JP7124502B2 - Device for ejecting liquid - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus for ejecting liquid.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a recording apparatus such as a printer, a facsimile machine, a copier, a plotter, or a multifunction machine of these, an ink ejection type recording apparatus (also referred to as an inkjet recording apparatus) having a liquid ejection head is known.

An apparatus using a liquid ejection head is provided with a maintenance recovery mechanism (maintenance mechanism) including a cap member for capping the nozzle surface and a wiping member for wiping the nozzle surface in order to maintain and recover the state of the nozzles that eject liquid. things are known.

In recent years, there have been a wide variety of demands for inkjet recording devices (especially for industrial and commercial printing applications), such as quick-drying ink in high-speed printing and high-quality printing on media with low ink absorption other than paper. The ink components used are also diverse. For example, when using ink with improved fixability in order to meet the above requirements, there is a problem that the ink tends to adhere to the nozzle surface and the like.

The ink adhering to the nozzle surface is mainly dried and solidified ink residue on the contact traces of the nozzle and the cap member, and it is sometimes difficult to remove it by the wiping member.
For example, when the wiping operation is performed in the direction of the nozzle row, wiping is performed at the same portion of the wiping member along the nozzle row. . Similarly, by wiping by tracing the contact mark on the long side of the cap member, dirt accumulates on the same portion of the wiping member and the wiping performance decreases, or the dirt re-adheres, resulting in efficient contamination. can be difficult to remove.

In order to address such a problem, Patent Document 1 discloses that the head is rotated during wiping so that the nozzle row direction and the wiping direction form an acute angle so that the nozzle holes do not overlap each other with respect to the wiping member. A method is proposed. Further, Patent Document 2 proposes a method of wiping so as not to be parallel to one side of a polygonal nozzle hole or wiping so as not to be parallel to a nozzle row. Furthermore, Patent Document 3 proposes a device that rotates a carriage to wipe in a direction parallel to the nozzle row or in a direction perpendicular to the diagonal line of the carriage.

In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, by rotating the head so that the nozzle holes do not overlap with each other, the remaining ink is not secondarily wiped out at the same place. In addition to the need for a mechanism, there is a risk that the reproducibility of the head position will deteriorate when the rotation is returned. In addition, in the technique of Patent Document 2, the wipes are wiped so as not to be parallel to the nozzle row, but this requires a wider web width, a longer movement stroke, and an extra space for maintenance. Therefore, there is a possibility that it will lead to an increase in cost and an increase in the size of the apparatus. Furthermore, in the technique of Patent Document 3, the carriage (head) is rotated to change the relationship between the wiping direction and the nozzle row direction, but like Patent Document 1, the structure becomes complicated and the position reproducibility of the head deteriorates. There is a risk.

On the other hand, in order to prevent redeposition of dirt on the long side of the cap member, the shape of the cap member may be, for example, a non-rectangular shape as disclosed in Patent Document 4.
In Patent Document 4, the shape of the lip that contacts and press-fits the head is formed in a curved shape (specifically, a substantially elliptical shape, a substantially circular shape, etc.) for the purpose of increasing the pressing force of the cap member. Have been described.

However, when the cap member disclosed in Patent Document 4 is applied, a plurality of cap members may be arranged to cover a plurality of adjacent nozzle rows in a shape such as an ellipse or a circle with a bulging central portion. Have difficulty. Moreover, since the covered area becomes larger than the cap opening surface, the size of the head is increased. Also, designing and arranging the nozzle rows in accordance with the arrangement of the plurality of cap members will lead to an increase in the size of the head, which in turn leads to an increase in the size of the apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid ejecting apparatus capable of efficiently removing ink stains adhering to a nozzle surface without complicating or increasing the size of the apparatus.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a liquid ejection device according to the present invention includes a liquid ejection head having a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting liquid are arranged; A cap member that covers at least the nozzle rows and a wiping member that wipes the nozzle surface of the liquid ejection head in a predetermined direction, wherein the cap member is attached to the liquid ejection head at a tip of a peripheral edge that forms an opening. and the extending direction of the seal portion in the longitudinal direction of the opening is non-parallel to the wiping direction of the wiping member, and the opening of the cap member The shape is asymmetric with respect to an imaginary center line that passes through the center of the area to be covered on the nozzle surface and is parallel to the wiping direction of the wiping member.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an apparatus for ejecting liquid capable of efficiently removing ink stains adhering to a nozzle surface without complicating the apparatus or increasing the size of the apparatus.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory plan view of a mechanism portion of an example of a device for ejecting liquid according to the present invention; 1 is a side view of a main part of an example of a device for ejecting liquid according to the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a mechanism of transferring ink from a cap member to a nozzle surface of a liquid ejection head and depositing the ink thereon; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the state of the nozzle surface of the liquid ejection head; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a wiping mechanism provided with a wiping member; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a wiping mechanism provided with a wiping member; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the cap member according to the first embodiment, in which (A) and (B) are schematic diagrams of contact traces of the seal portion on the nozzle surface, (C) is a top view, and (D) is a perspective view. . FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a cap member according to a second embodiment, wherein (A) and (B) are schematic diagrams of contact traces of the seal portion on the nozzle surface, (C) is a top view, and (D) is a perspective view. . FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a cap member according to a third embodiment, wherein (A) and (B) are schematic diagrams of contact traces of the seal portion on the nozzle surface, (C) is a top view, and (D) is a perspective view. . FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a cap member according to a fourth embodiment, wherein (A) and (B) are schematic diagrams of contact traces of the seal portion on the nozzle surface, (C) is a top view, and (D) is a perspective view. . FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing changes in the contact position (position of contact mark) of the seal portion with respect to the nozzle surface;

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An apparatus for ejecting liquid according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown below, and can be changed within the scope of those skilled in the art, such as other embodiments, additions, modifications, deletions, etc. is also included in the scope of the present invention as long as the functions and effects of the present invention are exhibited.

An apparatus for ejecting liquid will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory plan view of essential parts of a device for ejecting liquid according to one embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory side view of essential parts of an apparatus for ejecting liquid according to one embodiment.

The apparatus G for ejecting liquid according to one embodiment shown in FIG.
The main scanning movement mechanism 493 includes a guide member 401, a main scanning motor 405, a timing belt 408, and the like. The guide member 401 is bridged between the left and right side plates 491A and 491B to movably hold the carriage 403 . A main scanning motor 405 reciprocates the carriage 403 in the main scanning direction via a timing belt 408 stretched between a drive pulley 406 and a driven pulley 407 .

The carriage 403 is mounted with the liquid ejection unit A in which the liquid ejection head 10 and the head tank 441 for storing ink are integrated.
The liquid ejection head 10 described above ejects liquids (inks) of yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (K), for example. Further, the liquid ejection head 10 is mounted with the nozzle row 11 including the plurality of nozzles described above arranged in the sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction, and the ejection direction facing downward.

The supply mechanism 494 is for supplying the ink (liquid) stored in the liquid cartridge 450 to the liquid ejection head 10 .
The supply mechanism 494 is composed of a cartridge holder 451 which is a filling portion for mounting the liquid cartridge 450, a tube 456, a liquid feeding unit 452 including a liquid feeding pump, and the like.
The liquid cartridge 450 is detachably attached to the cartridge holder 451 . Ink (liquid) is sent from the liquid cartridge 450 to the head tank 441 through the tube 456 by the liquid sending unit 452 .

The device G for ejecting liquid has a transport mechanism 495 for sucking the paper 410 and positioning it to a position facing the liquid ejection head 10 . The transport mechanism 495 has an endless transport belt 412 and a sub-scanning motor 416 for driving the transport belt 412 . The adsorption of the paper 410 can be performed, for example, by electrostatic adsorption or air suction.

The conveying belt 412 is stretched between a conveying roller 413 and a tension roller 414, and is rotationally driven by a sub-scanning motor 416 via a timing belt 417 and a timing pulley 418 to rotate in the sub-scanning direction. do.

A liquid ejection head maintenance/recovery mechanism (cleaning device) C for wiping the nozzle surface 10a of the liquid ejection head 10 is arranged on one side of the carriage 403 in the main scanning direction on the side of the transport belt 412 . .
The main scanning movement mechanism 493, the supply mechanism 494, the maintenance and recovery mechanism (cleaning device) C for the liquid ejection head, and the transport mechanism 495 are attached to a housing including side plates 491A and 491B and a back plate 491C.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus G configured as described above, the paper 410 is fed onto the conveying belt 412 and attracted to it, and is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction by the circular movement of the conveying belt 412 .
Therefore, by moving the carriage 403 in the main scanning direction and driving the liquid ejection head 10 in accordance with the image signal, the liquid (ink) is ejected onto the stationary paper 410 to form an image.

A device for ejecting liquid according to the present invention includes a liquid ejection head 10 having a nozzle array 11 in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting liquid are arranged; A cap member 20 for covering and a wiping member 60 for wiping the nozzle surface 10a of the liquid ejection head 10 in a predetermined direction are provided. The cap member 20 has a seal portion 20b that contacts the nozzle surface 10a of the liquid ejection head at the tip of the peripheral edge that forms the opening.

3 to 6 show examples of the liquid ejection head 10, the cap member 20, and the wiping member 60 in a general apparatus for ejecting liquid.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams showing the mechanism by which ink is transferred from the cap member 20 to the nozzle surface 10a and fixed and deposited on the liquid ejection head 10 and the cap member 20. FIGS. It is an explanatory view schematically showing the.

3A shows a state in which the cap member 20 is retracted from the liquid ejection head 10, FIG. 3B shows a state in which the cap member 20 is in contact with the liquid ejection head 10, and FIG. 3D shows a state in which ink 12 adheres to the seal portion 21 of the cap member 20, and a state in which the seal portion 21 to which the ink 12 adheres contacts the liquid ejection head 10. FIG.
3E and 4 show a state in which the ink 12 adhering to the seal portion 21 adheres to the nozzle surface 10a of the liquid ejection head. 2 shows a state in which the ink 12 adheres along the contact mark 13 of the seal portion 21. FIG.

When performing maintenance on the liquid ejection head 10, the cap member 20 is lifted from the retracted position (FIG. 3A) at which the cap member 20 is separated from the nozzle surface 10a of the liquid ejection head 10 for capping.
Then, as shown in FIG. 3B, the seal portion 21 of the cap member 20 is brought into contact with the nozzle surface 10a of the liquid ejection head 10. Then, as shown in FIG.
After the ink is sucked, the cap member 20 is lowered and separated from the nozzle surface 10a as shown in FIG. do.

As shown in FIG. 3(C), the ink 12 adheres to the seal portion 21 of the cap member 20. If capping is performed again as shown in FIG. ), the ink 12 adheres to the nozzle surface 10a.
After passing through the state of FIG. 3(E), ink is transferred to the nozzle surface 10a along the contact marks 13 of the seal portion 21 as shown in FIG.

5 and 6 are explanatory diagrams showing a schematic configuration of a wiping mechanism provided with the wiping member 60. FIG.
The wiping mechanism wipes away the ink 12, foreign matter, etc. adhered to the nozzle surface 10a of the liquid ejection head 10 during head maintenance.

The wiping mechanism B1 shown in FIG. 5 has a blade material 60a made of a required material as the wiping member 60. As shown in FIG. One end portion (upper end portion in the figure) of the blade member 60a is in a tilted posture in contact with the nozzle surface 10a, and is moved in a predetermined direction (direction of arrow D1).
By moving the blade material 60a, which is a wiping member, in the direction of the arrow D1, the ink 12 adhering to the nozzle surface 10a is wiped off. As a result, the ink adhering to the nozzle surface 10a can be removed.
The direction of the arrow D1 can be the direction of the nozzle row 11, for example.

The wiping mechanism B2 shown in FIG. 6 has a wiping sheet 60b made of an ink absorbing material that absorbs ink as the wiping member 60, and is an example of a supply roller 80, a winding roller 81, a pressing roller 82, and a pressing member. It is provided with a compression coil spring 83 and has a configuration in which these are housed in a base 90 .
The width of the wiping sheet 60b can be set so that the nozzle surface 10a of the liquid ejection head 10 can be wiped at once.
Then, the nozzle surface 10a of the liquid ejection head 10 is wiped by moving the liquid ejection head 10 and the wiping mechanism B2 in the direction of the arrow D2.
The direction of the arrow D2 can be the direction of the nozzle row 11, for example.

The supply roller 80 feeds and supplies the wiping sheet 60b wound in a roll shape. The take-up roller 81 takes up the wiping sheet 60b drawn out from the supply roller 80, and is arranged side by side with the supply roller 80 at a required interval. The pressing roller 82 is arranged between the supply roller 80 and the take-up roller 81 and slightly above the supply roller 80 and the take-up roller 81 . The pressing roller 82 presses the wiping sheet 60b stretched between the supply roller 80 and the winding roller 81 against the nozzle surface 10a of the liquid ejection head 10 with a constant pressure. 83.

As shown in FIG. 4, the ink 12 adheres to the contact marks 13 of the seal portion 21 of the cap member 20 so as to surround the nozzle row 11 on the nozzle surface 10a. In order to remove the ink 12, the wiping member 60 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is used to wipe in a predetermined direction.
When the wiping direction is the direction of the nozzle row 11, the long side portion of the contact mark 13 that is substantially parallel to the nozzle row 11 is wiped at the same location of the wiping member 60, so the removed ink 12 is deposited. Resulting in. Also, when the cleaning liquid is applied to the wiping member 60 or the nozzle surface 10a, the areas where the cleaning liquid is consumed are uneven, making efficient cleaning difficult.

On the other hand, the cap member 20 of the apparatus for ejecting liquid according to the present invention has a seal portion 21 that abuts against the nozzle surface 10a of the liquid ejection head at the tip of the peripheral edge that forms the opening 22. The extending direction of the seal portion 21 in the longitudinal direction is non-parallel to the wiping direction of the wiping member 60, and the opening 22 of the cap member 20 passes through the center of the area to be covered of the nozzle surface 10a in the wiping direction of the wiping member 60. It is an asymmetrical shape with respect to an imaginary center line parallel to .
When the wiping direction of the wiping member 60 is the direction of the nozzle row 11 , the extending direction of the seal portion 21 in the longitudinal direction of the opening 22 is non-parallel to the direction of the nozzle row 11 .
A specific mode in which the wiping direction of the wiping member 60 is the direction of the nozzle row 11 will be described below.

(First embodiment)
A cap member 20 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
7A and 7B are schematic diagrams of contact traces 13 on the nozzle surface 10a of the seal portion 21. FIG. FIG. 7C is a top view of the opening 22 of the cap member 20. FIG. FIG. 7(D) is a perspective view of the cap member 20, partially showing a state in which a plurality of cap members 20 are held by a cap holder (not shown) as a maintenance recovery mechanism.

As shown by contact traces 13 in FIG. 7A, the extending direction of the seal portion 21 in the longitudinal direction of the opening 22 of the cap member 20 of the present embodiment is non-parallel to the direction of the nozzle row 11. The opening 22 of the member 20 has an asymmetrical shape with respect to an imaginary center line L passing through the center of the coverage target area of the nozzle surface 10 a and parallel to the direction of the nozzle row 11 .

The shape of the opening 22 of the cap member 20 of this embodiment is substantially parallelogram, and the extending direction of the seal portion 21 in the longitudinal direction of the opening 22 is non-parallel to the direction of the nozzle row 11 .

As a result, the wiping member 60 can be effectively used to wipe away stains caused by the ink 12 on the contact marks 13, and the stains can be removed efficiently. Also, when the cleaning liquid is applied to the wiping member 60 and the nozzle surface 10a, the cleaning liquid is effectively used, and the ink removal efficiency is improved.

Further, the opening 22 of the cap member 20 of the present embodiment has a virtual center line L passing through the center of the area to be covered on the nozzle surface 10a and parallel to the direction of the nozzle row 11, as indicated by the contact marks 13 in FIG. 7(A). , and when a plurality of cap members 20 are arranged in parallel in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the nozzle row 11 as shown by the contact marks 13 in FIG. The two sides are substantially parallel.

In this manner, the cap members 20 of the present embodiment have an uneven relationship between the opposing long sides or the adjacent long sides when a plurality of cap members 20 are arranged, and as shown in FIG. They can be arranged close to each other, there is no need to expand the head area, and there is no need to increase the complexity and size of the apparatus.

(Second embodiment)
A cap member 20 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
8A and 8B are schematic diagrams of contact traces 13 on the nozzle surface 10a of the seal portion 21. FIG. FIG. 8C is a top view of the opening 22 of the cap member 20. FIG. FIG. 8D is a perspective view of the cap member 20, partially showing a state in which a plurality of cap members 20 are held by a cap holder (not shown) as a maintenance recovery mechanism.

As shown by contact traces 13 in FIG. 8A, the extending direction of the sealing portion 21 in the longitudinal direction of the opening 22 of the cap member 20 of the present embodiment is non-parallel to the direction of the nozzle row 11. The opening 22 of the member 20 has an asymmetrical shape with respect to an imaginary center line L passing through the center of the coverage target area of the nozzle surface 10 a and parallel to the direction of the nozzle row 11 .
Also, the extending direction of the seal portion 21 in the longitudinal direction of the opening 22 is non-parallel to the direction of the nozzle row 11 .

As a result, the wiping member 60 can be effectively used to wipe away the stain of the ink 12 on the contact trace 13 portion, and the stain can be removed efficiently. Also, when the cleaning liquid is applied to the wiping member 60 and the nozzle surface 10a, the cleaning liquid is effectively used, and the ink removal efficiency is improved.

Further, the opening 22 of the cap member 20 of the present embodiment has a virtual center line L passing through the center of the area to be covered on the nozzle surface 10a and parallel to the direction of the nozzle row 11, as indicated by the contact mark 13 in FIG. 8(A). 8(B), and when a plurality of cap members 20 are arranged in parallel in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the nozzle row 11 as shown by the contact marks 13 in FIG. The two sides are substantially parallel.

In this manner, the cap members 20 of the present embodiment have an uneven relationship between the opposing long sides or the adjacent long sides when a plurality of cap members 20 are arranged, and as shown in FIG. They can be arranged close to each other, there is no need to expand the head area, and there is no need to increase the complexity and size of the device.

(Third embodiment)
A cap member 20 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
9A and 9B are schematic diagrams of contact traces 13 on the nozzle surface 10a of the seal portion 21. FIG. FIG. 9C is a top view of the opening 22 of the cap member 20. FIG. FIG. 9D is a perspective view of the cap member 20, partially showing a state in which a plurality of cap members 20 are held by a cap holder (not shown) as a maintenance recovery mechanism.

As shown by the contact traces 13 in FIG. 9A, the extension direction of the seal portion 21 in the longitudinal direction of the opening 22 of the cap member 20 of the present embodiment is non-parallel to the direction of the nozzle row 11. The opening 22 of the member 20 has an asymmetrical shape with respect to an imaginary center line L passing through the center of the coverage target area of the nozzle surface 10 a and parallel to the direction of the nozzle row 11 .
Also, the seal portion 21 of the cap member 20 is configured with a curved line.

As a result, the wiping member 60 can be effectively used to wipe away stains caused by the ink 12 on the contact marks 13. In particular, since the corners where the long sides and short sides intersect are also curved lines, the ink can be collected at one point. It can be easily removed without concentration.
Also, when the cleaning liquid is applied to the wiping member 60 and the nozzle surface 10a, the cleaning liquid is effectively used, and the ink removal efficiency is improved.
Since the above effect can be obtained by forming at least the corners with curved lines, the parts other than the corners may be partially straight lines.

Further, as shown by the contact marks 13 in FIG. 9A, the two sides facing the direction of the nozzle row 11 are substantially parallel to each other, and as shown by the contact marks 13 in FIG. When a plurality of cap members 20 are arranged in parallel in a direction orthogonal to the direction of , two adjacent sides are substantially parallel.

In this manner, the cap members 20 of the present embodiment have an uneven relationship between the opposing long sides or the adjacent long sides when a plurality of cap members 20 are arranged, and as shown in FIG. They can be arranged close to each other, there is no need to expand the head area, and there is no need to increase the complexity and size of the apparatus.

(Fourth embodiment)
A cap member 20 according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
10A and 10B are schematic diagrams of contact marks 13 on the nozzle surface 10a of the seal portion 21. FIG. FIG. 10C is a top view of the opening 22 of the cap member 20. FIG. FIG. 10D is a perspective view of the cap member 20, partially showing a state in which a plurality of cap members 20 are held by a cap holder (not shown) as a maintenance recovery mechanism.

As shown by contact traces 13 in FIG. 10A, the extending direction of the sealing portion 21 in the longitudinal direction of the opening 22 of the cap member 20 of the present embodiment is non-parallel to the direction of the nozzle row 11. The opening 22 of the member 20 has an asymmetrical shape with respect to an imaginary center line L passing through the center of the coverage target area of the nozzle surface 10 a and parallel to the direction of the nozzle row 11 .
Also, the seal portion 21 of the cap member 20 is configured with a curved line.

As a result, the wiping member 60 can be effectively used to wipe away stains caused by the ink 12 on the contact marks 13. In particular, since the corners where the long sides and short sides intersect are also curved lines, the ink can be collected at one point. It can be easily removed without concentration.
Also, when the cleaning liquid is applied to the wiping member 60 and the nozzle surface 10a, the cleaning liquid is effectively used, and the ink removal efficiency is improved.
Since the above effect can be obtained by forming at least the corners with curved lines, the parts other than the corners may be partially straight lines.

Further, as shown by the contact marks 13 in FIG. 10A, the two sides facing the direction of the nozzle row 11 are substantially parallel, and as shown by the contact marks 13 in FIG. When a plurality of cap members 20 are arranged in parallel in a direction orthogonal to the direction of 11, two adjacent sides are substantially parallel.

In this manner, the cap members 20 of the present embodiment have an uneven relationship between the opposing long sides or the adjacent long sides when a plurality of cap members 20 are arranged, and as shown in FIG. They can be arranged close to each other, there is no need to expand the head area, and there is no need to increase the complexity and size of the apparatus.

(Fifth embodiment)
A state of contact between the cap member 20 and the liquid ejection head 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 11 .
In this embodiment, when the contact and separation between the cap member 20 and the liquid ejection head 10 are repeatedly executed, the position where the seal portion 21 contacts the nozzle surface 10a of the liquid ejection head is perpendicular to the wiping direction of the wiping member 60. changes in the direction of

The wiping direction of the wiping member 60 can be, for example, the direction of the nozzle row 11 as shown in FIG. In this case, the position at which the seal portion 21 contacts the nozzle surface 10 a of the liquid ejection head changes in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the nozzle row 11 .
In FIG. 11, the contact mark 13a indicates the contact position of the nth capping (n is an integer), the contact mark 13b indicates the contact position of the n+1th capping, and the contact mark 13c indicates the n+2th contact position of the capping. Thus, the contact mark 13 indicating the position where the seal portion 21 contacts the nozzle surface 10a moves in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the nozzle row 11 each time the capping operation is performed.

As a result, the contamination of the nozzle surface 10a by the ink 12 is not concentrated in the same place, but is distributed with a width. Therefore, even when the wiping member 60 is used to wipe in the direction of the nozzle row 11, dirt does not easily concentrate on a part of the wiping member 60, and the ink 12 can be removed efficiently.
Note that the direction in which the contact position changes is not limited to the direction orthogonal to the direction of the nozzle row 11, and can be appropriately set according to the wiping direction of the wiping member 60 and the like.

In addition, since the seal portion 21 does not repeatedly contact the same portion of the nozzle surface 10a, damage to the surface treatment of the nozzle surface 10a due to capping is dispersed, so that the life of the liquid ejection head 10 can be extended. .

The apparatus for ejecting the liquid described above is one embodiment, and it is needless to say that the apparatus is not limited to this, and can be configured as follows.
In other words, the "apparatus for ejecting liquid" is an apparatus that includes a liquid ejection head or a liquid ejection unit, drives the liquid ejection head, and ejects liquid. Devices that eject liquid include not only devices that can eject liquid onto an object to which liquid can adhere, but also devices that eject liquid into air or liquid.

The "apparatus for ejecting liquid" can include means for feeding, conveying, and discharging an object to which liquid can adhere, as well as pre-processing devices, post-processing devices, and the like.
For example, as a "device that ejects liquid", an image forming device that ejects ink to form an image on paper, and powder is formed in layers to form a three-dimensional object (three-dimensional object). There is a three-dimensional modeling apparatus (three-dimensional modeling apparatus) that ejects a modeling liquid onto a formed powder layer.

Further, the "apparatus for ejecting liquid" is not limited to one that visualizes significant images such as characters and figures with the ejected liquid. For example, it includes those that form patterns that have no meaning per se, and those that form three-dimensional images. The above-mentioned "substance to which a liquid can adhere" means a substance to which a liquid can adhere at least temporarily, such as a substance to which a liquid adheres and adheres, a substance which adheres and permeates, and the like. Specific examples include media such as recording media such as paper, recording paper, recording paper, film, and cloth, electronic components such as electronic substrates and piezoelectric elements, powder layers (powder layers), organ models, and test cells. Yes, and unless otherwise specified, includes anything that has liquid on it.

The material of the above-mentioned "thing to which a liquid can adhere" may be paper, thread, fiber, fabric, leather, metal, plastic, glass, wood, ceramics, etc., as long as the liquid can adhere even temporarily.
The "liquid" also includes inks, treatment liquids, DNA samples, resists, pattern materials, binders, modeling liquids, or solutions and dispersions containing amino acids, proteins, and calcium.

Further, the "apparatus for ejecting liquid" includes an apparatus in which the liquid ejection head and an object to which liquid can be adhered move relatively, such as a serial type apparatus in which the liquid ejection head is moved and a line type apparatus in which the liquid ejection head is not moved. equipment, etc. are included.

Furthermore, the "apparatus for ejecting liquid" includes a treatment liquid application apparatus for applying treatment liquid to the surface of paper for the purpose of modifying the surface of the paper, It includes an injection granulator or the like that granulates fine particles of the raw material by injecting the composition liquid dispersed therein through a nozzle.

The liquid ejection unit may be one in which the liquid ejection head and the head tank are integrated as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, or one in which the liquid ejection head and the head tank are connected to each other with a tube or the like to be integrated. Furthermore, a unit including a filter can be added between the head tank and the liquid ejection head of those liquid ejection units.

As the liquid ejection unit, the liquid ejection head and the carriage may be integrated. As the liquid ejection unit, the liquid ejection head may be movably held by a guide member forming part of the scanning movement mechanism, and the liquid ejection head and the scanning movement mechanism may be integrated. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the liquid ejection unit may be one in which the liquid ejection head, the carriage, and the main scanning movement mechanism are integrated.

Further, as the liquid ejection unit, the liquid ejection head, the carriage, and the wiping mechanism may be integrated by fixing a cap member, which is a part of the maintenance and recovery mechanism, to the carriage to which the liquid ejection head is attached.

Furthermore, as the liquid ejection unit, a tube may be connected to the liquid ejection head to which the head tank or the flow path component is attached, and the liquid ejection head and the supply mechanism may be integrated. It should be noted that the main scanning movement mechanism also includes a single guide member. Also, the supply mechanism includes a single tube and a single loading unit.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 liquid ejection head 10a nozzle surface 11 nozzle row 12 ink 13 contact marks 20 cap member 21 sealing portion 22 opening 60 wiping member 60a blade member 60b wiping sheet 81 winding roller 82 pressing roller 83 compression coil spring 90 pedestal 92 side wall A liquid Ejection unit B1 Wiping mechanism B2 Wiping mechanism C Maintenance and recovery mechanism (cleaning device)
G Device for ejecting liquid

JP 2010-184193 A JP 2010-082934 A Japanese Patent No. 4333215 JP-A-2002-127466

Claims (6)

a liquid ejection head having a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting liquid are arranged;
a cap member that is attached to and detached from the liquid ejection head and that covers at least the nozzle row;
a wiping member that wipes the nozzle surface of the liquid ejection head in a predetermined direction;
The cap member has a seal portion that abuts against the nozzle surface of the liquid ejection head at the tip of the peripheral edge that forms the opening,
the extending direction of the seal portion in the longitudinal direction of the opening is non-parallel to the wiping direction of the wiping member;
the opening of the cap member has an asymmetrical shape with respect to a virtual center line passing through the center of the area to be covered on the nozzle surface and parallel to the wiping direction of the wiping member ;
When the contact and separation between the cap member and the liquid ejection head are repeated,
A device for ejecting liquid , wherein a position where the seal portion abuts against the nozzle surface changes in a direction orthogonal to a wiping direction of the wiping member . 2. The device for ejecting liquid according to claim 1, wherein the sealing portion of the cap member is curved. The wiping direction of the wiping member is the direction of the nozzle row,
3. The device for ejecting liquid according to claim 1, wherein the extending direction of the seal portion in the longitudinal direction of the opening is non-parallel to the direction of the nozzle rows. The opening of the cap member has a shape in which two sides facing each other are substantially parallel to an imaginary center line that passes through the center of the region to be covered on the nozzle surface and is parallel to the direction of the nozzle row. 4. The device for ejecting liquid according to claim 1 , wherein when a plurality of cap members are arranged in parallel in a direction orthogonal to the direction, two adjacent sides are substantially parallel. a liquid ejection head having a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting liquid are arranged;
a cap member that is attached to and detached from the liquid ejection head and that covers at least the nozzle row;
a wiping member that wipes the nozzle surface of the liquid ejection head in a predetermined direction;
The cap member has a seal portion that abuts against the nozzle surface of the liquid ejection head at the tip of the peripheral edge that forms the opening,
the extending direction of the seal portion in the longitudinal direction of the opening is non-parallel to the wiping direction of the wiping member;
the opening of the cap member has an asymmetrical shape with respect to a virtual center line passing through the center of the area to be covered on the nozzle surface and parallel to the wiping direction of the wiping member;
A device for ejecting liquid, wherein all of the sealing portions in the longitudinal direction of the opening of the cap member are curved lines. a liquid ejection head having a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting liquid are arranged;
a cap member that is attached to and detached from the liquid ejection head and that covers at least the nozzle row;
a wiping member that wipes the nozzle surface of the liquid ejection head in a predetermined direction;
The cap member has a seal portion that abuts against the nozzle surface of the liquid ejection head at the tip of the peripheral edge that forms the opening,
the extending direction of the seal portion in the longitudinal direction of the opening is non-parallel to the wiping direction of the wiping member;
the opening of the cap member has an asymmetrical shape with respect to a virtual center line passing through the center of the area to be covered on the nozzle surface and parallel to the wiping direction of the wiping member;
The wiping direction of the wiping member is the direction of the nozzle row,
A device for ejecting liquid, wherein the extending direction of the seal portion in the longitudinal direction of the opening is non-parallel to the direction of the nozzle row.

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