JP5619361B2 - Fluid ejecting apparatus and fluid ejecting apparatus cleaning method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fluid ejecting apparatus and a fluid ejecting apparatus cleaning method.

  As a fluid ejecting apparatus, an ink jet recording apparatus that ejects ink (fluid) onto a recording medium from a nozzle of a recording head (fluid ejecting head) is known. In such an ink jet recording apparatus, the ejection speed and ejection amount of ink from the nozzles change with the passage of time, and the ejection state (ejection state) of the ink changes. For this reason, in order to maintain the discharge speed and discharge amount of the ink within a desired range, the recording head is regularly cleaned.

  Inside the recording head, bubbles grow or the viscosity of the ink increases as time passes, so that the ejection speed and ejection amount of the ink exceed desired values, resulting in ejection failure. Therefore, nozzles are cleaned by periodically performing a suction operation using a capping device (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2001-219567 A

  However, usually, cleaning using a capping device discharges ink from all nozzles, and therefore ink is discharged from nozzles that do not require cleaning. Therefore, there is a problem that ink is wasted during cleaning.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a fluid ejecting apparatus and a fluid ejecting apparatus cleaning method that can prevent wasteful ink consumption during cleaning.

In order to solve the above problems, a fluid ejecting apparatus of the present invention includes a fluid ejecting head having a plurality of nozzles that eject a fluid to a medium, and a detection unit that detects a state of ejecting the fluid in each of the plurality of nozzles , a negative pressure generating unit generating negative pressure in the recess the recess is opposed to a part of the nozzles of the plurality of nozzles, the control unit for controlling the driving of the fluid ejection head and the negative pressure generating portion And the control unit is configured such that the concave portion is directed toward at least some of the nozzles including the defective nozzle in which the fluid ejection failure is detected by the detection unit , and spaced from the ejection head. to a position opposed to movable, a negative pressure is generated which does not destroy the meniscus of the other nozzles other than the defective nozzle in the recess, to drive only the drive elements corresponding to the defective nozzle Characterized in that for discharging the fluid from the defective nozzle.

  When a suction operation using a conventional cap device is performed, a defective nozzle is induced by bubbles remaining in the fluid supply path, and the cleaning operation needs to be repeated. Therefore, a lot of fluid is wasted during cleaning. On the other hand, according to the fluid ejecting apparatus of the present invention, since the vicinity of the defective nozzle is in the negative pressure state, when the driving element corresponding to the defective nozzle is driven, the clogging occurs from within the defective nozzle. The fluid can be forcibly discharged to the outside. Therefore, since the fluid can be discharged only from the defective nozzle that is clogged, it is possible to prevent the fluid from being wasted during cleaning.

In the fluid ejecting apparatus, it is preferable that the negative pressure generating unit generates a negative pressure that does not discharge the fluid from the nozzle that is determined to be capable of ejecting the fluid by the detecting unit.
According to this configuration, it is possible to reliably prevent a problem that fluid is discharged from a non-defective nozzle other than the defective nozzle when negative pressure is generated.

In the fluid ejecting apparatus, it is preferable that the negative pressure generating unit generates a negative pressure in a non-contact state with respect to the fluid ejecting head.
According to this configuration, since the fluid can be discharged from the defective nozzle in a non-contact state, the fluid discharged from the nozzle adheres to the ejection surface of the fluid ejection head as in the case of using a conventional cap device. Can be prevented.

In the fluid ejecting apparatus, it is preferable that the negative pressure generating unit includes a main body portion in which a concave portion corresponding to one nozzle is formed, and a suction device capable of sucking the inside of the concave portion.
According to this configuration, since the vicinity of each defective nozzle is selectively brought into a negative pressure state, the suction force of the suction device can be suppressed, and the overall size of the device can be reduced.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a cleaning method for a fluid ejecting apparatus including a fluid ejecting head having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting fluid onto a medium, wherein the fluid ejecting state of each of the plurality of nozzles is detected. At a position facing a part of the plurality of nozzles including the defective nozzle in which at least the defective ejection of the fluid is detected by the detection step and the detection head, and facing the ejection head with a gap. The negative pressure is generated in the recess so as not to destroy the meniscus of the nozzles other than the defective nozzle, and only the driving element corresponding to the defective nozzle is driven to discharge the fluid from the defective nozzle. And a step of performing.

  According to the cleaning method of the fluid ejecting apparatus of the present invention, the fluid is forced from the defective nozzle by driving the driving element corresponding to the defective nozzle while the vicinity of the defective nozzle that is clogged is in a negative pressure state. Will be discharged to the outside. Therefore, since the fluid can be discharged only from the defective nozzle that is clogged, it is possible to prevent the fluid from being wasted during cleaning.

In the cleaning method of the fluid ejecting apparatus, it is preferable that a negative pressure is generated in the vicinity of the defective nozzle so that the fluid is not discharged from the nozzle that has been determined to be ejectable by the detecting step.
According to this configuration, it is possible to reliably prevent a problem that fluid is discharged from nozzles other than the defective nozzle when negative pressure is generated.

Further, in the cleaning method of the fluid ejecting apparatus, a negative pressure generating portion is disposed in a non-contact state on the nozzle forming surface of the fluid ejecting head, and the negative pressure generating portion is driven to drive the defective nozzle. It is preferable to generate a negative pressure in the vicinity.
According to this configuration, since the fluid can be discharged from the defective nozzle in a non-contact state, the fluid discharged from the nozzle adheres to the ejection surface of the fluid ejection head as in the case of using the conventional cap device. Can be prevented.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a printer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a main part around an ejection head. The top view which shows the nozzle opening formation surface of an ejection head. The figure which shows the cross-sectional structure of an ejection head. The schematic diagram which shows schematic structure of a maintenance mechanism. The figure which shows typically the planar structure of the main-body part of a negative pressure generation unit. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an ink droplet sensor. The figure which shows the detection principle of an ink drop sensor. The graph which shows the voltage waveform detected by an ink drop sensor. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer apparatus. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an operation state of a printer apparatus. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an operation state of a printer apparatus. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration according to a modified example of the printer apparatus.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a fluid ejecting apparatus according to the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In order to make each member of the fluid ejecting apparatus have a recognizable size, each drawing used in the following description shows each member in a state where the scale is appropriately changed. In the present embodiment, an ink jet printer apparatus will be described as an example of the fluid ejecting apparatus.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an ink jet printer (hereinafter referred to as a printer apparatus PRT) according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a main part around the ejection head. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a nozzle opening forming surface of the ejection head.

  In FIG. 1, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is set, and the positional relationship of each member may be described with reference to the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system. In this case, the left-right direction in the figure is the X direction, the depth direction of the paper surface in the figure is the Y direction, and the direction orthogonal to each of the X direction and the Y direction (that is, the vertical direction in the figure) is the Z direction.

  As shown in these drawings, the printer apparatus PRT is an apparatus that records images, characters, and the like on a recording medium (medium) M. As the recording medium M, for example, paper or plastic is used. The printer device PRT includes an ink ejection mechanism IJ, a transport mechanism CR, a maintenance mechanism MN, and a control device (control unit) CONT.

  The ink ejecting mechanism IJ is a part that ejects ink droplets (fluid) onto the recording medium M. The ink ejection mechanism IJ includes an ejection head (fluid ejection head) 11 and an ink supply unit 12. The ink used in the present embodiment uses a liquid in which dyes and pigments and a solvent for dissolving or dispersing them are basic components and various additives are added as necessary.

  The ejection head 11 is a head that can eject ink droplets of a plurality of colors onto the recording medium M. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the ejection head 11 is a line type having an ejection area 15 over a length (maximum recording paper width W) exceeding at least one side of the maximum size recording medium M targeted by the printer apparatus PRT. It is an ejection head. The ejection head 11 is provided so as to be movable in the Z direction, for example. The ejection head 11 has a nozzle 13 and a common ink chamber 14.

  The common ink chamber 14 holds ink corresponding to, for example, four colors (yellow: Y, magenta: M, cyan: C, black: K) (common ink chambers 14Y, 14M, 14C, 14K). The ejection area 15 is provided corresponding to the common ink chamber 14 of each color (ejection areas 15Y, 15M, 15C, 15K).

  A plurality of nozzles 13 are provided in each of the ejection regions 15Y, 15M, 15C, and 15K of the ejection head 11, and are, for example, openings that eject the four color ink droplets. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, four rows of nozzles 13 are arranged in the Y direction (nozzle row L). One or a plurality of nozzle rows L are provided for the ejection regions 15Y, 15M, 15C, and 15K of the respective colors. The number of nozzles 13 and the number of nozzle rows L are set as appropriate. A surface of the ejection head 11 on which the nozzles 13 are provided is an ejection surface 11A. The ejection surface 11 </ b> A is provided on the −Z side of the ejection head 11. The ejection head 11 ejects ink droplets toward the −Z side.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the ejection head 11.
As shown in the figure, the ejection head 11 includes a head main body 18 and a flow path forming unit 22 connected to the head main body 18. The flow path forming unit 22 includes a vibration plate 19, a flow path substrate 20, and a nozzle substrate 21.

  The head body 18 is a box-shaped member made of synthetic resin. The head body 18 is formed with a storage chamber 23 for storing the drive unit 24 and an internal flow path 28 for guiding ink supplied from the outside to the flow path forming unit 22.

  The drive unit 24 disposed in the accommodation chamber 23 is a flexible device that supplies a plurality of piezoelectric elements (drive elements) 25, a fixing member 26 that supports the upper ends of the plurality of piezoelectric elements 25, and a drive signal to the piezoelectric elements 25. And a cable 27. The piezoelectric element 25 is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of nozzles 13.

  The internal flow path 28 is formed so as to penetrate the head body 18 in the vertical direction in FIG. The upper end of the internal channel 28 is connected to the ink supply unit 12 and the pressure mechanism 38 in the drawing. The internal flow path 28 is an ink flow path for allowing the ink supplied from the ink supply unit 12 to flow to the flow path forming unit 22 through the opening end on the lower end side in the figure.

  The flow path forming unit 22 has a configuration in which the diaphragm 19, the flow path substrate 20, and the nozzle substrate 21 are stacked and joined and integrated with an adhesive or the like. The flow path forming unit 22 includes a common ink chamber 14 connected to the internal flow path 28 of the head body 18, an ink supply port 30 connected to the common ink chamber 14, and a pressure chamber connected to the ink supply port 30. 31. The pressure chamber 31 is provided corresponding to each nozzle 13. Each pressure chamber 31 is connected to the nozzle 13 at the end opposite to the common ink chamber 14.

  The diaphragm 19 has a configuration in which an elastic film is laminated on a metal support plate such as stainless steel. An island portion 32 is formed in a portion of the diaphragm 19 corresponding to the pressure chamber 31. The island portion 32 is joined to the lower end of the piezoelectric element 25 by removing the support plate in an annular shape by etching or the like, for example.

  The island part 32 functions as a diaphragm part. In the diaphragm 19, the elastic film portion around the island portion 32 is elastically deformed according to the driving of the piezoelectric element 25 on the pressure chamber 31, and the island portion 32 moves up and down. Between the vibration plate 19 and the vicinity of the lower end of the internal flow path 28, a portion in which a part of the support plate is removed to make only an elastic film is provided, and this portion reduces the pressure fluctuation in the common ink chamber 14. It becomes the compliance part 33 to absorb.

  The flow path substrate 20 has a recess for forming an ink circulation chamber such as a common ink chamber 14 that connects the lower end of the internal flow path 28 and the nozzle 13, an ink supply port 30, and a pressure chamber 31. These recesses are formed by anisotropically etching a silicon single crystal substrate that is a base material of the flow path substrate 20.

  The nozzle substrate 21 has a plurality of nozzles 13 formed at a predetermined interval (pitch) in a predetermined direction. The nozzle substrate 21 of the present embodiment is a plate-like member formed of a metal such as stainless steel. The outer surface of the nozzle substrate 21 is the ejection surface 11A.

  The ejection head 11 configured in this manner is configured such that the piezoelectric element 25 expands and contracts when a drive signal is input to the piezoelectric element 25 via the cable 27. The expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric element 25 is transmitted as deformation of the diaphragm 19 (deformation in a direction approaching and leaving the cavity). Due to the deformation of the vibration plate 19, the volume of the pressure chamber 31 changes, and the pressure of the pressure chamber 31 containing ink fluctuates. Ink is ejected from the nozzle 13 due to the fluctuation of the pressure.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the ink supply unit 12 is disposed on one side of the ink ejection mechanism IJ, and is connected to the common ink chambers 14 </ b> Y, 14 </ b> M, 14 </ b> C, and 14 </ b> K of the ejection head 11. The ink supply unit 12 includes ink tanks 12Y, 12M, 12C, and 12K that store the four colors of ink. The ink supply unit 12 has an ink supply mechanism (not shown), and supplies ink to the ejection head 11 using the ink supply mechanism.

  The transport mechanism CR includes a paper feed roller 35, a discharge roller 36, and the like. The paper feed roller 35 and the discharge roller 36 are rotationally driven by a motor mechanism (not shown). The transport mechanism CR transports the recording medium M along the transport path MR in conjunction with the ink droplet ejecting operation by the ink ejecting mechanism IJ.

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating a schematic configuration of the maintenance mechanism MN.
The maintenance mechanism MN includes a flushing unit 40 and a negative pressure generating unit (negative pressure generating unit) 50. The flushing unit 40 includes an ink receiving member 41 and an ink absorber 42 as shown in FIG. The ink receiving member 41 is a tray-like member having an open upper surface, and the ink absorber 42 is accommodated inside. The flushing unit 40 is used during a flushing operation for maintaining the ejection characteristics of the nozzle 13.

  The ink absorber 42 is formed of a sponge-like member capable of holding (absorbing) ink or a porous member. In the present embodiment, the ink absorber 42 is formed of a nonwoven fabric such as felt, for example.

  An electrode member 45 is disposed above the ink absorber 42 provided inside the ink receiving member 41. The electrode member 45 is formed of a metal mesh member such as stainless steel. The ink droplets that have landed on the electrode member 45 pass through the gaps in the grid-like electrode member 45 and are held (absorbed) by the ink absorber 42 disposed on the lower side. Note that the electrode member 45 may not be a mesh member as long as ink droplets can pass through.

  The negative pressure generating unit 50 includes a main body 51 in which a recess 51a is formed, and a suction pump 53 connected to the recess 51a via a tube 52. Moreover, the inside of the tube 52 and the recessed part 51a are connected via the connection part 51b. Thereby, the suction pump 53 can suck the inside of the recess 51a.

A waste ink collection tank 55 is connected to the downstream side of the suction pump 53 via a tube 54.
Further, the negative pressure generating unit 50 includes a drive mechanism (not shown), and the main body 51 can be moved to a predetermined position on the ejection surface 11A of the ejection head 11 by this drive mechanism.

FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing a planar configuration of the main body 51 of the negative pressure generating unit 50.
As shown in FIG. 6, the recess 51 a formed in the main body 51 is formed in a size including a part of the nozzles 13 in the ejection head 11 in a plan view. In the present embodiment, for example, the recess 51a having a size including the three nozzles 13 arranged in a straight line is formed.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an ink droplet sensor mounted on the printer apparatus.
The printer device PRT of the present embodiment includes an ink droplet sensor (detection unit) 60 that can detect the ink ejection status of each nozzle 13. As shown in FIG. 7, the ink droplet sensor 60 includes a voltage application device 71 that applies a voltage to the nozzle substrate 21 of the ejection head 11, the electrode member 45 that receives ink ejected from the ejection head 11, and the electrode member 45. A voltage detector 73 that detects the voltage and a processing device 74 that processes the detection result of the voltage detector 73 are included.

  The ink droplet sensor 60 applies an electric field between the ejection surface 11 </ b> A of the ejection head 11 and the electrode member 45, and changes the voltage value over time based on electrostatic induction when the ink moves from the nozzle 13 to the electrode member 45. The detected waveform is output to the processing device 74. Based on the detection waveform output from the ink droplet sensor 60, the processing device 74 can acquire information related to the ink weight (that is, the ink ejection status of each nozzle 13). Information on the weight is transmitted to the control device CONT, for example.

  Next, the principle of the ink droplet sensor 60, that is, the principle that an induced voltage is generated by electrostatic induction will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining the principle that an induced voltage is generated by electrostatic induction. In the drawing, the upper side of the arrow indicates a state immediately after the ink droplet is ejected, and the lower side of the arrow indicates a state where the ink LQ has landed on the electrode member 45.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a waveform of a detection signal (for one drop of ink) output from the ink drop sensor 60. In a state where a voltage is applied between the nozzle substrate 21 (negative electrode side) and the electrode member 45 (positive electrode side), the piezoelectric element 25 is driven using an ejection pulse, and ink LQ is ejected from any one nozzle 13. The waveform when it is made to show is shown.

  When the ink LQ is ejected, since the nozzle substrate 21 is a negative electrode, a part of the negative charge of the nozzle substrate 21 moves to the ink LQ, and the ejected ink LQ is negatively charged. As the negatively charged ink LQ approaches the electrode member 45, the positive charge increases on the surface of the electrode member 45 due to electrostatic induction. The voltage between the nozzle substrate 21 and the electrode member 45 is higher than the initial voltage value in a state where the ink LQ is not ejected due to the induced voltage generated by electrostatic induction.

  When the ink LQ lands on the electrode member 45, the positive charge of the electrode member 45 is neutralized by the negative charge of the ink LQ. For this reason, the voltage between the nozzle substrate 21 and the electrode member 45 is lower than the initial voltage value. Thereafter, the voltage between the nozzle substrate 21 and the electrode member 45 returns to the initial voltage value.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, the detected waveform output from the ink droplet sensor 60 is a waveform that once rises, then falls to below the initial voltage value, and then returns to the original voltage value. In this way, the ink droplet sensor 60 detects a voltage change when the ink LQ is ejected from each nozzle 13.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the printer apparatus PRT.
The printer device PRT in the present embodiment includes a control device CONT that controls the overall operation. Connected to the control device CONT are an input device 69 for inputting various information relating to the operation of the printer device PRT, and a storage device 80 storing various information relating to the operation of the printer device PRT.

  Each part of the printer device PRT, such as the ink ejection mechanism IJ, the transport mechanism CR, the maintenance mechanism MN, and the ink droplet sensor 60, is connected to the control device CONT. The printer apparatus PRT includes a drive signal generator 82 that generates a drive signal to be input to a drive unit including the piezoelectric element 25. The drive signal generator 82 is connected to the control device CONT.

  The drive signal generator 82 receives data indicating the amount of change in the voltage value of the ejection pulse input to the piezoelectric element 25 of the ejection head 11 and a timing signal that defines the timing for changing the voltage of the ejection pulse. The drive signal generator 82 generates a drive signal such as an ejection pulse based on the input data and timing signal.

Next, the operation of the printer apparatus PRT configured as described above will be described. In the following description, a cleaning method that is a feature of the printer apparatus PRT will be described.
First, the ink receiving member 41 is positioned below the ejection head 11 by an elevating mechanism (not shown), and the ejection surface 11A of the ejection head 11 and the electrode member 45 are opposed to each other in a non-contact state. Thereby, the ink droplet sensor 60 is set in a standby state.

  Then, a voltage is applied between the ejection surface 11 </ b> A of the ejection head 11 and the electrode member 45 by the voltage application device 71. As a result, the ink droplet sensor 60 is turned on. In a state where the ink droplet sensor 60 is driven as described above, the piezoelectric element 25 is driven using an ejection pulse, and ink droplets are sequentially ejected from each nozzle 13. The ink droplet sensor 60 can detect the ejection state of the nozzle 13, that is, the nozzle 13 in which clogging has occurred, by a voltage change based on electrostatic induction when the ink droplet has landed on the electrode member 45. Then, the ink droplet sensor 60 transmits the detection result described above to the control device CONT by the processing device 74. Thereby, the control apparatus CONT can grasp | ascertain which of all the nozzles 13 of the ejection head 11 is a defective nozzle.

  Subsequently, the control device CONT moves the main body 51 below the defective nozzle using a drive mechanism (not shown) as shown in FIG. At this time, the three nozzles 13 are located in the concave portion 51a of the main body 51 in a plan view (see FIG. 6). Note that at least one of the three nozzles 13 may be a defective nozzle (discharge failure nozzle). The main body 51 is disposed to face the nozzle substrate 21 with a minute gap d therebetween, and is in a non-contact state.

  Then, the control device CONT drives the suction pump 53. Since the gap d between the main body 51 and the nozzle substrate 21 is very small as described above, a negative pressure can be generated in the vicinity of the nozzle 13 facing the recess 51a by the suction pump 53. Here, the control device CONT uses the suction pump 53 so as to generate a negative pressure (for example, −4 KPa in gauge pressure) in which ink ejection failure does not occur by the ink droplet sensor 60, that is, ink is not discharged from the normal nozzle. Drive.

  Further, the control device CONT drives the piezoelectric element 25 corresponding to the defective nozzle using the ejection pulse while driving the suction pump 53 as described above, and discharges ink from the defective nozzle 13a. Here, the piezoelectric element 25 corresponding to the defective nozzle means a piezoelectric element that causes a change in the volume of the pressure chamber 31 in which the ink ejected from the defective nozzle 13a is accommodated.

By the way, when a suction operation using a conventional cap device is performed, a defective nozzle is induced by bubbles remaining in the fluid supply path, and the cleaning operation needs to be repeated. Therefore, a lot of fluid is wasted during cleaning.
On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, the piezoelectric vibrator 25 corresponding to the defective nozzle 13a is driven while generating a negative pressure in the vicinity of the defective nozzle in which clogging occurs in this way, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the ink is forcibly discharged from the inside of the defective nozzle.
Therefore, since ink is discharged only from the defective nozzle 13a, ink is not discharged from normal nozzles as in the case of cleaning by suction operation using conventional capping, and ink is wasted during cleaning. Can be prevented.

  Also, according to the present embodiment, unlike conventional cleaning using capping, ink can be discharged from a defective nozzle in a non-contact state, so that the ink discharged from the nozzle 13 adheres to the ejection surface 11A of the ejection head 11. Can be prevented.

  Even when the nozzles 13 disposed in the recesses 51a include normal nozzles in which ejection failure does not occur, the ink meniscus is prevented from being destroyed as described above, so that the normal nozzles are adversely affected. There is nothing.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the recess 51a of the main body 51 is a size including a plurality of the ejection heads 11 in a plan view is described, but the shape of the recess is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 13A, a body 151 having a recess 151a having a size including all the nozzles 13 constituting one nozzle row of the ejection head 11 in a plan view is used. be able to. According to this configuration, although the capacity of the suction pump 53 is slightly increased, cleaning can be performed collectively for defective nozzles in the nozzle row, that is, the nozzles 13 that discharge the same color ink. Therefore, since different color inks are not discharged from the nozzles 13 during cleaning, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a problem that the inks in the nozzles 13 are mixed.

  Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 13B, a main body 251 having a recess 251 a having a size including one nozzle 13 of the ejection head 11 in a plan view can be used. According to this configuration, since the vicinity of each defective nozzle is in a negative pressure state, the capacity of the suction pump 53 can be suppressed. That is, a small pump can be used as the suction pump 53, and the maintenance mechanism MN and the printer device PRT provided with the maintenance mechanism MN can be downsized.

In the above embodiment, the printer apparatus PRT having the line type ejection head has been described. However, the present invention can also be applied to a printer apparatus having a serial type ejection head.
In the above embodiment, the printer apparatus PRT in which only the negative pressure generating unit 50 is mounted has been described. However, a conventional cap apparatus may be mounted together with the negative pressure generating unit 50. Thus, by using the pressure generating unit 50 and the cap device properly according to the application, it is possible to provide a highly reliable printer device that suppresses waste of ink during cleaning as much as possible and has stable ink ejection characteristics.

  In the above embodiment, an ink jet printer and an ink cartridge are employed. However, a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects or discharges liquid other than ink and a liquid container containing the liquid are employed. Also good. The present invention can be used for various liquid ejecting apparatuses including a liquid ejecting head that ejects a minute amount of liquid droplets. In addition, a droplet means the state of the liquid discharged from the said liquid ejecting apparatus, and shall also include what pulls a tail in granular shape, tear shape, and thread shape. The liquid here may be a material that can be ejected by the liquid ejecting apparatus. For example, it may be in the state when the substance is in a liquid phase, and may be in a liquid state with high or low viscosity, sol, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals (metal melts) ) And a liquid as one state of the substance, as well as particles in which functional material particles made of solid materials such as pigments and metal particles are dissolved, dispersed or mixed in a solvent. In addition, typical examples of the liquid include ink and liquid crystal as described in the above embodiments. Here, the ink includes general water-based inks and oil-based inks, and various liquid compositions such as gel inks and hot-melt inks. As a specific example of the liquid ejecting apparatus, for example, a liquid containing a material such as an electrode material or a coloring material used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an EL (electroluminescence) display, a surface emitting display, a color filter, or the like in a dispersed or dissolved state. It may be a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting, a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a bio-organic material used for biochip manufacturing, a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a liquid as a sample used as a precision pipette, a textile printing apparatus, a microdispenser, or the like. In addition, transparent resin liquids such as UV curable resin to form liquid injection devices that pinpoint lubricant oil onto precision machines such as watches and cameras, and micro hemispherical lenses (optical lenses) used in optical communication elements. A liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects a liquid onto the substrate or a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects an etching solution such as an acid or an alkali to etch the substrate may be employed. The present invention can be applied to any one of these ejecting apparatuses and liquid containers.

PRT: printer device (fluid ejecting device), M: recording medium (medium), CONT ... control device (control unit), 11 ... ejecting head (fluid ejecting head), 13 ... nozzle, 13a ... defective nozzle, 25 ... piezoelectric element (Driving element), 50 ... negative pressure generating unit (negative pressure generating portion), 51 ... main body portion, 51a ... concave portion, 151 ... main body portion, 151a ... concave portion, 60 ... ink drop sensor (detecting portion).

Claims (5)

A fluid ejection head having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting fluid to a medium;
A detection unit for detecting a state of ejection of the fluid in each of the plurality of nozzles;
A negative pressure generating unit generating negative pressure in the recess the recess is opposed to a part of the nozzles of the plurality of nozzles,
A controller that controls driving of the fluid ejecting head and the negative pressure generator,
The control unit is configured such that the concave portion faces at least a part of the nozzles including the defective nozzle in which the fluid ejection failure is detected by the detection unit and faces the ejection head with a gap therebetween. A negative pressure that is movable and does not destroy the meniscus of the nozzles other than the defective nozzle is generated in the recess, and only the driving element corresponding to the defective nozzle is driven to discharge the fluid from the defective nozzle. A fluid ejecting apparatus.   2. The fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the negative pressure generating unit generates a negative pressure with such a strength that the fluid is not discharged from the nozzle that is determined to be capable of ejecting the fluid by the detecting unit. . 3. The fluid according to claim 1, wherein the negative pressure generation unit includes a main body portion in which the concave portions corresponding to the plurality of nozzles are formed, and a suction device capable of sucking the inside of the concave portions. Injection device. In a cleaning method of a fluid ejecting apparatus including a fluid ejecting head having a plurality of nozzles that eject fluid to a medium,
A detection step of detecting an ejection state of the fluid in each of the plurality of nozzles;
It is movable toward a part of the plurality of nozzles including the defective nozzle in which at least the defective ejection of the fluid is detected by the detection step and to a position facing the ejection head with a gap. And generating a negative pressure that does not destroy the meniscus of nozzles other than the defective nozzle in the recess, and driving only the driving element corresponding to the defective nozzle to discharge the fluid from the defective nozzle;
A method for cleaning a fluid ejecting apparatus, comprising: The cleaning method for a fluid ejecting apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein a negative pressure is generated in the recess so that the fluid is not discharged from the nozzle that is determined to be ejectable by the detecting step.

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