JP2018001677A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically remove adhering objects adhering to a side surface of an ink head.SOLUTION: A printer 100 includes: an ink head 40; a contact mechanism 60; a moving mechanism 79; and a control device 80. The ink head 40 has: a bottom surface 41 formed with a nozzle 41a from which an ink is discharged; and a side surface 42 extending upward from the bottom surface 41. The contact mechanism 60 can contact with the side surface 42. The moving mechanism 79 relatively moves the contact mechanism 60 relative to the ink head 40. The control device 80 includes a first movement control part 82 and a second movement control part 84. The first movement control part 82 controls the moving mechanism 79 so as to place the contact mechanism 60 in contact with the side surface 42. The second movement control part 84 controls the moving mechanism 79 so as to relatively move the contact mechanism 60 relative to the side surface 42 in a state where the contact mechanism 60 contacts with the side surface 42.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, ink jet printing apparatuses (hereinafter also referred to as ink jet printers) are known. For example, this type of printing apparatus includes an ink head having a nozzle surface on which nozzles for ejecting ink are formed.

  Incidentally, deposits such as ink or foreign matter may adhere to the nozzle surface of the ink head. Therefore, in order to remove the deposits adhering to the nozzle surface, Patent Document 1 discloses an ink jet printer provided with a wiper for wiping the nozzle surface of the ink head.

JP 2008-194981 A

  Incidentally, the ink head has a side surface extending upward from the nozzle surface. Similar to the nozzle surface, deposits such as ink or foreign matter may adhere to the side surface of the ink head. For example, the printing apparatus includes a wiper that wipes the nozzle surface of the ink head. The ink adhered to the nozzle surface adheres to the wiper after wiping the nozzle surface. For example, when the position of the nozzle surface where wiping in the wiper ends is set as the end position, ink attached to the wiper may be attached to the side surface on the end position side of the ink head. The ink adhering to the side surface of the ink head dries and peels over time. If the dried and peeled ink falls on the recording medium during printing, the recording medium becomes dirty, or the peeled and dried ink comes into contact with the nozzle surface of the ink head. There is a risk. Some printing apparatuses include a cap that covers the nozzle surface when printing is not performed. When the cap and the ink head are in close contact, the nozzle is prevented from drying. However, when the ink attached to the side surface of the ink head is solidified, the adhesion between the cap and the ink head may be reduced due to the solidified ink.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a printing apparatus capable of automatically removing deposits attached to the side surface of an ink head.

  The printing apparatus according to the present invention includes an ink head, a contact mechanism, a moving mechanism, and a control device. The ink head has a bottom surface on which nozzles for ejecting ink are formed and a side surface extending upward from the bottom surface. The contact mechanism can contact the side surface. The moving mechanism moves the contact mechanism relative to the ink head. The control device is electrically connected to the moving mechanism. The control device includes a first movement control unit and a second movement control unit. The first movement control unit controls the movement mechanism so that the contact mechanism contacts the side surface. The second movement control unit controls the moving mechanism to move the contact mechanism relative to the side surface in a state where the contact mechanism is in contact with the side surface.

  According to the printing apparatus, the contact mechanism moves relative to the side surface along the side surface while being in contact with the side surface of the ink head. As a result, the contact mechanism can remove deposits such as ink adhering to the side surface of the ink head. Accordingly, it is possible to automatically remove the adhered matter attached to the side surface of the ink head, and it is possible to suppress the printed matter from being soiled by dropping from the side surface and attaching to the printed matter.

  According to the present invention, the deposits attached to the side surface of the ink head can be automatically removed.

1 is a perspective view showing a printing apparatus according to a first embodiment. It is a top view which shows the internal structure of a printing apparatus. It is a front view of an ink head. It is a bottom view of one ink head. It is a block diagram of a printing apparatus. It is a front sectional view of a cap, and is a figure showing the state where an ink head is attached to a cap. FIG. 6 is a front view illustrating a state where a wiper wipes the bottom surface of the ink head. It is a perspective view which shows one ink head and a contact mechanism, and is a figure which shows the state in which the contact mechanism is contacting the completion | finish side surface of an ink head. It is the flowchart which showed the procedure which a contact mechanism removes the deposit | attachment adhering to the completion | finish side surface of an ink head. In 2nd Embodiment, it is a perspective view which shows one ink head and a contact mechanism. In the modification of 2nd Embodiment, it is a top view which shows the state which the contact mechanism has each contacted with the end side surface of one ink head, the front side surface, and the rear side surface. In a 3rd embodiment, it is a bottom view showing the state where a contact mechanism is in contact with the end side of one ink head. In 3rd Embodiment, it is a front view which shows the state in which the contact mechanism is contacting the completion | finish side surface of one ink head. It is a front view of the wiper for side surfaces. It is a perspective view of the wiper for side surfaces in the modification of 3rd Embodiment. It is a front view which shows the state which the wiper for side surfaces in the modification of 3rd Embodiment is contacting the end side surface. In 4th Embodiment, it is a perspective view which shows one ink head and a contact mechanism. In 5th Embodiment, it is a top view which shows the fitting member of a contact mechanism. It is a front sectional view of a fitting member, and is a figure showing the state where an ink head fitted to a fitting member. In 6th Embodiment, it is a front sectional view of the fitting member of a contact mechanism, and the contact member for caps, and is the state where the ink head was fitted to the fitting member, and the cap was attached to the contact member for caps FIG. It is a bottom view of the contact member for caps of the contact mechanism.

  Hereinafter, a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, members / parts having the same action are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted or simplified as appropriate.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. In the following description, when the printing apparatus 100 is viewed from the front, the direction away from the printing apparatus 100 is the front, and the direction approaching the printing apparatus 100 is the rear. Left, right, top, and bottom mean left, right, top, and bottom, respectively, when the printing apparatus 100 is viewed from the front. Further, the symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings mean front, rear, left, right, upper, and lower, respectively. However, the above direction is only a direction determined for convenience of description, and does not limit the installation mode of the printing apparatus 100 and does not limit the present invention. In addition, the symbol Y in the drawing indicates the main scanning direction. Here, the main scanning direction Y is the left-right direction. A symbol X indicates a sub-scanning direction. Here, the sub-scanning direction X is the front-rear direction. The main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X are orthogonal to each other in plan view. Reference sign Z indicates the height direction, that is, the vertical direction. However, the main scanning direction Y, the sub-scanning direction X, and the height direction Z are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately set according to the form of the printing apparatus 100.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 100 is an ink jet printer. The printing apparatus 100 performs printing on the recording medium 5. The recording medium 5 is a roll-shaped recording paper, so-called roll paper. However, the recording medium 5 is not limited to recording paper. For example, the recording medium 5 may be a resin sheet. The recording medium 5 is not limited to a flexible sheet, and may be a medium having a hard material such as a glass substrate.

  The printing apparatus 100 includes a main body 10, legs 11, an operation panel 12, and a cover 15. The main body 10 has a casing extending in the main scanning direction Y. The legs 11 support the main body 10. The legs 11 are provided on the lower surface of the main body 10. The operation panel 12 is provided on the right front surface of the main body 10. The operation panel 12 is used by the user for operations related to printing. Although not shown, the operation panel 12 includes a display unit for displaying information related to printing such as monochrome printing or color printing, resolution, ink density, the status of the printing apparatus 100 during printing, and printing. For example, an input unit for inputting information on the information is provided.

  The cover 15 is provided on the main body 10. Here, the cover 15 is attached to the upper part of the main body 10 so as to be freely opened and closed. A discharge port 13 for discharging the recording medium 5 is formed below the cover 15 and below the main body 10. A guide 14 for guiding the recording medium 5 discharged from the discharge port 13 is provided at a position in front of and below the discharge port 13. The guide 14 extends forward and obliquely downward from the discharge port 13.

  Next, the internal configuration of the printing apparatus 100 will be described. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the internal configuration of the printing apparatus 100. FIG. 3 is a front view of the ink head 40. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of one ink head 40. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the printing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the printing apparatus 100 includes a guide rail 20, a platen 25, a first moving mechanism 51, a second moving mechanism 52, a carriage 30, an ink head 40 (see FIG. 3), and a control. The apparatus 80 (refer FIG. 5) is provided. The guide rail 20 is disposed below the cover 15 (see FIG. 1). The guide rail 20 extends in the main scanning direction Y.

  The platen 25 supports the recording medium 5 when printing on the recording medium 5. The recording medium 5 is placed on the platen 25. Printing on the recording medium 5 is performed on the platen 25. The platen 25 extends in the main scanning direction Y. The platen 25 is disposed below and in front of the central portion of the guide rail 20. The platen 25 is continuous with the guide 14 (see FIG. 1). Note that the printing medium 5 is supported by the platen 25 when printing on the printing medium 5. For example, in the case of a belt conveyance type printing apparatus, the printing medium 5 is supported by a conveyance belt. It is. When the printing apparatus is of a flat bed type, the one that supports the recording medium 5 is a flat bed.

  In the present embodiment, the recording medium 5 placed on the platen 25 is moved in the sub-scanning direction X relative to the ink head 40 (see FIG. 3) by the first moving mechanism 51. The first moving mechanism 51 has a pair of upper and lower rollers 26 (only the upper roller 26 is shown in FIG. 2 and the lower roller 26 is omitted) and a motor 27. The pair of upper and lower rollers 26 are disposed at the left end and the right end of the platen 25, respectively. However, the number and installation positions of the pair of upper and lower rollers 26 are not particularly limited. One of the pair of upper and lower rollers 26 is a driving roller (also referred to as a grid roller) that rotates by itself. A motor 27 is connected to the one roller 26, and when the motor 27 is driven, the one roller (grid roller) 26 rotates. The other roller 26 is a pinch roller for sandwiching the recording medium 5 together with the drive roller. The pinch roller is configured to be movable in the vertical direction.

  The second moving mechanism 52 is a mechanism that relatively moves the ink head 40 (see FIG. 3) in the main scanning direction Y with respect to the recording medium 5 placed on the platen 25. Here, the second moving mechanism 52 includes a pulley 21, a pulley 22, an endless belt 23, and a motor 24. The pulley 21 is provided at the right end portion of the guide rail 20. The pulley 22 is provided at the left end portion of the guide rail 20. The belt 23 is wound around the pulley 21 and the pulley 22. Here, the motor 24 is connected to the pulley 21, but may be connected to the pulley 22. When the motor 24 drives the pulley 21, the belt 23 travels between the pulley 21 and the pulley 22.

  The carriage 30 is attached to the belt 23. Although not shown, the carriage 30 is engaged with the guide rail 20. The carriage 30 moves in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rail 20 as the belt 23 travels.

  Next, the ink head 40 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the ink head 40 ejects ink. As shown in FIG. 3, the ink head 40 is mounted on the carriage 30. The ink head 40 is disposed above the platen 25 (see FIG. 2) and is slidably engaged with the guide rail 20 (see FIG. 2) via the carriage 30. The ink head 40 is moved in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rail 20 by the second moving mechanism 52. The number of ink heads 40 is not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, the number of ink heads 40 is four. The four ink heads 40 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y. For example, different color inks are ejected from the four ink heads 40. Although not shown, ink cartridges each containing ink are connected to the four ink heads 40.

  Here, each of the four ink heads 40 has the same configuration. One ink head 40 has a bottom surface 41 and side surfaces 42. As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of nozzles 41 a are formed on the bottom surface 41. Ink is ejected downward from these nozzles 41a. In the present embodiment, the plurality of nozzles 41 a formed on the bottom surface 41 of one ink head 40 are arranged in a line in the sub-scanning direction X. Here, the bottom surface 41 has a rectangular shape. As shown in FIG. 3, the side surface 42 extends upward from the bottom surface 41. In the present embodiment, the side surface 42 extends upward from the front end, the rear end, the left end, and the right end of the bottom surface 41, and there are four side surfaces 42 in one ink head 40. In other words, the four side surfaces 42 are respectively continuous with the front end, rear end, left end, and right end of the bottom surface 41.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, when printing is not performed on the recording medium 5 and when the ink head 40 is not moving in the main scanning direction Y, the home on the right end side of the guide rail 20 is used. The ink head 40 is configured to wait at the position HP. The second moving mechanism 52 is configured to move the plurality of ink heads 40 to the home position HP. Note that the position of the home position HP is not particularly limited. For example, the home position HP may be on the left end side of the guide rail 20.

  In the present embodiment, a cap 45 is disposed at the home position HP below the right end portion in the main body 10. FIG. 6 is a front sectional view of the cap 45, and shows a state where the ink head 40 is attached to the cap 45. As shown in FIG. 6, the ink head 40 is positioned above the cap 45 when waiting at the home position HP. At this time, at least the bottom surface 41 of the ink head 40 is covered with a cap 45 from below. Thereby, drying of the nozzle 41a (refer FIG. 4) formed in the bottom face 41 is suppressed. Here, the cap 45 covers the bottom surface 41 of one ink head 40, and the same number of caps 45 as the ink head 40 are provided. However, there may be one cap 45 that covers the bottom surfaces 41 of the plurality of ink heads 40 together.

  In the present embodiment, the operation of sucking ink in the ink head 40 is performed in a state where the bottom surface 41 of the ink head 40 is covered with the cap 45. Here, a suction device 46 that sucks ink in the ink head 40 is connected to the cap 45. Although not shown, the suction device 46 includes an ink reservoir that stores the sucked ink.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the wiper 47 is disposed between the platen 25 and the home position HP (in other words, the cap 45) in plan view. The wiper 47 cleans the bottom surface 41 by wiping the bottom surface 41 on which the nozzles 41a of the ink head 40 are formed. When the wiper 47 wipes the bottom surface 41, the adhered matter such as ink attached to the bottom surface 41 of the ink head 40 is removed. Specifically, when the ink head 40 passes over the wiper 47, the bottom surface 41 of the ink head 40 is appropriately rubbed by the wiper 47, so that the deposits attached to the bottom surface 41 are removed. However, the wiper 47 may be configured to pass below the ink head 40. In this case, when the wiper 47 moves, the bottom surface 41 of the ink head 40 is appropriately rubbed by the wiper 47.

  Incidentally, the ink may adhere to the side surface 42 of the ink head 40. FIG. 7 is a front view showing a state where the wiper 47 wipes the bottom surface 41 of the ink head 40. As shown in FIG. 7, it is assumed that the wiper 47 wipes the bottom surface 41 when the ink head 40 moves in the direction Y1. Here, on the bottom surface 41 of the ink head 40, a position where the wiping of the wiper 47 starts is a start position P1, and a position where the wiping of the wiper 47 ends is an end position P2. In the present embodiment, the start position P1 is the right end of the bottom surface 41, and the end position P2 is the left end of the bottom surface 41. However, the positions of the start position P1 and the end position P2 are not particularly limited, and are appropriately changed depending on the direction in which the wiper 47 moves relative to the ink head 40.

  When the wiping of the bottom surface 41 in the wiper 47 is completed, the wiper 47 adheres to the attached matter such as ink attached to the bottom surface 41. Therefore, the ink attached to the wiper 47 may be attached to the end side surface 42a that is the side surface on the end position P2 side of the side surface 42 of the ink head 40. The ink adhering to the end side surface 42a is dried and peeled off as time passes. If the dried and peeled ink falls onto the recording medium 5 during printing, the recording medium 5 may be soiled or may come into contact with the bottom surface 41 of the ink head 40 to cause ejection failure of the nozzle 41a. is there. Further, when printing is not performed, the cap 45 is attached to the ink head 40. At this time, the ink head 40 and the cap 45 are in close contact with each other, thereby preventing the nozzle 41a from drying. However, when the ink adhering to the end side surface 42a of the ink head 40 is solidified, the adhesion between the ink head 40 and the cap 45 may be reduced due to the solidified ink. Therefore, it is preferable that the side surface 42 (particularly the end side surface 42a) of the ink head 40 is periodically cleaned.

  The problems such as the contamination of the recording medium 5, the ejection failure of the nozzle 41 a, and the decrease in the adhesion between the ink head 40 and the cap 45 are likely to occur because the ink ejected from the ink head 40 is This is when ink that is difficult to wipe off with the member soaked with the cleaning liquid in the state of adhering to the end side 42a, that is, ink that solidifies firmly on the end side 42a. The ink that solidifies firmly on the end side surface 42a is, for example, an ink having a material having a high quick drying property or an ultraviolet curable ink. The ink having a material having a high quick drying property is, for example, an aqueous resin ink or an ink in which a resin is emulsified or suspended in water or an organic solvent. The ultraviolet curable ink is an ink that cures when irradiated with ultraviolet rays. In the present embodiment, the ink ejected from the ink head 40 is an ink having a material having a high quick drying property or an ultraviolet curable ink.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the printing apparatus 100 includes a contact mechanism 60 that removes ink attached to the side surface 42 of the ink head 40. Hereinafter, the contact mechanism 60 will be described. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing one ink head 40 and the contact mechanism 60. FIG. 8 shows a state in which the contact mechanism 60 is in contact with the end side surface 42 a of the side surface 42 of the ink head 40. The contact mechanism 60 according to the present embodiment removes deposits attached to the end side surface 42 a of the ink head 40. The contact mechanism 60 can contact the end side surface 42 a of the ink head 40. Although the position in which the contact mechanism 60 is arrange | positioned is not specifically limited, For example, the contact mechanism 60 is arrange | positioned at the home position HP (refer FIG. 2). Here, the contact mechanism 60 includes a shaft 61 and a contact roller 62. The shaft 61 is a rod-shaped member extending in the height direction Z. The contact roller 62 is a member that can contact the end side surface 42 a of the ink head 40. The contact roller 62 is provided on the shaft 61. Specifically, the contact roller 62 is provided on the upper portion of the shaft 61. However, the contact roller 62 may be provided in the central portion of the shaft 61 in the height direction Z or may be provided in the lower portion of the shaft 61. The contact roller 62 can rotate around the shaft 61. Although illustration is omitted, the shaft 61 and the contact roller 62 are supported by a support member, and are rotatable about the shaft 61 with respect to the support member. The material for forming the contact roller 62 is not particularly limited. Here, the contact roller 62 is formed of a porous material. For example, the contact roller 62 is formed of a sponge.

  In the present embodiment, a cleaning liquid tank 70 is disposed below the contact mechanism 60. The cleaning liquid tank 70 stores cleaning liquid in which a part of the contact mechanism 60 (here, the contact roller 62) is immersed. Note that the position of the cleaning liquid tank 70 is not limited to a position below the contact mechanism 60, and may be, for example, the left side or the right side of the contact mechanism 60.

  The printing apparatus 100 includes a first contact movement mechanism 75 and a second contact movement mechanism 76. The first contact moving mechanism 75 moves the contact mechanism 60 relative to the end side surface 42 a in a state where the contact mechanism 60 is in contact with the end side surface 42 a of the ink head 40. Here, the first contact movement mechanism 75 is connected to the contact mechanism 60, and in the state where the contact mechanism 60 is in contact with the end side surface 42a, the contact mechanism 60 is moved in the horizontal direction (here, the sub-scanning direction X). Move to. The configuration of the first contact movement mechanism 75 is not particularly limited. For example, the first contact movement mechanism 75 includes a guide rail (not shown) that extends in the horizontal direction (here, the sub-scanning direction X) and engages with the contact mechanism 60, and a motor 75 a that is connected to the contact mechanism 60. I have. When the motor 75a is driven, the shaft 61 and the contact roller 62 of the contact mechanism 60 move in the sub-scanning direction X along the end side surface 42a. At this time, the shaft 61 and the contact roller 62 move in the sub-scanning direction X while rotating.

  The second contact movement mechanism 76 includes a contact position P3 where the end side surface 42a of the ink head 40 and the contact roller 62 of the contact mechanism 60 are in contact, and a position where the contact roller 62 is immersed in the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 70. The contact mechanism 60 is moved between the immersion position P4. The configuration of the second contact moving mechanism 76 is not particularly limited. For example, the second contact moving mechanism 76 includes a rotation shaft (not shown) provided at the lower end of the shaft 61 of the contact mechanism 60 and a motor 76a connected to the shaft 61 via the rotation shaft. When the motor 76a is driven, the contact mechanism 60 rotates around the lower end of the shaft 61. Thereby, the contact roller 62 of the contact mechanism 60 moves between the contact position P3 and the immersion position P4.

  In the present embodiment, the ink head 40 moves in the main scanning direction Y by the second moving mechanism 52 (see FIG. 2), so that the ink head 40 moves in the main scanning direction Y relative to the contact mechanism 60. To do. The contact mechanism 60 moves in the horizontal direction relative to the ink head 40 as the contact mechanism 60 moves in the horizontal direction (here, the sub-scanning direction X) by the first contact movement mechanism 75. Further, the contact mechanism 60 moves between the contact position P3 and the immersion position P4, that is, in the height direction Z by the second contact movement mechanism 76, so that the contact mechanism 60 is relatively moved with respect to the ink head 40. Move in the height direction Z. In the present embodiment, the contact mechanism 60 moves in a three-dimensional direction relative to the ink head 40 by controlling the second moving mechanism 52, the first contact moving mechanism 75, and the second contact moving mechanism 76. It is possible. In the present embodiment, the second moving mechanism 52, the first contact moving mechanism 75, and the second contact moving mechanism 76 are collectively referred to as a moving mechanism 79.

  Next, the control device 80 will be described. The control device 80 is a device that controls printing on the recording medium 5, and is a device that performs control for removing ink adhering to the bottom surface 41 and the end side surface 42 a of the ink head 40. The control device 80 includes a microcomputer and is provided inside the main body 10. The control device 80 includes a central processing unit (CPU), a ROM that stores programs executed by the CPU, a RAM, and the like. Here, using a program stored in the microcomputer, control relating to printing and control for removing ink adhering to the bottom surface 41 and the end side surface 42a of the ink head 40 are performed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 80 is electrically connected to the motor 27 of the first moving mechanism 51, the motor 24 of the second moving mechanism 52, the ink head 40, and the suction device 46. 27, the motor 24, the ink head 40, and the suction device 46 are controlled. The control device 80 controls the movement of the recording medium 5 placed on the platen 25 in the sub-scanning direction X by controlling the rotation of the grid roller 26 by controlling the driving of the motor 27 of the first moving mechanism 51. To do. The control device 80 controls the rotation of the pulley 21 and the travel of the belt 23 (see FIG. 2) by controlling the driving of the motor 24 of the second moving mechanism 52. Thus, the control device 80 controls the movement of the ink head 40 in the main scanning direction Y. The control device 80 also controls the timing at which the ink head 40 ejects ink. The control device 80 controls the timing of sucking ink in the ink head 40 by controlling the suction device 46.

  In the present embodiment, the control device 80 is electrically connected to the motor 75a of the first contact moving mechanism 75 and the motor 76a of the second contact moving mechanism 76, and the first contact moving mechanism 75 and the second contact moving mechanism. 76 is controlled. In a state in which the contact mechanism 60 is in contact with the end side surface 42a of the ink head 40 (see FIG. 8), the control device 80 controls the drive of the motor 75a of the first contact moving mechanism 75, thereby controlling the contact mechanism 60. It moves along the end side surface 42a. The control device 80 controls the movement of the contact mechanism 60 between the contact position P3 and the immersion position P4 by controlling the driving of the motor 76a of the second contact movement mechanism 76.

  The control device 80 includes a first movement control unit 82 and a second movement control unit 84. The first movement control unit 82 controls the movement mechanism 79 so that the contact mechanism 60 is brought into contact with the end side surface 42 a of the ink head 40. The second movement control unit 84 controls the moving mechanism 79 to move the contact mechanism 60 relative to the end side surface 42a in a state where the contact mechanism 60 is in contact with the end side surface 42a. Each part mentioned above may be constituted by software, and may be constituted by hardware. For example, each unit described above may be performed by a processor or may be incorporated in a circuit.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure in which the contact mechanism 60 removes the adhering matter adhering to the end side surface 42 a of the ink head 40. Next, the procedure by which the contact mechanism 60 removes the adhering matter adhering to the end side surface 42a of the ink head 40 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. As described above, the end side surface 42a is the side surface on the end position P2 side where the wiping by the wiper 47 ends, among the side surfaces 42 of any one of the plurality of ink heads 40, as shown in FIG. That is. Here, prior to cleaning the end side surface 42a, it is assumed that the ink head 40 has finished wiping by the wiper 47 and is waiting at the home position HP (see FIG. 2). It is assumed that the contact roller 62 of the contact mechanism 60 is located at an immersion position P4 (see FIG. 8), which is a position where the contact roller 62 is immersed in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank 70.

  First, in step S101, the contact mechanism 60 is brought into contact with the end side surface 42a. The first movement control unit 82 controls the movement mechanism 79 so that the contact mechanism 60 contacts the end side surface 42a. Specifically, the first movement control unit 82 controls the drive of the motor 76a of the second contact movement mechanism 76 to move the contact roller 62 of the contact mechanism 60 from the immersion position P4 as shown in FIG. Control is made to move to the contact position P3. The first movement control unit 82 controls the driving of the motor 24 of the second moving mechanism 52 to move the ink head 40 in the main scanning direction Y, so that the main scanning direction in the ink head 40 and the contact mechanism 60 is reached. Align Y. Thus, a part of the contact roller 62 comes into contact with the end side surface 42a.

  Next, in step S103, the contact mechanism 60 is moved along the end side surface 42a. The second movement control unit 84 controls the movement mechanism 79 to move the contact mechanism 60 relative to the end side surface 42a in a state where the contact roller 62 of the contact mechanism 60 is in contact with the end side surface 42a. Specifically, the second movement control unit 84 drives the motor 75a of the first contact movement mechanism 75 in a state where the contact roller 62 is in contact with the end side surface 42a. When the motor 75a is driven, the contact mechanism 60 moves in the sub-scanning direction X along the end side surface 42a. At this time, the contact roller 62 moves along the end side surface 42 a while rotating around the shaft 61 together with the shaft 61. The contact roller 62 moves while wiping off deposits such as ink adhering to the end side surface 42a.

  The procedure for removing the ink adhering to the end side surface 42a of one ink head 40 has been described above, but actually, the end side surface 42a of another ink head 40 is also cleaned. The cleaning on the end side surface 42a of the other ink head 40 may be performed along the flowchart of FIG.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the contact mechanism 60 moves along the end side surface 42 a while being in contact with the end side surface 42 a of the ink head 40. As a result, the adhering matter adhering to the end side surface 42 a of the ink head 40 can be automatically removed by the contact mechanism 60. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the adhering matter adhering to the end side surface 42a from falling on the recording medium 5 and being soiled during printing.

  In the present embodiment, the contact mechanism 60 includes a shaft 61 and a contact roller 62. The contact roller 62 is provided on the shaft 61 and can contact the end side surface 42a. The contact roller 62 is rotatable with respect to the end side surface 42a. As a result, the contact roller 62 moves while rotating in a state where the contact roller 62 is in contact with the end side surface 42a, so that the deposits attached to the end side surface 42a can be removed while wiping. Therefore, the deposits attached to the end side surface 42a can be more reliably removed.

  In the present embodiment, the contact mechanism 60 removes deposits on the end side surface 42 a of the side surface 42 of the ink head 40. The end side surface 42a is the side surface of the ink head 40 on the end position P2 side where the wiping by the wiper 47 ends, as shown in FIG. Since the deposit attached to the wiper 47 may adhere to the end side surface 42a during wiping, it can be said that the side surface 42 of the ink head 40 is the most dirty side surface. In the present embodiment, the contact mechanism 60 can clean the end surface 42a that is most dirty.

  Conventionally, a user manually removes deposits (particularly ink) attached to the end side surface 42a of the ink head 40 periodically (for example, once a day). At this time, there is a possibility that the adhering matter adhering to the end side surface 42a may adhere to the user. However, in the present embodiment, the contact mechanism 60 automatically removes the adhering matter adhering to the end side surface 42a, so that the work by the user can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the deposits adhere to the user.

  In the present embodiment, the ink ejected by the ink head 40 is an ink having a material having a high quick drying property, for example, a latex ink. In the case of ink having high quick-drying properties, conventionally, the frequency of the user's work for removing the deposit (particularly ink) attached to the end side surface 42a is increased. However, in the present embodiment, the contact mechanism 60 automatically removes the deposits attached to the end side surface 42a, so that even if ink having a high quick-drying property is used, the work by the user is not increased.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the printing apparatus 100 includes a cleaning liquid tank 70 that stores a cleaning liquid in which at least a part of the contact mechanism 60 (here, the contact roller 62) is immersed. The contact roller 62 is made of a porous material, for example, a sponge. Thus, by immersing the contact roller 62 in the cleaning liquid, the contact roller 62 moves while contacting the end side surface 42a in a state where the cleaning liquid has soaked into the contact roller 62. Therefore, the contact roller 62 infiltrated with the cleaning liquid can appropriately remove the deposits adhering to the end side surface 42a.

  In the present embodiment, the contact mechanism 60 removes deposits attached to the end side surface 42 a of the ink head 40. By moving the contact roller 62 of the contact mechanism 60 in contact with the end side surface 42a, it is possible to remove the deposit on the end side surface 42a. However, the contact mechanism 60 according to the present embodiment may remove deposits attached to the plurality of side surfaces 42 of the ink head 40. In this case, the first contact movement mechanism 75 is configured to move the contact roller 62 in the circumferential direction of the ink head 40 in a state where the contact roller 62 of the contact mechanism 60 is in contact with one side surface 42 of the ink head 40. It may be. The second movement control unit 84 controls the first contact movement mechanism 75 so as to move the plurality of side surfaces 42 of one ink head 40 while bringing the contact roller 62 into contact therewith. For example, the second movement control unit 84 may control the first contact movement mechanism 75 so as to move all the side surfaces 42 of one ink head 40 while bringing the contact roller 62 into contact therewith. This makes it possible to remove the deposits attached to the plurality of side surfaces 42 of one ink head 40.

  The printing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment has been described above. The printing apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the printing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, and can be implemented in various other forms. Next, another embodiment will be briefly described. In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for the same configurations as those already described, and description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

Second Embodiment
Next, the printing apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing one ink head 40 and the contact mechanism 160 in the second embodiment. The contact mechanism 160 according to the present embodiment is different in configuration from the contact mechanism 60 according to the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the contact mechanism 160 includes a contact member 161, a contact driven roller 162, and a contact drive roller 163.

  The contact member 161 is a member that can contact the end side surface 42 a of the ink head 40. The contact member 161 is formed of a flexible member. For example, the contact member 161 is a roll-shaped member. The contact member 161 is preferably soaked with a cleaning liquid. The contact member 161 may contain a cleaning liquid. The contact driven roller 162 is a roller extending in the height direction Z. One end of a contact member 161 is connected to the contact driven roller 162. A contact member 161 is wound around the contact driven roller 162.

  The contact driving roller 163 is a roller extending in the height direction Z. The contact driving roller 163 is disposed at a position away from the contact driven roller 162 by a predetermined distance. This predetermined distance is, for example, a length equal to or longer than the length of the end side surface 42a in the horizontal direction (here, the sub-scanning direction X). In the present embodiment, the contact driving roller 163 is disposed in front of the contact driven roller 162. However, the contact driving roller 163 may be disposed behind the contact driven roller 162. The contact driving roller 163 is connected to the other end opposite to one end of the contact member 161. The contact driving roller 163 is a member that can wind up the contact member 161.

  In the present embodiment, a first contact moving mechanism 75 is connected to the contact driving roller 163. The first contact moving mechanism 75 in the present embodiment is a mechanism that rotates the contact driving roller 163. The first contact moving mechanism 75 is configured by a motor 75 a connected to the contact driving roller 163. When the motor 75a is driven, the contact driving roller 163 rotates. As the contact driving roller 163 rotates, the contact member 161 is wound around the contact driving roller 163. In the present embodiment, the first contact movement mechanism corresponds to the “rotation mechanism” of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the moving mechanism 79 includes a second moving mechanism 52 (see FIG. 5) similar to the second moving mechanism 52 according to the first embodiment, and a first contact moving mechanism 75. .

  Next, in the present embodiment, a procedure by which the contact mechanism 160 removes the deposits attached to the end side surface 42a of the ink head 40 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, in step S <b> 101, the contact mechanism 160 is brought into contact with the end side surface 42 a of the ink head 40. Here, in the home position HP (see FIG. 2), the contact member 161 of the contact mechanism 160 and the end side surface 42a of the ink head 40 come into contact with each other. The first movement control unit 82 controls the drive of the motor 24 (see FIG. 2) of the second movement mechanism 52 to move the ink head 40 to the home position HP, so that as shown in FIG. The 160 contact members 161 are brought into contact with the end side surface 42a.

  Next, in step S103, the contact member 161 of the contact mechanism 160 is moved along the end side surface 42a. The second movement control unit 84 drives the motor 75a of the first contact movement mechanism 75 in a state where the contact member 161 is in contact with the end side surface 42a. At this time, the contact driving roller 163 is rotated by driving the motor 75a. As the contact driving roller 163 rotates, the contact member 161 is wound around the contact driving roller 163. At this time, the contact member 161 is conveyed toward the contact driving roller 163 while wiping off ink adhering to the end side surface 42a. As the contact member 161 in contact with the end side surface 42a is conveyed, the contact member 161 wound around the contact driven roller 162 is conveyed and contacts the end side surface 42a.

  As described above, even in the contact mechanism 160 as in this embodiment, the contact driving roller 163 is rotated so that the contact member 161 is wound around the contact driving roller 163 and contacts the end side surface 42a. By moving while moving, it is possible to remove the deposit adhered to the end side surface 42a. Accordingly, the contact mechanism 160 can automatically remove deposits attached to the end side surface 42a of the ink head 40. In this embodiment, the contact member 161 wound around the contact driven roller 162 contacts the end side surface 42a. Since the contact member 161 wound around the contact driven roller 162 is not attached with any deposit in advance, the contact member 161 can easily remove the deposit attached to the end side surface 42a.

  In the present embodiment, the contact mechanism 160 removes deposits attached to the end side surface 42 a of the ink head 40. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a state in which the contact mechanism 160 is in contact with the end side surface 42a, the front side surface 42b, and the rear side surface 42c of one ink head 40 in a modification of the second embodiment. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the contact mechanism 160 faces, for example, the end side surface 42a of one ink head 40, the front side surface 42b continuous with the end side surface 42a, and the front side surface 42b. In addition, it is possible to simultaneously remove deposits adhering to each of the rear side surface 42c continuous with the end side surface 42a. In the modification of the second embodiment, the contact member 161 can contact the side surfaces 42a, 42b, and 42c. In a state where the contact member 161 is in contact with the side surfaces 42a, 42b, 42c, the contact driven roller 162 is disposed in front of the right end portion of the front side surface 42b or on the right side of the front side surface 42b. In a state where the contact member 161 is in contact with the side surfaces 42a, 42b, and 42c, the contact driving roller 163 is disposed behind the right end portion of the rear side surface 42c or on the right side of the rear side surface 42c. Yes.

  In this modification, the second movement control unit 84 is configured so that the motor 75a of the first contact moving mechanism 75 is in a state where the contact member 161 is in contact with the end side surface 42a, the front side surface 42b, and the rear side surface 42c. Drive. At this time, the motor 75 a is driven and the contact driving roller 163 rotates, whereby the contact member 161 is wound around the contact driving roller 163. At this time, the contact member 161 is transported toward the contact driving roller 163 while wiping off the adhered substances adhering to the end side surface 42a, the front side surface 42b, and the rear side surface 42c. Therefore, in the contact mechanism 160 according to the modified example of the second embodiment, the attached substances attached to the end side surface 42a, the front side surface 42b, and the rear side surface 42c of one ink head 40 can be simultaneously removed. it can.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, a printing apparatus 300 according to the third embodiment will be described. FIG. 12 is a bottom view showing a state in which the contact mechanism 260 is in contact with the end side surface 42a of one ink head 40 in the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a front view showing a state in which the contact mechanism 260 is in contact with the end side surface 42a of one ink head 40 in the third embodiment. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the contact mechanism 260 includes a side wiper 261. The side surface wiper 261 is a wiper that can come into contact with the end side surface 42 a of the ink head 40. The side wiper 261 extends in the sub-scanning direction X.

  Although illustration is omitted, the side surface wiper 261 is disposed in front of the ink head 40 before contacting the end side surface 42 a of the ink head 40. Then, the side wiper 261 moves from the front to the back, so that the side wiper 261 contacts the end side 42a. Here, of the end portions of the side wiper 261, the end portion on the side that first comes into contact with the end side surface 42a is referred to as a start end portion 261a. In the present embodiment, since the right rear portion of the side wiper 261 first comes into contact with the end side surface 42a, the right rear portion of the side wiper 261 is the start end portion 261a. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 13, the edge part which contacts the end side 42a among the edge parts of the side wiper 261 is called the contact edge part 261b. In the present embodiment, the right end portion of the side wiper 261 is the contact end portion 261b.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the first guide surface 262 is formed at the start end 261a of the side wiper 261 in the bottom view. The first guide surface 262 is a surface that guides the side surface wiper 261 so that the side surface wiper 261 easily moves rearward when the side surface wiper 261 contacts the end side surface 42a. Here, the first guide surface 262 is a surface extending obliquely from the rear end of the start end portion 261a of the side surface wiper 261 toward the contact end portion 261b (here, the right end) of the side surface wiper 261 in the bottom view. It is.

  FIG. 14 is a front view of the side wiper 261. As shown in FIG. 14, in the present embodiment, a second guide surface 263 is formed on the contact end portion 261 b of the side surface wiper 261. The second guide surface 263 guides the movement of the side surface wiper 261 when the side surface wiper 261 contacts the end side surface 42a. In the present embodiment, the second guide surface 263 is inclined obliquely from the right end (contact end portion 261b) of the side surface wiper 261 toward the lower end (specifically, the lower end of the part away from the contact end portion 261b) in the front view. It is an extended surface.

  In the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 12, the printing apparatus 300 includes a third contact movement mechanism 77. The third contact moving mechanism 77 is a mechanism that moves the side wiper 261 to a position where the side wiper 261 and the end side 42 a of the ink head 40 are in contact with each other. The third contact moving mechanism 77 includes a guide rail (not shown) extending in the sub-scanning direction X and a sliding member (not shown) that is slidably provided on the guide rail and supports the side wiper 261. And a motor 77a connected to the sliding member. The motor 77a is electrically connected to the control device 80. When the motor 77a is driven, the side surface wiper 261 contacts the end side surface 42a of the ink head 40 while moving in the sub-scanning direction X. In the present embodiment, the third contact movement mechanism corresponds to the “contact movement mechanism” of the present invention.

  Here, the printing apparatus 300 includes a first contact movement mechanism 75. The first contact moving mechanism 75 moves the side wiper 261 downward along the end side 42a in a state where the side wiper 261 is in contact with the end side 42a. Here, when the motor 75a of the first contact moving mechanism 75 is driven, the side wiper 261 moves downward while in contact with the end side surface 42a.

  Next, in the present embodiment, a procedure for removing the adhering matter adhering to the end side surface 42a of the ink head 40 by the side surface wiper 261 of the contact mechanism 260 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, in step S101, the first movement control unit 82 controls the drive of the motor 24 (see FIG. 5) of the second moving mechanism 52 to move the ink head 40 to the home position HP (see FIG. 2). . Then, the first movement control unit 82 controls the driving of the motor 77a of the third contact movement mechanism 77 to move the side wiper 261 rearward. Thus, as shown in FIG. 13, the side wiper 261 contacts the end side 42a. At this time, a part of the side surface wiper 261 contacts the end side surface 42a while bending upward.

  Next, in step S103, the second movement control unit 84 drives the motor 75a of the first contact movement mechanism 75 in a state where the side wiper 261 is in contact with the end side surface 42a. When the motor 75a is driven, the side wiper 261 moves downward along the end side 42a. At this time, the side wiper 261 moves downward while wiping off deposits adhering to the end side 42a.

  As described above, as shown in FIG. 13, even in the contact mechanism 260 as in the present embodiment, the side wiper 261 is attached to the end side surface 42 a by moving downward while contacting the end side surface 42 a. Deposits can be removed. Accordingly, the contact mechanism 260 can automatically remove deposits attached to the end side surface 42a of the ink head 40.

  In the present embodiment, a first guide surface 262 is formed at the start end 261a of the side wiper 261 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 13, a second guide surface 263 is formed on the contact end portion 261b. The first guide surface 262 and the second guide surface 263 play a role of guiding the movement of the side wiper 261 when the side wiper 261 contacts the end side 42a. Therefore, the side wiper 261 is likely to come into contact with the end side surface 42a.

  In the side wiper 261, the first guide surface 262 and the second guide surface 263 may be omitted. Further, the side wiper 261 may have a shape as shown in FIG. FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a side wiper 261 according to a modification of the third embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the side wiper 261 is in contact with the end side surface 42a in the modification of the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 15, the shape of the side wiper 261 is a rectangular shape in plan view. A third guide surface 264 is formed at the start end 261 a of the side wiper 261. The third guide surface 264 is a surface extending obliquely from the upper surface of the side surface wiper 261 toward the right rear end of the lower surface of the side surface wiper 261. As a result, when the side wiper 261 contacts the end side 42a, the side wiper 261 can be brought into contact with the end side 42a while part of the side wiper 261 bends downward as shown in FIG. it can.

<Fourth embodiment>
Next, a printing apparatus 400 according to the fourth embodiment will be described. FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing one ink head 40 and a contact mechanism 360 in the fourth embodiment. In the present embodiment, the contact mechanism 360 includes a shaft 361 and a contact roller 362. The shaft 361 and the contact roller 362 are configured to remove deposits attached to the end side surface 42 a of the ink head 40.

  The shaft 361 is a member extending in the horizontal direction (here, the sub-scanning direction X). The shaft 361 is a member extending in the direction along the end side surface 42a. The contact roller 362 is a roller that can contact the end side surface 42 a of the ink head 40. Here, the contact roller 362 is provided on the shaft 361 so as to be rotatable with respect to the shaft 361. The contact roller 362 is made of a porous material. For example, the contact roller 362 is formed of a sponge. The length of the contact roller 362 is not less than the length of the end side surface 42a in the sub-scanning direction X. In the present embodiment, a cleaning liquid tank 70 may be provided below the contact mechanism 360.

  In the present embodiment, the contact mechanism 360 is movable in the height direction Z (vertical direction). Specifically, a first contact moving mechanism 75 that moves the contact mechanism 360 in the height direction Z is connected to the contact mechanism 360. Here, the first contact moving mechanism 75 includes a guide rail (not shown) extending in the height direction Z and provided with a shaft 361 so as to be slidable, and a motor 75 a connected to the shaft 361. When the motor 75a is driven, the shaft 361 and the contact roller 362 move in the height direction Z. Therefore, the contact roller 362 is between the contact position P41 where the contact roller 362 contacts the end side surface 42a and the immersion position P42 where the contact roller 362 is immersed in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank 70 by driving the motor 75a. Move.

  Next, in the present embodiment, a procedure in which the contact mechanism 360 removes the deposits attached to the end side surface 42a of the ink head 40 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, in step S101, the first movement control unit 82 controls the drive of the motor 24 (see FIG. 5) of the second moving mechanism 52 to move the ink head 40 to the home position HP. Then, the first movement control unit 82 controls the drive of the motor 75a of the first contact movement mechanism 75 to move the contact roller 362 from the immersion position P42 to the contact position P41. 362 is brought into contact.

  Next, in step S103, the second movement control unit 84 drives the motor 75a of the first contact movement mechanism 75 in a state where the contact roller 362 is in contact with the end side surface 42a. When the motor 75a is driven, the contact mechanism 360 moves downward along the end side surface 42a. At this time, the contact roller 362 moves downward along the end side surface 42 a while rotating around the shaft 361. As a result, the contact roller 362 moves downward while wiping off ink adhering to the end side surface 42a. Note that the motor 75 a may be driven so that the contact roller 362 is immersed in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank 70 after the contact of the end side surface 42 a by the contact roller 362 is ended.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, the contact roller 362 moves downward while rotating in a state where the contact roller 362 is in contact with the end side surface 42 a, thereby removing the adhering matter attached to the end side surface 42 a. be able to. Therefore, the deposits attached to the end side surface 42a can be automatically removed.

  In the present embodiment, the contact mechanism 360 removes deposits attached to the end side surface 42a of the ink head 40. However, the contact mechanism 360 may remove deposits adhered to the plurality of side surfaces 42 of the ink head 40. Good. The first contact moving mechanism 75 may be configured to move the contact roller 362 of the contact mechanism 360 while making contact with the plurality of side surfaces 42 of the ink head 40. For example, the second movement control unit 84 controls the first contact movement mechanism 75 to move the contact roller 362 in a state where the contact roller 362 is in contact with the end side surface 42a. Next, for example, the second movement control unit 84 controls the first contact movement mechanism 75 so that the contact roller 362 moves to a position in contact with the front side surface 42 of the ink head 40. Then, the second movement control unit 84 controls the first contact movement mechanism 75 to move the contact roller 362 in a state where the contact roller 362 is in contact with the front side surface 42. As a result, it is possible to remove the adhering substances adhering to the plurality of side surfaces 42 of one ink head 40.

  In the printing apparatuses 100 to 400 according to the first to fourth embodiments, the contact mechanisms 60, 160, 260, and 360 move in contact with the end side surface 42 a, so that deposits attached to the end side surface 42 a are adhered. It was removed. However, the contact mechanism of the present invention may move in contact with the side surface 42 other than the end side surface 42a of the ink head 40, so that the deposits attached to the side surface 42 may be removed. In this case, a plurality of contact mechanisms may be provided for each side surface 42 of the ink head 40, and one side contact mechanism moves in a state where it contacts each side surface 42 of the ink head 40, so that the side surface 42. The structure which the deposit | attachment adhering to is removed may be sufficient. For example, during printing, mist of ink ejected from the nozzle 41 a (see FIG. 4) may adhere to all the side surfaces 42 of the ink head 40. As described above, even when an adherent such as ink adheres to all the side surfaces 42, the adherent adhering to each side surface 42 can be removed by the contact mechanism.

<Fifth Embodiment>
Next, a printing apparatus 500 according to the fifth embodiment will be described. FIG. 18 is a plan view of the fitting member 461 of the contact mechanism 460 in the fifth embodiment. FIG. 19 is a front sectional view of the fitting member 461 and shows a state where the ink head 40 is fitted to the fitting member 461. The contact mechanism 460 according to the present embodiment is a mechanism that can remove deposits attached to all the side surfaces 42 of the ink head 40.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the contact mechanism 460 has a fitting member 461. The fitting member 461 is a member that can be fitted to the lower part of one ink head 40. In the present embodiment, the fitting member 461 is made of a porous material. Here, the fitting member 461 is formed of sponge. The fitting member 461 is formed with a fitting hole 461a into which the lower part of the ink head 40 is fitted. As shown in FIG. 19, the fitting member 461 has a contact surface 463 that contacts the side surface 42 of the ink head 40 on the side surface of the fitting hole 461a. Further, the fitting member 461 is formed with an inclined surface 462 extending from the upper end of the contact surface 463 of the fitting hole 461a toward the upper end of the fitting member 461. The inclined surface 462 is a surface that guides the lower part of the ink head 40 from moving toward the fitting hole 461a. Here, a cleaning liquid tank 70 may be provided below the contact mechanism 460.

  In the present embodiment, the contact mechanism 460 is movable in the height direction Z. As shown in FIG. 18, the contact mechanism 460 is connected to a first contact movement mechanism 75 that moves the contact mechanism 460 in the height direction Z. Here, the first contact moving mechanism 75 is provided on a guide rail (not shown) extending in the height direction Z and slidable on the guide rail, and a fitting member 461 of the contact mechanism 460 is provided. A sliding member (not shown) and a motor 75a connected to the sliding member are provided. When the motor 75a is driven, the fitting member 461 moves in the height direction Z. Therefore, by driving the motor 75a, as shown in FIG. 19, the contact position P51 where the contact surface 463 of the fitting member 461 and the side surface 42 of the ink head 40 are in contact with each other, and the fitting member 461 are in the cleaning liquid tank 70. The fitting member 461 moves between the immersion position P52 and the immersion position P52.

  Next, in this embodiment, a procedure in which the fitting member 461 of the contact mechanism 460 removes the adhering matter attached to the side surface 42 of the ink head 40 will be described. First, the first movement control unit 82 moves the ink head 40 to the home position HP (see FIG. 2) by controlling the driving of the motor 24 (see FIG. 5) of the second moving mechanism 52. Then, the first movement control unit 82 controls the drive of the motor 75a of the first contact movement mechanism 75 to move the fitting member 461 upward, so that the side surface of the ink head 40 is shown in FIG. 42 contacts the contact surface 463 of the fitting member 461. Specifically, the side surface 42 of the ink head 40 is fitted into the fitting hole 461 a of the fitting member 461. At this time, the side surface 42 of the ink head 40 contacts the contact surface 463 of the fitting hole 461a. Even if the fitting hole 461a of the fitting member 461 and the ink head 40 fitted in the fitting hole 461a are displaced in the main scanning direction Y or the sub-scanning direction X, the inclined surface 462 and By moving the fitting member 461 while the ink head 40 is in contact, the position of the fitting member 461 is corrected. Therefore, even when the positions of the fitting hole 461a and the ink head 40 fitted into the fitting hole 461a are misaligned, the side surface 42 of the ink head 40 is fitted into the fitting hole 461a of the fitting member 461. It is.

  Next, the fitting member 461 is moved along the vertical direction (here, the height direction Z). The second movement control unit 84 drives the motor 75 a of the first contact movement mechanism 75 in a state where the side surface 42 of the ink head 40 is in contact with the contact surface 463 of the fitting hole 461 a of the fitting member 461. When the motor 75 a is driven, the fitting member 461 moves in the height direction Z while being in contact with the side surface 42. At this time, the contact surface 463 of the fitting hole 461 a rubs against the side surface 42 of the ink head 40, so that the fitting member 461 can wipe off ink adhering to the side surface 42. Note that after the cleaning of the side surface 42 by the fitting member 461 is completed, the second movement control unit 84 may drive the motor 75 a so that the fitting member 461 is immersed in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank 70.

  As described above, as illustrated in FIG. 19, even in the contact mechanism 460 as in the present embodiment, the fitting member 461 is in contact with the fitting hole 461 a formed in the fitting member 461 and the side surface 42 of the ink head 40. Can move up and down to remove the deposits attached to the side surfaces 42 of the ink head 40. For example, even when ink mist discharged from the nozzles 41a (see FIG. 4) adheres to all the side surfaces 42 of the ink head 40 during printing, the contact mechanism 460 causes each side 42 of the ink head 40 to adhere to each side surface 42. The adhered ink can be automatically removed at a time.

<Sixth Embodiment>
Next, a printing apparatus 600 according to the sixth embodiment will be described. FIG. 20 is a front cross-sectional view of the fitting member 461 and the cap contact member 561 of the contact mechanism 560. It is a figure which shows the state with which was mounted | worn. FIG. 21 is a bottom view of the cap contact member 561 of the contact mechanism 560. As shown in FIG. 20, the contact mechanism 560 according to the present embodiment includes a fitting member 461 and a cap contact member 561. Since the fitting member 461 has the same configuration as the fitting member 461 of the fifth embodiment, description thereof is omitted here.

  The cap contact member 561 is a member with which the cap 45 can come into contact. The cap contact member 561 is continuous with the bottom surface of the fitting member 461. That is, the cap contact member 561 is provided on the bottom surface of the fitting member 461. The cap contact member 561 is made of a porous material such as sponge. In the present embodiment, a contact groove 561a (see FIG. 21) with which the upper end of the cap 45 contacts is formed on the bottom surface of the cap contact member 561. The contact groove 561 a has a shape corresponding to the upper end of the cap 45.

  In the present embodiment, the printing apparatus 600 includes a cap moving mechanism 78 that moves the cap 45 in the height direction Z. The configuration of the cap moving mechanism 78 is not particularly limited, and here is configured by a motor 78 a connected to the cap 45. The motor 78 a of the cap moving mechanism 78 is connected to the control device 80. The control device 80 controls the drive of the motor 78a, so that the cap 45 moves in the height direction Z.

  In this embodiment, when the deposits on the side surface 42 of the ink head 40 are removed by the contact mechanism 560, the ink head 40 is located at the home position HP (see FIG. 2). In the home position HP, the first movement control unit 82 moves the fitting member 461 of the contact mechanism 560 and the contact member 561 for cap upward by the first contact movement mechanism 75, thereby fitting the side surface 42 of the ink head 40. The fitting member 461 is fitted into the fitting hole 461a. Thereafter, the first movement control unit 82 controls the drive of the motor 78a of the cap moving mechanism 78 to move the cap 45 upward. As the cap 45 moves upward, the upper end of the cap 45 fits into the contact groove 561a of the cap contact member 561. At this time, the fitting member 461 and the cap contact member 561 of the contact mechanism 560 are sandwiched between the ink head 40 and the cap 45.

  Next, in a state where the fitting member 461 and the cap contact member 561 of the contact mechanism 560 are sandwiched between the ink head 40 and the cap 45, the second movement control unit 84 drives the motor 78a of the cap movement mechanism 78. . When the motor 78a is driven, the cap 45 moves further upward, so that the fitting member 461 moves in the height direction Z while being in contact with the side surface 42 while being pushed by the cap 45. At this time, the contact surface 463 of the fitting hole 461a rubs against the side surface 42 of the ink head 40, so that the fitting member 461 can wipe off the adhering matter attached to the side surface 42.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the attachment member 461 moves in the height direction Z while being in contact with the side surface 42 of the ink head 40, whereby the adhered matter attached to each side surface 42 can be removed. The upper end of the cap 45 fits into the contact groove 561 a of the cap contact member 561, so that the ink attached to the upper end of the cap 45 is adsorbed to the cap contact member 561. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the adhering matter adhering to the side surface 42 of the ink head 40 can be automatically removed, and the ink adhering to the upper end of the cap 45 can be automatically removed.

  In each of the above embodiments, each contact mechanism is configured to remove deposits attached to the entire side surface 42 of the ink head 40 (for example, the end side surface 42a in the first to fourth embodiments). Alternatively, it may be configured to remove deposits attached to a part of the side surface 42 of the ink head 40, for example, the lower portion of the side surface 42. For example, the ink that is an example of the deposit attached to the side surface 42 of the ink head 40 aggregates on the side surface 42. The agglomerated ink may move toward the lower end of the side surface 42 due to the influence of gravity. Therefore, the ink adhering to the upper part of the side surface 42 may move to the lower end of the side surface 42 due to the influence of gravity. Therefore, in the side surface 42, deposits are more likely to accumulate in the lower part than in the upper part. Therefore, in each of the above embodiments, each contact mechanism may be configured to move in contact with at least the lower portion (particularly the lower end) of the side surface 42 of the ink head 40. In each of the above embodiments, each contact mechanism is configured to move in contact with the entire side surface 42 of the ink head 40, and the number of times that the side surface 42 contacts the upper portion is the first number. The control device 80 may control the number of times of contact with the lower portion to be a second number greater than the first number.

  As described above, the first movement control unit 82 and the second movement control unit 84 of the control device 80 may be configured by software. In other words, each of the above units may be realized by a computer by reading the computer program into the computer. The present invention includes a computer program for printing for causing a computer to function as each of the above-described units. The present invention also includes a computer-readable recording medium on which the computer program is recorded. Each of the above units may be realized by one processor included in the control device 80, or may be realized by a plurality of processors. Further, the present invention includes a circuit that realizes the same function as the program executed by each unit.

40 Ink head 42 Side 42a End side (side)
60, 160, 260, 360, 460, 560 Contact mechanism 79 Movement mechanism 80 Control device 82 First movement control unit 84 Second movement control unit 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 Printing device

Claims (12)

An ink head having a bottom surface on which nozzles for ejecting ink are formed, and a side surface extending upward from the bottom surface;
A contact mechanism capable of contacting the side surface;
A moving mechanism for moving the contact mechanism relative to the ink head;
A control device electrically connected to the moving mechanism;
With
The controller is
A first movement control unit that controls the movement mechanism so as to bring the contact mechanism into contact with the side surface;
A second movement control unit that controls the moving mechanism to move the contact mechanism relative to the side surface in a state where the contact mechanism is in contact with the side surface;
A printing apparatus comprising: The contact mechanism is
The axis,
A contact roller provided on the shaft, capable of contacting the side surface, and rotatable with respect to the side surface;
Have
The first movement control unit controls the movement mechanism to bring the contact roller into contact with the side surface,
The said 2nd movement control part controls the said moving mechanism so that the said contact roller may be moved relatively with respect to the said side surface in the state in which the said contact roller is contacting the said side surface. Printer. The shaft and the contact roller extend in a height direction,
The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second movement control unit controls the moving mechanism to move the contact roller in a horizontal direction in a state where the contact roller is in contact with the side surface. The shaft and the contact roller extend in a horizontal direction,
The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second movement control unit controls the moving mechanism to move the contact roller in a height direction in a state where the contact roller is in contact with the side surface. . The contact mechanism is
A contact member capable of contacting the side surface and having flexibility;
A contact driven roller connected to one end of the contact member and wound around the contact member;
A contact drive roller that is disposed at a predetermined distance away from the contact driven roller, is connected to the other end of the contact member opposite to the one end, and can wind the contact member;
With
The moving mechanism includes a rotating mechanism that rotates the contact driving roller,
The first movement control unit controls the movement mechanism to bring the contact member into contact with the side surface,
2. The printing according to claim 1, wherein the second movement control unit controls the rotation mechanism so that the contact driving roller winds up the contact member in a state where the contact member is in contact with the side surface. apparatus. The contact mechanism includes a side wiper extending in a horizontal direction,
The first movement control unit controls the movement mechanism to bring the side wiper into contact with the side surface,
2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second movement control unit controls the moving mechanism to move the side surface downward while the side surface wiper is in contact with the side surface. The moving mechanism includes a contact moving mechanism for moving the side wiper in the front-rear direction,
In the side wiper, when the end first contacting the side is a start end, and the end contacting the side is a contact end,
The start end is formed with a first guide surface extending obliquely from the start end toward the contact end in plan view,
A second guide surface extending obliquely downward and in a direction away from the contact end portion from the contact end portion in the front view is formed on the contact end portion,
The printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first movement control unit controls the contact movement mechanism so that the side surface wiper is brought into contact with the side surface. The moving mechanism includes a contact moving mechanism for moving the side wiper in the front-rear direction,
In the side wiper, when the end first contacting the side is a start end, and the end contacting the side is a contact end,
A third guide surface extending obliquely from the upper surface of the side wiper toward the lower portion of the start end is formed at the start end,
The printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first movement control unit controls the contact movement mechanism so that the side surface wiper is brought into contact with the side surface. A wiper capable of contacting the bottom surface of the ink head and wiping the bottom surface;
In the bottom surface, when a position where wiping by the wiper ends is an end position, and a side surface provided on the end position side of the side surfaces is an end side surface,
The contact mechanism is capable of contacting at least the end side surface;
The first movement control unit controls the movement mechanism to bring the contact mechanism into contact with the end side surface;
The said 2nd movement control part controls the said moving mechanism so that the said contact mechanism may be moved relatively with respect to the said end side surface in the state which the said contact mechanism is contacting the said end side surface. The printing apparatus described in any one of 8 to 8. The contact mechanism includes a fitting member in which a fitting hole into which the ink head can be fitted is formed, and a contact surface that can contact the side surface of the ink head on a side surface of the fitting hole.
The first movement control unit controls the movement mechanism so that the contact surface of the fitting member contacts the side surface of the ink head,
The said 2nd movement control part controls the said moving mechanism so that the said fitting member may be moved to a height direction in the state in which the said contact surface contacted the said side surface of the said ink head. Printing device. A cap capable of covering the bottom surface of the ink head;
A cap moving mechanism for moving the cap toward the bottom surface of the ink head;
With
The contact mechanism is provided on the bottom surface of the fitting member, and includes a cap contact member in which a contact groove with which an upper end of the cap contacts is formed,
The first movement control unit controls the movement mechanism so that the contact surface of the fitting member contacts the side surface of the ink head, and the upper end of the cap contacts the contact groove. The printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the printing apparatus controls a moving mechanism for a cap.   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cleaning liquid tank in which a cleaning liquid in which at least a part of the contact mechanism is immersed is stored.

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