JP2009248380A - Waste liquid treatment device and liquid ejecting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently cure a waste liquid in a waste liquid storage part. <P>SOLUTION: A waste liquid treatment device has the storage part for storing the waste liquid to be cured when receiving ultraviolet rays, and an irradiating part for applying the ultraviolet rays to a liquid surface of the waste liquid in an uncured state in the storing part. The irradiation part carries out spot irradiation of the ultraviolet rays to make an area of a part hit by the ultraviolet rays of the liquid surface smaller than the area of the liquid surface. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a waste liquid treatment apparatus for treating a waste liquid that is cured by receiving ultraviolet rays, and a liquid ejecting apparatus having the waste liquid treatment apparatus.

A waste liquid treatment apparatus having a storage section for storing waste liquid that is cured by receiving ultraviolet light and an irradiation section for irradiating ultraviolet light toward the liquid surface of the waste liquid in the storage section is a liquid such as an ink jet printer. It is already known as a component device of an injection device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such a waste liquid treatment apparatus, the irradiation unit irradiates the liquid surface with ultraviolet rays from a position above the liquid surface.
JP 2004-1555047 A

  By the way, in the conventional waste liquid processing apparatus, the said irradiation part was being fixed to the position above the said liquid level. On the other hand, as a matter of course, the liquid level of the waste liquid in the container changes in the vertical direction by changing the amount of the waste liquid in the container. For this reason, in the conventional waste liquid treatment apparatus, the distance between the irradiation unit and the liquid level changes with the change in the vertical direction of the liquid level.

  Further, the waste liquid at a position closer to the irradiation unit is more susceptible to ultraviolet rays, and conversely, the waste liquid at a position farther from the irradiation unit is less susceptible to ultraviolet rays. For this reason, in the conventional waste liquid treatment apparatus, it is difficult to appropriately cure the waste liquid in the storage section during a period when the liquid level is low, and uncured waste liquid continues to accumulate in the storage section. Then, as the uncured waste liquid continues to accumulate in the storage section and the liquid level of the waste liquid approaches the irradiation section, the waste liquid near the liquid surface is easily cured. As a result, the waste liquid in the vicinity of the liquid surface is cured, while the waste liquid in the lower part of the storage unit remains in the storage unit in an uncured state.

  This invention is made | formed in view of this subject, The place made into the objective is to harden the waste liquid in a accommodating part appropriately.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the main invention is that (A) a storage unit for storing waste liquid that is cured by receiving ultraviolet rays, and (B) the liquid toward the liquid level of the waste liquid in the storage unit. An irradiation unit that irradiates ultraviolet rays from a position above the surface; and (C) at least one of the irradiation unit and the storage unit, the change in the vertical direction of the liquid level due to a change in the amount of waste liquid in the storage unit The waste liquid treatment apparatus includes: (D) a maintenance mechanism for maintaining the distance between the irradiation unit and the liquid surface by moving up and down according to the above.

  Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

  At least the following will be made clear by the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

  First, (A) an accommodating part for accommodating waste liquid that is cured by receiving ultraviolet rays, and (B) ultraviolet rays are irradiated from a position above the liquid level toward the liquid level of the waste liquid in the accommodating part. And (C) at least one of the irradiation unit and the storage unit is moved up and down in accordance with a change in the vertical direction of the liquid level due to a change in the amount of waste liquid in the storage unit. A waste liquid treatment apparatus, comprising: a maintenance mechanism for maintaining a distance between the portion and the liquid level; and (D).

  In such a waste liquid treatment apparatus, the irradiation unit moves up and down relatively with respect to the liquid level in accordance with a change in the vertical direction of the liquid level so as to maintain the irradiation intensity of ultraviolet rays on the liquid level. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the waste liquid near the liquid surface from being hardened in the housing portion while the waste liquid in the lower portion of the housing portion is left in an uncured state. As a result, it is possible to appropriately cure the waste liquid in the storage unit.

  In the waste liquid treatment apparatus, the irradiation unit may irradiate the entire surface with ultraviolet rays toward the liquid surface. When the irradiation unit irradiates the entire surface with ultraviolet rays, generally, the waste liquid at the bottom of the storage unit away from the irradiation unit tends to remain in the storage unit in an uncured state. On the other hand, with the maintenance mechanism, even when the irradiation unit irradiates the entire surface with ultraviolet rays, the waste liquid in the storage unit can be appropriately cured without leaving the uncured state.

  In the waste liquid treatment apparatus, the storage unit may be a storage tank, and may include a rotation mechanism for rotating the storage tank about an axis that intersects the bottom surface of the storage tank. If a large amount of waste liquid is stored in the storage tank, the waste liquid near the liquid surface (that is, the waste liquid at a position close to the irradiation section) is selectively cured. Can be prevented from staying near the liquid surface. As a result, the waste liquid in the storage tank can be cured more appropriately.

  Furthermore, (A) a nozzle for ejecting a liquid that is cured by receiving ultraviolet rays to a medium, and (B1) a storage unit that stores, as waste liquid, the liquid that does not adhere to the medium among the liquid ejected from the nozzle. And (B2) an irradiation unit that irradiates ultraviolet rays from a position above the liquid surface toward the liquid level of the waste liquid in the storage unit, and (B3) at least one of the irradiation unit and the storage unit A maintenance mechanism for maintaining the distance between the irradiation unit and the liquid level by moving the liquid up and down according to a change in the vertical direction of the liquid level due to a change in the amount of the waste liquid in the storage unit; , (B4) and a liquid ejecting apparatus including (C) can also be realized. With such a liquid ejecting apparatus, the liquid that does not adhere to the medium out of the liquid ejected from the nozzles can be appropriately cured after the liquid is accommodated in the accommodating portion.

  In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the waste liquid treatment apparatus includes a liquid level sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to the liquid level, and the signal output from the liquid level sensor according to a change in the vertical direction of the liquid level. It is good also as having a control part which controls the maintenance mechanism according to change of the signal when this changes, and makes the maintenance mechanism maintain the distance. With such a configuration, it is possible to appropriately maintain the distance between the irradiation unit and the liquid level by controlling the moving mechanism according to a change in the signal output from the liquid level sensor.

=== Configuration of Liquid Ejecting Device of this Embodiment ===
In the present embodiment, a color ink jet printer (hereinafter referred to as the printer 10) will be described as an example of the liquid ejecting apparatus.

<< Basic Configuration of Printer 10 >>
First, the basic configuration of the printer 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a basic configuration of the printer 10. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an outline of the overall configuration of the printer 10. In the drawing, the vertical direction of the printer 10 and the moving direction of the head 31 (hereinafter simply referred to as the moving direction) are indicated by arrows. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the overall configuration of the printer 10 (a cross section in which the normal direction coincides with the axial direction of the rotary shaft 21 of the rotary drum 20). In FIG. Show. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the nozzle surface 31a, and in the drawing, the vertical direction and the moving direction of the printer 10 are indicated by arrows.

  The printer 10 receives print data from the host computer 110 and prints an image on the medium S by ejecting ultraviolet curable ink (hereinafter referred to as UV ink) onto the medium S such as paper or film based on the print data. It is a device to do. The printer 10 of this embodiment prints a color image on the medium S using five colors of UV ink. UV ink is an example of a liquid that is cured by receiving ultraviolet rays. An ink prepared by adding an auxiliary agent such as an antifoaming agent to a mixture of a vehicle containing an ultraviolet curable resin, a photopolymerization initiator, and a pigment. It is. When the UV ink receives ultraviolet rays, the UV ink is cured by a photopolymerization reaction occurring in the ultraviolet curable resin.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 includes a rotary drum 20, a head unit 30, a fixing unit 40, a cap unit 50, a waste liquid processing unit 60 as a waste liquid processing apparatus, and a controller 100.

  The rotating drum 20 is a holding body that holds the medium S on its peripheral surface 22, and rotates around the rotating shaft 21. As shown in FIG. 2, the rotary drum 20 is supported between a pair of upright frames 76 facing each other. When a drive motor (not shown) is activated, the rotary drum 20 is centered on the rotary shaft 21 in a predetermined direction (indicated by an arrow in FIG. 2). In the direction indicated by). As shown in FIG. 3, a part of the peripheral surface 22 of the rotary drum 20 is a region that does not hold the medium S (hereinafter, non-holding region 22a).

  The head unit 30 is for recording an image on the medium S, and includes a head 31 for each ink color, a head carriage 32, and an ink cartridge 33 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, each head 31 has a plurality of nozzles on a nozzle surface 31 a that faces the peripheral surface 22 of the rotary drum 20. The nozzle ejects UV ink supplied from the ink cartridge 33 onto the medium S held on the rotary drum 20. In the present embodiment, a pressure chamber and a piezoelectric element (both the pressure chamber and the piezoelectric element are not shown) are provided for each nozzle. Then, the pressure chamber contracts and expands by driving the piezo element, so that UV ink is ejected in droplets from the nozzle. The head carriage 32 is supported by guide shafts 34 and 35 along the rotation shaft 21 of the rotary drum 20 and reciprocates along the guide shafts 34 and 35. Since each head 31 is mounted on the head carriage 32, the head 31 reciprocates along the guide shafts 34 and 35 as the head carriage 32 moves.

  The fixing unit 40 irradiates UV ink droplets landed on the medium S (that is, UV ink attached to the medium S) with ultraviolet rays, and fixes a dot line composed of the plurality of UV ink droplets to the medium S. It is. The fixing unit 40 is located downstream of the head unit 30 in the rotation direction of the rotary drum 20. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the fixing unit 40 includes a lamp unit 41 for each ink color and a lamp unit carriage 42. Each lamp unit 41 has an irradiation surface 41 a that faces the peripheral surface 22 of the rotary drum 20 along the rotation direction of the rotary drum 20, and emits ultraviolet rays from the irradiation surface 41 a toward the peripheral surface 22 of the rotary drum 20. Irradiate. The lamp unit carriage 42 is supported by guide shafts 43 and 44 along the rotation shaft 21 of the rotary drum 20, and reciprocates along the guide shafts 43 and 44. Since each lamp unit 41 is mounted on the lamp unit carriage 42, the lamp unit 41 reciprocates along the guide shafts 43 and 44 as the lamp unit carriage 42 moves.

  The cap unit 50 seals the nozzle surfaces 31a of the heads 31 when the UV ink is not ejected from the nozzles of the heads 31 toward the medium S (that is, when the printer 10 is in a resting state). It is a lid for suppressing the drying of the UV ink. As shown in FIG. 2, the cap unit 50 is located outside the peripheral surface 22 of the rotating drum 20 in the moving direction. Therefore, the position where the cap unit 50 is located in the moving direction is the standby position of the head 31.

  The cap unit 50 also has a function of receiving UV ink ejected from the nozzle for flushing in a state where the nozzle surface 31a is sealed. More specifically, the cap unit 50 has a recess 50a on the surface on the side that seals the nozzle surface 31a (see, for example, FIG. 5), and was ejected from the nozzle for flushing in the recess 50a. Receive UV ink. The flushing is an operation for forcibly ejecting the UV ink in the nozzle in order to discharge the UV ink that has been dried and thickened because it is in the vicinity of the nozzle opening, and the nozzle is clogged. Implemented to prevent. Naturally, the UV ink ejected from the nozzle for flushing is not used for image printing, and thus corresponds to the UV ink that does not adhere to the medium S.

  The cap unit 50 is connected to a liquid feed pump 51 (for example, see FIG. 5), and the UV ink received by the cap unit 50 (that is, the UV ink ejected from the nozzle for flushing) is supplied to the cap unit 50. The liquid is pumped to the waste liquid treatment unit 60 by the liquid pump 51. The waste liquid treatment unit 60 collects the UV ink sent from the liquid feed pump 51 as waste liquid and hardens the UV ink that is waste liquid (hereinafter also simply referred to as waste liquid). The hardened waste liquid is finally discarded from the printer 10. The waste liquid processing unit 60 of the present embodiment is detachably attached to the printer main body (a part of the printer 10 other than the waste liquid processing unit 60). The main equipment of the waste liquid treatment unit 60 is accommodated in the casing 65, and details will be described later.

  The controller 100 is for controlling each unit of the printer 10. The status of each unit in the printer 10 is monitored by various sensors, and the controller 100 controls each unit of the printer 10 via the unit control circuit 104 by the CPU 102 based on a signal output from each sensor. The controller 100 also includes a memory 103 that stores print data transmitted from the host computer 110.

<< About the waste liquid treatment unit 60 >>
Next, the configuration of the waste liquid treatment unit 60 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing the waste liquid treatment unit 60 of the present embodiment, and the vertical direction is indicated by arrows in the figure. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an LED array described later, and shows the lower surface of the UV irradiation unit 62.

  As described above, the waste liquid treatment unit 60 collects the waste liquid sent from the liquid feed pump 51 and irradiates the waste liquid with ultraviolet rays to cure the waste liquid. As shown in FIG. 5, the waste liquid treatment unit 60 includes a storage tank 61, a UV irradiation unit 62 as an irradiation unit, a moving mechanism 63 as a maintenance mechanism, a liquid level sensor 64, and a rotation mechanism 66. Have.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the storage tank 61 is a cylindrical flat bottom tank that receives the waste liquid sent from the liquid feed pump 51 and stores the waste liquid therein. That is, the storage tank 61 corresponds to a storage unit for storing UV ink ejected from the nozzles for flushing as waste liquid.

  The UV irradiation unit 62 is for irradiating ultraviolet rays toward the liquid level of the waste liquid in the storage tank 61. The UV irradiation unit 62 is located in the storage tank 61 and moves up and down in the storage tank 61 by a moving mechanism 63 described later. Further, the UV irradiation unit 62 has an ultraviolet light emitting element (hereinafter referred to as UV-LED 62a) which is an ultraviolet light source, and a plurality of the UV-LEDs 62a are disposed on the lower surface of the UV irradiation unit 62 as shown in FIG. Are arranged in a row with the surface exposed. The UV irradiation unit 62 irradiates ultraviolet rays with the lower surface thereof facing the liquid surface. That is, the UV irradiation unit 62 irradiates ultraviolet rays from a position above the liquid surface toward the liquid surface.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the LED row | line | column which consists of several UV-LED62a arranged in a row is formed in multiple numbers in the direction which cross | intersects this LED row | line | column. Each of the plurality of LED arrays emits ultraviolet rays having different wavelengths (365 nm, 380 nm, and 390 nm in this embodiment) for each LED array. This is because five types of waste liquids having different ultraviolet absorption wavelengths due to differences in pigment components (that is, five colors of UV ink ejected from the nozzles for flushing) are mixed in the storage tank 61. This is because the waste liquid is appropriately cured by irradiating ultraviolet rays corresponding to the absorption wavelength. The light source is not limited to the UV-LED 62a, and for example, a metal halide lamp, a xenon lamp, a carbon arc lamp, a chemical lamp, a low pressure mercury lamp, a high pressure mercury lamp, or the like can be used.

  The moving mechanism 63 is for moving the UV irradiation unit 62 up and down in the storage tank 61. As shown in FIG. 5, the moving mechanism 63 has a support member 63b that supports the UV irradiation unit 62 via the first arm 63a, and a step motor 63c that is driven to move the support member 63b up and down. is doing. That is, the moving mechanism 63 of the present embodiment moves the UV irradiation unit 62 supported by the support member 63b up and down by moving the support member 63b up and down by the step motor 63c. The support member 63b itself is supported so as to be vertically movable by a guide shaft (not shown) in the waste liquid treatment unit 60 (more specifically, in the casing 65).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the support member 63 b is located above the UV irradiation unit 62 and is located outside the storage tank 61. Therefore, each component of the moving mechanism 63 including the support member 63 b is not immersed in the waste liquid in the storage tank 61. For this reason, it is possible to prevent each component of the moving mechanism 63 from being contaminated by the waste liquid.

  The moving mechanism 63 configured as described above has a distance between the UV irradiation unit 62 and the liquid level when the liquid level of the waste liquid changes in the vertical direction due to a change in the amount of the waste liquid in the storage tank 61. Specifically, it operates to maintain the distance between the lower surface of the UV irradiation unit 62 and the liquid surface. Further, the operation of the moving mechanism 63 is controlled by the controller 100 via the unit control circuit 104 in accordance with the change in the electrical signal output from the liquid level sensor 64. The control of the moving mechanism 63 by the controller 100 will be described in detail later.

  The liquid level sensor 64 is a sensor that detects the liquid level of the waste liquid in the storage tank 61 and outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the liquid level to the controller 100. The liquid level sensor 64 of the present embodiment is an optical liquid level sensor that detects the liquid level based on the reflection of light, and as shown in FIG. 5, the light emitting element 64a and the light emitting element 64a are arranged in parallel. It has a light receiving element 64b and a long rod 64c having a reflecting surface 64d formed at the tip. The optical liquid level sensor generally has high sensitivity, and has high liquid resistance because a fluororesin or the like is used as the material of the rod 64c. For this reason, the liquid level sensor 64 of this embodiment is suitable as a sensor for detecting the liquid level of UV ink containing an irritating substance or the like. However, it is not limited to this, For example, an electrode type liquid level sensor, a float type liquid level sensor, etc. can be used.

  The rotation mechanism 66 is for supporting the storage tank 61 and rotating the storage tank 61. As shown in FIG. 5, the rotating mechanism 66 includes a base 66a that is a hollow frame and fixed to the casing 65, a drive motor (not shown) housed in the base 66a, And a rotation shaft 66b that is rotated by rotation of the drive motor. The rotating shaft 66b protrudes upward from the inside of the base 66a, and a part thereof is located outside the base 66a. The tip of the rotating shaft 66 b is fixed to the center of the bottom surface in a state where the rotating shaft 66 b intersects the bottom surface of the storage tank 61. That is, the rotation shaft 66 b supports the storage tank 61 in a state where it can rotate integrally with the storage tank 61. With the rotation mechanism 66 configured as described above, the storage tank 61 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5 around the rotation shaft 66 b intersecting the bottom surface of the storage tank 61.

<Regarding Control of Moving Mechanism 63>
Hereinafter, control of the moving mechanism 63 by the controller 100 will be described. In describing the control, first, the liquid level detection by the liquid level sensor 64 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B. 7A and 7B are explanatory diagrams of the liquid level detection by the liquid level sensor 64. FIG.

  As described above, the liquid level sensor 64 of the present embodiment detects the liquid level by detecting the presence or absence of reflection of light emitted from the light emitting element 64a, and outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the liquid level. Specifically, when the tip of the rod 64c is in the air, the difference in refractive index between the rod 64c and the air is large, so that the light (detection light) from the light emitting element 64a is emitted as shown in FIG. 7A. Total reflection is performed by the reflecting surface 64d. As a result, the light receiving element 64b receives the detection light and outputs a relatively large electric signal (no liquid signal). Conversely, when the tip is in the liquid, the difference in refractive index is small, so that the detection light is transmitted through the reflecting surface 64d and released into the liquid as shown in FIG. 7B. As a result, the light receiving element 64b does not receive the detection light and outputs a relatively small electric signal (liquid signal). Therefore, the liquid level sensor 64 of the present embodiment is located at a position where the tip of the rod 64c approaches the liquid level in the vertical direction (in other words, a position where the liquid presence signal and the liquid non-signal are switched). The liquid level will be detected.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the liquid level sensor 64 is supported by the support member 63b via a second arm 63d fixed to the upper part thereof. That is, the liquid level sensor 64 can be moved in the vertical direction by the movement of the moving mechanism 63. Thereby, even when the liquid level changes in the vertical direction due to a change in the amount of waste liquid in the storage tank 61, the changed liquid level can be detected.

  More specifically, when the tip of the rod 64c is in a state of reaching the liquid level, a new waste liquid is sent to the storage tank 61 by the liquid feed pump 51, whereby the amount of the waste liquid in the storage tank 61 is increased. When the liquid level increases (that is, when the liquid level rises), the controller 100 controls the moving mechanism 63 to move the liquid level sensor 64 upward. When the tip of the rod 64c reaches the liquid level again in the liquid level sensor 64, the electric signal from the liquid level sensor 64 is switched from the liquid presence signal to the liquid no signal. That is, the liquid level sensor 64 detects the changed liquid level. When the liquid level sensor 64 is positioned at a position where the liquid level sensor 64 detects the liquid level (that is, a position where the electrical signal output from the liquid level sensor 64 switches), the controller 100 moves the liquid level sensor 64 by the moving mechanism 63. To stop.

  On the other hand, when the amount of the waste liquid in the storage tank 61 decreases due to the withdrawal of the waste liquid in the storage tank 61 when the tip of the rod 64c is approaching the liquid level (that is, the liquid level has dropped). The controller 100 controls the moving mechanism 63 to move the liquid level sensor 64 downward. Then, the liquid level sensor 64 moves downward until reaching the position where the signal indicating no liquid is switched to the signal with liquid, whereby the liquid level sensor 64 detects the changed liquid level.

  By the control as described above, even when the liquid level changes in the vertical direction, the liquid level sensor 64 can continue to be positioned at a position where the liquid level is detected. In other words, the relative position (relative position in the vertical direction) of the liquid level sensor 64 with respect to the liquid level can be maintained.

  The above contents will be described again from the viewpoint of the UV irradiation unit 62 side. As described above, the UV irradiation unit 62 is supported by the support member 63 b of the moving mechanism 63. Therefore, when the controller 100 controls the moving mechanism 63, the UV irradiation unit 62 and the liquid level sensor 64 supported by the support member 63b move up and down. At this time, the UV irradiation unit 62 moves up and down while maintaining the relative position with the liquid level sensor 64. The controller 100 moves the UV irradiation unit 62 up and down by the moving mechanism 63 when the electrical signal output from the liquid level sensor 64 is switched (specifically, when the liquid presence signal and the liquid non-signal are switched). Stop.

  By the control as described above, even when the liquid level changes in the vertical direction, the distance between the UV irradiation unit 62 and the liquid level is maintained at a predetermined distance d (see FIGS. 8A to 8D). become. As described above, the controller 100 moves the movement mechanism so that the relative position of the liquid level sensor 64 with respect to the liquid level is always maintained after the relative position of the UV irradiation unit 62 with respect to the liquid level sensor 64 is maintained. This is for controlling 63. In this sense, it can be said that the moving mechanism 63 is for maintaining the distance by moving the UV irradiation unit 62 up and down in accordance with the change in the vertical direction of the liquid level. Further, the controller 100 controls the moving mechanism 63 according to the change of the electric signal when the electric signal output from the liquid level sensor 64 changes due to the vertical change of the liquid level, and causes the moving mechanism 63 to It can be said that it corresponds to a control unit that maintains the distance.

  The relative position of the UV irradiation unit 62 with respect to the liquid level sensor 64 is maintained so that the distance between the UV irradiation unit 62 and the liquid level is maintained when the vertical movement of the UV irradiation unit 62 by the moving mechanism 63 is stopped. Is adjusted in advance. That is, the relative positional relationship is adjusted so that the distance becomes the predetermined distance d when the liquid level sensor 64 reaches a position where the electrical signal output from the liquid level sensor 64 switches. . The relative positional relationship is determined by the positions of the UV irradiation unit 62 and the liquid level sensor 64 when viewed from the support member 63b (specifically, the first arm 63a and the second arm provided on the support member 63b). 63d is adjusted by adjusting the vertical length). Further, as will be described later, since the UV irradiation unit 62 of the present embodiment irradiates the entire surface with ultraviolet rays toward the liquid surface of the waste liquid in the storage tank 61, the UV irradiation unit 62 is as much as possible on the liquid surface for a predetermined distance d. This is the distance at which the entire surface can be irradiated with ultraviolet rays from a close position toward the liquid surface.

=== Operation of Printer 10 ===
An operation example of the printer 10 of the present embodiment having the above-described configuration will be described.

<< Printing Operation >>
First, the operation (printing operation) of the printer 10 when printing an image on the medium S will be described. When the controller 100 receives print data from the host computer 110 via the interface 101, the controller 100 controls the rotary drum 20, the head unit 30, and the fixing unit 40 via the unit control circuit 104. Under the control of the controller 100, the rotary drum 20 rotates and the fixing unit 40 irradiates the peripheral surface 22 of the rotary drum 20 with ultraviolet rays.

  Thereafter, when the medium S supplied from the paper feeding unit 72 is conveyed to the rotary drum 20, the medium S is held on the peripheral surface 22 of the rotary drum 20 by being wound around the rotary drum 20. When the medium S rotates integrally with the rotary drum 20, the controller 100 controls the head unit 30 to eject UV ink from the nozzles of each head 31 toward the medium S. As a result, the UV ink droplets land on the medium S (that is, the UV ink adheres to the medium S). Then, as the rotating drum 20 rotates, UV ink droplets sequentially land on the medium S in the rotating direction. Accordingly, a dot line composed of a plurality of UV ink droplets arranged in the rotation direction is formed on the medium S.

  Further, the UV ink droplets landed on the medium S move to a position facing the irradiation surface 41 a of the lamp unit 41 of the fixing unit 40 by the rotation of the rotary drum 20. The UV ink droplets are cured by receiving ultraviolet rays from the fixing unit 40. As a result, the dot lines formed on the medium S are fixed on the medium S. As described above, the lamp unit 41 is provided for each ink color. For this reason, the UV ink droplet of each color receives the ultraviolet rays irradiated by the lamp unit 41 corresponding to the color of the UV ink droplet.

  When the non-holding region 22a of the peripheral surface 22 of the rotating drum 20 is opposed to the nozzle by the further rotation of the rotating drum 20, the controller 100 interrupts the ejection of the ink from the nozzle and causes each head 31 to move. The head carriage 32 is moved in the moving direction together with the head carriage 32. Thereafter, the controller 100 performs the same operation as described above. As a result, the UV ink droplets of a different color from the UV ink droplets are landed on the cured UV ink droplets already landed on the medium S. Further, the controller 100 moves each lamp unit 41 together with the lamp unit carriage 42 in the moving direction in accordance with the movement of the head 31. Thereby, even after the head 31 moves, the UV ink droplet receives ultraviolet rays from the lamp unit 41 corresponding to the color of the UV ink droplet.

  As a result of the controller 100 repeatedly executing the above series of operations, the dot lines of the respective colors are fixed over the entire image forming area of the medium S. As a result, an image is finally printed on the medium S. Thereafter, the medium S on which the image is printed is detached from the rotary drum 20 and conveyed to the paper discharge unit 74, and is discharged out of the printer 10 by the paper discharge unit 74.

<< Waste liquid treatment operation >>
Next, a waste liquid processing operation in the printer 10, that is, an operation in which the waste liquid processing unit 60 collects the waste liquid and cures the waste liquid will be described with reference to FIGS. 8A to 8D. 8A to 8D are explanatory views of the waste liquid treatment operation. Hereinafter, from the state where the storage tank 61 is empty, FIG. 8A, FIG. 8B, FIG. 8C, and FIG. A case where the state transitions will be described.

  As described above, the waste liquid processed in the waste liquid processing operation is generated by ejecting UV ink from the nozzle for flushing. The flow of the flushing will be described. In a period in which UV ink is not ejected from the nozzles to the medium S (that is, a pause period), the controller 100 moves each head 31 together with the head carriage 32 in the movement direction, The head 31 is brought to the standby position. Then, the controller 100 causes the cap unit 50 to seal the nozzle surfaces 31a of the heads 31 (see FIG. 5). Further, the controller 100 performs flushing in a state where the nozzle surface 31 a of each head 31 is sealed by the cap unit 50.

  After the flushing, the controller 100 activates the liquid feeding pump 51 and feeds the UV ink received by the cap unit 50 in the recess 50a to the waste liquid processing unit 60. The waste liquid treatment unit 60 collects the waste liquid by storing the UV ink sent by the liquid feed pump 51, that is, the waste liquid in the storage tank 61. As a result, the liquid level of the waste liquid in the storage tank 61 changes (rises). In general, since the amount of waste liquid generated by one flushing is sufficiently small with respect to the volume of the storage tank 61, the liquid level when the waste liquid is sent by the liquid feed pump 51 once. The amount of change is sufficiently small. For example, when the waste liquid is fed once by the liquid feed pump 51 when the storage tank 61 is empty, the bottom of the storage tank 61 has a sufficiently thin liquid as shown in FIG. 8A. The waste liquid accumulates so as to form a layer.

  Further, the controller 100 controls the rotation mechanism 66 when starting the liquid feed pump 51 to start rotating the storage tank 61 around the rotation shaft 66b until the waste liquid treatment operation is completed. The storage tank 61 is continuously rotated. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the storage tank 61 may be continuously rotated during the startup period of the printer 10, or the storage tank 61 is limited to the period during which the UV irradiation unit 62 irradiates ultraviolet rays. It is good also as rotating.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 8A, the controller 100 controls the moving mechanism 63 to move the liquid level sensor 64 in the vertical direction so that the liquid level sensor 64 detects the liquid level of the waste liquid in the storage tank 61. Let Thereby, the liquid level sensor 64 moves to a position where the electrical signal output from the liquid level sensor 64 is switched. At the same time, the moving mechanism 63 moves the UV irradiation unit 62 in the vertical direction so that the distance between the UV irradiation unit 62 and the liquid surface is a predetermined distance d.

  Then, the controller 100 interrupts the control of the moving mechanism 63 when the liquid level sensor 64 detects the liquid level (that is, when the distance reaches the predetermined distance d). Thereafter, the controller 100 controls the UV irradiation unit 62 (specifically, the UV-LED 62a) to irradiate the UV irradiation unit 62 with ultraviolet rays. That is, the UV irradiation unit 62 irradiates ultraviolet rays from a position above the liquid surface toward the liquid surface of the waste liquid in the storage tank 61. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8A, the UV irradiation unit 62 irradiates the entire surface with the ultraviolet rays so that the entire liquid surface is irradiated with the ultraviolet rays. As described above, since the thickness of the liquid layer formed by the accumulation of the waste liquid at the bottom of the storage tank 61 is sufficiently thin, the ultraviolet rays reach the waste liquid at the deepest part of the liquid layer. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8B, the entire waste liquid collected at the bottom of the storage tank 61 is cured substantially simultaneously. Then, a hardened waste liquid layer (a waste liquid layer painted in gray in FIG. 8B and the like, hereinafter also referred to as a hardened layer) is formed at the bottom of the storage tank 61.

  The time for the UV irradiation unit 62 to irradiate the ultraviolet rays is ensured for a time sufficient to cure the waste liquid generated by one flushing. Then, after the ultraviolet irradiation time by the UV irradiation unit 62 has elapsed, the controller 100 stops the irradiation of the ultraviolet light by the UV irradiation unit 62 and stops the rotation of the storage tank 61 by the rotation mechanism 66. Thereby, the waste liquid treatment operation is completed.

  Thereafter, when the flushing is performed again and a new waste liquid is generated, the waste liquid treatment operation is performed again. More specifically, as a result of the new waste liquid being fed into the storage tank 61 by the liquid feed pump 51, the liquid level of the waste liquid in the storage tank 61 changes in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. 8C. . More specifically, the new waste liquid accumulates on the hardened layer formed in the storage tank 61 so as to form a liquid layer having a sufficiently thin thickness, and the liquid level rises by the amount of the liquid layer.

  The controller 100 controls the moving mechanism 63 when the new waste liquid is fed into the storage tank 61 by the liquid feed pump 51 (that is, when the liquid level is changed by feeding the new waste liquid). Then, the liquid level sensor 64 is moved up to a position where the liquid level sensor 64 can detect the changed liquid level. At the same time, the moving mechanism 63 raises the UV irradiation unit 62 so that the distance between the UV irradiation unit 62 and the changed liquid level becomes a predetermined distance d. Further, the controller 100 controls the rotation mechanism 66 when the liquid feed pump 51 is activated, and rotates the storage tank 61 around the rotation shaft 66b. Thereafter, the controller 100 performs the same control as described above. As a result, the new waste liquid accumulated on the hardened layer is cured by receiving ultraviolet rays, and as a result, a new hardened layer of waste liquid is formed on the hardened layer already formed in the storage tank 61.

  The waste liquid treatment operation as described above is repeated every time flushing is performed, that is, whenever waste liquid is generated by flushing and the waste liquid is fed into the storage tank 61 by the liquid feed pump 51. As the number of times of liquid feeding by the liquid feeding pump 51 increases, the liquid level of the waste liquid in the storage tank 61 changes (rises). On the other hand, in the waste liquid treatment unit 60, the UV irradiation unit 62 irradiates the entire surface with ultraviolet rays toward the liquid surface while maintaining a distance from the liquid surface.

  Thereby, the waste liquid in the storage tank 61 is surely shifted from the uncured state to the cured state. As described above, in the storage tank 61, the phenomenon that the uncured waste liquid accumulates and the ultraviolet light is cured is repeated. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8D, the amount of the cured waste liquid is increased and the thickness of the cured layer is increased. Will increase. Then, at the time when the waste liquid treatment operation ends, the uncured waste liquid does not remain in the storage tank 61, and the waste liquid in the storage tank 61 is stabilized in a cured state.

  Further, even when the amount of waste liquid in the storage tank 61 decreases and the liquid level of the waste liquid falls, the controller 100 controls the moving mechanism 63 to lower the UV irradiation unit 62. Specifically, for example, when the state shifts from a state in which a considerable amount of waste liquid is stored in the storage tank 61 to the state shown in FIG. 8A, the controller 100 determines that the tip portion of the liquid is located above the liquid level. The surface sensor 64 is lowered, and the liquid level sensor 64 detects the liquid level. At the same time, the controller 100 lowers the UV irradiation unit 62 so that the distance between the UV irradiation unit 62 and the liquid level becomes a predetermined distance d. Thereafter, the controller 100 performs a waste liquid treatment operation according to the above-described procedure.

  Thus, even when the amount of waste liquid in the storage tank 61 is reduced and the liquid level of the waste liquid is lowered (that is, when the distance between the UV irradiation unit 62 and the liquid level is increased), the controller 100 moves the moving mechanism. By controlling 63, the UV irradiation unit 62 is lowered so as to return the distance to the liquid level to a predetermined distance d (approaching the liquid level). And the UV irradiation unit 62 will irradiate an ultraviolet-ray toward a liquid level in the state where the said distance was maintained.

=== Effectiveness of Waste Liquid Treatment Unit 60 of the Present Embodiment ===
As described above, in the present embodiment, the storage tank 61 for storing the waste liquid that is cured by receiving the ultraviolet light, and the ultraviolet light is irradiated from a position above the liquid surface toward the liquid level of the waste liquid in the storage tank 61. By moving the UV irradiation unit 62 and the UV irradiation unit 62 up and down according to the vertical change of the liquid level due to the change in the amount of waste liquid in the storage tank 61, the UV irradiation unit 62 and the liquid level The waste liquid treatment unit 60 having the moving mechanism 63 for maintaining the distance between the two has been described. Hereinafter, the effectiveness of the waste liquid treatment unit 60 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9A to 9C. FIG. 9A to FIG. 9C are explanatory diagrams about the effectiveness of the waste liquid treatment unit 60 of the present embodiment, and are diagrams showing a conventional waste liquid treatment unit 60.

  As already described in the section of the problem to be solved by the invention, in the conventional waste liquid treatment unit 60, the UV irradiation unit 62 is fixed at a position above the liquid surface, so that it is in an uncured state in the storage tank 61. The waste liquid will continue to accumulate. As a result, as the liquid level of the waste liquid approaches the UV irradiation unit 62, the waste liquid near the liquid level is easily cured, while the waste liquid in the lower part of the storage tank 61 remains uncured in the storage tank. The problem of remaining in 61 occurred.

  More specifically, in the conventional waste liquid treatment unit 60, the UV irradiation unit 62 is disposed inside the storage tank 61. Further, the arrangement position of the UV irradiation unit 62 is fixed above the upper limit position of the liquid level of the waste liquid in the storage tank 61 for the purpose of avoiding contamination of the UV irradiation unit 62 with the waste liquid. It was.

  In the waste liquid processing unit 60 having the above-described configuration, the distance between the UV irradiation unit 62 and the liquid level changes as the liquid level of the waste liquid in the storage tank 61 changes in the vertical direction. For this reason, in the case shown in FIG. 9A, that is, when the waste liquid is accumulated at the bottom of the storage tank 61 and the liquid level of the waste liquid is separated from the UV irradiation unit 62 (in other words, when the liquid level is low). The irradiation intensity of ultraviolet rays on the liquid surface is relatively small. Therefore, when the liquid level is away from the UV irradiation unit 62, it takes a relatively long time to cure the waste liquid. As a result, in the conventional waste liquid treatment unit 60, new waste liquid is frequently sent into the storage tank 61 before the waste liquid in the storage tank 61 is cured, as shown in FIG. 9B. In the storage tank 61, the waste liquid continued to accumulate in an uncured state.

  If uncured waste liquid continues to accumulate in the storage tank 61, the liquid level of the waste liquid gradually rises and approaches the UV irradiation unit 62. As the liquid level rises, the irradiation intensity of ultraviolet rays on the liquid level increases, so that the waste liquid near the liquid level is easily cured. On the other hand, the waste liquid in the lower part in the storage tank 61 remains in an uncured state because it is still in a state where it is difficult to receive ultraviolet rays.

  The above situation occurs remarkably when the UV irradiation unit 62 irradiates the entire surface with ultraviolet rays toward the liquid surface. Referring to FIG. 9C, when the UV irradiation unit 62 irradiates the entire surface with ultraviolet rays toward the liquid surface in a state where the liquid level of the waste liquid in the storage tank 61 is relatively high, the waste liquid is near the liquid level. Hardens like ice. That is, a hardened layer of waste liquid is formed near the liquid surface. As shown in FIG. 9C, the hardened layer spreads so as to cover the liquid surface, eventually reaches the inner wall surface of the storage tank 61, adheres to the inner wall surface, and stays near the liquid surface. Under such a state, it is difficult for the ultraviolet rays from the UV irradiation unit 62 to reach the waste liquid at the lower part of the storage tank 61, and it becomes more difficult to cure the waste liquid.

  On the other hand, in the waste liquid treatment unit 60 of the present embodiment, the UV irradiation unit 62 can be moved up and down by the moving mechanism 63 according to the change in the liquid surface in the vertical direction. For this reason, even when the liquid level is low, the UV irradiation unit 62 can irradiate ultraviolet rays from a position relatively close to the liquid level to quickly cure the waste liquid in the storage tank 61. When the liquid level changes in the vertical direction, the moving mechanism 63 moves the UV irradiation unit 62 up and down according to the change in the liquid level. As a result, the movement mechanism 63 moves between the UV irradiation unit 62 and the liquid level. The distance is maintained. Thereby, the irradiation intensity of the ultraviolet rays on the liquid surface is maintained. That is, in the present embodiment, each time the liquid level changes (in other words, every time the amount of waste liquid in the storage tank 61 changes), the UV irradiation unit 62 is moved by the moving mechanism 63 from the UV irradiation unit 62. Is moved up and down to an appropriate position to absorb the waste liquid, and ultraviolet rays are irradiated from the appropriate position. As a result, it is possible to suppress the waste liquid from continuing to accumulate in the storage tank 61 in an uncured state. That is, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the waste liquid in the storage tank 61 can be appropriately cured.

  In addition, as described above, when the UV irradiation unit 62 irradiates the entire surface with ultraviolet rays toward the liquid surface, it is generally more difficult to cure the waste liquid in the lower portion of the storage tank 61. With this configuration, the waste liquid can be appropriately cured even when the UV irradiation unit 62 irradiates the entire surface with ultraviolet rays. That is, when the UV irradiation unit 62 irradiates the entire surface with ultraviolet rays, the configuration of the present embodiment is more effective.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the storage tank 61 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 66, in the unlikely event that a large amount of uncured waste liquid is stored in the storage tank 61 (that is, the liquid level of the waste liquid becomes relatively high. Even when the UV irradiation unit 62 irradiates the entire surface with ultraviolet rays toward the liquid surface, the waste liquid in the storage tank 61 can be appropriately cured.

  More specifically, when the UV irradiation unit 62 irradiates the entire surface with ultraviolet rays in a state where a large amount of waste liquid is stored in the storage tank 61, as described above, the cured layer of the waste liquid is near the liquid level. It will be formed so as to cover. When the storage tank 61 is in a stationary state, the hardened layer adheres to the inner wall surface of the storage tank 61 and stagnates near the liquid surface. On the other hand, as in the present embodiment, when the storage tank 61 rotates about the rotation shaft 66b, the rotation of the storage tank 61 imparts motion such as vibration and flow to the liquid level of the waste liquid. The liquid level moves relative to the inner wall surface of the storage tank 61. As a result, the hardened layer near the liquid level is prevented from sticking to the inner wall surface of the storage tank 61.

  The hardened layer near the liquid surface has a higher specific gravity than the uncured waste liquid and does not adhere to the inner wall surface of the storage tank 61. Therefore, as shown in FIG. . FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the effect of rotating the storage tank 61. As a result of the sedimentation of the cured layer, the uncured waste liquid is located again at the liquid level, and then the waste liquid near the liquid surface is selectively cured to form a cured layer near the liquid level. . By repeating such a phenomenon, the uncured waste liquid in the storage tank 61 is reliably cured. That is, by rotating the storage tank 61, the waste liquid in the storage tank 61 can be cured more appropriately.

  In the case where the flushing is frequently performed (that is, when the waste liquid is frequently generated) or the case where a large amount of UV ink is ejected from the nozzle by one flushing, a large amount of the waste liquid is stored in the storage tank 61. In this state, there is a high possibility that the UV irradiation unit 62 will irradiate the entire surface with ultraviolet rays. Therefore, in the case as described above, the configuration of the present embodiment in which the storage tank 61 is rotated is more effective.

=== Other Embodiments ===
As described above, the waste liquid processing unit 60 and the printer 10 having the waste liquid processing unit 60 have been mainly described based on the above embodiment. However, the above-described embodiment of the present invention facilitates understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and the present invention includes the equivalents thereof.

  In the above embodiment, the printer 10 that prints an image on the medium while holding the medium on the peripheral surface 22 of the rotary drum 20 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a form (first modification) different from the above embodiment is also conceivable. Hereinafter, the printer 12 according to the first modification will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the printer 12 according to the first modification, and the conveyance direction of the medium S is indicated by arrows in the drawing.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the printer 12 according to the first modification includes a head unit 30 including a single head 31 and a transport unit 80 for transporting the medium S in a predetermined transport direction. The transport unit 80 includes a paper feed roller 81, a transport roller 82, a platen 83, and a paper discharge roller 84. The medium S is fed into the printer 10 by the paper feed roller 81 and then transported to a printable area in the transport direction by the transport roller 82. Thereafter, the medium S is continuously conveyed in the conveying direction while being supported by the platen 83, and is finally discharged out of the printer 10 by the paper discharge roller 84. In the first modification, the lower surface of the head 31 is a nozzle surface 31a, and a plurality of nozzles arranged in a line along the transport direction are formed for each ink color on the nozzle surface 31a. In the first modification, the controller 100 intersects the movement direction with the operation in which the controller 100 ejects UV ink from the nozzles while moving the head 31 in the movement direction to form dot lines along the movement direction on the medium S. The carrying process of carrying the medium S in the carrying direction is repeated alternately. The present invention is also applicable to the printer 12 according to such a first modification.

  In the above-described embodiment, the printer 10 (so-called serial printer) having the head 31 that moves in the moving direction in order to form a dot line has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a printer (a so-called line printer) that has a head 31 arranged at a fixed position without moving, and can form a plurality of dots arranged in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the medium S at a time. Also good.

  In the above-described embodiment, the UV ink ejected from the nozzle for flushing is described as an example of the UV ink that does not adhere to the medium S. However, the UV ink that does not adhere to the medium S may be considered other than the UV ink ejected from the nozzle for flushing. For example, when UV ink is ejected from a nozzle, mist-like UV ink may be generated, and the mist-like UV ink floats in the printer 10 without adhering to the medium S. A waste liquid processing unit 60 that collects and cures such mist UV ink as waste liquid may be used.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the moving mechanism 63 moves the UV irradiation unit 62 up and down in accordance with the vertical change in the liquid level of the waste liquid in the storage tank 61, so that the UV irradiation unit 62 and the liquid level are moved. The distance between the two was maintained. However, in order to maintain the distance, not the UV irradiation unit 62 but the storage tank 61 may be moved up and down. In other words, the distance between the UV irradiation unit 62 and the liquid level is maintained by moving at least one of the UV irradiation unit 62 and the storage tank 61 up and down in accordance with the change in the vertical direction of the liquid level. It is sufficient that a maintenance mechanism is provided. When the storage tank 61 is moved up and down, it is necessary to consider that the waste liquid receiving position of the storage tank 61 changes in the vertical direction. In this respect, the UV irradiation unit 62 is moved up and down. Is preferable.

  In the above embodiment, the ink ejecting apparatus that ejects UV ink, which is an example of a liquid, has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to embody a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid other than ink (including liquid that is cured by receiving ultraviolet rays and includes liquid in which particles of a functional material or the like are dispersed). For example, a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects a liquid that is dispersed or dissolved in a material such as an electrode material or a color material used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an EL (electroluminescence) display, and a surface emitting display, and biochip manufacturing In order to form a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a liquid containing a bio-organic matter used for a liquid, a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a liquid as a sample used as a precision pipette, a micro hemispherical lens (optical lens) used for an optical communication element, etc. In particular, a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects a transparent resin liquid such as an ultraviolet curable resin onto a substrate, a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects an etching solution such as an acid or an alkali to etch the substrate, etc., and any of these The present invention can be applied to a kind of liquid ejecting apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a basic configuration of a printer. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of the overall configuration of a printer. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cross section of the overall configuration of a printer. It is the figure which showed the nozzle surface 31a. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the waste liquid processing unit 60 of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows LED row | line | column. 7A and 7B are explanatory diagrams of the liquid level detection by the liquid level sensor 64. FIG. It is a 1st explanatory view about waste liquid processing operation. It is the 2nd explanatory view about waste liquid processing operation. It is a 3rd explanatory view about waste liquid processing operation. It is the 4th explanatory view about waste liquid processing operation. 9A to 9C are explanatory diagrams about the effectiveness of the waste liquid treatment unit 60 of the present embodiment. It is explanatory drawing about the effect by rotating the storage tank 61. FIG. It is the schematic which shows the structure of the printer 12 which concerns on a 1st modification.

Explanation of symbols

10 printer, 12 printer according to the first modification,
20 rotating drum, 21 rotating shaft, 22 circumferential surface, 22a non-holding area,
30 head unit, 31 head, 31a nozzle surface,
32 head carriage, 33 ink cartridge, 34, 35 guide shaft,
40 fixing unit, 41 lamp unit, 42 lamp unit carriage,
43, 44 guide shaft, 50 cap unit, 50a recess,
51 liquid feed pump, 60 waste liquid treatment unit, 61 storage tank,
62 UV irradiation unit, 62a UV-LED,
63 movement mechanism, 63a first arm, 63b support member,
63c step motor, 63d second arm, 64 liquid level sensor,
64a light emitting element, 64b light receiving element, 64c rod, 64d reflecting surface,
65 casing, 66 rotating mechanism, 66a base, 66b rotating shaft,
72 paper feed unit, 74 paper discharge unit, 76 frame, 80 transport unit,
81 paper feed roller, 82 transport roller, 83 platen, 84 paper discharge roller,
100 controller, 101 interface, 102 CPU,
103 memory, 104 unit control circuit, 110 host computer

Claims (5)

A storage section for storing waste liquid that is cured by receiving ultraviolet rays; and
An irradiation unit that irradiates ultraviolet rays from a position above the liquid level toward the liquid level of the waste liquid in the storage unit;
By moving at least one of the irradiation unit and the storage unit up and down according to a change in the vertical direction of the liquid level due to a change in the amount of waste liquid in the storage unit, the irradiation unit and the liquid level A maintenance mechanism for maintaining the distance between,
A waste liquid treatment apparatus comprising: The waste liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 1,
The waste liquid treatment apparatus, wherein the irradiation unit irradiates the entire surface with ultraviolet rays toward the liquid surface. The waste liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 2,
The storage portion is a storage tank;
A waste liquid treatment apparatus comprising a rotation mechanism for rotating the storage tank about an axis intersecting the bottom surface of the storage tank. A nozzle for injecting a liquid that is cured by receiving ultraviolet rays onto a medium;
A storage unit that stores, as waste liquid, the liquid that does not adhere to the medium out of the liquid ejected from the nozzle;
An irradiation unit that irradiates ultraviolet rays from a position above the liquid level toward the liquid level of the waste liquid in the storage unit;
By moving at least one of the irradiation unit and the storage unit up and down according to a change in the vertical direction of the liquid level due to a change in the amount of the waste liquid in the storage unit, the irradiation unit and the liquid level A maintenance mechanism for maintaining the distance between
A waste liquid treatment apparatus having
A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 4,
The waste liquid treatment apparatus has a liquid level sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to the liquid level,
When the signal output from the liquid level sensor changes due to a change in the vertical direction of the liquid level, the control unit controls the maintenance mechanism according to the change in the signal and causes the maintenance mechanism to maintain the distance. A liquid ejecting apparatus.