JP2023165128A - Liquid jet device - Google Patents

Abstract

To solve a problem that an ink may leak from an end opening of a tube when the tube is removed from a recording head.SOLUTION: A liquid jet device includes: a flexible tube 30 which connects a liquid storage part 20 with a liquid jet head 2 and has a passage in which a liquid flows; and a blocking member 50 which contacts with the tube 30 to block the passage. The liquid jet device enables movement operation in which the blocking member 50 may be moved relative to the liquid jet head 2 with the passage blocked. A length of the tube 30 from the blocking member 50 to the liquid jet head 2 when the movement operation ends is set to be longer than a length of the tube 30 from the blocking member 50 to the liquid jet head 2 when the passage is blocked by the blocking member 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention provides a liquid ejection head that ejects droplets from a nozzle, a liquid storage section that stores liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head, and a flexible tube that connects the liquid storage section and the liquid ejection head. The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting device comprising:

A typical example of a liquid ejecting device equipped with a liquid ejecting head that ejects droplets is an inkjet recording device (hereinafter simply referred to as a "recording head") equipped with an inkjet recording head (hereinafter also simply referred to as a "recording head") that jets ink. equipment). There are various configurations of recording devices, but for example, one type of recording device includes an ink tank as a liquid storage section in which ink is stored, and a flexible tube that connects the ink tank and the recording head. Some types supply ink from an ink tank to a recording head via a tube.

In a recording apparatus having such a configuration, the recording head is replaced at a predetermined timing. At that time, if the tube is removed from the recording head, there is a risk that ink may leak from the end opening of the removed tube. In order to solve this problem, a device is installed in the ink flow path for supplying ink from the ink tank to the recording head, and when the connection is released, the ink flow path is blocked to prevent ink from leaking. (For example, see Patent Document 1).

Patent Document 1 discloses that when a tube having an ink flow path is disconnected, a pressing member, which is a part of a flow path connection mechanism provided in the tube, crushes the middle of the tube. A configuration for blocking the flow path is described.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-034891

However, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the tube is pressed by the pressing member to block the flow path within the tube, so the flow path from the pressing member to the end opening of the tube is under positive pressure. Therefore, when the tube is disconnected, there is a risk that ink may leak from the opening at the end of the tube even if the flow path of the tube is closed by the pressing member. For example, even when the technology described in Patent Document 1 is applied to the connection portion between the recording head and the tube, there is a risk that ink may leak from the end opening of the tube when the tube is removed from the recording head.

Note that such a problem may occur not only in an inkjet recording device but also in a liquid ejecting device that ejects a liquid other than ink.

One aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems is a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid, a liquid storage section that stores liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head, and a connection between the liquid storage section and the liquid ejection head. and includes a flexible tube having a flow path through which a liquid flows, a support member that removably supports the liquid ejecting head, and a closing member that comes into contact with the tube and closes the flow path. , a moving operation is possible in which the closing member is moved relative to the liquid ejecting head supported by the supporting member in a state where the flow path is closed, and the closing member is moved from the closing member when the moving operation is completed. Liquid ejection characterized in that the length of the tube up to the liquid ejection head is longer than the length of the tube from the blocking member to the liquid ejecting head when the flow path is blocked by the blocking member. It's in the device.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a schematic configuration of a recording apparatus according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a tube support member and a tube regulation member. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a closure member according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a closure member according to Embodiment 1. 1 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of a recording apparatus according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of a recording apparatus according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of a recording apparatus according to a second embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of a recording apparatus according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of a recording apparatus according to a third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of a recording apparatus according to a third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of a recording apparatus according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of a recording apparatus according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of a recording apparatus according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of a recording apparatus according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of a recording apparatus according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a gripping member. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a gripping member. It is a schematic diagram showing a modification of a closure member. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a recording device according to another embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a recording device according to another embodiment.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments. However, the following description is a description of one aspect of the present invention, and the configuration of the present invention can be arbitrarily changed within the scope of the invention.

Furthermore, in each figure, X, Y, and Z represent three spatial axes that are orthogonal to each other. In this specification, directions along these axes are referred to as the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction. The direction of the arrow in each figure will be described as a positive (+) direction, and the direction opposite to the arrow will be described as a negative (-) direction. Further, the Z direction indicates a vertical direction, the +Z direction indicates a vertically downward direction, and the -Z direction indicates a vertically upward direction. Furthermore, the three spatial axes of X, Y, and Z, which are not limited to the positive direction and the negative direction, will be described as the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an inkjet recording device that is an example of a liquid ejecting device. FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the tube supporting member and the tube regulating member, and is a sectional view corresponding to the line AA' in FIG. 2. FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic diagrams illustrating the first rotating roller and the second rotating roller. 6 and 7 are diagrams illustrating the operation of the inkjet recording apparatus according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an inkjet recording apparatus 1, which is an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus, includes a plurality of inkjet recording heads 2, which are examples of liquid ejecting heads. These plurality of recording heads 2 are removably supported by a carriage 3 which is a support member. A carriage 3 supporting a plurality of recording heads 2 is movably provided on a carriage shaft 5 attached to an apparatus main body 4. The carriage shaft 5 is provided along the X-axis direction. Note that the number of recording heads 2 supported by the carriage 3 is arbitrary, and may be one.

The driving force of the drive motor 6 is transmitted to the carriage 3 via a plurality of gears and a timing belt 7 (not shown), so that the carriage 3 on which the recording head 2 is mounted is moved along the carriage shaft 5. In other words, the recording head 2 is capable of reciprocating along the X-axis direction, which is the main scanning direction.

On the other hand, the apparatus main body 4 is provided with a conveyance roller 8 as a conveyance means, and the recording sheet S, which is a recording medium such as paper, is conveyed by the conveyance roller 8. In other words, the recording sheet S is conveyed by the conveyance roller 8 in the Y-axis direction, which is the sub-scanning direction. Note that the conveyance means for conveying the recording sheet S is not limited to a conveyance roller, but may be a belt, a drum, or the like.

In this way, in the recording apparatus 1, while conveying the recording sheet S in the Y-axis direction, the carriage 3 on which the recording head 2 is mounted is reciprocated in the By ejecting the ink droplets onto the recording sheet S, so-called printing is executed. That is, the control unit 100 included in the recording apparatus 1 transmits a signal to the conveyance roller 8 to convey the recording sheet S based on print data representing an image etc. to be printed on the recording sheet S, and also transmits a signal to the conveyance roller 8 to convey the recording sheet S, and also connects a wiring (not shown) to the conveyance roller 8. A drive signal is transmitted to each recording head 2 via the recording head 2 to cause ink to be ejected. The control unit 100 controls the operation of each element of the recording apparatus 1. For example, the control unit 100 includes a processing circuit such as a CPU or an FPGA, and a storage circuit such as a semiconductor memory. CPU is an abbreviation for Central Processing Unit. FPGA is an abbreviation for Field Programmable Gate Array.

Note that the configuration of each recording head 2 included in the recording apparatus 1 is not particularly limited, and an existing one may be adopted, so a detailed description of the recording head 2 will be omitted.

The recording apparatus 1 also includes a flushing box 9, a wiping member 10, a suction cap 11, and a moisturizing cap 12 as a maintenance mechanism for the recording head 2. In this embodiment, the flushing box 9, the wiping member 10, and the suction cap 11 are arranged near one end in the X-axis direction, which is the moving direction of the carriage 3, for example, closer to the +X direction than the transport roller 8. . Further, the moisturizing cap 12 is provided near the other end in the X-axis direction, which is the moving direction of the carriage 3, for example, at a home position on the -X direction side relative to the conveyance roller 8.

The flushing box 9 is used as an ink receiving tray during a flushing operation, and in this embodiment is formed in a size that covers the nozzle surface (not shown) of each recording head 2. Here, the nozzle surface is a surface of the recording head 2 facing the +Z direction on which a plurality of nozzles are formed. The flushing box 9 may be formed in a size that covers the entire nozzle surfaces of the plurality of recording heads 2 mounted on the carriage 3. Note that the flushing operation is a process in which each nozzle is forcibly flushed to prevent the appropriate amount of ink from being ejected due to clogging of the nozzles of the recording head 2 due to increased viscosity of ink, air bubbles entering the nozzles, etc. This is an operation in which ink is ejected from the ink, and is a so-called idle ejection operation.

The wiping member 10 is for wiping the nozzle surface of the recording head 2, and includes a blade portion 13 made of a plate-like member made of an elastic material such as rubber or elastomer. With this blade portion 13 in contact with the nozzle surface of the recording head 2, the carriage 3 on which the recording head 2 is mounted is moved in the X-axis direction, thereby wiping the nozzle surface of the recording head 2. Note that the wiping member 10 may include a band-shaped member made of cloth or the like capable of absorbing ink instead of the blade portion 13.

The suction cap 11 is used to close the nozzle surface so as to form a closed space in which a plurality of nozzles open during a suction operation to suck ink from the nozzles of the recording head 2. It is formed in a size that covers the entire nozzle surface of the plurality of recording heads 2 mounted. A suction device 14 composed of, for example, a vacuum pump is connected to the suction cap 11 . During the suction operation, the suction device 14 applies negative pressure to the inside of the suction cap 11, thereby causing the ink in the recording head 2 to be discharged from the nozzles to the suction cap 11 together with air bubbles. Note that when the suction operation is performed individually for each recording head 2, the suction cap 11 may be formed in a size corresponding to the nozzle surface of each recording head 2.

The moisturizing cap 12 is for suppressing drying of ink near the nozzles of the recording head 2 when printing is not performed for a long period of time, for example, and is used to protect the nozzle surface of the plurality of recording heads 2 mounted on the carriage 3. It is sized to cover the entire area. This moisturizing cap 12 may include an adsorption member such as a sponge that adsorbs ink.

As described above, in the recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the maintenance mechanisms for the recording head 2 are arranged on both outer sides of the conveyance roller 8 in the X-axis direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, in the recording apparatus 1, a printing mechanism such as a conveyance roller 8 is disposed at the center in the X-axis direction, and a recording area Ra where printing, which is a recording operation on a recording sheet S, is performed. A first maintenance area Ma1 and a second maintenance area Ma2 in which a maintenance mechanism for the recording head 2 is arranged are set on both sides of this recording area Ra.

In the first maintenance area Ma1 on the +X direction side of the recording area Ra, a flushing box 9, a wiping member 10, and a suction cap 11 are arranged in this order from the recording area Ra side. On the other hand, a moisturizing cap 12 is arranged in a second maintenance area Ma2 on the −X direction side of the recording area Ra.

Furthermore, a replacement area Ca1 is set on the +X direction side of the first maintenance area Ma1. This exchange area Ca1 is an area where the recording head 2 mounted on the carriage 3 is exchanged. That is, the replacement work of the recording head 2 is performed with the carriage 3 moved to this replacement area Ca1. Note that the area other than the exchange area Ca1, which includes the recording area Ra, the first maintenance area Ma1, and the second maintenance area Ma2, is a non-exchange area Ca2 where the recording head 2 is not replaced.

By the way, the recording apparatus 1 includes a liquid storage section 20 that stores ink, which is a liquid to be supplied to each recording head 2. The liquid storage section 20 includes a plurality of ink tanks 21 in which inks of different colors are stored, and is fixed to the main body 4 of the apparatus. For example, the present embodiment includes four ink tanks 21 in which four colors of ink are stored, respectively. Note that, instead of the ink tank 21, the liquid storage section 20 may include an ink cartridge or an ink pack capable of storing ink.

These plurality of ink tanks 21 are connected to each recording head 2 mounted on a carriage 3 by a flexible tube 30. The recording device 1 includes a plurality of tubes 30 corresponding to each of the plurality of recording heads 2, and the ink stored in the ink tank 21 is supplied to each of the plurality of recording heads 2 via these tubes 30. be done. In this embodiment, these plurality of tubes 30 are arranged in a line in parallel in the Z-axis direction and are arranged in an integrated state. Of course, these plurality of tubes 30 may be arranged independently. In addition, in the plan views after FIG. 2, only one tube 30 among the plurality of tubes is shown, and illustration of the other tubes 30 is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 2, each tube 30 includes a first linear part 31 connected to the liquid storage section 20 and extending linearly from the liquid storage section 20 side in the -X direction, and a first straight section 31 connected to the recording head 2 and connected to the recording head 2. a second linear part 32 extending linearly from the second side in the -X direction; and a curved part 33 that curves in a substantially arc shape with the -X direction side convex and connects the first straight part 31 and the second straight part 32. It is composed of:

The tube 30 moves and deforms as the carriage 3 on which the recording head 2 is mounted moves. Therefore, the portions and shapes of the first straight section 31, second straight section 32, and curved section 33 of the tube 30 change as the carriage 3 moves. For example, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. has the shortest length. On the other hand, when the carriage 3 is moved to the exchange area Ca1, the length of the first straight section 31 of the tube 30 becomes the shortest, and the length of the second straight section 32 becomes the longest.

In this way, the lengths of the first straight section 31 and the second straight section 32 and the portion of the tube 30 that becomes the curved section 33 change depending on the position of the carriage 3. In other words, in the shape of the tube 30 at each position of the carriage 3, the part that extends linearly from the liquid storage section 20 side becomes the first linear part 31, and the part that extends linearly from the recording head 2 side in the -X direction. becomes the second straight portion 32, and a portion connecting the first straight portion 31 and the second straight portion 32 becomes the curved portion 33.

The recording device 1 also includes a tube support member 40 for supporting a portion of the tube 30. In this embodiment, the tube support member 40 extends along the X-axis direction at a position overlapping the liquid storage section 20 when viewed in the X-axis direction. A first linear portion 31 of the tube 30 extending in the X-axis direction from the liquid storage portion 20 is basically housed within the tube support member 40 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the tube support member 40 is a substantially U-shaped member with an opening on one side, and is provided so that the opening faces the −Y direction, which is the carriage 3 side. A plurality of tube regulating members 41 are fixed to the opening side of the tube support member 40 at predetermined intervals in the X-axis direction. In other words, the opening of the tube support member 40 is partially blocked by these tube regulation members 41, and the first straight portion 31 of the tube 30 is held between the tube support member 40 and the tube regulation member 41. has been done. In other words, the tube 30 housed within the tube support member 40 is restricted from moving outside the tube support member 40 by the tube restriction member 41 .

Note that the plurality of tube regulating members 41 are preferably arranged at positions where the tubes 30 do not interfere with each other in the X-axis direction when the carriage 3 is moved. That is, the tube regulating member 41A, which is disposed closest to the −X direction among the plurality of tube regulating members 41, is disposed at a position where the tube 30 does not interfere with the tube 30 in the X-axis direction when the carriage 3 is moved. It is preferable. In this embodiment, the tube regulating member 41A is positioned in a range corresponding to the first straight portion 31 of the tube 30 when the carriage 3 is placed in the exchange area Ca1, that is, closer to the curved portion 33 of the tube 30. is also arranged so as to be located on the +X direction side (see FIG. 2). Thereby, when the carriage 3 is moved, the tube 30 can be moved in the X-axis direction without being restricted by the tube regulating member 41.

By the way, in the recording apparatus 1, when the tube 30 is removed from the recording head 2 during the replacement work of the recording head 2, there is a possibility that ink may leak from the end opening of the tube 30. In order to suppress such ink leakage, the recording apparatus 1 is provided with a closing member 50 that comes into contact with the flexible tube 30 and closes the flow path 35 inside the tube 30.

The closing member 50 includes a first pressing member and a second pressing member that is movable relative to the first pressing member. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the closing member 50 includes a first rotating roller 51 as a first pressing member disposed on both sides of the tube 30 in the X-axis direction, and a first rotating roller 51 as a first pressing member. It is equipped with a two-rotation roller 52. The first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52 are provided with a rotating shaft 53 extending in the Z-axis direction, and are configured to be rotatable around this rotating shaft 53. Note that the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52 are not provided with a driving source for rotation, but are driven rollers that rotate by power transmitted from another device.

As shown in FIG. 5, this closing member 50 is constructed by moving the second rotating roller 52 in the +X direction and crushing the tube 30 with the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52. It is configured to close the flow path 35 of. Moreover, the flexible tube 30 is elastically deformed so that the flow path 35 is closed by the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52, and then the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52 It is designed to restore its original shape when separated.

Returning to FIG. 2, the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52 are provided between the first straight section 31 and the second straight section 32 of the tube 30 in the Y-axis direction, that is, in the area corresponding to the curved section 33. and are arranged in parallel in the X-axis direction.

Here, the first rotating roller 51 is disposed on the +X direction side with respect to the curved portion 33 of the tube 30 and is fixed to the device main body 4. Further, the first rotating roller 51 is arranged at a position where it does not hinder the deformation of the tube 30 as the carriage 3 moves. That is, the first rotating roller 51 is provided at a position where it does not interfere with the curved portion 33 of the tube 30 when the carriage 3 is moved to the exchange area Ca1. For example, in this embodiment, the first rotating roller 51 is fixed at a position close to the recording area Ra within the first maintenance area Ma1.

The second rotating roller 52 is provided so as to be movable in the direction toward the first rotating roller 51 and in the direction away from the first rotating roller 51. More specifically, the second rotating roller 52 is disposed closer to the -X direction than the curved portion 33 of the tube 30, and is provided so as to be movable linearly along the X-axis direction. That is, the second rotating roller 52 has a first area A1 near the first rotating roller 51, and a second area A1 that is near the first rotating roller 51 and a second area that is closer to the −X direction than the curved portion 33 of the tube 30 when the carriage 3 is in the second maintenance area Ma2. It is possible to move linearly along the X-axis direction between the two areas A2.

The second rotating roller 52 is configured to be linearly movable while being guided by a rail member 54 provided on the device main body 4 by a drive device 55 such as a motor, for example. The drive device 55 is controlled by the control section 100. The control unit 100 operates the drive device 55 to move the second rotating roller 52 to a predetermined position based on an operator's instruction to replace the recording head 2.

Although not shown, the control unit 100 is connected to the input/output unit, and receives an operator's instruction to replace the recording head 2 inputted to the input unit. The input unit is, for example, an operation panel or a microphone capable of voice input, and is provided in the device main body 4. Further, the input unit may be a keyboard of an external host computer connected to the recording device 1 wirelessly or by wire, or may be capable of receiving instructions from the operator from the external host computer. Further, the mechanism for moving the second rotating roller 52 is not particularly limited, and an existing mechanism such as a rack and pinion or a scotch yoke may be used, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the recording apparatus 1 having such a configuration, during normal use, that is, except when replacing the recording head 2, the second rotating roller 52 is located in the second area A2 (see FIG. 2), and the second rotating roller 52 is located in the second area A2 (see FIG. 2). The rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52 are placed apart from each other. Therefore, the tube 30 can freely move between the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52.

As will be explained in detail below, when replacing the recording head 2, the second rotating roller 52 moves to the vicinity of the first rotating roller 51, and there is a gap between the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52. By the tube 30 being sandwiched between the two, the free movement of the tube 30 is restricted and the flow path 35 of the tube 30 is blocked. Thereafter, by performing the moving operation, leakage of ink from the tube 30 can be suppressed, and the work of replacing the recording head 2 can be performed satisfactorily.

When replacing the recording head 2 in the recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, first, as shown in FIG. 6, the carriage 3 is placed in a position facing the first maintenance area Ma1, for example, the suction cap 11. Then, the tube 30 is closed by the closing member 50. That is, the second rotating roller 52 arranged in the second area A2 is moved to the first area A1 near the first rotating roller 51, and the tube 30 is rotated by the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52. The first position P1 is pinched and the flow path 35 in the tube 30 is closed. At this time, positive pressure is generated in the flow path 35 of the tube 30.

Then, while the flow path 35 of the tube 30 is closed by the closing member 50 (the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52), the closing member 50 is moved in the X-axis direction with respect to the recording head 2 mounted on the carriage 3. Execute a relative movement movement at .

The moving operation is to move the closing member 50 relative to the recording head 2 mounted on the carriage 3 in the X-axis direction, so the closing member 50 may be moved, or the recording head 2 may be moved. The carriage 3 that has been moved may be moved. The moving operation according to the present embodiment is a first moving operation that moves the carriage 3 from the non-exchange area Ca2 to the exchange area Ca1.

When the first movement operation is executed, the carriage 3 placed in the first maintenance area Ma1 included in the non-exchange area Ca2 moves in the +X direction and is placed in the exchange area Ca1 as shown in FIG. . Note that such a movement operation is executed by the control unit 100 based on an instruction to replace the recording head 2 by an operator. In other words, the control unit 100 moves the carriage 3 as appropriate based on an operator's instruction to replace the recording head 2.

As the carriage 3 moves, the tube 30 also moves and deforms. For example, the first position P1 of the tube 30 sandwiched between the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52 moves in the +X direction, and the length of the second straight portion 32 of the tube 30 becomes longer. In other words, the length of the tube 30 on the recording head 2 side is longer than the closing member 50. When the carriage 3 is placed in the exchange area Ca1, the second position P2 of the tube 30 is sandwiched between the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52.

Here, since the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52 are driven rollers, when the tube 30 is pulled as the carriage 3 moves, the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52 rotate, The tube 30 is sent out in the +X direction without stretching.

In other words, when the tube 30 is pulled as the carriage 3 moves, the portion of the tube 30 closer to the liquid storage section 20 than the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52 is connected to the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller. Although it is crushed by the roller 52, due to the rotation of the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52, it is sent out to the carriage 3 side rather than the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52 without being stretched. restored to its original shape.

In this way, when the carriage 3 is placed in the exchange area Ca1, the position of the tube 30 sandwiched between the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52 is at the second position on the −X direction side with respect to the first position P1. It becomes P2. Then, the length of the second straight portion 32 of the tube 30 becomes longer without being substantially stretched. In other words, the length of the tube 30 from the closing member 50 to the recording head 2 when the first moving operation is completed is the length of the tube 30 from the closing member 50 to the recording head 2 when the flow path 35 is closed by the closing member 50. be longer than the length of

While such a first movement operation is executed, the volume of the flow path 35 gradually increases without increasing the amount of ink in the flow path 35 on the recording head 2 side of the tube 30 with respect to the closing member 50. I will do it. As a result, the inside of the flow path 35 of the tube 30 on the side closer to the recording head 2 than the closing member 50 becomes negative pressure. Therefore, by pulling out the tube 30 from the recording head 2 in this state, leakage of ink from the end opening of the tube 30 can be suppressed, and the recording head 2 can be replaced appropriately.

As described above, the recording apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid, a liquid storage section that stores liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head, and a connection between the liquid storage section and the liquid ejection head. , a flexible tube having a flow path through which a liquid flows, a support member that removably supports a liquid ejecting head, and a closing member that comes into contact with the tube to close the flow path. A moving operation is possible in which the closing member is moved relative to the liquid ejecting head supported by the supporting member in a closed state, and the length of the tube from the closing member to the liquid ejecting head when the moving operation is completed is as follows: It is longer than the length of the tube from the closing member to the liquid ejecting head when the flow path is closed by the closing member.

As a result, at the end of the moving operation, the inside of the flow path becomes negative pressure on the side of the liquid ejecting head from the position of the tube that is closed by the closing member. Therefore, by pulling out the tube from the liquid ejecting head in this state, leakage of ink from the end opening of the tube can be suppressed, and the liquid ejecting head can be replaced appropriately.

The movement operation is a first movement operation in which the support member moves from a non-exchange area, which is different from an exchange area for exchanging liquid jet heads, to an exchange area. By performing such a first movement operation, it is possible to appropriately create a negative pressure in the flow path of the tube at the time when the first movement operation is completed.

The closing member includes a first pressing member and a second pressing member movable relative to the first pressing member, and the first pressing member and the second pressing member close the flow path by sandwiching the tube. With such a configuration, the flow path of the tube can be more reliably closed.

The first pressing member is fixed to the device main body, and the second pressing member is movable in a direction toward the first pressing member and a direction away from the first pressing member. By fixing one of the first pressing member and the second pressing member and making the other movable, the first pressing member and the second pressing member are fixed so that the tube does not interfere with the tube during normal use such as during recording operation or maintenance operation. This makes it easier to arrange the pressing member and the second pressing member.

The first pressing member and the second pressing member are driven rollers. This makes it easier to move the tube during the movement operation. Note that the configurations of the first pressing member and the second pressing member are not particularly limited. The first pressing member and the second pressing member do not need to be rotating rollers as long as they are made of a material with a low surface friction coefficient, have high sliding properties, and low tackiness.

Note that in this embodiment, the first rotating roller 51 is fixed to the device main body 4. Thereby, a drive source for driving the first rotating roller 51 is not required, and the recording apparatus 1 can be simplified. However, like the second rotating roller 52, the first rotating roller 51 may be configured to be movable in the X-axis direction. During normal use, the first rotating roller 51 is placed in a position where it does not interfere with the tube 30, and at the timing of closing the tube 30, it is placed at a predetermined location within the first maintenance area Ma1 or recording area Ra, for example. It may be moved to a certain position.

(Embodiment 2)
8 and 9 are plan views schematically showing the configuration of a printing apparatus according to the second embodiment, and are diagrams for explaining the operation of the printing apparatus. Note that the same members as in Embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals, and overlapping explanations will be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in the recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the areas on both sides of the recording area Ra in the X-axis direction where printing is performed are the areas of the recording head 2. There are a first maintenance area Ma1 and a second maintenance area Ma2 in which a maintenance mechanism is arranged.

However, the replacement area Ca1 is set within the first maintenance area Ma1, not outside the first maintenance area Ma1. Specifically, the area facing the suction cap 11 is set as the exchange area Ca1. Therefore, an area including the recording area Ra, a portion of the first maintenance area Ma1 facing the flushing box 9 and the wiping member 10, and the second maintenance area Ma2 becomes a non-exchange area Ca2.

In the recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the first rotating roller 51 is provided at a position close to the first maintenance area Ma1 within the recording area Ra. That is, the first rotating roller 51 is provided within the recording area Ra at a position where it does not interfere with the conveyance of the recording sheet S. Although the first rotating roller 51 is fixed to the device main body 4, it may be configured to be movable in the X-axis direction, for example.

In this recording apparatus 1, the replacement work of the recording head 2 is started from a state in which the carriage 3 is placed in the second maintenance area Ma2, which is the home position. First, as shown by the broken line arrow in FIG. 8, prior to the movement operation of moving the closing member 50 relative to the recording head 2 mounted on the carriage 3 in the A preliminary operation is performed to move the roller from Ma2 to the vicinity of the first rotating roller 51 arranged within the recording area Ra. Next, as shown by the solid arrow in FIG. 8, the second rotating roller 52 is moved in the +X direction to the vicinity of the first rotating roller 51, and the tube 30 is The first position P1 of the first position P1 is sandwiched. As a result, the flow path 35 within the tube 30 is closed.

Thereafter, while the flow path 35 of the tube 30 is closed by the closing member 50 (the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52), the closing member 50 is moved along the X axis with respect to the recording head 2 mounted on the carriage 3. Execute a movement operation that causes relative movement in the direction. That is, a first movement operation is performed to move the carriage 3 from the non-exchange area Ca2 to the exchange area Ca1.

Specifically, at the start of the first movement operation, the carriage 3 is placed in the recording area Ra included in the non-exchange area Ca2, and as shown in FIG. It is moved in the +X direction to a region of the region Ma1 that faces the suction cap 11 set in the exchange region Ca1.

As in the first embodiment, as the carriage 3 moves, the tube 30 also moves and deforms. For example, the first position P1 of the tube 30 sandwiched between the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52 moves in the +X direction, and the length of the second straight portion 32 of the tube 30 becomes longer. In other words, the length of the tube 30 on the recording head 2 side is longer than the closing member 50. When the carriage 3 is placed in the exchange area Ca1, the second position P2 of the tube 30 is sandwiched between the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52.

Therefore, the inside of the flow path 35 of the tube 30 on the side closer to the recording head 2 than the closing member 50 becomes negative pressure. By pulling out the tube 30 from the recording head 2 in this state, leakage of ink from the end opening of the tube 30 can be suppressed, and the recording head 2 can be replaced appropriately.

Further, in this embodiment, since the tube 30 is closed within the recording area Ra by the closing member 50, the above-mentioned moving operation cannot be executed appropriately even if the exchange area Ca1 is set within the first maintenance area Ma1. can. Therefore, there is no need to separately set a replacement area Ca1 outside the first maintenance area Ma1, for example, on the +X direction side, and the recording apparatus 1 can be downsized.

(Embodiment 3)
10 and 11 are plan views schematically showing a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus according to the third embodiment, and are diagrams for explaining the operation of the printing apparatus. Note that the same members as those in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and overlapping explanations will be omitted.

This embodiment is a modification of the moving operation, and the configuration of the recording apparatus 1 itself is the same as that of the second embodiment. In the embodiment described above, when replacing the recording head 2, the carriage 3 is moved in the +X direction as a movement operation. In contrast, in this embodiment, the carriage 3 is moved in the −X direction as the moving operation.

In the present embodiment, the movement operation is started from a state in which the carriage 3 is disposed within the first maintenance area Ma1, for example, at a position facing the suction cap 11, and the carriage 3 is moved within the second maintenance area Ma2, for example, at a position facing the suction cap 11. The replacement work for the recording head 2 is performed while the recording head 2 is placed in a position facing the cap 12. In this case, first, as shown in FIG. 10, the second rotating roller 52 arranged in the second area A2 is moved in the +X direction to the vicinity of the first rotating roller 51, and the first rotating roller 51 and the The first position P1 of the tube 30 is sandwiched between the rotating roller 52 and the rotating roller 52. As a result, the flow path 35 within the tube 30 is closed.

Thereafter, while the flow path 35 of the tube 30 is closed by the closing member 50 (the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52), the closing member 50 is moved along the X axis with respect to the recording head 2 mounted on the carriage 3. Execute a movement operation that causes relative movement in the direction.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, a first movement operation is performed to move the carriage 3 from the non-exchange area Ca2 to the exchange area Ca1. At the start of the first movement operation, the carriage 3 is placed near the end in the +X direction of the first maintenance area Ma1 included in the non-exchange area Ca2. In the first movement operation, the carriage 3 is moved in the -X direction from this position to the second maintenance area Ma2, which is the home position.

Also in the third embodiment, the tube 30 moves and deforms as the carriage 3 moves. For example, the first position P1 of the tube 30 sandwiched between the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52 moves in the −X direction, and the length of the second straight portion 32 of the tube 30 becomes longer. In other words, the length of the tube 30 on the recording head 2 side is longer than the closing member 50. When the carriage 3 is placed in the second maintenance area Ma2, the second position P2 of the tube 30 is sandwiched between the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52.

However, in order to achieve such a state, the distance L1 from the position where the tube 30 is closed by the closing member 50 to the position where the first movement operation ends must be the distance L1 from the position where the tube 30 is closed by the closing member 50. The distance must be longer than the distance L2 to the position where one movement operation is started.

As a result, as in the above-described embodiment, negative pressure is created in the flow path 35 of the tube 30 on the side closer to the recording head 2 than the closing member 50. By pulling out the tube 30 from the recording head 2 in this state, leakage of ink from the end opening of the tube 30 can be suppressed, and the recording head 2 can be replaced appropriately.

Note that in this embodiment, the vicinity of the end of the first maintenance area Ma1 opposite to the recording area Ra is set as the start position of the first movement operation, but the start position is not particularly limited. The starting position of the first movement operation may be set, for example, near the end of the first maintenance area Ma1 on the recording area Ra side.

(Embodiment 4)
12 and 13 are plan views schematically showing a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment, and are diagrams for explaining the operation of the printing apparatus. Note that the same members as those in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and overlapping explanations will be omitted.

This embodiment is a modification of the closing member 50, and the other configurations are the same as those of the second and third embodiments. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the first rotating roller 51, like the second rotating roller 52, is configured to be linearly movable in the X-axis direction. That is, each of the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52 is configured to be linearly movable along a rail member 54 provided in the device main body 4. Further, the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52 can be moved individually or both can be moved simultaneously.

Also in the recording device 1 according to the present embodiment, similarly to the above-described embodiments, during normal use, the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52 are placed at separate positions so as not to interfere with the movement of the tube 30. It is located in

For example, when starting the replacement work of the recording head 2 while the carriage 3 is placed in the second maintenance area Ma2, which is the home position, first, as shown in FIG. A preliminary operation of moving in the −X direction to the vicinity of the two-rotation roller 52 is executed. As a result, the first position P1 of the tube 30 is sandwiched between the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52, and the flow path 35 inside the tube 30 is closed.

Thereafter, with the flow path 35 of the tube 30 closed by the closing member 50 (the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52), as shown in FIG. 13, the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52 at the same time in the +X direction to inside the recording area Ra. That is, the second moving operation of moving the closing member 50 away from the recording head 2 is performed.

At the start of this second movement operation, the carriage 3 on which the recording head 2 is mounted is already placed in the second maintenance area Ma2, which is the exchange area Ca1. Therefore, without further moving the carriage 3, the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52 are moved in the +X direction away from the recording head 2 by the second moving operation.

At this time, the position of the tube 30 sandwiched between the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52 moves from the first position P1 in the +X direction, and the length of the second straight portion 32 of the tube 30 becomes longer. In other words, the length of the tube 30 on the recording head 2 side is longer than the closing member 50. When the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52 are arranged within the recording area Ra, the second position P2 of the tube 30 is sandwiched between the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52. .

As a result, the inside of the flow path 35 of the tube 30 on the side closer to the recording head 2 than the closing member 50 becomes negative pressure. By pulling out the tube 30 from the recording head 2 in this state, leakage of ink from the end opening of the tube 30 can be suppressed, and the recording head 2 can be replaced appropriately.

The moving operation in this embodiment is a second moving operation in which the closing member moves away from the liquid ejecting head. By performing such a second movement operation, it is possible to appropriately create a negative pressure in the flow path of the tube at the time when the second movement operation is completed.

(Embodiment 5)
14 to 16 are plan views schematically showing the general configuration of a printing apparatus according to the fifth embodiment, and are diagrams for explaining the operation of the printing apparatus. This embodiment is a modification of the closing member, and the other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment. The same members as in Embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

The closing member 50A according to the present embodiment is not a first rotating roller and a second rotating roller, but has a substantially elliptical cross section with a relatively large ratio of the short axis to the long axis, and has a columnar shape extending in the Z-axis direction. This member is fixed to the main body 4 of the device. This closing member 50A is arranged on the −X direction side with respect to the tube regulating member 41, and similarly to the tube regulating member 41, it also has the function of holding the tube 30 within the tube supporting member 40. Of course, the closing member 50A does not have to function as the tube regulating member 41.

This closing member 50A is bent by the tube 30 coming into contact with it by performing a preliminary operation of moving the carriage 3 in the same direction as the first movement operation within the non-exchange area Ca2 before the first movement operation. It is provided so that the flow path 35 is in a closed state.

The non-exchange area Ca2 includes a recording area Ra, a first maintenance area Ma1, and a second maintenance area Ma2. As shown in FIG. 14, the closing member 50A is a tube when the carriage 3 is located at the end of the first maintenance area Ma1, second maintenance area Ma2, and recording area Ra on the exchange area Ca1 side of the non-exchange area Ca2. It is preferable that the switch is disposed closer to the exchange area Ca1 than the turn-back position (first turn-back position Po1) of No. 30 and near the first turn-back position Po1.

More specifically, when the distance between the first folding position Po1 and the folding position (second folding position Po2) of the tube 30 when the carriage 3 is located in the second maintenance area Ma2 is 100%, It is preferable that the closing member 50A is provided within a range of about 5% in the +X direction from the first turning position Po1.

In the recording apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, when replacing the recording head 2, first, the carriage 3 is placed in the first maintenance area Ma1, for example, in a position facing the suction cap 11, and then As shown, a preliminary operation for moving the carriage 3 in the same direction as the first movement operation is performed prior to the first movement operation. As a result, the tube 30 comes into contact with the tapered tip 56 of the closing member 50A at the first position P1 and is bent, so that the flow path 35 is closed. In other words, in the preliminary operation, the carriage 3 is moved to a position where the tube 30 is bent by the closing member 50A and the flow path 35 is closed.

As described above, the closing member 50A is provided closer to the exchange area Ca1 than the first folding position Po1 of the tube 30 in the X-axis direction and near the first folding position Po1. Therefore, the preliminary operation is completed by moving the carriage 3 in the +X direction within the non-exchange area Ca2.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 16, a first movement operation is performed in which the carriage 3 is moved in the +X direction from the non-exchange area Ca2 to the exchange area Ca1. During this first movement, the portion of the tube 30 that contacts the closing member 50A is pulled toward the carriage 3 while being maintained in a bent state due to the influence of frictional resistance with the closing member 50A. As a result, the first position P1 of the tube 30 bent by the preliminary operation moves closer to the recording head 2 than the closing member 50A. In other words, the length of the tube 30 on the recording head 2 side is longer than the closing member 50. When the carriage 3 is placed in the exchange area Ca1, the second position P2 of the tube 30 is bent by the closing member 50A.

As a result, as in the above-described embodiment, the inside of the flow path 35 on the side of the recording head 2 rather than the closing member 50A of the tube 30 becomes negative pressure. By pulling out the tube 30 from the recording head 2 in this state, leakage of ink from the end opening of the tube 30 can be suppressed, and the recording head 2 can be replaced appropriately.

Further, it is preferable that the distal end portion 56 of the closing member 50A, with which the tube 30 comes into sliding contact, has an R shape. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the tube 30 in contact with the distal end portion 56 of the closing member 50A from being rubbed and scraped.

By the way, it is necessary to prevent the tube 30 pulled out from the recording head 2 from being bent by being pulled back toward the closing member 50A. In this embodiment, a gripping member 60 is provided at a position where the tube 30 moves during the first movement operation, and the tube 30 is gripped by the gripping member 60. As shown in FIG. 14 and the like, the gripping member 60 is arranged on the +X direction side with respect to the tube 30 on the recording head 2 side than the closing member 50A.

As shown in FIG. 17, in the gripping member 60, a slit portion 61 that opens in the -Y direction and accommodates the tube 30 is formed along the X-axis direction. The width W1 of the slit portion 61 is narrower than the outer diameter of the tube 30, which is the width W2 of the plurality of tubes 30 in this embodiment. Further, the opening portion of the slit portion 61 is formed so that the width becomes wider toward the outside.

Then, while the tube 30 is moved by the first movement operation, the tube 30 enters the slit portion 61 of the gripping member 60 while being crushed, and the tube 30 is gripped within the slit portion 61. state.

This restricts the movement of the tube 30, so even if the tube 30 is pulled out from the recording head 2, the tube 30 will not be pulled back toward the closing member 50A, making it possible to properly replace the recording head 2. can.

Note that the arrangement of the gripping member 60 is not particularly limited, as long as it is provided so that the tube 30 enters into the slit portion 61 during the first moving operation. However, it is preferable that the gripping member 60 is provided so that the tube 30 enters into the slit portion 61 of the gripping member 60 immediately before the first movement operation ends.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first moving operation of moving the carriage 3 is executed as the moving operation, and the carriage 3 is moved in the same direction as the first moving operation as the preliminary operation. is not limited to this.

Similar to the fourth embodiment, the closing member 50A is provided to be movable in the X-axis direction, and a second moving operation for moving the closing member 50A is executed as a moving operation, and as a preliminary operation, the closing member 50A is moved in the same direction as the second moving operation. The member 50A may be moved. Of course, even in this case, when the tube 30 is pulled out from the recording head 2, leakage of ink from the end opening of the tube 30 can be suppressed, and the recording head 2 can be replaced appropriately.

As described above, in this embodiment, the closing member is fixed to the main body of the apparatus, and performs a preliminary operation of moving the support member in the same direction as the first moving operation within the non-exchange area before the first moving operation. As a result, the tube comes into contact with the closing member and is bent, thereby closing the flow path. Thereby, there is no need to move the closing member, and the recording apparatus can have a simple configuration.

The support member is a carriage that can reciprocate in the main scanning direction, the non-replaceable area includes a recording area where the liquid jet head performs a recording operation, and a maintenance area where maintenance of the liquid jet head is performed, and the closing member is a carriage that can be moved back and forth in the main scanning direction. In terms of direction, the tube is arranged closer to the return position on the exchange area side than the return position of the tube when the carriage is located at the end of the maintenance area and the recording area on the exchange area side of the non-exchange area. Thereby, the tube can be closed by the closing member at an early timing of the moving operation. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of movement of the carriage and downsize the recording apparatus.

By performing a preliminary operation of moving the closing member in the same direction as the second moving operation before the second moving operation, the closing member comes into contact with the tube, the tube is bent, and the flow path is closed. Thereby, the movement area of the support member can be reduced, and the recording apparatus can be made smaller.

The support member is a carriage that can reciprocate in the main scanning direction, and a non-exchange area that is different from a replacement area for replacing the liquid jet head is a recording area where the liquid jet head performs recording operations and a maintenance area for the liquid jet head. At the start of the preliminary operation, the closing member is located at the end of the maintenance area and the recording area on the exchange area side in the non-exchange area in the main scanning direction from the tube folding position. is also placed near the exchange area side. Thereby, the tube can be closed by the closing member at an early timing of the moving operation. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of movement of the closing member and downsize the recording apparatus.

The support member is a carriage that can reciprocate in the main scanning direction, and includes a tube support member that is provided along the main scanning direction and supports the tube, and the closing member holds the tube between it and the tube support member. This controls the movement of the tube. In other words, the closing member also serves as a member for preventing the tube from coming off the tube support member when the carriage is moved. This makes it possible to reduce the number of parts and reduce costs.

The tube is further provided with a gripping member capable of gripping the tube, and after the flow path is closed by the closing member by the preliminary operation, the gripping member is caused to have a position downstream of the position where the flow path is blocked by the closing member by the moving operation. Grip the tube at the . Further, the gripping member has a slit having a width narrower than the outer diameter of the tube, so that the tube is sandwiched between the slits of the gripping member when the moving operation is completed. Thereby, the risk of ink leakage can be reduced more reliably.

(Other embodiments)
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

For example, the closure member 50 according to Embodiment 1 is configured such that the second rotating roller 52 moves only in one direction in the X-axis direction and crushes the tube 30 between it and the first rotating roller 51 ( (see FIG. 5), the structure of the closing member 50 is not limited to this. For example, the second rotating roller 52 included in the closing member 50 may be configured to be movable in two directions. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, the second rotating roller 52 included in the closing member 50 may move in the Z-axis direction as well as in the X-axis direction. That is, the second rotating roller 52 moves in the -Z direction and then moves in the +X direction to crush the tube 30 with the first rotating roller 51 and the second rotating roller 52 so as to close the flow path 35 of the tube 30. may be configured. Thereby, the second rotating roller 52 becomes difficult to interfere with the tube 30, for example, and the range in which the second rotating roller 52 can be installed is expanded.

Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, as an example of the printing apparatus, a configuration was described in which the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction and the printing head ejects ink in the +Z direction, but the configuration of the printing apparatus is limited to this. It's not a thing. For example, the recording apparatus may have a configuration in which the recording head ejects ink in the -Y direction, with the Y-axis direction being the vertical direction. Even in a printing apparatus having such a configuration, by including the closing member, an effect can be obtained that the printing head replacement work can be performed appropriately, as in the above-described embodiment.

Further, in the above-described embodiments, a so-called serial type recording apparatus is illustrated, but the present invention can also be applied to a so-called line type recording apparatus. Some line type recording apparatuses have a recording head movable in the Z-axis direction, which is a vertical direction. In the case of a recording apparatus having such a configuration, the recording head may be moved in the Z-axis direction as the above-mentioned movement operation.

For example, a line-type recording apparatus 1A shown in FIGS. 20 and 21 includes a head unit 200 including a plurality of recording heads 2A, each of which is connected to a liquid reservoir 20A via a tube 30A. There is. The head unit 200 constitutes a line head whose width in the X-axis direction is wider than the width of the recording medium in the X-axis direction. Although the recording apparatus 1A includes a plurality of tubes 30A connected to each recording head 2A, only one tube 30A is shown in FIGS. 20 and 21. Further, in this example, the liquid storage section 20A and each recording head 2A are connected by the tube 30A, but the ink supplied from the liquid storage section 20A is temporarily inserted between the liquid storage section 20A and the recording head 2A. A sub-tank may be provided to store the water.

In this recording apparatus 1A, the head unit 200 is configured to be movable along the Z-axis direction. The recording apparatus 1A also includes a cap 70 that covers the nozzle surfaces of the plurality of recording heads 2A. This cap 70 is provided so as to be movable in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction. During printing, the nozzle is placed at a position not facing the head unit 200, and during standby, it moves to a position facing the head unit 200 to seal the nozzle surface.

The recording device 1A also includes a closing member 50A for closing the tube 30A. Specifically, the first rotating roller 51A that constitutes the closing member 50A is provided on the +Z direction side of the tube 30A, and the second rotating roller 52A that constitutes the closing member 50A is provided on the −Z direction side of the tube 30A. ing. The second rotating roller 52A is provided movably in the Z-axis direction.

In this recording apparatus 1A, for example, during standby when the nozzle surface of the head unit 200 is sealed with the cap 70, the recording head 2A is replaced. At that time, first, as shown in FIG. 20, the second rotating roller 52A is moved in the +Z direction, the first position P1 of the tube 30A is sandwiched between the first rotating roller 51A and the second rotating roller 52A, and the tube 30A is Block the flow path.

Thereafter, with the tube 30A closed by the first rotating roller 51A and the second rotating roller 52A, a moving operation is performed to move the head unit 200 in the -Z direction, as shown in FIG. As the head unit 200 moves in the -Z direction, the tube 30A also moves. That is, the tube 30A is pulled by the head unit 200, and the length of the tube 30A on the recording head 2A side becomes longer than the closing member 50A. When the movement of the head unit 200 in the −Z direction is completed, the second position P2 of the tube 30 is sandwiched between the first rotating roller 51A and the second rotating roller 52A.

Therefore, also in this configuration, the inside of the tube 30A closer to the recording head 2A than the closing member 50A is under negative pressure. By pulling out the tube 30A from the recording head 2A in this state, leakage of ink from the end opening of the tube 30A can be suppressed, and the recording head 2A can be replaced appropriately.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, a tube for supplying ink to a recording head is exemplified as a tube, but the tube is not limited to this. The tube may be for collecting ink discharged from the recording head, for example. Further, the structure of the connecting portion of the tube with the recording head is not particularly limited, and for example, a joint for connecting to the recording head may be provided at the tip of the tube.

Further, the present invention is directed to liquid ejecting devices in general that include liquid ejecting heads, and includes recording heads such as inkjet recording heads as well as coloring material ejecting heads used in manufacturing color filters for liquid crystal displays and the like. The present invention can also be applied to a liquid ejecting device including an electrode material ejecting head used for forming an electrode of an organic EL display, an FED (field emission display), etc., a bioorganic material ejecting head used for manufacturing a biochip, and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Inkjet recording device (recording device), 2... Inkjet recording head (recording head), 3... Carriage, 4... Apparatus body, 5... Carriage shaft, 6... Drive motor, 7... Timing belt, 8... Conveyance roller , 9... Flushing box, 10... Wiping member, 11... Suction cap, 12... Moisturizing cap, 13... Blade section, 14... Suction device, 20... Liquid storage section, 21... Ink tank, 30... Tube, 31... First Straight part, 32... Second straight part, 33... Curved part, 35... Channel, 40... Tube support member, 41... Tube regulating member, 50... Closing member, 51... First rotating roller, 52... Second rotating roller , 53... Rotating shaft, 54... Rail member, 55... Drive device, 56... Tip part, 60... Gripping member, 61... Slit part, 70... Cap, 100... Control unit, 200... Head unit, S... Recording sheet, Ca1...exchange area, Ca2...non-exchange area, Ma1...first maintenance area, Ma2...second maintenance area, Ra...recording area

Claims (14)

a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid;
a liquid storage section that stores liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejecting head;
a flexible tube that connects the liquid reservoir and the liquid ejecting head and has a flow path through which the liquid flows;
a support member that removably supports the liquid jet head;
a closing member that comes into contact with the tube and closes the flow path;
Equipped with
A moving operation is possible in which the closing member is moved relative to the liquid ejecting head supported by the supporting member while the flow path is closed;
The length of the tube from the blocking member to the liquid ejecting head when the moving operation is completed is the length of the tube from the blocking member to the liquid ejecting head when the flow path is blocked by the blocking member. longer than the length of
A liquid injection device characterized by: The moving operation is a first moving operation in which the support member moves from a non-exchange area different from an exchange area for exchanging the liquid jet head to the exchange area.
The liquid ejecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The moving operation is a second moving operation in which the closing member moves away from the liquid ejecting head.
The liquid ejecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The closing member includes a first pressing member and a second pressing member movable relative to the first pressing member,
The first pressing member and the second pressing member close the flow path by sandwiching the tube.
The liquid ejecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first pressing member is fixed to the device main body,
The second pressing member is movable in a direction approaching the first pressing member and a direction away from the first pressing member.
The liquid ejecting device according to claim 4, characterized in that: the first pressing member and the second pressing member are driven rollers;
The liquid ejecting device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The closing member is fixed to the device main body,
By performing a preliminary operation of moving the supporting member in the same direction as the first moving operation within the non-exchange area before the first moving operation, the tube comes into contact with the closing member and is bent. The flow path becomes blocked,
The liquid ejecting device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The support member is a carriage that can reciprocate in the main scanning direction,
The non-replaceable area includes a recording area where the liquid jet head performs a recording operation and a maintenance area where maintenance of the liquid jet head is performed,
The closing member is located closer to the exchange area than the folding position of the tube when the carriage is located at the end of the maintenance area and the recording area on the exchange area side in the non-exchange area in the main scanning direction. is placed near the turning point,
The liquid ejecting device according to claim 7, characterized in that: By performing a preliminary operation of moving the closing member in the same direction as the second moving operation before the second moving operation, the closing member comes into contact with the tube, bending the tube, and opening the flow path. become blocked,
The liquid ejecting device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The support member is a carriage that can reciprocate in the main scanning direction,
A non-replacement area different from a replacement area for replacing the liquid ejecting head includes a recording area where the liquid ejecting head performs a recording operation and a maintenance area where maintenance of the liquid ejecting head is performed,
At the start of the preliminary operation, the closing member is configured to fold back the tube when the carriage is located at an end of the maintenance area and the recording area on the exchange area side of the non-exchange area in the main scanning direction. located closer to the exchange area than the position;
The liquid ejecting device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The support member is a carriage that can reciprocate in the main scanning direction,
a tube support member provided along the main scanning direction and supporting the tube;
The closing member restricts movement of the tube by holding the tube between it and the tube support member.
The liquid ejecting device according to claim 7, characterized in that: further comprising a gripping member capable of gripping the tube,
After the flow path is closed by the closing member due to the preliminary operation, the movement operation causes the gripping member to hold the flow path at a portion downstream of the position where the flow path is closed by the closing member. grip the tube,
The liquid ejecting device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The gripping member has a slit with a width narrower than the outer diameter of the tube,
when the moving operation is completed, the tube is sandwiched between the slits of the gripping member;
13. The liquid ejecting device according to claim 12. comprising a control unit that executes the moving operation based on an instruction to replace the liquid ejecting head by an operator;
The liquid ejecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that:

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