Ejection device and wiping method

Abstract

The present application provides a kind of spouting equipment and wiping method.Spouting equipment includes spouting head, recess, wiping member, installation unit and moving unit, moving unit is configured to make squeegee and spouting head move relative to each other, wherein, wiping member carries out wiping operation for wiping spouting head, to wipe spouting port after wiping recess, and in wiping operation, in the state that spouting port surface and the installation unit for the installation of wiping member are at the first distance in the direction perpendicular to spouting port surface, first wiping operation is carried out, and in the state that spouting port surface and the installation unit for the installation of wiping member are at the second distance in the direction perpendicular to spouting port surface, second wiping operation is carried out, and the second distance is greater than the first distance.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to an ejection apparatus and a wiping method. BACKGROUND

[0002] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0033531 discusses a recording apparatus having a configuration in which a blade wipes a surface of an ejection port to restore an ejection state of a recording head.

[0003] However, some recording heads have a configuration in which a recess is formed on the side of an ejection port in the vicinity of a surface in which the ejection port is formed. If the surface of the ejection port is wiped in a state in which ink is accumulated in the recess, the ink is drawn out of the recess and can remain as ink droplets on the surface of the ejection port, which can cause an ejection failure. However, if the wiping conditions are weakened to prevent the ink droplets from being drawn out, the surface of the ejection port cannot be sufficiently cleaned.

[0004] The present application has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object to prevent an ejection failure from occurring after a wiping operation while sufficiently cleaning a surface of an ejection port. SUMMARY

[0005] According to an aspect of the present application, an ejection apparatus includes: an ejection head including a surface of an ejection port arranged with an ejection port configured to eject a liquid, and a recess formed at a position different from the surface of the ejection port on the side of the surface of the ejection port and recessed deeper than the surface of the ejection port; a wiping member configured to wipe the surface of the ejection port; a mounting unit on which the wiping member is mounted; and a moving unit configured to move the blade and the ejection head relative to each other by moving at least one of the wiping member and the ejection head to move the wiping member relative to the ejection head along the surface of the ejection port in a first direction, wherein the wiping member performs a wiping operation for wiping the ejection head to wipe the ejection port after wiping the recess, and in the wiping operation, a first wiping operation is performed in a state in which the surface of the ejection port and the mounting unit on which the wiping member is mounted have a first distance in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the ejection port, and then a second wiping operation is performed in a state in which the surface of the ejection port and the mounting unit on which the wiping member is mounted have a second distance in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the ejection port, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

[0006] Other features of the present application will become apparent from the following description of the Example Embodiments with reference to the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an inkjet recording apparatus according to an Example Embodiment of the present application.

[0008] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a supply mechanism according to an example embodiment.

[0009] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a recording head according to an example embodiment.

[0010] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing a control configuration according to an example embodiment.

[0011] Figure 5 is a schematic view showing a suction mechanism according to an example embodiment.

[0012] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a recovery mechanism portion according to an example embodiment.

[0013] Figure 7A and Figure 7B are each a front view showing a recovery mechanism portion according to the present example embodiment.

[0014] Figure 8 is a table showing a list of carriage stop positions according to the present example embodiment.

[0015] Figures 9A-9C are each a front view showing a positional relationship between a wiper and a recording head according to an example embodiment.

[0016] Figure 10 is a schematic view showing a wiping method according to an example embodiment.

[0017] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing a cleaning operation process according to an example embodiment.

[0018] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing a wiping operation process according to an example embodiment.

[0019] Figure 13 is a table showing a wiping condition according to an example embodiment.

[0020] Figure 14 is a schematic view showing a state of a wiper with respect to an ejection port row during a wiping operation according to an example embodiment.

[0021] Figure 15 is a schematic view showing a contact state of a cover with respect to a recording head during a wiping trigger operation according to an example embodiment.

[0022] Figure 16 is a schematic view showing a contact state of a wiper with respect to a recess during a wiping operation according to an example embodiment.

[0023] Figure 17 This is a table showing a list of the recovery performance of wipes A1, wipes A2, and wipes B according to exemplary embodiments.

[0024] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram showing the state of the concave portion according to the comparative example.

[0025] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the state of the recess according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0026] Figure 20 This is a flowchart illustrating a heating recovery operation process according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0027] Figure 21 This is a flowchart illustrating a lid-closing operation according to an exemplary embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0028] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same or corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing the internal structure of an inkjet recording device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] like Figure 1 As shown, the inkjet recording apparatus (hereinafter also simply referred to as the recording apparatus) 100 includes a feed unit 101, a transport unit 102, a recording mechanism unit 103, and a recovery mechanism unit 104. The feed unit 101 supplies a recording medium P, such as a recording film, to the main body of the inkjet recording apparatus 100. The transport unit 102 transports the recording medium P supplied from the feed unit 101 along the negative Y direction. The recording mechanism unit 103 includes a carriage 6 and a recording head 5 mounted on the carriage 6. The recording mechanism unit 103 operates based on image information and records images on the recording medium P. The recovery mechanism unit 104 is configured to maintain or restore the ink ejection performance of the recording head 5.

[0031] Each liquid container 30 containing ink is connected to the recording head 5 via a supply pipe 31, and the liquid container 30 supplies ink to the recording head 5 through the supply pipe 31.

[0032] The recording media P stacked on the feed unit 101 are separated one by one, and the separated recording media P are fed by the paper feed motor 4013 (see...). Figure 4) driven to be fed to the conveyance unit 102. The recording medium P fed to the conveyance unit 102 is sandwiched between a conveyance roller (not shown) and a pinch roller (not shown) driven by the paper feed motor 4013, and is conveyed onto the platen 126. The recording medium P conveyed onto the platen 126 is subjected to recording by the recording mechanism unit 103. The carriage 6, which has mounted thereon the recording head 5 and is configured to move in the main scanning direction (X direction), is driven based on image information, and recording is performed by causing ink to be ejected from the ejection orifices of the recording head 5. The recording medium P, on which recording has been performed, is sandwiched between a discharge roller, which is driven in synchronization with the conveyance roller, and a spur gear, to be discharged to the outside of the device main body.

[0033] The recording mechanism unit 103 includes the carriage 6 configured to reciprocate in the main scanning direction (X direction) and the recording head 5 mounted to the carriage 6. The carriage 6 is guided and supported in such a manner that the carriage 6 can reciprocate along a guide rail mounted to the device main body. The reciprocation of the carriage 6 is driven via the carriage belt 124 (see Figure 4 ) by the carriage motor 4011 (see Figure 2 ). The reciprocation of the carriage 6 is controlled by detecting the position and speed of the carriage 6 using an encoder scale suspended between the device main body and an encoder sensor mounted to the carriage 6. An image corresponding to one scan is recorded by a recording operation of the recording head 5 in synchronization with the movement (scanning) of the carriage 6. The recording of an image on the entire recording medium P is performed by repeatedly performing the following operation: after recording an image corresponding to one scan, the recording medium P is conveyed at a predetermined pitch (sub-scanning). The height in the Z direction of the carriage 6 can be changed. The carriage 6 is moved in the Z direction by driving the paper feed motor 4013 and the carriage motor 4011. A rod (not shown) is connected to the carriage 6 by the paper feed motor 4013, and the carriage motor 4011 is driven in the connected state, thereby moving the carriage 6 in the Z direction.

[0034] The recovery mechanism unit 104 is provided to maintain or recover the quality of an image to be recorded to a normal state by, for example, unclogging the ejection orifices of the recording head 5. The recovery mechanism unit 104 includes a wiping mechanism for wiping the surface of the ejection orifices, a capping mechanism for covering the surface of the ejection orifices, and a suction mechanism including a suction pump for sucking ink from each ejection orifice. As shown in Figure 6 , the recovery mechanism unit 104 according to the present exemplary embodiment includes a slider 7 configured to be movable within a predetermined range by following the movement of the carriage 6 when the carriage 6 moves toward the recovery mechanism unit 104. The slider 7 is provided with the wipers 8 and 9 of the wiping mechanism and the caps 1A and 1B (hereinafter, the caps 1A and 1B will also be simply referred to as caps 1) of the capping mechanism. In other words, the slider 7 is a mounting unit for mounting the wipers 8 and 9 and the caps 1A and 1B.

[0035] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an ink supply mechanism according to the present exemplary embodiment. Special inks (black, red, and gray) in the liquid containers 30 are each connected with the recording head 5a using the supply tube 31 with the liquid container 30a. Color inks (cyan, magenta, and yellow) in the liquid containers 30 are each connected with the recording head 5b using the supply tube 31 with the liquid container 30b. The supply tube 31 can be closed by manually moving the tube valve 32.

[0036] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the recording mechanism unit 103 according to the present exemplary embodiment. As shown in Figure 3 , the carriage 6 detachably mounts two recording heads 5a and 5b (hereinafter, also simply referred to as recording heads 5) that eject a plurality of types of inks. The ejection port surface 40a of the recording head 5a is formed with ejection port rows in the X direction, in which ejection ports for ejecting special inks of three colors of black, red, and gray are arranged in the Y direction. The ejection port surface 40b of the recording head 5b is formed with ejection port rows in the X direction, in which ejection ports for ejecting inks of three colors of cyan, magenta, and yellow are arranged in the Y direction. Each ejection port is provided with a recording element for ejecting an ink. The ejection port surfaces 40a and 40b are also simply referred to as ejection port surfaces 40.

[0037] The recording head 5 according to the present exemplary embodiment is an inkjet recording head that ejects an ink using thermal energy. Each recording element is an electro-thermal conversion member for generating thermal energy.

[0038] Specifically, thermal energy is generated in response to a pulse signal applied to the electro-thermal conversion member, and the generated thermal energy causes film boiling in an ink liquid. Then, the ink is ejected from each ejection port by the bubble pressure of the film boiling, whereby a recorded image is formed.

[0039] The configuration of each ejection port row of the recording head 5 is not limited to the above-described configuration. For example, a single recording head can be provided with ejection port rows for ejecting a single-color ink. Instead of using a configuration for supplying an ink from the liquid container 30 to the recording head 5, a so-called cartridge system in which a liquid container and a recording head are integrally mounted on a carriage can be used. A recording apparatus having a configuration in which a recording head for ejecting a single-color ink is mounted can also be used. While the present exemplary embodiment shows an example of a recording apparatus that mounts a recording head for performing image recording, any ejection apparatus that mounts an ejection head for ejecting a liquid can be used. The type of liquid to be ejected is not limited to an ink, and a liquid other than a liquid for recording an image can also be used. A reaction liquid for fixing, for example, a liquid resin or an ink on a recording medium can also be used.

[0040] Figure 4is a block diagram illustrating an inkjet recording apparatus 100 according to the present exemplary embodiment. A read only memory (ROM) 4001 stores a control program to be executed and a set value for a control process. A random access memory (RAM) 4002 is configured to load a control program at the time of execution of the control program, store print data and a control command, and store a control variable for each control process. A timer circuit 4003 is a circuit configured to acquire a current time, or is a circuit configured to measure an elapsed time. A nonvolatile memory 4004 is a storage unit configured to store a parameter held in a control process even in a state where a main body of the inkjet recording apparatus 100 is powered off. In the present exemplary embodiment, a time at which a calculation elapsed time is written and read. A control circuit 4000 executes a control program stored in the ROM 4001 or a control program loaded into the RAM 4002. The sequence described in the present exemplary embodiment is a part of a sequence to be executed by the above-described control program.

[0041] An external connection circuit 4005 is an interface for establishing communication between the inkjet recording apparatus 100 and an external host apparatus by wired communication or wireless communication. The external connection circuit 4005 is a circuit configured to enable the control circuit 4000 to process information transmitted via the communication as a control signal. Image data to be printed is input from the external host apparatus via the external connection circuit 4005. A current time can be acquired from the external host apparatus via the external connection circuit 4005.

[0042] A temperature sensor 4014 is a sensor that measures a temperature in the vicinity of a nozzle. The temperature sensor 4014 is arranged for each of the nozzle columns of a corresponding one of the different colors.

[0043] The control circuit 4000 loads the received image data into the RAM 4002. Further, the control circuit 4000 controls driving of the recording head 5 via the recording head driving circuit 4006 on the basis of data of the RAM 4002, and also controls the carriage motor 4011 via the carriage motor driving circuit 4010. With this configuration, ink is ejected onto a desired position on the recording medium P, and a recording and scanning process corresponding to one scan is executed. Then, the control circuit 4000 controls the paper feed motor 4013 via the paper feed motor driving circuit 4012, whereby the recording medium P is transported at a predetermined pitch.

[0044] Figure 5is a schematic view showing a suction mechanism according to the present exemplary embodiment. The suction pump 23 is driven in a state where the nozzle exit surfaces 40 of the recording heads 5 are covered with the covers 1, to suck ink from the nozzles. In the suction pump 23, the shaft 25 on which the roller 24 is arranged is rotated in the direction shown by the arrow, so that the suction pipes 21 corresponding to the portions held by the roller 24 and the guide 26 are continuously pressed, and the roller 24 is rotated. Thus, a reduced pressure occurs in the suction pipes 21, and as a result, the recording heads 5 are reduced in pressure through the covers 1, so that ink is sucked from the nozzles. The amount of suction is controlled on the basis of the number of revolutions and the rotation speed of the roller 24. The ink discharged from the suction pump 23 is collected in the waste ink tank 28 via the waste ink pipe 27. The waste ink tank 28 is provided with a waste ink absorber 29 that absorbs waste ink.

[0045] In the suction mechanism according to the present exemplary embodiment, since the covers 1 are not provided with atmosphere communication valves, the recording heads 5 are spaced apart from the covers 1 while scanning in the X direction to communicate with the atmosphere. When the covers 1 are moved away from the recording heads 5, the communication of the recording heads 5 with the atmosphere can cause an impact on the ink droplets, so that the ink droplets can adhere to the nozzle exit surfaces 40 of the recording heads 5.

[0046] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the recovery mechanism unit 104 according to the present exemplary embodiment. The slide 7 is provided with a contact portion 7a configured to contact a side surface of the carriage 6 to move in a predetermined range by following the movement of the carriage 6. The slide 7 is subjected to a force in the negative X direction applied by the slide spring 17. This configuration enables the slide 7 to move from a retreat position at which the wipers 8 and 9 and the covers 1A and 1B are away from the recording heads 5 to a wiping position at which the nozzle exit surfaces 40a and 40b of the recording heads 5 can be wiped with the wipers 8 and 9. The wiper 8 wipes the nozzle exit surface 40a. The wiper 9 wipes the nozzle exit surface 40b. The slide 7 is also capable of moving to a cover position at which the nozzle exit surfaces 40a and 40b of the recording heads 5 can be covered with the covers 1A and 1B, respectively. A side surface of the slide 7 in the Y direction intersecting (in this example, orthogonal to) the direction of movement of the carriage 6 is provided with four protrusions 7b.

[0047] Although Figure 6 Only two protrusions 7b provided in the negative Y direction are shown, but the other two protrusions 7b are provided in the positive Y direction. The four protrusions 7b are each in contact with the slide cam 13a provided to the main body bottom case 13. The slide 7 moves when the four protrusions 7b slide along the cam surface of the slide cam 13a provided to the main body bottom case 13. This sliding operation controls the slide 7 to be set at a predetermined height with respect to the nozzle exit surfaces 40a and 40b at each position (the retreat position, the wiping position, the cover position, and the like) along the direction of movement of the carriage 6.

[0048] Wiping element 8, used for wiping the nozzle surface 40a of the recording head 5a for specific colors, and wiping element 9, used for wiping the nozzle surface 40a of the recording head 5b for CMY colors, are attached to the sliding element 7. Caps 1A and 1B, used to cover the nozzle surfaces 40a and 40b respectively, are attached to cap holders 2A and 2B respectively. Cap holders 2A and 2B are each attached to the sliding element 7 using four claws. Cap springs are arranged between each cap holder 2A and 2B and the sliding element 7. Cap holders 2A and 2B, to which caps 1A and 1B are attached respectively, apply force to the nozzle surfaces 40a and 40b along the positive Z direction. Wiping elements 8 and 9, and caps 1A and 1B, are arranged from the recording area along the positive X direction in the order of wiping element 8, cap 1A, wiping element 9, and cap 1B.

[0049] like Figure 6 As shown, a locking lever 16, serving as a locking member for locking the slider 7 in the wiping position, is attached to the downstream side (negative Y-direction side) of the end located on the recording area side in the transport direction. The locking lever 16 is attached in a manner that allows rotational movement between a locked position and a released position, wherein in the locked position, the slider 7 is locked in the wiping position, and in the released position, the locked state of the slider 7 is released. The locking lever 16 operates to adjust the movement of the slider 7 such that when the carriage 6 moves toward the wiping position to wipe the nozzle surfaces 40a and 40b of the recording head 5, movement of the slider 7 in the negative X and negative Z directions is prevented. The locking lever 16 is supported in a manner that allows rotational movement in a plane in the Y-direction intersecting (orthogonal in this example) with the movement direction of the carriage 6. The locking lever 16 has a support shaft 16e and is supported in a manner that allows rotational movement about the support shaft 16e. Furthermore, a helical torsion spring (not shown) that rotates the locking lever 16 counterclockwise applies force to the locking lever 16 to hold it in the position where it has moved due to the spring force, unless an external torque exceeding a predetermined value is applied. The position where the locking lever 16 moves due to the spring force corresponds to the position where the protrusion 16f of the locking lever 16 contacts the sliding member 7.

[0050] Figure 7A and Figure 7B This is a front view showing the recovery mechanism unit 104 with the slider 7 in different positions. The main body of the device is provided with a locking part 13d, which is configured to lock the leading edge surface 16a of the locking lever 16 when the protrusion 16f of the locking lever 16 and the slider 7 come into contact with each other.

[0051] Figure 7AThe state of the mechanism unit 104 during the wiping operation is shown. First, the carriage 6 moves from the recording area in the positive X direction and contacts the contact portion 7a, causing the contact portion 7a to move in the positive X direction, thereby causing the wiping members 8 and 9 to move in the positive Z direction. The leading edge surface 16a of the locking lever 16 is locked in place by the locking portion 13d. Figure 7A The position shown is used to fix the position of each of the wiping elements 8 and 9 (hereinafter referred to as the wiping trigger position). In this state, the carriage 6 moves toward the recording area, thereby performing the wiping operation. With the wiping elements 8 and 9 in contact with the nozzle surface 40, the wiping elements 8 and 9 move relative to each other in the X direction to wipe the nozzle surface 40. In this exemplary embodiment, the carriage 6 is moved to perform the wiping operation; however, alternatively, the wiping elements 8 and 9 can be moved to perform the wiping operation, or the carriage 6 and the wiping elements 8 and 9 can be moved together to perform the wiping operation.

[0052] During the wiping operation, the carriage 6 moves toward the recording area. The carriage 6 is provided with a locking release protrusion 67 (see...). Figure 3 The locking release protrusion 67 is configured to contact the upper end 16b of the locking lever 16. When the carriage 6 moves toward the recording area, the locking release protrusion 67 contacts the upper end 16b of the locking lever 16, thereby allowing the locking lever 16 to rotate clockwise when viewed from the recording area. As a result, the leading edge surface 16a of the locking lever 16 separates from the locking portion 13d, thus... Figure 7B As shown, the locking state of the locking lever 16 is released. Since the wiping parts 8 and 9 move along the negative Z direction and the carriage 6 does not contact the recording head 5, the carriage 6 can move toward the recording area and is ready to record.

[0053] Figure 8 This is a table showing a list of carriage stop positions according to this exemplary embodiment. As for the restored carriage (CR) stop positions, starting from the original position (home position) (positive X direction), the following positions are sequentially set: cover closed position, wipe trigger position, wipe pre-spray position, cover open position, and wipe trigger release position. Figure 8 The CR stop positions shown represent the amount of drive of carriage 6 from the cover-closed position, which is set as the reference position, using the number of slots in the carriage encoder. When carriage 6 is in the cover-closed position or the wipe-triggered position, covers 1A and 1B are in contact with the recording head 5. When carriage 6 is in a position other than the cover-closed position or the wipe-triggered position, covers 1A and 1B are spaced apart from the recording head 5. Therefore, since carriage 6 moves towards the wipe-triggered position when a wipe operation is performed, covers 1A and 1B are configured to contact the recording head 5. As stop positions for carriage height adjustment, the rise preparation position, the fall position, the rise position, and the fall preparation position are set sequentially from the original position.

[0054] Figures 9A-9C are front views each showing a state of the cover 1A and the recording head 5a when the carriage 6 is positioned at each stop position.

[0055] Figure 9A A state in which the carriage 6 is positioned at the cover closing position is shown. In this state, the protruding portion 7b of the slider 7 is positioned at a position closest to the original position in the slider cam 13a, and the cover 1A and the recording head 5a are in contact with each other. Figure 9B A state in which the carriage 6 is positioned at the wiping trigger position is shown. In this state, the protruding portion 7b of the slider 7 is positioned at a position slightly closer to the original position than the inclined portion of the slider cam 13a, and the cover 1A and the recording head 5a are still in contact with each other. Finally, Figure 9C A state in which the carriage 6 is positioned at the wiping pre-ejection position is shown. In this state, the protruding portion 7b of the slider 7 is positioned at the inclined portion of the slider cam 13a, and the cover 1A and the recording head 5a are spaced apart from each other.

[0056] Figure 10 is a schematic view showing a method of wiping the recording head 5 using the wipers 8 and 9 according to the present exemplary embodiment. The recording head 5a for a special color is provided with an ejection port surface 40a formed with ejection port rows for gray, red, and black inks, respectively. On the ejection port surface 40a, a concave portion 42a is provided on the ejection port surface side, with ejection ports interposed between the concave portions. The outer side of the ejection port surface 40a is provided with a tab surface 41a. The recording head 5a moves in a direction (X direction) parallel to the ejection port surface 40 during carriage scanning, whereby the wiper 8 can wipe the ejection port surface 40a, the tab surface 41a, and the concave portion 42a. Similarly, the recording head 5b for CMY colors includes a tab surface 41b and a concave portion 42b. The tab surfaces 41a and 41b are also simply referred to as tab surfaces 41. The concave portions 42a and 42b are also simply referred to as concave portions 42.

[0057] In the suction recovery according to the sequence of the present exemplary embodiment, the control circuit 4000 controls the suction pump 23 via the suction pump drive circuit 4008, whereby a desired amount of ink is sucked by the recording head 5. The pre-ejection for ejecting ink in the covers 1A and 1B is an operation for ejecting ink that does not contribute to image recording. The pre-ejection is performed so that the control circuit 4000 controls the drive of the recording head 5 via the recording head drive circuit 4006 to discharge a desired amount of ink. In this case, the pattern for driving the recording head 5 is determined on the basis of any of data loaded into the RAM 4002 similarly to a recording operation on the recording medium P, data stored in the ROM 4001, and data generated by the control circuit 4000.

[0058] The inkjet recording apparatus 100 performs a head recovery operation by suction recovery control, for example, for removing air bubbles and discharging solidified ink from the recording head 5, and for filling ink in the recording head 5. It can be desirable to perform the recovery operation in a case where the cover 1 is maintained in the open state after an abnormal termination, for example, when the operation of the inkjet recording apparatus 100 is stopped by pulling out the power cord instead of pressing the power button. It can also be desirable to perform the recovery operation, for example, when the liquid container is replaced, after a certain period of time has elapsed since the previous recovery operation, or when the number of ink droplets (e.g., the number of dots) for recording operation since the previous recovery operation is greater than or equal to a certain value. In this case, a recovery flag is set and stored in the nonvolatile memory 4004 shown. The control circuit 4000 performs the recovery operation at a predetermined timing based on the recovery flag. Figure 4 The control circuit 4000 performs the recovery operation at a predetermined timing based on the recovery flag.

[0059] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing a cleaning operation according to the present exemplary embodiment. The cleaning operation is performed when the user instructs cleaning, after a certain period of time has elapsed since the previous recovery operation, or when the number of ink droplets for recording operation since the previous recovery operation is greater than or equal to a certain value. In addition, the cleaning operation is performed, for example, when the cover 1 is maintained in the open state after an abnormal termination, when the inkjet recording apparatus 100 is used for the first time, and when the recording head 5 is replaced with a new recording head. The cleaning operation is executed so that the control circuit 4000 operates each mechanism in accordance with a control program stored in the ROM 4001 or a control program loaded in the RAM 4002.

[0060] First, in step B01, the carriage 6 is moved toward the cover closing position. As described above, when the carriage 6 is positioned at the cover closing position, the nozzle surfaces 40a and 40b of the recording head 5 are covered by the covers 1A and IB, respectively.

[0061] After that, in step B02, the driving of the suction pump 23 is started to start suction of ink from each nozzle. When the shaft 25 of the suction pump 23 is rotated a predetermined number of times, in step B03, the rotation of the shaft 25 is stopped and the suction is ended. In step B04, the carriage 6 is moved toward the cover closing position to separate the covers 1A and IB from the recording head 5, thereby releasing the internal pressure of the recording head 5 to the atmospheric pressure.

[0062] Next, in step B05, the suction pump 23 is driven again. In step B06, pre-ejection in the caps 1A and 1B is performed. The suction operation in step B02 mixes some types of ink in the ejection ports. The pre-ejection in step B06 is performed to remove the mixed color of the ink. In step B05, the suction pump 23 is driven so that the ink suctioned into the cap 1 in step B06. Similar to step B05, the driving of the suction pump 23 in the state where the ejection port surface 40 of the recording head 5 is not covered by the cap 1 hereinafter will be referred to as idle suction. After the shaft 25 of the suction pump 23 is rotated a predetermined number of times, the driving of the suction pump 23 is stopped in step B07. Thereafter, in step B08, the wiping Al is performed. The wiping Al will be described later in detail.

[0063] Next, in steps B09, B10, and B11, idle suction and pre-ejection are performed. Steps B09 to B11 are similar to the processes described above with reference to steps B05 to B07. Thereafter, in step B12, the wiping A2 is performed, and in step B13, the wiping B is performed. To evaporate and reduce the ink droplets remaining near the ejection port surface 40 after the end of the wiping B, a heating recovery operation for the recording head 5b for CMY colors is performed in step B14, and a heating recovery operation for the recording head 5a for special colors is performed in step B15. The wiping A2 and the wiping B will be described later in detail. The processes as described above are performed, and then the cleaning operation is terminated.

[0064] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the operations of the wiping Al, the wiping A2, and the wiping B according to the present exemplary embodiment. In the wiping Al, the wiping A2, and the wiping B, the wiping operation shown in Figure 13 is performed under the conditions shown in the table of Figure 12 . Figure 13 The conditions shown in are written in the RAM 4002.

[0065] The wiping operation is performed, for example, during the cleaning operation shown in Figure 11 , after the sheet discharge, or before the cap 1 is closed. The wiping operation is executed so that the control circuit 4000 causes each mechanism to operate according to the control program stored in the ROM 4001 or the control program loaded in the RAM 4002.

[0066] First, in step C01, the carriage height setting corresponding to the wiping condition for wiping in the wiping operation is obtained. In a case where the normal position (hereinafter, referred to as "Normal Pos") is specified in the wiping condition (in this example, wiping Al and wiping A2) (YES in step C01), the processing proceeds to step C02. In step C02, the height of the carriage 6 is adjusted to the Normal Pos. In a case where a position other than the Normal Pos is specified (in this example, wiping B) (NO in step C01), the processing proceeds to step C10. In step C10, the height of the carriage 6 is adjusted to a wide position (hereinafter, referred to as "Wide Pos"). In a case where the height of the carriage 6 at the start of the processing shown in Fig. 7 is the height corresponding to the condition obtained in step C01, the operations of steps C02 and C10 are omitted. By moving the carriage 6 in the height direction, the distance in the Z direction between the ejection port surface 40 and the slider 7 (mounting unit) when wiping the ejection port surface 40 with the wipers 8 and 9 is determined. Figure 12 In a case where the height of the carriage 6 at the start of the processing shown in Fig. 7 is the height corresponding to the condition obtained in step C01, the operations of steps C02 and C10 are omitted. By moving the carriage 6 in the height direction, the distance in the Z direction between the ejection port surface 40 and the slider 7 (mounting unit) when wiping the ejection port surface 40 with the wipers 8 and 9 is determined.

[0067] After that, in step C03, the control circuit 4000 moves the carriage 6 to the wiping trigger position (see Figure 9B ). This movement brings the recording head 5 into contact with the cover 1, thereby moving the wipers 8 and 9 in the positive Z direction and fixing the height of each of the wipers 8 and 9.

[0068] Next, in step C04, the control circuit 4000 moves the carriage 6 to the wiping trigger release position. The movement in the positive X direction separates the cover 1 from the recording head 5, and the wipers 8 and 9 wipe the ejection port surface 40 and the deck 41a of the recording head 5. After that, in step C05, it is determined whether the number of times (the number of repetitions) M of the wiping operation has reached a predetermined number Mth set to the wiping condition. In a case where it is determined that the number of repetitions M has not reached the predetermined number Mth (NO in step C05), the processing proceeds to step C11. In step C11, the number of repetitions M is incremented, and then the processing returns to step C03. In a case where it is determined that the number of repetitions M has reached the predetermined number Mth (YES in step C05), the processing proceeds to step C06. In step C06, the carriage 6 is moved to the wiping pre-ejection position (see Figure 9C) movement. In step C07, pre-ejection for ejecting ink in the cap 1 is performed. Thereafter, in step C08, it is determined whether the number of repetitions N has reached a predetermined number Nth set as a wiping condition. In a case where the number of repetitions N has not reached the predetermined number Nth (NO in step C08), the processing proceeds to step C12. In step C12, the carriage 6 is moved to the cap opening position. Thereafter, in steps C13 and C14, empty suction is performed. In step C15, the number of repetitions N is incremented, and then the processing returns to step C01. In step C08, in a case where the number of repetitions N has reached the predetermined number Nth (YES in step C08), the processing proceeds to step C09. In step C09, the position in the Z direction of the carriage 6 is changed to the normal Pos.

[0069] Figure 13 is a table showing a wiping condition according to the present exemplary embodiment. In wiping Al (wiping immediately after suction), the carriage height is set to the normal Pos, the wiping member intrusion amount is set to 1.5 mm, the wiping speed is set to 110 mm / s, the number of repetitions M is set to "1", and the number of repetitions N is set to "1". Next, in wiping A2, the carriage height, the wiping member intrusion amount, and the wiping speed are the same as in wiping Al, but the number of repetitions M is set to a plurality of times ("4"), and the number of repetitions N is set to "1". Finally, in wiping B, the wiping member intrusion amount and the wiping speed are the same as in wiping Al, but the carriage height is set to the Wide Pos, the wiping member intrusion amount is set to 0.7 mm, the number of repetitions M is set to "4", and the number of repetitions N is set to a plurality of times ("3"). Thus, in the present exemplary embodiment, after suction, wiping with a large intrusion amount (wiping A2) is performed, and then wiping with a small intrusion amount (wiping B) is performed. The number of times of wiping operation with a small intrusion amount is set to be larger than the number of times of wiping operation with a large intrusion amount. The reason for this will be described later.

[0070] Figure 14This is a schematic diagram illustrating the state of the wiping member 8 relative to the nozzle array during operations of wiping A1 and wiping A2, and during operation of wiping B, according to this exemplary embodiment. The carriage height in wiping B is set to be higher than the carriage height in wiping A1 and wiping A2. In other words, the distance in the Z direction between the nozzle surfaces 40a and 40b and the wiping member mounting unit of the slide member 7 during operations of wiping A1 and A2 is greater than the distance during operation of wiping B. Therefore, the wiping member intrusion amount relative to the recording head 5 in wiping B (the length of the wiping member relative to the nozzle surface in the positive Z direction, perpendicular to the nozzle surface and opposite to the liquid ejection direction) is less than the wiping member intrusion amount in wiping A1 and wiping A2, and the contact pressure in wiping B is lower than the contact pressure in wiping A1 and wiping A2. In wiping B, where the intrusion amount and contact pressure are smaller, the contact area of ​​the wiping member is smaller than the contact area in wiping A1 and wiping A2. Therefore, the removability of ink droplets adhering to the nozzle surfaces 40a and 40b and the table surfaces 41a and 41b in wiping B is lower than that in wiping A1 and wiping A2. Figure 14 The ink droplets 43 are removed by wiping from the nozzle surface 40a and platform 41a or the nozzle surface 40b and platform 41b.

[0071] Figure 15 This illustrates the triggering operation period during which the carriage 6 is moved toward the wiping trigger position during operations of wiping A1 and wiping A2, and during operation of wiping B, according to this exemplary embodiment. Figure 12 The diagram shown illustrates the contact state of the cover 1 relative to the recording head 5 in step C03). During the trigger operation of wiping B, the height of the recording head 5 is higher than during the trigger operations of wiping A1 and A2, resulting in a smaller intrusion of the cover 1 relative to the recording head 5. Therefore, the amount of ink 44 to be transferred from the cover 1 to the tabletop 41a during the trigger operation of wiping B is less than the amount of ink during the trigger operations of wiping A1 and A2.

[0072] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the contact state of the wiping member 8 relative to the recess 42 during a wiping operation according to this exemplary embodiment. The height of the carriage 6 in wiping B is set to a position higher than that in wiping A1 and wiping A2. Therefore, the amount of penetration of the wiping member 8 relative to the recess 42 in wiping B is less than that in wiping A1 and wiping A2. In wiping B, when the wiping member 8 is located below the recess 42, the wiping member 8 enters the recess 42 more vertically than in wiping A1 and wiping A2, thereby increasing the area of ​​the region where the wiping member 8 contacts the ink droplets in the recess 42, thus making it easier to remove the ink droplets 45 from the recess 42.

[0073] Figure 17is a table showing the recovery performance in the wiping Al, the wiping A2, and the wiping B according to the present exemplary embodiment. In the wiping B, unlike in the wiping Al and the wiping A2, the ink drops on the nozzle face 40 and the deck 41 can hardly be removed. However, the amount of ink to be transferred in the priming operation is small, and thus the ink drops in the recess 42 can be easily removed.

[0074] The present exemplary embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 18 and Figure 19 The advantageous effects of the present exemplary embodiment will be described.

[0075] Figure 18 is a schematic view showing the state of the recess when the wiping Al and the wiping A2 with a large amount of invasion are performed after the wiping B with a small amount of invasion as a comparative example. If the wiping B is performed first, the ink drops in the recess 42 can be removed. However, in the priming operation at the subsequent wiping Al and the wiping A2, the cap 1 firmly contacts the deck 41, and the ink drops are transferred to the deck 41, and thus the ink drops are supplied to the recess 42 again in the subsequent wiping operation. If the cleaning operation is ended in this state, the ink is led out of the recess 42 when the subsequent wiping operation is performed (for example, at the cap closing operation after printing), and the ink drops remain on the nozzle face. This causes the ejection failure such as that the ejection operation cannot be performed on the nozzle face, the amount of ink to be ejected is small, or the ink is not straightly ejected in the ejection operation.

[0076] Figure 19 is a schematic view showing the state of the recess 42 when the wiping Al and the wiping A2 with a large amount of invasion are performed and then the wiping B with a small amount of invasion is performed according to the present exemplary embodiment. If the wiping Al and the wiping A2 are performed first, the cap 1 firmly contacts the deck 41 due to the priming operation, and thus the ink 46 accumulates in the recess 42 in the subsequent wiping operation. However, in the priming operation at the subsequent wiping B, the cap invasion amount with respect to the recording head 5 is reduced, and thus the amount of ink to be transferred to the deck 41 can be reduced, and thus the ink 46 remaining in the recess 42 can be scraped off by the subsequent wiping operation. If the cleaning operation is ended in this state, since the ink cannot be led out of the recess 42 or the amount of ink to be led out is reduced even when the subsequent wiping operation is performed (for example, at the cap closing operation after printing), the number of the nozzle faces in which the ejection failure occurs can be reduced.

[0077] In the cleaning operation according to the present exemplary embodiment, since the wiping operation with a small amount of intrusion is performed after the wiping operation with a large amount of intrusion, a larger number of ink droplets can be left on the nozzle surface 40 at the end than when the wiping operation with a large amount of intrusion is performed last. For this reason, the heating recovery operation is performed after the wiping operation to evaporate and reduce the ink droplets on the nozzle surface 40, whereby it is possible to prevent the occurrence of ejection failure in the nozzles after the cleaning operation. Further, the number of repetitions of the wiping operation with a small amount of intrusion in the cleaning operation is set to be larger than the number of repetitions of the wiping operation with a large amount of intrusion, whereby it is possible to reduce the number of ink droplets left on the nozzle surface 40 at the end, and thus it is possible to further reduce the number of nozzles in which ejection failure occurs after the cleaning operation.

[0078] Figure 20 is a flowchart showing Figure 11 the heating recovery operation in step B014 of the cleaning operation shown in FIG. 8. Although step B014 is described as the heating recovery operation for the recording head 5b for CMY colors in the present exemplary embodiment, similar operations are performed in the heating recovery operation for the recording head 5a for special colors in step B015.

[0079] First, in step D01, the carriage 6 is moved to the cover opening position. In step D02, the drive of the suction pump 23 is started. Next, in step D03, pre-ejection in the cover 1B is performed. In step D04, the heating of the nozzle surface 40 of the recording head 5 to the target temperature of 80°C is started. The heating of the nozzle surface 40 is performed by driving the recording elements to the extent that ink is not ejected from the nozzles. In addition, if a heating element configured to heat the nozzle surface 40 is included, the heating can be performed using the heating element. In step D05, the heating is stopped when the temperature has reached the target temperature.

[0080] After that, in step D06, it is determined whether the head temperature is less than or equal to 60°C. In the case where the head temperature exceeds 60°C (NO in step D06), the processing proceeds to step D09. In step D09, it is determined whether 50 seconds or more have elapsed since the heating was stopped. In the case where 50 seconds have not elapsed (NO in step D06), the processing returns to step D06. In the case where the head temperature is less than or equal to 60°C in step D06 (YES in step D06), or in the case where 50 seconds or more have elapsed since the heating was stopped in step D09 (YES in step D09), the processing proceeds to step D07. In step D07, pre-ejection in the cap IB is performed. In step D08, the drive of the suction pump 23 is stopped. The heating recovery operation is completed as described above. The heating recovery operation is performed in the manner described above, whereby the number of ejection ports in which ejection failure occurs after the cleaning operation can be reduced by evaporating and reducing the ink droplets in the vicinity of the ejection port surface 40 that have not been wiped off in the wiping B.

[0081] When the wiping operation with a large amount of intrusion (wiping Al and wiping A2) is performed after the heating recovery operation, the cap IB is brought into firm contact with the recording head 5, so ink droplets are transferred, and ink accumulates in the recess 42 in the subsequent wiping operation. Further, when the wiping operation with a small amount of intrusion (wiping B) is performed after the heating recovery operation, the ink droplets scraped off from the recess 42 in the wiping operation remain on the ejection port surface 40, which causes ejection failure. Therefore, in the cleaning operation according to the present exemplary embodiment, the wiping operation is not performed after the heating recovery operation.

[0082] Figure 21 Fig. 22 is a flowchart showing a cap closing operation according to the present exemplary embodiment. The cap closing operation is performed at a time point after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the printing was ended. This operation is executed so that the control circuit 4000 causes each mechanism to operate in accordance with the control program stored in the ROM 4001 or the control program loaded in the RAM 4002.

[0083] First, in step F01, the wiping Al is performed. Next, in step F02, the suction pump 23 is driven to start the air purge. After the suction pump 23 is rotated by a predetermined number of revolutions, the drive of the suction pump 23 is stopped and the air purge is stopped in step F03. This air purge is performed to discharge ink remaining in the cap IB, the suction pipe 21, and the waste ink pipe 27, thereby preventing solidification of the ink in the discharge path. Finally, in step F04, the carriage 6 is moved to the cap closing position, and then the operation is terminated.

[0084] In the wiping operation at the time of the cap closing operation according to the present exemplary embodiment, the carriage height is set to the normal Pos. Therefore, if ink droplets remain in the recess 42, the ink droplets are drawn out from the nozzle orifice surface 40 in the wiping operation, which can cause a discharge failure. However, since the ink droplets in the recess 42 are removed in the cleaning operation, the ink droplets are not drawn out in the wiping operation in the cap closing operation, whereby it is possible to prevent a discharge failure from occurring after the cap closing operation.

[0085] As described above, the wiping operation with a small amount of intrusion is performed after the wiping operation with a large amount of intrusion, whereby it is possible to reduce the number of nozzles in which a discharge failure occurs after the wiping operation of the nozzle orifice surface 40.

[0086] In the above exemplary embodiment, the recess 42 is formed on both sides in the main scanning direction (X direction) of the nozzle orifice, and the wipers 8 and 9 and the carriage 6 are moved relative to each other in the X direction to perform the wiping operation. However, the present application is not limited to this configuration. For example, the recess 42 can be formed on both sides in the sub scanning direction (Y direction) of the nozzle orifice, and the wipers 8 and 9 and the carriage 6 can be moved relative to each other in the Y direction to perform the wiping operation.

[0087] In the above exemplary embodiment, the slide 7 on which the wipers 8 and 9 are mounted is moved to change the wiper intrusion amount. Alternatively, a configuration for changing the length of each wiper 8 and 9 extending in the positive Z direction from the slide 7 can be used. More alternatively, the wiper intrusion amount can be changed by changing the length of each wiper 8 and 9 extending from the slide 7 without changing the distance in the Z direction between the nozzle orifice surface 40 and the slide 7.

[0088] Other Embodiments

[0089] The embodiments of the present application can also be embodied by a method for providing software (program) for executing the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or an apparatus through a network or various storage media, and a method for reading and executing the program by a computer or a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU) of the system or the apparatus.

[0090] According to the aspect of the present application, it is possible to prevent a discharge failure from occurring after the wiping operation while sufficiently cleaning the nozzle orifice surface.

[0091] While the present application has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the application is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the claims is to be construed in accordance with the widest interpretation available to encompass all the variants, equivalents and alternatives of the application.

Claims

1. An ejection apparatus comprising: an ejection head including an ejection port surface on which ejection ports configured to eject liquid are arranged, and a recess formed at a position on a side of the ejection port surface different from the ejection port surface and recessed deeper than the ejection port surface at least; a wiper configured to wipe the ejection port surface; a mounting unit on which the wiper is mounted; and a moving unit configured to move the squeegee and the ejection head relative to each other by moving at least one of the wiper and the ejection head to move the wiper relative to the ejection head along the ejection port surface in a first direction, characterized in that the wiper performs a wiping operation for wiping the ejection head to wipe the ejection ports after wiping the recess, and in the wiping operation, a first wiping operation is performed in a state where the ejection port surface and the mounting unit on which the wiper is mounted have a first distance in a direction perpendicular to the ejection port surface, and then a second wiping operation is performed in a state where the ejection port surface and the mounting unit on which the wiper is mounted have a second distance in the direction perpendicular to the ejection port surface, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

2. The ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The ejection apparatus further comprises: a cover configured to cover the ejection port surface, the moving unit moves the cover and the ejection head relative to each other to a position where the cover covers the ejection port surface, and after the cover covers the ejection port surface, the first wiping operation and the second wiping operation are performed.

3. The ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The ejection apparatus further comprises: a heating unit configured to heat the ejection head, the heating unit performs heating after the second wiping operation.

4. The ejection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein The ejection apparatus further comprises: a detection unit configured to detect a temperature in the vicinity of the ejection ports, after the second wiping operation, the heating unit performs heating until the temperature detected by the detection unit reaches a first temperature, the heating unit stops heating when the temperature has reached the first temperature, and liquid that contributes nothing to recording is ejected from the ejection ports of the ejection head when the temperature detected by the detection unit has reached a second temperature lower than the first temperature or after a predetermined period of time elapses from when the heating unit stops heating.

5. The ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first wiping operation is performed a first number of times, the second wiping operation is performed a second number of times, and the second number is a plurality of times.

6. The ejection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein The second number is greater than the first number.

7. The ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ejection ports are configured to eject ink, and the ejection head includes an ejection port row including a plurality of the ejection ports arranged in a direction intersecting the first direction.

8. The ejection apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the ejection head is configured to eject ink of a plurality of colors, and the ejection head includes an ejection port row including a plurality of the ejection ports arranged in a direction intersecting the first direction. The ejection head includes, in the first direction, a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles configured to eject ink of a first color are arranged, and a nozzle row in which a plurality of nozzles configured to eject ink of a color different from the first color are arranged.

9. The ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The ejection apparatus further includes: a plurality of ejection heads and a plurality of wipers, Each of the plurality of ejection heads is provided with a different wiper of the plurality of wipers.

10. The ejection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The cover is not provided with an atmosphere communication valve.

11. The ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The ejection apparatus further includes a changing unit configured to change a length of the wiper extending in a second direction with respect to the nozzle surface.

12. The ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The moving unit moves the wiper and the ejection head such that a relative movement speed of the wiper and the ejection head in the first wiping operation coincides with a relative movement speed of the wiper and the ejection head in the second wiping operation.

13. The ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein During the first wiping operation and the second wiping operation, a length of the wiper extending from the mounting unit to the nozzle surface in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle surface is constant.

14. An ejection apparatus comprising: an ejection head including a nozzle and a recess, the nozzle being arranged on a nozzle surface of an ejection side of the ejection head, configured to eject a liquid, the recess being arranged on the ejection side and formed at a position different from the nozzle surface on a side of the nozzle surface of the ejection head and recessed deeper than the nozzle surface; a wiper configured to wipe the nozzle surface; a mounting unit on which the wiper is mounted; and a moving unit configured to move the squeegee and the ejection head relative to each other by moving at least one of the wiper and the ejection head to move the wiper relative to the ejection head along the nozzle surface in a first direction, wherein the wiper performs a wiping operation for wiping the ejection head to wipe the nozzle after wiping the recess, in the wiping operation, in a case where the ejection head and the wiper have a distance in the first direction, a first wiping operation is performed in a state where a portion of the wiper having a first length from a leading edge of the wiper is located on a second direction perpendicular to the nozzle surface and opposite to a direction of ejection of the liquid with respect to the nozzle surface, and in the wiping operation, after the first wiping operation, a second wiping operation is performed in a state where, in a case where the ejection head and the wiper have a distance in the first direction, a portion of the wiper having a second length from the leading edge of the wiper is located on the second direction with respect to the nozzle surface, the second length being shorter than the first length.

15. The ejection apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the second wiping operation is performed a second number of times after the first wiping operation is performed a first number of times, and the second number is more than the first number.

16. A wiping method comprising: An ink is ejected from an ejection head including an ejection port surface on which ejection ports configured to eject the ink are arranged and a recess formed at a position different from the ejection port surface on a side of the ejection port surface and recessed deeper than the ejection port surface at least; and The ejection head is wiped with a wiper to wipe the ejection port surface after wiping the recess, characterized in that, in the wiping, the ejection head is wiped so that the wiper wipes the ejection port surface to wipe the ejection port after wiping the recess, the ejection head is wiped in a state where the ejection port surface and a mounting unit in which the wiper is mounted have a first distance in a direction perpendicular to the ejection port surface, and then the ejection head is wiped in a state where the ejection port surface and the mounting unit in which the wiper is mounted have a second distance greater than the first distance in the direction perpendicular to the ejection port surface.

17. The wiping method according to claim 16, wherein, The wiping method further includes: capping is performed to cover the ejection port surface with a cap, the wiping is performed after the capping.

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