JP2023125503A - liquid discharge device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a liquid discharge device which enables sufficient cleaning of a head for discharging a liquid and further enables reduction of the replacement frequency of a waste liquid tank.SOLUTION: A liquid discharge device 100 includes: a head 38 which discharges a liquid from nozzles 38A which are open on a nozzle surface 50; and a support 61 which supports a cap 62 and a water absorptive wiper 64 and may move relative to the head 38; a cleaning tank 76 in which a cleaning fluid L is stored; a waste liquid tank 77 to which the cleaning fluid L is discharged; a cap passage 177 connected from the cleaning tank 76 to the waste liquid tank 77 through the cap 62; a wiper passage 175 in which the cleaning fluid L returns between the cleaning tank 76 and the water absorptive wiper 64; a cap pump 74 which causes the cleaning fluid L to flow from the cleaning tank 76 to the waste liquid tank 77 at the cap passage 177; a wiper pump 75 which circulates the cleaning fluid L from the cleaning tank 76 to the water absorptive wiper 64 at the wiper passage 175; and a control unit 130 which controls driving of the cap pump 74 and the wiper pump 75.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid ejection device that prints on a sheet by ejecting liquid from a nozzle of a head.

As a liquid ejecting device that prints on a sheet by ejecting liquid from a nozzle of a head, for example, a cleaning device for a liquid ejecting head disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. In the cleaning device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid tank to the blade pool, and the blade mechanism that has wiped the ejection surface of the inkjet head is immersed in the cleaning liquid in the blade pool. This cleans the blade mechanism and removes ink attached to the blade mechanism. The cleaning liquid in the blade pool is then drained to a waste liquid tank. On the other hand, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid tank to the cap pool, and the ink stuck to the ejection surface of the inkjet head is cleaned by the cleaning liquid in the cap pool. The cleaning liquid in the cap pool is then drained to a waste liquid tank.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-193160

In the cleaning device of Patent Document 1, both the cleaning liquid supplied to the blade pool and the cleaning liquid supplied to the cap pool are discharged into the waste liquid tank, so it is necessary to frequently replace the waste liquid tank.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejecting device that can sufficiently clean a liquid ejecting head and reduce the frequency of replacing a waste liquid tank.

The liquid ejection device according to the present invention supports a head that ejects liquid from a nozzle opened in a nozzle surface, a cap, and a water-absorbing wiper, and is movable relative to the cap and the water-absorbing wiper. a support body, a cleaning tank in which a cleaning liquid is stored, a waste liquid tank from which the cleaning liquid is discharged, a cap channel connecting the cleaning tank to the waste liquid tank via the cap, the cleaning tank and the water-absorbing wiper. a cap pump that circulates cleaning liquid from the cleaning tank to the waste liquid tank in the cap passage; and a wiper pump that circulates cleaning liquid from the cleaning tank to the water-absorbing wiper in the wiper passage. and a control unit that controls driving of the cap pump and the wiper pump.

When the control unit drives the cap pump, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning tank to the cap through the cap channel, so that the nozzle can be cleaned with the cleaning liquid supplied to the cap. Then, the cleaning liquid that has cleaned the nozzle in the cap is discharged to the waste liquid tank. When the control unit drives the wiper pump, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning tank to the water-absorbing wiper through the wiper channel, so that the cleaning liquid is sucked into the water-absorbing wiper. Therefore, the water-absorbing wiper can sufficiently clean the nozzle surface. The cleaning liquid supplied to the water-absorbing wiper is returned to the cleaning tank through the wiper channel, so that it can be used repeatedly. Therefore, compared to the case where both the cleaning liquid supplied to the cap and the water-absorbing wiper are discharged to the waste liquid tank, the amount of cleaning liquid consumed is reduced, and the frequency of replacing the waste liquid tank can be reduced. can.

The liquid ejecting device according to the present invention can sufficiently clean the head that ejects liquid, and can reduce the frequency of replacing the waste liquid tank.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an image recording apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along II-II in FIG. 1, with the head 38 in the recording position, the first support mechanism 51 in the first rotation position, and the maintenance mechanism 60 in the standby position. shows. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a state in which the upper housing 31 in FIG. 2 is in an open position. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the head 38. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the first support mechanism 51 and the second support mechanism 52 in the second rotation position. FIG. 6 is a front view of the first support mechanism 51 and the maintenance mechanism 60 in the second rotation position. FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the maintenance mechanism 60. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the support body 61 of the maintenance mechanism 60. FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the support body 61 of the maintenance mechanism 60. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along II-II in FIG. 1, in which the head 38 is in the recording position, the first support mechanism 51 is in the second rotating position, and the maintenance mechanism 60 is in the standby position. shows. FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 1, in which the head 38 is in the recording position, the first support mechanism 51 is in the second rotating position, and the maintenance mechanism 60 is in the standby position and the maintenance position. Indicates a state where the position is between. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. It shows the state where it is supported in the position. FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 1, in which the head 38 is in the capped position, the first support mechanism 51 is in the first rotation position, and the maintenance mechanism 60 is in the maintenance position. Indicates the condition. FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 1, in which the head 38 is in the wiping position, the first support mechanism 51 is in the first rotation position, and the maintenance mechanism 60 is in the wiping position. Indicates the condition. FIG. 15 is a block diagram of the image recording apparatus 100. FIG. 16 is a flowchart for explaining purging processing, dipping processing, and wiping processing of the controller 130. FIG. 17 is a flowchart for explaining the cleaning liquid replenishment process of the controller 130. FIG. 18 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a maintenance mechanism 60 of an image recording apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 19 is a block diagram of an image recording apparatus according to the second embodiment.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below. Note that this embodiment is only one embodiment of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the embodiment can be modified without changing the gist of the present invention. Further, in the following description, the progress from the starting point of the arrow to the ending point is expressed as the direction, and the coming and going on the line connecting the starting point and the ending point of the arrow is expressed as the direction. In addition, in the following description, the vertical direction 7 is defined based on the state in which the image recording device 100 is installed so that it can be used (the state in FIG. 1), and the side where the discharge port 33 is provided is the near side (the front side). ), a front-rear direction 8 is defined, and a left-right direction 9 is defined when the image recording apparatus 100 is viewed from the front side (front side).

[Exterior configuration of image recording device 100]
The image recording apparatus 100 (an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus) shown in FIG. 1 records an image on a sheet S forming a roll body 37 (see FIG. 2) using an inkjet recording method.

As shown in FIG. 1, the image recording device 100 includes a housing 30. The housing 30 includes an upper housing 31 and a lower housing 32. The upper housing 31 and the lower housing 32 have a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, and are large enough to be placed on a tabletop. That is, the image recording apparatus 100 is suitable for use while being placed on a tabletop. Of course, the image recording apparatus 100 may be used while being placed on the floor or on a rack.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the upper housing 31 is rotatably supported by the lower housing 32. The upper housing 31 is rotatable between a closed position shown in FIG. 2 and an open position shown in FIG. 3 around a rotation shaft 15 provided at the rear lower end and extending in the left-right direction 9. Note that the structure in which the upper housing 31 rotates is not limited to the rotation shaft 15, and may be rotated by, for example, a hinge.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the upper housing 31 is in the closed position, the internal space 31A of the upper housing 31 and the internal space 32A of the lower housing 32 are shielded from the outside. As shown in FIG. 3, when the upper housing 31 is in the open position, the internal space 31A of the upper housing 31 and the internal space 32A of the lower housing 32 are exposed to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 1, a slit-shaped discharge port 33 that is long in the left-right direction 9 is formed on the front surface 32F of the lower housing 32. A sheet S (see FIG. 2) on which an image has been recorded is discharged from the discharge port 33.

An operation panel 44 is provided on the front surface 31F of the upper housing 31. The user performs input on the operation panel 44 to operate the image recording apparatus 100 or confirm various settings.

[Internal configuration of image recording device 100]
As shown in FIG. 2, the internal spaces 31A and 32A include a holder 35, a tensioner 45, a pair of conveyance rollers 36, a pair of conveyance rollers 40, a head 38, a first support mechanism 51, a heater 39, a support member 46, a second A support mechanism 52, CIS 25, cutter unit 26, ink tank 34, and maintenance mechanism 60 are arranged. Although not shown in FIG. 2, a controller 130 (an example of a control unit) is arranged in the internal space 32A (see FIG. 15). The controller 130 controls the operation of the image recording apparatus 100.

A partition wall 41 is provided in the internal space 32A. The partition wall 41 partitions the rear lower part of the internal space 32A to define a seat storage space 32C. The seat storage space 32C is a space surrounded by the partition wall 41 and the lower housing 32 and isolated from the head 38 and the like.

The roll body 37 is accommodated in the sheet accommodation space 32C. The roll body 37 has a core tube and a long sheet S. The sheet S is wound around the core tube in a roll shape in the circumferential direction of the axis of the core tube. The sheet S can have a width ranging from the minimum width to the maximum width at which the image recording apparatus 100 can record an image. That is, the sheet storage space 32C can accommodate a plurality of types of roll bodies 37 having different widths. Note that the roll body 37 may not have a core tube and may be wound into a roll so that the sheet S can be attached to the holder 35. Further, fanfold paper may be accommodated in the sheet storage space 32C. As shown in FIG. 1, a right cover 35A is located on the right surface 32R of the lower housing 32. By opening and closing the right cover 35A, the holder 35 and the like located in the seat storage space 32C are exposed or shielded.

As shown in FIG. 2, the seat storage space 32C opens upward at the rear. Specifically, a gap 42 is formed between the partition wall 41 and the rear surface 32B, that is, above the rear end of the roll body 37. The sheet S is pulled upward from the rear end of the roll body 37 and guided to the tensioner 45 through the gap 42 as the transport roller pair 36 and 40 rotate.

Tensioner 45 is located above partition wall 41 at the rear of internal space 32A. The tensioner 45 has an outer peripheral surface 45A facing outside of the lower housing 32. The outer circumferential surface 45A has a size greater than or equal to the maximum width of the sheet in the left-right direction 9, and has a shape that is symmetrical with respect to the paper passing center. The upper end of the outer circumferential surface 45A is located at approximately the same vertical position as the nip D of the conveyance roller pair 36 in the vertical direction 7.

The sheet S pulled out from the roll body 37 is hung and abutted on the outer circumferential surface 45A. The sheet S is curved forward along the outer peripheral surface 45A, extends in the transport direction 8A, and is guided by the transport roller pair 36. The conveyance direction 8A is forward along the front-rear direction 8. Tensioner 45 applies tension to sheet S using a well-known method.

A conveying roller pair 36 is located in front of the tensioner 45. The transport roller pair 36 includes a transport roller 36A and a pinch roller 36B. The conveyance roller 36A and the pinch roller 36B abut each other at approximately the same vertical position as the upper end of the outer peripheral surface 45A to form a nip D.

A transport roller pair 40 is located in front of the transport roller pair 36 . The conveyance roller pair 40 includes a conveyance roller 40A and a pinch roller 40B. The conveyance roller 40A and the pinch roller 40B abut each other at approximately the same vertical position as the upper end of the outer circumferential surface 45A to form a nip.

The conveyance rollers 36A and 40A are rotated by receiving driving force from the conveyance motor 53 (see FIG. 15). The conveyance roller pair 36 rotates while nipping the sheet S extending from the tensioner 45 in the conveyance direction 8A, thereby sending it out in the conveyance direction 8A along the conveyance surface 43A. The transport roller pair 40 rotates while nipping the sheet S sent out from the transport roller pair 36, thereby sending it out in the transport direction 8A. Further, due to the rotation of the pair of conveyance rollers 36 and 40, the sheet S is pulled out from the sheet storage space 32C through the gap 42 toward the tensioner 45.

As shown in FIG. 2, a conveyance path 43 extending from the upper end of the outer circumferential surface 45A to the discharge port 33 is formed in the internal space 32A. The conveyance path 43 extends substantially linearly along the conveyance direction 8A, and is a space through which the sheet S can pass. Specifically, the conveyance path 43 extends along a conveyance surface 43A that extends in the conveyance direction 8A and the left-right direction 9 and is long in the conveyance direction 8A. In addition, in FIG. 2, the conveyance surface 43A is shown by a two-dot chain line indicating the conveyance path 43. The conveyance path 43 is divided by guide members (not shown) located apart in the vertical direction 7, the head 38, the conveyance belt 101, the support member 46, the heater 39, and the like. That is, the head 38, the conveyance belt 101, the support member 46, and the heater 39 are located along the conveyance path 43.

The head 38 is located above the conveyance path 43 and on the downstream side of the conveyance roller pair 36 in the conveyance direction 8A. The head 38 has a plurality of nozzles 38A. Ink is ejected downward from the plurality of nozzles 38A toward the sheet S supported by the conveyor belt 101. As a result, an image is recorded on the sheet S. The configuration of head 38 will be explained in detail later.

The first support mechanism 51 is located below the conveyance path 43 and downstream of the conveyance roller pair 36 in the conveyance direction 8A. The first support mechanism 51 is located below the head 38 and faces the head 38 . The first support mechanism 51 includes a conveyor belt 101 and a support section 104. The conveyance belt 101 supports the sheet S that is conveyed in the conveyance direction 8A by the conveyance roller pair 36 and positioned directly below the head 38. The conveyance belt 101 conveys the supported sheet S in the conveyance direction 8A. The support part 104 can support the maintenance mechanism 60. The configuration of the first support mechanism 51 will be explained in detail later.

The heater 39 is located below the conveyance path 43, downstream of the head 38 in the conveyance direction 8A, and upstream of the conveyance roller pair 40 in the conveyance direction 8A. The heater 39 is supported by the frame in front of the first support mechanism 51 and extends in the left-right direction 9. The heater 39 includes a heat transfer plate (not shown) and a film heater (not shown). The heat transfer plate is made of metal and has a support surface that extends in the front, rear, left, and right directions at approximately the same vertical position as the conveyance surface 108 of the conveyance belt 101 . The sheet S sent out from the first support mechanism 51 is conveyed forward on the support surface of the heat transfer plate. The film heater is fixed to the lower surface of the heat transfer plate and generates heat under the control of the controller 130. This heat is transferred to the sheet S on the heat transfer plate via the heat transfer plate.

Heat from the heater 39 is recovered by a duct 145 located above the heater 39. The duct 145 is disposed above the conveyance path 43, downstream of the head 38 in the conveyance direction 8A, and upstream of the conveyance roller pair 40.

The support member 46 is located below the conveyance path 43. The support member 46 is located downstream of the head 38 and the first support mechanism 51 in the transport direction 8A. A heater 39 is located at the rear of the support member 46. The front portion of the support member 46 faces the conveyance roller 40A. The support member 46 supports the sheet S conveyed in the conveyance direction 8A by the conveyance belt 101 of the first support mechanism 51.

The support member 46 is supported by the lower housing 32 so as to be rotatable around a shaft (not shown) extending in the left-right direction 9 . As shown in FIG. 3, when the upper housing 31 is in the open position, the support member 46 is rotatable between a collapsed position shown in solid lines in FIG. 3 and an upright position shown in broken lines in FIG. .

When the support member 46 is in the collapsed position, the rotation tip 46B of the support member 46 is located forward of the rotation base 46A (downstream in the transport direction 8A). When the support member 46 is in the collapsed position, the support member 46 constitutes a part of the conveyance path 43 and is capable of supporting the sheet S conveyed in the conveyance direction 8A by the conveyance belt 101. When the support member 46 is in the upright position, the rotating tip 46B of the support member 46 is located higher than when the support member 46 is in the collapsed position, and the maintenance mechanism 60 can be exposed to the outside.

Note that in this embodiment, the shaft of the support member 46 is provided at the rear end of the support member 46 and extends in the left-right direction 9, but the shaft is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the shaft of the support member 46 may be provided at the front end of the support member 46 and extend in the left-right direction 9. Further, for example, the axis of the support member 46 may extend in the front-rear direction 8.

The second support mechanism 52 is located below the support member 46 and is fixed inside the lower housing 32 by being supported by the lower housing 32. The second support mechanism 52 can support the maintenance mechanism 60. The configuration of the second support mechanism 52 will be explained in detail later.

The CIS 25 is located above the transport path 43 and downstream of the transport roller pair 40 in the transport direction 8A. CIS25 generates an electric signal according to the intensity of the reflected light received by the line sensor by condensing the reflected light emitted from a light source such as an LED and reflected by a sheet onto the line sensor using a gradient index lens. This outputs the following. This allows the CIS 25 to read the image on the printed surface of the sheet. The CIS 25 is arranged so that the left-right direction 9 serves as a reading line.

The cutter unit 26 is located above the conveyance path 43 and downstream of the CIS 25 in the conveyance direction 8A. The cutter unit 26 has a cutter 28 mounted on a cutter carriage 27. The cutter carriage 27 moves in the left-right direction 9 on the conveyance path 43 by a belt drive mechanism (not shown) or the like. The cutter 28 is located across the conveyance path 43 in the vertical direction 7, and moves along the conveyance path 43 in the left-right direction 9 as the cutter carriage 27 moves. By moving the cutter 28, the sheet S located on the conveyance path 43 is cut along the left-right direction 9.

The ink tank 34 stores ink. Ink is a liquid containing pigments and the like. The ink has a viscosity suitable for uniformly dispersing the pigment. The pigment gives the ink its color. Ink is supplied from the ink tank 34 to the head 38 through a tube (not shown).

The maintenance mechanism 60 is for maintaining the head 38. The maintenance mechanism 60 is configured to be movable, and is moved directly below the head 38 when maintenance of the head 38 is performed (see FIG. 13).

Maintenance of the head 38 includes purging, dipping, wiping, and the like. As shown in FIG. 13, the purge process is a process in which the nozzle 38A is covered with a cap 62, which will be described later, of the maintenance mechanism 60, and ink is sucked from the nozzle 38A by the cap pump 74. The immersion process is a process in which the nozzle 38A is immersed in a cleaning liquid supplied to the cap 62 with the cap 62 covering the nozzle 38A. In the wiping process, as shown in FIG. 14, a sponge wiper 64 (an example of a water-absorbing wiper) and a rubber wiper 63 (described later) of the maintenance mechanism 60 wipe the lower surface 50 (an example of a nozzle surface) of the discharge module 49 (described later) of the head 38. This is a process to wipe it out. The configuration of the maintenance mechanism 60 will be explained in detail later.

[Head 38]
The head 38 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the left-right direction 9. The head 38 shown in FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the head 38 includes a frame 48 and three ejection modules 49A, 49B, and 49C. Hereinafter, the three discharge modules 49A, 49B, and 49C are also collectively referred to as the discharge module 49. Note that the number of discharge modules 49 is not limited to three, and may be one, for example.

The frame 48 is fixed to the lower housing 32. As shown in FIG. 4, the frame 48 is arranged from the right side of the conveyance path 43 to the left side of the conveyance path 43.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the discharge module 49 is supported by a frame 48. As shown in FIGS. Three openings are formed in the lower surface 48A of the frame 48. Each discharge module 49A, 49B, 49C is arranged so that its lower surface is located at the opening. Thereby, the lower surface of the discharge module 49 is exposed downward. The discharge module 49 is arranged within the conveyance path 43 in the left-right direction 9 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the discharge modules 49A and 49B are arranged at the same position in the transport direction 8A. The discharge modules 49A and 49B are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction 9. The discharge module 49C is arranged downstream of the discharge modules 49A and 49B in the transport direction 8A. The discharge module 49C is arranged between two discharge modules 49A and 49B adjacent to each other in the left-right direction 9. The left end of the discharge module 49C is located to the left of the right end of the discharge module 49A. The right end of the discharge module 49C is located to the right of the left end of the discharge module 49B. That is, in the left-right direction 9, the end of the discharge module 49C and the ends of the discharge modules 49A and 49B overlap.

Each discharge module 49A, 49B, 49C includes a plurality of nozzles 38A. Each nozzle 38A is opened on the lower surface 50 of each discharge module 49A, 49B, 49C. The lower surface 50 is a surface that extends in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9. The lower surface 50 is made of metal. This makes it easier to form an ink meniscus on the lower surface 50 during the flushing process after the wiping process, which will be described later. The flushing process is a process in which ink is ejected toward the cap 62. Ink is ejected downward from the plurality of nozzles 38A toward the sheet S supported by the transport belt 101 of the first support mechanism 51, and an image is recorded on the sheet S. Note that the arrangement and number of the plurality of nozzles 38A are not limited to the arrangement and number shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.

The head 38 is positioned along the vertical direction 7 at a recording position shown in FIGS. 2 and 10 to 12, a capping position shown in FIG. 13, a wiping position shown by a solid line in FIG. Move to the upper retracted position indicated by the broken line. The recording position is the position of the head 38 when recording an image on the sheet S supported by the conveyor belt 101. The capped position is the position of the head 38 when the discharge module 49 is covered by the cap 62 of the maintenance mechanism 60. The capped position is a position above the recording position (a position farther from the first support mechanism 51 than the recording position). The wiped position is the position of the head 38 when the sponge wiper 64 and rubber wiper 63 of the maintenance mechanism 60 wipe the lower surface 50 of the discharge module 49. The wiped position is a position above the capped position. The upper retracted position is the position of the head 38 when the head 38 is completely separated from the maintenance mechanism 60. The upper retracted position is a position above the wiped position.

As shown in FIG. 2, the head 38 is moved by a ball screw 29. The ball screw 29 includes a screw shaft 29A and a nut member 29B. The screw shaft 29A is rotatably supported by the lower housing 32 around an axis along the vertical direction 7. The screw shaft 29A rotates by receiving driving force from the head motor 54 (see FIG. 15). The nut member 29B is screwed onto the screw shaft 29A. The nut member 29B is fixed to the head 38. The nut member 29B moves upward when the screw shaft 29A rotates in the normal direction, and moves downward when the screw shaft 29A rotates in the reverse direction. The head 38 moves up and down together with the nut member 29B. Note that in order to prevent the head 38 from rotating due to the rotation of the ball screw 29, a pair of plates sandwiching the head 38 are arranged in the internal space 32A. Further, the configuration for vertically moving the head 38 is not limited to the configuration using the ball screw 29, and various known configurations can be adopted.

[First support mechanism 51]
As shown in FIGS. 2, 5, and 6, the first support mechanism 51 includes a conveyor belt 101, a drive roller 102, a driven roller 103, a support section 104, a gear 105, and a gear 106. Note that in each figure, illustration of the teeth of the gears 105 and 106 is omitted.

The drive roller 102 and the driven roller 103 are rotatably supported by a support section 104. The drive roller 102 and the driven roller 103 are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction 8 (conveyance direction 8A). The conveyor belt 101 is an endless belt. The conveyor belt 101 is stretched around a driving roller 102 and a driven roller 103 . The conveyance belt 101 is arranged within the conveyance path 43 in the left-right direction 9 .

The drive roller 102 is rotated by the driving force provided by the conveyance motor 53 (see FIG. 15), and rotates the conveyance belt 101. As the conveyor belt 101 rotates, the driven roller 103 rotates. The conveyor belt 101 has a conveyor surface 108. The conveying surface 108 is an upper portion of the outer circumferential surface of the conveying belt 101, and extends along the conveying direction 8A. The conveyance surface 108 faces the nozzle 38A of the head 38 with the conveyance path 43 in between. The drive roller 102 rotates so that the conveyance surface 108 moves in the conveyance direction 8A. Further, the conveying surface 108 supports the sheet S conveyed between the pair of conveying rollers 36 and 40 from below, and applies a conveying force to the sheet S. Thereby, the conveyance belt 101 conveys the sheet S located on the conveyance path 43 in the conveyance direction 8A along the conveyance surface 108.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the support portion 104 includes a shaft 109A. The shaft 109A is rotatably supported by the lower housing 32. The shaft 109A extends in the left-right direction 9 (a direction perpendicular to the transport direction 8A and parallel to the lower surface 50 of the discharge module 49). The shaft 109A is provided upstream of the drive roller 102 in the conveyance direction 8A. The shaft 109A is located below the conveyance roller pair 36.

The shaft 109A rotates by receiving driving force from the shaft motor 59 (see FIG. 15). By rotating the shaft 109A, the support portion 104 rotates around the shaft 109A. As the support portion 104 rotates, the conveyor belt 101, drive roller 102, driven roller 103, gear 105, and gear 106 also rotate. In other words, the first support mechanism 51 rotates. The rotating tip 51A of the first support mechanism 51 is located downstream of the shaft 109A in the transport direction 8A.

The first support mechanism 51 is rotatable between a first rotation position shown in FIGS. 2, 13, and 14 and a second rotation position shown in FIGS. 10 to 12.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the first support mechanism 51 is in the first rotation position, the conveying surface 108 of the conveying belt 101 extends along the front-rear direction 8. Thereby, the conveyance belt 101 can convey the sheet S located on the conveyance path 43 forward and send it between the heater 39 and the support member 46 . As shown in FIG. 2, when the first support mechanism 51 is in the first attitude, the conveying surface 108 of the conveying belt 101 extends along the front-rear direction 8. Thereby, the conveyance belt 101 can convey the sheet S located on the conveyance path 43 forward and send it to the support member 46 .

As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, when the first support mechanism 51 is in the second rotation position, the rotation tip 51A of the first support mechanism 51 is in the first rotation position (see FIG. 2). It is located at the bottom. As a result, the conveying surface 108 of the conveying belt 101 extends along the inclined direction 6 which goes downward as it goes forward. Note that the inclination direction 6 is a direction that is perpendicular to the left-right direction 9 and intersects with the conveyance direction 8A.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the support section 104 includes a main body 109 and vertical walls 110, 111. In addition, in the following description of the support part 104, it is assumed that the first support mechanism 51 is in the second rotation position. The main body 109 is a generally plate-shaped member and includes a shaft 109A. The standing wall 110 is erected upward from the left end of the main body 109. The standing wall 111 is erected upward from the right end of the main body 109. The vertical walls 110 and 111 extend along the inclination direction 6.

The vertical walls 110 and 111 are arranged outside the conveyance path 43 in the left-right direction 9. The vertical walls 110 and 111 rotatably support the driving roller 102 and the driven roller 103.

The standing wall 110 includes an upper surface 110A. The standing wall 111 includes a first upper surface 111A and a second upper surface 111B. The second upper surface 111B is located at a different position from the first upper surface 111A in the left-right direction 9. The upper surface 110A and the first upper surface 111A support the maintenance mechanism 60 and guide the movement of the maintenance mechanism 60. The second upper surface 111B is located at a position where it can face a rack 154, which will be described later, of the maintenance mechanism 60. An opening 112 is formed in the second upper surface 111B. A portion of the gear 105A protrudes upward from the opening 112. The gear 105A can mesh with a rack 154 located at an opposing position.

As shown in FIG. 6, the gears 105 and 106 are rotatably supported by the support portion 104 of the first support mechanism 51. As shown in FIG. The gear 105 is composed of gears 105A and 105B lined up along the left-right direction 9. Gear 105A and gear 105B are arranged coaxially with each other. Gear 105A rotates together with gear 105B. Note that the gear 105A may have play in the rotational direction with respect to the gear 105B. Gear 105B meshes with gear 106. The gear 106 is connected to the first motor 55 (see FIG. 15, an example of a motor) directly or via another gear, and is provided with driving force from the first motor 55.

[Second support mechanism 52]
As shown in FIG. 2, the second support mechanism 52 is arranged so as to extend in the inclination direction 6 as a whole.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the second support mechanism 52 includes a main body 115, vertical walls 116, 117, and gears 118, 119, 120. In addition, in each figure, illustration of the teeth of the gears 118, 119, and 120 is omitted.

The main body 115 is a generally plate-shaped member and is fixed to the lower housing 32. The standing wall 116 is erected upward from the left end of the main body 115. The standing wall 117 is erected upward from the right end of the main body 115. The vertical walls 116 and 117 extend along the inclination direction 6.

The standing wall 116 is at the same position as the standing wall 110 of the first support mechanism 51 in the left-right direction 9. The standing wall 117 is at the same position as the standing wall 111 of the first support mechanism 51 in the left-right direction 9 .

The standing wall 116 includes an upper surface 116A. The standing wall 117 includes a first upper surface 117A and a second upper surface 117B. The second upper surface 117B is located at a different position from the first upper surface 117A in the left-right direction 9.

When the first support mechanism 51 is in the second rotation position, the first upper surface 117A is aligned with the first upper surface 111A of the vertical wall 111 of the first support mechanism 51 along the inclination direction 6, and is aligned with the first upper surface 111A. are on the same plane. That is, the first upper surface 117A and the first upper surface 111A are linearly aligned. When the first support mechanism 51 is in the second rotation position, the second upper surface 117B is aligned with the second upper surface 111B of the vertical wall 111 of the first support mechanism 51 along the inclination direction 6, and is aligned with the second upper surface 111B. are on the same plane. That is, the second upper surface 117B and the second upper surface 111B are linearly aligned.

The upper surface 116A and the first upper surface 117A support the maintenance mechanism 60 and guide the movement of the maintenance mechanism 60. The second upper surface 117B is located at a position where it can face the rack 154 of the maintenance mechanism 60. As shown in FIG. 5, openings 123 and 124 are formed in the second upper surface 117B. The opening 124 is located in front of the opening 123. A portion of the gear 118 protrudes upward from the opening 123. A portion of the gear 119 protrudes upward from the opening 124. Gears 118 and 119 can mesh with racks 154 located at opposing positions.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the gears 118, 119, and 120 are rotatably supported by the main body 115 of the second support mechanism 52. As shown in FIGS. The gear 118 includes gears 118A and 118B arranged along the left-right direction 9. Gear 118A and gear 118B are arranged coaxially with each other. Gear 118A rotates together with gear 118B. Note that the gear 118A may have play in the rotational direction with respect to the gear 118B. The gear 119 is composed of gears 119A and 119B arranged along the left-right direction 9. Gear 119A and gear 119B are arranged coaxially with each other. Gear 119A rotates together with gear 119B. Note that the gear 119A may have play in the rotational direction with respect to the gear 119B. Gear 120 meshes with gears 118B and 119B. Thereby, when gear 120 rotates, gears 118 and 119 rotate in the same direction. The gear 120 is connected to the second motor 56 directly or via another gear, and receives driving force from the second motor 56.

[Maintenance mechanism 60]
As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the maintenance mechanism 60 includes a support 61, a sponge wiper 64, a rubber wiper 63, a cap 62, a cleaning tank 76, a waste liquid tank 77, a wiper channel 175, a wiper pump 75, and a cap channel 177. , and a cap pump 74. In the following description of the maintenance mechanism 60, it is assumed that the maintenance mechanism 60 is supported by the first support mechanism 51 and the second support mechanism 52 at the second rotation position.

[Support 61]
The support body 61 includes a bottom pedestal 61A, a main body 61B placed on the bottom pedestal 61A, and a wiper holder 61C that holds the sponge wiper 64 and the rubber wiper 63 on the main body 61B. The bottom pedestal 61A has a box shape with an open top. The bottom stand 61A includes a first bottom plate 121, a first edge plate 122 erected upward from the periphery of the first bottom plate 121, an extending piece 125, and a rack 154.

The first bottom plate 121 has a flat plate shape that extends in the inclination direction 6 and the left-right direction 9 . The upper and lower surfaces of the first bottom plate 121 are formed into a rectangular shape that is longer in the left-right direction 9 than in the inclination direction 6 . The lower surface of the first bottom plate 121 can come into contact with the upper surface 110A of the vertical wall 110 of the first support mechanism 51 from above. The lower surface of the first bottom plate 121 can come into contact with the first upper surface 111A of the vertical wall 111 from above. Thereby, the maintenance mechanism 60 can be supported by the first support mechanism 51. The lower surface of the first bottom plate 121 can come into contact with the upper surface 116A of the vertical wall 116 of the second support mechanism 52 from above. The lower surface of the first bottom plate 121 can come into contact with the first upper surface 117A of the vertical wall 117 of the second support mechanism 52 from above. Thereby, the maintenance mechanism 60 can be supported by the second support mechanism 52.

The first edge plate 122 has a rectangular frame shape in plan view. The extending piece 125 extends rightward from the lower end of the right wall of the first edge plate 122. The extending piece 125 extends from one end of the right wall of the first edge plate 122 in the inclination direction 6 to the other end.

The rack 154 is formed on the lower surface of the extending piece 125. As shown in FIG. 9, the rack 154 extends from one end of the extension piece 125 in the inclined direction 6 to near the other end. The rack 154 can vertically face the second upper surface 111B of the vertical wall 111 of the first support mechanism 51 (see FIG. 6).

The rack 154 can mesh with the gear 105A protruding from the opening 112 of the second upper surface 111B. By rotating the gear 105A while the rack 154 and the gear 105A are in mesh with each other, the maintenance mechanism 60 slides with respect to the first support mechanism 51 along the upper surface 110A and the first upper surface 111A. That is, the movement of the maintenance mechanism 60 is guided by the upper surface 110A and the first upper surface 111A of the first support mechanism 51.

The rack 154 can vertically face the second upper surface 117B of the vertical wall 117 of the second support mechanism 52. The rack 154 can mesh with a gear 118A protruding from the opening 123 of the second upper surface 117B and a gear 119A protruding from the opening 124 of the second upper surface 117B. By rotating the gear 105A with the rack 154 and at least one of the gears 118A and 119A meshing with each other, the maintenance mechanism 60 slides along the upper surface 116A and the first upper surface 117A with respect to the second support mechanism 52. . That is, the movement of the maintenance mechanism 60 is guided by the upper surface 116A of the second support mechanism 52 and the first upper surface 111A.

Thereby, the maintenance mechanism 60 can be moved to a standby position shown in FIGS. 2 and 10, a maintenance position shown in FIG. 13, and a wiping position shown in FIG. 14, as described later. The maintenance mechanism 60 at the maintenance position and the wiping position faces the lower surface 50 of the ejection module 49 of the head 38 in the vertical direction 7 .

As shown in FIG. 8, the main body 61B has a substantially box-like shape with an open upper part. The main body 61B is smaller than the base 61A. The main body 61B is fixed to the base 61A while being placed on the upper surface of the first bottom plate 121 of the base 61A. The main body 61B includes a second bottom plate 151 and a second edge plate 152 erected upward from the second bottom plate 151.

The second bottom plate 151 has a flat plate shape that extends in the inclination direction 6 and the left-right direction 9 . The upper and lower surfaces of the second bottom plate 151 are formed in a rectangular shape that is longer in the left-right direction than in the inclination direction 6. The second edge plate 152 has a rectangular frame shape in plan view. The second edge plate 152 has a first wall 152A, a second wall 152B, a third wall 152C, and a fourth wall 152D.

The first wall portion 152A extends along the left-right direction 9 at the end edge of the second bottom plate 151 on the rearward slope direction 4 side. The left end of the first wall portion 152A is spaced from the left edge of the second bottom plate 151 toward the right. The right end of the first wall portion 152A is spaced leftward from the right edge of the second bottom plate 151.

The second wall portion 152B extends along the left-right direction 9 at the edge of the second bottom plate 151 on the forward inclination direction 5 side. The left end of the second wall portion 152B is spaced rightward from the left edge of the second bottom plate 151. The right end of the second wall portion 152B is spaced leftward from the right edge of the second bottom plate 151. The third wall 152C connects the left end of the first wall 152A and the left end of the second wall 152B. The fourth wall 152D connects the right end of the first wall 152A and the right end of the second wall 152B.

The wiper holder 61C is a member that holds the three sponge wipers 64A, 64B, 64C and the three rubber wipers 63A, 63B, 63C on the main body 61B. The wiper holder 61C is attached to the upper surface of the second bottom plate 151 of the main body 61B with three sponge wipers 64A, 64B, 64C and three rubber wipers 63A, 63B, 63C attached thereto.

[Sponge wiper 64]
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the sponge wiper 64 is supported on the upper surface of the second bottom plate 151 of the main body 61B. The sponge wiper 64 is made of a sponge, which is a porous body that absorbs and retains liquid. In this embodiment, three sponge wipers 64 (64A, 64B, 64C) are provided. Note that the number of sponge wipers 64 is not limited to three, and is set in accordance with the number of ejection modules 49 of the head 38 described above. Hereinafter, the three sponge wipers 64A, 64B, and 64C are also collectively referred to as the sponge wiper 64. The sponge wiper 64 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape in which the length in the left-right direction 9 is longer than the length in the inclination direction 6 and the up-down direction 7 . The length of the sponge wiper 64 in the vertical direction 7 is longer than the length in the inclined direction 6.

The sponge wiper 64A corresponds to the discharge module 49A and can face the discharge module 49A in the vertical direction 7. The sponge wiper 64B corresponds to the discharge module 49B and can face the discharge module 49B in the vertical direction 7. The sponge wiper 64B is spaced from the sponge wiper 64A to the left. The sponge wiper 64C corresponds to the discharge module 49C and can face the discharge module 49C in the vertical direction 7. The sponge wiper 64C is spaced apart from the sponge wiper 64A and the sponge wiper 64B in the forward tilt direction 5. The sponge wiper 64C is located between the sponge wiper 64A and the sponge wiper 64B in the left-right direction 9.

[Rubber wiper 63]
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the rubber wiper 63 is supported on the upper surface of the second bottom plate 151 of the main body 61B. The rubber wiper 63 is made of rubber, which is an elastic body that does not absorb or retain liquid. In this embodiment, three rubber wipers 63 (63A, 63B, 63C) are provided. Note that the number of rubber wipers 63 is not limited to three, and is set in accordance with the number of ejection modules 49 of the head 38 described above. Hereinafter, the three rubber wipers 63A, 63B, and 63C are also collectively referred to as the rubber wiper 63.

The rubber wiper 63 is formed into a flat plate shape that extends in the vertical direction 7 and the horizontal direction 9. The length of the rubber wiper 63 in the inclined direction 6 is shorter than the length of the sponge wiper 64 in the inclined direction 6. Thereby, the rubber wiper 63 is easily bent when it comes into contact with the lower surface 50 of the discharge module 49 during the wiping process. The length of the rubber wiper 63 in the left-right direction 9 is slightly longer than the length of the sponge wiper 64 in the left-right direction 9.

The rubber wiper 63A corresponds to the discharge module 49A and can face the discharge module 49A in the vertical direction 7. The rubber wiper 63A is arranged on the upper surface of the second bottom plate 151 of the main body 61B at a distance from the sponge wiper 64A in the backward inclined direction 4. Both ends of the rubber wiper 63A in the left-right direction 9 are located further outside in the left-right direction 9 than both ends of the sponge wiper 64A in the left-right direction 9. The height of the rubber wiper 63A is the same as the height of the sponge wiper 64A. The upper end of the rubber wiper 63A is tapered. This allows the upper end of the rubber wiper 63A to easily come into contact with the lower surface 50 of the discharge module 49A during the wiping process.

The rubber wiper 63B corresponds to the discharge module 49B and can face the discharge module 49B in the vertical direction 7. The rubber wiper 63B is arranged on the upper surface of the second bottom plate 151 of the main body 61B at a distance from the sponge wiper 64B in the backward inclined direction 4. Both ends of the rubber wiper 63B in the left-right direction 9 are located further outside in the left-right direction 9 than both ends of the sponge wiper 64B in the left-right direction 9. The height of the rubber wiper 63B is the same as the height of the sponge wiper 64B. The upper end of the rubber wiper 63B is tapered. This allows the upper end of the rubber wiper 63B to easily come into contact with the lower surface 50 of the discharge module 49B during the wiping process.

The rubber wiper 63C corresponds to the discharge module 49C and can face the discharge module 49C in the vertical direction 7. The rubber wiper 63C is arranged on the upper surface of the second bottom plate 151 of the main body 61B at a distance from the sponge wiper 64C in the backward inclined direction 4. Both ends of the rubber wiper 63C in the left-right direction 9 are located further outside in the left-right direction 9 than both ends of the sponge wiper 64C in the left-right direction 9. The height of the rubber wiper 63C is the same as the height of the sponge wiper 64C. The upper end of the rubber wiper 63C is tapered. This allows the upper end of the rubber wiper 63C to easily come into contact with the lower surface 50 of the discharge module 49C during the wiping process.

[Cap 62]
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the cap 62 is supported on the upper surface of the second bottom plate 151 of the main body 61B. A plurality of caps 62 are provided. In this embodiment, the cap 62 is composed of three caps 62A, 62B, and 62C. Note that the number of caps 62 is not limited to three, and is set in accordance with the number of ejection modules 49 of the head 38 described above. Hereinafter, the three caps 62A, 62B, and 62C will also be collectively referred to as caps 62.

The cap 62 is made of an elastic material such as rubber or silicone. The cap 62 has a box shape with an open top.

The cap 62A corresponds to the discharge module 49A and can face the discharge module 49A in the vertical direction 7. The cap 62A is spaced from the sponge wiper 64A in the forward inclined direction 5. The bottom plate 69 of the cap 62A is formed with an inlet through which the cleaning liquid flows into the cap 62A and an outlet through which the cleaning liquid L flows out from the cap 62A.

The cap 62B corresponds to the discharge module 49B and can face the discharge module 49B in the vertical direction 7. The cap 62B is spaced from the sponge wiper 64B in the forward inclined direction 5. The bottom plate 69 of the cap 62B is formed with an inlet through which the cleaning liquid L flows into the cap 62B and an outlet through which the cleaning liquid L flows out from the cap 62B.

The cap 62C corresponds to the discharge module 49C and can face the discharge module 49C in the vertical direction 7. The cap 62C is spaced from the sponge wiper 64C in the forward inclined direction 5. The bottom plate 69 of the cap 62C is formed with an inlet through which the cleaning liquid L flows into the cap 62C and an outlet through which the cleaning liquid L flows out from the cap 62C.

[Cleaning tank 76]
The cleaning tank 76 is arranged in the internal space 32A of the housing 30 (see FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 7, the cleaning tank 76 stores the cleaning liquid L. The cleaning liquid L is used when cleaning the nozzle 38A of the head 38. A storage tank 307 is connected to the cleaning tank 76 through a tank communication path 308. The storage tank 307 stores cleaning liquid L for replenishing the cleaning liquid L to the cleaning tank 76 . A cleaning liquid replenishment valve 309 (an example of a second opening/closing valve) that opens and closes the tank communication passage 308 is arranged in the tank communication passage 308 . The cleaning liquid replenishment valve 309 is connected to the second valve motor 402 (see FIG. 15) directly or via another gear, and receives driving force from the second valve motor 402.

A remaining amount sensor 290 (an example of a sensor) for detecting the remaining amount of cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 76 is installed in the cleaning tank 76 (see FIG. 15). The remaining amount sensor 290 outputs an empty signal to the controller 130 when the level of the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 76 reaches a first predetermined position. The first predetermined position is set, for example, to the height of the liquid level when the remaining amount of the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 76 becomes 20%. The remaining amount sensor 290 outputs a charging signal (an example of a detection signal) to the controller 130 when the level of the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 76 reaches a second predetermined position (an example of a predetermined position). The second predetermined position is set, for example, to the height of the liquid level when the amount of cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 76 is full. The remaining amount sensor 290 is not particularly limited as long as it can detect the level of the cleaning liquid L at both the first predetermined position and the second predetermined position. For example, the remaining amount sensor 290 is provided with a prism whose light transmittance changes depending on whether the cleaning liquid L is in contact or not. It is also possible to detect the light transmitted through the prism that is not in contact with the prism. Further, the remaining amount sensor 290 is provided with a float whose position in the vertical direction changes depending on the position of the liquid level of the cleaning liquid L, and when the liquid level of the cleaning liquid L reaches a second predetermined position, the float It may also be something that detects.

The cleaning tank 76 is connected to an atmospheric communication passage 301 that communicates the inside and outside of the cleaning tank 76 . The atmospheric communication path 301 communicates with the outside via the ink chamber 34A of the ink tank 34. Specifically, the atmosphere communication path 301 includes a first atmosphere communication section 301A that connects the cleaning tank 76 and the ink tank 34, and a second atmosphere communication section 301B that communicates the ink tank 34 with the atmosphere. One end of the first atmospheric communication section 301A is open to the upper wall 76B of the cleaning tank 76. The other end of the first atmospheric communication section 301A is open to the upper surface 34AA of the ink chamber 34A of the ink tank 34. One end of the second atmosphere communication section 301B opens to the upper surface 34AA of the ink chamber 34A at a position different from the other end of the first atmosphere communication section 301A. The other end of the second atmospheric communication section 301B is open to the atmosphere.

An atmosphere release valve 302 (an example of a first opening/closing valve) that opens and closes the first atmosphere communication section 301A is arranged in the first atmosphere communication section 301A. The atmosphere release valve 302 is connected to a first valve motor 303 (see FIG. 15) directly or via another gear, and receives driving force from the first valve motor 303.

A branch passage 304 branching from the atmosphere release side of the atmosphere release valve 302 is provided in the first atmosphere communication portion 301A. The branch passage 304 is connected to the downstream end of a first waste liquid tube 177D, which will be described later. A suction pump 305 is disposed in the branch passage 304 to suck air in the cleaning tank 76 through the first atmospheric communication section 301A. The air sucked by the suction pump 305 is discharged to the atmosphere through the first atmosphere communication section 301A, the branch passage 304, the first waste liquid tube 177D, and the waste liquid tank 77. The suction pump 305 is connected to a fourth pump motor 306 (see FIG. 15) directly or via another gear, and is provided with driving force from the fourth pump motor 306.

[Waste liquid tank 77]
The waste liquid tank 77 is arranged in the internal space 32A of the housing 30 (see FIG. 2). The waste liquid tank 77 is for storing the cleaning liquid L used for cleaning the nozzle 38A as waste liquid. The waste liquid tank 77 is open to the atmosphere.

[Wiper channel 175]
The wiper flow path 175 is a flow path through which the cleaning liquid L flows back between the cleaning tank 76 and the sponge wiper 64. Specifically, the wiper flow path 175 includes a first supply tube 175A, a flow path 175B, and a return tube 175C. The first supply tube 175A connects the cleaning tank 76 and the flow path 175B. One end of the first supply tube 175A has a supply port 175AA that opens into the cleaning tank 76. The other end of the first supply tube 175A is connected to the upstream end 175BA of the flow path 175B.

As shown in FIG. 7, the flow path 175B is formed in the main body 61B of the support body 61. The flow path 175B is a groove recessed downward from the upper surface of the second bottom plate 151 of the main body 61B. In plan view, the flow path 175B has a continuous U-shape that extends in the left-right direction 9 and is folded back in a U-turn. On the flow path 175B, a sponge wiper 64A, a sponge wiper 64B, and a sponge wiper 64C are arranged in order from the upstream side. In other words, the flow path 175B extends in series with the sponge wipers 64A, 64B, and 64C. The cleaning liquid L flowing through the channel 175B contacts the sponge wiper 64A, the sponge wiper 64B, and the sponge wiper 64C. In other words, the sponge wipers 64A, 64B, and 64C are supported on the upper surface of the second bottom plate 151 of the main body 61B so as to be in contact with the cleaning liquid L flowing through the flow path 175B.

The return tube 175C connects the flow path 175B and the cleaning tank 76. One end of the return tube 175C is connected to the downstream end 141C of the flow path 175B. The other end of the return tube 175C has a return port 175CC that opens into the cleaning tank 76. The return port 175CC of the return tube 175C is farther from the bottom surface 76A of the cleaning tank 76 than the supply port 175AA of the first supply tube 175A. In other words, the supply port 175AA of the first supply tube 175A is closer to the bottom surface 76A of the cleaning tank 76 than the return port 175CC of the return tube 175C.

[Wiper pump 75]
The wiper pump 75 is arranged in the wiper flow path 175. The wiper pump 75 circulates the cleaning liquid L between the cleaning tank 76 and the sponge wiper 64 through the wiper channel 175. The wiper pump 75 includes a supply pump 75A disposed on the first supply tube 175A and a return pump 75B disposed on the return tube 175C. The supply pump 75A and the return pump 75B are, for example, diaphragm pumps.

The supply pump 75A is connected to the second pump motor 401 (see FIG. 15) directly or via another gear, and is provided with driving force from the second pump motor 401. The supply pump 75A generates a pressurizing force to transfer the cleaning liquid L from the cleaning tank 76 toward the sponge wiper 64 through the first supply tube 175A and the flow path 175B. The pressurizing force is the pressure when the supply pump 75A and the return pump 75B are driven and the flow rate of the cleaning liquid L flowing through the wiper channel 175 becomes constant. The pressurizing force is measured by a pressure sensor (not shown) disposed downstream of the supply pump 75A in the first supply tube 175A. The pressure sensor outputs a signal according to the measured pressure to the controller 130. The pressurizing force and drive of the supply pump 75A are controlled by the controller 130.

The return pump 75B is connected directly or via another gear to the third pump motor 47 (see FIG. 15), and is provided with driving force from the third pump motor 47. The return pump 75B generates suction pressure to transfer the cleaning liquid L from the sponge wiper 64 toward the cleaning tank 76 through the flow path 175B and the return tube 175C. The suction pressure is the pressure when the supply pump 75A and the return pump 75B are driven and the flow rate of the cleaning liquid L flowing through the wiper channel 175 becomes constant. The suction pressure is measured by a pressure sensor (not shown) disposed upstream of the return pump 75B in the return tube 175C. The pressure sensor outputs a signal according to the measured pressure to the controller 130. The suction pressure of the return pump 75B is set to be higher than the pressing force of the supply pump 75A. In other words, the pressurizing force of the supply pump 75A is set to be lower than the suction pressure of the return pump 75B. The suction pressure and drive of return pump 75B are controlled by controller 130.

[Cap channel 177]
The cap channel 177 is a channel that connects the cleaning tank 76 to the waste liquid tank 77 via the cap 62. Specifically, the cap channel 177 includes a second supply tube 177A, a third supply tube 177B, a fourth supply tube 177C, a first waste tube 177D, a second waste tube 177E, and a third waste tube 177F.

The second supply tube 177A connects the cleaning tank 76 and the cap 62A. One end of the second supply tube 177A is connected to the inlet of the cap 62A. The other end of the second supply tube 177A is connected to the cleaning tank 76. A cap cleaning valve 72 is arranged on the second supply tube 177A. The cap cleaning valve 72 is located upstream of the branch point of the third supply tube 177B and the fourth supply tube 177C in the second supply tube 177A. The cap cleaning valve 72 is connected directly or via another gear to the third valve motor 71 (see FIG. 15), and receives driving force from the third valve motor 71. Opening and closing of the cap cleaning valve 72 is controlled by a controller 130.

The third supply tube 177B branches from the second supply tube 177A and is connected to the inlet of the cap 62B. The fourth supply tube 177C is branched from the second supply tube 177A and connected to the inlet of the cap 62C.

The first waste liquid tube 177D connects the cap 62A and the waste liquid tank 77. One end of the first waste liquid tube 177D is connected to the outlet of the cap 62A. The other end of the first waste liquid tube 177D is connected to the waste liquid tank 77.

The second waste liquid tube 177E joins the first waste liquid tube 177D from the cap 62B. One end of the second waste liquid tube 177E is connected to the outlet of the cap 62B. The other end of the second waste liquid tube 177E is connected to the first waste liquid tube 177D.

The third waste liquid tube 177F joins the first waste liquid tube 177D from the cap 62C. One end of the third waste liquid tube 177F is connected to the outlet of the cap 62C. The other end of the third waste liquid tube 177F is connected to the first waste liquid tube 177D.

[Cap pump 74]
The cap pump 74 is arranged in the cap channel 177. The cap pump 74 discharges the cleaning liquid L from the cleaning tank 76 through the cap flow path 177 to the waste liquid tank 77 via the cap 62 . The cap pump 74 is, for example, a tube pump. The cap pump 74 includes a first waste liquid pump 74A placed in the first waste liquid tube 177D, a second waste liquid pump 74B placed in the second waste liquid tube 177E, and a third waste liquid pump placed in the third waste liquid tube 177F. 74C. By driving the first waste liquid pump 74A, the second waste liquid pump 74B, and the third waste liquid pump 74C, the cleaning liquid L can be evenly sucked from the caps 62A, 62B, and 62C. Note that, hereinafter, the first waste liquid pump 74A, the second waste liquid pump 74B, and the third waste liquid pump 74C are also collectively referred to as the cap pump 74.

The first waste liquid pump 74A, the second waste liquid pump 74B, and the third waste liquid pump 74C are connected to the first pump motor 58 (see FIG. 15) via a plurality of gears, and receive driving force from the first pump motor 58. Granted.

The first waste liquid pump 74A generates suction pressure to transfer the cleaning liquid L from the cleaning tank 76 to the waste liquid tank 77 via the cap 62A through the second supply tube 177A and the first waste liquid tube 177D. The suction pressure of the first waste liquid pump 74A is determined when the first waste liquid pump 74A, the second waste liquid pump 74B, and the third waste liquid pump 74C are driven and the flow rate of the cleaning liquid L flowing through the cap channel 177 becomes constant. This is the pressure of The suction pressure of the first waste liquid pump 74A is measured by a pressure sensor (not shown) disposed upstream of the first waste liquid pump 74A in the first waste liquid tube 177D. The pressure sensor outputs a signal according to the measured pressure to the controller 130. The suction pressure and drive of the first waste liquid pump 74A are controlled by the controller 130.

The second waste liquid pump 74B transfers the cleaning liquid L from the cleaning tank 76 to the waste liquid tank 77 via the cap 62B through the second supply tube 177A, the third supply tube 177B, the third waste liquid tube 177E, and the first waste liquid tube 177D. Creates suction pressure. The suction pressure of the second waste liquid pump 74B is determined when the first waste liquid pump 74A, the second waste liquid pump 74B, and the third waste liquid pump 74C are driven and the flow rate of the cleaning liquid L flowing through the cap channel 177 becomes constant. This is the pressure of The suction pressure of the second waste liquid pump 74B is measured by a pressure sensor (not shown) disposed upstream of the second waste liquid pump 74B in the second waste liquid tube 177E. The pressure sensor outputs a signal according to the measured pressure to the controller 130. The suction pressure and drive of the second waste liquid pump 74B are controlled by the controller 130.

The third waste liquid pump 74C transfers the cleaning liquid L from the cleaning tank 76 to the waste liquid tank 77 via the cap 62C through the second supply tube 177A, the fourth supply tube 177C, the fourth waste liquid tube 177F, and the first waste liquid tube 177D. Creates suction pressure. The suction pressure of the third waste liquid pump 74C is determined when the first waste liquid pump 74A, the second waste liquid pump 74B, and the third waste liquid pump 74C are driven and the flow rate of the cleaning liquid L flowing through the cap channel 177 becomes constant. This is the pressure of The suction pressure of the third waste liquid pump 74C is measured by a pressure sensor (not shown) disposed upstream of the third waste liquid pump 74C in the third waste liquid tube 177F. The pressure sensor outputs a signal according to the measured pressure to the controller 130. The suction pressure and drive of the third waste liquid pump 74C are controlled by the controller 130.

The suction pressures of the first waste liquid pump 74A, the second waste liquid pump 74B, and the third waste liquid pump 74C are set to a pressure greater than the suction pressure of the return pump 75B. In other words, the suction pressure of the return pump 75B is smaller than the suction pressures of the first waste liquid pump 74A, the second waste liquid pump 74B, and the third waste liquid pump 74C.

[Controller 130]
As shown in FIG. 15, the controller 130 includes a CPU 131, a ROM 132, a RAM 133, an EEPROM 134, and an ASIC 135, which are connected by an internal bus 137. The ROM 132 stores programs for controlling various operations of the CPU 131. The RAM 133 is used as a storage area for temporarily recording data, signals, etc. used when the CPU 131 executes the above program, or as a work area for data processing. The EEPROM 134 stores settings, flags, etc. that should be retained even after the power is turned off.

The ASIC 135 includes a transport motor 53, a head motor 54, a first motor 55, a second motor 56, a first pump motor 58, a shaft motor 59, a first pump motor 58, a third pump motor 47, a second pump motor 401, A fourth pump motor 306, a first valve motor 303, a second valve motor 402, and a third valve motor 71 are connected. ASIC 135 can receive a maintenance signal output from cap sensor 501. The cap sensor 501 outputs a maintenance signal to the ASIC 135 when the maintenance mechanism 60 is in the maintenance position and the head 38 is in the capped position, that is, when the cap 62 covers the nozzle 38A.

The ASIC 135 generates a drive signal for rotating each motor, and controls each motor based on this drive signal. Each motor rotates forward or reverse in response to a drive signal from the ASIC 135. The controller 130 controls the drive of the conveyance motor 53 to rotate the holder 35, the conveyance roller 36A, the conveyance roller 40A, and the drive roller 102. The controller 130 controls the drive of the head motor 54, rotates the screw shaft 29A, and moves the head 38 along the vertical direction 7. The controller 130 controls the driving of the first motor 55 to rotate the gear 106 of the first support mechanism 51. The controller 130 controls the drive of the shaft motor 59 to rotate the first support mechanism 51 . The controller 130 controls the drive of the second motor 56 to rotate the gear 120 of the second support mechanism 52.

The controller 130 controls the driving of the first pump motor 58 to drive the cap pump 74. The controller 130 controls the third pump motor 47 to drive the return pump 75B. The controller 130 controls the drive of the second pump motor 401 to drive the supply pump 75A. The controller 130 controls the fourth pump motor 306 to drive the suction pump 305. The controller 130 controls the driving of the first valve motor 303 to open and close the atmospheric release valve 302. The controller 130 controls the second valve motor 402 to drive the cleaning liquid replenishment valve 309. The controller 130 controls the driving of the third valve motor 71 to open and close the cap cleaning valve 72.

The controller 130 can receive a timing signal output from the timer 502. A timer 502 measures the elapsed time of the purging process, dipping process, and wiping process. The timer 502 outputs a clock signal to the ASIC 135 according to the elapsed time. Note that the controller 130 may have a built-in timer 502.

Further, a piezoelectric element 57 is connected to the ASIC 135. The piezoelectric element 57 operates by being supplied with power by the controller 130 via a drive circuit (not shown). The controller 130 controls power supply to the piezoelectric element 57 and causes ink droplets to be selectively ejected from the plurality of nozzles 38A.

[Movement of maintenance mechanism 60]
The maintenance mechanism 60 is movable to the standby position along the inclination direction 6 by sliding relative to the second support mechanism 52 while being supported by the second support mechanism 52 . In other words, the second support mechanism 52 can support the maintenance mechanism 60 located at the standby position.

As shown in FIG. 2, the maintenance mechanism 60 in the standby position is located forward of the rotating tip 51A of the first support mechanism 51 (downstream in the transport direction 8A). In other words, the maintenance mechanism 60 in the standby position is located opposite the axis 109A of the first support mechanism 51 with respect to the rotating tip 51A of the first support mechanism 51.

The maintenance mechanism 60 is movable between a standby position and a maintenance position by being transferred between the second support mechanism 52 and the first support mechanism 51 at the second rotation position. The standby position is a position evacuated from the maintenance position.

As shown in FIG. 2, the second support mechanism 52 supports the maintenance mechanism 60 in the standby position. As shown in FIG. 13, the first support mechanism 51 supports the maintenance mechanism 60 at the maintenance position. As shown in FIG. 11, when the maintenance mechanism 60 is transferred between the second support mechanism 52 and the first support mechanism 51 at the second rotation position, the maintenance mechanism 60 is moved between the first support mechanism 51 and the second support mechanism 51. Supported by both parties. On the other hand, the maintenance mechanism 60 cannot be transferred between the second support mechanism 52 and the first support mechanism 51 at the first rotation position. That is, when the first support mechanism 51 is at the first rotation position, the maintenance mechanism 60 is not supported by both the first support mechanism 51 and the second support mechanism 52 at the same time.

As shown in FIG. 2, the maintenance mechanism 60 in the standby position is supported by the second support mechanism 52. At this time, the rack 154 is in mesh with both the gears 118 and 119. In this state, when the second motor 56 (see FIG. 15) is driven and the gear 120 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 2, the gears 118 and 119 rotate clockwise in FIG. 2. As a result, the maintenance mechanism 60 in the standby position moves in the backward tilt direction 4.

Here, as described above, when the first support mechanism 51 is at the second rotation position, the second support mechanism 52
The first upper surface 117A of the first support mechanism 51 is aligned with the first upper surface 111A of the first support mechanism 51 along the inclination direction 6, and the second upper surface 117B of the second support mechanism 52 is aligned with the second upper surface 111B of the first support mechanism 51. The top surface 116A of the second support mechanism 52 is lined up with the top surface 110A of the first support mechanism 51 along the slope direction 6.

When the maintenance mechanism 60 is supported only by the first support mechanism 51, the shaft motor 59 (see FIG. 15) is driven to move the first support mechanism 51 from the second rotation position to the first rotation position. Rotated. Thereby, the maintenance mechanism 60 is located at the maintenance position (see FIG. 13). The maintenance mechanism 60 at the maintenance position is located between the head 38 and the first support mechanism 51 at the first rotation position.

When the maintenance mechanism 60 moves from the maintenance position to the standby position, the operation opposite to the above is performed. That is, first, by driving the shaft motor 59 (see FIG. 15), the first support mechanism 51 is rotated from the first rotation position to the second rotation position (see FIG. 12). Next, when the first motor 55 and the second motor 56 (see FIG. 15) are driven and the gears 106, 120 rotate clockwise in FIG. 10, the gears 105, 118, 119 rotate counterclockwise in FIG. Rotate. As a result, the maintenance mechanism 60 supported by the first support mechanism 51 at the second rotation position moves in the forward tilt direction 5 and reaches the standby position (see FIG. 10).

The maintenance mechanism 60 moves between a maintenance position (an example of a first position) and a wiping position (a second position) by sliding relative to the first support mechanism 51 while being supported by the first support mechanism 51 at the first rotation position. (Example of location) The wiping position is a position ahead (on the standby position side) of the maintenance position. That is, the first support mechanism 51 can support the maintenance mechanism 60 located at the maintenance position, the wiping position, and between the above two positions.

As shown in FIG. 13, the maintenance mechanism 60 at the maintenance position is supported by the first support mechanism 51. At this time, the rack 154 is in mesh with the gear 105. When the first motor 55 is driven in this state and the gear 106 rotates clockwise in FIG. 13, the gear 105 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. As a result, the maintenance mechanism 60 at the maintenance position moves forward (downstream in the transport direction 8A) along the front-rear direction 8 (transport direction 8A) and reaches the wiping position (see FIG. 14).

In the process of the maintenance mechanism 60 moving from the maintenance position to the wiping position, the sponge wiper 64 and the rubber wiper 63 move while sequentially coming into contact with the lower surface 50 of the discharge module 49 of the head 38. That is, the sponge wiper 64 and the rubber wiper 63 slide on the lower surface 50. As a result, the lower surface 50 of the discharge module 49 is wiped by the sponge wiper 64 and the rubber wiper 63.

When the maintenance mechanism 60 is in the wiping position, when the first motor 55 is driven and the gear 106 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 14, the gear 105 rotates clockwise in FIG. As a result, the maintenance mechanism 60 at the wiping position moves rearward (upstream in the transport direction 8A) and reaches the maintenance position (see FIG. 13).

[Image recording processing]
Below, the process when an image is recorded on the sheet S (image recording process) will be explained.

When image recording processing is not being executed, the image recording apparatus 100 is in a standby state. In the standby state, as shown in FIG. 13, the head 38 is located at the capped position, the first support mechanism 51 is located at the first rotation position while supporting the maintenance mechanism 60, The maintenance mechanism 60 is located at the maintenance position. At this time, the cap 62 covers the nozzle 38A.

When the controller 130 receives a command to record an image on the sheet S from the operation panel 44 or an external device such as an information processing device connected to the image recording device 100 via a LAN, the controller 130 moves the maintenance mechanism 60 from the maintenance position to standby. move to position. Specifically, the controller 130 rotates the first support mechanism 51 from the first rotation position to the second rotation position (see FIG. 12), and then moves the maintenance mechanism 60 in the forward tilt direction 5. , moves the maintenance mechanism 60 to the standby position (see FIG. 10).

Next, the controller 130 rotates the first support mechanism 51 from the second rotation position to the first rotation position.

Next, the controller 130 moves the head 38 downward from the capped position to the recording position (see FIG. 2). Then, conveyance of the sheet S is started, and ink is ejected from the nozzle 38A with the sheet S positioned directly below the head 38. As a result, an image is recorded on the sheet S. The ink deposited on the sheet S is fixed on the sheet S by the heat of the heater 39 when passing through the heater 39. The further conveyed sheet S is checked for recorded images by the CIS 25, and then cut into a predetermined size by the cutter unit 26 and discharged.

[Maintenance of head 38]
In the following, maintenance of the head 38 will be explained. Specifically, the purge process involves sucking ink from the nozzle 38A, the immersion process involves immersing the nozzle 38A of the ejection module 49 in the cleaning liquid L, and the wiping process in which the sponge wiper 64 and the rubber wiper 63 wipe the bottom surface 50 of the ejection module 49 of the head 38. Processing is explained.

When image recording processing is not being executed, the image recording apparatus 100 is in a standby state. In the standby state, as shown in FIG. 13, the head 38 is located at the capped position, the first support mechanism 51 is located at the first rotation position while supporting the maintenance mechanism 60, The maintenance mechanism 60 is located at the maintenance position. At this time, the cap 62 covers the nozzle 38A. Further, at this time, the atmosphere release valve 302 and the cleaning liquid replenishment valve 309 are in a closed state.

The controller 130 executes the purging process, the dipping process, and the wiping process when it receives an instruction to perform maintenance on the head 38 from the outside while in a standby state, or at a predetermined timing. In the following, a process performed when the controller 130 receives an instruction to perform maintenance on the head 38 from the outside will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 16.

First, the controller 130 determines whether the nozzle 38A is covered with the cap 62 based on a maintenance signal from the cap sensor 501 (step S1). If the controller 130 does not receive a maintenance signal from the cap sensor 501 (NO), it determines that the nozzle 38A is not covered by the cap 62, and waits until it receives a signal from the cap sensor 501. When the controller 130 receives a signal from the cap sensor 501 (YES), the controller 130 determines that the nozzle 38A is covered by the cap 62, and advances the process to step S2.

[Purge process]
In step S2, purge processing is started. Specifically, the controller 130 first drives the third valve motor 71 (see FIG. 15) in the forward rotation direction to close the cap cleaning valve 72. Next, in step S3, the controller 130 drives the first pump motor 58 (see FIG. 15) to drive the cap pump 74. As a result, the ink in the nozzle 38A is sucked and passes from the space formed by the cap 62 and the lower surface 50 of the ejection module 49 through the first waste liquid tube 177D, the second waste liquid tube 177E, and the third waste liquid tube 177F. Ink is discharged into waste liquid tank 77. At this time, since the cap cleaning valve 72 is closed, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning tank 76 to the caps 62A, 62B, and 62C through the second supply tube 177A, the third supply tube 177B, and the fourth supply tube 177C. There isn't.

In step S4, the controller 130 causes the timer 502 to start measuring time. In step S5, the controller 130 determines based on the clock signal from the timer 502 whether a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) has elapsed. If the controller 130 determines that the predetermined time has not elapsed (NO), it waits until the predetermined time has elapsed. If the controller 130 determines that the predetermined time has elapsed (YES), the controller 130 advances the process to step S6.

[Soaking treatment]
In step S6, the controller 130 ends the purge process and starts the immersion process. Specifically, the controller 130 drives the third valve motor 71 in the reverse rotation direction to open the cap cleaning valve 72. As a result, the cleaning liquid L is supplied from the cleaning tank 76 to the caps 62A, 62B, and 62C through the second supply tube 177A, the third supply tube 177B, and the fourth supply tube 177C, and the nozzle 38A of the discharge module 49 is immersed in the cleaning liquid L. be done.

In step S7, driving of the first pump motor 58 is stopped, and the cap pump 74 is stopped. In step S8, the controller 130 causes the timer 502 to start measuring time. In step S9, the controller 130 determines based on the clock signal from the timer 502 whether a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds) has elapsed. If the controller 130 determines that the predetermined time has not elapsed (NO), it waits until the predetermined time has elapsed. As a result, the ink adhering to the nozzle 38A in the caps 62A, 62B, and 62C is dissolved in the cleaning liquid L. If the controller 130 determines that the predetermined time has elapsed (YES), the controller 130 advances the process to step S10. In step S10, the first pump motor 58 is driven to drive the cap pump 74. As a result, the ink dissolved in the cleaning liquid L in the caps 62A, 62B, and 62C is discharged together with the cleaning liquid L into the waste liquid tank 77. In step S11, the controller 130 stops driving the first pump motor 58, stops the cap pump 74, and closes the cap cleaning valve 72. This completes the dipping process.

[Wiping process]
In step S12, the controller 130 starts a wiping process. Specifically, the controller 130 first drives the head motor 54 (see FIG. 15) to rotate the screw shaft 29A in the normal direction. As a result, the head 38 moves upward from the capping position to the wiping position. As a result, the cap 62 is separated from the lower surface 50 of the discharge module 49.

Next, in step S13, the controller 130 drives the second pump motor 401 and the third pump motor 47 (see FIG. 15) to drive the supply pump 75A and the return pump 75B. Thereby, the cleaning liquid L is supplied from the cleaning tank 76 to the sponge wipers 64A, 64B, and 64C through the first supply tube 175A and the flow path 175B. As a result, the cleaning liquid L is sucked into the sponge wipers 64A, 64B, and 64C, and the sponge wipers 64A, 64B, and 64C are in a state in which the cleaning liquid L is sufficiently contained. The cleaning liquid L that has not been sucked into the sponge wipers 64A, 64B, and 64C is returned to the cleaning tank 76 through the return tube 175C.

In step S14, the controller 130 causes the timer 502 to start measuring time. In step S15, the controller 130 determines whether a predetermined time (for example, 40 seconds) has elapsed based on the clock signal from the timer 502. If the controller 130 determines that the predetermined time has not elapsed (NO), it waits until the predetermined time has elapsed. If the controller 130 determines that the predetermined time has elapsed (YES), the controller 130 advances the process to step S16.

In step S16, the controller 130 drives the first motor 55 (see FIG. 15) to rotate the gear 106 clockwise. As a result, gear 105B and gear 105A rotate counterclockwise, and maintenance mechanism 60 moves forward. In the process of the maintenance mechanism 60 moving from the maintenance position to the wiping position, the tips (upper ends) of the sponge wiper 64 and the rubber wiper 63 slide against the lower surface 50 of the discharge module 49 while coming into contact with the lower surface 50 . As a result, the lower surface 50 of each discharge module 49A, 49B, 49C is wiped by the sponge wiper 64 and the rubber wiper 63. As a result, foreign matter adhering to the lower surface 50 and the nozzle 38A opened in the lower surface 50 is removed.

In step S17, the controller 130 moves the head 38 upward from the wiped position shown by the solid line in FIG. 14 to the upper retracted position shown by the broken line in FIG. Specifically, the controller 130 drives the head motor 54 to rotate the screw shaft 29A in the normal direction. As a result, the lower surface 50 of the discharge module 49A moves to an upper retracted position above the sponge wiper 64 and the rubber wiper 63.

In step S18, the controller 130 drives the first motor 55 to rotate the gear 106 counterclockwise. As a result, gear 105B and gear 105A rotate clockwise, and maintenance mechanism 60 moves rearward from the wiping position to the maintenance position.

In step S19, the controller 130 drives the first valve motor 303 (see FIG. 15) to open the atmosphere release valve 302. Thereby, the cleaning tank 76 is opened to the atmosphere through the atmosphere communication path 301. As a result, the cleaning liquid L flowing through the first supply tube 175A, flow path 175B, and return tube 175C and the cleaning liquid L sucked into the sponge wiper 64 are returned to the cleaning tank 76 by the suction pressure of the return pump 75B. Thereby, the cleaning liquid L supplied to the sponge wiper 64 can be used repeatedly. Furthermore, at this time, since the cleaning liquid replenishment valve 309 is closed, the cleaning liquid L is not supplied from the storage tank 307 to the cleaning tank 76 through the tank communication passage 308.

Finally, in step S20, the controller 130 stops the second pump motor 401 and the third pump motor 47, and stops the supply pump 75A and return pump 75B. This ends the wiping process.

[Cleaning liquid replenishment process]
Next, the cleaning liquid replenishment process when replenishing the cleaning liquid L from the storage tank 307 to the cleaning tank 76 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 17. The cleaning liquid replenishment process can be performed during the dipping process and the wiping process.

First, in step S21, the controller 130 determines whether the remaining amount of cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 76 is less than a predetermined amount based on the empty signal from the remaining amount sensor 290. If the controller 130 does not receive an empty signal from the remaining amount sensor 290, it determines that the remaining amount of cleaning liquid L is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount (NO), and waits until it receives an empty signal from the remaining amount sensor 290. When the controller 130 receives the empty signal from the remaining amount sensor 290 (YES), the controller 130 determines that the remaining amount of the cleaning liquid L is less than the predetermined amount, and advances the process to step S22.

In step S22, the controller 130 drives the first valve motor 303 (see FIG. 15) to open the atmosphere release valve 302, and drives the second valve motor 402 (see FIG. 15) to open the cleaning liquid replenishment valve. Open 309. In step S23, the controller 130 drives the fourth pump motor 306 (see FIG. 15) to drive the suction pump 305. As a result, the air in the cleaning tank 76 is released to the atmosphere through the first atmospheric communication section 301A, the branch passage 304, the first waste liquid tube 177D, and the waste liquid tank 77. As a result, the inside of the cleaning tank 76 becomes negative pressure, and the cleaning liquid L is supplied from the storage tank 307 to the cleaning tank 76 due to this negative pressure.

In step S24, the controller 130 causes the timer 502 to start measuring time. In step S25, the controller 130 determines whether replenishment of the cleaning liquid L is completed based on whether a charging signal is received from the remaining amount sensor 290. If the controller 130 has not received the charging signal from the remaining amount sensor 290 (NO), the controller 130 determines that the replenishment of the cleaning liquid L is not completed, and advances the process to step S26. When the controller 130 receives the charge signal from the remaining amount sensor 290 (YES), it determines that the replenishment of the cleaning liquid L is completed, and advances the process to step S27.

In step S26, the controller 130 determines whether a predetermined time (for example, 20 seconds) has elapsed based on the clock signal from the timer 502. If the controller 130 determines that the predetermined time has not elapsed (NO), the process returns to step S25. If the controller 130 determines that the predetermined time has elapsed (YES), the controller 130 determines that the cleaning liquid L in the storage tank 307 is empty, and advances the process to step S28.

In step S27, the controller 130 stops driving the first valve motor 303, the second valve motor 402, and the fourth pump motor 306, closes the atmosphere release valve 302 and the cleaning liquid replenishment valve 309, and turns on the suction pump 305. Stop. This completes the cleaning liquid replenishment process.

In step S28, the controller 130 performs the same process as step S27. That is, the controller 130 closes the atmosphere release valve 302 and the cleaning liquid replenishment valve 309, and stops the suction pump 305.

In step S29, the controller 130 causes the operation panel 44 to display that the cleaning liquid L in the storage tank 307 is empty. This allows the operator to know that the cleaning liquid L in the storage tank 307 is empty.

[Operations and effects of the first embodiment]
In the image recording apparatus 100, when the controller 130 drives the cap pumps 74 (the first waste liquid pump 74A, the second waste liquid pump 74B, and the third waste liquid pump 74C), the second supply tube 177A and the third supply tube 177B are discharged from the cleaning tank 76. Since the cleaning liquid L is supplied to the caps 62A, 62B, and 62C through the fourth supply tube 177C, the nozzle 38A can be cleaned by the cleaning liquid L supplied to the caps 62, 62B, and 62C. The cleaning liquid L that has washed the nozzle 38A in the caps 62, 62B, and 62C is discharged into the waste liquid tank 77 through the first waste liquid tube 177D, the second waste liquid tube 177E, and the third waste liquid tube 177F. When the controller 130 drives the wiper pump 75 (the supply pump 75A and the return pump 75B), the cleaning liquid L is supplied from the cleaning tank 76 to the sponge wipers 64A, 64B, and 64C through the first supply tube 175A and the flow path 175B. Cleaning liquid L is sucked into 64A, 64B, and 64C. Therefore, the sponge wipers 64A, 64B, and 64C can sufficiently clean the lower surface 50 of the discharge module 49. The cleaning liquid L supplied to the sponge wipers 64A, 64B, and 64C is returned to the cleaning tank 76 through the return tube 175C, so that it can be used repeatedly. Therefore, the consumption amount of the cleaning liquid L is reduced compared to the case where both the cleaning liquid L supplied to the cap 62 and the cleaning liquid L supplied to the sponge wiper 64 are discharged to the waste liquid tank 77. Therefore, the frequency of replacing the waste liquid tank 77 is reduced.

In the image recording apparatus 100, the flow path 175B extends in series with the sponge wipers 64A, 64B, and 64C, so the flow path 175B is not provided for each of the sponge wipers 64A, 64B, and 64C. Therefore, the support body 61 is downsized.

In the image recording apparatus 100, the supply port 175AA of the first supply tube 175A is closer to the bottom surface 76A of the cleaning tank 76 than the return port 175CC of the return tube 175C. Therefore, even if the cleaning liquid L stored in the cleaning tank 76 decreases, the cleaning liquid L can easily flow into the first supply tube 175A, so that the cleaning liquid L can be easily supplied to the sponge wiper 64.

In the image recording apparatus 100, the suction pressure of the return pump 75B of the wiper pump 75 is smaller than the suction pressure of the cap pump 74, so the cleaning liquid L circulates through the wiper flow path 175 more slowly than when flowing through the cap flow path 177. do. Therefore, the cleaning liquid L is less likely to overflow from the flow path 175B, and the cleaning liquid L supplied to the cap 62 can be quickly discharged to the waste liquid tank 77.

In the image recording apparatus 100, a wiping process is performed after the dipping process. Therefore, the sponge wiper 64 cleans the nozzle 38A after being cleaned by the cleaning liquid L supplied to the cap 62, so even if the cleaning liquid L supplied to the sponge wiper 64 is returned to the cleaning tank 76, the ink is It is difficult to flow into the cleaning tank 76.

In the image recording apparatus 100, the pressurizing force of the supply pump 75A is lower than the suction pressure of the return pump 75B, so the flow rate flowing into the channel 175B through the first supply tube 175A flows out from the channel 175B to the return tube 175C. It is equal to or lower than the flow rate. Therefore, the cleaning liquid L is unlikely to overflow from the flow path 175B.

In the image recording apparatus 100, when the wiper pump 75 is driven with the atmosphere release valve 302 open, the air in the cleaning tank 76 is transferred to the first atmosphere communication section 301A, the atmosphere release valve 302, the ink tank 34, and the second atmosphere communication section. Since the cleaning liquid L is discharged to the outside through the portion 301B, no pressure is generated to circulate the cleaning liquid L between the cleaning tank 76 and the sponge wiper 64. Therefore, by driving the wiper pump 75, the cleaning liquid L in the wiper channel 175 and the cleaning liquid L sucked into the sponge wiper 64 can be collected into the cleaning tank 76. Therefore, the image recording apparatus 100 is smaller than the case where a cleaning liquid recovery pump is provided separately from the wiper pump 75.

In the image recording apparatus 100, one end of the first atmospheric communication section 301A of the atmospheric communication path 301 opens to the upper wall 76B of the cleaning tank 76, so that the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 76 is discharged to the outside through the atmospheric communication path 301. Hateful.

In the image recording apparatus 100, the second atmospheric communication part 301B, whose other end is open to the atmosphere in the atmospheric communication passage 301, is shared between the cleaning tank 76 and the ink tank 34, so the image recording apparatus 100 is miniaturized. ing. Since the first atmosphere communication section 301A of the atmosphere communication path 301 opens on the top surface of the ink chamber 34A of the ink tank 34, the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 76 cannot flow into the ink tank 34 through the first atmosphere communication section 301A. suppressed.

In the image recording apparatus 100, when the tank communication passage 308 is opened by the cleaning liquid replenishment valve 309, it becomes possible to replenish the cleaning liquid L from the storage tank 307 to the cleaning tank 76. On the other hand, when the wiper pump 75 is driven with the tank communication passage 308 closed by the cleaning liquid supply valve 309 and the atmosphere communication passage 301 opened by the atmosphere release valve 302, the cleaning liquid L in the wiper passage 175 and the sponge While the cleaning liquid L sucked into the wiper 64 is collected into the cleaning tank 76, the cleaning liquid L is prevented from being replenished from the storage tank 307 to the cleaning tank 76 through the tank communication path 308.

In the image recording apparatus 100, when the suction pump 305 is driven with the first atmosphere communication section 301A of the atmosphere communication path 301 opened by the atmosphere communication valve and the tank communication path 308 opened by the cleaning liquid replenishment valve 309, cleaning is performed. Since the inside of the tank 76 becomes negative pressure, the cleaning liquid L is supplied from the storage tank 307 to the cleaning tank 76 due to this negative pressure.

In the image recording apparatus 100, when the amount of the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 76 becomes full within a predetermined time after replenishment of the cleaning liquid L is started, the controller 130 receives a replenishment signal from the remaining amount sensor 290. Therefore, when the controller 130 does not receive a charging signal from the remaining amount sensor 290 within a predetermined time after replenishment of the cleaning liquid L is started, the amount of the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 76 is not full. Therefore, it can be determined that the cleaning liquid L in the storage tank 307 is empty. Therefore, since the sensor for detecting the remaining amount of cleaning liquid L in the storage tank 307 is omitted, the image recording apparatus 100 is miniaturized.

[Modified example of the first embodiment]
In the image recording apparatus 100, the wiping process is performed after the immersion process, but it may be started at the time of the purge process or the immersion process. In this case, the series of processes from step S13 to step S15 of the wiping process may be started, for example, at the time of the process of step S3 of the purge process, or may be started at the time of the process of step S6 of the immersion process. In this case, step S12 of the wiping process and the processes from step S16 to step S20 are performed after the immersion process. In this way, the cleaning liquid L can be sucked into the sponge wiper 64 while performing the purging process or the dipping process.

In the image recording device 100, the flow path 175B of the wiper flow path 175 extends in series with the sponge wipers 64A, 64B, and 64C, but may also extend in parallel with the sponge wipers 64A, 64B, and 64C, for example. , one for each of the sponge wipers 64A, 64B, and 64C.

In the image recording apparatus 100, the supply port 175AA of the first supply tube 175A was closer to the bottom surface 76A of the cleaning tank 76 than the return port 175CC of the return tube 175C; The distance from the bottom surface 76A may be the same, and the return port 175CC may be closer to the bottom surface 76A of the cleaning tank 76 than the supply port 175AA.

In the image recording apparatus 100, the suction pressure of the return pump 75B of the wiper pump 75 was smaller than the suction pressure of the cap pump 74, but it may be equal to or higher than the suction pressure of the cap pump 74.

In the image recording apparatus 100, the pressurizing force of the supply pump 75A is lower than the suction pressure of the return pump 75B, but it may be higher than the suction pressure of the return pump 75B.

In the image recording apparatus 100, the sponge wipers 64 have three sponge wipers 64A, 64B, and 64C, but the number of sponge wipers 64 is limited to three as long as it corresponds to the number of ejection modules 49A. Never. For example, the number of sponge wipers 64 may be four or more, or two or less.

In the image recording apparatus 100, the support body 61 is provided with three rubber wipers 63A, 63B, and 63C, but the number of rubber wipers 63 is not particularly limited as long as it corresponds to the number of ejection modules 49A. For example, the number of rubber wipers 63 may be four or more, or two or less. Further, the rubber wiper 63 may be omitted.

In the image recording apparatus 100, the maintenance mechanism 60 is moved to the wiping position by moving forward from the maintenance position, but may be moved to the wiping position by moving backward from the maintenance position. In this case, the sponge wiper 64 may be placed behind the rubber wiper 63.

In the image recording apparatus 100, in the wiping process, the sponge wiper 64 and the rubber wiper 63 are moved relative to the head 38 while the head 38 is at the wiped position, but the positions of the sponge wiper 64 and the rubber wiper 63 are fixed. Then, the head 38 may move relative to the sponge wiper 64 and the rubber wiper 63.

[Second embodiment]
Next, an image recording apparatus according to a second embodiment will be described. Elements in the second embodiment that correspond to those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the image recording apparatus of the first embodiment, the return pump 75B of the wiper pump 75 and the cap pump 74 are driven separately by the third pump motor 47 and the first pump motor 58, but as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, In the image recording apparatus of the second embodiment, the return pump 75B of the wiper pump 75 and the cap pump 74 are driven by one fifth pump motor 601. In this case, the supply pump 75A is omitted.

The return pump 75B and the cap pump 74 are connected to the motor shaft 601A of the fifth pump motor 601 via a plurality of gears 701. The number of gears 701 that transmits drive from the fifth pump motor 601 to the return pump 75B is different from the number of gears 701 that transmits drive from the fifth pump motor 601 to the cap pump 74. In this embodiment, the number of gears 701 that transmits drive from the fifth pump motor 601 to the return pump 75B is four. The number of gears 701 that transmits drive from the fifth pump motor 601 to the cap pump 74 is three. As a result, driving forces in mutually opposite directions are transmitted from the fifth pump motor 601 to the return pump 75B and the cap pump 74.

The return pump 75B and the cap pump 74 are configured to be able to switch their driving by forward and reverse rotation of the fifth pump motor 601.

The return pump 75B is a tube pump that idles when the fifth pump motor 601 rotates in the forward direction. Specifically, the return pump 75B includes a tube through which the cleaning liquid L flows, a rotating body having a rotating shaft, and a roller. A gear 701 is connected to a rotating shaft 75BB of the rotating body. The roller revolves around the rotating shaft 75BB while pressing the tube as the rotating body rotates in one direction. Thereby, the cleaning liquid L inside the tube is transported. When the rotating body rotates in the other direction, the roller moves to an open position away from the tube, and revolves around the rotation axis 75BB in the open position. That is, since the return pump 75B idles, the cleaning liquid L in the tube is not transported.

The cap pump 74 is a tube pump that idles when the fifth pump motor 601 rotates in the opposite direction. Specifically, the tube pump 74 includes a tube through which the cleaning liquid L flows, a rotating body having a rotating shaft 74AA, and a roller. A gear 701 is connected to a rotating shaft 74AA of the rotating body. The roller revolves around the rotating shaft 74AA while pressing the tube as the rotating body rotates in the other direction. Thereby, the cleaning liquid L inside the tube is transported. When the rotating body rotates in one direction, the roller moves to an open position away from the tube, and revolves around the rotation axis 74AA in the open position. That is, since the cap pump 74 idles, the cleaning liquid L inside the tube is not transported.

Specifically, when the fifth pump motor 601 is rotated in the forward direction, the return pump 75B idles and the cap pump 74 is driven. As a result, the cleaning liquid L is supplied from the cleaning tank 76 to the caps 62A, 62B, and 62C through the second supply tube 177A, the third supply tube 177B, and the fourth supply tube 177C. The cleaning liquid L supplied to the caps 62A, 62B, and 62C is discharged to the waste liquid tank 77 through the first waste liquid tube 177D, the second waste liquid tube 177E, and the third waste liquid tube 177F.

When the fifth pump motor 601 is rotated in the opposite direction, the cap pump 74 idles and the return pump 75B is driven. As a result, the cleaning liquid L is supplied from the cleaning tank 76 to the sponge wipers 64A, 64B, and 64C through the first supply tube 175A and the flow path 175B, and the cleaning liquid L is sucked into the sponge wipers 64A, 64B, and 64C. The cleaning liquid L that has not been sucked into the sponge wipers 64A, 64B, and 64C is returned to the cleaning tank 76 through the return tube 175C.

The forward and reverse rotation of the fifth pump motor 601 is controlled by the controller 130.

[Operations and effects of the second embodiment]
In the image recording apparatus of the second embodiment, the cap pump 74 and the return pump 75B are driven by one fifth pump motor 601, so the image recording apparatus of the second embodiment is miniaturized.

In the image recording apparatus of the second embodiment, the supply path of the cleaning liquid L can be switched between the cap 62 and the sponge wiper 64 by simply rotating the fifth pump motor 601 in the forward and reverse directions.

In the image recording apparatus of the second embodiment, the cap pump 74 is a tube pump that idles when the fifth pump motor 601 rotates in the opposite direction, and the return pump 75B idles when the fifth pump motor 601 rotates in the forward direction. Since the cleaning liquid L is a tube pump, it is easy to switch the supply route of the cleaning liquid L between the cap 62 and the sponge wiper 64.

In the image recording apparatus of the second embodiment, the number of gear trains that transmit drive from the fifth pump motor 601 to the return pump 75B is different from the gear train that transmits drive from the fifth pump motor 601 to the cap pump 74. The switching operation of the supply path of the cleaning liquid L between the cap 62 and the sponge wiper 64 can be performed with a simple structure.

34... Ink tank 34A... Ink chamber 34AA... Top surface 38... Head 38A... Nozzle 50... Bottom surface 61... Support body 62... Cap 64... Sponge wiper 74 ... Cap pump 75 ... Wiper pump 75A ... Supply pump 75B ... Return pump 76 ... Washing tank 76A ... Bottom surface 76B ... Top wall 77 ... Waste liquid tank 100 ... Image Recording device 130... Controller 175... Wiper channel 175AA... Supply port 175CC... Return port 177... Cap channel 301... Atmospheric communication path 302... Atmospheric release valve 305...・Suction pump 308...tank communication path 601...fifth pump motor 701...gear L...cleaning liquid

Claims (16)

a head that discharges liquid from a nozzle opened on the nozzle surface;
a support that supports a cap and a water-absorbing wiper and is movable relative to the head;
a cleaning tank in which cleaning liquid is stored;
A waste liquid tank from which cleaning liquid is discharged;
a cap flow path that connects from the cleaning tank to the waste liquid tank via the cap;
a wiper flow path that circulates the cleaning tank and the water-absorbing wiper;
a cap pump that flows cleaning liquid from the cleaning tank to the waste liquid tank in the cap flow path;
a wiper pump that circulates cleaning liquid from the cleaning tank to the water-absorbing wiper in the wiper flow path;
A liquid discharge device comprising: a control unit that controls driving of the cap pump and the wiper pump. The liquid ejecting device according to claim 1, wherein the wiper channel extends in series with the plurality of water-absorbing wipers in the support body. The wiper flow path has a supply port and a return port that open to the cleaning tank,
3. The liquid discharging device according to claim 2, wherein the supply port is closer to the bottom of the cleaning tank than the return port. 4. The liquid discharging device according to claim 1, wherein the suction pressure of the wiper pump is smaller than the suction pressure of the cap pump. The support body is movable to a first position where the cap abuts the head and covers the nozzle, and a second position where the water absorbent wiper abuts the nozzle surface,
The liquid ejecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit drives the wiper pump after driving the cap pump on the condition that the support body is in the first position. The wiper pump includes a supply pump located upstream of the support in the wiper flow path, and a return pump located downstream of the support in the wiper flow path,
6. The liquid discharging device according to claim 2, wherein the pressurizing force of the supply pump is equal to or lower than the suction pressure of the return pump. The liquid discharging device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising one motor that drives the cap pump and the wiper pump. The cap pump is driven by the rotation of the motor in the forward direction,
8. The liquid discharging device according to claim 7, wherein the wiper pump is driven by rotation of the motor in a reverse direction. The cap pump is a tube pump that idles due to rotation of the motor in the opposite direction,
9. The liquid discharging device according to claim 8, wherein the wiper pump is a tube pump that idles when the motor rotates in the forward direction. 10. The liquid discharging device according to claim 9, wherein the number of gears for transmitting drive from the motor to the wiper pump is different from the number of gears for transmitting drive from the motor to the cap pump. It is equipped with a first opening/closing valve that opens and closes an atmospheric communication passage that communicates the inside and outside of the cleaning tank,
The liquid discharging device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the control section opens the atmospheric communication passage by the first opening/closing valve when driving the wiper pump. 12. The liquid discharging device according to claim 11, wherein the atmospheric communication passage opens at an upper wall of the cleaning tank. The atmospheric communication path communicates with the outside via an ink chamber of an ink tank that stores ink to be supplied to the head,
13. The liquid ejecting device according to claim 12, wherein the atmospheric communication passage opens at the upper surface of the ink chamber. a storage tank in which cleaning liquid is stored;
A second opening/closing valve that opens and closes a tank communication passage that communicates the storage tank and the cleaning tank,
The above control section is
The liquid discharging device according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the wiper pump is driven with the tank communication passage closed by the second opening/closing valve and the atmospheric communication passage opened by the first opening/closing valve. . further comprising a suction pump that suctions air in the cleaning tank through the atmospheric communication path,
The above control section is
15. The liquid discharging device according to claim 14, wherein the suction pump is driven with the first on-off valve opening the atmosphere communication passage and the second on-off valve opening the tank communication passage. It further includes a sensor that detects the liquid level of the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning tank,
The sensor outputs a detection signal to the control unit when the cleaning liquid level reaches a predetermined position,
The control unit determines that the cleaning liquid in the storage tank is empty, on the condition that the detection signal is not received from the sensor within a predetermined time after the tank communication path is opened by the second opening/closing valve. The liquid ejection device according to claim 15, wherein the liquid ejection device is determined to be.

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