JP2006159470A - Liquid ejecting apparatus and liquid container replacing method for liquid ejecting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

When replacing an arbitrary number of liquid containers among a plurality of liquid containers such as an ink cartridge to change the type of liquid, the consumption of liquid in a non-exchangeable liquid container that is not replaced is suppressed and ensured. And a liquid ejecting apparatus capable of exchanging the type of liquid.
When a liquid type is exchanged, a plurality of liquid containers 11A to 11D are removed from a holding unit 3 in a state where a flow channel opening / closing unit 70 closes a liquid flow channel unit 140, and then a plurality of liquid containers 11A to 11D are removed. A flow path closing body 130 that is attached to a holding unit in place of a non-replaceable liquid container that does not replace the liquid container, and closes a liquid flow path corresponding to the non-replaceable liquid container, and a flow path With the opening / closing part 70 opening the liquid channel part 140, the nozzles of the head 20 are sealed and sucked, and the liquid remaining in the liquid channel part of the holding part is supplied to the liquid supply path part 40 and the nozzles. And a suction part 80 for discharging through.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid from a nozzle of a head and a liquid container replacement method for the liquid ejecting apparatus.

As a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid onto a target, an ink jet recording apparatus that performs printing by ejecting ink droplets from a recording head onto a recording medium is used. Is ejected to record an image of a desired character or figure.
This type of ink jet recording apparatus supplies ink to a recording head from a plurality of ink cartridges. Each ink cartridge contains, for example, different types of ink.
In a so-called off-carriage type ink jet recording apparatus, a plurality of ink cartridges are connected to a recording head through an ink supply path. The plurality of ink cartridges are detachably held by a holder.
In an ink jet recording apparatus conventionally used for color printing, when performing monochrome printing using only black ink, a dummy cartridge is mounted on a holder instead of a color ink cartridge containing ink other than black ink. It has been proposed to prevent waste of ink (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2002-292904 A (page 3, FIG. 1)

In Patent Document 1, a dummy cartridge is mounted instead of a color ink cartridge that is not used as described above. Patent Document 1 uses a dummy cartridge instead of a color ink cartridge in order to prevent the color ink from being ejected when performing monochrome printing in an inkjet recording apparatus for color printing.
However, when a plurality of ink cartridges are mounted on the holder and each ink cartridge contains a different type of ink, if one of the plurality of ink cartridges is to be replaced, Do as follows.

  While removing the ink cartridge to be replaced from the holder, a so-called non-exchangeable ink cartridge that is not replaced remains mounted in the holder. Then, by sucking the nozzle of the head while the above-mentioned non-replacement ink cartridge is mounted on the holder, the remaining ink in the ink flow path and ink supply path of the holder to be replaced is discharged. . If this discharge operation is insufficient, color mixture of old and new inks will occur and the hue will become unstable.

  In addition, when one ink cartridge is replaced, the remaining non-replaceable ink cartridges are still mounted in the holder, so that ink in the non-replaceable ink cartridge is wasted.

  Therefore, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problem, and when replacing an arbitrary number of liquid containers among a plurality of liquid containers, such as ink cartridges, to replace the type of liquid, the non-replaceable liquid container is not replaced. An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejecting apparatus and a liquid container exchanging method for the liquid ejecting apparatus that can surely exchange the type of the liquid while suppressing the consumption of the liquid.

In the present invention, the above object is a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid from a nozzle of a head, and is arranged corresponding to the plurality of liquid containers for containing the liquid and the plurality of liquid containers. A plurality of liquid flow path sections, a holding section for detachably mounting and holding the plurality of liquid containers to supply the liquid to the head, and the liquid from each liquid container, A liquid supply path section for supplying the head to the head side through the liquid flow path section of the holding section, and the liquid flow path section corresponding to each of the liquid flow path sections are closed so as to be openable and closable. When exchanging the type of liquid with the channel opening and closing unit, the channel opening and closing unit closed the liquid channel unit, and after removing the plurality of liquid containers from the holding unit, Non-exchangeable liquid that does not exchange among a plurality of liquid containers A flow path closing body that is mounted on the holding section instead of a container and closes the liquid flow path section corresponding to the non-replaceable liquid container, and the flow path opening / closing section includes the liquid flow path In order to discharge the liquid remaining in the liquid flow path portion of the holding portion through the liquid supply path portion and the nozzle by sealing and sucking the nozzle of the head with the portion opened. This is achieved by a liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
According to the configuration of the present invention, the plurality of liquid containers are for containing a liquid. The holding portion has a plurality of liquid flow path portions arranged corresponding to the plurality of liquid containers. The holding unit detachably mounts and holds a plurality of liquid containers in order to supply liquid to the head.
The liquid supply path section is for supplying liquid from each liquid container to the head side through the liquid flow path section of the holding section. The flow path opening / closing portion closes the middle of the liquid flow path portion corresponding to each liquid flow path portion so as to be openable and closable.
When replacing the type of liquid, the channel blocker is configured such that after the plurality of liquid containers are removed from the holding unit in a state where the channel opening / closing unit blocks the liquid channel unit, Instead of a non-exchangeable liquid container that is not exchanged, it is attached to the holding part, and the liquid flow path part corresponding to the non-exchangeable liquid container is closed.
The suction part sucks the nozzle of the head while the flow path opening / closing part opens the liquid flow path. The suction section discharges the liquid remaining in the liquid flow path section of the holding section through the liquid supply path and the nozzle.
Thus, when the type of liquid is exchanged, the plurality of liquid containers are removed from the holding unit in a state where the flow channel opening / closing unit closes the liquid flow channel unit. After removing the plurality of liquid containers from the holding unit, a flow path blocker is attached to the holding unit instead of a non-exchangeable liquid container that is not exchanged among the plurality of containers. This flow path closing body closes the liquid flow path portion corresponding to the non-exchange liquid container. The suction unit seals and sucks the head nozzle in a state where the channel opening / closing unit opens the liquid channel unit, so that the liquid remaining in the liquid channel unit of the holding unit Drain through the channel and nozzle.
For this reason, when exchanging the type of liquid, the non-exchange liquid container is not attached to the holding part at all, and the flow path blocker is attached to the holding part instead of the non-exchange liquid container. Therefore, the liquid in which the non-exchange liquid remains in the liquid flow path section of the holding section is never discharged from the non-exchange liquid container. Therefore, while suppressing the consumption of the liquid in the non-replaceable liquid container, the liquid in all the liquid flow path parts and the liquid supply path of the holding part can be surely discharged through the nozzle, and the exchange of the liquid type is ensured. Yes.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the outer shape of the liquid container and the outer shape of the flow path blocker have the same size.
According to the structure of this invention, the external shape of a liquid container and the external shape of a flow-path obstruction | occlusion body are the same magnitude | sizes.
Thereby, it can replace with a non-exchange | exchange liquid container with respect to a holding | maintenance part, and can install reliably.

In the present invention, the liquid container includes a connection member, and the liquid channel portion guides the liquid from the liquid container to the liquid supply path portion side through the connection member of the liquid container. It is desirable to have a liquid supply needle, and the channel closing body has an elastic sealing member for sealing the liquid supply needle.
According to the structure of this invention, the liquid container has the connection member from an elastic body. The liquid channel part has a liquid supply needle. This liquid supply needle guides the liquid from the liquid container to the liquid supply path part side through the connection member of the liquid container.
The channel closing body has a sealing seal member that seals the liquid supply needle.
Accordingly, the liquid supply needle can guide the liquid from the liquid container to the liquid supply path portion side. Then, the sealing member of the channel closing body securely stops the flow of the liquid in the liquid supply needle by sealing the liquid supply needle.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the flow path opening / closing section is provided in the holding section so as to close the middle of the liquid flow path section corresponding to each of the liquid flow path sections.
According to the configuration of the present invention, the flow path opening / closing section is provided in the holding section so as to close the middle of the liquid flow path section so as to be openable / closable corresponding to each liquid flow path section.
Thereby, the middle of the liquid channel part can be closed by the channel opening / closing part so as to be opened and closed.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the suction part includes a main body that detachably seals the nozzle of the head, and a pump that sucks the inside of the main body to bring it into a negative pressure state.
According to the configuration of the present invention, the main body of the suction unit seals the nozzle of the head in a detachable manner. The pump sucks the inside of the main body to make a negative pressure state.
Accordingly, when the pump is operated, the inside of the main body is in a negative pressure state, and the liquid in the holding portion and the liquid supply path portion can be reliably sucked and discharged to the main body side through the nozzle.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the liquid supply path section includes a plurality of flexible tubes that connect the liquid flow path sections of the holding section to the head.
According to the configuration of the present invention, the liquid supply path section has a tube that connects the flow path section of each liquid of the holding section to the head.
Accordingly, even when the distance between the head and the holding portion is large, the flexible tubes can be freely arranged, so that the liquid ejecting apparatus can be reduced in size.

In the present invention, the above object is a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid from a nozzle of a head, and is arranged corresponding to the plurality of liquid containers for containing the liquid and the plurality of liquid containers. A plurality of liquid flow path portions, a holding portion for detachably mounting and holding the plurality of liquid containers for supplying the liquid to the head, and corresponding to each liquid flow path portion Then, the flow path opening / closing section that closes the liquid flow path section in an openable / closable manner and the flow path opening / closing section closed the liquid flow path section when exchanging the type of the liquid. After the plurality of liquid containers are removed from the holding unit, the non-replaceable liquid container is mounted on the holding unit instead of the non-replaceable liquid container that is not exchanged among the plurality of liquid containers. A flow path closing body for closing the flow path portion of the liquid corresponding to The liquid channel opening / closing part seals and sucks the nozzle of the head in a state where the liquid flow path part is opened, and the liquid remaining in the liquid flow path part of the holding part is And a suction unit for discharging through the nozzle.
Thus, when the type of liquid is exchanged, the plurality of liquid containers are removed from the holding unit in a state where the flow channel opening / closing unit closes the liquid flow channel unit. After removing the plurality of liquid containers from the holding unit, a flow path blocker is attached to the holding unit instead of a non-exchangeable liquid container that is not exchanged among the plurality of containers. This flow path closing body closes the liquid flow path portion corresponding to the non-exchange liquid container. The suction unit seals and sucks the nozzle of the head while the flow channel opening / closing unit opens the liquid flow channel unit, so that the liquid remaining in the liquid flow channel unit of the holding unit can be removed. Drain through the nozzle and nozzle.
For this reason, when exchanging the type of liquid, the non-exchange liquid container is not attached to the holding part at all, and the flow path blocker is attached instead of the non-exchange liquid container. The non-replaced liquid remaining in the liquid flow path portion of the holding portion is never discharged from the replacement liquid container. Therefore, while suppressing consumption of the liquid in the non-exchangeable liquid container, the liquid in all the liquid flow path portions of the holding portion for exchanging ink can be surely discharged through the nozzle, and the liquid type can be reliably exchanged.

In the present invention, the above object is a liquid container replacement method for a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid from a nozzle of a head, and holds a plurality of liquid containers that store the liquid when the liquid is replaced. A removing step of removing the plurality of liquid containers in a state where the channel opening / closing unit closes the liquid channel portions corresponding to the liquid containers in the holding unit, and replacement of the plurality of liquid containers. A flow path closing body mounting step for mounting a flow path closing body on the holding unit instead of the non-exchanged liquid container and closing the liquid flow path section corresponding to the non-exchange liquid container; The liquid remaining in the liquid flow path portion of the holding portion, with the suction portion sealing and sucking the nozzle of the head, with the flow passage opening / closing portion opening the liquid flow passage portion For discharging through the nozzle After the first suction step and the suction is stopped, the flow path opening / closing section closes the liquid flow path section and removes the flow path blockage body from the holding section, so that the non-flow path blockage body A mounting step of mounting a replacement liquid container on the holding unit again and mounting a liquid container to be replaced on the remaining liquid channel unit to the holding unit, and the channel opening / closing unit serving as the liquid channel unit And a second suction step for sucking the liquid in the liquid flow path portion through the nozzle of the head, and a liquid container replacement method for a liquid ejecting apparatus. Achieved.
According to the configuration of the present invention, in the removing step, the liquid flow path portions corresponding to the respective liquid containers in the holding section holding a plurality of liquid containers that store the liquid when the liquid type is exchanged are flow paths. A plurality of liquid containers are removed while the opening / closing part is closed.
In the flow path closing body mounting step, a liquid flow path corresponding to the non-replaceable liquid container is mounted by mounting the flow path block body on the holding portion instead of the non-replaceable liquid container that is not replaced among the plurality of liquid containers. Block the part.
In the first liquid suction step, with the flow channel opening / closing part opening the liquid flow path part, the suction part seals and sucks the nozzle of the head and remains in the liquid flow path part of the holding part. The liquid is discharged through the nozzle.
In the mounting step, after stopping the suction, the flow path opening / closing section closes the liquid flow path section, removes the flow path blockage body from the holding section, and replaces the non-exchangeable liquid container with the holding section again instead of the flow path blockage body. The exchanged liquid container is attached to the holding portion in the remaining liquid flow path portion.
In the second liquid suction step, the flow path opening / closing section opens the liquid flow path section, the suction section opens the head nozzle, and the suction section sucks the liquid in the liquid flow path section through the head nozzle.
Thus, when the type of liquid is exchanged, the plurality of liquid containers are removed from the holding unit in a state where the flow channel opening / closing unit closes the liquid flow channel unit. After removing the plurality of liquid containers from the holding unit, a flow path blocker is attached to the holding unit instead of a non-exchangeable liquid container that is not exchanged among the plurality of containers. This flow path closing body closes the liquid flow path portion corresponding to the non-exchange liquid container. The suction part seals and sucks the nozzle of the head while the flow path opening / closing part opens the liquid flow path part, thereby discharging the liquid remaining in the liquid flow path part of the holding part through the nozzle. To do.
Thereafter, a non-replaceable liquid container is mounted again on the holding section, and a new liquid container to be replaced is mounted again. In the second suction step, the suction section sucks liquid through the nozzle, so that the liquid in each liquid container is Can be guided to the nozzle side.
For this reason, when exchanging the type of liquid, the non-exchange liquid container is not attached to the holding unit at all, and the flow path blocker is attached instead of the non-exchange liquid container. The non-replaced liquid remaining in the liquid flow path portion of the holding portion is never discharged from the replacement liquid container. Therefore, while suppressing consumption of the liquid in the non-exchangeable liquid container, the liquid in all the liquid flow path parts of the holding part can be surely discharged through the nozzle, and the liquid type can be reliably exchanged.

According to the present invention, in the first suction step and the second suction step, the liquid from each liquid container is a liquid connected to the liquid channel portion of the holding portion and the liquid channel portion. It is desirable that the ink is supplied to the head side through the supply path portion.
According to the configuration of the present invention, in the first suction step and the second suction step, the liquid from each liquid container is supplied with the liquid flow path part of the holding part and the liquid supply path part connected to the liquid flow path part. And supplied to the head side.
Thereby, even if the distance between the head and the holding part is long, the liquid supply path part can be connected and arranged.

In the present invention, in the second suction step, it is desirable that the flow path opening / closing section repeats opening and closing operations of the liquid flow path section during the suction.
According to the configuration of the present invention, in the second suction step, the channel opening / closing part repeats the opening / closing operation of the liquid channel part during the suction.
Thereby, the flow path opening / closing section repeats the opening / closing operation of the liquid flow path section, whereby the liquid remaining in the holding section and the liquid supply path section can be sucked and discharged more reliably.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows an ink jet recording apparatus 10 that is an embodiment of a liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention.
The ink jet recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is also called an ink jet printer. The ink jet recording apparatus 10 has a main body 1. The main body 1 includes two cartridge holders 3, 3, a pressure pump 4, a carriage 5, a recording head 20, a guide shaft 6, a movement operation unit 7, a liquid supply path unit 40, and a control unit 100.

The cartridge holders 3 and 3 are an example of a holding unit. One cartridge holder 3 accommodates four ink cartridges 11A to 11D in a detachable manner. The other cartridge holder 3 accommodates four ink cartridges 11E to 11H in a detachable manner.
Each of the ink cartridges 11A to 11H is a cartridge having the same size. For example, the ink cartridges 11A to 11D contain different types of ink. For example, the ink cartridge 11A contains matte black ink, the ink cartridge 11B contains cyan ink, the ink cartridge 11C contains magenta ink, and the ink cartridge 11D contains yellow ink.

The ink cartridge 11E contains photo black ink, the ink cartridge 11F contains light cyan ink, the ink cartridge 11G contains light magenta ink, and the ink cartridge 11H contains gray ink.
Each of the ink cartridges 11A to 11H is not directly mounted on the carriage 5 side and is accommodated in the cartridge holders 3 and 3 which are separated from the carriage 5 and the recording head 20, respectively. This is a so-called off-carriage type ink jet printer.

  The pressure pump 4 applies pressure to the ink cartridges 11A to 11H by sending compressed air to the cartridge holders 3. Thus, the respective inks in the ink cartridges 11A to 11H can be supplied to the recording head 20 side on the carriage 5 side through the liquid supply path section 40.

The guide shaft 6 is provided horizontally with respect to the main body 1. The carriage 5 can be positioned by reciprocating along the main scanning direction T along the guide shaft 6 by the operation of the movement operation unit 7. The movement operation unit 7 has, for example, a motor and a toothed belt driven by the motor. The toothed belt is attached to the carriage 5, and the carriage 5 moves in the main scanning direction T together with the toothed belt. A recording head 20 is provided below the carriage 5. A nozzle plate 21 is fixed to the lower surface of the recording head 20.
The recording paper 22 is a kind of recording medium, and can record characters and images with ink ejected from the recording head 20. The recording paper 22 can be transported, for example, in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1 by a paper transport mechanism (not shown).

The recording head 20 in FIG. 1 is an example of a head, but can also be called a print head.
The liquid supply path section 40 is an ink supply path section for supplying ink from the ink cartridges 11A to 11H to the recording head 20 side.
As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid supply path section 40 connects the two cartridge holders 3, 3, the carriage 5, and the recording head 20 to supply the ink in each of the ink cartridges 11 </ b> A to 11 </ b> H to the recording head 20 side. In the example of FIG. 1, the liquid supply path unit 40 includes eight flexible tubes 41 </ b> A to 41 </ b> H and eight pressure adjusting units 43. For this reason, in the illustrated example, the liquid supply path section 40 is configured by a unit of eight sets of tubes and a pressure adjusting section.
The ink cartridges 11A to 11H in FIG. 1 are liquid containers for storing ink, and ink of each color is an example of liquid.

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged structure example of the tube 41, the pressure adjusting unit 43, the carriage 5 and the recording head 20 of the liquid supply path unit 40 shown in FIG.
The pressure adjusting unit 43 is a unit for adjusting the pressure of ink when supplying ink from the ink cartridges 11A to 11H, which are liquid containers, to the recording head 20 side.

  A recording head 20 is provided below the carriage 5 in FIG. The carriage 5 and the recording head 20 have an ink path 51. The ink path 51 connects the pressure adjusting unit 43 and the nozzle opening 52 of the recording head 20. A plurality of nozzle openings 52 are arranged in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. Each nozzle opening row 53 includes a plurality of nozzle openings 52. For example, the nozzle opening rows 53 are arranged in parallel to the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. The nozzle opening 52 is formed in the nozzle plate surface 21 </ b> A of the nozzle plate 21. Each nozzle opening 52 is connected to a pressure chamber 54.

A self-sealing valve (pressure reducing valve) 43A is accommodated in the pressure adjusting unit 43 of FIG. By the operation of the self-sealing valve, the pressure of the ink sent from the ink cartridge 11 through the tube 41 to the recording head 20 through the needle member 61 can be reduced and adjusted.
For example, when pressure fluctuation occurs in the ink in the tube 41 due to the acceleration / deceleration of the carriage, the ejection of ink droplets becomes unstable, so the pressure adjustment unit 43 suppresses ink pressure fluctuation.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the structure of the suction unit 80 for sucking the nozzle plate surface 21 </ b> A of the nozzle plate 21 of the recording head 20.
The suction unit 80 includes a main body 81, a close contact member 82, an absorbent material 83, a suction pump 88, a waste ink tank 89, and an elevating unit 90. The main body 81 is also called a cap, and is made of plastic or metal. An upper end portion of the main body 81 is an upper opening 81A. The contact member 82 that forms the upper opening 81 </ b> A is attached to the upper end side of the main body 81. The contact member 82 is in close contact with the nozzle plate surface 21 </ b> A, so that the main body 81 can seal all the nozzles 52.

The elevating means 90 raises the main body 81 in the Z1 direction so that the close contact member 82 of the main body 81 can be tightly sealed with respect to the nozzle plate surface 21A. When the main body 81 releases the sealing of the nozzle plate surface 21A, the elevating means 90 lowers the main body 81 in the Z2 direction.
The main body 81 has a box shape having a bottom surface portion 85 and four side surface portions 84. An absorbent material 83 is preferably accommodated in the main body 81. The absorber 83 can absorb ink. The bottom surface portion 85 is connected to the tube 87 via the connection portion 86. This tube 87 is connected to a suction pump 88. The suction pump 88 operates according to a command from the control unit 100.
If the main body 81 seals the nozzle opening 52 of the nozzle plate surface 21A and the suction pump 88 operates while the close contact member 82 of the main body 81 is in close contact with the nozzle plate surface 21A, ink is passed through the nozzle opening 52 in the main body 81. Can be sucked and discharged. The discharged ink is collected in a waste ink tank 89 through a suction pump 88.

FIG. 4 shows a preferred shape example of the ink cartridges 11A to 11H.
The ink cartridges 11A to 11H have the same shape, but can be detachably attached to the cartridge holder 3 as shown in FIGS. Each of the ink cartridges 11A to 11H has a cartridge frame 111 and a connecting member 113 for sealing. The cartridge frame 111 has a box shape, and an ink pack 112 is detachably accommodated in the cartridge frame 111.
The ink pack 112 is a deformable liquid container having a structure in which, for example, aluminum and a resin are laminated. The ink pack 112 is connected to the sealing connection member 113. The sealing connection member 113 is fixed to the bottom surface portion 111 </ b> A of the cartridge frame 111. The cartridge frame 111 has a bottom surface portion 111A, a top surface portion 111B, and side surface portions 111C, 111C, and 111D.

  Each of the ink packs 112 of the ink cartridges 11A to 11H contains different types of ink as described above. The ink pack 112 is pushed by the pressure from the pressure pump 4 in FIG. 1 in the cartridge frame 111, so that the ink in the ink pack 112 can be pushed out through the sealing connecting member 113.

FIG. 5 shows a flow path blocker 130 used in place of the ink cartridges 11A to 11H. The channel blocker 130 can also be referred to as a dummy cartridge used in place of the ink cartridges 11A to 11H.
The outer shape of the flow path blocker 130 is the same as the outer shape of the ink cartridges 11A to 11H in FIG. That is, the frame 131 of the flow path closing body 130 is the same size as the cartridge frame 111 of the ink cartridges 11A to 11H shown in FIG. The reason why the flow path closing body 130 and the ink cartridges 11A to 11H are made to have the same size is that the flow path closing body 130 can be reliably mounted in the cartridge holder 3 shown in FIG. 1 instead of an arbitrary ink cartridge. It is to make it.

Nothing is accommodated in the hollow portion 132 of the sealing frame 131 shown in FIG. 5, and the frame 131 has a bottom surface portion 131A, an upper surface portion 131B, and a side surface portion 131C.
The sealing member 134 for sealing is fixed to the bottom surface portion 131A. The sealing member 134 is a substantially cylindrical member different from the sealing connecting member 113 shown in FIG. The sealing member 134 for sealing is preferably made of an elastically deformable member for sealing a liquid supply needle described later.

  Each of the tubes 41A to 41H shown in FIG. 1 can employ a flexible elastically deformable tube. As a result, although eight tubes 41A to 41H are used in the example of FIG. 1, the use of flexible tubes facilitates the handling of each tube, and the distance between the cartridge holder 3 and the recording head 20 is increased. Even if the tubes are separated from each other, the ink flow path can be secured while the tubes are freely laid out, so that the ink jet recording apparatus 10 can be downsized.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing one cartridge holder 3, four ink cartridges 11A to 11D, tubes 41A to 41D, and the like. The structure of the one cartridge holder 3 and the other cartridge holder 3 shown in FIG. 1 is the same.
For the cartridge holder 3, the four ink cartridges 11A to 11D can be inserted from the Y direction as shown in FIG. 6, for example, and can be removed in the direction opposite to the Y direction.
A channel opening / closing part 70 is provided projecting downward at the lower part of the cartridge holder 3 shown in FIG.

  7 and 8 show an example of a cross-sectional structure taken along line AA in FIG. The state of FIG. 7 shows an example in which, for example, a printing operation is performed in which the liquid flow path portion 140 can be opened to allow ink to pass. FIG. 8 shows the liquid flow path portion 140 closed by the valve 72. For example, an example of attaching and detaching an ink cartridge is shown.

  7 and 8, the flow path opening / closing part 70 is provided in the lower part of the cartridge holder 3. Ink cartridges 11A to 11H are accommodated in the ink cartridge holder 3, and ink packs 112 are accommodated in the ink cartridges 11A to 11H. Ink 1000 is stored in the ink pack 112. Under the ink cartridges 11A to 11H and the ink pack 112, a connecting member 113 for sealing is provided. The sealing connection member 113 is a substantially cylindrical member, for example, and has a passage 113R through which the ink 1000 in the ink pack 112 can pass.

A liquid supply needle 90 is provided below the cartridge holder 3 so as to protrude in the Z1 direction. A seal member 92 is provided below the ink cartridges 11A to 11H. When the ink cartridges 11A to 11H are mounted in the cartridge holder 3 along the Y direction, the liquid supply needle 90 passes through the seal member 92 while being elastically deformed, so that the liquid supply needle 90 is connected to the sealing member. It reaches the passage 113R in 113. The liquid supply needle 90 has an ink supply port 91 on the outer peripheral surface thereof.
The lower convex portion 3T of the cartridge holder 3 is accommodated in the concave portion 74C of the main body portion 74 of the flow path opening / closing portion 70. The concave portion 74C and the convex portion 3T are sealed by an O-ring 74B.

7 includes a valve holder 71A, a valve 72, a shaft portion 72A, a seal spring 73, a valve operation lever 75, a valve cam 76, a projecting portion 77, and a main body 74.
The main body 74 is integrated with the valve holder 71A and forms a liquid flow path 140. The liquid channel 140 can be opened and closed by the operation of the valve 72. The valve 72 and the seal spring 73 are accommodated in the valve holder 71A. The valve 72 is attached to the inner end portion of the shaft portion 72A and is made of an elastically deformable member. The shaft portion 72A can close the liquid flow path portion 140 by pushing up the valve 72 as shown in FIG. 8 from the state shown in FIG. 7 along the Z1 direction by the biasing force of the seal spring 73. The liquid channel portion 140 is connected to the passage 90A of the liquid supply needle 90 via a check valve 74A. The passage 90A communicates with the supply port 91 and the passage 113R.

One end portion 75 </ b> B of the valve operating lever 75 in FIG. 7 is in contact with the cam surface of the valve cam 76. The other end 75C of the valve operating lever 75 is fixed to the shaft 72A. The valve operating lever 75 is rotatable around a shaft 75A.
The valve cam 76 is an eccentric cam having a central axis CL. As shown in FIG. 7, when the valve cam 76 is positioned along the line LL, the valve operating lever 75 is pushed in the D1 direction, so that the valve operating lever 75 resists the urging force of the seal spring 73 against the shaft portion 72A. And pushed down in the Z2 direction.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, when the LL line of the valve cam 76 rotates 180 degrees, one end portion 75B of the valve operating lever 75 is opened and rotates in the RT direction. As a result, the seal spring 73 pushes up the shaft portion 72A and the valve 72 in the Z1 direction. Thus, the valve 72 can close the liquid flow path 140 so as to be openable and closable.

  The valve cam 76 can be changed between the state shown in FIG. 7 and the state shown in FIG. 8 by operating the valve lever 71 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, when the valve lever 71 is operated in the E1 direction, the liquid flow path section 140 is opened by the valve 72 as shown in FIG. On the other hand, when the valve lever 71 shown in FIG. 1 is operated in the E2 direction, the liquid channel portion 140 is closed by the valve 72 as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the liquid flow path portion 140 can be detachably connected to the tubes 41 </ b> A to 41 </ b> H by a nut 78. When the nut 78 is screwed into the protruding portion 77, the O-ring 79 maintains a sealing function between the tubes 41 </ b> A to 41 </ b> H and the protruding portion 77.

  FIG. 9 shows a state in which the flow path blocker 130 is mounted in the cartridge holder 3 in place of a so-called non-replaceable ink cartridge that is not replaced when the ink type is replaced. A flow path blocker 130 shown in FIG. 9 is mounted in the cartridge holder 3 instead of the ink cartridges 11A to 11H shown in FIG. The state of the flow path opening / closing section 70 shown in FIG. 9 is, for example, a state in which the valve 72 is lowered and the liquid flow path section 140 is opened.

  The flow path blocker 130 shown in FIG. 9 has the structure of the flow path blocker 130 shown in FIG. 5, but the structure of the sealing member 134 for sealing is particularly illustrated. The sealing member 134 for sealing has an elastically deformable sealing member 131E for sealing and closing the supply port 91 of the liquid supply needle 90. The inner diameter of the sealing member 131E is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the liquid supply needle 90. When the flow path blocker 130 is mounted in the cartridge holder 3 along the Y direction, the liquid supply needle 90 can be press-fitted into the sealing member 131E of the seal member 134, and the supply port 91 of the liquid supply needle 90 can be reliably inserted. It can be sealed.

The flow path opening / closing section 70 shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 is provided corresponding to each of the ink cartridges 11A to 11H and the tubes 41A to 41H.
That is, one cartridge holder 3 shown in FIG. 1 has four flow path opening / closing sections 70, and the other cartridge holder 3 also has four flow path opening / closing sections 70. The cartridge holder 3 shown in FIG. 1 has four liquid flow path portions 140 shown in FIG. The cartridge holder 3 detachably mounts and holds one of the ink cartridges 11A to 11H shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 and the flow path blocker 130 shown in FIG.

  The liquid supply path section 40 shown in FIG. 1 can supply the liquid from each ink cartridge to the recording head 20 side shown in FIG. 1 through the liquid flow path section 140 shown in FIG. The flow path opening / closing section 70 shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 can block the liquid flow path section 140 halfway so that it can be opened and closed. The channel closing body 130 shown in FIG. 9 is closed by closing the liquid supply needles 90 of the corresponding liquid channel portions 140.

FIG. 10 shows a preferred example of a method for replacing the liquid container in the ink jet recording apparatus 10 which is a preferred embodiment of the liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention.
In the ink jet recording apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1, a method for replacing the ink cartridge in the left cartridge holder 3 will be described as a representative example. The ink cartridge replacement method in the left cartridge holder 3 and the right cartridge holder 3 can be performed in the same manner.

FIG. 10 schematically includes a removal step SA1, a channel blocker mounting step SA2, a liquid first suction step SA3, a mounting step SA4, and a liquid second suction step SA5.
Steps ST1 to ST19 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 10 are illustrated more specifically in FIGS.

Step ST1
In step ST <b> 1 shown in FIG. 10, an ink replacement command is issued from the control unit 100. For example, the control unit 100 will describe an example in which an exchange command for the ink cartridge 11D of the left cartridge holder 3 shown in FIG. 1 is issued. For this reason, the ink cartridge 11D is an ink cartridge to be replaced, and the remaining three ink cartridges 11A to 11C are non-replaceable cartridges that are not replaced this time.

Removal step SA1
In the removal step SA1 shown in FIG. 10, the ink cartridge 11D is replaced with another new ink cartridge. In this different new ink cartridge, for example, different types of ink are accommodated.
In the removal step SA1, when the ink is replaced, the valve lever 71 in FIG. 11A is operated from the E1 direction to the E2 direction in step ST2 in FIG. 7 is closed by the valve 72 of the flow path opening / closing section 70.
In this closed state, as shown in step ST3 of FIG. 12C, all the ink cartridges 11A to 11H are removed from the cartridge holder 3 as shown in step ST3 of FIG. 10 and FIG. 12C. .
In this manner, the four ink cartridges 11A to 11D are removed from the cartridge holder 3 in a state where all the liquid flow path portions 140 of the cartridge holder 3 are closed.

Channel blockage body mounting step SA2
In the flow path closing body mounting step SA2 shown in FIG. 10, the flow path closing body 130 is mounted at the location of the non-exchange cartridge as shown in step ST4. The non-replaceable cartridges are non-replaceable ink cartridges 11A, 11B, and 11C that are not replaced this time. In contrast, the ink cartridge 11D to be replaced this time.
For this purpose, the flow path blocker 130 is mounted in the cartridge holder 3 at a position corresponding to the non-replaceable ink cartridges 11A, 11B, and 11C as in step ST4 shown in FIG. On the other hand, nothing is attached to the location 150 of the cartridge holder 3 corresponding to the ink cartridge 11D to be replaced. In FIG. 12D, the flow path blocker 130 is indicated by hatching.
As shown in FIG. 9, the flow path blocker 130 is mounted in the cartridge holder 3 at the position where the non-replaceable ink cartridges 11 </ b> A to 11 </ b> C are mounted as shown in FIG. become. That is, the supply port 91 of the liquid supply needle 90 is sealed by the sealing member 134 for sealing. The valve 72 in FIG. 9 is in a state where the liquid flow path portion 140 is closed.
Thus, the flow path closing body 130 closes the liquid flow path section 140 together with the valve 72.

Liquid first suction step SA3
The liquid first suction step SA3 shown in FIG. 10 includes steps ST5 and ST6 as shown in FIG.
In step ST5 of FIG. 10, as shown in FIG. 13E, when the valve lever 71 is operated in the E1 direction, the valve 72 is lowered in the Z2 direction as shown in FIG. Opens. In step ST6, as shown in FIG. 13F, when the suction pump 88 is operated, the liquid supply path section 40 and the corresponding FIG. 9 through the main body 81 through the nozzle openings 52 of the recording head 20 shown in FIG. The ink remaining in the liquid channel 140 shown in FIG.

In the case of this suction, as shown in FIG. 13 (F), the cartridge holder 3 has already been mounted with the three flow path blockers 130, and the single path 150 has the flow path blocker 130 mounted thereon. Absent.
For this reason, ink in the tubes 41A, 41B, 41C corresponding to the three flow path blocking bodies 130 is not sucked, and the tube 41D corresponding to the space 150 in the cartridge holder 3 and the liquid flow shown in FIG. Only the ink in the passage 140 is sucked through the nozzle opening by the suction pump 88.

That is, since the ink remaining in the liquid channel portion 140 and the tube 41D corresponding to the location 150 can be sucked and discharged, the liquid channel portion 140 and the corresponding tube 41D can be discharged and cleaned. Can be performed reliably.
In contrast, since the ink in the tubes 41A to 41C in FIG. 13F corresponding to the non-replaceable cartridges 11A to 11C shown in FIG. 11A is not discharged, these inks that do not need to be discharged remain. Therefore, consumption of ink can be suppressed.
This is because, as shown in FIG. 13 (F), since the three flow passage blockers 130 are mounted in the cartridge holder 3, air does not enter the liquid flow passage portion 140 and the tubes 41A to 41C from the outside. In addition, the ink remaining in the three liquid channel portions 140 and the three tubes 41A to 41C is not discharged.

Mounting step SA4
The mounting step SA4 in FIG. 10 includes steps ST7 to ST11.
In step ST7, as shown in FIG. 14G, the operation of the suction pump 88 is stopped and ink suction through the nozzles is stopped. At this time, since the pressure in the non-exchange ink flow path is also reduced, when the suction pump stops, bubbles are drawn from the nozzle opening 52. In step ST8, the valve lever 71 is operated in the E2 direction as shown in FIG. 14G, and the valve 72 closes the liquid flow path 140 as shown in FIG. In step ST9, the three flow path blockers 130 are removed from the cartridge holder 3 as shown in FIG.
In step ST10, as shown in FIG. 15 (I), the three non-replacement ink cartridges 11A to 11C are mounted again in the cartridge holder 3, and in step ST11, a new ink cartridge 11R to be replaced is inserted in the cartridge holder 3. Mounted in location 150. The replaced new ink cartridge 11R contains, for example, ink of a type other than yellow ink.

Liquid second suction step SA5
The liquid second suction step SA5 in FIG. 10 includes steps ST12 to ST19.
In step ST12, as shown in FIG. 15 (J), when the valve lever 71 is operated in the E1 direction, the liquid channel section 140 is opened as shown in FIG. In step ST13, as shown in FIG. 16K, the suction pump 88 operates to suck and discharge the ink in the four liquid flow paths 140 and the four tubes 41A to 41D through the nozzles, respectively. .

Next, in steps ST14 to ST19, the valve lever 71 is repeatedly operated, for example, three times each in the E1 direction and the E2 direction in order to repeatedly open and close the liquid channel portion 140. By repeatedly operating the valve lever 71 in this way, for example, the liquid channel portion 140 can be opened and closed three times. Therefore, when ink is sucked through the nozzles by the suction pump 88, the liquid channel The ink in the tubes 41 </ b> A to 41 </ b> D corresponding to the portion 140 can be reliably sucked and discharged. To explain further, the valve lever 71 is operated to close the flow path and suck with the pump 88 to increase the degree of decompression in the tube, and then the valve lever 71 is operated to open the flow path to increase the ink flow rate. Bubbles in the tube can flow at a stretch. By repeating this about three times, the bubbles in the channel can be completely discharged.
Then, as shown in step ST19 and step ST20 of FIG. 16 (M) and FIG. 10, the valve lever 71 is again operated in the E1 direction, whereby the liquid flow path portions 140 are opened, and then the suction pump 88 Stop the suction operation.

As described above, corresponding to the non-replaceable ink cartridges 11A to 11C which are not replaced this time as shown in FIG. 11A, the flow path blockers 130 are respectively mounted in the cartridge holders 3 as shown in FIG. Is done. Then, the ink cartridge 11A to be replaced this time in FIG. 11A is removed from the cartridge holder 3 and sucked by the suction pump, so that the liquid flow path portion 140 corresponding to the ink cartridge 11D to be replaced and the liquid flow path portion 140 corresponding thereto. The ink remaining in the tube 41 </ b> D can be reliably sucked and discharged to the main body 81 side through the nozzles of the head 20.
After the liquid channel 140 and the tube 41D are cleaned cleanly in this way, a new ink cartridge 11R to be replaced shown in FIG. At the same time, the non-exchangeable ink cartridges 11A to 11C are also mounted in the cartridge holder 3 again. Thereafter, by suction of the suction pump 88, ink can be ejected through the non-replaceable cartridges 11A to 11C and the liquid channel portions 140 corresponding to the new ink cartridge 11R and the tubes 41A to 41D corresponding to the new ink cartridges 11R, respectively, and ready for printing. Can do.

  In the above-described embodiment, the ink cartridges 11A to 11H of one cartridge holder 3 shown in FIG. 1 are taken as an example, in which the ink cartridges 11A to 11C are non-replaceable ink cartridges, and the ink cartridge 11D is an ink cartridge to be replaced. It is said. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and even when the ink cartridges 11A to 11D are replaced with one or a combination of two or more, the same procedure can be performed. The same operation can be performed in the replacement operation of the ink cartridges 11E to 11H in the other cartridge holder 3.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, for example, the ink cartridge 11D is used as an ink cartridge to be replaced, and the newly installed ink cartridge contains a different type of ink from the type of ink contained in the ink cartridge 11D. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied when a new ink cartridge containing the same type of ink as the ink cartridge 11D to be replaced is mounted.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, an ink cartridge of a different ink type can be replaced with the ink cartridge 11D to be replaced, and the printing operation can be performed with the same ink jet recording apparatus. In this case, as described above, the non-replaceable ink cartridge is not attached to the ink holder, but instead is attached with the flow path closing body 130, so that the liquid flow path corresponding to the flow path closing body 130 and the inside of the tube This ink is not discharged to the outside even by suction. Therefore, it is possible to reliably replace the ink type while suppressing unnecessary consumption of the ink in the non-exchange cartridge.

In the embodiment of the present invention, when the type of liquid is exchanged, the non-exchange liquid container is not attached to the holding unit and the flow path blocker is attached. All liquid flow paths in the holding section that replaces ink while the liquid that is left in the liquid flow path section of the holding section is never discharged and the consumption of liquid in the non-exchange liquid container is suppressed. The liquid in the section and the liquid supply path can be reliably discharged through the nozzle.
In the embodiment of the present invention, since the channel closing body and the liquid container have the same outer shape, the channel closing body can be reliably attached to the holding portion instead of the non-exchangeable liquid container.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the liquid supply needle can guide the liquid from the liquid container to the liquid supply path portion side. The sealing member of the channel blocker seals the liquid supply needle securely by sealing the liquid supply needle.

The off-carriage type ink jet recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1 includes, for example, eight ink cartridges 11. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is of course possible to provide two to seven or nine or more ink cartridges.
The present invention can also be applied to a so-called on-carriage type ink jet recording apparatus in which the ink cartridge and the cartridge holder are directly connected to the recording head 20 side without providing the liquid supply path section 40 shown in FIG. .

  The present invention is not limited to an ink jet recording apparatus, but is a recording head used in an image recording apparatus such as a printer, a color material ejecting head used in manufacturing a color filter such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, and an FED (surface emitting display). The present invention can also be applied to a liquid ejecting apparatus using a liquid ejecting head that discharges liquid, such as an electrode material ejecting head used for electrode formation, a bioorganic matter ejecting head used for biochip manufacturing, a sample ejecting apparatus as a precision pipette, etc. .

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the claims.
A part of each configuration of the above embodiment can be omitted, or can be arbitrarily combined so as to be different from the above.

1 is a diagram illustrating an ink jet recording apparatus that is an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus of the invention. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a recording head and its periphery. The figure which shows a recording head, the periphery, and a suction part. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an example of an ink cartridge (liquid container). The perspective view which shows an example of a flow-path obstruction | occlusion body. The perspective view which shows the vicinity of a cartridge holder and a flow-path opening / closing part. The figure which shows the cross section in the AA line | wire of FIG. 6, and shows the state which the valve has opened the liquid flow-path part. The figure which shows the state which the valve | bulb in FIG. 7 has closed the liquid flow-path part. Sectional drawing which shows the state by which the flow-path obstruction | occlusion body is mounted | worn with the cartridge holder. The flowchart which shows the preferable example of the liquid container replacement | exchange of the liquid ejecting apparatus of this invention. The figure which shows step ST1 and step ST2. The figure which shows step ST3 and step ST4. The figure which shows step ST5 and step ST6. The figure which shows step ST7, step ST8, and step ST9. The figure which shows step ST10, step ST11, and step ST12. The figure which shows step ST13 thru | or step ST20.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 ... Cartridge holder (an example of a holding part), 10 ... Inkjet recording device (an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus), 11A thru | or 11H ... Ink cartridge (an example of a liquid container), 20 ... Recording head , 40... Liquid supply path section, 41A to 41H... Tube, 70... Channel opening / closing section, 80. Suction pump, 130 ... flow passage blocker, 140 ... liquid flow passage section

Claims (10)

A liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid from a nozzle of a head,
A plurality of liquid containers for containing the liquid;
A holding unit that has a plurality of liquid flow path portions arranged corresponding to the plurality of liquid containers, and detachably mounts and holds the plurality of liquid containers to supply the liquid to the head When,
A liquid supply path section for supplying the liquid from each liquid container to the head side through the liquid flow path section of the holding section;
Corresponding to each liquid flow channel portion, a flow channel opening / closing portion that closes the middle of the liquid flow channel portion so as to be openable and closable,
When exchanging the type of the liquid, after the plurality of liquid containers are removed from the holding unit in a state where the channel opening / closing unit closes the channel of the liquid, the inside of the plurality of liquid containers A flow path closing body that is attached to the holding unit instead of the non-exchanged liquid container that does not replace the liquid container and closes the liquid flow path corresponding to the non-exchanged liquid container;
With the flow path opening / closing part opening the liquid flow path part, the nozzle of the head is sealed and sucked, and the liquid remaining in the liquid flow path part of the holding part is A liquid supply path section and a suction section for discharging through the nozzle;
A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:   The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an outer shape of the liquid container and an outer shape of the flow path blocker are the same size. The liquid container has a connecting member;
The liquid flow path section has a liquid supply needle for guiding the liquid from the liquid container to the liquid supply path section side through the connection member of the liquid container,
The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the flow path closing body includes an elastic sealing seal member that seals the liquid supply needle.   The flow path opening / closing section is provided in the holding section so as to close the middle of the liquid flow path section corresponding to each of the liquid flow path sections so as to be openable and closable. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 3.   The liquid ejecting according to claim 4, wherein the suction unit includes a main body that detachably seals the nozzle of the head, and a pump that sucks the inside of the main body to bring it into a negative pressure state. apparatus.   The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the liquid supply path section includes a plurality of flexible tubes that connect the liquid flow path sections of the holding section to the head. A liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid from a nozzle of a head,
A plurality of liquid containers for containing the liquid;
A holding unit that has a plurality of liquid flow path portions arranged corresponding to the plurality of liquid containers, and detachably mounts and holds the plurality of liquid containers to supply the liquid to the head When,
Corresponding to each liquid flow channel portion, a flow channel opening / closing portion that closes the middle of the liquid flow channel portion so as to be openable and closable,
When exchanging the type of the liquid, after the plurality of liquid containers are removed from the holding unit in a state where the channel opening / closing unit closes the channel of the liquid, the inside of the plurality of liquid containers A flow path closing body that is attached to the holding unit instead of the non-exchanged liquid container that does not replace the liquid container and closes the liquid flow path corresponding to the non-exchanged liquid container;
With the flow path opening / closing part opening the liquid flow path part, the nozzle of the head is sealed and sucked, and the liquid remaining in the liquid flow path part of the holding part is A suction section for discharging through the nozzle;
A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: A liquid container replacement method for a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid from a nozzle of a head,
When the liquid is exchanged, the plurality of the liquid channels corresponding to the liquid containers in the holding unit holding the plurality of liquid containers that store the liquids are closed. A removal step of removing the liquid container;
In place of the non-replaceable liquid container that is not exchanged among the plurality of liquid containers, a flow path closing body is attached to the holding section, and the liquid flow path section corresponding to the non-exchange liquid container is closed. A flow path blocking body mounting step,
With the flow path opening / closing section opening the liquid flow path section, the suction section seals and sucks the nozzle of the head, and remains in the liquid flow path section of the holding section. A first suction step of liquid for discharging liquid through the nozzle;
After the suction is stopped, the flow path opening / closing section closes the liquid flow path section, removes the flow path closing body from the holding section, and replaces the non-replaceable liquid container with the flow path closed body. A mounting step of mounting a liquid container to be mounted on the holding unit again to be mounted on the holding unit and replacing the remaining liquid flow path unit;
A second suction step of liquid in which the flow path opening / closing section opens the liquid flow path section, and the suction section sucks the liquid in the liquid flow path section through the nozzle of the head;
A liquid container replacement method for a liquid ejecting apparatus, comprising:   In the first suction step and the second suction step, the liquid from each of the liquid containers includes a liquid channel portion of the holding portion, and a liquid supply path portion connected to the liquid channel portion. The liquid container replacement method for a liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the liquid container is supplied to the head side through the liquid container.   10. The liquid container replacement of the liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein in the second suction step, the flow path opening / closing section repeats opening and closing operations of the liquid flow path section during the suction. Method.

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