JP2023180034A - Liquid ejection device - Google Patents

Abstract

To facilitate the attaching work of a cap member.SOLUTION: A liquid ejection device includes: a liquid ejection head which ejects a liquid to a liquid application target; a cap member 10 attachable to the liquid ejection head so as to cover a nozzle surface; a placement member 40 on which the liquid application target is placed; and a raising/lowering mechanism which raises/lowers the placement member 40 so as to cause the placement member 40 to approach/separate from the liquid ejection head; wherein the placement member 40 includes: a holding portion 3 capable of holding the cap member 10; and a position adjustment unit 4 adjustable a position of the cap member 10, held by the cap holding portion 3, in a direction X, Y intersecting an approaching direction of the placement member relative to the liquid ejection head; and wherein, in a state in which the cap member 10 is held by the cap holding portion 3, the placement member 40 is capable of being raised/lowered between a position at which the cap member 10 is separated from the liquid ejection head and a position at which the cap member 10 is attached to the liquid ejection head.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid ejection device.

2. Description of the Related Art Liquid ejection apparatuses are known that include a cap member that covers a nozzle surface for the purpose of protecting the nozzle of a liquid ejection head and preventing the nozzle from drying out.

For example, in an inkjet image forming apparatus that forms an image by ejecting ink onto a sheet such as paper, when the image forming operation is completed, the cap member is automatically attached to the liquid ejection head, and the nozzle surface is aligned with the cap member. The drying of the nozzle is suppressed by being covered by the nozzle. However, if the cap member is not attached due to a failure of the device or the like, the nozzle surface is not covered by the cap member and remains exposed. As a result, when the nozzle dries and ink sticks inside the nozzle, ink ejection failure occurs, and in the worst case, the liquid ejection head needs to be replaced.

As a measure to prevent such a situation, there is a method in which an operator manually attaches another cap member to the liquid ejection head. For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-136162) proposes a method in which an operator manually attaches a cap member (maintenance jig) to a liquid ejection head during maintenance.

However, the method of manually attaching the cap member by an operator requires the attachment work to be carried out within a limited space, which is difficult and burdensome to the contractor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to facilitate the attachment of a cap member.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid onto an object to which liquid is applied, a cap member that can be attached to the liquid ejection head so as to cover a nozzle surface, and the object to which liquid is applied. A liquid ejection device comprising: a placement member on which an object is placed; and an elevating mechanism that raises and lowers the placement member so as to move the placement member toward and away from the liquid ejection head, the placement member including the cap member. a holding part capable of holding the cap member; and a position adjusting part capable of adjusting the position of the cap member held by the cap holding part in a direction crossing a direction in which the mounting member approaches the liquid ejection head. , in a state where the cap member is held by the cap holder, the mounting member has two positions: a position where the cap member is away from the liquid ejection head, and a position where the cap member is attached to the liquid ejection head. It is characterized by being able to be raised and lowered between

According to the present invention, the work of attaching the cap member can be easily performed.

1 is a perspective view of a printing device that is an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the printing device. FIG. 3 is a front view of the printing device. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration and operation of a head cap device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the overall configuration and operation of the head cap device. It is a perspective view of the cap member concerning this embodiment. 7 is a perspective view of the cap member viewed from a different direction from FIG. 6. FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cap member. It is a cross-sectional perspective view of the said cap member. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a platen according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the platen showing a state in which the cap member is held on the platen. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how the cap member is engaged with a carriage. It is a flowchart of the method of attaching the cap member and the operation of the head cap device. It is a figure which shows the modification of the said cap member. It is a figure which shows another flowchart.

The present invention will be described below using a printing device as an example of a liquid ejecting device. In each drawing for explaining the present invention, constituent elements such as members and components having the same function or shape are given the same reference numerals as much as possible to distinguish them. Omitted.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the printing apparatus, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the printing apparatus.

The printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a carriage 11 on which a plurality of liquid ejection heads 20A to 20D (see FIG. 3), which are liquid ejection means for ejecting liquid, are mounted. Each of the liquid ejection heads 20A to 20D has a plurality of nozzle rows, for example, liquids of each color of black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y), white ink, transparent ink, etc. Dispense liquid. Further, the carriage 11 is equipped with a sub-tank that temporarily stores liquid to be supplied to each of the liquid ejection heads 20A to 20D. The liquid stored in the main tank 32 is supplied to the sub tank.

The carriage 11 is held by two guide members 12 and 13 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) so as to be able to reciprocate in the main scanning direction X. Further, the carriage 11 is connected to a timing belt 17 (see FIG. 3) that is wound around a driving pulley 15 and a driven pulley 16. The drive pulley 15 is configured to be rotationally driven by the main scanning motor 14 (see FIG. 2), and the carriage 11 reciprocates in the main scanning direction X when the main scanning motor 14 is driven.

The printing apparatus 1 also includes an encoder sheet 18 (see FIG. 1) that detects the position of the carriage 11, and a controller board 50 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) that controls the liquid ejection operation of each of the liquid ejection heads 20A to 20D. We are prepared.

The encoder sheet 18 is arranged along the main scanning direction X. The encoder sheet 18 is provided with periodic slits, and the carriage 11 has a reading sensor that reads the slits of the encoder sheet 18. The slit of the encoder sheet 18 is read by the reading sensor of the carriage 11, and the position of the carriage 11 in the main scanning direction X is detected from the reading result.

The controller board 50 controls the ejection operation (ejection timing) of each of the liquid ejection heads 20A to 20D based on the carriage position obtained from the reading result of the read sensor of the carriage 11.

Further, the printing apparatus 1 includes a platen 40 that is a mounting member on which a cloth 400 (see FIG. 3) as a printing object (liquid application object) is placed. The platen 40 is mounted on an elevating mechanism 41, and is configured such that its height in the vertical direction Z can be adjusted by the elevating mechanism 41.

Further, the elevating mechanism 41 is mounted on a slider 42 that is movable in the sub-scanning direction Y that is perpendicular to the main-scanning direction X. The slider 42 is movably mounted on a slide rail 43 extending in the sub-scanning direction Y, and is reciprocated in the sub-scanning direction Y by a sub-scanning drive mechanism via a timing belt 45. As a result, the platen 40 mounted on the slider 42 is also reciprocated in the sub-scanning direction Y.

A maintenance device 60 that maintains and recovers each of the liquid ejection heads 20A to 20D is disposed on one end side of the printing device 1 in the main scanning direction X. The maintenance device 60 includes a suction cap 61 that covers the nozzle surface of each liquid ejection head 20A to 20D and sucks ink from each nozzle, a moisturizing cap 62 that covers and moisturizes the nozzle surface of each liquid ejection head 20A to 20D, and A wiper 63 is provided as a wiping member for wiping the nozzle surfaces of the liquid ejection heads 20A to 20D. A suction pump is connected to the suction cap 61.

A discharge receiver 66 is arranged on the other end side of the printing device 1 in the main scanning direction X. During printing, each of the liquid ejection heads 20A to 20D is maintained and recovered by ejecting ink from each of the liquid ejection heads 20A to 20D to the ejection receiver 66.

The printing apparatus 1 also includes a power button 70, an operation section 71, a power supply unit 72, and the like (see FIG. 1).

In the printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, when printing on fabric (printing target) such as a T-shirt, the fabric 400 is set on the platen 40. Thereafter, by operating the operation unit 71, the platen 40 is pulled into the apparatus rearward (upward in FIG. 2) via the slider 42 that moves in the sub-scanning direction Y.

When the retraction of the platen 40 is completed, the printer enters a print data standby state. Here, a printing operation is started when the printing device 1 receives print data from an external information processing device. Alternatively, if print data has been stored in the controller board 50 in advance, the print operation is started by selecting the print data using the operation unit 71.

When the printing operation is started, the platen 40 is moved via the slider 42 to the printing start position. Thereafter, the carriage 11 is moved in the main scanning direction X and ink is ejected from each of the liquid ejection heads 20A to 20D, and one line of image is printed. When one line of image is printed, the platen 40 is moved by one line in the sub-scanning direction Y via the slider 42. Thereafter, the reciprocating movement of the carriage 11 in the main scanning direction Printing will be performed. After printing is completed, the platen 40 is returned to the front of the apparatus (lower side in FIG. 2), and printing is completed.

Further, when performing a maintenance operation, the carriage 11 is moved to the maintenance position of the maintenance device 60. First, the maintenance device 60 covers the nozzle surface of the head to be maintained among the liquid ejection heads 20A to 20D with the suction cap 61, and performs a suction operation to drive the suction pump. As a result, ink is suctioned from the nozzle and discharged into the suction cap 61. After the suction operation is completed, the suction cap 61 is separated from the nozzle surface, and a wiping operation is performed in which the nozzle surface of the target head is wiped with the wiper 63. When the suction and wiping operations for all target heads are completed, the nozzle surfaces of each of the liquid ejection heads 20A to 20D are covered with the moisturizing caps 62, and the maintenance operation ends. This suppresses drying of the nozzle surface. Note that the number of moisturizing caps 62 is equal to the number of liquid ejection heads 20A to 20D.

By the way, due to a failure of the printing device 1 or the like, the maintenance device 60 may become unable to perform maintenance operations. In this case, the nozzle surfaces of each of the liquid ejection heads 20A to 20D cannot be covered by the moisturizing cap 62 (the capping operation is no longer performed), so the nozzle surfaces are exposed to the atmosphere until repairs are completed by a service person or the like. Become. As a result, when the moisture in the ink inside the nozzle evaporates and the ink becomes thicker, there is a risk that the ink will stick inside the nozzle.

Therefore, it is conceivable that a worker such as a user manually attaches another cap member to the liquid ejection head, but the work of manually attaching a cap member by a worker must be done within a limited space. This poses the problem of making the work difficult and putting a burden on the worker.

Therefore, in the printing apparatus according to the present embodiment, the platen 40 mounted on the printing apparatus and the platen 40 are installed so that an operator can easily cap the liquid ejection head even if the maintenance device cannot perform the capping operation. A lifting mechanism 41 for lifting and lowering is used as a head cap device. The configuration and operation of the head cap device according to this embodiment will be described below.

4 and 5 are diagrams showing the overall configuration and operation of the head cap device according to this embodiment. Note that in FIGS. 4 and 5, the symbols A to D for identifying each of the liquid ejection heads 20A to 20D are omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the head cap device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a platen 40, a lifting mechanism 41, a slider 42 for moving the platen 40 and lifting mechanism 41 in the sub-scanning direction Y, and a slide rail. 43 is the main component.

The elevating mechanism 41 includes a support portion 51 that supports the platen 40 and a housing portion 52 that accommodates the feed screw 33 and the guide rod 34. The support part 51 of the lifting mechanism 41 has a columnar part extending vertically on the slider 42 and a part extending horizontally from the upper end of the columnar part, and the feed screw 33 is attached to the horizontally extending part. A female threaded portion 53 that engages with the guide rod 34 and a guide hole 54 into which the guide rod 34 is inserted are provided. The feed screw 33 and the guide rod 34 extend in the vertical direction, and their upper ends are connected to the lower surface of the platen 40.

When the feed screw 33 is rotationally driven by a drive source such as a motor, the feed screw 33 is raised or lowered due to the engagement between the feed screw 33 and the female threaded portion 53. This moves the platen 40 up and down. Further, at this time, the platen 40 is guided in the vertical direction by moving the guide rod 34 along the guide hole 54.

Further, the platen 40 is configured to be able to hold the cap member 10 on its upper surface. This cap member 10 is a cap member different from the suction cap 61 and the moisturizing cap 62 included in the maintenance device 60, and is prepared in advance for use by an operator in the event of an abnormality in which the maintenance device 60 cannot perform a capping operation. It is something that exists.

Next, the structure of the cap member 10 will be explained based on FIGS. 6 to 9.
6 is a perspective view of the cap member 10, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cap member 10 seen from a different direction from FIG. 6, FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the cap member 10, and FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the cap member 10. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the cap member 10 includes a plurality of cap sections 21 that cover and cap the nozzle surfaces of each of the liquid ejection heads 20A to 20D, and a holder section 22 that holds the plurality of cap sections 21. It is equipped with The cap portions 21 are provided in the same number as the liquid ejection heads 20A to 20D.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the holder section 22 has a plurality of cap holders 23, and the plurality of cap sections 21 are held by two cap holders 23 at a time. Further, an elastic member 24 such as a spring is provided between the cap portion 21 and the cap holder 23. Since each cap part 21 is urged upward in FIGS. 8 and 9 by this elastic member 24, each cap part 21 is pressed against the nozzle surface when the cap member 10 is capped. .

The holder part 22 has an engaging part that is removably engaged with a convex part 11a (see FIG. 12) provided on the exterior of the carriage 11 as an engaging part, at both ends in the direction in which the cap parts 21 are lined up. It has a hook portion (claw portion) 22a. Further, the holder portion 22 has guide portions 22b at four corners that serve as guide and positioning portions when the holder portion 22 is mounted on the carriage 11. Furthermore, the holder part 22 has a positioning part 22c that regulates the positional relationship between the cap part 21 and the nozzle surface in the longitudinal direction of the cap part 21. One positioning part 22c is provided for each cap holder 23.

Furthermore, an absorbing member 25 (see FIGS. 8 and 9) that absorbs liquid is arranged below the cap holder 23 in the holder portion 22. Thereby, even if the moisturizing liquid filled in the cap part 21 spills during capping, the absorbing member 25 absorbs the moisturizing liquid, and the inside of the device can be prevented from being soiled by the moisturizing liquid.

10 and 11 show the configuration of the platen 40 according to this embodiment. 10 is a perspective view of the platen 40, and FIG. 11 is an enlarged plan view of the platen 40 showing a state in which the cap member 10 is held on the platen 40.

As shown in FIG. 10, a recess 2 in which the cap member 10 is accommodated is provided on the placement surface (upper surface) 40a of the platen 40 on which the printing target (fabric 400) is placed. The recess 2 is a hole having a rectangular bottom surface that follows the shape of the cap member 10, and is provided at the center of the mounting surface 40a. Further, the recess 2 is formed to have a recess (depth) that does not affect printing when the printing target is placed on the placement surface 40a.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, four holding plates 3 and a total of eight position adjustment springs 4, two provided on each holding plate 3, are arranged in the recess 2. Each holding plate 3 is arranged so as to face four side surfaces 2a to 2d of the recess 2 forming the rectangular opening edge. Further, a plurality of position adjustment springs 4 are arranged between each side surface 2a to 2d of the recess 2 and each holding plate 3. Each holding plate 3 is connected to each side surface 2a to 2d via a plurality of position adjustment springs 4. Therefore, each holding plate 3 is held movably in the main scanning direction X or the sub-scanning direction Y by a plurality of position adjustment springs 4. In other words, each holding plate 3 is configured to be movable in a direction intersecting the approach direction (ascending direction) of the platen 40 with respect to the liquid ejection head 20.

When the cap member 10 is accommodated between the retaining plates 3 configured in this way, each retaining plate 3 is biased by the position adjustment spring 4, so that the cap member 10 is It is held in a sandwiched state between the holding plates 3. Further, when the cap member 10 is held by each holding plate 3, the cap member 10 can be freely displaced in the main scanning direction X and the sub-scanning direction Y by expanding and contracting each position adjustment spring 4. . That is, in this embodiment, each holding plate 3 functions as a cap holding part 46 that holds the cap member 10 on the platen 40, and each position adjustment spring 4 adjusts the position of the held cap member 10 in the main scanning direction. It functions as a position adjustment section 47 that can be adjusted in the X and sub-scanning directions.

Next, with reference to FIG. 13, a method of attaching the cap member 10 and an operation of the head cap device 100 in the event of an abnormality will be described.

If the maintenance operation of the maintenance device 60 cannot be performed due to an abnormality such as a failure, the operator operates the operation unit such as the control panel of the printing device and instructs the execution of the "cap attachment operation in the event of an abnormality" ( Step 1 in FIG. 13). Note that the abnormal state here means a state in which the maintenance operation of the maintenance device 60 cannot be performed, but the drive system for mounting the cap member 10 (such as the head cap device 100) can be controlled.

When the "cap attachment operation in the event of an abnormality" is executed, the carriage 11 moves in the main scanning direction X and is placed at a position corresponding to the center position of the platen 40 in the main scanning direction ). That is, the carriage 11 is arranged at a predetermined cap mounting position corresponding to the position (recess 2) of the cap member 10 set on the platen 40. Further, the platen 40 moves to the front side in the sub-scanning direction Y (the position shown in FIG. 2) and is placed at a predetermined setting position where the operator can set the cap member 10 (Step 2 in FIG. 13).

When the platen 40 is placed at a predetermined setting position, the operator sets the cap member 10 in the recess 2 on the platen 20 (Step 3 in FIG. 13). That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the cap member 10 is held on the platen 40 by the plurality of holding plates 3. The operator then operates the operation unit again to support restarting the "cap attachment operation in the event of an abnormality" (Step 4 in FIG. 13). In response to this instruction, the platen 40 moves to the back side in the sub-scanning direction Y and stops at a position where the cap member 10 is placed directly below the carriage 11 (the position shown in FIG. 4). Then, at that position, as shown in FIG. 5, the feed screw 33 of the elevating mechanism 41 starts rotating and raises the platen 40 (Step 5 in FIG. 13). As a result, the cap member 10 on the platen 40 approaches the carriage 11, and the cap member 10 is attached so as to cover the nozzle surface of the liquid ejection head 20 (Step 6 in FIG. 13). Specifically, the cap member 10 is attached to the liquid ejection head 20 by engaging the hook portion 22a (see FIG. 7) of the cap member 10 with the convex portion 11a (see FIG. 12) of the carriage 11. This completes the attachment of the cap member 10 to the liquid ejection head 20. Further, after the cap member 10 is completely attached, the feed screw 33 of the elevating mechanism 41 rotates in the reverse direction, so that the platen 40 descends and stops at a predetermined home position.

As described above, in this embodiment, even if the maintenance device 60 cannot perform the cap mounting operation, the platen 40 mounted on the printing device and the elevating mechanism 41 for elevating it can be used as a head cap device. , the cap member 10 can be easily attached. That is, the operator only needs to set the cap member 10 on the platen 40 and operate the operation panel, etc., and the operator does not have to manually attach the cap member 10 to the liquid ejection head 20. This makes it easy to install. In addition, when the maintenance device 60 is unable to attach the cap, an alarm (warning sound) or a display on the operation panel prompts the operator to perform the "cap attachment operation in the event of an abnormality". It is also possible to prevent forgetting to attach the member 10.

Further, in this embodiment, since the cap member 10 is held movably in the main scanning direction X and the sub-scanning direction Y on the platen 40 (see FIG. 11), the cap member 10 is During the approach, the cap member 10 can be displaced in a direction transverse to the approach direction. Therefore, even if the cap member 10 is slightly misaligned with respect to the liquid ejection head 20 or the carriage 11, the guide portion 22b (see FIG. 6) of the cap member 10 comes into contact with the carriage 11 as the platen 40 rises. When this occurs, the positional shift can be corrected by displacing the cap member 10 in a direction crossing the approach direction. Thereby, the cap member 10 can be attached to the liquid ejection head 20 with high precision.

Further, as in the example shown in FIG. 14, the guide portion 22b of the cap member 10 may be inclined so as to open outward in the direction A in which the cap member 10 approaches the liquid ejection head 20. . Note that the "outside" here refers to the direction opposite to the center of the cap member 10 when viewed from the direction in which the cap member 10 approaches and moves away from the liquid ejection head 20, that is, from the center of the cap member 10. It means any direction among the radial directions. As described above, since the guide portion 22b is inclined so as to open outward, even if the positional deviation of the cap member 10 with respect to the liquid ejection head 20 or the carriage 11 is somewhat large, the guide portion 22b can keep the cap member 10 in a predetermined position. Since the cap member 10 can be guided to the mounting position, the cap member 10 can be mounted with high precision.

Further, when the cap member 10 is attached to the liquid ejection head 20, the rising speed of the platen 40 may be the same speed or may be changed. For example, as in the example shown in FIG. 15, when the cap member 10 approaches the liquid ejection head 20 to a predetermined distance, the subsequent rising speed of the platen 40 may be controlled to be slow (see the example shown in FIG. (See Step 6 and Step 7 of 15). In this way, when the distance between the cap member 10 and the liquid ejection head 20 becomes short, the rising speed of the platen 40 is made slower than when the distance is long, so that the cap member 10 ejects the liquid. Since the impact upon contact with the head 20 or the carriage 11 can be alleviated, damage to the cap member 10 and the liquid ejection head 20 or the carriage 11 can be suppressed.

In the above embodiment, the cap member 10 is attached to the liquid ejection head 20 by engaging the cap member 10 with the carriage 11. However, the cap member 10 is not limited to being engaged with the carriage 11. It may also directly engage the ejection head 20. Further, the cap member 10 may engage with guide members 12 and 13 that guide the carriage 11 in the main scanning direction X. Therefore, in the present invention, "installation" of the cap member refers to the case where the cap member is attached by directly engaging with the liquid ejection head, as well as the case where the cap member is attached to the member that holds the liquid ejection head or the member that holds the liquid ejection head. This also includes the case where it is attached by engaging with a guiding member or the like. That is, "installation" means a state in which the position of the cap member is fixed while the nozzle surface of the liquid ejection head is covered by the cap member.

Further, in the above embodiment, the hook portion 22a as an engaging portion is provided on the cap member 10, but the hook portion 22a as an engaging portion may be provided on the carriage 11 or the guide members 12, 13. You can also. Further, the engaging portion may have a structure other than a hook portion (claw), and may be configured to be detachable using a magnet or the like.

Further, in the above embodiment, the cap member 10 is held by two pairs (four) of retaining plates 3, but the number of retaining plates 3 is not limited to two pairs (four) but one pair (two). There may be.

Further, in the above embodiment, the position of the cap member 10 is made movable by the plurality of position adjustment springs 4, but instead of the position adjustment springs 4, other elastic members such as rubber or sponge may be used. . In that case, the cap member 10 is directly held between elastic members such as rubber or sponge, and these elastic members function as the cap holding part 46 that holds the cap member 10 and adjust the position of the cap member 10. It may also be configured to function as the position adjustment section 47.

Note that each member constituting the cap holding section 46 and the position adjustment section 47 is placed in the recess 2 of the platen 40 so as not to affect printing when the printing object is placed on the placement surface 40a of the platen 40. It is preferable that the opening be housed so as not to protrude upward from the opening edge.

Further, in the above embodiment, the platen 40 is moved in the sub-scanning direction Y when the cap member 10 is attached by driving the slider 42, but the movement in the sub-scanning direction Y at this time is It may also be possible for a person to do this manually. That is, the head cap device may include only the platen 40 and the elevating mechanism 41 without the sub-scanning direction movement mechanism such as the slider 42. Even in this case, the cap member 10 can be automatically attached to the liquid ejection head 20 by the raising function of the platen 40, so that the work burden can be reduced compared to the case where the operator manually attaches the cap member 10.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the term "liquid ejection apparatus" refers to an apparatus that includes a liquid ejection head or a liquid ejection unit and drives the liquid ejection head to eject liquid. Furthermore, the term "liquid ejection device" includes not only a device capable of ejecting a liquid onto an object to which the liquid can adhere, but also a device that ejects a liquid into the air or into the liquid.

Furthermore, the "liquid ejecting device" can include means for feeding, transporting, and discharging objects to which liquid can adhere, as well as pre-processing devices, post-processing devices, and the like. For example, "liquid ejecting devices" include image forming devices that eject ink to form images on paper, and liquid ejecting devices that eject ink to form images on paper. It includes a three-dimensional modeling device (three-dimensional modeling device) that discharges modeling liquid onto the body layer.

Furthermore, the "liquid ejection device" may be one in which the liquid ejection head moves relative to something to which liquid can adhere, or may be one in which the liquid ejection head does not move relative to the object. . As a specific example, the "liquid ejection device" includes a serial type device that moves a liquid ejection head, a line type device that does not move a liquid ejection head, and the like.

Further, the "liquid ejecting device" is not limited to one in which significant images such as characters and figures can be visualized by ejected liquid. For example, "liquid ejecting devices" also include devices that form patterns that have no meaning in themselves, and devices that create three-dimensional images. Therefore, a "liquid discharge device" includes a treatment liquid application device that discharges a treatment liquid onto paper in order to apply the treatment liquid to the surface of the paper for purposes such as modifying the surface of the paper, and a treatment liquid application device that disperses raw materials in a solution. It also includes an injection granulation device that granulates fine particles of raw materials by injecting a composition liquid through a nozzle.

The above-mentioned "something to which a liquid can adhere" refers to something to which a liquid can adhere at least temporarily, such as something that adheres and sticks, something that adheres and penetrates. Specific examples include recording media such as paper, recording paper, recording paper, film, and cloth, electronic components such as electronic boards, piezoelectric elements, powder layers, organ models, and test cells. Unless otherwise specified, it includes everything to which liquid adheres.

Further, the material of "the material to which liquid can adhere" may be paper, thread, fiber, cloth, leather, metal, plastic, glass, wood, ceramics, etc., as long as the liquid can adhere even temporarily.

In addition, the "liquid" discharged by the "liquid discharge device" may have a viscosity or surface tension that allows it to be discharged from the head, and is not particularly limited. is preferably 30 mPa·s or less. More specifically, solvents such as water and organic solvents, coloring agents such as dyes and pigments, functional materials such as polymerizable compounds, resins, and surfactants, and biocompatible materials such as DNA, amino acids, proteins, and calcium. , natural dyes and other edible materials, and solutions, suspensions, and emulsions. These can be used, for example, as inkjet inks, surface treatment liquids, constituent elements of electronic devices and light emitting devices, liquids for forming electronic circuit resist patterns, material liquids for three-dimensional modeling, and the like.

To summarize the aspects of the present invention described above, the present invention includes a liquid ejection device having at least the following configuration.

[First configuration]
The first configuration includes a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid onto an object to which liquid is applied, a cap member that can be attached to the liquid ejection head so as to cover a nozzle surface, and a mount on which the object to which liquid is applied is placed. A liquid ejecting device comprising: a mounting member; and an elevating mechanism that raises and lowers the mounting member to approach and separate from the liquid ejection head, the mounting member including a holding portion capable of holding the cap member; , a position adjustment section that is capable of adjusting the position of the cap member held by the cap holding section in a direction crossing a direction in which the placement member approaches the liquid ejection head; When held by the cap holder, the mounting member is movable up and down between a position where the cap member is separated from the liquid ejection head and a position where the cap member is attached to the liquid ejection head. This is a liquid ejection device.

[Second configuration]
In a second configuration, in the first configuration, the cap holding section includes a plurality of holding plates that hold the cap member between them, and the position adjustment section moves the holding plates to the liquid ejection head. The liquid ejecting device has a biasing member displaceably biased in a direction crossing the direction in which the mounting member approaches the liquid discharge device.

[Third configuration]
In a third configuration, in the second configuration, the placement member has a recess on the placement surface on which the liquid application target is placed, and the holding plate and the biasing member are arranged in the recess. This is a liquid ejecting device disposed inside.

[Fourth configuration]
In a fourth configuration, in any one of the first to third configurations, the cap member has a guide portion that is inclined to open outward in a direction approaching the liquid ejection head. It is a discharge device.

[Fifth configuration]
In a fifth configuration, in any one of the first to fourth configurations, the elevating mechanism is configured to raise and lower the mounting member after the cap member approaches the liquid ejection head to a predetermined distance. This is a liquid ejection device whose speed is controlled to be slow.

1 Printing device (liquid ejection device)
2 Recessed portion 3 Holding plate 4 Position adjustment spring (biasing member)
10 Cap member 20A to 20D Liquid ejection head 22b Guide portion 40 Platen (placing member)
40a Placement surface 41 Lifting mechanism 46 Cap holding section 47 Position adjustment section 100 Head cap device 400 Cloth (object to which liquid is applied)

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-136162

Claims (5)

a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid onto a liquid application target;
a cap member that can be attached to the liquid ejection head so as to cover a nozzle surface;
a mounting member for mounting the liquid application target;
an elevating mechanism for elevating and lowering the mounting member so as to approach and separate from the liquid ejection head;
A liquid ejection device comprising:
The mounting member includes a holding portion that can hold the cap member, and adjusts a position of the cap member held by the cap holding portion in a direction that intersects a direction in which the mounting member approaches the liquid ejection head. a position adjustment unit;
In a state in which the cap member is held by the cap holding section, the mounting member is arranged between a position where the cap member is away from the liquid ejection head and a position where the cap member is attached to the liquid ejection head. A liquid ejecting device characterized in that it can be raised and lowered between The cap holding part has a plurality of holding plates that hold the cap member in a sandwiching manner,
2. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the position adjustment section includes an urging member that urges the holding plate to be displaceable in a direction intersecting a direction in which the mounting member approaches the liquid ejection head. The placement member has a recess on the placement surface on which the liquid application target is placed,
The liquid ejecting device according to claim 2, wherein the holding plate and the biasing member are arranged within the recess. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cap member has a guide portion that is inclined to open outward in a direction approaching the liquid ejection head. 4. The elevating mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the elevating mechanism is controlled such that the elevating speed of the mounting member becomes slow after the cap member approaches the liquid ejection head to a predetermined distance. The liquid ejecting device described.

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