JP2009149030A - Fluid ejection device and maintenance method for fluid ejection device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fluid ejection device that prevents suction failure or moisturizing failure of a nozzle opening caused by capping failure, and to provide a maintenance method for the fluid ejection device. <P>SOLUTION: The fluid ejection device includes: an ejection head having the plurality of nozzle openings that eject a fluid; a capping mechanism that seals a nozzle area of the ejection head, in which at least the plurality of nozzle openings are disposed; a suction mechanism that sucks the nozzle area sealed by the capping mechanism. The capping mechanism has: a first and second sealing members disposed in contact with the ejection head and sealing the nozzle area; and a cap body holding the first and second sealing members. The first and second sealing members are made different in height relative to the body of the cap body. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fluid ejecting apparatus and a maintenance method for the fluid ejecting apparatus.

  As a fluid ejecting apparatus that ejects a fluid, for example, an ink jet recording apparatus is known. An ink jet recording apparatus is an apparatus that records characters, images, and the like on a recording medium, and is configured such that ink is ejected onto a recording medium from nozzles provided on a recording head (ejection head).

This ink jet recording apparatus is provided with a capping mechanism for preventing the inside of the nozzle from being dried and dust from entering the nozzle. The capping mechanism is provided so as to be detachable from the recording head, and has a wall-shaped sealing member that seals a space including the area where the nozzle is provided. Further, in order to recover the ejection characteristics of the nozzles whose ejection characteristics have deteriorated due to drying or the like, a suction mechanism is provided that sucks ink from the nozzles by reducing the pressure of the entire sealed space.
JP 7-125243 A

  However, in the above configuration, since the upper end portion of the seal member is sealed in contact with the nozzle, the sucked ink may adhere to the upper end portion of the seal member. If ink adheres to the upper end of the seal member, the adhesion between the recording head and the seal member may be weakened at the portion where the ink is adhered. In a portion having low adhesion, there is a possibility that a gap may be formed between the recording head and the seal member, so that capping cannot be performed sufficiently. If the capping is not sufficient, the ink in the nozzles cannot be sufficiently sucked, resulting in deterioration of ejection characteristics and drying in the nozzles.

  In view of the circumstances as described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a fluid ejecting apparatus and a fluid ejecting apparatus maintenance method capable of preventing a suction failure or a moisture retention failure of a nozzle opening due to a capping defect.

  In order to achieve the above object, a fluid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention includes an ejecting head having a plurality of nozzle openings for ejecting fluid, and a capping for sealing a nozzle region provided with the plurality of nozzle openings in the ejecting head. A suction mechanism that sucks a space between the nozzle region and the capping mechanism, and the capping mechanism is in contact with the ejection head and seals the nozzle region, and a second sealing member. A seal member, and a cap main body for holding the first seal member and the second seal member. The first seal member and the second seal member are provided in an annular shape in plan view, and The seal member is disposed inside the second seal member in plan view, and the first seal member and the second seal member are opposed to the cap body. Characterized in that the height of the first sealing member, the height of the second seal member relative to the cap body is provided differently.

  According to the present invention, the capping mechanism includes the first seal member and the second seal member that are in contact with the ejection head and seal the nozzle region, and the cap body that holds the first seal member and the second seal member. The first seal member and the second seal member are provided in an annular shape in plan view, and the first seal member is disposed inside the second seal member in plan view, so that the height of the first seal member relative to the cap body is high. Since the first seal member and the second seal member are provided so that the height of the second seal member with respect to the cap body is different from that of the cap body, the seal member to be brought into contact with the ejection head according to the application is referred to as the first seal member. The second seal member can be used properly. Thereby, compared with the case where the same sealing member is used for a different use, generation | occurrence | production of a capping defect can be suppressed, and the suction failure resulting from a capping defect or the deficient moisture retention of a nozzle opening can be prevented.

  For example, the first seal member and the second seal member can be used for different purposes as a suction seal member and a storage seal member. By providing a suction seal member and a storage seal member, it is possible to avoid using a suction seal member with a high possibility of fluid adhesion during storage, and fluid adheres to the nozzle area. Can be avoided.

The fluid ejecting apparatus may further include an adjustment mechanism that adjusts one of a height of the first seal member and a height of the second seal member.
According to the present invention, since the adjusting mechanism for adjusting any one of the height of the first seal member and the height of the second seal member is further provided, the first seal member and the second seal member Switching can be performed smoothly.

  In the fluid ejecting apparatus, the height of the first seal member is h1, the height of the second seal member is h2, and the dimension of the annular central direction in the cross-sectional shape of the first seal member is w. When the contact angle of the fluid adhering to the upper end portion of the first seal member and the upper end portion is θ, between the height h1 of the first seal member and the height h2 of the second seal member,

The first seal member and the second seal member are provided so as to satisfy the relationship.
According to the present invention, since the first seal member and the second seal member are arranged so as to satisfy the relationship of the above [Equation 1], the fluid between the first seal member and the nozzle formation surface Can be prevented from moving.

  In the fluid ejection device, the height of the first seal member is h1, the distance between the outer periphery of the first seal member and the inner periphery of the second seal member is d, and the height of the first seal member is When the contact angle of the fluid adhering to the upper end and the upper end is θ,

  The first seal member and the second seal member are arranged so as to satisfy the relationship.

  According to the present invention, since the first seal member and the second seal member are arranged so as to satisfy the relationship of [Equation 2], a fluid is generated between the first seal member and the second seal member. Can be prevented from moving.

  A maintenance method for a fluid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention is a maintenance method for a fluid ejecting apparatus including an ejecting head having a plurality of nozzle openings for ejecting fluid, the first sealing member being in contact with the ejecting head, and a first sealing member And a cap body holding the first seal member and the second seal member, and the height of the first seal member relative to the cap body is different from the height of the second seal member relative to the cap body. When the nozzle region in which at least the plurality of nozzle openings are provided among the jet heads is sealed by the capping mechanism provided as described above, the jet head is switched between the first seal member and the second seal member. It makes it contact | abut.

  According to the present invention, when the nozzle region of the ejection head is sealed by the capping mechanism, the first seal member and the second seal member having different heights with respect to the cap body are switched and brought into contact with the ejection head. Depending on the application, the seal member to be brought into contact with the ejection head can be used properly for the first seal member and the second seal member. Thereby, compared with the case where the same sealing member is used for a different use, generation | occurrence | production of a capping defect can be suppressed, and the suction failure resulting from a capping defect or the deficient moisture retention of a nozzle opening can be prevented.

In the maintenance method for the fluid ejecting apparatus, the first sealing member and the second sealing member may be used when the nozzle region is sucked and when the nozzle region is not sucked in a state where the nozzle region is sealed by the capping mechanism. The sealing member is switched to be brought into contact with the ejection head.
According to the present invention, the first seal member and the second seal member are switched to be brought into contact with the ejection head between the case of sucking the nozzle region and the case of not sucking the nozzle region. And the second seal member can be switched and used as a seal member for suction and a seal member for storage, respectively. By switching between a suction seal member and a storage seal member, it is possible to avoid using a suction seal member with a high possibility of fluid adhesion during storage, and fluid adheres to the nozzle area. Can be avoided. As a result, it is possible to prevent suction failure due to capping failure and insufficient moisture retention of the nozzle opening.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, an ink jet printer (hereinafter referred to as printer 1) is exemplified as the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the invention.

FIG. 1 is a partially exploded view showing a schematic configuration of a printer 1 according to the present embodiment.
The printer 1 includes a printer body 5 and a carriage 4 on which a sub tank 2 and a recording head 3 are mounted.

  The printer main body 5 includes a carriage moving mechanism 65 that reciprocates the carriage 4 and a capping that is a characteristic component in the present embodiment and that is used for a cleaning operation for sucking the ink L that has been thickened from each nozzle of the recording head 3. A mechanism 50 and an ink cartridge 6 that stores ink L to be supplied to the recording head 3 via the ink supply tube 34 are provided. The printer main body 5 is provided with a paper feed mechanism (not shown) for transporting recording paper. The paper feed mechanism is a paper feed motor or a paper feed roller (not shown) that is rotationally driven by the paper feed motor. The recording paper is sequentially fed onto the platen 13 in conjunction with a recording (printing / printing) operation.

  The carriage moving mechanism 65 includes a guide shaft 8 installed in the width direction of the printer body 5, a pulse motor 9, a drive pulley 10 that is connected to a rotation shaft of the pulse motor 9 and is driven to rotate by the pulse motor 9, A driving pulley 10 includes an idler pulley 11 provided on the opposite side of the printer body 5 in the width direction, and a timing belt 12 that is stretched between the drive pulley 10 and the idler pulley 11 and connected to the carriage 4. The carriage 4 is reciprocated in the main scanning direction along the guide shaft 8 by driving the pulse motor 9.

  The capping mechanism 50 is disposed at the home position in the printer body 5. This home position is an end area outside the recording area within the movement range of the carriage 4. When the power is turned off or when recording (liquid ejection processing) is not performed for a long time, the carriage 4 The location is set.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the recording head 3, and FIG.
The recording head 3 includes an introduction needle unit 17, a head case 18, a flow path unit 19, and an actuator unit 20 as main components.

  Two ink introduction needles 22 are mounted side by side on the upper surface of the introduction needle unit 17 with the filter 21 interposed. The sub tanks 2 are respectively attached to these ink introduction needles 22. An ink introduction path 23 corresponding to each ink introduction needle 22 is formed inside the introduction needle unit 17.

  The upper end of the ink introduction path 23 communicates with the ink introduction needle 22 via the filter 21, and the lower end communicates with the case flow path 25 formed inside the head case 18 via the packing 24. In the present embodiment, since two types of ink are used, two sub tanks 2 are arranged. However, a configuration using three or more types of ink may be used.

  The sub tank 2 is molded from a resin material such as polypropylene. The sub-tank 2 is formed with a recess that becomes the ink chamber 27, and the ink chamber 27 is partitioned by attaching a transparent elastic sheet 26 to the opening surface of the recess.

  A needle connecting portion 28 into which the ink introduction needle 22 is inserted projects downward from the lower portion of the sub tank 2. The ink chamber 27 in the sub tank 2 has a bowl shape in a cross-sectional view. An opening on the upstream side of the connection flow path 29 that communicates with the needle connection portion 28 is disposed at a position slightly below the central portion in the vertical direction on the side surface of the ink chamber 27. A tank section filter 30 that filters the ink L is attached to the upstream opening.

  A seal member 31 into which the ink introduction needle 22 is liquid-tightly fitted is fitted in the internal space of the needle connection portion 28. The sub-tank 2 is formed with an extending portion 32 that communicates with the ink chamber 27, and an ink inlet 33 projects from the upper surface of the extending portion 32.

  An ink supply tube 34 that supplies ink L stored in the ink cartridge 6 is connected to the ink inlet 33, and the ink L that has passed through the ink supply tube 34 extends from the ink inlet 33. The ink chamber 27 flows into the ink chamber 27.

  The elastic sheet 26 can be deformed in both the direction of contracting the ink chamber 27 and the direction of expanding the ink chamber 27. The deformation of the elastic sheet 26 absorbs the pressure fluctuation of the ink L, and the ink L is supplied to the recording head 3 side in the state where the pressure fluctuation is absorbed in the sub tank 2. Thus, the sub tank 2 functions as a pressure damper.

  The head case 18 is a hollow box-shaped member made of synthetic resin. A flow path unit 19 is joined to the lower end surface of the head case 18, and the actuator unit 20 is accommodated in an accommodation empty portion 37 formed inside, and a packing is formed on the upper end surface opposite to the flow path unit 19 side. An introduction needle unit 17 is attached with 24 interposed. A case channel 25 is provided inside the head case 18 so as to penetrate the height direction. The upper end of the case flow path 25 communicates with the ink introduction path 23 of the introduction needle unit 17 via the packing 24.

  The lower end of the case flow path 25 communicates with the common ink chamber 44 in the flow path unit 19, and the ink L introduced from the ink introduction needle 22 passes through the ink introduction path 23 and the case flow path 25 to the common ink chamber 44 side. To be supplied.

  The actuator unit 20 housed in the housing space 37 of the head case 18 includes a plurality of piezoelectric vibrators 38 arranged in a comb shape, a fixing plate 39 to which the piezoelectric vibrators 38 are joined, and the printer main body side. And a flexible cable 40 as a wiring member for supplying a drive signal from the piezoelectric vibrator 38 to the piezoelectric vibrator 38. Each piezoelectric vibrator 38 has a fixed end portion bonded to a fixed plate 39 and a free end portion protruding outward from the front end surface of the fixed plate 39, and is attached to the fixed plate 39 in a so-called cantilever state. Yes.

  The fixed plate 39 that supports each piezoelectric vibrator 38 is made of, for example, stainless steel having a thickness of about 1 mm. The actuator unit 20 is housed and fixed in the housing space 37 by bonding the back surface of the fixing plate 39 to the inner wall surface of the case that defines the housing space 37.

  The flow path unit 19 includes a vibration plate (sealing plate) 41, a flow path substrate 42, and a nozzle substrate 43. The diaphragm 41, the flow path substrate 42, and the nozzle substrate 43 are stacked, and are joined and integrated with an adhesive (not shown). The diaphragm 41, the flow path substrate 42, and the nozzle substrate 43 are members that form a series of ink flow paths (liquid flow paths) from the common ink chamber 44 to the nozzle openings 47 through the ink supply ports 45 and the pressure chambers 46. It is. The pressure chamber 46 is formed as an elongated chamber in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the nozzle openings 47 are arranged (nozzle row direction). The common ink chamber 44 communicates with the case flow path 25 and is a chamber into which ink L is introduced from the ink introduction needle 22 side. The ink L introduced into the common ink chamber 44 is distributed and supplied to each pressure chamber 46 through the ink supply port 45.

  The nozzle substrate 43 arranged at the bottom of the flow path unit 19 is a thin metal plate material in which a plurality of nozzle openings 47 are opened in a row at a pitch (for example, 180 dpi) corresponding to the dot formation density. The nozzle substrate 43 of the present embodiment is made of a stainless steel plate material, and for example, a total of 22 rows of nozzle openings 47 (that is, nozzle rows) are provided corresponding to each sub tank 2. One nozzle row is composed of, for example, 180 nozzle openings 47. The surface of the nozzle substrate 43 on which the nozzle openings 47 are arranged is a nozzle forming surface. Hereinafter, the region on the nozzle substrate 43 is referred to as a nozzle region 47R (see FIG. 2).

  A flow path substrate 42 disposed between the nozzle substrate 43 and the vibration plate 41 is a flow path portion that becomes an ink flow path, specifically, a common ink chamber 44, an ink supply port 45, and an empty space that becomes a pressure chamber 46. It is a plate-like member in which a section is formed.

  The flow path substrate 42 is produced, for example, by subjecting a silicon wafer, which is a crystalline base material, to anisotropic etching. The vibration plate 41 is a double-structured composite plate material in which an elastic film is laminated on a metal support plate such as stainless steel. An island portion 48 to which the tip surface of the piezoelectric vibrator 38 is joined is formed in a portion corresponding to the pressure chamber 46 of the vibration plate 41 by removing the support plate in an annular shape by etching or the like. This island part 48 functions as a diaphragm part. The vibration plate 41 is configured such that the elastic film around the island portion 48 is elastically deformed in response to the operation of the piezoelectric vibrator 38, seals one opening surface of the flow path substrate 42, and the compliance portion 49. It has come to function as. As for the portion corresponding to the compliance portion 49, the support plate is removed by etching or the like as in the diaphragm portion, and only the elastic film remains.

  In the recording head 3, when a drive signal is supplied to the piezoelectric vibrator 38 through the flexible cable 40, the piezoelectric vibrator 38 expands and contracts in the longitudinal direction of the element, and accordingly, the island portion 48 approaches the pressure chamber 46. It moves in the direction or the direction away from it. The volume of the pressure chamber 46 is changed by the movement of the island portion 48, and a pressure fluctuation occurs in the ink L in the pressure chamber 46, and the ink droplet D is ejected from the nozzle opening 47 by this pressure fluctuation.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the configuration of the capping mechanism 50, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration along the section AA in FIG.
As shown in these drawings, the capping mechanism 50 includes a seal member 51, a cap body 52, and a suction mechanism 53. The seal member 51 is held by the cap body 52 and is within an area surrounded by the seal member 51. The suction mechanism 53 is connected to the main body.

  The seal member 51 has a first seal member 54 and a second seal member 55. As shown in FIG. 4, the first seal member 54 and the second seal member 55 are formed in an annular shape so as to surround the central portion of the cap body 52 in plan view, and the first seal member 54 is second in plan view. It is arranged inside the seal member 55. The outer surface of the first seal member 54 and the inner surface of the second seal member 55 are separated by a distance d.

  Both the upper end portion 54 a of the first seal member 54 and the upper end portion 55 a of the second seal member 55 are flat, and the upper end portion 54 a and the upper end portion 55 a come into contact with the nozzle substrate 43. In a state where the upper end portion 54 a is in contact with the nozzle substrate 43, a region surrounded by the first seal member 54, the nozzle substrate 43, and the cap body 52 is sealed. Similarly, the region surrounded by the second seal member 55, the nozzle substrate 43 and the cap body 52 is sealed in a state where the upper end portion 55 a is in contact with the nozzle substrate 43. As shown in FIG. 5, the height h1 from the upper surface 52a of the cap body 52 to the upper end portion 54a of the first seal member 54 is the height h2 from the upper surface 52a of the cap body 52 to the upper end portion 55a of the second seal member 55. Is lower than.

  The cap body 52 has a through hole 56 at the center in plan view. The through hole 56 communicates with a pipe of a connection pipe 57 provided on the lower surface 52 b of the cap body 52, and the connection pipe 57 is connected to the suction mechanism 53. The suction mechanism 53 can suck a region surrounded by the first seal member 54 and the second seal member 55 on the upper surface 52a of the cap body 52 through the connection pipe 57 and the through hole 56.

  A groove 59 is provided in a region of the cap body 52 that overlaps the second seal member 55 in plan view, and a spring member 60 is provided in the groove 59. Four spring members 60 are provided, for example, one on each side of the groove 59, and one end of the spring member 60 is connected to the lower end 55 b of the second seal member 55. The other end of the spring member 60 is connected to the bottom of the groove 59. When the spring member 58 expands and contracts, the height h2 from the upper surface 52a of the cap body 52 to the upper end portion 55a of the second seal member 55 changes. When the spring member 60 contracts, a part of the second seal member 55 is accommodated in the groove 59. As described above, the adjusting mechanism 58 that adjusts the height of the second seal member 55 is configured by the groove 59 and the spring member 60.

6 and 7 are conceptual diagrams for explaining the positional relationship between the first seal member 54 and the second seal member 55 (the relationship between the distance d, the height h1, and the height h2).
As shown in FIG. 6, it is assumed that ink is attached to the entire surface of the upper end portion 54a of the first seal member 54, and the surface of the ink is a part of a spherical surface having a radius r. Considering an XY coordinate plane whose origin is the center of this spherical surface, assuming that the contact angle between the upper end portion 54a and the ink is θ, the X coordinate and Y coordinate of the upper end portion 54a at the left end in the drawing are expressed by the following [Equation 3]. It is represented by

Here, since θ _a = 90 ° −θ, when the X coordinate and the Y coordinate are represented by r and θ, the following [Equation 4] is obtained.

On the other hand, if the height of the ink from the upper end portion 54a of the first seal member 54 and _{y ink,} the _{y ink} is expressed by the following Equation 5.

  This result is applied to the example shown in FIG. When the width of the first seal member 54 (annular dimension in the central direction) is w, w = 2X. Substituting X = r · sin θ into this equation and transforming it with respect to r yields [Equation 6] below.

  By substituting this [Equation 6] into the [Equation 5], we obtain

  If the height h2 of the second seal member 55 is higher than the sum of the height h1 of the first seal member 54 and the height of the ink, the ink is formed between the first seal member 54 and the nozzle forming surface (the surface of the nozzle substrate 47). It is considered that the ink can be prevented from moving, and ink can be prevented from adhering to the second seal member 55. For this reason, the height h2 of the second seal member 55 is set so as to satisfy the following [Equation 8].

The same applies to the distance d between the first seal member 54 and the second seal member 55. Assuming that the ink is attached to the entire side surface of the first seal member 54, the maximum horizontal dimension (height when FIG. 7 is rotated by 90 °) x _ink of the _ink is as follows. [Expression 9]

If the distance d between the first seal member 54 and the second seal member 55 is larger than the maximum _ink size _xink obtained in [Equation 9], it is considered that ink can be prevented from adhering to the second seal member 55. Therefore, the distance d between the first seal member 54 and the second seal member 55 is set to satisfy the following [Equation 10].

Next, an example of the operation of the printer 1 having the above configuration will be described. Here, the maintenance operation including the suction operation and the storage operation will be mainly described.
When the print data is transmitted from the outside, the control device develops the print data into ejection data corresponding to the dot pattern and transmits it to the recording head 3. The recording head 3 executes recording (printing / printing) processing based on the received ejection data, that is, ejection of the ink droplet D onto the recording paper.

  When the operation of the printer 1 is continued after the recording process, the periodic maintenance process is started when a preset time has elapsed. If the operation is not continued after the recording process, the process of the ink jet printer ends. Hereinafter, the case of continuing the operation will be described.

  When the periodic maintenance process is started, the control device moves the recording head 3 to the maintenance position, and makes the recording head 3 and the capping mechanism 50 face each other. The capping mechanism 50 is arranged so that the region surrounded by the first seal member 54 includes the nozzle region 47R.

  When the lower surface 43a of the nozzle substrate 43 and the upper surface 52a of the cap body 52 of the capping mechanism 50 are opposed to each other, the cap body 52 is raised and the upper end portion 54a of the first seal member 54 is moved to the lower surface 43a of the nozzle substrate 43. Abut. Since the upper end portion 55a is at a higher height from the cap body 52 than the upper end portion 54a, the upper end portion 55a contacts the lower surface 43a first than the upper end portion 54a as shown in FIG.

  When the cap main body 52 is further raised from this state, the spring member 60 is contracted by the raising force, and the lower portion of the second seal member 55 is accommodated in the groove 59. As shown in FIG. 9, the cap body 52 is raised until the upper end portion 54 a of the first seal member 54 comes into contact with the lower surface 43 a of the nozzle substrate 43.

  When the upper end portion 54a comes into contact with the lower surface 43a, the region surrounded by the first seal member 54, the lower surface 43a and the cap body 52 is sealed, that is, the space facing the nozzle region 47R of the recording head 3 is sealed. Will be. In this state, the suction mechanism 53 is driven to suck the sealed space, and the sealed space is brought into a negative pressure state. By setting the sealed space to a negative pressure state, a certain amount of ink is ejected from the nozzle opening 47 toward the sealed space that is in a negative pressure state. The ejected ink is sucked by the suction mechanism 53 through the through hole 56 and the connecting pipe 57 of the cap body 52.

  After ink suction or at the time of ink discharge, the discharged ink may adhere to the upper end portion 54a or the inner surface of the first seal member 54. Since the lower surface 43a of the nozzle substrate 43 and the upper end portion 54a of the first seal member 54 are in close contact with each other, the ink does not protrude outside the first seal member 54 (on the second seal member 55 side).

  After the ink is ejected, the suction mechanism 53 is reversely driven to open the sealed space in a negative pressure state to the atmosphere. By opening this space to the atmosphere, the ink interface (meniscus) state of the nozzle opening 47 is maintained. After releasing the atmosphere, the recording head 3 is raised and the recording head 3 is separated from the capping mechanism 50. After the recording head 3 is separated, the recording operation on the recording paper is resumed using the recording head 3.

  On the other hand, when performing the storing operation, only the upper end portion 55a of the second seal member 55 is brought into contact with the lower surface 43a of the nozzle substrate 43 (the state shown in FIG. 8), and the space facing the nozzle region 47R is the first. 2 It seals with the sealing member 55 and the cap main body 52. FIG. Even when ink is attached to the upper end portion 54a of the first seal member 54 during the above suction operation, the second seal member 55 different from the first seal member 54 to which the ink is attached has the lower surface 43a. As a result, the nozzle region 47R is reliably sealed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the capping mechanism 50 includes the first seal member 54 and the second seal member 55, and the cap body 52 that holds the first seal member 54 and the second seal member 55 has a first structure. Since the height h1 of the first seal member 54 and the height h2 of the second seal member 55 with respect to the cap main body 52 are different from each other, the seal member 51 to be brought into contact with the recording head 3 according to the application is provided. The first seal member 54 and the second seal member 55 can be used properly. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of a capping defect can be suppressed compared with the case where the same sealing member is used for another use, and the suction failure resulting from the capping failure or the lack of moisture retention of the nozzle opening can be prevented.

  For example, as described above, the first seal member 54 can be used as a seal member for suction, and the second seal member 55 can be used as a seal member for storage according to use. By providing each of the suction seal member and the storage seal member, it is possible to avoid the use of the first seal member 54 for suction with a high possibility of adhesion of ink during storage. Ink adhesion can be avoided.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the spring member 60 is connected only to the second seal member 55 as a configuration of the adjustment mechanism 58, and only the height h2 of the second seal member 55 can be changed. However, the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 10, the spring member 60 is also connected to the first seal member 54 so that both the height h1 of the first seal member 54 and the height h2 of the second seal member 55 can be changed. It doesn't matter.

  In the above embodiment, the adjustment mechanism 58 includes the spring member 60, and the height h2 of the second seal member 55 is changed only by the pressure from the upper end portion 55a of the second seal member 55. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an actuator such as an air cylinder mechanism or a motor mechanism is connected to the second seal member 55 instead of the spring member 60, and the height h2 of the second seal member 55 is set to a desired height. You may be able to adjust it. Of course, this actuator may be connected to the first seal member 54 so that the height h1 of the first seal member 54 can be adjusted to a desired height.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the height h1 of the 1st seal member 54 arrange | positioned inside was the structure lower than the height h2 of the 2nd seal member 55 arrange | positioned on the outer side, conversely a 1st seal | sticker. The height h1 of the member 54 may be higher than the height h2 of the second seal member 55.

  In the above embodiment, the cap body 52 has a plate shape, and the first seal member 54 and the second seal member 55 are provided so as to protrude from the upper surface 52a of the cap body. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, an edge portion 52b is provided on the peripheral edge of the cap body 52, and the first seal member 54 and the second seal member 55 are arranged on the edge portion 52b. It may be configured as described above. In FIG. 11, the configuration in which the adjustment mechanism 58 is not provided is shown as an example. However, the adjustment mechanism 58 may be provided in this configuration.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a main part around a recording head. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a nozzle formation surface of a recording head. The top view which shows the structure of a capping mechanism. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of a capping mechanism. The figure for demonstrating the positional relationship of a 1st seal member and a 2nd seal member. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a printer maintenance operation. Same operation diagram. Sectional drawing which shows the other structure of a capping mechanism. Sectional drawing which shows the other structure of a capping mechanism.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printer (fluid ejecting apparatus) 3 ... Recording head (ejection head) 47 ... Nozzle opening 47R ... Nozzle area 50 ... Capping mechanism 52 ... Cap body 53 ... Suction mechanism 54 ... First seal member 55 ... Second seal member 58 ... Adjustment mechanism 59 ... groove 60 ... spring member L ... ink

Claims (6)

An ejection head having a plurality of nozzle openings for ejecting fluid;
A capping mechanism for sealing a nozzle region provided with the plurality of nozzle openings in the ejection head;
A suction mechanism for sucking a space between the nozzle region and the capping mechanism;
With
The capping mechanism has a first seal member and a second seal member that are in contact with the ejection head and seal the nozzle region, and a cap body that holds the first seal member and the second seal member,
The first seal member and the second seal member are provided annularly in a plan view, and the first seal member is disposed inside the second seal member in a plan view,
The first seal member and the second seal member are provided such that a height of the first seal member with respect to the cap body is different from a height of the second seal member with respect to the cap body. Fluid ejecting apparatus. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an adjustment mechanism that adjusts at least one of a height of the first seal member and a height of the second seal member. The height of the first seal member is h1, the height of the second seal member is h2, the dimension of the annular central direction in the cross-sectional shape of the first seal member is w, and the height of the first seal member is When the contact angle of the fluid adhering to the upper end and the upper end is θ,
Between the height h1 of the first seal member and the height h2 of the second seal member,

The fluid ejection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first seal member and the second seal member are provided so as to satisfy the relationship. The height of the first seal member is h1, the distance between the outer periphery of the first seal member and the inner periphery of the second seal member is d, and the upper end portion and the upper end portion of the first seal member are When the contact angle of the fluid that adheres is θ,

The fluid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first seal member and the second seal member are disposed so as to satisfy the relationship. A maintenance method for a fluid ejecting apparatus including an ejecting head having a plurality of nozzle openings for ejecting fluid,
A first seal member and a second seal member that are in contact with the ejection head; a cap body that holds the first seal member and the second seal member; and a height of the first seal member relative to the cap body. When sealing a nozzle region provided with at least the plurality of nozzle openings in the ejection head by a capping mechanism provided so that the height of the second seal member with respect to the cap body is different.
A maintenance method for a fluid ejecting apparatus, wherein the first seal member and the second seal member are switched and brought into contact with the ejection head. In the state where the nozzle area is sealed by the capping mechanism, the first seal member and the second seal member are switched between the case where the nozzle area is sucked and the case where the nozzle area is not sucked. The maintenance method of the fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the contact is made.

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