JP6474683B2 - Liquid wiping device, liquid ejection device, and maintenance method for liquid ejection device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid wiping device, a liquid ejection device, and a maintenance method for the liquid ejection device, and in particular, a liquid wiping device for wiping ink adhering to the liquid ejection device in an inkjet recording apparatus, a liquid ejection device including the liquid wiping device, And a maintenance method of the liquid ejection device.

  In an ink jet recording apparatus, ink is ejected as droplets onto a recording medium from an ejection port formed on the ejection surface of the liquid ejection apparatus, and an image is formed on the recording medium. During this image formation, a part of the ejected ink may adhere to the ejection surface of the liquid ejection device, and the adhered ink may dry and thicken, resulting in a gel-like ink. For this reason, if ink remains on the ejection surface of the liquid ejection device, the ejection port may become clogged, making it impossible to eject ink or changing the ink ejection direction. In addition, the adhered ink may be dripped onto the recording medium. As described above, if ink adheres to the ejection surface of the liquid ejection device, a desired image may not be formed. For this reason, the ink jet recording apparatus has conventionally been provided with a liquid wiping device for wiping ink adhering to the ejection surface of the liquid ejection device.

  A conventional liquid wiping device includes a wiper as a blade-like wiping member formed of an elastic body such as rubber, and a moving mechanism that enables the wiper to reciprocate. The wiper is reciprocated by the moving mechanism to discharge liquid. The ink slides along the ejection surface of the apparatus and wipes ink adhering to the ejection surface. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a moving mechanism in which power from a power source is transmitted to a link mechanism via a gear, and the wiper reciprocates when the link mechanism expands and contracts (expands or folds). The link mechanism includes a connecting member and an arm, and the end of the connecting member is fixed to the gear, and the arm swings as the gear rotates, and the link mechanism expands and contracts.

Japanese Patent No. 3803882

  In the conventional liquid wiping device described in Patent Document 1, the moving mechanism can reciprocate the wiper in order to wipe the ink adhering to the ejection surface. However, since the power source is provided below the position of the wiper, it adheres to the power source when ink wiped by the wiper or a cleaning solvent drips, affecting the movement operation of the wiper. There is a risk that.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid wiping device, a liquid ejection device, and a liquid that can prevent droplets generated during wiping from adhering to a power source. It is to provide a maintenance method for a discharge device.

  In order to achieve the above object, a liquid wiping device according to the present invention includes a wiping member having a discharge surface contact portion slidable on a discharge surface provided with a discharge portion for discharging liquid in the liquid discharge device; A moving mechanism that allows the member to move, the moving mechanism extending in a first direction, holding the wiping member movably along the first direction, and one end rotating to the wiping member. An arm that is movably connected; a long connecting member having one end pivotally connected to the other end of the arm; and a power source that generates power to move the wiping member. The discharge surface contact portion extends in a second direction intersecting the first direction and is provided in at least part of the third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction in the wiping member. The connecting part Is transmitted from the power source provided at a position on the extended track of the wiping member or on the upper side of the extended track of the wiping member in the vertical direction, with the other end as a center. It is characterized by rotating.

  According to the above configuration, the wiping member is moved along the first direction by the link mechanism of the arm and the connecting member by transmitting the power from the power source provided at the position on the track of the extended wiping member to the connecting member. It is possible to prevent droplets from adhering to the power source that occurs during wiping.

  In the liquid wiping device according to one aspect of the present invention, the track of the other end of the arm and the one end of the connecting member is more than a plane extending in the second direction including the one end of the arm and the other end of the connecting member. Located on the other side in the third direction.

  According to the above configuration, since the connecting member and the arm are bent toward the other side in the third direction, the stroke length can be ensured without the arm and the connecting member interfering with the liquid ejection device or the wiping member.

  In the liquid wiping device according to one aspect of the present invention, the length of the connecting member is shorter than the length of the arm.

  According to the above configuration, the space required in the third direction for the connecting member and the arm to move the wiping member can be reduced.

  The liquid wiping apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention further includes a power transmission member that transmits power generated by the drive source to the connection member, includes a pair of the arms, includes a pair of the connection members, and the moving mechanism includes: A power source holding member that holds the power source, the wiping member has an engaging portion at one end and the other end in the second direction, and the guide member is in a pair of the first direction. Each of the pair of rails holds the wiping member movably in the engaging portion, and the power transmission member has a rotating shaft extending in the second direction. The rotating shaft is rotatably held by the power source holding member at two positions.

  According to the said structure, the track | orbit of a wiping member can be reliably made into a desired track | orbit at the time of the movement by a moving mechanism.

  In the liquid wiping device according to one aspect of the present invention, the pair of rails includes a cover body that covers the engaging portion of the wiping member.

  According to the said structure, it can suppress that a liquid adheres to an engaging part, and can improve the maintenance performance of a liquid wiping apparatus.

  The liquid wiping device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a liquid receiving portion capable of storing liquid spreading on the other side in the third direction with respect to the track of the wiping member, and the power source includes the liquid receiving portion. Rather than on the one side in the third direction.

  According to the said structure, an unnecessary liquid can be collected by the liquid receiving part, suppressing adhesion to a power source.

  In order to achieve the above object, a liquid ejection apparatus according to the present invention is a liquid ejection apparatus including a recording head having a rectangular ejection surface provided with an ejection unit for ejecting liquid, and any one of the liquid wiping devices. The recording head is arranged such that a long side direction of the ejection surface extends in the first direction.

  According to the above configuration, it is possible to efficiently wipe the discharge surface while suppressing an increase in the width of the wiping member.

  In order to achieve the above object, a maintenance method according to the present invention is a maintenance method of the above-described liquid ejection device, wherein the ejection surface is moved to a position where the wiping member can slide at the ejection surface contact portion. And holding the power source, moving the wiping member via the connecting member and the arm, and sliding the discharge surface on the discharge surface contact portion. It is characterized by that.

  According to the said structure, a some discharge surface can be wiped efficiently by moving and hold | maintaining a discharge surface to the position where a wiping member becomes slidable sequentially.

  According to the liquid wiping device, the liquid ejection device, and the maintenance method for the liquid ejection device according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent droplets generated during wiping from adhering to the power source.

It is a figure for showing a schematic structure of an ink jet recording device to which a liquid wiping device according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached. FIG. 2 is a diagram for illustrating a schematic configuration of a printing unit in the ink jet recording apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the carriage when the carriage in the printing unit shown in FIG. 2 is viewed from below. It is a figure for showing schematic structure of the liquid wiping device concerning an embodiment of the invention, Drawing 4 (a) is a perspective view of liquid wiping device 1, and Drawing 4 (b) is liquid wiping device 1. FIG. It is a figure for showing schematic structure of the wiper mechanism in the liquid wiping apparatus shown in FIG. 6A and 6B are diagrams for illustrating a schematic configuration of a wiper cleaning mechanism in the liquid wiping apparatus shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the wiper cleaning mechanism 11, and FIG. 6B is a side view of the wiper cleaning mechanism. It is. FIG. 7A is a perspective view of the wiper cleaning mechanism as seen from the back, and FIG. 7B is a front view of the wiper cleaning mechanism shown in FIG. It is the perspective view of the wiper cleaning mechanism which saw. FIG. 8A is a diagram for explaining the operation of the liquid wiping device according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8A is a diagram for illustrating a state in which the wiper wipes the nozzle surface of the recording head; FIG. 8B is a diagram illustrating a state where the wiper cleaner is wiping the wiper, and FIG. 8C is a state where the wiper is in contact with the wiper cleaner from the opposite direction side to the wiping direction. It is a figure for showing. It is a figure for showing the movement range of the link mechanism in the liquid wiping apparatus concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a flowchart of the wiping process which the liquid wiping apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention performs. It is a side view of the wiper mechanism for showing the modification of the wiper in the liquid wiping apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the wiper cleaning mechanism for showing the modification of the wiper cleaner in the liquid wiping apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a front view of the wiper cleaning mechanism for showing the other modification of the wiper cleaner in the liquid wiping apparatus concerning an embodiment of the invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  A liquid wiping device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to an inkjet recording device 2. FIG. 1 is a diagram for illustrating a schematic configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus 2 to which a liquid wiping apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached. Hereinafter, the direction intersecting the sub-scanning direction as the first direction and the main scanning direction as the second direction intersecting the sub-scanning direction is defined as the vertical direction (third direction), and the upper side in FIG. The lower side of is the lower side. Further, the right side in FIG. 1 is the right direction, and the left side is the left direction. In the present embodiment, the main scanning direction coincides with the left-right direction, and the main scanning direction, the sub-scanning direction, and the up-down direction are orthogonal to each other.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the inkjet recording apparatus 2 includes a casing 3, a printing unit 30 for forming an image on a recording medium M such as paper, cloth, a resin sheet made of vinyl chloride, polyester, or the like, a casing And a transport unit 40 that transports the recording medium M provided in the lower portion of the body 3 in the sub-scanning direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1). The inkjet recording apparatus 2 includes at least one ink tank 4 that stores ink supplied to the printing unit 30, and the ink in the ink tank 4 can be supplied to the printing unit 30 by an ink supply device (not shown). ing. The ink jet recording apparatus 2 includes a control unit 50 that controls each operation unit of the ink jet recording apparatus 2. For example, the ink tanks 4 are provided in a number corresponding to the type of ink used.

  The printing unit 30 is disposed in the housing 3 and, as shown in FIG. 2, a recording head 31 as a liquid ejection device that ejects ink supplied from the ink tank 4 toward the recording medium M; A carriage 34 for holding the recording head 31 and a suction device 37 as a maintenance mechanism for the recording head 31 are provided. 2 shows the printing unit 30 in a maintenance station that performs maintenance of the recording head 31.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the recording head 31 has an end portion 31a on which a nozzle surface 32 is formed as an ejection surface, which is a flat end surface, and ejects ink to the end portion 31a. A plurality of nozzles (not shown) are formed at regular intervals, and nozzle discharge ports 33 are opened on the nozzle surface 32. The nozzle surface 32 is rectangular, and the recording head 31 is disposed such that a longitudinal edge 32a, which is an edge extending in the longitudinal direction of the nozzle surface 32, extends in the sub-scanning direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the carriage 34 includes a recording head holding portion 35 that is a flat plate portion. The recording head holding portion 35 has an opening 35 a having a shape corresponding to the nozzle surface 32 of the recording head 31. Is formed. In the carriage 34, the end 31 a of the recording head 31 is inserted into the opening 35 a of the recording head holding unit 35, and the surface (lower surface) of the recording head holding unit 35 on the side facing the recording medium M as described later. The recording head 31 is held so as to be flush with or protrude from the surface 35b).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the carriage 34 includes a guide rail engaging portion 36 extending from the recording head holding portion 35, and the guide rail engaging portion 36 is provided in the main scanning direction ( It engages with the guide rail 5 so as to be movable along the guide rail 5 extending in the left-right direction in FIG. In the inkjet recording apparatus 2, the carriage 34 is engaged with the guide rail 5 so that the lower surface 35 b, that is, the nozzle surface 32 of the recording head 31 faces the recording medium M conveyed by the conveying unit 40.

  The printing unit 30 includes a carriage moving device (not shown), and the carriage 34 can be reciprocated in the main scanning direction along the guide rail 5 by driving the carriage moving device. The carriage moving device enables the carriage 34 to reciprocate along the guide rail 5 by, for example, rotating a pulley on which an endless belt is stretched by a motor. The carriage 34 moves in a region facing the recording medium M when forming an image, and is positioned at a standby position in the maintenance station, which is a position not facing the recording medium M when not forming an image. The standby position is, for example, in the vicinity of the right end of the housing 3 (see FIG. 1).

  The printing unit 30 includes at least one recording head 31, for example, the number of recording heads 31 corresponding to the number of ink tanks 4, that is, the type of ink. In the present embodiment, for example, four ink tanks 4 for storing black, yellow, magenta, and cyan inks are provided, and each ink tank 4 is connected to eject ink of each color. Four recording heads 31 are provided.

  The colors of ink used are various colors such as the above-described normal colors such as black, yellow, magenta, and cyan, light colors of these normal colors, orange, green, white, metallic, and clear colors. In addition, various inks can be used as the ink, for example, UV ink that is cured by UV (ultraviolet) irradiation, aqueous ink such as aqueous sublimation transfer ink, or solvent-based ink such as solvent ink. Can do.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the suction device 37 is disposed below the guide rail 5 at the standby position of the carriage 34 in the housing 3, and includes a cap main body 38 and the same number of caps 39 as the recording heads 31. And an ink discharge pipe (not shown) and a suction pump (not shown). The cap 39 has a shape corresponding to the nozzle surface 32 of the recording head 31. For example, the cap 39 is formed in a shape that can cover the nozzle surface 32 by using an elastically deformable resin material. Specifically, the suction device 37 has four caps 39 corresponding to the recording heads 31. Each cap 39 is held by a cap main body 38, and specifically, is held at a position facing the nozzle surface 32 of each recording head 31 below the carriage 34 located at the standby position. The cap body portion 38 can move the cap 39 in the vertical direction. When the cap 39 is moved upward, the cap 39 can accommodate and cover the nozzle surface 32 of the corresponding recording head 31.

  A suction pump (not shown) forms a negative pressure in a space formed between the cap 39 and the nozzle surface 32 by moving each cap 39 upward to cover the corresponding nozzle surface 32, thereby forming a recording head. The ink in the 31 nozzles can be sucked. The ink discharge pipe (not shown) can discharge the ink sucked by the suction pump to a waste ink tank (not shown).

  As described above, the suction device 37 can execute the ink discharge process of sucking and discharging the ink remaining in the nozzles of the recording head 31 through the cap 39 in a state where the carriage 34 is in the standby position. . Further, the suction device 37 may cover each nozzle surface 32 with each cap 39 when the carriage 34 is located at the standby position.

  The control unit 50 includes an operation panel 51 disposed in the housing 3 and a control device 52. The control device 52 is electrically connected to the printing unit 30, the transport unit 40, and other units of the other inkjet recording apparatus 2. Connected, and controls the operation of each part of the ink jet recording apparatus 2 in accordance with an input signal from the operation panel 51, and performs image forming processing on the recording medium M, ink discharge processing, maintenance processing of the printing unit 30 described later, and the like. Execute. The control device 52 is specifically a microcomputer, and includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, an input port, and an output port.

  Note that each of the above-described components of the inkjet recording apparatus 2 has a known configuration, and further detailed description is omitted. In addition, although the inkjet recording apparatus 2 includes the transport unit 40, the inkjet recording apparatus 2 may not include the transport unit 40. In this case, the inkjet recording apparatus 2 has a mounting table on which the recording medium M can be mounted facing the nozzle surface 32 of the recording head 31, and a carriage 34 that holds the recording head 31 of the printing unit 30. However, it is movable in the sub-scanning direction in addition to the main scanning direction.

  In the inkjet recording apparatus 2, when an operator instructs execution of image forming processing via the operation panel 51, the transport unit 40 appropriately transports the recording medium M in the sub-scanning direction (from rear to front), and the printing unit 30. Then, the carriage 34 is reciprocated in the main scanning direction, and ink is appropriately discharged from the recording head 31 to form a desired image on the recording medium M. When the operator instructs execution of the ink discharge process via the operation panel 51, the cap 39 of the suction device 37 moves toward the carriage 34 positioned at the standby position, and the cap 39 moves the nozzle surface 32 of the recording head 31. The ink remaining in the nozzle is sucked and discharged by a suction pump (not shown).

  Further, the ink jet recording apparatus 2 is provided with the liquid wiping device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The liquid wiping device 1 has a carriage 34 in a maintenance station in the housing 3 as shown in FIG. In the vicinity of the standby position, the guide rail 5 is disposed below. The liquid wiping device 1 performs a maintenance process, specifically, a wiping process (cleaning process) for the nozzle surface 32 of the recording head 31.

  Next, the liquid wiping device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. FIG. 4 is a diagram for illustrating a schematic configuration of the liquid wiping device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the liquid wiping device 1, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view of the liquid wiping device 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the liquid wiping device 1 wipes the ink adhered to the nozzle surface 32 of the recording head 31 and the ink adhered to the wiper mechanism 10. A wiper cleaning mechanism 11 for moving the wiper mechanism 10 and a moving mechanism 12 as a moving mechanism that enables the wiper mechanism 10 to move.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for illustrating a schematic configuration of the wiper mechanism 10 in the liquid wiping apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. As shown in FIG. 5, the wiper mechanism 10 includes a wiper 13 as a wiping member and a wiper holding unit 14 that holds the wiper 13.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the wiper 13 is a rectangular or substantially rectangular thin plate-like blade-like member, and is held by a wiper holding portion 14 on one end side. For example, the wiper 13 is held by the wiper holding unit 14 with the one end side embedded in the wiper holding unit 14. In the wiper 13, a free end facing the end held by the wiper holding portion 14 is a contact end portion 13 a as a discharge surface contact portion that can come into contact with the nozzle surface 32 of the recording head 31. More specifically, a wiper surface 13b is formed on the wiper 13, and the contact end portion 13a contacts the nozzle surface 32 at a portion (edge portion 13c) of the wiper surface 13b. As will be described later, the wiper surface 13b extends in the up-down direction and faces the sub-scanning direction in the inkjet recording apparatus 2. Note that the contact end portion 13a that contacts the nozzle surface 32 is not limited to the free end portion of the wiper surface 13b. For example, the contact end portion 13a may be a portion extending in the width direction in another portion of the wiper surface 13b in the vertical direction.

  The width w1 (see FIG. 5) in the extending direction of the contact end portion 13a of the wiper 13 is larger than the width w2 (see FIG. 3) in the main scanning direction of the nozzle surface 32 of the recording head 31. More specifically, the width w1 of the wiper 13 is larger than the width w2 of the nozzle surface 32 by a predetermined width, and the wiper 13 is brought into contact with the nozzle surface 32 at the contact end portion 13a in a posture toward the sub-scanning direction. When contacting, only one nozzle surface 32 is covered (crossing), and the adjacent nozzle surfaces 32 are not covered. The width w1 of the wiper 13 may be large enough to cover the plurality of nozzle surfaces 32. In addition, the width w1 of the wiper 13 may be a size that covers only a part of the nozzle surface 32, but the width w1 of the wiper 13 is a predetermined width larger than the width w2 of the nozzle surface 32 as described above. It is preferable to make it larger only because it is possible to wipe the entire nozzle surface 32 substantially uniformly.

  The wiper mechanism 10 is held so as to be movable along a rail of a moving mechanism 12 described later. As shown in FIG. 5, the wiper holding portion 14 has an end portion in the extending direction of the contact end portion 13 a of the wiper 13. In the end portions 14a and 14b, engaging portions 15a and 15b that engage with rails described later are formed, respectively. The engaging portions 15a and 15b may be any members as long as they can be engaged with rails to be described later. For example, as shown in FIG. L-shaped protruding member or shaft-shaped member. Further, the engaging portions 15a and 15b of the wiper holding portion 14 may have rollers that can roll on rails to be described later.

  The wiper 13 is flexible and has a strength that allows ink to be removed when the contact end portion 13a slides. The wiper 13 does not damage the nozzle surface 32 of the recording head 31 and is acidic or It is preferably formed from a material having characteristics such as resistance to an alkaline solvent. As a material of the wiper 13, for example, a resin material such as propylene or a rubber material such as EPDM can be used.

  6 is a diagram for illustrating a schematic configuration of the wiper cleaning mechanism 11 in the liquid wiping apparatus 1 illustrated in FIG. 4. FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the wiper cleaning mechanism 11, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view of the wiper cleaning mechanism 11. The wiper cleaning mechanism 11 includes a wiper cleaner 16 as another wiping member and a wiper cleaner holding mechanism 17 as a holding means for holding the wiper cleaner 16.

  As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the wiper cleaner 16 is a thin plate-like member having a rectangular shape or a substantially rectangular shape, and is a surface that can come into contact with the wiper surface 13 b of the wiper 13. A cleaner surface 18 is formed. The wiper cleaner 16 is held by a wiper cleaner holding mechanism 17 on one end side. The wiper cleaner surface 18 is formed on the wiper surface 13b of the wiper 13, particularly on the edge 13c of the wiper surface 13b, on the side of the tip 16a which is the free end opposite to the end held by the wiper cleaner holding mechanism 17 of the wiper cleaner 16. The edge part 18a formed so that it may contact | abut to the (contact edge part 13a) is provided.

  The wiper cleaner 16 is flexible as in the case of the wiper 13 described above, and has a strength that allows the ink to be removed by sliding the edge portion 18a. The wiper surface 13b of the wiper 13 is damaged. It is preferable to form from the material which has characteristics, such as having resistance with respect to acidic or alkaline solvents, without giving. As a material of the wiper cleaner 16, for example, a resin material such as propylene or a rubber material such as EPDM can be used. The wiper cleaner 16 may be the same as the wiper 13 and may be compatible with the wiper 13.

  As will be described later, when the wiper cleaner 16 slides on the wiper 13, the wiper cleaner holding mechanism 17 has an angle between the wiper surface 13b of the wiper 13 and the horizontal plane (wiper cleaner surface angle α) from 0 degree. The wiper cleaner 16 is held so that the angle is large and smaller than 90 degrees. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the wiper cleaner holding mechanism 17 includes a wiper cleaner holding member 19 that holds the wiper cleaner 16 on the one end side, and a wiper cleaner holding member. 19 is provided with a holding base 20 that holds the wiper cleaner 16 in a direction facing the wiper cleaner surface 18 (hereinafter also referred to as a wiping direction) and a rotation base about the rotation axis x in a direction opposite to the wiping direction. ing. In the wiper cleaner holding mechanism 17, the wiper cleaner holding member 19 and the holding base 20 face each other.

  As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the holding base 20 includes, for example, a flat holding base body 21 and a wiper cleaner rotating shaft 22 that is an axis extending in the direction of the rotation axis x. The holding base body 21 includes a pair of flanges 21 a that are erected from the side facing the wiper cleaner holding member 19, and the pair of flanges 21 a holds the wiper cleaner rotating shaft 22. Further, the holding base body 21 has a pair of contact surfaces 21 b on the side facing the wiper cleaner holding member 19 with which a protruding portion of a wiper cleaner holding member 19 described later comes into contact.

  As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the wiper cleaner holding member 19 is held by a holding base 20 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis x via a wiper cleaner rotating shaft 22, A pair of flanges 19a that are erected from the side facing the holding base 20 are provided, and the flanges 19a are rotatably supported by the wiper cleaner rotating shaft 22. Further, the wiper cleaner holding member 19 has a protruding portion 19b protruding from the side facing the holding base 20 toward the holding base 20 on the wiper cleaner 16 side than the flange 19a. The protrusion 19b has a contact end 19c, which is an end on the holding base body 21 side, capable of coming into contact with the contact surface 21b of the holding base body 21 of the holding base 20, and in the present embodiment, A pair of protrusions 19b are formed on the wiper cleaner holding member 19 corresponding to the pair of contact surfaces 21b, and the contact ends 19c of the protrusions 19b can contact the corresponding contact surfaces 21b, respectively. It has become. The wiper cleaner rotating shaft 22 may be fixed to the flange 19a of the wiper cleaner holding member 19, and the flange 21a of the holding base body 21 may be rotatably supported by the rotating shaft 22.

  In the inkjet recording apparatus 2, the wiper cleaner holding mechanism 17 holds the contact end 19c of the protrusion 19b of the wiper cleaner holding member 19 in a state where the wiper cleaner 16 is inclined downward from the vertical direction to the holding base 20 side. The shape, size, size, and the like of the configuration of the flanges 19a, 21a, the wiper cleaner rotating shaft 22, the contact surface 21b, the protruding portion 19b, and the like are set so as to contact the contact surface 21b of the base body 20.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6B, in the state where the contact end 19c of the protrusion 19b of the wiper cleaner holding member 19 is in contact with the contact surface 21b of the holding base 20, the wiper cleaner 16 is Below the wiper cleaner rotating shaft 22, the wiper cleaner surface 18 is inclined to the holding base 20 side by a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane p. The wiper cleaner surface angle α between the wiper cleaner surface 18 and the horizontal plane p is a predetermined angle larger than 0 degree and smaller than 90 degrees (hereinafter also referred to as an initial angle α1). For example, the wiper cleaner 16 is elastically deformed. It is 70 degrees in a state where it is not. Here, the horizontal plane p is a virtual horizontal plane, and is a horizontal plane in the usage state of the inkjet recording apparatus 2. The horizontal plane p coincides with a moving plane formed by the locus of the wiper 13. The wiper cleaner surface angle α is based on the horizontal plane p with respect to the ink jet recording apparatus 2 in use.

  When the protrusion 19b of the wiper cleaner holding member 19 comes into contact with the contact surface 21b of the holding base 20, the wiper cleaner surface angle α between the wiper cleaner surface 18 and the horizontal plane p is greater than 0 degree and 90 degrees. In a state in which the wiper cleaning mechanism 11 is held in a posture with a predetermined initial angle α1 smaller than that (hereinafter also referred to as a wiper cleaning mechanism mounting posture), the protrusion 19b of the wiper cleaner holding member 19 contacts the holding base 20. It is held in a state of contact with the contact surface 21b (hereinafter also referred to as a wiper cleaner holding state). Specifically, the wiper cleaner 16 is attached to the assembly of the wiper cleaner 16 and the wiper cleaner holding member 19 within a range in which the wiper cleaner 16 rotates (swings) about the rotation axis x in the wiping process described later. A force for rotating in the direction of rotation approaching the holding base 20 (the direction of the arrow R in FIG. 6B) is generated. More specifically, in the wiper cleaning mechanism mounting posture, the entire center of gravity of the wiper cleaner 16 and the wiper cleaner holding member 19 is in the direction away from the holding base body 20 relative to the rotation shaft 22 (rotation axis x) in the horizontal direction. It is supposed to be located. With this configuration, in the wiper cleaning mechanism mounting posture, the wiper cleaner 16 and the wiper cleaner holding member 19 generate a force that rotates in the direction opposite to the wiping direction (in the direction indicated by the arrow R in FIG. 6B). The state where the portion 19b is in contact with the contact surface 21b (wiper cleaner holding state) is maintained, and the state where the wiper cleaner surface 18 is at the initial angle α1 with respect to the horizontal plane p is maintained. In the present embodiment, the entire center of gravity of the wiper cleaner 16 and the wiper cleaner holding member 19 is located below the rotary shaft 22 in the vertical direction. The wiper cleaner holding state is maintained by the elastic force of the supply pipe of the cleaning liquid supply unit 29 described later in addition to the setting of the center of gravity described above. Note that the wiper cleaner holding state may be maintained only by the elastic force of the supply pipe of the cleaning liquid supply unit 29.

  As described above, in the wiper cleaning mechanism 11 in the wiper cleaning mechanism mounting posture, the wiper cleaner 16 has the wiper cleaner surface angle α between the wiper cleaner surface 18 and the horizontal plane p smaller than the initial angle α1. It cannot be rotated from the holding state in the direction opposite to the wiping direction, and can be rotated from the wiper cleaner holding state in the wiping direction.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, the wiper cleaner 16 has a tip 16a side protruding at least partially below the holding base body 21 in the wiper cleaner holding state. 1, the wiper 13 is movable in the direction opposite to the wiping direction from the wiper cleaner 16.

  As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the moving mechanism 12 includes a guide member 23, a link mechanism 24, a power source 25 that generates power to move the wiper 13, and power from the power source 25. And a power transmission member 26 that transmits power to the wiper mechanism 10 via the link mechanism 24.

  The guide member 23 has a pair of linearly extending rails 23a and 23b, and the rails 23a and 23b are respectively engaged with engaging portions 15a and 15b protruding from end portions 14a and 14b of the wiper holding portion 14, respectively. The engaging portions 15a and 15b hold the engaging portions 15a and 15b so as to be slidable along the extending direction of the rails 23a and 23b. The rails 23a and 23b may have any shape as long as they hold the engaging portions 15a and 15b in a slidable manner. For example, the rails 23a and 23b are rod-like members or plate-like members, and the cross-section in the extending direction is L. It is a member having a letter shape or a U-shape. Moreover, the rails 23a and 23b may have grooves in which the engaging portions 15a and 15b can slide.

  Thus, the wiper holding part 14 is slidable on the rails 23a and 23b in the engaging parts 15a and 15b, and is movable along the rails 23a and 23b. Thereby, the wiper 13 can be reciprocated along the extending direction of the rails 23a and 23b in a state in which the direction in which the wiper surface 13b faces is parallel to the extending direction of the rails 23a and 23b.

  The wiper 13 is held at the end 28a of the arm 28 by the rails 23a and 23b via the engaging portions 15a and 15b and the wiper holding portion 14 so as to be movable along the sub-scanning direction. Alternatively, the wiper 13 may be directly held by the end portion 28a of the arm 28 without using the engaging portions 15a and 15b, and only the arm 18 may be held by the rails 23a and 23b.

  The guide member 23 has covers 23c and 23d that cover the entire rails 23a and 23b in the extending direction. The covers 23c and 23d extend the engaging portions 15a and 15b in the extending direction of the rails 23a and 23b. The engaging portions 15a and 15b cover the rails 23a and 23b that slide. This prevents the ink wiped from the wiper 13 from adhering to the portions of the rails 23a and 23b on which the engaging portions 15a and 15b slide, respectively, as will be described later. For this reason, it is possible to prevent ink from adhering to the engaging portions 15a and 15b and the rails 23a and 23b, and to prevent the wiper 13 from moving smoothly due to the ink. Has been.

  The link mechanism 24 is configured to be driven by the power of the power source 25 being transmitted through the power transmission member 26 so that the wiper mechanism 10 can reciprocate along the rails 23a and 23b. Each link mechanism 24 includes a long flat plate-like connecting member 27 and an arm 28 as shown in FIGS. The length of the connecting member 27 is shorter than the length of the arm 28. Thereby, in the liquid wiping apparatus 1, the space required in the up-down direction of the link mechanism 24 can be reduced. The arm 28 is rotatably connected to the wiper mechanism 10 at an end portion 28a which is one end thereof. The connecting member 27 is rotatably connected to an end portion 28b which is the other end of the arm 28 at an end portion 27a which is one end thereof. Further, the connecting member 27 is connected to the power transmission member 26 at the other end 27b, and the power of the power source 25 is transmitted to the end 27b of the connecting member 27 via the power transmitting member 26. It is like that. For example, the arm 28 is rotatably held at the end portion 28 a by the engaging portions 15 a and 15 b of the wiper holding portion 14, and the arm 28 has the rails 23 a and 23 b and the end portions 14 a and 14 b of the wiper holding portion 14. And is located between each of them.

  Further, the track of the end portion 28b of the arm 28 and the end portion 27a of the connecting member 27 connected to each other is in the main scanning direction in the liquid wiping device 1 including the end portion 28a of the arm 28 and the end portion 27b of the connecting member 27. Is located below the plane extending in the plane (plane q1 in FIG. 4B). Thus, the link mechanism 24 is bent toward the lower side.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, when the wiper cleaning mechanism 11 is provided between the power source 25 and the wiper 13, and the support member 11a supporting the wiper cleaning mechanism 11 is provided on the rails 23a and 23b, the link By forming the mechanism 24 so as to be bent downward, the wiper cleaning mechanism 11 and / or the support member 11a and the link mechanism 24 can be expanded and folded without interference. When the link mechanism 24 is formed to bend upward, the wiper cleaning mechanism 11 and / or the support member 11a and the link mechanism 24 interfere with each other, and the stroke length by the link mechanism 24 cannot be obtained sufficiently. .

  The pair of link mechanisms 24 are disposed along the pair of rails 23a and 23b, respectively. Each link mechanism 24 can be expanded or folded (expanded / contracted) by swinging the connecting member 27 so that the arm 28 swings in the opposite direction to the connecting member 27. As each link mechanism 24 is unfolded or folded, the wiper mechanism 10 is reciprocated along the rails 23a and 23b.

  The power source 25 generates power that enables each link mechanism 24 to be expanded and folded. The power source 25 includes, for example, a stepping motor (not shown), a pulley, a gear, and the like, and transmits the driving force of the motor to the power transmission member 26 via the pulley, the gear, etc., and is connected via the power transmission member 26. The member 27 is swung around the end portion 27b.

  The power transmission member 26 includes a rotating shaft 26a extending in the extending direction of the contact end portion 13a of the wiper 13 and a gear 26b coaxially attached to the rotating shaft 26a so as not to rotate. Can be transmitted through a gear (not shown) provided in the power source 25. Moreover, the end part 27b of the connection member 27 is attached to the rotating shaft 26a so as not to rotate. The power transmission member 26 receives the power from the power source 25 by the gear 26b, the gear 26b is rotated, the rotating shaft 26a is rotated together with the gear 26b, and the connecting member 27 is swung around the end portion 27b. The power from the power source 25 is transmitted to the link mechanism 24.

  The moving mechanism 12 includes a power source holding member 12 a that holds the power source 25. The power source holding member 12a is a single member, and a power transmission member 26 is further held on the power source holding member 12a. In the power source holding member 12 a, the power source 25 is disposed at a position on the track of the extended wiper 13. In the power source holding member 12a, the power transmission member 26 is held so as to transmit the power from the power source 25 to the connecting member 27 at a position on the track of the extended wiper 13. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 (b), the rotating shaft 26a of the power transmission member 26 (the axis of the rotating shaft 26a) of the contact end portion 13a of the wiper 13 that reciprocates along the rails 23a and 23b. The rotating shaft 26a is held by the power source holding member 12a so as to be positioned in the wiper track plane q2, which is a plane including the track. For this reason, the connecting member 27 of the link mechanism 24 rotates around the end portion 27b located in the wiper track plane q2. Therefore, the connecting member 27 is swung only in the vertical direction around the locus of the contact end portion 13a of the wiper 13 (wiper track plane q2). Thus, even if the connecting member 27 is lengthened in order to lengthen the stroke of the reciprocating movement of the wiper 13, the swinging of the connecting member 27 is only in the vicinity of the track of the contact end portion 13a of the wiper 13 in the vertical direction. Thus, the link mechanism 24 can be made compact. Further, since the power source 25 is provided at a position on the track of the extended wiper 13 (wiper track plane q2), the ink wiped off by the wiper 13 or the wiper cleaner 16 is prevented from adhering to the power source. Is planned.

  The position of the power source 25 is not limited to the position on the track of the extended wiper 13 (wiper track plane q2), but may be provided above the wiper track plane q2 in the vertical direction. At this time, the position of the power source 25 can be easily changed by changing the length of the connecting member 27 and / or the arm 28 of the link mechanism 24.

  In the power source holding member 12a, the rotating shaft 26a is held at two positions so as to extend in parallel with the contact end portion 13a of the wiper 13. Thereby, the space | interval between the rotating shaft 26a and the contact end part 13a of the wiper 13 is constant, and the extending direction of the contact end part 13a is hold | maintained in a fixed direction in the liquid wiping apparatus 1 by a pair of link mechanism 24. Can be moved. For this reason, the contact angle (posture) of the contact end portion 13 a of the wiper 13 with respect to the nozzle surface 32 of the recording head 31 can be made constant over the movement range of the wiper 13.

  As described above, in the liquid wiping apparatus 1, electricity is supplied to the power source 25 and the motor (not shown) is driven, whereby the gear 26b of the power transmission member 26 is rotated and the rotary shaft 26a is rotated. The link mechanism 24 is expanded or folded, and the wiper mechanism 10 is reciprocated along the rails 23a and 23b. At this time, the wiper 13 reciprocates while being held so that the wiper surface 13b faces the extending direction of the rails 23a and 23b.

  The moving mechanism 12 may not have the power transmission member 26, and the power source 25 may directly transmit power to the connecting member 27 in the same manner as the power transmission member 26. Specifically, the power source 25 may be held by the power source holding member 12a so that a rotation shaft such as a gear (not shown) of the power source 25 is positioned in the wiper track plane q2.

  In the liquid wiping device 1, the wiper cleaning mechanism 11 is configured so that the wiper cleaner surface 18 of the wiper cleaner 16 faces the wiper surface 13 b side of the wiper 13, and the wiper cleaner 16 is rotatable, that is, a wiper cleaner holding member. 19 is attached so as not to interfere with other components such as the rails 23a and 23b and the link mechanism 24 of the guide member 23. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the wiper cleaning mechanism 11 is disposed between the wiper mechanism 10 and the power source holding member 12a. The holding base 20 is held in the liquid wiping device 1 by a holding member (not shown).

  4B, the wiper cleaner surface 18 and the wiper surface 13b face each other so that the wiper cleaner surface between the wiper cleaner surface 18 and the horizontal plane p in the wiper cleaner holding state is provided. The liquid wiping device 1 is fixed so that the angle α is the initial angle α1 (0 ° <α1 <90 °). Further, the distance (distance h1) from the plane q3, which is the sliding surface of the engaging portions 15a, 15b on the rails 23a, 23b, to the contact end portion 13a of the wiper 13, is the plane of the wiper cleaner 16 in the wiper cleaner holding state. A predetermined distance (distance Δh) is longer than the distance (distance h2) to the tip 16a. Thereby, when the wiper 13 is moved along the rails 23 a and 23 b, the edge portion 13 c of the wiper surface 13 b comes into contact with the edge portion 18 a of the wiper cleaner surface 18.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, the liquid wiping device 1 includes a cleaning liquid supply unit 29 as a cleaning liquid supply unit that supplies the cleaning liquid to the wiper cleaner 16. In the ink jet recording apparatus 2, the cleaning liquid supply unit 29 is disposed, for example, above the wiper cleaner 16, and includes a supply pipe 29a formed of an elastic body and a solvent cartridge (not shown). The cleaning liquid supply unit 29 can supply the solvent from the solvent cartridge to the wiper cleaner surface 18 through the supply pipe 29a by opening and closing an opening / closing unit such as an opening / closing valve of the solvent cartridge. The cleaning liquid supply unit 29 may be able to supply the solvent to the entire surface of the wiper cleaner 16.

  One end of a supply pipe 29a of the cleaning liquid supply unit 29 is connected to a solvent cartridge (not shown), and a supply end 29b, which is the other end of the supply pipe 29a, is wiper cleaned as shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b). The wiper cleaner holding member 19 of the mechanism 11 is attached. Specifically, the supply end 29 b of the supply pipe 29 a is attached to the wiper cleaner holding member 19 by being inserted into an opening 19 e of a flange 19 d provided on the wiper cleaner surface 18 side of the wiper cleaner holding member 19. The flange 19d extends in parallel with the extending direction of the tip 16a of the wiper cleaner 16, and a plurality of openings 19e are provided at equal intervals in the extending direction of the flange 19d. This facilitates the attachment and detachment of the supply pipe 29a to the wiper cleaner holding member 19, and allows the attachment position, that is, the supply position of the solvent to the wiper cleaner 16 to be easily selected and set. Yes.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, the supply pipe 29a of the cleaning liquid supply unit 29 has a wiper cleaner in a direction in which the wiper cleaner 16 rotates in the direction opposite to the wiping direction (arrow R direction) on the supply end 29b side. The holding member 19 is attached so as to be urged by an elastic force. For this reason, as described above, even when the wiper cleaner 16 rotates in the wiping direction, the wiper cleaner 16 returns to the wiper cleaner holding state also by the supply pipe 29a.

  By supplying the solvent from the cleaning liquid supply unit 29 to the wiper cleaner 16, the wiper cleaner 16 can be cleaned and maintained in a wet state. Further, since the cleaning liquid supply unit 29 supplies the solvent from above the wiper cleaner 16, the supplied solvent is transmitted from the top to the bottom on the wiper cleaner surface 18. Therefore, as will be described later, the ink attached to the wiper cleaner surface 18 by wiping the wiper 13 can be washed away by the solvent, the wiper cleaner 16 can be kept clean, and the ink attached to the wiper 13 can be wiped off. It can be kept in an optimal state. As the solvent, various solvents can be used according to the type of ink.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the liquid wiping device 1 includes a wiper 13 and a wiper so as to cover the movement range of the wiper mechanism 10 from below below the track of the wiper mechanism 10. A liquid receiving portion 29c capable of storing a liquid such as ink dropped from the cleaner 16 is provided. The liquid receiving part 29c receives the ink scraped off by the wiper 13 and the wiper cleaner 16, and the solvent supplied from the cleaning liquid supply part 29, and stores these. The power source 25 is located above the liquid receiving part 29c. As a result, it is possible to prevent ink or solvent from adhering to the power source 25, and to prevent failure of the power source 25.

  FIG. 7 is a view for showing a more specific form of the wiper cleaning mechanism 11, FIG. 7A is a perspective view of the wiper cleaning mechanism 11 as viewed from the back, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the wiper cleaning mechanism 11 as viewed from the front. As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the wiper cleaner holding member 19 includes a base body 19A to which the wiper cleaner 16 is attached and a frame body 19B that holds the base body 19A so as to partially cover the base body 19A. It may be. The frame body 19B is formed with flanges 19a and 19d, a protruding portion 19b, a contact end 19c, and an opening 19e, and the base 19A is detachably attached to the frame body 19B. In the frame 19B, the flange 19a and the protrusion 19b are integrally formed, and the end of the flange 19a is a contact end 19c. Further, in the base 19A, a guide groove 19f is formed in the vicinity of the opening 19e of the flange 19d. The guide groove 19f extends from the flange 19d to the wiper cleaner 16 and is recessed from the side facing the frame body 19B. In the liquid wiping device 1, the supply pipe 29a of the cleaning liquid supply section 29 is inserted into the opening 19e of the flange 19d of the frame body 19B, and the supply end 29b of the supply pipe 29a is positioned in the vicinity of the guide groove 19f (FIG. 7 ( a)). For this reason, the solvent supplied through the supply pipe 29a is supplied from the supply end 29b to the guide groove 19f of the base 19A, and is guided to the wiper cleaner surface 18 through the guide groove 19f.

  7A and 7B, the holding base 20 may be formed in a frame shape, and the wiper cleaning mechanism 11 is fixed to the holding base body 21 in the liquid wiping device 1. For this purpose, a flange 21c is formed. Further, as shown in FIG. 7A, the holding base body 21 has a space facing the wiper cleaner rotating shaft 22, and the wiper cleaner holding member 19 rotates to enter the space. It is possible. For this reason, the wiper cleaner holding member 19 can be rotated, and the wiper cleaner 16 can be rotated in the wiping direction, so that the wiper cleaner 16 can extend upward. Thereby, the maintenance work of the wiper cleaner 16 can be performed in a posture in which the wiper cleaner 16 extends upward, and the maintenance work of the wiper cleaner 16 can be facilitated. Further, the wiper cleaner 16 can be easily replaced.

  The liquid wiping device 1 has the above-described configuration, and the gear 26b of the power transmission member 26 is rotated by the power source 25 to rotate the rotation shaft 26a, and the link mechanism 24 is driven to drive the wiper 13. Is reciprocated between the start position and the end position along the rails 23a and 23b, and the edge portion 13c of the wiper surface 13b can contact and slide on the edge portion 18a of the wiper cleaner surface 18. The start position of the wiper 13 is the position where the wiper 13 is farthest from the wiper cleaner 16 in the wiping direction side, and the end position of the wiper 13 is from the wiper cleaner 16 in the direction opposite to the wiping direction. The farthest position. The wiper 13 is elastically deformed by moving the wiper surface 13b from the state in which the wiper surface 13b is in contact with the wiper cleaner surface 18 to the opposite direction side of the wiping direction, and beyond the wiper cleaner 16, it is further opposite to the wiping direction. It moves to the end position after moving a predetermined distance in the direction and stops. When the wiper cleaner 16 contacts the wiper 13 that moves in the direction opposite to the wiping direction, the wiper cleaner 16 is held in the wiper cleaner holding state and does not rotate in the direction opposite to the wiping direction.

  When the wiper 13 is moved from the end position toward the start position by the power source 25 via the link mechanism 24 in the wiping direction side, the wiper 13 is wiped on the surface opposite to the wiper surface 13b. The wiper cleaner 18 abuts against the surface opposite to the wiper cleaner surface 18. Since the wiper cleaner 16 can be rotated in the wiping direction from the wiper cleaner holding state, the wiper 13 abuts on the surface opposite to the wiper surface 13 b on the surface of the wiper cleaner 16 opposite to the wiper cleaner surface 18. Then, the wiper cleaner 16 rotates in the wiping direction as the wiper 13 moves toward the wiping direction. When the wiper 13 is further moved, the contact between the wiper 13 and the wiper cleaner 16 is released, and the wiper cleaner 16 rotates in the direction opposite to the wiping direction to return to the wiper cleaner holding state. When the wiper 13 reaches the start position, the wiper 13 stops.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid wiping device 1 is arranged such that rails 23 a and 23 b extend below the guide rail 5 in the sub-scanning direction in the maintenance station of the printing unit 30 of the inkjet recording device 2. For this reason, in the inkjet recording apparatus 2, the wiper surface 13b of the wiper 13 faces the sub-scanning direction. In the inkjet recording apparatus 2, the start position of the wiper 13 is located in the vicinity of the suction device 37 on the downstream side (the feeding direction side of the storage medium M) in the sub-scanning direction with respect to the trajectory of the carriage 34. Similarly, in the inkjet recording apparatus 2, the wiper cleaning mechanism 11 is upstream of the guide rail 5 in the sub-scanning direction so that the end position of the wiper 13 is upstream of the guide rail 5 in the sub-scanning direction. It comes to become. Further, in the ink jet recording apparatus 2, liquid wiping is performed so that the contact end portion 13 a of the wiper 13 can come into contact with the nozzle surface 32 of the recording head 31 in a state where the recording head 31 is positioned on the track of the wiper 13. The device 1 is positioned in the vertical direction. Further, the extending direction of the wiper surface 13b is directed in the vertical direction.

  Next, the operation of the liquid wiping device 1 having the above-described configuration will be described. The liquid wiping device 1 performs the wiping process of the recording head 31 according to the maintenance method of the recording head 31 as a liquid ejection device as follows. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the liquid wiping device 1, and FIG. 8A is a diagram for illustrating a state where the wiper 13 wipes the nozzle surface 32 of the recording head 31. FIG. 8B is a diagram for illustrating a state in which the wiper cleaner 16 is wiping the wiper 13, and FIG. 8C is a diagram in which the wiper 13 is applied to the wiper cleaner 16 from the side opposite to the wiping direction. It is a figure for showing a mode that it touches. In FIGS. 8A to 8C, the rail 23a is omitted.

  In a state where the liquid wiping device 1 is not operating, the wiper mechanism 10 is located at the start position. At this time, the link mechanism 24 is fully expanded, that is, extended to the longest. By driving the power source 25 and rotating the connecting member 27 of the link mechanism 24 downward through the gear 26b of the power transmission member 26 and the rotating shaft 26a (hereinafter also referred to as the folding direction), the arm The end portion 28b of the belt 28 is moved downward and the link mechanism 24 is folded and pulled by the end portion 28a of the arm 28, so that the wiper mechanism 10 moves from the start position to the end position along the rails 23a and 23b. And move in the direction opposite to the wiping direction (hereinafter also referred to as forward movement).

  When the carriage 34 is moved so that the nozzle surface 32 of the recording head 31 is positioned on the track of the wiper mechanism 10, the wiper mechanism 10 moves forward so that the wiper 13 moves from the downstream side to the upstream side in the sub-scanning direction. And slides against. More specifically, the contact end portion 13a slides in contact with the nozzle surface 32 on the wiper surface 13b. By this sliding, the wiper 13 wipes the ink adhering to the nozzle surface 32 from the nozzle surface 32. As described above, since the width w1 of the wiper 13 is large enough to cross one nozzle surface 32, only the nozzle surface 32 of one recording head 31 can be wiped by the wiper 13 in one forward movement.

  At this time, due to the elasticity of the wiper 13, the wiper 13 is elastically deformed in the direction opposite to the forward movement direction, and the elastic force due to this elastic deformation urges the contact end portion 13 a toward the nozzle surface 32. Due to the urging by the elastic force, the entire edge 13c of the contact end 13a abuts on the nozzle surface 32 and is also urged to abut, so that it follows the nozzle surface 32 and adheres to the nozzle surface 32. Ink can be wiped off effectively.

  When the connecting member 27 continues to rotate in the folding direction, the wiper 13 continues to move forward, and the wiper 13 slides in the sub-scanning direction and the contact with the nozzle surface 32 is released. The wiping of the nozzle surface 32 is completed. When the connecting member 27 is further rotated in the folding direction and the wiper 13 further moves forward, the wiper 13 comes into contact with the wiper cleaner 16 and the wiper cleaner 16 wipes the wiper 13 (see FIG. 8B). Cleaning). The wiper cleaner 16 slides in contact with the edge portion 13c of the contact end portion 13a at the edge portion 18a of the wiper cleaner surface 18, and wipes ink adhered by wiping the nozzle surface 32 from the contact end portion 13a.

  As described above, the wiper cleaner 16 is held in the wiper cleaner holding state, and the wiper cleaner surface angle α between the wiper cleaner surface 18 and the horizontal plane p with respect to the vertical direction is held at the initial angle α1. Therefore, when the wiper cleaner 16 slides on the wiper 13, the wiper 13 that moves forward contacts the wiper cleaner 16 that is maintained at an initial angle α1 that has a wiper cleaner surface angle α that is greater than 0 degree and less than 90 degrees. It will follow. Further, when the wiper cleaner 16 slides on the wiper 13, the protrusion 19 b of the wiper cleaner holding member 19 continues to come into contact with the contact surface 21 b of the holding base 20, so that the contact between the wiper 13 and the wiper cleaner 16 is maintained. Even when the contact is released, the wiper cleaner surface angle α is the initial angle α1 which is larger than 0 degree and smaller than 90 degrees.

  When the connecting member 27 is further rotated in the folding direction, the wiper 13 further moves forward, and the contact between the wiper 13 and the wiper cleaner 16 is released, the wiping of the wiper 13 by the wiper cleaner 16 is finished. When the contact between the wiper 13 and the wiper cleaner 16 is released, the wiper cleaner 16 that has been elastically deformed by the contact returns to its original shape, and by this reaction, the ink wiped from the wiper 13 is wiped by the wiper cleaner surface 18. Scatter from. As described above, the wiper cleaner surface angle α between the wiper cleaner surface 18 and the horizontal plane p when the contact between the wiper 13 and the wiper cleaner 16 is released is larger than 0 degree and smaller than 90 degrees. Since the initial angle α1 is maintained and the wiper cleaner surface 18 faces downward in the vertical direction, the ink scatters downward from the wiper cleaner surface 18 due to the recoil of the contact release. For this reason, ink does not scatter from the wiper cleaner surface 18 to the side or upward, and the range of ink splatter can be reduced. Thus, the range of liquid scattering when the wiper 13 is wiped by the wiper cleaner 16 can be suppressed. When the connecting member 27 is further rotated in the folding direction, the wiper 13 is further moved forward and reaches the end position, the power source 25 is stopped.

  Further, when the power source 25 is driven and the connecting member 27 of the link mechanism 24 is rotated in the direction opposite to the folding direction (hereinafter also referred to as the unfolding direction), the end portion 28b of the arm 28 moves upward. The link mechanism 24 is unfolded and pulled by the end portion 28a of the arm 28, and the wiper mechanism 10 moves from the end position to the start position along the rails 23a and 23b in the wiping direction side (hereinafter referred to as rebound). Say.)

  When the connecting member 27 is rotated in the unfolding direction and the wiper 13 moves backward from the end position, the wiper 13 is opposite to the wiper cleaner surface 18 of the wiper cleaner 16 on the surface opposite to the wiper surface 13b. Abuts the surface of When the wiper 13 is further moved backward, as shown in FIG. 8C, the wiper cleaner 16 is rotated in the wiping direction from the wiper cleaner holding state while being pressed by the wiper 13. At this time, as described above, the supply pipe 29a of the cleaning liquid supply unit 29 urges the wiper cleaner holding member 19 to resist the rotation of the wiper cleaner 16 in the wiping direction. The wiper cleaner 16 is prevented from rotating vigorously. When the connecting member 27 is further rotated in the unfolding direction and the wiper 13 is further moved backward, the contact between the wiper 13 and the wiper cleaner 16 is released, and the wiper cleaner 16 rotates in the direction opposite to the wiping direction. Then, the protrusion 19b of the wiper cleaner holding member 19 comes into contact with the contact surface 21b of the holding base 20, the rotation of the wiper cleaner 16 is stopped, and the wiper cleaner 16 enters the wiper cleaner holding state again.

  Further, when the connecting member 27 is rotated in the unfolding direction and the wiper 13 moves backward, the link mechanism 24 returns to the unfolding state, the wiper 13 reaches the start position, the power source 25 is stopped, and the wiper 13 is moved to the start position. Stop. Prior to the backward movement of the wiper 13, the carriage 34 is returned to the standby position, and the nozzle surface 32 is separated from the track of the wiper 13. Thus, when the wiper 13 moves backward, the wiper 13 does not slide on the nozzle surface 32 on the surface opposite to the wiper surface 13b, and ink is applied to the surface of the wiper 13 opposite to the wiper surface 13b. It is possible to prevent adhesion.

  The moving mechanism 12 has a photo sensor (not shown), and this photo sensor can detect that the wiper 13 has reached the end position. When this photo sensor detects that the wiper 13 has reached the end position, the power source 25 stops. Further, the wiper 13 is configured to move from the end position to the start position and stop by setting the number of steps of a stepping motor (not shown) that the power source 25 has. Further, the moving mechanism 12 has a stopper (not shown), and the stopper limits the movable range of the connecting member 27. For example, when the power source 25 does not stop even if the end position or the start position is exceeded due to a failure of the power source 25, the stopper comes into contact with the connecting member 27, the connecting member 27 is stopped, and the wiper 13 further moves. It is preventing.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram for illustrating a movement range of the link mechanism 24 in the liquid wiping device 1. As described above, when the liquid wiping device 1 operates, the connecting member 27 of the link mechanism 24 moves below the plane q1 to form a fan-shaped locus l1 below the plane q1, and the arm of the link mechanism 24 28 moves below the plane q1 to form a locus 12 below the plane q1. Thus, the movement range of the link mechanism 24 in the liquid wiping device 1 is a compact range in the vertical direction.

  Note that the position of the end portion 27a of the connecting member 27 directly below the rotation shaft 26a is the maximum occupied position of the movement range of the link mechanism 24 in the liquid wiping device 1 in the vertical direction. For this reason, by shortening the length of the connecting member 27, the moving range of the link mechanism 24 in the vertical direction can be made a compact range. For this reason, by making the length of the arm 28 longer than the length of the connecting member 27 as in the present embodiment, it is possible to secure a long wiper movement stroke length while making the vertical movement range compact. it can.

  Next, the wiping process of the nozzle surface 32 performed by the liquid wiping device 1 will be described. In the liquid wiping device 1, when there is an instruction for wiping processing of the nozzle surface 32 via the operation panel 51, or according to the setting of periodic wiping processing, the operation of each part is controlled by the control device 52 and wiping processing is performed. Execute. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the wiping process performed by the liquid wiping apparatus 1.

  When the wiping process is started, first, the carriage 34 is moved and held at the position so that the nozzle surface 32 of any one recording head 31 to be cleaned is positioned on the activation of the contact end portion 13a of the wiper 13. (Step S1). Next, the power source 25 is activated, the link mechanism 24 in the unfolded state is driven via the power transmission member 26, the connecting member 27 is rotated in the folding direction, the arm 28 pulls the wiper mechanism 10, and is positioned at the start position. The wiper mechanism 10 that has been started starts the forward movement, and the wiper 13 starts the forward movement (step S2). Due to the forward movement of the wiper 13, the wiper surface 13 b approaches the wiper cleaner surface 18 while facing the wiper cleaner surface 18. When the connecting member 27 continues to rotate in the folding direction, the wiper mechanism 10 continues to move forward, and the edge 13c of the contact end 13a contacts the nozzle surface 32 of the recording head 31 from the downstream side on the sub-scanning line. Wiping of the nozzle surface 32 starts (step S3). In step S3, the connecting member 27 continues to rotate in the folding direction, the wiper mechanism 10 continues to move forward, and the edge portion 13c of the contact end portion 13a slides on the nozzle surface 32 to remove the ink adhering to the nozzle surface 32. Wiping from the nozzle surface 32 (see FIG. 8A), and when the edge 13c of the contact end 13a exceeds the nozzle surface 32, the wiping of the nozzle surface 32 by the wiper 13 is completed. The movement of the carriage 34 in step S1 may be at any timing before the start of wiping of the nozzle surface 32 (step S3) by the wiper 13, for example, the forward movement of the wiper 13 in step S2. After the start, the carriage 34 may be moved in step S1.

  When the connecting member 27 continues to rotate in the folding direction and the wiper 13 continues to move forward, and the edge 13c of the contact end 13a contacts the edge 18a of the wiper cleaner surface 18, the wiper cleaner 16 wipes the wiper 13 ( Cleaning) starts (step S4). When the wiper 13 is wiped by the wiper cleaner 16 in step S4, as described above, the wiper 13 comes into contact with the wiper cleaner 16 held in the wiper cleaner holding state. That is, in the wiper cleaner 16 with which the wiper 13 is in contact, the protrusion 19b of the wiper cleaner holding member 19 is in contact with the contact surface 21b of the holding base 20, and the wiper cleaner surface 18 is inclined by the initial angle α1 from the horizontal plane p. The posture is maintained (see FIG. 8B).

  In step S4, the connecting member 27 continues to rotate in the folding direction, the wiper mechanism 10 continues to move, and the edge 18a of the wiper cleaner surface 18 slides on the contact end 13a on the wiper surface 13b to contact the end 13a. When the ink adhering to the surface of the wiper cleaner 18 is wiped from the contact end portion 13a and the edge portion 18a of the wiper cleaner surface 18 exceeds the wiper surface 13b, wiping of the wiper 13 by the wiper cleaner 16 is completed. When wiping of the wiper 13 by the wiper cleaner 16 is completed and the contact between the wiper 13 and the wiper cleaner 16 is released, the vicinity of the tip 16a of the wiper cleaner 16 that has been elastically deformed by the contact returns to the original state. By this reaction, the ink wiped from the wiper 13 is scattered from the wiper cleaner surface 18. As described above, when the contact between the wiper 13 and the wiper cleaner 16 is released, the wiper cleaner surface angle α between the wiper cleaner surface 18 and the horizontal plane p is larger than 0 degree and smaller than 90 degrees. Since it is maintained, the ink scatters downward from the wiper cleaner surface 18 due to the reaction of the contact release. For this reason, ink does not scatter from the wiper cleaner surface 18 to the side or upward, and the range of ink splatter can be reduced. Thus, the scattering of the liquid at the time of wiping the wiper 13 by the wiper cleaner 16 can be suppressed. For this reason, the range to which ink adheres in the inkjet recording apparatus 2 can be suppressed, and further maintenance such as cleaning can be reduced.

  When the wiping of the wiper 13 by the wiper cleaner 16 is completed, the connecting member 27 further rotates in a predetermined angle folding direction, and the wiper mechanism 10 moves forward to an end position away from the wiper cleaner 16 by a predetermined distance in the forward movement direction. Subsequently, the wiper mechanism 10 stops at the end position, and the wiper 13 stops at the end position (step S5).

  When the wiper 13 is stopped at the end position, the cleaning liquid supply unit 29 performs a wiper cleaner cleaning process (step S6). In the wiper cleaner cleaning process, the cleaning liquid supply unit 29 supplies the solvent to the wiper cleaner 16 via the supply pipe 29a, and the solvent is transmitted on the wiper cleaner 16, and the ink adhering to the wiper cleaner 16 is dissolved by the solvent. The wiper cleaner 16 is removed by being removed from the wiper cleaner 16. Further, the solvent adheres to the wiper cleaner 16, and the wiper cleaner 16 is maintained in a wet state.

  When the wiper cleaner cleaning process is completed, the power source 25 is activated to rotate the gear 26b of the power transmission member 26 in the reverse direction, the link mechanism 24 is driven via the rotating shaft 26a, and the connecting member 27 is rotated in the deployment direction. Then, the arm 28 rotates, the wiper mechanism 10 located at the end position starts to move backward, and the wiper 13 starts to move backward (step S7).

  When the connecting member 27 continues to rotate in the deploying direction and the wiper 13 continues to move back, the wiper 13 comes into contact with the surface of the wiper cleaner 16 opposite to the wiper cleaner surface 18 on the surface opposite to the wiper surface 13b. The wiper cleaner 16 rotates in the wiping direction while maintaining contact with the wiper 13 (step S8) (see FIG. 8C). In this way, in step S8, the wiper cleaner 16 rotates in the wiping direction while maintaining contact with the wiper 13, so that the wiper 13 can be easily moved backward.

  When the connecting member 27 continues to rotate further in the deploying direction and the wiper 13 further moves backward, the contact between the wiper 13 and the wiper cleaner 16 is released, and the wiper cleaner 16 rotates in the direction opposite to the wiping direction. The protrusion 19b of the wiper cleaner holding member 19 comes into contact with the contact surface 21b of the holding base 20, the rotation of the wiper cleaner 16 is stopped, and the wiper cleaner 16 enters the wiper cleaner holding state again (step S9). ).

  Further, when the connecting member 27 continues to rotate in the deploying direction and the wiper 13 moves backward, the wiper 13 reaches the start position, the drive of the power source 25 is stopped, and the link mechanism 24 stops in the deployed state. The wiper mechanism 10 stops at the start position, the wiper 13 stops at the start position (step S10), and the wiping process ends.

  When the wiper 13 moves backward on the track of the nozzle surface 32, for example, the carriage 34 is returned to the standby position, and the nozzle surface 32 is separated from the track of the wiper 13. The separation of the nozzle surface 32 from the track of the wiper 13 may be made at any timing as long as the wiper 13 passes before the track of the nozzle surface 32 passes.

  The wiping process described above is sequentially performed on the nozzle surface 32 of each recording head 31. Specifically, when one recording head 31 is selected and the nozzle surface 32 of the recording head 31 is moved and wiped on the track of the wiper 13 as described above, when the wiping process ends, the other recording heads 31 is selected. Similarly, the nozzle surface 32 of the selected other recording head 31 is also moved and wiped on the track of the wiper 13, and when the wiping process is completed, another recording head 31 is similarly selected and the wiping process is performed. Done. Thus, the wiping process is repeated until the nozzle surfaces 32 of all the recording heads 31 are wiped. The order of the nozzle surfaces 32 to be wiped is arbitrary, for example, based on the order in the main scanning direction. Note that the width w1 of the wiper 13 may be increased, or a plurality of wipers 13 may be provided in the wiper mechanism 10 so that the plurality of nozzle surfaces 32 can be wiped by a single wiping process. In this case, the wiper cleaner 16 is also correspondingly enlarged in width or arranged in plural.

  Further, the cleaning process of the wiper cleaner 16 in step S <b> 6 may not be performed for each wiping process of one nozzle surface 32. For example, the cleaning process of the wiper cleaner 16 may be performed after the wiping of all the nozzle surfaces 32 is completed.

  As described above, according to the liquid wiping device 1, the movement range of the connecting member 27 and the arm 28 of the link mechanism 24 can be limited to the lower side of the plane q1 during the wiping process of the nozzle surface 32 of the recording head 31. And can be limited to below the carriage 34, the wiper cleaning mechanism 11, and the like. For this reason, it is not necessary to consider the movement range of the connecting member 27 and the arm 28 of the link mechanism 24 with respect to the arrangement positions of the carriage 34, the wiper cleaning mechanism 11, and the like, and the vertical space of the liquid wiping device 1 is increased. The stroke of the wiper mechanism 10 can be increased without this.

  Thus, according to the liquid wiping apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the liquid droplets generated during wiping from adhering to the power source 25.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments of the present invention, and includes all aspects included in the concept and claims of the present invention. In addition, the configurations may be appropriately combined as appropriate so as to achieve at least part of the problems and effects described above. For example, the shape, material, arrangement, size, and the like of each component in the above embodiment can be appropriately changed according to the specific usage mode of the present invention.

  For example, the moving mechanism 12 may not have a pair of link mechanisms 24 but may have a single link mechanism 24. Further, the liquid wiping device 1 may have another known wiper cleaning mechanism having a different form from the wiper cleaning mechanism 11. For example, a wiper cleaning mechanism that does not include a blade-like wiper like the wiper cleaning mechanism 11 and that cleans the wiper with a cleaning liquid may be used. In this case, the above-described cleaning liquid supply unit may be omitted.

  For example, the shape of the wiper 13 or the wiper cleaner 16 is not limited to the above-described rectangular or substantially rectangular thin flat plate shape, and may be another shape. FIG. 11 is a side view of the wiper mechanism 10 for illustrating a modified example of the wiper 13. As shown in FIG. 11, in the wiper 13 according to the modification, the wiper 13 has a shape in which the contact end portion 13a side is curved toward the direction of the wiper surface 13b. In this case, the edge portion 13c of the contact end portion 13a forms a curved surface that is recessed in a direction opposite to the direction in which the wiper surface 13b faces, and when sliding on the nozzle surface 32 of the recording head 31, the nozzle surface The ink adhering to 32 can be scraped out by the contact end portion 13a, and the wiping ability of the nozzle surface 32 by the wiper 13 can be further improved.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the contact end portion 13a of the wiper 13 may have a wedge shape in cross section along the direction in which the wiper surface 13b faces. Thereby, the followable | trackability to the nozzle surface 32 of the edge 13c of the wiper surface 13b can be improved.

  FIG. 12 is a side view of the wiper cleaning mechanism 11 for illustrating a modified example of the wiper cleaner 16. As shown in FIG. 11, in the wiper cleaner 16 according to the modification, the wiper cleaner 16 has a shape in which the tip 16 a side is curved toward the direction in which the wiper cleaner surface 18 faces. In this case, the edge 18a of the wiper cleaner surface 18 forms a curved surface that is recessed in a direction opposite to the direction that the wiper cleaner surface 18 faces, and the wiper surface when sliding on the wiper surface 13b of the wiper 13. The ink adhering to 13b can be scraped out by the edge 18a, and the wiping ability of the wiper surface 13b by the wiper cleaner 16 can be improved. Further, the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supply unit 29 can be retained on the edge 18 a of the curved wiper cleaner surface 18. For this reason, the edge portion 18a of the wiper cleaner surface 18 slides on the wiper surface 13b while holding the solvent when the wiper 13 is wiped, so that the ink adhering to the wiper surface 13b is wiped while dissolving. And the ability of the wiper cleaner 16 to wipe the wiper 13 can be further enhanced.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the tip 16a of the wiper cleaner 16 may have a wedge-shaped cross section along the direction in which the wiper cleaner surface 18 faces. Thereby, the followable | trackability to the wiper surface 13b of the edge part 18a of the wiper cleaner surface 18 can be improved.

  In the present modification, as shown in FIG. 12, the wiper cleaner surface angle α between the wiper cleaner surface 18 and the horizontal plane p is equal to the plane d and the horizontal plane p that are tangential planes at the tip of the curved edge 18a. This angle is larger than 0 degree and smaller than 90 degrees, like the wiper cleaner surface 18 described above. For this reason, there can exist an effect similar to the above-mentioned effect.

  FIG. 13 is a front view of the wiper cleaning mechanism 11 for illustrating another modified example of the wiper cleaner 16. As shown in FIG. 12, in the wiper cleaner 16 according to another modification, the wiper cleaner 16 extends from one end 16b as one end to the other end in the main scanning direction (left-right direction in FIG. 11). A tip 16a of the wiper cleaner 16 extending to the other end 16c extends at an angle θ with respect to the horizontal plane l. The tip 16a is formed so that the one end 16b side is higher in the vertical direction v than the other end 16c side. Also on the wiper cleaner surface 18, the edge 18 a extends at an angle θ with respect to the horizontal plane p along the tip 16 a.

  The inclination angle θ of the tip 16a from the horizontal plane l uses the extension amount (extension amount e) from the wiper cleaner holding member 19 at one end 16b of the wiper cleaner 16 and the width (width w3) of the wiper cleaner 16 in the main scanning direction. Thus, e ≧ w3 × sin θ.

  Since the wiper cleaner 16 has the tip 16a extending at an angle θ from the horizontal direction as described above, in the cleaning process of the wiper cleaner 16, the supplied solvent causes the tip 16a to end one end by the action of gravity. It is transmitted from 16b to the other end 16c. For this reason, a solvent can be easily supplied to the whole width direction of wiper cleaner 16, and washing with a solvent can be performed more efficiently.

  Further, in the liquid wiping apparatus 1 including the wiper cleaner 16 according to the other modified example, in the cleaning process, as shown in FIG. 13, the supply pipe 29 a of the cleaning liquid supply unit 29 is disposed above the one end 16 b side of the wiper cleaner 16. The supply end 29b may be attached to supply the solvent to the upper side of the wiper cleaner 16 on the one end 16b side. As described above, the tip 16a of the wiper cleaner 16 extends at an angle θ with respect to the horizontal plane l, and the edge 18a of the wiper cleaner surface 18 similarly extends at an angle θ with respect to the horizontal plane l. . Therefore, even if the solvent is supplied only to the one end 16 b side of the wiper cleaner 16, the solvent is transmitted from the one end 16 b to the other end 16 c in the edge portion 18 a by the action of gravity, and the solvent is transferred to the entire edge portion 18 a of the wiper cleaner surface 18. Can be supplied. For this reason, the entire edge portion 18a of the wiper cleaner surface 18 can be cleaned.

  The wiper cleaner 16 may have a shape in which the modification shown in FIG. 12 is combined with another modification shown in FIG.

  Moreover, the order of each process of the wiping process which the liquid wiping apparatus 1 implements is not restricted to the above-mentioned order, It can be set as various orders according to a specific aspect. For example, first, the wiper 13 may be wiped by the wiper cleaner 16, the solvent held in the wiper cleaner 16 may be attached to the wiper 13, and then each of the above steps may be performed. Thereby, the nozzle surface 32 can be wiped by the wiper 13 to which the solvent is attached, and the thickened ink or the like can be easily wiped from the nozzle surface 32. Further, after the wiper cleaner 16 is cleaned (step S6), the wiper 13 may be wiped by the wiper cleaner 16, and then the above steps may be performed. Thereby, thickened ink etc. can be wiped off from the nozzle surface 32 more easily.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Liquid wiping apparatus 2 Inkjet recording apparatus 5 Guide rail (guide member) 10 Wiper mechanism 11 Wiper cleaning mechanism 12 Movement mechanism 12a Power source holding member 13 Wiper (wiping member)
13a Contact end portion (discharge surface contact portion) 14 Wiper holding portions 15a, 15b Engaging portion 16 Wiper cleaner 16a Tip 17 Wiper cleaner holding mechanism 18 Wiper cleaner surface 18a Edge portion 19 Wiper cleaner holding member 22 Wiper cleaner rotating shaft 23 Guide Member 23a, 23b Rail 23c, d Cover (cover body) 24 Link mechanism 25 Power source 26 Power transmission member 26a Rotating shaft 26b Gear 27 Connection member 28 Arm 29 Cleaning liquid supply part 29c Liquid receiving part 31 Recording head 32 Nozzle surface (discharge surface) )
q2 Wiper movement track surface

Claims (8)

A wiping member comprising a discharge surface contact portion slidable on a discharge surface provided with a discharge portion for discharging liquid in the liquid discharge device;
A moving mechanism that enables movement of the wiping member,
The moving mechanism includes a guide member that extends in a first direction and holds the wiping member movably along the first direction, an arm having one end rotatably connected to the wiping member, and one end A long connecting member that is rotatably connected to the other end of the arm, and a power source that generates power to move the wiping member.
The discharge surface contact portion extends in a second direction intersecting the first direction in the wiping member, and is provided at least in a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction. And
The connecting member receives power from the power source provided at a position on the extended wiping member or on the upper side in the vertical direction of the extended wiping member. A liquid wiping device characterized by rotating around the center.   The track of the other end of the arm and one end of the connecting member is located on the other side in the third direction with respect to a plane extending in the second direction including one end of the arm and the other end of the connecting member. The liquid wiping apparatus according to claim 1.   The liquid wiping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a length of the connecting member is shorter than a length of the arm. A power transmission member that transmits power generated by the power source to the connecting member;
A pair of arms,
A pair of the connecting members;
The moving mechanism has a power source holding member that holds the power source,
The wiping member has an engaging portion at one end and the other end in the second direction,
The guide member has a pair of rails extending in the first direction, and each of the pair of rails holds the wiping member movably in the engaging portion,
The power transmission member has a rotation shaft extending in the second direction, and the rotation shaft is rotatably held by the power source holding member at two positions. The liquid wiping apparatus according to any one of 1 to 3.   The liquid wiping apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pair of rails includes a cover body that covers the engaging portion of the wiping member. A liquid receiving portion capable of storing liquid spreading on the other side in the third direction from the track of the wiping member;
The liquid wiping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power source is disposed on one side in the third direction with respect to the liquid receiving portion. A recording head having a rectangular ejection surface provided with an ejection section for ejecting liquid;
A liquid ejection device comprising the liquid wiping device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The liquid ejection apparatus, wherein the recording head is disposed such that a long side direction of the ejection surface extends in the first direction. It is the maintenance method of the liquid discharge apparatus of Claim 7, Comprising:
Moving and holding the discharge surface to a position where the wiping member can slide at the discharge surface contact portion; and
Activating the power source, moving the wiping member via the connecting member and the arm, and sliding the discharge surface on the discharge surface contact portion. .

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