PURPOSE: To prevent ink from dripping from an ink jet head during standby time by providing a constitution in which an ink jet head is freely rotated to a printing position where a nozzle is turned downward against a platen or a standby position where the nozzle is directed in an almost horizontal direction.
CONSTITUTION: An ink jet head 20 mounted at an appropriate position above a platen in such a manner that it rotates and freely slides in a horizontal direction due to a shaft 21, is driven to rotate at a printing position where a nozzle 22 for ink ejection is directed in a vertical downward direction against the platen 6 or at a standby position where the nozzle 22 rotates at almost 90° above the printing position and then is set in an almost horizontal direction. This rotation of the ink jet head is performed by a head rotation motor 23 through a gear 24. When in the printing mode, the nozzle 22 of the ink jet head 20 is directed downward to perform printing. In the meantime, when in the non-printing mode, ink is prevented from accumulating in the nozzle section by driving the head 20 to rotate to the standby position with the nozzle 22 set in an almost horizontal direction.
TAMURA TAKESHI
OKUMURA RYUICHI
TOKYO SANYO ELECTRIC CO