JP5272318B2 - Fluid ejection apparatus and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To further prevent a solid component from remaining inside a capping part in contact with an ejection head. <P>SOLUTION: Immediately after cleaning processing is carried out in which an ink is ejected from a nozzle 23 by closing a supply valve 54, opening a discharge valve 57 and also acting a negative pressure to a printing head 24 in a capping state, the discharge valve 57 is opened, the supply valve 54 is opened, and a negative pressure is acted to the printing head 24 by a suction pump 58 to circulate a solvent supplied from a solvent tank 51 to the inside of a capping device 40. The inside of the capping device 40 which contacts to the printing head 24 is washed off by the solvent held in the solvent tank 51. Moreover, the solvent tank 51 is set at a position such that a level of the stored solvent becomes higher than a level of the solvent of a capping member 41. The solvent can be supplied to the capping device 40 without the need of power by utilizing a head difference. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fluid ejection device and a control method thereof.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a fluid ejection device includes a cap member that is in close contact with a recording head so as to cover a nozzle of the recording head that ejects ink to a recording medium, and that sucks ink from the recording head by an ink suction pump. Providing a suction material in close contact with the inner wall and bottom surface of the cap member in the vicinity of the opening of the cap member to prevent foaming of ink in the cap member and promptly suck residual ink has been proposed (for example, Patent Documents). 1).
JP 7-290723 A

  However, in the fluid ejection device described in Patent Document 1, ink may remain in the suction material inside the cap member. For example, when the ink dries, the ink is solidified inside the cap member, and the subsequent recording head The ink may be adversely affected when sucking ink. It is desirable to prevent such residues from remaining inside the cap member.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a fluid ejection device and a control method thereof that can further suppress solid components from remaining inside a capping portion that contacts the ejection head. With the goal.

  The present invention adopts the following means in order to achieve the above-mentioned object.

The fluid ejection device of the present invention is
A discharge head having a plurality of nozzles for discharging a fluid containing a solvent to a target;
A capping unit capable of containing the solvent contained in the fluid and provided with a supply port to which the solvent is supplied and a discharge port for discharging the fluid, and covering the nozzle by contacting the discharge head;
A solvent container that contains a larger volume of the solvent than the capping part contains;
A supply valve provided in a supply pipe connected to a supply port of the capping unit and the solvent storage unit and capable of switching the presence or absence of the flow of the solvent between the solvent storage unit and the capping unit;
A discharge valve provided in a discharge pipe connected to the discharge port and capable of switching the presence or absence of circulation of the solvent from the capping unit;
A discharge unit that is provided in the discharge pipe and discharges the solvent contained in the capping unit, and is capable of applying a negative pressure to the discharge head in a capping state in which the discharge head and the capping unit are in contact with each other;
After the fluid is discharged from the nozzle of the discharge head in the capping state, the discharge valve is controlled so that the solvent flows through the discharge pipe, and the supply valve is controlled so that the solvent flows through the supply pipe And a control means for controlling the discharge means so that a negative pressure is applied to the ejection head in the capping state so that the solvent supplied from the solvent storage portion flows through the capping portion;
It is equipped with.

  In this fluid ejection device, after the fluid is ejected from the nozzle of the ejection head in the capping state, the drain valve is controlled so that the solvent discharged from the capping unit flows through the discharge pipe, and the solvent supplied from the solvent storage unit The supply valve is controlled so as to circulate through the supply pipe, and a negative pressure is applied to the discharge head in the capping state to circulate the solvent supplied from the solvent storage portion inside the capping unit. In this way, the inside of the capping portion that comes into contact with the ejection head is washed away with the solvent accommodated in the solvent accommodating portion using negative pressure. Accordingly, it is possible to further suppress the solid component from remaining in the capping portion that contacts the ejection head. Here, the “solid component” includes a component generated by drying the fluid.

  In the fluid ejection device of the present invention, the capping unit may be configured such that the supply port is provided on one end side and the discharge port is provided on the other end side. By so doing, the solvent supplied from the supply port circulates over a relatively large area and is discharged from the discharge port, so that the inside of the capping unit can be more thoroughly washed away.

  In the fluid ejection device of the present invention, the capping unit may be provided with the discharge port at a position lower than the position where the supply port is provided. By doing so, the solvent supplied from the supply port is more likely to flow to the discharge port, so that the inside of the capping unit can be more easily washed away. At this time, the capping portion may be formed such that a bottom surface containing the solvent is inclined downward from a position where the supply port is provided to a position where the discharge port is provided. By doing so, the solvent is more likely to flow to the discharge port, so that the inside of the capping portion can be more easily washed away.

  In the fluid ejection device of the present invention, the control means controls the discharge valve so that the solvent accommodated in the capping portion flows before the fluid is ejected from the nozzle in the capped state and the solvent. The supply valve is controlled so that the solvent flows between the storage unit and the capping unit, and a negative pressure is applied to the discharge head in the capping state so that the inside of the capping unit is supplied from the solvent storage unit It is good also as what controls the said discharge means so that may distribute | circulate. By doing so, the inside of the capping unit is washed out before the fluid is discharged from the nozzle in the capped state, and thus it is easy to suck the solvent from the capping unit even after the liquid is discharged from the nozzle.

  In the fluid ejection device of the present invention, the solvent storage unit may be provided at a position where the liquid level of the stored solvent is higher than the liquid level of the solvent stored in the capping unit. In this way, the solvent can be supplied to the capping unit using the water head difference, and therefore the solvent can be supplied to the capping unit without requiring power. Note that “without the need for power” does not mean that any power is further used to supply the solvent to the capping unit.

  The fluid ejection device according to the present invention may include supply means for supplying the solvent accommodated in the solvent accommodating portion from the solvent accommodating portion to the capping portion. If it carries out like this, supply of the solvent from a solvent storage part to a capping part can be performed more reliably.

  In the fluid ejection device of the present invention, the ejection head may eject a paint containing a resin and a solvent as fluid. The paint is easy to dry, and once it is dried in the capping part, it becomes difficult to suck the fluid, so that the present invention is highly meaningful.

  In the fluid discharge device of the present invention, the control means controls the solvent valve so that the solvent does not flow through the supply pipe, and controls the discharge valve so that the solvent flows through the discharge pipe. After controlling the discharge means to apply a negative pressure to the discharge head in the capping state and discharge the fluid from the nozzle, the discharge valve is controlled so that the solvent flows through the discharge pipe, and the supply pipe is The solvent valve is controlled so that the solvent flows, a negative pressure is applied to the discharge head in the capping state, and the discharge means is controlled so that the solvent supplied from the solvent storage portion flows inside the capping unit. It may be a thing.

The control method of the fluid ejection device of the present invention includes:
A discharge head provided with a plurality of nozzles for discharging a fluid containing a solvent to a target, a supply port capable of containing the solvent contained in the fluid and supplied with the solvent, and a discharge port for discharging the fluid; The capping unit that covers the nozzle by contact, the solvent storage unit that stores the solvent having a larger capacity than the capping unit stores, the supply port of the capping unit, and the solvent storage unit are connected. A supply valve provided in the supply pipe and capable of switching the presence or absence of the flow of the solvent between the solvent accommodating part and the capping part, and provided from the capping part provided in the discharge pipe connected to the discharge port. A discharge valve capable of switching the presence or absence of the flow of the solvent, and discharging the solvent provided in the capping portion and provided in the discharge pipe, and the discharge head and the cappi A control method of a fluid ejection device including a grayed section and a discharge means operable negative pressure to said discharge exit head in contact with the capping state,
After the fluid is discharged from the nozzle of the discharge head in the capping state, the discharge valve is controlled so that the solvent flows through the discharge pipe, and the supply valve is controlled so that the solvent flows through the supply pipe And a step of controlling the discharging means so that a negative pressure is applied to the ejection head in the capping state so that the solvent supplied from the solvent storage unit flows through the capping unit.

  In this fluid ejection device control method, after the fluid is ejected from the nozzle of the ejection head in the capping state, the ejection valve is controlled so that the solvent ejected from the capping section flows through the ejection pipe and supplied from the solvent storage section. The supply valve is controlled so that the solvent to be circulated through the supply pipe, and the negative pressure is applied to the discharge head in the capping state to circulate the solvent supplied from the solvent storage portion in the capping portion. In this way, the inside of the capping portion that comes into contact with the ejection head is washed away with the solvent accommodated in the solvent accommodating portion using negative pressure. Accordingly, it is possible to further suppress the solid component from remaining in the capping portion that contacts the ejection head. In the control method of the fluid ejection device, various aspects of the above-described fluid ejection device may be adopted, and steps for realizing each function of the fluid ejection device described above may be added. .

  The program of the present invention is for causing one or a plurality of computers to realize each step of the above-described control method of the fluid ejection device. This program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium (for example, hard disk, ROM, FD, CD, DVD, etc.), or from a computer via a transmission medium (communication network such as the Internet or LAN). It may be distributed to another computer, or may be exchanged in any other form. If this program is executed by one computer or if each computer is assigned to each step and executed, each step of the fluid ejection device described above is executed, so that the same effect as the control method can be obtained. It is done.

  Next, an embodiment embodying the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an outline of the configuration of the printer 20 according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a capping device 40, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an overview of the configuration of a water adding mechanism 50. The printer 20 of the present embodiment is configured as a large-size special printer that prints an image by discharging a water-based paint as ink onto a signboard made of iron or the like as the print medium S, for example. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 20 performs printing by ejecting ink droplets onto a printing medium S conveyed by a supply roller 35 driven by a drive motor 33 on the platen 36 from the back to the front in the drawing. A printer mechanism 21 to be performed, a capping device 40 formed at one end of the platen 36, a hydration mechanism 50 connected to the capping device 40 to supply a solvent to the capping member 41, and an operation panel 60 for a user to input various instructions. And a controller 70 for controlling the entire printer 20.

  The printer mechanism 21 includes a carriage 22 that reciprocates left and right along a guide 37 by a carriage belt 32, cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), red (R), blue (B), and black ( An ink cartridge 28 that individually accommodates ink of each color K) and can supply ink to the carriage 22 via the fluid tube 27; and a print head 24 that applies pressure to each ink supplied from the ink cartridge 28. Yes. As the carriage 22 is driven by the carriage motor 34a, the carriage belt 32 is installed between a carriage motor 34a attached to the right side of the mechanical frame 38 and a driven roller 34b attached to the left side of the mechanical frame 38. Move. Here, a so-called off-carriage type in which the ink cartridge 28 is not mounted on the carriage 22 is employed. The print head 24 is provided in the lower part of the carriage 22, and each color is applied from a nozzle 23 provided on the lower surface of the print head 24 by applying a voltage to the piezoelectric element to deform the piezoelectric element and pressurize the ink. Ink is ejected. The print head 24 may employ a method in which ink is pressurized by bubbles generated by applying voltage to a heating resistor (for example, a heater) to heat the ink. A linear encoder 25 that detects the position of the carriage 22 is disposed on the rear surface of the carriage 22, and the position of the carriage 22 can be managed using the linear encoder 25. The ink cartridge 28 is detachably attached to the mechanical frame 38 and contains water-based acrylic paint in which a solvent is water and an acrylic resin is dispersed as each color ink.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the capping device 40 includes a capping member 41 that is provided at a position deviated from the printable area of the platen 36 to the right side of FIG. The capping device 40 is periodically used when the print head 24 is sealed to prevent the print head 24 from being dried during a printing pause or when a cleaning process for forcibly sucking out ink from the nozzle 23 is performed. Alternatively, it is used when performing a flushing process for ejecting ink droplets at a predetermined timing regardless of print data. As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 1, the capping member 41 is provided with a sealing member 41a such as silicon rubber at the opening edge. Further, on the rectangular bottom surface 41b inside the capping member 41, a water retaining member 42 made of a material capable of retaining water such as felt or sponge is disposed. Further, the bottom surface 41b is provided with a supply port 41c connected to the hydration mechanism 50 at one end of the bottom surface 41b, and a discharge port connected to the waste liquid tank 59 (see FIG. 3) at a corner opposite to the supply port 41c at the other end. An outlet 41d is provided. The bottom surface 41b is formed on an inclined surface so that the height on the discharge port 41d side is lower than the height on the supply port 41c side. As shown in FIG. 3, a stretchable discharge tube 56 is connected to the discharge port 41 d and the waste liquid tank 59, and a discharge valve 57 and a suction pump 58 for switching the presence or absence of liquid flow are connected to the discharge tube 56. When the discharge valve 57 is opened and the suction pump 58 is operated, a negative pressure is generated in the internal space 41e of the capping member 41. Further, when the discharge valve 57 is closed, the liquid can be held in the capping member 41. If this negative pressure is generated when the capping device 40 seals the nozzle 23, the ink in the print head 24 is forcibly sucked out. The discharge valve 57 is configured as an electromagnetic valve that opens and closes based on a control signal (see the circle in FIG. 3). The liquid supplied from the solvent tank 51 and the nozzle 23 is discharged from the discharge port 41d.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the capping device 40 moves up and down as the carriage 22 moves, and abuts and separates the nozzle plate 24 a provided on the lower surface side of the print head 24. Specifically, the carriage is guided to the arc groove 36b provided on the side surface of the frame 36a fixed to the right end of the platen 36 in the drawing and the link arm 44 pivotally supported on the rotation shaft 44a on the frame 36a. A capping member 41 is fixed to an upper portion of a base member 43 supported so as to be movable up and down while moving left and right below 22 and above the frame 36a. A columnar body 43a is erected upward at the right end portion of the base member 43 in the drawing so that the columnar body 43a abuts on a contact portion 22a provided at the right end portion of the carriage 22 in the drawing. It has become. Further, a spring 46 is erected on the left end portion of the base member 43 in the drawing so as to constantly urge the base member 43 in the lower left direction in the drawing. The capping member 41 is provided at a position on the base member 43 that faces the nozzle plate 24a when the contact portion 22a and the columnar body 43a contact each other. A rod-like body 43b fixed to the base member 43 is inserted into the arc groove 36b, and the upper end of the link arm 44 is pivotally supported by the base member 43 so as to be rotatable by the support shaft 44b. In the capping device 40, when the carriage 22 moves to the right in the drawing (FIG. 2A) and the carriage 22 moves to the right in the drawing with the contact portion 22a in contact with the columnar body 43a, the capping member 41 is moved. Rises while moving to the right side in the figure (FIG. 2B), and when the rod 43b reaches the right end of the arc groove 36b in the figure, the capping member 41 is strongly pressed against the nozzle plate 24a (see FIG. 2). 2 (c)). Similarly, when the carriage 22 moves leftward from the state shown in FIG. 2C, the capping member 41 moves downward while moving away from the nozzle plate 24a.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the hydration mechanism 50 includes a solvent tank 51 that can store a solvent (water here) contained in the ink stored in the ink cartridge 28, and one end connected to the lower part of the solvent tank 51. An elastic supply tube 53 whose end is connected to the supply port 41 c and a supply valve 54 that is arranged in the middle of the supply tube 53 and switches the presence or absence of liquid flow are provided. The solvent tank 51 is formed in a horizontally long rectangular parallelepiped so as to have a volume capable of storing a larger amount of solvent (for example, 2 L) than that stored in the capping member 41 and to have a larger area in the horizontal direction than in the height direction. . When the solvent tank 51 is filled with a predetermined amount of solvent, a predetermined level of the mechanical frame 38 becomes a higher liquid level (see A in FIG. 3) than the liquid level of the solvent contained in the capping member 41 (see B in FIG. 3). Fixed in position. On the upper surface of the solvent tank 51, a filling port 52 used when the solvent tank 51 is replenished with a solvent is provided. In addition, a liquid level sensor 55 that outputs a signal when the solvent no longer comes in contact with the liquid level of the capping member 41 is provided inside the solvent tank 51. The supply valve 54 is configured as an electromagnetic valve that opens and closes based on a control signal (see the circle in FIG. 3). When the capping device 40 capping the print head 24 and the supply valve 54 is opened while the solvent is in contact with the liquid level sensor 55, the hydration mechanism 50 utilizes the water head difference and the flow resistance of the supply tube 53. The solvent stored in the solvent tank 51 is designed to be supplied to the capping member 41 via the supply tube 53 so that the liquid level of the solvent of the capping member 41 becomes a predetermined height (see B in FIG. 3). Yes. Further, in the printer 20, when the supply valve 54 and the discharge valve 57 are opened in the capping state and the suction pump 58 is driven, the ink is not discharged from the nozzle 23 and the solvent is sucked out from the solvent tank 51. The supply tube 53 and the discharge tube 56 are designed so as to have road resistance.

  The operation panel 60 is a device for a user to input various instructions to the printer 20, and includes a display unit that displays characters, figures, or symbols corresponding to the various instructions, and an operation unit that performs various operations. Is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the controller 70 is provided on a main board 39 attached to the back surface of the mechanical frame 38, and is configured as a microprocessor centered on the CPU 72. The controller 70 stores various processing programs and writes data. An erasable flash ROM 73, a RAM 74 for temporarily storing and saving data, a timer 75 used for timing, and an interface (I / F) 79 for exchanging information with external devices And an input / output port (not shown). A signal from the liquid level sensor 55 and a signal from the operation panel 60 are input to the controller 70 via an input port (not shown), and a print job or the like output from a personal computer (not shown) Is input via. Further, from the controller 70, a control signal to the print head 24, a control signal to the drive motor 33, a drive signal to the carriage motor 34a, a control signal to the supply valve 54 and the discharge valve 57, and a drive signal to the suction pump 58. A display command to the operation panel 60 is output via an output port (not shown).

  Next, the operation of the printer 20 of this embodiment configured as described above will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a cleaning process routine executed by the CPU 72 of the controller 70. This routine is stored in the flash ROM 73, and is executed by the CPU 72 at every predetermined timing (for example, every several milliseconds) after the printer 20 is turned on. The printer 20 is in a capping state in which the print head 24 contacts the capping member 41 with the supply valve 54 opened and the discharge valve 57 closed as an initial state when the power is turned on. When this routine is started, the CPU 72 first determines whether or not there is a cleaning request for the print head 24 (step S100). Here, it is assumed that a cleaning request is made immediately after the printer 20 is started up or when a predetermined time elapses during printing of the print job. When it is determined that there is no request for cleaning the print head 24, the CPU 72 ends this routine as it is, and when it is determined that there is a request for cleaning the print head 24, it is determined whether or not the print head 24 is in the capping position. A determination is made based on the value of the linear encoder 25 (step S110). When the print head 24 is not at the capping position, the CPU 72 controls the carriage motor 34a to move the print head 24 to the capping position based on the value of the linear encoder 25 (step S120). On the other hand, when the print head 24 is in the capping position, the discharge valve 57 is opened and the supply valve 54 is closed (step S130). Although the initial state described above is immediately after the power is turned on, the supply valve 54 and the discharge valve 57 are closed before the print head 24 moves when printing is started.

  Next, the CPU 72 drives the suction pump 58 and measures the elapsed time with the timer 75 (step S140). Then, it is determined whether or not the predetermined timing has been reached based on the value of the timer 75 (step S150). When the predetermined timing has not been reached, the process of step S140 is executed, and when the predetermined timing has been reached, the supply valve 54 is opened. (Step S160). Here, the “predetermined timing” is set to a timing at which ink can be sufficiently sucked from the nozzle 23. Subsequently, the CPU 72 determines whether or not the predetermined suction time has ended based on the value of the timer 75 (step S170). If the predetermined suction time has not elapsed, the CPU 72 stands by and waits for the predetermined suction time. When the time has elapsed, the suction pump 58 is stopped and the discharge valve 57 is closed (step S180), and this routine is finished. The predetermined suction time is a value determined empirically at a time during which the inside of the capping member 41 can be sufficiently cleaned. In this way, immediately after the cleaning process for forcibly sucking out ink from the nozzle 23 by applying a negative pressure to the print head 24, the supply valve 54 is opened and the negative pressure by the suction pump 58 is used to make a solvent tank. The solvent supplied from 51 circulates inside the capping member 41. For this reason, it is difficult for ink components to remain on the water retaining member 42. In addition, since the supply valve 54 is opened after the solvent in the capping member 41 is discharged, the solvent that becomes the liquid level B is supplied to the capping member 41 from the solvent tank 51 using a water head difference or the like. . When the solvent in the solvent tank 51 is reduced and a signal is output from the liquid level sensor 55, the CPU 72 displays a warning message on a display unit (not shown) of the operation panel 60.

  Here, the correspondence between the components of the present embodiment and the components of the present invention will be clarified. The print head 24 of this embodiment corresponds to the ejection head of the present invention, the capping device 40 corresponds to the capping unit, the solvent tank 51 corresponds to the solvent storage unit, the supply tube 53 corresponds to the supply tube, the carriage motor 34a corresponds to the moving means, the CPU 72 corresponds to the control means, the water-based paint corresponds to the fluid, and the print medium S corresponds to the target. In the present embodiment, an example of the control method of the fluid ejection device of the present invention is also clarified by describing the operation of the printer 20.

  According to the printer 20 of the present embodiment described in detail above, the supply valve 54 is closed, the discharge valve 57 is opened, the negative pressure is applied to the print head 24 in the capping state, and the ink is discharged from the nozzle 23, and then the discharge is performed. The valve 57 is opened and the supply valve 54 is opened to allow the solvent supplied from the solvent tank 51 to flow through the capping device 40. In this way, the inside of the capping device 40 that contacts the print head 24 is washed away with the solvent stored in the solvent tank 51. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress solid components such as ink components from remaining in the capping device 40 (capping member 41). Further, in the capping member 41, since the supply port 41c is provided on one end side and the discharge port 41d is provided on the other end side, the solvent supplied from the supply port 41c circulates over a relatively large area and is the discharge port. It is discharged from 41d, and the inside of the capping device 40 can be washed away more sufficiently. Further, since the discharge port 41d is provided at a position lower than the position where the supply port 41c is provided, the solvent supplied from the supply port 41c is easier to flow to the discharge port 41d, and the inside of the capping device 40 is further washed away. Cheap. Further, since the bottom surface 41b is inclined downward from the position where the supply port 41c is provided to the position where the discharge port 41d is provided, the solvent is more likely to flow to the discharge port 41d, and the inside of the capping device 40 Easier to wash away. Furthermore, since the liquid level of the solvent stored in the solvent tank 51 is provided at a position higher than the liquid level of the solvent stored in the capping device 40, power is required by utilizing the water head difference. The solvent can be supplied to the capping device 40 without using it. The print head 24 is easy to dry, and once the ink is dried on the water retaining member 42 of the capping member 41, the print head 24 discharges an aqueous paint that is difficult to be sucked. High significance to do. Further, since the internal space 41e between the capping device 40 and the nozzle 23 is filled with the vaporized solvent, it is possible to further suppress drying of the ink at the nozzle 23 provided in the print head 24.

  It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be implemented in various modes as long as it belongs to the technical scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the solvent is supplied to the capping member 41 using the water head difference between the liquid level of the solvent tank 51 and the liquid level of the capping member 41. However, as shown in FIG. A supply pump 61 may be provided in the tube 53 to positively send the solvent from the solvent tank 51 to the capping member 41. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of another hydration mechanism 50. By so doing, it is possible to more reliably supply the solvent from the solvent tank 51 to the capping device 40. At this time, the solvent tank 51 may not be disposed at a position where the liquid level of the solvent tank 51 is higher than the liquid level of the capping member 41.

  In the above-described embodiment, the supply valve 54 is closed, the discharge valve 57 is opened, the ink is sucked from the nozzle 23, and then the supply valve 54 is opened to clean the inside of the capping member 41. The supply valve 54 is opened before the discharge valve 57 is closed and the ink is sucked from the nozzle 23, and the discharge valve 57 is closed and the suction pump 58 is driven to wash out the inside of the capping member 41. . By so doing, the inside of the capping member 41 is washed out before ink is ejected from the nozzles 23 in the capping state, so that it is easy to suck the solvent from the capping member 41 even after the ink is sucked from the nozzles.

  In the above-described embodiment, after the cleaning process for forcibly sucking ink from the nozzle 23 is performed, the solvent is supplied from the solvent tank 51 to clean the inside of the capping member 41. The inside of the capping member 41 may be cleaned by supplying a solvent from the solvent tank 51 after performing the flushing process for controlling to eject ink. During the flushing process, the supply valve 54 and the discharge valve 57 may be opened or closed. Even in this case, solid components such as ink components can be further suppressed from remaining inside the capping member 41 (such as on the water retaining member 42).

  In the embodiment described above, the supply port 41c and the discharge port 41d are provided at the opposite corners of the bottom surface 41b, but may be provided at any location. Moreover, although the discharge port 41d is assumed to be at a position lower than the supply port 41c, it may be the same height or any height. In addition, the bottom surface 41b is formed to be inclined downward from the supply port 41c side toward the discharge port 41d side, but may be formed horizontally or may be formed in any manner. Good.

  In the above-described embodiment, the solvent tank 51 is long in the liquid surface direction of the solvent. However, the present invention is not particularly limited to this, and the solvent tank 51 may be formed in a cube or the solvent tank 51 in the height direction. It may be long. In addition, although the liquid level sensor 55 is provided inside the solvent tank 51, this may be omitted.

  In the above-described embodiment, the so-called off-carriage type printer mechanism 21 having the ink cartridge 28 on the mechanical frame 38 side is used. However, a so-called on-carriage type printer mechanism having the ink cartridge 28 mounted on the carriage 22 may be used. Even in this case, the same effect as the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

  In the above-described embodiment, the supply port 41c and the discharge port 41d are provided on the bottom surface 41b. However, the supply port 41c and the discharge port 41d may be provided on the side surface of the capping member 41. Further, although the supply tube 53 is connected to the side surface of the solvent tank 51, the supply tube 53 may be connected to the bottom surface of the solvent tank 51. Even if it does in this way, there exists an effect similar to embodiment mentioned above.

  In the above-described embodiment, the capping member 41 has the internal space 41e in the capping state. However, the solvent is supplied from the solvent tank 51 to the capping member 41 until the capping member 41 comes into contact with the nozzle plate 24a so that the capping member 41 does not have an internal space. It may be.

  In the above-described embodiment, the capping member 41 contacts and separates from the print head 24 while moving in the left-right direction as the carriage 22 moves in the left-right direction, but the capping member 41 and the print head 24 are separated from each other. It is not particularly limited as long as it can contact and separate. For example, the capping member 41 may be arranged at the capping position, and the capping member 41 may be moved up and down only in the vertical direction by a slider that slides the linear guide up and down with a ball screw. Alternatively, the guide 37 may be moved up and down, and the print head 24 may be moved to the capping member 41 side. Even in this case, the nozzle 23 can be brought into the capping state.

  In the embodiment described above, the printer 22 is configured to perform printing by moving the carriage 22 in the carriage movement direction. However, as shown in FIG. 6, printing is performed without moving the print head 24 in the width direction of the print medium. The printer mechanism 121 to be executed may be used. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of another printer mechanism 121. Specifically, a print head 124 (so-called line inkjet) provided with a row of nozzles 123 of each color arranged in a main scanning direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the print medium S with a length equal to or longer than the width of the print medium. It is assumed that ink is ejected to the printing medium by the head) and the solvent is supplied to the printing medium by the hydration mechanism 150. At this time, it is assumed that a capping device 140 formed to have the same length as the print head 124 is provided. At this time, the supply port 141c is provided at one corner of the bottom surface of the capping member 141, and the discharge port 141d is provided at the other corner. Alternatively, a plurality of supply ports 141c and discharge ports 141d may be provided. Then, the nozzle 123 is capped by moving the capping device 140 upward and coming into contact with the print head 124. Even in this case, solid components such as ink components can be further suppressed from remaining inside the capping member 141 (for example, on the water retaining member).

  In the above-described embodiment, the printer mechanism 21 that discharges water-based paint onto an iron plate or the like has been described. However, a printer mechanism that discharges ink in which a dye or pigment is dispersed in water or an organic solvent may be used. Even if such ink is dried inside the capping member 41, it may be difficult to be sucked by the suction pump 58, so that the present invention is highly meaningful. The target for receiving ink is not particularly limited, and may be a printing medium such as paper, film, iron plate, or glass.

  In the above-described embodiment, the full-color printer 20 adopting the inkjet method is used. However, it may be a monochrome printer, a multi-function printer equipped with a scanner, or a complex printing apparatus such as a FAX machine or a copier. Also good. Moreover, it is good also as a form of the control method of a fluid discharge apparatus, and good also as a form of the program which performs the control method of a fluid discharge apparatus.

Configuration diagram showing an outline of the configuration of the printer 20 according to the present embodiment Explanatory drawing of capping device 40 Explanatory drawing showing the outline of the composition of the water addition mechanism 50 Flow chart showing an example of a cleaning process routine Explanatory drawing of other hydration mechanism 50 Illustration of another printer mechanism 121

Explanation of symbols

  20 Printer, 21, 121 Printer mechanism, 22 Carriage, 22a Contact part, 23, 123 Nozzle, 24, 124 Print head, 24a Nozzle plate, 25 Linear encoder, 27 Fluid tube, 28 Ink cartridge, 32 Carriage belt, 33 Drive motor, 34a Carriage motor, 34b Driven roller, 35 Supply roller, 36 Platen, 36a Frame, 36b Arc groove, 37 Guide, 38 Mechanical frame, 39 Main board, 40,140 Capping device, 41,141 Capping member, 41a Sealing Member, 41b bottom surface, 41c, 141c supply port, 41d, 141d discharge port, 41e internal space, 42 water retaining member, 43 base member, 43a columnar body, 43b rod-shaped body, 44 link arm, 4a Rotating shaft, 44b Support shaft, 46 Spring, 50, 150 Water adding mechanism, 51 Solvent tank, 52 Filling port, 53 Supply tube, 54 Supply valve, 55 Liquid level sensor, 56 Discharge tube, 57 Discharge valve, 58 Suction pump 59, waste liquid tank, 60 operation panel, 61 supply pump, 70 controller, 72 CPU, 73 flash ROM, 74 RAM, 75 timer, 79 interface (I / F).

Claims (8)

A discharge head having a plurality of nozzles for discharging a fluid containing a solvent to a target;
A capping unit capable of containing the solvent contained in the fluid and provided with a supply port to which the solvent is supplied and a discharge port for discharging the fluid, and covering the nozzle by contacting the discharge head;
A solvent container that contains a larger volume of the solvent than the capping part contains;
A supply valve provided in a supply pipe connected to a supply port of the capping unit and the solvent storage unit and capable of switching the presence or absence of the flow of the solvent between the solvent storage unit and the capping unit;
A discharge valve provided in a discharge pipe connected to the discharge port and capable of switching the presence or absence of circulation of the solvent from the capping unit;
A discharge means that is provided in the discharge pipe and discharges the solvent stored in the capping section, and is capable of applying a negative pressure to the internal space of the capping section in a capping state in which the discharge head and the capping section are in contact with each other;
The supply valve is controlled so that the solvent does not flow through the supply pipe, the discharge valve is controlled so that the solvent flows through the discharge pipe, and a negative pressure is applied to the internal space of the capping portion in the capped state. After controlling the discharge means to discharge fluid from the nozzle, the discharge valve is controlled so that the solvent flows through the discharge pipe, and the supply valve is controlled so that the solvent flows through the supply pipe. Control means for controlling the discharge means so that a negative pressure is applied to the internal space of the capping part in the capping state and the solvent supplied from the solvent storage part flows through the capping part;
A fluid ejection device comprising:   2. The fluid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the capping unit is provided with the supply port on one end side and the discharge port on the other end side.   The fluid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the capping unit is provided with the discharge port at a position lower than a position where the supply port is provided. The control means controls the discharge valve so that the solvent accommodated in the capping portion flows through the discharge pipe and discharges the supply pipe to the solvent before discharging the fluid from the nozzle in the capped state. The supply valve is controlled so as to circulate, and a negative pressure is applied to the internal space of the capping portion in the capping state, and the discharge means is controlled so that the solvent supplied from the solvent storage portion flows through the capping portion. The fluid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   The fluid discharge according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the solvent storage part is provided at a position where a liquid level of the stored solvent is higher than a liquid level of the solvent stored in the capping part. apparatus. The fluid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A fluid discharge device comprising: a supply unit configured to supply the solvent stored in the solvent storage unit from the solvent storage unit to the capping unit.   The fluid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the ejection head ejects a paint containing a resin and a solvent as a fluid. A discharge head provided with a plurality of nozzles for discharging a fluid containing a solvent to a target, a supply port capable of containing the solvent contained in the fluid and supplied with the solvent, and a discharge port for discharging the fluid; The capping unit that covers the nozzle by contact, the solvent storage unit that stores the solvent having a larger capacity than the capping unit stores, the supply port of the capping unit, and the solvent storage unit are connected. A supply valve provided in the supply pipe and capable of switching the presence or absence of the flow of the solvent between the solvent accommodating part and the capping part, and provided from the capping part provided in the discharge pipe connected to the discharge port. A discharge valve capable of switching the presence or absence of the flow of the solvent, and discharging the solvent provided in the capping portion and provided in the discharge pipe, and the discharge head and the cappi And grayed portion A control method of a fluid ejection device and a discharge means operable negative pressure to the internal space of the capping unit in contact with capping state,
The supply valve is controlled so that the solvent does not flow through the supply pipe, the discharge valve is controlled so that the solvent flows through the discharge pipe, and a negative pressure is applied to the internal space of the capping portion in the capped state. After controlling the discharge means to discharge fluid from the nozzle, the discharge valve is controlled so that the solvent flows through the discharge pipe, and the supply valve is controlled so that the solvent flows through the supply pipe. Control of the fluid ejection device, comprising: applying a negative pressure to the internal space of the capping unit in the capped state to control the discharge means so that the solvent supplied from the solvent storage unit flows through the capping unit. Method.

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