JP2023000096A - Ink jet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

To wipe a nozzle surface of an ink head with simpler movement.SOLUTION: A printer 10 includes: a carriage 17 on which an ink head 40 having a nozzle surface 44 is mounted and which is movable in a main scanning direction Y; and a wiping unit 60 which has a wiper 64 which extends in the main scanning direction Y and wipes the nozzle surface 44. The wiping unit 60 has a wiper holder 65 which is fixed to a belt 70 wound on a first rotary shaft 73 and a second rotary shaft 74 which extend in the main scanning direction Y and holds the wiper 64. In the wiper holder 65, an opening 68H is formed at a position deviated from the belt 70 in the main scanning direction Y and allows ink adhered to the wiper 64 to pass through. The wiper 64 is positioned between a second wall 68B positioned in front of the opening 68H and a third wall 68C positioned behind the opening 68H and has a portion overlapping the opening 68H in a plan view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

The present invention relates to inkjet printers.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known an inkjet printer that has an ink head that has a plurality of nozzles and a nozzle surface on which the nozzles are formed, and performs predetermined printing on a recording medium by an inkjet method. Ink jet printers require a maintenance mechanism that cleans ink, foreign matter, and other deposits from the vicinity of the nozzles of the ink head.

As a maintenance mechanism, for example, a wiper for wiping a nozzle surface is known as disclosed in Patent Document 1. With the wiper in contact with the nozzle surface, the wiper and the nozzle surface move relative to each other, so that the wiper wipes off deposits adhering to the nozzle surface. As a result, ink or the like is prevented from curing on the ink surface, and ink discharge failure can be prevented.

JP 2019-25719 A

Here, the wiper shown in Patent Document 1 is rotatably supported by a support shaft. The nozzle surface is wiped by the wiper by moving the carriage in the main scanning direction with the wiper facing upward. Although the so-called rotating wiper disclosed in Patent Document 1 can also properly wipe the nozzle surface, the movement of the wiper is relatively complicated, so control of the wiper and carriage when wiping the nozzle surface is difficult. tends to be a little more complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an inkjet printer having a wiper that wipes the nozzle surface of an ink head with a simpler movement.

An inkjet printer according to the present invention includes an ink head having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink onto a recording medium and arranged in a first direction, and a nozzle surface on which the plurality of nozzles are formed; , a carriage movable in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and a wiping unit having a wiper extending in the second direction and wiping the nozzle surface, the wiping unit being disposed below the carriage. , is equipped with The wiping unit includes a first rotating shaft extending in the second direction and a second rotating shaft arranged on one side of the first direction in the first direction and extending in the second direction. an endless belt wound around the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft; and a holder fixed to the belt and holding the wiper so as to protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the belt. doing. The holder has an opening formed at a position biased in the second direction with respect to the belt and through which ink adhered to the wiper passes, and has a second opening extending in the first direction and the second direction. a second wall located on one side of the opening in the first direction and extending in the second direction and in the vertical direction; and a wall on the other side of the opening in the first direction. a third wall positioned and extending in the second direction and the vertical direction, wherein the wiper is positioned between the second wall and the third wall, and in a plan view, the An inkjet printer having a portion overlapping the opening.

According to the inkjet printer of the present invention, the wiper for wiping the nozzle surface is held by the holder fixed to the endless belt. Here, since the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft extending in the second direction are arranged side by side in the first direction, the wiper moves in the first direction in conjunction with the movement of the belt. Since the plurality of nozzles of the ink head are aligned in the first direction, the wiper wipes the nozzle surface when the wiper moves upward. By moving the carriage when the wiper faces downward, interference between the nozzle surface and the wiper can be suppressed. Thus, the nozzle surface can be wiped by the wiper with a simple structure in which the wiper is moved in the first direction in conjunction with the movement of the belt.

Here, when the wiper wipes the nozzle surface, the ink adhering to the nozzle surface adheres to the wiper. The ink adhering to the wiper may move downward due to gravity or the like and adhere to the belt. If ink adheres to the belt, the belt may expand and press the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft. As a result, the rotational torque of the wiper is increased, and there is a possibility that problems may occur in the first rotating shaft, the second rotating shaft, the drive motor that drives them, and the like. However, according to the ink jet printer of the present invention, the wiper is provided on the second wall located on one side in the first direction from the opening of the first wall and the third wall located on the other side in the first direction from the opening. located in between. Therefore, when the wiper moves in the first direction along with the movement of the belt, even if the ink adhering to the wiper tries to move in the first direction, the movement is suppressed by the second wall and the third wall. Adhesion of ink is suppressed. In addition, since the wiper has a portion that overlaps the opening formed at a position deviated in the second direction with respect to the belt in plan view, the ink adhering to the wiper passes through the opening and moves downward. Ink does not adhere to the belt. In this way, in the inkjet printer of the present invention, it is possible to prevent ink from adhering to the belt when wiping the nozzle surface with the wiper.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an inkjet printer equipped with a wiper that wipes the nozzle surface of the ink head with a simpler movement.

1 is a front view showing an inkjet printer according to one embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the lower surface of the carriage according to one embodiment; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wiping unit according to one embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view of a wiping unit according to one embodiment; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a wiping unit according to one embodiment; 1 is a side view of a wiping unit according to one embodiment, showing the wiper in the wiping position; FIG. 1 is a side view of a wiping unit according to one embodiment, showing the wiper in a cleaning position; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wiper unit according to one embodiment; FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a wiper unit according to one embodiment; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wiper unit according to one embodiment; FIG. It is a top view of a wiper unit concerning one embodiment. It is a bottom view of the wiper unit which concerns on one Embodiment. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a wiper unit according to one embodiment; FIG.

An embodiment of an inkjet printer (hereinafter referred to as a printer) according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described herein are, of course, not intended to limit the invention in particular. Further, members and portions having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are appropriately omitted or simplified.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a printer 10 according to this embodiment. In the following description, reference numerals F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings mean front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom, respectively, when the printer 10 is viewed from the front. Symbol Y in the drawing indicates the main scanning direction, and symbol X (see FIG. 2) indicates the sub-scanning direction. In this embodiment, the main scanning direction Y is the horizontal direction. The sub-scanning direction X is the front-rear direction, and is a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction Y in plan view. The sub-scanning direction X is an example of a first direction. The main scanning direction Y is an example of a second direction. However, these directions are merely directions determined for convenience of explanation, and do not limit the installation mode of the printer 10 in any way, and do not limit the present invention in any way.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 prints on the recording medium 5 . The recording medium 5 is, for example, formed long and wound into a roll for use. The recording medium 5 may be in the form of a sheet which is obtained by cutting a roll into a predetermined length. The recording medium 5 is, for example, recording paper. However, the recording medium 5 is not limited to recording paper. For example, the recording medium 5 includes a sheet made of a resin material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyester, a sealing material made of a backing paper and a release paper laminated on the backing paper and coated with an adhesive, and the like. be

As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 includes a printer main body 10A, a platen 13, a transport mechanism 20, a guide rail 15, a carriage 17, a head moving mechanism 30, an ink head 40 (see FIG. 2), A light irradiation device 38 , a wiping unit 60 and a control device 100 are provided.

The printer main body 10A has a casing extending in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. A recording medium 5 is placed on the platen 13 . Printing is performed on the recording medium 5 on the platen 13 while the recording medium 5 is placed on the platen 13 . The platen 13 extends in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG.

The transport mechanism 20 transports the recording medium 5 placed on the platen 13 in the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. The configuration of the transport mechanism 20 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the transport mechanism 20 includes pinch rollers 21 , grit rollers 22 and feed motors 23 . The pinch roller 21 is arranged above the platen 13 and below the guide rail 15 to press the recording medium 5 from above. The grit roller 22 is provided on the platen 13 with its upper portion exposed above the platen 13 . The grit roller 22 faces the pinch roller 21 . The position and number of pinch rollers 21 and grit rollers 22 are not particularly limited. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the pinch roller 21 and the grit roller 22 are arranged at the left end and right end of the platen 13, respectively.

Here, a feed motor 23 is connected to the grit roller 22 . When the feed motor 23 is driven with the recording medium 5 sandwiched between the pinch roller 21 and the grit roller 22, the grit roller 22 rotates. As a result, the recording medium 5 is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. The feed motor 23 is controlled by the control device 100 .

The guide rail 15 is arranged above the platen 13 . The guide rail 15 is arranged parallel to the platen 13 and extends in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. A carriage 17 is engaged with the guide rail 15 . The carriage 17 is slidably provided on the guide rail 15 .

The head moving mechanism 30 is a mechanism for moving the carriage 17, the ink head 40 (see FIG. 2), and the light irradiation device 38 in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. Note that the configuration of the head moving mechanism 30 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the head moving mechanism 30 includes a left pulley 31 a , a right pulley 31 b , a belt 32 and a carriage motor 33 . The left pulley 31 a is provided near the left end of the guide rail 15 . The right pulley 31 b is provided near the right end of the guide rail 15 . The belt 32 is, for example, endless, and is wound around a left pulley 31a and a right pulley 31b. A carriage 17 is attached and fixed to the belt 32 .

As shown in FIG. 1, a carriage motor 33 is connected to the right pulley 31b. Driving the carriage motor 33 rotates the right pulley 31b, and the belt 32 runs between the left pulley 31a and the right pulley 31b. As a result, the carriage 17 , the ink head 40 and the light irradiation device 38 move in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rail 15 . The carriage motor 33 is controlled by the control device 100 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the ink head 40 is mounted on the carriage 17 . The ink head 40 includes a first ink head 40A, a second ink head 40B, a third ink head 40C, and a fourth ink head 40D. The first ink head 40A to the fourth ink head 40D are formed in such a shape that the length in the sub-scanning direction X is longer than the length in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. The first ink head 40A to fourth ink head 40D are formed in the same shape and size. The ink head 40 includes a first nozzle row 42 in which a plurality of nozzles 41 are arranged in the sub-scanning direction X, and a second nozzle row located on the side of the first nozzle row 42 and in which a plurality of nozzles 41 are arranged in the sub-scanning direction X. 43 and a nozzle surface 44 in which a plurality of nozzles 41 are formed. Here, the second nozzle row 43 is positioned to the right of the first nozzle row 42 . Ink (for example, photocurable ink) is ejected from the nozzle 41 toward the recording medium 5 . The inside of the nozzle 41 is set to a negative pressure (pressure lower than atmospheric pressure). In this embodiment, the printer 10 has four ink heads 40, but the number is not particularly limited. Also, each ink head 40 has two nozzle rows, but may have one nozzle row or three or more nozzle rows.

The nozzles 41 of the ink head 40 eject photocurable ink as ink, for example. Examples of photocurable inks include ultraviolet curable inks. Ultraviolet curable ink has the property of curing when irradiated with ultraviolet rays.

As shown in FIG. 1, the light irradiation devices 38 are arranged on the right and left sides of the carriage 17, respectively. The light irradiation device 38 is a device that irradiates the photocurable ink (eg, ultraviolet curable ink) ejected onto the recording medium 5 with light (eg, ultraviolet rays).

Next, the wiping unit 60 according to this embodiment will be described. After printing by the printer 10 or when a suction operation or a flushing operation for forcibly ejecting ink from the nozzles 41 of the ink head 40 is performed, the nozzle surface 44 of the ink head 40 is contaminated with ink, foreign matter, and the like. Deposits may adhere. If printing is performed in a state in which this deposit is adhered, the recording medium 5 may become dirty, resulting in a deterioration in print quality. Therefore, the wiping unit 60 removes adherents such as ink adhering to the nozzle surface 44 . Also, after the suction operation is performed, the meniscus of the nozzle 41 may not be in an appropriate state. Therefore, the wiping unit 60 restores the meniscus of the nozzle 41 to an appropriate state by wiping the nozzle surface 44 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , the wiping unit 60 is arranged to the right of the platen 13 . The wiping unit 60 is arranged below the carriage 17 . As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the wiping unit 60 includes a main body case 61, a wiper unit 63, a belt 70, a first rotating shaft 73, a second rotating shaft 74, a wiper cleaner 78, and a cleaner holder. 80 (see also FIG. 6) and a collection container 82 (see also FIG. 6). 3 is a perspective view of the wiping unit 60 as seen from the rear.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the body case 61 includes a bottom wall 61A (see FIG. 5), a left wall 61B extending upward from the bottom wall 61A in the sub-scanning direction X, and a left wall 61B extending upward from the bottom wall 61A in the sub-scanning direction. A right wall 61C extending in the direction X and arranged to the right of the left wall 61B; a front wall 61D connecting the left wall 61B and the right wall 61C; It has a rear wall 61E connecting with the wall 61C. As shown in FIG. 4, the body case 61 has an opening 61H that is rectangular in plan view. The opening 61H is defined by a left wall 61B, a right wall 61C, a front wall 61D and a rear wall 61E. The opening 61H opens upward. Further, the body case 61 has an opening 61J (see FIG. 5) below the front wall 61D. The opening 61J opens forward. The opening 61J accommodates a wiper cleaner 78 and a cleaner holder 80 that accommodates the wiper cleaner 78, which will be described later. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the wiping unit 60 viewed from the rear.

As shown in FIG. 3, a left wall 61B and a right wall 61C of the body case 61 are provided with guide plates 62, respectively. The guide plate 62 is formed with a guide groove 62H (see also FIG. 5) for guiding movement of the wiper unit 63. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the guide groove 62H is formed in an oval shape.

As shown in FIG. 4, the first rotating shaft 73 and the second rotating shaft 74 extend in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. The first rotating shaft 73 and the second rotating shaft 74 are rotatably supported by the left wall 61B, the right wall 61C and the guide plate 62, respectively. The second rotating shaft 74 is arranged forward of the first rotating shaft 73 . The first rotating shaft 73 and the second rotating shaft 74 are arranged in parallel. The heights of the first rotating shaft 73 and the second rotating shaft 74 from the bottom wall 61A are the same. As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the first rotating shaft 73 and the second rotating shaft 74 rotate clockwise (in the direction of arrow R1 in FIG. 6) when viewed from the right to the left. is configured to 6 and 7, for convenience of explanation, the right wall 61C of the wiping unit 60 and the guide plate 62 provided on the right wall 61C are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the belt 70 is wound around the first rotating shaft 73 and the second rotating shaft 74 . The belt 70 is formed in an endless shape. The belt 70 includes a first belt 71 and a second belt 72 wound around a first rotating shaft 73 and a second rotating shaft 74 . The first belt 71 and the second belt 72 are endless. The second belt 72 is arranged to the right of the first belt 71 . The second belt 72 is arranged apart from the first belt 71 in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. The first belt 71 and the second belt 72 extend in the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the first belt 71 and the second belt 72 are connected to the first rotating shaft 73 and the second rotating shaft 74 via pulleys 75 (see also FIG. 5) provided on the first rotating shaft 73 and the second rotating shaft 74. It is wound around the rotating shaft 74 . In this embodiment, when the first rotating shaft 73 is rotated by an actuator (not shown), the first belt 71 and the second belt 72 are interlocked and run.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the wiper unit 63 has a wiper 64 extending in the main scanning direction Y and a wiper holder 65 holding the wiper 64 . Wiper holder 65 is an example of a holder. The wiper 64 wipes the nozzle surface 44 of the ink head 40 . The wiper 64 is made of flexible material such as rubber. The wiper 64 is a flat member. As shown in FIG. 11, the wiper 64 is positioned between a second wall 68B (see FIG. 8) and a third wall 68C of the second holder 67 described later, and overlaps an opening 68H described later in plan view. have a part. As a result, the ink adhering to the wiper 64 flows downward through the opening 68H. As shown in FIG. 4, wiper holder 65 is fixed to belt 70 . More specifically, wiper holder 65 is fixed to first belt 71 and second belt 72 . As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the wiper holder 65 has a first holder 66 detachably holding the wiper 64 and a second holder 67 detachably holding the first holder 66 . The first holder 66 is made of, for example, an elastic resin material. As shown in FIG. 9, the first holder 66 is inserted into a case portion 66A that penetrates in the vertical direction and holds the wiper 64, and a through hole 64H provided in the inner wall of the case portion 66A and formed in the wiper 64. a through hole 66C formed in the case portion 66A and penetrating in the vertical direction; and a first rib 66D projecting downward from the lower end of the case portion 66A (see FIG. 13). ) and the second rib 66E. As shown in FIG. 11, there is a gap between the wiper 64 and the case portion 66A in plan view, and the ink adhering to the wiper 64 flows downward from the through hole 66C through the gap. As shown in FIG. 13, the first rib 66D is located forward of the wiper 64. As shown in FIG. The second rib 66E is located behind the wiper 64. As shown in FIG. The first rib 66D and the second rib 66E are inserted into openings 68H described later. The first rib 66D is formed with an engaging claw 66DS that can be engaged with the second wall 68B of the second holder 67 by snap-fitting. The engaging claw 66DS is engaged with a stepped portion 68BS formed on the second wall 68B. A lower end 66EB of the second rib 66E is positioned below the lower end 64B of the wiper 64 .

As shown in FIG. 9, the second holder 67 includes a case portion 68 that detachably holds the first holder 66, and a guide groove 62H (see FIG. 6) formed in the outer wall of the case portion 68 and in the guide plate 62. It has a guide protrusion 69A that fits in, a first belt fixing portion 69B fixed to the first belt 71, and a second belt fixing portion 69C fixed to the second belt 72. As shown in FIG. The case portion 68 has an opening 68H (see FIG. 11) formed at a position offset in the main scanning direction Y with respect to the belt 70 and through which ink adhering to the wiper 64 passes. A first wall 68A (see FIG. 10) extending in Y, a second wall 68B positioned in front of the opening 68H and extending in the main scanning direction Y and in the vertical direction, a wall 68B positioned behind the opening 68H, and , a third wall 68C extending in the main scanning direction Y and the vertical direction, and a fourth wall extending upward from the left end of the first wall 68A and connecting the left end of the second wall 68B and the left end of the third wall 68C. 68D, and a fifth wall 68E extending upward from the right end of the first wall 68A and connecting the right end of the second wall 68B and the right and left ends of the third wall 68C. The opening 68H is provided at a position shifted from the first belt 71 and the second belt 72 with respect to the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. Opening 68H is positioned between first belt 71 and second belt 72 . As shown in FIG. 10, the case portion 68 includes protruding walls 68F protruding downward from the first wall 68A and positioned to the left and right of the opening 68H. The projecting wall 68F extends in the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 12, the front end 68FF of the protruding wall 68F is located forward of the front end 68HF of the opening 68H. A rear end portion 68FR of the projecting wall 68F is located rearward of a rear end portion 68HR of the opening 68H. As shown in FIG. 11, the left guide projection 69A projects leftward from the fourth wall 68D, and the right guide projection 69A projects rightward from the fifth wall 68E. As shown in FIG. 10, the first belt fixing portion 69B and the second belt fixing portion 69C are positioned below the first wall 68A. The first belt fixing portion 69B is formed at the rear portion of the left protruding wall 68F. The second belt fixing portion 69C is formed at the rear portion of the right projecting wall 68F. The first belt fixing portion 69B, the second belt fixing portion 69C and the case portion 68 are integrally formed. The first belt 71 and the second belt 72 are sandwiched between the first belt fixing portion 69B and the second belt fixing portion 69C and the first wall 68A of the case portion 68 . The belt 70 is positioned outside the projecting wall 68F with respect to the opening 68H. That is, the first belt 71 is positioned to the left of the left protruding wall 68F, and the second belt 72 is positioned to the right of the right protruding wall 68F.

As shown in FIG. 3, the wiper 64 is provided with a wiper holder 65 so as to protrude from the outer peripheral surface 70A of the belt 70 (so as to protrude from the outer peripheral surface 70A in a direction intersecting the outer peripheral surface 70A and away from the outer peripheral surface 70A). is held in Wiper 64 is held by wiper holder 65 so as to protrude from outer peripheral surface 71A of first belt 71 and outer peripheral surface 72A of second belt 72 (perpendicular to outer peripheral surface 71A and outer peripheral surface 72A). In this embodiment, wipers 64 are provided on first belt 71 and second belt 72 via wiper holders 65 . As shown in FIG. 4, the wiper 64 is inclined from one end to the other end in the main scanning direction Y in plan view. For example, when the wiper 64 protrudes upward, the wiper 64 inclines backward from the left end to the right end of the wiper 64 in plan view. That is, the left end of the wiper 64 is positioned forward of the right end. Note that the left end of the wiper 64 may be positioned further rearward than the right end. As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the wiper 64 is configured to move clockwise (in the direction of arrow R2 in FIG. 6) when viewed from right to left. That is, when the wiper 64 faces upward, the wiper 64 moves from the front to the rear, and when the wiper 64 faces downward, the wiper 64 moves from the rear to the front.

As shown in FIG. 6, the cleaner holder 80 detachably holds the wiper cleaner 78 . The cleaner holder 80 is arranged below the first rotating shaft 73 and the second rotating shaft 74 . As shown in FIG. 4, the cleaner holder 80 overlaps the second rotating shaft 74 in plan view. The cleaner holder 80 is made of resin material, for example. As shown in FIG. 6, the cleaner holder 80 has a main body portion 80A that holds the wiper cleaner 78 and a pair of extending portions 80B that extend forward from the main body portion 80A. The body portion 80A is formed with a recess 80C that holds the wiper cleaner 78 in an inclined state. The extended portion 80B is formed with an engagement projection 80P (see also FIG. 4) that engages with an engagement hole 61P (see FIG. 4) formed in the left wall 61B and the right wall 61C of the main body case 61. As shown in FIG. The cleaner holder 80 is detachably attached to the body case 61 through an opening 61J (see also FIG. 5) formed in the body case 61. As shown in FIG. When the cleaner holder 80 is inserted into the opening 61J, the cleaner holder 80 is fixed at a position in contact with the collection container 82. As shown in FIG. At this time, the engaging protrusion 80P of the cleaner holder 80 engages with the engaging hole 61P. Further, by moving the pair of extending portions 80B closer to each other, the engagement between the engaging protrusions 80P and the engaging holes 61P is released, so that the cleaner holder 80 can be removed from the main body case 61. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the wiper cleaner 78 is arranged below the first rotating shaft 73 and the second rotating shaft 74 . As shown in FIG. 4, the wiper cleaner 78 overlaps the second rotating shaft 74 in plan view. The wiper cleaner 78 contacts the wiper 64 and removes ink adhering to the wiper 64 . The wiper cleaner 78 is made of a flexible material such as a resin material or non-woven fabric. Examples of resin materials include polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene. Wiper cleaner 78 is configured to absorb ink. The wiper cleaner 78 has, for example, a continuous foam structure and is made of polyolefin resin. In the present embodiment, the wiper cleaner 78 is inclined such that the front end 78F is located above the rear end 78R.

The collection container 82 is a member that collects the ink flowing down from the wiper 64 (that is, the ink that has passed through the opening 68H of the second holder 67). As shown in FIG. 6, the collection container 82 is arranged inside the main body case 61 . The collection container 82 is fixed to the bottom wall 61A. The collection container 82 is arranged below the first rotating shaft 73 and the second rotating shaft 74 . The collection container 82 is arranged behind the cleaner holder 80 . As shown in FIG. 4, the collection container 82 overlaps the first rotating shaft 73 in plan view. The recovery container 82 is formed with a discharge port 82D connected to the waste liquid tank 99 (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 5, the upper surface 82A of the collection container 82 is inclined toward the discharge port 82D.

Next, the movement of wiper 64 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the wiper 64 has a wiping position WW for wiping the nozzle surface 44 of the ink head 40, a recovery position WR for recovering ink adhering to the wiper 64, and a cleaning position for removing ink adhering to the wiper 64. It is configured to move between WC, a first retracted position WP1, and a second retracted position WP2. The first retracted position WP1 is positioned between the cleaning position WC and the wiping position WW. The second retracted position WP2 is positioned between the wiping position WW and the recovery position WR. The wiper 64 of this embodiment moves in the direction of arrow R2 in FIG. 6 as described above.

The wiper 64 is positioned at the first retracted position WP1 during printing or before wiping the nozzle surface 44 . Since the wiper 64 positioned at the first retracted position WP1 has passed through the wiper cleaner 78, ink has been removed from the wiper 64. As shown in FIG. Note that the wiper 64 may be configured to be positioned at the second retracted position WP2 during printing. For example, the carriage 17 moves in the main scanning direction Y when the wiper 64 is positioned at the first retracted position WP1.

As shown in FIG. 6, the wiper 64 positioned at the wiping position WW faces upward. At the wiping position WW, the wiper 64 moves from front to rear. The wiper 64 wipes the nozzle surface 44 to move the ink adhering to the nozzle surface 44 to the wiper 64 . At this time, since the wiper 64 faces upward, part of the moved ink flows downward due to gravity. The ink that has flowed downward falls through a through hole 66C (see FIG. 11) provided in the first holder 66 and an opening 68H (see FIG. 11) provided in the second holder 67, and the belt 70 is collected in the collection container 82 without touching the .

The wiper 64 positioned at the recovery position WR faces downward. At the recovery position WR, the wiper 64 moves forward from the rear. At this time, since the wiper 64 faces downward, most of the ink adhering to the wiper 64 drops into the collection container 82 due to gravity.

As shown in FIG. 7, the wiper 64 contacts the wiper cleaner 78 at the cleaning position WC. That is, since the wiper 64 moves while being in contact with the wiper cleaner 78 , the ink adhering to the wiper 64 is removed by the wiper cleaner 78 . Since the wiper 64 moves to the cleaning position WC after the recovery position WR, most of the ink adhering to the wiper 64 is recovered in the recovery container 82 before the wiper 64 contacts the wiper cleaner 78 . As a result, the amount of ink removed by the wiper cleaner 78 is reduced, so the frequency of replacement of the wiper cleaner 78 can be reduced.

Note that even when the wiper 64 is positioned at the second retracted position WP2, part of the ink adhering to the wiper 64 falls into the recovery container 82 due to gravity.

According to the printer 10 of this embodiment, the wiper 64 that wipes the nozzle surface 44 is held by the wiper holder 65 fixed to the endless belt 70 . Here, since the first rotating shaft 73 and the second rotating shaft 74 extending in the main scanning direction Y are arranged side by side in the sub-scanning direction X, the wiper 64 interlocks with the movement of the belt 70 in a plan view. Move in the scanning direction X. Since the plurality of nozzles 41 of the ink head 40 are arranged in the sub-scanning direction X, the wiper 64 wipes the nozzle surface 44 when the wiper 64 moves upward. By moving the carriage 17 when the wiper 64 faces downward, interference between the nozzle surface 44 and the wiper 64 can be suppressed. Thus, the nozzle surface 44 can be wiped by the wiper 64 with a simple structure in which the wiper 64 is moved in the sub-scanning direction X in conjunction with the movement of the belt 70 . Further, the wiper 64 is positioned between a second wall 68B positioned forward of the opening 68H of the first wall 68A and a third wall 68C positioned rearward of the opening 68H. Therefore, when the wiper 64 moves in the sub-scanning direction X with the movement of the belt 70, even if the ink adhering to the wiper 64 tries to move in the sub-scanning direction X, the movement is prevented by the second wall 68B and the third wall 68C. This prevents ink from adhering to the belt 70 . In addition, since the wiper 64 has a portion overlapping the opening 68H formed at a position deviated in the main scanning direction Y with respect to the belt 70 in plan view, the ink adhering to the wiper 64 passes through the opening 68H. Ink does not adhere to the belt 70 even when the belt 70 is moved downward. Thus, in the printer 10 of the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent ink from adhering to the belt 70 when the wiper 64 wipes the nozzle surface 44 .

According to the printer 10 of this embodiment, the wiper holder 65 protrudes downward from the first wall 68A and includes protruding walls 68F positioned to the left and right of the opening 68H. It is positioned outside the protruding wall 68F with respect to the opening 68H. According to this configuration, since the protruding wall 68F is positioned between the belt 70 and the opening 68H, the ink passing through the opening 68H and moving downward is suppressed from moving toward the belt 70 by the protruding wall 68F. be.

According to the printer 10 of this embodiment, the protruding wall 68F extends in the sub-scanning direction X, the front end 68FF of the protruding wall 68F is located forward of the front end 68HF of the opening 68H, and the protruding wall 68F The rear end portion 68FR is located behind the rear end portion 68HR of the opening 68H. As a result, it is possible to more reliably suppress the movement of the ink that passes through the opening 68H and moves downward toward the belt 70 .

According to the printer 10 of the present embodiment, the belt 70 is arranged to the right of the first belt 71 wound around the first rotating shaft 73 and the second rotating shaft 74, and the first belt 71. the wiper holder 65 is fixed to the first belt 71 and the second belt 72, and the opening 68H extends through the first belt 71; and the second belt 72 . With such a configuration, the wiper holder 65 is fixed to the first belt 71 and the second belt 72, so even if the wiper holder 65 is relatively large, it can be stably held. In addition, since the opening 68H is positioned between the first belt 71 and the second belt 72, the ink passing through the opening 68H and moving downward is suppressed from moving to the first belt 71 and the second belt 72. be.

According to the printer 10 of this embodiment, the wiper holder 65 includes a first holder 66 that detachably holds the wiper 64, a first wall 68A, a second wall 68B and a third wall 68C. The first holder 66 includes a first rib 66D inserted into the opening 68H and located forward of the wiper 64, and a first rib 66D inserted into the opening 68H and further than the wiper 64. and a second rib 66E that is positioned further rearward. According to this configuration, when the wiper 64 moves in the sub-scanning direction X along with the movement of the belt 70, the ink that has moved downward along the wiper 64 and passed through the opening 68H is about to move in the sub-scanning direction X. Also, since the first rib 66</b>D and the second rib 66</b>E of the first holder 66 encourage the movement of the ink to the leading end of the first holder 66 , adhesion of the ink to the belt 70 is suppressed.

According to the printer 10 of this embodiment, when the wiper 64 is configured to wipe the nozzle surface 44 from the front to the rear, the lower end 66EB of the second rib 66E is positioned below the lower end 64B of the wiper 64. To position. According to such a configuration, when the wiper 64 moves from the front to the rear, even if the ink that moves downward along the wiper 64 and has passed through the opening 68H moves from the front to the rear, the second rib of the first holder 66 will not move. Movement of the ink can be suppressed more reliably by 66E.

According to the printer 10 of this embodiment, the first holder 66 is made of an elastic resin material, and when the first holder 66 is attached to the second holder 67, it can be engaged with the second wall 68B by snap-fitting. A matching pawl 66DS is provided, and the engaging pawl 66DS is formed on the first rib 66D. With this configuration, the first holder 66 can be easily attached and detached, and the wiper 64 can be easily replaced.

According to the printer 10 of this embodiment, the wiper 64 is inclined from the left end to the right end in plan view. As a result, when the wiper 64 completes the wiping of the nozzle surface 44 and the wiper 64 moves away from the nozzle surface 44, the wiper 64 gradually moves away from the nozzle surface 44. Ink splattering is suppressed.

According to the printer 10 of this embodiment, the wiping unit 60 is positioned below the first rotating shaft 73 and the second rotating shaft 74 and includes the collection container 82 that collects the ink that has passed through the opening 68H. With this configuration, the ink is collected in the collection container 82, so that the wiping unit 60 and the inside of the printer 10 can be prevented from being stained with the ink.

According to the printer 10 of this embodiment, the wiping unit 60 is provided with a wiper cleaner 78 located below the first rotating shaft 73 and the second rotating shaft 74 and in contact with the wiper 64 to remove ink adhering to the wiper 64 . ing. As a result, when the wiper 64 moves downward, the wiper 64 and the wiper cleaner 78 come into contact with each other to remove the ink adhering to the wiper 64 .

The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention can be implemented in various other forms.

In the embodiment described above, the wiper 64 moves in the direction of the arrow R2 in FIG. 6 (that is, clockwise) to wipe the nozzle surface 44 of the ink head 40. ) to wipe the nozzle surface 44 of the ink head 40 . In this case, the collection container 82 is preferably arranged forward of the wiper cleaner 78 . Also, the wiper cleaner 78 is preferably disposed at an angle such that the front end 78F is positioned below the rear end 78R.

10 Printer (inkjet printer)
40 ink head 41 nozzle 44 nozzle surface 60 wiping unit 64 wiper 65 wiper holder (holder)
66 First holder 67 Second holder 68A First wall 68B Second wall 68C Third wall 68H Opening 70 Belt 71 First belt 72 Second belt 73 First rotating shaft 74 Second rotating shaft

Claims (10)

an ink head that ejects ink onto a recording medium and has a plurality of nozzles arranged in a first direction; and a nozzle surface on which the plurality of nozzles are formed;
a carriage on which the ink head is mounted and which is movable in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;
a wiping unit having a wiper extending in the second direction and wiping the nozzle surface, the wiping unit being disposed below the carriage;
The wiping unit is
a first rotating shaft extending in the second direction;
a second rotating shaft arranged on one side of the first direction relative to the first rotating shaft and extending in the second direction;
an endless belt wound around the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft;
a holder that is fixed to the belt and holds the wiper so as to protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the belt;
The holder is
a first wall extending in the first direction and the second direction formed at a position biased in the second direction with respect to the belt and having an opening through which ink adhered to the wiper passes;
a second wall located on one side of the opening in the first direction and extending in the second direction and in the vertical direction;
a third wall located on the other side of the first direction from the opening and extending in the second direction and the vertical direction;
The inkjet printer, wherein the wiper is positioned between the second wall and the third wall and has a portion overlapping the opening in plan view. the holder includes protruding walls that protrude downward from the first wall and are positioned on one side and the other side of the opening in the second direction, respectively;
2. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein said belt is positioned outside said projecting wall with respect to said opening. The protruding wall extends in the first direction, and an end of the protruding wall on one side in the first direction is located further than an end of the opening on one side in the first direction. and the end of the protruding wall on the other side in the first direction is located on the other side in the first direction relative to the end of the opening on the other side in the first direction. 3. An ink jet printer as claimed in claim 2, located laterally. The belt includes a first belt wound around the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft, and a first belt disposed on one side of the second direction relative to the first belt, and the first rotating shaft and a second belt wound around the second rotating shaft,
The holder is fixed to the first belt and the second belt,
4. The inkjet printer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said opening is located between said first belt and said second belt. The holder includes a first holder that detachably holds the wiper, a second holder that includes the first wall, the second wall, and the third wall and detachably holds the first holder; with
The first holder includes a first rib inserted into the opening and located on one side of the wiper in the first direction, and a first rib inserted into the opening and located on the other side of the wiper in the first direction. 5. An ink jet printer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, having a second rib located at . When the wiper is configured to wipe the nozzle surface from one side to the other side in the first direction,
6. The inkjet printer according to claim 5, wherein the lower end of said second rib is located below the lower end of said wiper. The first holder is made of an elastic resin material and has an engaging claw that can be engaged with the second wall by snap-fitting when the first holder is attached to the second holder,
7. The inkjet printer according to claim 5, wherein said engaging claw is formed on said first rib. The inkjet printer according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the wiper is inclined from one end to the other end in the second direction in a plan view. 9. The wiping unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the wiping unit includes a collection container positioned below the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft and collecting ink that has passed through the opening. inkjet printer. 10. The wiping unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the wiping unit is provided with a wiper cleaner positioned below the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft and in contact with the wiper to remove ink adhering to the wiper. 1. The inkjet printer according to claim 1.

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