JP2010269460A - Foreign substance removing device and liquid jetting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a foreign substance removing device which can surely remove foreign substances adherent to an open edge of a cap, and a liquid jetting apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The foreign substance removing device is set in a printer equipped with the cap 42 in which annular seal parts 44 can abut to surround openings of nozzles with respect to a recording head which jets inks from the openings of the nozzles formed at a nozzle formation surface. The foreign substance removing device removes the foreign substances from the seal parts 44 by wiping the seal parts 44. The removing device is equipped with a wiping member 73 which can wipe the seal parts 44 as a lower end surface 73a slide-contacting with the seal parts 44 maintains a slide-contacting state to the seal parts 44 in a process to be shifted in a direction along the seal parts 44. The wiping member 73 is formed so that the lower end surface 73a extends along a direction which intersects the shift direction at the time of wiping. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a foreign matter removing device that removes foreign matter attached to an opening edge of a cap, and a liquid ejecting apparatus including the foreign matter removing device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, ink jet recording apparatuses (hereinafter referred to as “printers”) are widely known as liquid ejecting apparatuses that eject liquid from a liquid ejecting head to a target. In such a printer, with the opening edge of the cap in contact with the nozzle forming surface of the liquid ejecting head so as to surround the nozzle opening, the inside of the space formed by the nozzle forming surface and the cap is brought into a negative pressure state, A cleaning operation for forcibly sucking and discharging the thickened ink and bubbles from the liquid ejecting head through the nozzle opening is executed.

  By the way, at the time of cleaning operation or flushing operation, ink discharged from the nozzle opening into the cap may adhere to the opening edge of the cap. When the state where the ink is attached to the opening edge of the cap is left as it is, the ink is solidified while being attached to the opening edge of the cap. Then, even when the opening edge of the cap is brought into contact with the nozzle forming surface of the liquid ejecting head during the cleaning operation, the sealing performance of the space formed by the nozzle forming surface and the cap is impaired. For this reason, a sufficient negative pressure cannot be accumulated in this space, and there is a problem that the suction force when sucking the thickened ink or bubbles from the liquid ejecting head through the nozzle opening is reduced. Therefore, a printer is usually provided with a mechanism for removing foreign matters such as ink adhering to the opening edge of the cap (see Patent Document 1).

  That is, the ink jet recording apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a brush having a large number of flexible needle-like members extending toward the cap, inside a cover that is arranged so as to cover the cap. The flexible needle-shaped material is configured such that the tip portion comes into contact with the annular protrusion (opening edge) of the cap when the cover is disposed so as to cover the cap. Then, in the process of reciprocating the brush so as to cross over the cap, the tip of the flexible needle-shaped material slides into contact with the annular protrusion of the cap, thereby removing foreign matters such as ink adhering to the annular protrusion. It is designed to be wiped away.

JP 2007-253591 A

  By the way, in the ink jet recording apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the wiping member that slides in contact with the annular protrusion of the cap and exerts the wiping function in the brush is composed of a flexible needle-like material that extends elongated toward the annular protrusion of the cap. Has been. Therefore, when the ink adhering to the annular protrusion of the cap has a relatively high viscosity, the tip of the flexible needle-shaped material is greatly bent and deformed by the sliding contact resistance when wiping the ink. Therefore, there is a possibility that foreign matter such as highly viscous ink cannot be reliably wiped off and removed from the annular protrusion of the cap.

  On the other hand, when the ink adhering to the annular protrusion of the cap has a relatively low viscosity, the low viscosity ink has a high fluidity, so that each flexible needle shape in which the ink forms a bundle at the time of wiping is used. There is a possibility that it passes through a minute gap between the materials and remains on the ring-shaped protrusion of the cap, so that foreign matter such as ink having low viscosity cannot be reliably wiped away.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a foreign matter removing apparatus and a liquid ejecting apparatus that can reliably remove foreign matters attached to the opening edge of the cap. .

  In order to achieve the above object, the foreign matter removing apparatus of the present invention has a ring-shaped opening edge that surrounds the nozzle opening against a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from the nozzle opening formed on the nozzle forming surface. A foreign matter removing device that is provided in a liquid ejecting apparatus having a cap that can be contacted and removes foreign matter from the opening edge by wiping the opening edge, in a process of displacing in a direction along the opening edge. The slidable contact portion with respect to the opening edge includes a wiping member capable of wiping the opening edge by maintaining a slidable contact state with respect to the opening edge, and the wiping member intersects the displacement direction when the slidable contact portion is wiped. It is formed so that it may extend along the direction.

  According to the above configuration, the wiping member maintains the sliding contact state of the highly viscous foreign matter with respect to the opening edge even when the foreign matter attached to the opening edge has a relatively high viscosity. However, it wipes away by displacing. Further, since the wiping member is formed so that the sliding contact portion with respect to the opening edge extends in a direction intersecting the displacement direction at the time of wiping, the foreign matter attached to the opening edge has a relatively low viscosity. However, the wiping leakage with respect to such a low-viscosity foreign material with high fluidity is suppressed. Therefore, the wiping member can surely wipe and remove the foreign matter adhering to the opening edge without depending on the viscosity of the foreign matter.

  The foreign matter removing apparatus of the present invention further includes a driving mechanism that transmits a driving force that displaces the wiping member in a direction along the opening edge with respect to the wiping member, and the driving mechanism has the cap that the nozzle is the nozzle. The driving force is connected to the wiping member so as to be able to transmit in conjunction with the displacement in the direction away from the forming surface.

  According to the above configuration, the drive mechanism displaces the wiping member in the direction along the opening edge with respect to the wiping member in conjunction with the displacement of the cap in the direction away from the nozzle formation surface of the liquid jet head. The driving force is transmitted. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a mechanism for detecting the position of the cap in order to identify whether or not the opening edge of the cap is in a position where it can be wiped by the wiping member.

  In the foreign matter removing apparatus of the present invention, the drive mechanism is configured to be able to displace the wiping member in a plurality of directions along the opening edge. The frictional force generated between the contact portion and the contact portion is configured to be different for each displacement direction of the wiping member.

  According to the above configuration, the wiping member changes the magnitude of the frictional force generated between the opening edge and the sliding contact portion in accordance with the change of the direction of displacement along the opening edge. The magnitude | size of the wiping force with respect to an opening edge can be changed.

  In the foreign matter removing apparatus of the present invention, the driving mechanism is configured to be able to reciprocate the wiping member in a direction along the opening edge when the opening edge is wiped, and the wiping member is configured to move the opening edge during the forward movement. The frictional force generated between the sliding contact portion and the sliding contact portion is configured to be smaller than the frictional force generated between the opening edge and the sliding contact portion during the backward movement.

  According to the said structure, the wiping member is comprised so that the frictional force which generate | occur | produces between an opening edge and a slidable contact part may become comparatively large in the process which moves in the direction along an opening edge. For this reason, when the wiping member moves forward in the direction along the opening edge, the foreign matter attached to the opening edge can be strongly wiped off and reliably removed. On the other hand, when the wiping member is moved backward, the opening edge is in a state where the foreign matter has already been almost wiped off by the forward movement of the wiping member. Therefore, the wiping member does not need to apply a large wiping force to the opening edge during the backward movement as in the forward movement. In this regard, according to the above configuration, the wiping member is configured such that the frictional force generated between the opening edge and the sliding contact portion in the process of moving backward in the direction along the opening edge is relatively small. For this reason, the wiping member does not cause an excessively large wiping force to act on the opening edge at the time of backward movement, so that the opening edge is prevented from being worn by wiping the wiping member.

  Further, the foreign matter removing device of the present invention includes a holding member that holds the wiping member, and a support member that rotatably supports the holding member around the contact point in a state of contacting the holding member via the contact point. The holding member has a connecting portion that is connected to the driving mechanism so as to be able to transmit the driving force, and the connecting portion is abuttable against the driving mechanism. The contact area is set at a plurality of positions whose distances from the contact point are different from each other, and the position of the contact area is switched according to the displacement direction of the wiping member.

  According to the above configuration, the driving force acting on the holding member from the driving means via the contact region of the connecting portion is in a direction of pressing the wiping member against the opening edge with the contact point with the support mechanism as a fulcrum. Acts as a rotating force. Here, the distance between the holding member and the contact point is changed according to the displacement direction of the wiping member in the contact area that functions as a force point on which the driving force is applied from the driving unit. Then, the magnitude | size of the force which makes a holding member act so that a wiping member may be pressed with respect to an opening edge based on the principle of an insulator will change according to the displacement direction of a wiping member. Therefore, the wiping force with which the wiping member wipes the opening edge can be changed by changing the displacement direction of the wiping member.

  Further, the foreign matter removing apparatus of the present invention further includes a control means for controlling whether or not the drive mechanism transmits the driving force to the wiping member based on an index value indicating the degree of contamination of the opening edge. Prepared.

  According to the above configuration, the control unit appropriately removes the foreign matter attached to the opening edge by the wiping member in accordance with the degree of contamination of the opening edge of the cap.

  In the foreign matter removing apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, when the cleaning operation of the liquid ejecting head is executed, or when the printing operation of the liquid ejecting head is completed, the control unit moves the opening edge to the liquid ejecting head. It is controlled whether or not the driving mechanism transmits the driving force to the wiping member during a capping operation for contacting the head.

  According to the above configuration, the control means is assumed that the opening edge of the cap is contaminated during the capping operation in which the opening edge of the cap abuts against the nozzle forming surface of the liquid jet head, that is, When the cleaning operation of the liquid ejecting head is executed, or when the printing operation of the liquid ejecting head is completed, the wiping operation by the wiping member is executed. Therefore, the wiping member does not perform the wiping operation more frequently than necessary, and the opening edge of the cap is prevented from being worn by wiping the wiping member.

The liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from a nozzle opening formed on a nozzle forming surface, and the foreign matter removing apparatus having the above-described configuration.
According to the said structure, the effect similar to invention of the said foreign material removal apparatus is acquired.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the printer according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the recording head. The perspective view of a maintenance unit. The front view of a cleaning apparatus. The right view of a cleaning apparatus. The left view of a cleaning apparatus. The perspective view of a support frame. (A) is a front view of a wiping unit, (b) is a left side view of the wiping unit, and (c) is a right side view of the wiping unit. (A) is a left side view of the cleaning device before the cap is lowered, and (b) is a left side view of the cleaning device after the cap is lowered. (A) is a right side view of the cleaning device before the cap is lowered, and (b) is a right side view of the cleaning device after the cap is lowered. (A) is an operation diagram showing a state immediately after the cleaning device starts the cleaning operation at the time of forward movement, (b) is an operation diagram showing a state immediately after the cleaning device has completed the cleaning operation at the time of forward operation, (c) ) Is an operation diagram showing a state in which the cleaning device is in the process of switching the displacement direction, (d) is an operation diagram showing a state immediately after the cleaning device starts the cleaning operation at the time of backward movement, and (e) is a diagram showing the operation of the cleaning device returning. The action figure which shows the state immediately after completing the cleaning operation at the time. The flowchart which shows a cleaning process routine. (A) (b) is a left view of the wiping part of another embodiment.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in an ink jet printer (hereinafter referred to as a printer) which is a kind of liquid ejecting apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following description of the present specification, “front-rear direction”, “up-down direction”, and “left-right direction” refer to directions indicated by arrows in the drawing.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a platen 13 is installed in the frame 12 of the printer 11. A recording sheet (not shown) is fed onto the platen 13 by a paper feeding mechanism having a paper feeding motor (not shown). A rod-shaped guide member 14 is installed in the frame 12 in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the platen 13.

  A carriage 15 is supported on the guide member 14 so as to be capable of reciprocating in the axial direction of the guide member 14. The carriage 15 is connected to a carriage motor 17 via a timing belt 16 stretched between a pair of pulleys 16 a and 16 b provided in the frame 12. The carriage 15 is reciprocated along the guide member 14 by driving the carriage motor 17.

  A recording head 20 as a liquid ejecting head that ejects ink (fluid) toward a recording sheet is mounted on the surface of the carriage 15 that faces the platen 13. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of nozzle rows B, C, M, and YE along the front-rear direction are arranged on the nozzle forming surface 20 a formed on the lower surface of the recording head 20. They are formed in parallel so as to have a predetermined interval between them. In FIG. 2, a black ink nozzle row B, a cyan ink nozzle row C, a magenta ink nozzle row M, and a yellow ink nozzle row YE are sequentially formed from the left side to the right side.

  Each of these nozzle rows B, C, M, and YE is formed by the openings (nozzle openings) of a large number of nozzles 21 that serve as ejection openings (ejection openings) when ejecting (discharging) ink of each color. In addition, piezoelectric elements (not shown) are arranged in the recording head 20 so as to individually correspond to the nozzles 21. Then, by driving and controlling each piezoelectric element, ink is ejected from each nozzle 21 toward the recording paper that reaches the lower side of the recording head 20.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of valve units 22 that supply temporarily stored ink to the recording head 20 are provided on the carriage 15 in correspondence with the color (type) of ink used in the printer 11. In this embodiment, four) are provided.

  A cartridge holder 23 is provided at one end (right end) of the frame 12. A plurality (four in this embodiment) of ink cartridges 24 are detachably attached to the cartridge holder 23. The cartridge holder 23 is connected to the other ends of a plurality (four in this embodiment) of ink supply tubes 35 each having one end connected to each valve unit 22 on the carriage 15.

  A pressurizing pump 36 is provided on the upper side of the cartridge holder 23, and the pressurizing pump 36 is connected to the cartridge holder 23 via a plurality of (four in this embodiment) air supply tubes 39. ing. In the state where each ink cartridge 24 is mounted in the cartridge holder 23, each ink cartridge 24 is connected to each ink supply tube 35 and each air supply tube 39.

  When the pressurizing pump 36 is driven, air is pressure-fed into each ink cartridge 24 via each air supply tube 39. Then, the ink in each ink cartridge 24 is pressurized by the pressure-fed air, and each ink is pressurized and supplied to each valve unit 22 via each ink supply tube 35.

  A space between the cartridge holder 23 and the platen 13 is a home position HP serving as a standby position for the carriage 15 when the printer 11 is powered off or when the recording head 20 is maintained. In addition, a maintenance unit 40 for performing maintenance of the recording head 20 is provided at a lower position when the carriage 15 is disposed at the home position HP.

  In front of the home position HP, a cleaning device 41 is provided at a position off the movement path of the carriage 15. The cleaning device 41 functions as a foreign matter removing unit that wipes and removes foreign matter such as ink adhering to the maintenance unit 40 in the process of reciprocating back and forth so as to cross over the maintenance unit 40.

Next, the configuration of the maintenance unit 40 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the maintenance unit 40 includes a cap 42 having a rectangular box shape. The cap 42 has a plurality of cap small chambers 43 a, 43 b, 43 c, and 43 d that are recessed in the upper surface 42 a that faces the nozzle formation surface 20 a of the recording head 20 when the recording head 20 is positioned at the home position HP. These cap chambers 43a, 43b, 43c, and 43d are formed in a long groove shape along the front-rear direction, and are arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval with other cap chambers adjacent in the left-right direction. Are arranged. The cap chambers 43a, 43b, 43c, and 43d individually correspond to the nozzle rows B, C, M, and YE of the recording head 20. The cap chambers 43a, 43b, 43c, and 43d are each formed with an opening so as to have a predetermined depth so that the waste ink discharged from the nozzles 21 forming the corresponding nozzle row can be received. ing. In addition, on the upper surface 42a of the cap 42, a square annular seal portion 44 made of a flexible material (for example, rubber) is individually provided at the opening edge of each cap chamber 43a, 43b, 43c, 43d. .

  Further, the lower surface 42b of the cap 42 is provided with a ridge 45 projecting vertically downward. The ridge 45 extends over the entire region in the left-right direction of the lower surface 42 b of the cap 42 at a substantially central portion of the lower surface 42 b of the cap 42 so as to extend in the left-right direction as the moving direction of the carriage 15. Further, the ridge 45 has a triangular shape in a side view from the left-right direction, and the front surface is configured as an inclined surface 45a having a rearward downward gradient, and the rear surface is configured as a vertical surface 45b.

Next, the configuration of the cleaning device 41 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 4, the cleaning device 41 includes a drive unit 46 (drive mechanism) and a wiping unit 47. The wiping unit 47 is configured to be capable of reciprocating in the front-rear direction across the cap 42 based on the driving force transmitted from the driving unit 46.

First, the configuration of the drive unit 46 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 4, the drive unit 46 includes a drive motor 48 for generating and outputting a drive force, and a gear mechanism 49 for transmitting the drive force output from the drive motor 48 to the wiping unit 47. It has. The gear mechanism 49 is composed of a plurality (six in this embodiment) of gears 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, and 55, and these gears 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, and 55 are driven motors 48. Are arranged in parallel on a power transmission path from the wiping portion 47 to the wiping portion 47. Each of the gears 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 has a large number of external teeth formed on the outer peripheral surface at equal intervals, and these external teeth engage with each other so that power can be transmitted. It has come to be.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the drive motor 48 is disposed in front of the cap 42 so as to face the front-rear direction at substantially the same height. The drive motor 48 has an output shaft 48a extending substantially horizontally in the left-right direction, and a first gear 50 is connected to the output shaft 48a.

  The drive motor 48 is driven and controlled by the control of the control unit 25 as a control means including a digital computer, for example. Further, the control unit 25 drives and controls the elevating mechanism 26 that elevates and lowers the cap 42.

  A second gear 51 having a smaller diameter than the first gear 50 is disposed vertically below the first gear 50. The second gear 51 is pivotally supported around the rotation axis of the first gear 50, that is, the rotation axis extending in parallel with the axial direction of the output shaft 48 a of the drive motor 48. The second gear 51 is always connected to the first gear 50 so that power can be transmitted.

  A third gear 52 having substantially the same diameter as the second gear 51 is disposed below the second gear 51 obliquely downward so that a part of the third gear 52 overlaps the second gear 51 in the vertical direction. The third gear 52 is pivotally supported by a pivot shaft 57 extending from the support member 56 in parallel with the rotation axis of the second gear 51. The rotation shaft 57 is inserted so as to penetrate the support member 56 in the left-right direction, and is pivotally supported by the support member 56. In addition, the support member 56 is configured as an inclined surface 56a having a rearwardly descending gradient that has substantially the same gradient as the inclined surface 45a of the ridge 45 in a state where the upper portion of the rear end face thereof is opposed to the ridge 45 of the cap 42 in the vertical direction. It is configured. Further, the support member 56 is always urged rearward by a coil spring 58 and is configured to separate the third gear 52 rearward from the second gear 51.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the rotating shaft 57 has a fourth diameter substantially the same as that of the third gear 52 at a position opposite to the third gear 52 in the left-right direction across the support member 56. A gear 53 is connected. Further, a fifth gear 54 having substantially the same diameter as that of the fourth gear 53 is disposed obliquely above and in front of the fourth gear 53 so that a part thereof overlaps with the fourth gear 53 in the vertical direction. The fifth gear 54 is pivotally supported around a rotation axis of the fourth gear 53, that is, a rotation axis extending in parallel with the axis direction of the rotation shaft 57. As described above, the support member 56 is always urged rearward by the coil spring 58 in a state where the fourth gear 53 is pivotally supported via the rotation shaft 57, and the fourth gear 53 is The fifth gear 54 is configured to be separated rearward.

  A sixth gear 55 having a diameter larger than that of the fifth gear 54 is disposed vertically above the fifth gear 54. The sixth gear 55 is fitted with one end of a rotation shaft 59 extending in parallel with the rotation axis of the fifth gear 54, and is rotatably supported by the rotation shaft 59. The sixth gear 55 is always connected to the fifth gear 54 so that power can be transmitted. A driving roller 60 is connected to the other end of the rotation shaft 59 that pivotally supports the sixth gear 55.

  Behind the driving roller 60, a driven roller 61 having substantially the same rotation diameter as the driving roller 60 is rotatably provided so as to face the driving roller 60 in the front-rear direction at substantially the same height. ing. An endless transport belt 62 is wound substantially horizontally around the rollers 60 and 61 so as to surround the rollers 60 and 61. A rod-shaped lever member 63 that extends substantially horizontally in the left-right direction is fixed on the outer peripheral surface of the conveyor belt 62.

Next, the configuration of the wiping unit 47 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8A, the wiping portion 47 includes a support frame 64 as a holding member having a substantially L shape in front view. The support frame 64 includes a bottom wall portion 65 extending substantially horizontally in the left-right direction, a side wall portion 66 erected vertically from the right end of the bottom wall portion 65, and a bottom wall portion 65 side from the upper end of the side wall portion 66. And an upper wall portion 67 extending substantially horizontally on the left side.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8B, the bottom wall 65 has a first extending portion 68 extending vertically upward from a position near the left end thereof, and the first extending portion 68 is extended. The installation portion 68 is configured to have a stepped shape in which the rear portion projects vertically upward from the middle in the front-rear direction on the upper surface.

  In the upper wall portion 67, a second extending portion 69 is extended at a position facing the first extending portion 68 in the vertical direction so as to extend vertically downward, and the second extending portion 69. Is configured to have a stepped shape in which the front projects vertically downward from the middle in the front-rear direction on the lower surface.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 (c), a rectangular long hole 70 is formed in a substantially central portion of the side wall portion 66 so as to extend in the vertical direction. The vertical dimension of the long hole 70 is substantially the same as the vertical dimension from the lower end of the step surface 68 a of the first extending portion 68 to the upper end of the step surface 69 a of the second extending portion 69. Is set to Further, the longitudinal dimension of the long hole 70 is substantially the same as the dimension in the front-rear direction between the step surface 68 a of the first extending portion 68 and the step surface 69 a of the second extending portion 69. Is set to

  As shown in FIG. 4, the support frame 64 is formed with two space areas 71 and 72 that are partitioned left and right by the extended portions 68 and 69. The support frame 64 has a left space area 71 on the opposite side to the side wall section 66 side of the space areas 71 and 72, and the upper wall section 67 and the extending sections 68 and 69. It is configured to be surrounded from the right. The support frame 64 has an arrangement configuration in which the space 71 faces the gears 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, and 55 that constitute the maintenance unit 40 and the drive unit 46 in the front-rear direction. .

  On the other hand, the support frame 64 has a space area 72 on the right side of the space areas 71 and 72 on the side of the side wall section 66, which has a bottom wall section 65, a side wall section 66, an upper wall section 67, and extending portions. 68 and 69 are enclosed in the vertical and horizontal directions. The support frame 64 has the space area 72 in which the rollers 60 and 61 constituting the drive unit 46, the transport belt 62 wound around the rollers 60 and 61, and a lever member fixed to the transport belt 62. The arrangement configuration is opposite to 63 in the front-rear direction. The space 72 has a horizontal dimension that is larger than the width of the rollers 60 and 61 and the conveyor belt 62 in the same direction, and is approximately the same as the length of the lever member 63 in the longitudinal direction. Is set to

  In addition, the extending portions 68 and 69 are configured so as to be separated from each other in the vertical direction through a gap, and the driving roller 60 and the sixth are located at positions that are substantially the same height as the gap and face in the front-rear direction. A rotating shaft 59 extending substantially horizontally between the gear 55 is disposed. Further, the step surfaces 68a and 69a of the extending portions 68 and 69 are disposed on the movement path of the lever member 63 when the conveyor belt 62 is circulated, and are slightly larger than the width dimension of the lever member 63 in the front-rear direction. The arrangement structure is spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. The lever member 63 has one end side in the longitudinal direction locked from the front or the rear by the step surface of one of the extension portions 68 and 69, and the other end in the longitudinal direction. The side is inserted so as to penetrate the long hole 70 formed in the side wall portion 66 in the left-right direction. That is, both the extending portions 68 and 69 function as a connecting portion that is connected to the lever member 63 constituting the driving portion 46 so that the driving force from the driving motor 48 can be transmitted.

  Further, the lower surface of the upper wall portion 67 is a surface facing the seal portion 44 on the cap 42 in the vertical direction, and a rectangular plate-like wiping member 73 made of a porous material is fixed to the lower surface. . When the upper wall portion 67 is positioned vertically above the cap 42, the wiping member 73 has a seal portion 44 formed such that the lower end surface 73a thereof is on the cap 42 along the opening edges of the cap chambers 43a to 43d. It is comprised so that it may contact | abut. That is, in the present embodiment, the lower end surface 73 a of the wiping member 73 functions as a sliding contact portion that comes into sliding contact with the seal portion 44 that is the opening edge of the cap 42.

  The wiping member 73 is formed so that its lower end surface 73a extends in the left-right direction perpendicular to the displacement direction when wiping the seal portion 44 of the cap 42. In the process of wiping the seal portion 44 of the cap 42, the wiping member 73 can maintain the sliding contact state against the seal portion 44 against the viscous resistance of foreign matters such as ink adhered on the seal portion 44. It has a configuration having rigidity.

  In addition, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 6, the cleaning device 41 is provided with a guide mechanism 74 as a support mechanism along the front-rear direction that is the displacement direction of the support frame 64. The guide mechanism 74 is in contact with the side wall portion 66 of the support frame 64 via a contact 75 at a position below the elongated hole 70, and supports the support frame 64 via the contact 75 so as to be rotatable. In such a state, it is guided in the front-rear direction.

  Then, next, focusing on the operation of the printer 11 configured as described above, particularly when the drive unit 46 and the wiping unit 47 of the cleaning device 41 are connected so as to be able to transmit power in conjunction with the elevation of the cap 42. Will be described below.

  First, as a premise, in the state shown in FIG. 9A, the cap 42 has the nozzle 21 corresponding to the nozzle forming surface 20 a of the recording head 20 with the seal portion 44 serving as the opening edge of each of the cap chambers 43 a to 43 d. It is assumed that the recording head 20 is immediately after the maintenance operation is performed in a state where the recording head 20 is in contact with the enclosure.

  When the cleaning device 41 performs the cleaning operation from the state shown in FIGS. 9A and 10A as described above, first, the elevating mechanism 26 is driven, and the seal portion 44 is moved to the recording head. The cap 42 is lowered so as to be separated from the 20 nozzle forming surfaces 20a.

  At this time, the cap 42 is displaced so that the protrusion 45 provided on the lower surface 42b presses the support member 56 vertically downward. Then, the ridge 45 of the cap 42 presses the support member 56 downward and obliquely downward perpendicular to the inclined surface 45a via the inclined surface 45a serving as a contact surface with the support member 56. At this time, the support member 56 maintains the posture along the horizontal direction against the vertical component of the pressing force acting from the ridges 45 of the cap 42, while the inclined surface 56a according to the horizontal component of the pressing force. In the process of sliding from the lower end to the upper end of the inclined surface 45a of the ridge 45 of the cap 42, it horizontally moves forward against the urging force of the coil spring 58.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 9B, the third gear 52 horizontally moves forward together with the support member 56 in a state where the third gear 52 is pivotally supported by the rotation shaft 57, so that the third gear 52 moves relative to the second gear 51. It is connected so that power can be transmitted. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 10B, the fourth gear 53 is horizontally supported forward together with the support member 56 while being supported by the rotation shaft 57, so that the fourth gear 53 moves relative to the fifth gear 54. So that power can be transmitted.

  That is, in the cleaning device 41, the drive motor 48 passes through the gears 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 in conjunction with the cap 42 descending in the direction away from the nozzle forming surface 20 a of the recording head 20. The drive roller 60 is coupled so as to be able to transmit power. In this state, when the driving roller 60 is rotationally driven in accordance with the driving of the driving motor 48, the conveyance belt 62 rotates around the driving roller 60.

  Next, when the cleaning device 41 wipes the seal portion 44 serving as the opening edge on the cap 42 in a state where the drive motor 48 and the drive roller 60 are connected via the gear mechanism 49 so that power can be transmitted. This will be described below with attention.

  Now, as shown in FIG. 11A, the lever member 63 is disposed in the vicinity of the driven roller 61 in a state where the lever member 63 is in surface contact with the stepped surface 69 a of the second extending portion 69 from the rear. To do. Here, when the drive motor 48 is driven, the conveyor belt 62 starts to rotate in the left rotation direction when viewed from the left. Then, the lever member 63 rotates around with the conveyor belt 62 while being fixed on the outer peripheral surface of the conveyor belt 62. Then, the lever member 63 presses the opening edge of the long hole 70 of the side wall portion 66 and the step surface 69a of the second extending portion 69 forward, and displaces the support frame 64 forward. At this time, the lower end surface 73a of the wiping member 73 is fixed to the cap 42 in the process of crossing the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 in the front-rear direction while being guided by the guide mechanism 74 according to the pressing force acting from the lever member 63. The seal portion 44 serving as the opening edge is wiped off (see FIG. 11B). In the process of wiping the seal portion 44 of the cap 42, the wiping member 73 maintains the sliding contact state with respect to the seal portion 44 in the entire region in the left-right direction orthogonal to the wiping direction.

  Further, when the support frame 64 moves forward, a forward pressing force acts from the lever member 63 to the opening edge of the long hole 70 of the side wall portion 66 and the step surface 69 a of the second extending portion 69. . At this time, due to the principle of the lever using the contact point 75 with the guide mechanism 74 as a fulcrum, a force sinking to the seal portion 44 side serving as the opening edge of the cap 42 acts on the front end portion of the wiping member 73. Therefore, when the support frame 64 moves forward, the wiping member 73 wipes off foreign matters such as ink adhering to the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 with its front end pressed against the seal portion 44 of the cap 42.

  Further, when the transport belt 62 further rotates, the lever member 63 reaches the outer peripheral surface of the drive roller 60. Then, as shown in FIG. 11C, the lever member 63 turns downward so as to get over the outer peripheral surface of the driving roller 60 while pressing the opening edge of the long hole 70 of the side wall portion 66 forward. Then, the lever member 63 comes into surface contact from the front with respect to the opening edge of the long hole 70 of the side wall portion 66 and the step surface 68 a of the first extending portion 68.

  When the conveyor belt 62 further moves around, the lever member 63 presses the opening edge of the long hole 70 of the side wall portion 66 and the stepped surface 68a of the first extending portion 68 rearward to support the support frame 64. Is moved backward. At this time, the support frame 64 is displaced rearward to a position where it abuts on the front end portion of the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 while being guided by the guide mechanism 74 according to the pressing force acting from the lever member 63 (see FIG. 11D). ).

  The support frame 64 is a wiping member in the process of crossing the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 in the front-rear direction while being guided by the guide mechanism 74 according to the pressing force acting from the lever member 63 from the state shown in FIG. 73 wipes the upper surface of the seal portion 44 again.

  Further, when the support frame 64 is moved rearward, a backward pressing force acts from the lever member 63 to the opening edge of the long hole 70 of the side wall portion 66 and the step surface 68 a of the first extending portion 68. . At this time, due to the principle of the lever that uses the contact point 75 with the guide mechanism 74 as a fulcrum, a force that sinks to the seal portion 44 side serving as the opening edge of the cap 42 acts on the rear end portion of the wiping member 73. Therefore, when the support frame 64 moves backward, the wiping member 73 wipes off foreign matters such as ink adhering to the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 with the front end portion being in pressure contact with the seal portion 44 of the cap 42.

  The support frame 64 has a distance between a position (power point) where a forward biasing force is applied to the step surface 69a of the second extending portion 69 by the lever member 63 and the contact point 75 serving as a fulcrum. However, the lever member 63 is larger than the distance between the position (power point) where the rearward biasing force is applied to the stepped surface 68a of the first extending portion 68 and the contact point 75 serving as a fulcrum. Is set to Therefore, when the support frame 64 is moved forward (moving forward), the wiping member 73 is pressed against the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 relatively strongly, and ink attached to the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 or the like. Make sure to wipe off any foreign material. On the other hand, when the support frame 64 moves backward (when moving backward), the wiping member 73 is pressed against the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 relatively weakly, and when the support frame 64 moves forward, Foreign matter such as ink remaining on the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 without being wiped off is surely wiped off.

  That is, in the cleaning device 41 of the present embodiment, the step surface 68a of the first extending portion 68 and the step surface 69a of the second extending portion 69 are coupled so as to be able to transmit the driving force from the driving motor 48. As described above, the contact region is in contact with the lever member 63 constituting the drive unit 46. Further, these contact areas are set such that the distances between the guide mechanism 74 and the contact point 75 are different from each other. The cleaning device 41 is configured such that these contact areas are appropriately switched according to the moving direction when the support frame 64 reciprocates in the front-rear direction along the seal portion 44 of the cap 42.

  Next, a cleaning processing routine executed by the control unit 25 of the printer 11 according to the present embodiment at the time of the capping operation in which the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 contacts the nozzle forming surface 20 a of the recording head 20 so as to surround the nozzle 21. This will be described below with reference to FIG.

  When the cleaning process routine is started, the control unit 25 first, in step S11, with the seal unit 44 in contact with the cap 42 so as to surround the nozzle 21 with respect to the nozzle forming surface 20a of the recording head 20. Then, it is determined whether or not it is immediately after the cleaning operation of the recording head 20 that forcibly sucks and discharges the thickened ink and bubbles from the nozzles 21 of the recording head 20.

  If the control unit 25 determines in step S11 that the recording head 20 has just been cleaned, the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 is ejected from the nozzle 21 of the recording head 20. It is determined that the ink may be scattered and contaminated, and the process proceeds to step S12.

  On the other hand, if the control unit 25 determines in step S11 that it is not immediately after the cleaning operation of the recording head 20 has been executed, in step S13, the recording head 20 completes a series of printing processes on the recording paper. It is determined whether or not.

  When the control unit 25 determines in step S13 that the recording head 20 has completed a series of printing processes on the recording paper, the cap 42 is used to keep the inside of the nozzles 21 of the recording head 20 moisturized. It is determined that the seal portion 44 needs to be brought into contact with the nozzle forming surface 20a of the recording head 20 over a long period so as to surround the nozzle 21. In this case, the control unit 25 adheres to the seal portion 44 that becomes the opening edge of the cap 42 in order to ensure the sealing performance of the space formed between the cap 42 and the nozzle forming surface 20a of the recording head 20. It is determined that it is preferable to reliably remove the foreign matter such as the ink, and the process proceeds to step S12.

  On the other hand, if the control unit 25 determines in step S13 that the recording head 20 is executing a series of printing processes on the recording paper, the capping operation by the cap 42 is performed in the nozzle 21 of the recording head 20. It is determined that it does not last for a long time as in the case of moisturizing. In this case, the control unit 25 determines that it is not necessary to remove such foreign matter if the amount of foreign matter such as ink attached to the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 is small, and the process proceeds to step S19. Transition.

  Next, in step S <b> 12, the control unit 25 performs the capping number of times that the cap 42 abuts the seal unit 44 so as to surround the nozzle 21 with respect to the nozzle formation surface 20 a of the recording head 20 during the cleaning operation of the recording head 20. Whether or not exceeds a predetermined threshold.

  When the control unit 25 determines in step S12 that the number of capping operations for the recording head 20 exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the cleaning operation for the recording head 20 is frequently performed. In operation, it is determined that there is a high possibility that the ink discharged from the nozzles 21 of the recording head 20 is scattered and contaminated on the seal portion 44 of the cap 42, and the process proceeds to step S15.

  On the other hand, if the control unit 25 determines in step S12 that the number of capping operations for the recording head 20 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, the frequency of performing the cleaning operation of the recording head 20 is not so high. In the cleaning operation 20, it is determined that there is a low possibility that the ink discharged from the nozzles 21 of the recording head 20 is scattered and contaminated on the seal portion 44 of the cap 42, and the process proceeds to step S <b> 14.

  In step S <b> 14, the control unit 25 determines whether the consumption amount of the ink ejected from the nozzles 21 of the recording head 20 exceeds a predetermined threshold during the flushing operation or the cleaning operation of the recording head 20.

  When the control unit 25 determines in step S14 that the consumption of ink ejected from the nozzles 21 of the recording head 20 exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control unit 25 performs the flushing operation or cleaning operation of the recording head 20. Since a large amount of ink is ejected from the nozzle 21, it is determined that there is a high possibility that the ink ejected from the nozzle 21 of the recording head 20 is scattered and contaminated on the seal portion 44 of the cap 42. To step S15.

  On the other hand, if the control unit 25 determines in step S14 that the amount of ink discharged from the nozzles 21 of the recording head 20 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the flushing operation or cleaning operation of the recording head 20 is performed. At this time, since the amount of ink ejected from the nozzle 21 is small, it is determined that the possibility that the ink ejected from the nozzle 21 of the recording head 20 is scattered and contaminated on the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 is low. In this case, if the execution frequency of the cleaning operation of the recording head 20 is not so high, the control unit 25 determines that the cleaning operation for the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 is unnecessary, and the process proceeds to step S19. To do.

  Next, in step S <b> 15, the control unit 25 drives the elevating mechanism 26 to lower the cap 42 in a direction away from the nozzle forming surface 20 a of the recording head 20. Then, as the cap 42 is lowered, the drive unit 46 of the cleaning device 41 is connected to the drive roller 60 via the gear mechanism 49 so that power can be transmitted.

  Subsequently, in step S <b> 16, the control unit 25 drives the drive motor 48 in a state where the drive motor 48 and the drive roller 60 are coupled. Then, the driving force of the driving motor 48 is transmitted to the driving roller 60, so that the conveyance belt 62 wound around the driving roller 60 starts rotating. Then, the lever member 63 rotates with the conveyor belt 62 while being fixed on the outer peripheral surface of the conveyor belt 62. At this time, in the wiping portion 47 of the cleaning device 41, the support frame 64 is interposed through the step surface of one of the extending portions 68 and 69 disposed on the circumferential movement path of the lever member 63. The lever member 63 is pressed in the front-rear direction. As a result, the support frame 64 reciprocates in the front-rear direction so as to cross over the cap 42, and the wiping member 73 wipes the seal portion 44 serving as the opening edge of the cap 42 during the reciprocal movement. Perform a cleaning operation.

  Next, in step S17 and step S18, the control unit 25 resets the number of capping and ink consumption, which are the determination criteria when determining whether or not the cleaning device 41 performs the cleaning operation. Then, after the cleaning device 41 performs the cleaning operation on the seal part 44 of the cap 42 in the previous step S16, the control unit 25 performs the capping number and the index value indicating the degree of contamination of the seal part 44 of the cap 42 and Start counting ink consumption again.

  Thereafter, in step S <b> 19, the control unit 25 drives the lifting mechanism 26 to raise the cap 42 in the direction approaching the nozzle formation surface 20 a of the recording head 20. Then, the cap 42 is brought into contact with the nozzle forming surface 20a so that the seal portion 44 surrounds the nozzle 21 of the recording head 20, and the capping operation is completed. In this case, since the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 is in a state where there is almost no adhesion of foreign matters such as ink, the space formed between the cap 42 and the nozzle formation surface 20a of the recording head 20 is sealed. Sex is to be secured.

According to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In the present embodiment, the wiping member 73 has such a high viscosity even when a foreign matter such as ink attached to the seal portion 44 serving as the opening edge of the cap 42 has a relatively high viscosity. The foreign matter is wiped by displacing the lower end surface 73a while maintaining the sliding contact state with respect to the seal portion 44. Further, since the wiping member 73 is formed so that the lower end surface 73a that is in sliding contact with the seal portion 44 extends in a direction intersecting the displacement direction at the time of wiping, foreign matter such as ink attached to the seal portion 44 is relatively Even if it has a very low viscosity, wiping leakage to such a low-viscosity foreign material with high fluidity is suppressed. Therefore, the wiping member 73 can wipe off the foreign matter adhering to the seal portion 44 and remove it reliably without depending on the viscosity of the foreign matter.

  (2) In the present embodiment, in conjunction with the separation of the cap 42 from the nozzle forming surface 20 a of the recording head 20, in the cleaning device 41, the drive unit 46 moves the wiping unit 47 from the wiping unit 47 to the sealing unit. The driving force for displacing in the direction along 44 is transmitted. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a mechanism for detecting the position of the cap 42 in order to identify whether or not the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 is in a position where it can be wiped by the wiping member 73.

  (3) In the present embodiment, the driving force acting on the support frame 64 via the step surfaces 68 a and 69 a of the extending portions 68 and 69 from the driving portion 46 is used as a fulcrum with the contact point 75 with the guide mechanism 74. The wiping member 73 acts as a force for rotating the wiping member 73 in a direction to press against the seal portion 44 of the cap 42. Here, in the support frame 64, the step surfaces 68 a and 69 a that function as force points to which the driving force is applied from the driving unit 46 are switched in distance from the contact point 75 according to the displacement direction of the wiping member 73. Then, the magnitude of the force that causes the support frame 64 to press the wiping member 73 against the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 changes according to the displacement direction of the wiping member 73 based on the principle of the lever. become. Therefore, by changing the displacement direction of the wiping member 73, the wiping force with which the wiping member 73 wipes the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 can be changed.

  (4) In the present embodiment, the controller 25 causes the wiping member 73 to appropriately remove foreign matters such as ink attached to the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 according to the degree of contamination of the seal portion 44 of the cap 42. Accumulation of foreign matter such as ink on the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 can be suppressed.

  (5) In the present embodiment, the controller 25 contaminates the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 during the capping operation in which the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 abuts against the nozzle forming surface 20a of the recording head 20. In other words, when the cleaning operation of the recording head 20 is executed, or when the printing operation of the recording head 20 is completed, the wiping operation by the wiping member 73 is executed. Therefore, the wiping member 73 does not perform the wiping operation more frequently than necessary, and the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 is prevented from being worn by wiping the wiping member 73.

Note that this embodiment may be changed to another embodiment as described below.
-In the said embodiment, as shown to Fig.13 (a), the wiping member 73 is the support body supported in the state which surface-contacted from the back with respect to the flat elastic body 76 and the upper end part of this elastic body 76. 77 may be used.

  According to this configuration, the elastic body 76, in the process of moving forward along the seal portion 44 serving as the opening edge of the cap 42, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. When bending and deforming backward by the frictional force generated between the sliding contact portion (in this case, the lower end portion of the elastic body 76), the bending deformation of the upper end portion of the elastic body 76 is regulated by the support body 77. Therefore, the free end at the time of bending deformation is shortened. On the other hand, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 13A, the elastic body 76 is in the process of moving backward along the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 in the backward movement direction (the elastic body 76 of the elastic body 76). When the elastic body 76 is bent and deformed forward by a friction force generated between the elastic body 76 and the lower end portion, the elastic body 76 is not restricted by the support body 77, and the free end at the time of the bending deformation is the elastic body 76. It becomes longer compared to the time of forward movement.

  That is, the wiping member 73 is relatively free of frictional force generated between the seal portion 44 and the sliding contact portion (the lower end portion of the elastic body 76) in the process of moving forward along the seal portion 44 of the cap 42. It is configured to be large. Therefore, when the wiping member 73 moves forward along the seal portion 44 of the cap 42, foreign matter such as ink attached to the seal portion 44 can be strongly wiped off and reliably removed. On the other hand, when the wiping member 73 moves backward, the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 is in a state where foreign matters such as ink have already been wiped off by the wiping operation when the wiping member 73 moves forward. Therefore, the wiping member 73 does not need to apply a large wiping force to the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 during the backward movement as in the forward movement. In this regard, according to this configuration, the wiping member 73 is generated between the seal portion 44 and the sliding contact portion (the lower end portion of the elastic body 76) in the process of moving backward along the seal portion 44 of the cap 42. The frictional force is relatively small. Therefore, the wiping member 73 does not cause an excessively large wiping force to act on the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 at the time of backward movement, so that the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 is worn by wiping the wiping member 73. It is suppressed.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG.13 (b), you may comprise the wiping member 73 by the resin body of the side view substantially triangular shape extended in the front diagonally downward from the lower surface of the upper wall part 67 of the support frame 64. As shown in FIG. According to this configuration, similarly to the above configuration, when the wiping member 73 moves forward along the seal portion 44 of the cap 42, the wiping member 73 moves backward along the seal portion 44 of the cap 42. In addition, it is possible to easily realize a configuration in which the frictional force generated between the seal portion 44 and the sliding contact portion (the front end portion of the wiping member 73) is relatively large.

  In the above-described embodiment, the support frame 64 has a curved surface in which the opening edge of the long hole 70 of the side wall portion 66 and the step surfaces 68a and 69a of the extending portions 68 and 69 are contact surfaces with the lever member 63. You may comprise. According to this configuration, when changing the moving direction of the support frame 64, the lever member 63 can slide on these contact surfaces and smoothly rotate.

  In the above embodiment, in the cleaning device 41, the support frame 64 may have a configuration in which a contact area that contacts the lever member 63 configuring the drive unit 46 so as to be able to transmit power is provided at a single location. In this case, the control unit 25 can realize a configuration in which the support frame 64 reciprocates in the direction along the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 by rotationally driving the drive motor 48 in both forward and reverse directions.

  -In above-mentioned embodiment, you may comprise the cleaning apparatus 41 so that the drive part 46 and the wiping part 47 may always be connected so that power transmission is possible. In this case, the control part 25 can implement | achieve the structure which reciprocates the wiping part 47 so that the upper direction of the cap 42 may be crossed by driving the drive motor 48 as needed.

  In the above-described embodiment, the cleaning device 41 may be configured to further include an elevating mechanism for elevating the wiping member 73 in a direction in which the wiping member 73 is moved toward and away from the seal portion 44 of the cap 42. According to this configuration, when the wiping member 73 moves forward, the cleaning device 41 lowers the wiping member 73 in a direction approaching the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 and strongly presses against the seal portion 44 of the cap 42. By doing so, foreign matters such as ink adhering to the seal portion 44 can be strongly wiped off and reliably removed. On the other hand, when the wiping member 73 moves backward, the cleaning device 41 raises the wiping member 73 in a direction away from the seal portion 44 of the cap 42 and presses the wiping member 73 weakly against the seal portion 44 of the cap 42. It is possible to suppress wear of the sealing portion 44 due to wiping of the wiping member 73.

  In addition, “liquid” in this specification includes liquids other than ink (including inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals (metal melts), etc.) and functional material particles. It also includes fluids that are dispersed or mixed, and fluids such as gels. Examples of the liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects or discharges such “liquid” include, for example, electrode materials and color materials (pixel materials) used for manufacturing liquid crystal displays, EL (electroluminescence) displays, and surface-emitting displays. Liquid ejecting device that ejects a liquid material that contains materials such as dispersed or dissolved materials, a liquid ejecting device that ejects bio-organic matter used in biochip manufacturing, and a liquid ejecting fluid that serves as a sample used as a precision pipette It may be a device. 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, a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects an etching solution such as acid or alkali to etch the substrate, and a fluid ejecting apparatus that ejects a fluid such as a gel (for example, a physical gel) It may be.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Printer as a liquid ejecting device, 20 ... Recording head as a liquid ejecting head, 20a ... Nozzle formation surface, 25 ... Control unit as control means, 41 ... Cleaning device as foreign matter removing means, 42 ... Cap, 44 ... Seal portion as opening edge, 46... Drive portion as drive mechanism, 64... Support frame as holding member, 68... First extending portion as connection portion, 68 a. A second extending portion as a connecting portion, 69a: a stepped surface as a contact area, 73: a wiping member, 73a: a lower end surface as a sliding contact portion, 74: a guide mechanism as a support mechanism, 75: a contact point.

Claims (8)

Provided in a liquid ejecting apparatus including a cap capable of abutting an annular opening edge so as to surround the nozzle opening with respect to a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from a nozzle opening formed on a nozzle forming surface; A foreign matter removing device that removes foreign matter from the opening edge by wiping the opening edge,
In the process of displacing in the direction along the opening edge, the sliding contact portion with respect to the opening edge comprises a wiping member capable of wiping the opening edge by maintaining the sliding contact state with respect to the opening edge,
The wiping member is formed so that the sliding contact portion extends along a direction intersecting a displacement direction at the time of wiping. The foreign matter removing apparatus according to claim 1,
A drive mechanism that transmits a driving force that displaces the wiping member in a direction along the opening edge with respect to the wiping member;
The foreign matter removing apparatus, wherein the driving mechanism is connected to the wiping member so as to be able to transmit the driving force in conjunction with the displacement of the cap in a direction away from the nozzle forming surface. The foreign matter removing apparatus according to claim 2,
The drive mechanism is configured to be able to displace the wiping member in a plurality of directions along the opening edge,
The wiping member is configured such that a frictional force generated between the opening edge and the sliding contact portion when the opening edge is wiped is different for each displacement direction of the wiping member. Removal device. The foreign matter removing apparatus according to claim 3,
The drive mechanism is configured to reciprocate the wiping member in a direction along the opening edge when wiping the opening edge,
The wiping member is configured such that a frictional force generated between the opening edge and the sliding contact portion during forward movement is smaller than a frictional force generated between the opening edge and the sliding contact portion during backward movement. A foreign matter removing device characterized in that it is configured as described above. In the foreign matter removing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
A holding member for holding the wiping member;
A support mechanism for supporting the holding member so as to be rotatable about the contact in a state of being in contact with the holding member via the contact;
Further comprising
The holding member has a connecting portion that is connected to the driving mechanism so that the driving force can be transmitted,
The connecting portion is set at a plurality of positions where contact areas that can contact the drive mechanism are different from each other in distance from the contact points, and the position of the contact area depends on the displacement direction of the wiping member. A foreign matter removing apparatus configured to be switched. In the foreign matter removal apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
The foreign matter removing apparatus further comprising a control unit that controls whether or not the driving mechanism transmits the driving force to the wiping member based on an index value indicating a degree of contamination of the opening edge. . The foreign matter removing apparatus according to claim 6,
When the cleaning operation of the liquid ejecting head is performed, or when the printing operation of the liquid ejecting head is completed, the control unit is configured to perform a capping operation for bringing the opening edge into contact with the liquid ejecting head. A foreign matter removing apparatus that controls whether or not the driving mechanism transmits the driving force to the wiping member. A liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from a nozzle opening formed on a nozzle forming surface;
The foreign matter removing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:

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