closing times and variations of pressures in a space in a cap of the apparatus and in the interior of a head damper, in which a solid line indicates the variation of the pressure in the space in the cap, and a one-dot chain line indicates the variation of the pressure in the head damper; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a cap turning means which may be used in apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 5a is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 4; Figure 5b is a sectional view taken along the line D-D in Figure 5a; Figure 6 is a side elevation of another cap turning means which may be used in apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 7 is a sectional view of a flexible tube which may be used in apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 8 is a graph showing the variations of the volumes of and pressures in the portions of the apparatus which communicate with the cap with respect to the lapse of time in a flexible tube as shown in Figure 7 and in a conventional tube; Figure 9 illustrates an apparatus for sealing the front surface of a printing head of an ink jet printer; and Figure 10 is a side elevation of a known cap turning mechanism which may be used in a known apparatus for sealing the front surface of a printing head of an ink jet printer. Figure 1 shows an embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention for sealing the front surface of a printing head of an on-demand type ink jet printer. Referring to Figure 1, a printing head 1 is fixed to a carriage (not shown) and is disposed opposite to a record medium, e.g. paper. A head damper 3, which has a diaphragm for absorbing pressure variations in the ink caused by back-and-forth movement of the carriage, communicates with the front surface 1a of the printing head 1 by way of an ink flow passage 2 and by way of a plurality of nozzles 4. Each of the plurality of nozzles 4 also communicates with an ink pack 15. A seal means or cap 6 is fixed to an actuator (not shown) provided on the home position side of the carriage and is formed so as to hermetically cover the front surface 1a of the printing head 1 during a non-printing period of time. A cavity or recess 7 provided in the surface of the cap 6 which is opposite to the nozzles 4 forms with the front surface 1a a space which communicates with the two thin tubes 8, 9. A suction pump 10 is disposed in the tube 8 for sucking the ink from the nozzles 4. A valve 11 is disposed in the tube 9 so as to control communication between the space 7 and the exterior of the cap 6. As shown in Figure 2, the valve 11 may be formed as a normally closed valve by means of which an end of the tube 9 is normally closed by the action of a spring 12. The valve 11 can be opened, however, by a solenoid 13 when suction is being effected by the suction pump 10. The opening and closing operations of the valve 11 in this embodiment are carried out twice by means of an electronic control means 14, i.e. both preliminary and further opening and closing operations are carried out. The electronic control means 14, in addition to controlling the operation of the valve 11, also controls the operation of the suction pump 10. As shown in Figure 2A, the electronic control means 14 may comprise a CPU 16 which controls the operation of a pump motor 17 for driving the suction pump 10 by way of a pump driving motor drive part 18. The CPU 16 also controls the operation of a valve solenoid 19 by way of a valve solenoid drive part 20, the valve solenoid 19 controlling opening and closing of the valve 11. The operations of the pump motor 17 and valve solenoid 19 are in accordance with the timings shown in Figure 3 and described below. The first-mentioned preliminary opening and closing operations I (Figure 3) are carried out by the electronic control means 14 after there has elapsed a period of time t 1 (which will hereinafter be referred to as "rising suction time" i.e. a period throughout which the pressure in the cavity 7 is reduced to an increasing extent) which period t 1 starts at an instant a at which the suction pump 10 is started by the electronic control means 14 and ends at an instant at which the pressure in the cavity 7 in the cap 6 reaches at least substantially its maximum vacuum P1, as shown in Figure 3. A period of time t 2 , during which the valve 11 is opened by the electronic control means 14, is set to the smallest possible length of time that enables the pressure in the cavity 7 in the cap 6 to be increased to substantially atmospheric pressure, and the pressure in the head damper 3 to be increased to substantially atmospheric pressure by sucking in ink, which has been drawn to the front end of the nozzles 4, by the suction pump 10. The valve 11 is then closed by the electronic control means 14. Subsequently further opening and closing operation II of the valve 11 following the preliminary opening and closing operations I are carried out by the electronic control means 14 after a period of time t 3 has elapsed, which starts at an instant c of the completion of the preliminary opening and closing operations I and thus at the end of the time t 2 , the period of time t 3 being shorter than the rising suction time t 1 , i.e. short enough to prevent the pressure in the head damper 3 from reaching the degree of vacuum P3 which is required to destroy the meniscus of the ink at the front end portions of the nozzles 4. The valve 11 is then operated by the said electronic control means 14 so as to close the thin tube 9 after the operation of the suction pump 10 has been stopped. The operation of the apparatus thus constructed will now be described. The cap 6 disposed on the home position side of the carriage during a non-printing period of time covers the front surface 1a of the printing head 1 in an air-tight manner so as to prevent the ink at the front end portions of the nozzles 4 from becoming dried and solidified. When the pressure in the cavity 7 in the cap then increases, so that the meniscus of ink at the front end portions of the nozzles 4 is displaced backwards whereby to cause imperfect ejection of the ink, the suction pump 10 which communicates with the cavity 7 in the cap 6 is operated first by the electronic control means 14. As a result, the pressure in the cavity 7 in the cap 6 decreases gradually to the maximum vacuum P1 after a lapse of the rising suction time t 1 of around 3-5 seconds which is required due to the resistance in the tube 8, so that the ink is sucked to the front ends of the nozzles 4. Consequently, the pressure in the head damper 3, which communicates with the nozzles 4 via the ink flow passage 2, reaches a vacuum P2 of, for example, around 400 mm H 2 O, which is required to destroy the meniscus of ink at around the instant at which the rising suction time t 1 has elapsed, due to the movement of the ink toward the front end portions of the nozzles 4. When the valve 11 is opened by the electronic control means 14 when the rising suction time t 1 has elapsed so that the ink reaches the very front ends of the nozzles 4, i.e. at an instant b at which about nine seconds have passed after the starting of an operation of the suction pump 10 in this embodiment, the pressure in the cavity 7 reaches the level of the atmospheric pressure in a moment owing to the outside air flowing thereinto through the tube 9. Owing to this pressure increase, the ink which has reached the front end of a nozzle 4 is drawn inward again due to the fact that the vacuum P2 is high enough to destroy the meniscus of the ink in the head damper 3. When the valve 11 is closed by the electronic control means 14 after there has elapsed a very short period of time t 2 of around 0.2 second, the interior of the cavity 7 in the cap 6 is under vacuum again due to the suction operation of the suction pump 10 being carried out with the valve 11 closed, so that the ink which has moved back starts being sucked toward the front ends of the nozzles 4. Consequently, the interior of the head damper 3 comes under vacuum again due to the re-suction of the ink. However, at an instant d , at which a period of time t 3 shorter than the rising suction time t 1 has elapsed after the instant c of the closing of the valve 11, the pressure in the head damper 3 has not yet reached the vacuum P3 which enables the meniscus of ink to be destroyed. Therefore, the ink in the nozzles 4 does not move back, and the meniscus is kept formed at the front end portions of the nozzles 4. The embodiment shown in Figure 1 is formed so that the interior of the cavity 7 in the cap 6 is set to a normal pressure by carrying out two valve opening and closing operations ie. the preliminary operations I for opening and closing the valve 11 and the further operations II for opening and closing the valve 11, so as to form a meniscus of ink at the front end portions of the nozzles 4 and so that the printing head 1 and cap 6 can be easily disengaged from each other. The embodiment shown in Figure 1 may also be formed so that the further opening and closing operations II are repeated twice or more when a period of time t 2 shorter than the rising suction time t 1 has elapsed after the completion of the preliminary opening and closing operations I so as to bring about a meniscus of ink at the front end portions of the nozzles 4 and permit easy disengagement of the printing head 1 and cap 6 from each other. A capping device according to the present invention preferably includes a cap turning mechanism described and claimed in application number 89309028 (EP-A-0358487) from which this application is a divisional. Figure 4 shows an embodiment of a cap turning mechanism in which there is provided a cap fixing frame 25 to which a cap 6 as shown in Figure 1 and consisting of a resilient material, such as a rubber material, may be fixed. The cap fixing frame 25 is provided substantially at its central portion with a hemispherical recess 25a, and is provided on opposite side surfaces thereof with cylindrical projections 25b for oscillatably engaging the cap fixing frame 25 and the cap 6. A cap support member 23 is provided to which the cap 6 and the cap fixing frame 25 can be engaged. The cap support member 23 is provided with a projection 23c having a hemispherical surface and with track bores or guide holes 23b on opposite sides of the projection 23c. The cylindrical projections 25b are adapted to be engaged oscillatably in the guide holes 23b as indicated in Figure 4. The hemispherical recess 25a in the cap fixing frame 25 is formed to a radius slightly larger than that of the hemispherical projection 23c on the cap support member 23. Figure 5a is a side elevation of the capping device of Figure 4, and Figure 5b is a sectional view taken along the line D-D in Figure 5a. As shown in Figure 5a, even when the printing head 1 is moved longitudinally, as shown by a double headed arrow A, with respect to the cap 6, the cap support member 23 is turned around a fulcrum 23a as shown by a double headed arrow B so that the cap 6 is turned around the projections 25b on the cap fixing frame 25 as shown by a double headed arrow C. The capping device described above is formed so that it is capable of constantly capping the printing head 1 in the same posture. Even when the head 1 is turned with respect to the cap support member 23 by an angle 1 as shown in Figure 5b, the cap fixing frame 25 to which the cap 6 is fixed is turned by an angle 2, which is equal to 1, as the hemispherical projection 23c on the cap support member 23 and the hemispherical recess 25a in the cap fixing frame 25 contact each other while the cylindrical projections 25b on the cap fixing frame 25 move in the guide holes 23b in the cap support member 23 so that the capping of the head 1 is effected. During this time, the force by which the cap 6 is pressed against the head 1 is transmitted thereto with the hemispherical projection 23c and the hemispherical recess 25 in a point contacting state. Accordingly, in order to obtain a uniform surface pressure distribution on the cap 6, the hemispherical recess 25a in the cap support frame 25 may be formed in alignment with the centre of the front surface 1a of the head 1 which is contacted by the cap 6. The embodiment described above is an example in which a hemispherical projection is provided on the cap support member 23. The same effect can, of course, be obtained in a capping device provided with a hemispherical recess in the cap support member 23 and a hemispherical projection on the cap fixing frame 25. Figure 6 shows a second embodiment of a cap turning mechanism for the apparatus according to the present invention. In this embodiment, a hook 25d is provided on a predetermined portion of the cap fixing frame 25, and a cap posture control spring 28 for maintaining the cap 6 in a constant posture is fastened to the hook 25d so as to constantly draw the lower portion of the cap 6 in a direction away from the printing head 1. When the cap 6 is not in contact with the printing head 1, the cap 6 is inclined slightly so as to face in a diagonally downward direction owing to the force of the cap posture control spring 28. When a capping operation is carried out with the cap 6 in such a state, by an operation of a cap opening and closing mechanism (not shown) and the force of a coiled tension spring 24, the cap support member 23 is turned as shown by an arrow B, and the cap 6 always comes into contact with the printing head 1 from the upper end 6a of a seal surface thereof, whereby capping of the printing head 1 is effected. If the force of the cap posture control spring 28 is too great, the surface pressure distribution of the seal surface becomes uneven and this causes imperfect capping of the printing head 1. Therefore, it is desirable that the force of the cap posture control spring 28 be set to the lowest level that enables the posture of the cap 6 to be controlled. One embodiment of the thin tubes 8,9 which are connected to the cap 6 will now be described in detail. Figure 7 is a sectional view of an embodiment of such a thin flexible tube 30 which is constituted by a flexible tube 31 of a resin or plastics material of a high ink corrosion resistance, such as polyethylene or polytetrafluoroethylene, and an outer wall 32 of a resin or plastics material of a high gas penetration resistance, such as nylon or vinyl chloride. In Figure 9 there is shown a capping device which uses flexible tubes of this construction as the flexible tubes 47, 48, 49. The device of Figure 9 has, as indicated above, a printing head 41 whose capping is done after the printing command has stopped being given out during a printing operation. This is effected by initially opening a valve means 46 which communicates with the tube 47 by way of the tube 48 and an expansible chamber 45 having an expansible diaphragm 45a therein. A cap opening and closing means (not shown) is then operated. During this time, a very small quantity of ink can be sucked from ink ejection nozzles 41a in the printing head 41 by operating a suction pump 44 in the tube 49 with the valve means 46 left opened. The expansible diaphragm 45a in the expansible chamber 45 is thus bent inward as shown by a one-dot chain line a . The suction pump 44 can then be stopped, and the valve means 46 may be closed thereafter to complete the capping operation. The variations of the volume of air and pressure in portions of the apparatus which communicate with the cap 42 of the capping device in the case where the ambient temperature increases to a high level after the completion of the capping operation are shown in Figure 8. For convenience sake, let it be assumed that the expansible chamber 45 can be expanded by a volume ΔV, which does not vary with the pressure. First, when the printer is left at a high temperature, the volume of those portions of the apparatus which communicate with the interior of the cap 42 increases by ΔV (point A). At this time, the pressure in the cap 42 remains at the value 1 but the partial pressure of the air decreases in correspondence with an increase of the partial pressure of the vapour occurring due to the evaporation of the water in the ink. Since the partial pressure of the outside air is substantially 1, the air would flow from the outside into the interior of the cap 42. If the tube in use consists of a material which is permeable to air, the volume thereof increases comparatively speedily as shown by a broken line. In the flexible tube 31,32 shown in Figure 7, however, which has a high gas penetration resistance rate of increase in the volume is low, i.e. the volume of the tube 31, 32 varies slowly as shown by a solid line in Figure 8. The volume increase stops before long at a point (B1 and B2) at which the volume of the expansible chamber 45 has increased by an attainable level ΔV. This volume is thereafter kept constant, and the internal pressure increases to 1 + (saturated vapour pressure ΔP) at which the internal pressure becomes stable. At a temperature of 40°C, this level is 55.3 mmHg. Let Δp equal a pressure balancing the surface tension of the meniscus of the ink at the front end portion of the nozzles 41a, the meniscus constituting an interface with respect to the air in the cap 42. When Δp < ΔP, the backward displacement of the meniscus at the front end portion of each nozzle 41a occurs before the pressure in the cap 42 has increased by ΔP, and this causes the imperfect ejection of ink when a printing operation is restarted. When a flexible tube 30, however, having a high gas penetration resistance is provided in a portion of the capping device which communicates with the cap 42, the time which the expansible diaphragm requires to reach the limit of expansion can be increased to a great extent. Accordingly, the backward displacement of the meniscus at the front end portions of the nozzles 41a can be prevented for a long period of time. In an experiment, in which a tube (not shown) of polytetrafluoroethylene of 1.45 mm in inner diameter and 2.2 mm in outer diameter was used at an ambient temperature of 40°C, the backward displacement of the meniscus of ink at the front end portions of the nozzles 41a occurred in around three days. On the other hand, when a two-layer tube 31, 32 consisting of an inner tube member 31 of polyethylene of 1.4 mm in inner diameter and 2.2 mm in outer diameter, and an outer tube member 32 of nylon having a wall thickness of 0.2 mm was used, the backward displacement of the meniscus of ink did not occur even after one month had elapsed, so that the reliability of the tube could be improved to a level at which the tube posed no problems in practice. When a tube (not shown) formed by coating the outer circumferential surface of a flexible tube member of a high ink corrosion resistance with a resin of a high gas penetration resistance is used, the same effect can also be obtained. For example, when a flexible tube consisting of polyethylene, and a coating consisting of saran resin of polyvinylidene chloride were used, the same effect was also obtained. When a tube formed by evaporating a metal, such as aluminium, on the outer circumferential surface of a flexible tube of a high ink corrosion resistance is used, the same effect can, of course, also be obtained. In the apparatus described above, the seal means 6 for air-tightly sealing the front surface 1a of the printing head 1 is provided with a suction means 10 for subjecting the space 7 to vacuum and with a valve means 11 for bringing the space 7 into communication with the exterior of the seal means 6. The preliminary opening and closing operations I of this valve means 11 are carried out after the lapse of the rising suction time t 1 of the suction means 11 and the further opening and closing operations II thereof are carried out when a period of time t 3 shorter than the rising suction time t 1 has elapsed after the completion of the preliminary opening and closing operations I of the valve means 11. Accordingly, even if the interior of the head damper 3 comes under vacuum so as to destroy the meniscus of the ink when the suction means 11 for sucking the ink in the printing head 1 from the front ends of the nozzles 4 is operated, the vacuum can be regulated to such a level that can prevent the destruction of the meniscus of the ink, by carrying out the further opening and closing operations II of the valve means 11 a short period of time after the completion of the preliminary opening and closing operations I thereof. Even when the interior of the seal means 6 is returned to a normal pressure, the ink can be drawn back to the front ends of the nozzles 4. This enables imperfect printing to be reliably prevented, and enables disengagement of the printing head 1 and seal means 6 from each other to be effected easily. The cap 6, moreover, is supported so that it can be turned in not less than two different planes. This enables the seal surface of the cap 6 to be brought into close and parallel contact with the printing head 1 even when there is a change in the positional relation between the printing head 1 and the cap 6, whereby variations in the surface pressure distribution on the seal surface are minimized, and desiccation of the ink in the nozzles and leakage of the ink are prevented. Since, in the Figure 6 construction, a cap posture control spring 28 is provided so as to maintain the cap 6 in a constant posture, stable capping of the printing head can be achieved at all times with this construction. Moreover, in the Figure 7 construction, each of the flexible tubes 30 connected to the cap consists of a double structure composed of an inner tube member 31 of a resin or other material of a high ink corrosion resistance, and an outer tube member 32 of a substance of a high gas penetration resistance. Therefore, even when the printer is left at a high temperature, the expansion of any parts which communicate with the cap can be reduced to the lowest possible level, and the backward displacement of the meniscus of ink at the front end portions of the nozzles can be prevented for a long period of time. Moreover, the apparatus of the present invention may be provided with a reset means of a very simple construction so that a printing operation can be restarted immediately.

Claims: A method of sealing the front surface (1a) of a printing head (1) of an ink jet printer when the latter is not in operation comprising applying to the front surface (1a) a seal means (6) which makes an airtight seal therewith and which forms therewith an evacuable space (7) which communicates with suction means (10) by means of which ink may be sucked out of the printing head (1) and valve means (11) which, when open, brings the space (7) into communication with the exterior of the seal means (6), characterised by operating the suction means (10) while the valve means (11) is closed so as to reduce the pressure in the space (7) to an increasing extent throughout a first period of time (t 1 ), thereafter effecting preliminary opening and closing actions (I) of the valve means (11) during a second period of time (t 2 ), and thereafter effecting further opening and closing actions (II) of the valve means (11) at least once after a third period of time (t 3 ) has elapsed from the end of the second period of time (t 2 ), the third period of time (t 3 ) being shorter than the first period of time (t 1 ). A method as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, at the end of the first period of time (t 1 ), there is a maximum degree of vacuum (P1) in the space (7). A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the pressure in the space (7) is substantially atmospheric pressure at the end of the second period of time (t 2 ). A method as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised by closing the valve means (11) at the end of the further opening and closing actions (II) after the operation of the suction means (10) has been stopped. Apparatus for carrying out the method as claimed in claim 1, comprising: a seal means (6) provided on an ink jet printer and adapted to air-tightly seal the front end (1a) of a printing head (1) during a non-printing period of time, which seal means (6) is provided with a suction means (10) adapted to suck the ink from said printing head (1) and a valve means (11), which, when open, communicates the interior of the seal means (6) with the exterior thereof; first operating means which effects preliminary opening and closing actions (I) of the valve means (11) after rising suction time (t 1 ) of the suction means (10) has elapsed; second operating means which effects primary opening and closing actions (II) of the valve means (11) at least once after a period of time (t 3 ) shorter than the rising suction time (t 1 ) has elapsed after the completion of the preliminary opening and closing actions (I); and control means which consecutively operates the first and second operating means. Apparatus for carrying out the method of claim 1, including: a seal means (6) adapted to make an air-tight seal with the front surface (1a) of a printing head (1) of an ink jet printer, and to form therewith an evacuable space (7); conduit means (8, 9) communicating with the space (7), the conduit means (8, 9) being provided with suction means (10), by means of which ink may be sucked out of the printing head (1), and with valve means (11) which, when open, bring the space (7) into communication with the exterior of the seal means (6); first operating means which operates the suction means (10) while the valve means (11) is closed so as to reduce the pressure in the space (7) to an increasing extent throughout a first period of time (t 1 ); second operating means which effects preliminary opening and closing actions (I) of the valve means (11) during a second period of time (t 2 ); third operating means which effects further opening and closing actions (II) of the valve means (11) at least once after a third period of time (t 3 ) has elapsed from the end of the second period of time (t 1 ), the third period of time (t 3 ) being shorter than the first period of time (t 1 ); and control means (14) which consecutively operates the first, second and third operating means. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the conduit means (8, 9) comprises at least one flexible tube means (30) which comprises a tube member (31) made of a material having a high ink corrosion resistance, the outer surface of the tube member (31) being covered by material (32) having a high gas penetration resistance. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, in which the high gas penetration resistant material (32) has a transmittance of nitrogen gas not exceeding 100 (cc/m 2 -24hr-atm/25 microns). Apparatus as claimed in claims 7 or 8, characterised in that the tube member (31) is an inner tube (31) of a double-tube flexible tube means (30) whose outer tube (32) is made of the high gas penetration resistant material. Apparatus as claimed in claims 7 or 8, characterised in that the flexible tube means (30) is of single tube construction, the outer surface of the tube member (31) being provided with a coating of the high gas penetration resistant material. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that the coating is a coating of a metal which has been evaporated onto the outer surface of the tube member (31). Apparatus as claimed in claims 5 or 6, characterised in that the seal means (6) is carried by a support member (23) in such a way that the seal means (6) can be moved in a plurality of different planes with respect to the support member (23). Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, characterised in that the seal means (6) and the support member (23) have mutually engaging parts (23c, 25a) one of which is constituted by a projection (23c) having a hemispherical surface and the other of which is constituted by a hemispherical recess (25a) whose diameter is slightly larger than that of the hemispherical surface of the said projection (23c). Apparatus as claimed in claims 12 to 13, characterised in that there is a posture control spring (28) which urges the seal means (6) towards a predetermined position with respect to the support member (23). A capping device for an ink jet printer comprising an apparatus as claimed in any of claims 5 to 14.

Inventors: IIDA KATSUHIKO, TOMII TSUYOSHI, IIDA, KATSUHIKO, TOMII, TSUYOSHI
Applicants: SEIKO EPSON CORP, SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B41J2
IPC codes: B41J2