JP2014188919A - Liquid discharge device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid discharge device which removes foreign objects adhering to a liquid discharge surface of a liquid discharge head in a more reliable manner.SOLUTION: A removal device includes: a first removal member 31 having a first edge part 41; and a second removal member 32 having a second edge part 42. The first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 move in a nozzle arrangement direction relative to an ink discharge surface 2a of an ink jet head 2. The first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 move relative to each other in a transfer direction perpendicular to the nozzle arrangement direction so that the first edge part 41 and the second edge part 42 repetitively move close to and separate from each other.

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid ejection apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art As a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid, an apparatus having a mechanism that removes ink, foreign matter, and the like attached to a liquid ejecting surface on which a nozzle is formed is known. Among them, Patent Document 1 wipes the ink ejection surface (nozzle formation surface) of an inkjet head, and removes ink adhering to the ink ejection surface and removal of foreign matters adhered to the ink ejection surface. A wiping device capable of both removal operations is disclosed.

  The wiping device of Patent Document 1 has a wiping member that is pressed against the ink ejection surface. The wiping member is a composite material in which a wiping material made of an elastic plate such as rubber on one surface side and a rubbing material such as felt on the other surface side are joined. The wiping member moves in one direction with respect to the ink ejection surface, and thereby wipes ink adhering to the ink ejection surface with a wiping material. In addition, the wiping member moves in a direction opposite to the one direction with respect to the ink discharge surface, thereby scraping off foreign matters fixed on the ink discharge surface with a rubbing material.

Japanese Patent No. 4277156

  By the way, depending on the foreign matter present on the ink ejection surface, it may be difficult to remove by a wiping device as in Patent Document 1. For example, when the foreign matter is paper powder (paper fiber) or the like stuck into the nozzle, it is difficult to remove such foreign matter no matter how many times the ink discharge surface is wiped with the wiping member.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejection apparatus that can more reliably remove foreign matter adhering to a liquid ejection surface of a liquid ejection head.

  A liquid ejection apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a liquid ejection head having a liquid ejection surface on which a plurality of nozzles are formed, a first removal member having a first edge, and a second removal member having a second edge. A first drive unit that relatively moves the first removal member, the second removal member, and the liquid ejection head in a first direction parallel to the liquid ejection surface; the first edge portion; The second edge portion includes a second drive unit that relatively moves the first removal member and the second removal member so that the second edge portion repeatedly approaches and separates from each other. is there.

  In the present invention, the first removal member and the second removal member move relative to the liquid ejection surface, and the first edge of the first removal member and the second edge of the second removal member approach and separate from each other. repeat. Thus, foreign matter such as paper dust stuck into the nozzle is sandwiched between the first edge and the second edge, and in this state, the first removal member and the second removal member are moved, thereby reliably removing the foreign matter. Can be removed.

  In the liquid ejection device according to a second aspect, in the first aspect, the first edge and the second edge extend along the first direction, respectively, and the second drive unit The first removal member and the second edge are repeatedly approached and separated from each other in a second direction parallel to the liquid ejection surface and intersecting the first direction. The removal member is relatively moved in the second direction.

  In the present invention, the second direction in which the first edge and the second edge approach and separate from each other is a direction different from the first direction. Therefore, the first edge and the second edge are moved in the second direction to sandwich the foreign matter, and in this state, the first removal member and the second removal member are quickly moved in the first direction. It can be removed smoothly.

  In the liquid ejection device according to a third aspect, in the second aspect, the plurality of nozzles are arranged in the first direction at a predetermined interval to form a nozzle row, and the first driving unit is configured by the first driving unit. The removal member and the second removal member are moved in the first direction along the nozzle row with respect to the liquid ejection surface, and the second driving unit includes the first removal member and the second removal member. However, the first removal member and the second removal member are arranged so that the first edge portion and the second edge portion are closest to each other during one cycle in which the first edge moves in the first direction. The member is driven.

  According to the present invention, every time the first removal member and the second removal member move by a distance equal to the arrangement interval of the nozzles, the first edge and the second edge are closest to each other once. Thereby, the foreign material adhering to a nozzle can be removed about all the nozzles.

  In the liquid ejection device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect, the first removal member and the second removal member are both plate-shaped members, and the first removal member includes a first member. A through hole is formed, a second through hole is formed in the second removal member, and the first removal member and the second removal member are partially overlapped, and the first through hole has the first through hole. An edge portion extending along one direction constitutes the first edge portion, and an edge portion extending along the first direction of the second through hole constitutes the second edge portion. Is.

  In the present invention, since the first removal member and the second removal member move relative to each other in the second direction in a partially overlapping state, the first removal member and the second removal member are within a narrow range in the second direction. Can be moved respectively. In addition, in order to make the 1st edge and the 2nd edge approach in the state where the 1st removal member and the 2nd removal member overlapped, the 1st edge and the 2nd edge are the removal member. It may be the edge of the notch formed in the. On the other hand, in the present invention, the first edge and the second edge are edges of the through hole formed in the removal member. In the case of the through hole, the first removal is performed as compared with the notch. The rigidity of the member and the second removal member is high. Accordingly, the rigidity of the first removal member and the second removal member can maintain the posture along the liquid ejection surface, and the foreign matter is reliably sandwiched and removed between the first edge and the second edge. be able to.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth invention, the plurality of nozzles are arranged at predetermined intervals in the first direction to form a nozzle row, and the second removal member includes the second nozzle. Two second through holes arranged in two directions and a partition part extending along the first direction and partitioning the two second through holes are formed, and the two on both sides of the partition part in the second direction are formed. Two edges each constitute the second edge,
The first drive unit moves the first removal member and the second removal member in the first direction along the nozzle row with respect to the liquid ejection surface, and the second drive unit includes 2 The partition portion having two second edge portions moves the second removal member in the second direction with respect to the liquid ejection surface so as to straddle the nozzle.

  In the present invention, the foreign matter adhering to each nozzle is simply moved by alternately moving the partition portion of the second removal member across the nozzle between the one side and the other side in the second direction with respect to the nozzle row. It can be sandwiched between the first edge. In this configuration, the amount of movement of the second removal member in the second direction can be reduced.

  In a liquid ejection apparatus according to a sixth aspect based on the fifth aspect, the first removal member moves relative to the liquid ejection surface in contact with the liquid ejection surface, and the second removal member When the first removal member is in contact with the liquid ejection surface, the first removal member is disposed on the opposite side of the liquid ejection surface with respect to the first removal member and is not in contact with the liquid ejection surface Thus, the liquid is relatively moved with respect to the liquid discharge surface.

  In the present invention, the first removal member moves relative to the liquid ejection surface while being in contact with the liquid ejection surface. Therefore, even when the foreign matter stuck in the nozzle is small, the first edge portion and the second edge portion are sandwiched between the foreign matter. Makes it easier to capture.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the sixth aspect, the first removal member is made of a rubber material or a resin material, and the second removal member is made of a metal material. Is.

  The first removal member is preferably made of a rubber material or a resin material in order to prevent the liquid ejection surface from being damaged by moving while the first removal member is in contact with the liquid ejection surface. On the other hand, if the second removal member is also formed of a rubber material or a resin material, the rigidity of the two removal members may be insufficient, and the first and second removal members may bend and separate from the liquid ejection surface. possible. Therefore, in order to ensure rigidity, the second removal member is preferably formed of a metal material.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the sixth or seventh aspect, the second removal member contacts a surface of the first removal member opposite to the contact surface with the liquid ejection surface. The surface friction coefficient of the contact surface of the first removal member with the second removal member or the contact surface of the second removal member with the first removal member is equal to the liquid ejection surface of the first removal member. It is characterized by being lower than the contact surface.

  Since the first removal member is in contact with the liquid ejection surface and the second removal member is in contact with the first removal member, the two removal members will move at a position approaching the liquid ejection surface, Even a small foreign object is easily captured by the first edge and the second edge. Furthermore, since the friction coefficient of at least one of the contact surfaces of the first removal member and the second removal member is small, smooth relative movement is possible even when the two removal members are in contact with each other.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in any of the sixth to eighth aspects, the first removal member and the second removal member are overlapped with each other when not in contact with the liquid ejection surface. Each extending in a direction intersecting with the liquid ejection surface, and the tip of the first removal member extends ahead of the tip of the second removal member, and the first edge The second edge portion is provided at a middle portion of the first removal member and the second removal member in a direction intersecting the liquid ejection surface, and the first removal member and the second removal member are A third drive unit that moves the liquid discharge surface in a direction intersecting the liquid discharge surface;
The third drive unit is configured such that the postures of the first removal member and the second removal member are the first contact posture in which only the tip portion of the first removal member is in contact with the liquid ejection surface, and the first contact posture. The first removal member is pressed against the liquid ejection surface to bend the first removal member and the second removal member, respectively, and the first edge and the second edge are respectively It switches between the 2nd contact attitude | positions along a 1st direction, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  In the present invention, by setting the first removal member and the second removal member to the first contact posture, the liquid adhering to the liquid ejection surface can be wiped off by the tip portion of the first removal member. Further, by setting the first removal member and the second removal member to the second contact posture, foreign matters such as paper dust stuck into the nozzle can be removed by being sandwiched between the first edge and the second edge. That is, the first removal member and the second removal member can both wipe off the liquid adhering to the liquid ejection surface and remove foreign matter.

  According to a tenth aspect of the invention, in the ninth aspect of the invention, an absorbent body is superimposed on the first removal member and the second removal member.

  When the first removal member and the second removal member are in the first contact posture and the liquid adhering to the liquid ejection surface is wiped off at the tip of the first removal member, the wiped liquid is removed from the first through hole to the back side. It is also possible to leak into In the present invention, the liquid leaked from the first through hole to the back side can be absorbed by the absorber superimposed on the first removal member and the second removal member.

  According to the present invention, the foreign matter adhered to the ink ejection surface is moved between the first edge and the second edge, and the foreign matter is reliably removed by moving the first removal member and the second removal member. Can be removed.

1 is a schematic plan view of a printer according to an embodiment. It is the II-II arrow directional view of FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an electrical configuration of a printer. FIG. 4A is a partial plan view of the first removal member, and FIG. 4B is a partial plan view of the second removal member. It is a figure which shows the 1st removal operation | movement for ink wiping off of a removal apparatus. It is a figure which shows the 2nd removal operation for a foreign material removal of a removal apparatus. It is a figure explaining the movement with respect to the ink discharge surface of a 1st, 2nd removal member. It is a figure explaining the removal of the foreign material by the relative movement of the 1st, 2nd removal member. It is a flowchart of a maintenance process. It is sectional drawing of the 1st, 2nd removal member which concerns on a change form. It is a figure which shows the modification of a 1st, 2nd removal member. It is a figure explaining the movement with respect to an ink discharge surface of the 1st, 2nd removal member shown to Fig.11 (a). It is a schematic plan view of the printer which concerns on another modification.

  Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The present embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to an ink jet printer that records an image or the like by ejecting ink onto a recording sheet conveyed in a predetermined conveyance direction. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the printer of this embodiment. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing an electrical configuration of the printer. In the following, the front side of the page in FIG. 1 is defined as the upper side, the other side of the page is defined as the lower side, and the horizontal direction (paper width direction) in FIG. 1 is defined as the horizontal direction of the printer. I will explain.

(Schematic configuration of the printer)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the printer 1 includes an inkjet head 2, two transport rollers 3 and 4, a removal device 5, a control device 6, and the like.

  The inkjet head 2 (the liquid discharge head of the present invention) is a line-type head that is long in the paper width direction. The ink jet head 2 is connected to an ink tank (not shown), and ink is supplied from the ink tank. On the lower surface of the inkjet head 2, a nozzle row 16 composed of a plurality of nozzles 10 arranged at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction (paper width direction) is formed. Hereinafter, the lower surface of the inkjet head 2 on which the plurality of nozzles 10 are formed is referred to as an ink ejection surface 2a (liquid ejection surface of the present invention). The arrangement direction of the nozzles 10 parallel to the paper width direction is also referred to as a nozzle arrangement direction.

  The two transport rollers 3 and 4 are arranged so as to sandwich the inkjet head 2 in the transport direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the inkjet head 2. These two transport rollers 3 and 4 are rotationally driven in synchronization by a transport motor 12 (see FIG. 3), and transport the recording paper 100 in the transport direction. In the following description, an example in which the paper width direction (nozzle arrangement direction) and the transport direction are orthogonal to each other will be described as an example. However, the paper width direction and the transport direction intersect at an angle different from 90 degrees. Also good.

  The ink jet head 2 ejects ink from a plurality of nozzles 10 formed on the ink ejection surface 2a to the recording paper 100 conveyed in the conveying direction by the two conveying rollers 3 and 4, respectively. Desired characters and images are printed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a purge pump 11 is disposed between the inkjet head 2 and an ink tank (not shown). The purge pump 11 pressurizes the ink from the ink tank and supplies it to the inkjet head 2 to forcibly discharge the ink from the plurality of nozzles 10 of the inkjet head 2 (this operation is called purge). By this purge, foreign matter or air mixed in the ink jet head 2 or ink thickened by drying is discharged from the nozzle 10, so that the ejection failure of the nozzle 10 can be eliminated or the occurrence of ejection failure can be prevented. It becomes. Note that the ink discharged from the plurality of nozzles 10 by the purge is collected in a waste ink receiving member (not shown) disposed below the plane on which the recording paper 100 is conveyed.

  The removing device 5 performs removal of ink attached to the ink ejection surface 2a and removal of foreign matter attached to the ink ejection surface 2a. After the purge is performed, a part of the ink discharged from the nozzle 10 adheres to the ink ejection surface 2a, and thus the adhered ink is wiped off by the removing device 5. Moreover, as the foreign matter adhering to the ink ejection surface 2a, paper dust (paper fiber) stuck into the nozzle 10 of the ink ejection surface 2a can be cited. If a foreign substance such as paper dust is stuck in the nozzle 10, the ejection of ink from the nozzle 10 is naturally obstructed, and the foreign substance is removed by the removing device 5.

  The removal device 5 includes a removal unit 30, a lift drive motor 33, and a holding member 34. The removal unit 30 includes a first removal member 31 and a second removal member 32, and a slide drive unit 35 that relatively slides the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32. The first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 are plate-like members, and are superposed on each other. The slide drive unit 35 relatively slides the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 along their surface directions in order to remove the foreign matter attached to the ink ejection surface 2a. The elevating drive motor 33 is a motor that drives the removal unit 30 up and down, and the elevating drive motor 33 can change the vertical positions of the two removal members 31 and 32 of the removal unit 30. The holding member 34 holds the removal unit 30 and the lifting drive motor 33. The detailed configuration of the removing device 5 will be described later.

  The removing device 5 is configured to be movable in the paper width direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the holding member 34 of the removing device 5 is attached to a guide rail 14 that extends in the paper width direction. In addition, the endless belt 15 connected to the removal drive motor 13 (the first drive unit of the present invention) is coupled to the holding member 34. Then, when the endless belt 15 is driven by the wiping drive motor 13, the removing device 5 moves in the paper width direction along the guide rail 14.

  In addition, the structure which moves the removal apparatus 5 is not restricted to the structure of FIG. For example, a screw shaft extending in the paper width direction is screwed to the holding member 34, and the screw shaft is rotationally driven by the wiping drive motor 13, whereby the removing device 5 moves in the paper width direction. Also good.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the removal device 5 stands by at a position on the right side of the inkjet head 2 when the removal operation is not performed. When the removal device 5 moves to the left along the paper width direction from the standby state, the removal members 31 and 32 move relative to the ink ejection surface 2a in contact with the ink ejection surface 2a, and the ink ejection surface 2a. The foreign matters and ink adhering to the ink are removed (see FIGS. 5 and 6). The removal operation of the removal device 5 will be described in detail later.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 6 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 20, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 21, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 22, and an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) including various control circuits. 23 etc. The control device 6 is connected to the inkjet head 2, the transport motor 12, the purge pump 11, the removal device 5, and the removal drive motor 13. The control device 6 is also connected to an operation panel 24, a PC 25 that is an external device, and the like.

  The control device 6 causes the CPU 20 and the ASIC 23 to execute various processes according to the program stored in the ROM 21. For example, the control device 6 controls the inkjet head 2 and the transport motor 12 based on a print command transmitted from the PC 25 to print an image or the like on the recording paper 100. Further, the purge pump 11 is controlled to purge the inkjet head 2. Further, the removal device 5 and the removal drive motor 13 are controlled to cause the removal device 5 to wipe the ink on the ink ejection surface 2a of the inkjet head 2 and remove foreign matter.

  In the above description, the control device 6 performs various processes by the CPU 20 and the ASIC 23. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the control device 6 may be realized by any hardware configuration. For example, the processing may be performed by only the CPU or only the ASIC. The functions may be shared by two or more CPUs or two or more ASICs.

(Details of the removal device 5)
Next, a detailed configuration of the removing device 5 will be described. FIG. 4A is a partial plan view of the first removal member, and FIG. 4B is a partial plan view of the second removal member.

  Both the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 are plate-like members. The material of the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 is not particularly limited. However, as will be described later, the first removal member 31 moves relative to the ink ejection surface 2a while being in contact with the ink ejection surface 2a (see FIGS. 5 and 6). Therefore, from the viewpoint of preventing the ink discharge surface 2a from being damaged, the first removal member 31 is preferably formed of a rubber material or a resin material. On the other hand, the second removal member 32 may also be formed of a rubber material or a resin material. However, if the rigidity of the two removal members 31 and 32 is low, it may be bent and separated from the ink ejection surface 2a. Therefore, in order to ensure a certain level of rigidity, the second removal member 32 is preferably made of a metal material.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 are held in a posture along the vertical direction perpendicular to the ink ejection surface 2a in a standby state where the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 do not contact the ink ejection surface 2a. The second removal member 32 is superimposed on the right side surface of the first removal member 31. When in the standby state, the distal end portion (upper end portion) of the first removal member 31 extends upward from the distal end portion of the second removal member 32. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the width | variety (width in the left-right direction in FIG. 4) in the conveyance direction of the 1st removal member 31 and the 2nd removal member 32 is substantially equal.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, a square-shaped first through hole 36 is formed in the middle of the first removal member 31 at a predetermined distance from the tip (the upper end when in the standby state in FIG. 2). Has been. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4B, two rectangular second through holes 37a and 37b arranged in the transport direction are formed in the middle of the second removal member 32 at a predetermined distance from the tip. Yes. The two second through holes 37a and 37b are partitioned by a partition portion 38. As will be described later, when removing the foreign matter on the ink ejection surface 2a, the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 are bent, and the first through hole 36 of the first removal member 31 is formed. The portions of the second removal member 32 where the second through holes 37 are formed are in a state parallel to the ink ejection surface 2a. At this time, the first through-hole 36 of the first removal member 31 and the two second through-holes 37a and 37b of the second removal member 32 overlap each other (see FIG. 8).

  In addition, the two edge parts of the both sides in the conveyance direction of the 1st through-hole 36 are respectively called 1st edge part 41 (41a, 41b). Of the edge portions of the second through-hole 37, two edge portions provided on both sides in the conveying direction of the partition portion 38 are referred to as second edge portions 42 (42a, 42b). The two first edge portions 41 and the two second edge portions 42 respectively extend along the paper width direction (nozzle arrangement direction).

  In FIG. 2, the right side surface of the first removal member 31 that is in contact with the second removal member 32 is coated with a fluorine resin or the like for reducing the surface friction coefficient. Thereby, the surface friction coefficient of the right surface of the first removal member 31 is smaller than the surface friction coefficient of the left surface that contacts the ink ejection surface 2a during the removal operation.

  The slide drive unit 35 (second drive unit of the present invention) is configured so that the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 are independently independent from each other in a direction intersecting the nozzle arrangement direction (specifically, parallel to the transport direction). The first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 are slid relative to each other in the transport direction. The configuration of the slide drive unit 35 is not particularly limited. For example, two drive force transmissions including an actuator such as a motor and gears that transmit the drive force generated by the actuator to the two removal members 31 and 32, respectively. It can be configured with a mechanism. As will be described later, the slide drive unit 35 slides the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 relative to each other in the transport direction, so that the first drive member 41 and the second drive member 42 are moved. The foreign matter on the ink discharge surface 2a can be sandwiched.

  Further, as described above, the removing device 5 of the present embodiment performs the wiping off of the ink adhering to the ink ejection surface 2 a and the removal of foreign matters such as paper dust stuck in the nozzle 10. The elevating drive motor 33 moves the removal unit 30 up and down, so that the upper and lower positions of the removal unit 30 are a first position when wiping ink and a position above the first position when removing foreign matters. Switch between second position. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a first removal operation for wiping ink by the removal device 5, and FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a second removal operation for removing foreign matter by the removal device 5. The lifting drive motor 33 corresponds to the third drive unit of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the removal unit 30 is in the first position, the tip of the first removal member 31 is located above the ink ejection surface 2a by h1. In this state, when the removing device 5 moves in the nozzle arrangement direction along the ink ejection surface 2a, the two removal members 31 and 32 are pressed against the ink ejection surface 2a and slightly bent. At this time, the 1st removal member 31 and the 2nd removal member 32 will be in the posture (the 1st contact posture of the present invention) where only the tip part of the 1st removal member 31 contacts.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the removal unit 30 is raised from the first position to the second position, the tip of the first removal member 31 is positioned above the ink discharge surface 2a by h2 (> h1). In this state, when the removal device 5 moves along the ink ejection surface 2a in the nozzle arrangement direction, the two removal members 31 and 32 are pressed more strongly against the ink ejection surface 2a than when they are in the first position. As a result, the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 are largely bent, and the portion where the first through hole 36 and the second through hole 37 are formed on the tip side thereof is parallel to the ink ejection surface 2a. (The second contact posture of the present invention).

(First removal operation: ink wiping)
Next, the first removal operation of the removal device 5 that removes the ink adhering to the ink ejection surface 2a will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 6 controls the lifting drive motor 33 to position the removal unit 30 at the first position. Next, the control device 6 controls the removal drive motor 13 to move the removal device 5 to the left along the nozzle arrangement direction. At this time, the two removing members 31 and 32 are pressed against the ink ejection surface 2a and bent slightly, and only the tip portion of the first removing member 31 closer to the tip side than the portion where the first through hole 36 is formed is ink. The first contact posture in contact with the discharge surface 2a is taken. In this state, the removal device 5 moves to the left along the ink ejection surface 2a, so that the ink adhering to the ink ejection surface 2a is wiped off by the tip of the first removal member 31.

(Second removal operation: foreign matter removal)
Next, the second removing operation of the removing device 5 for removing the foreign matter stuck into the nozzle 10 on the ink ejection surface 2a will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the control device 6 controls the lifting drive motor 33 to place the removal unit 30 in the second position above the first position in FIG. 5. Next, the control device 6 controls the removal drive motor 13 to move the removal device 5 to the left along the nozzle arrangement direction. At this time, the two removal members 31 and 32 are pressed more strongly against the ink ejection surface 2a than when they are in the first position, and are bent largely to take a second contact posture. That is, the portion of the first removal member 31 in which the first through hole 36 is formed is in contact with the ink ejection surface 2a in parallel, and the two first edge portions 41 are along the nozzle arrangement direction. Become. Further, the portion of the second removal member 32 where the two second through holes 37 are formed is arranged in a state parallel to the ink ejection surface 2a on the side opposite to the ink ejection surface 2a with respect to the first removal member 31. In addition, the two second edge portions 42 are in a state along the nozzle arrangement direction.

  The control device 6 drives the removal drive motor 13 in a state where the two removal members 31 and 32 are in the second contact posture, and moves the removal device 5 to the left of the nozzle arrangement direction (first direction of the present invention). Move to. At the same time, the control device 6 controls the slide drive unit 35 to move the two removal members 31 and 32 independently in the transport direction (second direction of the present invention). As a result, the two removal members 31 and 32 move in the nozzle array direction along the nozzle row 16, respectively, and the first edge 41 and the second edge 42 repeat approach and separation repeatedly in the transport direction. Move relative to

  Hereinafter, the movement of the two removal members 31 and 32 will be described in detail. FIGS. 7A and 7B are views for explaining the movement of the first and second removal members relative to the ink ejection surface. FIGS. 7A to 7C are movements of the first removal member, and FIGS. The movement of each member is shown. As shown in FIG. 7, the two removing members 31 and 32 are driven by the slide driving unit 35 while moving in the nozzle arrangement direction, and alternately move to both sides in the transport direction around the nozzle row 16.

  As shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C, each time the first removal member 31 moves along the nozzle row 16 by the arrangement interval P of the nozzles 10, the two first edges of the first through-hole 36. The part 41 moves so as to contact the nozzle 10 alternately. That is, the first removal member 31 has a left side first edge portion 41a, a right side first edge portion 41b, and a left side first edge portion with respect to the three nozzles 10a, 10b, and 10c arranged in the nozzle arrangement direction. It moves zigzag to the left and right with respect to the nozzle row 16 so as to contact in the order of 41a.

  The second removal member 32 is in contact with the surface of the first removal member 31 opposite to the contact surface with the ink ejection surface 2a and partially overlaps with the first removal member 31 in the ink ejection surface 2a. Move without touching. As shown in FIGS. 7D to 7F, each time the second removal member 32 moves along the nozzle row 16 by the arrangement interval P of the nozzles 10, the partition portion 38 sandwiches the nozzle row 16. Move across the nozzle between the middle left side and the right side. As a result, the two second edge portions 42 on both sides of the partition portion 38 move so as to contact the nozzle 10 alternately. That is, the second removal member 32 has a second edge 42a on the left side, a second edge 42b on the right side, and a second edge on the left side with respect to the three nozzles 10a, 10b, 10c arranged in the nozzle arrangement direction. It moves zigzag to the left and right with respect to the nozzle row 16 so as to contact in the order of 42a.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the removal of foreign matter by relative movement of the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32. 8 shows a first removal member 31 that moves from the position of FIG. 7A to the position of (b), and a second removal member 32 that moves from the position of FIG. 7D to the position of (e). It is also the figure which superimposed. As shown in FIG. 8A, it is assumed that a long paper dust 50 is stuck into the nozzle 10a. As shown in FIG. 8B, at the position where the nozzle 10a is formed, the first edge 41a is in contact with the nozzle 10 from the left side in the figure, and the second edge part 42a from the right side in the figure. Is touching. At this time, the distance d in the transport direction between the first edge 41 and the second edge 42 in contact with the nozzle 10a is the maximum.

  The second removal member 32 overlaps with the first removal member 31 as it moves from the position of the nozzle 10a in FIG. 8B to the position of the nozzle 10b as shown in FIGS. 8C to 8F. In this state, it moves to the left in the figure relative to the first removal member 31, and the second edge 42a approaches the first edge 41a. As a result, the distance d between the first edge portion 41a and the second edge portion 42a is reduced, and the paper dust 50 that has pierced the nozzle 10a is pushed toward the first edge portion 41a by the second edge portion 42a. Paper dust 50 is sandwiched between the first edge 41a and the second edge 42a. In this state, the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 move in the nozzle arrangement direction, whereby the paper dust 50 is extracted from the nozzle 10a.

  Thus, by moving the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 in a state where the foreign matter such as the paper dust 50 stuck into the nozzle is sandwiched between the first edge portion 41a and the second edge portion 42a. , Foreign matter can be reliably removed.

  As shown in FIG. 8F, when reaching the position where the next nozzle 10b is formed, the first edge portion 41a and the second edge portion 42a are closest to each other in the transport direction. At this time, the other first edge portion 41b and the other second edge portion 42b are in the most separated state. If the paper dust 50 is also stuck into the nozzle 10b, the paper dust 50 is removed by the first edge portion 41b and the second edge portion 42b. Thus, in the present embodiment, the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 are moved along the nozzle row 16 by the nozzle arrangement interval P within one cycle, and the first edge portion 41a and the second removal member 32 are moved. The first edge portion 41 and the second edge portion are closest to each other once by combining any one of the edge portion 42a, the first edge portion 41b, and the second edge portion 42b. Accordingly, foreign matters such as paper dust can be removed from all the nozzles 10 in the nozzle row 16.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the 1st edge part 41 and the 2nd edge part 42 approach and space apart in the conveyance direction orthogonal to a nozzle arrangement direction. That is, the direction in which the edges 41 and 42 approach and separate from each other, and the direction in which the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 driven by the removal drive motor 13 move relative to the ink ejection surface 2a (nozzle arrangement direction). ) Is in a different direction. Therefore, the first edge portion 41 and the second edge portion 42 are moved relative to each other in the transport direction to sandwich the foreign matter, and in this state, the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 are quickly moved in the nozzle arrangement direction. Thus, foreign matters can be removed smoothly.

  The 1st removal member 31 and the 2nd removal member 32 move relatively in the conveyance direction in the state where it overlapped partially. Therefore, the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 can be moved within a narrow range in the transport direction. In the state where the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 are partially overlapped, the configuration in which the first edge portion 41 and the second edge portion 42 can approach and separate from each other is shown in FIG. As exemplified in b), the first edge portion 41 and the second edge portion 42 may be notches formed in the removal members 31 and 32. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the 1st edge part 41 and the 2nd edge part 42 are comprised by the edge part of the through-holes 36 and 37 formed in the removal members 31 and 32. FIG. In the case of the through hole, the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 have higher rigidity than the notch. Accordingly, the rigidity of the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 can maintain the posture along the ink ejection surface 2a, and the first edge 41 and the second edge 42 can reliably prevent foreign matter. Can be removed.

  The second removal member 32 is formed with two second through holes 37a and 37b arranged in the transport direction and a partition portion 38 that partitions the two second through holes 37a and 37b. And the two edge parts of the both sides of the partition part 38 comprise the 2nd edge parts 42a and 42b. In this configuration, the foreign matter attached to each nozzle is removed from the first edge only by alternately moving the partitioning portion 38 of the second removal member 32 so as to straddle the nozzle between the one side and the other side of the nozzle row 16. It can be sandwiched between the portion 41 and the second edge portion 42. As illustrated in FIG. 11A and FIG. 12 later, when one through hole is formed in the second removal member 32 in the same manner as the first removal member 31, the second edge 42 is formed. In order to approach the first edge 41, it is necessary to move the second removal member 32 largely in the transport direction. Compared with such a configuration, in the present embodiment, the amount of movement of the second removal member 32 in the transport direction can be reduced.

  If the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 move at a position as close as possible to the ink ejection surface 2a, it is easier to remove even if the foreign matter stuck into the nozzle 10 is small. Therefore, in the present embodiment, in the second removal operation, the first removal member 31 moves relative to the ink ejection surface 2a while being in contact with the ink ejection surface 2a. The second removal member 32 is disposed on the side opposite to the ink ejection surface 2 a with respect to the first removal member 31 and is in contact with the first removal member 31. The contact surface of the first removal member 31 with the second removal member 32 is coated, and the surface friction coefficient of this surface is lower than the surface friction coefficient of the contact surface with the ink ejection surface 2a. . Therefore, even when the two removal members 31 and 32 are in contact with each other, smooth relative movement is possible. The contact surface of the second removal member 32 with the first removal member 31 may be coated with a fluorine resin or the like.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, for the sake of simplicity of explanation, the case where there is one nozzle row 16 of the inkjet head 2 is described as an example, but there are a plurality of nozzle rows 16. In this case, the first through hole 36 and the second through hole 37 may be formed in the first removing member 31 and the second removing member 32 respectively corresponding to the plurality of nozzle rows 16. Alternatively, the removal device 5 may include a plurality of first removal members 32 and a plurality of second removal members 32 corresponding to the plurality of nozzle rows 16, respectively.

  By the way, the first removal operation for wiping ink and the second removal operation for removing foreign matter described above may be performed alone according to the purpose, but the removal device 5 Both operations may be performed continuously. An example is given below.

  Hereinafter, an example in which the removal device 5 performs the first and second removal operations as part of the maintenance process of the inkjet head 2 including the purge described above will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the maintenance process. In FIG. 9, Si (i = 10, 11, 12,...) Indicates the step number of each step.

  This maintenance process is always executed in the control device 6 while the printer 1 is powered on, and is waiting in a state waiting for an input of a purge command (S10). When a purge command is input to the control device 6 by the user operating the operation panel 24 when the image printed on the recording paper 100 is faint (S10: Yes), the control device 6 first starts. The purge pump 11 is controlled to execute purge (S11). Here, the purge command is not limited to a command input by the user, and may be a periodic purge command that is automatically performed every elapse of a certain period of time, for example. Since the ink has adhered to the ink ejection surface 2a after the purge, the control device 6 causes the removal device 5 to perform the first removal operation, and wipes the ink adhered to the ink ejection surface 2a (S12).

  By the way, if the cause of the ejection failure of the nozzle 10 is the increase in the viscosity of the ink due to the mixing or drying of air in the ink flow path in the inkjet head 2, the air and the increased viscosity along with the ink discharged from the nozzle 10 by the purge. The ejection failure can be eliminated by discharging the ink. However, when foreign matter such as paper dust is stuck in the nozzle 10, the paper dust may be a long paper fiber and may penetrate deep into the nozzle 10. In such a case, the paper dust or the like may be purged. The foreign matter is difficult to be discharged. Therefore, the ejection failure may not be solved even if the purge is performed many times.

  Therefore, if a purge command is input again to the control device 6 after a certain period of time has elapsed after the purge in S11 (S13: Yes), the control device 6 causes the removal device 5 to perform the second removal operation. Then, foreign matter such as paper dust on the ink discharge surface 2a is removed (S14). In the second removal operation for removing foreign matter, the meniscus of the nozzle 10 may be disturbed because the first removal member 31 moves while contacting the ink ejection surface 2a. Therefore, when the second removal operation is completed, in order to cause the nozzle 10 to re-form the meniscus, the control device 6 again controls the purge pump 11 to perform the purge (S15), and then causes the removal device 5 to perform the first removal. The removing operation is performed to wipe off the ink (S16).

  In FIG. 9, the second removal operation is performed when the second purge command is input. However, the second removal operation is performed for the first time when the purge command is input three times or more. May be.

  Next, modified embodiments in which various modifications are made to the embodiment will be described. However, components having the same configuration as in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted as appropriate.

1] As shown in FIG. 5, when the ink adhering to the ink ejection surface 2 a is wiped off at the tip of the first removal member 31 by the first removal operation, the wiped ink is removed from the first through hole 36. It is possible that it leaks to the back side and falls down. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, an absorbent body 43 made of a porous material and absorbing ink may be superimposed on the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32. Even if ink leaks to the opposite side of the first removal member 31 from the ink ejection surface 2 a, the ink can be absorbed by the absorber 43. In FIG. 10, the absorber 43 is disposed between the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32, but the second removal member 32 is on the opposite side (right side) of the first removal member 31. The absorber 43 may be superimposed on the surface so as to close the second through-hole 37.

2] In the embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the moving direction of the removing device 5 is the same in the first removing operation for wiping ink and the second removing operation for removing foreign matter. It has become. On the other hand, the moving direction of the removal device 5 may be opposite to the left and right in the first removal operation and the second removal operation. Note that if the moving directions of the first removal operation and the second removal operation are opposite, the second removal member 32 comes into contact with the ink ejection surface 2a in either one of the removal operations. At this time, in order to prevent the ink discharge surface 2a from being damaged by the contact of the second removal member 32, the second removal member 32 is preferably formed of a rubber material or a resin material.

3] The slide drive unit 35 that relatively moves the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 in the transport direction does not have a dedicated actuator, and uses the movement of the removal device 5 in the paper width direction. The structure which slides the two removal members 31 and 32 may be sufficient. For example, the slide drive unit 35 converts the linear movement of the removing device 5 in the paper width direction into the rotation of the pinion, and the linear movement of the pinion rotation in the conveying direction of the two removing members 31 and 32. And a crank mechanism that changes to In this configuration, also in the first removal operation of wiping off the ink of FIG. 5, the two removal members 31 and 32 move in the transport direction with respect to the ink ejection surface 2a. In the first removal operation, when it is not desired to move the two removal members 31 and 32 relative to each other, the slide drive unit 35 needs to include a dedicated actuator as described in the above embodiment.

4] The shapes of the first edge 41 of the first removal member 31 and the second edge 42 of the second removal member 32 are not limited to those of the above embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 11A, one second through hole 37 may be formed in the second removal member 32 as well as the first removal member 31. In this case, the two edge portions on the left and right sides in the drawing of the second through hole 37 constitute the second edge portions 42a and 42b. However, in the configuration as shown in FIG. 11A, the second removal member 32 is moved while the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 move in the nozzle arrangement direction by a distance equal to the arrangement interval of the nozzles 10. Needs to be largely moved in the transport direction with respect to the first removal member 31.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the movement of the two removal members in FIG. 11A with respect to the ink ejection surface. From the state in which the first edge 41a on the left side is in contact with the nozzle 10a while the first removal member 31 moves by the arrangement interval P in the nozzle arrangement direction from the position shown in FIGS. It moves to the left side of the figure so that the second edge 42b on the right side is in contact with the nozzle 10b. On the other hand, the second removal member 32 moves to the position shown in FIGS. 12D to 12E by the arrangement interval P in the nozzle arrangement direction while the second edge 42b on the right side of the nozzle 10a. Is moved in the transport direction until the second edge 42a on the left side comes into contact with the nozzle 10b.

  Here, when a foreign substance such as paper dust is stuck in the nozzle 10a, the first removal member 31 moves from FIG. 12 (a) to FIG. 12 (b), and the second removal member 32 moves from FIG. 12 (d). While moving to (e), the foreign object is sandwiched and removed by the cooperation of the left first edge 41a and the right second edge 42b. For this purpose, the second removal member 32 does not move immediately to the right from the position shown in FIG. 12D, but as indicated by the arrow, the second edge 42b approaches the first edge 41a. Once moved to the left, it is larger than the first removal member 31. Thereby, the foreign substance of the nozzle 10a is sandwiched and removed between the left first edge 41a and the right second edge 42b. Thereafter, the second removal member 32 is reversed to the right side, and moves so that the second edge portion 42b is separated from the first edge portion 41a, resulting in the state of FIG. Thus, in order to bring the second edge 42b closer to the first edge 41a while moving by the arrangement interval P, it is necessary to move the second removal member 32 greatly in the transport direction.

  Further, the first through hole 36 of the first removal member 31 and the second through hole 37 of the second removal member 32 are not limited to a square, but may be other polygons such as a triangle, a circle, an ellipse, or the like. There may be.

  Instead of forming through holes in the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32, notches may be formed in either one or both. For example, in FIG. 11B, the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 are formed with notches 44 and 45 extending in the nozzle arrangement direction, respectively. Two edges extending in the nozzle arrangement direction of the notches 44 and 45 constitute two first edges 41a and 41b and two second edges 42a and 42b. Even in this configuration, a foreign object can be sandwiched between the first edge 41 and the second edge 42 in the same manner as in FIG. However, in the case of the notch, it is slightly disadvantageous in that the rigidity of the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 is lower than in the case where the through hole is formed as in the above embodiment. .

  There is no need for each of the first edge 41 and the second edge 42, and even if one or both of the first edge 41 and the second edge 42 are one, it is possible to sandwich foreign matter. is there. Further, as shown in FIG. 11C, the outer edge portions of the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 may be a first edge portion 41 and a second edge portion 42. In this case, it is possible to pinch foreign matter so that the outer edge portions of the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 abut each other.

5] In the above embodiment, the first edge 41 and the second edge 42 are different from the direction in which the removal drive motor 13 moves the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 (nozzle arrangement direction). And approached and separated. In contrast, while the first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 are moved in the nozzle arrangement direction, the first edge portion 41 and the second edge portion 42 are approached and separated in the nozzle arrangement direction at the same time. The first removal member 31 and the second removal member 32 may be relatively moved so as to repeat the above.

6] In the above-described embodiment, the slide driving unit 35 moves both of the two removal members 31 and 32 independently of each other in the transport direction with respect to the ink ejection surface 2a, whereby the first edge 41 and the first Although the two edge portions 42 are approached and separated from each other, only one of the two removal members 31 and 32 may be moved in the transport direction.

7] In the above embodiment, the removal device 5 is configured to perform the first removal operation of wiping ink and the second removal operation of foreign matter removal, but the removal device 5 is configured as a device dedicated to foreign matter removal. A wiping device for wiping ink may be provided separately.

8] The ink jet head 2 of the above embodiment is a line type ink jet head, but may be a serial type ink jet head that ejects ink onto a recording paper while moving in the paper width direction.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the printer 1 </ b> A according to this modification includes a carriage 60, an inkjet head 62, and a removing device 65. The carriage 60 can reciprocate along two guide rails 63 and 64 extending in the paper width direction. The inkjet head 62 includes a plurality of nozzles 70 arranged in the transport direction and is mounted on the carriage 60. The inkjet head 62 ejects ink from the plurality of nozzles 70 onto the recording paper 100 conveyed in the conveyance direction by the rollers 3 and 4 while moving in the paper width direction integrally with the carriage 60.

  The removing device 65 is disposed on the right side of the moving range of the carriage 60 in the paper width direction with respect to the range in which the recording paper is conveyed. The removal device 65 is driven by a removal drive motor (not shown) and moves in the transport direction. In order to remove the ink or foreign matter adhering to the ink ejection surface of the inkjet head 62, first, the carriage 60 moves to the right side so that the ink ejection surface of the inkjet head 62 faces the removal device 65. In this state, when the removal device 65 moves in a direction parallel to the transport direction, the two removal members 71 and 72 move along the transport direction (nozzle arrangement direction) with respect to the ink discharge surface to remove ink and foreign matter. Remove.

  In FIG. 13, the removing device 65 is configured to move with respect to the inkjet head 62, but conversely, the inkjet head 62 is moved to the two removing members by moving the carriage 60 with respect to the removing device 65. 71 and 72 may be moved.

9] Depending on the type of foreign matter, the longer the printer usage period, the more likely it is to occur. For example, paper dust is scattered from the transported recording paper, but the amount of paper dust generated increases as the printer is used for a long time because the surface of the transport roller becomes rough due to deterioration over time. Can be considered. Further, in the second removal operation for removing foreign matter, the first removal member is moved in a state of being largely bent by being strongly pressed against the ink discharge surface, and therefore the ink discharge surface may be roughened if the second removal operation is performed too frequently. is there. When the ink discharge surface is rough, the ink repellency of the ink discharge surface is lowered and the ink is easily wetted, and it is difficult to remove the ink attached to the ink discharge surface by the first removal operation. Accordingly, it is preferable not to perform the second removal operation unnecessarily at the initial stage of use of the printer where foreign matters such as paper dust are unlikely to adhere to the ink ejection surface.

  Therefore, the control device may determine whether to perform the second removal operation of the removal device depending on how much the printer is used. For example, the control device may count the total number of printed sheets of recording paper and cause the removal device to perform the second removal operation when the total number of printed sheets exceeds a predetermined number.

  In the above-described embodiment and its modifications, the present invention is applied to an ink jet printer that prints an image or the like by ejecting ink onto a recording sheet, but is used for various purposes other than printing an image or the like. The present invention can also be applied to a liquid ejecting apparatus. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a liquid ejection device that ejects a conductive liquid onto a substrate to form a conductive pattern on the substrate surface.

1, 1A Printer 2 Inkjet head 2a Ink ejection surface 5 Removal device 6 Control device 10 Nozzle 13 Removal drive motor 16 Nozzle array 31 First removal member 32 Second removal member 33 Lift drive motor 35 Slide drive portion 36 First through hole 37 Second through-hole 38 Partition 41 First edge 42 Second edge 43 Absorber 62 Inkjet head 63, 64 Guide rail 65 Removing device 70 Nozzle 71, 72 Removing member

Claims (10)

A liquid discharge head having a liquid discharge surface on which a plurality of nozzles are formed;
A first removal member having a first edge;
A second removal member having a second edge;
A first drive unit that relatively moves the first removal member, the second removal member, and the liquid ejection head in a first direction parallel to the liquid ejection surface;
A second drive unit that relatively moves the first removal member and the second removal member so that the first edge and the second edge repeat approaching and separating from each other;
A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: Each of the first edge and the second edge extends along the first direction,
The second driving unit repeats approach and separation from each other in a second direction in which the first edge and the second edge are parallel to the liquid ejection surface and intersect the first direction. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first removal member and the second removal member are relatively moved in the second direction. The plurality of nozzles are arranged at predetermined intervals in the first direction to form a nozzle row,
The first driving unit moves the first removal member and the second removal member in the first direction along the nozzle row with respect to the liquid ejection surface,
The second driving unit is configured such that the first edge and the second edge are disposed during one cycle in which the first removal member and the second removal member move by the predetermined interval in the first direction. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first removal member and the second removal member are driven so as to be closest one time. The first removal member and the second removal member are both plate-shaped members,
A first through hole is formed in the first removal member, a second through hole is formed in the second removal member,
The first removal member and the second removal member are partially overlapped,
An edge portion extending along the first direction of the first through hole constitutes the first edge portion,
4. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an edge portion of the second through hole extending in the first direction constitutes the second edge portion. 5. The plurality of nozzles are arranged at predetermined intervals in the first direction to form a nozzle row,
The second removal member is formed with two second through holes arranged in the second direction and a partition that extends along the first direction and partitions the two second through holes,
Two edge portions on both sides in the second direction of the partition portion constitute the second edge portion, respectively.
The first driving unit moves the first removal member and the second removal member in the first direction along the nozzle row with respect to the liquid ejection surface,
The second drive unit moves the second removal member in the second direction with respect to the liquid ejection surface so that the partition unit having two second edge portions straddles the nozzle. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the liquid ejecting apparatus is a liquid ejecting apparatus. The first removal member moves relative to the liquid ejection surface in contact with the liquid ejection surface;
The second removal member is disposed on the opposite side of the liquid ejection surface with respect to the first removal member when the first removal member is in contact with the liquid ejection surface. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the liquid ejecting apparatus moves relative to the liquid ejecting surface without contacting the surface.   The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first removal member is made of a rubber material or a resin material, and the second removal member is made of a metal material. The second removal member is in contact with the surface of the first removal member opposite to the contact surface with the liquid ejection surface;
The surface friction coefficient of the contact surface of the first removal member with the second removal member or the contact surface of the second removal member with the first removal member is equal to the liquid ejection surface of the first removal member. The liquid ejection device according to claim 6, wherein the liquid ejection device is lower than a contact surface of the liquid ejection device. When the first removal member and the second removal member are not in contact with the liquid ejection surface, each of the first removal member and the second removal member extends in a direction intersecting with the liquid ejection surface while being overlapped with each other.
The distal end portion of the first removal member extends ahead of the distal end portion of the second removal member,
The first edge and the second edge are respectively provided in the middle of the first removal member and the second removal member in a direction intersecting the liquid ejection surface,
A third drive unit that moves the first removal member and the second removal member relative to the liquid ejection surface in a direction intersecting the liquid ejection surface;
The third driving unit is configured to change the postures of the first removal member and the second removal member.
A first contact posture in which only the tip of the first removal member is in contact with the liquid ejection surface;
The first removal member and the second removal member are bent by the first removal member being pressed against the liquid ejection surface as compared with the first contact posture, and the first edge portion and the second edge portion are bent. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the edge portion is switched between the second contact posture along the first direction.   The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 9, wherein an absorber is superimposed on the first removal member and the second removal member.

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