JP2020001410A - Liquid jet device and cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a liquid jet device capable of stably wiping a nozzle surface disposed with nozzles jetting liquid, and a cleaning device.SOLUTION: An ink-jet printer comprises: a liquid jet head 27 jetting ink from nozzles disposed on a nozzle surface 63; a wiping member 73 capable of wiping off the ink adhered to the nozzle surface 63; and an absorption member 78 being brought into contact with the nozzle surface 63 and capable of holding the ink adhered to the nozzle surface 63. Further, the ink-jet printer can perform first maintenance operation for wiping the nozzle surface 63 by the wiping member 73 and second maintenance operation for bringing the absorption member 78 into contact with the nozzle surface 63 by biasing the absorption member 78 by the wiping member 73.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus such as an ink jet printer and a cleaning apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as one type of liquid ejecting apparatus, an ink jet printer that records an image by ejecting ink droplets from a nozzle formed on a nozzle surface of an ink jet recording head onto a recording medium has been known. Some of such printers include a string-shaped wiping member for wiping a nozzle surface (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  The wiping member is arranged in a state in which a predetermined tension is applied so that a part of the wiping member spans between the unwinding unit and the winding unit arranged on both sides of the inkjet recording head. That is, the wiping member is wound around the unwinding unit, is unwound from the unwinding unit, and is wound up by the winding unit. Then, by moving the unwinding portion and the winding portion in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the wiping member is passed while the wiping member is in contact with the nozzle surface, ink or the like attached to the nozzle surface is wiped by the wiping member. It has become so.

JP 2008-302562 A

  By the way, in the printer as described above, the pressing force of the wiping member against the nozzle surface when wiping the nozzle surface by the wiping member is not uniform because it is due to the tension applied to the wiping member. For this reason, there is a problem that the nozzle surface is not stably wiped by the wiping member, and the nozzle surface may be left unwiped by the wiping member.

  These problems are not limited to ink jet printers that record images by ejecting ink droplets from nozzles, but include liquid jets that wipe liquid adhering to the nozzle surface while pressing the wiping member against the nozzle surface where the nozzle is located. The devices are generally common.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems existing in the conventional technology. An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejecting apparatus and a cleaning apparatus which can stably wipe a nozzle surface on which a nozzle for ejecting a liquid is disposed.

Hereinafter, means for solving the above-described problems and the effects thereof will be described.
A liquid ejecting apparatus that solves the above-described problem includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from a nozzle disposed on a nozzle surface, a flexible first plate-shaped wiping member that can wipe the nozzle surface, A first wiping member having a first wiping member moving mechanism capable of moving one wiping member, and a long second wiping member capable of absorbing the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface in contact with the nozzle surface And a take-up reel that takes up the second wiping member holding the liquid, and a second wiping mechanism having a second wiping mechanism that moves the first wiping member in the wiping direction to wipe the nozzle surface. (1) a maintenance operation, a third maintenance operation of bringing the second wiping member into contact with the nozzle surface without biasing the second wiping member by the first wiping member, and Contact the wiping member Thereby, a first wiping member cleaning operation of cleaning the wiping member can be performed, and the first wiping member moving mechanism is configured to perform the first wiping member contacting the nozzle surface in the first maintenance operation. The contact portion of the member can be moved to a wiping position in contact with the nozzle surface in the first maintenance operation and a cleaning position in contact with the second wiping member in the first wiping member cleaning operation, wherein the cleaning position is , Which is a position not in contact with the nozzle surface and located below the wiping position.
In the liquid ejecting apparatus, it is preferable that a second maintenance operation of bringing the second wiping member into contact with the nozzle surface can be performed by urging the second wiping member with the first wiping member. .

  According to this configuration, the second wiping portion can be stably brought into contact with the nozzle surface by performing the second maintenance operation selectively. Therefore, it is possible to stably wipe the nozzle surface on which the nozzle from which the liquid is jetted is arranged.

  In the liquid ejecting apparatus, it is preferable that a third maintenance operation of bringing the second wiping unit into contact with the nozzle surface can be performed without biasing the second wiping unit by the first wiping unit. .

According to this configuration, it is possible to perform wiping of the nozzle surface while suppressing damage to the nozzle surface.
In the liquid ejecting apparatus, it is preferable that the first wiping unit is cleaned by bringing the second wiping unit into contact with the first wiping unit.

According to this configuration, the second wiping unit can also be used as a cleaner for the first wiping unit.
In the liquid ejecting apparatus, it is preferable that the first wiping unit is configured by a wiping member having flexibility, and the second wiping unit is configured by a long absorbing member capable of absorbing the liquid. .

According to this configuration, the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface can be scraped off by the wiping member or absorbed by the absorbing member.
In the liquid ejecting apparatus, in the maintenance operation of wiping the nozzle surface using the second wiping unit, it is preferable that the second wiping unit be vibrated or rotated.

According to this configuration, the wiping performance of the second wiping unit can be improved.
A cleaning device for solving the above-mentioned problems is a flexible plate-shaped first wiping member capable of wiping the nozzle surface of a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from a nozzle disposed on the nozzle surface, and the first wiping member. A first wiping mechanism having a first wiping member moving mechanism capable of moving a member, and a long second wiping member capable of absorbing the liquid attached to the nozzle surface in contact with the nozzle surface; A second wiping mechanism having a take-up reel that winds up the second wiping member holding the liquid; and a first maintenance for wiping the nozzle surface by moving the first wiping member in a wiping direction. An operation, a third maintenance operation of bringing the second wiping member into contact with the nozzle surface without urging the second wiping member by the first wiping member, and a first wiping member attached to the second wiping member. Contacted Thereby, a first wiping member cleaning operation for cleaning the wiping member can be performed, and the first wiping member moving mechanism is configured to contact the nozzle surface in the first maintenance operation. The contact portion of the wiping member can be moved to a wiping position in contact with the nozzle surface in the first maintenance operation and a cleaning position in contact with the second wiping member in the first wiping member cleaning operation, wherein the cleaning position Is located at a position not in contact with the nozzle surface and below the wiping position.

  In the cleaning device, it is preferable that the take-up reel is located downstream of the contact portion of the first wiping member at the wiping position in the wiping direction.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view illustrating a positional relationship between a support base and a maintenance mechanism. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a head unit. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a nozzle surface. FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of a wiper unit. The front view of FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of a support mechanism. FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view showing a state when an absorbing member is held in a holding groove of a wiping member. FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view showing a first maintenance operation. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a second maintenance operation. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a second maintenance operation. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a second maintenance operation. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state when the wiping member is cleaned by the absorbing member. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state when the wiping member is being cleaned by the absorbing member. FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view showing a third maintenance operation. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a second maintenance operation in a modified example. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a second maintenance operation in a modified example. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a first maintenance operation in a modified example. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a third maintenance operation in a modified example. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a third maintenance operation in a modified example. FIG. 9 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a wiping member according to a modified example. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a first maintenance operation in a modified example. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a second maintenance operation in a modified example. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a third maintenance operation in a modified example. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a second maintenance operation in a modified example. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a second maintenance operation in a modified example. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a third maintenance operation in a modified example. The schematic diagram which shows the state at the time of performing flushing to the absorption member in the modification. FIG. 11 is a schematic side view showing a third maintenance operation in a modified example. FIG. 31 is a schematic front view of FIG. 30. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a state when performing a second maintenance operation in a modified example. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state when a second maintenance operation is performed in a modified example. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state when a second maintenance operation is performed in a modified example.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a liquid ejecting apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, an inkjet printer 11 as an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus includes a transport unit that transports a recording medium 13 such as paper supported by a support table 12 in a transport direction Y along the surface of the support table 12. And a printing unit 15 that performs printing by ejecting ink as an example of a liquid to the recording medium 13 to be conveyed.

  The support 12, the transport unit 14, and the printing unit 15 are assembled to a printer body 16 including a housing, a frame, and the like. The support base 12 extends in the width direction of the recording medium 13 in the ink jet printer 11 (in FIG. 1, in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface). Further, a cover 17 is attached to the printer body 16 so as to be openable and closable.

  The transport unit 14 transports the recording medium 13 by disposing the pairs of transport rollers 18 and 19 disposed upstream and downstream of the support table 12 in the transport direction Y and downstream of the transport roller pair 19 in the transport direction Y. And a guide plate 20 for guiding while supporting. Then, the transport unit 14 rotates along with the surface of the support base 12 and the surface of the guide plate 20 by rotating the transport roller pair 18, 19 while holding the recording medium 13 by being driven by a transport motor (not shown). The recording medium 13 is transported in the transport direction Y.

  The printing unit 15 includes guide shafts 22 and 23 extending along a scanning direction X that is a width direction of the recording medium 13 orthogonal to (intersecting with) the transport direction Y of the recording medium 13, and the guide shafts 22 and 23. And a carriage 25 that is guided and reciprocates in the scanning direction X. The carriage 25 reciprocates in the scanning direction X with the driving of the carriage motor 24 (see FIG. 2).

  At the lower end of the carriage 25, at least one (two in this embodiment) liquid ejecting head 27 having a nozzle 26 for ejecting ink is attached. That is, the liquid ejecting head 27 is attached to the carriage 25 such that the lower surface thereof is opposed to the support base 12 at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction Z, and together with the carriage 25 as the carriage motor 24 (see FIG. 2) is driven. It reciprocates in the scanning direction X. The liquid ejecting heads 27 are arranged so as to be separated from each other by a predetermined distance in the scanning direction X and by a predetermined distance in the transport direction Y.

  On the other hand, above the carriage 25, a part of a supply mechanism 31 for supplying ink from the ink cartridge 30 to the liquid ejecting head 27 is attached. The supply mechanism 31 causes the ink to flow along a supply direction A from the upstream side, which is the ink cartridge 30 side, to the downstream side, which is the liquid ejection head 27 side. The ink cartridge 30 and the supply mechanism 31 are provided in at least one set (five in this embodiment) for each type of ink.

  The five ink cartridges 30 are detachably mounted on a plurality of (five in the present embodiment) mounting portions 32, respectively, and contain inks of different colors (types). As an example, ink of each color of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), black (K), and white (W) is stored in each ink cartridge 30. By ejecting the ink supplied from each ink cartridge 30 from the liquid ejecting head 27, color printing or the like on the recording medium 13 is performed. As an example, in the case of the dark recording medium 13, white printing (base printing) is performed, and then color printing is performed thereon.

  The supply mechanism 31 includes a supply path 33 that supplies ink from the ink cartridge 30 to the liquid ejecting head 27. The supply path 33 includes, in order from the upstream side, a supply pump 34 for flowing ink in the supply direction A, a filter unit 35 for capturing bubbles and foreign matter in the ink, and changing the flow of ink flowing in the supply path 33 to supply ink. A static mixer 36 for stirring, a liquid storage chamber 37 for storing ink, and a pressure adjustment unit 38 for adjusting the pressure of the ink are provided.

  The supply pump 34 includes a diaphragm pump 40 having a variable pump chamber volume, a suction valve 41 disposed upstream of the diaphragm pump 40, and a discharge valve 42 disposed downstream of the diaphragm pump 40. are doing. The suction valve 41 and the discharge valve 42 are configured by one-way valves that allow the flow of ink to the downstream side while inhibiting the flow of ink to the upstream side.

  For this reason, the supply pump 34 sucks ink from the ink cartridge 30 through the suction valve 41 as the volume of the pump chamber of the diaphragm pump 40 increases, and decreases as the volume of the pump chamber decreases. The ink is ejected to the liquid ejecting head 27 via the ejection valve 42. Further, the filter unit 35 is disposed at a position corresponding to the cover 17 of the printer main body 16, and is detachably attached to the supply path 33. The filter unit 35 is replaceable by opening the cover 17.

  In addition, the inkjet printer 11 controls driving of a transport motor (not shown) that drives the transport roller pairs 18 and 19, a carriage motor 24 (see FIG. 2), a supply pump 34, and the like. The control unit 39 controls the ejection of ink from the control unit 26. The liquid ejecting head 27 ejects ink from the nozzles 26 to the recording medium 13 conveyed on the support table 12 while reciprocating in the scanning direction X together with the carriage 25 as the carriage motor 24 is driven. Perform printing.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a maintenance mechanism 43 for performing maintenance of the liquid ejecting head 27 is provided at a position adjacent to one end of the support table 12 in the scanning direction X. In the present embodiment, an area in which the liquid ejecting head 27 ejects ink to the recording medium 13 for printing and in which the recording medium 13 may be transported is a transport area PA. In this case, the maintenance mechanism 43 is arranged within the scanning range of the carriage 25 in the scanning direction X and outside the transport area PA (right side in FIG. 2).

  The maintenance mechanism 43 includes a flushing unit 45 having a liquid receiving unit 44, a wiper unit 46 as an example of a cleaning device, and an upper end opened so as to be arranged in order from a position near the transport area PA in the scanning direction X. A cap unit 48 having two caps 47 having a rectangular box shape with a bottom is provided.

  The carriage 25 and the liquid ejecting head 27 stand by at the home position HP where the cap unit 48 is arranged when printing is not performed or when the power is turned off. That is, the liquid ejecting head 27 is movable between the transport area PA and the home position HP in the scanning direction X orthogonal (intersecting) with the transport direction Y.

  When the two liquid ejecting heads 27 are moved to the home position HP, the two cap portions 47 face the two liquid ejecting heads 27 in the vertical direction, respectively. Each cap portion 47 is moved up and down between a position where the cap portion 47 can contact the liquid ejecting head 27 and a position away from the liquid ejecting head 27 by driving the capping motor 49.

  Each cap portion 47 contacts each liquid ejecting head 27 so as to surround the plurality of nozzles 26 to perform capping to form a closed space with each liquid ejecting head 27, thereby drying the ink in each nozzle 26. Suppress. Each liquid ejecting head 27 is capped by each cap portion 47 at the home position HP when printing is not performed.

  The inside of each cap portion 47 can be suctioned by a suction pump 50 via a suction tube (not shown) having one end connected to each cap portion 47. Each of the liquid ejecting heads 27 sucks the inside (closed space) of each of the cap portions 47 by driving the suction pump 50 in a state where the caps are capped by the respective cap portions 47 at the home position HP. Thus, so-called head cleaning, in which the thickened ink, bubbles, and the like in each liquid ejecting head 27 are discharged into each cap portion 47, is performed. The driving of the capping motor 49 and the suction pump 50 is controlled by the control unit 39 (see FIG. 1).

  The wiper unit 46 includes a first wiping mechanism 51 capable of wiping ink adhered to the lower surface of the liquid ejecting head 27 and a second wiping mechanism capable of contacting the lower surface of the liquid ejecting head 27 and holding the ink adhered to the lower surface. 52 and a rectangular plate-shaped base member 53 that supports the first wiping mechanism 51 and the second wiping mechanism 52. The wiper unit 46 is guided by a pair of rail portions 54 so as to be able to reciprocate along the transport direction Y.

  In addition, the flushing unit 45 receives the flushing ink discharged at the time of performing the so-called flushing, which discharges ink droplets from each nozzle 26 regardless of printing for the purpose of preventing or eliminating clogging or the like of each nozzle 26. Received at part 44. The flushing unit 45 is arranged such that the liquid receiving portion 44 is located below the left liquid ejecting head 27 in FIG. 2 when the right liquid ejecting head 27 in FIG. 2 is located above the wiper unit 46. Have been.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the head unit 55 is attached to the lower surface of the carriage 25, and includes a bracket 56 for attaching to the carriage 25, and a rectangular parallelepiped liquid ejecting head 27 projecting downward from the bracket 56. It has. The liquid ejecting head 27 includes a rectangular parallelepiped channel forming portion 57 protruding downward from the bracket portion 56, and a rectangular plate-shaped head main body 58 fixed below the channel forming portion 57. A plurality of (for example, 10) nozzle rows 59 are formed on the lower surface of the head body 58 in FIG.

  On the lower surface side of the head body 58, a plate-shaped cover member 60 having a plurality of (for example, five) through-holes 60a is a nozzle in which each nozzle 26 (see FIG. 4) constituting the nozzle row 59 is opened. It is attached so as to cover a part of the opening surface 61 (the lower surface in this example). The plurality of nozzle rows 59 are exposed to one through hole 60a by a predetermined number of rows (for example, two rows).

  In this example, a region of the nozzle opening surface 61 that is exposed by the through hole 60a is a nozzle peripheral region 62. That is, the surface of the liquid ejecting head 27 having the nozzle 26 is covered with the cover member 60 having the through hole 60 a exposing the nozzle peripheral region 62 at a portion corresponding to the nozzle peripheral region 62. Note that the nozzle peripheral region 62 includes an opening region of each nozzle 26 (see FIG. 4).

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cover member 60 covers a portion of the nozzle opening surface 61 other than the nozzle peripheral region 62 exposed by the through hole 60 a, and has a liquid ejecting head with a fixing structure such as locking. 27. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the entire bottom surface of the liquid jet head 27 is a nozzle surface 63 to be wiped by the wiper unit 46. The nozzle surface 63 includes a nozzle peripheral region 62 (that is, a region in the through hole 60a) and a non-nozzle peripheral region other than the nozzle peripheral region 62. (In the example, 0.1 mm).

  Therefore, a step 65 exists between the nozzle peripheral region 62 and the protruding surface 64 (non-nozzle peripheral region). That is, the nozzle surface 63 is formed of an uneven surface that becomes a concave portion in the nozzle peripheral region 62 and a convex portion in the protruding surface 64. The cover member 60 is made of, for example, a metal (for example, stainless steel).

  As shown in FIG. 4, the nozzle row 59 includes a large number (for example, 180 or 360) of nozzles 26 arranged at a constant pitch along the transport direction Y. Each nozzle row 59 ejects one color ink corresponding to the ink color of the ink cartridge 30 (see FIG. 1). Of course, inks of colors other than the four CMYK colors and white (W) may be ejected, and inks of colors such as light magenta, light cyan, light yellow, gray, and orange may be ejected. Further, the number of colors of the liquid jet head 27 may be four colors of CMYK, three colors of CMY, one color of black, or the like. Further, an unused nozzle row to which ink is not ejected may exist in the plurality of nozzle rows 59.

  The nozzle opening surface 61 is subjected to a liquid-repellent treatment (ink-repellent treatment) that easily repels ink, and a liquid-repellent film 66 (ink-repellent film) is formed on the surface thereof. The liquid-repellent film 66 may be composed of, for example, a thin film base layer mainly composed of a polyorganosiloxane containing an alkyl group and a liquid-repellent film layer made of a metal alkoxide having a long-chain polymer group containing fluorine. The ink used in the present embodiment is, for example, a pigment ink. In a pigment ink, many pigment particles are dispersed in a liquid used as a dispersion medium. Organic pigments having an average particle diameter of about 100 nm as cyan, magenta and yellow pigments, carbon black (inorganic pigment) having an average particle diameter of about 120 nm as black pigments, and titanium oxide having an average particle diameter of about 320 nm as white pigments (Inorganic pigments) and the like.

  The ink of this example is an aqueous ink, and a number of pigment particles are dispersed in water as a dispersion medium. For this reason, in this example, the liquid-repellent film 66 is a water-repellent film having a function of repelling water-based ink. The liquid-repellent film 66 may be composed of, for example, a thin film base layer mainly composed of a polyorganosiloxane containing an alkyl group and a liquid-repellent film layer made of a metal alkoxide having a long-chain polymer group containing fluorine. The lyophobic film 66 gradually wears due to repeated wiping of the nozzle opening surface 61, and when the lyophobic film 66 wears by a certain amount or more, its lyophobic property decreases. The liquid-repellent film 66 may be a liquid-repellent coating film or a liquid-repellent monomolecular film, and its thickness and liquid-repellent treatment method can be arbitrarily selected.

  When the liquid repellency of the liquid repellent film 66 is reduced, the wetting angle (contact angle) of the liquid such as ink mist with respect to the nozzle peripheral region 62 becomes small. Therefore, the plurality of ink mist adhering to the nozzle peripheral region 62 spreads easily and grows into one relatively large ink droplet (adhered ink). For this reason, there is a risk that such attached ink may be present near the nozzles 26, block openings of some of the nozzles 26, or flow into the nozzles 26.

  In addition, when an ink droplet is ejected from the nozzle 26 in a state where the attached ink is present in the vicinity of the nozzle 26, the ejected ink droplet comes into contact with the attached ink and induces the ink droplet to bend. Such a flying curve of the ink droplet causes a position where the ink droplet lands on the recording medium 13 (that is, a print dot forming position) to be deviated from an assumed position, and causes deterioration in print image quality. For such a reason, it is necessary to suppress wear of the liquid-repellent film 66 due to wiping (wiping) as much as possible.

  On the other hand, the cover member 60 is manufactured by processing a metal plate into a predetermined shape, and the surface of the cover member 60 is not subjected to a liquid-repellent treatment. For this reason, the protruding surface 64 (the non-nozzle peripheral region) has lower liquid repellency than the nozzle peripheral region 62. That is, the wetting angle of the ink on the protruding surface 64 is smaller than the wetting angle of the ink on the nozzle peripheral region 62.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the liquid ejecting head 27 has a plurality (for example, five in this embodiment) of recording heads 67 (unit heads) arranged in parallel at a constant pitch in the scanning direction X. A peripheral portion of a nozzle opening surface 61 serving as a lower surface of the recording head 67 is covered with a cover member 60, and a nozzle peripheral region 62 including two rows of nozzles 26 is exposed from a through hole 60a formed in the cover member 60. I have.

  Each nozzle 26 communicates with each ink flow path 57a passing through the flow path forming section 57, and each ink flow path 57a has a plurality of supply pipe sections projecting upward from the upper surface of the flow path forming section 57 through a flow path (not shown). 55a. Each supply pipe 55a communicates with a supply port of the pressure adjustment unit 38 (see FIG. 1) mounted on the carriage 25 via a flow path (not shown).

  Therefore, from each of the pressure adjusting units 38 (see FIG. 1), the ink of each corresponding color is supplied to the corresponding nozzle 26 of the recording head 67 through each supply pipe portion 55a and each ink flow path 57a. The liquid ejecting head 27 may be configured by one head having three or more nozzle rows.

Next, the configuration of the wiper unit 46 will be described in detail.
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the wiper unit 46 is guided along a pair of rail portions 54 via a guide portion 68 fixed to the lower surface of the base member 53, and is capable of reciprocating in the transport direction Y. It has become. An electric motor 69 serving as a power source is provided on the side of the printer body 16 (see FIG. 1), and a pinion 71 is attached to a tip end of an output shaft 70 of the electric motor 69.

  A rack 72 extending along the transport direction Y is provided on the side of the base member 53 of the wiper unit 46, and the rack 72 is engaged with the pinion 71. Then, when the electric motor 69 is driven to rotate forward, the pinion 71 rotates forward, and the wiper unit 46 moves in the transport direction Y together with the rack 72. On the other hand, when the electric motor 69 is driven to rotate in the reverse direction, the pinion 71 rotates in the reverse direction, and the wiper unit 46 moves in the direction opposite to the transport direction Y together with the rack 72.

  The first wiping mechanism 51 of the wiper unit 46 is disposed at a central portion on the base member 53, and has a flexible wiping member 73 as an example of a first wiping unit capable of wiping ink attached to the nozzle surface 63. And an actuator 74 for supporting the wiping member 73 so as to be able to move up and down. A nut portion 75 is provided below the actuator 74, and the nut portion 75 extends in the transport direction Y and is screwed with a ball screw 77 driven to rotate by a motor 76.

  When the motor 76 rotates forward, the ball screw 77 rotates forward, and the wiping member 73 moves in the transport direction Y on the base member 53 together with the actuator 74. On the other hand, when the motor 76 is driven to rotate in the reverse direction, the ball screw 77 rotates in the reverse direction, and the wiping member 73 moves on the base member 53 together with the actuator 74 in the direction opposite to the transport direction Y. The wiping member 73 is formed of, for example, a rectangular plate-shaped rubber wiper, and the actuator 74 is formed of, for example, an air cylinder. The driving of the electric motor 69, the motor 76, and the actuator 74 is controlled by the control unit 39 (see FIG. 1).

  The second wiping mechanism 52 of the wiper unit 46 includes a long absorbing member 78 as an example of a second wiping unit capable of absorbing and holding ink attached to the nozzle surface 63 by contacting the nozzle surface 63, A take-out reel 79 that supports the used absorbing member 78 in a wound state, and a take-up reel 80 that takes up and uses the used absorbing member 78 that has been taken out from the pay-out reel 79 is provided.

  As the absorbing member 78, a member formed in a string shape, a thread shape, or a cloth shape (strip shape) can be used, but in the present embodiment, a member formed in a string shape is used. The string-shaped absorbing member 78 is preferably a string formed by bundling ultra-fine fibers (microfibers) having a single-fiber fineness (one fineness) of 10 μm or less. Ultrafine fibers (about 2 μm), nylon (polyamide), and a combination of polyester and nylon (separable ultrafine fibers, about 5 μm) are preferred. In addition, one type (for example, polyester) of single yarns may be bundled to form a string, or a plurality of types (for example, polyester and nylon) may be bundled to form a string.

  When the absorbing member 78 is formed in a thread shape, it is preferable to use polyester or nylon as the material. In the case where the absorbing member 78 is formed in a cloth shape, it is preferable to use a knitted or plain woven ultra-fine fiber (microfiber) having a single-fiber fineness (one fineness) of about 2 to 10 μm. It is preferable to use polyester (sea-island type ultra-fine fibers, about 2 μm) or a combination of polyester and nylon (separable type ultra-fine fibers, about 5 μm). A specific example is Toraysee (registered trademark) manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc., and the names of Toraysee include Toraysee PK and Toraysee PW.

  The pay-out reel 79 and the take-up reel 80 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the scanning direction X so as to face each other with the ball screw 77 interposed therebetween. The feeding reel 79 is rotatably supported by a pair of feeding support columns 81 erected on the base member 53 around an axis extending in the transport direction Y, and attached to one of the pair of feeding support columns 81. The motor 82 is driven to rotate. Similarly, the take-up reel 80 is rotatably supported by a pair of take-up support columns 83 erected on the base member 53 around an axis extending in the transport direction Y. The motor 84 is rotatably driven by a motor 84 attached to one of the two.

  A predetermined spacing is provided in the scanning direction X between the feeding reel 79 and the take-up reel 80 on the base member 53 so that a pair of support mechanisms 85 supporting the absorbing member 78 face each other with the ball screw 77 interposed therebetween. It is erected. In this case, the pair of support mechanisms 85 are arranged at an interval wider than the width of the nozzle surface 63 in the scanning direction X so as not to hinder the movement of the wiping member 73 in the transport direction Y.

  The support mechanism 85 is composed of, for example, an air cylinder that is driven and controlled by the control unit 39 (see FIG. 1), and has a rod 86 that moves vertically. A support member 87 that supports the absorbing member 78 is provided at the tip of the rod 86. The support member 87 has a concave receiving portion 87a that receives the absorbing member 78, as shown in FIG. Therefore, the height of the absorbing member 78 located between the two receiving portions 87a can be changed by moving the two rods 86 in the vertical direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the upper end of the surface of the wiping member 73 on the transport direction Y side can hold the absorbing member 78 by engaging with the absorbing member 78 between the two support members 87. The holding groove 73a is formed to extend in the scanning direction X. In this case, the holding groove 73a can hold the absorbing member 78 in a state in which about half of the absorbing member 78 is housed.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the motors 82 and 84 are configured by, for example, servo motors, and have a torque detecting unit (not shown) for detecting a rotational torque inside. The motors 82 and 84 are driven and controlled by the control unit 39 (see FIG. 1). The control section 39 (see FIG. 1) controls the drive and rotation directions of the motors 82 and 84 based on a detection signal from a torque detection section (not shown), so that the control section 39 is extended between the pair of support mechanisms 85. A predetermined tension is applied to the absorbed member 78.

  Further, the cleaning liquid is sprayed onto the unused absorbing member 78 fed from the feeding reel 79 between the feeding reel 79 and the supporting mechanism 85 of the pair of supporting mechanisms 85 which is closer to the feeding reel 79. A cleaning liquid supply unit 88 is provided. The cleaning liquid is applied to the absorbing member 78 in order to improve the wiping property of the nozzle surface 63 by the absorbing member 78, and is made of, for example, water. Of course, the cleaning liquid may be impregnated in advance into the absorbing member 78 wound around the pay-out reel 79 without disposing the cleaning liquid supply unit 88.

Next, the operation of the ink jet printer 11 will be described.
In the inkjet printer 11, a printing operation of ejecting ink droplets from each nozzle 26 of the liquid ejecting head 27 to perform recording for one scan on the recording medium 13 while the carriage 25 is moving in the scanning direction X, The printing operation on the recording medium 13 is advanced by alternately repeating the transport operation of transporting to the next printing position. During this printing, the wiper unit 46 stands by at a retracted position retracted to the opposite side to the transport direction Y so as not to contact the liquid ejecting head 27 moving in the scanning direction X.

  In the ink jet printer 11, the ink in the liquid ejecting head 27 is forcibly ejected from the nozzles 26 at a predetermined timing (for example, when the ink cartridge 30 is replaced, when the ejection failure of the ink from the nozzles 26 occurs, or before printing). Then, the head is cleaned by suction. When performing the head cleaning, first, the carriage 25 is driven to move the carriage 25 and the liquid ejecting head 27 to the home position HP where the cap unit 48 is disposed, and then the capping motor 49 is driven to move the cap unit. By raising 47, the liquid jet head 27 is capped by the cap portion 47.

  Subsequently, when the inside of the cap portion 47 (closed space) is sucked by driving the suction pump 50, the thickened ink, bubbles, and the like in the liquid ejecting head 27 are discharged from each nozzle 26 into the cap portion 47. At this time, since the inside of the cap portion 47 is filled with the ink discharged from each nozzle 26, a region corresponding to the inside of the cap portion 47 on the nozzle surface 63 is immersed in the ink.

  Then, when a predetermined amount of ink is discharged from each nozzle 26, the suction pump 50 is stopped. Subsequently, the air release valve (not shown) provided in the cap portion 47 is opened, and the suction pump 50 is driven for a predetermined time in a state where the inside of the cap portion 47 is open to the atmosphere, so that the empty suction in the cap portion 47 is performed. As a result, the ink remaining in the cap portion 47 is discharged. Subsequently, when the cap unit 47 is lowered by driving the capping motor 49, the cap unit 47 is separated from the liquid jet head 27.

  Thus, head cleaning is completed. After the head cleaning is completed, the area of the nozzle surface 63 corresponding to the inside of the cap portion 47 is wet with the ink. Therefore, it is necessary to wipe the nozzle surface 63 with the wiper unit 46 to remove the ink. is there.

  In this case, since the nozzle opening surface 61, that is, the nozzle peripheral region 62 is covered with the lyophobic film 66, the small ink droplets (the ink droplets smaller than the 0.1 mm step 65) attached to the nozzle peripheral region 62 It flows when the cap portion 47 separates from the liquid jet head 27. For this reason, a large ink droplet (a large ink droplet with a step of 65 or more of 0.1 mm) remains in the nozzle peripheral region 62 in a state of being attached.

  When wiping the nozzle surface 63 by the wiper unit 46, the ink jet printer 11 of the present embodiment may perform three types of wiping operations of a first maintenance operation, a second maintenance operation, and a third maintenance operation. It is possible. Hereinafter, the first maintenance operation, the second maintenance operation, and the third maintenance operation will be sequentially described.

<First maintenance operation>
The first maintenance operation is a wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface 63 by the wiping member 73, and the wiping member 73 alone wipes the nozzle surface 63 without using the absorbing member 78. When wiping the nozzle surface 63 by the first maintenance operation, first, the carriage 25 is driven to move the carriage 25 to a position where the nozzle surface 63 of the liquid ejecting head 27 is wiped by the wiper unit 46. .

  Subsequently, by driving the actuator 74, the height of the wiping member 73 is adjusted to a predetermined height at which the wiping member 73 can wipe the nozzle surface 63. Subsequently, by driving the pair of support mechanisms 85, the height of the absorbing member 78 located between these support members 87 is set to be equal to or less than the height that does not contact the nozzle surface 63. Subsequently, when the electric motor 69 is driven to move the wiper unit 46 from the retracted position in the transport direction Y, the wiping member 73 comes into contact with the nozzle surface 63 while being elastically deformed, as shown in FIG.

  Subsequently, when the wiper unit 46 is moved in the transport direction Y, the wiping member 73 slides on the nozzle surface 63 to wipe the entire nozzle surface 63, and the ink I attached to the nozzle surface 63 is removed by the wiping member 73. It is scraped off and removed. Thus, the first maintenance operation is completed. Then, the electric motor 69 is driven to move the wiper unit 46 in the transport direction Y in a state where the height of the wiping member 73 is set to be equal to or less than the height at which the wiping member 73 does not contact the nozzle surface 63 by driving the actuator 74. Move to the opposite side and return to the evacuation position.

  The ink I scraped from the nozzle surface 63 by the wiping member 73 adheres to the surface of the wiping member 73 on the transport direction Y side as shown in FIG. Therefore, it is necessary to perform cleaning for removing the ink I attached to the wiping member 73. Then, when performing the cleaning for removing the ink I attached to the wiping member 73, as shown in FIG. 14, first, the motor 76 and the pair of support mechanisms 85 are driven to move in the transport direction Y in the wiping member 73. The absorbing member 78 located between the supporting members 87 of the pair of supporting mechanisms 85 is brought into contact with the upper end of the side surface.

  In this state, when the pair of support mechanisms 85 are driven while the wiping member 73 is stopped, the absorbing member 78 in contact with the upper end of the surface of the wiping member 73 on the transport direction Y side is slid downward. As shown in FIG. 15, the ink I attached to the surface of the wiping member 73 on the transport direction Y side is absorbed by the absorbing member 78 and removed. At this time, the portion of the absorbing member 78 that is loosened by lowering the absorbing member 78 is taken up by the take-up reel 80 by driving the motor 84, so that the tension applied to the absorbing member 78 is maintained.

  Thereafter, the cleaning of the wiping member 73 is completed by sliding the absorbing member 78 to the lower end of the surface of the wiping member 73 on the transport direction Y side. Even if the ink I attached to the wiping member 73 cannot be completely absorbed by the absorbing member 78, the ink I is scraped off from the wiping member 73 by the absorbing member 78. The portion of the absorbing member 78 that is contaminated with the ink I is taken up by the take-up reel 80 on the absorbing member 78, so that the portion of the pair of support mechanisms 85 that is closer to the take-up reel 80 is located on the downstream side. (Take-up reel 80 side).

<Second maintenance operation>
The second maintenance operation is a wiping operation in which the absorbing member 78 is urged by the wiping member 73 to bring the absorbing member 78 into contact with the nozzle surface 63 and wipe the nozzle surface 63. The nozzle surface 63 is wiped using both of them. When wiping the nozzle surface 63 by the second maintenance operation, first, the carriage 25 is driven to move the carriage 25 to a position where the nozzle surface 63 of the liquid ejecting head 27 is wiped by the wiper unit 46. .

  Subsequently, by driving the actuator 74, the height of the wiping member 73 is adjusted to a predetermined height at which the wiping member 73 can wipe the nozzle surface 63. Subsequently, by driving the pair of support mechanisms 85, the height of the absorbing member 78 located between the support members 87 is made equal to the height of the holding groove 73 a of the wiping member 73. Subsequently, the wiping member 73 is moved by driving the motor 76 so that the absorbing member 78 is held in the holding groove 73a.

  In this state, when the electric motor 69 is driven to move the wiper unit 46 from the retracted position in the transport direction Y, the wiping member 73 is elastically deformed before the absorbing member 78 as shown in FIG. Touch 63.

  Subsequently, when the wiper unit 46 is moved in the transport direction Y, the wiping member 73 slides on the nozzle surface 63 to wipe the nozzle surface 63, and as shown in FIG. Is in contact with the nozzle surface 63. In this state, the elastic restoring force of the wiping member 73 acts as a pressing force for pressing the absorbing member 78 against the nozzle surface 63. That is, when the wiping member 73 urges the absorbing member 78, the absorbing member 78 is pressed against the nozzle surface 63.

  Subsequently, when the wiper unit 46 is moved in the transport direction Y, both the wiping member 73 and the absorbing member 78 slide on the nozzle surface 63 in a state where the wiping member 73 presses the absorbing member 78 against the nozzle surface 63. The ink I attached to the nozzle surface 63 is wiped. Subsequently, when the wiper unit 46 is moved in the transport direction Y, the wiping member 73 moves away from the nozzle surface 63 and the wiping member 73 presses the absorbing member 78 against the nozzle surface 63 as shown in FIG.

  Subsequently, when the wiper unit 46 is moved in the transport direction Y, the absorbing member 78 slides on the nozzle surface 63 to wipe the entire nozzle surface 63, and the ink I attached to the nozzle surface 63 is removed by the absorbing member 78. Absorbed and removed. Thus, the second maintenance operation is completed.

  As described above, in the second maintenance operation, the nozzle surface 63 is wiped while the absorbing member 78 is pressed against the nozzle surface 63 by the wiping member 73 urging the absorbing member 78. That is, in the second maintenance operation, the contact state of the absorbing member 78 with the nozzle surface 63 is stabilized, so that the nozzle surface 63 is stably wiped by the absorbing member 78.

  Thereafter, by driving the actuator 74, the height of the wiping member 73 is reduced to the height at which the wiping member 73 does not contact the nozzle surface 63, and by driving the pair of support mechanisms 85, the absorption member located between them The member 78 is lowered by the same amount as the wiping member 73.

  At this time, the portion of the absorbing member 78 that is loosened by lowering the absorbing member 78 is taken up by the take-up reel 80 by driving the motor 84, so that the tension applied to the absorbing member 78 is maintained. Therefore, the state in which the absorbing member 78 is held in the holding groove 73a of the wiping member 73 is maintained. Subsequently, the electric motor 69 is driven to move the wiper unit 46 in the direction opposite to the transport direction Y and return to the retracted position.

  In addition, by performing the above-described second maintenance operation, the ink I adheres to a region below the holding groove 73a on the surface of the wiping member 73 on the transport direction Y side as shown in FIG. Therefore, it is necessary to perform cleaning for removing the ink I attached to the wiping member 73.

  In the case of performing cleaning for removing the ink I attached to the wiping member 73, the pair of support mechanisms 85 are driven while the wiping member 73 is stopped in the state shown in FIG. When the absorbing member 78 held in the groove 73a is slid downward, as shown in FIG. 15, the ink I attached to the surface of the wiping member 73 on the transport direction Y side is absorbed and removed by the absorbing member 78. Is done. At this time, the portion of the absorbing member 78 that is loosened by lowering the absorbing member 78 is taken up by the take-up reel 80 by driving the motor 84, so that the tension applied to the absorbing member 78 is maintained.

  Thereafter, the cleaning of the wiping member 73 is completed by sliding the absorbing member 78 to the lower end of the surface of the wiping member 73 on the transport direction Y side. Even if the ink I attached to the wiping member 73 cannot be completely absorbed by the absorbing member 78, the ink I is scraped off from the wiping member 73 by the absorbing member 78. The portion of the absorbing member 78 that is contaminated with the ink I is taken up by the take-up reel 80 on the absorbing member 78, so that the portion of the pair of support mechanisms 85 that is closer to the take-up reel 80 is located on the downstream side. (Take-up reel 80 side).

<Third maintenance operation>
The third maintenance operation is a wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface 63 by the absorbing member 78. The wiping of the nozzle surface 63 is performed only by the absorbing member 78 without urging the absorbing member 78 by the wiping member 73. When wiping the nozzle surface 63 by the third maintenance operation, first, the carriage 25 is driven to move the carriage 25 to a position where the nozzle surface 63 of the liquid ejecting head 27 is wiped by the wiper unit 46. .

  Subsequently, by driving the pair of support mechanisms 85, the height of the absorbing member 78 located between the supporting members 87 is adjusted to a predetermined height at which the absorbing member 78 can wipe the nozzle surface 63. Subsequently, by driving the actuator 74, the height of the wiping member 73 is set to be equal to or less than the height at which the wiping member 73 does not contact the nozzle surface 63. Subsequently, when the electric motor 69 is driven to move the wiper unit 46 from the retracted position in the transport direction Y, the absorbing member 78 comes into contact with the nozzle surface 63 as shown in FIG.

  Subsequently, when the wiper unit 46 is moved in the transport direction Y, the absorbing member 78 slides on the nozzle surface 63 to wipe the entire nozzle surface 63, and the ink I attached to the nozzle surface 63 is removed by the absorbing member 78. Absorbed and removed. Thus, the third maintenance operation is completed. Thereafter, by driving the pair of support mechanisms 85, the electric motor is driven in a state in which the height of the absorbing member 78 located between the supporting members 87 is set to be equal to or less than the height at which the absorbing member 78 does not contact the nozzle surface 63. By driving 69, the wiper unit 46 is moved to the opposite side to the transport direction Y to return to the retreat position.

  At this time, the portion of the absorbing member 78 that is loosened by lowering the absorbing member 78 is taken up by the take-up reel 80 by driving the motor 84, so that the tension applied to the absorbing member 78 is maintained. The portion of the absorbing member 78 that is contaminated with the ink I is taken up by the take-up reel 80 on the absorbing member 78, so that the portion of the pair of support mechanisms 85 that is closer to the take-up reel 80 is located on the downstream side. (Take-up reel 80 side).

  As described above, the first maintenance operation, the second maintenance operation, and the third maintenance operation have been described. Which of them is selected can be determined by the amount and the viscosity of the ink I attached to the nozzle surface 63. preferable. For example, when the amount of the ink I attached to the nozzle surface 63 is large or the viscosity of the ink I is high, the second maintenance operation is selected because the nozzle surface 63 needs to be thoroughly wiped.

  Further, for example, when the amount of the ink I attached to the nozzle surface 63 is small or the viscosity of the ink I is low, the nozzle surface 63 does not need to be wiped at the second maintenance operation level. Since the attached ink I can be removed, the first maintenance operation or the third maintenance operation is selected.

  In particular, when the nozzle surface 63 is wiped by the second maintenance operation, the absorbing member 78 may not contact the nozzle peripheral region 62 at all, but the size of the ink I attached to the nozzle peripheral region 62 is (0.1 mm) or more, the absorbing member 78 surely comes into contact with the ink I attached to the nozzle peripheral region 62 even in such a case. Therefore, the ink I attached to the nozzle peripheral region 62 is surely absorbed and removed by the absorbing member 78.

  In addition, since the ink mist generated during printing adheres to the nozzle surface 63, any one of the first maintenance operation, the second maintenance operation, and the third maintenance operation is performed not only after the head cleaning but also during the printing. The wiping of the nozzle surface 63 is performed at a predetermined timing.

According to the above-described embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The ink jet printer 11 performs the first maintenance operation of wiping the nozzle surface 63 by the wiping member 73 and the second maintenance operation of urging the absorbing member 78 with the wiping member 73 to bring the absorbing member 78 into contact with the nozzle surface 63. 2 maintenance operation can be performed. Therefore, in particular, by selectively performing the second maintenance operation, the absorbing member 78 can be stably brought into contact with the nozzle surface 63. Therefore, it is possible to stably wipe the nozzle surface 63 on which the nozzle 26 from which the ink is ejected is arranged.

  (2) The inkjet printer 11 can perform a third maintenance operation of bringing the absorbing member 78 into contact with the nozzle surface 63 without urging the absorbing member 78 with the wiping member 73. Therefore, by performing the third maintenance operation, it is possible to perform wiping of the nozzle surface 63 while suppressing damage to the nozzle surface 63.

  (3) The ink jet printer 11 cleans the wiping member 73 by bringing the absorbing member 78 into contact with the wiping member 73. Therefore, the absorbing member 78 can also be used as a cleaner for the wiping member 73.

  (4) In the ink jet printer 11, the first wiping unit is constituted by a flexible wiping member 73, and the second wiping unit is constituted by a long absorbing member 78 capable of absorbing the ink I. . Therefore, the ink I adhered to the nozzle surface 63 can be scraped off by the wiping member 73 or absorbed by the absorbing member 78.

(Example of change)
The above embodiment may be modified as follows.
As shown in FIG. 17, instead of the wiping member 73, as a first wiping part, a substantially block-shaped flexible member having a holding groove 90a extending in the scanning direction X capable of holding the absorbing member 78 at the upper end is used. The wiping member 90 may be used. In this case, when wiping the nozzle surface 63 by the second maintenance operation, the wiping member 90 urges the absorbing member 78 so that only the absorbing member 78 comes into contact with the nozzle surface 63 as shown in FIG. Alternatively, both the wiping member 90 and the absorbing member 78 may contact the nozzle surface 63 as shown in FIG. Further, in this case, when wiping the nozzle surface 63 by the first maintenance operation, as shown in FIG. 19, two positions of the distal end portion of the wiping member 90 sandwiching the holding groove 90 a contact the nozzle surface 63.

  In the maintenance operation using the absorbing member 78, that is, in the third maintenance operation, the absorbing member 78 may be vibrated as shown in FIG. 20, or the absorbing member 78 may be rotated as shown in FIG. Good. In this way, the wiping property of the nozzle surface 63 by the absorbing member 78 can be improved. Since the absorbing member 78 is used also in the second maintenance operation, the absorbing member 78 may be vibrated or the absorbing member 78 may be rotated.

  As shown in FIG. 22, the wiping member 73 may be changed to a flexible wiping member 91 having a sickle shape in a cross-sectional view. That is, the wiping member 91 is formed so as to protrude in a triangular shape in a cross-sectional view from the tip of the surface on the side on which the nozzle surface 63 is wiped, and is formed so as to be adjacent to the apex 91a, so that the absorbing member 78 is formed. It has a holding groove 91b that can be held, and has a substantially rectangular plate shape as a whole. In this case, the wiper unit 46 is arranged such that the absorbing member 78 extends in the transport direction Y and is located closer to the support table 12 than the wiping member 91. Further, in this case, when performing the first to third maintenance operations, the nozzle surface 63 is moved in the scanning direction X with the wiper unit 46 stopped. When the first maintenance operation is performed, as shown in FIG. 23, the tip 91a of the wiping member 91 enters the nozzle peripheral region 62, so that not only the ink attached to the protruding surface 64 but also the nozzle peripheral region 62 The attached ink can be reliably wiped. When the second maintenance operation is performed, as shown in FIG. 24, the tip 91 a of the wiping member 91 and the absorbing member 78 enter the nozzle peripheral region 62, so that not only the ink adhered to the protruding surface 64 but also the nozzle The ink attached to the peripheral region 62 can be reliably absorbed and removed. Further, when performing the third maintenance operation, as shown in FIG. 25, the ink adhered to the nozzle surface 63 can be suitably absorbed and removed by the absorbing member 78 as in the above embodiment.

  26, as shown in FIG. 26, a flexible rectangular plate-shaped wiping member 92 is used as a first wiping unit instead of the wiping member 73, and a long wiping unit is used as a second wiping unit instead of the absorbing member 78. May be used. The absorbing member 93 is formed in a cloth shape and absorbs ink. A holding portion 92a for holding the absorbing member 93 is recessed at the tip of the surface of the wiping member 92 on the side of wiping the nozzle surface 63. Then, when performing the second maintenance operation, as shown in FIG. 26, the absorbing member 93 enters the nozzle peripheral region 62 and the sharp corner of the absorbing member 93 contacts the nozzle peripheral region 62. In addition to the ink adhering to the nozzles, the ink adhering to the nozzle peripheral region 62 can be reliably absorbed and removed. In this case, the wiper unit 46 is arranged such that the absorbing member 93 extends in the transport direction Y and is located closer to the support base 12 than the wiping member 92, and the wiper unit 46 is stopped and the wiper unit 46 is stopped. Is moved in the scanning direction X.

  27, as shown in FIG. 27, the wiping member 92 shown in FIG. 26 is used as the first wiping unit instead of the wiping member 73, and an L-shaped plate in cross section is used as the second wiping unit instead of the absorbing member 78. A long absorbing member 94 may be used. The absorbing member 94 is formed in a cloth shape and absorbs ink. Then, when performing the second maintenance operation, as shown in FIG. 27, the absorbing member 94 enters the nozzle peripheral region 62 and the corner of the absorbing member 94 comes into contact with the nozzle peripheral region 62. Not only the attached ink but also the ink attached to the nozzle peripheral region 62 can be reliably absorbed and removed. In this case, the wiper unit 46 is disposed such that the absorbing member 94 extends in the transport direction Y and is located closer to the support base 12 than the wiping member 92, and the wiper unit 46 is stopped and the wiper unit 46 is stopped. Is moved in the scanning direction X.

  As shown in FIG. 28, a long strip-shaped absorbing member 95 may be used as the second wiping portion instead of the absorbing member 78. The absorbing member 95 is formed in a cloth shape and absorbs ink. Then, when performing the third maintenance operation, as shown in FIG. 28, the absorbing member 95 is brought into contact with the nozzle surface 63 in a state where the absorbing member 95 is inclined with a predetermined amount of interference with the nozzle surface 63. Is also good. In this case, the wiper unit 46 is arranged so that the absorbing member 93 extends in the transport direction Y and is located closer to the support base 12 than the wiping member 73, and the wiper unit 46 is stopped and the wiper unit 46 is stopped. Is moved in the scanning direction X. In this manner, similarly to the above-described embodiment, the ink attached to the nozzle surface 63 can be suitably absorbed and removed by the absorbing member 95.

  As shown in FIGS. 29 and 31, the pay-out reel 79 and the take-up reel 80 may be rotatably supported by the carriage 25 via a pair of L-shaped arms 96. The feeding reel 79 and the take-up reel 80 are arranged to face each other with the carriage 25 interposed therebetween, and can be driven to rotate by a motor (not shown) around an axis extending in the vertical direction Z. The pair of arms 96 are guided by guide grooves 97 provided on the side surface of the carriage 25, and reciprocate with the pay-out reel 79 and the take-up reel 80 in the vertical direction Z and the scanning direction X by driving a motor (not shown). It is possible. In this way, as shown in FIG. 29, the absorbing member 78 between the pay-out reel 79 and the take-up reel 80 is used to remove clogging of the nozzle 26 from the nozzle 26 of the liquid jet head 27 regardless of printing. Flushing for discharging ink can be performed for the purpose. 30 and 31, the height of the absorbing member 78 between the pay-out reel 79 and the take-up reel 80 is adjusted to the height at which the absorbing member 78 can contact the nozzle surface 63. By moving the take-up reel 79 and the take-up reel 80 in the scanning direction X, the wiping of the nozzle surface 63 by the third maintenance operation can be performed. When wiping the nozzle surface 63 by the second maintenance operation, as shown in FIGS. 32 and 33, the absorbing member 78 between the pay-out reel 79 and the take-up reel 80 is placed in the holding groove 73a of the wiping member 73. In the held state, the wiping member 73 may be moved in the scanning direction X to pull out the absorbing member 78 from the pay-out reel 79. In this case, as shown in FIG. 34, the supply reel 79 and the take-up reel 80 may be moved together with the wiping member 73 so that the absorption member 78 is not pulled out from the supply reel 79.

  In the wiping of the nozzle surface 63, the second maintenance operation may be performed after the first maintenance operation is performed. In this way, the ink remaining on the nozzle surface 63 in the first maintenance operation can be effectively removed in the second maintenance operation. In this case, since the first maintenance operation is performed in a state where the nozzle peripheral region 62 is wet with the ink, the damage given to the nozzle peripheral region 62 by the first maintenance operation can be reduced, and the subsequent second maintenance operation can be performed. The ink (including foreign matter) remaining in the nozzle peripheral area 62 can be absorbed and removed.

-The absorption member 78 may have many fine fluffs on the surface. In this case, the fluff is preferably thin enough to enter the nozzle 26.
A cloth wiper (a band-shaped cloth capable of absorbing ink) may be used as the second wiping unit, and a flexible roller capable of pressing the cloth wiper may be used as the first wiping unit.

-The 1st wiping part does not necessarily need to have flexibility. That is, the first wiping unit may be made of, for example, a metal having good slidability.
-The 2nd wiping part does not necessarily need to be able to absorb ink. That is, the second wiping unit only needs to be able to hold the ink, and may be configured by, for example, a rope in which a plurality of wires are twisted. In this case, the ink wiped from the nozzle surface 63 is held by the surface tension of the rope by the surface tension.

The wiping member 73 does not necessarily need to be cleaned by the absorbing member 78.
The ink jet printer 11 may not be able to perform the third maintenance operation.

  The cleaning of the wiping member 73 by the absorbing member 78 may be performed by moving the wiping member 73 upward while stopping the absorbing member 78 with the absorbing member 78 and the wiping member 73 in contact with each other. The wiping member 73 may be moved upward while the member 78 is moved downward.

The projecting surface 64 may be formed integrally with the liquid jet head 27 without using the cover member 60. In this case, the nozzle opening surface 61 is constituted by an uneven surface.
The liquid jet head 27 may be configured to perform head cleaning by capping each nozzle row 59. By doing so, the cap portion can be made smaller than in the case where head cleaning is performed by capping all the nozzle rows 59 with the cap portion 47, so that the amount of ink consumed during head cleaning can be reduced.

  Ink is applied to the used area of the absorbing member 78 (the area where the nozzle surface 63 is wiped) in the wiper unit 46 from the nozzle 26 of the liquid ejecting head 27 for the purpose of eliminating clogging of the nozzle 26 irrespective of printing. Flashing for discharging may be performed.

  The wiping of the nozzle surface 63 by the wiper unit 46 may be performed by moving the nozzle surface 63 with the wiper unit 46 stopped, or may be performed by moving both the wiper unit 46 and the nozzle surface 63. Is also good.

  When a plurality of, for example, two liquid ejecting heads 27 are provided as in the embodiment, the nozzle surface 63 of one liquid ejecting head 27 is wiped by the wiper unit 46 and the other liquid ejecting head 27 is flushed from the nozzle 26 of the nozzle 26. The flushing of the liquid receiving portion 44 with the liquid 45 may be performed in parallel.

  The inkjet printer 11 may be of a line head type that does not include the carriage 25 that supports the liquid ejecting head 27 and includes a line head whose print range extends over the entire width of the recording medium 13. In this case, since the line head is fixed and does not move, the nozzle surface is wiped by moving the wiper unit.

  In the above embodiment, the liquid ejecting apparatus may be a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects or discharges liquid other than ink. The state of the liquid ejected from the liquid ejecting apparatus in the form of a minute amount of liquid droplets includes a state in which the liquid ejects a tail in a granular shape, a tear shape, or a thread shape. Further, the liquid here may be any material that can be ejected from the liquid ejecting apparatus. For example, the substance may be in the state of being in a liquid phase, and may be a liquid substance having high or low viscosity, sol, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals (metal melts). )). Further, not only a liquid as one state of a substance but also a substance in which particles of a functional material formed of a solid such as a pigment or metal particles are dissolved, dispersed, or mixed in a solvent is included. Representative examples of the liquid include ink and liquid crystal as described in the above embodiment. Here, the ink includes general water-based inks and oil-based inks, and various liquid compositions such as gel inks and hot melt inks. As a specific example of the liquid ejecting apparatus, for example, a liquid containing materials such as an electrode material and a coloring material used in the manufacture of a liquid crystal display, an EL (electroluminescence) display, a surface emitting display, a color filter, or the like in a dispersed or dissolved form. There is a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid. Further, a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a biological organic substance used for manufacturing a biochip, a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a liquid serving as a sample used as a precision pipette, a printing apparatus, a microdispenser, or the like may be used. Furthermore, a transparent resin liquid such as an ultraviolet curable resin is used to form a liquid ejecting apparatus that injects a lubricating oil into a precision machine such as a watch or a camera in a pinpoint manner, and a micro hemispherical lens (optical lens) used for an optical communication element. May be a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects the liquid onto the substrate. Further, a liquid ejecting apparatus which ejects an etching solution such as an acid or an alkali for etching a substrate or the like may be used.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Ink-jet printer as an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus, 12 ... Support base, 13 ... Recording medium, 14 ... Transport part, 15 ... Printing part, 16 ... Printer body, 17 ... Cover, 18 ... Transport roller pair, 19 ... Conveyance roller pair, 20: guide plate, 22: guide shaft, 23: guide shaft, 24: carriage motor, 25: carriage, 26: nozzle, 27: liquid ejecting head, 30: ink cartridge, 31: supply mechanism, 32 ... Mounting section, 33 supply path, 34 supply pump, 35 filter unit, 36 static mixer, 37 liquid storage chamber, 38 pressure adjustment unit, 39 control section, 40 diaphragm pump, 41 suction valve, 42 discharge valve, 43 maintenance mechanism, 44 liquid receiving part, 45 flushing unit, 46 cleaning Wiper unit as an example of the installation, 47 ... Cap part, 48 ... Cap unit, 49 ... Capping motor, 50 ... Suction pump, 51 ... First wiping mechanism, 52 ... Second wiping mechanism, 53 ... Base member, 54 ... Rail 55, head unit, 55a, supply pipe, 56, bracket, 57, flow path forming part, 57a, ink flow path, 58, head body, 59, nozzle row, 60, cover member, 60a, through hole 61, nozzle opening surface, 62, nozzle peripheral region, 63, nozzle surface, 64, projecting surface, 65, step, 66, liquid repellent film, 67, recording head, 68, guide portion, 69, electric motor, 70, Output shaft, 71: Pinion, 72: Rack, 73, 90, 91, 92: Wiping member as an example of a first wiping unit, 73a: Holding groove, 74: Actuator, 75: Na G, motor 76, ball screw 78, 93, 94, 95 absorbing member as an example of the second wiping unit 79 payout reel 80 takeup reel 81 feed support column 82 motor 83, a winding support column, 84, a motor, 85, a support mechanism, 86, a rod, 87, a support member, 87a, a receiving portion, 88, a cleaning liquid supply portion, 90a, a holding groove, 91a, a tip portion, 91b, Holding groove, 92a: holding section, 96: arm, 97: guide groove, A: supply direction, I: ink, X: scanning direction, Y: transport direction, Z: vertical direction, HP: home position, PA: transport area .

Claims (10)

A liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from a nozzle disposed on the nozzle surface,
A first wiping mechanism having a flexible plate-shaped first wiping member capable of wiping the nozzle surface, and a first wiping member moving mechanism capable of moving the first wiping member;
A second elongated wiping member capable of absorbing the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface in contact with the nozzle surface, and a take-up reel for winding the second wiping member holding the liquid; 2 wiping mechanism,
A first maintenance operation of wiping the nozzle surface by moving the first wiping member in a wiping direction;
A third maintenance operation of bringing the second wiping member into contact with the nozzle surface without biasing the second wiping member by the first wiping member;
By bringing the first wiping member into contact with the second wiping member, it is possible to perform a first wiping member cleaning operation of cleaning the wiping member,
The first wiping member moving mechanism includes: a wiping position that contacts the nozzle surface during the first maintenance operation; a wiping position that contacts the nozzle surface during the first maintenance operation; It is movable to a cleaning position in contact with the second wiping member in the wiping member cleaning operation,
The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning position is a position that does not contact the nozzle surface and is located below the wiping position.   2. The second maintenance operation of bringing the second wiping member into contact with the nozzle surface by urging the second wiping member by the first wiping member, according to claim 1. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1.   3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning position is located downstream of the wiping position in the wiping direction. 4.   4. The liquid according to claim 1, wherein the take-up reel is located downstream of the contact portion of the first wiping member at the wiping position in the wiping direction. 5. Injection device. The first wiping mechanism and the second wiping mechanism are provided, and a base member movable in the wiping direction and a direction opposite to the wiping direction is provided;
In the first maintenance operation, the base member moves in the wiping direction in a state where the first wiping member is at the wiping position, and then moves to a position where the first wiping member does not contact the nozzle surface. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the liquid ejecting apparatus moves in a direction opposite to the wiping direction.   The cleaning liquid supply unit, which is provided at a position closer to the first wiping member than the take-up reel and supplies a cleaning liquid to the second wiping member, is provided. Item 6. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to item 1.   The first wiping member is located between the take-up reel and a take-up reel that supports the second wiping member in a wound state in a direction orthogonal to the wiping direction and the vertical direction. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1. A carriage arranged so that the plurality of liquid ejecting heads are shifted from each other in the wiping direction;
The liquid is ejected from the nozzle of the liquid ejecting head to the medium conveyed from the upstream side in the wiping direction to the downstream side in the wiping direction while the carriage is moving in a direction intersecting the wiping direction. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein A plate-shaped first wiping member having a flexibility capable of wiping the nozzle surface of a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from a nozzle disposed on the nozzle surface, and a first wiping member capable of moving the first wiping member A first wiping mechanism having a moving mechanism;
A second elongated wiping member capable of absorbing the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface in contact with the nozzle surface, and a take-up reel for winding the second wiping member holding the liquid; 2 wiping mechanism,
A first maintenance operation of wiping the nozzle surface by moving the first wiping member in a wiping direction;
A third maintenance operation of bringing the second wiping member into contact with the nozzle surface without biasing the second wiping member by the first wiping member;
By bringing the first wiping member into contact with the second wiping member, it is possible to perform a first wiping member cleaning operation of cleaning the wiping member,
The first wiping member moving mechanism includes: a wiping position that contacts the nozzle surface during the first maintenance operation; a wiping position that contacts the nozzle surface during the first maintenance operation; It is movable to a cleaning position in contact with the second wiping member in the wiping member cleaning operation,
The cleaning device is characterized in that the cleaning position is a position that does not contact the nozzle surface and is located below the wiping position.   The cleaning device according to claim 9, wherein the take-up reel is located downstream of the contact portion of the first wiping member at the wiping position in the wiping direction.

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