1. An inkjet recording device comprising:
a recording head having a nozzle surface formed with a plurality of nozzle arrays and configured to eject ink droplets from the plurality of nozzle arrays, the plurality of nozzle arrays including a first nozzle array and a second nozzle array adjacent to the first nozzle array;
a wiping mechanism having a wiper for wiping the nozzle surface;
a carriage on which the recording head is mounted; and
a carriage moving mechanism that guides the carriage in a direction perpendicular to the plurality of nozzle arrays,
wherein the wiping mechanism moves the wiper relative to and in contact with the nozzle surface, in a direction inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the plurality of nozzles arrays, the predetermined angle being smaller than an angle formed with respect to the plurality of nozzle arrays by a straight line drawn between a nozzle to be wiped first in the first nozzle array and a nozzle to be wiped last in the second nozzle array, and
wherein the wiping mechanism includes a guide mechanism that guides the wiper in a direction parallel with the plurality of nozzle arrays, the guide mechanism and the carriage moving mechanism being controlled such that the wiper moves in the inclined direction relative to the nozzle surface.
2. The inkjet recording device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second nozzle arrays are separated by a distance of one pitch, and said device is configured such that when the wiper moves from the nozzle to be wiped first in the first nozzle array to the nozzle to be wiped last in the second nozzle array, the carriage moves in a direction perpendicular to the first and second nozzle arrays by a distance of not less than 0.5 pitch, and less than 1.0 pitch.
3. The inkjet recording device according to claim 2, wherein said device is configured such that when the wiper moves from the nozzle to be wiped first in the first nozzle array to the nozzle to be wiped last in the second nozzle array, the carriage moves in a direction perpendicular to the first and second nozzle arrays by a distance of not less than 0.8 pitch, and less than 1.0 pitch.
4. A method comprising:
moving an ink et recording head to a predetermined position, the ink jet recording head including at least a first nozzle array and a second nozzle array on a nozzle surface; and
wiping the nozzle surface by moving at a non-zero angle relative to the first nozzle array a wiper, where the angle is less than an angle between the first nozzle array and a line formed between a first nozzle on the first nozzle array and a last nozzle on the second nozzle array,
wherein the first and second nozzle arrays are parallel to each other and separated by a distance of one pitch, and when the nozzle surface is wiped by moving the wiper at the non-zero angle relative to the first nozzle array from the first nozzle on the first nozzle array to the last nozzle on the second nozzle array, the wiper is moved, relative to the nozzle surface, in a direction perpendicular to the first and second nozzle arrays by a distance of not less than 0.5 pitch, and less than 1.0 pitch.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the wiper extends along a line that is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the wiper.
6. The method according to claim 4, where the wiper is perpendicular to the first nozzle array.
7. An inkjet recording device comprising:
a recording head having a nozzle surface formed with a plurality of nozzle arrays and configured to eject ink droplets from the plurality of nozzle arrays, the plurality of nozzle arrays being arranged in parallel with each other and including a first nozzle arrays and a second nozzle array adjacent to the first nozzle array; and
a wiping mechanism having a wiper for wiping the nozzle surface;
wherein the wiping mechanism moves the wiper relative to and in contact with the nozzle surface, in a direction inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the plurality of nozzles arrays, the predetermined angle being smaller than an angle formed with resect to the plurality of nozzle arrays by a straight line drawn between a nozzle to be wiped first in the first nozzle array and a nozzle to be wiped last in the second nozzle array, and
wherein the first and second nozzle arrays are separated by a distance of one pitch, and said device is configured such that when the wiper moves from the nozzle to be wiped first in the first nozzle array to the nozzle to be wiped last in the second nozzle array, the wiper moves, relative to the nozzle surface, in a direction perpendicular to the first and second nozzle arrays by a distance of not less than 0.5 pitch, and less than 1.0 pitch.
8. The ink jet recording device according to claim 7, wherein the wiper is plate-shaped and is wide enough to extend across the plurality of nozzle arrays when the wiper is moved relative to and in contact with the nozzle surface.
9. The inkjet recording device according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of nozzle arrays are arranged on the nozzle surface at uniform intervals therebetween.
10. The inkjet recording device according to claim 7, wherein the wiper is perpendicular to the wiping direction.
11. The inkjet recording device according to claim 7, wherein the wiper is perpendicular to the nozzle arrays.
12. The inkjet recording device according to claim 7, wherein the wiping mechanism includes a guide mechanism that guides the wiper linearly in the inclined direction.
13. The inkjet recording device according to claim 12, wherein the guide mechanism includes a guide member extending parallel to the inclined direction and configured to guide the wiper in the inclined direction.
14. The inkjet recording device according to claim 7,
wherein the recording head ejects a first ink from the first nozzle array and a second ink from the second nozzle array, the second ink being darker in color than the first ink, and the wiping mechanism moves the wiper such that the wiper starts wiping with the first nozzle array and ends wiping with the second nozzle array.
15. The inkjet recording device according to claim 7, wherein the wiper is oriented to be perpendicular to the inclined direction.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A direct methanol fuel cell system comprising:
a fuel cell main body including at least one membrane-electrode assembly having an electrolyte membrane, and an anode and a cathode positioned on opposite sides of the electrolyte membrane;
a fuel-supplying unit feeding a mixing tank with high concentration fuel;
the mixing tank mixing andor storing the fuel fed from the fuel-supplying unit and an outlet stream discharged from the fuel cell main body;
a fuel feeder supplying mixed fuel stored in the mixing tank to the fuel cell main body; and
a controller configured to control the fuel-supplying unit to stop operating in response to a stop request signal, to control the fuel feeder to circulate the mixed fuel via the anode of the fuel cell main body, and to stop circulation when a fuel concentration of the mixed fuel is less than or equal to a reference concentration.
2. The direct methanol fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the mixed fuel is a methanol solution, and the reference concentration ranges from 0 to 0.3 M.
3. The direct methanol fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising a concentration sensor to detect the fuel concentration of the mixed fuel.
4. The direct methanol fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising a timer that is set to operate for a time taken to lower the fuel concentration of the mixed fuel to less than or equal to the reference concentration, the timer stopping the fuel feeder when the timer stops operating.
5. The direct methanol fuel cell system according to claim 4, wherein the timer operates in response to the stop request signal.
6. The direct methanol fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising a soft switch type stop button generating the stop request signal, wherein the controller is adapted to receive the stop request signal from the soft switch type stop button and to control the fuel-supplying unit to stop operating in response to the stop request signal.
7. The direct methanol fuel cell system according to claim 6, wherein the soft switch type stop button is coupled to an external load.
8. The direct methanol fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one membrane-electrode assembly is a plurality of membrane-electrode assemblies, and wherein the fuel cell main body comprises a separator electrically connecting the plurality of membrane-electrode assemblies in series and defining a channel allowing a fluid flow.
9. The direct methanol fuel cell system according to claim 8, further comprising an oxidant-supplying unit to feed the fuel cell main body with an oxidant,
wherein the controller controls the oxidant-supplying unit to stop operating at or after a time when the fuel feeder stops operating.
10. The direct methanol fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the fuel cell main body employs air contacting the cathode as an oxidant.
11. The direct methanol fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising an electricity storage device electrically connected to the fuel cell main body, the fuel-supplying unit, the fuel feeder, and the controller.
12. The direct methanol fuel cell system according to claim 11, wherein the controller controls the electricity storage device to be charged with electricity generated in the fuel cell main body.
13. The direct methanol fuel cell system according to claim 12, further comprising a switching unit electrically disconnecting an external load from the fuel cell main body, and electrically connecting the electricity storage device with the fuel cell main body.
14. The direct methanol fuel cell system according to claim 1, the outlet stream includes unreacted fuel andor water.