JP2018065301A - Liquid injection device and liquid recovery section - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid injection device capable of suppressing leakage of liquid from an unused nozzle, and a liquid recovery section.SOLUTION: A liquid injection device 11 comprises: a liquid injection section 13 on which a plurality of nozzle groups 18 are provided; and a maintenance mechanism 20 performing maintenance of the liquid injection section 13 when the liquid injection section 13 is at a standby position where not injecting liquid. In the case where the liquid injection section 13 injects the liquid toward a medium S by using a used nozzle group 18A being a part of the plurality of nozzle groups 18, when the other nozzle group 18 not injecting the liquid is defined as an unused nozzle group 18B, the maintenance mechanism 20 includes: a standby cap 32 having a recessed portion 32a capable of forming a closed space where nozzles 12 constituting the used nozzle group 18A are opened and being disposed at a position facing the used nozzle group 18A; and a liquid recovery section 36 having a liquid absorber 35 capable of absorbing the liquid and being disposed at a position facing the unused nozzle group 18B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus such as a printer and a liquid recovery unit that recovers a liquid in the liquid ejecting apparatus.

In an ink jet printer that is an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus, when a model that prints with eight colors of ink is used as a model that prints with seven colors of ink, a flow that leads to nozzles that eject ink of unused colors is used. A road may be blocked (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2009-234206 A

There are cases where the liquid remaining in the flow path, the ink discharged from the used nozzles, or the like enters the nozzle that ejects the unused color ink. Then, there is a problem that if the liquid accumulates in the unused nozzle and drops, the inside of the apparatus or the print medium is soiled.

Such a problem is not limited to printers that perform printing by ejecting ink, but is generally common to liquid ejecting apparatuses that may not use some of the plurality of nozzle groups that eject liquid. The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejecting apparatus and a liquid recovery unit that can suppress leakage of liquid from a nozzle that is not used.

A liquid ejecting apparatus that solves the above-described problem is provided when a liquid ejecting unit provided with a plurality of nozzle groups each composed of a plurality of nozzles capable of ejecting liquid, and when the liquid ejecting unit is in a standby position where the liquid is not ejected. A maintenance mechanism that performs maintenance of the liquid ejecting unit, and the liquid ejecting unit ejects the liquid toward the medium using a use nozzle group that is a part of the plurality of nozzle groups. When the other nozzle group that does not eject the liquid is an unused nozzle group, the maintenance mechanism has a recess that can form a closed space in which the nozzle that constitutes the used nozzle group is opened, A standby cap disposed at a position facing the used nozzle group, and a liquid recovery section having a liquid absorber capable of absorbing the liquid and disposed at a position facing the unused nozzle group Having.

FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating an embodiment of a liquid ejecting apparatus. FIG. 2 is a front view when the liquid ejecting apparatus of FIG. 1 ejects liquid toward a medium. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a pressure adjusting mechanism and a liquid ejecting unit included in the liquid ejecting apparatus of FIG. 1. Sectional drawing of the cap unit with which the liquid ejecting apparatus of FIG. 1 is provided. The top view which shows the example of a change of a liquid ejecting apparatus. Sectional drawing when attaching a mounting body to a liquid ejecting apparatus and performing suction cleaning.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the liquid ejecting apparatus and the liquid recovery unit will be described with reference to the drawings. The liquid ejecting apparatus is an ink jet printer that performs recording (printing) by ejecting ink, which is an example of liquid, on a medium such as paper.

As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a support base 19 that forms a transport path of the medium S,
A liquid ejecting section 13 that ejects liquid toward the medium S supported by the support base 19, and the liquid ejecting section 1.
3, a carriage 14 that reciprocates while holding 3, and a maintenance mechanism 20 that performs maintenance of the liquid ejecting unit 13. The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a guide shaft 39 that guides the movement of the carriage 14 and a control unit 100 that controls components including the liquid ejecting unit 13 and the maintenance mechanism 20.

In the present embodiment, the liquid ejecting unit 13 ejects liquid in the ejecting direction Z, and the guide shaft 39 extends in the moving direction X that intersects the ejecting direction Z. Further, the medium S is transported along a transport direction Y which is a direction different from the ejection direction Z and the movement direction X.

The liquid ejecting unit 13 includes a nozzle group 18 including a plurality of nozzles 12 capable of ejecting liquid.
Are plural (six in this embodiment). The nozzle group 18 includes, for example, one or a plurality of nozzle rows (in this embodiment, two nozzle rows) including a plurality of nozzles 12 arranged in the transport direction Y. A plurality of nozzles 12 arranged at random without forming a row may constitute the nozzle group 18.

In the present embodiment, the carriage 14 includes a container holding unit 16 to which a liquid container 15 containing liquid is detachably mounted, and reciprocates along the guide shaft 39. The container holding unit 16 may be arranged in a fixed manner in the apparatus without being provided in the carriage 14 or may be arranged in a manner that can be moved outside the apparatus.

A plurality (six in this embodiment) of liquid containers 15 that store different types of liquids (for example, different color inks) can be attached to the container holder 16. One nozzle group 18 has 1
Corresponding to inject seed liquid.

As shown in FIG. 2, the nozzle 12 constituting the nozzle group 18 has a corresponding liquid container 15.
Then, the liquid is supplied through the supply channel 17. The liquid in the liquid container 15 may be supplied by a water head difference with respect to the nozzle 12 or may be supplied under pressure by a pressurizing mechanism (not shown). A pressure adjusting mechanism 70 for adjusting the pressure may be provided in the supply flow path 17.

As shown in FIG. 3, the liquid ejecting unit 13 includes a common liquid chamber 41 in which the liquid supplied through the supply flow path 17 is temporarily stored, and a plurality of cavities 42 provided to individually correspond to the plurality of nozzles 12. And a plurality of actuators 43 provided so as to individually correspond to the respective cavities 42. Then, the liquid is ejected from the nozzle 12 by driving the actuator 43.

The pressure adjustment mechanism 70 includes a supply chamber 71 provided in the middle of the supply flow path 17, a pressure chamber 73 that can communicate with the supply chamber 71 via the communication hole 72, a valve body 74 that can open and close the communication hole 72, and A pressure receiving member 75 having a proximal end housed in the supply chamber 71 and a distal end housed in the pressure chamber 73. The valve body 74 is made of, for example, an elastic body attached to the base end portion of the pressure receiving member 75 located in the supply chamber 71. The supply channel 17 may be provided with a filter 44 that collects foreign matters such as bubbles contained in the liquid flowing into the supply chamber 71.

A part of the wall surface of the pressure chamber 73 is formed by a flexible film 77 that can be deflected and displaced. The pressure adjustment mechanism 70 includes a first biasing member 78 accommodated in the supply chamber 71 and a second biasing member 79 accommodated in the pressure chamber 73. The first urging member 78 urges the valve body 74 in a direction to close the communication hole 72 via the pressure receiving member 75.

The pressure receiving member 75 is displaced by being pushed by the flexible film 77 that bends and displaces in the direction of reducing the volume of the pressure chamber 73. Further, the flexible film 77 is deflected and displaced in the direction of reducing the volume of the pressure chamber 73 when the internal pressure of the pressure chamber 73 is reduced as the liquid is discharged from the nozzle 12. The pressure (internal pressure) applied to the inner surface of the flexible film 77 on the pressure chamber 73 side is the flexible film 77.
When the pressure applied to the outer surface opposite to the pressure chamber 73 (external pressure) is lower and the difference between the pressure applied to the inner surface and the pressure applied to the outer surface exceeds a predetermined value (for example, 1 kPa). The pressure receiving member 75 is displaced, and the valve body 74 is changed from the closed state to the open state.

The predetermined value means the urging force of the first urging member 78 and the second urging member 79, the force necessary to displace the flexible film 77, and necessary for closing the communication hole 72 by the valve body 74. It is a value determined according to the pressing force (seal load), the pressure in the supply chamber 71 acting on the supply chamber 71 side of the pressure receiving member 75 and the surface of the valve body 74, and the pressure in the pressure chamber 73. That is, the predetermined value increases as the sum of the urging forces of the first urging member 78 and the second urging member 79 increases. The urging force of the first urging member 78 and the second urging member 79 is, for example, a negative pressure state (for example, a flexible film) within a range where the pressure in the pressure chamber 73 can form a meniscus at the gas-liquid interface in the nozzle 12. When the pressure applied to the outer surface of 77 is atmospheric pressure, it is set to be −1 kPa).

When the communication hole 72 is opened and the liquid flows from the supply chamber 71 into the pressure chamber 73, the internal pressure of the pressure chamber 73 increases. When the internal pressure of the pressure chamber 73 reaches the predetermined value, the valve body 74 closes the communication hole 72. Therefore, even if the liquid is pressurized and supplied to the supply chamber 71 or the liquid is discharged from the nozzle 12, the pressure from the pressure chamber 73 to the cavity 42 (back pressure of the nozzle 12) is maintained at about a predetermined value. The As described above, the valve body 74 autonomously opens and closes the communication hole 72 according to the differential pressure between the external pressure (atmospheric pressure) of the pressure chamber 73 and the internal pressure of the pressure chamber 73. Therefore, the pressure adjustment mechanism 70 is classified as a differential pressure valve (a pressure reducing valve among the differential pressure valves).

A valve opening mechanism 81 that forcibly opens the communication hole 72 and supplies the liquid to the liquid ejecting unit 13 may be added to the pressure adjusting mechanism 70. The valve opening mechanism 81 is, for example, a pressure chamber 73 by a flexible film 77.
And a pressurizing bag 83 accommodated in the compartment chamber 82, and a pressurizing channel 84 for allowing gas to flow into the pressurizing bag 83. Then, the pressurizing bag 83 is expanded by the gas flowing in through the pressurizing flow path 84, and the flexible film 77 is bent and displaced in a direction to reduce the volume of the pressure chamber 73, thereby forcibly opening the communication hole 72. When the valve opening mechanism 81 forcibly opens the communication hole 72, it is possible to perform pressure cleaning that causes the pressurized liquid to flow out from the liquid ejecting unit 13.

As shown in FIG. 1, the maintenance mechanism 20 is disposed at the end of the moving area of the carriage 14 that extends in the moving direction X (the home side that is the right end in FIG. 1). A support base 19 is disposed near the center of the movement area of the carriage 14. On the support base 19, the medium S is transported along a transport direction Y that intersects the moving area of the carriage 14. The liquid ejecting unit 13 performs printing by ejecting liquid toward the medium S on the support base 19 when the carriage 14 reciprocates. The carriage 14 moves to a standby area where the maintenance mechanism 20 is arranged and stands by when the liquid is ejected and printing is not performed.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus 11, when a smaller number of liquid containers 15 than the maximum number that can be mounted are mounted on the container holder 16, printing can be performed with the smaller number of liquids. For example, in the example of FIG. 1, four liquid containers 15 indicated by solid lines are attached to the container holding part 16, and two liquid containers 15 indicated by two-dot chain lines are not attached to the container holding part 16 and are vacant. Yes. In this case, four color printing is performed by ejecting the four color inks stored in the four liquid containers 15 from the corresponding four nozzle groups 18 toward the medium S, respectively. At this time, out of a plurality (six) of nozzle groups 18, four nozzle groups 18 that eject inks of four colors to be used are used nozzle groups 18A, and two nozzles corresponding to the other two colors that do not eject liquid The group 18 is defined as an unused nozzle group 18B.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus 11, flushing and wiping are performed in order to prevent or eliminate ejection failure caused by clogging of the nozzle 12, mixing of bubbles in the liquid ejecting unit 13, or adhesion of foreign matters around the nozzle 12. Maintenance operations such as pressure cleaning, suction cleaning and capping are performed. Flushing refers to discharging foreign matter, bubbles, or deteriorated liquid (for example, thickened ink) that causes ejection failure by ejecting liquid from the nozzle 12, and is performed to eliminate ejection failure. The

The maintenance mechanism 20 includes a liquid receiving portion 21 that receives liquid ejected as waste liquid by flushing, a wiping mechanism 22 that performs wiping, a suction mechanism 26 that performs suction cleaning, and a cap unit 31 that performs capping. In this embodiment,
Flushing, wiping, and suction cleaning are performed for each nozzle group 18, and when performing each maintenance operation, the nozzle group 18 that is a maintenance target of the liquid ejecting unit 13 is
The carriage 14 moves to a predetermined position in the standby area so as to face the liquid receiving portion 21, the wiping mechanism 22, or the suction mechanism 26. The pressure cleaning may be performed at a position where the nozzle group 18 to be maintained faces the liquid receiving unit 21 or the suction mechanism 26.

The wiping mechanism 22 includes a wiping member 23 that wipes the liquid ejecting unit 13, a moving body 24 that moves while holding the wiping member 23, and a guide rail 25 that extends in the transport direction Y. When the moving body 24 moves along the guide rail 25, the wiping member 23 wipes the area where the nozzles 12 constituting the target nozzle group 18 are opened.

The suction mechanism 26 includes a suction cap 27, a suction tube 28 whose upstream end is connected to the suction cap 27, and a suction pump 29 provided at an intermediate position of the suction tube 28.
The suction cap 27 has a suction recess 27a capable of forming a closed space in which the nozzles 12 constituting at least one nozzle group 18 are open, and is configured to be movable up and down. The suction pump 29 is moved in a state where the suction cap 27 moves upward to form a closed space with the liquid ejecting unit 13.
Is driven, suction cleaning in which fluid is sucked and discharged from the nozzle 12 is performed.

After performing the pressure cleaning and the suction cleaning, the liquid discharged from the nozzle 12 adheres to the liquid ejecting unit 13, and therefore it is preferable to execute wiping. Further, when wiping is performed, liquid or the like dragged by the wiping member 23 may enter the nozzle 12, so it is preferable to perform meniscus by performing flushing.

The cap unit 31 includes a standby cap 32 corresponding to the used nozzle group 18A, a sealing cap 33 corresponding to the unused nozzle group 18B, and the standby cap 32 and the sealing cap 33.
And a holding mechanism 34 for holding the. In this embodiment, the standby cap 32 and the sealing cap 33 are provided for each nozzle row constituting the nozzle group 18, but the standby cap 32 and the sealing cap 33 may be provided for each nozzle group 18.

A position where the liquid ejecting unit 13 is arranged when capping is referred to as a standby position in the standby area. The standby cap 32 and the sealing cap 33 are opposed to the nozzle group 18 that is the used nozzle group 18A and the unused nozzle group 18B, respectively, when the liquid ejecting unit 13 is in the standby position.

The holding mechanism 34 is configured to be movable relative to the liquid ejecting unit 13 at the standby position.
The standby cap 32 has a recess 32a capable of forming a closed space in which the nozzles 12 constituting the use nozzle group 18A are opened. When the holding mechanism 34 moves relative to the liquid ejecting unit 13, the standby cap 32 performs capping to form a closed space in which the nozzles 12 are opened, thereby suppressing drying of the nozzles 12 constituting the used nozzle group 18A. To do.

Here, the used nozzle group 18 </ b> A in which the liquid ejecting unit 13 is a part of the plurality of nozzle groups 18.
In the aspect in which the liquid is ejected toward the medium S using the nozzle, the distribution setting of the used nozzle group 18A and the unused nozzle group 18B may be performed only once before the use of the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 is started. , It may be changed after the start of use.

In any case, before shipping the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 in which the unused nozzle group 18B is set, or when changing the setting of the used nozzle group 18A to the unused nozzle group 18B, the unused nozzle group 1
The supply flow path 17 connected to the 8B nozzle 12 may be washed. Then, the cleaning liquid may remain in the supply flow path 17 and the nozzle 12 and may leak from the nozzle 12 of the unused nozzle group 18B after the use of the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 is started. Further, foreign matter such as waste liquid may enter into the nozzles 12 of the unused nozzle group 18B due to wiping or the like, but since no liquid is ejected from the nozzles 12 of the unused nozzle group 18B during flushing, May accumulate and later leak from the nozzle 12.

Therefore, the maintenance mechanism 20 includes a liquid absorber 35 that can absorb the liquid accumulated in the nozzles 12 of the unused nozzle group 18B, and has a liquid recovery unit 36 disposed at a position facing the unused nozzle group 18B. Have. The liquid absorber 35 can be composed of a cloth such as a porous member or a non-woven fabric.

The sealing cap 33 corresponding to the unused nozzle group 18 </ b> B has an accommodation recess 33 a that can accommodate the liquid absorber 35, and configures the liquid recovery unit 36 by accommodating the liquid absorber 35 in the accommodation recess 33 a. . The sealing cap 33 moves together with the standby cap 32 when the standby cap 32 performs capping, and the accommodating recess 33a forms a closed space in which the nozzles 12 constituting the unused nozzle group 18B are opened, thereby capping. Do.

As shown in FIG. 4, the distance AG between the unused nozzle group 18 </ b> B and the liquid absorber 35 when the liquid ejecting unit 13 is in the standby position and capping is determined when the liquid ejecting unit 13 ejects the liquid. It is preferably shorter than the distance PG (see FIG. 2) between the unused nozzle group 18B and the medium S.
Then, when the sealing cap 33 is capped, the liquid that has accumulated and swelled in the nozzles 12 of the unused nozzle group 18B is absorbed by the liquid absorber 35 before coming into contact with the medium S. When the liquid ejecting unit 13 is in the standby position and capping, if the liquid absorber 35 is arranged so as to contact the opening of the nozzle 12 that constitutes the unused nozzle group 18B, it accumulates in the nozzle 12. Liquid can be removed at an earlier stage.

The liquid recovery unit 36 may be provided in a manner that can be changed to the standby cap 32 when the setting of the unused nozzle group 18B is changed to the used nozzle group 18A. For example, when the holding mechanism 34 is configured to detachably hold the standby cap 32 and the liquid recovery unit 36, the use nozzle group 18A is used.
The arrangement of the standby cap 32 and the sealing cap 33 can be changed in response to the change in the distribution setting of the unused nozzle group 18B. As an example, a first unit including six standby caps 32 for six-color printing and a second unit including four standby caps 32 and two liquid recovery units 36 for four-color printing are replaceably mounted. May be.

Alternatively, only the liquid recovery unit 36 may be attached to and detached from the holding mechanism 34 in a manner that can be replaced with the standby cap 32, or the standby cap 32 may be attached to the holding mechanism 34.
In addition, both the liquid recovery unit 36 and the liquid recovery unit 36 may be individually replaceable.

When the standby cap 32 and the liquid recovery unit 36 are attached to the holding mechanism 34 in a replaceable manner,
One of the standby cap 32 and the liquid recovery part 36 (the liquid recovery part 36 in FIG. 4) may be provided with a protrusion 37, and the holding mechanism 34 may be provided with a detection sensor 38 that detects the protrusion 37. . According to this configuration, based on the detection signal transmitted from the detection sensor 38,
The control unit 100 can determine whether or not the liquid recovery unit 36 is mounted at an appropriate position.

In addition, when the liquid collection | recovery part 36 is not mounted | worn in the appropriate position, it may display to that effect on a display part etc. which are not illustrated, and may notify a user. In addition, a determination memory chip is attached to the standby cap 32 and the liquid recovery unit 36, and a connection terminal for reading the memory chip information is provided in the holding mechanism 34. Based on the information, the control unit 100 is positioned at an appropriate position. You may make it alert | report whether the liquid collection | recovery part 36 is mounted | worn.

Next, the operation of the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 configured as described above will be described.
When the sealing cap 33 performs capping before starting to use the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 or during standby,
Since the liquid absorbent 35 absorbs the cleaning liquid accumulated in the nozzles 12 corresponding to the unused nozzle group 18 </ b> B, the cleaning liquid is removed from the nozzles 12. Further, when waste liquid enters the nozzle 12 corresponding to the unused nozzle group 18B due to wiping or the like, the liquid absorber 35 absorbs the waste liquid when the sealing cap 33 is capped thereafter, so that the waste liquid is discharged from the nozzle 12. Is removed.

According to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The liquid swells from the nozzle 12 of the unused nozzle group 18B that has approached the medium S during printing and the medium S becomes dirty, or the cleaning liquid or waste liquid drips from the nozzle 12 and the medium S or the inside of the apparatus becomes dirty. Less.

(2) The absorption capacity of the liquid absorber 35 is restored by replacing the liquid recovery unit 36 by detachment.
(3) When changing the distribution setting of the used nozzle group 18A and the unused nozzle group 18B by making the liquid recovery unit 36 detachable from the liquid ejecting apparatus 11, the liquid recovery unit 3
6 and the standby cap 32 can be exchanged. In this case, since it is not necessary to change the configuration of the supply flow path 17 and the like of the liquid ejecting apparatus 11, the setting can be easily changed.

You may change the said embodiment like the example of a change shown below. Further, the configuration included in the above embodiment and the configuration included in the following modification example may be arbitrarily combined, and the configurations included in the following modification example may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, in the following description, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to what has a function similar to the component mentioned above, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

The liquid absorber 35 may be detachable from the standby cap 32 and the sealing cap 33. In this case, the standby cap 32 and the sealing cap 33 have the same configuration, and the liquid absorber 35 is placed in the concave portion 32a of the standby cap 32 or the accommodating concave portion 33a of the sealing cap 33 at a position facing the unused nozzle group 18B. It is good to accommodate in.

As in the modification shown in FIG. 5, for example, an elevating mechanism 40 that elevates and lowers the liquid ejecting unit 13 via the guide shaft 39 is provided, and capping is performed as the liquid ejecting unit 13 is moved up and down by the elevating mechanism 40. May be.

A wiping member 23 in which the wiping mechanism 22 extends in the transport direction Y as in the modification shown in FIG.
And the wiping may be performed when the liquid ejecting unit 13 moves along the movement direction X. In this case, since the liquid dragged by the wiping member 23 from the vicinity of the nozzle 12 of the used nozzle group 18A may enter the nozzle 12 of the unused nozzle group 18B, the liquid ejecting unit 13 is moved to the standby position after wiping, and The waste liquid that has entered the nozzles 12 constituting the used nozzle group 18 </ b> B may be removed by the liquid absorber 35.

As in the modification shown in FIG. 5, the liquid recovery unit 36 and the standby cap 32 that cover the plurality of nozzle groups 18 may be provided.
As in the modification shown in FIG. 5, the liquid recovery unit 36 may not include the sealing cap 33, and the liquid absorber 35 may constitute the liquid recovery unit 36 alone. In this case, at the time of capping by the standby cap 32, the liquid absorber 35 may be brought close to or in contact with the nozzles 12 constituting the unused nozzle group 18B.

As in the modified example shown in FIG. 5, the holding mechanism 34 holds the liquid recovery unit 36 and the standby cap 32 that are aligned in the transport direction Y, and the standby is performed as the holding mechanism 34 moves along the transport direction Y. The target arranged at the position may be switched between the liquid recovery unit 36 and the standby cap 32.

The wiping, pressure cleaning, and suction cleaning operations may be performed on the nozzles 12 constituting the unused nozzle group 18B and the supply flow path 17 connected to the nozzles 12. If suction cleaning is performed without mounting the liquid container 15 on the container holding part 16,
The gas sucked from the upstream end of the supply flow path 17 passes through the nozzle 12, and there is a possibility that foreign matters contained in the gas are clogged in the nozzle 12.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, when the attachment body 50 having the filter 51 is attached to the container holder 16 and suction cleaning is performed on the unused nozzle group 18B, the suction is sucked from the upstream end of the supply flow path 17. The gas to be filtered may be filtered by the filter 51. In addition, when the mounting body 50 forms a box shape and the filter 51 is disposed in the box, it is preferable to provide a vent 52 that allows the internal space of the box to communicate with the outside.

Even when the container holding portion 16 is not provided on the carriage 14 and is fixedly arranged in the apparatus, when the mounting body 50 is box-shaped and the filter 51 is arranged in the box, the internal space of the box is externally provided. It is preferable to provide a vent 52 communicating with the air. Moreover, in the case of the aspect which pressurizes and supplies the liquid accommodated in the liquid container 15 with air, it is good to provide the air introduction port which sends air into the internal space of a box instead of the vent 52.

Further, an absorbent body 27b capable of absorbing waste liquid may be housed in the housing recess 33a of the suction cap 27.
The liquid ejected by the liquid ejecting unit 13 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 S is not limited to paper, but may be a plastic film, a thin plate, or the like, or may be a fabric used in a printing apparatus. Further, the medium S may be an arbitrary-shaped clothing such as a T-shirt, or may be a three-dimensional object having an arbitrary shape such as tableware or stationery.

Below, the technical idea grasped | ascertained from embodiment mentioned above and the example of a change, and its effect are described.
[Thought 1]
A liquid ejecting section provided with a plurality of nozzle groups each composed of a plurality of nozzles capable of ejecting liquid;
A maintenance mechanism that performs maintenance of the liquid ejecting unit when the liquid ejecting unit is in a standby position where the liquid ejecting unit is not ejected;
With
When the liquid ejecting unit ejects the liquid toward the medium using a use nozzle group that is a part of the plurality of nozzle groups, the other nozzle group that does not eject the liquid is not used. As a group,
The maintenance mechanism has a recess capable of forming a closed space in which the nozzles constituting the use nozzle group are opened, and can absorb the liquid, a standby cap disposed at a position facing the use nozzle group And a liquid recovery part disposed at a position facing the unused nozzle group.

According to the above [Idea 1], when the liquid ejecting unit is at the standby position, the liquid absorber included in the liquid recovery unit absorbs the liquid accumulated in the nozzles constituting the unused nozzle group. for that reason,
Leakage of liquid from unused nozzles is suppressed.

[Thought 2]
The distance between the unused nozzle group and the liquid absorber when the liquid ejecting unit is at the standby position is shorter than the distance between the unused nozzle group and the medium when the liquid ejecting unit ejects the liquid. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to [Idea 1].

According to the above [Consideration 2], if the distance between the unused nozzle group and the liquid absorber is shorter than the distance between the unused nozzle group and the medium at the time of liquid ejection, the liquid swelled from the unused nozzles is medium. Since it is absorbed by the liquid absorber before adhering to the liquid, it is difficult for the liquid to adhere to the medium.

[Thought 3]
[Claim 1] or [Claim 2], wherein when the liquid ejecting unit is in the standby position, the liquid absorber is in contact with an opening portion of the nozzle constituting the unused nozzle group. Liquid ejector.

According to the above [Concept 3], when the liquid ejecting unit is in the standby position, the liquid accumulated in the nozzles constituting the unused nozzle group is removed by the liquid absorber.
[Thought 4]
The liquid recovery part includes a sealing cap having an accommodating recess for accommodating the liquid absorber,
The accommodating recess of the sealing cap forms a closed space in which the nozzles constituting the unused nozzle group are opened when the liquid ejecting unit is in the standby position [Idea 1] To [Thought 3].

According to the above [Concept 4], the unused nozzle group is covered with the sealing cap, thereby suppressing the foreign matter from entering the nozzles constituting the unused nozzle group.
[Thought 5]
The maintenance mechanism can wipe a liquid receiving portion that can receive the liquid discharged as waste liquid from the nozzle for each nozzle group, and a region where the nozzle constituting the nozzle group is opened in the liquid ejecting portion. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of [Thought 1] to [Thought 4], characterized in that the liquid ejecting apparatus includes a wiping member.

According to the above [Idea 5], when the waste liquid is discharged from the nozzle, the waste liquid may adhere to a region where the nozzle opens. When the wiping member wipes such waste liquid, the liquid scraped from the vicinity of the nozzles in the used nozzle group may enter the unused nozzles, but the liquid absorbing part absorbs the liquid that has entered the unused nozzles. Thus, leakage of liquid from a nozzle that is not used is suppressed.

[Thought 6]
Of the [Idea 1] to [Idea 5], the liquid recovery section is provided in a manner that can be changed to the standby cap when the unused nozzle group is changed to the used nozzle group. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of the above.

According to the above [Idea 6], when the unused nozzle group is changed to the used nozzle group, the liquid recovery unit can be changed to the standby cap.
[Thought 7]
The said maintenance mechanism has a holding mechanism which hold | maintains the said liquid collection | recovery part so that attachment or detachment is possible. The liquid ejecting apparatus as described in any one of [thought 1] to [thought 6] characterized by the above-mentioned.

According to the above [Idea 7], the liquid absorption capacity of the liquid absorber is restored with the replacement of the liquid recovery unit.
[Thought 8]
The liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of [Concept 1] to [Concept 6], wherein the maintenance mechanism includes a holding mechanism that detachably holds the liquid recovery unit and the standby cap.

According to the above [Idea 7], the arrangement of the liquid recovery unit and the standby cap can be changed or exchanged according to the arrangement of the used nozzle group and the unused nozzle group.
[Thought 9]
A liquid ejecting section having a plurality of nozzle groups each composed of a plurality of nozzles capable of ejecting liquid is provided, and the liquid is ejected onto a medium from a use nozzle group that is a part of the plurality of nozzle groups. Sometimes a liquid recovery unit used in a liquid ejecting apparatus that does not eject the liquid from an unused nozzle group that is another nozzle group,
It has a liquid absorber that can absorb liquid,
The liquid recovery unit, wherein the liquid absorber is disposed at a position facing the unused nozzle group when the liquid ejection unit is in a standby position where the liquid ejection unit does not eject the liquid.

  According to the above [Idea 9], it is possible to obtain the same operational effects as the above [Idea 1].

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Liquid injection apparatus, 12 ... Nozzle, 13 ... Liquid injection part, 14 ... Carriage, 15 ... Liquid container, 16 ... Container holding part, 17 ... Supply flow path, 18 ... Nozzle group, 18A ... Used nozzle group, 18B: Unused nozzle group, 19: Support base, 20 ... Maintenance mechanism, 21 ... Liquid receiving portion, 22 ... Wiping mechanism, 23 ... Wiping member, 24 ... Moving body, 25 ... Guide rail, 26
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Suction mechanism, 27 ... Suction cap, 27a ... Suction recessed part, 27b ... Absorber, 28 ... Suction tube, 29 ... Suction pump, 31 ... Cap unit, 32 ... Standby cap, 32a ... Recessed part, 33 ... Sealing cap, 33a ... accommodating recess, 34 ... holding mechanism, 35 ... liquid absorber, 36 ...
Liquid recovery unit, 37 ... projection, 38 ... detection sensor, 39 ... guide shaft, 40 ... lifting mechanism, 4
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Common liquid chamber, 42 ... Cavity, 43 ... Actuator, 44 ... Filter, 50 ...
Attached body, 51 ... filter, 52 ... vent, 70 ... pressure adjusting mechanism, 71 ... supply chamber, 72 ...
Communication hole 73 ... Pressure chamber 74 ... Valve body 75 ... Pressure receiving member 77 ... Flexible membrane 78 ... First biasing member 79 ... Second biasing member 81 ... Valve opening mechanism 82 ... Storage chamber , 83: Pressurizing bag, 84: Pressurizing flow path, 100: Control unit, S: Medium, X: Moving direction, Y: Conveying direction, Z: Injection direction.

Claims (9)

A liquid ejecting section provided with a plurality of nozzle groups each composed of a plurality of nozzles capable of ejecting liquid;
A maintenance mechanism that performs maintenance of the liquid ejecting unit when the liquid ejecting unit is in a standby position where the liquid ejecting unit is not ejected;
With
When the liquid ejecting unit ejects the liquid toward the medium using a use nozzle group that is a part of the plurality of nozzle groups, the other nozzle group that does not eject the liquid is not used. As a group,
The maintenance mechanism has a recess capable of forming a closed space in which the nozzles constituting the use nozzle group are opened, and can absorb the liquid, a standby cap disposed at a position facing the use nozzle group And a liquid recovery part disposed at a position facing the unused nozzle group. The distance between the unused nozzle group and the liquid absorber when the liquid ejecting unit is at the standby position is shorter than the distance between the unused nozzle group and the medium when the liquid ejecting unit ejects the liquid. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1. 3. The liquid according to claim 1, wherein when the liquid ejecting unit is in the standby position, the liquid absorber is in contact with an opening portion of the nozzle constituting the unused nozzle group. Injection device. The liquid recovery part includes a sealing cap having an accommodation recess capable of accommodating the liquid absorber,
The said accommodation recessed part of the said sealing cap forms the closed space which the said nozzle which comprises the said non-use nozzle group opens when the said liquid injection part exists in the said standby position. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 3. The maintenance mechanism can wipe a liquid receiving portion that can receive the liquid discharged as waste liquid from the nozzle for each nozzle group, and a region where the nozzle constituting the nozzle group is opened in the liquid ejecting portion. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid ejecting apparatus includes a wiping member. The said liquid collection | recovery part is provided in the aspect which can be changed to the said waiting | standby cap, when the said non-use nozzle group is changed into the said use nozzle group. The any one of Claims 1-5 characterized by the above-mentioned. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to one item. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the maintenance mechanism includes a holding mechanism that detachably holds the liquid recovery unit. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the maintenance mechanism includes a holding mechanism that detachably holds the liquid recovery unit and the standby cap. A liquid ejecting section having a plurality of nozzle groups each composed of a plurality of nozzles capable of ejecting liquid is provided, and the liquid is ejected onto a medium from a use nozzle group that is a part of the plurality of nozzle groups. Sometimes a liquid recovery unit used in a liquid ejecting apparatus that does not eject the liquid from an unused nozzle group that is another nozzle group,
It has a liquid absorber that can absorb liquid,
The liquid recovery unit, wherein the liquid absorber is disposed at a position facing the unused nozzle group when the liquid ejection unit is in a standby position where the liquid ejection unit does not eject the liquid.

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