JP6177740B2 - Wiping method and inkjet recording apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a wiping method for wiping ink adhering to an ink ejection surface of a recording head with a wiper. The present invention also relates to an ink jet recording apparatus including a recording head that discharges ink onto a recording medium including paper.

  Conventionally, a technique for wiping ink adhering to an ink ejection surface of a recording head with a wiper is known. For example, an ink jet recording apparatus including a plurality of wipers is disclosed (see Patent Document 1).

  Patent Document 1 describes that two wipers (a first wiper and a second wiper) are moved as follows. First, the first wiper is brought into pressure contact with the wiping start position outside the nozzle region from a substantially vertical direction, and wipes the ink ejection surface including the nozzle region in a predetermined direction. Next, the second wiper disposed on the upstream side of the first wiper with respect to the wiping direction of the ink discharge surface wipes off the ink pool formed by the ink adhering to the tip of the first wiper during the second and subsequent wiping operations. After being moved downstream in the direction, the ink is separated from the ink ejection surface on the upstream side of the nozzle region.

  As described above, it is described that by causing the two wipers to move, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of ink accumulation on the upstream side from the position at which wiping is started.

JP 2013-49205 A

  However, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, the ink after wiping adheres to the tip of the second wiper, and the ink may reattach to the wiping start position of the second wiper.

  The wiping method and the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention have been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to suppress the occurrence of ink accumulation on the ink ejection surface.

  A first inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention includes a recording head that ejects ink onto a recording medium, a wiper that wipes off ink adhering to the ink ejection surface of the recording head, a moving mechanism that moves the wiper, And a control unit that controls the operation of the wiper via a moving mechanism. The control unit includes a first movement instruction unit, a second movement instruction unit, and a third movement instruction unit. The first movement instructing unit pushes the wiper to the ink ejection surface through the movement mechanism at a first contact position in an ink adhesion area, which is an area where the ink ejected from the nozzle is adhered. The ink is moved in the first direction set in advance along the ink ejection surface. Thereafter, the first movement instructing unit stops the wiper from the ink ejection surface by stopping the wiper at a first stop position at one end of the recording head via the moving mechanism. The second movement instructing unit presses the wiper against the ink ejection surface at the second contact position of the other side end of the recording head via the movement mechanism, and the second movement instruction unit moves along the ink ejection surface. Move in the first direction. Thereafter, the second movement instruction unit causes the wiper to stop at a second stop position closer to the center of the recording head than the first stop position via the movement mechanism, and is separated from the ink ejection surface. Let The third movement instructing unit presses the wiper against the ink ejection surface at a third contact position outside the recording head with respect to the first stop position via the movement mechanism, and the ink ejection surface. Are moved in a second direction opposite to the first direction. Thereafter, the third movement instruction unit stops the wiper from the ink ejection surface by stopping the wiper at a third stop position outside the recording head with respect to the second contact position via the movement mechanism. .

  A wiping method according to the present invention is a wiping method for wiping ink adhering to an ink ejection surface of a recording head with a wiper, and a control unit that controls the operation of the wiper is configured to move the wiper through a moving mechanism. A first moving process, a second moving process, and a third moving process for moving the wiper are included. In the first moving step, the wiper is pressed against the ink ejection surface at a first contact position in an ink adhesion area, which is an area where the ink ejected from the nozzles adheres, along the ink ejection surface. To move in the first direction set in advance. Thereafter, the wiper is stopped at the first stop position at one end portion of the recording head and separated from the ink ejection surface. In the second moving step, the wiper is pressed against the ink discharge surface at the second contact position of the other end of the recording head, and moved in the first direction along the ink discharge surface. Thereafter, the wiper is stopped at a second stop position closer to the center of the recording head than the first stop position, and is separated from the ink ejection surface. In the third movement step, the wiper is pressed against the ink ejection surface at a third contact position outside the recording head from the first stop position, and the first direction along the ink ejection surface Is moved in the opposite second direction. Thereafter, the wiper is stopped at a third stop position outside the recording head with respect to the second contact position and separated from the ink ejection surface.

  According to the wiping method and the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of ink accumulation on the ink ejection surface.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the head part of the inkjet recording device shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the functional structure of the control part of the inkjet recording device shown in FIG. 1, a recording head, and a wiper part. It is a side view which shows the recording head of the inkjet recording device shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which the moving mechanism shown in FIG. 3 lowered | hung the wiper. It is a figure which shows the state which the movement mechanism shown in FIG. 3 raised the wiper. (A)-(e) is a figure which respectively shows the operation | movement (outward path) of the wiper shown in FIG. (A)-(d) is a figure which respectively shows the operation | movement (return path) of the wiper shown in FIG. It is a flowchart (first half part) which shows operation | movement of the control part shown in FIG. It is a flowchart (second half part) which shows operation | movement of the control part shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, a wiping method and an inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings (FIGS. 1 to 10). However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, in order to avoid redundancy, the same or corresponding parts in the drawings will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated. In the present embodiment, the X axis and the Y axis shown in the figure are parallel to the horizontal plane, and the Z axis is parallel to the vertical line.

  First, an ink jet recording apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus 1. The ink jet recording apparatus 1 includes a tray 200, a feeding roller 201, a first transport unit 205, a head unit 3, a control unit 50, a wiper unit 60, a second transport unit 212, a discharge roller 216, and a cap unit 290.

  The tray 200 stores the recording medium P, and is provided on the upstream side (right side in FIG. 1) of the recording medium P in the transport direction D0 with respect to the first transport unit 205. A feeding roller 201 is provided at the downstream end (the left end in FIG. 1) of the tray 200 in the transport direction D0. The feeding roller 201 supplies the recording medium P stored in the tray 200 to the first transport unit 205 one by one. The recording medium P is a medium on which an image is formed by the recording head 10, and is, for example, plain paper, copy paper, recycled paper, thin paper, thick paper, glossy paper, and OHP (Overhead Projector). A sheet made of a synthetic resin such as a sheet is included.

  The first transport unit 205 includes a first drive roller 206, a first driven roller 207, and a first transport belt 208. The first transport belt 208 is stretched around the first drive roller 206 and the first driven roller 207. When the first driving roller 206 is driven to rotate counterclockwise by a motor (not shown), the first conveying belt 208 rotates, and the recording medium P placed on the first conveying belt 208 moves in the conveying direction D0 ( It is conveyed in the left direction in FIG.

  The head unit 3 is disposed to face the upper surface of the upper belt in the first transport belt 208. The head unit 3 includes a head housing 18 and line heads 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K. The head housing 18 holds the line heads 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K. The line heads 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K eject yellow ink, magenta ink, cyan ink, and black ink, respectively. The line heads 10Y to 10K are arranged along the conveyance direction D0 of the recording medium P. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the head unit 3 of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the line heads 10Y to 10K includes three recording heads 10 arranged in a staggered manner along a direction (here, the X-axis direction) perpendicular to the transport direction D0.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the second transport unit 212 is disposed downstream of the first transport unit 205 in the transport direction D <b> 0 (left side in FIG. 1). The second transport unit 212 includes a second drive roller 213, a second driven roller 214, and a second transport belt 215. The second transport belt 215 is stretched around the second drive roller 213 and the second driven roller 214. When the second drive roller 213 is driven to rotate counterclockwise by a motor (not shown), the second transport belt 215 rotates, and the recording medium P placed on the second transport belt 215 moves in the transport direction D0 ( It is conveyed in the left direction in FIG.

  The recording medium P on which an image is formed by the head unit 3 is sent to the second transport unit 212, and the ink attached to the surface of the recording medium P is dried while the recording medium P passes through the second transport unit 212. The A wiper unit 60 and a cap unit 290 are disposed below the second transport unit 212.

  The control unit 50 controls the overall operation of the inkjet recording apparatus 1. For example, the control unit 50 lowers the first transport unit 205 before causing the wiper unit 60 to wipe off ink adhering to the ink ejection surfaces 17 of the line heads 10Y to 10K, that is, before performing wiping. Then, the control unit 50 horizontally moves the wiper unit 60 arranged below the second transport unit 212 and arranges it below the head unit 3 which is the standby position. As a result, the wiper unit 60 is positioned between the head unit 3 and the first transport unit 205. As will be described later with reference to FIGS. 3 to 10, the wiper unit 60 wipes off ink adhering to the line heads 10 </ b> Y to 10 </ b> K and collects the wiped ink.

  For example, the control unit 50 moves the cap unit 290 horizontally and positions it below the head unit 3 before capping the ink ejection surfaces 17 (see FIG. 3) of the line heads 10Y to 10K. Further, the control unit 50 moves the cap unit 290 upward. As a result, the cap unit 290 is attached to the ink ejection surface 17 of the line heads 10Y to 10K. The details of the control unit 50 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The discharge roller 216 is disposed downstream of the second transport unit 212 in the transport direction D0 (left side in FIG. 1), and discharges the recording medium P on which an image has been formed to the outside of the inkjet recording apparatus 1.

  Next, the recording head 10, the wiper unit 60, and the control unit 50 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the control unit 50 of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 illustrated in FIG. 1, the recording head 10, and the wiper unit 60. The wiper unit 60 includes the wiper 20 and the moving mechanism 30.

  The recording head 10 has an ink ejection surface 17 on its lower surface. A large number of nozzles 11 are open at the center of the ink ejection surface 17. The nozzle 11 ejects ink for forming an image on the recording medium P (see FIG. 1). The nozzle 11 discharges the ink Nf together with the unnecessary matter in the recording head 10 in the purge process. The ink Nf is accommodated in a sealed space (an ink tank not shown). Therefore, evaporation of the volatile component contained in the ink Nf is prevented. Volatile components contained in the ink Nf evaporate when exposed to the outside air. As a result, the ink Nf discharged from the nozzles 11 has a lower viscosity than the residual ink Nv (see FIGS. 7C to 7E) that has been in contact with air.

  The control unit 50 moves the wiper 20 via the moving mechanism 30. The moving mechanism 30 moves the wiper 20 in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 50. Specifically, the moving mechanism 30 can move the wiper 20 in the ascending direction D1, can move the wiper 20 in the wiping direction D3 or the wiping direction D4, and moves the wiper 20 in the descending direction D2. Can do. In the present embodiment, the ascending direction D <b> 1 and the descending direction D <b> 2 are along the Z axis and are orthogonal to the ink ejection surface 17. Further, the wiping direction D3 and the wiping direction D4 are along the X axis and the ink ejection surface 17. The ascending direction D1 and the descending direction D2 may be collectively referred to as the vertical direction.

  The moving mechanism 30 moves the wiper 20 in the ascending direction D1, the descending direction D2, the wiping direction D3, and the wiping direction D4 according to an instruction from the control unit 50. For example, when wiping the ink discharge surface 17 with the wiper 20, the moving mechanism 30 moves the wiper 20 along the ink discharge surface 17 while pressing the wiper 20 against the ink discharge surface 17. As a result, the wiper 20 can wipe the ink Nf discharged from the nozzle 11 or the ink Nv discharged from the nozzle 11 and attached to the ink discharge surface 17. In addition, the wiper 20 wipes off unnecessary objects (for example, dust and dirt) adhering to the ink ejection surface 17. The wiper 20 has elasticity and is formed in a flat plate shape. The wiper 20 is made of, for example, a synthetic rubber containing EPDM (ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer) or a synthetic resin. Moreover, the front-end | tip (upper end) of the wiper 20 is flat (flat) in this embodiment. The structure of the moving mechanism 30 will be described later with reference to FIGS.

  A plate-like member 40 bent in a dogleg shape is disposed on the lower surface of one end portion (left end portion in FIG. 3) of the recording head 10. The plate member 40 includes a hydrophilic portion 41 and a water repellent portion 42. The hydrophilic portion 41 has higher hydrophilicity than the ink discharge surface 17. The hydrophilic portion 41 is formed of, for example, a highly hydrophilic metal such as stainless steel or a highly hydrophilic synthetic resin. The surface roughness of the hydrophilic portion 41 is rougher than the surface roughness of the ink ejection surface 17. Here, it is sufficient that the hydrophilic portion 41 has higher hydrophilicity than the ink discharge surface 17. Therefore, for example, the hydrophilic portion 41 is formed of a metal or a synthetic resin, and the surface roughness of the hydrophilic portion 41 is made larger than the surface roughness of the ink discharge surface 17, whereby the hydrophilicity of the hydrophilic portion 41 is made to be the ink discharge surface 17. Higher than the hydrophilicity.

  The water repellent part 42 has higher water repellency than the ink ejection surface 17 and the hydrophilic part 41. The water repellent part 42 is made of, for example, a fluororesin. The water repellent part 42 is disposed on the outer side (here, the left side) of the hydrophilic part 41 with respect to the ink ejection surface 17. The hydrophilic part 41 and the water repellent part 42 are configured adjacent to each other. The water repellent part 42 is disposed to be inclined obliquely upward (here, the upper left direction) with respect to the ink ejection surface 17.

  Next, a functional configuration of the control unit 50 will be described. The controller 50 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The ROM stores a control program for executing the wiping method according to the present invention. The CPU reads and executes the control program stored in the ROM, thereby various functional units including the first movement instruction unit 51, the second movement instruction unit 52, and the third movement instruction unit 53. Function as. The RAM is used as a work area when the CPU executes the control program.

  The first movement instruction unit 51 moves the wiper 20 in the wiping direction D3 along the ink discharge surface 17 via the moving mechanism 30 (performs the first wiping), and causes the ink Nf to move to one end of the recording head 10. Store in a part (for example, left end).

  The second movement instruction unit 52 moves the wiper 20 in the wiping direction D3 along the ink ejection surface 17 via the moving mechanism 30 (performs the second wiping), and causes the ink Nf to move to one end of the recording head 10. Store in a part (for example, left end).

  The third movement instruction unit 53 moves the wiper 20 in the wiping direction D4 along the ink ejection surface 17 via the movement mechanism 30, and performs wet wiping of the ink ejection surface 17 using the stored ink Nf. Do. Details of operations of the first movement instruction unit 51, the second movement instruction unit 52, and the third movement instruction unit 53 will be described later with reference to FIGS.

  Here, the recording head 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the recording head 10 of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 shown in FIG. The recording head 10 has an inlet 13 and an outlet 15. The inflow port 13 is an opening through which the ink Nf shown in FIG. 3 flows. The outlet 15 is an opening through which the ink Nf flows out. In other words, during the image forming process or the purge process, the ink Nf that has flowed into the inlet 13 from an ink tank (not shown) flows into the recording head 10 and flows out from the outlet 15. The ink Nf that has flowed into the recording head 10 is ejected from the nozzle 11 during the image forming process, and is discharged from the nozzle 11 during the purge process. In the present embodiment, the wiper 20 performs wet wiping using the ink Nf discharged from the nozzle 11 during the purge process and attached to the ink ejection surface 17.

  Next, the moving mechanism 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a view showing a state where the moving mechanism 30 shown in FIG. 3 lowers the wiper 20. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state where the moving mechanism 30 illustrated in FIG. 3 raises the wiper 20. 5 and 6, the plate-like member 40, the hydrophilic portion 41, and the water repellent portion 42 are omitted for simplification of the drawing. The control unit 50 moves the wiper unit 60 to face the line heads 10Y, 10M, 10C, and 10K before executing wiping. In FIG. 5, only three wipers 20 corresponding to the three recording heads 10 included in the line head 10K are shown for convenience.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the moving mechanism 30 includes a carriage 31, a support frame 35 that supports the carriage 31, a roller 36, a gap roller 37, a lifting member 38, and a bottom 39. The elevating members 38 each include a lift member 38a and a shaft 38b.

  The bottom 39 supports the support frame 35 via the elevating member 38. The elevating member 38 is disposed on the bottom 39 and supports the support frame 35 to move up and down. The shaft 38b is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown), and moves up and down the support frame 35 via the lift member 38a. The lift member 38a is configured integrally with the shaft 38b, and rotates integrally with the shaft 38b when the shaft 38b is driven to rotate. Further, the support frame 35 is moved up and down as the lift member 38a rotates. More specifically, the lift member 38a of the elevating member 38 raises the support frame 35 by the shaft 38b of the elevating member 38 being rotated and driven by a motor (not shown). Further, the shaft 38b of the elevating member 38 is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown) and laid down so that the lift member 38a of the elevating member 38 lowers the support frame 35.

  The support frame 35 is supported by an elevating member 38 and supports the carriage 31 through the roller 36 so as to be movable in the X-axis direction (wiping direction D3 and wiping direction D4). The roller 36 is supported by the support frame 35, and moves on the support frame 35 to move the carriage 31 in the X-axis direction (wiping direction D3 and wiping direction D4).

  The carriage 31 is supported by the support frame 35 via the roller 36 and moves in the X-axis direction (wiping direction D3 and wiping direction D4). The carriage 31 is provided with a gap roller 37 and a wiper 20. The gap roller 37 is in contact with the head housing 18 when the support frame 35 is lifted by the elevating member 38, so that the vertical position (upper limit position) of the wiper 20 pressed against the ink discharge surface 17 is constant. Hold on.

  Here, the operation of the moving mechanism 30 when the wiper 20 is raised will be described. First, the control unit 50 shown in FIG. 3 drives a motor (not shown) to rotate the shaft 38b of the elevating member 38 arranged on the upstream side (right side in FIG. 5) in the wiping direction D3 in the clockwise direction. The shaft 38b of the elevating member 38 disposed on the downstream side in the direction D3 (left side in FIG. 5) is rotated counterclockwise. Then, the lying lift member 38a is changed to the standing state. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the carriage 31, the roller 36, the gap roller 37, and the wiper 20 rise together with the support frame 35.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state where the moving mechanism 30 illustrated in FIG. 3 raises the wiper 20. As shown in FIG. 6, the gap roller 37 abuts against the head housing 18, and as a result, the position of the wiper 20 that is lifted and pressed against the ink ejection surface 17 is held constant. The carriage 31 is supported by a support frame 35 through a roller 36 so as to be movable. As the carriage 31 moves in the wiping direction D3 or wiping direction D4, the wiper 20 also moves in the wiping direction D3 or wiping direction D4.

  The three wipers 20 corresponding to each of the line heads 10Y, 10M, and 10C are operated by the moving mechanism 30 in the same manner as the three wipers 20 corresponding to the line head 10K.

  Next, the operation of the wiper 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7A to FIG. 7E are diagrams showing the operation (outward path) of the wiper 20 shown in FIG. The wiper 20 will be described below by the movement mechanism 30 operating in accordance with instructions from the control unit 50 (the first movement instruction unit 51, the second movement instruction unit 52, and the third movement instruction unit 53). To work.

  In the initial state, since the nozzle 11 discharges the ink Nf, the ink Nf remains in the ink adhesion area FA. The wiper 20 is at the lower limit position. Then, as shown in FIG. 7A, the wiper 20 is moved immediately below the first contact position PT1 in the ink adhesion area FA and moved (raised) in the rising direction D1. Then, the tip of the wiper 20 is pressed against the ink ejection surface 17, and the wiper 20 stops rising. The first contact position PT1 is a position outside an image forming area that is an area for forming an image on the recording medium P in the area where the nozzles 11 for ejecting ink are arranged.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, the wiper 20 maintains the vertical position at a constant level (still at the upper limit position), and the wiping direction D3 from the first contact position PT1 toward the hydrophilic portion 41. To stop at the first stop position PS1 in the hydrophilic portion 41. Thereafter, the wiper 20 moves (lowers) in the downward direction D2. As a result, a part of the ink Nf remaining in the ink adhesion area FA is wiped off by the wiper 20, and the ink Nf is stored in the vicinity of the first stop position PS1 in the hydrophilic portion 41.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 7C, the wiper 20 maintains a constant vertical position (still at the lower limit position) and is directly below the second contact position PT2 at the right end of the recording head 10. The position is moved in the wiping direction D4 to the position and moved (raised) in the rising direction D1 toward the second contact position PT2. Then, the tip of the wiper 20 is pressed against the ink ejection surface 17, and the wiper 20 stops rising. At this time, the ink Nv remaining at the tip of the wiper 20 adheres to the ink ejection surface 17 (see FIG. 7D). Note that the second contact position PT2 is a position outside an image forming area, which is an area where an image is formed on the recording medium P, in the area where the nozzles 11 for ejecting ink are arranged.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7D, the wiper 20 maintains the vertical position at a constant level (still in the raised state), and in the first direction (here, the wiping direction) along the ink ejection surface 17. D3). Thereafter, the wiper 20 stops at the second stop position PS2 in the hydrophilic portion 41 and closer to the central portion of the recording head 10 than the first stop position PS1. Then, the wiper 20 moves (lowers) in the downward direction D2. As a result, the remaining portion of the ink Nf remaining in the ink adhesion area FA is wiped off by the wiper 20, and the ink Nf is stored in the vicinity of the second stop position PS2 in the hydrophilic portion 41.

  As described above, the first wiping from the first contact position PT1 to the first stop position PS1 and the second wiping from the second contact position PT2 to the second stop position PS2 respectively cause ink adhesion. The ink Nf in the area FA is wiped off, and the ink Nf is stored in the hydrophilic portion 41. That is, the ink Nf is stored at two locations near the first stop position PS1 and near the second stop position PS2 on the ink ejection surface 17 (here, the hydrophilic portion 41). Therefore, a large amount of fresh ink Nf can be stored. Here, the fresh ink Nf is ink immediately after being ejected from the nozzle 11 and is an ink in which volatile components contained in the ink are hardly evaporated. On the other hand, the residual ink Nv is an ink that has passed for a predetermined time (for example, 3 minutes) or more after being ejected from the nozzle 11 and has an increased viscosity due to evaporation of volatile components contained in the ink.

  The first contact position PT1 is a position included in the nozzle area where the nozzles 11 for ejecting ink are arranged. The first direction is the first contact position PT1 from the first contact position PT1. This is the direction toward the end of the recording head 10 on the side close to the contact position PT1 (wiping direction D3). Therefore, a part of the ink Nf in the ink adhesion area FA is wiped off by the first wiping from the first contact position PT1 to the first stop position PS1, and the ink Nf is stored in the hydrophilic portion 41. Accordingly, since the ink Nf in the ink adhesion area FA can be wiped off twice, a large amount of fresh ink Nf can be stored.

  Furthermore, since the first stop position PS1 and the second stop position PS2 are positions outside the ink adhesion area FA, all the ink Nf adhered to the ink adhesion area FA is wiped off, and the vicinity of the first stop position PS1, Ink Nf is stored in two places near the second stop position PS2. Therefore, a larger amount of fresh ink Nf can be stored.

  The first stop position PS1 and the second stop position PS2 are the ink Nf wiped by the movement of the wiper 20 in the first wiping and the ink Nf wiped by the movement of the wiper 20 in the second wiping. Are separated from each other to such an extent that they can be separated and stored. Therefore, the ink Nf is stored in two places near the first stop position PS1 and near the second stop position PS2. Therefore, a large amount of fresh ink Nf can be stored.

  Further, since the first stop position PS1 and the second stop position PS2 are positions included in the hydrophilic portion 41, a larger amount is provided in two places near the first stop position PS1 and near the second stop position PS2. The ink Nf can be stored.

  Further, the first contact position PT1 and the second contact position PT2 are positions outside the image forming area that is an area for forming an image on the recording medium P in the area where the nozzles 11 for ejecting ink are arranged. Therefore, the image forming area is not damaged when the wiper 20 is pressed against the ink discharge surface 17.

FIGS. 8A to 8D are diagrams showing the operation (return path) of the wiper shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7D, after the wiper 20 descends at the second stop position PS2, the position in the vertical direction is kept constant (still at the lower limit position),
The wiping direction D3 is moved to a position immediately below the third ascending position PU3 on the left side of the third contact position PT3. Further, as shown in FIG. 8A, the ink Nf is attached to the tip of the wiper 20. The wiper 20 moves (rises) toward the water repellent part 42 in the rising direction D1, and stops rising at the upper limit position.

  As shown in FIG. 8B, the wiper 20 contacts the water repellent part 42 at the third contact position PT3 in the water repellent part 42 while maintaining the position in the vertical direction constant (still at the upper limit position). Touch. The wiper 20 moves in the wiping direction D4 via the hydrophilic portion 41, and wipes off the ink Nf adhering to the two portions of the hydrophilic portion 41.

  As shown in FIG. 8C, the wiper 20 is maintained in the vertical position (mainly at the upper limit position) in the wiping direction D4 to the third stop position PS3 that is the position near the right end of the recording head 10. Moving. When the wiper 20 stops at the third stop position PS3, the base of the wiper 20 supported by the moving mechanism 30 stops outside the position directly below the ink discharge surface 17. That is, the third stop position PS3 is a position outside the position directly below the ink discharge surface 17 (a position spaced to the right from the position directly below the ink discharge surface 17 in FIG. 8C).

  As shown in FIG. 8D, the wiper 20 that has reached the third stop position PS3 stops (moves down) in the downward direction D2 after stopping. Then, the wiper 20 returns to the standby position and finishes wiping.

  As described above with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, a large amount of ink Nf can be stored in two locations in the vicinity of the first stop position PS1 and in the vicinity of the second stop position PS2. In addition, since the ink Nf is used for wet wiping from the third contact position PT3 to the third stop position PS3, the ink attached to the ink ejection surface 17 of the recording head 10 can be wiped off with a simple configuration. Ink discharge on the ink discharge surface 17 can be suppressed.

  Furthermore, since the third contact position PT3 is a position included in the water repellent part 42, it is possible to suppress the ink Nf attached to the tip of the wiper 20 from attaching to the vicinity of the third contact position PT3.

  Further, the water repellent part 42 is formed to be inclined obliquely upward. Therefore, when the wiper 20 moves from the water repellent part 42 to the hydrophilic part 41, the wiper 20 can enter the hydrophilic part 41 while gradually curving the tip of the wiper 20 according to the inclination of the water repellent part 42. As a result, damage to the tip of the wiper 20 can be reduced as compared with the case where the wiper 20 is raised in the upward direction D1 toward the hydrophilic portion 41 and pressed against the hydrophilic portion 41.

  Next, the operation of the control unit 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 9 is a flowchart (first half) showing the operation of the control unit 50 shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart (second half) showing the operation of the control unit 50 shown in FIG. First, the wiper 20 is moved below the first contact position PT1 in accordance with an instruction from the first movement instruction unit 51 shown in FIG. 3 (step S101). Next, according to an instruction from the first movement instruction unit 51, the wiper 20 is moved in the upward direction D1 and pressed against the first contact position PT1 of the ink ejection surface 17 as shown in FIG. Step S103).

  Then, according to the instruction from the first movement instruction unit 51, the wiper 20 is moved in the left direction (wiping direction D3) while wiping the ink discharge surface 17 (step S105). Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, the wiper 20 is stopped at the first stop position PS1 by an instruction from the first movement instruction unit 51 (step S107). Then, according to an instruction from the first movement instruction unit 51, the wiper 20 is moved (lowered) in the descending direction D2 and separated from the ink ejection surface 17 (step S109).

  Next, the wiper 20 is moved below the second contact position PT2 according to an instruction from the second movement instruction unit 52 (step S111). Next, according to an instruction from the second movement instruction section 52, the wiper 20 is moved in the upward direction D1 and pressed against the second contact position PT2 of the ink ejection surface 17 as shown in FIG. Step S113).

  Then, according to an instruction from the second movement instruction unit 52, the wiper 20 is moved in the left direction (wiping direction D3) while wiping the ink ejection surface 17 (step S115). Next, as shown in FIG. 7D, the wiper 20 is stopped at the second stop position PS2 by an instruction from the second movement instruction unit 52 (step S117). Then, according to an instruction from the second movement instruction unit 52, the wiper 20 is moved (lowered) in the descending direction D2, and is separated from the ink ejection surface 17 as shown in FIG. 7E (step S119).

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10, the wiper 20 is moved below the third ascending position PU3 in accordance with an instruction from the third movement instructing unit 53 (see step S121, FIG. 8A). Then, according to an instruction from the third movement instruction unit 53, the wiper 20 is moved (raised) in the raising direction D1, and the raising is stopped at the upper limit position as shown in FIG. 8B. Subsequently, the wiper 20 is moved in the wiping direction D4 by an instruction from the third movement instructing unit 53, and is pressed against the third contact position PT3 of the ink ejection surface 17 (step S123).

  Then, according to the instruction from the third movement instruction unit 53, the wiper 20 is moved in the wiping direction D4 while wiping the ink discharge surface 17 (step S125). In step S123 and step S125, the wiper 20 continues to move in the wiping direction D4 without stopping. Next, as shown in FIG. 8C, the wiper 20 is stopped at the third stop position PS3 by an instruction from the third movement instruction unit 53 (step S127). Then, according to an instruction from the third movement instruction unit 53, the wiper 20 is moved (lowered) in the descending direction D2, and is separated from the ink ejection surface 17 as shown in FIG. 8D (step S129). Ends.

  In the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, steps S101 to S109 correspond to an example of “first moving process”, steps S111 to S119 correspond to an example of “second moving process”, and step S121. To step S129 corresponds to an example of a “third moving step”.

  As described above, wet wiping is performed from the third contact position PT3 to the third stop position PS3 using the fresh ink Nf stored in two locations near the first stop position PS1 and near the second stop position PS2. Therefore, the inks Nf and Nv adhering to the ink ejection surface 17 of the recording head 10 can be wiped off with a simple configuration. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of ink accumulation on the ink ejection surface 17.

  The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the gist thereof (for example, (1) to (9) shown below). In order to facilitate understanding, the drawings schematically show each component mainly, and the thickness, length, number, etc. of each component shown in the drawings are different from the actual for convenience of drawing. There is a case. Moreover, the shape, dimension, etc. of each component shown by said embodiment are an example, Comprising: It does not specifically limit, A various change is possible in the range which does not deviate substantially from the structure of this invention.

  (1) As described with reference to FIG. 7, in this embodiment, the case where the ink Nf in the ink adhesion area FA is wiped in two steps has been described. However, the ink Nf in the ink adhesion area FA is wiped twice or more. Any form may be used as long as it is divided into two. The greater the number of times of wiping off the ink Nf in the ink adhesion area FA, the larger the amount of ink Nf that can be stored in the hydrophilic portion 41. Further, the greater the number of times of wiping off the ink Nf in the ink adhesion area FA, the longer the processing time.

  (2) As described with reference to FIG. 7, in the present embodiment, the first contact position PT <b> 1 is an image forming area that is an area for forming an image on the recording medium P in the ink adhesion area FA. Although the case of the outer position has been described, the first contact position PT1 may be within the ink adhesion area FA. For example, if the first contact position PT1 is the center position of the ink adhesion area FA, the substantially same amount of ink Nf in the ink adhesion area FA can be wiped off by two wiping operations. Of ink Nf can be stored.

  (3) As described with reference to FIG. 7, in the present embodiment, the case where the first stop position PS <b> 1 and the second stop position PS <b> 2 are positions within the hydrophilic portion 41 has been described. The position in the ink discharge surface 17 of a side edge part (for example, left side edge part) may be sufficient.

  (4) As described with reference to FIG. 7, in the present embodiment, the case where the second contact position PT2 is the position of the right end portion of the recording head 10 has been described. The position may be a position within an area outside the ink adhesion area FA and a position opposite to the first stop position PS1 with respect to the ink adhesion area FA. For example, the second contact position PT2 may be a position outside the right end in the ink adhesion area FA.

  (5) As described with reference to FIG. 7, in the present embodiment, the case where the third contact position PT3 is a position in the hydrophilic portion 41 has been described. However, the third contact position PT3 is the recording head 10. The position on the ink discharge surface 17 of one end portion (for example, the left end portion) may be used.

  (6) As described with reference to FIG. 7, in the present embodiment, the third stop position PS3 is near the end of the ink ejection surface 17 at the other end (for example, the right end) of the recording head 10. Although the case of the position has been described, the position may be a position outside the recording head 10 with respect to the second contact position PT2. However, it is preferable that the third stop position PS3 is close to the end of the ink ejection surface 17 at the other end (for example, the right end) of the recording head 10. The closer the third stop position PS3 is to the end of the ink discharge surface 17, the smaller the amount of ink Nf adhering to the ink discharge surface 17 and the upper end of the wiper 20 after the wiper 20 is separated from the ink discharge surface 17. Can do.

  (7) As described with reference to FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, a plate-like shape having the hydrophilic portion 41 and the water repellent portion 42 at one end portion (left end portion in FIG. 3) of the recording head 10. Although the case where the member 40 is arrange | positioned was demonstrated, another form may be sufficient. For example, the plate-like member 40 may be disposed at both ends of the recording head 10, or the plate-like member 40 may not be disposed on the recording head 10. When the plate-like members 40 are respectively disposed at both ends of the recording head 10, the third stop position PS3 is set to a position within the water-repellent portion 42 of the plate-like member 40 disposed at the right end. In addition, the amount of ink Nf adhering to the ink ejection surface 17 and the upper surface of the wiper 20 can be further reduced.

  (8) As described with reference to FIG. 7, in this embodiment, the case where the wiper 20 is pressed perpendicularly to the ink discharge surface 17 has been described. However, the wiper 20 is inclined with respect to the ink discharge surface 17. It may be in the form of pressing. In this case, since the tip (upper end) of the wiper 20 is easily deformed so as to follow the ink discharge surface 17, damage to the tip (upper end) of the wiper 20 can be reduced.

  (9) As described with reference to FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, the case where the tip (upper end) of the wiper 20 is flat (flat) has been described. However, the wiper 20 is processed with the tip inclined. It may be a form. In this case, the amount of ink Nf adhering to the ink discharge surface 17 and the tip of the wiper 20 can be further reduced.

  The present invention can be used in the field of wiping methods in which ink adhering to the ink ejection surface of a recording head is wiped with a wiper. The present invention can also be used in the field of an ink jet recording apparatus provided with a recording head that ejects ink onto a recording medium including paper.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inkjet recording device 10 Recording head 11 Nozzle 17 Ink discharge surface 20 Wiper 30 Movement mechanism 40 Plate member 41 Hydrophilic part 42 Water repellent part 50 Control part 51 1st movement instruction part 52 2nd movement instruction part 53 3rd movement instruction part D1 ascending direction D2 descending direction D3 wiping direction (leftward)
D4 Wiping direction (right direction)
FA ink adhesion area Nv ink Nf ink PS1 first stop position PT1 first contact position PS2 second stop position PT2 second contact position PS3 third stop position PT3 third contact position PU3 third lift position

Claims (8)

A recording head for discharging ink onto the recording medium;
A wiper for wiping off ink adhering to the ink ejection surface of the recording head;
A moving mechanism for moving the wiper;
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a control unit that controls the operation of the wiper via the moving mechanism;
The controller is
Via the moving mechanism, the wiper is pressed against the ink ejection surface at a first contact position in an ink adhesion area, which is an area where the ink ejected from the nozzles adheres, along the ink ejection surface. A first movement instructing unit that moves to a first stop position at one end of the recording head and moves away from the ink ejection surface after moving in a preset first direction.
After the wiper is pressed against the ink discharge surface at the second contact position of the other end of the recording head via the moving mechanism and moved in the first direction along the ink discharge surface A second movement instructing unit that stops at a second stop position closer to the center of the recording head than the first stop position and separates from the ink ejection surface;
Via the moving mechanism, the wiper is pressed against the ink ejection surface at a third contact position outside the recording head with respect to the first stop position, and the first direction along the ink ejection surface. Comprises a third movement instructing unit that is moved in the opposite second direction and then stopped at a third stop position outside the recording head with respect to the second contact position and separated from the ink ejection surface. Inkjet recording device. The first contact position is a position included in a nozzle area, which is an area where nozzles for ejecting ink are arranged,
2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first direction is a direction from the first contact position toward an end of the recording head closer to the first contact position.   The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first stop position and the second stop position are positions outside the ink adhesion region.   The first stop position and the second stop position are: ink wiped off by movement of the wiper by the first moving part; ink wiped off by movement of the wiper by the second moving part; The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the positions are separated from each other to such an extent that they can be separated and stored. A hydrophilic portion whose surface is more hydrophilic than other regions of the ink discharge surface is formed on the ink discharge surface at one end of the recording head,
5. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first stop position and the second stop position are positions included in the hydrophilic portion. 6. A water-repellent portion having a surface that is more water-repellent than other regions of the ink-discharging surface is formed on the ink-discharging surface outside the one end portion of the recording head.
The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third contact position is a position included in the water repellent portion.   The first contact position and the second contact position are positions outside an image forming area, which is an area for forming an image on a recording medium, in an area where nozzles for ejecting ink are arranged. An ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6. A wiping method for wiping off ink adhering to an ink ejection surface of a recording head with a wiper,
A control unit that controls the operation of the wiper, via a moving mechanism that moves the wiper,
The wiper is pressed against the ink ejection surface at a first contact position in an ink adhesion area, which is an area where the ink ejected from the nozzles adheres, and a first preset along the ink ejection surface. A first moving step of stopping the ink jetting surface at a first stop position at one end of the recording head after moving in the direction;
The wiper is pressed against the ink discharge surface at the second contact position of the other end of the recording head, moved in the first direction along the ink discharge surface, and then moved from the first stop position. And a second moving step of stopping at a second stop position near the center of the recording head and separating from the ink ejection surface;
The wiper is pressed against the ink ejection surface at a third contact position outside the recording head with respect to the first stop position, and in a second direction opposite to the first direction along the ink ejection surface. A wiping method comprising: a third movement step of stopping the ink ejection surface after moving the ink jetting surface at a third stop position outside the recording head from the second contact position.

Images