Wiper mechanism

Abstract

The present invention provides a wiper mechanism, in which ink is suppressed from remaining on the side of an inkjet head after wiping. The wiper mechanism (1) comprises a first wiper (11) and a second wiper (12), and the first wiper (11) and the second wiper (12) wipe a head face (111a) of an inkjet head (111) provided with a nozzle array (111b) along a wiping direction (D1). The width of the head face (111a) of the first wiper (11) in a width direction (D2) perpendicular to the wiping direction (D1) is narrower than that of the second wiper (12), and the first wiper (11) wipes a portion of the head face (111a) including the nozzle array (111b) at a position closer to the downstream side of the wiping direction (D1) than the second wiper (12).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wiper mechanism for wiping a head surface of an inkjet head on which a nozzle array is provided. Background Art

[0002] Inkjet printing devices having a wiper mechanism for wiping a head surface (e.g., bottom surface) of an inkjet head on which a nozzle array is provided are known in the past. In such inkjet printing devices, the following inkjet printing device is proposed: a first wiper is arranged to have a gap between it and the head surface for adsorbing ink by surface tension, and a second wiper is arranged to have no gap between it and the head surface to wipe off ink droplets and the like (e.g., see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-224975 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] In the wiper mechanism, when the head surface is wiped by only a single wiper composed of a rubber blade, for example, if the contact pressure on the head surface is strong, the cleaning performance of the head surface is improved, but the durability of the head surface is reduced.

[0008] Therefore, it is conceivable to use a plurality of wipers as described above to achieve both improved cleaning performance and durability. However, it is difficult to configure the first wiper to have a tiny gap between it and the head surface of the inkjet head to absorb ink droplets by surface tension, and the effect (absorption performance, etc.) caused by the deviation in the size of the gap varies greatly.

[0009] Incidentally, whether a single wiper is used or a plurality of wipers are used, the wiped ink may flow around the side of the inkjet head and leave ink residue. When ink remains on the side of the inkjet head, the ink may flow onto the head surface due to airflow or vibration of the paper being transported, causing poor ejection or causing the ink to adhere to the paper being transported.

[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a wiper mechanism capable of suppressing ink from remaining on the side surfaces of an inkjet head after wiping.

[0011] Means used to solve problems

[0012] In one embodiment, a wiper mechanism includes a first wiper and a second wiper, wherein the first wiper and the second wiper wipe a head surface of an inkjet head provided with a nozzle array along a wiping direction, the width of the first wiper in a width direction of the head surface orthogonal to the wiping direction is narrower than that of the second wiper, and the first wiper wipes a portion of the head surface including the nozzle array at a position closer to the downstream side of the wiping direction than the second wiper.

[0013] Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to the above aspect, it is possible to suppress ink from remaining on the side surfaces of the inkjet head after wiping. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 This is a front view showing the internal structure of an inkjet printing device according to one embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing a main control structure of an inkjet printing apparatus according to one embodiment.

[0017] Figure 3 It is a front view showing the wiper mechanism in the wiping position according to one embodiment.

[0018] Figure 4 It is a top view showing a wiper mechanism in one embodiment.

[0019] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 VV cross-sectional view.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a bottom view of the inkjet head for explaining the positional relationship between the first wiper and the second wiper in one embodiment.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a side view of the wiper unit for explaining the wiping operation in one embodiment.

[0022] Figure 8 It is an enlarged side view of the first wiper and the second wiper for explaining the wiping operation in one embodiment.

[0023] Fig. 9 This is a perspective view of a wiper unit for explaining a wiping operation in one embodiment.

[0024] Description of Reference Numerals

[0025] 1: Wiper mechanism; 10: Wiper unit; 11: First wiper; 11a: Front end; 12: Second wiper; 12-1: Second wiper before elastic deformation; 12a: Deformation region; 12b: Root region; 13: Wiper support member; 13a: Threaded hole; 20: Guide portion; 30: Ink receiving portion; 30a: Ink receiving surface; 30b: Discharge portion; 40: Wiper drive portion; 41: Motor; 100: Inkjet printing device; 110: Printing portion; 111: Inkjet head; 111a: Head surface; 111b: Nozzle array; 120: Adsorption and transport portion; 130: External Paper supply unit; 131: paper supply tray; 132: scraper roller; 133: pickup roller; 141, 142, 143: internal paper supply unit; 141a, 142a, 143a: paper supply tray; 141b, 142b, 143b: scraper roller; 141c, 142c, 143c: pickup roller; 151~155: conveying roller pair; 156: positioning roller pair; 161: control unit; 162: storage unit; 163: operation panel unit; 164: scanner; 165: paper discharge unit; D1: wiping direction; D2: width direction; G: interval; P: paper; PI: cleaning ink. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Hereinafter, an inkjet printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a front view showing the internal structure of an inkjet printing apparatus 100 according to one embodiment.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing a main control structure of the inkjet printing apparatus 100 .

[0029] also, Figure 1 and the following Figure 3 to Figure 9 The front-to-back, up-down, and left-to-right directions shown are merely examples in which the transport direction of paper P, an example of a medium, during printing is set to the right direction, and the wiping direction D1 of the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12 is set to the front direction. For example, the front-to-back direction and the left-to-right direction are horizontal directions, and the up-down direction is a vertical direction.

[0030] like Figure 1 As shown, the inkjet printing device 100 includes a wiper mechanism 1, a printing unit 110, an adsorption conveying unit 120, an external paper supply unit 130, internal paper supply units 141 to 143, conveying roller pairs 151 to 155, and a registration roller pair 156. Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , the inkjet printing device 100 further includes a control unit 161, a storage unit 162, an operation panel unit 163, a scanner 164, and a paper discharge unit 165. Figure 1In FIG. 1 , a continuous conveying path from the external paper feeding unit 130 and the internal paper feeding units 141 to 143 to the printing unit 110 is indicated by a thick solid line.

[0031] Figure 1 The printing unit 110 shown in the figure has a plurality of inkjet heads 111 as line inkjet heads, for example. Figure 4 As shown, two groups of 12 six inkjet heads 111 are arranged in a staggered manner along the main scanning direction (front-to-back direction) orthogonal to the conveying direction (right direction) of the paper P. That is, the six inkjet heads 111 arranged in the front-to-back direction are arranged so that the positions in the left-to-right direction are alternately staggered. As an example, one group of six inkjet heads 111 ejects two-color ink (for example, black (K) and cyan (C)), and the other group of six inkjet heads 111 ejects two-color ink (for example, magenta (M) and yellow (Y)) different from the above group.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , the suction conveying unit 120 is arranged to face the printing unit 110. The conveying unit 120, for example, conveys the paper P by a conveyor belt while sucking the paper P. In addition, the suction conveying unit 120 can be moved to Figure 1 The printing position shown, the printing position below Figure 3 The wiping position shown in the figure and the standby position not shown below the wiping position are preferred. Figure 3 As shown, the wiper mechanism 1 is located below the printing unit 110 during wiping. Figure 1 As shown, it is located at a position retreated from the bottom of the printing unit 110 during printing.

[0033] The external paper feed unit 130 and the internal paper feed units 141 to 143 include paper feed trays 131 , 141 a , 142 a , and 143 a , scraper rollers 132 , 141 b , 142 b , and 143 b , and pickup rollers 133 , 141 c , 142 c , and 143 c .

[0034] A plurality of sheets of paper P are placed on the paper feed trays 131 , 141 a , 142 a , and 143 a .

[0035] The scraper rollers 132 , 141 b , 142 b , and 143 b are feeding rollers that feed and convey the uppermost paper P among the plurality of papers P placed on the paper feed trays 131 , 141 a , 142 a , and 143 a .

[0036] The pickup rollers 133 , 141 c , 142 c , and 143 c convey the paper P pulled out by the scraper rollers 132 , 141 b , 142 b , and 143 b .

[0037] The transport roller pairs 151 to 155 are arranged on a transport path from the internal paper feed units 141 to 143 to the registration roller pair 156 .

[0038] The paper P fed from the external paper feed unit 130 and the internal paper feed units 141 to 143 abuts against the registration roller pair 156. Thus, the skew of the paper P is corrected.

[0039] Figure 2 The control unit 161 shown has a processor (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit) that functions as a computing processing device for controlling the overall operation of the inkjet printing device 100, and controls the operation of each part of the inkjet printing device 100, such as the wiper drive unit 40, the printing unit 110, and the adsorption and conveying unit 120.

[0040] The storage unit 162 is, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) which is a read-only semiconductor memory in which a predetermined control program is pre-recorded, a RAM (Random Access Memory) which is a semiconductor memory that can be written and read at any time and is used as a job storage area as needed when the processor executes various control programs, a hard disk device, etc.

[0041] The operation panel unit 163 includes, for example, operation keys for performing various operations, a touch panel, a display that displays various information, and the like, and functions as an example of an input unit and a display unit of the inkjet printing apparatus 100 .

[0042] The scanner 164 reads image data from a document.

[0043] Although in Figure 1 Although not shown in the figure, the paper discharge unit 165 includes a paper discharge tray on which the paper P printed by the printing unit 110 is placed, and a discharge roller that discharges the paper P onto the paper discharge tray.

[0044] Figure 3 It is a front view showing the wiper mechanism 1 in the wiping position.

[0045] Figure 4 It is a plan view showing the wiper mechanism 1 .

[0046] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 VV cross-sectional view.

[0047] Figure 6 It is a bottom view of the inkjet head 111 for explaining the positional relationship between the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12 .

[0048] Figure 3 to Figure 6 and the following Figure 7 to Figure 9 The front and rear, up and down, left and right directions shown are the wiper mechanism 1 as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the direction is between the printing unit 110 and the suction conveying unit 120.

[0049] like Figure 4 As shown, the wiper mechanism 1 includes a wiper unit 10 , two guide portions 20 , an ink receiving portion 30 , and a wiper driving portion 40 .

[0050] The wiper unit 10 includes, for example, four first wipers 11 , for example, four second wipers 12 , and a wiper support member 13 that supports the first wipers 11 and the second wipers 12 .

[0051] The first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12 are elastic bodies deformed by contact with the inkjet head 111 (head surface 111a), for example, wiper blades made of rubber. The first wiper 11 is arranged at a position downstream of the second wiper 12 in the wiping direction D1. That is, the first wiper 11 wipes the head surface 111a before the second wiper 12.

[0052] The first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12 wipe the paper P in a wiping direction D1 (forward direction) perpendicular to the conveying direction (right direction) of the paper P. Figure 6 The inkjet head 111 shown in the figure is provided with a nozzle array 111b for ejecting ink, and the head surface 111a (for example, the bottom surface) is wiped. Figure 6 In FIG. 1 , the contact area between the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12 and the head surface 111 a is indicated by a two-dot chain line (imaginary line).

[0053] For example, although not shown, the head surface 111a includes a nozzle surface formed of polyimide resin and provided with the nozzle array 111b, and a bottom surface of a protection plate for protecting the nozzle surface. In addition, the head surface 111a is preferably coated with an ink repellent film.

[0054] As described above, the inkjet heads 111 are arranged in two groups of six in each group in a staggered manner. Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , the inkjet heads 111 are arranged in four rows in the left-right direction. Therefore, the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12 are used to wipe the inkjet heads 111 in one row (three rows). Figure 6 The head surface 111a shown is wiped and four are arranged each.

[0055] like Figure 5As shown, the first wiper 11 extends obliquely (with an inclination of θ) from the wiper support member 13 to the direction opposite to the wiping direction D1 (backward) relative to the upper direction orthogonal to the head surface 111a in the state before wiping. On the other hand, the second wiper 12 extends from the wiper support member 13 to the upper direction orthogonal to the head surface 111a in the state before wiping. The upper end of the first wiper 11 and the upper end of the second wiper 12 before wiping are located above the head surface 111a. As a result, the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12 wipe the head surface 111a in a bent state during wiping.

[0056] like Figure 6 As shown, when wiping the head surface 111a, the first wiper 11 is located at a position separated by a gap G along the width direction D2 from both ends of the head surface 111a in the width direction D2 orthogonal to the wiping direction D1, and wipes a portion of the head surface 111a including the nozzle row 111b. On the other hand, the second wiper 12 is larger than the head surface 111a in the width direction D2, and wipes the entire head surface 111a in the width direction D2. In this way, the width of the first wiper 11 in the width direction D2 of the head surface 111a orthogonal to the wiping direction D1 is narrower than that of the second wiper 12. Furthermore, when wiping the head surface 111a, the first wiper 11 may be located at a position separated by a gap G along the width direction D2 from only one end of the head surface 111a in the width direction D2, and wipe the end of one side of the head surface 111a, but it is preferably located at a position separated by a gap G along the width direction D2 from both ends of the head surface 111a in the width direction D2 as described above. In addition, the second wiper 12 may not wipe the entire head surface 111a in the width direction D2, but it is preferably wiped the entire head surface 111a in the width direction D2 as described above.

[0057] like Figure 5As shown, the first wiper 11 extends obliquely (with an inclination of θ) from the wiper support member 13 in the direction opposite to the wiping direction D1 (backward) relative to the upper direction perpendicular to the head surface 111a in the state before wiping as described above, and the second wiper 12 extends from the wiper support member 13 in the upper direction perpendicular to the head surface 111a in the state before wiping. Therefore, the first wiper 11 having an inclination θ in the direction opposite to the wiping direction D1 relative to the upper direction has a weaker contact pressure on the head surface 111a than the second wiper 12. Thus, in order to make the abutting pressure of the first wiper 11 weaker than the abutting pressure of the second wiper 12, in addition to changing the angle between the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12, for example, it is also possible to consider making the vertical length (free length) of the first wiper 11 before wiping longer than that of the second wiper 12, making the thickness of the first wiper 11 (wiping direction D1) thinner than that of the second wiper 12, changing the material between the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12, etc.

[0058] like Figure 4 As shown, the four first wipers 11 and the four second wipers 12 are integrally provided on the wiper support member 13 . In addition, the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12 may be provided separately from the wiper support member 13 and attached to the wiper support member 13 .

[0059] like Figure 4 as well as Figure 5 As shown, the wiper support member 13 is provided with a pair of left and right screw holes 13 a and 13 a penetrating therethrough in the front-rear direction, for example.

[0060] The two guides 20 are respectively, for example, screw shafts extending in the front-rear direction, and are arranged to pass through the screw holes 13a, 13a of the wiper support member 13. Therefore, by rotating the guides 20, the wiper unit 10 can be moved in the front-rear direction.

[0061] The ink receiving portion 30 receives the ink dropped from the inkjet head 111 together with paper powder, dust, etc. Figure 7 Clean ink PI shown.

[0062] The ink in the ink receiving portion 30 is removed by causing the wiper mechanism 1 to move in a Figure 1 The retracted position shown is tilted so as to Figure 4 It is preferable that the ink receiving portion 30 flows from the discharge portion 30b of the ink receiving portion 30 shown in the figure to the waste liquid storage portion via the waste liquid path not shown in the figure. The ink receiving portion 30 is, for example, in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped opened upward. Therefore, the inner bottom surface of the ink receiving portion 30 becomes the ink receiving surface 30a. In addition, the ink receiving portion 30 supports the front end of the guide portion 20 so that it can rotate.

[0063] The wiper driving unit 40 has two motors 41 , for example.

[0064] The motor 41 is an example of a driving unit (actuator) for driving the wiper unit 10 (the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12), and is combined with the guide portion 20 by, for example, bonding. The motor 41 rotates the guide portion 20, thereby moving the wiper unit 10 forward and backward as described above. In addition, a single motor 41 rotates the two guide portions 20 via a pulley in the drive belt, for example, by rotating a drive belt. Alternatively, only a single motor 41 and a single guide portion 20 may be configured, and the single guide portion 20 moves the wiper unit 10 in the forward and backward direction.

[0065] Next, the wiping operation using the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12 will be described. In addition, the wiping operation is performed, for example, at each predetermined number of printed sheets or at each elapsed time, or based on Figure 2 It is preferable to perform the operation through the user's operation on the operation panel portion 163 shown.

[0066] Figure 7 It is a side view of the wiper unit 10 for explaining the wiping operation.

[0067] Figure 8 It is an enlarged side view of the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12 for explaining the wiping operation.

[0068] Fig. 9 It is a perspective view of the wiper unit 10 for explaining the wiping operation.

[0069] First, before the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12 wipe the head surface 111a of the inkjet head 111, Figure 3 As shown, the adsorption conveying unit 120 moves to Figure 1 The wiper mechanism 1 moves to a position below the printing position shown in the figure, between the printing section 110 and the suction conveying section 120. Figure 7 As shown, the inkjet head 111 ejects the cleaning ink PI from the nozzle row 111b. Thus, the cleaning ink PI ejected from the nozzle row 111b is gathered and spread in a plurality of locations.

[0070] Afterwards, if Figure 7 As shown in FIG. 1 , the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12 move in the wiping direction D1. As a result, the cleaning ink PI and the like (e.g., the cleaning ink PI, the ink originally attached to the head surface 111a, the paper powder and dust contained in these inks, etc.) wiped off by the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12 fall along the first wiper 11 in the direction of gravity to the above-mentioned Figure 4 as well as Figure 5 The ink receiving surface 30a of the ink receiving portion 30 shown in FIG. Figure 7 to Figure 9The illustration of the clean ink PI after wiping is omitted.

[0071] like Figure 8 As shown, during the elastic deformation accompanying wiping of the head surface 111a, the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12 are not in contact. In addition, during the elastic deformation accompanying wiping of the head surface 111a, it is preferable that at least the front end 11a of the first wiper 11 is located at the same position as the second wiper 12-1 (illustrated as a double-dashed line as an imaginary line) before the elastic deformation accompanying wiping, or between the position and the second wiper 12 (deformation region 12a) during the elastic deformation accompanying wiping. In this way, it is preferable that the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12 are close to each other during wiping.

[0072] On the other hand, before wiping the head surface 111a, the front end 11a of the first wiper 11 is located at a position downstream of the deformation region 12a of the second wiper 12 in the wiping direction D1. In addition, the deformation region 12a of the second wiper 12 is a portion including the front end of the second wiper 12. As described above, the second wiper 12 extends from the wiper support member 13 to the upper direction perpendicular to the head surface 111a in the state before wiping, so the root region 12b on the wiper support member 13 side of the deformation region 12a of the second wiper 12 extends to the upper direction perpendicular to the head surface 111a. Therefore, it can be said that when wiping the head surface 111a, the front end 11a of the first wiper 11 is located at a position upstream of the root region 12b of the second wiper 12 (or the intersection of the direction in which the root region 12b extends and the head surface 111a) in the wiping direction D1.

[0073] Here, as mentioned above, Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 1 , when wiping the head surface 111a, the first wiper 11 is located at a position separated from both ends of the head surface 111a in the width direction D2 by a gap G in the width direction D2. Fig. 9 As shown, the cleaning ink PI wiped by the first wiper 11 does not adhere to the side surface of the inkjet head 111 .

[0074] In addition, as described above, the contact pressure of the first wiper 11 on the head surface 111a is weaker than that of the second wiper 12. Therefore, after wiping by the first wiper 11, Figure 8 As shown, the cleaning ink PI remains on the head surface 111 a as a relatively thin liquid film.

[0075] After that, the cleaning ink PI which has become a thin liquid film is wiped by the second wiper 12. The second wiper 12 wipes the entire head surface 111a in the width direction D2, but since a part of the cleaning ink PI has been wiped off by the first wiper 11, Fig. 9As shown, the amount of cleaning ink PI attached to the side of the inkjet head 111 is small, and the height of sliding up from the head surface 111a is also low. Therefore, it is easy to fall to the ink receiving surface 30a of the ink receiving portion 30. In addition, the second wiper 12 wipes the cleaning ink PI and the like remaining at the end of the head surface 111a in the width direction D2 that is not wiped off by the first wiper 11 at the end of the second wiper 12 in the width direction D2, so the cleaning ink PI and the like easily fall along the side of the end in the width direction D2 of the second wiper 12 in the direction of gravity to the ink receiving surface 30a of the ink receiving portion 30.

[0076] After the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12 have wiped the head surfaces 111a of all the inkjet heads 111, the inkjet heads 111 drive the piezoelectric elements to eject ink from each nozzle array 111b, thereby improving the color mixing of the ink in the nozzle array 111b. Figure 3 The suction conveying part 120 shown in FIG. 1 moves downward, and the wiper mechanism 1 moves downward. Figure 1 In addition, the suction conveying unit 120 rises to a position close to the printing unit 110 when printing is performed, and further moves to a lower standby position when not printing. In addition, it is preferred that the wiper unit 10 (the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12) is moved to the retreat position shown in FIG. Figure 1 The wiper mechanism 1 shown in the retracted position is in a state of returning to the upstream side in the wiping direction D1 in preparation for the next wiping operation.

[0077] In the present embodiment described above, the wiper mechanism 1 includes the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12, and the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12 wipe the head surface 111a provided with the nozzle array 111b of the inkjet head 111 along the wiping direction D1. The width of the head surface 111a of the first wiper 11 in the width direction D2 perpendicular to the wiping direction D1 is narrower than that of the second wiper 12, and the first wiper 11 wipes a portion of the head surface 111a including the nozzle array 111b at a position downstream of the second wiper 12 in the wiping direction D1.

[0078] In this way, since the first wiper 11 only wipes a portion of the head surface 111a including the nozzle array 111b, it is possible to prevent the cleaning ink PI and the like (for example, the cleaning ink PI, the ink originally attached to the head surface 111a, etc.) wiped by the first wiper 11 from going around the side of the inkjet head 111. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the ink from remaining on the side of the inkjet head 111 after wiping. Thus, it is possible to prevent the ink remaining on the side of the inkjet head 111 from flowing into the head surface 111a due to the airflow and vibration of the transport of the medium such as paper P, thereby preventing the ink from flowing into the head surface 111a and causing poor ejection or the ink from adhering to the transported medium. In addition, since the width of the second wiper 12 in the width direction D2 is wider than that of the first wiper 11, it is possible to wipe the cleaning ink PI and the like at the end of the head surface 111a in the width direction D2 that is not wiped off by the first wiper 11.

[0079] In this embodiment, the first wiper 11 is located at a distance G from both ends of the head surface 111a in the width direction D2 when wiping the head surface 111a, and the second wiper 12 wipes the entire head surface 111a in the width direction D2.

[0080] Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cleaning ink PI wiped by the first wiper 11 from going around the sides of the inkjet head 111 at both ends in the width direction D2 of the inkjet head 111. Therefore, it is possible to further prevent the ink from remaining on the sides of the inkjet head 111. In addition, by wiping the entire head surface 111a in the width direction D2 with the second wiper 12, the cleaning ink PI can be reliably wiped over the entire head surface 111a.

[0081] In addition, in the present embodiment, the contact pressure of the first wiper 11 on the head surface 111 a is weaker than that of the second wiper 12 .

[0082] As a result, the cleaning ink PI etc. wiped by the first wiper 11 is evenly spread into a thinner liquid film (liquid residue) on the head surface 111a. Therefore, compared with the method of omitting the configuration of the first wiper 11 and using a single second wiper 12 to wipe the cleaning ink PI in a droplet state after cleaning, the cleaning ink PI etc. can be reliably wiped by the second wiper 12. In addition, the first wiper 11 does not abut against the head surface 111a by separating the cleaning ink PI etc. of the thinner liquid film, thereby maintaining the durability of the head surface 111a. Furthermore, by making the abutting pressure of the first wiper 11 weaker than the abutting pressure of the second wiper 12, it is possible to further suppress the ink wiped by the first wiper 11 from going around to the side of the inkjet head 111.

[0083] In addition, in the present embodiment, during the elastic deformation accompanying wiping of the head surface 111a, the first wiper 11 is not in contact with the second wiper 12, and at least the front end 11a of the first wiper 11 is located at the same position as the second wiper 12 before the elastic deformation accompanying wiping or between the position and the second wiper 12 (deformation area 12a) during the elastic deformation accompanying wiping.

[0084] In this way, the front end 11a of the first wiper 11 approaches the second wiper 12 (deformed area 12a) during wiping, and thus, the cleaning ink PI, etc., which is wiped by the first wiper 11 and becomes a thinner liquid film, is wiped by the second wiper 12 before it agglomerates on a part of the head surface 111a due to the ink repellency of the head surface 111a. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the reduction of the cleaning performance and the degradation of the head surface 111a caused by the second wiper 12 wiping the area of ​​the head surface 111a where the cleaning ink PI, etc. does not exist (empty wiping). In addition, by making the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12 non-contact, it is possible to prevent the reduction of the cleaning performance caused by the rigidity of the contact part between the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12 becoming high only in a part of the width direction D2, and the cleaning ink PI, etc. between the first wiper 11 and the second wiper 12 can be reliably wiped.

[0085] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments themselves, and the constituent elements can be deformed and concretized in the implementation stage without departing from the scope of its main purpose. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriate combinations of multiple constituent elements disclosed in the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, all the constituent elements shown in the embodiments can also be appropriately combined. Of course, various deformations and applications can be made within the scope of such a scope without departing from the main purpose of the invention. Below, the inventions recorded in the claims of the original application of this application are attached.

[0086] [Note 1]

[0087] A wiper mechanism, characterized in that:

[0088] The wiper mechanism includes a first wiper and a second wiper, and the first wiper and the second wiper wipe a head surface of the inkjet head on which a nozzle array is provided along a wiping direction.

[0089] The first wiper has a width in the width direction of the head surface orthogonal to the wiping direction narrower than that of the second wiper, and the first wiper wipes a portion of the head surface including the nozzle array at a position downstream of the second wiper in the wiping direction.

[0090] [Note 2]

[0091] The wiper mechanism according to Supplementary Note 1 is characterized in that:

[0092] When wiping the head surface, the first wiper is located at a position spaced apart in the width direction from both ends of the head surface in the width direction.

[0093] The second wiper wipes the entire head surface in the width direction.

[0094] [Note 3]

[0095] The wiper mechanism according to Supplementary Note 1 or 2 is characterized in that:

[0096] The contact pressure of the first wiper on the head surface is weaker than that of the second wiper.

[0097] [Note 4]

[0098] The wiper mechanism according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, characterized in that:

[0099] During the elastic deformation accompanying the wiping of the head surface,

[0100] The first wiper does not contact the second wiper, and at least the front end of the first wiper is located at the same position as the second wiper before elastic deformation accompanying wiping or between the first wiper and the second wiper when elastically deformed accompanying wiping.

Claims

1. A wiper mechanism, characterized in that: The wiper mechanism includes a first wiper and a second wiper, and the first wiper and the second wiper wipe a head surface of the inkjet head on which a nozzle array is provided along a wiping direction. The width of the first wiper in the width direction of the head surface orthogonal to the wiping direction is narrower than that of the second wiper, and the first wiper wipes a portion of the head surface including the nozzle array at a position downstream of the second wiper in the wiping direction. When wiping the head surface, the first wiper is located at a position spaced apart in the width direction from both ends of the head surface in the width direction. The second wiper wipes the entire head surface in the width direction. The contact pressure of the first wiper on the head surface is weaker than that of the second wiper.

2. The wiper mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: During the elastic deformation accompanying the wiping of the head surface, The first wiper does not contact the second wiper, and at least the front end of the first wiper is located at the same position as the second wiper before elastic deformation accompanying wiping or between the first wiper and the second wiper when elastically deformed accompanying wiping.

Images