JP2009220520A - Liquid discharge apparatus and wiping method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress scattering of cleaning liquid from a rotating wiping body even when the wiping body is rotated to wipe a nozzle surface. <P>SOLUTION: The cleaning liquid is recovered from the wiping body 32 with a pump 34 after the wiping body 32 applied the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface 14 before the wiping body 32 wipes the nozzle surface 14. This can prevent scattering of the cleaning liquid because the wiping body 32 can be rotated to wipe the nozzle surface 14 in the state where almost no cleaning liquid is present in the wiping body 32. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid and a wiping method for wiping a nozzle surface.

  As a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid, an ink ejecting apparatus having a cleaning device that cleans an ink ejecting section is known, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-228707.

  This cleaning device has a roller portion that contacts and rotates with respect to the ink discharge portion, and an elastic body is disposed on the surface of the roller portion, and the ink discharge portion is supplied by supplying cleaning liquid to the elastic body. It is configured to be washed.

JP 2002-172895 A

  Here, as in Patent Document 1, when cleaning liquid is supplied to a rotating roller for cleaning, the cleaning liquid may be scattered because the roller is rotated while the cleaning liquid is supplied. If the rotation speed of the roller is slowed so that the cleaning liquid does not scatter, the wiping force of the roller becomes weak, and deposits on the nozzle surface cannot be removed.

  In consideration of the above facts, the present invention has an object to suppress scattering of cleaning liquid from a rotating wiping body even when the wiping body is rotated to wipe the nozzle surface.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid ejection apparatus having a liquid ejection head having a nozzle surface on which a nozzle for ejecting liquid is formed, and applying a cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface and rotating to wipe the nozzle surface. A wiping body, a supply means for supplying a cleaning liquid to the wiping body, and after the wiping body has applied the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface and before the wiping body wipes the nozzle surface, And a recovery means for recovering from the wiping body.

  According to this configuration, the wiping body applies the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface on which the nozzle for discharging the liquid is formed. This cleaning liquid is supplied to the wiping body by the supply means. Further, the wiping body rotates to wipe the nozzle surface.

Here, in the configuration of claim 1, the recovery means recovers the cleaning liquid from the wiping body after the wiping body has applied the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface and before the wiping body wipes the nozzle surface.
Thereby, in a state where there is almost no cleaning liquid in the wiping body, the wiping body can be rotated and the nozzle surface can be wiped off, so that scattering of the cleaning liquid can be suppressed.

  The liquid ejection device according to a second aspect of the present invention is the liquid ejection device according to the first aspect, wherein the wiping body rotates to apply the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface and apply the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface. The nozzle surface is wiped at a rotation speed faster than the rotation speed.

  According to this configuration, the wiping body rotates to apply the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface, and wipes the nozzle surface at a rotation speed faster than the rotation speed when applying the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface. Thereby, the wiping performance of the wiping body is improved while suppressing the scattering of the cleaning liquid.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the liquid ejection device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the liquid ejection device is formed inside the wiping body, and supplies the cleaning liquid to the wiping body and the cleaning liquid from the wiping body. It is characterized by having a passage that enables recovery of the same by the same route.

According to this configuration, the supply of the cleaning liquid to the wiping body and the recovery of the cleaning liquid from the wiping body are performed in the same path by the passage formed inside the wiping body.
For this reason, space saving of an apparatus and reduction of a number of parts can be aimed at, and size reduction and cost reduction of an apparatus are realizable.

  In the wiping method according to claim 4 of the present invention, the first step of applying the cleaning liquid with the wiping body to the nozzle surface of the liquid discharge head on which the nozzle for discharging the liquid is formed, and the cleaning liquid is applied in the first step. A second step of recovering the cleaning liquid remaining on the wiping body from the wiping body; and a third step of rotating the wiping body from which the cleaning liquid has been recovered in the second step to wipe the nozzle surface. It is characterized by having.

According to this configuration, in the first step, the cleaning liquid is applied by the wiping body to the nozzle surface of the liquid discharge head on which the nozzle for discharging the liquid is formed.
In the second step, the cleaning liquid remaining on the wiping body coated with the cleaning liquid in the first step is collected from the wiping body. In the third step, the nozzle surface is wiped by rotating the wiping body from which the cleaning liquid has been collected in the second step.

  Thereby, in a state where there is almost no cleaning liquid in the wiping body, the wiping body can be rotated and the nozzle surface can be wiped off, so that scattering of the cleaning liquid can be suppressed.

  Since this invention was set as the said structure, even when rotating a wiping body and wiping a nozzle surface, scattering of the washing | cleaning liquid from the rotating wiping body can be suppressed.

Below, an example of an embodiment concerning the present invention is described based on a drawing.
In the present embodiment, an ink jet recording apparatus that records an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink droplets will be described as an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid.

  The liquid ejecting apparatus is not limited to the ink jet recording apparatus. Examples of the liquid discharge device include a color filter manufacturing device for manufacturing a color filter by discharging ink or the like on a film or glass, a device for forming an EL display panel by discharging an organic EL solution onto a substrate, and a dissolved state. An apparatus for forming bumps for component mounting by discharging solder onto a substrate, an apparatus for forming a wiring pattern by discharging a liquid containing metal, and various film forming apparatuses for forming a film by discharging a liquid In other words, any device that discharges liquid may be used.

(Configuration of inkjet recording apparatus according to this embodiment)
First, the configuration of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an inkjet recording apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment includes an inkjet recording head 20 that records an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink droplets as an example of a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid. .

  The ink jet recording head 20 has a nozzle surface 14 on which nozzles 12 for discharging ink droplets are formed. The ink jet recording head 20 records an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink droplets from the nozzle 12 onto a recording medium such as paper conveyed under the nozzle surface 14.

  The ink jet recording apparatus 10 includes a cleaning device 30 that cleans the nozzle surface 14 of the ink jet recording head 20. The cleaning device 30 is configured to be relatively movable between a facing position facing the nozzle surface 14 of the inkjet recording head 20 and a retracted position retracted from the nozzle surface 14 of the inkjet recording head 20.

  When cleaning the nozzle surface 14 of the inkjet recording head 20, the cleaning device 30 moves relative to the opposing position to clean the nozzle surface 14. Since the inkjet recording head 20 and the cleaning device 30 only need to move relative to each other, the inkjet recording head 20 may move or the cleaning device 30 may move. Moreover, FIG. 1 is a figure which shows the state which the cleaning apparatus 30 moved to the opposing position.

  The cleaning device 30 applies a cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface 14 and rotates to wipe the nozzle surface 14, a pump 34 as an example of a supply unit that supplies the cleaning liquid to the wiping body 32, and stores the cleaning liquid. And a tank 33 as a storage part. The pump 34 also functions as an example of a recovery unit that recovers the cleaning liquid from the wiping body 32 as described later.

  The wiping body 32 is formed in a roll shape (cylindrical shape) and has a rotating shaft 40, and is rotatably supported by a support portion (not shown) via the rotating shaft 40. The wiping body 32 is formed of an elastic body having continuous pores of several tens to several hundreds of μm, such as polyurethane and PVA, and can hold a liquid (cleaning liquid) in the internal pores.

  The wiping body 32 is provided with a rotation mechanism 36 that rotates the wiping body 32. The rotation mechanism 36 includes a drive motor 42 for rotationally driving the wiping body 32 and a plurality of gears 44 for transmitting the driving force of the drive motor 42 to the wiping body 32. The plurality of gears 44 includes a gear 44 </ b> A attached to the rotation shaft 40 of the wiping body 32 and a gear 44 </ b> B attached to the drive shaft of the drive motor 42.

  Further, the cleaning device 30 is provided with a contact / separation mechanism 38 capable of bringing the wiping body 32 into contact with the nozzle surface 14 and separating the wiping body 32 in contact with the nozzle surface 14 from the nozzle surface 14. The contact / separation mechanism 38 is configured by an actuator using a ball screw, a solenoid, a cam, and the like, and moves the wiping body 32 in the up and down direction (A direction in FIG. 1) to bring the wiping body 32 into contact and separation. .

  Note that the contact / separation mechanism 38 may be configured to move the entire wiping body 32 by moving the entire cleaning device 30, or may be configured to move the wiping body 32 individually. . Further, since the wiping body 32 and the nozzle surface 14 only need to move relative to each other so that the wiping body 32 and the nozzle surface 14 are in contact with and away from each other, the wiping body 32 and the nozzle recording head 20 side are moved instead of the wiping body 32 side. The wiping body 32 and the nozzle surface 14 may be configured to contact and separate from each other.

  The wiping body 32 wipes the nozzle surface 14 by rotating the wiping body 32 by the rotation mechanism 36 in a state where the wiping body 32 is brought into contact with the nozzle surface 14 by the contact / separation mechanism 38.

  The wiping body 32 may be configured to relatively move along the nozzle surface 14 when the wiping body 32 wipes the nozzle surface 14.

  The rotating shaft 40 of the wiping body 32 is hollow, and a passage 26 through which the cleaning liquid can flow is formed. The rotating shaft 40 is formed with a plurality of through holes (not shown) penetrating from the passage 26 to the outer periphery, and the cleaning liquid can be supplied from the passage 26 to the wiping body 32. One end of the rotating shaft 40 of the wiping body 32 is sealed, and one end of the tube 48 is connected to the other end. The other end of the tube 48 is connected to the tank 33, and a pump 34 is provided in the tube 48.

  The pump 34 is a pump capable of supplying and discharging liquid. Specifically, the pump 34 is constituted by a tube pump. When the pump 34 is rotated forward in the direction B in FIG. 1, the cleaning liquid in the tank 33 passes through the tube 48 and the passage 26 and is wiped from the through hole of the rotary shaft 40. 32.

  The cleaning liquid is supplied to the wiping body 32, and the cleaning liquid is applied to the nozzle surface 14 by wiping the nozzle surface 14 with the wiping body 32 holding the cleaning liquid. That is, the wiping body 32 also functions as an application member that applies the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface 14.

  When the pump 34 is reversed in the direction C in FIG. 1, the cleaning liquid held by the wiping body 32 passes through the passage 26 and the tube 48 from the through hole of the rotating shaft 40, and passes through the passage 26 and the tube 48. To 33. The pump 34 is connected to a control unit 28 that controls the driving of the pump 34. The control unit 28 collects the cleaning liquid by the pump 34 after the wiping body 32 applies the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface 14. This is performed before the wiping body 32 wipes the nozzle surface 14.

  The control unit 28 is also connected to the drive motor 42, and the rotation speed of the wiping body 32 is controlled by the control unit 28 controlling the drive of the drive motor 42. For example, the rotational speed at which the wiping body 32 wipes the nozzle surface 14 is faster than the rotational speed at which the cleaning liquid is applied to the nozzle surface 14.

  A receiving part 46 for receiving the cleaning liquid dropped from the wiping body 32 is disposed below the wiping body 32. The receiving part 46 is made of, for example, a material that absorbs and holds the cleaning liquid.

(Cleaning procedure of the cleaning device according to the present embodiment)
Next, the cleaning procedure of the cleaning device according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a cleaning procedure (maintenance procedure). FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between the cleaning operation (maintenance operation) and the rotational speed of the wiping body 32.

  As shown in FIG. 2, when the maintenance mode is started, the cleaning device 30 starts the rotation of the wiping body 32 by the rotation mechanism 36 in Step 100. The rotational speed of the wiping body 32 at this time is lower than the rotational speed when the nozzle surface 14 is wiped, as shown in FIG. 3, and is a speed that does not cause the cleaning liquid to scatter.

  Next, in step 102, the cleaning device 30 rotates the pump 34 in the normal direction and supplies the cleaning liquid in the tank 33 to the wiping body 32.

  Next, after supplying the cleaning liquid to the wiping body 32 for a predetermined time, the cleaning device 30 drives the contact / separation mechanism 38 in step 104 to bring the outer peripheral surface of the wiping body 32 into contact with the nozzle surface 14 of the inkjet recording head 20. . By contacting the nozzle surface 14 while rotating the wiping body 32, the cleaning liquid can be uniformly applied to the nozzle surface 14. At this time, since the wiping body 32 is wet, even if the wiping body 32 rotates and contacts the nozzle surface 14, the nozzle surface 14 is hardly damaged.

  In addition, the structure which provides the detection means for detecting whether the wiping body 32 was wet may be sufficient. For example, the detection means may be configured to provide a pair of electrodes on the outer periphery of the wiping body 32 and determine whether or not the wiping body 32 is wetted by a change in resistance value when the pair of electrodes are energized. it can. This utilizes the fact that the resistance value increases as the humidity increases. If the pump 34 is controlled according to this detection result, dripping from the wiping body 32 can be suppressed.

  Next, the cleaning device 30 brings the wiping body 32 into contact with the nozzle surface 14 for a predetermined time, and then stops the pump 34 in step 106 and stops the rotation of the wiping body 32 in step 108.

  Next, in step 110, the nozzle surface 14 is left with the cleaning liquid applied. The reason for leaving it is to dissolve the deposit on the nozzle surface 14 with the cleaning liquid. The pump 34 is stopped to save the cleaning liquid, and the rotation of the wiping body 32 is stopped to suppress wear of the wiping body 32 due to sliding.

  Next, in step 112, the pump 34 is reversed to collect the cleaning liquid inside the wiping body 32 into the tank 33. In step 114, the pump 34 is stopped. As a result, there is almost no cleaning liquid in the pores inside the wiping body 32.

  Next, in step 116, the wiping body 32 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 36 to wipe the nozzle surface 14. The rotational speed of the wiping body 32 at this time is higher than the rotational speed when the cleaning liquid is applied to the nozzle surface 14 as shown in FIG. Since the wiping body 32 rotates at a high speed, the deposits that could not be dissolved by the cleaning liquid can be easily removed.

  In addition, when φ30 polyurethane was used for the wiping body 32, when the rotational speed of the wiping body 32 was 10 rpm when applying the cleaning liquid and 100 rpm when wiping, the cleaning liquid was not scattered and the wiping property was good.

  Next, in step 118, the contact / separation mechanism 38 is driven to separate the wiping body 32 from the nozzle surface 14.

  Next, in step 120, the wiping body 32 is cleaned as necessary. In this state, the wiping body 32 is rotated and the cleaning liquid is supplied while the wiping body 32 is separated from the nozzle surface 14. Thereby, the deposits on the surface of the wiping body 32 can be washed away, and the performance of the wiping body 32 can be recovered. The rotational speed of the wiping body 32 at this time is approximately the same as the rotational speed when the cleaning liquid is applied to the nozzle surface 14, as shown in FIG. At this time, the cleaning liquid flowing out from the surface of the wiping body 32 is received by the receiving portion 46. Thus, the maintenance mode ends.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the pump 34 collects the cleaning liquid from the wiping body 32 after the wiping body 32 applies the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface 14 and before the wiping body 32 wipes the nozzle surface 14. .

  Thereby, since the nozzle surface 14 can be wiped by rotating the wiping body 32 in a state where the wiping body 32 has almost no cleaning liquid, scattering of the cleaning liquid can be suppressed. Moreover, since the wiping body 32 can be rotated at high speed, the wiping performance of the wiping body 32 is improved.

  In addition, after wiping with the wiping body 32, you may perform the wiping by a blade as finishing.

  In the above embodiment, the path for supplying the cleaning liquid to the wiping body 32 and the path for collecting the cleaning liquid from the wiping body 32 are the same path, but these paths may be separated. As a structure which makes a path | route separate, for example, it can be set as the structure which each forms the channel | path for supplying a washing | cleaning liquid, and the channel | path for collect | recovering cleaning liquids. According to this configuration, even when ink is mixed into the recovered cleaning liquid, there is no fear that the ink is mixed into the cleaning liquid supplied to the wiping body 32, and therefore, the cleaning liquid storage property and cleaning property can be improved.

  In the above embodiment, the pump 34 functions as a supply unit that supplies the cleaning liquid to the wiping body 32 and a recovery unit that recovers the cleaning liquid from the wiping body 32, but a supply unit that supplies the cleaning liquid to the wiping body 32. The recovery means for recovering the cleaning liquid from the wiping body 32 may be configured to function separately. For example, a pump as a supply unit that supplies the cleaning liquid to the wiping body 32 and a pump as a recovery unit that recovers the cleaning liquid from the wiping body 32 may be provided.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the wiping body 32 is rotated when the cleaning liquid is applied to the nozzle surface 14. However, as shown in FIG. 4, the wiping body 32 is moved to the nozzle by utilizing the elasticity of the wiping body 32. The structure which presses against the surface 14 and apply | coats a washing | cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface 14 may be sufficient.

  In this configuration, the wiping body 32 is moved upward as shown in FIG. 4 (A), and the wiping body 32 is pressed against the nozzle surface 14 as shown in FIG. 4 (B). As a result, the cleaning liquid held in the pores of the wiping body 32 in the collapsed portion oozes out, the cleaning liquid is applied to the nozzle surface 14, and the nozzle surface 14 is moistened. In this state, when the wiping body 32 is slowly separated from the nozzle surface 14 by the contact / separation mechanism 38, the cleaning liquid on the nozzle surface 14 is reabsorbed by the wiping body 32 as shown in FIG. 14 evenly. Thereafter, the cleaning liquid in the wiping body 32 is collected, and the wiping body 32 is rotated to wipe the nozzle surface 14 as shown in FIG.

  According to this structure, since the sliding with respect to the nozzle surface 14 of the wiping body 32 can be reduced, the surface of the nozzle surface 14 (for example, a liquid repellent film) and the wear of the wiping body 32 can be suppressed.

(Modification of wiping body according to this embodiment)
Next, the modification which deform | transformed the wiping body 32 which concerns on said embodiment is demonstrated.

  As shown in FIGS. 5A and 6, the wiping body 52 according to the modification is laminated on the pipe material 52A, the elastic layer 52B laminated on the outer circumferential surface of the pipe material 52A, and the outer circumferential surface of the elastic layer 52B. The non-woven fabric 52C and a holding body 52D that is filled in the pipe material 52A and can hold the liquid. In FIG. 5, the pipe material 52A, the elastic layer 52B, and the nonwoven fabric 52C are illustrated as one layer.

  The pipe material 52A, the elastic layer 52B, and the nonwoven fabric 52C are formed with holes 54 through which the holding body 52D can protrude. A sponge or the like that expands by absorbing the cleaning liquid is used for the holding body 52D.

  The wiping body 52 has a rotating shaft 40 as with the wiping body 32. The rotating shaft 40 is hollow, and a passage 26 through which the cleaning liquid can flow is formed. The rotating shaft 40 is formed with a plurality of through holes (not shown) penetrating from the passage 26 to the outer periphery.

  As with the wiping body 32, one end of the rotating shaft 40 of the wiping body 52 is sealed, and one end of the tube 48 is connected to the other end. A tank 33 is connected to the other end of the tube 48, and a pump 34 is provided in the tube 48. 5 and 6, illustration of the tube 48, the tank 33, and the pump 34 is omitted.

  In this configuration, when the cleaning liquid is supplied to the wiping body 52 by the pump 34, the holding body 52 </ b> D inside the wiping body 52 is moistened and expanded as shown in FIG. When the cleaning liquid continues to be supplied to the wiping body 52, the cleaning liquid oozes out from the holes 54 on the surface of the wiping body 52 and wets the surface of the nonwoven fabric 52C in the outermost layer. In this state, when the wiping body 52 is rotated and the holding body 52D raised from the hole 54 is brought into contact with the nozzle surface 14, the cleaning liquid can be applied to the nozzle surface 14. Note that the nonwoven fabric 52C also comes into contact with the nozzle surface 14, but since it is wet, the surface of the nozzle surface 14 (for example, a liquid repellent layer) is hardly damaged.

  Next, when the cleaning liquid in the holding body 52D is recovered by the pump 34, the holding body 52D raised from the hole 54 contracts as shown in FIG.

  Thereby, in a state where there is almost no cleaning liquid in the wiping body 52, the wiping body 52 can be rotated and the nozzle surface 14 can be wiped off, so that scattering of the cleaning liquid can be suppressed. Further, the wiping body 52 according to the modified example has a small exposed area only by the holding body 52D being exposed from the hole 54, and can more effectively suppress scattering of the cleaning liquid from the holding body 52D. Moreover, since the wiping body 52 can be rotated at high speed, the wiping performance of the wiping body 52 is improved.

Further, the wiping body 52 according to the modification has an advantage that a wiping member suitable for the ink jet recording head 20 can be selected because the surface material has a higher degree of freedom.
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications, changes, and improvements can be made.

[Reference example]
Next, a reference example serving as a reference for the present embodiment will be described.
In the reference example, an ink jet recording apparatus that ejects ink droplets and records an image on a recording medium will be described as an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid.

  The liquid ejecting apparatus is not limited to the ink jet recording apparatus. Examples of the liquid discharge device include a color filter manufacturing device for manufacturing a color filter by discharging ink or the like on a film or glass, a device for forming an EL display panel by discharging an organic EL solution onto a substrate, and a dissolved state. An apparatus for forming bumps for component mounting by discharging solder onto a substrate, an apparatus for forming a wiring pattern by discharging a liquid containing metal, and various film forming apparatuses for forming a film by discharging a liquid In other words, any device that discharges liquid may be used.

(Configuration of inkjet recording apparatus according to reference example)
First, the configuration of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the reference example will be described. 7 to 12 are schematic diagrams illustrating the configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus according to a reference example.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the inkjet recording apparatus 100 according to the reference example includes an inkjet recording head 120 that records an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink droplets as an example of a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid.

  The ink jet recording head 120 has a nozzle surface 114 on which nozzles for ejecting ink droplets are formed. The ink jet recording head 120 is configured to record an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink droplets from the nozzle onto a recording medium such as paper conveyed under the nozzle surface 114.

  Further, the ink jet recording apparatus 100 includes a cleaning device 130 that cleans the nozzle surface 114 of the ink jet recording head 120. The cleaning device 130 is configured to be relatively movable between a facing position facing the nozzle surface 114 of the inkjet recording head 120 and a retracted position retracted from the nozzle surface 114 of the inkjet recording head 120.

  When cleaning the nozzle surface 114 of the inkjet recording head 120, the cleaning device 130 moves relative to the opposing position to clean the nozzle surface 114. Note that since the inkjet recording head 120 and the cleaning device 130 only need to move relative to each other, the inkjet recording head 120 may move or the cleaning device 130 may move. 7-12 is a figure which shows the state which the cleaning apparatus 130 moved to the opposing position.

  The cleaning device 130 includes a wiping body 132 that applies a cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface 114 and wipes the nozzle surface 114, and a supply unit 134 that supplies the cleaning liquid to the wiping body 132.

  The wiping body 132 is configured by a blade having a rectangular cross section. Further, the wiping body 132 is formed of an elastic body having continuous pores of several tens to several hundreds of μm, such as polyurethane and PVA, and can hold a liquid (cleaning liquid) in the internal pores.

  The wiping body 132 is mounted on a carriage 136 that moves along the nozzle surface 114. The carriage 136 is moved in the lateral direction (D direction in FIG. 7 and E direction in FIG. 11) integrally with the wiping body 132 by a moving mechanism using a ball screw, a solenoid, and a belt.

  Since the wiping body 132 and the nozzle surface 114 only need to move relative to each other, the wiping body 132 is relatively moved along the nozzle surface 114 by moving not the wiping body 132 side but the ink jet recording head 120 side. It may be a configuration.

  Further, the cleaning device 130 is provided with a contact / separation mechanism (not shown) capable of bringing the wiping body 132 into contact with the nozzle surface 114 and allowing the wiping body 132 in contact with the nozzle surface 114 to be separated from the nozzle surface 114. ing. This contact / separation mechanism is configured by an actuator using a ball screw, a solenoid, a cam, and the like, and moves the wiping body 132 in the vertical direction (F direction in FIG. 7) to bring the wiping body 132 into contact with and away from it.

  The contact / separation mechanism may be configured to move the entire wiping device 130 so that the wiping body 132 is contacted / separated, or may be configured to move the carriage 136 individually. Further, the wiping body 132 and the nozzle surface 114 may be moved relative to each other so that the wiping body 132 and the nozzle surface 114 are brought into contact with and separated from each other. Therefore, by moving not the wiping body 132 side but the ink jet recording head 120 side. The wiping body 132 and the nozzle surface 114 may be configured to contact and separate from each other.

  The wiping body 132 wipes the nozzle surface 114 by moving the wiping body 132 laterally by the carriage 136 in a state where the wiping body 132 is brought into contact with the nozzle surface 114 by this contact / separation mechanism.

  The supply unit 134 has a cleaning liquid supply path 134B in which a hole 134A is formed. By driving a pump (not shown), the cleaning liquid is supplied to the cleaning liquid supply path 134B, and the cleaning liquid is dropped from the hole 134A and wiped. A cleaning liquid can be supplied to the body 132.

  The cleaning liquid is supplied to the wiping body 132 by the supply unit 134, and the cleaning liquid is applied to the nozzle surface 114 by wiping the nozzle surface 114 while the wiping body 132 holds the cleaning liquid. That is, the wiping body 132 also functions as an application member that applies the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface 114.

  Further, the cleaning device 130 is an example of a collecting unit that collects the cleaning liquid from the wiping body 132 after the wiping body 132 has applied the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface 114 and before the wiping body 132 wipes the nozzle surface 114. A removal unit 148 for removing the cleaning liquid in the wiping body 132 is provided.

  The removing unit 148 is configured to squeeze out the cleaning liquid in the wiping body 132 by crushing the wiping body 132. Specifically, the removing unit 148 includes a pressing plate 150 capable of pressing the wiping body 132 and a squeeze roll 154 supported on the pressing plate 150 so as to be swingable in the G direction and the H direction in FIG. I have. The squeeze roll 154 is swingably supported by the link member 152 and is urged in the G direction in FIG. 7 by urging means (not shown) such as a spring.

  As a result, when the carriage 136 moves to the removal unit 148, the actuator 156 provided on the carriage 136 pushes one end of the link member 152, and the squeeze roll 154 provided on the other end of the link member moves and pushes. The wiping body 132 is sandwiched between the contact plate 150 and the contact plate 150.

  A receiving portion 158 that receives the squeezed cleaning liquid is disposed below the pressing plate 150, and the squeezed cleaning liquid is collected into the collection tank through the receiving portion 158.

  A receiving part 46 for receiving the cleaning liquid dropped from the wiping body 132 is disposed below the supply part 134. The cleaning liquid dropped from the wiping body 132 is collected into the collection tank through the receiving portion 158.

(Cleaning procedure of the cleaning device according to the reference example)
Next, the cleaning procedure of the cleaning device according to the reference example will be described.
When the maintenance mode is started, the cleaning device 130 first moves the wiping body 132 directly below the supply unit 134 as shown in FIG.

  Next, the pump of the supply unit 134 is driven, and the cleaning liquid is supplied to the wiping body 132 through the hole 134A provided in the cleaning liquid supply path 134B. The cleaning liquid supplied to the wiping body 132 is stored in the pores inside the wiping body 132 and the wiping body 132 is moistened. After the wiping body 132 is sufficiently wetted, the supply of the cleaning liquid is stopped.

  Next, the contact / separation mechanism is driven to bring the wiping body 132 into contact with the nozzle surface 114, and the wiping body 132 is moved by the carriage 136 and slid with respect to the nozzle surface 114 as shown in FIG. Thereby, the cleaning liquid in the wiping body 132 can be applied to the nozzle surface 114.

  When the inkjet recording head 120 is long, that is, when the wiping distance is long, the difference between the cleaning liquid applied at the start and end of wiping increases. In that case, the application amount can be made substantially uniform by controlling the contact / separation mechanism so as to increase the contact amount (= crush amount of the wiping body 132) according to the wiping distance. The same effect can be obtained even if the coating speed is decreased according to the wiping distance.

  When the application of the cleaning liquid is completed, the wiping body 132 moves to the removing unit 148 as shown in FIG. As the wiping body 132 moves, the actuator 156 that is integrally attached to the carriage of the wiping body 132 pushes the link member 152 of the removing unit 148 as shown in FIG. As a result, the wiping body 132 is sandwiched between the pressing plate 150 and the squeeze roll 154, and the cleaning liquid in the wiping body 132 is squeezed. As a result, the cleaning liquid inside the wiping body 132 disappears, and the wiping body 132 becomes nearly dry. In addition, the squeezed liquid is accumulated in the collection tank through the receiving portion 158 directly below the pressing plate 150.

  Next, the carriage 136 moves in the opposite direction. The squeeze roll 154 is separated from the wiping body 132 by the action of the urging means. As shown in FIG. 11, the wiping body 132 advances while sliding on the nozzle surface 114 and wipes the nozzle surface 114. The cleaning liquid and dissolved deposits on the nozzle surface 114 are removed while being absorbed by the wiping body 132.

  When the wiping by the wiping body 132 is completed, as shown in FIG. 12, the wiping body 132 moves again directly below the supply unit 134 to supply the cleaning liquid to the wiping body 132. As a result, dust adhering to the surface of the wiping body 132, deposits that could not be dissolved by the cleaning liquid, and the like can be washed away. Thus, the maintenance mode ends.

  As described above, in the reference example, the cleaning liquid is collected from the wiping body 132 after the wiping body 132 applies the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface 114 and before the wiping body 132 wipes the nozzle surface 114.

  Thereby, since the nozzle surface 114 can be wiped in a state where there is almost no cleaning liquid in the wiping body 132, the wiping performance of the wiping body 132 is improved. In addition, there is an advantage that it can be made more compact than the case of using the rotating wiping body 32 and can be realized at a low cost with a small space.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a cleaning procedure (maintenance procedure) of the cleaning device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between the cleaning operation (maintenance operation) of the cleaning device according to this embodiment and the rotational speed of the wiping body. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration in which the wiping body according to the present embodiment is pressed against the nozzle surface to apply the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface. FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a wiping body according to a modification. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view showing a wiping body according to a modification. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus according to a reference example. FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing an operation of applying a cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface in the ink jet recording apparatus according to the reference example. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operation of moving the wiping body to the removing unit in the ink jet recording apparatus according to the reference example. FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing an operation of squeezing the cleaning liquid of the wiping body in the ink jet recording apparatus according to the reference example. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operation of wiping the nozzle surface with a wiping body in the ink jet recording apparatus according to the reference example. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operation of cleaning the wiping body with a cleaning liquid in the ink jet recording apparatus according to the reference example.

Explanation of symbols

10 Inkjet recording device (liquid ejection device)
14 Nozzle surface 20 Inkjet recording head (liquid ejection head)
26 passage 32 wiping body 34 pump (supply means, recovery means)

Claims (4)

A liquid discharge head having a nozzle surface on which nozzles for discharging liquid are formed;
A wiping body that applies a cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface and rotates to wipe the nozzle surface;
Supply means for supplying a cleaning liquid to the wiping body;
Recovery means for recovering the cleaning liquid from the wiping body after the wiping body has applied the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface and before the wiping body wipes the nozzle surface;
A liquid ejection apparatus comprising:   The wiping body rotates to apply the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface, and wipes the nozzle surface at a rotation speed faster than a rotation speed when applying the cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface. Item 2. The liquid ejection device according to Item 1.   2. The passage according to claim 1, further comprising a passage formed inside the wiping body and configured to supply the cleaning liquid to the wiping body and collect the cleaning liquid from the wiping body through the same path. 3. The liquid ejection device according to 2. A first step of applying a cleaning liquid with a wiping body to a nozzle surface of a liquid discharge head on which a nozzle for discharging liquid is formed;
A second step of recovering from the wiping body the cleaning liquid remaining in the wiping body to which the cleaning liquid is applied in the first step;
A third step of wiping the nozzle surface by rotating the wiping body from which the cleaning liquid has been collected in the second step;
A wiping method characterized by comprising:

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