JP2010269478A - Head cleaning apparatus, droplet discharging device, and head cleaning method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a head cleaning apparatus which ensures a desired display image by improving impact accuracy of ink through wiping of the nozzle of a droplet discharging head so that no ink remains and thereby preventing color mixing and uneven coloring of pixels, and to provide a droplet discharging device and a head cleaning method. <P>SOLUTION: The head cleaning apparatus includes: a first wiping means 13A having a first wiping member which comes in contact with a region containing a discharging face where the opening end of a nozzle is exposed; a second wiping means 13B having a second wiping member which comes in contact with and wipes the region containing the discharging face; and a control means 8 which controls a relative movement of the droplet discharging head 9 and the first wiping means 13A and a relative movement of the droplet discharging head 9 and the second wiping means 13B. Assuming that the first direction is the wiping direction of the first wiping member relative to the droplet discharging head 9 and that the second direction is the wiping direction of the second wiping member relative to the droplet discharging head 9, the control means 8 makes an adjustment so that the first direction and the second direction are opposite to each other in a plane parallel to the discharging surface. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a head cleaning device, a droplet discharge device, and a head cleaning method.

  Conventionally, for example, an ink jet printer is known as a droplet discharge device that discharges ink. An ink jet printer is an apparatus that ejects ink toward a target to record characters and images, and to form a thin film layer. The ink jet printer is configured to eject ink from a plurality of nozzles provided in a droplet discharge head toward a target.

  A plurality of fine nozzles are arranged in a droplet discharge head of an ink jet printer in order to discharge fine droplets with high density. If the ink adhered to and remaining on the fine nozzles dries, problems such as clogging and bending in the ejection direction are likely to occur. For this reason, the ink jet printer is provided with a head cleaning device having capping means and wiping means (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  For example, the capping unit sucks ink remaining in the nozzles by inserting a droplet discharge head into a concave cap and reducing the pressure inside the cap. On the other hand, after the ink is sucked by the capping unit, the wiping unit wipes the ink adhering to the vicinity of the opening end of the nozzle using a flexible wiping member such as a cloth or a sponge.

  Conventionally, in the wiping means, the droplet discharge head and the wiping member are relatively moved, and the wiping member wipes the discharge surface of the droplet discharge head along one direction.

Japanese Patent No. 3978956

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing a conventional head cleaning method. FIG. 10A is a side sectional view showing a state of wiping the droplet discharge head with the conventional wiping means. FIG.10 (b) is a top view when the nozzle of Fig.10 (a) is seen from the opening end side.
As shown in FIG. 10, the wiping direction of the wiping member 102 with respect to the droplet discharge head 101 when wiping the discharge surface 101a of the droplet discharge head 101 is always one direction CP. Then, in the vicinity of the opening end of the nozzle 103, the ink 105 is rubbed against the end portion side 104 of the wiping member 102 in the wiping direction CP, resulting in unwiping. When such unwiped ink 105 is dried and solidified, the next time the ink is ejected and printed, the ink ejection direction is bent in an unexpected direction, and a predetermined amount of ink is not ejected. Occurs. Then, the landing position of the ink is deviated, and there are cases where the adjacent pixels of different colors are landed to cause color mixture, or the desired pixels cannot land and coloring unevenness occurs. Such pixel color mixture and coloring unevenness are easily visible, and the image quality of the image displayed through the color filter may be degraded.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and the ink is wiped off without remaining in the nozzles of the droplet discharge head to improve the ink landing accuracy, thereby preventing pixel color mixing and coloring unevenness. An object of the present invention is to provide a head cleaning device, a droplet discharge device, and a head cleaning method capable of obtaining a desired display image.

  In order to solve the above problems, a head cleaning device of the present invention is a head cleaning device for cleaning a droplet discharge head having a plurality of nozzles for discharging a functional liquid, wherein the discharge surface on which the open end of the nozzle is exposed A first wiping means having a first wiping member that contacts and wipes the area including the second surface, a second wiping means having a second wiping member that contacts and wipes the area including the discharge surface, and the droplet discharge head And control means for controlling relative movement between the liquid droplet ejection head and the second wiping means, and the control means controls the relative movement between the liquid droplet ejection head and the first wiping means. When the wiping direction of the first wiping member is the first direction and the wiping direction of the second wiping member with respect to the droplet discharge head is the second direction, the first direction and the And two directions and adjusting so as to be opposite to each other in the ejection surface in a plane parallel.

  According to this configuration, the wiping direction of the first wiping member relative to the droplet discharge head is adjusted by the control means to the first direction, and the wiping direction of the second wiping member relative to the droplet discharge head is in a plane parallel to the discharge surface. In the second direction which is opposite to the first direction. Therefore, unlike in Patent Document 1, the wiping direction of the wiping member relative to the droplet discharge head is always one direction, and the droplet discharge head is not scanned. For this reason, the ink adhering to the opening end of the nozzle can be removed without wiping. Therefore, the ink is wiped off without remaining in the nozzles of the droplet discharge head, and the landing accuracy of the ink is improved, so that a desired display image can be obtained while preventing color mixing and coloring unevenness of pixels.

  In the head cleaning device, the first wiping means and the second wiping means may be arranged adjacent to each other.

  According to this configuration, the wiping direction of the second wiping member relative to the droplet ejection head is ejected immediately after the control means adjusts the wiping direction of the first wiping member relative to the droplet ejection head to the first direction and wipes the nozzle. In a plane parallel to the plane, the nozzle is wiped after being adjusted in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction. For this reason, the remaining ink is smoothly wiped without drying and solidifying. Therefore, it is possible to reliably wipe off ink without remaining on the nozzles of the droplet discharge head, and to dramatically improve the ink landing accuracy, and to reliably prevent color mixture and coloring unevenness of pixels and obtain a desired display image. It becomes.

  In the head cleaning device, a plurality of the first wiping means and the second wiping means may be arranged along at least one of the first direction and the second direction.

  According to this configuration, the control performed by the control unit is such that the wiping direction of the first wiping member with respect to the droplet discharge head is adjusted to the first direction, and the wiping direction of the second wiping member with respect to the droplet discharge head is the discharge surface. Control that is adjusted in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction in a parallel plane is repeatedly performed a plurality of times. For this reason, the ink adhering to the opening end of the nozzle can be surely removed without wiping. Therefore, it is possible to reliably wipe off ink without remaining on the nozzles of the droplet discharge head, and to dramatically improve the ink landing accuracy, and to reliably prevent color mixture and coloring unevenness of pixels and obtain a desired display image. It becomes.

  In the head cleaning device, the control unit fixes the first wiping unit and the second wiping unit at predetermined positions, and the droplet discharge head is moved from the first wiping unit to the second wiping unit. You may control to move toward a means.

  According to this configuration, the control unit performs control to fix the first wiping unit and the second wiping unit at predetermined positions. Then, control is performed to move the droplet discharge head from the first wiping unit toward the second wiping unit, and the wiping direction of the first wiping member with respect to the droplet discharge head is adjusted to the first direction and the droplet discharge is performed. Control is performed in which the wiping direction of the second wiping member relative to the head is adjusted in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction in a plane parallel to the ejection surface. For this reason, the wiping direction is adjusted more stably than when both the first wiping unit, the second wiping unit, and the droplet discharge head are moved. Therefore, it is possible to reliably wipe off ink without remaining on the nozzles of the droplet discharge head, and to dramatically improve the ink landing accuracy, and to reliably prevent color mixture and coloring unevenness of pixels and obtain a desired display image. It becomes. Further, a mechanism for moving the first wiping member and the second wiping member becomes unnecessary, and the configuration of the first wiping means and the second wiping means can be simplified. Further, the first wiping member and the second wiping member can be made of a reusable material such as a rubber blade.

  In the head cleaning device, the control unit fixes the droplet discharge head at a predetermined position, and moves the first wiping unit and the second wiping unit in the arrangement direction of the plurality of nozzles. Control may be performed.

  According to this configuration, control for fixing the droplet discharge head at a predetermined position is performed by the control means. Then, control is performed to move the first wiping means and the second wiping means in the arrangement direction of the plurality of nozzles, and the wiping direction of the first wiping member relative to the droplet discharge head is adjusted to the first direction and the droplets Control is performed in which the wiping direction of the second wiping member relative to the ejection head is adjusted in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction in a plane parallel to the ejection surface. For this reason, the wiping direction is adjusted more stably than when both the first wiping unit, the second wiping unit, and the droplet discharge head are moved. Therefore, it is possible to reliably wipe off ink without remaining on the nozzles of the droplet discharge head, and to dramatically improve the ink landing accuracy, and to reliably prevent color mixture and coloring unevenness of pixels and obtain a desired display image. It becomes.

  The droplet discharge device of the present invention includes the above-described head cleaning device and the droplet discharge head.

  According to this configuration, ink is surely wiped off without remaining in the nozzles of the droplet discharge head, and the landing accuracy of the ink is remarkably improved, and pixel mixing and coloring unevenness are reliably prevented, and a desired display image can be obtained. A droplet discharge device that can be obtained can be provided.

  The head cleaning method of the present invention is a head cleaning method for cleaning a droplet discharge head having a plurality of nozzles for discharging a functional liquid, wherein the first cleaning region includes a discharge surface where the open ends of the plurality of nozzles are exposed. A first control step of performing control to wipe the nozzle by adjusting the wiping direction of the first wiping member relative to the droplet discharge head in the first direction while bringing the wiping member into contact; The wiping direction of the second wiping member with respect to the droplet discharge head is opposite to the first direction in a plane parallel to the discharge surface while the second wiping member is brought into contact with the region including the surface. And a second control step of performing control to wipe the nozzles by adjusting the relative movement in the second direction.

  According to this method, the wiping direction of the first wiping member relative to the droplet discharge head is adjusted to the first direction by the first control step. In the second control step, the wiping direction of the second wiping member with respect to the droplet discharge head is adjusted to a second direction that is opposite to the first direction in a plane parallel to the discharge surface. Therefore, unlike in Patent Document 1, the wiping direction of the wiping member relative to the droplet discharge head is always one direction, and the droplet discharge head is not scanned. For this reason, the ink adhering to the opening end of the nozzle can be removed without wiping. Therefore, the ink is wiped off without remaining in the nozzles of the droplet discharge head, and the landing accuracy of the ink is improved, so that a desired display image can be obtained while preventing color mixing and coloring unevenness of pixels.

  In the head cleaning method, after the second control step, the wiping direction of the first wiping member with respect to the droplet discharge head is set while the first wiping member is brought into contact with the region including the ejection surface. A third control step of performing control for wiping the nozzle by adjusting the relative movement in the first direction, and the second wiping member in contact with the region including the discharge surface, And a fourth control step of performing control to wipe the nozzles by adjusting the wiping direction of the second wiping member in the second direction and relatively moving the wiping direction.

  According to this method, after the second control step, the third control step and the fourth control step are repeatedly performed a plurality of times, so that the ink adhering to the opening end of the nozzle can be reliably removed without wiping. it can. Therefore, it is possible to reliably wipe off ink without remaining on the nozzles of the droplet discharge head, and to dramatically improve the ink landing accuracy, and to reliably prevent color mixture and coloring unevenness of pixels and obtain a desired display image. It becomes.

It is a perspective view which shows the droplet discharge apparatus provided with the head cleaning apparatus of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows schematic structure of a droplet discharge head. It is explanatory drawing of the method of forming a color filter on a color filter board | substrate. It is sectional drawing which shows the head cleaning apparatus of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the head cleaning method of this invention. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a head cleaning method following FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a head cleaning method following FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a head cleaning method following FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a head cleaning method following FIG. 8. It is explanatory drawing which shows the conventional head cleaning method.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. This embodiment shows one aspect of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention, and can be arbitrarily changed within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. Moreover, in the following drawings, in order to make each structure easy to understand, an actual structure and a scale, a number, and the like in each structure are different.

(Droplet discharge device)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a droplet discharge device provided with a head cleaning device of the present invention. In this droplet discharge device, a liquid is arranged on a target (substrate to be processed) by, for example, an inkjet method. The liquid to be disposed contains, for example, a solid content such as a film material, and the solid content remains when dried. That is, the liquid here is a dispersion (solution) in which a solid content is dispersed (dissolved) in a dispersion medium (solvent). Specific examples of the liquid include a color filter material containing pigments and dyes, and a colloid solution containing metal particles that are conductive film pattern forming materials such as UV ink and metal wiring. Moreover, the liquid in this embodiment is comprised from what contains a resin component and does not contain a photocuring agent. In the present embodiment, as a droplet discharge device that uses the above-described liquid as a film material, a color filter layer is formed by discharging droplets of a color filter material (functional liquid) to a predetermined region of a color filter substrate (discharge target). The case of forming is illustrated.

  In the following description, the XYZ rectangular coordinate system shown in FIG. 1 is set, and each member will be described with reference to this XYZ rectangular coordinate system. In the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system, the X axis and the Y axis are set in a direction parallel to the work stage 6, and the Z axis is set in a direction orthogonal to the work stage 6. In the XYZ coordinate system in FIG. 1, the XY plane is actually set to a plane parallel to the horizontal plane, and the Z axis is set to the vertically upward direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the droplet discharge device 1 includes a base 2, a work stage 6, a stage moving device 7, a carriage 4, a droplet discharge head 9, a carriage moving device 5, and a tube 10. The head cleaning device 13 includes a first tank 11R, a second tank 11G, a third tank 11B, a control device (control means) 8, a capping device 12, a first wiping means 13A, and a second wiping means 13B. And comprising.

  The base 2 is a support base for the work stage 6 and the stage moving device 7. The work stage 6 is provided on the base 2 so as to be movable in the X direction by the stage moving device 7. The color filter substrate P transported from an upstream transport device (not shown) is vacuum-sucked, for example. It is held on the XY plane by a mechanism. The stage moving device 7 includes a bearing mechanism such as a ball screw or a linear guide. The stage moving device 7 moves the work stage 6 in the X direction based on a stage position control signal indicating the X coordinate of the work stage 6 input from the control device 8. It is configured to move.

  The carriage 4 is a rectangular plate that is movably attached to the carriage moving device 5, and holds a plurality of droplet discharge heads 9 arranged on the bottom side thereof along the Y direction. . The plurality of liquid droplet ejection heads 9 are provided with a plurality of nozzles N as will be described later, and eject ink droplets based on drawing data and drive control signals input from the control device 8. is there. These droplet discharge heads 9 are provided corresponding to the color filter materials R (red), G (green), and B (blue), and each droplet discharge head 9 is provided with a carriage 4. A tube (piping) 10 is connected via the via.

  The droplet discharge head 9R corresponding to R (red) is connected to a first tank 11R filled and stored with ink for R (red) via the tube 10, thereby the droplet discharge head. 9R is supplied with R (red) ink from the first tank 11R. Similarly, a second tank 11G filled with ink for G (green) is connected to the droplet discharge head 9G corresponding to G (green), and B is connected to the droplet discharge head 9B corresponding to B (blue). A third tank 11B filled with (blue) ink is connected. With this configuration, G (green) ink is supplied from the second tank 11G to the droplet discharge head 9G, and the third tank 11B to B (B ( Blue) ink is supplied.

  The carriage moving device 5 for moving the carriage 4 has, for example, a bridge structure straddling the base 2 and includes a bearing mechanism such as a ball screw or a linear guide in the Y direction and the Z direction orthogonal to the XY plane. It is. Based on such a configuration, the carriage moving device 5 moves the carriage 4 in the Y direction based on the carriage position control signal indicating the Y coordinate and the Z coordinate of the carriage 4 input from the control device 8. It is also moved in the Z direction.

  The control device 8 outputs a stage position control signal to the stage moving device 7, outputs a carriage position control signal to the carriage moving device 5, and further draws data on a drive circuit board (not shown) of the droplet discharge head 9. And a drive control signal. Thus, the control device 8 performs the positioning operation of the color filter substrate P by the movement of the work stage 6 and the positioning operation of the droplet discharge head 9 by the movement of the carriage 4 in order to move the color filter substrate P and the carriage 4 relative to each other. By performing synchronous control, ink droplets at predetermined positions on the color filter substrate P are arranged.

  The capping device 12 and the head cleaning device 13 are for performing maintenance of the droplet discharge head 9 held by the carriage 4. The capping device 12 is disposed at a home position (standby position) in the droplet discharge head 9. This home position is an area where the carriage 4 is disposed when the droplet discharge device 1 is in a discharge operation pause state, such as during non-discharge operation or storage.

  The capping device 12, for example, inserts at least the ejection surface (nozzle plate) of the droplet ejection head 9 into the concave cap 18 and decompresses the inside of the cap 18 with a pump, thereby remaining in the nozzle. A suction process for discharging the filter material (liquid) is performed. The head cleaning device 13 wipes off the droplets adhering to the ejection surface after the suction processing by the capping device 12. The capping device 12 and the head cleaning device 13 are driven by a drive signal from the control device 8. The detailed configuration and operation of the head cleaning device 13 of the present invention will be described later.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a droplet discharge head 9 having a piezoelectric element PZ constituting the droplet discharge apparatus 1 of the present invention. 2A is a plan view of a droplet discharge head 9 that discharges droplets of, for example, a color filter forming material, as viewed from the side where droplets are discharged onto the color filter substrate P, and FIG. FIG. 2C is a partial cross-sectional view of one nozzle of the droplet discharge head 9.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the droplet discharge head 9 includes a plurality of (for example, 180) nozzles N _{1 to} N ₁₈₀ arranged in the Y-axis direction. A nozzle row NA is formed by the nozzles N _{1 to} N ₁₈₀ . Although FIG. 2A shows one row of nozzles, the number of nozzles and the number of nozzle rows provided in the droplet discharge head 9 can be arbitrarily changed, and one row of nozzles arranged in the Y-axis direction. A plurality of rows may be provided in the X-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the droplet discharge head 9 is provided with a diaphragm 20 provided with a material supply hole 20a connected to a tube 10 for supplying a material, and nozzles N _{1 to} N ₁₈₀ . A nozzle plate 21, a liquid reservoir 22 provided between the vibration plate 20 and the nozzle plate 21, a plurality of partition walls 23, and a plurality of storage chambers 24 are provided. On the vibration plate 20, piezoelectric elements PZ _{1 to} PZ ₁₈₀ are arranged corresponding to the nozzles N1 to N180. Piezoelectric elements _PZ 1 _{to PZ 180} is, for example, a piezoelectric element.

The liquid reservoir 22 is filled with a liquid color filter material supplied through the material supply hole 20a. The storage chamber 24 is formed so as to be surrounded by the vibration plate 20, the nozzle plate 21, and a pair of partition walls 23. The storage chamber 24 is provided in a one-to-one correspondence with each of the nozzles N _{1 to} N ₁₈₀ . Further, the color filter material is introduced into each storage chamber 24 from the liquid reservoir 22 through a supply port 24 a provided between the pair of partition walls 23.

  As shown in FIG. 2C, the piezoelectric element PZ has a piezoelectric material 25 sandwiched between a pair of electrodes 26. The piezoelectric element PZ is configured such that the piezoelectric material 25 contracts when a drive signal is applied to the pair of electrodes 26. The diaphragm 20 in which such a piezoelectric element PZ is disposed is bent integrally with the piezoelectric element PZ and simultaneously outward (opposite the storage chamber 24) when a drive signal is applied to the pair of electrodes 26. As a result, the volume of the storage chamber 24 is increased.

  When the volume of the storage chamber 24 increases, the color filter material corresponding to the increased volume in the storage chamber 24 flows from the liquid reservoir 22 through the supply port 24a. Further, when the application of the drive signal to the piezoelectric element PZ is stopped from such a state, both the piezoelectric element PZ and the diaphragm 20 return to the original shape, and the storage chamber 24 also returns to the original volume. As a result, the pressure of the color filter material in the storage chamber 24 increases, and droplets L of the color filter material are discharged from the nozzle N toward the color filter substrate P.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a method for forming a color filter layer (color filter) CF on the color filter substrate P using a plurality of droplet discharge heads 9. FIG. 3A is a schematic plan view of a color filter substrate P that is an ink discharge target. FIG. 3B is a partially enlarged plan view of the color filter substrate P. In the drawing, for convenience, one droplet discharge head 9 of the plurality of droplet discharge heads 9 is illustrated.

  In FIG. 3A, a plurality of panel areas CA are set on the surface of a large-area color filter substrate P formed of glass, plastic or the like. Each panel area CA is separated (cut) from each other and provided as an individual color filter substrate. In each panel area CA, as shown in FIG. 3B, a plurality of pixels PX (predetermined areas) arranged in a dot shape are provided. The pixels PX are arranged in a matrix in each panel area CA, and a color filter layer (colored layer) CF is formed for each pixel PX.

  3B is the main scanning direction, and the direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction (the horizontal direction in the drawing) is the sub-scanning direction. It is arranged on the color filter substrate P. The color filter substrate P includes a coloring material from the plurality of nozzles N of each droplet discharge head 9 while moving (scanning) the color filter substrate P relative to each droplet discharge head 9 in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction. Ink (color filter material) is ejected, and a color filter layer CF is formed on each pixel PX on the color filter substrate P.

  Each droplet discharge head 9 is scanned a plurality of times for one panel area CA. For example, after each droplet discharge head 9 is scanned in the main scanning direction, each droplet discharge head 9 is moved (scanned) in the sub-scanning direction, and scanning is performed again in the main scanning direction. After moving (sub-scanning) from the left end to the right end of one panel area CA, it returns to the left end of the panel area CA again, and scans in the main scanning direction at a position slightly different from the position where the ejection has already been performed. Then, by performing such scanning a plurality of times, the color filter layer CF having a desired film thickness is formed on all the pixels PX in the panel area CA.

  In FIG. 3B, each droplet discharge head 9 is inclined with respect to the sub-scanning direction in order to match the pitch of the nozzles N of each droplet discharge head 9 with the pitch of the pixels PX. . If the pitch of the nozzles N and the pitch of the pixels PX are set so as to satisfy a predetermined correspondence relationship, it is not necessary to tilt the droplet discharge head 9 obliquely.

  The color filter layer CF is formed by arranging R, G, and B colors in an appropriate arrangement form such as a so-called stripe arrangement, delta arrangement, mosaic arrangement, or the like. Therefore, in the ink ejection process shown in FIG. 3B, a plurality of droplet ejection heads 9 for ejecting R, G, and B color filter materials are prepared in advance for the three colors R, G, and B. . Then, an array of three color filter layers CF of R, G, and B is formed on one color filter substrate P by sequentially using the plurality of droplet discharge heads 9.

(Head cleaning device)
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the head cleaning device 13 of the present invention. The head cleaning device 13 includes a first wiping unit 13A and a second wiping unit 13B.

  The first wiping means 13A includes a feeding roller 31a, a take-up roller 32a, a pressing roller 33a, and a transport roller 34a. Moreover, the 1st wiping member 35a which consists of elongate sheet | seat materials is arrange | positioned in the path | route from the supply roller 31a to the winding roller 32a through the press-contact roller 33a, for example.

  The first wiping member 35a is movable in two directions, a winding direction R1a and a rewinding direction R2a, between the feeding roller 31a and the winding roller 32a. Moreover, the 1st wiping member 35a is exposed from the opening part 39a formed in a part of housing | casing 38a of 13 A of 1st wiping means. The first wiping member 35a is pressed against the nozzle plate (discharge surface) 21 of the droplet discharge head 9 by the pressure roller 33a in the opening 39a. In addition, as a forming material of the 1st wiping member 35a, what is flexible and can absorb the liquid discharged from the droplet discharge head 9, such as a nonwoven fabric, paper, a resin sheet, is preferable, for example.

  A motor 36a is connected to the feeding roller 31a and the winding roller 32a. By this motor 36a, the feeding roller 31a and the take-up roller 32a can rotate in the forward rotation and the reverse rotation, respectively.

  On the other hand, the second wiping means 13B is disposed adjacent to the first wiping means 13A. The second wiping means 13B includes a feeding roller 31b, a take-up roller 32b, a pressing roller 33b, and a transport roller 34b. A second wiping member 35b made of, for example, a long sheet material is disposed in a path from the feeding roller 31b to the winding roller 32b via the pressure roller 33b.

  The second wiping member 35b is movable in two directions, ie, a winding direction R1b and a rewinding direction R2b, between the feeding roller 31b and the winding roller 32b. Moreover, the 2nd wiping member 35b is exposed from the opening part 39b formed in a part of housing | casing 38b of the 2nd wiping means 13B. The second wiping member 35b is pressed against the nozzle plate (ejection surface) 21 of the droplet ejection head 9 by the pressure roller 33b in the opening 39b. As the material for forming the second wiping member 35b, a material that is flexible and capable of absorbing the liquid discharged from the droplet discharge head 9 is preferable, like the first wiping member 35a described above.

  A motor 36b is connected to the feeding roller 31b and the take-up roller 32b. By this motor 36b, the feeding roller 31b and the take-up roller 32b can rotate in the forward rotation and the reverse rotation, respectively.

  With the configuration as described above, the head cleaning device 13 is controlled so that the wiping direction of the first wiping member 35a with respect to the droplet discharge head 9 is different from the wiping direction of the second wiping member 35b with respect to the droplet discharge head 9. It is possible. Specifically, in the region where the droplet discharge head 9 and the first wiping member 35a are in pressure contact, the wiping direction of the first wiping member 35a with respect to the droplet discharge head 9 is adjusted to the first direction P1a (P2a). It is like that. On the other hand, in the region where the droplet discharge head 9 and the second wiping member 35b are in pressure contact with each other, the wiping direction of the second wiping member 35b relative to the droplet discharge head 9 is in the first direction P1a (P2a) within a plane parallel to the discharge surface. ) In the second direction P1b (P2b) which is the opposite direction.

(Head cleaning method)
5 to 9 are diagrams showing the operation of the head cleaning device of the present invention and the head cleaning method of the present invention in stages. 5A to 9A are side sectional views of the droplet discharge head. Moreover, FIG.5 (b)-FIG.9 (b) are the top views seen from the opening end side of the nozzle.

  As shown in FIG. 1, for example, after the liquid (color filter material) in the nozzle is sucked by the capping device 12, the droplet discharge head 9 is moved (scanned) to the first wiping means 13A. Specifically, the control device 8 fixes the first wiping means 13A and the second wiping means 13B constituting the head cleaning device 13 at predetermined positions, and the droplet discharge head 9 is moved from the first wiping means 13A to the second wiping means 13A. Control to move to the wiping means 13B (V1 shown in FIG. 5) is performed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the liquid L adheres to the nozzle N of the droplet discharge head 9 immediately after moving to the first wiping means 13A in the vicinity of the ink discharge surface S, that is, around the open end of the nozzle N. Yes. In the first wiping means 13 </ b> A, the first wiping member 35 a is pressed against the ejection surface S of the droplet ejection head 9.

  And a drive signal is input into the motor 36a (refer FIG. 4) from the control apparatus 8 (refer FIG. 1). Then, with the motor 36a, the feeding roller 31a and the take-up roller 32a rotate in the forward direction with the first wiping member 35a being pressed against the nozzles N1, N2. That is, the feeding roller 31a and the winding roller 32a rotate in the winding direction R1a. Thus, the wiping direction of the first wiping member 35a with respect to the droplet discharge head 9 is adjusted to be the first direction P1a (first control step). And the liquid L adhering to the circumference | surroundings of the opening end of nozzle N1, N2 is wiped off so that it may be pressed near the 1st direction P1a in an opening end.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 6, the droplet discharge head 9 moves at a predetermined speed in the scanning direction V1, and the first wiping member 35a is pressed against the nozzles N3 and N4, and the feeding roller 31a and the winding roller 31a are wound. The roller 32a rotates in the winding direction R1a. And the liquid L adhering to the circumference | surroundings of the opening end of nozzle N3, N4 is wiped off so that it may be pressed near the 1st direction P1a in an opening end.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the liquid droplet ejection head 9 is wiped by the first wiping means 13 </ b> A so that the liquid L attached to the nozzle N is pressed toward the first direction P <b> 1 a at the opening end. , Moved (scanned) toward the second wiping means 13B. The liquid L adheres to the nozzle N of the droplet discharge head 9 immediately after moving to the second wiping means 13B in the vicinity of the ink discharge surface S, that is, near the first direction P1a at the opening end of the nozzle N. In the second wiping means 13 </ b> B, the second wiping member 35 b is pressed against the ejection surface S of the droplet ejection head 9.

  Then, a drive signal is input from the control device 8 to the motor 36b (see FIG. 4). Then, with the motor 36b, the feeding roller 31b and the take-up roller 32b are rotated forward in a state where the second wiping member 35b is pressed against the nozzles N1 and N2. That is, the feeding roller 31b and the winding roller 32b rotate in the winding direction R1b. At this time, the rotational speed at which the feeding roller 31b and the winding roller 32b rotate in the winding direction R1b is higher than the moving speed at which the droplet discharge head 9 moves at a predetermined speed in the scanning direction V1. Thereby, the wiping direction of the second wiping member 35b with respect to the droplet discharge head 9 is adjusted to be the second direction P1b which is opposite to the first direction P1a in a plane parallel to the discharge surface S ( Second control step). Then, the liquid L adhering to the first direction P1a at the opening ends of the nozzles N1 and N2 is wiped away from one opening end of the nozzles N1 and N2. Thus, the liquid L adhering to the opening ends of the nozzles N1 and N2 is in the first direction P1a that is the wiping direction of the first wiping member 35a with respect to the droplet discharge head 9, and the second direction with respect to the droplet discharge head 9. By adjusting the second direction P1b, which is the wiping direction of the wiping member 35b, to be opposite to each other, as shown in FIG. 8, the wiping member 35b is completely removed from the opening ends of the nozzles N1, N2 without being left unwiped. The

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 8, the droplet discharge head 9 moves at a predetermined speed in the scanning direction V1, and the second wiping member 35b is pressed against the nozzles N3 and N4, and the feeding roller 31b and the winding roller 31b. The roller 32b rotates in the winding direction R1b. Then, the liquid L adhering to the first ends P1a at the opening ends of the nozzles N3 and N4 is wiped away from the one opening ends of the nozzles N3 and N4. As described above, the liquid L adhering to the opening ends of the nozzles N3 and N4 has the first direction P1a which is the wiping direction of the first wiping member 35a with respect to the droplet discharge head 9, and the second direction with respect to the droplet discharge head 9. By adjusting the second direction P1b, which is the wiping direction of the wiping member 35b, to be opposite to each other, the wiping member 35b is completely removed from the opening ends of the nozzles N3 and N4 without remaining unwiped.

  By passing through the above process, as shown in FIG. 9, the liquid L adhering to the opening end of the nozzle N can be removed completely without wiping.

  According to the head cleaning device 13 of the present embodiment, the wiping direction of the first wiping member 35a with respect to the droplet discharge head 9 is adjusted to the first direction P1a by the control device 8, and the second wiping member with respect to the droplet discharge head 9 is adjusted. The wiping direction of 35b is adjusted to a second direction P1b that is opposite to the first direction P1a in a plane parallel to the ejection surface S. Therefore, unlike in Patent Document 1, the wiping direction of the wiping member relative to the droplet discharge head is always one direction, and the droplet discharge head is not scanned. For this reason, the ink adhering to the opening end of the nozzle N can be removed without wiping. Therefore, the ink is wiped off without remaining in the nozzles N of the droplet discharge head 9 to improve the ink landing accuracy, and it is possible to prevent color mixture and coloring unevenness of pixels and obtain a desired display image.

  Further, according to this configuration, the first wiping means 13A and the second wiping means 13B are arranged at positions adjacent to each other. Thereby, immediately after the wiping direction of the first wiping member 35a with respect to the droplet discharge head 9 is adjusted to the first direction P1a and the nozzle N is wiped by the control device 8, the second wiping member 35b with respect to the droplet discharge head 9 is removed. The wiping direction is adjusted to a second direction P1b that is opposite to the first direction P1a in a plane parallel to the ejection surface S, and the nozzle is wiped off. For this reason, the remaining ink is smoothly wiped without drying and solidifying. Therefore, the ink is surely wiped off without remaining in the nozzles N of the droplet discharge head 9, and the ink landing accuracy is remarkably improved, and the desired display image is obtained by reliably preventing the color mixture and the color unevenness of the pixels. Is possible.

  Further, according to this configuration, the control device 8 performs control to fix the first wiping means 13A and the second wiping means 13B at predetermined positions. Then, control is performed to move the droplet discharge head 9 from the first wiping means 13A toward the second wiping means 13B, and the wiping direction of the first wiping member 35a with respect to the droplet discharge head 9 is adjusted to the first direction P1a. At the same time, control is performed in which the wiping direction of the second wiping member 35b with respect to the droplet discharge head 9 is adjusted to a second direction P1b which is opposite to the first direction P1a in a plane parallel to the discharge surface S. . For this reason, the wiping direction is adjusted more stably than when both the first wiping unit 13A, the second wiping unit 13B, and the droplet discharge head 9 are moved. Therefore, the ink is surely wiped off without remaining in the nozzles N of the droplet discharge head 9, and the ink landing accuracy is remarkably improved, and the desired display image is obtained by reliably preventing the color mixture and the color unevenness of the pixels. Is possible. Further, a mechanism for moving the first wiping member 35a and the second wiping member 35b becomes unnecessary, and the configuration of the first wiping means 13A and the second wiping means 13B can be simplified. Moreover, the 1st wiping member 35a and the 2nd wiping member 35b can also be comprised with the material which can be used repeatedly, such as a rubber blade.

  In the head cleaning device 13, a plurality of the first wiping means 13A and the second wiping means 13B may be arranged along at least one of the first direction P1a and the second direction P1b.

  According to this configuration, the control performed by the control device 8 so that the wiping direction of the first wiping member 35a with respect to the droplet discharge head 9 is adjusted to the first direction P1a, and the second wiping member 35b with respect to the droplet discharge head 9 is adjusted. Control in which the wiping direction is adjusted to a second direction P1b that is opposite to the first direction P1a in a plane parallel to the ejection surface S is repeatedly performed a plurality of times. For this reason, the ink adhering to the opening end of the nozzle N can be reliably removed without wiping. Therefore, the ink is surely wiped off without remaining in the nozzles N of the droplet discharge head 9, and the ink landing accuracy is remarkably improved, and the desired display image is obtained by reliably preventing the color mixture and the color unevenness of the pixels. Is possible.

  In the head cleaning device 13, the control device 8 fixes the first wiping means 13A and the second wiping means 13B at predetermined positions, and the droplet discharge head 9 is moved from the first wiping means 13A to the second wiping means. Although control to move toward 13B is performed, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the control device 8 may fix the droplet discharge head 9 at a predetermined position and perform control to move the first wiping means 13A and the second wiping means 13B in the arrangement direction of the plurality of nozzles N. .

  According to this configuration, the wiping direction is adjusted more stably than when both the first wiping unit 13A, the second wiping unit 13B, and the droplet discharge head 9 are moved. Therefore, the ink is surely wiped off without remaining in the nozzles N of the droplet discharge head 9, and the ink landing accuracy is remarkably improved, and the desired display image is obtained by reliably preventing the color mixture and the color unevenness of the pixels. Is possible.

  According to the droplet discharge device 1 of the present embodiment, since the head cleaning device 13 and the droplet discharge head 9 described above are provided, it is ensured that no ink remains in the nozzle N of the droplet discharge head 9. Thus, the ink landing accuracy is remarkably improved, and it is possible to reliably prevent pixel color mixing and coloring unevenness and obtain a desired display image.

  According to the head cleaning method of the present embodiment, the wiping direction of the first wiping member 35a with respect to the droplet discharge head 9 is adjusted to the first direction P1a by the first control step. In the second control step, the wiping direction of the second wiping member 35b with respect to the droplet discharge head 9 is adjusted to a second direction P1b that is opposite to the first direction P1a in a plane parallel to the discharge surface S. The Therefore, unlike in Patent Document 1, the wiping direction of the wiping member relative to the droplet discharge head is always one direction, and the droplet discharge head is not scanned. For this reason, the ink adhering to the opening end of the nozzle N can be removed without wiping. Therefore, the ink is wiped off without remaining in the nozzles N of the droplet discharge head 9 to improve the ink landing accuracy, and it is possible to prevent color mixture and coloring unevenness of pixels and obtain a desired display image.

  In the head cleaning method, after the second control step, the wiping direction of the first wiping member 35a with respect to the droplet discharge head 9 is changed to the first wiping direction while the first wiping member 35a is brought into contact with the region including the ejection surface S. A third control step for performing control to wipe the nozzle N by adjusting the relative movement in the one direction P1a and the second wiping member 35b in contact with the region including the ejection surface S while The wiping direction of the two wiping members 35b may be adjusted to the second direction P1b and moved relative to each other, and the fourth control step for performing control to wipe the nozzles N may be provided at least once.

  According to this method, after the second control step, the third control step and the fourth control step are repeatedly performed a plurality of times, so that the ink adhering to the opening end of the nozzle N can be reliably removed without wiping. Can do. Therefore, the ink is surely wiped off without remaining in the nozzles N of the droplet discharge head 9, and the ink landing accuracy is remarkably improved, and the desired display image is obtained by reliably preventing the color mixture and the color unevenness of the pixels. Is possible.

  In the above-described embodiment, the control device 8 controls the feeding roller 31a and the winding roller 32a to rotate in the winding direction R1a. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the feeding roller 31a and the take-up roller 32a need not be rotated. Moreover, control which the delivery roller 31a and the winding roller 32a rotate in the rewind direction R2a may be performed. That is, it is only necessary that the wiping direction of the first wiping member 35a with respect to the droplet discharge head 9 is adjusted to be the first direction P1a.

  In the above-described embodiment, the control device 8 fixes the first wiping means 13A and the second wiping means 13B constituting the head cleaning device 13 at predetermined positions, and the droplet discharge head 9 is moved to the first wiping means 13A. Is controlled to move toward the second wiping means 13B (in the scanning direction V1), but is not limited thereto. For example, even if the first wiping unit 13A and the second wiping unit 13B are fixed at predetermined positions and the droplet discharge head 9 is controlled to move in the reverse direction V2 which is the reverse direction to the scanning direction V1. Good.

  In the embodiment described above, the wiping direction of the first wiping member 35a with respect to the droplet discharge head 9 is adjusted to the first direction P1a by the control device 8, and the second wiping member 35b is wiped with respect to the droplet discharge head 9. Although the direction is adjusted to a second direction P1b that is opposite to the first direction P1a in a plane parallel to the ejection surface S, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the wiping direction of the first wiping member 35a with respect to the droplet discharge head 9 is adjusted to the first direction P2a, and the wiping direction of the second wiping member 35b with respect to the droplet discharge head 9 is in a plane parallel to the discharge surface S. You may adjust to the 2nd direction P2b which becomes a reverse direction with respect to the 1st direction P2a.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Droplet discharge apparatus, 8 ... Control apparatus (control means), 9, 9R, 9G, 9B ... Droplet discharge head, 13 ... Head cleaning apparatus, 13A ... First wiping means, 13B ... Second wiping means, 35a ... 1st wiping member, 35b ... 2nd wiping member, P1a, P2a ... 1st direction, P1b, P2b ... 2nd direction

Claims (8)

A head cleaning device for cleaning a droplet discharge head having a plurality of nozzles for discharging a functional liquid,
A first wiping means having a first wiping member for wiping in contact with a region including the ejection surface where the opening end of the nozzle is exposed;
A second wiping means having a second wiping member for wiping in contact with a region including the discharge surface;
Control means for controlling relative movement between the droplet discharge head and the first wiping means and relative movement between the droplet discharge head and the second wiping means;
When the wiping direction of the first wiping member with respect to the droplet discharge head is a first direction and the wiping direction of the second wiping member with respect to the droplet discharge head is a second direction, The head cleaning device is adjusted so that the one direction and the second direction are opposite to each other in a plane parallel to the ejection surface.   The head cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first wiping unit and the second wiping unit are disposed adjacent to each other.   The said 1st wiping means and the said 2nd wiping means are multiply arranged along at least one direction of the said 1st direction and the said 2nd direction, The Claim 1 or 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. Head cleaning device.   The control means controls the first wiping means and the second wiping means to be fixed at predetermined positions and moves the droplet discharge head from the first wiping means toward the second wiping means. The head cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the head cleaning device is a head cleaning device.   The control means performs control for fixing the droplet discharge head at a predetermined position and moving the first wiping means and the second wiping means in an arrangement direction of the plurality of nozzles. Item 4. The head cleaning device according to any one of Items 1 to 3.   A liquid droplet ejection apparatus comprising: the head cleaning apparatus according to claim 1; and the liquid droplet ejection head. A head cleaning method for cleaning a droplet discharge head having a plurality of nozzles for discharging a functional liquid,
While the first wiping member is brought into contact with the region including the ejection surface where the open ends of the plurality of nozzles are exposed, the wiping direction of the first wiping member with respect to the droplet ejection head is adjusted to the first direction and moved relative to each other. A first control step for performing control to wipe the nozzle;
The wiping direction of the second wiping member with respect to the droplet discharge head is opposite to the first direction in a plane parallel to the discharge surface while the second wiping member is brought into contact with the region including the discharge surface. A second control step in which the nozzle is wiped off by adjusting the second direction to be relatively moved and wiping the nozzle;
A head cleaning method comprising: After the second control step, the wiping direction of the first wiping member with respect to the droplet discharge head is adjusted to the first direction while the first wiping member is brought into contact with the region including the ejection surface. A third control step for performing control to move and wipe the nozzle;
While the second wiping member is brought into contact with the region including the ejection surface, the wiping direction of the second wiping member with respect to the droplet ejection head is adjusted relative to the second direction, and the nozzle is wiped. A fourth control step for performing control;
The head cleaning method according to claim 7, wherein the head cleaning method is provided at least once.

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