JP2017039294A - Liquid ejector - Google Patents

Abstract

A liquid ejecting apparatus capable of wiping a liquid ejecting head while suppressing a complicated structure is provided.
A liquid ejecting head 20 that ejects liquid from a nozzle 33 formed on a nozzle forming surface 34, a wiping member 30 that wipes a deposit 31 attached to the liquid ejecting head 20, and the liquid ejecting head 20 and the wiping member. 30, and a lifting mechanism 43 that moves the nozzle 30 relative to the scanning direction X and the relative direction Z. The wiping member 30 moves relative to the liquid ejecting head 20 in the scanning direction X to wipe the nozzle forming surface 34. The first side surface 35 of the liquid jet head 20 is wiped by moving relative to the liquid jet head 20 in the relative direction Z.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

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

Conventionally, an image forming apparatus (liquid ejecting apparatus) that forms an image on a sheet (medium) by ejecting a recording liquid (liquid) from a recording head (liquid ejecting head) is known (for example, Patent Document 1).
Some image forming apparatuses include a wiper blade (wiping member) for wiping the nozzle surface (nozzle forming surface) of the recording head. That is, the wiper blade wipes ink adhering to the nozzle surface by moving in the wiping direction.

JP 2007-76211 A

  By the way, in such an image forming apparatus, before the wiper blade leaves the nozzle surface, the movement in the wiping direction is stopped and the wiper blade is lowered. Then, an unwiped portion is generated on the nozzle surface, so that the remaining recording liquid left unwiped has to be removed by a removing member separate from the wiper blade.

That is, in this image forming apparatus, since the members provided for wiping the recording head are a plurality of members including a wiper blade and a removing member, the configuration is complicated.
Such a problem is not limited to the image forming apparatus, but is generally common to liquid ejecting apparatuses including a liquid ejecting head.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a liquid ejecting apparatus capable of wiping a liquid ejecting head while suppressing the complexity of the structure.

Hereinafter, means for solving the above-described problems and the effects thereof will be described.
A liquid ejecting apparatus that solves the above problems includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from a nozzle formed on a nozzle forming surface, a wiping member that wipes off deposits attached to the liquid ejecting head, the liquid ejecting head, A moving unit that relatively moves the wiping member in a first direction and a second direction that intersects the first direction, and the wiping member moves relative to the liquid ejecting head in the first direction and moves the nozzle. The formation surface is wiped, and the side surface of the liquid jet head is wiped by moving relative to the liquid jet head in the second direction.

  According to this configuration, the nozzle forming surface and the side surface of the liquid ejecting head can be wiped with one wiping member by relatively moving the liquid ejecting head and the wiping member in the first direction and the second direction. Therefore, compared with the case where a plurality of members are provided to wipe the nozzle forming surface and the side surface, the liquid ejecting head can be wiped while suppressing the complexity of the structure.

  The liquid ejecting apparatus further includes a posture changing unit that changes a posture of the wiping member, and the posture changing unit changes the posture of the wiping member between wiping the nozzle forming surface and wiping the side surface. Is preferred.

  According to this configuration, the posture changing unit changes the posture of the wiping member, so that the nozzle forming surface and the side surface can be wiped by wiping members having different postures. That is, for example, by wiping the nozzle forming surface and the side surface with a wiping member having a suitable posture, it is possible to reduce wiping residue and wear of the wiping member.

  In the liquid ejecting apparatus, it is preferable that the wiping member wipes the nozzle forming surface in a posture in which a wiping surface for wiping the nozzle forming surface in the wiping member is non-orthogonal to the nozzle forming surface.

  According to this configuration, since the wiping surface and the nozzle forming surface are non-orthogonal, for example, when the nozzle forming surface and the side surface are orthogonal, the wiping surface is also non-orthogonal with the side surface. Therefore, the side surface of the liquid ejecting head can be wiped in the same manner as the nozzle forming surface only by changing the direction in which the liquid ejecting head and the wiping member move relative to each other.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus, it is preferable that the wiping member has a first wiping surface for wiping the nozzle forming surface and a second wiping surface for wiping the side surface.
According to this configuration, since the wiping member wipes the nozzle forming surface and the side surface with different wiping surfaces, for example, when the nozzle forming surface is wiped, the adhering matter attached to the first wiping surface adheres to the side surface. It is possible to reduce the risk of being lost.

  The liquid ejecting apparatus is configured to wipe the side surface more than the first interference amount between the nozzle forming surface and the wiping member in a direction intersecting the first direction when wiping the nozzle forming surface. It is preferable that the second interference amount between the side surface and the wiping member in a direction intersecting with two directions is large.

  In some cases, the adherence adhered to the side surface of the liquid ejecting head is less fluid or hardened than the adherent adhered to the nozzle forming surface. In this respect, according to this configuration, the second interference amount when the wiping member wipes the side surface is larger than the first interference amount when the nozzle forming surface is wiped. Therefore, the sliding force between the side surface and the wiping member can be made larger than the sliding force between the nozzle forming surface and the wiping member. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the remaining wiping of the deposits attached to the side surfaces.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus, it is preferable that a concave portion is formed on the side surface of the liquid ejecting head.
According to this configuration, even when the wiping member bends when wiping the side surface of the liquid ejecting head, since the concave portion is formed on the side surface, the bending of the wiping member can be restored. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the remaining wiping of the deposits attached to the side surfaces.

1 is a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of a liquid ejecting apparatus. The schematic diagram of the wiping member which moves to a wiping position from a standby position. The schematic diagram of the wiping member which wipes off a nozzle formation surface. The schematic diagram of the wiping member which moves to a standby position from a wiping position. The schematic diagram of the wiping member which wipes off the 1st side surface. The schematic diagram of the wiping member located in a completion position. The schematic diagram of the wiping member with which the liquid ejecting apparatus of 2nd Embodiment is provided. The schematic diagram of the wiping member which wipes a 2nd side surface. The schematic diagram of the wiping member which moves to a standby position from a completion position. The schematic diagram of the wiping member by which an attitude | position is changed. The schematic diagram of the wiping member with which the liquid ejecting apparatus of 3rd Embodiment is provided. The schematic diagram of the wiping member which wipes off a nozzle formation surface. The schematic diagram of the wiping member which moves to a standby position from a wiping position. The schematic diagram of the wiping member which wipes off the 1st side surface.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a liquid ejecting apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a frame 12 having a substantially rectangular box shape. A medium support portion 14 that supports the medium 13 extends along the longitudinal direction of the lower portion of the frame 12. A transport motor 15 for driving a transport mechanism (not shown) for transporting the medium 13 is provided at the lower back of the frame 12. That is, the medium 13 is transported in the transport direction Y by the transport mechanism while being supported by the medium support portion 14.

  Further, a guide shaft 17 is installed above the medium support portion 14 in the frame 12 along the longitudinal direction of the frame 12. The guide shaft 17 supports a carriage 18 that can reciprocate in the scanning direction X that intersects (for example, intersects with) the transport direction Y. The carriage 18 is detachably mounted with a liquid container 19 that contains liquid, and a liquid ejecting head 20 that ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid container 19 is mounted.

  A driving pulley 22 and a driven pulley 23 are supported on the wall portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the frame 12 in a rotatable state. An output shaft of a carriage motor 24 serving as a power source for reciprocating the carriage 18 is connected to the drive pulley 22. An endless timing belt 25 is hung on the driving pulley 22 and the driven pulley 23. The carriage 18 moves while being guided by the guide shaft 17 when the driving force of the carriage motor 24 is transmitted through the timing belt 25.

  That is, the carriage 18, the drive pulley 22, the driven pulley 23, the carriage motor 24, and the timing belt 25 constitute a scanning mechanism 26 that reciprocates the liquid ejecting head 20 in the scanning direction X. Then, the liquid ejecting head 20 reciprocates on the medium 13 supported by the medium supporting unit 14 as the scanning mechanism 26 is driven, and ejects liquid (for example, ink) to perform recording (printing) on the medium 13. .

  In addition, a maintenance unit 28 for performing maintenance of the liquid supply system including the liquid ejecting head 20 is provided in the frame 12 at one end side in the longitudinal direction. The maintenance unit 28 includes a cap 29 that forcibly discharges liquid from the liquid ejecting head 20 and a wiping member 30 that wipes the liquid ejecting head 20. That is, the maintenance unit 28 performs cleaning of the liquid ejecting head 20 and filling of the liquid into the liquid ejecting head 20 by reducing the pressure inside the cap 29 while the cap 29 is in contact with the liquid ejecting head 20. Then, the wiping member 30 wipes the deposit 31 (see FIG. 2) such as a liquid attached to the liquid ejecting head 20 due to cleaning, liquid filling, or the like.

  When the liquid ejecting head 20 moves in the scanning direction X, the liquid ejecting head 20 and the wiping member 30 move relative to each other in the scanning direction X. Accordingly, the scanning mechanism 26 functions as an example of a moving unit that relatively moves the liquid ejecting head 20 and the wiping member 30 in the scanning direction X that is an example of the first direction.

  In the following description, the direction from the recording area where the carriage 18 faces the medium support unit 14 to the non-recording area facing the maintenance unit 28 is referred to as a first scanning direction X1, and the carriage 18 moves from the non-recording area to the recording area. The direction toward is the second scanning direction X2. Furthermore, a direction that intersects (for example, orthogonally) the scanning direction X and the conveyance direction Y and is opposite to the liquid ejecting head 20 located in the non-recording area and the maintenance unit 28 is defined as a relative direction Z.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid ejecting head 20 includes a nozzle forming surface 34 on which a plurality of nozzles 33 that eject liquid are formed, and a first side surface 35 and a second side surface 36 that intersect the nozzle forming surface 34. have. The first side surface 35 and the second side surface 36 are surfaces on both sides in the scanning direction X in the substantially rectangular parallelepiped liquid jet head 20. When the wiping member 30 wipes the nozzle forming surface 34, the side surface on the side where wiping is started (second scanning direction X2 side) is defined as the first side surface 35, and the wiping end side (first scanning direction X1). The side surface is referred to as a second side surface 36.

  A recess 37 is formed in the first side surface 35 of the liquid jet head 20 in the transport direction Y. The recess 37 is formed on the carriage 18 side away from the nozzle forming surface 34 in the relative direction Z.

  Further, in the carriage 18, the mounting surface 39 on which the liquid ejecting head 20 is mounted is provided with an absorbing material 40 that can absorb the liquid. The absorbent 40 is larger than the wiping member 30 in the transport direction Y, and is provided closer to the second scanning direction X2 than the first side surface 35 in the scanning direction X.

  The wiping member 30 is a rubber wiper having a substantially rectangular plate shape having elasticity, for example, a first wiping surface 41 for wiping the nozzle forming surface 34, and a second wiping surface 42 for wiping the first side surface 35. have. In the wiping member 30, the first wiping surface 41 is not orthogonal to the nozzle forming surface 34, and the second wiping surface 42 is closer to the liquid ejecting head 20 in the relative direction Z than the first wiping surface 41. It is provided in a tilted position.

  The maintenance unit 28 includes a lifting mechanism 43 that moves the wiping member 30 up and down along the relative direction Z, for example, by rotating a cam. That is, the elevating mechanism 43 moves the wiping member 30 located at the standby position A1 in the first relative direction Z1 to bring the wiping member 30 and the liquid ejecting head 20 closer in the relative direction Z. Further, the elevating mechanism 43 moves the wiping member 30 in the second relative direction Z2 to separate the wiping member 30 and the liquid ejecting head 20 in the relative direction Z. Therefore, the elevating mechanism 43 functions as an example of a moving unit that relatively moves the liquid ejecting head 20 and the wiping member 30 in the relative direction Z that is an example of the second direction.

  That is, the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 according to the present embodiment performs relative movement in the scanning direction X and relative movement in the relative direction Z of the liquid ejecting head 20 and the wiping member 30 by different mechanisms. Specifically, the liquid ejecting head 20 and the wiping member 30 move relatively in the scanning direction X as the scanning mechanism 26 moves the liquid ejecting head 20 in the scanning direction X, and the lifting mechanism 43 moves the wiping member 30. As it moves in the relative direction Z, it moves relative to the relative direction Z. The wiping member 30 moves relative to the liquid ejecting head 20 in the scanning direction X to wipe the nozzle forming surface 34, and moves relative to the liquid ejecting head 20 in the relative direction Z to move the first of the liquid ejecting head 20. Wiping of the side surface 35 is performed.

  Further, the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a control unit 45 that controls the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 in an integrated manner. That is, the control unit 45 controls the driving of the transport motor (see FIG. 1) 15, the scanning mechanism 26 and the lifting mechanism 43, the ejection of liquid from the liquid ejecting head 20, etc. by outputting a control signal.

  Next, for example, the operation when the liquid ejecting head 20 that has been cleaned in the non-recording area is wiped by the wiping member 30 will be described first when the nozzle forming surface 34 is wiped by the wiping member 30. . 2 is located at the sealing position B1 where the opening of the nozzle 33 is sealed by the cap 29.

  Now, as shown in FIG. 2, the control part 45 drives the raising / lowering mechanism 43, and moves the wiping member 30 located in standby position A1 to the 1st relative direction Z1, as shown by the white arrow. That is, the wiping member 30 moves to the wiping position A <b> 2 with the first wiping surface 41 tilted with respect to the nozzle forming surface 34. In the wiping position A2, the tip of the wiping member 30 is positioned on the first relative direction Z1 side with respect to the nozzle forming surface 34, and the overlapping portion of the nozzle forming surface 34 and the wiping member 30 in the relative direction Z is the first. This is the position where the amount of interference is C1.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the controller 45 then drives the scanning mechanism 26 to move the liquid ejecting head 20 in the second scanning direction X2 as indicated by a white arrow. Then, the liquid ejecting head 20 moves while elastically deforming the wiping member 30 in contact with the nozzle forming surface 34. In other words, the wiping member 30 maintains the posture in which the base end side of the first wiping surface 41 for wiping the nozzle forming surface 34 is non-orthogonal to the nozzle forming surface 34, and the distal end of the first wiping surface 41 The side is in sliding contact with the nozzle forming surface 34, and the nozzle forming surface 34 is wiped off.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the liquid ejecting head 20 passes through the wiping member 30 and moves to the passing position B <b> 2 that is not in contact with the wiping member 30, the control unit 45 stops driving the scanning mechanism 26. Further, the wiping member 30 that has been elastically deformed returns to its original shape when the liquid ejecting head 20 passes. Then, the deposit 31 wiped by the wiping member 30 is repelled as the deflection of the wiping member 30 is restored, and leaves the wiping member 30. At this time, part of the deposit 31 may remain on the wiping member 30.

  Further, the control unit 45 drives the lifting mechanism 43 to move the wiping member 30 in the second relative direction Z2 as indicated by a white arrow. That is, the wiping member 30 moves from the wiping position A2 to the standby position A1. The standby position A1 is a position where the nozzle forming surface 34 and the wiping member 30 do not overlap in the relative direction Z. Thereafter, the control unit 45 drives the scanning mechanism 26 to move the liquid ejecting head 20 in the first scanning direction X1.

  Then, the control unit 45 returns the liquid jet head 20 to the sealing position (see FIG. 2) B1. Thus, the control unit 45 performs wiping of the nozzle forming surface 34 by the wiping member 30 at least once. Further, when the nozzle forming surface 34 is wiped, if the deposit 31 is attached to the first wiping surface 41 along with the previous wiping, the wiping member 30 contacts the liquid ejecting head 20 and elastically deforms. At this time, the deposit 31 adhered to the wiping member 30 may adhere to the first side surface 35.

Then, the effect | action in the case of wiping the 1st side surface 35 with the wiping member 30 next is demonstrated.
As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 45 drives the scanning mechanism 26 to position the liquid jet head 20 at the first side surface wiping position B3. In addition, 1st side surface wiping position B3 is a position between sealing position B1 and passage position B2. When the liquid ejecting head 20 is positioned at the first side surface wiping position B3, the tip of the wiping member 30 is positioned closer to the first scanning direction X1 than the first side surface 35, and the first side surface in the scanning direction X is The overlapping portion between 35 and the wiping member 30 is the second interference amount C2. Note that the second interference amount C2 is larger than the first interference amount C1.

  Then, the control part 45 drives the raising / lowering mechanism 43, and moves the wiping member 30 to the 1st relative direction Z1, as shown by the white arrow. Then, the wiping member 30 moves in contact with the first side surface 35 while being elastically deformed. That is, the wiping member 30 maintains the posture in which the proximal end side of the second wiping surface 42 is not orthogonal to the first side surface 35, and the distal end side of the second wiping surface 42 is the first side surface 35. The first side surface 35 is wiped in sliding contact.

  Further, since the second interference amount C2 is larger than the first interference amount C1, the wiping member 30 is greatly deformed when wiping the first side surface 35 as compared with wiping the nozzle forming surface 34. To do. That is, the wiping member 30 wipes the first side surface 35 with a stronger force than when the nozzle forming surface 34 is wiped.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the wiping member 30 moves to the completion position A <b> 3 where the wiping of the first side surface 35 is completed, the control unit 45 stops driving the lifting mechanism 43. Moreover, since the recessed part 37 is formed in the 1st side surface 35, if the wiping member 30 moves to completion position A3, the part which was elastically deformed will return to an original shape. Then, as the deflection of the wiping member 30 is restored, a part of the deposit 31 is repelled and is separated from the wiping member 30 and received by the absorbent material 40.

  Subsequently, the control unit 45 drives the scanning mechanism 26 to move the liquid ejecting head 20 in the first scanning direction X1 as indicated by the white arrow, and to the sealing position B1. Thereafter, the control unit 45 drives the elevating mechanism 43 to move the wiping member 30 in the second relative direction Z2 to move to the standby position (see FIG. 2) A1. At this time, the liquid ejecting head 20 is located at the sealing position B1 and does not interfere with the wiping member 30 in the scanning direction X. Accordingly, the wiping member 30 moves in a non-contact state with respect to the liquid ejecting head 20.

According to the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) By displacing the liquid ejecting head 20 and the wiping member 30 in the scanning direction X and the relative direction Z, the wiping member 30 wipes the nozzle forming surface 34 and the first side surface 35 of the liquid ejecting head 20. be able to. Therefore, compared with the case where a plurality of members are provided to wipe the nozzle forming surface 34 and the first side surface 35, the liquid ejecting head 20 can be wiped while suppressing the complexity of the structure.

  (2) Since the first wiping surface 41 and the nozzle forming surface 34 are non-orthogonal, for example, when the nozzle forming surface 34 and the first side surface 35 are orthogonal, the first wiping surface 41 is the first wiping surface 41. The side surface 35 is also non-orthogonal. Therefore, the first side surface 35 of the liquid ejecting head 20 can be wiped in the same manner as the nozzle forming surface 34 only by changing the direction in which the liquid ejecting head 20 and the wiping member 30 move relative to each other.

  (3) The wiping member 30 wipes the nozzle forming surface 34 and the first side surface 35 with different first wiping surfaces 41 and second wiping surfaces 42, respectively. Therefore, for example, when the nozzle forming surface 34 is wiped off, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the deposit 31 attached to the first wiping surface 41 adheres to the first side surface 35.

  (4) The fluidity of the deposit 31 adhered to the first side surface 35 of the liquid ejecting head 20 is lower or harder than the deposit 31 adhered to the nozzle forming surface 34. is there. In that respect, the second interference amount C2 when the wiping member 30 wipes the first side surface 35 is larger than the first interference amount C1 when the nozzle forming surface 34 is wiped. Therefore, the sliding force between the first side surface 35 and the wiping member 30 can be made larger than the sliding force between the nozzle forming surface 34 and the wiping member 30. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the remaining wiping of the deposit 31 attached to the first side surface 35.

  (5) Even when the wiping member 30 is bent when wiping the first side surface 35 of the liquid ejecting head 20, the concave portion 37 is formed on the first side surface 35, so that the bending of the wiping member 30 is restored. Can do. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the remaining wiping of the deposit 31 attached to the first side surface 35.

  (6) By making the first interference amount C1 smaller than the second interference amount C2, the sliding force between the nozzle forming surface 34 and the wiping member 30 is reduced between the first side surface 35 and the wiping member 30. It can be made smaller than the sliding force in between. Therefore, the possibility that the wiping member 30 may damage the nozzle forming surface 34 can be reduced.

  (7) The wiping member 30 wipes the first side surface 35 after wiping the nozzle forming surface 34. Therefore, even if the deposit 31 adheres to the first side surface 35 as the nozzle forming surface 34 is wiped, the deposit 31 can be removed by wiping the first side surface 35. That is, the amount of deposit 31 attached to the liquid ejecting head 20 can be reduced as compared with the case where the wiping member 30 wipes the first side surface 35 and then wipes the nozzle forming surface 34.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the liquid ejecting apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the posture of the wiping member 30 can be changed. And since it is substantially the same as 1st Embodiment in another point, the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol about the same structure.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the wiping member 30 has a support shaft 47 extending along the transport direction Y. Further, the maintenance unit 28 includes a posture changing unit 48 that changes the posture of the wiping member 30 by rotating the wiping member 30 about the support shaft 47. The posture changing unit 48 uses, for example, a cylindrical spherical cam having a constriction at the end of the wiping member 30 closer to the second relative direction Z2 than the support shaft 47, and a spherical cam. It is composed of a motor to be used. And the control part 45 changes the attitude | position of the wiping member 30 by controlling the drive of the attitude | position change part 48. FIG.

  That is, the wiping member 30 has a first posture indicated by a solid line by the posture changing unit 48 and a second posture indicated by a two-dot chain line. Note that the first posture and the second posture are both inclined with respect to the relative direction Z by the same angle. In the first posture, the first wiping surface 41 and the second wiping surface 42 are positioned on the first scanning direction X1 side with respect to the support shaft 47, and in the second posture, the first wiping surface 41 and the second wiping surface 42 are located. The second wiping surface 42 is located on the second scanning direction X2 side with respect to the support shaft 47. Further, in the first posture, the second wiping surface 42 is positioned on the liquid ejecting head 20 side in the relative direction Z, and in the second posture, the first wiping surface 41 is disposed in the relative direction Z. Located on the side.

  The first posture is a posture when wiping the nozzle forming surface 34 and the first side surface 35, and the second posture is a posture when wiping the second side surface 36. That is, the posture changing unit 48 changes the posture of the wiping member 30 between wiping the nozzle forming surface 34 and wiping the second side surface 36. When the wiping member 30 contacts the liquid ejecting head 20 to wipe the surface to be wiped, the wiping surface for wiping the surface to be wiped and the surface to be wiped form an obtuse angle. That is, for example, when the second side surface 36 is wiped in the second posture, the second side surface 36 to be wiped and the second side surface when the liquid jet head 20 and the wiping member 30 are in contact with each other. The 1st wiping surface 41 which wipes 36 makes an obtuse angle.

  In addition, a concave portion 37 is formed in the transport direction Y on the second side surface 36 of the liquid jet head 20, similarly to the first side surface 35. Further, an absorber 40 is provided on the mounting surface 39 of the carriage 18 on the second side surface 36 side of the liquid jet head 20.

  Next, an operation when the liquid ejecting head 20 is wiped by the wiping member 30 will be described. However, since the operation when wiping the nozzle forming surface 34 is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description when wiping the nozzle forming surface 34 by the wiping member 30 is omitted. Further, when the wiping member 30 that wipes the nozzle forming surface 34 flips the deposit 31, the flipped deposit 31 may also adhere to the second side surface 36. Therefore, the operation when the second side surface 36 is wiped by the wiping member 30 will be described.

  Now, as shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 45 drives the posture changing unit 48 to rotate the wiping member 30 as indicated by the white arrow, so that the wiping member 30 is moved from the first posture to the second posture. Change to At this time, the liquid ejecting head 20 is located at the second side surface wiping position B4. The second side surface wiping position B4 is a position where the overlapping portion between the tip of the wiping member 30 in the second posture and the second side surface 36 in the scanning direction X becomes the second interference amount C2.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 45 drives the lifting mechanism 43 to move the wiping member 30 in the first relative direction Z1 as indicated by a white arrow. Then, the wiping member 30 maintains the posture in which the base end side of the first wiping surface 41 is not orthogonal to the second side surface 36, and the distal end side of the first wiping surface 41 is in contact with the second side surface 36. The second side surface 36 is wiped by sliding contact.

  And if the wiping member 30 moves to completion position A3, the control part 45 will stop the drive of the raising / lowering mechanism 43. FIG. Moreover, since the recessed part 37 is formed in the 2nd side surface 36, if the wiping member 30 which was elastically deformed moves to completion position A3, it will return to an original shape. At this time, as the wiping member 30 is restored, a part of the deposit 31 is bounced away from the wiping member 30 and received by the absorbent 40.

  As illustrated in FIG. 9, the control unit 45 drives the scanning mechanism 26 to move the liquid ejecting head 20 in the second scanning direction X2 as indicated by a white arrow. That is, the liquid ejecting head 20 moves from the second side surface wiping position B4 to the passing position B2. Thereafter, the control unit 45 drives the elevating mechanism 43 to move the wiping member 30 in the second relative direction Z <b> 2 without contacting the second side surface 36.

Next, the operation when the wiping member 30 wipes the first side surface 35 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 45 drives the scanning mechanism 26 to move the liquid ejecting head 20 in the first scanning direction X1. Then, the liquid ejecting head 20 moves to the first side surface wiping position B3. Further, the control unit 45 drives the posture changing unit 48 to change the posture of the wiping member 30 from the second posture shown by a solid line to the first posture shown by a two-dot chain line as shown by a white arrow. Thereafter, the controller 45 drives the lifting mechanism 43 as in the first embodiment, moves the wiping member 30 to the completion position A3, and wipes the first side surface 35.

According to the said 2nd Embodiment, in addition to the effect of (1)-(7) of the said 1st Embodiment, the following effects can be acquired.
(8) When the posture changing unit 48 changes the posture of the wiping member 30, the nozzle forming surface 34 and the second side surface 36 can be wiped by the wiping member 30 having different postures. That is, for example, by wiping the nozzle forming surface 34 and the second side surface 36 with the wiping member 30 in a suitable posture, it is possible to reduce wiping residue and wear of the wiping member 30.

  (9) For example, when the wiping member 30 that has wiped the nozzle forming surface 34 while being elastically deformed returns to its original shape, the deposit 31 repelled by the wiping member 30 may adhere to the second side surface 36. . In that respect, since the second side surface 36 can be wiped by the wiping member 30, the amount of the deposit 31 attached to the liquid jet head 20 can be further reduced.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the liquid ejecting apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, this 3rd Embodiment differs from the case where the wiping member 30 is 1st Embodiment and 2nd Embodiment. Since other points are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the wiping member 30 includes an elastic portion 50 having elasticity and a porous portion 51 that can absorb liquid. The porous portion 51 is located on the liquid ejecting head 20 side in the scanning direction X with respect to the liquid ejecting head 20 located at the sealing position B1, and is bonded to the elastic portion 50. The wiping member 30 is provided in a posture in which the wiping surface 50 a is substantially orthogonal to the nozzle forming surface 34.

  Next, for example, the operation when the nozzle forming surface 34 is wiped will be described with respect to the operation when the liquid ejecting head 20 positioned in the non-recording area and cleaned is wiped by the wiping member 30.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 45 drives the lifting mechanism 43 to move the wiping member 30 located at the standby position A1 in the first relative direction Z1 as indicated by a white arrow. That is, the wiping member 30 moves to the wiping position A2 where the elastic portion 50 and the nozzle forming surface 34 overlap in the relative direction Z.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the control unit 45 then drives the scanning mechanism 26 to move the liquid ejecting head 20 in the second scanning direction X2 as indicated by a white arrow. That is, the control unit 45 relatively moves the liquid ejecting head 20 and the wiping member 30 in the scanning direction X. Then, in the wiping member 30, the elastic portion 50 is elastically deformed, and the porous portion 51 is deformed so as to follow the elastic portion 50. The elastic portion 50 is in sliding contact with the nozzle forming surface 34 and wipes the nozzle forming surface 34.

  As illustrated in FIG. 13, when the liquid ejecting head 20 passes through the wiping member 30 and moves to the passing position B <b> 2 that is not in contact with the wiping member 30, the control unit 45 stops driving the scanning mechanism 26. Further, the wiping member 30 that has been elastically deformed returns to its original shape.

  Further, the control unit 45 drives the lifting mechanism 43 to move the wiping member 30 in the second relative direction Z2 as indicated by a white arrow. That is, the wiping member 30 moves from the wiping position A2 to the standby position A1.

Next, the operation when the first side surface 35 is wiped with the wiping member 30 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 14, the control unit 45 drives the scanning mechanism 26 to move the liquid ejecting head 20 to the first side surface wiping position B3. Note that the first side surface wiping position B3 of the present embodiment is a position where the first side surface 35 and the porous portion 51 coincide in the scanning direction X.

  And the control part 45 drives the raising / lowering mechanism 43, and moves the wiping member 30 to the 1st relative direction Z1, as shown by the white arrow. Then, the wiping member 30 moves to the completion position A3 while the porous portion 51 is in sliding contact with the first side surface 35, and wipes the first side surface 35. And if the wiping member 30 moves to the completion position A3, the control part 45 will further drive the raising / lowering mechanism 43, will move the wiping member 30 to the 2nd relative direction Z2, and will be located in standby position A1.

According to the said 3rd Embodiment, in addition to the effect of (1)-(9) of the said 1st Embodiment and 2nd Embodiment, the following effects can be acquired.
(10) The wiping member 30 includes the porous portion 51, and further wipes the first side surface 35 of the liquid jet head 20 with the porous portion 51. That is, since the deposit 31 having high fluidity can be absorbed by the wiping member 30, the amount of the deposit 31 adhered to the liquid ejecting head 20 can be reduced.

In addition, you may change the said embodiment as follows.
In each of the above embodiments, after the nozzle forming surface 34 is wiped, a receiving portion such as an absorbent material or a wall for receiving the deposit 31 bounced when the wiping member 30 leaves the liquid ejecting head 20 may be provided.

In each of the above embodiments, the wiping member 30 may wipe the nozzle forming surface 34 and the second side surface 36.
In each of the above embodiments, the frequency of wiping at least one of the first side surface 35 and the second side surface 36 may be less than the frequency of wiping the nozzle forming surface 34. Further, the frequency of wiping at least one of the first side surface 35 and the second side surface 36 may be higher than the frequency of wiping the nozzle forming surface 34. For example, the wiping member 30 may wipe the first side surface 35 after wiping the nozzle forming surface 34 a plurality of times. When the wiping frequency is different, it is more preferable to make the first interference amount C1 and the second interference amount C2 of the liquid jet head 20 and the wiping member 30 different. That is, the liquid adhering to the liquid ejecting head 20 dries with time. Therefore, the fluidity of the deposit 31 decreases as the wiping frequency decreases. In that respect, when the wiping member 30 wipes a surface with a low wiping frequency, the amount of interference between the liquid ejecting head 20 and the wiping member 30 is increased more than when wiping a surface with a high wiping frequency. It can be wiped off with a strong force.

  In each of the above embodiments, the wiping member 30 may alternately wipe the nozzle forming surface 34 and at least one of the first side surface 35 and the second side surface 36. Further, the wiping member 30 may wipe off at least one of the first side surface 35 and the second side surface 36 before the nozzle forming surface 34.

  In each embodiment described above, the wiping member 30 may wipe the nozzle forming surface 34 in the second posture. Further, as in the third embodiment, the wiping member 30 wipes the nozzle forming surface 34 with the first wiping surface 41 being substantially perpendicular to the nozzle forming surface 34, and in the first posture or the second posture. The first side surface 35 and the second side surface 36 may be wiped off.

  -In the said 1st Embodiment and 2nd Embodiment, it is good also considering the position where the wiping member 30 and the absorber 40 contact as the completion position A3. That is, the wiping member 30 may move to the completion position A3 and cause the absorbent material 40 to absorb the deposit 31 attached to the wiping member 30.

In each of the above embodiments, the passage position B2 and the second side surface wiping position B4 may be the same position.
In the second embodiment, even when the wiping member 30 in the second posture is moved from the completion position A3 to the second relative direction Z2 with the liquid jet head 20 positioned at the second side surface wiping position B4. Good. That is, the wiping member 30 that moves in the second relative direction Z <b> 2 may wipe the second side surface 36 with the second wiping surface 42.

  In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the recess 37 may not be formed on the first side surface 35 and the second side surface 36. In addition, while the wiping member 30 is wiping the first side surface 35 and the second side surface 36, the liquid ejecting head 20 is moved away from the wiping member 30, and the elastic deformation of the wiping member 30 is restored. You may let them.

  In each of the above embodiments, the first interference amount C1 and the second interference amount C2 may be changed while the wiping member 30 wipes the liquid ejecting head 20. For example, the wiping member 30 is moved in the first relative direction Z1 so that the interference amount at the end of wiping is larger than the interference amount at the start of wiping when the wiping member 30 starts wiping the nozzle forming surface 34. The nozzle forming surface 34 may be wiped off. Note that, by reducing the amount of interference at the start of wiping, the risk of damaging the nozzle forming surface 34 can be reduced.

In each of the above embodiments, the first interference amount C1 and the second interference amount C2 may be the same. Further, the first interference amount C1 may be larger than the second interference amount C2.
In each of the above embodiments, the wiping member 30 may wipe the nozzle forming surface 34, the first side surface 35, and the second side surface 36 with the same wiping surface. That is, for example, the wiping member 30 may wipe the first side surface 35 with the first wiping surface 41 wiping the nozzle forming surface 34.

  In each of the above embodiments, a moving unit that moves the wiping member 30 in the scanning direction X may be provided. That is, the wiping member 30 moves in the scanning direction X and the relative direction Z, so that at least one of the first side surface 35 and the second side surface 36 of the liquid jet head 20 and the nozzle forming surface 34 are moved. You may wipe it off.

  In each of the above embodiments, a moving unit that moves the liquid ejecting head 20 in the relative direction Z may be provided. That is, when the liquid ejecting head 20 moves in the scanning direction X and the relative direction Z, the wiping member 30 has at least one of the first side surface 35 and the second side surface 36 of the liquid ejecting head 20 and the nozzle forming surface. 34 may be wiped off.

  -In each above-mentioned embodiment, wiping member 30 is good also as an elongate absorption member which can absorb a liquid. That is, for example, one end side of the absorbent member is wound around a feeding roller to form a roll, and the other end side is connected to a winding roller. In the absorbing member, the portion where the liquid ejecting head 20 is wiped and the deposit 31 is absorbed may be taken up by the take-up roller.

  In the above embodiment, the carriage 18 may not be provided. For example, a liquid ejecting head 20 may be provided across the width direction of the medium 13 that intersects the transport direction Y, and a so-called line-type liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid onto the transported medium 13 may be used. And the wiping member 30 may move to the width direction or the conveyance direction Y (an example of a 1st direction), and may wipe the nozzle formation surface 34. FIG.

  The medium 13 may be paper, resin, metal, cloth, ceramic, rubber, natural material (such as wood or stone), or a composite thereof. The thickness of the medium may be a plate, sheet, film, foil, or the like. Furthermore, the shape of the medium may be an arbitrary shape such as a rectangle or a circle. That is, for example, a composite film of paper and resin (resin-impregnated paper, resin-coated paper, etc.), a composite film of resin and metal (laminate film), woven fabric, non-woven fabric, disk, circuit board, and the like may be used.

  In the above embodiment, the liquid ejecting apparatus may be a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects or discharges liquid other than ink. Note that the state of the liquid ejected as a minute amount of liquid droplets from the liquid ejecting apparatus includes a granular shape, a tear shape, and a thread-like shape. The liquid here may be any material that can be ejected from the liquid ejecting apparatus. For example, it may be in a state in which the substance is in a liquid phase, such as a liquid with 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 made of a solid such as a pigment or a metal particle are dissolved, dispersed or mixed in a solvent is included. Typical 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 a material such as an electrode material or a color material used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an EL (electroluminescence) display, a surface emitting display, or a color filter in a dispersed or dissolved form. There is a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting the liquid. Further, it may be a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects a bio-organic matter used for biochip manufacturing, a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid as a sample that is used as a precision pipette, a printing apparatus, a micro dispenser, or the like. In addition, transparent resin liquids such as UV curable resin to form liquid injection devices that pinpoint lubricant oil onto precision machines such as watches and cameras, and micro hemispherical lenses (optical lenses) used in optical communication elements. May be a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects the liquid onto the substrate. Further, it may be a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects an etching solution such as acid or alkali in order to etch a substrate or the like.

  A1 ... standby position, A2 ... wiping position, A3 ... completion position, B1 ... sealing position, B2 ... passing position, B3 ... first side wiping position, B4 ... second side wiping position, C1 ... first interference Amount, C2 ... second interference amount, X ... scanning direction (an example of the first direction), X1 ... first scanning direction, X2 ... second scanning direction, Y ... conveying direction, Z ... relative direction (second) Example of direction), Z1... First relative direction, Z2... Second relative direction, 11... Liquid ejecting apparatus, 12... Frame, 13. , 18 ... carriage, 19 ... liquid container, 20 ... liquid ejecting head, 22 ... driving pulley, 23 ... driven pulley, 24 ... carriage motor, 25 ... timing belt, 26 ... scanning mechanism (an example of moving part), 28 ... Maintenance unit, 29 ... cap, 3 ... Wiping member, 31 ... Deposit, 33 ... Nozzle, 34 ... Nozzle forming surface, 35 ... First side, 36 ... Second side, 37 ... Recess, 39 ... Mounting surface, 40 ... Absorber, 41 ... First 1 wiping surface, 42 ... second wiping surface, 43 ... elevating mechanism (an example of a moving unit), 45 ... control unit, 47 ... support shaft, 48 ... posture changing unit, 50 ... elastic portion, 50a ... wiping surface, 51: Porous part.

Claims (6)

A liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from nozzles formed on the nozzle forming surface;
A wiping member for wiping off deposits adhering to the liquid jet head;
A moving unit that relatively moves the liquid ejecting head and the wiping member in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction;
With
The wiping member moves relative to the liquid ejecting head in the first direction to wipe the nozzle forming surface, and moves relative to the liquid ejecting head in the second direction to wipe the side surface of the liquid ejecting head. A liquid ejecting apparatus. A posture changing unit that changes the posture of the wiping member;
The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the posture changing unit changes the posture of the wiping member between wiping the nozzle forming surface and wiping the side surface.   The said wiping member wipes the said nozzle formation surface in the attitude | position in which the wiping surface which wipes the said nozzle formation surface in this wiping member becomes non-orthogonal with respect to the said nozzle formation surface. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to 2.   The said wiping member has a 1st wiping surface which wipes the said nozzle formation surface, and a 2nd wiping surface which wipes the said side surface, The any one of Claims 1-3 characterized by the above-mentioned. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to 1.   A direction that intersects the second direction when wiping the side surface, rather than a first interference amount between the nozzle forming surface and the wiping member in a direction intersecting the first direction when wiping the nozzle forming surface. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a second interference amount between the side surface and the wiping member is large.   The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a concave portion is formed on the side surface of the liquid ejecting head.