JP7124586B2 - LIQUID EJECTING DEVICE, MAINTENANCE METHOD OF LIQUID EJECTING DEVICE - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus such as a printer and a maintenance method for the liquid ejecting apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art As an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus, there is a printing apparatus that conveys a recording medium with a conveying belt and ejects ink, which is an example of a liquid, from nozzles to print on the recording medium, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-200013. Among such printing apparatuses, there are some that perform so-called flushing, in which ink is dumped from the nozzles to prevent clogging of the nozzles. The printing apparatus flushes the area of the conveying belt that does not overlap the recording medium.

JP 2015-202629 A

Ink ejected from the nozzles by flushing may adhere to the recording medium on the conveying belt. If the ink adheres to the recording medium, there is a risk of contaminating the recording medium.
Such a problem is not limited to printing apparatuses that eject ink from nozzles to flush the conveying belt, but is generally common to liquid ejecting apparatuses that eject liquid from nozzles to flush the conveying belt.

A liquid ejecting apparatus that solves the above problems includes a transport belt that transports a medium in a transport direction while being supported on a medium support surface; a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from a plurality of formed nozzles; and a flushing operation that ejects the liquid from the nozzles as a maintenance operation of the liquid ejecting head on the medium supporting surface that is adjacent to the medium with a space therebetween. and a control unit for causing the flushing area of .

1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of a liquid ejecting apparatus; FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the liquid jet head; FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of a conveyor belt that conveys a narrow medium and a maintenance mechanism; FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of a conveyor belt that conveys a wide medium and a maintenance mechanism; 4A and 4B are schematic diagrams of a conveying belt and a liquid ejecting unit; 4A and 4B are schematic diagrams of a conveying belt and a liquid ejecting unit; 4 is a flow chart showing a mode selection routine; FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view of a conveying belt showing a pattern of a first modified example; FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view of a conveying belt showing a pattern of a second modified example;

An embodiment of a liquid ejecting apparatus and a maintenance method for the liquid ejecting apparatus will be described below with reference to the drawings. A liquid ejecting apparatus is, for example, an inkjet printer that ejects liquid such as ink onto a medium such as cloth for printing.

As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a housing 12 and a cover 13 attached to the housing 12 so as to be openable and closable. The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a transport unit 15 that transports the medium 14 , a liquid ejecting unit 16 that ejects liquid to print on the medium 14 , and a supply unit that supplies the liquid stored in the liquid storage unit 17 to the liquid ejecting unit 16 . A mechanism 18 and a moving mechanism 19 that moves the liquid ejector 16 are provided.

In the drawing, the direction of gravity is indicated by the Z-axis assuming that the liquid ejecting device 11 is placed on a horizontal plane, and the directions along the plane intersecting the Z-axis are indicated by the X-axis and the Y-axis. The X-, Y-, and Z-axes are preferably perpendicular to each other, and the X- and Y-axes lie along a horizontal plane. The X-axis direction of the present embodiment is the width direction of the medium 14 and the direction in which the liquid ejector 16 moves. The Y-axis direction in this embodiment is the direction in which the medium 14 is conveyed at the print position P1 where printing is performed on the medium 14 . The Z-axis direction in this embodiment is the direction in which the liquid ejecting portion 16 ejects the liquid. In the following description, the X-axis direction is also referred to as the scanning direction X, the Y-axis direction as the transport direction Y, and the Z-axis direction as the vertical direction Z.

Next, one embodiment of the transport section 15 will be described.
The transport unit 15 includes a transport motor 21 , a driving pulley 22 that rotates when driven by the transport motor 21 , and a driven pulley 23 that is rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of the driving pulley 22 . The transport unit 15 includes an annular transport belt 24 stretched between the drive pulley 22 and the driven pulley 23 and a pressure roller 25 that presses the medium 14 against the transport belt 24 . The pressure roller 25 presses the medium 14 and the transport belt 24 against the driven pulley 23 so as to sandwich the medium 14 between itself and the driven pulley 23 .

The inner peripheral surface of the transport belt 24 is in contact with the drive pulley 22 and the driven pulley 23 . The outer peripheral surface of the transport belt 24 serves as a medium support surface 24a that supports the medium 14 . The conveying belt 24 of the present embodiment is an adhesive belt having a medium support surface 24a coated with an adhesive, and supports the medium 14 by releasably adhering it. The transport belt 24 revolves around the drive pulley 22 and the driven pulley 23 as the transport motor 21 is driven, and transports the medium 14 in the transport direction Y while being supported on the medium support surface 24a.

The transport unit 15 includes a winding unit 27 that winds the printed medium 14 and a driven roller 28 positioned between the winding unit 27 and the transport belt 24 . The medium 14 conveyed by the conveying belt 24 is separated from the conveying belt 24 and then taken up by the winding section 27 via the driven roller 28 .

The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a separation sensor 30 that detects the medium 14 separated from the conveying belt 24, and a control section 31 that comprehensively controls driving of each mechanism in the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 such as the conveying section 15 and the liquid ejecting section 16. And prepare. The peeling sensor 30 is provided at a position along the transport path of the medium 14 and between the transport belt 24 and the driven roller 28 . The peeling sensor 30 is, for example, an optical sensor that includes a light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion. The control unit 31 detects the peeling position P<b>2 where the medium 14 separates from the conveying belt 24 based on the detection result of the peeling sensor 30 . The control unit 31 controls driving of the winding unit 27 so that the peeling position P2 is positioned below the medium 14 positioned at the printing position P1 in the vertical direction Z.

The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a cleaning unit 33 for cleaning the transport belt 24 with cleaning liquid, and an absorption roller 34 capable of absorbing the cleaning liquid. The absorbing roller 34 is a roller that uses cloth, for example, that is capable of absorbing liquid in a portion that contacts the conveying belt 24 . The absorbing roller 34 sandwiches the conveying belt 24 together with the driven pulley 23 and assists in removing cleaning liquid and liquid adhering to the conveying belt 24 . The cleaning unit 33 and the absorbing roller 34 are movable between a position shown in FIG.

The cleaning unit 33 includes a cleaning liquid container 36 that stores cleaning liquid, a cleaning brush 37 that comes into contact with the conveyor belt 24 to clean the conveyor belt 24, a cleaning wiper 38 that removes the cleaning liquid and liquid adhering to the conveyor belt 24, Prepare. The cleaning liquid is, for example, liquid or water containing detergent ingredients such as surfactants. The cleaning unit 33 may comprise multiple cleaning wipers 38 .

Next, an embodiment of the liquid ejector 16 and the moving mechanism 19 will be described.
The moving mechanism 19 includes a first guide shaft 41 and a second guide shaft 42 extending in the scanning direction X, and a carriage motor 43 .

The liquid ejecting unit 16 includes a carriage 45 that is guided by a first guide shaft 41 and a second guide shaft 42 to reciprocate in the scanning direction X, and at least one liquid ejecting head 46 attached to the lower end of the carriage 45 . , provided. Four liquid jet heads 46 are attached to the carriage 45 of this embodiment. A carriage motor 43 is a motor that moves the carriage 45 .

The liquid jet head 46 has a nozzle surface 48 on which a plurality of nozzles 47 are formed. The liquid jet head 46 is provided such that the nozzle surface 48 faces the transport belt 24 or the medium 14 supported by the transport belt 24 in the vertical direction Z. As shown in FIG. The liquid jet head 46 ejects liquid from a plurality of nozzles 47 onto the medium 14 supported on the medium support surface 24 a of the transport belt 24 while moving in the scanning direction X that intersects the transport direction Y. Print.

The carriage 45 includes a carriage body 45A to which the liquid jet head 46 is attached, a carriage base 45B guided by the first guide shaft 41 and the second guide shaft 42, and an adjustment for adjusting the position of the carriage body 45A with respect to the carriage base 45B. a mechanism 49; The adjusting mechanism 49 is composed of, for example, a cam. The adjustment mechanism 49 slides the carriage body 45A in the vertical direction Z with respect to the carriage base 45B. The adjustment mechanism 49 changes the distance L between the nozzle surface 48 and the medium support surface 24a in the vertical direction Z intersecting the transport direction Y and the scanning direction X. FIG. The adjustment mechanism 49 may be operable by the user, or may be controlled by the controller 31 .

Next, one embodiment of the supply mechanism 18 will be described.
The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a mounting portion 51 to which at least one liquid containing portion 17 is detachably mounted. The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 may include a plurality of supply mechanisms 18 corresponding to the number of liquid storage units 17 that can be attached to the attachment portion 51 . In this embodiment, four liquid storage units 17 can be mounted on the mounting unit 51 , and the liquid ejection device 11 includes four supply mechanisms 18 . Each supply mechanism 18 supplies liquid to the corresponding liquid jet head 46 .

The plurality of liquid storage units 17 store liquids of different types. When a plurality of liquid storage units 17 store inks of different colors, such as cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, the liquid ejecting unit 16 ejects inks of a plurality of colors supplied from the liquid storage unit 17. Color printing is performed on medium 14 . The liquid containing portion 17 may contain, for example, color inks such as light magenta, light cyan, light yellow, gray, orange, and white, and may contain moisturizing liquid and cleaning liquid. The types of liquid ejected by the liquid ejector 16 may be, for example, three types such as cyan, magenta, and yellow, or one type such as black.

The supply mechanism 18 includes a supply path 53 that supplies the liquid from the liquid containing portion 17 mounted on the mounting portion 51 to the liquid ejecting head 46 . The supply mechanism 18 causes the liquid to flow in a supply direction A from the upstream side, which is the side of the liquid containing portion 17 , to the downstream side, which is the side of the liquid ejection head 46 . The supply path 53 includes, in order from the upstream side in the supply direction A, a supply pump 54 that causes the liquid to flow, a filter unit 55 that traps air bubbles and foreign matter in the liquid, and agitation of the liquid by changing the flow of the liquid in the supply path 53. A static mixer 56, a liquid storage chamber 57 for storing the liquid, and a pressure adjustment unit 58 for adjusting the pressure of the liquid are provided.

The supply pump 54 includes a diaphragm pump 60 having a variable pump chamber volume, an intake valve 61 arranged between the diaphragm pump 60 and the liquid storage section 17, and an intake valve 61 arranged between the diaphragm pump 60 and the filter unit 55. and a discharge valve 62 . The suction valve 61 and the discharge valve 62 are configured as one-way valves that allow the flow of ink to the downstream side and block the flow of ink to the upstream side. As the volume of the pump chamber of the diaphragm pump 60 increases, the supply pump 54 sucks the liquid from the liquid containing portion 17 through the suction valve 61, and as the volume of the pump chamber decreases, the supply pump 54 injects the liquid. The liquid is discharged through the discharge valve 62 to the head 46 side.

The filter unit 55 is detachably attached to the supply path 53 . The filter unit 55 is arranged at a position corresponding to the cover 13 and can be replaced by opening the cover 13 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid jet head 46 includes a bracket 64 for attaching the liquid jet head 46 to the carriage 45, a head body 66 having a nozzle opening surface 65 in which a plurality of nozzles 47 are opened, and a nozzle opening surface 65. and a plate 67 covering the .

The plate 67 is made of metal such as stainless steel, and has a shape in which two rectangular shapes whose longitudinal direction is the transport direction Y are shifted in the transport direction Y when viewed from below. At least one through hole 68 is formed in the plate 67 . In the plate 67 of this embodiment, a first through-hole 68a to a fourth through-hole 68d each having a rectangular shape elongated in the transport direction Y are formed. The plate 67 is fixed to the head body 66 so that the nozzles 47 are exposed through the through holes 68 . The nozzle surface 48 is composed of the nozzle opening surface 65 exposed from the through hole 68 and the lower surface 67 a of the plate 67 .

The plurality of through-holes 68 are formed at different positions in the transport direction Y. As shown in FIG. The through-holes 68 are, in order from the downstream side in the transport direction Y, a first through-hole 68a, a second through-hole 68b, a third through-hole 68c, and a fourth through-hole 68d. The second through-hole 68b is located at an intermediate position in the transport direction Y between the first through-hole 68a and the third through-hole 68c. The third through-hole 68c is located at an intermediate position in the transport direction Y between the second through-hole 68b and the fourth through-hole 68d.

The first through-hole 68a and the third through-hole 68c are located at the same position in the scanning direction X and spaced apart in the transporting direction Y. As shown in FIG. The second through-hole 68b and the fourth through-hole 68d are positioned at the same position in the scanning direction X with an interval in the transporting direction Y therebetween. In the scanning direction X, the first through-hole 68a and the third through-hole 68c are located at different positions from the second through-hole 68b and the fourth through-hole 68d, and are separated from the second through-hole 68b and the fourth through-hole 68d. vacantly located.

The liquid jet head 46 has a first nozzle group 69a to a fourth nozzle group 69d, each of which is composed of a large number of nozzles 47 arranged in the transport direction Y at a constant pitch. The first nozzle group 69a is exposed from the first through hole 68a, the second nozzle group 69b is exposed from the second through hole 68b, the third nozzle group 69c is exposed from the third through hole 68c, and the fourth nozzle group 69d is exposed. are exposed from the fourth through hole 68d. The first nozzle group 69a and the third nozzle group 69c are formed at the same position in the scanning direction X and arranged in a line in the transport direction Y. As shown in FIG. The second nozzle group 69b and the fourth nozzle group 69d are formed at the same position in the scanning direction X and arranged in a row in the transport direction Y. As shown in FIG.

Part of the first nozzle group 69a and part of the second nozzle group 69b, part of the second nozzle group 69b and part of the third nozzle group 69c, part of the third nozzle group 69c and part of the fourth nozzle group A part of 69d overlaps when viewed from the scanning direction X. That is, the first nozzle group 69a to the fourth nozzle group 69d form a nozzle row 69 that is continuous in the transport direction Y when viewed from the scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. One nozzle row 69 jets the same kind of liquid. A plurality of nozzle rows 69 may be formed in the liquid jet head 46 .

As shown in FIG. 3, four liquid jet heads 46 are arranged in parallel in the scanning direction X at a constant pitch. Each liquid jet head 46 has the same configuration. Therefore, the plurality of nozzle rows 69 are arranged in parallel in the scanning direction X at a constant pitch. That is, the multiple nozzles 47 are arranged on the nozzle surface 48 so as to form multiple nozzle rows 69 aligned in the scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. A plurality of liquids of different types can be ejected from the plurality of nozzle rows 69 .

The transport belt 24 has a flushing area FA that receives the liquid ejected from the nozzles 47 by the flushing operation, which is the maintenance operation of the liquid ejecting head 46 . The flushing area FA is an area on the medium support surface 24a.

The flushing operation is an operation of ejecting liquid from the nozzles 47 in addition to ejecting the liquid onto the medium 14 for printing, in order to prevent or eliminate clogging of the nozzles 47 . The flushing operation can discharge foreign matter, air bubbles, or altered liquid that cause ejection failure. An example of an altered liquid is thickened ink. A flushing operation is performed to eliminate minor injection failures.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, the medium 14 is arranged closer to one end of the medium support surface 24a, and the flushing area FA is provided on the other end of the medium support surface 24a in the scanning direction X. . The medium support surface 24a can support the medium 14 at any position in the scanning direction X. FIG. Therefore, for example, the medium 14 may be arranged in the center of the medium support surface 24 a in the scanning direction X, and the flushing areas FA may be provided on both sides of the medium 14 .

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in the conveying belt 24, the size of the exposed portion of the medium support surface 24a that is not covered with the medium 14 in the scanning direction X is defined as an exposed width WB. The exposed width WB is the size from the edge of the medium 14 to the edge of the transport belt 24 . The exposed width WB changes according to the width of the medium 14 and the position where the medium 14 is arranged. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, when the width of the medium 14 is small, the exposed width WB becomes large, and as shown in FIG. 4, when the width of the medium 14 is large, the exposed width WB becomes small.

The control unit 31 may acquire the exposure width WB based on the width information of the medium 14 included in the print data, or provide a sensor for detecting the edge position of the medium 14 in the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 and obtain the detection result of the sensor. You may acquire exposure width WB based on.

The width of the flushing area FA in the scanning direction X is defined as a flushing width WF. The flushing width WF is the width required to receive the liquid ejected by the flushing operation, and varies depending on the type of flushing operation. The controller 31 may perform multiple types of flushing operations. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 31 performs a simultaneous flushing operation in which liquid is ejected from a plurality of nozzle rows 69 collectively, or as shown in FIG. A separate flushing operation may also be performed.

In this embodiment, the control unit 31 selects the simultaneous flushing operation when the injection amount, which is the amount of liquid ejected in one flushing operation, is equal to or greater than a set value, and selects the individual flushing operation when the injection amount is less than the set value. Choose an action. The simultaneous flushing operation has a larger number of adhesion positions P3 where the liquid adheres in the flushing area FA compared to the individual flushing operation. That is, when the amount of liquid ejected onto the flushing area FA is equal to or greater than the set value, the control unit 31 increases the number of liquid adhesion positions P3 in the flushing area FA compared to when the amount is less than the set value. The first flushing width WF1 for the simultaneous flushing operation is larger than the second flushing width WF2 for the individual flushing operation.

The nozzle row 69 is composed of a first nozzle group 69a to a fourth nozzle group 69d positioned at different positions in the scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. Therefore, when the liquid is ejected for each nozzle row 69, an intermittent pattern PA1 that is intermittent in the transport direction Y is formed at the adhesion position P3.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the flushing area FA is adjacent to the medium 14 in the scanning direction X with a gap WD between them. The size of the interval WD is set by the controller 31 . The control unit 31 sets the interval WD according to the distance L shown in FIG. 1 and the speed at which the liquid ejecting unit 16 moves in the scanning direction X, for example.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the distance L is a second distance L2 longer than the first distance L1, the controller 31 makes the interval WD larger than the first distance L1. That is, when the distance L is the first distance L1, the control unit 31 sets the first distance WD1, and when the distance L is the second distance L2, the second distance WD2 larger than the first distance WD1. and

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the moving speed of the liquid ejector 16 is a second speed higher than the first speed, the control unit 31 makes the interval WD larger than when the moving speed is the first speed. That is, the control unit 31 sets the first interval WD1 when the moving speed of the liquid ejecting unit 16 is the first speed, and sets the second interval WD2 when the moving speed is the second speed.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the liquid ejecting device 11 includes a maintenance mechanism 70 for performing maintenance on the liquid ejecting section 16 . The maintenance mechanism 70 maintains the liquid ejecting section 16 to prevent or eliminate ejection failures caused by clogging of the nozzles 47, air bubbles entering the liquid ejecting head 46, foreign matter adhering to the vicinity of the nozzles 47, or the like. to maintain.

The maintenance mechanism 70 includes a first liquid receiver 71 and a second liquid receiver 72 that receive liquid ejected from the liquid ejecting head 46 , a cleaning member 73 that wipes and cleans the nozzle surface 48 , and the liquid ejecting head 46 . and a cleaning mechanism 74 for cleaning. The first liquid receiving portion 71 and the second liquid receiving portion 72 are preferably provided at positions on both sides of the transport belt 24 in the scanning direction X so as to be adjacent to the transport belt 24 .

The liquid ejecting unit 16 waits at the home position where the cleaning mechanism 74 is arranged when printing is not performed or when the power is turned off. When printing, the liquid ejecting section 16 moves in the first scanning direction X1, which is the direction from the home position to the first liquid receiving section 71, and the second scanning direction, which is the direction from the first liquid receiving section 71 to the home position. Move alternately in direction X2.

The first liquid receiver 71 and the second liquid receiver 72 are provided in a region where the liquid jet head 46 can move. The control unit 31 causes one of the first liquid receiving part 71, the second liquid receiving part 72, and the flushing area FA to perform the flushing operation of ejecting the liquid from the nozzle 47 as the flushing operation. The control unit 31 selects a first mode in which liquid is ejected as a flushing operation to the flushing area FA of the conveying belt 24, and a second mode in which the liquid is ejected to the first liquid receiver 71 and the second liquid receiver 72. switch.

The cleaning member 73 performs a wiping operation for wiping the nozzle surface 48 as a maintenance operation for the liquid jet head 46 . The cleaning member 73 is formed in a thin plate shape from an elastic member such as rubber or resin elastomer. At least one of the cleaning member 73 and the liquid jet head 46 moves between a wiping position where the cleaning member 73 and the nozzle surface 48 can contact and a retracted position where the cleaning member 73 is separated from the nozzle surface 48 in the vertical direction Z. It is configured to move relative to the vertical direction Z. When the cleaning member 73 and the liquid jet head 46 are positioned at the wiping position and the liquid jet head 46 moves in the scanning direction X and passes the cleaning member 73 , the cleaning member 73 elastically deforms and comes into contact with the nozzle surface 48 . to wipe the nozzle surface 48. That is, the cleaning member 73 wipes the nozzle surface 48 by moving relative to the liquid ejector 16 in the scanning direction X along the nozzle surface 48 .

The cleaning mechanism 74 includes a suction cap 76 , a suction tube 78 connecting the suction cap 76 and the waste liquid container 77 , and a suction pump 79 capable of sucking the inside of the suction cap 76 . The suction pump 79 is, for example, a tube pump provided in the middle of the suction tube 78 . At least one of the suction cap 76 and the liquid jet head 46 relatively moves between a capping position where the space where the nozzle 47 opens is closed and a retracted position where the space where the nozzle 47 opens is open. configured as Capping is performed by arranging the suction cap 76 and the liquid jet head 46 at the capping position.

The suction cap 76 forms a closed space that contacts the liquid jet head 46 and covers all the nozzles 47 at once. The cleaning mechanism 74 applies negative pressure generated by driving the suction pump 79 to a closed space formed by arranging the suction cap 76 at the capping position to suck the liquid from the nozzles 47 , thereby performing the maintenance operation of the liquid jet head 46 . cleaning operation.

Next, a maintenance method for the liquid ejecting device 11 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The control unit 31 executes a mode selection routine at the timing when a print start instruction is given, and selects a maintenance operation mode.

As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 31 acquires the exposure width WB in step S101, and sets the injection amount, which is the amount of liquid to be injected in one flushing operation, in step S102. The ejection amount is set according to the type of liquid, the print mode, and the like. For example, when using a liquid that dries easily or a liquid that easily aggregates, it is preferable to increase the ejection amount. The injection amount changes according to the number of times the liquid is injected in one flushing operation. Therefore, the controller 31 may set the number of times the liquid is ejected in one flushing operation.

In step S103, the control unit 31 determines whether or not the injection amount set in step S102 is equal to or greater than a preset value. If the injection amount is equal to or greater than the set value, step S103 becomes YES, the control unit 31 selects simultaneous flushing in step S104, and sets the flushing width WF to the first flushing width WF1 in step S105.

In step S103, when the injection amount is less than the set value, step S103 becomes NO, the control unit 31 selects individual flushing in step S106, and in step S107, the flushing width WF is changed to the second flushing width WF2. and

In step S108, the control unit 31 determines whether or not the distance L is equal to or greater than the threshold distance. If the distance L is equal to or greater than the threshold distance, step S108 becomes YES, and in step S109, the control unit 31 sets the interval WD to the second interval WD2. When the distance L is less than the threshold distance, step S108 becomes NO, and the control unit 31 shifts the process to step S110.

In step S110, the control unit 31 determines whether or not the moving speed of the liquid ejecting unit 16 in the scanning direction X is equal to or less than the threshold speed. If the moving speed is equal to or less than the threshold speed, step S110 becomes YES, and in step S111, the control unit 31 sets the interval WD to the first interval WD1. If the moving speed is faster than the threshold speed, step S110 becomes NO, and the control unit 31 shifts the process to step S109.

In step S112, the control unit 31 determines whether or not the sum of the set flushing width WF and the interval WD is equal to or less than the exposure width WB. If the sum of the flushing width WF and the interval WD is equal to or less than the exposure width WB, step S112 becomes YES, and in step S113, the controller 31 selects the first mode. If the sum of the flushing width WF and the interval WD is larger than the exposure width WB, step S112 becomes NO, and in step S114, the controller 31 selects the second mode.

Next, the action of the liquid ejecting device 11 when the flushing operation is performed in the selected mode will be described.
When the liquid ejecting device 11 prints on the medium 14, the control unit 31 sets the type of flushing operation and the flushing mode according to the distance L, the moving speed of the liquid ejecting unit 16, the type of liquid, and the like. The control unit 31 sequentially performs a printing operation of ejecting liquid onto the medium 14 while moving the liquid ejecting unit 16 in the scanning direction X according to the set mode, a conveying operation of conveying the medium 14, and a flushing operation as a maintenance operation. Run.

As shown in FIG. 3, the case where the simultaneous flushing operation is performed in the flushing area FA spaced from the medium 14 by the first distance WD1 in the first mode will be described.
The control unit 31 moves the liquid ejecting unit 16 positioned at the home position in the first scanning direction X1 to a position passing through the flushing area FA. The control unit 31 causes the liquid to be ejected at the timing when the liquid ejecting head 46 faces the second liquid receiving portion 72 , and performs a flushing operation on the second liquid receiving portion 72 .

The control unit 31 performs a printing operation in which liquid is ejected to print on the medium 14 at the timing when the liquid ejecting head 46 moving in the first scanning direction X1 faces the medium 14, and the liquid ejecting head 46 and the flushing area FA are printed. The simultaneous flushing operation is performed by jetting the liquid at opposite timings. When the liquid ejecting head 46 passes through the flushing area FA, the control unit 31 stops the movement of the liquid ejecting unit 16 and executes the transport operation of transporting the medium 14 .

Subsequently, the control section 31 moves the liquid ejecting section 16 in the second scanning direction X2 to a position where it passes through the second liquid receiving section 72 . The control unit 31 performs the simultaneous flushing operation at the timing when the liquid jet head 46 moving in the second scanning direction X2 faces the flushing area FA. The control unit 31 executes the printing operation at the timing when the liquid jet head 46 faces the medium 14 . The control unit 31 executes the flushing operation by ejecting the liquid at the timing when the liquid ejecting head 46 and the second liquid receiver 72 face each other. When the liquid ejecting head 46 passes through the second liquid receiving portion 72 , the control section 31 stops the movement of the liquid ejecting section 16 and performs a transport operation for transporting the medium 14 .

The control unit 31 sequentially executes a printing operation, a flushing operation, and a conveying operation to print on the medium 14 . The liquid adhering to the flushing area FA is sent to the cleaning unit 33 by the revolving motion of the transport belt 24 and is cleaned by the cleaning unit 33 .

When the flushing operation is performed in the second mode, the control unit 31 changes the simultaneous flushing operation performed on the flushing area FA to the flushing operation performed on the first liquid receiver 71, and performs the printing operation, the flushing operation, and the conveying operation. are executed in order.

According to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The flushing area FA to which the liquid ejected by the flushing operation adheres is adjacent to the medium 14 with a gap WD. Therefore, compared with the case where the flushing area FA is adjacent to the medium 14 with no space WD, the risk of the liquid adhering to the medium 14 can be reduced. Therefore, even when the liquid is ejected onto the conveying belt 24 as a maintenance operation of the liquid ejecting head 46, the possibility that the medium 14 is contaminated by the ejected liquid can be reduced.

(2) In the flushing operation, the longer the distance L between the nozzle surface 48 and the medium support surface 24a, the more likely mist is generated. The generated mist may float and adhere to the medium 14 and contaminate the medium 14 . In this regard, the distance WD between the medium 14 and the flushing area FA is changed according to the distance L between the nozzle surface 48 and the medium support surface 24a. That is, when the distance L between the nozzle surface 48 and the medium support surface 24a is long, the distance WD between the medium 14 and the flushing area FA is made larger than when it is short. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the risk of mist adhering to the medium 14 and to reduce the risk of contamination of the medium 14 .

(3) When the amount of liquid ejected onto the flushing area FA is equal to or greater than the set value, the number of liquid adhesion positions P3 is increased compared to when the amount is less than the set value. When distributing and depositing a set value or more of liquid to many deposition positions P3, the surface area per volume of liquid can be increased compared to the case of depositing a set value or more of liquid to one deposition position P3. Therefore, the liquid evaporates easily, and the fluidity of the liquid can be reduced.

(4) The controller 31 switches between a first mode in which liquid is ejected onto the medium support surface 24 a and a second mode in which liquid is ejected onto the first liquid receiving section 71 and the second liquid receiving section 72 . Therefore, when printing or maintenance is performed under conditions in which the liquid adhered to the conveying belt 24 is likely to adhere to the medium 14, the mode can be switched to the second mode, and the risk of the liquid adhering to the medium 14 can be reduced.

The above-described embodiment may be modified as in modification examples shown below. The embodiment described above and the modifications described below may be combined arbitrarily. Configurations included in the following modified examples may be combined arbitrarily.

First Modification As shown in FIG. 8, when a plurality of liquids ejected from the liquid ejecting head 46 have different viscosities, the controller 31 controls the liquid having the highest viscosity among the plurality of liquids in the flushing operation. is preferably ejected toward the medium 14 in the scanning direction X from the other liquid.

In the flushing area FA, the liquid with high viscosity is jetted toward the medium 14 side more than the other liquids. It is possible to reduce the risk of

As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 31 may form a continuous pattern PA2, which is an example of a pattern that is continuous in the transport direction Y, by ejecting the liquid by the flushing operation. For example, the continuous pattern PA2 formed of a highly viscous liquid is preferably formed continuously in the transport direction Y at the end of the flushing area FA in the scanning direction X on the medium 14 side.

Since the continuous pattern PA2 that is continuous in the transport direction Y is formed by the flushing operation at the end of the flushing area FA on the medium 14 side, the continuous pattern PA2 restricts the movement of the liquid adhering to the flushing area FA toward the medium 14 side. It is possible to reduce the risk of the liquid adhering to the medium 14 .

- The continuous pattern PA2 continuous in the transport direction Y may be formed at any position in the flushing area FA. The liquid adhering to the transport belt 24 is sent to the cleaning unit 33 located below the printing position P1 in the vertical direction Z by the revolving motion of the transport belt 24 . Therefore, in the continuous pattern PA2, the portion located downstream in the transport direction Y is located lower in the vertical direction Z than the portion located at the printing position P1. Therefore, when the liquid forming the continuous pattern PA2 is in a flowable state, the liquid is guided downstream in the transport direction Y due to the height difference in the direction of gravity, reducing the risk of the liquid flowing in the direction intersecting the transport direction Y. can.

- The control unit 31 may form the continuous pattern PA2 separately from the flushing operation. For example, the control section 31 may perform a pattern forming operation for forming the continuous pattern PA2 before executing the flushing operation. The firing data for forming continuous pattern PA2 may be incorporated into the firing data for printing on media 14 . That is, in the printing operation on the medium 14, the control unit 31 may enable printing in a print area wider than the width of the medium 14 and form the continuous pattern PA2 at a position away from the medium 14 in the scanning direction X. In this case, the area from the continuous pattern PA2 to the end of the conveying belt 24 in the scanning direction X becomes the flushing area FA, and the controller 31 may perform the flushing operation on the flushing area FA following the formation of the continuous pattern PA2.

Second Modification As shown in FIG. 9, the continuous pattern PA2 may be continuous in the transport direction Y while changing the position in the scanning direction X. FIG. For example, the continuous pattern PA2 may be continuous in a wave shape or may be continuous in a mountain shape.

- The transport belt 24 may support the medium 14 by electrostatically attracting it. For example, the liquid ejecting device 11 may include a charging mechanism that charges the medium 14 and electrostatically attract the charged medium 14 and the conveying belt 24 .

The maintenance mechanism 70 may include a leave cap that caps the liquid jet head 46 when liquid is not jetted and forms a closed space that covers all the nozzles 47 at once. When the leave cap is provided, it is preferable to provide the second liquid receiver 72, the cleaning member 73, the cleaning mechanism 74, and the leave cap in order from the transport belt 24 side in the scanning direction X. The idle cap is used to suppress evaporation of ink in each nozzle 47 of the liquid jet head 46 when printing is suspended or when the liquid jet head 46 is not in use, thereby preventing ejection failures.

- The liquid jet head 46 may be capable of jetting a liquid that solidifies when it reacts with another liquid. In the flushing operation, it is preferable that the liquid that solidifies when reacting with another liquid adheres to the medium 14 side in the flushing area FA more than the other liquid.

- The control unit 31 may perform the flushing operation by ejecting the liquid from the stopped liquid ejecting head 46 .
- The control unit 31 may perform the transport operation during the flushing operation.

- The control unit 31 may set the number of times of the flushing operation to be one to be performed from the execution of the previous printing operation to the start of the next printing operation. When changing the movement direction of the liquid ejector 16, the control unit 31 may perform the flushing operation either before or after the change.

- The controller 31 may change the interval WD according to the number of liquid jets per unit time in the flushing operation, the height of the surface tension of the liquid, the temperature, and the like. For example, when the number of liquid jets per unit time is small, when the surface tension is low, or when the temperature is high, the interval WD may be increased.

- The liquid ejecting device 11 may be configured without at least one of the first liquid receiving portion 71 and the second liquid receiving portion 72 . The flushing operation may be performed on the conveyor belt 24 .

- The amount of liquid ejected in one flushing operation may be constant.
- The number of adhesion positions P3 of the liquid adhering to the flushing area FA by the flushing operation may be fixed.

- The control unit 31 may set the number of adhesion positions P3 regardless of the injection amount. The control unit 31 may set the type of flushing operation regardless of the injection amount. For example, when the sum of the first flushing width WF1 and the second interval WD2 is larger than the exposure width WB and the sum of the second flushing width WF2 and the second interval WD2 is smaller than the exposure width WB, the controller 31 performs the individual flushing operation. may be executed.

・When the difference between the exposure width WB and the interval WD is larger than the width of the nozzle rows 69 in the scanning direction X, the liquid is ejected from all the nozzle rows 69 at once, and the liquid is deposited on the same number of deposition positions P3 as the nozzle rows 69. may be attached.

- In the flushing operation, the liquid ejecting head 46 may intermittently eject the liquid from the nozzle row 69 to attach the liquid to a plurality of attachment positions P3 located at different positions in the scanning direction X.

- The distance WD between the medium 14 and the flushing area FA may be constant.
- The flushing width WF and the interval WD may be changed in three or more stages.
- The interval WD may be changed regardless of the moving speed of the liquid ejector 16 . The distance WD may be changed regardless of the distance L between the nozzle surface 48 and the medium support surface 24a.

・When performing so-called borderless printing, in which the size of the print range of the pattern or the like is set larger than the width of the medium 14 in the scanning direction X and the edges of the print range protrude from the edges of the medium 14 for printing, the interval WD is It is preferable that the edge of the printing range and the flushing area FA are set apart in the scanning direction X.

In the individual flushing operation, the control unit 31 causes liquid to be ejected while changing the position in the scanning direction X from the plurality of nozzles 47 constituting the plurality of nozzle rows 69 of the liquid ejection head 46 , and to different positions in the scanning direction X. The second flushing width WF2 may be increased by increasing the distance between the adhering positions P3. Then, the second flushing width WF2 may be made larger than the first flushing width WF1 in the simultaneous flushing operation.

In the flushing operation, the control unit 31 ejects the liquid from the plurality of nozzles 47 constituting the plurality of nozzle rows 69 of the liquid ejecting head 46 while changing the position in the scanning direction X, and the plurality of nozzle rows 69 in the flushing operation. The liquid may be deposited on the deposition positions P3 located at different positions in the same number as the number of liquid jets jetted from the plurality of nozzles 47 constituting the .

- Instead of forming an adhesive layer by applying an adhesive to the medium support surface 24a of the transport belt 24, a double-sided adhesive sheet made of polyester film or non-woven fabric is attached to the medium support surface 24a to form an adhesive layer. may be configured to have a transport belt.

The adhesive applied to the medium support surface 24a of the transport belt 24 and the double-sided adhesive sheet attached to the medium support surface 24a may be changed according to the type of the medium 14. As the adhesive, a rubber-based adhesive having natural rubber or synthetic rubber as a main component, an acrylic adhesive, a silicon-based adhesive, or the like can be used, and one or more of these adhesives may be used in combination. Further, a liquid-repellent adhesive may be used so that the liquid or cleaning liquid adhering to the medium support surface 24a can be easily removed. In this case, the liquid repellency of the adhesive is such that the contact angle between the medium support surface 24a and the liquid droplets ejected from the liquid ejecting head 46 is 60° or more from the viewpoint of the liquid removability. preferable.

On the other hand, when the liquid repellency of the adhesive is high and the contact angle formed between the medium support surface 24a and the liquid droplets ejected from the liquid ejecting head 46 increases, the conveying operation of the conveying belt 24 and the carriage 45 do not move. Due to the influence of air currents and the like caused by the reciprocating movement, the liquid ejected onto the flushing area FA by the flushing operation tends to move on the medium support surface 24a and may adhere to the medium 14 . From this point of view, the contact angle between the medium support surface 24a and the liquid droplets ejected from the liquid ejecting head 46 is preferably smaller than 120°, more preferably smaller than 90°.

The controller 31 controls the cleaning conditions and flushing operation of the conveying belt 24 by the cleaning unit 33 as a cleaning mechanism based on the information about the adhesive and the double-sided adhesive sheet input through an operation panel (not shown) or the like as an input unit. specifications may be changed. For example, when the liquid repellency of the input second adhesive is higher than that of the previously used first adhesive, the controller 31 sets the interval WD in the flushing operation to be larger than that of the first adhesive. You may That is, the controller 31 may increase the interval WD in the flushing operation as the contact angle between the medium support surface 24a and the liquid droplets ejected from the liquid ejecting head 46 increases.

Further, for example, when the liquid repellency of the second adhesive that has been input is higher than that of the first adhesive that has been used, the control unit 31 sets the flushing width WF in the flushing operation to that of the first adhesive. may be larger than in the case of That is, the controller 31 may increase the flushing width WF in the flushing operation as the contact angle between the medium support surface 24a and the liquid droplets ejected from the liquid ejecting head 46 increases.

Further, for example, when the liquid repellency of the second adhesive that has been input is higher than that of the first adhesive that has been used, the control unit 31 controls the amount of liquid ejected from the liquid ejecting head 46 in the flushing operation. The number of attachment positions P3 in the flushing area FA may be increased. That is, the controller 31 controls the flushing area of the liquid ejected from the liquid ejecting head 46 in the flushing operation as the contact angle between the medium support surface 24a and the liquid droplet ejected from the liquid ejecting head 46 increases. The number of attachment positions P3 in FA may be increased.

- The cleaning unit 33 as a cleaning mechanism does not have to include the cleaning liquid container 36 .

- The liquid ejecting device 11 may be of a line head type having a line head whose printing range covers the entire width of the medium 14 . In addition, when the medium 14 is a single sheet cut to a predetermined size, the flushing operation may be performed in the flushing area FAT on the medium support surface 24a adjacent to the medium 14 with a gap WDT in the transport direction. good. Then, the control unit 31 may change the interval between the media 14 in the transport direction based on the interval WDT set according to the type of flushing operation and the width of the flushing area FAT in the transport direction.

- The liquid ejecting apparatus may be a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects or ejects a liquid other than ink. It should be noted that the state of the liquid ejected from the liquid ejecting apparatus in the form of minute droplets includes granular, tear-like, and thread-like trailing liquids. Further, the liquid referred to here may be any material as long as it can be ejected from the liquid ejecting apparatus. For example, it may be in a state when the substance is in a liquid phase, such as a high or low viscosity liquid, sol, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals (metal melts) ) shall include fluids such as Moreover, it includes not only a liquid as one state of a substance, but also a solution, dispersion, or mixture of particles of a functional material made of a solid substance such as a pigment or metal particles in a solvent. Typical examples of the liquid include ink and liquid crystal as described in the above embodiments. Here, the ink includes general water-based inks, oil-based inks, gel inks, hot-melt inks, and various other liquid compositions. Specific examples of the liquid ejecting apparatus include, for example, liquid crystal displays, EL (electroluminescence) displays, surface emitting displays, liquids containing materials such as electrode materials and coloring materials used in the manufacture of color filters in a dispersed or dissolved form. There is a liquid injection device that injects Further, it may be a liquid injection device that injects a bioorganic material used for biochip production, a liquid injection device that is used as a precision pipette and injects a liquid that serves as a sample, a printing device, a microdispenser, or the like. In addition, transparent resin liquids such as UV curable resins are used to form micro-hemispherical lenses (optical lenses) used in optical communication devices, etc. onto the substrate. Alternatively, a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects an etching liquid such as an acid or an alkali to etch a substrate or the like may be used.

The technical ideas and effects obtained from the above-described embodiments and modifications will be described below.
A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a transport belt that transports a medium in a transport direction with a medium supported on a medium support surface, and a scanning direction that intersects the transport direction with respect to the medium supported on the medium support surface of the transport belt. and a flushing operation of ejecting the liquid from the nozzles as a maintenance operation of the liquid ejecting head in the scanning direction with respect to the medium. and a controller for causing flushing regions on the spaced apart media support surface to occur.

According to this configuration, the flushing area to which the liquid ejected by the flushing operation adheres is adjacent to the medium with a space therebetween. Therefore, compared with the case where the flushing area is adjacent to the medium without a gap, the risk of the liquid adhering to the medium can be reduced. Therefore, even when the liquid is ejected onto the conveying belt as a maintenance operation of the liquid ejecting head, it is possible to reduce the risk of the medium being contaminated by the ejected liquid.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the controller adjusts the distance when the distance between the nozzle surface and the medium support surface in the direction intersecting the transport direction and the scanning direction is a second distance longer than the first distance. It is made larger than the first distance.

In the flushing operation, the longer the distance between the nozzle surface and the medium support surface, the more likely mist is generated. The generated mist may float, adhere to the medium, and contaminate the medium. In this regard, according to this configuration, the interval between the medium and the flushing area is changed according to the distance between the nozzle surface and the medium support surface. That is, when the distance between the nozzle surface and the medium support surface is long, the distance between the medium and the flushing area is made larger than when it is short. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the risk of mist adhering to the medium, and to reduce the risk of contamination of the medium.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus, when the amount of the liquid ejected to the flushing area is equal to or greater than a set value, the controller increases the number of positions where the liquid adheres to the flushing area compared to when the amount is less than the set value.

According to this configuration, when the amount of liquid jetted to the flushing area is equal to or greater than the set value, the number of liquid adhesion positions is increased compared to when the amount is less than the set value. When distributing and depositing a set value or more of liquid to many deposition positions, the surface area per volume of liquid can be increased compared to the case of depositing a set value or more of liquid to one deposition position. Therefore, the liquid evaporates easily, and the fluidity of the liquid can be reduced.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus, a liquid receiving unit for receiving the liquid ejected from the liquid ejecting head is provided in a region in which the liquid ejecting head is movable, and the control unit controls ejection of the liquid as the flushing operation by the conveying operation. A first mode for the belt and a second mode for the liquid receiver are switched.

According to this configuration, the control section switches between the first mode in which the liquid is ejected onto the medium support surface and the second mode in which the liquid is ejected onto the liquid receiving section. Therefore, when printing or maintenance is performed under conditions in which the liquid that has adhered to the conveying belt easily adheres to the medium, it is possible to switch to the second mode, thereby reducing the possibility that the liquid will adhere to the medium.

A maintenance method for a liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a transport belt that transports a medium in a transport direction while supporting a medium on a medium support surface; and a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from a plurality of nozzles formed on a nozzle surface while moving in a scanning direction. A flushing operation of ejecting liquid is performed on a flushing area on the medium support surface adjacent to the medium at a distance in the scanning direction.
According to this method, the same effects as those of the liquid ejecting apparatus can be obtained.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus maintenance method, in the flushing operation, if a distance between the nozzle surface and the medium support surface in a direction intersecting the transport direction and the scanning direction is a second distance longer than the first distance, The spacing is made larger than the first distance.
According to this method, the same effects as those of the liquid ejecting apparatus can be obtained.

In the maintenance method for a liquid ejecting apparatus, when the amount of the liquid ejected to the flushing area in the flushing operation is equal to or greater than a set value, the number of adhesion positions of the liquid in the flushing area is made larger than when the amount is less than the set value.
According to this method, the same effects as those of the liquid ejecting apparatus can be obtained.

In the maintenance method for a liquid ejecting apparatus, the liquid ejecting apparatus is arranged on the nozzle surface so that the plurality of nozzles form a plurality of nozzle rows arranged in the scanning direction, and the plurality of nozzle rows are selected from the nozzle rows. A plurality of different liquids can be ejected, and in the flushing operation, the liquid with the highest viscosity among the plurality of liquids is ejected closer to the medium in the scanning direction than the other liquids.

According to this method, in the flushing region, the liquid with high viscosity is jetted toward the medium side more than the other liquids. Therefore, the high-viscosity liquid can restrict the movement of the low-viscosity liquid toward the medium, and the risk of the liquid adhering to the medium can be reduced.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus maintenance method, a pattern continuous in the conveying direction is formed at an end portion of the flushing area on the medium side in the scanning direction by ejecting the liquid by the flushing operation.

According to this method, a pattern that is continuous in the transport direction is formed by the flushing operation at the end of the flushing area on the medium side. Therefore, it is possible to restrict the movement of the liquid adhering to the flushing region to the medium side by the pattern, and reduce the risk of the liquid adhering to the medium.

In the maintenance method for a liquid ejecting apparatus, the liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid receiving section that receives the liquid ejected from the liquid ejecting head in a region in which the liquid ejecting head can move, A first mode in which jetting is performed on the medium support surface and a second mode in which jetting is performed on the liquid receiver are switched.
According to this method, the same effects as those of the liquid ejecting apparatus can be obtained.

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a transport belt that transports a medium in a transport direction while supporting a medium on a medium support surface, and a plurality of nozzle surfaces formed on a nozzle surface for the medium supported on the medium support surface of the transport belt. A liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from nozzles, and a flushing operation that ejects the liquid from the nozzles as a maintenance operation of the liquid ejecting head are performed on a flushing area on the medium support surface that is adjacent to the medium with a space therebetween. and a control unit that allows the

According to this configuration, the flushing area to which the liquid ejected by the flushing operation adheres is adjacent to the medium with a space therebetween. Therefore, compared with the case where the flushing area is adjacent to the medium without a gap, the risk of the liquid adhering to the medium can be reduced. Therefore, even when the liquid is ejected onto the conveying belt as a maintenance operation of the liquid ejecting head, it is possible to reduce the risk of the medium being contaminated by the ejected liquid.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the control unit increases the number of adhesion positions of the liquid in the flushing region as the contact angle between the medium support surface and the liquid droplet increases.
According to this configuration, the larger the contact angle formed between the medium support surface and the liquid droplet, the greater the number of liquid adhesion positions in the flushing region. When the liquid is dispersed and deposited on many deposition positions, the liquid jetted to the flushing region of the medium support surface is more likely to move together than when the liquid is deposited on one deposition position. can be reduced. Therefore, the possibility of contamination of the medium can be reduced.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the controller performs the flushing operation so that the liquid ejected from the nozzle adheres to different positions in the flushing area.
According to this configuration, the flushing operation is performed so that the liquid ejected from the nozzle adheres to different positions in the flushing area. When the liquid ejected from the nozzles is attached to different positions in the flushing area, the liquid ejected to the flushing area of the medium support surface moves together as compared to the case where a plurality of liquids are attached to one attachment position. It is possible to reduce susceptibility. Therefore, the possibility of contamination of the medium can be reduced.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the controller increases the distance as the contact angle formed between the medium support surface and the liquid droplet increases.
According to this configuration, the greater the contact angle formed between the medium support surface and the liquid droplet, the greater the distance between the medium and the flushing region on the medium support surface. When the gap is large, compared to when the gap is small, it is possible to reduce the tendency for the liquid jetted to the flushing area of the medium support surface to move together. Therefore, the possibility of contamination of the medium can be reduced.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus, a contact angle between the medium support surface and the liquid droplet is 60° or more and less than 90°.
According to this configuration, it is possible to reduce the risk of contamination of the medium due to movement of the liquid ejected onto the flushing area of the medium support surface while ensuring the removability of the liquid adhering to the medium support surface.

A maintenance method for a liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a transport belt that transports a medium in a transport direction while supporting a medium on a medium support surface; and a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from a plurality of nozzles, wherein a flushing operation of ejecting the liquid from the nozzles is performed as a maintenance operation of the liquid ejecting head. are placed in the flushing area on the adjacent media support surface.
According to this method, the same effects as those of the liquid ejecting apparatus can be obtained.

In the maintenance method of the liquid ejecting apparatus, the larger the contact angle formed between the medium support surface and the liquid droplet, the greater the number of the liquid adhesion positions in the flushing area.
According to this method, the same effects as those of the liquid ejecting apparatus can be obtained.

In the maintenance method for the liquid ejecting apparatus, the flushing operation is performed so that the liquid ejected from the nozzle adheres to different positions in the flushing area.
According to this method, the same effects as those of the liquid ejecting apparatus can be obtained.

In the maintenance method for a liquid ejecting apparatus, the liquid ejecting head is movable in a scanning direction that intersects with the transport direction, and the nozzle surface is configured such that the plurality of nozzles form a plurality of nozzle rows arranged in the scanning direction. and performs the flushing operation so that the liquid ejected from the nozzles adheres to different positions of the flushing area for each of the plurality of nozzle rows.
According to this method, it is possible to reduce the possibility that a plurality of liquids jetted from a plurality of nozzle arrays to the flushing region of the medium support surface are likely to move together. Therefore, the possibility of contamination of the medium can be reduced.

A... supply direction, L... distance, L1... first distance, L2... second distance, FA... flushing area, P1... printing position, P2... peeling position, P3... adhesion position, PA1... intermittent pattern, PA2... Continuous pattern (an example of pattern), WB... Exposure width, WD... Spacing, WD1... First spacing, WD2... Second spacing, WF... Flushing width, WF1... First flushing width, WF2... Second flushing width, X... Scanning direction X1 First scanning direction X2 Second scanning direction Y Carrying direction Z Vertical direction 11 Liquid ejecting device 12 Housing 13 Cover 14 Medium 15 Carrying unit , 16... Liquid ejecting part 17... Liquid containing part 18... Supply mechanism 19... Moving mechanism 21... Conveying motor 22... Driving pulley 23... Driven pulley 24... Conveying belt 24a... Medium supporting surface 25 Pressure roller 27 Winding unit 28 Driven roller 30 Peeling sensor 31 Control unit 33 Washing unit 34 Absorbing roller 36 Washing liquid container 37 Washing brush 38 Washing Wiper 41 First guide shaft 42 Second guide shaft 43 Carriage motor 45 Carriage 45A Carriage body 45B Carriage base 46 Liquid jet head 47 Nozzle 48 Nozzle surface 49... Adjustment mechanism, 51... Mounting part, 53... Supply path, 54... Supply pump, 55... Filter unit, 56... Static mixer, 57... Liquid storage chamber, 58... Pressure adjustment unit, 60... Diaphragm pump, 61... Suction Valve 62 Discharge valve 64 Bracket 65 Nozzle opening surface 66 Head body 67 Plate 67a Lower surface 68 Through hole 68a First through hole 68b Second through hole 68c Third through hole 68d Fourth through hole 69 Nozzle row 69a First nozzle group 69b Second nozzle group 69c Third nozzle group 69d Fourth nozzle group 70 Maintenance mechanism , 71... First liquid receiver 72... Second liquid receiver 73... Cleaning member 74... Cleaning mechanism 76... Suction cap 77... Waste liquid container 78... Suction tube 79... Suction pump.

Claims (8)

a transport belt that transports the medium in the transport direction while supporting the medium on the medium support surface;
a liquid jet head that jets liquid from a plurality of nozzles formed on a nozzle surface onto the medium supported on the medium support surface of the transport belt;
a controller for performing a flushing operation of ejecting the liquid from the nozzles as a maintenance operation of the liquid ejecting head to a flushing area on the medium support surface adjacent to the medium with a space therebetween ;
The control unit increases the number of adhesion positions of the liquid in the flushing region as the contact angle formed between the medium support surface and the liquid droplet increases.
A liquid injection device characterized by: 2. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller performs the flushing operation so that the liquid ejected from the nozzle adheres to different positions of the flushing region. 3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the larger the contact angle formed between the medium support surface and the liquid droplet, the larger the distance the control unit increases. 4. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a contact angle between the medium support surface and the liquid droplet is 60[deg.] or more and less than 90[deg.]. . a transport belt that transports the medium in the transport direction while supporting the medium on the medium support surface;
a liquid jet head that jets liquid from a plurality of nozzles formed on a nozzle surface onto the medium supported on the medium support surface of the transport belt;
A maintenance method for a liquid injection device comprising:
performing a flushing operation of ejecting the liquid from the nozzle as a maintenance operation of the liquid ejecting head to a flushing area on the medium support surface adjacent to the medium with a space therebetween ;
A maintenance method for a liquid ejecting apparatus , wherein the larger the contact angle formed between the medium support surface and the liquid droplet, the greater the number of positions where the liquid adheres in the flushing area . 6. The maintenance method for a liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the flushing operation is performed so that the liquid ejected from the nozzle adheres to different positions in the flushing area. The liquid ejecting head is movable in a scanning direction that intersects with the transport direction, and is arranged on the nozzle surface so that the plurality of nozzles form a plurality of nozzle rows aligned in the scanning direction,
7. The flushing operation is performed so that the liquid ejected from the nozzles adheres to different positions of the flushing region for each of the plurality of nozzle rows. A maintenance method for the described liquid ejection device. a transport belt that transports the medium in the transport direction while supporting the medium on the medium support surface;
a liquid jet head that jets liquid from a plurality of nozzles formed on a nozzle surface onto the medium supported on the medium support surface of the transport belt;
a controller for performing a flushing operation of ejecting the liquid from the nozzles as a maintenance operation of the liquid ejecting head to a flushing area on the medium support surface adjacent to the medium with a space therebetween;
The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller increases the distance as the contact angle between the medium support surface and the liquid droplet increases.

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