JP2010167602A - Fluid discharging device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fluid discharging device capable of suppressing strength reduction of a rotary body. <P>SOLUTION: The fluid discharging device includes a fluid discharging head for discharging fluid to a medium, the rotary body arranged on a discharging direction of the fluid and capable of rotating, a medium supporting part arranged in the rotary body and supporting the medium, a cap part arranged on the rotary body and at a location displaced in a rotary direction to the medium supporting part and capping the discharging head, and a fluid receiving part arranged facing the outer periphery of the rotary body and receiving the fluid. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fluid ejecting apparatus.

  The fluid ejecting apparatus is an apparatus that includes an ejecting head capable of ejecting a fluid and ejects various fluids from the ejecting head toward a recording material or the like. As a typical fluid ejecting apparatus, for example, an ink jet type ejecting head (hereinafter simply referred to as an ejecting head) is provided, and recording ink is used as ink droplets of liquid ink (fluid) from nozzles of the ejecting head (ejection head). 2. Description of the Related Art Inkjet recording apparatuses that perform recording by forming dots by jetting and landing on a recording medium such as the above are known.

  In the fluid ejecting apparatus, in order to maintain or recover a good ejecting state of the fluid ejected from the ejecting head, maintenance of the ejecting head is periodically performed. Specific examples of the maintenance operation include an operation of adjusting a meniscus of a nozzle by causing a cap member to face an ejection head and ejecting ink from the nozzle (for example, Patent Document 1).

  In recent years, a configuration is known in which a rotating body is disposed below an ejection head, and a recording medium support and a cap member are attached to the rotating body. In this configuration, by rotating the rotating body, the support portion of the recording medium and the cap member can be made to face the ejection head, respectively.

JP 2004-174766 A

  However, ink may accumulate in the cap member while the meniscus adjustment is repeatedly performed. If the meniscus adjustment is performed with ink remaining in the cap member, ink will overflow from the cap member, and if the cap member is sucked, the suction efficiency may be reduced due to the ink pool. The maintainability of the ejection head may be reduced.

  In view of the circumstances as described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a fluid ejecting apparatus capable of ensuring the maintainability of the ejecting head.

  To achieve the above object, a fluid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention includes a fluid ejecting head that ejects fluid onto a medium transported on a predetermined transport surface, and a rotatable rotation provided in the fluid ejecting direction. A body, a medium support portion that is provided on the rotating body and supports the medium, and is provided on the rotating body at a position shifted in a rotational direction with respect to the medium supporting portion, and capping the ejection head And a counter action of rotating the rotating body at a first speed and causing the fluid ejecting head to face the medium support section and the cap section, respectively, and the rotating body different from the first speed. And a control device for switching and performing a scattering operation for rotating at a second speed and scattering the fluid in the cap portion.

  According to the present invention, since the scattering operation for scattering the fluid in the cap portion can be performed, it is possible to prevent the fluid from accumulating in the cap portion. Thereby, the maintainability of the ejection head can be ensured.

The fluid ejecting apparatus may further include a fluid receiving portion that is provided to face the outer periphery of the rotating body and receives the fluid.
According to the present invention, since the fluid receiving portion is provided so as to face the outer periphery of the rotating body, the scattered fluid can be collected. Thereby, maintainability can be improved.

The fluid ejecting apparatus is characterized in that an upper end of the fluid receiving portion is disposed so as to be in contact with the transport surface.
According to the present invention, since the upper end of the fluid receiving portion is arranged so as to be in contact with the transport surface, it is possible to more reliably prevent the scattered fluid from jumping out onto the transport surface. Thereby, it can prevent that a fluid adheres to a medium accidentally.

In the fluid ejecting apparatus, the control device causes the scattering operation to be performed when the cap portion is disposed below the transport surface.
According to the present invention, since the scattering operation is performed when the cap portion is disposed below the transport surface, it is possible to prevent the scattered fluid from adhering to the medium.

In the fluid ejecting apparatus, the control device performs the scattering operation by reciprocatingly rotating the rotating body.
According to the present invention, since the scattering operation is performed by reciprocating the rotating body, the fluid in the cap portion can be more reliably scattered.

The fluid ejecting apparatus is characterized in that the control device causes the scattering operation to be performed by suddenly stopping the rotation of the rotating body.
According to the present invention, since the scattering operation is performed by suddenly stopping the rotation of the rotating body, the fluid can be efficiently scattered using the inertial force due to the sudden stop.

  A fluid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention includes a fluid ejecting head that ejects a fluid onto a medium, a rotating body that is provided in the fluid ejecting direction, is rotatable, and is provided on the rotating body to support the medium. A medium support portion, a cap portion provided on the rotating body and deviated in a rotation direction with respect to the medium support portion; and a capping portion for capping the ejection head; and changing the rotational speed of the rotating body, And a control device for rotating the rotating body.

  According to the present invention, since the rotating body can be rotated while changing the rotating speed of the rotating body, the fluid in the cap portion can be scattered by the change of the rotating speed. Thereby, it can prevent that a fluid accumulates in a cap part, and can ensure the maintainability of an ejection head.

In the fluid ejecting apparatus, the control device changes the rotation speed according to a position of the cap portion.
According to the present invention, since the rotational speed is changed in accordance with the position of the cap portion, it is possible to avoid the scattered fluid from adhering to other parts or media.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a printer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a partial configuration of a printer apparatus. The figure which shows the structure of the ejection surface of an ejection head. The figure which shows the cross-sectional structure of an ejection head. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of a maintenance apparatus. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer apparatus. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an operation state of a printer apparatus. Same operation diagram. Same operation diagram. Same operation diagram. Same operation diagram. Same operation diagram.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a fluid ejecting apparatus according to the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In order to make each member of the fluid ejecting apparatus have a recognizable size, each drawing used in the following description shows each member in a state where the scale is appropriately changed. In the present embodiment, an ink jet printer apparatus will be described as an example of the fluid ejecting apparatus.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an ink jet printer (hereinafter referred to as a printer apparatus PRT) according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a main part around the ejection head. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a nozzle opening forming surface of the ejection head.

  In FIG. 1, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is set, and the positional relationship of each member may be described with reference to the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system. In this case, the left-right direction in the figure is the X direction, the depth direction of the paper surface in the figure is the Y direction, and the direction orthogonal to each of the X direction and the Y direction (that is, the vertical direction in the figure) is the Z direction.

  As shown in these drawings, the printer device PRT is a device that records images, characters, and the like on a recording medium M. As the recording medium M, for example, paper or plastic is used. The printer device PRT has an ink ejection mechanism IJ, a transport mechanism CR, a maintenance mechanism MN, and a control device CONT.

  The ink ejecting mechanism IJ is a part that ejects ink droplets (fluid) onto the recording medium M. The ink ejection mechanism IJ includes an ejection head (fluid ejection head) 11 and an ink supply unit 12. The ink used in the present embodiment uses a liquid in which dyes and pigments and a solvent for dissolving or dispersing them are basic components and various additives are added as necessary.

  The ejection head 11 is a head that can eject ink droplets of a plurality of colors onto the recording medium M. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the ejection head 11 is a line type having a nozzle formation region 15 over a length (maximum recording paper width W) exceeding at least one side of the maximum size recording medium M targeted by the printer apparatus PRT. This is an ejection head. The ejection head 11 is provided so as to be movable in the Z direction, for example. The ejection head 11 has a nozzle 13 and a common ink chamber 14.

  The common ink chamber 14 holds ink corresponding to, for example, four colors (yellow: Y, magenta: M, cyan: C, black: K) (common ink chambers 14Y, 14M, 14C, 14K). The nozzle formation area 15 is provided corresponding to the common ink chamber 14 of each color (nozzle formation areas 15Y, 15M, 15C, 15K).

  A plurality of nozzles 13 are provided in each of the nozzle formation regions 15Y, 15M, 15C, and 15K of the ejection head 11, and are, for example, openings that eject the four color ink droplets. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of nozzles 13 are arranged in the Y direction (nozzle row L). One or a plurality of nozzle rows L are provided for the nozzle formation regions 15Y, 15M, 15C, and 15K of the respective colors. The number of nozzles 13 and the number of nozzle rows L are set as appropriate. A surface of the ejection head 11 on which the nozzles 13 are provided is an ejection surface 11A. The ejection surface 11 </ b> A is provided on the −Z side of the ejection head 11. The ejection head 11 ejects ink droplets toward the −Z side.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the ejection head 11.
As shown in the figure, the ejection head 11 includes a head main body 18 and a flow path forming unit 22 connected to the head main body 18. The flow path forming unit 22 includes a vibration plate 19, a flow path substrate 20, and a nozzle substrate 21.

  The head body 18 is a box-shaped member made of synthetic resin. The head body 18 is formed with a storage chamber 23 for storing the drive unit 24 and an internal flow path 28 for guiding ink supplied from the outside to the flow path forming unit 22.

  The drive unit 24 disposed in the accommodation chamber 23 includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements 25, a fixing member 26 that supports the upper ends of the plurality of piezoelectric elements 25, and a flexible cable 27 that supplies a drive signal to the piezoelectric elements 25. I have. The piezoelectric element 25 is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of nozzles 13.

  The internal flow path 28 is formed so as to penetrate the head body 18 in the vertical direction in FIG. The upper end of the internal channel 28 is connected to the ink supply unit 12 in the drawing. The internal flow path 28 is an ink flow path for allowing the ink supplied from the ink supply unit 12 to flow to the flow path forming unit 22 through the opening end on the lower end side in the figure.

  The flow path forming unit 22 has a configuration in which the diaphragm 19, the flow path substrate 20, and the nozzle substrate 21 are stacked and joined and integrated with an adhesive or the like. The flow path forming unit 22 includes a common ink chamber 14 connected to the internal flow path 28 of the head body 18, an ink supply port 30 connected to the common ink chamber 14, and a pressure chamber connected to the ink supply port 30. 31. The pressure chamber 31 is provided corresponding to each nozzle 13. Each pressure chamber 31 is connected to the nozzle 13 at the end opposite to the common ink chamber 14.

  The diaphragm 19 has a configuration in which an elastic film is laminated on a metal support plate such as stainless steel. An island portion 32 is formed in a portion of the diaphragm 19 corresponding to the pressure chamber 31. The island portion 32 is joined to the lower end of the piezoelectric element 25 by removing the support plate in an annular shape by etching or the like, for example.

  The island part 32 functions as a diaphragm part. In the diaphragm 19, the elastic film portion around the island portion 32 is elastically deformed according to the driving of the piezoelectric element 25 on the pressure chamber 31, and the island portion 32 moves up and down. Between the vibration plate 19 and the vicinity of the lower end of the internal flow path 28, a portion in which a part of the support plate is removed to make only an elastic film is provided, and this portion reduces the pressure fluctuation in the common ink chamber 14. It becomes the compliance part 33 to absorb.

  The flow path substrate 20 has a recess for forming an ink circulation chamber such as a common ink chamber 14 that connects the lower end of the internal flow path 28 and the nozzle 13, an ink supply port 30, and a pressure chamber 31. These recesses are formed by anisotropically etching a silicon single crystal substrate that is a base material of the flow path substrate 20.

  The nozzle substrate 21 has a plurality of nozzles 13 formed at a predetermined interval (pitch) in a predetermined direction. The nozzle substrate 21 of the present embodiment is a plate-like member formed of a metal such as stainless steel. The outer surface of the nozzle substrate 21 is the ejection surface 11A.

  The ejection head 11 configured in this manner is configured such that the piezoelectric element 25 expands and contracts when a drive signal is input to the piezoelectric element 25 via the cable 27. The expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric element 25 is transmitted as deformation of the diaphragm 19 (deformation in a direction approaching and leaving the cavity). Due to the deformation of the vibration plate 19, the volume of the pressure chamber 31 changes, and the pressure of the pressure chamber 31 containing ink fluctuates. Ink is ejected from the nozzle 13 due to the fluctuation of the pressure.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the ink supply unit 12 is disposed on one side of the ink ejection mechanism IJ, and is connected to the common ink chambers 14 </ b> Y, 14 </ b> M, 14 </ b> C, and 14 </ b> K of the ejection head 11. The ink supply unit 12 includes ink tanks 12Y, 12M, 12C, and 12K that store the four colors of ink. The ink supply unit 12 has an ink supply mechanism (not shown), and supplies ink to the ejection head 11 using the ink supply mechanism.

  The transport mechanism CR includes a paper feed roller 35, a discharge roller 36, and the like. The paper feed roller 35 and the discharge roller 36 are rotationally driven by a motor mechanism (not shown). The transport mechanism CR transports the recording medium M along the transport surface MR in conjunction with the ink droplet ejecting operation by the ink ejecting mechanism IJ.

  The maintenance mechanism MN performs maintenance of the ejection head 11. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the maintenance mechanism MN includes a rotating body 40, a platen member 41, a cap member 42, an ink holding member 43, an ink receiving member 44, a suction mechanism 45, and an ink discharge tank 46. .

  The rotating body 40 is a cylindrical member arranged on the −Z side of the ejection head 11. The rotating body 40 is arranged such that the height direction of the cylinder coincides with the Y-axis direction. The rotating body 40 has, for example, a rotation mechanism (not shown), and is provided so as to be rotatable in the θY direction (direction around the Y axis) by the rotation mechanism. A bearing member 47 is provided inside the rotating body 40. The bearing member 47 is a cylindrical member having the same central axis as the rotating body 40. The bearing member 47 is fixed so as not to rotate in the θY direction. The rotating body 40 is rotatably supported on the outer periphery of the bearing member 47. The bearing member 47 has an opening 47a. The opening 47a is provided, for example, on the + Z axis side in the drawing. The + Y side end and the −Y side end of the bearing member 47 are sealed. In the state shown in FIG. 5, the opening 47 a of the bearing member 47 is sealed by the inner surface of the rotating body 40.

  The platen member 41 is a medium support unit that supports the recording medium M on the −Z direction of the ejection head 11. The platen member 41 is provided on the rotating body 40. The platen member 41 has a support surface 41 a that supports the recording medium M on the radial direction of the rotating body 40. The platen member 41 is configured such that the support surface 41 a overlaps the transport surface MR of the recording medium M in a state where the platen member 41 is disposed in the + Z direction of the rotating body 40. The platen member 41 is formed so that the support surface 41 a covers a region wider than the nozzle formation region 15 of the ejection head 11. The platen member 41 moves on the outer periphery of the rotating body 40 when the rotating body 40 rotates in the θY direction.

  The cap member 42 is a tray-like member for capping the ejection surface 11 </ b> A of the ejection head 11. The cap member 42 is also a portion that receives the discharged ink when performing a discharging operation for discharging the ink whose viscosity has increased in the nozzle 13. The cap member 42 is provided on the rotating body 40 on the side opposite to the platen member 41. Therefore, the platen member 41 and the cap member 42 are arranged on the rotating body 40 at a position shifted by 180 ° in the rotation direction. By disposing the cap member 42 and the platen member 41 in such positions, the ink hardly reaches the platen member 41 even when the ink overflows from the cap member 42. . The cap member 42 has an ink absorbing material 42a inside the tray. An opening 42 b is provided at the bottom of the cap member 42. The opening 42 b communicates with a through hole 40 b formed in the rotating body 40. The cap member 42 is formed so as to cover an area wider than the nozzle formation area 15 of the ejection head 11.

  The ink holding member 43 is a member that holds ink overflowing from the cap member 42. The ink holding member 43 is disposed on the rotating body 40 between the platen member 41 and the cap member 42. In the present embodiment, for example, one plate is disposed between the platen member 41 and the cap member 42 on the rotating body 40. Therefore, the platen member 41, the ink holding member 43, the cap member 42, and the ink holding member 43 are arranged on the rotating body 40 every time 90 degrees in the rotation direction.

  The ink receiving member 44 is an ink receiving portion that receives ink that has flowed out of, for example, the cap member 42 due to the rotation operation of the rotating body 40. The ink receiving member 44 is disposed on the −Z side of the transport surface MR of the recording medium M. The ink receiving member 44 is disposed such that the upper end (+ Z side end) is in contact with the transport surface MR. The ink receiving member 44 is provided to face the outer periphery 40a. The ink receiving member 44 is formed, for example, in a semicircular cross-sectional view along the outer periphery 40 a of the rotating body 40. The ink receiving member 44 has a discharge port 44a at the −Z side end. The discharge port 44 a is a portion that discharges the ink received by the ink receiving member 44.

  The suction mechanism 45 has a suction source such as a pump, for example, and is connected to the inside of the bearing member 47 and the discharge port 44 a of the ink receiving member 44. The suction mechanism 45 can suck the inside of the bearing member 47 and the discharge port 44a separately and independently, for example.

  The ink discharge tank 46 is a portion for discharging the ink accumulated in the ink receiving member 44. The ink discharge tank 46 is disposed, for example, at the −Z side end of the printer device PRT and is detachably provided. The ink discharge tank 46 is connected to the downstream side of the suction mechanism 45, for example.

  As the other maintenance mechanism MN, although not shown in the figure, for example, a wiping device for wiping off or removing foreign matter adhering to the ejection surface 11A of the ejection head 11 is provided.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the printer apparatus PRT.
The printer device PRT in the present embodiment includes a control device CONT that controls the overall operation. Connected to the control device CONT are an input device 59 for inputting various information relating to the operation of the printer device PRT, and a storage device 60 storing various information relating to the operation of the printer device PRT.

  Each part of the printer device PRT such as an ink ejection mechanism IJ, a transport mechanism CR, and a maintenance mechanism MN is connected to the control device CONT. The printer device PRT includes a drive signal generator 62 that generates a drive signal to be input to a drive unit including the piezoelectric element 25. The drive signal generator 62 is connected to the control device CONT.

  The drive signal generator 62 receives data indicating the amount of change in the voltage value of the ejection pulse input to the piezoelectric element 25 of the ejection head 11 and a timing signal that defines the timing for changing the voltage of the ejection pulse. The drive signal generator 62 generates a drive signal such as an ejection pulse based on the input data and timing signal.

Next, the operation of the printer apparatus PRT configured as described above will be described.
When performing the printing operation by the ejection head 11, the control device CONT adjusts the rotational position of the rotating body 40 so that the platen member 41 is disposed on the + Z side of the rotating body 40 as shown in FIG. 7. At this time, the control device CONT finely adjusts the posture of the platen member 41 so that the support surface 41a of the platen member 41 is parallel to the XY plane.

  After aligning the platen member 41, the controller CONT places the recording medium M on the support surface 41a of the platen member 41 by the transport mechanism CR. After arranging the recording medium M, the control device CONT inputs a drive signal from the drive signal generator 62 to the piezoelectric element 25 based on the image data of the image to be printed.

  When a drive signal is input to the piezoelectric element 25, the piezoelectric element 25 expands and contracts. Due to the expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric element 25, the diaphragm 19 is deformed (moved) in a direction toward and away from the pressure chamber 31. As the diaphragm 19 is deformed, the volume of the pressure chamber 31 changes, and the pressure of the pressure chamber 31 containing ink fluctuates. Ink is ejected from the nozzle 13 due to this pressure fluctuation. A desired image is formed on the recording medium M by the ink ejected from the nozzles 13.

  When the maintenance operation of the ejection head 11 is performed, the control device CONT moves the rotating body 40 to a predetermined rotation speed (ω1 :) so that the cap member 42 is disposed on the + Z side of the rotating body 40 as shown in FIG. (See FIG. 9). At this time, the controller CONT finely adjusts the posture of the cap member 42 so that the cap member 42 is parallel to the ejection surface 11A of the ejection head 11. By disposing the cap member 42 on the + Z side of the rotating body 40, the through hole 40b of the rotating body 40 and the opening 47a of the bearing member 47 overlap, and the cap member 42 and the bearing member 47 communicate with each other. become.

  After aligning the cap member 42, the control device CONT moves the ejection head 13 in the −Z direction and contacts the cap member 42. After the ejection head 13 is brought into contact with the cap member 42, the control device CONT operates the suction mechanism 45 to suck the inside of the bearing member 47. By sucking the inside of the bearing member 47, the inside of the cap member 42 communicating with the inside of the bearing member 47 is sucked and becomes negative pressure. By this negative pressure, the ink LQ is sucked from each nozzle 13 of the ejection head 11 and the viscosity of the ink LQ in the nozzle 13 is appropriately maintained.

  The ink sucked from the nozzle 13 is absorbed by the ink absorbing material 42 a in the cap member 42. If the suction operation is performed in a state where the ink is accumulated in the cap member 42, the suction efficiency is lowered, and the inside of the cap member 42 cannot be sufficiently negative. For this reason, the ink cannot be sufficiently discharged from the nozzle, and the maintainability is deteriorated.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, the rotating operation of rotating the rotating body 40 causes the ink in the cap member 42 to be scattered outside the cap member 42. By this operation, the ink in the cap member 42 is discharged, so that maintainability is maintained.

  As a specific operation, after the ink LQ is ejected, the control device CONT rotates the rotating body 40 at the rotational speed ω1 as shown in FIG. After the upper end of the cap member 42 is moved to the lower side (−Z side) than the transport surface MR due to the rotation of the rotating body 40, the control device CONT sets the rotating body 40 to a rotational speed ω2 as shown in FIG. Rotate in the same direction.

  The rotational speed ω2 can be set to a rotational speed larger than the rotational speed ω1 when the part facing the ejection head 11 is switched between the platen member 41 and the cap member 42. By rotating the rotating body 40 at the rotational speed ω2, the ink LQ absorbed by the ink absorbing material 42a of the cap member 42 due to the centrifugal force of the rotation is scattered outside the cap member 42, and the ink LQ is discharged from the inside of the cap member 42. Will be discharged.

  After the ink LQ is scattered, the control device CONT places the platen member 41 again on the + Z side of the rotating body 40 as shown in FIG. After aligning the platen member 41, the control device CONT records the image on the next recording medium M by performing the same recording operation as described above.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11, the ink LQ scattered from within the cap member 42 is transferred to the inner wall of the ink receiving member 44 and is accumulated at the bottom of the ink receiving member 44. In this state, as shown in FIG. 12, the control device CONT discharges the ink LQ from the discharge port 44 a of the ink receiving member 44 by operating the suction mechanism 45. The discharged ink LQ is stored in the ink discharge tank 46.

  Thus, according to this embodiment, since the ink LQ in the cap member 42 is scattered by changing the rotation speed of the rotating body 40, the ink LQ can be prevented from accumulating in the cap member 42. Thereby, it can prevent that the suction efficiency by the suction mechanism 45 falls, and the maintainability of the ejection head 11 can be ensured.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, since the ink receiving member 44 is provided so as to face the outer periphery 40a of the rotating body 40, it is possible to prevent the scattered ink from scattering into the apparatus. Further, since the upper end of the ink receiving member is arranged so as to be in contact with the transport surface MR, it is possible to more reliably prevent the scattered ink from jumping out onto the transport surface MR. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the fluid from adhering to the recording medium M by mistake.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, since the scattering operation is performed when the cap member 42 is disposed below the transport surface MR, the scattered ink is more prevented from adhering to the recording medium M. It can be surely prevented.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, when performing the scattering operation, for example, the rotating body 40 may be reciprocally rotated in the rotation direction. Since the scattering operation is performed a plurality of times by reciprocatingly rotating the rotating body 40, the ink LQ in the cap member 42 can be more reliably scattered.

  Further, when performing the scattering operation, for example, the rotation of the rotating body 40 may be suddenly stopped from the rotation speed ω2. An inertial force can be generated in the cap member 42 by suddenly stopping the turning operation. By this inertial force, the ink LQ can be efficiently scattered.

  In the above embodiment, the shape of the ink receiving member 44 is a shape along the outer periphery 40a of the rotating body 40. However, the shape is not limited thereto. A configuration other than the above, such as an elliptical shape or a parabolic shape in cross section, may be used.

  In the above embodiment, the components provided in the rotating body 40 of the maintenance mechanism MN are the platen member 41, the cap member 42, and the ink holding member 43. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is needless to say that the rotator 40 may be provided with a wiping device (not shown) in the above embodiment.

  In the above embodiment, the ink absorbing material 42a is arranged in the cap member 42. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the ink absorbing material 42a may not be provided.

  In the above embodiment, the suction mechanism is connected to the central portion of the rotating shaft of the rotating body 40, and the nozzle 13 is maintained while sucking the cap member 42. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Ink may be ejected from the nozzle 13 by pressurizing the inside of the ejection head 11 by a separate pressurizing mechanism or the like without sucking the nozzle 13.

  In the above embodiment, an ink jet printer and an ink cartridge are employed. However, a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects or discharges liquid other than ink and a liquid container containing the liquid are employed. Also good. The present invention can be used for various liquid ejecting apparatuses including a liquid ejecting head that ejects a minute amount of liquid droplets. In addition, a droplet means the state of the liquid discharged from the said liquid ejecting apparatus, and shall also include what pulls a tail in granular shape, tear shape, and thread shape. The liquid here may be a material that can be ejected by the liquid ejecting apparatus. For example, it may be in the state when the substance is in a liquid phase, and may be in a liquid state with high or low viscosity, sol, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals (metal melts) ) And a liquid as one state of the substance, as well as particles in which functional material particles made of solid materials such as pigments and metal particles are dissolved, dispersed or mixed in a solvent. In addition, typical examples of the liquid include ink and liquid crystal as described in the above embodiments. Here, the ink includes general water-based inks and oil-based inks, and various liquid compositions such as gel inks and hot-melt inks. As a specific example of the liquid ejecting apparatus, for example, a liquid containing a material such as an electrode material or a coloring material used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an EL (electroluminescence) display, a surface emitting display, a color filter, or the like in a dispersed or dissolved state. It may be a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting, a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a bio-organic material used for biochip manufacturing, a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a liquid as a sample used as a precision pipette, a textile printing apparatus, a microdispenser, or the like. In addition, transparent resin liquids such as UV curable resin to form liquid injection devices that pinpoint lubricant oil onto precision machines such as watches and cameras, and micro hemispherical lenses (optical lenses) used in optical communication elements. A liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects a liquid onto the substrate or a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects an etching solution such as an acid or an alkali to etch the substrate may be employed. The present invention can be applied to any one of these ejecting apparatuses and liquid containers.

  PRT ... Printer device M ... Recording medium IJ ... Ink ejection mechanism CR ... Conveyance mechanism MN ... Maintenance mechanism CONT ... Control device LQ ... Ink 11 ... Ejection head 40 ... Rotating body 41 ... Platen member 42 ... Cap member 43 ... Ink holding member 44 ... Ink receiving member 45 ... Suction mechanism 46 ... Ink discharge tank

Claims (8)

A fluid ejecting head that ejects fluid onto a medium transported on a predetermined transport surface;
A rotating body provided in the fluid ejection direction and rotatable;
A medium support section provided on the rotating body and supporting the medium;
A cap portion provided on the rotating body and at a position shifted in a rotational direction with respect to the medium support portion, and capping the ejection head;
A rotating operation of rotating the rotating body at a first speed and causing the fluid ejecting head to face the medium support portion and the cap portion, respectively, and rotating the rotating body at a second speed different from the first speed. A fluid ejecting apparatus comprising: a control device configured to switch and perform a scattering operation that causes the fluid in the cap portion to be scattered. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a fluid receiving portion that is provided opposite to an outer periphery of the rotating body and receives the fluid. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an upper end of the fluid receiving portion is disposed so as to be in contact with the transport surface. The said control apparatus makes the said scattering operation perform when the said cap part is arrange | positioned below the said conveyance surface. The Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. Fluid ejection device. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control device performs the scattering operation by reciprocatingly rotating the rotating body. The fluid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control device causes the scattering operation to be performed by suddenly stopping the rotation of the rotating body. A fluid ejecting head that ejects fluid to a medium;
A rotating body provided in the fluid ejection direction and rotatable;
A medium support section provided on the rotating body and supporting the medium;
A cap portion provided on the rotating body and at a position shifted in a rotational direction with respect to the medium support portion, and capping the ejection head;
A fluid ejecting apparatus comprising: a control device that rotates the rotating body while changing a rotation speed of the rotating body. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control device changes the rotation speed according to a position of the cap portion.

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