JP7066474B2 - Computer program for inkjet printers and air suction - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an inkjet printer and a computer program for air suction.

Conventionally, an inkjet printer including an ink head having a nozzle for ejecting ink has been known. For example, in the inkjet printer disclosed in Patent Document 1, a cap unit is provided in order to maintain the ejection performance of the nozzle. The cap unit includes a cap that covers the nozzle surface on which the nozzle of the ink head is formed and a suction pump connected to the cap when printing is not performed.

A closed space is formed by covering the nozzle surface with a cap. By driving the suction pump in the state where this closed space is formed, the ink remaining in the ink head can be discharged to the cap. In this way, the suction for discharging the ink in the ink head is called the main suction.

Further, after the main suction, in order to discharge the ink remaining in the cap, the suction pump is driven again with the closed space open to the atmospheric pressure. As a result, the ink in the cap can be discharged without applying an excessive negative pressure to the ink head. The suction for discharging the ink in the cap is called air suction.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-87858

By the way, air suction is performed, for example, with the cap removed from the nozzle surface. In the case of air suction, if the cap is separated too far from the nozzle surface, the ink in the cap may leak to the outside.

The present invention has been made in view of this point, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet printer capable of appropriately performing air suction and a computer program for air suction.

The inkjet printer according to the present invention includes a first ink tank, a first ink supply path, an ink head, a first pressure detection mechanism, a cap, a cap moving mechanism, a suction pump, and a control device. There is. The first ink is stored in the first ink tank. The first ink supply path is connected to the first ink tank. The ink head has a first nozzle that communicates with the first ink supply path and discharges the first ink, and a nozzle surface on which the first nozzle is formed. The first pressure detecting mechanism is provided in the first ink supply path and detects the pressure in the first ink supply path. The cap can be attached to the nozzle surface and can cover the first nozzle. The cap moving mechanism brings the cap closer to or further from the nozzle surface. The suction pump is connected to the cap and sucks ink in the cap. The control device includes a storage unit, a separation movement control unit, a separation pressure determination unit, a position stored unit, an air suction position movement unit, and an air suction control unit. The separation movement control unit moves the cap in a direction in which the cap is separated from the nozzle surface while the cap is attached to the nozzle surface. The separation pressure determination unit drives the suction pump while the cap is moving in a direction away from the nozzle surface by the separation movement control unit, and the first ink supply path from the first pressure detection mechanism. The first separation detection pressure, which is the pressure inside, is detected, and it is determined whether or not the first separation detection pressure is larger than a predetermined determination pressure. The position storage unit stores in the storage unit the position of the cap with respect to the nozzle surface when the separation pressure determination unit determines that the first separation detection pressure is larger than the determination pressure as an empty suction position. Let me. The air suction position moving unit controls the cap moving mechanism so that the cap is positioned at the air suction position. The air suction control unit sucks ink in the cap while the cap is located at the air suction position.

According to the inkjet printer, by driving the suction pump with the cap mounted on the nozzle surface, the ink in the ink head is sucked and discharged into the cap. At this time, the pressure in the ink supply path drops because the ink is discharged, and becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined detection pressure. On the other hand, when the pressure in the ink supply path is larger than the predetermined detection pressure, the ink in the ink head is not sucked. In this way, the position of the cap with respect to the nozzle surface when switching from the case where the ink in the ink head is discharged by the suction pump to the case where the ink is not discharged is a position where air suction can be appropriately performed, and the nozzle. This is the position where the cap is closest to the surface. In this way, by detecting the pressure in the ink supply path, it is possible to perform air suction, and it is possible to set the position where the cap is closest to the nozzle surface. By setting such a position as the air suction position and performing air suction at the air suction position, the cap is in a state of being relatively close to the nozzle surface, so that the ink in the cap is suppressed from leaking to the outside. be able to. Therefore, air suction can be appropriately performed.

According to the present invention, air suction can be appropriately performed.

It is a front view of the printer which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the lower surface of a carriage schematically. It is a schematic diagram which shows the relationship between an ink head and an ink supply system. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of two ink supply systems which concerns on the 1st ink head. It is a top view of the damper, and is the figure which shows the state which the pressure of a storage chamber is equal to or less than a predetermined determination pressure. It is a plan sectional view of a damper, and is the figure which shows the state which the pressure of a storage chamber is larger than a predetermined determination pressure. It is a front view of the cap of a cleaning system and a cap moving mechanism. It is a front view of the cap of a cleaning system and a cap moving mechanism. It is a front view of the wiper mechanism of a cleaning system. It is a block diagram of a printer. It is a flowchart which showed the cleaning procedure. It is a flowchart which showed the procedure which determines the air suction position. It is a flowchart which showed the procedure which determines the air suction position. It is a flowchart which showed the procedure until error control is performed.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the inkjet printer according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described here are, of course, not intended to specifically limit the present invention. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to members / parts having the same function, and duplicate explanations are omitted or simplified as appropriate.

FIG. 1 is a front view of an inkjet printer (hereinafter referred to as a printer) 100 according to the present embodiment. In the following description, the reference numerals F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings mean front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom when the printer 100 is viewed from the front. The reference numeral Y in the drawing indicates the main scanning direction. In the present embodiment, the main scanning direction Y is the left-right direction. The main scanning direction Y is the moving direction of the ink heads 41 to 44, which will be described later. Reference numeral X in the drawings indicates a sub-scanning direction. In the present embodiment, the sub-scanning direction X is a front-back direction and is a direction intersecting the main scanning direction Y (for example, a direction orthogonal to each other in a plan view). The sub-scanning direction X is the transport direction of the recording medium 5, which will be described later. However, the above-mentioned direction is merely a direction determined for convenience of explanation, and does not limit the installation mode of the printer 100 at all, nor does it limit the present invention at all.

The printer 100 is an inkjet printer. The printer 100 prints on the recording medium 5. The recording medium 5 is a roll-shaped recording paper, which is a so-called roll paper. However, the recording medium 5 is not limited to the roll-shaped recording paper. For example, the recording medium 5 is not only paper such as plain paper and printing paper for inkjet, but also resin sheets and films such as polyvinyl chloride and polyester, plate materials, fabrics such as woven cloth and non-woven fabric, and other media. You may.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 100 includes a printer main body 11, a platen 13, a transport mechanism 20, a guide rail 15, a carriage 17, a head moving mechanism 30, and ink heads 41 to 44 (see FIG. 2). It includes ink supply systems 61 to 68 (see FIG. 3), a cleaning system 90 (see FIG. 7), an operation panel 150, and a control device 160.

The printer main body 11 has a casing extending in the main scanning direction Y. The recording medium 5 is placed on the platen 13. The platen 13 extends in the main scanning direction Y. The recording medium 5 mounted on the platen 13 is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction X by the conveying mechanism 20. Here, the transport mechanism 20 includes a pinch roller 21, a grit roller 22, and a feed motor 23. The pinch roller 21 is provided above the platen 13 and below the guide rail 15, and presses the recording medium 5 from above. The pinch roller 21 is arranged behind the carriage 17. The grit roller 22 is a cylindrical member provided on the platen 13. Here, the grit roller 22 is embedded in the platen 13 with its upper surface exposed. The grit roller 22 faces the pinch roller 21. The grit roller 22 is connected to the feed motor 23. When the feed motor 23 is driven with the recording medium 5 sandwiched between the pinch roller 21 and the grit roller 22, the grit roller 22 rotates. As a result, the recording medium 5 is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction X.

The guide rail 15 is arranged above the platen 13. The guide rail 15 is arranged parallel to the platen 13 and extends in the main scanning direction Y. A carriage 17 is engaged with the guide rail 15. The carriage 17 is slidably provided on the guide rail 15.

The head moving mechanism 30 is a mechanism for moving the carriage 17 and the ink heads 41 to 44 (see FIG. 2) in the main scanning direction Y. The head moving mechanism 30 includes left and right pulleys 31a and 31b, a belt 32, and a carriage motor 33. The left pulley 31a is provided at the left end of the guide rail 15. The right pulley 31b is provided at the right end of the guide rail 15. The belt 32 is an endless belt and is wound around the left and right pulleys 31a and 31b. A carriage 17 is fixed to the belt 32. Here, the carriage motor 33 is connected to the right pulley 31b. By driving the carriage motor 33, the right pulley 31b rotates and the belt 32 travels. As a result, the carriage 17 and the ink heads 41 to 44 move along the guide rail 15 in the main scanning direction Y.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the lower surface of the carriage 17. As shown in FIG. 2, the ink heads 41 to 44 are mounted on the carriage 17. Here, the ink heads 41 to 44 are held by the carriage 17 so as to expose the lower surface thereof. In the following description, the ink heads 41 to 44 may be appropriately referred to as the first to fourth ink heads 41 to 44. The ink heads 41 to 44 are members for ejecting ink, and are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y. In the present embodiment, the ink heads 41 to 44 are each provided with a nozzle surface 45 on the lower surface thereof.

On the nozzle surface 45 of the first ink head 41, a plurality of nozzles 51 and 52 are formed side by side in the sub-scanning direction X, respectively. On the nozzle surface 45 of the second ink head 42, a plurality of nozzles 53 and 54 are formed side by side in the sub-scanning direction X, respectively. A plurality of nozzles 55 and 56 are formed side by side in the sub-scanning direction X on the nozzle surface 45 of the third ink head 43, and a plurality of nozzles 57 and 58 are formed on the nozzle surface 45 of the fourth ink head 44, respectively. They are formed side by side in the sub-scanning direction X. Here, the plurality of rows of nozzles 51 to 58 are referred to as nozzle rows 51a to 58a, respectively. In the present embodiment, for example, the nozzle 51 corresponds to the first nozzle of the present invention, and the nozzle 52 corresponds to the second nozzle of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the ink heads 41 to 44 and the ink supply systems 61 to 68. As shown in FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, the ink supply systems 61 to 68 are provided for each nozzle row 51a to 58a, and are systems that supply ink to the ink heads 41 to 44. In this embodiment, the number of nozzle rows is "8" and the number of ink supply systems is also "8". Ink supply systems 61 to 68 are connected to the nozzle rows 51a to 58a, respectively. Here, the ink supply systems 61 to 68 all have the same configuration. Therefore, in the following, the ink supply systems 61 and 62 related to the first ink head 41 will be described, and the description of the other ink supply systems 63 to 68 will be omitted or simplified. However, in the ink supply systems 61 to 68, the configurations of some of the ink supply systems 61 to 68 may be different from the configurations of the other ink supply systems 61 to 68.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configurations of the ink supply systems 61 and 62 according to the first ink head 41. As shown in FIG. 4, the ink supply system 61 includes a first ink tank 71a, a first ink supply path 72a, a first liquid feed pump 73a, and a first damper 74a. The ink supply system 62 includes a second ink tank 71b, a second ink supply path 72b, a second liquid feed pump 73b, and a second damper 74b.

The first ink tank 71a is a container in which ink is stored. In the first ink tank 71a, for example, one ink of a process color ink and a spot color ink (for example, white ink, clear ink, etc.) is stored. However, the color of the ink stored in the first ink tank 71a is not particularly limited. Further, the ink material is not limited in any way, and various materials conventionally used as ink materials for inkjet printers can be used. The ink may be, for example, a solvent-based (solvent-based) pigment ink or a water-based pigment ink. Alternatively, it may be a water-based dye ink, an ultraviolet curable pigment ink that is cured by receiving ultraviolet rays, or the like. Here, the ink stored in the first ink tank 71a is an example of the first ink of the present invention.

The first ink supply path 72a is a flow path connecting the first ink tank 71a and the first ink head 41. One end of the first ink supply path 72a is connected to the first ink head 41. Specifically, one end of the first ink supply path 72a is connected to the nozzle row 51a of the first ink head 41. The first ink supply path 72a communicates with the nozzles 51 constituting the nozzle row 51a. The other end of the first ink supply path 72a is connected to the first ink tank 71a. The ink stored in the first ink tank 71a is ejected from the nozzles 51 constituting the first nozzle row 51a. The material of the first ink supply path 72a is not particularly limited, but the first ink supply path 72a is made of, for example, a flexible tube or the like.

The first liquid feeding pump 73a is provided in the first ink supply path 72a. The first liquid feed pump 73a is a pump for supplying the ink stored in the first ink tank 71a to the nozzle 51 of the nozzle row 51a and adjusting the pressure to be suitable for ejecting the ink from the first ink head 41. Is. When the first liquid feeding pump 73a is driven, the first liquid feeding pump 73a feeds ink from the first ink tank 71a toward the nozzle row 51a. The type of the first liquid feed pump 73a is not limited, but is, for example, a diaphragm pump, a tube pump, or the like.

The first damper 74a alleviates the pressure fluctuation of the ink and stabilizes the ink ejection operation of the first ink head 41. The first damper 74a detects the flow rate of the ink flowing into the first damper 74a (in other words, the pressure in the first damper 74a). Then, the first liquid feed pump 73a is controlled based on the detection result of the ink flow rate. As shown in FIG. 4, the first damper 74a is connected to the first ink head 41. Here, the first damper 74a is provided on the upper part of the first ink head 41. The configuration of the first damper 74a is not particularly limited.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the dampers 74a and 74b, and is a diagram showing a state in which the pressure of the storage chamber 82 is equal to or lower than a predetermined determination pressure. FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the dampers 74a and 74b. FIG. 6 is a plan sectional view of the dampers 74a and 74b, showing a state in which the pressure of the storage chamber 82 is larger than the predetermined determination pressure. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the first damper 74a includes a damper main body 81, a storage chamber 82, a damper film 83, and a detection mechanism 84.

The damper body 81 is hollow. The storage chamber 82 is formed in the damper main body 81, and is partially open. Ink is temporarily stored in the storage chamber 82. The storage chamber 82 communicates with the first ink supply path 72a (see FIG. 4) and the first ink head 41 (see FIG. 4). In the present embodiment, an inflow port 85a to which the first ink supply path 72a is connected is formed in the upper part of the damper main body 81, and an outflow port 85b connected to the first ink head 41 is formed in the lower part of the damper main body 81. (See FIG. 4) is formed. However, the formation positions of the inflow port 85a and the outflow port 85b are not particularly limited. For example, at the time of printing, the first damper 74a is configured so that the ink flowing into the storage chamber 82 from the inflow port 85a flows to the first ink head 41 through the outflow port 85b.

As shown in FIG. 5, the damper film 83 is provided on the damper main body 81 so as to cover the opening portion of the storage chamber 82. Here, the space surrounded by the damper membrane 83 and the damper main body 81 is the storage chamber 82. The damper film 83 is made of, for example, a flexible resin film. The damper film 83 can be deformed to the inside and outside of the storage chamber 82 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 based on the amount of ink stored in the storage chamber 82 and the pressure in the storage chamber 82. The damper film 83 is attached to the damper main body 81 with a tension sufficient to bend the inside and the outside of the storage chamber 82, respectively.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the storage chamber 82 is provided with a spring 85. The spring 85 is arranged in the storage chamber 82 in a compressed state, and applies an elastic force toward the damper film 83. Here, the spring 85 is in contact with the surface of the damper film 83 on the storage chamber 82 side. The type of the spring 85 is not particularly limited, and for example, the spring 85 is a coil spring.

The detection mechanism 84 is a mechanism for detecting the pressure in the storage chamber 82. Here, the detection mechanism 84 indirectly detects the pressure in the first ink supply path 72a by detecting the pressure in the storage chamber 82. The configuration of the detection mechanism 84 is not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, the detection mechanism 84 includes a pressing body 86, a filler 87, and a filler sensor 88. The pressing body 86 is provided on the damper film 83. In the present embodiment, the pressing body 86 is provided on the surface of the damper film 83 on the storage chamber 82 side. However, the position of the pressing body 86 with respect to the damper film 83 is not particularly limited, and the pressing body 86 may be provided on the surface of the damper film 83 opposite to the storage chamber 82. Here, the pressing body 86 is supported by the spring 85 and can move inside and outside the storage chamber 82 together with the bending of the damper film 83.

The filler 87 is provided on the damper main body 81 so as to be in contact with the pressing body 86. In the present embodiment, the damper main body 81 is provided with the support spring 89, and the filler 87 is supported by the support spring 89. The shape of the filler 87 is not particularly limited. Here, the filler 87 is formed in a substantially U shape. Specifically, the filler 87 has a contact portion 87a extending in the front-rear direction, a support portion 87b extending left from the rear end of the contact portion 87a, and a support portion 87b extending to the left from the front end of the contact portion 87a on the right side of the pressing body 86. It has a detected portion 87c extending to the surface. The pressing body 86 can come into contact with the contact portion 87a. The support portion 87b is supported by the support spring 89. The detected portion 87c is a portion detected by the filler sensor 88.

The filler sensor 88 detects the pressure in the storage chamber 82 by detecting the position of the filler 87. The filler sensor 88 indirectly detects the pressure in the first ink supply path 72a by detecting the pressure in the storage chamber 82. Here, the filler sensor 88 of the first damper 74a is an example of the first pressure detecting mechanism of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the filler sensor 88 is a non-contact type sensor, but may be a contact type sensor. In this embodiment, the filler sensor 88 has a pair of detection units 88a. As shown in FIG. 5, when the detected portion 87c of the filler 87 is located between the pair of detection portions 88a, the filler sensor 88 indicates that the pressure of the storage chamber 82 is equal to or lower than the predetermined determination pressure. To detect. As shown in FIG. 6, as the pressure in the storage chamber 82 increases, the damper membrane 83 bends to the outside of the storage chamber 82. At this time, the filler 87 is pushed to the outside of the storage chamber 82 by the pressing body 86, so that the filler 87 rotates about the shaft 87d located between the contact portion 87a and the support portion 87b. Then, when the pressure in the storage chamber 82 becomes higher than the predetermined determination pressure, the detected portion 87c of the filler 87 moves to a position out of the pair of detection portions 88a of the filler sensor 88. The filler sensor 88 detects that the pressure in the storage chamber 82 is larger than a predetermined determination pressure when the detected portion 87c of the filler 87 is not located between the pair of detection portions 88a. In the present embodiment, the storage chamber 82, the damper film 83, the pressing body 86, the filler 87, and the filler sensor 88 of the first damper 74a are the first storage chamber, the first damper film, and the first one of the present invention, respectively. Corresponds to the pressing body, the first filler, and the first filler sensor. Further, in the present embodiment, the range between the pair of detection units 88a corresponds to the predetermined range of the present invention.

In the following description, as shown in FIG. 5, when the detected portion 87c of the filler 87 is located between the pair of detection portions 88a of the filler sensor 88, that is, the pressure of the storage chamber 82 is a predetermined determination. When the pressure is below the pressure, it is said that "filler 87 is hit". On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, when the detected portion 87c of the filler 87 is not located between the pair of detection portions 88a of the filler sensor 88, that is, the pressure of the storage chamber 82 is higher than the predetermined determination pressure. When it is large, it is said that "filler 87 is unhit".

As shown in FIG. 4, the ink supply system 62 is configured in the same manner as the ink supply system 61. In the ink supply system 62, the second ink tank 71b, the second ink supply path 72b, the second liquid feed pump 73b, and the second damper 74b are the first ink tank 71a and the second ink supply system 61, respectively. It has the same configuration as the 1 ink supply path 72a, the 1st liquid feed pump 73a, and the 1st damper 74a. In the present embodiment, the storage chamber 82, the damper film 83, the pressing body 86, the filler 87, and the filler sensor 88 of the second damper 74b are the second storage chamber, the second damper film, and the second pressing body of the present invention, respectively. , The second filler, and the second filler sensor. Here, the second ink tank 71b stores ink of a color different from the ink stored in the first ink tank 71a. The ink stored in the second ink tank 71b is an example of the second ink of the present invention. Here, the first ink and the second ink are inks having different colors.

Although details are omitted, as shown in FIG. 3, two ink supply systems 63 and 64 according to the second ink head 42, two ink supply systems 65 and 66 according to the third ink head 43, and a fourth ink head 44. The two ink supply systems 67 and 68 according to the above also have the same configuration as the ink supply system 61. The inks supplied by these ink supply systems may be all different inks, or some of them may be the same ink.

7 and 8 are front views of the caps 111 to 114 of the cleaning system 90 and the cap moving mechanism 120. FIG. 7 is a diagram when the ink heads 41 to 44 are located at the second position P2, and FIG. 8 is a diagram when the ink heads 41 to 44 are located at the first position P1. FIG. 9 is a front view of the wiper mechanism 140 of the cleaning system 90. Next, the cleaning system 90 will be described. The cleaning system 90 is a system for cleaning the ink heads 41 to 44, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 9. The cleaning system 90 includes four caps of the first to fourth caps 111 to 114, a cap moving mechanism 120, four suction pumps of the first to fourth suction pumps 131 to 134, and a wiper mechanism 140. There is.

As shown in FIG. 8, the caps 111 to 114 are configured to be mountable on the nozzle surfaces 45 (see FIG. 7) of the ink heads 41 to 44, respectively. Here, "mounting" means a state in which the nozzle surface 45 is covered with the caps 111 to 114. The caps 111 to 114 cover the nozzles 51 to 58 (see FIG. 2), respectively. For example, the first cap 111 covers a plurality of nozzles 51 and 52 formed on the nozzle surface 45 of the first ink head 41. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, a first position P1 is set at the right end portion of the guide rail 15 at which the ink heads 41 to 44 stand by during printing standby. This first position P1 is a so-called home position. When the ink heads 41 to 44 are located at the first position P1, caps 111 to 114 are attached to the nozzle surfaces 45 of the ink heads 41 to 44, respectively. The caps 111 to 114 have a box-like shape with an open top. The caps 111 to 114 are formed of, for example, rubber. The upper opening of the caps 111 to 114 corresponds to the shape of the outer peripheral portion of the ink heads 41 to 44.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the cap moving mechanism 120 is a mechanism for raising and lowering the caps 111 to 114 so as to approach or separate the caps 111 to 114 from the nozzle surfaces 45 of the ink heads 41 to 44. be. In the present embodiment, the cap moving mechanism 120 is configured to move the caps 111 to 114 in the main scanning direction Y and in the vertical direction in conjunction with the movement of the ink heads 41 to 44 in the main scanning direction Y. .. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the second position P2 is set at the right end portion of the guide rail 15 and at the position to the left of the first position P1. The second position P2 is not located directly above the platen 13. While the ink heads 41 to 44 are moving from the second position P2 to the first position P1, the cap moving mechanism 120 moves the caps 111 to 114 from the second position P2 to the first position P1 while moving the ink heads. It is configured to approach the nozzle surface 45 of 41 to 44. On the other hand, while the ink heads 41 to 44 are moving from the first position P1 to the second position P2, the cap moving mechanism 120 moves the inks while the caps 111 to 114 move from the first position P1 to the second position P2. It is configured to be separated from the nozzle surface 45 of the heads 41 to 44.

In the present embodiment, the cap moving mechanism 120 includes a support plate 121 on which the first to fourth caps 111 to 114 are supported, and a guide hole 122 extending diagonally upward from the second position P2 toward the first position P1. The guide member 123 is provided with a support shaft 124 which is engaged with the guide hole 122 and is provided on the support plate 121. For example, the carriage 17 is provided with a contact portion (not shown) that contacts the support plate 121 between the second position P2 and the first position P1.

While the carriage 17 and the ink heads 41 to 44 are moving from the second position P2 to the first position P1, the contact portion pushes the support plate 121 toward the first position P1. At this time, the support plate 121 and the caps 111 to 114 approach the nozzle surface 45 while being guided by the guide hole 122, and move from the second position P2 toward the first position P1. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, when the ink heads 41 to 44 reach the first position P1, the caps 111 to 114 are attached to the nozzle surface 45 of the ink heads 41 to 44. On the other hand, while the carriage 17 and the ink heads 41 to 44 move from the first position P1 to the second position P2, the contact portion also moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2. At this time, the support plate 121 and the caps 111 to 114 move apart from the nozzle surface 45 while being guided by the guide hole 122, and the support plate 121 is in contact with the contact portion from the first position P1. 2 Move toward position P2. As shown in FIG. 7, the caps 111 to 114 are configured to stand by at the second position P2 when they reach the second position P2.

In the present embodiment, when the caps 131 to 134 are attached to the nozzle surface 45 to the non-attached state, the cap is after a part of the upper end of the caps 131 to 134 is separated from the nozzle surface 45. The other part of the upper end of 131 to 134 is configured to be separated from the nozzle surface 45. For example, here, when the caps 131 to 134 are removed from the nozzle surface 45, the upper right end of the caps 131 to 134 is separated from the nozzle surface 45, and then the upper left end of the caps 131 to 134 is separated from the nozzle surface 45. It is configured in. When the caps 131 to 134 are removed from the nozzle surface 45, the caps 131 to 134 are arranged obliquely with respect to the nozzle surface 45.

The suction pumps 131 to 134 are connected to caps 111 to 114, respectively. The suction pumps 131 to 134 are members for sucking ink, air, and the like in the caps 111 to 114, respectively. The suction pumps 131 to 134 are, for example, vacuum pumps. The suction pumps 131 to 134 are connected to the bottom surfaces of the caps 111 to 114 via tubes or the like, respectively. The suction pumps 131 to 134 are configured to form a negative pressure lower than the negative pressure in the ink supply path connected to the corresponding ink heads 41 to 44 when driven. For example, when the suction pumps 131 to 134 are driven with the caps 111 to 114 attached to the ink heads 41 to 44, ink or the like is sucked out from the nozzles 51 to 58 of the ink heads 41 to 44. The ink or the like sucked by the suction pumps 131 to 134 is discarded in a waste liquid tank (not shown) via a tube or the like (not shown).

For example, the wiper mechanism 140 is provided between the second position P2 and the platen 13. Further, the wiper mechanism 140 is provided below the ink heads 41 to 44. The wiper mechanism 140 is a mechanism for wiping and cleaning the nozzle surface 45 of the ink heads 41 to 44. As shown in FIG. 9, the wiper mechanism 140 includes a wiper 141, a rotary shaft 142, a cleaning liquid tank 143, and a rotary motor 144. The wiper 141 is a member that wipes the nozzle surface of the ink heads 41 to 44. The wiper 141 is a flat plate-shaped member extending in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction. The length of the wiper 141 in the front-rear direction is longer than the length of the ink heads 41 to 44 in the front-rear direction. The wiper 141 is made of rubber, for example. One end of the wiper 141 is connected to the rotating shaft 142. The wiper 141 is configured to be rotatable around a rotation shaft 142. The rotation shaft 142 extends in the front-rear direction. When the wiper 141 is arranged in a rotational position such that the end farther from the rotation shaft 142 faces up, the end is located slightly higher than the nozzle surface of the ink heads 41-44. Therefore, when the carriage 17 is driven while the wiper 141 is arranged at such a rotation position, the nozzle surface of the ink heads 41 to 44 can be wiped by the wiper 141. On the other hand, when the wiper 141 is arranged at a rotation position such that the end farther from the rotation shaft 142 is facing down, the wiper 141 is immersed in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank 143 installed below the rotation shaft 142. The wiper 141 is rotated by a rotary motor 144.

As shown in FIG. 1, an operation panel 150 is provided at the right end of the printer main body 11 of the printer 100. The operation panel 150 is provided with a display screen 151 for displaying the device status, an input key 152 operated by the user, and the like.

Next, the control device 160 will be described. The control device 160 is a device that controls printing and cleaning. The configuration of the control device 160 is not particularly limited. The control device 160 is, for example, a microcomputer. The hardware configuration of the microcomputer is not particularly limited, but for example, an interface (I / F) for receiving print data or the like from an external device such as a host computer, and a central processing unit (CPU: central) for executing control program instructions. A processing unit), a ROM (read only memory) that stores programs executed by the CPU, a RAM (random access memory) that is used as a working area for developing programs, and a memory that stores the above programs and various data. It is equipped with a storage device. The control device 160 does not necessarily have to be provided inside the printer 100, and is, for example, a computer installed outside the printer 100 and connected to the printer 100 via a wire or wirelessly so as to be communicable. May be good.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of the printer 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, the control device 160 includes a feed motor 23, a carriage motor 33, first to fourth ink heads 41 to 44, liquid feed pumps 73a to 73h, and filler sensors 88 of dampers 74a to 74h. , The suction pumps 131 to 134, the rotary motor 144, and the operation panel 150 are connected to each other so as to be communicable, and they are configured to be controllable.

In the present embodiment, the control device 160 includes a storage unit 161, a main suction control unit 163, a negative pressure adjusting unit 164, an air suction control unit 165, and a wiping control unit 166. A detailed description of the control of each part will be described later.

In the present embodiment, cleaning of the ink heads 41 to 44 is executed according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 11, as cleaning for the ink heads 41 to 44, main suction (step S101), negative pressure adjustment (step S102), air suction (step S103), and wiping (step S104) are executed in order. First, in step S101, the main suction control unit 163 controls the main suction. Here, the main suction is a control for sucking the ink remaining in the nozzles 51 to 58 (see FIG. 2) of the ink heads 41 to 44. Here, as shown in FIG. 8, the main suction control unit 163 controls the head moving mechanism 30 so as to move the carriage 17 and the ink heads 41 to 44 to the first position P1. At this time, the caps 111 to 114 gradually approach the nozzle surface 45 of the ink heads 41 to 44 by the cap movement mechanism 120 interlocked with the control of the head movement mechanism 30, and the ink heads 41 to 44 at the first position P1. Caps 111 to 114 are attached to the nozzle surface 45. At this time, the nozzle surfaces 45 and the caps 111 to 114 are in complete contact with each other, and a closed space is formed between the nozzle surfaces 45 and the caps 111 to 114.

In this way, after the caps 111 to 114 are attached to the nozzle surfaces 45 of the ink heads 41 to 44, the main suction control unit 163 drives the suction pumps 131 to 134 to reduce the pressure in the sealed space. As a result, the ink remaining in the nozzles 51 to 58 of the ink heads 41 to 44 is sucked into the suction pumps 131 to 134. The ink sucked from the caps 111 to 114 toward the suction pumps 131 to 134 is discharged to the waste liquid bottle.

Next, in step S102, the negative pressure adjusting unit 164 performs negative pressure adjustment. The negative pressure adjusting unit 164 stops the suction pumps 131 to 134 driven by the main suction control unit 163, and maintains the stopped state. In this way, when the suction pumps 131 to 134 are stopped, the control of the main suction ends. After that, the negative pressure adjusting unit 164 maintains the suction pumps 131 to 134 in a stopped state for a predetermined time with the caps 111 to 114 attached to the ink heads 41 to 44. This predetermined time is 3 to 10 seconds (for example, 5 seconds), which is a time appropriately set by the printer 100. It should be noted that this predetermined time is stored in advance in the storage unit 161. In this way, by maintaining the stopped state of the suction pumps 131 to 134, the negative pressure state in the nozzles 51 to 58 of the ink heads 41 to 44 is adjusted (in other words, equalized).

Next, in step S103, the air suction control unit 165 performs air suction. Here, the air suction is a control that sucks the ink in the caps 111 to 114 and does not suck the ink in the nozzles 51 to 58 of the ink heads 41 to 44. Here, by opening the sealed space between the nozzle surface 45 and the caps 111 to 114 to atmospheric pressure, the ink in the nozzles 51 to 58 is not sucked. The method of opening to atmospheric pressure will be described later. In the present embodiment, the air suction control unit 165 performs air suction to drive the suction pumps 131 to 134, thereby sucking the ink in the caps 111 to 114 toward the suction pumps 131 to 134. can.

Next, in step S104, the wiping control unit 166 performs wiping. Here, the wiping control unit 166 controls the head moving mechanism 30 so that the ink heads 41 to 44 move above the wiper mechanism 140 (see FIG. 9). Then, when the ink heads 41 to 44 pass above the wiper mechanism 140, the wiper control unit 166 rotates the wiper 141 and wipes the nozzle surface 45 of the ink heads 41 to 44 with the wiper 141. By executing the above steps, cleaning of the ink heads 41 to 44 is completed.

By the way, when performing air suction, the caps 111 to 114 are slightly separated from the nozzle surface 45 in order to open to atmospheric pressure. When performing air suction, the caps 111 to 114 are fully filled with ink. Therefore, if air suction is performed with the nozzle surfaces 45 of the ink heads 41 to 44 and the caps 111 to 114 being too far apart from each other, the ink in the caps 111 to 114 may leak to the outside. Here, the distance between each nozzle surface 45 and the caps 111 to 114 means the distance between each nozzle surface 45 and the upper end of the caps 111 to 114. In the present embodiment, depending on the caps 111 to 114, two colors of ink are mixed inside. For example, two colors of ink sucked from the nozzles 51 and 52 are mixed in the first cap 111. Further, at the time of air suction, the negative pressure state is maintained in the nozzles 51 to 58. Therefore, if the distance between the nozzle surface 45 of the ink heads 41 to 44 and the caps 111 to 114 is too large, a part of the ink droplets is separated from the nozzle surface 45 at the timing when the caps 111 to 114 and the nozzle surface 45 are separated. May adhere to. The droplets adhering to the nozzle surface 45 are droplets of mixed ink. At this time, since the inside of the ink heads 41 to 44 has a negative pressure, there is a possibility that droplets adhering to the nozzle surface 45 and having a mixed color may be sucked into the nozzles 51 to 58. Although it is not directly related to air suction, the distance between the nozzle surfaces 45 of the ink heads 41 to 44 and the caps 111 to 114 is too narrow (here, the caps 111 to 114 are completely attached to the nozzle surfaces 45). Even in this case, the mixed color ink in the caps 111 to 114 may be sucked into the nozzles 51 to 58. Here, the "state in which the caps 111 to 114 are completely attached to the nozzle surface 45" is a state in which there is no gap between the nozzle surface 45 and the upper ends of the caps 111 to 114. From the above, when performing air suction, the distance between the nozzle surfaces 45 of the ink heads 41 to 44 and the caps 111 to 114 is such that the ink does not leak to the outside from the inside of the caps 111 to 114 and the nozzles. It is preferable that the distance is so small that the ink in the caps 111 to 114 is not sucked into 51 to 58. This minute distance is a very minute distance that cannot be visually recognized.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, control is performed to determine the positions of the caps 111 to 114 (hereinafter, referred to as air suction positions) corresponding to this minute distance. Here, as shown in FIG. 10, in order to control the air suction position, the control device 160 further includes a pretreatment execution unit 170, an approach movement control unit 171 and an approach pressure determination unit 172. It includes a separation movement control unit 173, a separation pressure determination unit 174, a position stored unit 175, an air suction position movement unit 176, an air suction determination unit 177, and an error control unit 178. Detailed control of each of these parts will be described later. In the present embodiment, the control performed by the pretreatment execution unit 170, the approach movement control unit 171, the approach pressure determination unit 172, the separation movement control unit 173, the separation pressure determination unit 174, and the position storage unit 175 is "empty suction position control". That is. This air suction position control is, for example, a control executed before the printer 100 is shipped or before the user first uses the printer 100.

Next, the control for determining the air suction position will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 12A and 12B. In the present embodiment, the control for determining the air suction position of the caps 111 to 114 is the same, and therefore, the control for determining the air suction position of the first cap 111 will be described below.

First, in step S201 of FIG. 12A, the preprocessing execution unit 170 executes the preprocessing. Here, the pretreatment is a processing performed before the air suction position control. Here, in the pretreatment execution unit 170, the pressure in the first ink supply path 72a (see FIG. 4) and the pressure in the second ink supply path 72a (see FIG. 4) are larger than the predetermined determination pressure. The drive of the liquid feed pumps 73a and 73b is controlled so as to be. Here, when the pressure is larger than the predetermined determination pressure, as shown in FIG. 6, the fillers 87 of the dampers 74a and 74b are both unhit, that is, between the pair of detection portions 88a of the filler sensor 88. It is synonymous with the fact that the filler 87 is not located.

As a pretreatment, specifically, the pretreatment execution unit 170 determines whether or not the liquid feed pumps 73a and 73b are driven (step S2010), and when the liquid feed pumps 73a and 73b are not driven, The liquid feed pumps 73a and 73b are driven (step S2011). In the following description, "controlling the drive of the liquid feed pump" means that when the filler 87 is hit, it is automatically controlled to drive (in other words, rotate) the liquid feed pump, and in other cases, it is automatically controlled. Means to automatically control the liquid feed pump to the standby state (for example, the stopped state). Here, the state of "controlling the drive of the liquid feed pump" is the automatic control state. Next, the pretreatment execution unit 170 determines whether or not the filler 87 has been unhit (step S2012). Here, as the ink is supplied to the first ink head 41 by the liquid feed pumps 73a and 73b, the amount of ink in the storage chambers 82 of the dampers 74a and 74b gradually increases as shown in FIG. , The damper film 83 bends outward. This puts the filler 87 in an unhit state. That is, the pressure in the first ink supply path 72a and the pressure in the second ink supply path 72b become larger than the predetermined determination pressure.

Here, if the determination in step S2012 is No, the preprocessing execution unit 170 waits for a predetermined waiting time (for example, 1 second) (step S2013), and makes the determination in step S2012 again. When it is determined in step S2012 that the filler 87 is unhit, the pretreatment execution unit 170 stops and closes the drive of the liquid feed pumps 73a and 73b (step S2014). Here, by closing the liquid feed pumps 73a and 73b, the ink supply paths 72a and 72b are closed. As a result, when the ink is sucked by the drive of the first suction pump 131 in step S2020 described later, the ink is supplied from the ink tanks 71a and 71b to the ink supply paths 72a and 72b, and the ink supply paths 72a and 72b are supplied. It is possible to prevent the pressure drop inside from being hindered. The method of closing the ink supply paths 72a and 72b is not limited to closing the liquid feed pumps 73a and 73b. For example, the valves (not shown) provided in the ink supply paths 72a and 72b are closed. You may. After that, the pretreatment execution unit 170 moves the first ink head 41 and the first cap 131 to predetermined positions (step S2015). Here, the predetermined position is a flushing position. The flushing position is a position where flushing for ejecting ink from the first ink head 41 toward the first cap 131 is performed. For example, the first position P1 (see FIG. 8) and the second position P2 (FIG. 8). 7) and is set.

As described above, after the preprocessing in step S201 is completed, the approach process is executed in step S202. Here, the approach movement control unit 171 refers to the nozzle surface 45 in a state where the first cap 111 is not attached to the nozzle surface 45 (here, the first ink head 41 is located at the flushing position). The cap moving mechanism 120 is controlled so that the first cap 111 moves in the approaching direction. Here, controlling the cap moving mechanism 120 is synonymous with controlling the head moving mechanism 30. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the cap moving mechanism 120 causes the caps 111 to 114 to move in the main scanning direction in conjunction with the movement of the ink heads 41 to 44 in the main scanning direction Y by the head moving mechanism 30. Move Y and up and down.

The approach pressure determination unit 172 drives the first suction pump 131 while the first cap 131 is moved in the direction approaching the nozzle surface 45 by the approach movement control unit 171. Then, the approach pressure determination unit 172 detects the first approach detection pressure, which is the pressure in the first ink supply path 72a, from the filler sensor 88 of the first damper 74a. Further, the approach pressure determination unit 172 detects the second approach detection pressure, which is the pressure in the second ink supply path 72b, from the filler sensor 88 of the second damper 74a. Then, in the approach pressure determination unit 172, whether or not at least one of the first approach detection pressure and the second approach detection pressure is equal to or lower than a predetermined determination pressure, that is, at least one of the fillers 87 of the dampers 74a and 74b is set. Determine if there is a hit. When at least one of the first approach detection pressure and the second approach detection pressure becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined determination pressure, the ink in the first ink head 41 is sucked into the first suction pump 131. .. When the ink in the first ink head 41 is sucked by the first suction pump 131, at least one of the dampers 74a and 74b of the damper film 83 bends inward, and the ink in the storage chamber 82 decreases.

In the present embodiment, in the control of step S202, the control of steps S2020 to S2022 is performed. The approach pressure determination unit 172 drives the first suction pump 131 for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) (step S2020). Next, the approach pressure determination unit 172 determines whether or not at least one of the dampers 74a and 74b of the filler 87 has hit (step S2021). In step S2021, when the filler 87 of at least one of the dampers 74a and 74b is hit, it is determined that at least one of the first approach detection pressure and the second approach detection pressure is equal to or lower than a predetermined determination pressure. .. If No is determined in step S2021, the approach movement control unit 171 moves the head movement mechanism 30 so that the first ink head 41 moves toward the first position P1 by a predetermined distance (for example, 0.1 mm). Is controlled (step S2022). At this time, the nozzle surface 45 of the first ink head 41 and the first cap 111 are brought close to each other by the cap moving mechanism 120 linked with the head moving mechanism 30. After that, the control of step S2020 is performed again.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2021 that at least one of the dampers 74a and 74b of the filler 87 is hit, the process proceeds to Yes, and the control in step S202 ends. In this way, at least one of the fillers 87 of the dampers 74a and 74b was hit because ink was sucked from at least one of the nozzles 51 and 52 and at least one of the pressures of the ink supply paths 72a and 72b changed. Because it was done. The state in which the ink in the first ink head 41 is sucked is also referred to as a state in which the first cap 111 is attached to the nozzle surface 45 of the first ink head 41.

Next, in step S203 of FIG. 12B, the separation process is executed. In the separation process, the separation movement control unit 173 refers to the nozzle surface 45 in a state where the first cap 111 is attached to the nozzle surface 45 (here, the ink in the first ink head 41 is sucked). By controlling the head moving mechanism 30 so that the first cap 111 moves in a direction in which the first cap 111 is separated, the cap moving mechanism 120 is indirectly controlled. The separation pressure determination unit 174 drives the first suction pump 131 while the separation movement control unit 173 moves the first cap 111 in the direction of separation from the nozzle surface 45. In the present embodiment, the "drive" of the suction pump includes not only a state in which the suction pump is always driven, but also a state in which the suction pump is temporarily not driven, that is, temporarily stopped. It may be. To "drive" the suction pump, for example, while the caps 111 to 114 are moving in a direction away from the nozzle surface 45, the suction pump is stopped for at least a part of the time, or the suction force of the suction pump is appropriately changed. The state of causing it is included. In this embodiment, the suction pumps 131 to 134 are always driven while the caps 111 to 114 are moving in the direction away from the nozzle surface 45. At this time, the suction pumps 131 to 134 are driven so that the maximum suction force is maintained. While the suction pumps 131 to 134 are being driven, the suction force of the suction pumps 131 to 134 may change. Here, while the first cap 111 is moving in the direction of separating from the nozzle surface 45, the separation pressure determination unit 174 is the pressure in the first ink supply path 72a from the filler sensor 88 of the first damper 74a. 1 Separation detection pressure is detected. Further, the separation pressure determination unit 174 detects the second separation detection pressure, which is the pressure in the second ink supply path 72b, from the filler sensor 88 of the second damper 74b.

Then, the separation pressure determination unit 174 determines whether the first separation detection pressure and the second separation detection pressure are both larger than the predetermined determination pressure, that is, whether the fillers 87 of the dampers 74a and 74b do not hit together. do. When both the first separation detection pressure and the second separation detection pressure become larger than the predetermined determination pressure, the ink in the first ink head 41 is released from the state of being sucked by the first suction pump 131. Is. When the ink in the first ink head 41 is no longer sucked by the first suction pump 131, the damper films 83 of the dampers 74a and 74b are maintained in a bent outward state as shown in FIG.

The position stored unit 175 is located at the position of the first cap 131 with respect to the nozzle surface 45 when the separation pressure determination unit 174 determines that both the first separation detection pressure and the second separation detection pressure are larger than the predetermined determination pressure. A certain empty suction position is stored in the storage unit 161.

In the present embodiment, in the control of step S203, the control of steps S2030 to S2036 is performed. First, the separation pressure determination unit 174 drives the liquid feed pumps 73a and 73b (step S2030) and waits for a predetermined time (for example, 3 seconds) (step S2031). After that, the separation pressure determination unit 174 stops and closes the drive of the liquid feed pumps 73a and 73b (step S2032). By performing these steps, the filler 87 of the dampers 74a and 74b can be unhit.

Next, the separation pressure determination unit 174 drives the suction pump 131 for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) (step S2033). After that, the separation pressure determination unit 174 determines whether or not the filler 87 of the dampers 74a and 74b has hit, that is, whether or not the filler 87 has changed from the unhit state (step S2034). Here, when the filler 87 of the dampers 74a and 74b is unhit, it is determined that the first separation detection pressure and the second separation detection pressure are larger than the predetermined determination pressure. If it is determined to be Yes in step S2034, the ink in the first ink head 41 is sucked by the first suction pump 131, and the ink in the storage chamber 82 is reduced. In this case, the separation movement control unit 173 controls the head movement mechanism 30 so that the first ink head 41 moves toward the second position P2 by a predetermined distance (for example, 0.1 mm) (step S2035). At this time, the nozzle surface 45 of the first ink head 41 and the first cap 111 are further separated by the cap moving mechanism 120 linked to the head moving mechanism 30. After that, the separation pressure determination unit 174 controls step S2030 again.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S2034 that the fillers 87 of the dampers 74a and 74b are unhit, the ink in the first ink head 41 is not sucked by the first suction pump 131, and the ink in the storage chamber 82 is not sucked. The amount of ink has not changed. In this case, the process proceeds to No, and then in step S2036, the position stored unit 175 stores the position of the first cap 131 at this time in the storage unit 161. At this time, the position stored unit 175 may store the position of the first ink head 41 in the main scanning direction Y in the storage unit 161. The position of the first cap 131 at this time is a position where the ink in the nozzles 51 and 52 is no longer sucked by the first cap 131. The position of the first cap 131 at this time is the empty suction position.

In the present embodiment, when the air suction is performed, the air suction position moving unit 176 is stored in the storage unit 161 so that the first cap 131 is positioned at the air suction position. By moving the position of 41, the cap moving mechanism 120 is indirectly controlled. Then, in a state where the first cap 131 is located at the air suction position, the air suction control unit 165 controls the air suction.

While controlling the air suction, the error determination control may be executed according to the flowchart as shown in FIG. In this case, in step S301, the air suction control unit 165 controls the air suction. Next, in step S302, the air suction determination unit 177 determines whether or not at least one of the fillers 87 of the dampers 74a and 74b is hit. Here, the air suction determination unit 177 is the first ink supply path from the filler sensor 88 of the first damper 74a while the ink in the first cap 111 is sucked by the first suction pump 131 by the air suction control unit 165. The first air suction detection pressure, which is the pressure in 72a, is detected. Further, the air suction determination unit 177 detects the second air suction detection pressure, which is the pressure in the second ink supply path 72b, from the filler sensor 88 of the second damper 74b. Then, the air suction determination unit 177 determines whether or not at least one of the first air suction detection pressure and the second air suction detection pressure is equal to or less than a predetermined determination pressure.

Here, when the filler 87 is hit, it is determined that the ink in the first ink head 42 is sucked. In this case, in step S303, the error control unit 178 performs predetermined error control. Note that this error control is, for example, a control for displaying an error message on the display screen 151 of the operation panel 150. This allows the user to know whether or not the air suction is properly performed. However, the error control may be a control for executing the above-mentioned air suction position control. That is, the error control may execute the control according to the flowcharts of FIGS. 12A and 12B.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the ink in the first ink head 41 is sucked by driving the first suction pump 131 while the first cap 111 is mounted on the nozzle surface 45 of the first ink head 41. And discharged into the first cap 111. At this time, the pressure in the ink supply paths 72a and 72b related to the first ink head 41 drops because the ink is discharged, and becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined detection pressure. On the other hand, when the pressure in the ink supply paths 72a and 72b is larger than the predetermined detection pressure, the ink in the first ink head 41 is not sucked. In this way, the position of the first cap 111 with respect to the nozzle surface 45 when switching from the case where the ink in the first ink head 41 is discharged by the first suction pump 131 to the case where the ink is not discharged is appropriately used for empty suction. This is a position where the first cap 111 is closest to the nozzle surface 45. In the present embodiment, air suction can be performed by detecting the pressure in the ink supply paths 72a and 72b, and the position where the first cap 111 is closest to the nozzle surface 45 is set. can do. By setting such a position as the air suction position and performing air suction at the air suction position, it is possible to suppress the suction of the mixed color ink into the first ink head 41. Further, since the first cap 111 is relatively close to the nozzle surface 45, it is possible to prevent the ink in the first cap 111 from leaking to the outside. Therefore, air suction can be appropriately performed.

If the ink mixed in the air suction is sucked into the ink heads 41 to 44, more flushing is performed. The ink ejected by this flushing is the ink to be discarded. In the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the mixed color ink from being sucked into the ink heads 41 to 44 at the time of air suction, so that the number of flushing can be reduced. Therefore, the amount of ink discarded by flushing can be reduced.

In the present embodiment, the ink in the first ink head 41 is sucked by the first suction pump 131 even when the first cap 131 is not completely in contact with the nozzle surface 45 in the separation process. It is possible. It is considered that this is because the ink film is formed between the nozzle surface 45 and the upper end of the first cap 131, so that a closed space is formed between the nozzle surface 45 and the first cap 131. Be done.

In the present embodiment, before the separation process (step S203 in FIG. 12B) by the separation movement control unit 173 and the separation pressure determination unit 174 is performed, the approach processing by the approach movement control unit 171 and the approach pressure determination unit 172 (FIG. 12A). Step S202) is being performed. Here, in the approach process, the timing of switching from the case where the ink in the first ink head 41 is not sucked by the first suction pump 131 to the case where the ink is sucked is determined. On the other hand, in the separation process, the timing of switching from the case where the ink in the first ink head 41 is sucked by the first suction pump 131 to the case where the ink is not sucked is determined. The ink sucked by the first suction pump 131 is discarded and becomes useless ink. Therefore, the longer the separation processing time, the more ink is discarded, and the more ink is wasted. However, in the present embodiment, by performing the approaching process before the separating process, it is possible to specify an approximate position where the ink in the first ink head 41 is not sucked by the first suction pump 131. Therefore, by performing the separation process after the approach process, the processing time of the separation process can be relatively shortened, and the amount of ink sucked by the first suction pump 131 can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of waste ink by performing control for determining the air suction position.

The dampers 74a and 74b are used to control the timing of ink supply during printing. In the present embodiment, the filler sensors 88 of the dampers 74a and 74b are used to detect the pressures of the ink supply paths 72a and 72b to determine the air suction position. Therefore, since it is not necessary to provide a dedicated pressure sensor for determining the air suction position in the ink supply paths 72a and 72b, the number of parts can be reduced and the manufacturing cost can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the air suction determination unit 177 determines whether or not at least one of the pressures in the ink supply paths 72a and 72b is equal to or less than a predetermined determination pressure while the air suction is being performed. Is judged. The error control unit 178 performs predetermined error control when the pressure in the ink supply paths 72a and 72b is equal to or lower than the predetermined determination pressure. Here, the fact that at least one of the pressures in the ink supply paths 72a and 72b is equal to or lower than the predetermined determination pressure means that the ink in the first ink head 41 is the first suction pump 131 even though the air suction is in progress. Indicates that it is being sucked by. As described above, when the air suction is not properly performed, it is easy to avoid that the air suction is not properly performed by performing error control.

In this embodiment, caps 131 to 134 may have individual differences and assembly errors. The caps 131 to 134 are made of rubber and may deteriorate over time. Therefore, depending on the caps 131 to 134, the air suction may not be properly performed even though the caps 131 to 134 are arranged at the air suction positions after long-term use. In such a case, it is easy to avoid that the air suction is not properly performed by performing error control.

In the present embodiment, for example, as error control, control for displaying an error message on the display screen 151 is performed. This makes it possible to notify the user that the air suction is not properly performed. The user can take measures for proper air suction by the above notification.

In this embodiment, for example, air suction position control is automatically performed as error control. This makes it possible to automatically set a new air suction position. Therefore, it is possible to automatically recover to a state in which air suction is properly performed.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the cap moving mechanism 120 has a cap 131 on the nozzle surface 45 in conjunction with the movement of the ink heads 41 to 44 from the second position P2 to the first position P1. The caps 131 to 134 are moved in the direction in which the caps 131 to 134 approach, and the caps 131 to 134 are separated from the nozzle surface 45 in conjunction with the movement of the ink heads 41 to 44 from the first position P1 to the second position P2. It is configured to move the caps 131 to 134 in the direction of the ink. In the present embodiment, the caps 131 to 134 can be attached to the nozzle surface 45 of the ink heads 41 to 44 at the same time when the ink heads 41 to 44 reach the first position P1. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time from when the ink heads 41 to 44 arrive at the first position P1 until the caps 131 to 134 are attached to the nozzle surface 45. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time until the main suction or the air suction is started.

The inkjet printer 100 according to the present embodiment has been described above. In the above embodiment, the approach process (step S202 in FIG. 12A) is followed by the separation process (step S203 in FIG. 12B). However, this approach process can be omitted. In this case, the separation process may be started from a position (for example, the first position P1) in which the caps 131 to 134 are attached to the nozzle surface 45.

In the above embodiment, for example, the first ink head 41 is connected to ink supply paths 72a and 72b connected to ink tanks 71a and 71b in which inks of different colors are stored. That is, the ink supply paths 72a and 72b supplied inks of different colors, and two colors of ink were ejected from the first ink head 41. However, the ink tanks 71a and 71b connected to the ink supply paths 72a and 72b connected to the first ink head 41 may store ink of the same color. The ink supply paths 72a and 72b connected to the first ink head 41 may supply ink of the same color, or ink of one color may be ejected from the first ink head 41. In this case, either one of the ink supply paths 72a and 72b may be omitted.

In the above embodiment, the approach pressure determination unit 172 determines whether or not at least one of the first approach detection pressure and the second approach detection pressure is equal to or lower than the determination pressure. Then, when at least one of the first approach detection pressure and the second approach detection pressure is equal to or lower than the determination pressure, the separation movement control unit 173 has the caps 111 to 114 in the direction in which the caps 111 to 114 are separated from the nozzle surface 45. I was moving 114. However, the approach pressure determination unit 172 may determine whether or not both the first approach detection pressure and the second approach detection pressure are equal to or less than the determination pressure. In this case, in the separation movement control unit 173, the caps 111 to 114 are separated from the nozzle surface 45 by the approach pressure determination unit 172 when both the first approach detection pressure and the second approach detection pressure are equal to or lower than the determination pressure. Move the caps 111 to 114 in the direction.

In the above embodiment, the first pressure detection mechanism and the second pressure detection mechanism of the present invention are the filler sensors 88 of the dampers 74a and 74b. However, the first pressure detection mechanism and the second pressure detection mechanism may be so-called pressure sensors provided in the ink supply paths 72a and 72b.

In the above embodiment, the cap moving mechanism 120 raises and lowers the caps 111 to 114 in conjunction with the head moving mechanism 30. However, the cap moving mechanism according to the present invention includes a drive motor, and the caps 111 to 114 may be raised and lowered by driving the drive motor. Further, the cap moving mechanism according to the present invention may be configured to raise and lower the caps 111 to 114 at the first position P1 after the ink heads 41 to 44 reach the first position P1.

The storage unit 161 which is each part of the control device 160 of the printer 100 of the above embodiment, the main suction control unit 163, the negative pressure adjusting unit 164, the air suction control unit 165, the wiping control unit 166, and the preprocessing. Execution unit 170, approach movement control unit 171, approach pressure determination unit 172, separation movement control unit 173, separation pressure determination unit 174, position storage unit 175, air suction position movement unit 176, and air suction. The determination unit 177 and the error control unit 178 may be configured by software. That is, each of the above-mentioned parts of the control device 160 may be realized by the computer by reading the computer program into the computer. The present invention includes a computer program for air suction to make the computer function as each of the above parts. The present invention also includes a computer-readable recording medium on which the computer program is recorded. Further, each of the above-mentioned parts may be a processor realized by executing a computer program stored in the control device 160. In this case, each part may be realized by one processor or may be realized by a plurality of processors. Further, the present invention includes a circuit in which the same function as the program executed by each part is realized.

41-44 Ink head 45 Nozzle surface 51 Nozzle (1st nozzle)
52 Nozzles (2nd nozzle)
71a 1st ink tank 71b 2nd ink tank 72a 1st ink supply path 72b 2nd ink supply path 88 Filler sensor (1st pressure detection mechanism, 2nd pressure detection mechanism)
100 printer (inkjet printer)
111 to 114 Cap 120 Cap movement mechanism 131 to 134 Suction pump 160 Control device 161 Storage unit 165 Air suction control unit 173 Separation movement control unit 174 Separation pressure determination unit 175 Position storage unit 176 Empty suction position movement unit

Claims (10)

The first ink tank in which the first ink is stored and
The first ink supply path connected to the first ink tank and
An ink head having a first nozzle that communicates with the first ink supply path and ejects the first ink, and a nozzle surface on which the first nozzle is formed.
A first pressure detecting mechanism provided in the first ink supply path and detecting the pressure in the first ink supply path,
A cap that can be attached to the nozzle surface and can cover the first nozzle,
A cap moving mechanism that brings the cap closer to or further from the nozzle surface,
A suction pump connected to the cap and sucking ink in the cap,
With the control device
Equipped with
The control device is
Memory and
A separation movement control unit that moves the cap in a direction in which the cap is separated from the nozzle surface while the cap is attached to the nozzle surface.
While the cap is moving in the direction away from the nozzle surface by the separation movement control unit, the suction pump is driven, and the pressure in the first ink supply path from the first pressure detection mechanism is the first. A separation pressure determination unit that detects the separation detection pressure and determines whether or not the first separation detection pressure is larger than a predetermined determination pressure.
A position stored unit that stores the position of the cap with respect to the nozzle surface as an empty suction position in the storage unit when the separation pressure determination unit determines that the first separation detection pressure is larger than the determination pressure.
An air suction position moving unit that controls the cap moving mechanism so that the cap is positioned at the air suction position,
With the cap positioned at the air suction position, the air suction control unit that sucks the ink in the cap and the air suction control unit.
Inkjet printer with. A second ink tank in which the second ink is stored, and
The second ink supply path connected to the second ink tank and
A second pressure detection mechanism provided in the second ink supply path and detecting the pressure in the second ink supply path,
Equipped with
The ink head has a second nozzle formed on the nozzle surface, communicating with the second ink supply path, and ejecting the second ink.
The cap can cover the second nozzle and
The separation pressure determination unit drives the suction pump while the cap is moving in a direction away from the nozzle surface by the separation movement control unit, and the first ink supply path from the first pressure detection mechanism. The first separation detection pressure, which is the pressure inside, is detected, and the second separation detection pressure, which is the pressure in the second ink supply path, is detected from the second pressure detection mechanism, and the first separation detection pressure and the above are described. It is determined whether or not both the second separation detection pressures are larger than the determination pressure, and the second separation detection pressure is determined.
The position storage unit determines the position of the cap with respect to the nozzle surface when both the first separation detection pressure and the second separation detection pressure are determined by the separation pressure determination unit to be larger than the determination pressure. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, which is stored in the storage unit as an empty suction position. The control device is
An approach movement control unit that moves the cap in a direction in which the cap approaches the nozzle surface when the cap is not attached to the nozzle surface.
While the cap is moving in the direction approaching the nozzle surface by the approach movement control unit, the first approach detection pressure, which is the pressure in the first ink supply path, is detected from the first pressure detection mechanism. The second approach detection pressure, which is the pressure in the second ink supply path, is detected from the second pressure detection mechanism, and at least one of the first approach detection pressure and the second approach detection pressure is equal to or lower than the determination pressure. The approach pressure determination unit that determines whether or not it is
Equipped with
When at least one of the first approach detection pressure and the second approach detection pressure is determined by the approach pressure determination unit to be equal to or lower than the determination pressure, the separation movement control unit refers to the nozzle surface. The inkjet printer according to claim 2, wherein the cap is moved in a direction in which the caps are separated from each other. The control device is
While the air suction control unit sucks the ink in the cap, the first pressure detection mechanism detects the first air suction detection pressure, which is the pressure in the first ink supply path, and the second pressure detection mechanism. The second air suction detection pressure, which is the pressure in the second ink supply path, is detected from the pressure detection mechanism, and whether at least one of the first air suction detection pressure and the second air suction detection pressure is equal to or less than the determination pressure. The air suction judgment unit that determines whether or not it is
An error control unit that performs predetermined error control when at least one of the first air suction detection pressure and the second air suction detection pressure is determined by the air suction determination unit to be equal to or lower than the determination pressure.
The inkjet printer according to claim 2 or 3. When the control of the separation movement control unit, the separation pressure determination unit, and the position stored unit is defined as the empty suction position control.
The inkjet printer according to claim 4, wherein the error control is the air suction position control. Equipped with a display screen
The inkjet printer according to claim 4, wherein the error control is a control for displaying an error message on the display screen. A guide rail extending in the main scanning direction and
A carriage provided with the ink head and slidable on the guide rail,
A head moving mechanism that moves the carriage and the ink head along the guide rail,
Equipped with
The position of one end of the guide rail, the position of the ink head when the cap is mounted on the nozzle surface, is the first position, and the position of the one end of the guide rail, the nozzle. When the position of the ink head when the cap is not attached to the surface is set to the second position,
The head moving mechanism moves the cap in a direction in which the cap approaches the nozzle surface in conjunction with the movement of the ink head from the second position to the first position, and the first position. One of claims 1 to 6, which is configured to move the cap in a direction in which the cap is separated from the nozzle surface in conjunction with the movement of the ink head from the second position to the second position. Inkjet printers listed in one. The first damper provided in the first ink supply path and
The second damper provided in the second ink supply path and
Equipped with
The first damper is
A first storage chamber that communicates with the first ink supply path and is partially open,
A first damper membrane covering the opening of the first storage chamber,
Equipped with
The second damper is
A second storage chamber that communicates with the second ink supply path and is partially open,
A second damper membrane covering the opening of the second storage chamber,
Equipped with
The first pressure detection mechanism detects the pressure in the first storage chamber, and the first pressure detection mechanism detects the pressure in the first storage chamber.
The inkjet printer according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the second pressure detecting mechanism detects the pressure in the second storage chamber. The first damper is
The first pressing body provided on the first damper film and
A first filler provided on the side opposite to the first storage chamber with respect to the first damper membrane and whose position is changed with the movement of the first pressing body.
Have,
The first pressure detection mechanism is a first filler sensor that detects whether or not the first filler has moved within a predetermined range.
The second damper is
The second pressing body provided on the second damper film and
A second filler provided on the side opposite to the second storage chamber with respect to the second damper membrane and whose position is changed as the second pressing body moves.
Have,
The second pressure detection mechanism is a second filler sensor that detects whether or not the second filler has moved within a predetermined range.
The separation pressure determination unit determines whether or not the first filler is located within the predetermined range by the first filler sensor, and the second filler sensor determines whether the second filler is within the predetermined range. Determine if it is located inside and
The position stored unit is the empty suction of the cap to the nozzle surface when the separation pressure determination unit determines that the first filler and the second filler are not located within the predetermined range. The inkjet printer according to claim 8, wherein the position is stored in the storage unit. In the inkjet printer according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the storage unit, the separation movement control unit, the separation pressure determination unit, the position storage unit, the empty suction position movement unit, and the air suction position movement unit. A computer program for air suction to realize at least the air suction control unit in a computer.

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