JP6368565B2 - Inkjet recording apparatus and inkjet recording method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method.

  In general, in an ink jet recording apparatus, when printing is performed, ink ejected may gradually adhere to the nozzle surface of the recording head. Furthermore, such an ink may be gradually cured to become a thickened ink. If printing is performed while ink or gel-like thickened ink is attached to the nozzle surface, the ink drops on the recording medium or the nozzle is clogged, resulting in a decrease in print quality. Therefore, a technique is known in which the nozzle surface of the recording head is cleaned by wiping with a wiper made of a rubber material or the like.

  However, since the ink is attached to the wiper when wiping is performed, the ink attached to the wiper is gradually cured by drying or the like, similarly to the case of the nozzle surface of the recording head, and the gel-like thickened ink and Sometimes it becomes. Therefore, if wiping is performed as it is, the ink or thickened ink adhering to the wiper may enter the nozzle and cause clogging, color mixing of the ink, or flight deflection at the time of ejection. It becomes a cause.

  In order to solve such a problem, for example, inkjet recording in which an impregnated member impregnated with a cleaning liquid is brought into contact with a wiping portion of the wiper so that the ink attached to the wiper is not cured, and the wiping portion is kept in a wet state. An apparatus is disclosed (see Patent Document 1). Specifically, by sliding the wiping portion (tip portion) of the wiper relative to the lower surface of the impregnation member, the ink adhering to the wiping portion of the wiper is passed through the lower surface of the impregnation member. Absorb to the impregnated member and clean the wiping part of the wiper.

JP 2010-274599 A (published on December 9, 2010)

  However, in the ink jet recording apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, the ink adhering to the lower surface of the impregnation member is absorbed by the pores of the impregnation member and diffuses into the impregnation member by using capillary force. The density of the ink adhering to the lower surface is reduced. However, the ink jet recording apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem that the impregnation member cannot be sufficiently refreshed if all the pores of the impregnation member are filled with ink. Therefore, even if the wiping portion of the wiper is cleaned using such an impregnating member, it is difficult to obtain a sufficient cleaning effect.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method capable of keeping an impregnated member in a clean state.

  An ink jet recording apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a recording head that discharges ink to a recording medium, and a wiper that abuts the ink discharge surface of the recording head to wipe the ink on the ink discharge surface. Wiping means for performing cleaning, and ink removing means for removing the ink adhering to the wiper by the wiping by bringing an impregnation member impregnated with a cleaning liquid into contact with the wiper. A supply region to which the cleaning liquid is supplied, and an ink removal region that contacts the wiper and removes the ink attached to the wiper, wherein the supply region is more in the direction of gravity than the ink removal region. Located on the upper side.

  According to the above configuration, the impregnating member has the supply region and the ink removal region, and clean cleaning liquid is always supplied to the supply region located above the ink removal region in the gravity direction. The clean cleaning liquid supplied to the supply area is supplied to the ink removal area. Therefore, the ink attached to the ink removal area can be more effectively diluted and washed off from top to bottom, so that the ink removal area can always be kept clean and ideal for removing ink attached to the wiper. Can be effectively maintained in a stable state.

  Furthermore, the ink jet recording apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a supply unit that supplies the cleaning liquid to the supply region of the impregnation member, and the cleaning liquid supply port of the supply unit is above the supply region in the direction of gravity. Is located.

  According to the above configuration, the cleaning liquid supply port, the supply region, and the ink removal region are arranged in this order from the upper side to the lower side in the gravity direction. Therefore, since the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supply port is supplied to the supply region due to the water head difference, a larger amount of cleaning liquid can be supplied to the supply region than when the cleaning liquid is supplied by the capillary force of the impregnating member. . A large amount of the cleaning liquid supplied to the supply area further flows to the ink removal area disposed on the lower side in the direction of gravity. Accordingly, since the amount of cleaning liquid supplied to the ink removal area can be significantly increased compared to when the cleaning liquid is supplied by the capillary force of the impregnating member, the ink removal area can be effectively refreshed. .

  In the ink jet recording apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention, the wiping means includes a plurality of the wipers arranged in parallel, and the wiping is performed by sliding the plurality of wipers on the ink discharge surface. The ink removing means removes the ink adhering to the wiper by sliding the impregnating member relative to the plurality of wipers along the parallel direction of the plurality of wipers. The ink removal area of the impregnating member is shorter than the total length of the plurality of wipers in the parallel direction.

  According to the above configuration, the ink of the wiper is removed by sliding the impregnating member relative to the plurality of wipers along the parallel direction of the plurality of wipers. Therefore, the ink removal region of the impregnating member can be formed shorter than the total length of the plurality of wipers in the parallel direction. The impregnating member according to one aspect of the present invention uses a larger amount of cleaning liquid than when the cleaning liquid is supplied by the capillary force of the impregnating member. However, according to the above configuration, the ink removal region can be reduced. The amount of the cleaning liquid used can be suppressed.

  Furthermore, the ink jet recording apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention further includes an ink removal control unit that controls the ink removal unit, and the ink removal control unit is before, after, or before and after the wiping by the wiping unit. The ink removing means is controlled so as to remove the ink.

  According to said structure, the ink adhering to a wiper by wiping can be removed by removing ink after wiping. Further, by removing ink before wiping, wiping can be performed in a wet state of the wiper. As a result, the ink adhering to the wiper can be removed before wiping. Even if a small amount of ink that cannot be removed by removing the ink after wiping remains in the wiper, the ink can be moistened and softened, and the ink can be dried to form a thickened ink. Therefore, the thickened ink can be prevented from damaging the nozzle surface of the recording head.

  Furthermore, the ink jet recording apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention further includes a supply unit that supplies the cleaning liquid to the supply region of the impregnation member, and a cleaning liquid supply control unit that controls the supply unit. The control means controls the supply means so as to supply the cleaning liquid to the supply area every predetermined time, and the predetermined time is a time determined according to the external environment or the viscosity of the ink.

  The ease of drying the impregnated member varies depending on the external environment (for example, the outside air temperature or humidity). Further, when the viscosity of the ink is high, it is preferable to wet the impregnating member with a large amount of cleaning liquid. However, when the viscosity of the ink is low, it is sufficient that the ink is moistened with a small amount of cleaning liquid. Therefore, the impregnation member can be kept in an optimum state according to the external environment or the viscosity of the ink by supplying the cleaning liquid from the supply means to the impregnation member at a predetermined time according to the external environment or the viscosity of the ink. it can.

  Furthermore, the ink jet recording apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention further includes supply means for supplying the cleaning liquid to the supply region of the impregnation member, and cleaning liquid supply control means for controlling the supply means, and the cleaning liquid supply control. The means controls the supply means so as to supply the supply region with the cleaning liquid in an amount corresponding to the external environment or the viscosity of the ink.

  As described above, the ease of drying the impregnated member varies depending on the external environment (for example, the outside air temperature or humidity). Further, when the viscosity of the ink is high, it is preferable to wet the impregnating member with a large amount of cleaning liquid. However, when the viscosity of the ink is low, it is sufficient that the ink is moistened with a small amount of cleaning liquid. Therefore, the impregnating member can be kept in an optimum state according to the external environment or the viscosity of the ink by supplying a cleaning liquid of an amount corresponding to the external environment or the viscosity of the ink from the supply means to the impregnating member.

  Furthermore, the ink jet recording apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention further includes supply means for supplying the cleaning liquid to the supply region of the impregnation member, and cleaning liquid supply control means for controlling the supply means, and the cleaning liquid supply control. The means controls the supply means so as to supply the cleaning liquid to the supply region before, after, or before and after the ink removal by the ink removal means.

  According to the above configuration, by supplying the cleaning liquid to the impregnating member before removing the ink, the ink can be removed while the impregnating member (particularly the ink removing region) is wet. By supplying the cleaning liquid to the impregnating member later, the ink adhering to the ink removal area can be immediately diluted and washed off from the top to the bottom.

  In the ink jet recording apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, the impregnating member is a nonwoven fabric.

  According to the above configuration, the amount of the cleaning liquid that the impregnation member can contain is large, the ink removal region can be more effectively kept clean, and more effectively in a state that is optimal for removing the ink adhered to the wiper. Can keep.

  In the ink jet recording apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, the ink adhering to the ink removal region is diffused into the cleaning liquid supplied to the ink removal region, and the impregnation member further includes the diffused ink. It has a flow-down area that can flow downward in the direction of gravity.

  According to the above configuration, when clean cleaning liquid is always supplied to the supply area located above the ink removal area in the gravity direction, the ink attached to the ink removal area is more effectively diluted from above. Since the ink can flow down to the flow-down area located below the ink removal area in the gravity direction, the ink removal area can be more effectively kept clean, and the wiper It is possible to effectively keep the optimum state for removing the adhered ink.

  The ink jet recording apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention further includes supply means for supplying the cleaning liquid to the supply region of the impregnation member, and the cleaning liquid supply source of the supply means is more than the cleaning liquid supply port of the supply means. It is located on the upper side in the direction of gravity, and the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid supply source is supplied to the cleaning liquid supply port by a water head difference.

  According to said structure, a washing | cleaning liquid can be supplied to an impregnation member using a water head difference.

  An ink jet recording method according to an aspect of the present invention is an ink jet recording method using any one of the above-described ink jet recording apparatuses, wherein the recording head ejects the ink onto the recording medium, and the ink After the ejection step, the wiper is brought into contact with the ink ejection surface of the recording head to wipe the ink on the ink ejection surface, and the cleaning liquid is supplied to the supply region of the impregnation member And an ink removing step of removing the ink adhering to the wiper by the wiping by bringing the ink removing region of the impregnating member into contact with the wiper.

  According to said method, there can exist an effect similar to the inkjet recording device which concerns on 1 aspect of this invention.

  According to the present invention, the ink removal area of the impregnating member of the ink jet recording apparatus can always be kept clean, and can be effectively kept in an optimum state for removing ink adhering to the wiper.

1 is a front view of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of a printing unit of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the perspective view which expanded and showed the printing unit which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is an enlarged view of the A section in FIG. It is an enlarged view of the A section in FIG. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the flow of supply of the washing | cleaning liquid in the inkjet recording device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a cleaning flow in the ink jet recording apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

<Inkjet recording apparatus>
First, an ink jet recording apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a front view of the ink jet recording apparatus 1. 2 is a perspective view of the printing unit 10 of the inkjet recording apparatus 1, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the printing unit 10. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, each component is shown in a simplified manner for easy understanding of the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a printing unit 10 for performing printing on a recording medium M, and a control unit 20 for performing operation control of each component. . As shown in FIG. 2, the printing unit 10 includes a printing unit 11, a suction unit 21, a wiping unit 31 (wiping unit), and a wiping unit 41 (ink removing unit). The printing unit 11 actually performs printing on the recording medium M, and the suction unit 21, the wiping unit 31, and the wiping unit 41 perform cleaning of the printing unit. Each component provided in the printing unit 10 will be described below.

<Printing section>
As shown in FIG. 3, the printing unit 11 includes a carriage 12, a recording head 13, and a Y bar 14. The Y bar 14 extends in one direction. The direction in which the Y bar 14 extends is the main scanning direction of the inkjet recording apparatus 1, and is the left-right direction indicated by the arrows in the drawing. The direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction is the sub-scanning direction, which is the front-rear direction indicated by the arrows in the figure. The carriage 12 holds the recording head 13 and is attached to the Y bar 14. As the carriage 12 reciprocates in the main scanning direction along the Y bar 14, the carriage 12 moves relative to the recording medium M, and as a result, a recording head 13 to be described later moves relative to the recording medium M. Move relatively.

  A platen 25 is disposed below the Y bar 14, and a recording medium M is mounted on the platen 25. The recording head 13 ejects ink onto the recording medium M on the platen 25. A plurality of nozzles are formed in a line shape in the sub-scanning direction on the nozzle surface 15 (ink ejection surface) of the recording head 13, and ink is ejected from each nozzle. The recording head 13 ejects ink while scanning in the main scanning direction along the Y bar 14, and a conveying unit (not shown) conveys the recording medium M in the sub-scanning direction, whereby the recording head 13 displays a desired image on the recording medium. Draw ink on M.

  There are various colors of ink ejected by the recording head 13, such as normal colors such as cyan, magenta, yellow or black, light colors of these normal colors, or specific colors such as orange, green, white, metallic or clear. Colors can be mentioned and are not particularly limited. The ink ejected by the recording head 13 is not particularly limited, and a UV ink that is cured by UV (ultraviolet) irradiation, an aqueous ink such as an aqueous sublimation transfer ink, or a solvent-based ink such as a solvent ink can be used. is there. Note that if ink droplets are likely to adhere to the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13, problems such as dropping onto the recording medium M during printing are likely to occur, so that the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13 has, for example, ink repellency. It is preferable to be formed using a material having

<Suction part>
As shown in FIG. 3, the suction part 21 is located below the Y bar 14, and includes a cap body part 22, a cap 23, an ink discharge pipe (not shown), and a cleaning liquid suction pump (not shown) that is a roller pump. And an ink suction pump (not shown). The cap body 22 holds the cap 23 and is configured to be movable in the direction of gravity (the vertical direction indicated by the arrow in the figure). The nozzle body is configured to be covered with the cap 23 by moving the cap body portion 22 upward to bring the cap 23 into contact with the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13.

  The cap 23 is formed according to the number and shape of the recording heads 13 mounted on the carriage 12. By driving the cleaning liquid suction pump while the cap 23 is in contact with the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13, the nozzle surface 15 and the inside of the nozzle can be immersed in the cleaning liquid. Thereby, the ink adhering to the nozzle surface 15 and the nozzle is dissolved. Further, by driving the ink suction pump in a state where the cap 23 is in contact with the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13, the inside of the cap 23 can be set to a negative pressure so that ink in the nozzle can be sucked. It has become. Thereby, the dissolved ink is removed. The sucked ink flows down the ink discharge pipe, is stored in a waste ink tank (not shown), and is collected.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 is equipped with a cleaning liquid cartridge 46 for storing the cleaning liquid. A supply tube T1 for supplying cleaning liquid is connected to the cleaning liquid cartridge 46 via a supply valve V1. The supply tube T2 branches from the supply tube T1, and the cleaning liquid is supplied to the cap 23 from the supply tube T2 by the cleaning liquid suction pump. Details of this will be described later.

<Wiping part>
As shown in FIG. 3, the wiping unit 31 includes a wiper main body 32, a wiper 33, an X bar 34, a belt 35, and a motor shaft 36. The X bar 34 extends in one direction. The direction in which the X bar 34 extends is the sub-scanning direction of the inkjet recording apparatus 1, and is the front-rear direction indicated by the arrows in the drawing. The wiper main body 32 holds the wiper 33 and is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. Along the X bar 34, the first position (B position in FIG. 3) and the second position in the front-rear direction. It is configured to be movable between positions (C position in FIG. 3). Specifically, by moving the belt 35 by the motor shaft 36, the wiper main body 32 is moved in the front-rear direction along the X bar 34. The first position is a position where the wiper 33 and the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13 can face each other, and the second position is located in front of the first position. The wiper 33 moves in the main scanning direction in a state where the wiper body 32 at the first position is moved upward to bring the wiper 33 and the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13 into contact with each other. The ink adhering to the 13 nozzle surfaces 15 is wiped.

  The term “contact” as used herein is not limited to the meaning that the wiper 33 and the nozzle surface 15 are in contact with each other, but also includes the meaning that the wiper 33 slides relative to the nozzle surface 15. That is, a mode in which the wiping is performed by sliding the wiper 33 on the nozzle surface 15 is an aspect of the present invention.

  Here, the wiper 33 is formed in, for example, a plate shape, and is disposed so that the surface for wiping the ink attached to the nozzle surface 15 coincides with the front-rear direction, and the thickness direction of the wiper 33 coincides with the left-right direction. Yes. In FIG. 2, the two wipers 33 are arranged side by side corresponding to the nozzle arrangement of the recording head 13, but the configuration is not limited to this.

  As an example, the wiper 33 has flexibility and strength capable of removing ink mechanically, does not damage the surface of the nozzle surface 15, and has resistance to solvents such as acid and alkali. It is preferable to be made of a material that satisfies the above characteristics. For example, a resin material such as polypropylene or a rubber material such as EPDM is used. However, it is not limited to these materials.

<Wipe part>
Enlarged views of part A in FIG. 2 are shown in FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the wiping portion 41 has an impregnation member 42 and a supply portion 45 (supply means). The supply unit 45 supplies cleaning liquid. The supply tube 43 that flows out the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid cartridge 46 (cleaning liquid supply source) and the supply that supplies the cleaning liquid discharged by the supply tube 43 to the impregnation member 42. It comprises a port 44 (cleaning liquid supply port). As described above, the supply tube T1 is connected to the cleaning liquid cartridge 46 via the supply valve V1 as shown in FIG. The supply tube T1 is connected to the supply tube 43 via a solenoid valve V2. In FIG. 2, the supply port 44 is not shown in order to simplify the drawing. The cleaning liquid cartridge 46 is positioned above the supply port 44 in the direction of gravity. By opening the supply valve V1 and the solenoid valve V2, the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid cartridge is supplied to the supply port 44 due to a water head difference. Is done. Details of this will be described later.

  The impregnating member 42 is impregnated with a cleaning liquid, and is composed of, for example, a nonwoven fabric. The impregnation member 42 is formed, for example, in a plate shape, and is provided in a supply area 42a to which a cleaning liquid is supplied from a supply port 44, a wiping area 42b (ink removal area) for wiping off ink adhering to the wiper 33, and a wiping area 42b. When the adhering ink is diffused into the cleaning liquid supplied to the wiping area 42b, it includes a flow-down area 42c that allows the diffused ink to flow further downward in the gravity direction. The supply area 42a is located above the wiping area 42b in the gravitational direction, and the flow area 42c is located below the wiping area 42b in the gravitational direction. In FIG. 4 and FIG. The lower surface (the surface facing the supply region 42a) is the flow-down region 42c. By supplying the cleaning liquid from the supply port 44 to the supply area 42a, the impregnating member 42 is maintained in a wet state by the cleaning liquid.

  Here, the wiper main body 32 is configured to be movable between a first position (position B in FIG. 3) and a second position (position C in FIG. 3) in the sub-scanning direction. The impregnating member 42 is disposed between the first position and the second position, and the wiper 33 and the wiping area 42b come into contact with the wiper main body 32 moving from the first position to the second position. It is arranged in such a position. With the above configuration, as the wiper body 32 moves from the first position to the second position, the wiper 33 and the wiping area 42b come into contact with each other, so that the ink attached to the wiper 33 is effective in the wiping area 42b. Can be wiped off.

  In addition, in the “contact” referred to here, even when the wiper 33 slides relative to the wiping area 42 b of the impregnation member 42, the wiper 33 only comes into contact with the wiping area 42 b of the impregnation member 42. It also includes the case of not sliding. That is, in this embodiment, the wiper 33 is slid relative to the wiping region 42b of the impregnation member 42 to wipe off the ink attached to the wiper 33, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. It is not done. For example, a mode in which the wiper 33 is brought into contact with the wiping region 42b of the impregnation member 42 to remove the ink attached to the wiper 33 can be included in the present invention. Accordingly, there is no particular limitation as long as the ink attached to the wiper 33 can be removed by the wiping region 42b of the impregnation member 42.

  In this embodiment, by impregnating the impregnating member 42 with the cleaning liquid in the gravity direction from top to bottom, the ink adhering to the wiping region 42b of the impregnating member 42 can be diluted and washed off from top to bottom. The impregnation member 42 (particularly the wiping area 42b) can be kept clean and can be kept in an optimum state for removing the ink adhering to the wiper 33. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the impregnating member 42 has a supply region 42a, a wiping region 42b, and a flow-down region 42c, and the supply region 42a located on the upper side in the gravity direction than the wiping region 42b is always clean. Since the cleaning liquid is supplied, the clean cleaning liquid supplied to the supply area 42a is supplied to the wiping area 42b. Therefore, the ink adhering to the wiping area 42b can be more effectively diluted and washed off from the top to the bottom, and the ink can flow down to the falling area 42c located below the wiping area 42b in the gravity direction. The wiping area 42b can be more effectively maintained in a clean state, and can be effectively maintained in an optimum state for removing ink adhered to the wiper 33.

  In the present embodiment, the supply port 44 is located above the supply region 42a in the gravity direction, and the supply port 44, the supply region 42a, and the wiping region are arranged from the upper side to the lower side in the gravity direction. 42b is arranged in this order. Therefore, since the cleaning liquid supplied from the supply port 44 is supplied to the supply area 42a due to the water head difference, a larger amount of cleaning liquid is supplied to the supply area 42a than when the cleaning liquid is supplied by the capillary force of the impregnating member. Can do. A large amount of the cleaning liquid supplied to the supply area 42a further flows to the wiping area 42b disposed on the lower side in the gravity direction. Therefore, since the amount of the cleaning liquid supplied to the wiping area 42b can be significantly increased as compared with the case where the cleaning liquid is supplied by the capillary force of the impregnating member, the wiping area 42b can be effectively refreshed. .

  In the present embodiment, when the inkjet recording apparatus 1 includes a plurality of wipers 33 arranged in parallel as shown in FIG. 3, the wiping area 42 b of the impregnation member 42 is the total length in the parallel direction of the plurality of wipers 33. May be shorter. This is because the ink of the wiper 33 is removed by sliding the impregnating member 42 relative to the plurality of wipers 33 along the parallel direction of the plurality of wipers 33. Therefore, the wiping area 42 b of the impregnation member 42 can be formed shorter than the total length of the plurality of wipers 33 in the parallel direction. The impregnating member 42 uses a large amount of cleaning liquid as compared with the case where the cleaning liquid is supplied by the capillary force of the impregnating member. However, according to the above configuration, the wiping area 42b can be reduced, so the amount of the cleaning liquid used Can be suppressed. For the same reason, when the inkjet recording apparatus 1 includes one wiper 33, the wiping area 42 b of the impregnation member 42 may be shorter than the width of the wiper 33.

  The inkjet recording apparatus 1 includes a sensor 46. A position where the wiper 33 can be detected by the sensor 46 is a start position when the wiper 33 slides. Therefore, at the time of activation, the wiper 33 is set so as to return to the sensor 46 even if the wiper 33 stops in the middle of the previous wiping position or from the wiping to the start position. Moreover, the wiper 33 can be slid as desired by setting the control unit 30 to control the step motor to drive a predetermined amount. In the present invention, in order to make the wiper 33 slide, the moving distance may be measured using an encoder, and the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

<Cleaning liquid>
Here, an example of the cleaning liquid will be described. The cleaning liquid is not particularly limited as long as it can remove ink adhering to the wiper 33. However, when UV ink is used as the ink, for example, ketones such as n-hexane, isoparaffin hydrocarbon, or cyclohexanone, Aromatic hydrocarbons such as toluene or xylene, volatile organic solvents such as esters such as dipropylene glycol or monomethyl ether acetate, and the like can be used as the cleaning liquid. Moreover, you may mix and use not only one type but a several volatile organic solvent.

  When an aqueous sublimation transfer ink is used as the ink, for example, polyhydric alcohols such as ethylene glycol, glycol ethers such as ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, alcohols such as isopropyl alcohol, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, A basic solvent such as ethanolamine is used as the cleaning liquid.

  When solvent ink is used as the ink, for example, an organic solvent incompatible with water is used as the cleaning liquid. Examples of such organic solvents include organic solvents selected from glycol ether or glycol ester compounds.

  The cleaning liquid described above is merely an example, and a known cleaning liquid may be appropriately selected according to the type of ink to be used.

<Flow of cleaning liquid supply>
The flow of the cleaning liquid supply will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the flow of supply of the cleaning liquid in the inkjet recording apparatus 1.

  In FIG. 6, the printing unit 11 has four recording heads 13 (recording heads H1 to H4), and the suction unit 21 has four caps 23 (caps C1 to C4) that cover the nozzles of the four recording heads 13, respectively. The case where it has is assumed. As described above, the supply tube T1 is connected to the cleaning liquid cartridge 46 via the supply valve V1. The supply tube T1 is connected to the supply tube 43 via a solenoid valve V2. Further, the supply tube T2 branches from the supply tube T1.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the supply tube T2 is further branched into four tubes U1 to U4. The four tubes U1 to U4 are connected to caps C1 to C4, respectively. A cleaning liquid suction pump P1 is connected to the tubes U1 and U2, and a cleaning liquid suction pump P2 is connected to the tubes U3 and U4. Further, tubes B1 to B4 are further connected to the four caps C1 to C4, respectively. An ink suction pump P3 is connected to the tubes B1 and B2, and an ink suction pump P4 is connected to the tubes B3 and B4.

  When supplying the cleaning liquid of the cleaning liquid cartridge 46 to the impregnation member 42, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the supply port 44 by the head difference by opening the supply valve V1 and the solenoid valve V2 and passing through the supply tube T1 and the supply tube 43. . Note that while supplying the cleaning liquid to the impregnating member 42, the cleaning liquid suction pumps P1 and P2 are stopped.

  On the other hand, when supplying the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid cartridge 46 to the caps C1 to C4, the solenoid valve V2 is closed, the supply valve V1 is opened, and the cleaning liquid suction pumps P1 and P2 are driven to supply the cleaning liquid. Specifically, when the cleaning liquid suction pumps P1 and P2 are driven, the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid cartridge 46 passes through the supply tubes T1 and T2 and is sent to the tubes U1 to U4, whereby each of the recording heads H1 to H4. The cleaning liquid is supplied to the nozzle surface and the nozzle.

  Thereafter, the ink suction pumps P3 and P4 are driven to suck the ink (more specifically, the liquid in which the ink and the cleaning liquid are mixed) dissolved in the cleaning liquid in the nozzle surfaces and the nozzles of the recording heads H1 to H4. I do. Specifically, when the ink suction pumps P3 and P4 are driven, the nozzle surfaces of the recording heads H1 to H4 and the liquid in the nozzles are sucked from the tubes B1 to B4, and are collected in the waste ink tank. . Periodic cleaning is performed so that the flow path to the waste ink tank is not clogged by flowing a mixed liquid of ink and cleaning liquid in the nozzle surfaces and nozzles of the recording heads H1 to H4 to the waste ink tank. Can do.

  In the above, the configuration in which the supply of the cleaning liquid to the impregnation member 42 and the supply of the cleaning liquid to the caps C1 to C4 are performed at different timings is shown, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. . For example, the supply of the cleaning liquid to the impregnation member 42 and the supply of the cleaning liquid to the caps C1 to C4 may be performed simultaneously.

<Control unit>
The control unit 20 includes a control unit 30 (ink removal control unit, cleaning liquid supply control unit) and an input reception unit 40. The control unit 30 controls the operation of each component member. Specifically, printing by the printing unit 11, ink suction by the suction unit 21, wiping by the wiping unit 31, and wiping by the wiping unit 41 are controlled. More specifically, the carriage 12 is reciprocated in the main scanning direction, the recording medium M is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction by a conveying unit (not shown), the cap body 22 is moved in the vertical direction, and the ink is sucked by the ink suction pump. The suction of the cleaning liquid by the cleaning liquid suction pump, the opening and closing of the supply valve and the solenoid valve, the movement of the wiper main body 32 in the vertical direction and the front-rear direction, and the supply of the cleaning liquid by the supply unit 45 are controlled. The input receiving unit 40 receives a print instruction or a cleaning instruction input from the outside.

  In the present embodiment, the wiping control by the wiping unit 41 and the supply of the cleaning liquid by the supply unit 45 are controlled by the single control unit 30, but the wiping control provided in the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention. The means and the cleaning liquid supply control means are not limited to such a form. That is, the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention may be provided with one control means having functions as a wiping control means and a cleaning liquid supply control means, or each function as a wiping control means and a cleaning liquid supply control means. A separate control means may be provided.

  When the input receiving unit 40 receives a printing instruction or a cleaning instruction, the control unit 30 controls the operation of each component according to the instruction. For example, when the user determines that the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13 needs to be cleaned and inputs a cleaning instruction to the input receiving unit 40, the control unit 30 sets various components according to the cleaning instruction. Control the operation.

  However, the timing at which cleaning is performed is not limited to the timing at which the user inputs a cleaning instruction. For example, when the control unit 30 determines that the operation time (printing time) since the previous cleaning has reached a predetermined time, or when the control unit 30 determines that the elapsed time since the previous cleaning has reached a predetermined time, the cleaning is performed. May be executed.

<Cleaning>
Cleaning in the inkjet recording apparatus 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a cleaning flow in the inkjet recording apparatus 1. Hereinafter, an example in which cleaning is performed at the timing when the user inputs a cleaning instruction to the input receiving unit 40 will be described as an example.

  First, when the user inputs a cleaning instruction to the input receiving unit 40, the control unit 30 drives the supply unit 45 to supply the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid cartridge to the impregnation member 42 from the supply port 44. (Step S1; hereinafter abbreviated as “S1”).

  Next, the control unit 30 moves the recording head 13 to the cleaning position (S2). The cleaning position is a position where the recording head 13 is cleaned and the recording head 13 and the suction portion 21 face each other. The control unit 30 moves the carriage 12 above the suction unit 21 so that the nozzles of the recording head 13 and the opening of the cap 23 face each other vertically.

  Subsequently, the control unit 30 moves the suction unit 21 upward to bring the cap 23 into contact with the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13 so as to cover and cap the nozzle (S3). The controller 30 drives the cleaning liquid suction pump in this state to immerse the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13 and the nozzle in the cleaning liquid, and then drives the ink suction pump to drive the nozzle surface of the recording head 13 and The ink dissolved in the cleaning liquid is sucked in the nozzle (S4), and the sucked ink flows down to the waste ink tank through the ink discharge pipe and is collected. At this time, for example, the low viscosity ink among the ink adhering to the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13 and the nozzle is peeled off from the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13 because the adhesion force is relatively small. Together with the ink sucked from the nozzle, it is guided to the ink discharge pipe. On the other hand, since the ink having high viscosity has a relatively large adhesion force to the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13, there is a case where the ink does not peel off even when sucked by the ink suction pump and remains attached.

  Thereafter, the control unit 30 moves the wiper main body 32 from the second position to the first position. Next, the control unit 30 moves the wiper 33 up to a position where it can come into contact with the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13. The controller 30 wipes the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13 by moving the recording head 13 to the right in this state (S5). At this time, the ink remaining on the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13 is wiped by the wiper 33 without being pushed into the nozzle by moving the recording head 13 to the right, and the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13. It is peeled off and removed. Therefore, after wiping, it is possible to obtain a clean state in which no ink adheres to the inside of the nozzle and the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13.

  After the wiping is completed, the control unit 30 stops the suction by the ink suction pump, and discharges (flushes) a small amount of ink downward from the nozzle in this state (S6). By doing so, clogging of each nozzle can be prevented.

  Next, the control unit 30 moves the wiper main body 32 downward to a position where the wiper 33 does not contact the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13. Subsequently, the control unit 30 moves the wiper main body 32 from the first position to the second position, and wipes off the ink attached to the wiper 33 (S7). Specifically, the wiper body 32 moves to the second position with the wiper 33 in contact with the wiping area 42b of the impregnating member 42 impregnated with the cleaning liquid. Thus, as the wiper body 32 moves from the first position to the second position, the wiper 33 and the wiping area 42b come into contact with each other, so that the ink attached to the wiper 33 can be wiped with the wiping area 42b. It becomes possible.

  After the wiping by the wiping unit 31 and the wiping by the wiping unit 41, the control unit 30 moves the wiper body 32 to the second position and enters a state of waiting for the next cleaning.

  If printing is not performed immediately after the flushing in S6, the recording head 13 may be capped again, and the ink in each nozzle is sucked again by the ink suction pump as necessary. You may let them.

  Further, the wiping by the wiping unit 31 and the wiping by the wiping unit 41 are not limited to one execution, and are performed a plurality of times depending on the state of the dirt on the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13. May be. Further, the ink suction (S4) by the ink suction pump and the wiping (S5) of the recording head 13 may be repeatedly performed depending on the state of the dirt on the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13, and the like.

  In the above description, after wiping by the wiping unit 31, wiping by the wiping unit 41 is performed to remove the ink attached to the wiper by wiping. However, this embodiment is not necessarily limited to this. For example, wiping may be performed before wiping. Thereby, wiping can be performed with the wiper 33 wet. As a result, the ink adhering to the wiper 33 can be wiped off before wiping. Further, even when a small amount of ink that cannot be wiped off after wiping remains in the wiper 33, the ink can be moistened and softened, and the ink will dry and become a thickened ink. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ink having increased viscosity from damaging the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13.

<Supply timing>
In the ink jet recording apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the impregnation member 42 can be made small and the amount of the cleaning liquid used can be suppressed. However, since the amount of the cleaning liquid used is small, the impregnation member 42 can be dried quickly. There is sex. Therefore, it is preferable that the control unit 30 controls the supply of the cleaning liquid to the impregnation member 42 by the supply unit 45 every predetermined time. By periodically supplying the cleaning liquid from the supply unit 45 to the impregnation member 42, the impregnation member 42 can be prevented from drying, and the impregnation member 42 is optimally removed for removing the ink adhering to the wiper 33. Can keep.

  The ease of drying the impregnation member 42 varies depending on the external environment (for example, the outside air temperature or humidity). For example, when the temperature is high or low, the cleaning liquid is easily dried. When the temperature is low or high, the cleaning liquid is difficult to dry. Therefore, the control unit 30 may perform control so that the cleaning liquid is supplied to the impregnating member 42 by the supply unit 45 at intervals determined according to the external environment. Thereby, the impregnation member 42 can be kept in an optimum state according to the external environment.

  Further, the viscosity of the ink varies depending on the type of ink used. When the viscosity of the ink is high, it is preferable to moisten the impregnation member 42 with a larger amount of cleaning liquid. However, when the viscosity of the ink is low, it is sufficient that the ink is moistened with a smaller amount of cleaning liquid. This is because the higher the viscosity of the ink, the greater the adhesion force to the wiper 33, and a small amount of cleaning liquid does not peel from the wiper 33. Therefore, the control unit 30 preferably performs control so that the cleaning liquid is supplied to the impregnating member 42 by the supply unit 45 at predetermined time intervals according to the viscosity of the ink to be used. Thereby, the impregnation member 42 can be maintained in an optimum state according to the viscosity of the ink.

  In addition to the timing of supplying the cleaning liquid to the impregnation member 42 by the supply unit 45, the amount of the cleaning liquid supplied in one supply, or the number of times the cleaning liquid is dropped in one supply can be controlled by the control unit, It can be changed as appropriate. For example, the control unit 30 may control the amount of cleaning liquid supplied in one supply or the number of times the cleaning liquid is dropped in one supply in accordance with the external environment or ink viscosity.

  In addition to periodically supplying the cleaning liquid from the supply unit 45 to the impregnating member, control is performed so that the cleaning liquid is supplied to the impregnating member 42 by the supply unit 45 before, after, or before and after wiping by the wiping unit 41. The unit 30 may be controlled. By supplying the cleaning liquid from the supply unit 45 to the impregnating member 42 before wiping by the wiping unit 41, wiping can be performed while the impregnating member 42 (particularly the wiping region 42b) is wet. In addition, by supplying the cleaning liquid from the supply unit 45 to the impregnating member 42 after wiping by the wiping unit 41, the ink adhering to the wiping region 42b can be immediately diluted and washed off from the top to the bottom.

  Further, in the inkjet recording apparatus 1, the control unit 30 may control the supply unit 45 so that the cleaning liquid is periodically supplied to the impregnation member 42 even during sleep. In addition, even when the inkjet recording apparatus 1 is turned off for a full day or more, for example, even when the inkjet recording apparatus 1 is turned off for a long time, the supply unit 45 is configured to supply the cleaning liquid to the impregnation member 42 when the inkjet recording apparatus 1 is started. The control unit 30 may control. Note that when the printer is in sleep mode, printing is not being performed, but when nozzle flushing or cleaning (ink suction to prevent nozzle clogging or wiping of ink adhering to the nozzle surface) is performed, or metal pigment and white ink are used. In other words, the ink is circulated and an operation for maintaining the nozzle in a clean state is being performed.

  As described above, the control unit 30 controls the supply of the cleaning liquid by the supply unit 45, whereby the impregnation member 42 can be prevented from being depleted. Further, since the control unit 30 controls the supply unit 45 so that the cleaning liquid is automatically supplied, it is not necessary for the user to manually supply the cleaning liquid to the impregnation member, thereby saving the user's trouble.

<Additional notes>
The ink jet recording apparatus 1 according to an aspect of the present invention includes a recording head 13 that ejects ink onto a recording medium M, and a wiper 33 that is in contact with the ink ejection surface (nozzle surface 15) of the recording head 13. The wiping means (wiping portion 31) for wiping the ink on the ink ejection surface and the wiper 33 are brought into contact with the impregnation member 42 impregnated with a cleaning liquid, and adhered to the wiper 33 by the wiping. Ink removing means (wiping portion 41) for removing the ink is provided, and the impregnating member 42 contacts the wiper 33 with the supply region 42a to which the cleaning liquid is supplied and the wiper 33. And an ink removal area (wiping area 42b) for removing the adhered ink, and the supply area 42a is the same as the ink removal area. It is located upward in the gravity direction side.

  According to the above configuration, the impregnating member 42 has the supply region 42a and the ink removal region, and clean cleaning liquid is always supplied to the supply region 42a that is located above the ink removal region in the gravity direction. Therefore, the clean cleaning liquid supplied to the supply area 42a is supplied to the ink removal area. Therefore, since the ink attached to the ink removal area can be more effectively diluted and washed off from the top, the ink removal area can be more effectively kept clean, and the ink attached to the wiper 33 can be maintained. Can be effectively maintained in an optimum state for removal.

  Furthermore, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to an aspect of the present invention includes a supply unit (supply unit 45) that supplies the cleaning liquid to the supply region 42a of the impregnation member 42, and the cleaning liquid supply port of the supply unit is the above-described supply unit. It is located above the supply area in the direction of gravity.

  According to the above configuration, the cleaning liquid supply port, the supply region 42a, and the ink removal region are arranged in this order from the upper side to the lower side in the gravity direction. Therefore, since the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supply port is supplied to the supply area 42a due to the water head difference, a larger amount of cleaning liquid is supplied to the supply area 42a than when the cleaning liquid is supplied by the capillary force of the impregnating member. Can do. A large amount of the cleaning liquid supplied to the supply area 42a further flows to the ink removal area disposed on the lower side in the direction of gravity. Accordingly, since the amount of cleaning liquid supplied to the ink removal area can be significantly increased compared to when the cleaning liquid is supplied by the capillary force of the impregnating member, the ink removal area can be effectively refreshed. .

  In the inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to an aspect of the present invention, the wiping means includes a plurality of the wipers 33 arranged in parallel, and the plurality of wipers 33 are slid on the ink discharge surface to perform the wiping. The ink removing means is configured to cause the impregnating member 42 to slide relative to the plurality of wipers 33 along the parallel direction of the plurality of wipers 33 and adhere to the wipers 33. The ink removal area of the impregnating member 42 is shorter than the total length of the plurality of wipers 33 in the parallel direction.

  According to the above configuration, the ink of the wiper 33 is removed by relatively sliding the impregnating member 42 along the parallel direction of the plurality of wipers 33 with respect to the plurality of wipers 33. . Therefore, the ink removal region of the impregnation member 42 can be formed shorter than the total length of the plurality of wipers 33 in the parallel direction. The impregnating member 42 according to one aspect of the present invention uses a larger amount of cleaning liquid than when the cleaning liquid is supplied by the capillary force of the impregnating member. However, according to the above configuration, the ink removal region can be reduced. Therefore, the usage amount of the cleaning liquid can be suppressed.

  Further, the ink jet recording apparatus 1 according to an aspect of the present invention further includes an ink removal control unit (a control unit 30) that controls the ink removal unit, and the ink removal control unit performs the wiping before the wiping by the wiping unit. The ink removing means is controlled so as to remove the ink after, before or after.

  According to said structure, the ink adhering to a wiper by wiping can be removed by removing ink after wiping. Further, by removing the ink before wiping, wiping can be performed in a state where the wiper 33 is wet. As a result, the ink adhering to the wiper 33 can be removed before wiping. Further, even when a small amount of ink that cannot be removed by removing the ink after wiping remains in the wiper 33, the ink can be moistened and softened, and the ink is dried to increase the viscosity of the ink. Therefore, the thickened ink can be prevented from damaging the nozzle surface 15 of the recording head 13.

  Furthermore, in the inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to an aspect of the present invention, a supply unit (supply unit 45) that supplies the cleaning liquid to the supply region 42a of the impregnation member 42, and a cleaning liquid supply control unit that controls the supply unit. (Control unit 30), and the cleaning liquid supply control means controls the supply means so as to supply the cleaning liquid to the supply region 42a every predetermined time. This time is determined according to the viscosity of the ink.

  The ease of drying the impregnating member 42 varies depending on the external environment (for example, the outside air temperature or humidity). Further, when the viscosity of the ink is high, it is preferable to wet the impregnating member 42 with a larger amount of cleaning liquid. However, when the viscosity of the ink is low, it is sufficient that the ink is moistened with a smaller amount of cleaning liquid. Therefore, the impregnation member 42 is kept in an optimum state according to the external environment or the viscosity of the ink by supplying the cleaning liquid from the supply means to the impregnation member 42 at intervals determined according to the external environment or the viscosity of the ink. be able to.

  Furthermore, the ink jet recording apparatus 1 according to an aspect of the present invention includes a supply unit (supply unit 4) that supplies the cleaning liquid to the supply region 42a of the impregnation member 42, and a cleaning liquid supply control unit that controls the supply unit ( The cleaning liquid supply control means controls the supply means so as to supply the cleaning liquid in an amount corresponding to the external environment or the viscosity of the ink to the supply region 42a.

  As described above, the ease of drying the impregnating member 42 varies depending on the external environment (for example, the outside air temperature or humidity). Further, when the viscosity of the ink is high, it is preferable to wet the impregnating member 42 with a larger amount of cleaning liquid. However, when the viscosity of the ink is low, it is sufficient that the ink is moistened with a smaller amount of cleaning liquid. Therefore, the impregnation member 42 can be kept in an optimum state according to the external environment or the viscosity of the ink by supplying the cleaning liquid in an amount corresponding to the external environment or the viscosity of the ink from the supply means to the impregnation member 42.

  Furthermore, the ink jet recording apparatus 1 according to an aspect of the present invention includes a supply unit (supply unit 45) that supplies the cleaning liquid to the supply region 42a of the impregnation member 42, and a cleaning liquid supply control unit that controls the supply unit ( The cleaning liquid supply control means controls the supply means to supply the cleaning liquid to the supply area 42a before, after, or before and after the ink removal by the ink removal means. To do.

  According to the above configuration, by supplying the cleaning liquid to the impregnation member 42 before removing the ink, the ink can be removed while the impregnation member 42 (especially the ink removal region) is wet. By supplying the cleaning liquid to the impregnating member 42 after the removal, the ink adhering to the ink removal region can be immediately diluted and washed off from the top to the bottom.

  In the ink jet recording apparatus 1 according to one aspect of the present invention, the impregnation member 42 is a nonwoven fabric.

  According to the above configuration, the amount of the cleaning liquid that can be contained in the impregnating member 42 is large, the ink removal region can be more effectively kept clean, and the effect is improved in an optimum state for removing the ink attached to the wiper 33. Can be kept.

  In the ink jet recording apparatus 1 according to an aspect of the present invention, the ink adhering to the ink removal region is diffused into the cleaning liquid supplied to the ink removal region, and the impregnation member 42 is dispersed in the ink. Has a flow-down region 42c that can flow downward in the direction of gravity.

  According to the above configuration, when clean cleaning liquid is always supplied to the supply region 42a located above the ink removal region in the gravity direction, the ink attached to the ink removal region is more effectively diluted. Since the ink can flow down to the flow-down area 42c located on the lower side in the gravity direction than the ink removal area, the ink removal area can be more effectively kept clean. It is possible to effectively keep the state optimal for the removal of the ink adhering to the wiper 33.

  In the ink jet recording apparatus 1 according to an aspect of the present invention, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 further includes a supply unit (supply unit 4) that supplies the cleaning liquid to the supply region 42a of the impregnation member 42, and the cleaning liquid supply source of the supply unit includes It is located above the cleaning liquid supply port of the supply means in the gravity direction, and the cleaning liquid of the cleaning liquid supply source is supplied to the cleaning liquid supply port due to a water head difference.

  According to said structure, a washing | cleaning liquid can be supplied to an impregnation member using a water head difference.

  An ink jet recording method according to an aspect of the present invention is an ink jet recording method using any one of the ink jet recording apparatuses 1 described above, and the ink ejection step in which the recording head 13 ejects the ink onto the recording medium M; After the ink discharge step, the wiper 33 is brought into contact with the ink discharge surface of the recording head 13 to wipe the ink on the ink discharge surface, and the supply of the impregnation member 42 is performed. A supply step of supplying the cleaning liquid to the region 42a, and an ink removal step of removing the ink adhering to the wiper 22 by the wiping by bringing the ink removal region of the impregnation member 42 into contact with the wiper 33 Including.

  According to said method, there can exist an effect similar to the inkjet recording device 1 which concerns on 1 aspect of this invention.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  The present invention can be used for inkjet printing.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inkjet recording device 10 Printing unit 11 Printing part 12 Carriage 13 Recording head 14 Y bar 15 Nozzle surface 20 Control unit 21 Suction part 22 Cap body part 23 Cap 30 Control part (Ink removal control means, cleaning liquid supply control means)
31 Wiping part (wiping means)
32 Wiper body portion 33 Wiper 34 X bar 41 Wiping portion (ink removing means)
42 Impregnation member 42a Supply area 42b Wiping area (ink removal area)
42c Flow-down area 43 Supply tube 44 Supply port 45 Supply part (supply means)
46 Cleaning liquid cartridge (cleaning liquid supply source)
M recording medium

Claims (10)

A recording head for ejecting ink to the recording medium;
Wiping means for wiping the ink on the ink ejection surface by bringing a wiper into contact with the ink ejection surface of the recording head;
An ink removing means for contacting the wiper with an impregnated member impregnated with a cleaning liquid and removing the ink adhering to the wiper by the wiping;
The impregnation member includes a supply region to which the cleaning liquid is supplied, and an ink removal region that contacts the wiper and removes the ink attached to the wiper,
The supply area is located above the ink removal area in the gravity direction ,
The wiping means includes a plurality of wipers arranged in parallel, and slides the plurality of wipers on the ink ejection surface to perform the wiping.
The ink removing means removes the ink adhering to the wiper by relatively sliding the impregnation member along the parallel direction of the plurality of wipers with respect to the plurality of wipers.
An ink jet recording apparatus, wherein the ink removal area of the impregnating member is shorter than the total length of the plurality of wipers in the parallel direction.   The supply device for supplying the cleaning liquid to the supply region of the impregnation member, wherein the cleaning liquid supply port of the supply means is located above the supply region in the direction of gravity. The ink jet recording apparatus described. An ink removal control means for controlling the ink removal means;
The ink removing control means, before the wiping by the wiping means, after, or before and after, according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that for controlling the ink removing means so as to remove the above-mentioned ink Inkjet recording device. A recording head for ejecting ink to the recording medium;
Wiping means for wiping the ink on the ink ejection surface by bringing a wiper into contact with the ink ejection surface of the recording head;
An ink removing means for contacting the wiper with an impregnated member impregnated with a cleaning liquid and removing the ink adhering to the wiper by the wiping;
The impregnation member includes a supply region to which the cleaning liquid is supplied, and an ink removal region that contacts the wiper and removes the ink attached to the wiper,
The supply area is located above the ink removal area in the gravity direction ,
Supply means for supplying the cleaning liquid to the supply region of the impregnation member;
Cleaning liquid supply control means for controlling the supply means,
The cleaning liquid supply control means controls the supply means so as to supply the cleaning liquid to the supply area every predetermined time,
The ink jet recording apparatus, wherein the predetermined time is a time determined according to an external environment or the viscosity of the ink. A recording head for ejecting ink to the recording medium;
Wiping means for wiping the ink on the ink ejection surface by bringing a wiper into contact with the ink ejection surface of the recording head;
An ink removing means for contacting the wiper with an impregnated member impregnated with a cleaning liquid and removing the ink adhering to the wiper by the wiping;
The impregnation member includes a supply region to which the cleaning liquid is supplied, and an ink removal region that contacts the wiper and removes the ink attached to the wiper,
The supply area is located above the ink removal area in the gravity direction ,
Supply means for supplying the cleaning liquid to the supply region of the impregnation member;
Cleaning liquid supply control means for controlling the supply means,
The ink jet recording apparatus, wherein the cleaning liquid supply control unit controls the supply unit to supply an amount of the cleaning liquid corresponding to the external environment or the viscosity of the ink to the supply region. Supply means for supplying the cleaning liquid to the supply region of the impregnation member;
Cleaning liquid supply control means for controlling the supply means,
The cleaning liquid supply control means controls the supply means so as to supply the cleaning liquid to the supply area before, after, or before and after the ink removal by the ink removing means. The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of 3 . The impregnation member, the ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a nonwoven fabric. The ink adhering to the ink removal area is diffused into the cleaning liquid supplied to the ink removal area, and the impregnation member has a flow-down area that allows the diffused ink to flow further downward in the direction of gravity. the ink-jet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that is. A supply means for supplying the cleaning liquid to the supply region of the impregnation member;
The cleaning liquid supply source of the supply means is located above the cleaning liquid supply port of the supply means in the gravity direction, and the cleaning liquid of the cleaning liquid supply source is supplied to the cleaning liquid supply port by a head difference. The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8 . An inkjet recording method using the inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9 ,
An ink ejection step in which the recording head ejects the ink onto the recording medium;
A wiping step of wiping the ink on the ink ejection surface by bringing the wiper into contact with the ink ejection surface of the recording head after the ink ejection step;
A supply step of supplying the cleaning liquid to the supply region of the impregnation member;
And an ink removing step of contacting the wiper with the ink removal area of the impregnating member and removing the ink adhering to the wiper by the wiping.

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