Recording device

Abstract

To appropriately supply liquid to an absorber in the inside of a cap.SOLUTION: A recording device includes: a cap that caps a recording head; an absorber provided in the inside of the cap; a flow path forming member that contacts with a bottom surface of the absorber, is separated from a bottom surface in the inside of the cap, and has a first communication path; and a supply port that supplies liquid to the inside of the cap. A flow rate of liquid passing through the first communication path is lower than a flow rate of liquid passing through a supply port.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technique for supplying a cleaning fluid to a cap. [Background technology]

[0002] In a recording device using a recording head, the ink may thicken due to the evaporation of water in the ink in the ejection port, or the ink may become clogged, making it impossible to eject the ink stably. In order to eject the ink stably, a capping mechanism is used that caps the ejection port surface of the recording head during non-recording to suppress the ink from thickening. In addition, ink may be ejected into the capping mechanism separately from the recording to remove the thickened ink near the ejection port, or the ink may be forcibly discharged near the ejection port by sucking the ejection port in the capped state. The capping mechanism is provided with an absorber, which absorbs the discharged ink. Here, when the water in the ink absorbed in the absorber evaporates, coloring material components such as dyes are precipitated in the absorber, and this precipitate impairs the ink absorption function.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for cleaning an absorbent body inside a cap. Patent Document 1 describes a method for cleaning the absorbent body by supplying a cleaning liquid into the cap from a supply flow path communicating with the outside of the cap, and discharging the liquid inside the absorbent body from a suction port. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-150722 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the case of a configuration in which the cleaning liquid is supplied to the cap, if the cap is tilted, the cleaning liquid may not be properly supplied to the absorbent body. In other words, even if the cleaning liquid is supplied, it may flow toward the outlet on the lower side, and the cleaning liquid may not be able to reach the absorbent body on the higher side.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to appropriately supply liquid to an absorbent body within a cap. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A recording device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a cap for capping a recording head, an absorbent provided within the cap, a flow path forming member in contact with a bottom surface of the absorbent and spaced apart from a bottom surface of the cap, the flow path forming member having a first communication passage, and a supply port for supplying liquid into the cap, wherein a flow rate of liquid passing through the first communication passage is smaller than a flow rate of liquid passing through the supply port. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, liquid can be appropriately supplied to an absorbent body within a cap. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a recording apparatus. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a recording head. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a cap tray. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an entire configuration including a recording head and a capping mechanism. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a cap mechanism. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cap mechanism. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cap mechanism. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating the formation of a space. [Figure 9]13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating an example in which a cleaning liquid flows into the capping mechanism from the outside. [Figure 10] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example in which the supplied cleaning liquid is discharged. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a capping mechanism. [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a cap mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the subject matter of the present disclosure, and not all combinations of features described in the following embodiments are necessarily essential to the solutions of the present disclosure. Note that the same components are given the same reference numbers. Furthermore, the relative arrangements, shapes, and the like of the components described in the embodiments are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure to only those.

[0011] In the following description of the embodiments, "recording" includes not only the formation of meaningful information such as characters and figures, but also the formation of images, designs, patterns, etc. on a sheet. In the following embodiments, cut paper is assumed as the sheet (recording medium), but it may be a rolled sheet, cloth, plastic film, etc. Furthermore, "ink" should be interpreted broadly and refers to a liquid that can be applied to a sheet to form an image, design, pattern, etc., or to process the sheet, or to be used for ink processing.

[0012] <<First embodiment>> <Overall configuration of the recording device> The overall configuration of the recording device 100 in this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, arrows X and Y indicate horizontal directions perpendicular to each other, and arrow Z indicates the up-down direction. The X direction is the overall conveying direction in which a sheet S, which is a recording medium, is conveyed inside the recording device 100, and corresponds in particular to the conveying direction in which the sheet S is conveyed in the recording unit 2300. In addition, in FIG. 1, the top of the device is defined as the top, the right to left as the device longitudinal direction, and the front to back of the paper surface perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction as the sheet width direction, with the front side of the paper surface being the device front side and the back side of the paper surface being the device rear side.

[0013] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a recording apparatus 100. The recording apparatus 100 is a sheet-fed recording apparatus that forms an ink image on a sheet S using two types of liquid, a reaction liquid and ink, to produce a recorded matter. The recording apparatus 100 of this embodiment has a paper feed module 1000, a print module 2000, a drying module 3000, a fixing module 4000, a cooling module 5000, an inversion module 6000, and a discharge stacking module 7000. A cut-paper-like sheet S supplied from the paper feed module 1000 is transported along a transport path, processed in each module, and discharged to the discharge stacking module 7000.

[0014] The paper feed module 1000 is provided with three storage containers 1100a-c for storing sheets S. The storage containers 1100a-c are each configured to be able to be pulled out to the front side of the device (the front side of the page). The sheets S are fed one by one in each of the storage containers 1100a-c by a separation belt and a transport roller, and are transported to the print module 2000. The number of storage containers 1100a-c is not limited to three, and the configuration may include one, two, or four or more.

[0015] The print module 2000 has a pre-imaging registration correction section (not shown), a print belt unit 2200, a recording section 2300, and a maintenance unit 17. The sheet S conveyed from the paper feed module 1000 has its inclination and position corrected by the pre-imaging registration correction section, and is conveyed to the print belt unit 2200. The recording section 2300 is disposed at a position facing the print belt unit 2200 with respect to the conveyance path of the sheet S. The recording section 2300 performs a recording process (printing process) on the conveyed sheet S from above using a recording head 10 (see FIG. 2) to form an image. The sheet S is attracted and conveyed by the print belt unit 2200, thereby ensuring a clearance with the recording head 10. A plurality of recording heads 10 are arranged along the conveyance direction (X direction).

[0016] The recording unit 2300 of this embodiment has a total of five line-type recording heads 10 corresponding to four colors, Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and Bk (black), as well as P (reaction liquid). The number of colors and the number of recording heads are not limited to five. As the inkjet method, a method using a heating element, a method using a piezoelectric element, a method using an electrostatic element, or a method using a MEMS element can be adopted. Ink of each color is supplied to the recording head 10 from an ink tank (not shown) via an ink tube.

[0017] The sheet S recorded by the recording unit 2300 is transported by the print belt unit 2200. An in-line scanner (not shown) arranged downstream in the transport direction of the recording unit 2300 can detect misalignment and color density of the image formed on the sheet S and correct the printed image.

[0018] The drying module 3000 has a decoupling section 3200, a drying belt unit 3300, and a hot air blowing section 3400. The drying module 3000 is a unit that reduces the liquid component contained in the ink applied to the sheet S in the recording section 2300 and enhances the fixation of the sheet S and the ink. The sheet S recorded in the recording section 2300 of the print module 2000 is transported to the decoupling section 3200 arranged in the drying module 3000. The decoupling section 3200 can transport the sheet S from above by air pressure and friction of the belt, and by weakly holding and transporting the sheet S on the belt, it prevents the sheet S from shifting on the print belt unit 2200 on which the ink image is formed. The sheet S transported from the decoupling section 3200 is adsorbed and transported by the drying belt unit 3300, and at the same time, hot air is applied from the hot air blowing section 3400 arranged above the belt. This dries the ink-applied surface of the sheet S. In addition to the method of applying hot air, the drying method may be a combination of a method of irradiating the surface of the sheet S with electromagnetic waves (ultraviolet rays or infrared rays, etc.) or a conductive heat transfer method using contact with a heating element.

[0019] The fixing module 4000 has a fixing belt unit 4100. The fixing belt unit 4100 has an upper belt unit and a lower belt unit. By passing the sheet S conveyed from the drying module 3000 between the heated upper belt unit and the lower belt unit, the ink can be fixed to the sheet S.

[0020] The cooling module 5000 has a plurality of cooling units 5001. The cooling units 5001 cool the high-temperature sheet S transported from the fixing module 4000. The cooling units 5001 take in outside air into the cooling box with a fan to increase the pressure in the cooling box, and cool the sheet S by blowing air from nozzles formed in the transport guide onto the sheet S. The cooling units 5001 are arranged on both sides of the transport path, and can cool the sheet S from both sides. The cooling module 5000 also has a transport path switching unit that can switch the transport path of the sheet S depending on whether the sheet S is transported to the inversion module 6000 or to a double-sided transport path used during double-sided printing. During double-sided printing, the sheet S is transported to the transport path below the cooling module 5000, and is further transported along the double-sided transport paths of the fixing module 4000, the drying module 3000, the print module 2000, and the paper feed module 1000. In the print module 2000, the sheet S is transported along a double-sided transport path 2500. Then, the sheet S is transported again to the pre-imaging registration correction unit, print belt unit 2200, and recording unit 2300 of the print module 2000, where recording is performed. The double-sided transport unit of the fixing module 4000 is provided with an inversion unit 1 (4200) that inverts the sheet S from front to back.

[0021] The inversion module 6000 has an inversion unit 2 (6400), which can be used to invert the front and back of the sheet S being transported, and can freely change the front and back orientation of the sheet S to be discharged.

[0022] The discharge stacking module 7000 has a top tray 7200 and a stacking section 7500, and aligns and stacks the sheets S conveyed from the reversing module 6000.

[0023] The maintenance unit 17 is a unit equipped with a mechanism for recovering the ejection performance of the recording head. Examples of such mechanisms include a cap mechanism for protecting the ink ejection surface of the recording head 10, a wiper mechanism for wiping the ink ejection surface, and a suction mechanism for negatively sucking the ink in the recording head from the ink ejection surface. The maintenance unit 17 is equipped with a drive mechanism and rails (not shown). The maintenance unit 17 is capable of reciprocating horizontally along the rails, and moves to a position directly below the recording head when performing maintenance on the recording head 10, and moves to a position retreated from directly below the recording head when maintenance is not performed. The maintenance unit 17 has a cap tray 18 including a cap mechanism, and a cleaning tray 19 including a wiper mechanism and a suction mechanism. The cap tray 18 and the cleaning tray 19 are configured to be able to reciprocate horizontally independently of each other by a drive mechanism and rails (not shown). When the recording head 10 is capped by the cap mechanism, only the cap tray 18 may move, or the entire maintenance unit 17 including the cleaning tray 19 may move.

[0024] 1 shows an example in which the sheet S is cut paper, but the recording device 100 may be configured to load continuous paper (roll paper), and the sheet S may be roll paper. Also, the recording device 100 does not have to have the configuration shown in FIG. 1, and any recording device can be used as long as it has a configuration in which the recording head 10 is capped.

[0025] <Recording head configuration> FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the recording head 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the recording head 10 has a nozzle plate 11 having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink aligned in the recording head longitudinal direction (sheet width direction, Y direction). The recording head 10 has positioning portions 221 at both ends. Specifically, a first contact portion 221a formed of a recess having a cone-shaped inclined surface is provided on the head longitudinal front side (-Y direction side). In addition, a second contact portion 221b formed of a groove portion having two V-shaped flat surfaces and a third contact portion 221c formed of a flat surface are provided on the head longitudinal rear side (+Y direction side).

[0026] <Maintenance unit configuration> 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cap tray 18. The configuration of the maintenance unit 17 will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0027] In this embodiment, the maintenance unit 17 includes a cap tray 18 on which a cap mechanism 20 is disposed, and a cleaning tray 19 on which a cleaning mechanism (not shown) is disposed. The cap tray 18 and the cleaning tray 19 are configured to be movable in the device longitudinal direction (X direction) by a drive motor (not shown) and rails provided on the housing. In this embodiment, since a total of five recording heads 10 are provided, a total of five cap mechanisms 20 and five cleaning mechanisms (not shown) are provided corresponding to the recording heads 10.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 3, each cap mechanism 20 in the cap tray 18 includes a plurality of spherical recording head positioning members 182 for positioning the recording head 10. The recording head positioning members 182 are disposed in the front and rear of the cap mechanism 20 in the sheet width direction (Y direction). There are three recording head positioning members 182 used for positioning one recording head 10 with respect to the cap mechanism 20, one disposed on the front side (-Y direction side) of the cap mechanism 20 and two disposed on the rear side (+Y direction side). The recording head 10 and the cap mechanism 20 are positioned by abutting the positioning portions 221 provided on both ends of the recording head 10 described above against the recording head positioning members 182 of the cap mechanism 20. The cap mechanism 20 can protect the nozzle plate 11 of the recording head 10 by being positioned with the recording head 10, and can perform negative pressure suction by a negative pressure suction mechanism described later.

[0029] <Overall configuration of the recording head and cap> FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the entire configuration including the recording head 10 and the cap mechanism 20 in this embodiment. The recording head 10 has a nozzle plate 11 in which an ejection port is formed. The nozzle plate 11 is provided with a plurality of ejection ports. In addition, a recording element for ejecting liquid is provided corresponding to each ejection port. In this embodiment, the ejection ports are arranged in a line in the width direction (Y direction) of the recording medium. In FIG. 4, the ejection ports are arranged toward the back side (Y direction) of the paper surface. The Y direction is also referred to as the ejection port arrangement direction. In addition, the ejection ports are arranged in a direction (X direction) that intersects (is perpendicular to) the ejection port arrangement direction. In this way, the recording head 10 has a form in which the Y direction is the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the longitudinal direction of the cap mechanism 20 that caps the recording head 10 is also the Y direction, like the recording head 10. Hereinafter, the Y direction is referred to as the cap longitudinal direction, and the X direction that intersects (is perpendicular to) the Y direction is also referred to as the cap transverse direction.

[0030] The capping mechanism 20 has an absorber 21, a first member 22 that forms a space within the capping mechanism 20, a second member 23 that forms a flow path, and a partition wall 24 that separates the supply side from the discharge side. The first member 22 is provided with a first supply port 25 and a first discharge port 28. The second member 23 is provided with a second supply port 26 and a second discharge port 27. Details of each component of the capping mechanism 20 will be described later. The first supply port 25 is also referred to as a first communication path, and the first discharge port 28 is also referred to as a second communication path. The second member 23 is also referred to as a flow path forming member.

[0031] The cleaning liquid tank 30 stores a cleaning liquid to be supplied into the capping mechanism. The supply pump 31 supplies the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank 30 to the first supply port 25 of the capping mechanism 20 via a supply flow path 51. The supply valve 32 is configured to open when the supply pump 31 is driven and to close when the supply pump 31 is not driven. The three-way joint 52 provided in the supply flow path 51 can selectively communicate the first supply port 25 of the capping mechanism 20 with the cleaning liquid tank 30 or communicate the first supply port 25 with an atmosphere communication path 54 to selectively communicate the inside of the capping mechanism with the atmosphere.

[0032] The waste liquid tank 40 stores the liquid (including cleaning liquid and ink) discharged from the capping mechanism 20. The three-way joint 52 connects the first supply port 25 to the atmosphere communication passage 54, and the atmosphere valve 53 is opened to open the inside of the cap to the atmosphere. In this state, the discharge pump 41 is driven to suck the liquid from the capping mechanism 20. In this manner, the discharge pump 41 is a negative pressure suction mechanism. The sucked liquid is discharged from the absorber 21 through the second discharge port 27, the first discharge port 28, and the discharge flow path 61 to the waste liquid tank 40.

[0033] The control of cleaning of the capping mechanism 20 using the cleaning liquid will be described. First, in a state where the three-way joint 52 communicates between the cleaning liquid tank 30 and the first supply port 25 of the capping mechanism 20, the supply valve 32 is opened and the supply pump 31 is driven. As a result, the cleaning liquid is pressure-fed from the cleaning liquid tank 30 into the capping mechanism 20. In this embodiment, the amount of cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid tank 30 is controlled so that the cleaning liquid does not overflow from the absorber 21. For example, the supply pump 31 is driven for a predetermined time to control the amount of cleaning liquid to be supplied. When a predetermined amount of cleaning liquid is supplied, the supply pump 31 is stopped and the supply valve 32 is closed. Thereafter, the three-way joint 52 is switched to a state where the first supply port 25 communicates with the atmosphere communication passage 54, and the atmosphere valve 53 is opened to open the first supply port 25 to the atmosphere. Then, the discharge pump 41 is driven to discharge the liquid in the capping mechanism 20 into the waste liquid tank 40. In this manner, in this embodiment, the supply control of the cleaning liquid is performed, and then the discharge control of the cleaning liquid is performed. That is, the supply control and the discharge control are performed alternately. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the supply control and the discharge control may be performed simultaneously. The driving of various pumps, the opening and closing of valves, and the switching of the three-way joint 52 are performed by a control unit (not shown).

[0034] The ink used in the recording head 10 of this embodiment has a tendency to harden. Therefore, the ink absorbed in the absorber 21 is also prone to hardening. Therefore, in this embodiment, the absorber 21 is washed with a washing liquid. In addition to washing the absorber 21, the washing liquid also has the role of washing the inner walls, spaces, and flow paths within the cap mechanism 20.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the cap mechanism 20. FIG. 5(a) is a perspective view of the cap mechanism 20, and an absorbent 21 is provided at a position facing the nozzle plate 11 of the recording head 10. The absorbent 21 is made of a porous material such as urethane foam, a sintered body, or a fiber net. In this embodiment, a plurality of absorbents 21 are provided in each of the partitioned areas. In this embodiment, a plurality of absorbents 21 are arranged in the cap longitudinal direction (Y direction). The absorbent 21 holds liquid, thereby maintaining the inside of the cap mechanism 20 at a high humidity and suppressing the evaporation of water in the ink in the recording head 10, thereby minimizing the increase in viscosity of the ink. The liquid held in the absorbent 21 is the ink and cleaning liquid discharged from the recording head 10.

[0036] FIG. 5(b) is a perspective view of the second member 23 taken out from within the capping mechanism 20. The second member 23 forms a compartment in which each absorber 21 is housed. A second supply port 26 and a second exhaust port 27 are provided in each compartment. In this embodiment, one second supply port 26 and two second exhaust ports 27 are provided in each compartment. The second supply ports 26 are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the capping mechanism 20. The second supply ports 26 are provided such that the distances between the multiple second supply ports 26 are equal in the longitudinal direction of the capping mechanism 20.

[0037] 5(c) is a perspective view of the first member 22 taken out from the capping mechanism 20. The first member 22 is provided with a first supply port 25 at approximately the center in the longitudinal direction of the cap. The capping mechanism 20 is also provided with a plurality of first exhaust ports 28. A plurality of first exhaust ports 28 are provided side by side in the longitudinal direction of the cap. The first member 22 is provided with a partition wall 24. The partition wall 24 is a wall for dividing the first member 22 into a supply side for the cleaning liquid and a discharge side for the cleaning liquid. The partition wall 24 divides the supply side for the cleaning liquid and the discharge side for the cleaning liquid in the transverse direction of the cap, and extends in the longitudinal direction of the cap.

[0038] 6 and 7 are cross-sectional views for explaining the cap mechanism 20. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view in the short side direction of the cap. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view in the long side direction of the cap, and is a cross-sectional view of the supply side. As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the second member 23 is a member that contacts the bottom surface (lower surface) of the absorbent 21. A space 29 is formed between the first member 22 and the second member 23. The liquid supplied to the first supply port 25 through the supply flow path 51 passes through the space 29 and flows to each second supply port 26. In this embodiment, the flow rate of the cleaning liquid passing through the second supply port 26 is smaller than the flow rate of the cleaning liquid passing through the first supply port 25 (supply flow path 51) until all the second supply ports 26 provided in the second member 23 are filled with the cleaning liquid. For example, in this embodiment, the pressure loss of the cleaning liquid passing through the second supply port 26 is larger than the pressure loss of the cleaning liquid spreading through the space 29 formed between the first member 22 and the second member 23. With this configuration, even if the cap mechanism 20 tilts, it is possible to fill the entirety of all of the absorbents 21, including those at the highest positions, with the cleaning liquid.

[0039] 6, the space 29 is divided into a space on the supply side of the cleaning liquid and a space on the discharge side of the cleaning liquid by the partition wall 24. The partition wall 24 is provided in the cap mechanism 20 so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the cap.

[0040] 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating the formation of a space 29 in this embodiment. For simplification, the configuration on the supply side is shown typically. As shown in FIG. 8, the space 29 is formed by the first member 22. A second member 23 having a second supply port 26 formed therein is disposed on the first member 22 (on the recording head 10 side) so as to close the space 29. Then, the absorbent 21 is disposed on the second member 23 so that the upper surface of the second member 23 and the lower surface of the absorbent 21 are in contact with each other.

[0041] 9A and 9B are diagrams illustrating an example in which cleaning liquid flows into the capping mechanism 20 from the outside of the capping mechanism 20. As shown in Fig. 9A, cleaning liquid flows in from a first supply port 25 provided in approximately the center of the first member 22 in the cap longitudinal direction. The cleaning liquid passes through a space 29 between the first member 22 and the second member 23, and flows out from each second supply port 26 into the absorber 21.

[0042] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example in which the supplied cleaning liquid is discharged. FIG. 10(a) is a diagram in which the first member 22 and the second member 23 are selected. FIG. 10(b) is a cross-sectional view of the cap mechanism 20 as viewed from the short side direction. As shown in FIG. 10(a) and FIG. 10(b), the cleaning liquid reaches the absorbent 21 from the second supply port 26 in each section. In addition, the liquid is sucked from the absorbent 21 by driving the discharge pump 41. That is, the cleaning liquid that has washed the absorbent 21 and the liquid containing the ink absorbed in the absorbent 21 pass through the second discharge port 27, pass through the space 29 on the discharge side, and are discharged from the first discharge port 28 through the discharge flow path 61 to the waste liquid tank 40.

[0043] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the cap mechanism 20 described above. Fig. 11(a) is a cross-sectional view in the cap's longitudinal direction. Fig. 11(b) is a cross-sectional view in the cap's lateral direction. Fig. 12 is a diagram explaining the effect of this embodiment.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 11, the capping mechanism 20 has a first member 22 having a first supply port 25, a first exhaust port 28, and a partition wall 24, and forming a space 29. The capping mechanism 20 also has a second member 23 having a second supply port 26 and a second exhaust port 27. The second member 23 is in contact with the bottom surface of the absorbent body 21. The second member 23 is configured so that the flow rate of the cleaning liquid passing through the second supply port 26 is smaller than the flow rate of the cleaning liquid passing through the first supply port 25 (supply flow path 51) until all the second supply ports 26 are filled with liquid. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 12, when the capping mechanism 20 is in a tilted state, the cleaning liquid can be appropriately supplied to the absorbent body 21 located at the top. On the other hand, if the flow rate of the cleaning liquid passing through the second supply port 26 is equal to or greater than the flow rate of the cleaning liquid passing through the first supply port 25 until all the second supply ports 26 are filled with liquid, the cleaning liquid filled from the lower second supply port 26 will flow out to the outside of the capping mechanism 20 through the absorbent body 21. The lower surface of the second member 23 is spaced from the inner bottom surface of the first member 22. This forms a space 29. Note that, although an example in which the first member 22 is a separate member from the outer frame of the capping mechanism 20 has been described in Fig. 5(c), the first member 22 may be the same member as the frame of the capping mechanism 20 as shown in Fig. 11.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 12(a), the cleaning liquid flowing in from the first supply port 25 flows out from the second supply port 26 on the lower side in the direction of gravity in the tilted state to the corresponding absorbent 21. Meanwhile, until all the second supply ports 26 are filled with liquid, the flow rate of the cleaning liquid passing through the second supply port 26 is smaller than the flow rate of the cleaning liquid passing through the first supply port 25, so the cleaning liquid is stored in the tilted space 29 toward the upper side in the direction of gravity. That is, the cleaning liquid that does not pass through the second supply port 26 located on the lower side due to the tilt reaches the second supply port 26 located on the upper side, and the cleaning liquid also passes through the upper second supply port 26 in sequence. Finally, as shown in FIG. 12(b), even when the cap mechanism 20 is in a tilted state, the cleaning liquid flows out to all the second supply ports 26, and the cleaning liquid can be appropriately supplied to the absorbent 21. After all the second supply ports 26 are filled with liquid, the flow rate of the cleaning liquid passing through the second supply port 26 becomes equal to the flow rate of the cleaning liquid passing through the first supply port 25.

[0046] Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating pressure loss within the capping mechanism 20. In Fig. 13, ΔP1 is the flow path pressure loss [Pa] when liquid flows out from the second supply port 26. ΔP2 is the flow path pressure loss [Pa] when the liquid spreads in the storage space (space 29). ΔP3 is the pressure loss [Pa] due to the height difference caused by the inclination of the capping mechanism 20. Equation 1 shows these relationships. ΔP1>ΔP2+ΔP3 (Equation 1)

[0047] In this way, the pressure loss of the cleaning liquid passing through the second supply port 26 is larger than the pressure loss of the cleaning liquid spreading through the space 29 formed between the first member 22 and the second member 23. Note that ΔP1 is calculated by the following formula 2. ΔP2 is calculated by the following formula 3. ΔP3 is calculated by the following formula 4.

[0048]

number

[0049]

number

[0050]

number

[0051] The variables are as follows:

[0052]

number

[0053] As described above, according to this embodiment, the cleaning liquid can be appropriately supplied to the absorbent 21 in the capping mechanism 20. As described above, in this embodiment, the flow rate of the cleaning liquid passing through the second supply port 26 is smaller than the flow rate of the cleaning liquid passing through the first supply port 25 (supply flow path 51) until all the second supply ports 26 are filled with liquid. For example, in this embodiment, the pressure loss of the cleaning liquid passing through the second supply port 26 is larger than the pressure loss of the cleaning liquid spreading through the space 29 formed between the first member 22 and the second member 23. With this configuration, even if the capping mechanism 20 is tilted, the cleaning liquid can be appropriately filled into the entire absorbent 21, even up to the absorbent at a high position.

[0054] In the above example, the flow rate of the cleaning liquid passing through the second supply port 26 is smaller than the flow rate of the cleaning liquid passing through the first supply port 25 (supply flow path 51) and the partition wall 24 is provided, but this is not limited thereto. The partition wall 24 may not be provided.

[0055] In the above example, the first member 22 and the second member 23 are separate members, but the first member 22 and the second member 23 may be the same member. In the above example, the first member 22 includes the partition wall 24, but the second member 23 may include the partition wall 24. The partition wall 24 may be a separate member from the first member 22 and the second member 23.

[0056] <<Second embodiment>> In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the second member 23 has the second supply port 26 and the second discharge port 27, and the pressure loss of the second supply port 26 is large, as an example in which the flow rate of the cleaning liquid flowing out to the second supply port 26 is smaller than the flow rate of the cleaning liquid passing through the first supply port 25. Here, if the flow rate of the cleaning liquid supplied from the first member 22 to the absorbent body 21 is smaller than the flow rate of the cleaning liquid passing through the first supply port 25, it is not necessarily necessary to use the second member 23 having the second supply port 26.

[0057] 14 is a diagram illustrating the cap mechanism 20 in this embodiment. In this embodiment, a third member 1003 is provided instead of the second member 23. The third member 1003 also contacts the lower surface of the absorbent body 21, similar to the second member 23. The third member 1003 does not contact the inner bottom surface of the first member 22, and a space (storage space) is formed between the third member 1003 and the first member 22.

[0058] The third member 1003 is made of a porous member. Therefore, as with the second supply port 26 described in the first embodiment, the pressure loss is large, and the flow rate of the cleaning liquid supplied from the first member 22 to the absorbent 21 is smaller than the flow rate of the cleaning liquid passing through the first supply port 25. Therefore, even if the capping mechanism 20 is tilted, the cleaning liquid can be appropriately supplied to the absorbent 21 in the capping mechanism 20.

[0059] <<Other embodiments>> In each of the above-described embodiments, an example has been described in which one first supply port 25 is provided at the center in the cap longitudinal direction. With such a configuration, the cleaning liquid can be efficiently supplied to the absorbent 21 of the entire cap mechanism 20. However, this is not limited to this example, and a plurality of first supply ports 25 may be provided. In this case, it is preferable that the plurality of first supply ports 25 are arranged so that the cleaning liquid can be efficiently supplied to the entire cap mechanism 20. In addition, when a plurality of first supply ports 25 are provided, it is sufficient that the total flow rate of the plurality of first supply ports 25 is configured to be greater than the total flow rate of the second supply port 26. In addition, the first supply port 25 does not have to be provided on the bottom surface of the cap mechanism 20, and may be provided on the side surface of the cap mechanism 20, or on the side surface and corners of the bottom surface of the cap mechanism 20. Even when a plurality of first supply ports 25 are provided, the first supply port 25 may be provided on any of the bottom surface, side surface, or corners of the cap mechanism 20, and may be provided on the bottom surface and side surface, for example.

[0060] In each of the above-described embodiments, the partition wall 24 is provided so as to extend in the cap longitudinal direction within the cap mechanism 20, but is not limited to this example. It is sufficient that the space 29 within the cap mechanism 20 is configured to be divided into a supply side and a discharge side. For example, when the space 29 is configured to be divided into the supply side and the discharge side in the cap longitudinal direction, the partition wall 24 may be provided so as to extend in the cap lateral direction. In each of the above-described embodiments, the recording head 10 and the cap mechanism 20 have a longitudinal direction, but may have a shape that does not have a substantially square longitudinal direction.

[0061] In the example described in the first embodiment, the partition wall 24 connects the first member 22 and the second member 23 and completely separates the supply side from the discharge side, but the present invention is not limited to this example. A gap may be formed between the second member 23 and the partition wall 24 to the extent that the cleaning liquid does not move from the supply side to the discharge side in the space 29 due to pressure loss.

[0062] In each of the above-described embodiments, the absorbent body 21 is provided in a plurality of units in the longitudinal direction of the cap, and the second supply ports 26 are provided corresponding to the plurality of absorbent bodies 21, respectively, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, one absorbent body 21 may be provided across the longitudinal direction of the cap.

[0063] In addition, in each of the above-described embodiments, an example has been described in which a cleaning liquid is supplied into the cap, but the liquid to be supplied is not limited to a cleaning liquid. In other words, a liquid other than a cleaning liquid may be used.

[0064] The disclosure of this embodiment includes configurations typified by the following recording apparatus examples.

[0065] <Configuration 1> a cap for capping the recording head; An absorbent body provided in the cap; a flow path forming member in contact with a bottom surface of the absorbent body and spaced apart from a bottom surface inside the cap, the flow path forming member having a first communication path; A supply port for supplying a liquid into the cap; having A recording apparatus, wherein a flow rate of the liquid passing through the first communication passage is smaller than a flow rate of the liquid passing through the supply port.

[0066] <Configuration 2> the flow passage forming member has a plurality of the first communication passages, 2. The recording apparatus according to configuration 1, wherein a flow rate of liquid passing through the first communication passage is smaller than a flow rate of liquid passing through the supply port until all of the first communication passages are filled with liquid.

[0067] <Configuration 3> The recording device according to configuration 2, wherein a pressure loss of the liquid passing through the first communication passage is larger than a pressure loss of the liquid spreading through a space formed between the cap and the flow passage forming member.

[0068] <Configuration 4> an outlet for discharging liquid from within the cap; a partition wall provided in the cap and dividing a space between the cap and the flow path forming member; 4. The recording device according to configuration 2 or 3, further comprising:

[0069] <Component 5> the flow passage forming member includes a second communication passage different from the first communication passage, The recording device according to configuration 4, wherein the partition divides a space between the cap and the flow path forming member into a space connected to the supply port and the first communication path, and a space connected to the discharge port and the second communication path.

[0070] <Component 6> The recording device according to configuration 5, wherein the second communication passage is provided in a plurality of portions in the longitudinal direction of the cap.

[0071] <Component 7> 7. The recording device according to configuration 6, wherein the second communication passages are provided such that the distances between the second communication passages in the longitudinal direction of the cap are uniform.

[0072] <Component 8> 8. The recording device according to any one of configurations 4 to 7, wherein the partition extends in a longitudinal direction of the cap.

[0073] <Component 9> 9. The recording apparatus according to any one of configurations 4 to 8, wherein the partition wall and the flow path forming member are made of the same material.

[0074] <Component 10> 9. The recording apparatus according to any one of configurations 4 to 8, wherein the partition and the cap are made of the same material.

[0075] <Component 11> The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 10, characterized in that the liquid is supplied from outside the cap through the supply port into the cap, and then supplied to the absorbent body through the first communication passage.

[0076] <Component 12> 12. The recording apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 11, wherein the supply port is provided on a bottom surface of the cap.

[0077] <Component 13> 13. The recording apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 12, wherein the supply port is connected to the cap at a center portion in a longitudinal direction of the cap.

[0078] <Component 14> 14. The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 13, wherein the first communication passage is provided in a plurality of portions in the longitudinal direction of the cap.

[0079] <Component 15> The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 14, characterized in that the absorbent body is provided in a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction of the cap, and the first communication passage is provided at a position corresponding to the plurality of absorbent bodies.

[0080] <Component 16> 16. The recording device according to configuration 14 or 15, wherein the first communication passages are provided at both ends of the cap in the longitudinal direction.

[0081] <Component 17> 17. The recording device according to any one of configurations 14 to 16, wherein the first communication passages are provided such that the distances between the plurality of first communication passages are uniform in the longitudinal direction of the cap.

[0082] <Component 18> 18. The recording apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 17, wherein the cap and the flow path forming member are the same member. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 10 Recording head 20 Cap mechanism 21 Absorbent 23 Second member 25 First supply port 26 Second supply port

Claims

1. a cap for capping the recording head; An absorbent body provided in the cap; a flow path forming member in contact with a bottom surface of the absorbent body and spaced apart from a bottom surface inside the cap, the flow path forming member having a first communication path; A supply port for supplying a liquid into the cap; having A recording apparatus, wherein a flow rate of the liquid passing through the first communication passage is smaller than a flow rate of the liquid passing through the supply port.

2. the flow passage forming member has a plurality of the first communication passages, 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a flow rate of the liquid passing through the first communication passage is smaller than a flow rate of the liquid passing through the supply port until all of the first communication passages are filled with liquid.

3. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a pressure loss of the liquid passing through the first communication passage is larger than a pressure loss of the liquid spreading through a space formed between the cap and the flow passage forming member.

4. an outlet for discharging liquid from within the cap; a partition wall provided in the cap and dividing a space between the cap and the flow path forming member; 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

5. the flow passage forming member includes a second communication passage different from the first communication passage, 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the partition divides the space between the cap and the flow path forming member into a space connected to the supply port and the first communication path and a space connected to the discharge port and the second communication path.

6. 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second communication passage is provided in a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction of the cap.

7. 7. The recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second communication passages are provided so that the distances between the second communication passages in the longitudinal direction of the cap are uniform.

8. 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the partition wall extends in a longitudinal direction of the cap.

9. 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the partition wall and the flow passage forming member are made of the same material.

10. 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the partition and the cap are made of the same material.

11. 11. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is supplied from the outside of the cap through the supply port into the cap, and then supplied to the absorbent body through the first communication passage.

12. 11. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supply port is provided on a bottom surface of the cap.

13. 11. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supply port is connected to the cap at a center portion in a longitudinal direction of the cap.

14. 11. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communication passage is provided in a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction of the cap.

15. 11. The recording device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the absorbents are provided in a longitudinal direction of the cap, and the first communication passage is provided at a position corresponding to the plurality of absorbents.

16. 15. The recording apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the first communication passages are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the cap.

17. 15. The recording apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the first communication passages are provided such that the distances between the plurality of first communication passages are uniform in the longitudinal direction of the cap.

18. 11. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cap and the flow passage forming member are the same member.

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