Liquid ejection device, liquid ejection device control method, and storage medium

Abstract

A liquid ejection device, a control method for the liquid ejection device, and a storage medium. Ink adhering to a scraper evaporates over time and becomes fixed to the scraper. Even using a scraper with ink stuck to it to clean a conveyor belt risks inadequate cleaning. The control unit of the liquid ejection device is capable of executing a cleaning operation in which a cleaning member cleans the conveyor belt, and a recovery operation in which the conveyor belt is rotated while the cleaning member is in contact with the conveyor belt to restore the cleaning member's cleaning capacity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting device for ejecting liquid onto a medium, and also to a control method and program for the liquid ejecting device. Background Art

[0002] In liquid ejecting devices such as inkjet printers, there is known a structure in which a medium such as recording paper is transported by a conveyor belt. In some cases, such a structure cleans the conveyor belt from which ink has adhered by a scraper.

[0003] The scraper described in Patent Document 1 is formed by coating fluororesin on polyurethane rubber and is provided so as to be able to contact and separate from the conveyor belt.

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-179953

[0005] The ink adhering to the scraper evaporates over time and becomes fixed to the scraper. Even if the conveyor belt is cleaned with such a scraper with ink fixed on it, there is a risk that the proper cleaning effect may not be achieved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The liquid ejection device of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is characterized in that it comprises a liquid ejection part for ejecting liquid onto a medium; a conveyor belt, which is opposite to the liquid ejection part and is used to transport the medium by rotation; a cleaning component for cleaning the conveyor belt by contacting with the conveyor belt and being able to switch between a contact state relative to the conveyor belt and a separation state separated from the conveyor belt; and a control part for controlling the liquid ejection action of the liquid ejection part, the rotation action of the conveyor belt, and the state switching of the cleaning component, wherein the control part is able to perform: a cleaning action, in which the cleaning component cleans the conveyor belt; and a recovery action, in which the cleaning ability of the cleaning component is restored by rotating the conveyor belt while the cleaning component is in contact with the conveyor belt.

[0007] In addition, the control method of the liquid ejection device of the present invention is characterized in that the liquid ejection device comprises: a liquid ejection part for ejecting liquid onto a medium; a conveyor belt, opposite to the liquid ejection part, for conveying the medium by rotation; and a cleaning component for cleaning the conveyor belt by contacting with the conveyor belt, and capable of switching between a contact state relative to the conveyor belt and a separation state separated from the conveyor belt, the control method includes: performing a cleaning action, the cleaning action being cleaning the conveyor belt by the cleaning component; and performing a recovery action, the recovery action being restoring the cleaning ability of the cleaning component by rotating the conveyor belt in a state where the cleaning component is in contact with the conveyor belt after the elapsed time after the cleaning action is performed reaches a set time.

[0008] In addition, the storage medium of the present invention is characterized in that it stores a program, which is a program executed by a control unit of a liquid ejecting device, and the liquid ejecting device comprises: a liquid ejecting unit for ejecting liquid onto a medium; a conveyor belt, opposite to the liquid ejecting unit, for conveying the medium by rotation; and a cleaning component for cleaning the conveyor belt by contacting the conveyor belt, and capable of switching between a contact state relative to the conveyor belt and a separation state separated from the conveyor belt, the program including: executing a cleaning action, the cleaning action being cleaning the conveyor belt by the cleaning component; and executing a recovery action, the recovery action being restoring the cleaning ability of the cleaning component by rotating the conveyor belt in a state where the cleaning component is in contact with the conveyor belt after the elapsed time after the execution of the cleaning action reaches a set time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 A diagram showing a media transport path of a printer.

[0010] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of a printer.

[0011] Figure 3 It is a side view of the conveyor belt, the first cleaning unit, and the second cleaning unit.

[0012] Figure 4 It is a side view of the conveyor belt, the first cleaning unit, and the second cleaning unit.

[0013] Figure 5 This is a graph showing the relationship between the water content of the ink remaining on the squeegee and the elapsed time.

[0014] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing the flow of control for performing the recovery operation of the scraper.

[0015] Figure 7This is a flowchart showing the flow of processing for adjusting the timing of performing the recovery operation of the scraper.

[0016] Figure 8 This is a graph showing the relationship between the evaporation rate of water contained in ink and humidity.

[0017] Figure 9 (a), (b), and (c) are graphs showing the moving speed of the conveyor belt when the scraper performs the recovery operation.

[0018] Figure 10 This is a flowchart showing the flow of control when performing a conveyor belt cleaning operation.

[0019] Description of Reference Numerals

[0020] 1…Inkjet printer; 2…Device body; 3…First media cassette; 4…Second media cassette; 5…Ink container; 9, 10…Pickup roller; 11, 12…Feed roller pair; 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22…Conveyor roller pair; 17…Conveyor roller pair; 23, 24…Flap; 25…Head unit; 26…Line head; 27…Ejection tray; 29…Charging roller; 30…Belt unit; 31…Drive pulley; 32…Driven pulley; 33…Conveyor belt; 33a…Outer peripheral surface; 34…Auxiliary roller; 35…First cleaning unit ; 36…scraper; 37…fixing component; 38…rotating shaft; 40…second cleaning unit; 41…cleaning sheet; 42…driving wheel; 43, 44…driven wheels; 45…tensioner; 50…control unit; 51…CPU; 52…non-volatile memory; 53…interface; 54…operation panel; 57…belt driving motor; 58…belt charging unit; 59…scraper driving unit; 60…unit driving unit; 61…sheet driving motor; 65…upstream sensor; 66…downstream sensor; 67…temperature and humidity sensor; 90…external computer; P…medium. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Hereinafter, the present invention will be briefly described.

[0022] The liquid ejecting device involved in the first embodiment is characterized in that it comprises: a liquid ejecting part for ejecting liquid onto a medium; a conveyor belt, which is opposite to the liquid ejecting part and is used to transport the medium by rotating; a cleaning component for cleaning the conveyor belt by contacting with the conveyor belt and is capable of switching between a contact state relative to the conveyor belt and a separation state separated from the conveyor belt; and a control part for controlling the liquid ejecting action of the liquid ejecting part, the rotation action of the conveyor belt, and the state switching of the cleaning component, wherein the control part is capable of performing: a cleaning action in which the cleaning component cleans the conveyor belt; and a recovery action in which the cleaning ability of the cleaning component is restored by rotating the conveyor belt in a state in which the cleaning component is in contact with the conveyor belt.

[0023] According to this embodiment, the control unit can execute: a cleaning operation in which the cleaning member cleans the conveyor belt; and a recovery operation in which the conveyor belt is rotated while the cleaning member is in contact with the conveyor belt to restore the cleaning ability of the cleaning member. Therefore, if liquid remains in the cleaning member, the recovery operation can remove at least a portion of the remaining liquid. Thus, the cleaning ability of the cleaning member can be restored, allowing the conveyor belt to be properly cleaned.

[0024] It should be noted that the liquid removed from the cleaning part by the recovery action includes: liquid attached to the cleaning part in a state where almost no water evaporates or only a small amount of water evaporates, liquid attached to the cleaning part in a state where the viscosity becomes strong due to water evaporation, and liquid attached to the cleaning part in a state where almost all water evaporates and solidifies, and at least one of these liquids is removed from the cleaning part by the recovery action.

[0025] A second aspect is characterized in that, in the first aspect, the control unit executes the recovery operation after a timing at which the water content of the liquid in the cleaning member falls below a predetermined water content after the cleaning operation is executed.

[0026] After the cleaning operation is performed, the water content of the liquid in the cleaning member gradually decreases due to evaporation. According to this embodiment, the control unit performs the recovery operation after the water content of the liquid in the cleaning member falls below a predetermined water content after the cleaning operation is performed. Therefore, unnecessary execution of the recovery operation can be suppressed, and reduction in the life of the cleaning member can be suppressed.

[0027] A third aspect is characterized in that, in the second aspect, the control unit determines the timing based on an elapsed time after execution of the cleaning operation.

[0028] According to this aspect, the control unit determines the timing based on the elapsed time after the cleaning operation is performed, so that the timing can be easily managed.

[0029] The fourth method is characterized in that, in the second or third method, the liquid ejection device includes a detection unit, which can obtain at least one of humidity and temperature. When the humidity is obtained, the control unit sets the time to reach the timing to be shorter when the humidity is a first humidity than when it is a second humidity, wherein the second humidity is higher than the first humidity. When the temperature is obtained, the control unit sets the time to reach the timing to be shorter when the temperature is a first temperature than when it is a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is lower than the first temperature.

[0030] The water content of the liquid remaining in the cleaning member is affected by at least one of humidity and temperature. For example, the lower the humidity or the higher the temperature, the more significant the evaporation of water from the liquid. According to this embodiment, the control unit adjusts the timing based on at least one of humidity and temperature, thereby enabling the timing of executing the recovery action to be set to be more appropriate.

[0031] The fifth method is characterized in that, in any one of the second to fourth methods, the control unit performs the cleaning action when liquid is mistakenly ejected from the liquid ejection unit relative to the conveyor belt, and the control unit sets the time to reach the timing to be shorter than that in the case of the second ejection duty ratio when the ejection duty ratio at the time of the mistaken ejection is the first ejection duty ratio, wherein the second ejection duty ratio is higher than the first ejection duty ratio.

[0032] The water content of the liquid remaining in the cleaning member is affected by the discharge duty ratio when the liquid is accidentally discharged from the liquid discharge unit toward the conveyor belt. According to this embodiment, the control unit adjusts the timing based on the discharge duty ratio, so that the timing of executing the recovery action can be set to be more appropriate.

[0033] A sixth aspect, in the second aspect, is characterized in that the control unit determines the timing by estimating the water content of the liquid.

[0034] According to this embodiment, the control unit determines the timing by estimating the water content of the liquid, so the timing of executing the recovery action can be set to be more appropriate. In addition, unnecessary execution of the recovery action can be suppressed, and the reduction in the life of the cleaning component can be suppressed.

[0035] The seventh mode is characterized in that, in any one of the first to sixth modes, the recovery action includes: a first mode, causing the conveyor belt to move at a first speed relative to the cleaning component; and a second mode, causing the conveyor belt to move at a second speed relative to the cleaning component that is faster than the first speed.

[0036] According to this method, the recovery action includes: a first mode, causing the conveyor belt to move at a first speed relative to the cleaning component; and a second mode, causing the conveyor belt to move at a second speed relative to the cleaning component that is faster than the first speed. Therefore, the effect of the recovery action can be effectively obtained by the second mode while the wear of the cleaning component can be suppressed by the first mode.

[0037] An eighth aspect is characterized in that, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, the recovery operation includes a speed change pattern that periodically changes the moving speed of the conveyor belt relative to the cleaning member.

[0038] According to this embodiment, the recovery action includes a speed change pattern that periodically changes the moving speed of the conveyor belt relative to the cleaning member, thereby adding a bending behavior to the cleaning member, thereby improving the removal effect of the liquid remaining in the cleaning member.

[0039] It should be noted that periodically changing the moving speed of the conveyor belt means, for example, changing the moving speed in a rectangular wave pattern and repeatedly accelerating and decelerating the moving speed.

[0040] The ninth mode is characterized in that, in any one of the first to eighth modes, the control unit is capable of executing a first cleaning action and a second cleaning action having a better cleaning effect than the first cleaning action as cleaning actions, and when the cleaning action is performed during the period from performing the cleaning action to performing the recovery action, the first cleaning action is selected before reaching a determined action switching timing, and the second cleaning action is selected after the action switching timing.

[0041] When the cleaning operation is performed between the cleaning operation and the recovery operation, the longer the time after the cleaning operation, the higher the viscosity of the liquid remaining in the cleaning member, and there is a risk that the cleaning ability when cleaning the conveyor belt will be reduced.

[0042] According to this method, when the control unit performs the cleaning action during the period from performing the cleaning action to performing the recovery action, the control unit selects the second cleaning action with better cleaning effect than the first cleaning action after the determined action switching timing, thereby compensating for the reduction in the cleaning ability of the cleaning component and properly cleaning the conveyor belt.

[0043] The tenth method is characterized in that, in the ninth method, the control unit increases at least one of the cleaning time, the contact pressure of the cleaning component relative to the conveyor belt, and the moving speed of the conveyor belt relative to the cleaning component in the second cleaning action compared to the first cleaning action.

[0044] According to this method, the control unit increases at least one of the cleaning time, the contact pressure of the cleaning component relative to the conveyor belt, and the moving speed of the conveyor belt relative to the cleaning component in the second cleaning action compared to the first cleaning action, so it is easy to achieve the second cleaning action with better cleaning effect than the first cleaning action.

[0045] The eleventh method is characterized in that, in any one of the first to tenth methods, the cleaning component is set as a first cleaning component, and the liquid ejecting device is provided with a second cleaning component downstream of the cleaning component in the moving direction of the conveyor belt, and the second cleaning component cleans the conveyor belt by contacting the conveyor belt.

[0046] According to this aspect, the cleaning member is the first cleaning member, and the second cleaning member is provided in addition to the first cleaning member. Therefore, the conveyor belt can be cleaned more reliably.

[0047] The control method of the liquid ejection device involved in the twelfth embodiment is characterized in that the liquid ejection device comprises: a liquid ejection part for ejecting liquid onto a medium; a conveyor belt, which is opposite to the liquid ejection part and is used to convey the medium by rotating; and a cleaning component for cleaning the conveyor belt by contacting with the conveyor belt, and is capable of switching between a contact state relative to the conveyor belt and a separation state separated from the conveyor belt, the control method comprising: performing a cleaning action, wherein the cleaning action is to clean the conveyor belt by the cleaning component; and performing a recovery action, wherein the recovery action is to restore the cleaning ability of the cleaning component by rotating the conveyor belt in a state where the cleaning component is in contact with the conveyor belt after the elapsed time after the cleaning action is performed reaches a set time.

[0048] According to this aspect, when liquid remains in the cleaning member, at least a portion of the remaining liquid can be removed by the recovery operation. This allows the cleaning ability of the cleaning member to be recovered, allowing the conveyor belt to be properly cleaned.

[0049] The program involved in the thirteenth method is characterized in that it is a program executed by a control unit of a liquid ejecting device, wherein the liquid ejecting device comprises: a liquid ejecting unit for ejecting liquid onto a medium; a conveyor belt, opposite to the liquid ejecting unit, for conveying the medium by rotation; and a cleaning component for cleaning the conveyor belt by contacting the conveyor belt, and capable of switching between a contact state relative to the conveyor belt and a separation state separated from the conveyor belt, the program comprising: executing a cleaning action, wherein the cleaning action is to clean the conveyor belt by the cleaning component; and executing a recovery action, wherein the recovery action is to restore the cleaning ability of the cleaning component by rotating the conveyor belt in a state where the cleaning component is in contact with the conveyor belt after the elapsed time after the execution of the cleaning action reaches a set time.

[0050] According to this aspect, when liquid remains in the cleaning member, at least a portion of the remaining liquid can be removed by the recovery operation. This allows the cleaning ability of the cleaning member to be recovered, allowing the conveyor belt to be properly cleaned.

[0051] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.

[0052] Hereinafter, an inkjet printer 1 that performs recording by ejecting a liquid such as ink onto a medium such as recording paper will be described as an example of a liquid ejecting device.

[0053] The XYZ coordinate system shown in the figures is a rectangular coordinate system. The Y-axis direction is the width direction that intersects the media feed direction and is also the depth direction of the device. It should be noted that the +Y direction of the Y-axis is the direction from the front of the device toward the back, and the -Y direction is the direction from the back of the device toward the front.

[0054] The X-axis is the width of the printer. From the perspective of the printer 1 operator, the +X direction indicated by the arrow is the left side, while the -X direction, which is the opposite direction, is the right side. The Z-axis is the vertical direction, or the height of the printer. The +Z direction indicated by the arrow is the upward direction, while the -Z direction, which is the opposite direction, is the downward direction.

[0055] The G-axis direction is the normal direction relative to the ink ejection surface 26a of the line head 26, described later. The F-axis direction is parallel to the ink ejection surface 26a, that is, the media transport direction at a position opposite the ink ejection surface 26a. The direction indicated by the arrow, i.e., the +F direction, is the downstream transport direction, while the opposite -F direction is the upstream transport direction. It should be noted that the direction in which the media is transported may be referred to as "downstream," and the opposite direction may be referred to as "upstream."

[0056] In addition, in some drawings, the FGY coordinate system is used instead of the XYZ coordinate system.

[0057] exist Figure 1 In the figure, a medium conveying path is shown by a dotted line. In the printer 1, the medium is conveyed through the medium conveying path shown by the dotted line.

[0058] The printer 1 includes a main body 2 having a first media cassette 3 and a second media cassette 4 for storing pre-fed media. Reference symbol P indicates the media stored in each media cassette. The first and second media cassettes 3 and 4 are detachably mounted on the main body 2 from the front.

[0059] A pickup roller 9 for feeding out the stored medium is provided with respect to the first medium cassette 3 , and a pickup roller 10 for feeding out the stored medium is provided with respect to the second medium cassette 4 .

[0060] The first media cassette 3 is provided with a feed roller pair 11 for feeding the delivered medium obliquely upward. The second media cassette 4 is provided with a feed roller pair 12 for feeding the delivered medium obliquely upward and a conveying roller pair 13 for conveying the medium upward.

[0061] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the "roller pair" referred to below is constituted by a driving roller driven by a motor (not shown) and a driven roller that rotates in contact with the driving roller.

[0062] The media fed from each media cassette is fed to the feed roller pair 16 by the feed roller pair 14 and the feed roller pair 15. The media fed by the feed roller pair 16 is fed between the line head 26 and the feed belt 33, that is, to a position facing the line head 26.

[0063] The head unit 25 includes a line head 26, which performs recording by ejecting ink, an example of a liquid, onto the surface of a medium. The line head 26 is an ink ejection head composed of nozzles (not shown) that eject ink, covering the entire width of the medium. This ink ejection head is capable of recording across the entire width of the medium without moving across the width of the medium. The line head 26 is an example of a liquid ejection unit that ejects liquid.

[0064] However, the ink ejection head may be of a type that performs recording while moving in the width direction of the medium.

[0065] Reference numeral 5 denotes an ink container for storing ink. Ink ejected from the line head 26 is supplied from the ink container 5 to the line head 26 via a conduit (not shown). The ink container 5 is composed of a plurality of ink tanks arranged along the X-axis direction.

[0066] The conveyor belt 33, the driving wheel 31 and the driven wheel 32 constitute the belt unit 30. The conveyor belt 33 is an endless belt wound around the driving wheel and the driven wheel 32. The conveyor belt 33 is driven by the driving motor 57 (see Figure 2 ) is driven to rotate.

[0067] The medium is conveyed to a position facing the line head 26 while being attracted to the conveyor belt 33. The attraction of the medium to the conveyor belt 33 will be described again later.

[0068] Here, the medium conveying path passing through the position facing the line head 26 is configured to intersect both the horizontal direction and the vertical direction and convey the medium in an obliquely upward direction. Figure 1 The direction in the middle includes a −X direction component and a +Z direction component. With this configuration, the horizontal dimension of the printer 1 can be suppressed.

[0069] Note that, in this embodiment, the medium conveyance path passing through the position facing the line head 26 is set to have an inclination angle of 50° to 70° relative to the horizontal direction, more specifically, an inclination angle of 60°.

[0070] The medium whose first surface has been recorded by the line head 26 is further conveyed obliquely upward by the conveying roller pair 17 located downstream of the conveying belt 33 .

[0071] A flap 23 is provided downstream of the conveyor roller pair 17, which switches the media's conveying direction. When the media is discharged directly, the flap 23 switches the media's conveying path toward the upward conveyor roller pair 20. A flap 24 is further provided downstream of the conveyor roller pair 20, which switches the conveying path to either discharge from discharge position A1 or to convey to the vertically upward conveyor roller pair 21. Once the media is delivered to the conveyor roller pair 21, it is discharged from discharge position A2.

[0072] The medium discharged from the discharge position A1 is received by the discharge tray 27, which is tilted upward in a direction including a +X direction component and a +Z direction component. The medium discharged from the discharge position A2 is received by an additional tray (not shown).

[0073] To record on the second side of the medium in addition to the first side, the medium is fed by flap 23 in an upward, oblique direction encompassing both a -X component and a +Z component, passing through branching point K1 and then fed to a reversing path above branching point K1. This reversing path is equipped with a conveyor roller pair 22. Once the medium enters the reversing path, it is conveyed upward by the conveyor roller pair 22. When the upstream end of the medium passes branching point K1, the direction of rotation of the conveyor roller pair 22 is switched, and the medium is conveyed downward.

[0074] The medium conveyed downward by the conveying roller pair 22 receives conveying force from the conveying roller pair 18 , the conveying roller pair 19 , and the conveying roller pair 15 , reaches the conveying roller pair 16 , and is then conveyed to the conveyor belt 33 by the conveying roller pair 16 .

[0075] The medium is again delivered to a position facing the line head 26, with the second side of the medium, which is opposite to the first side on which recording has already been performed, facing the line head 26. This allows the line head 26 to record on the second side of the medium. The medium with recorded second side is discharged from the aforementioned discharge position A1 or discharge position A2.

[0076] Next, refer to Figure 3 、 Figure 4 , the belt unit 30 , the first cleaning unit 35 , and the second cleaning unit 40 will be described.

[0077] The conveyor belt 33 constituting the belt unit 30 is an endless belt formed from a base material such as polyurethane or rubber, which may contain a conductive material as needed to adjust the resistance value. The belt is wound around an upstream drive pulley 31 and a downstream driven pulley 32. A predetermined tension is applied to the conveyor belt 33 by a tensioner (not shown).

[0078] The driving wheel 31 is driven by a driving motor 57 (see Figure 2 ) is driven to rotate, and the belt drive motor 57 is driven by the control unit 50 (refer to Figure 2 ) control. If the driving wheel 31 is driven to rotate in the direction of arrow a, the conveyor belt 33 is driven to rotate in the direction of arrow a. Figure 3 and Figure 4 Hereinafter, the rotation of the conveyor belt 33 is referred to as "forward rotation".

[0079] If the driving wheel 31 is driven to rotate in the direction of arrow b, the conveyor belt 33 moves along Figure 3 and Figure 4 Hereinafter, the rotation of the conveyor belt 33 is referred to as "reverse rotation".

[0080] A charging roller 29 is provided at a position facing the driving wheel 31 with the conveyor belt 33 interposed therebetween.

[0081] The charging roller 29 is in contact with the outer surface of the conveyor belt 33 and is driven to rotate according to the rotation of the conveyor belt 33. The charging roller 29 is provided with a charging portion 58 (see Figure 2 ) is applied with a DC voltage, thereby the charging roller 29 supplies electric charge to the portion in contact with the conveyor belt 33. The belt charging section 58 (see Figure 2 ) is controlled by the control section 50, switching on and off the application of voltage to the charging roller 29, and switching the voltage applied to the charging roller 29.

[0082] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the charging roller 29 supplies positive charge to the conveyor belt 33, so that the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33 is positively charged. As a result, the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33 becomes the adsorption surface of the adsorption medium.

[0083] An auxiliary roller 34 in contact with the medium is provided upstream of the line head 26. The auxiliary roller 34 presses the medium against the portion of the conveyor belt 33 where it is wound around the drive wheel 31. The auxiliary roller 34 is grounded, thereby removing charge from the recording surface of the medium.

[0084] Next, a first cleaning unit 35 is provided near the driven pulley 32. The first cleaning unit 35 includes a scraper 36 as an example of a cleaning member for cleaning the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33. The scraper 36 is fixed by a fixing member 37, which is rotatable about a rotation axis 38.

[0085] For example, the scraper 36 is a plate-shaped elastic member having a predetermined thickness, formed of polyurethane, rubber, or the like, and is elastically deformable while in contact with the conveyor belt 33. The front end of the scraper 36 contacts the portion of the conveyor belt 33 that is wound around the drive wheel 31, thereby cleaning the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33.

[0086] The rotary shaft 38 is driven by a scraper drive unit 59 (see Figure 2 ) rotates, the rotating shaft 38 rotates, and the scraper 36 switches the contact state with the conveyor belt 33 (refer to Figure 3 ) and the separation state of the scraper 36 from the conveyor belt 33 (refer to Figure 4 The conveyor belt 33 rotates forward while the scraper 36 is in contact with the conveyor belt 33 , thereby removing ink, paper dust, and other attached materials attached to the outer peripheral surface 33 a of the conveyor belt 33 .

[0087] It should be noted that the scraper drive unit 59 (see Figure 2 ) can be constituted by an actuator such as a motor. In addition, the control unit 50 can adjust the pressing force when the scraper 36 is pressed against the conveyor belt 33 by adjusting the rotation amount of the rotating shaft 38.

[0088] A second cleaning section 40 is provided below the first cleaning section 35. The second cleaning section 40 is located downstream of the first cleaning section 35 in the direction of movement of the conveyor belt 33. A cleaning sheet 41 is wound around a drive pulley 42 and driven pulleys 43 and 44, and tensioned by a tensioner 45. If the scraper 36 serves as the first cleaning member, the cleaning sheet 41 becomes the second cleaning member.

[0089] The cleaning sheet 41 is an endless cloth in this embodiment and can be pressed against the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33 by the driven pulley 43. The driving pulley 42 is driven by the sheet driving motor 61 (see Figure 2 ) is driven to rotate. The driving wheel 42 is along Figure 3 The cleaning sheet 41 is rotated in the clockwise direction. Figure 3 Move in clockwise direction.

[0090] The second cleaning unit 40 is provided so as to be movable in the direction of advance and retreat relative to the conveyor belt 33, specifically, in the G-axis direction, and receives the signal from the unit driving unit 60 (see FIG. Figure 2 ) is driven by the conveyor belt 33 to advance and retreat. The unit driving unit 60 can be formed by an actuator such as a motor.

[0091] When the second cleaning unit 40 is fed relative to the conveyor belt 33, the cleaning sheet 41 is pressed against the conveyor belt 33 by the driven wheel 43. In this state, the conveyor belt 33 rotates forward and the cleaning sheet 41 rotates and moves, thereby wiping the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The second cleaning unit 40 is shown in a state of being retracted relative to the conveyor belt 33 , and the state of the cleaning unit 40 being advanced relative to the conveyor belt 33 is omitted from illustration.

[0092] The belt drive motor 57, the belt charging unit 58, the scraper drive unit 59, the unit drive unit 60 and the sheet drive motor 61 are as follows: Figure 2 The control is performed by a control unit 50 as a control device.

[0093] The control unit 50 is a control unit that performs overall control of the printer 1 , and in addition to the above-mentioned components, controls the line head 26 and a medium transport motor (not shown).

[0094] The control unit 50 includes a CPU 51 and non-volatile memory 52. ​​The non-volatile memory 52 stores programs PR and various parameters used to control the printer 1. The programs PR include programs for implementing the various controls described below, and the non-volatile memory 52 stores various parameters required to execute the programs PR. Note that reference symbol N1 indicates data required for the recovery operation of the conveyor belt 33, described later.

[0095] Signals from the operation panel 54 are input to the control unit 50, and signals for displaying information are output from the control unit 50 to the display unit (not shown) of the operation panel 54. Various setting information input via the operation panel 54 is stored in the nonvolatile memory 52. ​​The control unit 50 performs various controls based on the various setting information.

[0096] The control unit 50 includes an interface 53 for communicating with an external computer 90. The control unit 50 acquires recording data, or recording data, generated by a printer driver operating in the external computer 90 or a printer driver included in the control unit 50. Based on this recording data, the control unit 50 controls various mechanical components, such as the line head 26. This recording data also includes information about the size of the medium.

[0097] Furthermore, detection signals from various sensors are input to the control unit 50 , and the control unit 50 performs necessary control based on the detection signals. Figure 2 A portion of various sensors, namely, an upstream sensor 65 , a downstream sensor 66 , and a temperature and humidity sensor 67 are shown.

[0098] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the upstream sensor 65 is located at a position opposite the conveyor belt 33 and upstream of the line head 26. Furthermore, the downstream sensor 66 is located at a position opposite the conveyor belt 33 and downstream of the line head 26. The upstream sensor 65 and the downstream sensor 66 are optical sensors each having a light-emitting portion that emits light toward the conveyor belt 33 and a light-receiving portion that receives light reflected from the conveyor belt 33 or the medium. Based on the detection signal from the upstream sensor 65, the control unit 50 can detect the passage of the leading edge or trailing edge of the medium at the position of the upstream sensor 65 and can also detect the passage of the leading edge or trailing edge of the medium at the position of the downstream sensor 66.

[0099] Specifically, if, after detecting the passage of the leading edge of the medium at the position of the upstream sensor 65, the passage of the leading edge of the medium at the position of the downstream sensor 66 is not detected after a predetermined period of time, the control unit 50 determines that a medium blockage has occurred. If the control unit 50 determines that a medium blockage has occurred, the recording operation is stopped. This stopping of the recording operation includes stopping the ejection of ink from the line head 26 and stopping the drive of the conveyor belt 33 and other conveyor roller pairs.

[0100] The temperature and humidity sensor 67 is provided inside the device, and the control unit 50 can grasp the temperature and humidity inside the device based on the information received from the temperature and humidity sensor 67 .

[0101] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the temperature and humidity sensor 67 is preferably disposed near the conveyor belt 33. As will be described in detail later, in this embodiment, the temperature and humidity acquired by the temperature and humidity sensor 67 are used to determine the ease or difficulty of drying the ink adhered to the conveyor belt 33.

[0102] However, the temperature and humidity sensor 67 may also be provided outside the device. In addition, the temperature sensor and the humidity sensor may be provided separately, in which case at least one of them may also be provided outside the device.

[0103] In this embodiment, the control unit 50 uses at least one of the first cleaning unit 35 and the second cleaning unit 40 to clean the outer peripheral surface 33a of the conveyor belt 33. The control unit 50 can select: using only the cleaning operation of the first cleaning unit 35; using both the first cleaning unit 35 and the second cleaning unit 40; or using only the cleaning operation of the second cleaning unit 40.

[0104] For example, during a scheduled cleaning operation, the control unit 50 may select to perform a cleaning operation using only the first cleaning unit 35. The control unit 50 includes a device that measures the time elapsed since the scheduled cleaning operation. If the time elapsed since the last scheduled cleaning operation reaches a predetermined time, the scheduled cleaning operation is performed. Furthermore, a cleaning operation using only the first cleaning unit 35 is also performed after a recording job is completed, that is, when the printer 1 enters the standby mode.

[0105] For example, a case where the control unit 50 selects the cleaning operation using both the first cleaning unit 35 and the second cleaning unit 40 can be exemplified by a case where, after the recording operation has stopped due to a jam in the transmission medium, the user removes the medium and presses the OK button on the operation panel 54. In such a case where a jam in the medium occurs, there is a risk of ink being accidentally ejected onto the conveyor belt 33 and adhering to the conveyor belt 33. Therefore, the control unit 50 executes the cleaning operation using both the first cleaning unit 35 and the second cleaning unit 40.

[0106] Other examples of situations in which the control unit 50 selects to use both the first cleaning unit 35 and the second cleaning unit 40 for cleaning operations include performing edgeless recording by ejecting ink toward both the edge of the medium and an area deviating from the edge of the medium to record without leaving any blank space on the edge of the medium, and ejecting ink from the line head 26 toward the conveyor belt 33 as part of maintenance of the line head 26.

[0107] It should be noted that the recovery operation of the scraper 36 described below is executed based on the execution of the cleaning operations by both the first cleaning unit 35 and the second cleaning unit 40 , but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0108] Examples of situations in which the control unit 50 selects to use only the second cleaning unit 40 for cleaning can include situations where the number of duplex printing operations reaches a predetermined value, or when there is a risk of condensation forming on the conveyor belt 33. The control unit 50 includes a device that counts the number of duplex printing operations. If the number of duplex printing operations reaches the predetermined value, the control unit 50 executes cleaning operations using only the second cleaning unit 40. This is because, during duplex printing, recording is initially performed on the first side. When recording is performed on the second side, the opposite side, the first side comes into contact with the conveyor belt 33, creating a risk of ink adhering to the conveyor belt 33. Furthermore, if condensation forms on the conveyor belt 33, there is a risk of media wetting. Therefore, the control unit 50 executes cleaning operations using only the second cleaning unit 40. Examples of situations in which there is a risk of condensation forming on the conveyor belt 33 include a sudden change to high humidity or a sudden temperature increase after being stored at a low temperature.

[0109] Next, the recovery operation of the scraper 36 will be described. In particular, after cleaning the conveyor belt 33 that has become contaminated by the aforementioned accidental ejection, there is a high probability that ink will remain on the scraper 36. The ink remaining on the scraper 36 then evaporates over time and becomes fixed to the scraper 36. Even when cleaning the conveyor belt 33 with the scraper 36 still clinging to ink, there is a risk that adequate cleaning results may not be achieved. Therefore, the control unit 50 is configured to be able to execute the recovery operation of the scraper 36.

[0110] Figure 5 The figure shows the relationship between the water content H of the ink remaining on the scraper 36 and the elapsed time T. The starting point of the elapsed time T can be set to an appropriate time point, such as the start or completion of the cleaning operation of the conveyor belt 33, or halfway through the cleaning operation. The water content H1 is the water content at the starting point of the elapsed time T.

[0111] As the conveyor belt 33 is cleaned, the water content H of the ink remaining on the scraper 36 decreases over time. For example, if the water content H decreases to H3, this will negatively affect the cleaning of the conveyor belt 33. In this case, the scraper 36 is restored after the elapsed time T reaches time T2.

[0112] In this embodiment, the return action of the scraper 36 is performed by rotating the conveyor belt 33 while the scraper 36 is in contact with the conveyor belt 33. This allows at least a portion of the ink remaining on the scraper 36 to fall off and be removed due to friction between the scraper 36 and the conveyor belt 33. The rotation amount of the conveyor belt 33 in this case can be set as appropriate, but it is preferably at least one rotation.

[0113] Figure 6 This is a process executed by the control unit 50 at a predetermined timing, that is, a process of determining whether to perform a recovery action of the scraper 36 and executing the recovery action according to the conditions. The predetermined timing may be, for example, when the printer 1 is powered on, when a printing job is finished, when entering the power saving mode, or when resetting from the power saving mode. Of course, it may also be performed at timings other than these. Figure 6 In addition, it is also possible to perform the processing at all the timings in the above-mentioned multiple timings. Figure 6 or it can be done at a certain time. Figure 6 processing.

[0114] The control unit 50 determines whether the cleaning flag is ON or OFF (step S101). The cleaning flag is stored in the nonvolatile memory 52 (see Figure 2 ) data, and can be either ON or OFF. The situations where the cleaning flag is set to ON and OFF will be described later. The cleaning flag being ON indicates a state where there is a high probability that ink remains on the scraper 36, such as after a cleaning operation of the conveyor belt 33. The cleaning flag being OFF indicates a state where there is a high probability that no ink remains on the scraper 36, such as after a recovery operation of the scraper 36.

[0115] Of course, in the process of determining whether to perform the recovery operation of the scraper 36, it is not necessary to use the above-mentioned cleaning flag.

[0116] If the cleaning flag is OFF, the control unit 50 ends the process. If the cleaning flag is ON, it determines whether the elapsed time T is greater than time T2 (step S102). Time T2 is stored in the nonvolatile memory 52 ( Figure 2 ), the control unit 50 reads the time T2 from the non-volatile memory 52.

[0117] When the elapsed time T has not reached time T2 (No in step S102), the cleaning flag is reset to ON (step S106) and the process ends.

[0118] If the elapsed time T is greater than time T2 (YES in step S102 ), the recovery operation of the scraper 36 is performed (step S103 ), the elapsed time T is reset to zero (step S104 ), and then the cleaning flag is turned OFF (step S105 ).

[0119] It should be noted that the elapsed time T is always measured when the printer 1 is powered on or in power saving mode. If the printer 1 is powered off, the date and time of the elapsed time T before the power off are stored in the non-volatile memory 52 (see Figure 2 When the printer 1 is powered on, the timer 1 restarts by calculating the elapsed time T based on the information stored in the nonvolatile memory 52 and the date and time when the printer 1 was powered on.

[0120] As described above, the control unit 50 can execute a cleaning operation in which the scraper 36 cleans the conveyor belt 33 , and a recovery operation in which the scraper 36 recovers the cleaning capability of the conveyor belt 33 by rotating the conveyor belt 33 while the scraper 36 is in contact with the conveyor belt 33 .

[0121] In addition, the program executed by the control unit 50 and the control method implemented by the control unit 50 executing the program include the steps of performing a cleaning operation of cleaning the conveyor belt 33 by the scraper 36 (described later). Figure 10 and performing a recovery step (step S103) of recovering the cleaning ability of the scraper 36 by rotating the conveyor belt 33 while the scraper 36 is in contact with the conveyor belt 33 after the time T after the cleaning action is performed reaches the set time, i.e., time T2.

[0122] Thus, when ink remains on the scraper 36 , at least a portion of the remaining ink can be removed by the recovery operation, thereby recovering the cleaning capability of the scraper 36 and properly cleaning the conveyor belt 33 .

[0123] Furthermore, compared to the case where the ink adhered to the squeegee 36 is dissolved with water, a solvent, or the like, or mechanically removed using equipment, it is possible to avoid cost increases and increases in the size of the device.

[0124] In addition, after the control unit 50 performs the cleaning operation on the conveyor belt 33, the above-mentioned recovery operation is performed at a timing when the water content of the ink on the scraper 36 reaches a predetermined water content. In the above example, the predetermined water content is Figure 5 Thus, it is possible to suppress the execution of unnecessary recovery actions.

[0125] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 50 determines the timing using the elapsed time T, so that the timing can be easily managed.

[0126] It should be noted that the nonvolatile memory 52 (see Figure 2 ) The time T2 read can be adjusted based on at least one of the humidity and temperature. In this embodiment, the humidity and temperature can be adjusted by the temperature and humidity sensor 67 (refer to Figure 2 ) to obtain.

[0127] For example, when the control unit 50 obtains the humidity, the time T2 is set shorter when the humidity is the first humidity than when the humidity is the second humidity which is higher than the first humidity. This is because the water content of the ink evaporates more significantly when the humidity is relatively low.

[0128] Alternatively, when the control unit 50 acquires the temperature, if the temperature is the first temperature, the time T2 is set shorter than if the temperature is the second temperature which is lower than the first temperature. This is because the water content of the ink evaporates more significantly when the temperature is relatively high.

[0129] It should be noted that the control unit 50 may also adjust the time T2, ie, the above-mentioned timing, based on both the temperature and the humidity.

[0130] According to the above aspect, the timing for executing the recovery operation of the scraper 36 can be set to be more appropriate.

[0131] Figure 7 2 is a diagram showing the process of adjusting the time T2. When the elapsed time T reaches the predetermined period ("Yes" in step S201), the control unit 50 obtains the humidity and temperature (step S202). It should be noted that, for example, the predetermined period can be set to an appropriate time interval such as 24 hours, 48 ​​hours, and 72 hours. In addition, Figure 7 The processing shown may be performed at a predetermined timing instead of the predetermined period of time T. Examples of the predetermined timing include when the printer 1 is powered on, when a printing job is finished, when the printer enters the power saving mode, when the printer is reset from the power saving mode, etc. Of course, the processing may be performed at timings other than these. Figure 7 In addition, it is also possible to perform the processing at all the timings in the above-mentioned multiple timings. Figure 7 or it can be done at a certain timing. Figure 7 processing.

[0132] Then, the control unit 50 adjusts the time T2 based on the acquired temperature and humidity (step S203 ).

[0133] Furthermore, the control unit 50 may also set the time T2 to be shorter when the ejection duty ratio at the time of ink mis-ejection onto the conveyor belt 33 is the first ejection duty ratio than when the second ejection duty ratio is higher than the first ejection duty ratio. This is because the time required for the water content of the ink on the scraper 36 to reach the predetermined level is relatively shorter with the first ejection duty ratio than with the second ejection duty ratio. This allows the timing for executing the recovery operation of the scraper 36 to be set more appropriately.

[0134] The ejection duty ratio mentioned here is the ratio of the recorded area within a predetermined area of ​​the medium or conveyor belt 33. The lower the ejection duty ratio, the less ink is ejected, and the higher the ejection duty ratio, the more ink is ejected.

[0135] The discharge duty cycle can be the discharge duty cycle within the area on the conveyor belt 33 where ink is actually discharged. This is hereinafter referred to as the "actual discharge duty cycle." For example, the control unit 50 can obtain the actual discharge duty cycle based on the amount of ink discharged from the time the upstream sensor 65 detects the leading edge of the medium until the conveyor belt 33 stops driving, and the corresponding recording area. Because the actual discharge duty cycle is obtained based on the actual amount of ink discharged onto the conveyor belt 33, it can be said that the actual discharge duty cycle more accurately reflects the condition of the conveyor belt 33.

[0136] Alternatively, the discharge duty cycle may be the discharge duty cycle of the entire recording area. This is hereinafter referred to as the "overall discharge duty cycle." The control unit 50 can obtain the overall discharge duty cycle based on the recorded data. The overall discharge duty cycle does not require measurement of the actual amount of ink discharged onto the conveyor belt 33 and can be calculated more easily than the actual discharge duty cycle.

[0137] The discharge duty ratio when ink is erroneously discharged in this manner does not refer only to the discharge duty ratio in the area on the conveyor belt 33 where ink is actually discharged.

[0138] The control unit 50 may obtain only one of the actual discharge duty ratio and the total discharge duty ratio, or may obtain both and adopt either one.

[0139] It should be noted that the amount of ink remaining on the scraper 36 after the cleaning operation varies depending on the surface area of ​​the scraper 36, the deformation state of the scraper 36 when in contact with the conveyor belt 33, the angle, etc. Therefore, the actual water content of the ink remaining on the scraper 36 is not used, but the initial water content of the ink on the scraper 36 ( Figure 5 The maximum value that the water content H1 can take is defined as the water content H1 in the above-mentioned viewpoint, and the time T2 can be set based on the water content obtained by this method.

[0140] It should be noted that, in the example described above, the timing when the water content of the ink reaches the predetermined water content is determined by the elapsed time T. However, the timing may be determined by estimating the water content of the ink on the squeegee 36 .

[0141] After the cleaning operation of the conveyor belt 33 is performed, the water content of the ink on the scraper 36 can be estimated each time the elapsed time T reaches a predetermined period. For example, the predetermined period can be set to an appropriate time interval such as 24 hours, 48 ​​hours, or 72 hours. In addition, the above estimation can also be performed using a predetermined timing instead of the predetermined period of the elapsed time T, or at a predetermined timing based on the predetermined period. Examples of the predetermined timing include when the power of the printer 1 is turned on, when the printing job ends, when the power saving mode is entered, and when the power saving mode is reset. Of course, the above estimation can also be performed at timings other than these. In addition, the above estimation can also be performed at all of the multiple timings mentioned above, or at some of the timings.

[0142] The above estimation can be performed based on drying information obtained in advance. Figure 8 This is a graph showing the relationship between the time required for evaporation of a unit amount of water, i.e., the water evaporation rate Fh, and the temperature M. Curve C1 shows the case of 20% humidity as an example, curve C2 shows the case of 50% humidity as an example, and curve C3 shows the case of 80% humidity as an example. As shown in the figure, the higher the temperature and lower the humidity, the faster the water evaporation rate Fh. Non-volatile memory 52 (refer to Figure 2 ) is pre-stored with such drying information, and the control unit 50 estimates (estimates) the current water content H (refer to Figure 5 ).

[0143] Of course, the initial water content ( Figure 5 The water content H1) can also be obtained based on the above-mentioned actual spray duty cycle or the overall spray duty cycle.

[0144] In the embodiment described above, the recovery operation of the scraper 36 is performed at a predetermined timing. However, for example, the recovery operation of the scraper 36 may be repeated periodically after the conveyor belt 33 is cleaned.

[0145] Furthermore, when the scraper 36 is restoring, the second cleaning unit 40 can be retracted from the conveyor belt 33 or advanced toward the conveyor belt 33. By advancing the second cleaning unit 40 toward the conveyor belt 33 during the scraper 36's restoration, any residual ink that moves from the scraper 36 to the conveyor belt 33 can be captured by the second cleaning unit 40.

[0146] Next, the restoring operation of the scraper 36 will be further described. As described above, the restoring operation of the scraper 36 is performed by rotating the conveyor belt 33 while the scraper 36 is in contact with the conveyor belt 33 .

[0147] The moving speed Vb of the conveyor belt 33 relative to the scraper 36 is as follows: Figure 9 (a) can be set to a certain speed Vb1, or as shown in Figure 9 As shown in (b), a constant speed Vb2 (Vb2>Vb1) can be set. The speed Vb1 is an example of a first speed, and the speed Vb2 is an example of a second speed.

[0148] Alternatively, the control unit 50 may include a first mode in which the conveyor belt 33 moves at a speed Vb1 and a second mode in which the conveyor belt 33 moves at a speed Vb2 in the recovery operation. For example, the first and second modes may be alternately performed at regular intervals, or the second mode may be performed for a predetermined time, followed by the first mode for a predetermined time, and then the recovery operation may be terminated.

[0149] In this manner, the effect of the restoring operation can be reliably obtained in the second mode while the wear of the scraper 36 can be suppressed in the first mode.

[0150] In addition, the control unit 50 may also include the following in the recovery action: Figure 9 (c) shows a speed change pattern in which the moving speed Vb of the conveyor belt 33 relative to the scraper 36 is periodically changed. Figure 9 (c) is an example of repeatedly accelerating the moving speed Vb from zero to speed Vb1 and decelerating from speed Vb1 to zero. As a result, the scraper 36 is given a bending action, thereby improving the removal effect of the ink remaining on the scraper 36. It should be noted that, Figure 9 In the example (c), the minimum value of the speed Vb in the speed change pattern is zero, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the minimum value of the speed Vb may be greater than zero.

[0151] It should be noted that the recovery operation may only adopt the above-mentioned speed change pattern, or the recovery operation may include the above-mentioned first pattern and the second pattern in addition to the above-mentioned speed change pattern.

[0152] Next, control in the case where the cleaning operation of the conveyor belt 33 is performed during the period from when the cleaning operation of the conveyor belt 33 is performed to when the recovery operation is performed will be described.

[0153] Figure 5 If the elapsed time T exceeds time T2, the above-described recovery operation is performed. However, there are cases where the conveyor belt 33 cleaning operation is performed before the elapsed time T reaches time T2. In this case, the closer the elapsed time T is to time T2, the higher the viscosity of the ink on the scraper 36, and the lower the cleaning ability of the scraper 36. Therefore, it is preferable to improve the cleaning effect of the conveyor belt 33 when the elapsed time T is closer to time T2.

[0154] In other words, the control unit 50 preferably executes a first cleaning action and a second cleaning action that has a higher cleaning effect than the first cleaning action as the cleaning action for cleaning the conveyor belt 33. Then, when a cleaning action is performed between the time when the cleaning action is performed and the time when the recovery action is performed, the first cleaning action is selected before the predetermined action switching timing is reached, and the second cleaning action is selected after the action switching timing. This compensates for the reduction in the cleaning ability of the scraper 36 and allows the conveyor belt 33 to be properly cleaned.

[0155] Action switching timing can be set to Figure 5 The time T1 shown is an example. The time T1 is the timing when the water content H becomes H2.

[0156] Figure 10 This figure shows the process flow when performing a cleaning operation on the conveyor belt 33. The control unit 50 checks the cleaning flag (step S301). If the cleaning flag is OFF, the conveyor belt 33 is cleaned using the first cleaning operation (step S302). The elapsed time T is then reset to zero (step S303), and the cleaning flag is set to ON (step S304). By setting the cleaning flag to ON, the scraper 36 is subsequently restored as needed.

[0157] If the cleaning flag is on in step S301, the elapsed time T is determined (step S305). If the elapsed time T has not reached T1, the process proceeds to step S302. If the elapsed time T is greater than T1 but has not reached T2, the conveyor belt 33 is cleaned by a second cleaning operation (step S306). The process then proceeds to step S303 and beyond.

[0158] By such control, it is possible to compensate for the reduction in the cleaning ability of the scraper 36 and to properly clean the conveyor belt 33 .

[0159] It should be noted that, in the second cleaning operation, the control unit 50 increases at least one of the cleaning time, the contact pressure of the scraper 36 against the conveyor belt 33, and the moving speed of the conveyor belt 33 relative to the conveyor belt 33, compared to the first cleaning operation. Examples of such methods include increasing one of the cleaning time, the contact pressure, and the moving speed, increasing both, or increasing all of them. This makes it easy to achieve a second cleaning operation that achieves a better cleaning effect than the first cleaning operation.

[0160] The above action switching timing ( Figure 5 The time T1) and the timing involved in the recovery action of the scraper 36 ( Figure 5Similarly, the time T2 can be adjusted according to temperature, humidity and discharge duty cycle. Specifically, the higher the temperature, the lower the humidity, or the lower the discharge duty cycle, the action switching timing is moved forward.

[0161] In addition, the above-mentioned action switching timing is similar to the timing involved in the recovery action of the scraper 36, and the residual water content of the ink on the scraper 36 can also be appropriately estimated. For example, the residual water content can be set to a predetermined water content. Figure 5 The estimation method at this time is the same as the estimation method involved in the recovery action of the scraper 36, and is estimated using the drying information.

[0162] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention described in the patent application. Needless to say, these modifications are also included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A liquid ejection device, characterized in that: have: A liquid ejection portion, used for ejecting liquid toward the medium; A conveyor belt, opposite to the liquid ejection portion, is used to convey the medium by rotating. a cleaning member for cleaning the conveyor belt by coming into contact with the conveyor belt and capable of switching between a contact state with respect to the conveyor belt and a separation state with respect to the conveyor belt; and a control unit for controlling the liquid ejection action of the liquid ejection unit, the rotation action of the conveyor belt, and the state switching of the cleaning component; The control unit is capable of performing: Cleaning action, cleaning the conveyor belt by the cleaning component; and The recovery operation recovers the cleaning ability of the cleaning member by rotating the conveyor belt while the cleaning member is in contact with the conveyor belt.

2. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein The control unit performs the recovery operation after the water content of the liquid in the cleaning member falls below a predetermined water content after the cleaning operation is performed.

3. The liquid ejection device according to claim 2, wherein: The control unit determines the timing based on the elapsed time after the cleaning operation is performed.

4. The liquid ejection device according to claim 3, wherein: The control unit determines the timing based on an elapsed time after the cleaning operation of cleaning the liquid sprayed on the conveyor belt is performed.

5. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: The liquid ejecting device includes a detection unit capable of acquiring at least one of humidity and temperature. When the humidity is acquired, the control unit sets the time to reach the timing to be shorter when the humidity is a first humidity than when the humidity is a second humidity, wherein the second humidity is higher than the first humidity. When the temperature is acquired, the control unit sets the time until the timing is reached to be shorter when the temperature is a first temperature lower than the first temperature than when the temperature is a second temperature.

6. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: The control unit executes the cleaning operation when liquid is accidentally ejected from the liquid ejecting unit toward the conveyor belt. The control unit sets the time to reach the timing shorter when the discharge duty ratio at the time of the erroneous discharge is a first discharge duty ratio than when the discharge duty ratio is a second discharge duty ratio higher than the first discharge duty ratio.

7. The liquid ejection device according to claim 2, wherein: The control unit determines the timing by estimating the water content of the liquid.

8. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The recovery action includes: a first mode for moving the conveyor belt relative to the cleaning member at a first speed; and In the second mode, the conveyor belt moves relative to the cleaning member at a second speed that is higher than the first speed.

9. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The recovery operation includes a speed change pattern that periodically changes the moving speed of the conveyor belt relative to the cleaning member.

10. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The control unit can execute a first cleaning action and a second cleaning action having a better cleaning effect than the first cleaning action as cleaning actions, When the cleaning operation is performed between the cleaning operation and the recovery operation, the first cleaning operation is selected before the determined operation switching timing, and the second cleaning operation is selected after the operation switching timing.

11. The liquid ejecting device according to claim 10, wherein: In the second cleaning operation, the control unit increases at least one of a cleaning time, a contact pressure of the cleaning member with respect to the conveyor belt, and a moving speed of the conveyor belt with respect to the cleaning member, compared to the first cleaning operation.

12. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The cleaning member is a first cleaning member, and the liquid ejecting device includes a second cleaning member downstream of the cleaning member in the moving direction of the conveyor belt. The second cleaning member cleans the conveyor belt by contacting the conveyor belt.

13. The liquid ejecting device according to claim 12, wherein: The control unit executes the recovery operation in response to execution of the cleaning operation by both the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member.

14. A method for controlling a liquid ejection device, characterized in that: The liquid ejection device comprises: A liquid ejection portion, used for ejecting liquid toward the medium; a conveyor belt, opposite to the liquid ejection portion, for conveying the medium by rotating; and a cleaning member for cleaning the conveyor belt by coming into contact with the conveyor belt and capable of switching between a contact state with the conveyor belt and a separation state with the conveyor belt; The control method includes: performing a cleaning action, wherein the cleaning action is to clean the conveyor belt by the cleaning component; and A recovery operation is performed, wherein after a time elapsed after the cleaning operation reaches a set time, the conveyor belt is rotated while the cleaning member is in contact with the conveyor belt, thereby recovering the cleaning ability of the cleaning member.

15. A storage medium, characterized in that: Stored programs, The program is executed by the control unit of the liquid ejection device. The liquid ejection device comprises: A liquid ejection portion, used for ejecting liquid toward the medium; a conveyor belt, opposite to the liquid ejection portion, for conveying the medium by rotating; and a cleaning member for cleaning the conveyor belt by coming into contact with the conveyor belt and capable of switching between a contact state with the conveyor belt and a separation state with the conveyor belt; The procedures include: performing a cleaning action, wherein the cleaning action is to clean the conveyor belt by the cleaning component; and A recovery operation is performed, wherein after a time elapsed after the cleaning operation reaches a set time, the conveyor belt is rotated while the cleaning member is in contact with the conveyor belt, thereby recovering the cleaning ability of the cleaning member.

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