JP2018086741A - Liquid ejecting apparatus and cap - Google Patents

Abstract

A liquid ejecting apparatus and a cap that can suppress the occurrence of ejection failure associated with suction cleaning. A liquid ejecting apparatus is configured to perform capping so as to surround and form a space CP in which a nozzle opens when contacting a liquid ejecting section, and a liquid ejecting section having a nozzle 27 capable of ejecting liquid. A cap 40, and the cap is disposed in the cap, a side wall portion 52 whose tip contacts the liquid ejecting portion when capping, a suction hole 54 opened in the cap, an air communication hole 55 opened in the cap, and the cap. A liquid absorber 91 capable of absorbing liquid, and the liquid absorber has a space in the cap, a first space S1 formed by a tip portion of the side wall, and a suction hole and an air communication hole are opened. The second region R2 which is arranged in the cap so as to be partitioned into the second space S2 and forms at least a part of the side wall of the second space in the liquid absorber is a first region which forms the first space Capillary force than 1 is greater. [Selection] Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus such as an ink jet printer and a cap included in the liquid ejecting apparatus.

In an ink jet printer that is an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus, a liquid ejecting head that ejects ink from nozzles, and a cap that is used to suck liquid through the nozzles in order to maintain good ink ejecting characteristics. There is a thing provided with. The cap accommodates an absorbing material for absorbing and holding ink, and is formed with a suction port for sucking ink and an air opening path for opening the inside of the cap to the atmosphere. .

In this printer, after performing suction cleaning in which the ink is discharged from the nozzle by sucking the inside of the cap through the suction port, the inside of the cap that has become a negative pressure due to suction is opened to the atmosphere through the atmosphere release path. Therefore, the negative pressure in the cap is released (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2008-110520 A

By the way, in the printer of patent document 1, the absorber which absorbs ink is arrange | positioned so that a suction port may be covered. Therefore, when the inside of the cap is opened to the atmosphere through the atmosphere opening path, the air that has flowed into the cap from the atmosphere opening path is not efficiently discharged from the suction holes, and thus enters the nozzle, resulting in poor injection. There is a problem.

In addition, such a problem is not limited to a printer that performs printing by ejecting ink, but in a liquid ejecting apparatus and a cap that perform maintenance of a liquid ejecting unit by suction cleaning,
It is almost common.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a liquid ejecting apparatus and a cap that can suppress the occurrence of ejection failure associated with suction cleaning.

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 unit having a nozzle capable of ejecting liquid,
A cap configured to perform capping so as to surround and form a space in which the nozzle opens when contacting the liquid ejecting unit, and the cap has a side wall whose tip contacts the liquid ejecting unit during the capping. A suction hole that opens in the cap, an air communication hole that opens in the cap, and a liquid absorber that is disposed in the cap and can absorb liquid, the liquid absorber being The liquid is disposed in the cap so as to partition the space in the cap into a first space formed by a tip portion of the side wall and a second space in which the suction hole and the air communication hole are opened. The second region that forms at least a part of the side wall of the second space in the absorber has a greater capillary force than the first region that forms the first space.

According to this configuration, after performing suction cleaning in which the inside of the cap is sucked through the suction hole at the time of capping and the liquid is sucked and discharged from the nozzle of the liquid ejecting unit, the air communication hole is used to eliminate the negative pressure generated in the cap. When the inside of the cap is communicated with the atmosphere through the atmosphere, the atmosphere vigorously flows into the cap from the atmosphere communication hole. At this time, the second space in which the atmosphere communication hole opens and the first space in which the nozzle opens are partitioned by the liquid absorber, while the suction hole and the atmosphere communication hole communicate with each other through the second space. Therefore, the gas flowing into the cap is prevented from entering the nozzle of the liquid ejecting unit. In addition, the liquid discharged to the first region of the liquid absorber disposed in the cap is guided from the first space side where the nozzle opens to the second space side where the suction hole opens by the capillary force of the second region. Therefore, the suction of the liquid is promoted. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of ejection failure associated with suction cleaning.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the liquid absorber is configured by a first liquid absorbing member that configures the first region and a second liquid absorbing member that configures the second region, and the second liquid absorbing member is The capillary force is preferably larger than that of the first liquid absorbing member.

According to this structure, it can employ | adopt suitably as a structure which forms a 2nd area | region.
In the liquid ejecting apparatus, it is preferable that the liquid absorber is disposed in the cap so as to form a gap with the side wall portion.

According to this configuration, when the inside of the cap is sucked through the suction hole during capping, the negative pressure generated in the second space reaches the first space through the gap provided between the liquid absorber and the side wall portion, which is effective. Suction cleaning can be performed.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus, it is preferable that the cap has a holding member that holds the liquid absorber in the cap, and the gap is secured by the holding member.
According to this configuration, the gap between the liquid absorber and the side wall portion can be ensured with high accuracy by holding the liquid absorber with the holding member.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the cap has a bottom wall portion that intersects the side wall portion, and a distance between the bottom wall portion and the upper wall of the second space is a distance between the side wall portion and the liquid absorber. It is preferably longer than the distance.

According to this configuration, the gas flowing in from the atmosphere communication hole is more likely to flow into the second space surrounded by the bottom wall portion and the liquid absorber than in the first space where the nozzle opens. This
Since the gas flowing into the cap is less likely to enter the nozzle, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of injection failure due to the inflow of gas.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus, it is preferable that the liquid absorber is disposed at a position facing the nozzle during the capping.
According to this configuration, when there is a gap between the side wall portion and the liquid absorber, it is possible to prevent the nozzle from facing the gap, so that the gas flowing into the first space from the second space through the gap It can suppress entering into a nozzle.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus, it is preferable that the liquid absorber is disposed between the opening of the air communication hole and the opening of the nozzle during the capping.
According to this structure, it can suppress that the gas which flows in in a cap through an atmosphere communicating hole enters a nozzle.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus, it is preferable that the liquid absorber is disposed between the opening of the suction hole and the opening of the nozzle during the capping.
According to this configuration, even when the liquid or gas flows backward from the suction hole into the cap when the suction is stopped, the liquid or gas can be prevented from entering the nozzle.

In the liquid ejecting apparatus, it is preferable that a part of the opening of the suction hole is covered with the liquid absorber.
According to this configuration, when the inside of the cap is sucked through the suction hole, the liquid absorbed by the liquid absorber can be sucked out and easily discharged out of the cap.

A cap that solves the above-described problem is a cap configured to perform capping so as to surround and form a space in which the nozzle is opened when contacting a liquid ejecting unit having a nozzle capable of ejecting liquid. A side wall part where the tip sometimes contacts the liquid ejecting part;
A suction hole that opens in the cap; an air communication hole that opens in the cap; and a liquid absorber that is disposed in the cap and can absorb liquid, and the liquid absorber is disposed in the cap. Is arranged in the cap so as to partition the space into a first space formed by a tip portion of the side wall portion and a second space in which the suction hole and the air communication hole are opened, The second region that forms at least a part of the side wall of the second space has a greater capillary force than the first region that forms the first space.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the liquid ejecting apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a configuration of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a configuration of a cap unit included in the liquid ejecting apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a configuration of a cap included in the liquid ejecting apparatus of FIG. 1. The disassembled perspective view of the cap of FIG. The disassembled perspective view which looked at the cap of FIG. 3 from the direction different from FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 in FIG. Sectional drawing which expands and shows a part of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the example of a change of a cap. Sectional drawing which shows another example of a change of a cap.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the liquid ejecting apparatus and the cap will be described with reference to the drawings. The liquid ejecting apparatus is an ink jet printer that performs recording (printing) by ejecting ink, which is an example of liquid, onto a target such as paper.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 according to the present embodiment includes a housing unit 13 and a feeding unit 14 that feeds the medium ST toward the housing unit 13. The feeding unit 14 holds the medium ST so as to be rotatable in a state of a roll body RS in which the medium ST is wound in a roll shape. Further, the feeding unit 14 unwinds the medium ST by rotating the held roll body RS and feeds the medium ST into the housing unit 13. The medium ST may be a cut sheet that has been cut into a predetermined size in advance.

The housing unit 13 includes a support base 15 that supports the medium ST fed by the feeding unit 14. A plurality of ribs 15 a supporting the medium ST are provided on the upper surface side of the support base 15 so as to be aligned in the scanning direction X.

In the present embodiment, one direction along the longitudinal direction of the casing 13 is defined as a scanning direction X, and a direction in which the medium ST is conveyed on the support base 15 is defined as a conveyance direction Y. The scanning direction X may be a direction along the short direction of the housing part 13. The scanning direction X and the transport direction Y intersect with each other (for example, orthogonal), and both the scanning direction X and the transport direction Y intersect with the gravity direction Z (for example, orthogonal).

On one end side in the scanning direction X of the housing part 13, a container holding part 17 to which a plurality of liquid containers 16 are detachably mounted is provided. The liquid container 16 stores ink that is an example of a liquid, and a plurality of liquid containers 16 are provided for each type (color) of liquid to be stored. Container holder 1
The number and size of the liquid containers 16 accommodated in 7 can be arbitrarily changed. Also, an injection hole is provided in the liquid container 16 so that the liquid can be replenished by injecting the liquid from the injection hole, or printing is performed while supplying the liquid from the outside through a supply tube connected to the injection hole. Or may be able to be performed.

In this embodiment, in the scanning direction X, when the end of the housing 13 on which the container holding unit 17 is provided is the home end, and the opposite end is the anti-home end. Although the container holding part 17 is provided only at the home side end, the container holding part 17 may be provided only at the anti-home side end or at both ends. In addition, the container holding unit 1 such as on the housing unit 13.
The position of 7 can be arbitrarily changed.

The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a guide shaft 2 installed in the casing 13 so as to extend in the scanning direction X.
4, a carriage 25 held by the guide shaft 24, and a liquid ejecting unit 26 held by the carriage 25. The liquid ejecting unit 26 includes a plurality of nozzles 27 that can eject liquid onto the medium ST. In the liquid ejecting unit 26, an area where the nozzle 27 opens is referred to as a nozzle opening surface 26a.

When the liquid container 16 is attached to the container holder 17, the liquid stored in the liquid container 16 is supplied to the liquid ejecting unit 26 via a supply mechanism (not shown). Then, the liquid ejecting unit 26
Prints (records) by ejecting liquid from the nozzle 27 toward the medium ST.

The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 is detachably mounted with a maintenance unit 31 that performs a maintenance operation related to the liquid ejecting unit 26 and a waste liquid recovery body 28 that stores liquid discharged as a waste liquid from the liquid ejecting unit 26 in accordance with the maintenance operation. A mounting portion 29.

In the moving region along the scanning direction X of the liquid ejecting unit 26, if the region where the support base 15 is provided is the printing region PA and the regions outside the printing region PA are the non-printing regions RA and LA, the mounting unit 29
Is disposed at a position corresponding to the printing area PA, and the container holder 17 and the maintenance unit 31 are disposed at a position corresponding to the non-printing area RA. The maintenance unit 31 may arrange some or all of the components in the non-printing area LA, or may arrange some or all of the components in both the non-printing areas RA and LA. Alternatively, the maintenance unit 31 may arrange some or all of the components in the printing area PA.

The maintenance unit 31 includes, as maintenance operations, a cap unit 32 and a suction mechanism 33 that perform a suction cleaning operation, a wiper 34 that performs wiping, a flushing box 35 that receives waste liquid generated by flushing, and a moisturizing cap 36 that performs capping. And comprising.

Wiping refers to a maintenance operation in which the nozzle opening surface 26a is wiped by the wiper 34. Further, flushing refers to a maintenance operation in which the liquid ejecting unit 26 forcibly ejects (discharges) droplets unrelated to printing from the nozzle 27 for the purpose of preventing or eliminating clogging of the nozzle 27.

The moisturizing cap 36 is configured to be relatively movable with respect to the liquid ejecting unit 26, and performs capping that forms a closed space in which the nozzle 27 is opened when relatively moving in a direction approaching the liquid ejecting unit 26. The moisturizing cap 36 suppresses drying of the nozzle 27 by performing capping.

When the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 does not perform printing, the liquid ejecting unit 26 moves to a position corresponding to the moisturizing cap 36 and stands by in a state of being capped by the moisturizing cap 36. Therefore, the position where the moisture retention cap 36 is present in the scanning direction X is referred to as the home position of the liquid ejecting unit 26.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the liquid ejecting unit 26, a plurality of nozzles 27 arranged in the transport direction Y at predetermined intervals open so as to form a nozzle row NL, and the position in the transport direction Y for each liquid color. Two (a pair) nozzle rows NL having different values are arranged.

The cap unit 32 includes two caps 4 having different positions in the scanning direction X and the transport direction Y so as to perform suction cleaning for each pair of nozzle rows NL corresponding to one color ink.
0 and two atmospheric release valves 39 respectively connected to the two caps 40 through the ventilation flow path 38. In the present embodiment, two suction flow paths 37 are provided and connected to the two caps 40, respectively.

The cap unit 32 includes a moving mechanism 41 that moves the two caps 40 relative to the liquid ejecting unit 26. When the cap 40 moved by driving the moving mechanism 41 comes into contact with the liquid ejecting portion 26, capping is performed so as to surround and form the space CP where the nozzle 27 is opened. The capping can also be performed by moving the liquid ejecting unit 26 with respect to the cap 40. In the present embodiment, the cap 4 is used for capping.
0 contacts the nozzle opening surface 26a, but capping may be performed by the cap 40 contacting the side surface of the liquid ejecting unit 26 that intersects the nozzle opening surface 26a.

When the cap 40 is capping, the air release valve 39 is closed and the suction mechanism 33 is driven, so that the space CP that is enclosed between the cap 40 and the liquid ejecting unit 26 is formed. Suction cleaning is performed in which the liquid is sucked and discharged from the nozzle 27 by the negative pressure. The liquid discharged from the nozzle 27 by the suction cleaning is accommodated in the waste liquid collecting body 28 through the suction flow path 37 as waste liquid.

The suction flow path 37 is made of an elastically deformable tube communicating with the cap 40, for example, and the suction mechanism 33 can be a tube pump provided in the middle of the suction flow path 37 that is a tube. In this case, the tube pump includes a rotating body 33a that rotates while crushing the tube, and performs suction in the cap 40 as the rotating body 33a rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. Further, when the tube pump releases the pressing of the tube by the rotating body 33a, the inside of the cap 40 communicates with the space (atmosphere) in the waste liquid collecting body 28 through the suction flow path 37.

As shown in FIG. 3, the transport direction Y of the cap 40 is the longitudinal direction.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cap 40 includes a main body 51 having a recess 50 and a recess 5.
The liquid absorber 91 accommodated in the 0 and the holding member 7 for holding the liquid absorber 91 in the recess 50
1. The liquid absorber 91 is preferably composed of a porous material that can absorb liquid. In addition, the liquid absorber 91 is preferably composed of two types of members, ie, a first liquid absorbing member 61 located above and a second liquid absorbing member 81 located below in the recess 50. The holding member 71 can be made of, for example, a metal plate or resin.

As shown in FIG. 6, the main body 51 is inside the cap, and includes a side wall 52 that forms the inner surface of the recess 50, a bottom wall 53 that intersects the side wall 52 and forms the inner bottom surface of the recess 50, and the cap. A suction hole 54 for sucking the inside of the recess 50 and an atmosphere communication hole 55 for communicating the space in the recess 50 with the atmosphere. In addition, in the side wall part 52, the inner surface located in the both ends of the longitudinal direction of the cap 40 is called inner surface 52a, 52b.

The suction hole 54 and the air communication hole 55 are preferably opened in the cap 40 at positions near both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the cap 40 and close to the bottom wall portion 53. For example, in the present embodiment, the suction hole 54 and the atmosphere communication hole 55 are opened at portions where the inner side surfaces 52a and 52b and the bottom wall portion 53 intersect, but are opened to the inner side surfaces 52a and 52b or the bottom wall portion 53. It may be. Connection pipe portions 56 and 57 project from portions corresponding to the suction hole 54 and the air communication hole 55 in the bottom wall portion 53, respectively, and a suction flow path 37 and a ventilation flow path 38 are provided in the connection pipe portions 56 and 57, respectively. Connected. Thereby, the suction hole 54 is connected to the suction mechanism 33 through the suction flow path 37, and the atmosphere communication hole 55 is connected to the atmosphere release valve 39 through the ventilation flow path 38.

The side wall part 52 preferably has a lip part 52c made of elastically deformable rubber or the like at the tip part in contact with the liquid ejecting part 26. In this way, the side wall part 52 becomes the liquid ejecting part 2.
When the capping is performed in contact with the liquid 6, the lip portion 52c is elastically deformed and the liquid ejecting portion 2
6 makes it difficult for a gap to be formed between the liquid ejecting portion 26 and the tip of the side wall portion 52.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the liquid absorber 91 divides the space in the cap 40 into the side wall portion 52.
The first space S1 formed by the front end portion of the first space S1 and the second space S2 in which the suction holes 54 and the air communication holes 55 are opened are disposed in the recess 50 that is the cap 40. The liquid absorber 91 includes a first region R1 and a second region R2 having different capillary forces. The capillary force refers to a force that absorbs and holds a liquid by capillary action. Liquid absorber 91
Is configured such that the capillary force in the second region R2 is greater than the capillary force in the first region R1. The first region R1 in the liquid absorber 91 forms part of the bottom wall of the first space S1, and the second region R2 in the liquid absorber 91 forms part of the side wall of the second space S2.

Here, the liquid absorber 91 is preferably composed of two members, a first liquid absorbing member 61 that constitutes the first region R1 and a second liquid absorbing member 81 that constitutes the second region R2. . It is preferable to employ urethane as the first liquid absorbing member 61 and Bell Eater (registered trademark) as the second liquid absorbing member 81. The second liquid absorbing member 81 in the present embodiment is configured to have a width smaller than that of the first liquid absorbing member 61 in the scanning direction X, and is disposed in the recess 50 so that an upper portion thereof is recessed into the first liquid absorbing member 61. .

In the first liquid absorbing member 61, a portion facing the bottom wall portion 53 is a bottom surface 62, a surface opposite to the bottom surface 62 is a surface 63, and surfaces facing the inner side surfaces 52a and 52b are short side surfaces 64 and 65, respectively.
A side surface extending in the longitudinal direction is a longitudinal side surface 66 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). In this case, the side wall 5
When the surface 63 of the first liquid absorbing member 61 is arranged inside the recess 50 rather than the tip of the second, the first space S1 can be formed. That is, the surface 6 of the first liquid absorbing member 61
3 forms part of the bottom wall of the first space S1.

One or a plurality of insertion holes 67 may be provided in the first liquid absorbing member 61, and an insertion portion 78 that is inserted into the insertion hole 67 may be provided in the holding member 71. In this case, for example, even when the first liquid absorption member 61 absorbs the liquid and expands, or when the vicinity of the center in the longitudinal direction is bent due to the weight including the liquid, the insertion portion 78 is the first liquid absorption member. By supporting 61, the deformation of the first liquid absorbing member 61 can be suppressed.

In the second liquid absorbing member 81, a portion facing the bottom wall portion 53 is a bottom surface 82, a surface opposite to the bottom surface 82 is a surface 83, and surfaces facing the inner side surfaces 52a and 52b are short side surfaces 84 and 85, respectively.
A side surface extending in the longitudinal direction is defined as a longitudinal side surface 86 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). In this case, the second space S <b> 2 can be formed by disposing the second liquid absorbing member 81 such that the surface 83 is in a state where a part of the bottom surface 62 of the first liquid absorbing member 61 is pushed. That is, the bottom surface 62 of the first liquid absorbing member 61 forms the upper wall of the second space S2, and the long side surface 86 of the second liquid absorbing member 81 forms a part of the side wall of the second space S2. The second liquid absorbing member 81 is arranged so as to cover a part of the opening of the suction hole 54.

The holding member 71 has a net-like portion 72 that presses the surface 63 at a predetermined interval in order to make the distance between the surface 63 and the liquid ejecting unit 26 constant while exposing the surface 63 of the first liquid absorbing member 61 widely. Is preferred. The holding member 71 also has a bottom plate portion 73 that supports the bottom surface 62 of the first liquid absorbing member 61 in order to form the second space S2 in which the suction hole 54 and the air communication hole 55 are opened.
A leaf spring portion 74 that contacts the bottom wall portion 53, and a locking portion 75 that engages the inner side surfaces 52a and 52b.
, 76. When the holding member 71 is formed of a metal plate, the tip portion bent from the support plate portion 77 extending in the longitudinal direction is a mesh portion 72, and the base end portion bent from the support plate portion 77 is a bottom plate portion 73 and a leaf spring portion 74. The side end portions bent from the support plate 77 may be the locking portions 75 and 76.

In this case, the inner side surfaces 52a and 52b of the main body 51 are provided with corners 54a and 55a that can lock the locking portions 75 and 76, for example, in the vicinity of the openings of the suction hole 54 and the atmosphere communication hole 55, respectively. Good. Further, of the locking portions 75 and 76, at least the locking portion 76 that engages with the corner portion 55 a of the atmosphere communication hole 55 is engaged with the corner portion 55 a when the short side surface 65,
It is good to bend so that the clearance gap SP (refer FIG. 7) may arise between 85 and the inner surface 52b of the side wall part 52. FIG.

When the locking portion 76 is configured by a part of a metal plate, if the locking portion 76 is bent so as to function as a leaf spring, the holding member 71 causes the side wall portion 52 and the liquid absorber 91 to move. It becomes possible to ensure the gap SP between them more accurately. It should be noted that the short side surfaces 64 and 84 of the liquid absorber 91 and the side wall portion 52 when the engaging portion 75 engaged with the corner portion 54a of the suction hole 54 is also bent to engage the corner portion 54a. You may make it produce a clearance gap between the inner surface 52a. The length in the scanning direction X of the bottom plate portion 73 and the leaf spring portion 74 in the holding member 71 is set to a length that allows the second liquid absorbing member 81 to be disposed in the recess 50.

The liquid absorber 91 accommodated in the recess 50 is preferably disposed at a position facing the nozzle 27 during capping. In the present embodiment, the inner side surfaces 52a and 52b positioned so as to face each other have a tapered shape such that the distance on the bottom wall portion 53 side is narrower than the lip portion 52c side. 86 has a trapezoidal shape. This is preferable because a large area of the surface 63 disposed opposite to the nozzle 27 in the liquid absorber 91 can be secured. Moreover, since the opening of the recessed part 50 becomes wide, the accommodation operation | work of the liquid absorber 91 and the holding member 71 in the main-body part 51 can be performed easily.

The liquid absorber 91 is preferably disposed between the opening of the atmosphere communication hole 55 and the opening of the nozzle 27 for communicating the inside of the cap 40 to the atmosphere during capping. further,
The liquid absorber 91 is preferably disposed between the opening of the suction hole 54 and the opening of the nozzle 27 for sucking the inside of the cap 40 during capping.

When the liquid absorber 91 is accommodated in the recess 50 of the main body 51, first, the first liquid absorbing member 6 is used.
The insertion portion 78 is inserted through the one insertion hole 67. Next, in a state where the surface 83 of the second liquid absorbing member 81 is disposed so as to push up a part of the bottom surface 62 of the first liquid absorbing member 61, the second liquid absorbing member 81 is held between the locking portions 75 and 76. . Then, the holding member 71 holding the first liquid absorbing member 61 and the second liquid absorbing member 81 is placed in the recess 50, and the leaf spring portion 74 is moved to the bottom wall portion 53.
Elastically deformed by contact with Then, the locking portions 75 and 76 are hooked on the corner portions 54a and 55a, whereby the liquid absorber 91 is positioned. That is, the holding member 71 that holds the liquid absorber 91 in the cap 40 secures a gap SP between the side wall portion 52 and the liquid absorber 91, and the suction hole 54 and the air communication hole 55 are opened. Two spaces S2 are secured.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 8, the bottom wall portion 53 and the liquid absorber 91 (first liquid absorbing member 61).
The distance Db between the bottom surface 62 and the inner side surface 52b of the side wall 52 and the short side surface 65 of the liquid absorber 91,
It is preferable that the distance Ds is longer than 85. Further, the tip of the side wall 52 and the liquid absorber 91 (
In relation to the distance Dt of the surface 63 of the first liquid absorbing member 61), it is preferable that Ds <Dt <Db. For example, Ds = 0.297mm, Dt = 1.05mm, Db =
It is good to set to about 1.700 mm. The distance Dt is determined by the lip portion 5 during capping.
Nozzle opening surface 26a and liquid absorber 91 (first liquid absorbing member 6) in a state where 2c is elastically deformed.
The distance from the surface 63 of 1) may be used.

Next, the suction cleaning operation executed in the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 configured as described above and the operation of the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 and the cap 40 will be described.
When performing the suction cleaning, first, the liquid ejecting unit 26 is moved to the non-printing area RA. Then, the cap 40 is moved in a direction approaching the liquid ejecting unit 26, and the lip portion 52 is moved.
The cap 40 forms a space CP between the cap 40 and the liquid ejecting section 26 by capping the liquid ejecting section 26 against c. In this state, when the atmosphere release valve 39 is closed,
The space CP is a closed space.

Next, the suction mechanism 33 is driven to generate a negative pressure in the space CP where the nozzle 27 opens.
Then, the generated negative pressure reaches the inside of the nozzle 27, and the liquid in the liquid ejecting unit 26 is discharged through the nozzle 27. At this time, the liquid discharged from the nozzle 27 is absorbed by the first region R1 in the liquid absorber 91. The liquid absorbed in the first region R1 in the liquid absorber 91 is caused by the capillary force of the liquid absorber 91, as shown by the black arrow in FIG.
1 to the second region R2.

When a predetermined amount of liquid is discharged, the atmosphere release valve 39 is opened to allow the space CP, which has been a closed space, to communicate with the atmosphere. Then, outside air (air) flows into the space CP vigorously through the ventilation channel 38, and the negative pressure in the space CP is eliminated, so that the discharge of the liquid from the nozzle 27 is stopped and the liquid in the cap 40 is discharged. Is discharged through the suction hole 54. In this way, suction performed by opening the atmosphere release valve 39 and communicating the inside of the cap 40 with the atmosphere is referred to as idle suction.

By the way, when the space CP is communicated with the atmosphere, the liquid in the cap 40 is discharged from the nozzle 27.
If the air enters the inside or the air that has flowed in enters the nozzle 27 and becomes a bubble, there is a risk of causing an ejection failure that the liquid cannot be ejected properly when the liquid is ejected next time. In that regard, when the liquid absorber 91 is disposed between the opening of the atmosphere communication hole 55 and the opening of the nozzle 27 at the time of capping, the inflowing gas is unlikely to enter the nozzle 27. Further, the gas flowing in from the atmosphere communication hole 55 during the empty suction flows in the second space S2 defined by the liquid absorber 91 in the space CP, as indicated by the white arrow in FIG. Since the gas flowing in from the atmosphere communication hole 55 flows toward the suction hole 54 along the bottom wall portion 53, the nozzle 2
Mixing of gas into 7 is suppressed. At this time, the second region R2 in the liquid absorber 91 is the second region R2.
Since part of the side wall of the space S2 is formed, the gas flowing in the second space S2 flows toward the suction hole 54, so that the liquid held in the second region R2 in the liquid absorber 91 is sucked out. It is. In the present embodiment, since the second liquid absorbing member 81 constituting the second region R2 in the liquid absorber 91 is disposed so as to cover a part of the suction hole 54, the liquid is efficiently discharged from the liquid absorber 91. It is possible to suck out.

Furthermore, if the inner side surfaces 52a and 52b are tapered and the short side surfaces 64 and 65 of the liquid absorber 91 (first liquid absorbing member 61) are inclined surfaces extending along the inner side surfaces 52a and 52b, respectively, the clearance SP Since the opening direction to the first space S1 is a direction away from the opening of the nozzle 27, the air that has flowed in due to the release of the atmosphere is less likely to go to the nozzle 27.

Here, if the space CP is divided into the second space S2 in which the suction holes 54 are opened and the first space S1 in which the nozzles 27 are opened by the liquid absorber 91, a negative pressure may not easily be applied to the nozzles 27 during suction cleaning. There is. In that respect, the inner side surface 52 of the side wall 52 where the air communication hole 55 opens.
If a clearance SP is provided between b and the short side surfaces 65 and 85 of the liquid absorber 91, the clearance S
The negative pressure in the second space S2 reaches the first space S1 through P, and the liquid can be discharged from the nozzle 27. That is, due to the gap SP, the first space S is used during suction cleaning.
1 and 2nd space S2 can be directly communicated.

Further, when the space CP is divided into the second space S2 in which the suction hole 54 is opened and the first space S1 in which the nozzle 27 is opened by the liquid absorber 91, the negative pressure in the first space S1 is eliminated during the idle suction. May be difficult. In that respect, if a gap SP is provided between the inner side surface 52b of the side wall 52 where the air communication hole 55 opens and the short side surfaces 65 and 85 of the liquid absorber 91, the negative pressure in the first space S1 is reduced. It is quickly resolved.

The distance Db between the bottom wall portion 53 and the bottom surface 62 of the liquid absorber 91 (first liquid absorbing member 61).
Is longer than the distance Ds between the inner side surface 52b of the side wall portion 52 and the short side surfaces 65 and 85 of the liquid absorber 91, the gas flowing in from the atmospheric communication hole 55 during the idle suction causes the nozzle 27 to It becomes easy to flow into the suction hole 54 from the opening first space S1.

When the liquid accumulated in the cap 40 is discharged by the idle suction, the driving of the suction mechanism 33 is stopped. Thereafter, the cap 40 is moved in a direction away from the liquid ejecting unit 26 to release capping.

In addition, after the suction mechanism 33 stops driving, the suction passage 37 made of a tube is provided with the rotating body 33.
If a is crushed, the suction flow path 37 may be creep-deformed. Therefore, after the suction mechanism 33 stops driving, it is preferable to release the pressing of the tube by the rotating body 33a.

When the pressing of the tube by the rotating body 33a is released, the inside of the cap 40 communicates with the space (atmosphere) in the waste liquid collecting body 28 through the suction channel 37, so that a fluid such as liquid or gas in the suction channel 37 flows backward. Then, it may flow into the cap 40. These fluids are nozzle 2
7, there is a risk of causing an ejection failure that the liquid cannot be ejected properly the next time the liquid is ejected, but the liquid absorber 91 between the opening of the suction hole 54 and the opening of the nozzle 27.
, It is difficult for the fluid that has flowed into the nozzle 27. Further, since the suction hole 54 and the air communication hole 55 are opened in the first space S1 in which the nozzle 27 is opened and the second space S2 defined by the liquid absorber 91, the fluid flowing backward from the suction hole 54 is in the second space. In S 2, the gas flows out from the cap 40 through the atmosphere communication hole 55.

Further, even if the backflowed fluid does not scatter directly to the liquid ejecting portion 26, if the gas flowing in through the suction hole 54 enters the pores of the liquid absorber 91 made of the porous material, the liquid absorber 9
The liquid may foam on the surface 63 of 1 and the foam may adhere to the nozzle opening surface 26a. In that respect, if a porous material is not disposed between the suction hole 54 and the atmosphere communication hole 55 and the suction hole 54 and the atmosphere communication hole 55 are opened to the second space S2, foaming due to the inflow of gas is caused. It is suppressed.

Further, if the tube is released by the rotating body 33a after the capping is released, even if the fluid flows back into the cap 40 or the gas enters the porous material, the cap is generated. Since the distance between 40 and the liquid ejecting portion 26 is greater than that during capping, the fluid and bubbles that flow backward are less likely to adhere to the liquid ejecting portion 26. In this case, when releasing the capping, it is preferable that the liquid ejecting unit 26 and the cap 40 are separated from the end portion on the atmosphere communication hole 55 side in the longitudinal direction of the cap 40. This is to further reduce the possibility of fluid flowing backward from the suction hole 54 due to the pressure change in the space CP that occurs when capping is released.

When the space CP is opened to the atmosphere, droplets discharged from the nozzles 27 may adhere to the nozzle opening surface 26a of the liquid ejecting unit 26. In this case, if the distance Dt between the opening end of the side wall 52 and the surface 63 of the liquid absorber 91 is shortened, the surface 63 of the liquid absorber 91 comes into contact with the droplets attached to the nozzle opening surface 26a, The droplet can be sucked by the liquid absorber 91.

In addition, since droplets may remain on the nozzle opening surface 26a and the like of the liquid ejecting unit 26 after the suction cleaning is performed, the nozzle opening surface 26a is wiped by performing wiping after releasing the capping. Is preferred.

According to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The cap 40 is sucked through the suction hole 54 at the time of capping, and the liquid ejecting unit 26
After the suction cleaning for sucking and discharging the liquid from the nozzle 27 is performed, if the inside of the cap 40 is communicated with the atmosphere through the atmosphere communication hole 55 in order to eliminate the negative pressure generated in the cap 40, the atmosphere communication hole 55 Vigorously flows into the cap 40. At this time, the second space S2 in which the air communication hole 55 is opened and the first space S1 in which the nozzle 27 is opened are the liquid absorber 9.
On the other hand, since the suction hole 54 and the air communication hole 55 communicate with each other via the second space S2, the gas flowing into the cap 40 enters the nozzle 27 of the liquid ejecting unit 26. Is suppressed. In addition, the liquid absorber 91 disposed in the cap 40.
The liquid discharged to the first region R1 is guided from the first space S1 side where the nozzle 27 is opened by the capillary force of the second region R2 to the second space S2 side where the suction hole 54 is opened. Is promoted. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of ejection failure associated with suction cleaning.

(2) The liquid absorber 91 is constituted by a first liquid absorbing member 61 that constitutes the first region R1 and a second liquid absorbing member 81 that constitutes the second region R2. Therefore, the first region R1
It can employ | adopt suitably as a structure which forms 2nd area | region R2 with larger capillary force than this.

(3) The cap 40 so that the liquid absorber 91 forms a gap SP with the side wall 52.
Placed inside. Therefore, when the cap 40 is sucked through the suction hole 54 during capping, the negative pressure generated in the second space S2 reaches the first space S1 through the gap SP provided between the liquid absorber 91 and the side wall 52. Thereby, suction cleaning can be executed effectively.

(4) By holding the liquid absorber 91 with the holding member 71, the gap SP between the liquid absorber 91 and the side wall portion 52 can be ensured with high accuracy.
(5) The distance Db between the bottom wall 53 and the upper wall of the second space S2 is equal to the side wall 52 and the liquid absorber 91.
Longer than the distance Ds. Therefore, the gas flowing in from the atmosphere communication hole 55 is more likely to flow into the second space S2 formed by being surrounded by the bottom wall portion 53 and the liquid absorber 91 than in the first space S1 in which the nozzle 27 is opened. Thereby, since the gas flowing into the cap 40 becomes difficult to enter the nozzle 27, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of injection failure due to the inflow of gas.

(6) The liquid absorber 91 is disposed at a position facing the nozzle 27 during capping.
Therefore, when there is a gap SP between the side wall 52 and the liquid absorber 91, the nozzle 27 can be prevented from facing the gap SP. Thereby, it can suppress that the gas which flows in into 1st space S1 from 2nd space S2 through the clearance gap SP enters into the nozzle 27. FIG.

(7) At the time of capping, the liquid absorber 91 is disposed between the opening of the air communication hole 55 and the opening of the nozzle 27. Therefore, the gas flowing into the cap 40 through the atmosphere communication hole 55 can be prevented from entering the nozzle 27.

(8) At the time of capping, the liquid absorber 91 is disposed between the opening of the suction hole 54 and the opening of the nozzle 27. Therefore, even if the liquid or gas flows backward from the suction hole 54 into the cap 40 when the suction is stopped, the liquid or gas can be prevented from entering the nozzle 27.

(9) A part of the opening of the suction hole 54 is covered with the liquid absorber 91. for that reason,
When the inside of the cap 40 is sucked through the suction hole 54, the liquid absorbed by the liquid absorber 91 can be sucked out and easily discharged out of the cap 40.

In addition, you may change the said embodiment like the example of a change shown below. Moreover, the said embodiment and the following modified example can be combined arbitrarily.
As in the modified example shown in FIG. 9, a portion of the holding member 71 that contacts the bottom wall portion 53 may be a support portion 79 that is not a leaf spring.

As in the modified example shown in FIG. 9, the holding member 71 may not be provided with the locking portions 75 and 76.
Also in this case, if a groove extending from the surface 63 to the bottom surface 62 is provided on the longitudinal side surface 66 of the liquid absorber 91, a gap can be provided between the liquid absorber 91 and the side wall portion 52.

-A part of opening of the suction hole 54 may not be covered with the liquid absorber 91.
-It replaces with the clearance gap SP provided between the inner surface 52b and the short side surfaces 65 and 85 of the liquid absorber 91, and may provide the clearance gap which connects 1st space S1 and 2nd space S2 in another position. Good. For example, the inner side surface 52 a of the side wall portion 52 where the suction hole 54 opens and the short side surface 64 of the liquid absorber 91.
, 84 may be provided, or a groove extending from the surface 63 to the bottom surface 62 may be provided on the longitudinal side surface 66 of the liquid absorber 91 so that a clearance is provided between the longitudinal side surface 66 and the side wall 52. May be. Further, it is not always necessary to provide a gap for communicating the first space S1 and the second space S2.

As in the modified example shown in FIG. 10, the first liquid absorbing member 61 and the second liquid absorbing member 81 may be stacked in the gravity direction Z in the recess 50. In the case of this configuration, the second liquid absorbing member 81 forms the upper wall of the second space S2.

-The liquid absorber 91 may be comprised with the single absorption member. In this case, the capillary force can be made larger than that in the first region R1 by accommodating the portion corresponding to the second region R2 in the recess 50 while compressing the portion.

The first liquid absorbing member 61 and the second liquid absorbing member 81 may be made of the same material.
In this case, the capillary force can be made larger than that of the first liquid absorbing member 61 by accommodating the second liquid absorbing member 81 in the recess 50 while compressing it.

The second liquid absorbing member 81 may be made of a material that is easier to deform than the first liquid absorbing member 61.
In this way, the second liquid absorbing member 81 can be easily compressed when accommodated in the recess 50, so that the capillary force can be made larger than that of the first liquid absorbing member 61.

The liquid absorber 91 may be held in the recess 50 by projecting the insertion portion 78 or the bottom plate portion 73 from the main body portion 51. In this case, the cap 40 may not include the holding member 71.

At the time of capping, the center position of the opening of the suction hole 54 may be arranged at a position not facing the nozzle 27 regardless of whether or not the liquid absorber 91 exists between the suction hole 54 and the nozzle 27. Similarly, at the time of capping, the central position of the opening of the air communication hole 55 may be arranged at a position not facing the nozzle 27 regardless of whether or not the liquid absorber 91 is present between the air communication hole 55 and the nozzle 27. For example, at the time of capping, the center position of the suction hole 54 or the atmosphere communication hole 55 may be arranged at a position shifted from the nozzle 27 in the scanning direction X or the transport direction Y.

After stopping the suction mechanism 33 in the suction cleaning, for example, the air release valve 39
In a state where the valve is opened and the atmosphere communication hole 55 is opened to the atmosphere, and capping is released,
It is preferable that the cap 40 is inclined and moved away from the liquid ejecting portion 26 so that the lip portion 52c on the atmosphere communication hole 55 side in FIG. 6 is separated from the liquid ejecting portion 26 before the lip portion 52c on the suction hole 54 side. . For example, when the capping is canceled in a state where the suction of the tube by the rotating body 33a is released and the suction hole 54 communicates with the space (atmosphere) in the waste liquid collection body 28, the lip portion on the suction hole 54 side in FIG. 52c is the lip portion 5 on the atmosphere communication hole 55 side.
It is preferable to move the cap 40 in a direction away from the liquid ejecting unit 26 by tilting the cap 40 away from the liquid ejecting unit 26 before 2c.

The maintenance unit 31 may not include the flushing box 35. In this case, the liquid ejected by flushing may be received by the cap 40. In this case, if the flight distance of the liquid ejected by flushing is long, fine mist is generated as the liquid is ejected, and this mist may adhere to the nozzle opening surface 26a and become a droplet.
In that regard, if the distance Dt between the tip of the side wall 52 and the surface 63 of the liquid absorber 91 (first liquid absorbing member 61) is shortened, the flight distance of the liquid ejected by flushing can be relatively shortened. Therefore, generation | occurrence | production of an unnecessary mist can be suppressed. However, if the distance Dt is too short, the surface 63 may come into contact with the nozzle opening surface 26a at the time of capping due to expansion deformation or manufacturing error of the liquid absorber 91, so it is preferable that Ds <Dt <Db. .

The maintenance unit 31 may not include the moisturizing cap 36. In this case, drying of the nozzle 27 can be suppressed by capping with the suction cap 40 when the liquid ejection operation is not performed.

The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 may be of a line head type that does not include the carriage 25 that holds the liquid ejecting unit 26 but includes a line head that covers the entire width of the medium ST.

The medium ST is not limited to paper, but may be a plastic film, a thin plate, or the like, or may be a fabric used for a printing apparatus, clothing such as a T-shirt, or a three-dimensional object such as stationery or tableware.

The liquid ejected by the liquid ejecting unit 26 is not limited to ink, and may be, for example, a liquid material in which functional material particles are dispersed or mixed in the liquid. For example, recording is performed by ejecting a liquid material in which a material such as an electrode material or a color material (pixel material) used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an EL (electroluminescence) display, and a surface emitting display is dispersed or dissolved. It may be configured.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Liquid injection apparatus, 13 ... Housing | casing part, 14 ... Feeding part, 15 ... Support stand, 15a ... Rib, 1
6 ... Liquid container, 17 ... Container holding part, 24 ... Guide shaft, 25 ... Carriage, 26 ... Liquid ejecting part, 26a ... Nozzle opening surface, 27 ... Nozzle, 28 ... Waste liquid collector, 29 ... Mounting part, 31
... maintenance unit, 32 ... cap unit, 33 ... suction mechanism, 33a ... rotating body,
34 ... Wiper, 35 ... Flushing box, 36 ... Moisturizing cap, 37 ... Suction channel, 38 ... Ventilation channel, 39 ... Air release valve, 40 ... Cap, 41 ... Moving mechanism, 50 ... Recess,
51 ... Main body part, 52 ... Side wall part, 52a ... Inner side surface, 52b ... Inner side surface, 52c ... Lip part, 5
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 ... Bottom wall part, 54 ... Suction hole, 54a ... Corner | angular part, 55 ... Atmospheric communication hole, 55a ... Corner | angular part, 56 ... Connection pipe part, 57 ... Connection pipe part, 61 ... 1st liquid absorption member, 62 ... Bottom , 63 ... surface, 64 ... short side face, 65 ... short side face, 66 ... long side face, 67 ... insertion hole, 71 ... holding member, 72 ... net-like part, 73 ... bottom plate part, 74 ... leaf spring part, 75 ... Locking part, 76 ... locking part, 77 ... support plate part, 7
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 8 ... Insertion part, 79 ... Support part, 81 ... 2nd liquid absorption member, 82 ... Bottom face, 83 ... Surface, 84 ...
Short side surface, 85 ... Short side surface, 86 ... Long side surface, 91 ... Liquid absorber, X ... Scanning direction, Y ... Transport direction, Z ... Gravity direction, CP ... Space, R1 ... First region, R2 ... Second Area, S1 ... first space, S2 ... second space, SP ... gap.

Claims (10)

A liquid ejecting section having a nozzle capable of ejecting liquid;
A cap configured to perform capping so as to surround and form a space in which the nozzle opens when contacting the liquid ejecting unit;
With
The cap is disposed in the cap, the side wall portion whose tip contacts the liquid ejecting portion at the time of capping, the suction hole opened in the cap, the air communication hole opened in the cap, and the liquid An absorbable liquid absorber,
The liquid absorber is formed in the cap so as to partition the space in the cap into a first space formed by a tip portion of the side wall and a second space in which the suction hole and the air communication hole are opened. The liquid jet is characterized in that a second region of the liquid absorber that forms at least a part of the side wall of the second space has a greater capillary force than the first region that forms the first space. apparatus. The liquid absorber is constituted by a first liquid absorbing member constituting the first region and a second liquid absorbing member constituting the second region,
The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second liquid absorbing member has a larger capillary force than the first liquid absorbing member. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid absorber is disposed in the cap so as to form a gap between the liquid absorber and the side wall portion. The cap has a holding member that holds the liquid absorber in the cap;
The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the gap is secured by the holding member. The cap has a bottom wall that intersects the side wall,
The distance between the bottom wall and the upper wall of the second space is longer than the distance between the side wall and the liquid absorber. The liquid ejecting apparatus described. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid absorber is disposed at a position facing the nozzle during the capping. The liquid jet according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the liquid absorber is disposed between the opening of the atmosphere communication hole and the opening of the nozzle during the capping. apparatus. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid absorber is disposed between an opening of the suction hole and an opening of the nozzle at the time of the capping. . The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a part of the opening of the suction hole is covered with the liquid absorber. A cap configured to perform capping so as to surround and form a space in which the nozzle opens when contacting a liquid ejecting unit having a nozzle capable of ejecting liquid,
A side wall portion whose tip is in contact with the liquid ejecting portion at the time of capping, a suction hole opened in the cap, an air communication hole opened in the cap, and disposed in the cap,
A liquid absorber capable of absorbing liquid;
With
The liquid absorber is formed in the cap so as to partition the space in the cap into a first space formed by a tip portion of the side wall and a second space in which the suction hole and the air communication hole are opened. The cap is characterized in that a second region that is disposed and forms at least a part of the side wall of the second space in the liquid absorber has a greater capillary force than the first region that forms the first space.

Images