JP2017077636A - Liquid jet device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid jet device capable of suppressing dryness of a liquid wiped from a liquid jet portion by a wiping member.SOLUTION: A liquid jet device includes: a liquid jet portion having a nozzle capable of jetting a liquid; a wiping member 41 capable of wiping the liquid jet portion; a holding portion 51 which has a receiving portion 52 capable of receiving a liquid wiped by the wiping member 41 and a discharge portion 53 capable of discharging the liquid received by the receiving portion 52 and holds the wiping member 41; and a lid member 65 capable of covering the receiving portion 52.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus such as a printer.

  As an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus, a wipe member that wipes the recording head, a wipe tray that supports the wipe member and can accommodate ink wiped from the recording head, and a wipe that covers the wipe member to prevent the wipe member from drying There is an ink jet printer including a cap member (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2011-131446 A

  By the way, when the ink stored in the above-described wipe tray is dried, there is a problem that an ink-containing component accumulates or becomes an obstacle when trying to discharge the ink accumulated from the wipe tray.

  Such a problem is not limited to a printer that performs printing by ejecting ink, but is generally common in liquid ejecting apparatuses that have a wiping member that wipes the liquid ejecting unit.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a liquid ejecting apparatus capable of suppressing the drying of the liquid wiped from the liquid ejecting unit by the wiping member.

Hereinafter, means for solving the above-described problems and the effects thereof will be described.
A liquid ejecting apparatus that solves the above problems includes a liquid ejecting unit having a nozzle capable of ejecting liquid, a wiping member that can wipe the liquid ejecting unit, a receiving unit that can receive the liquid wiped by the wiping member, and A holding unit configured to hold the wiping member by having a discharging unit capable of discharging the liquid received by the receiving unit; and a lid member capable of covering the receiving unit.

  According to this configuration, the liquid wiped from the liquid ejecting unit by the wiping member can be received by the receiving unit. Then, the lid member covers the receiving part that has received the liquid, and thereby drying of the liquid held in the receiving part is suppressed. Therefore, drying of the liquid wiped from the liquid ejecting unit by the wiping member can be suppressed.

  In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the lid member is movable between a closed position that covers the receiving portion and an open position that opens the receiving portion, and the wiping member wipes the liquid ejecting portion by the wiping member. Sometimes it is arranged at the open position, and when the wiping member does not wipe the liquid ejecting part, it is arranged at the closed position.

  According to this configuration, since the receiving part is opened by the lid member moving to the open position, the receiving part can receive the liquid wiped from the liquid ejecting part by the wiping member. In addition, after the wiping is completed, the lid member moves from the open position to the closed position, whereby drying of the liquid held in the receiving portion can be suppressed.

  In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the receiving portion has an opening end portion that comes into contact with the lid member when the lid member covers the receiving portion, and a portion of the lid member that comes into contact with the opening end portion and the opening At least one of the end portions can be elastically deformed.

  According to this configuration, when the lid member covers the receiving portion, at least one of the opening end portion of the receiving portion and the lid member that are in contact with each other is elastically deformed, whereby the opening end portion of the receiving portion and the lid member are It is possible to prevent the liquid held in the receiving part from drying for a long time by being in close contact.

The liquid ejecting apparatus includes a suction unit for sucking the inside of the receiving unit through the discharge unit.
According to this configuration, the liquid received in the receiving part can be discharged by sucking the inside of the receiving part through the suction part. Then, by suppressing the drying of the receiving portion by the lid member, it is possible to efficiently discharge the liquid.

  In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the receiving portion includes an opening end portion that has an annular shape so as to surround the wiping member, and the lid member includes a closed position that covers the receiving portion and an open position that opens the receiving portion. And when passing from the open position to the closed position, a passage opening for passing a tip portion of the wiping member protruding from the opening end portion, and from the closed position to the open position. And a contact portion that slidably contacts the wiping member when moving and removes deposits attached to the tip portion.

  According to this structure, since the receiving part has the opening end part which makes | forms a ring so that a wiping member may be enclosed, it can receive without leaking the liquid which flows along a wiping member. When the lid member is in the closed position, the tip portion of the wiping member protrudes from the opening end, so that the lid member can be made smaller than when covering the entire wiping member and receiving portion. In addition, when the lid member moves from the closed position to the open position, the contact portion slides on the wiping member to remove the adhering matter adhering to the tip portion thereof, so that the adhering matter adhering to the wiping member is removed at the next wiping. Occurrence of the problem of reattaching to the liquid ejecting portion can be suppressed.

The liquid ejecting apparatus includes a cleaning member capable of cleaning the contact portion of the lid member.
According to this structure, when the cleaning member cleans the contact portion of the lid member, the deposit removed from the wiping member is reattached to the wiping member when the lid member is next moved to the closed position. The occurrence of the problem can be suppressed.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a multifunction machine that is an embodiment of the liquid ejecting apparatus. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an internal structure of the liquid ejecting apparatus in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a top view of a wiping device provided in the liquid ejecting apparatus of FIG. 1. The top view which shows the mode at the time of wiping by the wiping apparatus of FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 3. The perspective view which looked at the wiping apparatus of FIG. 4 from diagonally upward. The perspective view which looked at the wiping apparatus of FIG. 4 from diagonally downward. The side view of the wiping apparatus of FIG. Sectional drawing of the cover member and wiping member in a closed position. Sectional drawing of the cover member and wiping member in an open position. The top view which shows the 1st modification of a structure with which a wiping apparatus is provided. Sectional drawing which shows the 2nd modification of a structure with which a wiping apparatus is provided. Sectional drawing which shows the 3rd modification of a structure with which a wiping apparatus is provided. Sectional drawing which shows the 4th modification of a structure with which a wiping apparatus is provided.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a liquid ejecting apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings.
The liquid ejecting apparatus according to the present embodiment is an ink jet printer that performs recording (printing) by ejecting ink, which is an example of liquid, onto a medium such as paper.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 according to the present embodiment includes an image reader 27 and an automatic feeding device 28 to configure the multifunction machine 10. The multifunction machine 10 holds a control unit 100 that controls the liquid ejecting apparatus 11, the image reader 27, and the automatic feeding apparatus 28, a storage cassette 19 that can store a plurality of media S before printing, and a printed medium S. Holding tray 20 and an operation unit 29 made of a liquid crystal panel or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 directs the liquid ejecting unit 13 having one or a plurality of nozzles 12 capable of ejecting liquid in the ejecting direction Z and the liquid supply source 14 toward the liquid ejecting unit 13. A supply flow path 15 to be supplied, a transport device 16 that transports the medium S, and a maintenance device 21 that performs maintenance of the liquid ejecting unit 13 are provided. The position where the liquid ejecting unit 13 ejects the liquid is referred to as a recording position. The transport device 16 transports the medium S in the transport direction Y that intersects the liquid jet direction Z (orthogonal in the present embodiment) at the recording position.

  The liquid supply source 14 employs, for example, a cartridge-type liquid container that is detachably mounted on the container mounting portion 26 included in the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 and that replenishes liquid by detaching and replacing the liquid container. Can do. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which the liquid supply source 14 is a liquid tank mounted on the container mounting portion 26 and liquid is supplied by injecting liquid into the liquid tank.

  The liquid ejecting unit 13 of the present embodiment is a line head in which the printing range in the moving direction X (width direction) intersecting (orthogonal in the present embodiment) with the transport direction Y and the ejecting direction Z extends over the entire width of the medium S. In the present embodiment, the ejection direction Z is the gravity direction, but an obliquely downward direction that intersects both the horizontal direction and the gravity direction may be the liquid ejection direction Z.

  The transport device 16 includes a plurality of transport rollers 17 disposed on a transport path of the medium S that extends while curving from the storage cassette 19 toward the holding tray 20, and a transport belt 18 that supports the medium S at the recording position. Prepare. When the maintenance device 21 performs maintenance of the liquid ejecting unit 13, the transport belt 18 is retracted from the support position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 2 to the retract position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG.

  The maintenance device 21 includes a cap 22, a waste liquid passage 23 extending from the cap 22 toward the mounting portion 30, a suction pump 24 provided in the middle of the waste liquid passage 23, a moving mechanism 25 that moves the cap 22, And a wiping device 40 that performs wiping of the liquid ejecting unit 13. In the liquid ejecting apparatus 11, maintenance operations such as flushing, capping, suction cleaning, and wiping are performed by the maintenance device 21 in order to prevent or eliminate the ejection failure occurring in the liquid ejecting unit 13.

  The moving mechanism 25 moves the cap 22 between a retracted position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 2 and a capping position (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2) in contact with the liquid ejecting unit 13. Capping is performed by the cap 22 moving to the capping position and coming into contact with the liquid ejecting unit 13 so as to surround the opening of the nozzle 12. When the liquid ejecting unit 13 does not eject the liquid, capping is performed to prevent the nozzle 12 from drying, thereby preventing ejection failure.

  Flushing means that liquid is forcibly ejected (discharged) from the nozzles 12 regardless of printing, and has increased in viscosity due to evaporation of foreign matters, bubbles, or altered liquid (for example, evaporation of solvent components) that causes ejection failure. Ink) and the like. The liquid discharged as waste liquid by flushing may be received by the cap 22, or a flushing box for receiving the waste liquid discharged by flushing may be separately provided.

  When the suction pump 24 is driven in a state where the cap 22 is located at the capping position and a negative pressure is applied to the nozzle 12, suction cleaning is performed in which liquid is sucked and discharged from the nozzle 12 by the negative pressure. The liquid discharged from the nozzle 12 by the suction cleaning is stored in the waste liquid container 31 through the waste liquid channel 23 as waste liquid. At the start of use of the liquid ejecting apparatus 11, suction cleaning is executed to fill the liquid flowing area from the liquid supply source 14 to the nozzle 12. This is called initial filling.

  Further, after the suction cleaning is performed or after the waste liquid discharged by the flushing is received by the cap 22, idle suction for driving the suction pump 24 is performed with the cap 22 separated from the liquid ejecting unit 13. The waste liquid received in the cap 22 is accommodated in the waste liquid container 31 through the waste liquid flow path 23 by idle suction.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the liquid ejecting unit 13 of the present embodiment, the width direction (movement direction X) of the medium S that intersects the transport direction Y is the longitudinal direction. In the liquid ejecting unit 13 of the present embodiment, the plurality of nozzles 12 form a nozzle row side by side in a direction that obliquely intersects the transport direction Y and the moving direction X, and the moving direction X in the liquid ejecting unit 13. A plurality of nozzle rows are arranged at predetermined intervals.

  The number of nozzles 12 and the number of nozzle rows provided in the liquid ejecting unit 13 can be arbitrarily changed. For example, in the present embodiment, the liquid ejecting unit 13 ejects a plurality of types of liquids (a plurality of colors of ink), and moves the ejecting head 13H provided with a nozzle row for each type of liquid (ink color). A plurality (for example, six) are arranged in the direction X.

  In the ejection head 13H, the surface on which the nozzles 12 open is referred to as a head bottom surface 13a, and the surfaces that intersect the head bottom surface 13a and extend in the movement direction X and the ejection direction Z are referred to as head side surfaces 13b and 13d. The ejection head 13H has a fixed frame 13c that holds the head bottom surface 13a, and the opening of the nozzle 12 is exposed through a rectangular opening provided in the fixed frame 13c for each nozzle group that ejects the same type of liquid. To do.

Next, the configuration of the wiping device 40 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the wiping device 40 includes a wiping member 41 that can wipe the liquid ejecting unit 13, a holding unit 51 that holds the wiping member 41, and a guide shaft 43 that guides the movement of the holding unit 51. And a guide frame 44, a suction part 45 (see FIG. 5), and an opening / closing mechanism 60. The guide shaft 43 is composed of, for example, a screw shaft, and is installed to extend in the movement direction X at the recording position so as to be parallel to the guide frame 44.

  When the guide shaft 43, which is a screw shaft, rotates in the first rotation direction, the holding portion 51 moves forward in the movement direction X, and the guide shaft 43, which is the screw shaft, moves in a second rotation direction that is opposite to the first rotation direction. When rotating, the holding part 51 moves in the backward direction in the direction opposite to the movement direction X. Then, wiping for wiping off the liquid adhering to the head bottom surface 13a of the liquid ejecting portion 13 and the like is performed by the wiping member 41 slidably contacting the liquid ejecting portion 13 while elastically deforming during the return path movement of the holding portion 51. Is done. In addition, after the wiping is performed, the holding unit 51 returns to the original position (starting end of the forward movement). In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, it is preferable to arrange the wiping member 41 in the direction along the inclination of the nozzle row in a plan view from above.

  The guide frame 44 stabilizes the movement of the holding part 51 by slidably supporting the holding part 51 holding the wiping member 41. Note that the position (the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 5) that becomes the start end of the forward movement along the movement direction X of the holding portion 51 (the end of the backward movement and the right end in FIGS. 3 and 4) is the wiping member 41 and This is called the home position of the holding unit 51.

  In the present embodiment, when the wiping member 41 moves forward, at least one of the wiping member 41 and the liquid ejecting unit 13 is in the ejection direction Z or the transport direction so that the wiping member 41 does not come into contact with the liquid ejecting unit 13. Move to a position shifted to Y. And the wiping member 41 performs wiping with a return path | trip movement. Note that the wiping member 41 may perform wiping with the forward movement, or may perform wiping with both the forward movement and the backward movement.

  However, as shown in FIG. 5, if the tip of the wiping member 41 is bent toward the front in the wiping direction (rightward in FIG. 5) and is wiped while being elastically deformed as it moves in the wiping direction, Can improve the scraping effect.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the holding unit 51 that holds the wiping member 41 can receive the liquid that the wiping member 41 has wiped from the liquid ejecting unit 13, and can discharge the liquid that the receiving unit 52 has received. A discharge unit 53, an on-off valve 54 that opens and closes the discharge unit 53, and a biasing member 55 that biases the on-off valve 54 in a direction to close the discharge unit 53.

  The holding unit 51 includes a support unit 56 that supports the proximal end portion of the wiping member 41, a storage unit 57 that stores the liquid received by the receiving unit 52, a liquid absorber 58 that is stored in the storage unit 57, Is provided. The storage unit 57 is disposed at a position inside the receiving unit 52 and below the support unit 56 in a plan view from above. The discharge part 53 communicates with the internal space of the storage part 57 through the discharge flow path 59. In addition, by reducing the channel cross-sectional area of the discharge channel 59, the liquid in the storage unit 57 can be led out to the discharge unit 53 by capillary force.

  In the wiping of the present embodiment, since the direction opposite to the movement direction X is the wiping direction, most of the liquid wiped from the liquid ejecting unit 13 by the wiping member 41 is the front side of the wiping direction in the wiping member 41 (right side in FIG. 5). ) And is received by the receiving portion 52 in a region on the front side in the wiping direction (on the right side of the wiping member 41 in FIG. 5). Then, the liquid received by the receiving part 52 flows into the storage part 57 below the support part 56 and is absorbed by the liquid absorber 58.

  The suction part 45 is arranged at a position corresponding to the home position of the holding part 51, and when the holding part 51 moves backward to reach the home position, the upstream end protruding in a tubular shape is connected to the discharge part 53. In the present embodiment, the downstream side of the suction unit 45 is connected to the suction pump 24 (see FIG. 2). Note that the downstream side of the suction unit 45 may be connected to a suction pump different from the suction pump 24. Alternatively, the holding unit 51 is not configured so that the suction unit 45 can be attached to and detached from the discharge unit 53, and the tube connected to the suction unit 45 is flexibly displaced while the suction unit 45 is always connected to the discharge unit 53. It is also possible to change to a configuration that follows the movement of.

  When the holding part 51 is away from the home position, the on-off valve 54 closes the opening of the discharge part 53 by the urging force of the urging member 55. When the holding part 51 moves to the home position, the tubular suction part 45 is inserted into the discharge part 53 against the urging force of the urging member 55, and the on-off valve 54 opens the opening of the discharge part 53 and the discharge part. 53 and the suction part 45 communicate.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the opening / closing mechanism 60 includes a base portion 61 disposed at the home position of the holding portion 51, a lid member 65 capable of covering the receiving portion 52, and a cleaning held by the lid member 65. Member 66. The lid member 65 is movable between a closed position (the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 5) that covers the receiving portion 52 and an open position (the position shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 7) that opens the receiving portion 52. The lid member 65 is disposed in the open position when the wiping member 41 wipes the liquid ejecting portion 13, and is disposed in the closed position when the wiping member 41 does not wipe the liquid ejecting portion 13.

  The receiving part 52 has an opening end part 52a that forms an annular shape so as to surround the wiping member 41 in plan view from above. The opening end portion 52 a of the receiving portion 52 comes into contact with the lid member 65 when the lid member 65 moves to a closed position that covers the receiving portion 52. It is preferable that at least one of the portion in contact with the opening end 52a and the opening end 52a in the lid member 65 is elastically deformable. For example, in the present embodiment, the open end 52a is made of a rubber member that can be elastically deformed.

  The distal end surface (the flat surface that is the upper surface) of the support portion 56 that supports the proximal end side of the wiping member 41 and the distal end of the opening end portion 52a of the receiving portion 52 are at substantially the same position in the ejection direction Z. Therefore, when the lid member 65 heading from the open position to the closed position comes into contact with the front end surface of the support portion 56, the open end portion 52 a of the receiving portion 52 is elastically deformed to be brought into close contact with the lid member 65, thereby The internal space of the part 57 is a closed space (see also FIG. 5). In the present embodiment, the closed position is a position that is behind the moving direction X from the open position and below the open position (see also FIG. 8).

  The lid member 65 can be made of a resin material. However, if the lid member 65 is made of metal, it can accurately form a flat shape that comes into contact with the open end 52a. Can be effectively suppressed, which is preferable.

  When the lid member 65 moves from the open position to the closed position, the lid member 65 has a passage opening 67 for passing the tip portion of the wiping member 41 protruding from the opening end 52a, and when the lid member 65 moves from the closed position to the open position. And a contact portion 67E that removes the adhering substance DS (see FIG. 9) attached to the tip portion of the wiping member 41 in sliding contact with the wiping member 41. Although the contact part 67E of this embodiment is an edge part of the opening which forms the passage opening 67, for example, a brush or a rubber member provided on the opening edge part of the passage opening 67 may be used as the contact part.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the lid member 65 has a pair of support wall portions 68 that engage with the base portion 61 and a pair of engagement protrusions that engage with the holding portion 51 that has moved to the home position. A portion 69 is provided in a manner protruding in the injection direction Z. A cam groove 68 a is provided in the support wall portion 68 of the lid member 65, and a cam shaft 62 that engages with the cam groove 68 a is projected from the base portion 61. The cam groove 68a has a groove portion that is inclined so as to become lower from the front side toward the rear side in the movement direction X.

  The lid member 65 is supported by the base portion 61 via the cam shaft 62 that engages with the cam groove 68a. With the cam shaft 62 engaged with the cam groove 68a, the movement direction X and the injection direction Z Can be moved relative to the base 61 by the length of the cam groove 68a.

  Locking portions 68b and 61b for locking the biasing members 63 (for example, coil springs) on the rear side in the movement direction X in the pair of support wall portions 68 and on the front side in the movement direction X in the base portion 61, respectively. Is protruding. The lid member 65 is urged toward the moving direction X by the urging member 63 whose both ends are locked to the locking portions 68b and 61b.

  The lid member 65 is arranged at the open position by the urging force of the urging member 63 when the holding portion 51 is away from the home position. On the other hand, when the holding part 51 moves to the home position, the holding part 51 pushes the engaging protrusion 69 against the urging force of the urging member 63, whereby the lid member 65 moves in the direction opposite to the movement direction X. . At this time, the cover member 65 moves from the open position on the upper side to the closed position on the lower side in the gravitational direction (injection direction Z) by the cam groove 68a engaging with the cam shaft 62.

  That is, the lid member 65 in the open position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 8 is pushed downward in the direction opposite to the moving direction X (rightward in FIG. 8) by the cam groove 68a being guided by the cam shaft 62. It moves and is arranged at a closed position (a position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 8) that contacts the opening end 52 a and covers the receiving portion 52. On the other hand, when the holding portion 51 moves in the movement direction X from the home position, the pressing of the engaging protrusion 69 by the holding portion 51 is released, so that the lid member 65 is moved in the movement direction X and above by the urging force of the urging member 63. To be placed in the open position.

  When the holding unit 51 moves to the home position, the lid member 65 is disposed at the closed position to form a closed space with the receiving unit 52, and the suction unit 45 is connected to the discharge unit 53. When the suction pump 24 is driven in this state, the receiving space 52 and the internal space of the storage portion 57 that are closed spaces are sucked, and the liquid stored in the storage portion 57 is discharged from the discharge portion 53 through the suction portion 45. . That is, the suction part 45 sucks the inside of the receiving part 52 through the discharge part 53. The suction of the waste liquid by the suction pump 24 may be performed whenever wiping is performed and the holding unit 51 returns to the home position, or may be performed after the waste liquid has accumulated to some extent.

  As shown in FIG. 9, when the lid member 65 in the closed position moves from the closed position to the open position, the contact portion 67E slides on the wiping member 41 and adheres to the tip portion of the wiping member 41. Remove.

  Thereby, as shown in FIG. 10, the deposit DS attached to the tip portion of the wiping member 41 moves to the contact portion 67 </ b> E of the lid member 65. After that, the cleaning member 66 moves in the cleaning direction indicated by the arrow from the start end position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 4 to the end position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. DS (deposits DS removed from the wiping member 41) is removed. That is, the cleaning member 66 is a member capable of cleaning the contact portion 67E of the lid member 65.

  The deposit DS removed from the contact portion 67E by the movement of the cleaning member 66 is accommodated in the accumulation portion 65a (see FIGS. 4 and 6) provided in the lid member 65. And the cleaning member 66 which moved the deposit | attachment DS from the contact part 67E to the accumulation | storage part 65a returns from a termination | terminus position to a starting end position. The cleaning member 66 may be a rubber wiper that does not absorb liquid, or may be constituted by a liquid absorber such as a sponge or cloth that can absorb liquid. When the cleaning member 66 is a liquid absorber, the accumulation unit 65a for accumulating the deposit DS may not be provided.

  If the cleaning of the contact portion 67E by the cleaning member 66 is performed when the lid member 65 is in the open position, it is preferable that the collision with the wiping member 41 can be suppressed. However, when the shape of the cleaning member 66 is changed to follow the tip portion of the wiping member 41, the cleaning member 66 is moved when the lid member 65 is in the closed position, and the cleaning member 66 and the contact portion 67E. You may make it clean both of the wiping members 41. FIG.

Next, the operation of the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 configured as described above will be described.
In the liquid ejecting apparatus 11, when the liquid ejecting unit 13 ejects the liquid, fine mist is generated and adhered to the liquid ejecting unit 13, or paper powder or dust is scattered as the medium S is transported. It adheres to the injection part 13. Further, after the suction cleaning is performed, the liquid discharged from the nozzle 12 remains attached to the head bottom surface 13a and the like.

  If the liquid is left attached to the head bottom surface 13a, droplets ejected from the nozzle 12 may come into contact with the liquid and the flight direction may change, resulting in a decrease in print quality. In addition, the liquid adhering to the liquid ejecting unit 13 may be dropped on the medium S or may come into contact with the medium S that has floated up, and the medium S may be soiled. In order to avoid such a situation, the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 performs wiping by the wiping apparatus 40 at a predetermined timing, such as after execution of a predetermined amount of printing or after execution of suction cleaning.

  The deposit including the liquid removed from the liquid ejecting unit 13 by wiping travels down the wiping member 41 and is received by the receiving unit 52. The liquid received in the receiving part 52 flows into the storage part 57 and is absorbed by the liquid absorber 58, and is sucked and discharged through the discharge part 53 at a predetermined timing. Here, when the liquid held in the receiving unit 52 or the storage unit 57 is dried, it is difficult to discharge the liquid when trying to discharge the liquid through the discharge unit 53.

  In this regard, in this embodiment, when the wiping member 41 finishes wiping and returns to the home position, the lid member 65 moves from the open position to the closed position along with the movement, and covers the receiving portion 52. Thereby, since the drying of the liquid held in the receiving portion 52 is suppressed, the liquid can be smoothly sucked and discharged through the discharge portion 53.

  Even when the suction and discharge of the liquid through the discharge portion 53 is not performed immediately after the wiping is performed, the receiving portion 52 is covered with the lid member 65, so that the liquid received in the reception portion 52 is dried. Can be suppressed. The lid member 65 is in contact with the support portion 56 near the wiping member 41 to form a closed space, thereby efficiently forming a closed space that exposes the distal end portion of the wiping member 41, and liquid. Evaporation can be suppressed.

  When the entire wiping member 41 is covered with the lid member 65, the lid member 65 and a mechanism for moving the wiping member 41 become large. However, as in the present embodiment, the lid member 65 is wiped at the closed position. If it is set as the structure which covers the receiving part 52, exposing the front-end | tip part of the member 41, drying of the receiving part 52 can be suppressed, suppressing the enlargement of an apparatus. Moreover, when covering the receiving part 52 including the whole wiping member 41, since the closed space which the cover member 65 and the receiving part 52 enclose and form becomes large, drying will arise by evaporation in closed space. However, if only the receiving portion 52 is covered, drying due to such evaporation can be suppressed.

According to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The liquid wiped from the liquid ejecting unit 13 by the wiping member 41 can be received by the receiving unit 52. Then, the lid member 65 covers the receiving portion 52 that has received the liquid, so that drying of the liquid held in the receiving portion 52 is suppressed. Therefore, drying of the liquid wiped from the liquid ejecting unit 13 by the wiping member 41 can be suppressed.

  (2) Since the receiving portion 52 is opened by the movement of the lid member 65 to the open position, the receiving portion 52 can receive the liquid wiped from the liquid ejecting portion 13 by the wiping member 41. In addition, after the wiping is finished, the lid member 65 moves from the open position to the closed position, so that drying of the liquid held in the receiving portion 52 can be suppressed.

  (3) When the lid member 65 covers the receiving portion 52, the opening end portion 52a of the receiving portion 52 that contacts the lid member 65 is elastically deformed, so that the opening end portion 52a of the receiving portion 52 and the lid member 65 are It is possible to prevent the liquid held in the receiving part 52 from drying for a long time by being in close contact.

  (4) By sucking the inside of the receiving portion 52 through the suction portion 45, the liquid received in the receiving portion 52 can be discharged. Then, by suppressing the drying of the receiving portion 52 by the lid member 65, the liquid can be efficiently discharged.

  (5) Since the receiving part 52 has the opening end part 52a which makes a ring so as to surround the wiping member 41, the liquid flowing down the wiping member 41 can be received without leaking. When the lid member 65 is in the closed position, the tip portion of the wiping member 41 protrudes from the opening end portion 52a. Therefore, the lid member 65 is smaller than the case where the entire wiping member 41 and the receiving portion 52 are covered. Can be Further, when the lid member 65 moves from the closed position to the open position, the contact portion 67E is in sliding contact with the wiping member 41 to remove the adhering matter DS adhering to the tip portion thereof, so that the adhering matter adhering to the wiping member 41 is removed. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of a problem that the DS reattaches to the liquid ejecting unit 13 at the next wiping.

  (6) When the cleaning member 66 cleans the contact portion 67E of the lid member 65, the deposit DS removed from the wiping member 41 is applied to the wiping member 41 when the lid member 65 moves to the closed position next time. Generation | occurrence | production of the problem of reattaching can be suppressed.

In addition, you may change the said embodiment like the example of a change shown below.
As in the first modification shown in FIG. 11, the wiping member only needs to have at least a wiping member 41 that wipes the head bottom surface 13 a of the liquid ejecting unit 13, but wipes the head side surface 13 b of the liquid ejecting unit 13. A wiping member 42 may be further provided. Further, a wiping member for wiping the head side surface 13d opposite to the head side surface 13b in the liquid ejecting unit 13 may be provided.

  When the wiping member 42 for wiping the head side surface 13b is provided, the lid member 65 passes through the distal end portion of the wiping member 42 protruding from the opening end portion 52a when moving from the open position to the closed position. And a contact portion 71E that slides on the wiping member 42 to remove the deposit DS when moving from the closed position to the open position. Thus, also when providing the several wiping members 41 and 42, the receiving part 52 can be covered by providing the several opening openings 67 and 71 corresponding to them in the cover member 65. FIG. Further, if the plurality of contact portions 67E and 71E are provided on the lid member 65, the deposit DS attached to the plurality of wiping members 41 and 42 can be removed along with the opening / closing operation of the lid member 65.

  As in the first modification shown in FIG. 11, the scattering prevention plates 46 and 47 may be provided on the holding portion 51 that holds the wiping member 41. Here, when the wiping member 41 wipes the liquid ejecting portion 13, the liquid ejecting portion 13 is passed through the step between the adjacent ejecting heads 13H or the step between the fixed frame 13c and the head bottom surface 13a. The wiping member 41 that has been elastically deformed by contact may be restored and deformed, and the liquid may be scattered in the wiping direction (the direction opposite to the moving direction X). Therefore, if the scattering prevention plates 46 and 47 are provided in the holding portion 51, the scattering of the liquid can be suppressed.

  The scattering prevention plate may extend in the movement direction X like the scattering prevention plate 46, or may extend in the direction intersecting with the movement direction X like the scattering prevention plate 47. Further, either one of the scattering prevention plates 46 and 47 may be provided in the holding portion 51. Moreover, the length in the extending direction (movement direction X or conveyance direction Y) of a scattering prevention board can be changed arbitrarily. Furthermore, the scattering prevention plate may function as a wiping member for wiping the head side surface 13b.

  In addition, when the wiping member 41 elastically deformed at the time of wiping is separated from the liquid ejecting unit 13, the liquid is likely to scatter particularly in the wiping direction. Therefore, you may arrange | position in the state which fixed such a scattering prevention board to the terminal position in the moving direction of the wiping member 41. FIG. It is preferable that the scattering prevention plate fixedly disposed in this way is arranged such that the tip (upper end) is disposed at a position higher than the head bottom surface 13a in the height direction (injection direction Z) of the wiping member 41.

As in the second modified example shown in FIG. 12 or the third modified example shown in FIG. 13, in the wiping device 40, the lid member 65 that covers the receiving portion 52 may be plate-shaped.
As in the second modification example shown in FIG. 12 or the third modification example shown in FIG. 13, the wiping device 40 may not be provided with the cleaning member 66.

-Like the 2nd modification shown in Drawing 12, in wiping device 40, lid member 65 which covers receiving part 52 may move to a closed position and an open position by rotation.
As in the third modification shown in FIG. 13, in the wiping device 40, the lid member 65 that covers the receiving portion 52 is closed by moving up and down along the direction in which the wiping member 41 stands (for example, the injection direction Z). And open position.

  When the front area in the wiping direction in which liquid mainly flows in the receiving portion 52 can be closed by the lid member 65 and the support portion 56 as in the fourth modified example shown in FIG. The lid member 65 may cover only the area on the front side of the receiving portion 52. In this case, it is not necessary to provide the passage opening 67 in the lid member 65. In this case, the lid member 65 slides along the transport direction Y to move to an open position (position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 14) and a closed position (position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 14). You may make it do. Alternatively, the lid member 65 may be moved to the open position and the closed position by sliding along the movement direction X. Furthermore, in the receiving part 52, the front area and the rear area in the movement direction X defined by the support part 56 may be covered with separate lid members.

  In the above embodiment, the opening end portion 52a of the receiving portion 52 is configured to be elastically deformable, but the portion of the lid member 65 that contacts the opening end portion 52a of the receiving portion 52 is elastically deformed, whereby the receiving portion 52 and the lid member 65 may be in close contact with each other. Moreover, it is good also as a structure which can elastically deform both the parts which the receiving part 52 and the cover member 65 mutually contact.

  The storage unit 57 or the liquid absorber 58 may not be provided when the amount of liquid wiped from the liquid ejecting unit 13 by the wiping member 41 is small. Further, when the amount of liquid wiped from the liquid ejecting unit 13 by the wiping member 41 is small, the liquid is not naturally sucked and discharged through the discharge unit 53, but the liquid is naturally discharged with the opening of the discharge unit 53 facing downward. You may employ | adopt the structure discharged by flowing down.

  The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 is not limited to the one having a line head whose printing range covers the entire width of the medium S. For example, a serial type that alternately ejects liquid while the carriage holding the liquid ejecting unit 13 moves in the movement direction X along the guide shaft and transports the medium S in the transport direction Y is provided. Also good. In this case, the wiping member may be fixedly disposed, and the wiping may be performed by the liquid ejecting unit 13 moving and slidingly contacting the wiping member.

  The liquid ejected by the liquid ejecting unit is not limited to ink, and may be, for example, a liquid material in which functional material particles are dispersed or mixed in the liquid. For example, recording is performed by ejecting a liquid material in which a material such as an electrode material or a color material (pixel material) used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an EL (electroluminescence) display, and a surface emitting display is dispersed or dissolved. It may be configured.

  The medium is not limited to paper, and may be a plastic film, a thin plate, or the like, or may be a fabric used in a printing apparatus. Further, the medium is not limited to a sheet-like or plate-like one, but may be a three-dimensional object such as clothes such as a T-shirt or tableware or stationery.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... MFP, 11 ... Liquid ejecting apparatus, 12 ... Nozzle, 13 ... Liquid ejecting part, 13a ... Head bottom surface, 13b, 13d ... Head side surface, 13c ... Fixed frame, 13H ... Ejecting head, 14 ... Liquid supply source, 15 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS Supply channel, 16 ... Conveying device, 17 ... Conveying roller, 18 ... Conveying belt, 19 ... Containing cassette, 20 ... Holding tray, 21 ... Maintenance device, 22 ... Cap, 23 ... Waste liquid channel, 24 ... Suction pump, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 25 ... Moving mechanism, 26 ... Container mounting part, 27 ... Image reader, 28 ... Automatic feeder, 29 ... Operation part, 30 ... Mounting part, 31 ... Waste liquid container, 40 ... Wiping apparatus, 41, 42 ... Wiping member, 43 ... guide shaft, 44 ... guide frame, 45 ... suction part, 46, 47 ... scattering prevention plate, 51 ... holding part, 52 ... receiving part, 52a ... opening end, 53 ... discharge part, 54 ... opening and closing Valve, 55 ... Force member 56 ... Supporting portion 57 ... Storage portion 58 ... Liquid absorber 59 ... Discharge flow path 60 ... Opening / closing mechanism 61 ... Base portion 61b ... Locking portion 62 ... Cam shaft 63 ... Force member, 65 ... lid member, 65a ... accumulating part, 66 ... cleaning member, 67, 71 ... passing opening, 67E, 71E ... contact part, 68 ... support wall part, 68a ... cam groove, 68b ... locking part, 69 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Engagement protrusion, 100 ... Control part, S ... Medium, X ... Movement direction, Y ... Conveyance direction, Z ... Injection direction, DS ... Adhered matter.

Claims (6)

A liquid ejecting section having a nozzle capable of ejecting liquid;
A wiping member capable of wiping the liquid ejecting portion;
A holding part for holding the wiping member having a receiving part capable of receiving the liquid wiped by the wiping member and a discharging part capable of discharging the liquid received by the receiving part;
A lid member capable of covering the receiving portion;
A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: The lid member is movable between a closed position that covers the receiving portion and an open position that opens the receiving portion,
The lid member is disposed at the open position when the wiping member wipes the liquid ejecting portion, and is disposed at the closed position when the wiping member does not wipe the liquid ejecting portion. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to 1. The receiving portion has an open end that contacts the lid member when the lid member covers the receiving portion;
3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a portion in contact with the opening end portion and the opening end portion of the lid member is elastically deformable. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a suction unit configured to suck the inside of the receiving unit through the discharge unit. The receiving portion has an open end that forms an annular shape so as to surround the wiping member;
The lid member is movable between a closed position that covers the receiving portion and an open position that opens the receiving portion, and protrudes from the opening end when moving from the open position to the closed position. A passage opening for allowing the tip portion of the wiping member to pass therethrough, and a contact portion that slidably contacts the wiping member when the wiping member moves from the closed position to the open position and removes deposits attached to the tip portion. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid ejecting apparatus is a liquid ejecting apparatus. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a cleaning member capable of cleaning the contact portion of the lid member.

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