JP2010167604A - Fluid injection device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fluid injection device of excellent maintainability. <P>SOLUTION: This fluid injection device includes a fluid injection head having an injection area for injecting a fluid to a medium, a plurality of arrayed rotors provided rotatably on an injection direction of the fluid, and arrayed along a rotary shaft direction, medium support parts provided respectively on the plurality of rotors and for supporting the medium, cap parts provided respectively in positions located on the plurality of rotors, shifted along a rotational direction with respect to the medium support parts, and for capping the injection area, and a rotary mechanism for rotating independently the plurality of rotors. <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. As a specific maintenance operation, for example, an operation of adjusting the meniscus of the nozzle by bringing the cap member into contact with the ejection head and sucking it can be cited (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, a cap member, and the like are attached in the rotation direction of the rotating body. In this configuration, by rotating the rotating body, the recording medium support section and the cap member can be accessed by the ejection head, respectively.

JP 2004-174766 A

  Depending on the dimensions of the recording medium, recording may be performed using only a part of the ejection area without using the entire ejection area. In the above configuration, since only two types of maintenance can be performed: capping the entire ejection area of the ejection head or uncapping the entire ejection area, it is difficult to perform flexible maintenance according to the usage state of the ejection head. . For this reason, the structure with higher maintainability is calculated | required.

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

  In order to achieve the above object, a fluid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a fluid ejecting head having an ejecting region for ejecting a fluid onto a medium, a plurality of the ejecting areas arranged in the direction of the rotation axis, and provided rotatably in the fluid ejecting direction A rotating body, a medium support portion provided on each of the plurality of rotating bodies and supporting the medium, and a position on the plurality of rotating bodies and shifted in the rotation direction with respect to the medium supporting portion. It is provided with the cap part provided respectively and capping the said injection area | region, and the rotation mechanism which rotates the said several rotary body independently.

  According to the present invention, a plurality of rotating bodies are arranged with respect to the fluid ejecting head, and each rotating body can be independently rotated by the rotating mechanism, so that the cap portion is provided for each part of the ejecting region of the fluid ejecting head. Can be accessed. For this reason, fluid can be ejected onto the medium using the other part of the ejection region while capping a part of the ejection region with the cap portion. Thereby, maintainability can be improved.

In the fluid ejecting apparatus, the ejection region is divided so as to correspond to the arrangement of the plurality of rotating bodies.
According to the present invention, since the positions of the divided injection regions can be made to correspond to the positions of the cap portions provided on the respective rotating bodies, capping by each cap portion can be performed more accurately.

In the fluid ejecting apparatus, the plurality of rotating bodies and the cap portion are formed so as to have a dimension in the rotation axis direction corresponding to a dimension of the medium.
In general, the portion of the ejection region that ejects fluid is set according to the size of the medium. According to the present invention, since the dimensions of the rotating body and the cap portion are set in accordance with the dimensions of the medium, the cap portion is individually accessed for each of the fluid ejecting portion and the non-ejection portion of the ejecting region. be able to.

In the fluid ejecting apparatus, the plurality of rotating bodies and the cap portion are formed so as to have dimensions in the rotation axis direction corresponding to the standard of the medium.
According to the present invention, since the dimensions of the rotating body and the cap portion are set in accordance with the standard of the medium, the cap portion is individually accessed for each of the fluid ejection portion and the non-ejection portion of the ejection region. be able to.

The fluid ejecting apparatus is characterized in that the plurality of cap portions have suction mechanisms.
According to the present invention, since the plurality of cap portions have the suction mechanism, it is possible to improve the fluidity of the fluid in the ejection region.

In the fluid ejecting apparatus, the suction mechanism is provided so that each of the plurality of cap portions can be independently sucked.
According to the present invention, since the suction mechanism is provided so as to be able to suck each of the plurality of cap portions independently, a part of the ejection region can be selectively sucked.

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. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another configuration of the printer apparatus according to the invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another configuration of the printer apparatus according to the invention.

  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 an ejection area 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. It 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 ejection area 15 is provided corresponding to the common ink chamber 14 of each color (ejection areas 15Y, 15M, 15C, 15K).

  A plurality of nozzles 13 are provided in each of the ejection 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 ejection 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 and the pressure mechanism 38 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.

  Further, the ejection head 11 is provided with a pressurizing mechanism 38. In addition to the expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric element 25, ink is ejected from the nozzle 13 by applying pressure by the pressurizing mechanism 38. Accordingly, the ejection head 11 is not provided with, for example, a sub-tank or the like that serves as a self-sealing valve.

  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 path MR in conjunction with the ink droplet ejecting operation by the ink ejecting mechanism IJ.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the maintenance mechanism MN.
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, a suction mechanism 45, and an ink discharge tank 46. In FIG. 5, the configuration of the rotating body 40, the platen member 41, and the cap member 42 of the maintenance mechanism MN is mainly shown, and the inside of the suction mechanism 45, the ink discharge tank 46, the platen member 41, and the cap member 42 is shown. Other configurations such as the configuration are omitted.

  The rotating body 40 is a hexagonal columnar member disposed on the −Z side of the ejection head 11. The rotating body 40 is arranged so that the height direction of the hexagonal column coincides with the Y-axis direction. The rotating body 40 has a rotating mechanism 44 and is provided so as to be rotatable in the θY direction (direction around the Y axis) by the rotating mechanism 44. The rotating body 40 is divided into, for example, three parts in the Y direction. That is, three rotating bodies 40A, 40B, and 40C are arranged in the Y direction. The rotating bodies 40A, 40B, and 40C have a common rotating shaft 47. The rotating mechanism 44 rotates the rotating bodies 40A, 40B, and 40C independently of each other.

  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 one side surface of the rotating body 40 (40A, 40B, and 40C) (platen members 41A, 41B, and 41C). The platen member 41 has a support surface 41 f 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 f coincides with the transport path 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 f covers an area wider than the ejection area 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 region 15 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 opposite surface of the platen member 41 among the side surfaces on the rotating body 40 (40A, 40B, and 40C) (cap members 42A, 42B, and 42C). Therefore, the platen member 41 and the cap member 42 are arranged on the respective rotating bodies 40 at positions 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 inside the tray. An opening 42 b is provided at the bottom of the cap member 42. The opening 42 h communicates with a through hole 40 h formed in the rotating body 40. The cap member 42 is formed so as to cover an area wider than the ejection area 15 of the ejection head 11.

  In the present embodiment, the dimension in the Y direction of each rotating body 40, each platen member 41, and each cap member 42 is determined according to the dimension or standard of the recording medium M in the Y direction. In FIG. 5, the dimensions of the platen member 41B and the cap member 42B are set so as to cover the dimension W in the Y direction of the recording medium M, and the dimension of the rotating body 40B is set according to the dimension of the platen member 41B cap member 42B. Is done. The dimension of the rotating body 40A and the rotating body 40C in the Y direction is set according to the dimension of the rotating body 40B in the Y direction. The dimensions of the cap member 42A and the cap member 42C are set according to the dimensions of the rotating body 40A and the rotating body 40C. Thus, when the dimension of each rotary body 40, each platen member 41, and each cap member 42 is set, the platen member 41B and the cap member 42B will be mainly used. The procedure for setting these dimensions is merely an example, and it is of course possible to set each dimension based on other methods.

  The suction mechanism 45 has a suction source such as a pump, for example, and is connected to the opening 42 h of the cap member 42. The suction mechanism 45 sucks the inside of the cap member 42 and sucks ink accumulated in the cap member 42.

  The ink discharge tank 46 is a portion for discharging the ink accumulated in the cap member 42. 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.

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 41f 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 41f of the platen member 41 by the transport mechanism CR. After the recording medium M is arranged, the control device CONT determines the nozzle 13 used for the printing operation according to the dimension or standard of the recording medium M in the Y direction. After determining the nozzle 13 to be used, the control device CONT inputs a drive signal from the drive signal generator 62 related to the nozzle 13 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. In this way, only the nozzles 13 arranged in a part of the ejection area 15 are used for the printing operation depending on the dimension or standard of the recording medium M in the Y direction.

  As the maintenance operation of the ejection head 11, for example, a capping operation, a suction operation, and an ink discharging operation in the cap member 42 are performed. When performing the capping operation, the control device CONT adjusts the rotational position of the rotating body 40 so that the cap member 42 is disposed on the + Z side of the rotating body 40 as shown in FIG. 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. At the same time, the controller CONT presses the cap member 42 toward the ejection head 11 by rotating the cam member 44. By this operation, a gap is formed between the cap member 42 and the ejection head 11.

  In the present embodiment, only a partial area 15B of the ejection area 15 is used for ink ejection, and the remaining areas 15A and 15C are areas not used for ink ejection. Therefore, it is also possible to cause the recording medium M to eject ink using the region 15B while capping the ejection regions 15A and 15C that are not used for ink ejection by the cap member 42.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the control device CONT rotates the rotating body 40A and the rotating body 40C so that the cap members 42A and 42C are positioned on the + Z side of the rotating bodies 40A and 40C, and the platen member. The rotating body 40B is rotated so that 41B is positioned on the + Z side of the rotating body 40B.

  After rotating each rotating body 40, the control device CONT moves the cap member 42A and the cap member 42C to the + Z side and caps the regions 15A and 15C in the injection region 15, as shown in FIG. In this state, the control device CONT ejects ink from a partial area 15B of the ejection area 15 while conveying the recording medium M.

  When performing the suction operation, the control device CONT operates the suction mechanism 45 in a state where the inside of the cap member 42 is sealed, and sucks the inside of the cap member 42. By this operation, the inside of the cap member 42 becomes a negative pressure. By this negative pressure, the ink LQ is ejected 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 ejected from the nozzle 13 is absorbed by the ink absorbing material in the cap member 42.

  When discharging the ink absorbed by the ink absorbing material in the cap member 42, the control device CONT operates the suction mechanism 45. By this operation, the ink LQ is discharged from the opening 42h of the cap member 42. The discharged ink LQ is stored in the ink discharge tank 46.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, a plurality of rotating bodies 40 are arranged with respect to the ejection head 11, and each rotating body 40A, 40B, and 40C can be independently rotated by the rotating mechanism 44. The cap members 42A, 42B, and 42C can be accessed for each of the portions 15A, 15B, and 15C of the ejection region 15 of the ejection head 11. Therefore, ink can be ejected onto the recording medium M using the other portion 15B of the ejection region 15 while capping the portions 15A and 15C of the ejection region 15 with the cap members 42A and 42C. Thereby, maintainability can be improved.

  In general, the portion of the ejection region 15 that actually ejects ink is set according to, for example, the size and standard of the recording medium M. According to the present embodiment, since the dimensions of the rotating bodies 40 and the dimensions of the cap members 42 are set in accordance with the dimensions or standards of the recording medium M, the portion of the ejection region 15 that ejects ink and the ink The cap portion can be individually accessed for each of the injection portions that do not inject fuel.

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.
In the said embodiment, although the example in which the ejection area | region 15 of the ejection head 11 was formed continuously in the Y direction was given and demonstrated, it is not restricted to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the injection region 15 may be divided according to the arrangement of the rotating bodies 40A, 40B, and 40C. Thereby, since the positions of the divided injection regions 15 and the positions of the cap members 42A, 42B, and 42C provided in each rotating body 40 can be made to correspond to each other, capping by each cap member 42 can be performed more accurately. Can do.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although demonstrated that the shape of each rotary body 40 was a regular hexagonal column shape, it is not restricted to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the configuration of each rotating body 40 may be a hexagonal column, and the surface on which the cap member 42 is provided may be formed so as to protrude radially from the central axis with respect to the other surface. In this configuration, when the rotating body 40 is rotated and the cap member 42 is disposed on the + X side of the rotating body 40, the cap member 42 can be brought into contact with the ejection head 11. Thereby, it is not necessary to separately provide a moving mechanism for moving the cap member 42, and a simple configuration can be achieved.

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the platen member 41 and the cap member 42 are provided on the side surface of the rotating body 40 has been described as an example. However, the configuration is not limited thereto. A configuration may be employed in which a wiping member or the like that slides the surface 11A is disposed.

  In the above embodiment, the shape of the rotating body 40 has been described as a hexagonal column shape. However, the shape is not limited to this. For example, the rotary body 40 may be formed in another shape such as a columnar shape or a rectangular column shape. .

  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 (40A, 40B, 40C) ... Rotating body 41 (41A, 41B, 41C) ) ... Platen member 42 (42A, 42B, 42C) ... Cap member 44 ... Rotating mechanism 45 ... Suction mechanism 46 ... Ink discharge tank

Claims (6)

A fluid ejection head having an ejection region that ejects fluid onto a medium;
A rotating body provided rotatably in the fluid ejection direction and arranged in a plurality of rotation axis directions;
A medium support section provided on each of the plurality of rotating bodies and supporting the medium;
A cap portion that is provided on each of the plurality of rotating bodies and is displaced in a rotational direction with respect to the medium support portion, and capping the ejection region;
A fluid ejecting apparatus comprising: a rotating mechanism that independently rotates the plurality of rotating bodies. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fluid ejecting region is divided so as to correspond to an arrangement of the plurality of rotating bodies. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of rotating bodies and the cap portions are formed to have a dimension in the rotation axis direction corresponding to a dimension of the medium. . The plurality of rotating bodies and the cap portions are formed so as to have dimensions in the direction of the rotation axis corresponding to the standard of the medium. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to 1. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of cap portions include a suction mechanism. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the suction mechanism is provided so that each of the plurality of cap portions can be sucked independently.

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