JP4687063B2 - Cleaning method and replacement method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a supply system provided for a liquid ejection apparatus that ejects liquid as droplets using a liquid ejection head, such as an ink jet recording apparatus, a display manufacturing apparatus, an electrode forming apparatus, or a biochip manufacturing apparatus, and a liquid The present invention relates to a method for cleaning a supply channel in a discharge device and a method for replacing a liquid in a supply channel in a liquid discharge device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ink jet printer is known as a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects droplets from nozzles of an ejection head. Some ink jet printers (printers) include a so-called off-carriage type supply system in which a liquid container is mounted at a place other than a carriage. An off-carriage type supply system mainly includes a large-capacity ink cartridge and a supply tube that connects the ink cartridge and the discharge head, and includes a sub-tank in the middle, a pressure adjustment mechanism, an ink Various things are known, such as those equipped with a mechanism for supplying pressure under pressure.

  In this type of printer, a print test for confirming normal operation is usually performed before product shipment. This print test is performed, for example, by discharging colored ink (ink) onto a test sheet or the like, but if the product is shipped with the ink filled after the print test, depending on conditions such as the storage environment, etc. There is a risk of clogging in the nozzles of the ejection head and in the supply system. Therefore, a process for cleaning the inside of the supply flow path is provided after the printing test and before product shipment. As cleaning methods in this cleaning process, for example, there are methods disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2. Patent Document 1 describes a cleaning method that includes a step of discharging ink in a supply channel, a step of filling the supply channel with a cleaning liquid, and a step of discharging the filled cleaning liquid.

JP 2002-192751 A JP 2001-30515 A

In the technique according to Patent Document 1, the inside of the cap is decompressed while the nozzle surface of the ejection head is sealed with a cap, and the above filling and discharging are performed by sucking air or ink from the supply channel from the nozzle. Such a technique is often used in the recovery operation of the printer. However, when discharging ink or the like from an elongated channel such as a supply channel, the movement of the ink or the like is accompanied by a large movement resistance. Therefore, particularly in an off-carriage printer having a long channel, the cleaning time is long. It tends to be long.
In the technique according to Patent Document 2, a cleaning communication pipe branched from the middle of the supply flow path of the printer is provided, and pressurized cleaning liquid and compressed air are alternately passed through the discharge head by switching valves. Cleaning. However, the apparatus according to this document is very large, and only the discharge head can be cleaned, and the entire supply channel cannot be cleaned. Further, the cleaning method merely repeats the supply of the cleaning liquid and the compressed air, and is not optimized at all.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and is a supply system capable of efficiently cleaning a supply flow path, an efficient supply flow path cleaning method, and an efficient supply flow. An object is to provide a method for replacing liquid in a channel.

  The present invention provides a liquid discharge apparatus that supplies liquid contained in a liquid container to a discharge head via a supply flow path, and discharges the liquid from a nozzle of the discharge head, and supplies gas and liquid to the supply flow path A possible supply system, a gas pressurizing unit that pressurizes the gas, a liquid pressurizing unit that pressurizes the liquid, and an air supply control unit that controls air supply of the gas to the supply channel; A liquid feeding control means for controlling the feeding of the liquid to the supply flow path, and a connection section that detachably couples with a coupling portion between the supply flow path and the liquid container and leads out the gas or the liquid. And.

Here, the liquid refers to a liquid as an object to be ejected using a liquid ejecting apparatus, and is not limited to a colored ink for paper printing, but for industrial uses such as a conductive ink containing metal particles, and A cleaning solution for cleaning the inside of the supply channel is also included.
The supply flow path includes not only a flow path formed in a tube or a sub tank for drawing liquid from a liquid container, but also a communication flow path formed in the discharge head. That is, the liquid ejection apparatus to which this supply system is applied is not limited to a so-called off-carriage type.

According to this supply system, the liquid filled in the supply flow path can be efficiently discharged by supplying the gas pressurized by the gas pressurizing means. Further, the liquid (cleaning liquid) can be efficiently filled into the supply flow path by feeding the liquid pressurized by the liquid pressurizing means. Thus, the supply channel can be efficiently cleaned.
Moreover, since the connection part which can be attached or detached with respect to the coupling | bond part of a liquid discharge apparatus is provided, an operator should just couple | bond the connection part of this supply system instead of a liquid container, and is excellent in workability | operativity. Furthermore, since the air supply and the liquid supply can be performed from the coupling portion, the entire supply channel can be cleaned.

In the case where the liquid discharge apparatus includes a suction unit that sucks gas or liquid in the supply flow channel from the nozzle side, the supply system includes liquid supply control by the liquid supply control unit and the liquid supply control. It is characterized by comprising an automatic control unit that performs air supply control by the air control means in conjunction with driving of the suction means.
According to this supply system, by the action of the automatic control unit, the supply of pressurized gas, the supply of pressurized cleaning liquid, and the suction from the nozzle side by the suction means are performed in combination, thereby efficiently Cleaning sequence can be performed.

  The present invention provides a cleaning method for cleaning a supply flow path for supplying the liquid in a liquid discharge apparatus that discharges liquid from a nozzle, wherein the nozzle side is closed in a state where a part of the supply flow path is closed. A suction step for sucking from the nozzle, a filling step for supplying the cleaning liquid to the supply flow path and a suction from the nozzle side to fill the supply flow path with the cleaning liquid, and a gas for supplying the supply flow. And a discharge step of discharging the liquid or the cleaning liquid filled in the supply flow path by performing suction from the nozzle side while supplying to the passage. Preferably, the cleaning method is used for a liquid discharge apparatus having a widened portion in the supply flow path, the capacity of which is variable by a flexible film.

Here, suction from the nozzle side refers to sucking gas or liquid in the supply flow path from the nozzle by, for example, reducing the pressure inside the cap while sealing the nozzle surface of the ejection head with the cap. ing.
Choke suction, in which suction is performed from the nozzle side while the supply flow path is closed, is useful as a method for significantly increasing the negative pressure downstream of the closed portion, and is combined with a filling step or discharge step to fill the cleaning liquid, etc. , Can enhance the effect of discharge. Thus, the supply channel can be efficiently cleaned.
In addition, when this cleaning method is used for a liquid discharge apparatus having a widened portion whose capacity is variably configured by a flexible film, the choke suction step is performed prior to the filling step. Such air in the widened portion is positively discharged by the deformation of the flexible film, and the filling property by the subsequent filling step can be further enhanced.

  In the cleaning method, the cleaning liquid is charged in the filling step, and then the cleaning liquid is discharged in the discharging step, and the cleaning liquid is discharged in the filling step in succession to the choke suction step. And a main cleaning step of discharging the filled cleaning liquid in the discharging step. More preferably, the stirring cleaning step and the main cleaning step are each repeated a plurality of times.

In the main cleaning step, by executing the choke suction step and the filling step in combination, the supply flow path can be reliably filled with the cleaning liquid due to the generation of a strong negative pressure, and the subsequent discharge step can supply the supply flow path. However, it takes more time than filling with only a filling step. On the other hand, in terms of roughly removing the residual ink, the stirring cleaning step of cleaning by filling the supply flow path with some gas layer left without cleaning is more effective for stirring the cleaning liquid. It is efficient because it is obtained.
According to this cleaning method, efficient cleaning can be performed by combining the stirring cleaning step without the chalk suction step and the main cleaning step with the chalk suction step.

  The present invention provides a replacement method for replacing a first liquid filled in a supply flow path for supplying the liquid with a second liquid in a liquid discharge apparatus that discharges liquid from a nozzle, A choke suction step in which suction is performed from the nozzle side in a state where a part of the supply flow path is closed; and supplying the second liquid to the supply flow path and performing suction from the nozzle side, The filling step of filling the supply channel with the second liquid, supplying the gas to the supply channel, and performing suction from the nozzle side, thereby leaving the first liquid channel remaining in the supply channel. A discharge step of discharging the first and second liquids.

  According to this replacement method, it is possible to efficiently discharge the first and second liquids filled in the supply channel and fill the supply channel with the liquid. The filled first liquid can be efficiently replaced with the second liquid.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The embodiment described below is a preferred specific example of the present invention, and thus various technically preferable limitations are given. However, the scope of the present invention is particularly limited in the following description. Unless otherwise stated, the present invention is not limited to these forms.

(First embodiment)
(Liquid discharge device)
First, the liquid discharge apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view illustrating an example of a liquid ejection apparatus according to the present invention.

A printer 10 as a liquid ejection device includes frames 11a, 11b, and 11c, and includes a platen 16 in a region surrounded by the frames 11a to 11c. The platen 16 is provided for supporting a recording medium such as paper and ejecting ink as a liquid onto the recording medium at the supported position.
A carriage 15 on which the ejection head 14 is mounted is provided at a position facing the platen 16. The carriage 15 is supported and defined by a carriage guide shaft 12 connected to the inner surfaces of the frames 11a and 11c so that the carriage 15 can reciprocate along the carriage guide shaft 12 via a belt 13 by a carriage drive motor 19. It has become. In this configuration, the ejection head 14 mounted on the carriage 15 ejects ink while moving relative to the recording medium, whereby desired printing can be performed.

  The printer 10 performs color printing by using several types of inks with different color materials, and uses, for example, four colors of ink of black, magenta, cyan, and yellow. These color inks are accommodated in ink cartridges 22a to 22d as detachable liquid containers, and are inserted into a cartridge holder 20 located on the right side of the drawing. Supply pipes 18a to 18d configured to communicate with the ink cartridges 22a to 22d are drawn from the cartridge holder 20, and pressure adjusting mechanisms 17a to 17d on the carriage 15 are connected via the choke mechanisms 30a to 30d. It is communicated to. Further, the pressure adjusting mechanisms 17a to 17d are communicated with the ejection head 14 through a communication channel 27 (see FIG. 2). In this configuration, the supply pipes 18a to 18d, the choke mechanisms 30a to 30d, the pressure adjustment mechanisms 17a to 17d, and the communication channel 27 constitute a supply channel for supplying ink, and thus the ink cartridges 22a to 22d. The 22d ink can be ejected as droplets from the ejection head 14.

The printer 10 includes a pressurizing pump unit 28 above the cartridge holder 20 (frontward in the drawing), and sends compressed air into the ink cartridges 22a to 22d through the vent pipes 21a to 21d and the cartridge holder 20. be able to. The pressurizing pump unit 28 includes, for example, a diaphragm pump and a regulator for adjusting pressure, and can adjust the pressure inside the ink cartridges 22a to 22d.
The printer 10 includes a maintenance unit 25 on the right side of the platen 16 in the drawing. In FIG. 1, a cap 26 and a wiper 24 are illustrated. The cap 26 can seal the nozzle surface 35 (see FIG. 2) of the ejection head 14 and plays a role of preventing nozzle clogging in an unused state. Further, it is also used when performing a so-called recovery operation in which the inside of the cap 26 is depressurized while the nozzle surface 35 is sealed, so that foreign matters and bubbles mixed in the nozzle are sucked and removed together with the ink. The wiper 24 is provided for wiping off droplets adhering to the nozzle surface 35 of the ejection head 14 and is used in a recovery operation.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a supply system and a waste liquid system in the printer.
First, the supply system will be described. In FIG. 2, the ink cartridge 22a has a configuration in which an ink pack 39 formed by welding a flexible film in a pack shape is accommodated in a case 43 formed of plastic or the like. Ink is stored inside the ink pack 39, and the ink can be led out through the lead-out part 37. The leading end of the lead-out portion 37 protrudes from the through hole 44 formed in the case 43 to the outside of the case 43 and can be detachably coupled to the coupling portion 38 formed inside the cartridge holder 20. The coupling portion 38 is a hollow needle-shaped member and communicates with the supply pipe 18a. The case 43 of the ink cartridge 22a is provided with a vent tube insertion hole 36, and one end of the vent tube 21a can be inserted.

  With the above-described configuration, when the ink cartridge 22a is inserted into the cartridge holder 20 as shown in the figure, the coupling portion 38 and the lead-out portion 37 are coupled, and one end of the vent pipe 21a extends from the vent pipe insertion hole 36 to the case 43. It is inserted into the internal space 40. In this state, the ink cartridge 22a is configured so that the internal space 40 is in an airtight state. When compressed air is sent from the pressurizing pump unit 28 through the vent pipe 21a, the internal pressure of the internal space 40 increases, and the ink cartridge 22a The ink inside is pressed through the film surface of the pack 39. Thus, the ink in the ink pack 39 is pressurized and supplied to the supply pipe 18 a via the lead-out portion 37 and the coupling portion 38. The supply pressure of the air supply by the pressure pump unit 28 can be controlled by the control unit 41, that is, the supply pressure of ink can be controlled by the control unit 41.

A choke mechanism 30a having an on-off valve 34 is provided in the middle of the supply pipe 18a. Here, the configuration and function of the choke mechanism 30a will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the choke mechanism.
As shown in FIG. 3B, the choke mechanism 30 a includes a base material 51 made of synthetic resin, and a recess 52 is formed on one side surface of the base material 51. In the bottom surface of the recess 52, an introduction path 53 formed through the base material 51 is opened. The introduction path 53 communicates with the supply pipe 18a on the ink cartridge 22a side (see FIG. 2). Further, a convex portion 54 is formed on the bottom surface of the concave portion 52, and a lead-out path 55 is opened on the top surface of the convex portion 54. The lead-out path 55 is formed to penetrate the base material 51 and communicates with the supply pipe 18a on the pressure adjustment mechanism 17a side (see FIG. 2).

As shown in FIG. 3B, the recess 52 is sealed by a film 56 made of a flexible material being fixed to one side surface of the base material 51 in a state where the recess 52 is slackened. ing. Thereby, a sealed pressure chamber 57 is formed by the inner surface of the recess 52 and the film 56. The state where ink is not supplied to the pressure chamber 57 is the state shown in FIG. 3B, that is, the introduction path 53 and the lead-out path 55 are blocked.
Here, when ink is supplied from the ink cartridge 22 a to the choke mechanism 30 a, the ink flows into the pressure chamber 57 through the introduction path 53. When the ink in the pressure chamber 57 is increased, the film 56 is separated from the convex portion 54 as shown in FIG. 3A, that is, the introduction path 53 and the outlet path 55 are connected.
That is, with the above-described configuration, if the ink supply pressure from the ink cartridge 22a is higher than a predetermined value, the ink is supplied to the pressure adjusting mechanism 17a, and if the ink supply pressure from the ink cartridge 22a is lower than the predetermined value, the pressure is supplied. The function as the on-off valve 34 that shuts off the supply of ink to the adjusting mechanism 17a is performed. The ink supply / blocking (choke) can be controlled by a combination of the choke mechanism 30a and the control unit 41 that controls the supply pressure.

  Returning to FIG. 2 again, the ink sent from the ink cartridge 22a via the choke mechanism 30a is supplied to the pressure adjusting mechanism 17a. Since the supply pressure at this time is higher than the atmospheric pressure, when ink is supplied to the ejection head 14 with this supply pressure, the ink leaks out from the nozzles 33 of the ejection head 14, so that appropriate ejection is performed. Control is not possible. Therefore, the pressure is reduced by the pressure adjustment valve 32 provided in the pressure adjustment mechanism 17a, and the hydraulic pressure of the pressure chamber 46 as the widened portion is adjusted so that the nozzle 33 has an appropriate negative pressure (relative to the atmospheric pressure). is doing. Although a detailed description of the structure is omitted, a part of the partition wall of the pressure chamber 46 is composed of a flexible film 48, and the pressure chamber is determined by the pressure difference between the external pressure and the internal pressure of the pressure chamber 46. The capacity of 46 is changed.

  The ink adjusted to an appropriate pressure by the pressure adjusting mechanism 17a passes through the communication flow path 27, the segment flow path 45 including the cavity (pressure chamber) formed in units of nozzles, etc., by discharge control, recovery operation, etc. It is discharged or discharged from the nozzle 33. The discharge head 14 is actually provided with a plurality of communication channels 27, segment channels 45, and nozzles 33. However, for convenience, the discharge head 14 is represented by one channel.

Next, the waste liquid system and the recovery operation of the printer 10 will be described.
The main component of the waste liquid system is the maintenance unit 25 which has already been briefly described. The maintenance unit 25 can seal the nozzle surface 35 of the ejection head 14 and is provided in the middle of the cap 26 having a through hole in the center, a waste liquid tube 29 communicating with the through hole of the cap 26, and the waste liquid tube 29. A suction pump 23, a waste liquid tank 31 for accommodating the end of the waste liquid tube 29, and a wiper 24 made of a rubber blade or the like are provided. For example, a tube pump is used as the suction pump 23, and the drive can be controlled by the control unit 41. In addition, a drive command for the suction pump 23 can be given from the outside of the printer 10 via the interface 42.

The recovery operation is roughly divided into a suction operation and a wiping operation.
In the suction operation, ink can be sucked from the nozzle 33 by sealing the nozzle surface 35 with the cap 26 and driving the suction pump 23 to depressurize the sealed space. That is, the cap 26, the waste liquid tube 29, and the suction pump 23 function as suction means. At this time, if the ink supply pressure in the ink cartridge 22a is sufficiently high, new ink is continuously supplied via the supply pipe 18a, the choke mechanism 30a, the pressure adjusting mechanism 17a, etc., and the ink continues to be discharged from the nozzle 33.
On the other hand, when the ink supply pressure in the ink cartridge 22a is low and the on-off valve 34 of the choke mechanism 30a is closed, the ink discharge from the nozzle 33 stops immediately, and the pressure chamber 46, the communication flow A large negative pressure (that is, the absolute value of the pressure is low) is generated in the channel 27 and the segment channel 45 by the suction from the nozzle 33. In this state, when the ink supply pressure in the ink cartridge 22a is rapidly increased to open the on-off valve 34 of the choke mechanism 30a, the ink flows out at once and a powerful bubble discharging effect can be obtained. Thus, the bubbles staying in the pressure chamber 46, the communication channel 27, and the segment channel 45 are efficiently discharged. In this way, the suction operation with the on-off valve 34 closed is particularly called choke suction.
The wiping operation is an operation of wiping the nozzle surface 35 with the wiper 24 to remove ink droplets adhering to the nozzle surface, and is performed after the suction operation.

(Supply system)
Next, the supply system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a supply system according to the present invention and a connection relationship with a liquid ejection apparatus. In FIG. 4, the supply system 70 is a system independent of the printer 10 and is used by being connected to the printer 10.
As shown in FIG. 4, the supply system 70 includes a cleaning liquid tank 71, an air compressor 72 as a gas pressurizing unit, and a regulator 73 connected to the air compressor 72 by an air supply pipe 74a.
The cleaning liquid tank 71 is required to have a certain degree of airtightness, and can be sufficiently handled by a general polyethylene container. A liquid can be stored inside the cleaning liquid tank 71. In the present embodiment, a cleaning liquid 86 as a liquid is stored. The air compressor 72 is sufficient if a certain amount of compressed air is obtained, and even a small pump for an aquarium can be used sufficiently. Further, instead of the air compressor 72, a high-pressure nitrogen gas source or the like may be used. The compressed air generated by the air compressor 72 is adjusted to a constant pressure by the regulator 73 and is supplied to the internal space 77 of the cleaning liquid tank 71 through the air supply pipe 74b. Thus, the air in the internal space 77 and the cleaning liquid 86 in the cleaning liquid tank 71 are pressurized at a constant pressure. In the present embodiment, the pressure adjusted by the regulator 73 is atmospheric pressure + 20 kPa.
Thus, the above-described configuration including the cleaning liquid tank 71 and the air compressor 72 constitutes a liquid pressurizing unit. The liquid pressurizing unit may be configured to pressurize mechanically (for example, with a piston or the like), but by adopting a pressurizing configuration via air as in the present embodiment, A part can be shared (in this case, the air compressor 72 is shared). For this reason, it is possible to construct a system easily and inexpensively. Further, the pressure of the cleaning liquid 86 and the air can be easily changed by setting the regulator 73.

A liquid supply pipe 75 is connected to the cleaning liquid tank 71 via a lead-out port 76 so that pressurized cleaning liquid 86 can be supplied through the liquid supply pipe 75. The liquid supply pipe 75 is provided with a liquid supply valve 85 as a liquid supply control means so that the liquid supply of the cleaning liquid 86 can be controlled. The cleaning liquid tank 71 is further connected to an air supply pipe 74c having an opening in the internal space 77 so that the pressurized air in the internal space 77 can be supplied. The air supply pipe 74c is provided with an air supply valve 84 as an air supply control means so that the air supply can be controlled. As the liquid supply valve 85 and the air supply valve 84, for example, an electromagnetic valve (such as MYB1 manufactured by CKD) having excellent resistance to chemicals is used.
The liquid supply valve 85 and the air supply valve 84 are connected to the automatic control unit 83 and can control ON / OFF of the liquid supply and the air supply. The automatic control unit 83 can also control the driving of the suction pump 23 via the control unit 41 by connecting to the interface 42 of the printer 10.

The liquid feeding pipe 75 and the air feeding pipe 74c are gathered once at the branching portion 87 and further branched into four common pipes 78 (only one common pipe 78 is shown in FIG. 4). The common pipe 78 is incorporated in the cartridge jig 80, and a connecting portion 79 is provided at the tip thereof. The connecting portion 79 has substantially the same structure as the lead-out portion 37 of the ink cartridge, and can be attached to and detached from the coupling portion 38 of the cartridge holder 20.
The cartridge jig 80 has a case 81 having substantially the same outer shape and dimensions as the ink cartridge 22a (see FIG. 2). When the tip of the connecting portion 79 protrudes from the through hole 88 formed in the case 81 to the outside of the case 81 and the cartridge jig 80 is moved in the direction of the arrow S and inserted into the cartridge holder 20, It can couple | bond with the coupling | bond part 38. FIG. At this time, the vent pipe 21 a protruding into the cartridge holder 20 is accommodated in the vent pipe retracting portion 82 which is a recess formed in the cartridge jig 80.
In FIG. 4, only one cartridge jig 80 is shown, but actually, there are four cartridge jigs corresponding to the four common pipes 78 branched by the branch portion 87. 1 is inserted into the cartridge holder 20 in place of the four ink cartridges 22a to 22d shown in FIG.

With the above-described configuration, the supply system 70 is pressurized to a series of supply flow paths of the printer 10 by inserting the cartridge jig 80 into the cartridge holder 20 of the printer 10 instead of the ink cartridges 22a to 22d. The cleaning liquid 86 or pressurized air can be selectively supplied. Since the connection with the printer 10 via the cartridge jig 80 can be performed in the same manner as the insertion operation of the ink cartridges 22a to 22d, the workability is excellent. Further, since the supply of the cleaning liquid or the like is performed from the coupling portion 38 of the cartridge holder 20, the entire supply flow path can be cleaned.
In addition, since the drive control of the suction pump 23 can be performed via the interface 42 and the control unit 41 of the printer 10, the nozzle surface 35 (see FIG. 2) side is interlocked with these liquid supply and air supply control. A suction operation can be performed. Since the suction operation is almost the same as that described for the recovery operation of the printer 10, detailed description will not be made again. However, the suction operation using the supply system 70 will be described below with a focus on the differences.

In the suction operation, the supply system 70 supplies not the ink but the cleaning liquid or air to the printer 10. During the suction operation, the air compressor 72 is in a driving state, and the internal space 77 is in a pressurized state. When the suction pump 23 is driven, if the liquid supply valve 85 is closed and the air supply valve 84 is opened, ink (cleaning liquid when the cleaning liquid is already filled) is discharged from the nozzle 33 (see FIG. 2). Then, the inside of the supply channel (such as the supply pipe 18) is replaced with air (discharge operation). Further, if the supply flow path 85 is opened and the air supply valve 84 is closed when the suction pump 23 is driven in a state where there is no ink or filling liquid in the supply flow path (a state where air is filled), the nozzle Air is discharged from 33 (see FIG. 2), and the cleaning liquid is filled into the supply flow path (filling operation). Further, when both the liquid supply valve 85 and the air supply valve 84 are closed when the suction pump 23 is driven, the choke suction described in the recovery operation can be performed. The operation of cleaning the supply flow path in the printer 10 described below is performed by combining this discharge operation, filling operation, and choke suction.
Although the suction operation in the present embodiment is performed using the suction pump 23 provided in the printer 10, an external suction pump may be connected to the printer 10 to perform driving and control. .

(Cleaning operation)
Next, the operation of cleaning the supply flow path of the printer using the supply system will be described along the flowchart of FIG. 5 with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a cleaning operation using the supply system. The cleaning operation is performed by inserting the cartridge jig 80 into the cartridge holder 20 in a state where the supply flow path (the supply pipe 18a, the pressure adjusting mechanism 17a, the communication flow path 27, etc.) is filled with ink.

  When a cleaning operation command is sent to the automatic control unit 83, first, ink is discharged from the supply flow path of the printer 10 by a discharge operation (discharge step S1 in FIG. 5). More specifically, the suction pump 23 is opened via the interface 42 and the control unit 41 after the air supply valve 84 is opened by the command from the automatic control unit 83 and the liquid supply valve 85 is closed. To drive. The discharge operation in the discharge step S1 can be efficiently performed because air is supplied under pressure from the supply system 70. In addition, since the printer 10 of the present embodiment includes the choke mechanism 30a, it is indispensable to pressurize and supply air in the ink discharging operation. However, the supply system 70 makes it easy. .

Next, the cleaning liquid 86 is filled into the supply flow path by the filling operation (filling step S2 in FIG. 5). Specifically, the suction pump 23 is closed via the interface 42 and the control unit 41 after the air supply valve 84 is closed and the liquid supply valve 85 is opened according to a command from the automatic control unit 83. To drive. This filling operation can also be performed efficiently because the cleaning liquid 86 is pressurized and supplied from the supply system 70. In this step, the ink (residual ink) adhering to the inner wall of the supply channel is peeled off or dissolved in the cleaning liquid 86 by the flow of the cleaning liquid 86. The residual ink can be removed by discharging the residual ink together with the cleaning liquid 86 in the subsequent discharge operation (discharge step S3 in FIG. 5).
As described above, the cleaning operation is performed by combining filling and discharging of the cleaning liquid 86, thereby gradually removing the residual ink together with the cleaning liquid 86. The filling step S2 and the discharging step S3 described above are collectively referred to as an agitation washing step (S100 in FIG. 5).

  Next, choke suction is performed to increase the negative pressure in the supply channel (choke suction step S4 in FIG. 5). Specifically, the suction pump 23 is driven via the interface 42 and the control unit 41 after the air supply valve 84 and the liquid supply valve 85 are closed by a command from the automatic control unit 83. At this time, the negative pressure in the supply flow path is remarkably increased, and in the pressure chamber 46 of the pressure adjusting mechanism 17a shown in FIG. To discharge. From this state, the supply liquid is filled with the cleaning liquid 86 by continuously performing the filling operation (filling step S5 in FIG. 5). In particular, in the pressure chamber 46, since the air in the pressure chamber 46 is positively expelled by the choke suction step S4, good filling properties can be expected. By combining the choke suction and the filling operation in this way, the cleaning liquid 86 can be spread to every corner without leaving bubbles in the supply flow path. In the present embodiment, the choke suction step S6 and the filling step S7 are continuously performed, so that the bubbles staying in the pressure chamber 46 are surely discharged and the cleaning liquid 86 is more reliably filled. Then, the cleaning liquid 86 is discharged in the subsequent second discharge step S8. This choke suction step S4, filling step S5, choke suction step S6, filling step S7, and discharging step S8 are collectively called the main cleaning step (S200 in FIG. 5).

Here, the role and effect of the stirring cleaning step S100 and the main cleaning step S200 will be described. Among the supply flow passages, in particular, the pressure chamber 46 of the pressure adjustment mechanism 17a and the filter chamber (not shown) in the communication flow passage 27 have a portion where air tends to stay due to the structure. Since it is difficult to sufficiently distribute the cleaning liquid 86 to such a place, it causes a cleaning failure. The main cleaning step S200 is designed in view of such circumstances. That is, by executing the choke suction step (S4, S6 in FIG. 5) and the filling step (S5, S7 in FIG. 5) in combination, the cleaning liquid 86 is surely introduced into the supply flow channel on the downstream side of the choke mechanism 30a. It can be filled and can be washed to every corner of the supply flow path by a subsequent discharge step. However, the main cleaning step S200 has a problem that it takes more time than the agitation cleaning step S100 in which filling is performed only by the filling step.
On the other hand, the stirring cleaning step S100 can be cleaned in a short time because it does not involve the chalk suction step. Further, in terms of removing the residual ink roughly, the effect of stirring the cleaning liquid 86 can be obtained by performing cleaning while leaving the air flow path in the supply flow path, rather than the main cleaning step S200. Efficient.
As described above, according to the cleaning operation of the present embodiment in which the stirring cleaning step S100 and the main cleaning step S200 are combined, it is possible to realize efficient cleaning of the supply flow path.

  After the main cleaning step S200, the cleaning liquid 86 is filled by the choke suction step S9 and the filling step S10, and the wiping operation (wiping step S11 in FIG. 5) is performed by the wiper 24 to make the nozzle surface 35 clean. Steps S9 to S11 serve as a finish for cleaning.

  Next, the number of executions for the series of sets from S1 to S11 described above is determined (repetition determination step S12 in FIG. 5), and if it is less than the predetermined number, the operations from S1 to S11 are repeated. This repetition is for making the cleaning property more reliable. In this embodiment, the repetition is performed three times. If it is determined in the repetition determination step S12 that the repetition is a predetermined number of times or more, the cleaning liquid 86 is discharged by the discharge operation (discharge step S13 in FIG. 5), and the nozzle surface 35 is removed by the wiping operation (wiping step S14 in FIG. 5). A series of cleaning operations are completed.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a printer according to the second embodiment. Hereinafter, the description of the same parts as in the first embodiment will be omitted, and the second embodiment will be described focusing on the differences.

  In the printer 11 of FIG. 6, the vent pipe 21a extending from the pressurizing pump unit 28 is bifurcated at the branching portion 95, and one of the branches branches to the ink through the cartridge holder 20 and the vent pipe insertion hole 36 of the ink cartridge 22a. One end is opened to the internal space 40 of the cartridge 22a. This configuration is the same as in the case of the first embodiment except that the branching portion 95 is included. The other branched portion is an air supply pipe 91, which is connected to the supply pipe 18 a via an air supply valve 93 and a branch portion 96. In addition to the air supply pipe 91, one end of a liquid supply pipe 92 is connected to the branch part 96, and the other end of the liquid supply pipe 92 is connected to a liquid supply valve 94 and a coupling part 38 provided in the cartridge holder 20. Via the lead-out portion 37 of the ink cartridge 22a. Here, the air supply valve 93 and the liquid supply valve 94 are composed of the same electromagnetic valves as in the first embodiment, and are controlled to be opened and closed by the control unit 97 that controls the pressurizing pump unit 28 and the suction pump 23. .

In the above-described configuration, the air pressurized by the pressure pump unit 28 is supplied to the supply pipe 18a through the air supply pipe 91 and pressurizes the ink stored in the ink pack 39 in the ink cartridge 22a. . The pressurized ink is sent to the supply pipe 18 a through the liquid supply pipe 92. Further, the supply of pressurized air and the supply of pressurized ink (liquid) can be controlled by an air supply valve 93 and a liquid supply valve 94.
At this time, if the ink cartridge 22a is one in which the ink pack 39 is filled with a cleaning liquid, the supply channel can be cleaned by the same procedure as the cleaning operation of the first embodiment (see FIG. 5). It is. That is, the cleaning method of the present invention can be implemented without using an external supply system as in the first embodiment.
If the ink cartridge 22a is a different type of ink (second liquid) from the ink (first liquid) filled in the supply channel, the cleaning operation of the first embodiment (see FIG. 5) The ink in the supply flow path can be replaced by the same procedure. However, in this case, the discharge step S13 and the wiping step S14 in FIG. 5 are not performed, and the number of repetitions of S1 to S11 can be changed as appropriate.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the air supply control means and the liquid supply control means can be configured by separate electromagnetic valves as in the above-described embodiment, but can also be configured in common using a three-way valve or the like. . Each configuration of each embodiment can be appropriately combined, omitted, or combined with other configurations not shown.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view illustrating an example of a liquid ejection device according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a supply system and a waste liquid system in a printer. (A), (b) is principal part sectional drawing of a choke mechanism. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a supply system according to the present invention and a connection relationship with a printer. The flowchart which shows an example of the washing | cleaning operation | movement which concerns on this invention. The schematic diagram which shows schematic structure of the supply system in 2nd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10,11 ... Printer as a liquid discharge apparatus, 14 ... Discharge head, 15 ... Carriage, 17a-17d ... Pressure adjustment mechanism which comprises supply flow path, 18a-18d ... Supply pipe which comprises supply flow path, 19 ... Carriage Drive motor, 20 ... cartridge holder, 21a-21d ... vent tube, 22a-22d ... ink cartridge, 23 ... suction pump constituting suction means, 24 ... wiper, 25 ... maintenance unit, 26 ... cap constituting suction means, 27 ... Communication flow path constituting supply flow path, 28 ... Pressure pump unit, 29 ... Waste liquid tube constituting suction means, 30a to 30d ... Choke mechanism constituting supply flow path, 31 ... Waste liquid tank, 32 ... Pressure Adjustment valve, 33 ... Nozzle, 34 ... Open / close valve, 35 ... Nozzle surface, 36 ... Internal space, 37 ... Deriving part, 38 ... Supply channel 39 ... ink pack, 40 ... internal space, 41 ... control unit, 42 ... interface, 44 ... through hole, 45 ... segment channel as supply channel, 46 ... widening part constituting supply channel As a pressure chamber, 48 ... a flexible membrane, 57 ... a pressure chamber constituting a supply flow path, 70 ... a supply system, 71 ... a cleaning liquid tank constituting a liquid pressurizing means, 72 ... constituting a liquid pressurizing means and Air compressor as a gas pressurizing means, 73 ... Regulator, 74a to 74c ... Air supply pipe, 75 ... Liquid supply pipe, 76 ... Outlet port, 77 ... Internal space, 78 ... Common pipe, 79 ... Connection, 80 ... Cartridge treatment , 81 ... case, 82 ... vent pipe retracting part, 83 ... automatic control part, 84 ... air feeding valve as air feeding control means, 85 ... liquid feeding valve as liquid feeding control means, 86 ... cleaning liquid, 87 ... branch Part, 88 ... Hole, 91 ... flue, 92 ... liquid feed pipe, 93 ... air valve, 94 ... liquid feed valve 95 ... branch portion, 96 ... branch portion, 97 ... control unit.

Claims (4)

A method for cleaning a supply passage for supplying the liquid in the liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting liquid from the nozzle,
A choke suction step for performing suction from the nozzle side in a state where a part of the supply flow path is closed;
Supplying the cleaning liquid to the supply flow path and performing the suction from the nozzle side to fill the supply liquid with the cleaning liquid,
A discharge step of discharging the liquid or the cleaning liquid filled in the supply flow path by supplying gas to the supply flow path and performing suction from the nozzle side. Cleaning method. An agitation and washing step of discharging the filled cleaning liquid in the discharging step after filling the cleaning liquid in the filling step;
After the is filled with the cleaning liquid in the filling step in succession in the choke suction step, according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a a main cleaning step of discharging the filled washing liquid in the discharge step Cleaning method. The cleaning method according to claim 2 , wherein the stirring cleaning step and the main cleaning step are each repeated a plurality of times. The first liquid has been left to the liquid in the liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting liquid from a nozzle to a supply flow path for supplying, a replacement method for replacing the second liquid,
A choke suction step for performing suction from the nozzle side in a state where a part of the supply flow path is closed;
Supplying the second liquid to the supply flow path and performing suction from the nozzle side to fill the supply liquid with the second liquid; and
A discharge step of discharging the first and second liquids filled in the supply flow path by supplying gas to the supply flow path and performing suction from the nozzle side. Characteristic replacement method.

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