JP2010214713A - Fluid jetting device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fluid jetting device that enables wiping with high accuracy. <P>SOLUTION: The fluid jetting device includes: a fluid jetting head 3 having a nozzle face 3A on which a nozzle for jetting a fluid is formed; a wiping member 17A for wiping the nozzle face 3A of the fluid jetting head 3; and a detecting mechanism for detecting a distance between the fluid jetting head 3 and the wiping member 17A. An electrode 17B is connected to a voltage application device for applying a predetermined voltage between the fluid jetting head 3 and it and a voltage detection device for detecting an applied voltage. When ink is jetted to the electrode 17B from the nozzle while an electric field is applied between the electrode 17B and the nozzle face 3A of the fluid jetting head 3, a temporal change of the voltage value based on electrostatic induction is detected as a detected waveform, and information about the distance between the nozzle and the electrode 17B is accordingly obtained. <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 such a fluid ejecting apparatus, a maintenance process for maintaining or recovering a good discharge state of droplets ejected from a nozzle is periodically performed. Specific examples of the maintenance operation include a flushing operation, a suction operation, and a wiping operation. For example, in the wiping operation, the ink attached to the nozzle surface is removed by wiping the nozzle surface with a wiping member (for example, Patent Document 1). The wiping member is attached so that the distance from the ejection head is an appropriate distance.

JP 2001-18418 A

  However, as the wiping operation is performed, the wiping member may be worn out or the fixing position of the wiping member may be shifted, and the distance between the ejection head and the wiping member may be different from the appropriate distance. The If the distance between the ejection head and the wiping member is not properly maintained, there is a possibility that the ink adhering to the nozzle surface cannot be completely removed.

  In view of the circumstances as described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a fluid ejecting apparatus capable of performing a highly accurate wiping operation.

  The fluid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention includes a fluid ejecting head having a nozzle surface on which a nozzle for ejecting fluid is formed, a wiping member for wiping the nozzle surface of the fluid ejecting head, the fluid ejecting head, and the wiping member. And a detection mechanism for detecting the distance between the two.

  According to the present invention, since the detection mechanism for detecting the distance between the fluid ejecting head and the wiping member is provided, the distance between the fluid ejecting head and the wiping member is set to an appropriate distance based on the detected distance. Can be retained. Thereby, the burden of a wiping member can be suppressed and a highly accurate wiping operation can be performed.

In the fluid ejecting apparatus, the detection mechanism includes an electrode that applies a voltage to the fluid ejecting head.
According to the present invention, since the detection mechanism has the electrode for applying a voltage between the fluid ejecting head and the fluid ejecting head, the operation of attaching the fluid from the fluid ejecting head to the electrode is performed. The time required to adhere to the electrode can be determined. Based on this time, the distance between the wiping member and the fluid ejecting head can be detected. Thereby, the distance can be detected with high accuracy.

The fluid ejecting apparatus is characterized in that the wiping member is brought close to the nozzle surface by moving up and down, and the electrode is provided at an end portion of the wiping member on the nozzle surface side.
According to the present invention, when the wiping member is brought close to the nozzle surface by moving up and down, the electrode is provided at the end of the wiping member on the nozzle surface side so that the wiping member is brought close to the nozzle surface. Thus, the distance between the fluid ejecting head and the contact portion of the wiping member can be detected. Thereby, effective distance detection can be performed.

In the fluid ejecting apparatus, the wiping member is close to the nozzle surface by rotational movement, and the electrode is provided on a side portion of the wiping member that is close to the nozzle surface. To do.
According to the present invention, when the wiping member is brought close to the nozzle surface by rotational movement, since the electrode is provided on the side portion of the wiping member in the vicinity of the nozzle surface, the rotation angle of the wiping member is adjusted. In this state, the distance between the fluid ejecting head and the wiping member can be detected. Since the fluid is not directly brought into contact with the contact portion of the wiping member, the wiping operation can be performed with the contact portion in a clean state.

The fluid ejecting apparatus further includes a support member that supports the wiping member, and the electrode is provided on the support member.
According to the present invention, the support member for supporting the wiping member is further provided, and the electrode is provided on the support member. Therefore, the wiping member and the fluid caused by the displacement of the support position of the wiping member are provided. It is also possible to detect a deviation in distance from the ejection head.

The fluid ejecting apparatus further includes: a fluid receiving unit that receives the fluid discharged from the fluid ejecting head; and a second electrode that is provided in the fluid receiving unit and applies a voltage between the fluid ejecting head. And the detection mechanism detects the distance using a detection result obtained via the second electrode.
According to the present invention, since the detection mechanism detects the distance using the detection result obtained through the second electrode provided in the fluid receiving portion, the distance can be detected more efficiently.

In the fluid ejecting apparatus, the detection mechanism detects the distance based on a contact state between the nozzle surface and the wiping member.
According to the present invention, since the detection mechanism detects the distance based on the contact state between the nozzle surface and the wiping member, the shift in the distance in the contact state can also be detected. By adjusting the distance based on the detection result, more accurate wiping can be performed.

The fluid ejecting apparatus further includes an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the distance based on a detection result of the detection mechanism.
According to the present invention, since the adjustment mechanism that adjusts the distance based on the detection result by the detection mechanism is provided, the distance can be more reliably held at an appropriate distance. Thereby, a highly accurate wiping operation can be performed.

In the fluid ejecting apparatus, the adjusting mechanism adjusts the distance by moving at least one of the fluid ejecting head and the wiping member.
According to the present invention, since the adjustment mechanism adjusts the distance by moving at least one of the fluid ejecting head and the wiping member, the distance can be more reliably held at an appropriate distance. Thereby, a highly accurate wiping operation can be performed.

The fluid ejecting apparatus further includes a posture adjusting mechanism that adjusts a posture of the fluid ejecting head, and the adjusting mechanism moves the fluid ejecting head using the posture adjusting mechanism.
According to the present invention, since the posture adjusting mechanism for adjusting the posture of the fluid ejecting head is further provided and the adjusting mechanism moves the fluid ejecting head using the posture adjusting mechanism, the distance can be adjusted efficiently. Can do.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows the structure of a carriage. The figure which shows the structure of a maintenance apparatus. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of a wiping member. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of the printer. The figure explaining wiping operation | movement. Same operation diagram. Same operation diagram. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating another configuration of the printer according to the invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating another configuration of the printer according to the invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating another configuration of the printer according to the invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating another configuration of the printer according to the invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating another configuration of the printer according to the invention.

Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing used for the following description, the scale of each member is appropriately changed to make each member a recognizable size.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an ink jet printer 1 (fluid ejecting apparatus) according to the first embodiment.

  The ink jet printer 1 includes a printer body 5. The printer main body 5 includes a carriage moving mechanism 16 that reciprocates the carriage 4, an ink cartridge 6 that stores ink (fluid) supplied to the recording head 3 via the ink supply tube 14, and a recording head 3 (fluid ejecting head). A maintenance device 7 used for a cleaning operation or the like for maintaining the ejection characteristics is provided.

  The printer main body 5 is provided with a recording paper transport mechanism 35 (FIG. 5) for transporting recording paper. The recording paper transport mechanism 35 is a paper feed motor or a paper feed that is rotationally driven by the paper feed motor. It comprises rollers (not shown) or the like, and sequentially feeds recording paper onto the platen 13 in conjunction with a recording (printing / printing) operation.

  The carriage moving mechanism 16 includes a guide shaft 8 installed in the width direction of the printer main body 5, a pulse motor 9, a drive pulley 10 connected to a rotation shaft of the pulse motor 9 and driven to rotate by the pulse motor 9, A driving pulley 10 includes an idler pulley 11 provided on the opposite side of the printer body 5 in the width direction, and a timing belt 12 that is stretched between the drive pulley 10 and the idler pulley 11 and connected to the carriage 4. It is configured. By driving the pulse motor 9, the carriage 4 reciprocates along the guide shaft 8 in the main scanning direction (X direction in the figure).

  The maintenance device 7 includes a capping mechanism 15 that is used for a suction operation for sucking the thickened ink from each nozzle of the recording head 3, and a wiping mechanism that is used for a wiping operation for wiping ink adhering to the nozzle surface 3 </ b> A of the recording head 3. 17 or the like.

  The capping mechanism 15 includes a cap member 15A, a suction pump 34 (FIG. 5), and the like. The cap member 15A is constituted by a member obtained by molding an elastic material such as rubber into a tray shape. The cap member 15A is disposed at the home position. This home position is set in an end area within the movement range of the carriage 4 and outside the recording area, and the carriage 4 is arranged when the power is turned off or when recording is not performed for a long time. Is a place.

  When the carriage 4 is positioned at the home position, the cap member 15A abuts on the surface (that is, the nozzle surface 3A) of the nozzle plate 19 (see FIG. 2) of the recording head 3 and seals. When the suction pump 34 (FIG. 5) is operated in this sealed state, the inside of the cap member 15A is decompressed, and the ink in the recording head 3 is forcibly discharged from the nozzles 18.

  The cap member 15A receives ink droplets in a flushing process in which ink droplets are ejected to discharge thickened ink, bubbles, or the like before or during a recording operation by the recording head 3.

  The wiping mechanism 17 includes a wiping member 17A and the like, and is disposed at the home position integrally with the capping mechanism 15. The wiping member 17A is composed of a member in which a rubber-like elastic material is formed in a thin plate shape. Such a wiping mechanism 17 is provided closer to the platen 13 than the capping mechanism 15 in the movement direction of the carriage 4. In the wiping operation, when the carriage 4 moves from the home position to the printing position (left side in the X direction), the wiping member 17A contacts the nozzle surface 3A of the recording head 3 and slides on the nozzle surface 3A while being deformed. By moving, the ink attached to the nozzle surface 3A is removed.

  The recording head 3 is mounted on the carriage 4. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the nozzle surface 3A on which a plurality of nozzles 18 are formed is mounted in a state of protruding from the surface 4A. Further, guide shaft holes 41 that are coaxial with each other are provided at both ends of one side portion 4 b in the longitudinal direction, and the guide shaft 8 is inserted into the guide shaft holes 41. The carriage 4 is connected to the timing belt 12 by attaching a part of the timing belt 12 to a connecting portion 42 provided at the center of the side portion 4b. The head unit 2 including the carriage 4 reciprocates in the main scanning direction along the guide shaft 8 according to the movement of the timing belt 12 that is rotated by driving the pulse motor 9 shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the maintenance device.
As shown in FIG. 3, the capping mechanism 15 includes a cap unit 150, an electrode 16, a suction pump 34, and the like. The cap unit 150 includes a cap member 15A that can seal the nozzle surface 3A of the recording head 3, and a slider member 15B that holds the cap member 15A and can be moved up and down in the vertical direction (Z direction). The cap member 15A is constituted by a member obtained by molding an elastic material such as rubber into a tray shape. The slider member 15B can be moved by an elevating mechanism 19 (FIG. 5) supported by the housing portion 28, and causes the cap member 15A to contact and separate from the recording head 3 disposed at the home position.

  In the suction operation, the cap member 15A is brought into contact with the nozzle surface 3A of the recording head 3 and sealed by raising the slider member 15B. When the suction pump 34 is operated in this sealed state, the inside of the cap member 15A (sealed empty portion) is depressurized, and the ink in the recording head 3 is forcibly discharged from the nozzles. Further, the cap member 15A receives ink droplets in a flushing operation for discharging ink droplets for discharging thickened ink, bubbles, or the like before or during a recording operation by the recording head 3, or in the above-described suction operation. .

  The electrode 16 is a net-like electrode formed inside the cap member 15A. The electrode 16 is connected to a voltage application device (not shown) that applies a predetermined voltage to the recording head 3 and a voltage detection device (not shown) that detects the applied voltage. When ink is ejected from the nozzle 18 to the electrode 16 with an electric field applied between the electrode 16 and the nozzle surface 3A of the recording head 3, the temporal change in the voltage value based on electrostatic induction is detected as a detected waveform. Output to the device. In the control device CONT (FIG. 5), information on the distance between the nozzle 18 and the electrode 16 can be acquired based on the output detection waveform.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the wiping mechanism 17 includes a wiping member 17 </ b> A provided in the wiper guide groove 28 a of the housing portion 28. The wiping member 17A is formed from a member in which a rubber-like elastic material is formed in a thin plate shape, and is configured to be guided in the vertical direction (Z direction) along the wiper guide groove 28a by a lifting mechanism (not shown). Has been.

  In the wiping operation, when the carriage 4 moves from the home position to the recording area, the raised wiping member 17A abuts on the nozzle surface 3A of the recording head 3 and slides on the nozzle surface 3A while being bent and deformed. Ink attached to the nozzle surface 3A is removed.

  The cap unit 150 and the wiping member 17A are unitized by being accommodated in the housing portion 28, and the cap unit 150 (slider member 15B) and the wiping member 17A are provided to the housing portion 28. Each can be moved up and down independently.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the wiping member 17A. FIG. 4A shows a cross-sectional configuration when the wiping member 17A is viewed in the Y direction. FIG. 4B shows a cross-sectional configuration when the wiping member 17A is viewed in the X direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, an electrode 17B is formed on an end portion (upper end portion in the drawing) 17f on the nozzle surface 3A side of the wiping member 17A.

  The electrode 17B is connected to a voltage application device (not shown) that applies a predetermined voltage to the recording head 3 and a voltage detection device (not shown) that detects the applied voltage. The voltage application device and the voltage detection device can be the same as the voltage application device and the voltage detection device connected to the electrode 16, for example.

  When ink is ejected from the nozzle 18 to the electrode 17B in the state where an electric field is applied between the electrode 17B and the nozzle surface 3A of the recording head 3, the time change of the voltage value based on electrostatic induction is detected as a detected waveform. Output to the device. The control device CONT can acquire information related to the distance between the nozzle 18 and the electrode 17B based on the output detection waveform.

  The electrode 17B is formed on the end portion 17f along the Y direction. Therefore, the distance from the recording head 3 can be detected at each position along the Y direction of the wiping member 17A.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the inkjet printer 1.
The ink jet printer 1 in this embodiment includes a control device CONT that controls the overall operation. The control device CONT includes an input device 59 for inputting various information relating to the operation of the ink jet printer 1, a storage device 60 storing various information relating to the operation of the ink jet printer 1, a recording paper transport mechanism 35 for transporting recording paper, and the recording head 3. Is connected to a maintenance device 7 for performing maintenance processing. The inkjet printer 1 also 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 recording head 3 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 wiping operation of the inkjet printer 1 described above will be described. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a main part for explaining the wiping operation.

  First, the control device CONT starts the wiping process and places the carriage 4 at the home position. Since the wiping operation is performed after the flushing operation or the suction operation, the wiping operation is started from a state where the recording head 3 (carriage 4) is already disposed at the home position.

  The control device CONT moves the carriage 4 arranged at the home position in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 6A (that is, the left side in FIG. 1). As the carriage 4 moves, the wiping member 17 </ b> A comes into contact with the side portion 3 a of the recording head 3.

  When the carriage 4 further moves, as shown in FIG. 6B, the wiping member 17A is deformed by being pressed against the recording head 3, and moves over the side 3a of the recording head 3 and contacts the nozzle surface 3A. The wiping member 17A contacts the nozzle surface 3A with a predetermined pressure corresponding to the degree of deformation. When the carriage 4 is further moved, the elastically deformed wiping member 17A slides on the nozzle surface 3A, and its upper end 17a scrapes off ink adhering to the nozzle surface 3A. As shown in FIG. 6C, the wiping member 17A that has finished wiping the nozzle surface 3A instantaneously returns to the upright state due to its elastic force.

  While performing the wiping operation, the wiping member 17A is worn down or the fixing position of the wiping member 17A is shifted, and the distance between the recording head 3 and the wiping member 17A may be different from the appropriate distance. It is possible. If the distance between the recording head 3 and the wiping member 17A is not properly maintained, the ink attached to the nozzle surface 3A may not be completely removed.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, the distance between the wiping member 17A and the recording head 3 is detected. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the wiping member 17 </ b> A is opposed to the recording head 3 in an upright state, and the electrode 17 </ b> B formed on the end 17 f is opposed to the nozzle surface 3 </ b> A of the recording head 3.

  In this state, the control device CONT applies a voltage between the electrode 17B and the nozzle surface 3A of the recording head 3. For example, the voltage is applied so that the nozzle surface 3A is a negative electrode and the electrode 17B is a positive electrode. After the voltage application, the control device CONT ejects the ink LQ from the nozzle 18 as shown in FIG.

  When the ink LQ is ejected, since the nozzle surface 3A is a negative electrode, a part of the negative charge on the nozzle surface 3A moves to the ink LQ, and the ejected ink LQ is negatively charged. As the negatively charged ink LQ approaches the electrode 17B, positive charge increases on the surface of the electrode 17B due to electrostatic induction. The voltage between the nozzle surface 3A and the electrode 17B is higher than the initial voltage value in a state where the ink LQ is not ejected due to the induced voltage generated by electrostatic induction.

  When the ink LQ lands on the electrode 17B, the positive charge of the electrode 17B is neutralized by the negative charge of the ink LQ. For this reason, the voltage between the nozzle surface 3A and the electrode 17B is lower than the initial voltage value. Thereafter, the voltage between the nozzle surface 3A and the electrode 17B returns to the initial voltage value. Therefore, the output detection waveform is a waveform that once rises, then falls until it falls below the original voltage value, and then returns to the original voltage value. In this way, a change in voltage when ink LQ is ejected from each nozzle 18 is detected.

  The control device CONT detects the time from ejection to landing for each nozzle 18 based on the detected waveform, and calculates the distance between each nozzle 18 and the electrode 17B based on the time. The control device CONT compares the calculated value with the appropriate value, and when the calculated value is substantially equal to the appropriate value, the distance between the wiping member 17A and the nozzle surface 3A is held at an appropriate distance. Judge. The appropriate value is obtained in advance by experiments, simulations, or the like, and stored in the storage device 60 or the like.

  When the calculated value is different from the appropriate value, the control device CONT determines that the distance between the wiping member 17A and the nozzle surface 3A is not maintained at an appropriate distance. For example, when the wiping member 17 </ b> A is inclined with respect to the nozzle surface 3 </ b> A, the calculated value gradually increases along the arrangement direction of the nozzles 18. Further, when the wiping member 17A is worn out, the calculated value is larger than the appropriate value as a whole.

  When determining that the appropriate distance is not maintained, the control device CONT adjusts the posture of the wiping member 17A or the recording head 3 in a direction in which these calculated values are equal. For example, when the wiping member 17A is inclined with respect to the nozzle surface 3A (the calculated value gradually increases along the arrangement direction of the nozzles 18), the wiping member 17A or the recording head is set so that the distance between them becomes an appropriate distance. Adjust the slope of 3. For example, when the wiping member 17A is worn down (the calculated value is larger than the appropriate value as a whole), the wiping member 17A and the recording head 3 are moved closer to each other.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, since the electrode 17B for detecting the distance between the recording head 3 and the wiping member 17A is provided, the recording head 3 and the wiping member 17A are based on the detected distance. Can be maintained at an appropriate distance. Thereby, the burden on the wiping member 17A can be suppressed, and a highly accurate wiping operation can be performed.

  In addition, in the present embodiment, when the wiping member 17A is brought close to the nozzle surface 3A by moving up and down, the electrode 17B is provided on the end portion 17f on the nozzle surface 3A side of the wiping member 17A. The distance between the recording head 3 and the contact portion of the wiping member 17A can be detected in a state where 17A is close to the nozzle surface 3A. Thereby, effective distance detection can be performed.

  Moreover, according to this embodiment, since the said distance was adjusted based on the detection result by the electrode 17B, the said distance can be hold | maintained to an appropriate distance more reliably. Thereby, a highly accurate wiping operation can be performed. In this case, for example, since the posture of at least one of the recording head 3 and the wiping member 17A is adjusted, the distance can be more reliably held at an appropriate distance. Thereby, a highly accurate wiping operation can be performed. Of course, both the recording head 3 and the wiping member 17A may be controlled.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the above embodiment, the wiping member 17A is moved up and down so as to be close to the recording head 3. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the wiping member 17A is rotated. Thus, it may be configured to be close to the recording head 3. In this case, the electrode 17B can be disposed on the side surface 17s of the wiping member 17A. In a state where the wiping member 17A is tilted, a voltage is applied between the electrode 17B and the recording head 3, and the ink LQ is ejected from the recording head 3, whereby the distance between the recording head 3 and the wiping member 17A is increased. Can be detected.

  In the above embodiment, the electrode 17B is arranged directly on the wiping member 17A. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the electrode 17B is arranged on the support member 100 of the wiping member 17A. It does not matter as a structure to do. Since the distance between the support member 100 and the recording head 3 can be detected, the distance between the wiping member 17A and the recording head 3 can be estimated based on the distance.

  In the above embodiment, the example in which the distance between the wiping member 17A and the recording head 3 is detected using only the electrode 17B disposed on the wiping member 17A has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the distance between the recording head 3 and the wiping member 17A may be detected using the electrode 16 provided on the cap portion 15. In this case, the distance between the recording head 3 and the cap portion 15 is detected. However, since the position of the cap portion 15 hardly changes, a change in the position on the recording head 3 side can be detected. The control device CONT can obtain a more accurate detection value by detecting the distance between the wiping member 17A and the recording head 3 using this detection value.

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the distance between the nozzle surface 3A and the wiping member 17A is detected by using the electrode 17B has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the nozzle surface 3A The distance between the nozzle surface 3A and the wiping member 17A may be detected by detecting the amount of interference between the wiping member 17A and the wiping member 17A.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the amount of interference is the dimension of the portion t that interferes with the nozzle surface 3A when the wiping member 17A is in contact with the nozzle surface 3A during the wiping operation (contact state). In the initial stage of use of the wiping member 17A, the amount of interference is about 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm, but the amount of interference increases to about 1.0 mm to 1.8 mm when the wiping member 17A is used for a long period of time. By previously obtaining data that associates the period of use of the wiping member 17A with the amount of interference by experiments or simulations, the distance between the nozzle surface 3A and the wiping member 17A is estimated using the data. The positions of the recording head 3 and the wiping member 17A can be adjusted based on the estimated value.

  In addition to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which the distance between the recording head 3 and the wiping member 17A is adjusted using an attitude adjustment mechanism that adjusts the attitude of the recording head 3 may be used. An example of such a posture adjustment mechanism is a platen gap adjustment mechanism 130.

  FIG. 12 is a side view showing an example of the platen gap adjusting mechanism 130 of the printer 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 13 is a side view showing a state where the platen gap PG is largely adjusted in the platen gap adjusting mechanism 130 shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the guide rod 102 for guiding the carriage 4 is composed of two rods 102A and 102B. The rods 102A and 102B are biased in the same direction and provided at both ends thereof. Further, it is rotatably attached to a guide frame (not shown) via eccentric pins 131 and 132. Then, the carriage 4 is rotated in the same direction by a platen gap adjusting mechanism 130 described later, and the supported carriage 4 can be separated or approached in parallel to the platen 13. The paper feed mechanism 66 includes a paper feed motor M (see FIG. 1) and a paper feed roller 133 driven by the paper feed motor M.

  A switching lever 135 is loosely fitted to the shaft 134 that is rotationally driven by the PF motor M so as to be movable in the axial direction. A sun gear 136 is arranged at the center of the switching lever 135. For example, a part of the shaft 134 is slidable in the direction of the shaft 134 and connected in the rotational direction. It is formed on the angular axis.

  Two planetary gears 137, 138 that are always meshed with the sun gear 136 are rotatably attached to the switching lever 135. When the switching lever 135 is pressed by the movement of the carriage 4, it moves in the direction of the shaft 134, Depending on the rotation direction of the PF motor M, either one of the planetary gears 137 or 138 is configured to mesh with an intermediate gear 139 described later.

  The intermediate gear 139 is configured to selectively mesh with each of the two planetary gears 137 and 138, and the amount of rotation of the planetary gears 137 and 138 is determined by a modified geneva gear portion 140 that engages and disengages with the sector gear 141 described later. Regardless of the above, the fan gear 141 is rotated by a certain amount, and the sector gear 141 is rotated by a certain angle.

  On the other hand, the sector gear 141 is fixed to the end of the shaft 132 so as to rotate integrally with the one guide rod 102B. Further, the small sector gear 142 integrated with the sector gear 141 meshes with a sector sector gear 143 disposed between the guide rods 102A and 102B, and the shaft of the other guide rod 102A is interposed via the gear 143. 131 is configured to transmit rotation in the same direction to a small sector gear 144 fixed to the end of 131.

  When the platen gap adjusting mechanism 130 configured as described above performs printing on thick paper such as color-only paper or postcards, for example, if an operation button or the like arranged on a panel (not shown) is operated, PF The motor M rotates the shaft 134 shown in FIG. 13 counterclockwise.

  Along with this, the switching lever 135 disposed at the shaft end rotates counterclockwise, and the intermediate gear 139 rotates in the arrow direction in the figure via the planetary gear 137 meshing with the sun gear 136. Further, the sector gear 141 that meshes with the deformed geneva gear portion 140 of the intermediate gear 139 is rotated by a certain amount to a position where it abuts against the stopper 141a, and one eccentric pin 132 integrated therewith is rotated clockwise in the figure.

  At the same time, the sector-shaped sector gear 143 is rotated in the direction of the arrow in the drawing via the small sector gear 142 integral with the sector gear 141, and the other eccentric pin 131 is engaged via the other small sector gear 144 engaged therewith. Are rotated in the same direction. As a result, the carriage 4 is pulled up parallel to the print reference plane, that is, the platen 13 by the guide rods 102A and 102B.

  Needless to say, the platen gap PG can be narrowed by rotating the PF motor M in the opposite direction to the state shown in FIG. The operation of each part of the platen gap adjusting mechanism 130 is controlled by, for example, the control device CONT. It is also possible to adjust the distance between the recording head 3 and the wiping member 17A using the platen gap adjusting mechanism 130.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Inkjet printer (fluid ejecting apparatus), 18 ... Nozzle, 3A ... Nozzle surface, 3 ... Recording head (fluid ejecting head), 16 ... Electrode, 17A ... Wiper member, 17B ... Electrode, CONT ... Control device,

Claims (10)

A fluid ejecting head having a nozzle surface on which a nozzle for ejecting fluid is formed;
A wiping member for wiping the nozzle surface of the fluid ejecting head;
A fluid ejecting apparatus comprising: a detection mechanism that detects a distance between the fluid ejecting head and the wiping member. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection mechanism includes an electrode that applies a voltage to the fluid ejecting head. The wiping member is close to the nozzle surface by moving up and down,
The fluid ejection device according to claim 2, wherein the electrode is provided at an end of the wiping member on the nozzle surface side. The wiping member is close to the nozzle surface by rotational movement,
The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the electrode is provided on a side portion of the wiping member that is close to the nozzle surface. A support member for supporting the wiping member;
The fluid ejection device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the electrode is provided on the support member. A fluid receiving portion for receiving the fluid discharged from the fluid ejecting head;
A second electrode that is provided in the fluid receiving portion and applies a voltage to the fluid ejecting head;
The fluid ejecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the detection mechanism detects the distance using a detection result obtained via the second electrode. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the detection mechanism detects the distance based on a contact state between the nozzle surface and the wiping member. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the distance based on a detection result by the detection mechanism. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the adjusting mechanism adjusts the distance by moving at least one of the fluid ejecting head and the wiping member. A posture adjusting mechanism for adjusting the posture of the fluid ejecting head;
The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the adjusting mechanism moves the fluid ejecting head using the posture adjusting mechanism.

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