JP2018065256A5

JP2018065256A5 -

Info

Publication number: JP2018065256A5
Application number: JP2016203493A
Authority: JP
Filing date: 2016-10-17
Publication date: 2019-09-26
Anticipated expiration: 2036-10-17

Claims

A housing,
A liquid ejection head having a nozzle for ejecting liquid supplied from a liquid supply source in the housing;
A waste liquid tank for storing the fluid discharged from the nozzle in the housing;
A liquid discharge apparatus comprising: a discharge port capable of discharging the fluid discharged from the nozzle to the outside of the casing without discharging to a waste liquid tank in the casing.

A switch that is provided in the middle of the waste liquid flow path from the nozzle to the waste liquid tank, communicates with the discharge port, and switches between discharging the fluid discharged from the nozzle to the waste liquid tank or to the discharge port. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a valve.

A liquid discharge head having a nozzle for discharging the liquid supplied from the liquid supply source;
A pump for transferring fluid discharged from the nozzle;
A waste liquid passage communicating the nozzle and the waste liquid tank;
A discharge port capable of discharging the fluid discharged from the nozzle without using the pump;
A liquid discharge device comprising: a switching valve provided in the middle of the waste liquid flow path, connected to the discharge port, and configured to switch whether the fluid discharged from the nozzle is discharged to the waste liquid tank or to the discharge port. apparatus.

A mounting portion that can be mounted on the same part by replacing the connection portion of the liquid supply source for supplying liquid to the liquid discharge head and the connection portion for supplying fluid used for cleaning the liquid discharge head A liquid ejection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising:

A liquid discharge head having a nozzle for discharging the liquid supplied from the liquid supply source;
A waste liquid tank for storing fluid discharged from the nozzle;
A waste liquid passage communicating the nozzle and the waste liquid tank;
A discharge port capable of discharging the fluid discharged from the nozzle;
A liquid discharge device comprising: a switching valve provided in the middle of the waste liquid flow path, connected to the discharge port, and configured to switch whether the fluid discharged from the nozzle is discharged to the waste liquid tank or to the discharge port. apparatus.

6. The liquid ejection device according to claim 2 , wherein a diameter of a discharge flow path communicating the discharge port with the switching valve is at least larger than a diameter of the waste liquid flow path.

A communication unit that communicates with the liquid supply source in a wired or wireless manner,
Based on the communication result of the communication unit, wherein the fluid discharged from the nozzle, the waste liquid tank according to claim wherein the switching valve is switched to either discharged to the outlet or discharge to 2, claim 3 Or the liquid discharge apparatus of Claim 5 .

The liquid ejection device according to claim 2 , 3, 5, or 7 , wherein the switching valve can be opened to the atmosphere.

Liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 8 comprising a pump for transferring fluid to be discharged from the nozzle to the outlet.

The pump operates to aspirate the nozzle;
Wherein as compared with the case where the liquid supplied from a liquid supply source to the suction from the nozzle, towards the case of sucking the fluid discharged from said nozzle, said pump to the suction force is strong to operate claim 5 or The liquid ejection device according to claim 9 .

Any of the liquid discharge apparatus of claims 1 to 10 comprising a cover for covering the outlet.

A cleaning apparatus for cleaning the liquid discharge head of the liquid discharge apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11 ,
A supply flow path for supplying a fluid used for cleaning to the liquid discharge head mounted on the liquid discharge device;
And a recovery flow path for recovering the fluid discharged from the discharge port.

A connecting portion for connecting the supply flow path to the liquid discharge head;
The connection part can be mounted in the same part of the mounting part provided in the liquid ejection device to connect the connection part of the liquid supply source to the liquid ejection head, replacing the connection part of the liquid supply source. The cleaning device according to claim 12 .

The cleaning apparatus according to claim 12 or 13 , further comprising a pump provided in the middle of the recovery flow path and configured to transfer a fluid discharged from the nozzle toward the recovery flow path through the discharge port.

Either the cleaning apparatus of claims 12 to 14 comprising a circulating flow path for transferring the fluid to the supply passage from the recovery passageway.

The cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 15 , further comprising at least a first tank provided in the circulation flow path and a second tank provided in the supply flow path as the tank for storing the fluid.

The cleaning device according to any one of claims 12 to 16 , further comprising a filter provided in the middle of the supply flow path.

The cleaning device according to any one of claims 12 to 17 , further comprising an air release valve that is provided in the middle of the supply flow path and can be switched to the air release.

The cleaning device according to any one of claims 12 to 18 , further comprising an on-off valve provided in the middle of the supply flow path.

The cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 19 , further comprising a negative pressure generation mechanism provided in the middle of the supply flow path.

A method of cleaning a liquid ejection head in any of the liquid ejection apparatus of claims 1 to 11,
A first step of discharging a fluid from a nozzle of the liquid discharge head by supplying a fluid used for cleaning to the liquid discharge head mounted on the liquid discharge device;
A second step of recovering the fluid discharged from the nozzle through the discharge port of the liquid ejection device.

The cleaning method according to claim 21 , further comprising a third step of supplying the fluid recovered in the second step to the liquid discharge device and discharging the fluid from the nozzle of the liquid discharge head.

Wherein after cleaning of the liquid ejection head, according to claim 21 or cleaning method according to claim 22 for discharging the fluid outlet of the liquid ejection apparatus in the air.

Stores the cleaning history of the liquid ejection head in the storage unit, one of the cleaning method according to claim 23 claim 21 for cleaning the next liquid discharge head based on the cleaning history.

A supply flow path for supplying a fluid used for cleaning to the liquid discharge head;
A collection flow path for collecting the fluid discharged from the discharge port;
A circulation channel for transferring fluid from the recovery channel to the supply channel;
As a tank for storing the fluid, a cleaning device comprising at least a first tank provided in the circulation flow path and a second tank provided in the supply flow path,
A circulation cleaning step in which cleaning is performed by circulating the fluid through the liquid discharge head in the first to third steps using the fluid in the first tank;
23. A cleaning method according to claim 22 , further comprising: a non-circulation cleaning step in which cleaning is performed without circulating the fluid through the liquid ejection head from the first step to the second step using the fluid in the second tank. .

The cleaning method according to claim 25 , wherein the circulating cleaning step is performed after the non-circulating cleaning step.

The cleaning method according to claim 25 , wherein the non-circulating cleaning step is performed after the circulating cleaning step.