Liquid ejecting device, liquid ejecting device control method, and program

Abstract

The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting device, a control method for the liquid ejecting device, and a program. In order to clean the entire cleaning area at once, the forward rotation amount of the conveyor belt increases, and time is required until the cleaning is completed. When cleaning the cleaning area, if at least a portion of the cleaning area is downstream of the contact position between the cleaning component and the conveyor belt in the forward rotation direction of the conveyor belt, the control unit of the liquid ejecting device can perform cleaning position adjustment control to rotate the conveyor belt in the reverse direction before switching the cleaning component from the separated state to the contact state so that the entire cleaning area is upstream in the forward rotation direction relative to the contact position.

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] Liquid ejecting devices such as inkjet printers are known to use a conveyor belt to transport media such as recording paper. In such a configuration, a scraper is sometimes used to clean the conveyor belt from which ink has adhered.

[0003] The scraper described in Patent Document 1 is formed by coating urethane rubber with fluororesin, and is provided so as to be able to come into contact with or separate from the conveyor belt.

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

[0005] In the case where ink is sprayed onto the conveyor belt in a state without media due to a media jam, that is, in the case of accidental ink spraying, the ink landing area on the conveyor belt, in other words, at least a part of the cleaning area cleaned by the scraper may have passed the contact position of the scraper in the conveyor belt.

[0006] In this case, for example, if the scraper contacts the middle of the cleaning area when the scraper switches from the separated state to the contact state, the scraper cleans the cleaning area from the middle, and therefore, in order to clean the entire area of ​​the cleaning area, the conveyor belt needs to be rotated one circle in the forward direction. In addition, if the entire area of ​​the cleaning area has exceeded the contact position when the scraper switches from the separated state to the contact state, the conveyor belt needs to be rotated forward until the cleaning area faces the scraper. In either of the above cases, in order to clean the entire area of ​​the cleaning area once, the forward rotation amount of the conveyor belt increases, and it takes time to complete the cleaning. It should be noted that reversing the conveyor belt while the scraper is in contact with the conveyor belt may cause ink to adhere to unexpected parts of the scraper, and is therefore not preferred. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The liquid ejection device of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned technical problems is characterized by comprising: a liquid ejection part for ejecting liquid onto a medium; a conveyor belt opposed to the liquid ejection part, the conveyor belt conveying the medium downstream in the conveying direction by rotating in the forward direction; a cleaning component for cleaning a cleaning area on the conveyor belt by contacting the conveyor belt, the cleaning component being able to switch between a contact state with the conveyor belt and a separation state separated from the conveyor belt, and the cleaning component switching from the separation state to the contact state when cleaning the conveyor belt; and a control unit for controlling The liquid ejecting action of the liquid ejecting portion, the rotation action of the conveyor belt and the state switching of the cleaning component, when cleaning the cleaning area, in a case where at least a part of the cleaning area is downstream of the contact position between the cleaning component and the conveyor belt in the forward direction of the conveyor belt, the control unit can perform cleaning position adjustment control for rotating the conveyor belt in a reverse direction opposite to the forward direction of rotation before switching the cleaning component from the separated state to the contact state so that the cleaning area as a whole is located upstream of the contact position in the forward direction of rotation.

[0008] 14. The liquid dispensing device of claim 13, wherein the cleaning device further comprises a cleaning member configured to clean the cleaning area of ​​the cleaning belt by contacting the cleaning member with the cleaning member, the cleaning member being capable of switching between a contact state with the cleaning belt and a separation state with the cleaning member being separated from the cleaning belt. When the cleaning belt is cleaned, the cleaning member switches from the separation state to the contact state. In the control method, when cleaning the cleaning area, at least a portion of the cleaning area is downstream of a contact position at which the cleaning member contacts the conveyor belt in the forward direction of rotation of the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt is rotated in a reverse direction opposite to the forward direction of rotation before the cleaning member is switched from the separation state to the contact state, so that the cleaning area as a whole is located upstream of the contact position in the forward direction of rotation.

[0009] In addition, the program of the present invention is characterized in that it is executed by a control unit of a liquid ejecting device, wherein the liquid ejecting device includes: a liquid ejecting unit that ejects liquid onto a medium; a conveyor belt that is opposite to the liquid ejecting unit and conveys the medium; and a cleaning component that cleans a cleaning area on the conveyor belt by contacting the conveyor belt, the cleaning component being able to switch between a contact state with the conveyor belt and a separation state separated from the conveyor belt, and when cleaning the conveyor belt, the cleaning component switches from the separation state to the contact state, and the program includes the following steps: determining whether at least a portion of the cleaning area is downstream of a contact position at which the cleaning component contacts the conveyor belt in the forward rotation direction of the conveyor belt when cleaning the cleaning area; and when at least a portion of the cleaning area is downstream of the contact position in the forward rotation direction, reversing the conveyor belt in the opposite direction to the forward rotation direction before switching the cleaning component from the separation state to the contact state so that the entire cleaning area is located upstream of the contact position in the forward rotation direction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 This diagram shows the media transport path of the printer.

[0011] Figure 2 This is a block diagram showing the control system of the printer.

[0012] Figure 3 It is a side view of the conveyor belt, the first cleaning unit, and the second cleaning unit.

[0013] Figure 4 It is a side view of the conveyor belt, the first cleaning unit, and the second cleaning unit.

[0014] Figure 5 This is an enlarged view of the first cleaning section.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing a first embodiment of control when cleaning the conveyor belt.

[0016] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the cleaning area and the scraper when cleaning the conveyor belt.

[0017] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the cleaning area and the scraper when cleaning the conveyor belt.

[0018] Figure 9 This is a flowchart showing a second embodiment of control when cleaning the conveyor belt.

[0019] Figure 10This is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the cleaning area and the scraper when cleaning the conveyor belt.

[0020] Figure 11 This is a diagram showing a configuration for retracting the conveyor belt from the line head.

[0021] Figure 12 This figure shows a state where the access cover on the right side of the device body is opened.

[0022] Figure 13 It is a side view of the conveyor belt, the first cleaning unit, and the second cleaning unit.

[0023] Description of Reference Numerals

[0024] 1…Inkjet Printer, 2…Device Main Body, 2a…Open / Close Cover, 3…First Media Cassette, 4…Second Media Cassette, 5…Ink Reservoir, 9, 10…Pickup Rollers, 11, 12…Feed Roller Pair, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22…Conveyor Roller Pair, 17…Conveyor Roller Pair, 23, 24…Fenders, 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…First Section, 33b…Second Section, 34…Backup Roller, 35…First Cleaning Section, 36…Scraper, 37…Station Components, 38…rotating shaft, 40…second cleaning section, 41…cleaning sheet, 42…driving pulley, 43, 44…driven pulley, 45…tensioner, 46…paper dust removal scraper, 47…contact sheet, 48, 48A…recovery box, 50…control section, 51…CPU, 52…non-volatile memory, 53…interface, 54…operation panel, 57…belt drive motor, 58…belt charging section, 59…scraper drive section, 60…unit drive section, 61…sheet drive motor, 65…upstream sensor, 66…downstream sensor, 70…conveyance unit, 71…disassembly box, 90…external computer, P…medium, Sa…outer surface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Hereinafter, the present invention will be briefly described.

[0026] The liquid ejection device according to the first aspect is characterized in that it comprises: a liquid ejection portion for ejecting liquid onto a medium; a conveyor belt, which is opposite to the liquid ejection portion and conveys the medium downstream in the conveying direction by rotating in the forward direction; a cleaning component for cleaning a cleaning area on the conveyor belt by contacting the conveyor belt, the cleaning component being able to switch between a contact state with the conveyor belt and a separation state separated from the conveyor belt, and the cleaning component switching from the separation state to the contact state when cleaning the conveyor belt; and a control portion for controlling the liquid ejection portion. The liquid ejection action of the ejection part, the rotation action of the conveyor belt and the state switching of the cleaning component, when cleaning the cleaning area, when at least a part of the cleaning area is downstream of the contact position between the cleaning component and the conveyor belt in the forward direction of the conveyor belt, the control unit can perform cleaning position adjustment control to rotate the conveyor belt in the reverse direction opposite to the forward direction before switching the cleaning component from the separated state to the contact state so that the cleaning area as a whole is located upstream of the contact position in the forward direction.

[0027] According to this aspect, when at least a portion of the cleaning area is located downstream of the contact position between the cleaning component and the conveyor belt in the forward rotation direction of the conveyor belt when cleaning the cleaning area, the control unit can perform cleaning position adjustment control to reverse the conveyor belt before switching the cleaning component from the separated state to the contact state so that the cleaning area as a whole is located upstream of the forward rotation direction relative to the contact position, thereby suppressing the forward rotation amount of the conveyor belt required to clean the entire area of ​​the cleaning area once and suppressing the time until cleaning is completed.

[0028] A second aspect is characterized in that, in the first aspect, the control unit rotates the conveyor belt in the reverse direction during the cleaning position adjustment control so that a downstream end of the cleaning area in the forward rotation direction faces the contact position.

[0029] According to this aspect, the control unit reverses the conveyor belt during the cleaning position adjustment control so that the downstream end of the cleaning area in the forward rotation direction faces the contact position, thereby suppressing the reversal amount of the conveyor belt during the cleaning position adjustment control to a minimum and further suppressing the time until cleaning is completed.

[0030] The third aspect is characterized in that, in the first or second aspect, the cleaning member is composed of a scraper, and when the scraper switches from the separated state to the contact state, it switches to the contact state at a predetermined angle to the normal direction relative to the surface of the conveyor belt.

[0031] In a configuration in which the scraper switches to the contact state at a predetermined angle to the normal direction relative to the surface of the conveyor belt, the side surface of the scraper contacts the conveyor belt. In such a configuration, when the side surface of the scraper contacts the middle of the cleaning area, liquid may adhere to the side surface of the scraper, i.e., an area not originally used for cleaning, thereby adversely affecting the cleaning effect.

[0032] However, according to the first aspect, the side surface of the scraper does not come into contact with the middle of the cleaning area, thereby avoiding adverse effects on the cleaning effect.

[0033] A fourth aspect is characterized in that, in the third aspect, the conveyor belt is wound around a first pulley and a second pulley, and the scraper is provided at a position to sandwich the conveyor belt together with the second pulley in the contact state.

[0034] According to this aspect, since the scraper is provided at a position where it sandwiches the conveyor belt together with the second pulley in the contact state, the conveyor belt does not move inward when the scraper contacts the conveyor belt, thereby improving the cleaning effect.

[0035] A fifth aspect is characterized in that, in the fourth aspect, the second pulley is located downstream of a region facing the liquid ejection portion when the conveyor belt rotates in the forward direction.

[0036] According to this aspect, since the second pulley is located downstream of the area opposite the liquid ejection unit when the conveyor belt rotates in the forward direction, space can be secured downstream of the cleaning unit in the forward direction on the side of the conveyor belt opposite the area opposite the liquid ejection unit. As a result, the degree of freedom in the arrangement of components other than the cleaning unit can be increased.

[0037] The sixth aspect is characterized in that, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the conveyor belt has a first section, the first section is a flat belt section and includes an area opposite to the liquid ejection part, and the cleaning area is an area where liquid is mistakenly ejected from the liquid ejection part. When the first section includes at least a part of the cleaning area, the control unit performs cleaning area movement control to rotate the conveyor belt in the forward direction until the cleaning area at least leaves the first section before performing the cleaning position adjustment control.

[0038] When a user attempts to remove the media remaining on the conveyor belt after liquid has been accidentally sprayed onto the conveyor belt, there is a risk that the user may touch the accidentally sprayed area and get their fingers dirty. However, according to this aspect, when the first section includes at least a portion of the cleaning area, the control unit executes cleaning area movement control to rotate the conveyor belt in the forward direction until the cleaning area at least leaves the first section, thereby reducing the risk of the user touching the accidentally sprayed area.

[0039] The seventh aspect is characterized in that, in the sixth aspect, the conveyor belt has a second section on the opposite side of the first section, the second section is a flat belt section, and the control unit rotates the conveyor belt in the forward direction during the cleaning area movement control until the entire cleaning area enters the second section.

[0040] According to this aspect, the control unit rotates the conveyor belt in the forward direction until the entire cleaning area enters the second section during the cleaning area movement control, thereby more reliably suppressing the risk of the user touching the erroneously sprayed area.

[0041] The eighth aspect is characterized in that, in the seventh aspect, in the cleaning area movement control, the control unit stops the conveyor belt in a state where the cleaning area as a whole is located upstream in the second interval after the cleaning area as a whole enters the second interval.

[0042] According to this aspect, in the cleaning area movement control, the control unit stops the conveyor belt in a state where the cleaning area as a whole is located at an upstream position in the second interval after the cleaning area as a whole enters the second interval, thereby suppressing the reversal amount of the conveyor belt when the cleaning position adjustment control is performed later, and quickly starting the cleaning action of the conveyor belt.

[0043] The ninth aspect is characterized in that in any one of the sixth to eighth aspects, the control unit suspends the cleaning position adjustment control after performing the cleaning area movement control until receiving an input instruction from the user, and executes the cleaning position adjustment control by receiving the input instruction.

[0044] According to this aspect, the control unit executes the cleaning position adjustment control after receiving an input instruction from the user, thereby more reliably suppressing the risk of the user touching the erroneously ejected area.

[0045] A tenth aspect is characterized in that, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, a contact portion that comes into contact with the conveyor belt is provided downstream of the contact position in the normal rotation direction of the conveyor belt.

[0046] According to this aspect, in a configuration in which a contact portion that contacts the conveyor belt is provided downstream of the contact position in the forward rotation direction of the conveyor belt, the contact portion is easily soiled by liquid, but since the cleaning component is located upstream of the contact portion, soiling of the contact portion can be suppressed.

[0047] The eleventh aspect is characterized in that, in any one of the first to tenth aspects, the cleaning member serves as a first cleaning member, and a second cleaning member for cleaning the conveyor belt is provided downstream of the contact position in the forward rotation direction of the conveyor belt.

[0048] According to this aspect, the cleaning member serves as the first cleaning member, and the second cleaning member for cleaning the conveyor belt is provided downstream of the contact position in the forward rotation direction of the conveyor belt. This improves the cleaning effect of the conveyor belt.

[0049] The twelfth aspect is characterized in that, in the eleventh aspect, the second cleaning member comprises: a circumferential cleaning element for cleaning the conveyor belt; and a reinforcing element bonded to the inner periphery of the cleaning element for reinforcing the cleaning element.

[0050] According to this aspect, the rigidity of the second cleaning member is improved by the reinforcement, the wrinkles and the deviation of the second cleaning member are suppressed, and the cleanability can be improved. In addition, because the second cleaning member is configured as a circumferential shape, the miniaturization and low cost of the device can be realized compared with the mode of the cleaning member wound around the strip.

[0051] The control method involved in the thirteenth aspect is characterized in that the control method is a control method for a liquid ejecting device, wherein the liquid ejecting device includes: a liquid ejecting portion for ejecting liquid onto a medium; a conveyor belt, which is opposite to the liquid ejecting portion and conveys the medium; and a cleaning component for cleaning a cleaning area on the conveyor belt by contacting the conveyor belt, the cleaning component being able to switch between a contact state with the conveyor belt and a separation state separated from the conveyor belt. When cleaning the conveyor belt, the cleaning component switches from the separation state to the contact state. In the control method, when cleaning the cleaning area, when at least a portion of the cleaning area is downstream of a contact position at which the cleaning component contacts the conveyor belt in the forward direction of rotation of the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt is rotated in a reverse direction opposite to the forward direction before switching the cleaning component from the separation state to the contact state, so that the entire cleaning area is located upstream of the contact position in the forward direction of rotation.

[0052] According to this aspect, when cleaning the cleaning area, when at least a portion of the cleaning area is downstream of the contact position between the cleaning component and the conveyor belt in the forward rotation direction of the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt is reversed before the cleaning component is switched from the separated state to the contact state, so that the cleaning area as a whole is located upstream of the forward rotation direction relative to the contact position, thereby suppressing the forward rotation amount of the conveyor belt required to clean the entire cleaning area once and suppressing the time until cleaning is completed.

[0053] The program involved in the fourteenth aspect is characterized in that it is executed by a control unit of a liquid ejecting device, wherein the liquid ejecting device includes: a liquid ejecting unit that ejects liquid onto a medium; a conveyor belt that is opposite to the liquid ejecting unit and conveys the medium; and a cleaning component that cleans a cleaning area on the conveyor belt by contacting the conveyor belt, the cleaning component being able to switch between a contact state with the conveyor belt and a separation state separated from the conveyor belt, and when cleaning the conveyor belt, the cleaning component switches from the separation state to the contact state, and the program includes: determining whether at least a portion of the cleaning area is downstream of a contact position at which the cleaning component contacts the conveyor belt in the forward direction of rotation of the conveyor belt when cleaning the cleaning area; and when at least a portion of the cleaning area is downstream of the contact position in the forward direction of rotation, rotating the conveyor belt in a reverse direction opposite to the forward direction of rotation before switching the cleaning component from the separation state to the contact state so that the entire cleaning area is located upstream of the contact position in the forward direction of rotation.

[0054] According to this aspect, when cleaning the cleaning area, when at least a portion of the cleaning area is downstream of the contact position between the cleaning component and the conveyor belt in the forward rotation direction of the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt is reversed before the cleaning component is switched from the separated state to the contact state, so that the cleaning area as a whole is located upstream of the forward rotation direction relative to the contact position, thereby suppressing the forward rotation amount of the conveyor belt required to clean the entire cleaning area once and suppressing the time until cleaning is completed.

[0055] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.

[0056] Hereinafter, as an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus, an inkjet printer 1 that performs recording by ejecting liquid such as ink onto a medium such as recording paper will be described. Hereinafter, the inkjet printer 1 will be simply referred to as a printer 1 .

[0057] The XYZ coordinate system shown in the figures is an orthogonal coordinate system. The Y-axis is the width direction that intersects the media feed direction and is the depth direction of the device. Note that the +Y direction of the Y-axis is defined as the direction from the front of the device toward the back, and the -Y direction is defined as the direction from the back of the device toward the front.

[0058] The X-axis is the width of the printer. From the perspective of the printer 1 operator, the +X direction (the arrow pointing to the left) is on the left, while the -X direction (the opposite direction) is on the right. The Z-axis is the vertical direction (the height of the printer). The +Z direction (the arrow pointing to the up direction) is on the up direction, while the -Z direction (the opposite direction) is on the down direction.

[0059] 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 and represents the media feed direction at a position opposite the ink ejection surface 26a. The direction indicated by the arrow, i.e., the +F direction, represents the downstream feed direction, while the opposite direction, i.e., the -F direction, represents the upstream feed direction. It should be noted that the direction in which the media is fed will sometimes be referred to as "downstream," and the opposite direction will be referred to as "upstream."

[0060] exist Figure 1 In FIG, a medium conveyance path is indicated by a dotted line. In the printer 1, the medium is conveyed while passing through the medium conveyance path indicated by the dotted line.

[0061] 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 denotes 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 of the printer.

[0062] A pickup roller 9 for feeding out the stored medium is provided for the first medium cassette 3 , and a pickup roller 10 for feeding out the stored medium is provided for the second medium cassette 4 .

[0063] The first media cassette 3 is provided with a feed roller pair 11 that feeds the fed medium obliquely upward. The second media cassette 4 is provided with a feed roller pair 12 that feeds the fed medium obliquely upward and a conveying roller pair 13 that conveys the medium upward.

[0064] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the "roller pair" is composed of a driving roller driven by a motor (not shown) and a driven roller that rotates in contact with the driving roller.

[0065] The medium fed from each medium cassette is fed to the feed roller pair 16 by the feed roller pair 14 and the feed roller pair 15. The medium, receiving the feed force from 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.

[0066] The head unit 25 includes a line head 26, which performs recording by ejecting ink, an example of liquid, onto the surface of the medium. The line head 26 is an inkjet head configured so that nozzles (not shown) ejecting ink cover the entire width of the medium. This allows 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.

[0067] However, the inkjet head may be of a type that performs recording while moving in the width direction of the medium.

[0068] The head unit 25 is provided so as to be movable in the G-axis direction by a driving source (not shown). The movement of the head unit 25 in the G-axis direction is controlled by the control unit 50 (see Figure 2 ) for control.

[0069] 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 tube (not shown). The ink container 5 is composed of a plurality of ink tanks arranged along the X-axis direction.

[0070] The conveyor belt 33, the driving pulley 31 and the driven pulley 32 constitute the belt unit 30. The conveyor belt 33 is an endless belt wound around the driving pulley 31 and the driven pulley 32. The conveyor belt 33 is driven by the belt drive motor 57 (see Figure 2 ) drives the driving pulley 31 to rotate.

[0071] The medium is conveyed to a position facing the line head 26 while being attracted to the conveyor belt 33. The medium being attracted to the conveyor belt 33 will be described again later.

[0072] 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 oblique upward direction. Figure 1 The direction includes a −X direction component and a +Z direction component. With this configuration, the horizontal size of the printer 1 can be suppressed.

[0073] Note that in this embodiment, the medium conveyance path passing through the position facing the line head 26 is set to an inclination angle of 50° to 70° with respect to the horizontal direction, more specifically, an inclination angle of 60°.

[0074] The medium on the first side of which recording has been performed by the line head 26 is further conveyed obliquely upward by the conveyance roller pair 17 located downstream of the conveyance belt 33 .

[0075] A flapper 23 is provided downstream of the transport roller pair 17, which switches the media's transport direction. When the media is discharged as is, the flapper 23 switches the media's transport path toward the upward transport roller pair 20. A flapper 24 is also provided downstream of the transport roller pair 20, which switches the transport path to either discharge from the discharge position A1 or transport to the vertically upward transport roller pair 21. Once the media is fed to the transport roller pair 21, it is discharged from the discharge position A2.

[0076] 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 optional tray (not shown).

[0077] When recording is being performed on the second side of the medium in addition to the first side, the medium is conveyed upward in an oblique direction (including both -X and +Z components) by flapper 23, passing through branch position K1. From there, the medium is conveyed to the upward turning path. A conveying roller pair 22 is provided in this turning path. Once the medium enters the turning path, it is conveyed upward by the conveying roller pair 22. Once the upstream end of the medium passes branch position K1, the direction of rotation of the conveying roller pair 22 is switched, and the medium is conveyed downward.

[0078] 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 conveyed again to the conveyor belt 33 by the conveying roller pair 16 .

[0079] The medium, which has been re-fed to a position facing the line head 26, faces the line head 26 on the second side opposite to the first side on which recording has already been performed. Thus, recording can be performed on the second side of the medium by the line head 26. The medium with recording on the second side is discharged from the discharge position A1 or the discharge position A2.

[0080] Next, refer to Figure 3 、 Figure 4 、 Figure 5 The belt unit 30 , the first cleaning unit 35 , and the second cleaning unit 40 will be described.

[0081] The conveyor belt 33 constituting the belt unit 30 is an endless belt made of a base material such as urethane 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).

[0082] The driving pulley 31 is an example of a first pulley, and the driven pulley 32 is an example of a second pulley.

[0083] The driving pulley 31 is controlled by the control unit 50 (see Figure 2 ) controlled by the belt drive motor 57 (refer to Figure 2 ) drives the rotation. When the driving pulley 31 is driven to rotate in the direction of arrow a, the conveyor belt 33 is Figure 3 、 Figure 4 Hereinafter, the rotation of the conveyor belt 33 may be referred to as "forward rotation".

[0084] When the driving pulley 31 is driven to rotate in the direction of arrow b, the conveyor belt 33 is rotated Figure 3 、 Figure 4 Hereinafter, the rotation of the conveyor belt 33 may sometimes be referred to as "reversal".

[0085] The conveyor belt 33 is wound around the drive pulley 31 and the driven pulley 32, thereby forming a first section 33a and a second section 33b as flat belt sections. The first section 33a is the section facing the line head 26, and the second section 33b is the section opposite the first section 33a. In this embodiment, the first section 33a and the second section 33b do not include the portion wound around the drive pulley 31 or the portion wound around the driven pulley 32.

[0086] When the conveyor belt 33 rotates forward, the first section 33a of the conveyor belt 33 moves in the +F direction, and the second section 33b moves in the -F direction. That is, in the first section 33a, the -F direction is upstream of the forward direction, and the +F direction is downstream of the forward direction. In addition, in the second section 33b, the +F direction is upstream of the forward direction, and the -F direction is downstream of the forward direction. In addition, in the section wound around the driven pulley 32, Figure 3 The clockwise direction is the downstream of the forward rotation direction, and the counterclockwise direction is the upstream of the forward rotation direction.

[0087] When the conveyor belt 33 is reversed, the first section 33a of the conveyor belt 33 moves in the -F direction, and the second section 33b moves in the +F direction. That is, in the first section 33a, the +F direction is upstream of the reverse direction, and the -F direction is downstream of the reverse direction. In addition, in the second section 33b, the -F direction is upstream of the reverse direction, and the +F direction is downstream of the reverse direction. In addition, in the section wound around the driven pulley 32, Figure 3 The clockwise direction is the upstream of the reversing direction, and the counterclockwise direction is the downstream of the reversing direction.

[0088] Next, a charging roller 29 is provided at a position facing the driving pulley 31 across the conveyor belt 33 .

[0089] The charging roller 29 is in contact with the outer surface of the conveyor belt 33 and is driven to rotate as the conveyor belt 33 rotates. Figure 2 ) applies a DC voltage to the charging roller 29, thereby the charging roller 29 supplies electric charge to the portion in contact with the conveyor belt 33. The charging portion 58 (see Figure 2 ) is controlled by the control unit 50 to switch on and off the voltage applied to the charging roller 29, or to switch the voltage applied to the charging roller 29.

[0090] 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 Sa of the conveyor belt 33 is charged with positive polarity. As a result, the outer peripheral surface Sa of the conveyor belt 33 becomes the adsorption surface of the adsorption medium.

[0091] A support roller 34 in contact with the medium is provided upstream of the line head 26. The support roller 34 presses the medium against the portion of the conveyor belt 33 that is wound around the drive pulley 31. The support roller 34 is grounded, thereby removing charge from the recording surface of the medium.

[0092] Next, a first cleaning unit 35 is provided near the driven pulley 32. The first cleaning unit 35 includes a scraper 36, which is an example of a first cleaning member and serves to clean the outer peripheral surface Sa of the conveyor belt 33. The scraper 36 is fixed to a fixing member 37, which is rotatable about a rotation axis 38.

[0093] The scraper 36 is, for example, a plate-shaped elastic member having a predetermined thickness, formed of urethane, 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 driven pulley 32, thereby cleaning the outer peripheral surface Sa of the conveyor belt 33.

[0094] The rotary shaft 38 is driven by the scraper drive unit 59 (see Figure 2 ) and rotates, and the contact state of the scraper 36 and the conveyor belt 33 is switched by rotating the rotating shaft 38 (refer to Figure 4 ) and the separation state of the scraper 36 and the conveyor belt 33 (refer to Figure 3 ). Scraper driving unit 59 (refer to 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.

[0095] By rotating the conveyor belt 33 forward while the scraper 36 is in contact with the conveyor belt 33 , attached matter such as ink and paper dust adhering to the outer peripheral surface Sa of the conveyor belt 33 is removed.

[0096] Reference symbol Cb is the contact position where the scraper 36 contacts the conveyor belt 33. Figure 5As shown in FIG. 1 , the contact position Cb is a position where a corner portion 36 a of the scraper 36 contacts the conveyor belt 33 . The corner portion 36 a is a corner portion of the scraper 36 that faces the conveyor belt 33 .

[0097] In addition, Figure 5 In FIG, the straight line Dn is the normal line to the outer peripheral surface Sa of the conveyor belt 33 at the contact position Cb. The scraper 36 contacts the conveyor belt 33 at an angle α relative to the normal line Dn. The direction of the scraper 36 is such that it is opposite to the direction of the conveyor belt 33 in the forward rotation. It should be noted that Figure 5 The figure shows the moment when the corner portion 36a of the scraper 36 contacts the outer peripheral surface Sa of the conveyor belt 33 when the scraper 36 switches from the separation state to the contact state. Figure 5 The rotary shaft 38 is further rotated counterclockwise in the state of , so that the scraper 36 is bent to some extent.

[0098] Thus, since the scraper 36 is provided at a position where it sandwiches the conveyor belt 33 together with the driven pulley 32 in the contact state, the conveyor belt 33 does not move inward when the scraper 36 contacts the conveyor belt 33, thereby improving the cleaning effect.

[0099] Then, return Figure 3 、 Figure 4 A second cleaning section 40 is provided downstream of the first cleaning section 35 in the forward rotation direction (-F direction) of the conveyor belt 33. The second cleaning section 40 includes a cleaning sheet 41. The cleaning sheet 41 is wound around a drive pulley 42 and driven pulleys 43 and 44, and tension is imparted by a tensioner 45. The tensioner 45 is not limited to a configuration in which it is capable of advancing and retreating relative to the cleaning sheet 41 and is pressed by a pressing member (not shown), but may also be fixedly provided.

[0100] In this embodiment, the cleaning sheet 41 is an endless or circumferential cloth having an outer peripheral surface 41 a and an inner peripheral surface 41 b . The outer peripheral surface 41 a can be pressed against the outer peripheral surface Sa of the conveyor belt 33 by the driven pulley 43 .

[0101] The cleaning sheet 41 as an example of the second cleaning component can be formed by a single layer consisting of cloth, and can also be formed by a cleaning body forming an outer peripheral surface 41a and a reinforcement forming an inner peripheral surface 41b, that is, formed by multiple layers. As an example, the cleaning body can be made of cloth, and as an example, the reinforcement can be made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film. Of course, the cleaning body is not limited to cloth, and other cleaning bodies can also be used. In addition, the reinforcement is not limited to PET sheets, and other reinforcements can also be used. As an example, the cleaning body and the reinforcement are bonded to each other with the help of an adhesive layer. According to such a structure, the rigidity of the cleaning sheet 41 can be improved, the wrinkles and offsets of the cleaning sheet 41 can be suppressed, and the cleanability can be improved.

[0102] In addition, since the cleaning sheet 41 is formed into a circumferential shape, it is possible to achieve miniaturization and cost reduction of the device compared to a method of winding a long cleaning sheet. It should be noted that when the cleaning sheet 41 is formed into a circumferential shape, as an example, one end area and the other end area of ​​the sheet can be bonded together using double-sided tape or the like to form the circumferential shape.

[0103] The driving pulley 42 is driven by the sheet driving motor 61 (see Figure 2 ) drives the rotation. The driving pulley 42 is driven to Figure 3 The cleaning sheet 41 rotates clockwise. Figure 3 Move in a clockwise circle.

[0104] 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 the receiving unit driving unit 60 (see Figure 2 ) is driven by the conveyor belt 33 to advance and retreat. The unit driving unit 60 can be composed of an actuator such as a motor.

[0105] When the second cleaning part 40 is relative to the conveyor belt 33 Figure 4 As shown, when the cleaning sheet 41 is moved forward, it is pressed against the conveyor belt 33 by the driven pulley 43. In this state, the conveyor belt 33 is rotated forward and the cleaning sheet 41 is moved in a circle, thereby wiping the outer peripheral surface Sa of the conveyor belt 33. It should be noted that Figure 3 The second cleaning unit 40 is shown in a state where it is retracted from the conveyor belt 33 .

[0106] Next, a paper dust removal scraper 46 is provided downstream of the second cleaning unit 40 in the forward rotation direction (-F direction) of the conveyor belt 33. For example, the paper dust removal scraper 46 is formed from a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) sheet and is positioned so as to face the direction opposite to the forward rotation direction of the conveyor belt 33. The paper dust removal scraper 46 is fixedly mounted and constantly in contact with the conveyor belt 33, removing paper dust adhering to the conveyor belt 33.

[0107] Reference numeral 48 denotes a collection box for collecting the removed paper dust. Reference numeral 47 denotes a contact piece for preventing paper dust adhering to the paper dust removal scraper 46 from moving to the conveyor belt 33 and going upstream when the conveyor belt 33 is reversed.

[0108] Here, the driven pulley 32 is located downstream of the area facing the line head 26 when the conveyor belt 33 rotates forward. Therefore, space can be secured downstream of the scraper 36 in the second section 33b of the conveyor belt 33 opposite the area facing the line head 26, increasing the flexibility in arranging components other than the scraper 36. In this embodiment, the second cleaning section 40, the paper dust removal scraper 46, and the contact piece 47 can be arranged.

[0109] Note that, instead of the above configuration, the arrangement of the drive pulley 31 and the driven pulley 32 may be reversed.

[0110] Then, if Figure 2 As shown, 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 controlled by the control unit 50 as a control mechanism.

[0111] The control unit 50 is a control unit that controls the entire printer 1 , and in addition to the above-mentioned components, controls the line head 26 , a medium transport motor (not shown), and the like.

[0112] The control unit 50 includes a CPU 51 and nonvolatile memory 52. ​​The nonvolatile memory 52 stores programs PR and various parameters for performing various controls on the printer 1. The programs PR include programs for implementing the various controls described below. Furthermore, the nonvolatile memory 52 stores data N1 necessary for executing the programs PR.

[0113] The control unit 50 receives input signals from the operation panel 54, and also receives output signals for displaying information from the control unit 50 to the display unit 54a 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.

[0114] The control unit 50 includes an interface 53 for communicating with an external computer 90. The control unit 50 acquires recording data, which is data used for recording. This recording data is 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, including the line head 26. This recording data also includes information about the size of the medium.

[0115] 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 An upstream sensor 65 and a downstream sensor 66 are shown as part of the various sensors.

[0116] like Figure 3 、 Figure 4As shown, the upstream sensor 65 is provided at a position opposing the conveyor belt 33 and upstream of the line head 26. Furthermore, the downstream sensor 66 is provided at a position opposing 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. 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 based on the detection signal from 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 based on the detection signal from the downstream sensor 66.

[0117] In particular, if the upstream sensor 65 detects the passage of the leading edge of the medium, but the downstream sensor 66 fails to detect the passage of the leading edge of the medium even after a predetermined period of time has passed, the control unit 50 determines that a media jam has occurred. Upon determining that a media jam has occurred, the control unit 50 stops the recording operation. This stopping of the recording operation includes stopping the ejection of ink from the line head 26 and stopping the driving of the conveyor belt 33 and other conveyor roller pairs.

[0118] In this embodiment, the control unit 50 cleans the outer peripheral surface Sa of the conveyor belt 33 using at least one of the first cleaning unit 35 and the second cleaning unit 40. The control unit 50 can select a first cleaning mode that uses only the first cleaning unit 35, a second cleaning mode that uses both the first cleaning unit 35 and the second cleaning unit 40, and a third cleaning mode that uses only the second cleaning unit 40.

[0119] An example of when the control unit 50 selects the first cleaning mode is during a scheduled cleaning operation. The control unit 50 includes a unit that counts the time elapsed since the scheduled cleaning operation was performed. When the time elapsed since the last scheduled cleaning operation reaches a specified time, the scheduled cleaning operation is performed. The first cleaning mode is also selected when the printer 1 enters the standby state after a recording job is completed.

[0120] The control unit 50 selects the second cleaning mode when, for example, a media jam occurs. In such a case, ink may be accidentally ejected onto the conveyor belt 33 and adhere to the conveyor belt 33. Therefore, the control unit 50 performs the cleaning operation in the second cleaning mode.

[0121] As examples of situations in which the control unit 50 selects the third cleaning mode, there are cases where the number of times double-sided recording has been performed has reached a specified value, or where condensation may have formed on the conveyor belt 33. The control unit 50 includes a unit that counts the number of times double-sided recording has been performed, and when the number of times double-sided recording has been performed has reached a specified value, the control unit 50 performs a cleaning operation using the third cleaning mode. This is because, when double-sided recording is performed, the first side, which was recorded on first, comes into contact with the conveyor belt 33 when recording is performed on the second, opposite side, and there is a possibility that ink will adhere to the conveyor belt 33. In addition, when condensation forms on the conveyor belt 33, the medium may become wet, so the control unit 50 performs a cleaning operation using the third cleaning mode. It should be noted that, as examples of situations in which condensation may form on the conveyor belt 33, there is a sudden change to a high humidity state, or a sudden increase in temperature after being left at a low temperature.

[0122] Next, refer to Figures 6 to 8 A first embodiment of control for cleaning the conveyor belt 33 using the scraper 36 will be described. It should be noted that this embodiment is an example of control performed in the second cleaning mode described above, that is, an example of control for cleaning performed in response to accidental ink discharge onto the conveyor belt 33. However, neither this embodiment nor the second embodiment described later is limited to control performed in response to accidental ink discharge.

[0123] When the control unit 50 detects a media jam, it stops driving the conveyor belt 33 (step S101). Next, it determines whether the area where ink was accidentally ejected, that is, part or all of the cleaning area cleaned by the scraper 36, is located downstream of the contact position Cb in the normal rotation direction (step S102). Figure 7 In the figure, the reference symbol Ra is an example of a cleaning area. For example, the control unit 50 can clearly specify that ink is ejected from the line head 26 to the conveyor belt 33 during the period from the time when the front end of the medium P is detected by the upstream sensor 65 to the time when the conveyor belt 33 stops driving, and this area is set as the cleaning area Ra. It should be noted that Figure 7 The figure shows a situation where the leading end of the medium P is caught in the line head 26 and a jam occurs.

[0124] exist Figure 7 In the example shown, a portion of the cleaning area Ra is located downstream of the contact position Cb in the forward direction. However, for example, when there is little margin at the leading edge of the medium and recording is performed only at the leading edge of the medium, the entire cleaning area Ra may be located downstream of the contact position Cb in the forward direction. Alternatively, for example, when there is much margin at the leading edge of the medium, the entire cleaning area Ra may be located further upstream of the contact position Cb in the forward direction.

[0125] When part or all of the cleaning area Ra is located downstream of the contact position Cb in the forward direction ("Yes" in step S102), the control unit 50 reverses the conveyor belt 33 (step S103). Figure 8 The operation shown in FIG. 1 is arranged upstream of the contact position Cb in the forward rotation direction, and is cleaning position adjustment control.

[0126] It should be pointed out that in Figure 8 As an example, the conveyor belt 33 is reversed so that the downstream end Rs of the cleaning area Ra faces the contact position Cb. However, the cleaning area Ra may be moved further upstream in the forward direction to provide a predetermined distance between the downstream end Rs of the cleaning area Ra and the contact position Cb.

[0127] It should be noted that if part or all of the cleaning area Ra is not located further downstream in the forward rotation direction than the contact position Cb, that is, if the entire cleaning area Ra is located further upstream in the forward rotation direction than the contact position Cb ("No" in step S102), the cleaning position adjustment control (step S103) is skipped and the process proceeds to step S104. It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the situation where part or all of the cleaning area Ra is not located further downstream in the forward rotation direction than the contact position Cb also includes the situation where the downstream end Rs of the cleaning area Ra faces the contact position Cb, in other words, the situation where the downstream end Rs of the cleaning area Ra is aligned with the contact position Cb.

[0128] Next, the control unit 50 switches the scraper 36 to a contact state (step S104), causes the second cleaning unit 40 to advance toward the conveyor belt 33 (step S105), and then causes the conveyor belt 33 to rotate forward (step S106). The forward rotation of the conveyor belt 33 in step S106 is a cleaning operation of the conveyor belt 33 performed by the scraper 36 and the second cleaning unit 40. The amount of forward rotation of the conveyor belt 33 during this cleaning operation is an amount sufficient to clean the cleaning area Ra at least once by the scraper 36 and the second cleaning unit 40, but may also be an amount sufficient to clean the cleaning area Ra multiple times by the scraper 36 and the second cleaning unit 40.

[0129] When the cleaning operation is completed, the control unit 50 separates the scraper 36 (step S107 ) and retracts the second cleaning unit 40 from the conveyor belt 33 (step S108 ).

[0130] It should be noted that in the above control example, steps S103 to S108 can also be repeatedly executed. That is, the forward and backward movement of the scraper 36 and the reverse and forward rotation of the conveyor belt 33 can also be repeatedly executed to repeatedly clean the cleaning area Ra by causing it to reciprocate relative to the contact position Cb. This also applies to the second embodiment described later.

[0131] Next, refer to Figure 9 、 Figure 10 A second embodiment of the control for cleaning the conveyor belt 33 by the scraper 36 will be described. Note that this embodiment is also an example of control in the second cleaning mode, that is, an example of control for cleaning triggered by accidental discharge of ink onto the conveyor belt 33.

[0132] If the control unit 50 detects a media jam, it stops driving the conveyor belt 33 (step S201). Next, the control unit 50 determines whether the first section 33a of the conveyor belt 33 includes part or all of the cleaning area Ra (step S202). If the first section 33a of the conveyor belt 33 includes part or all of the cleaning area Ra ("YES" in step S202), the control unit 50 rotates the conveyor belt 33 forward by a predetermined amount (step S203).

[0133] Figure 7 This is an example of a portion of the first section 33a of the conveyor belt 33 including the cleaning area Ra. Figure 10 This is an example of the state after the conveyor belt 33 has been rotated forward a predetermined amount in step S203. The forward rotation of the conveyor belt 33 in step S203 rotates the conveyor belt 33 forward until the cleaning area Ra exits the first section 33a, representing cleaning area movement control. If the first section 33a of the conveyor belt 33 does not include part or all of the cleaning area Ra ("No" in step S202), the cleaning area movement control in step S203 is skipped.

[0134] Next, the control unit 50 issues a jam alarm (step S204). Specifically, as an example, the display unit 54a of the operation panel 54 displays an alarm message such as "Paper jam has occurred. Please remove the jammed paper." It should be noted that when the control unit 50 issues a jam alarm, it can also Figure 10 As shown by reference numeral 26 - 1 , the line head 26 is moved in the +G direction to form a space between the line head 26 and the conveyor belt 33 .

[0135] Alternatively, instead of or in addition to moving the line head 26 in the +G direction, Figure 11 As shown, the conveyor belt 33 is moved in a direction away from the line head 26 . Figure 11 The embodiment shown is a configuration in which the belt unit 30 is rotatable around the driving pulley 31. Figure 11In the illustrated embodiment, in addition to the belt unit 30, the components surrounding the conveyor belt 33, such as the first cleaning unit 35, the second cleaning unit 40, the charging roller 29, the paper dust removal scraper 46, the contact piece 47, and the recovery box 48, can also rotate integrally with the belt unit 30. Such rotation of the belt unit 30 can be controlled by a user operation or by the control unit 50 using a drive source such as a motor.

[0136] return Figure 9 When the user removes the jammed medium in response to the jam alarm and presses the OK button ("Yes" in step S205), the control unit 50 performs the control in step S206 and thereafter. Figure 6 The control of step S102 and thereafter is the same as that of step S106, S207, S208, S209, S210, S211 and step S212 respectively. Figure 6 corresponds to steps S102, S103, S104, S105, S106, S107 and S108.

[0137] As described above, when at least a portion of the cleaning area Ra is located downstream of the contact position Cb where the scraper 36 contacts the conveyor belt 33 in the forward direction of the conveyor belt 33 when cleaning the cleaning area Ra, the control unit 50 can perform cleaning position adjustment control (steps S103, S207) to reverse the conveyor belt 33 before switching the scraper 36 from the separated state to the contact state so that the cleaning area Ra as a whole is located upstream in the forward direction relative to the contact position Cb.

[0138] In addition, in the control method executed by the control unit 50, when cleaning the cleaning area Ra and at least a portion of the cleaning area Ra is downstream of the contact position Cb where the scraper 36 contacts the conveyor belt 33 in the forward direction of rotation of the conveyor belt 33, the conveyor belt 33 is reversed before switching the scraper 36 from the separated state to the contact state so that the cleaning area Ra as a whole is located upstream in the forward direction of rotation relative to the contact position Cb.

[0139] In addition, the program executed by the control unit 50 includes the following steps: determining whether at least a portion of the cleaning area Ra is downstream of the contact position Cb in the forward direction of rotation of the conveyor belt 33 when cleaning the cleaning area Ra (steps S102, S206); and when at least a portion of the cleaning area Ra is downstream in the forward direction relative to the contact position Cb, before switching the scraper 36 from the separated state to the contact state, reversing the conveyor belt 33 so that the cleaning area Ra as a whole is upstream in the forward direction relative to the contact position Cb (steps S103, S207).

[0140] As described above, the forward rotation amount of the conveyor belt 33 required to clean the entire cleaning area Ra once can be reduced, and the time until the cleaning is completed can be reduced.

[0141] In addition, the control unit 50 reverses the conveyor belt 33 in the cleaning position adjustment control (steps S103, S207) so that the downstream end Rs of the cleaning area Ra in the forward direction faces the contact position Cb. Therefore, the reversal amount of the conveyor belt 33 in the cleaning position adjustment control can be suppressed to a minimum, and the time until cleaning is completed can be further suppressed.

[0142] It should be pointed out that, as reference Figure 5 As described above, when the scraper 36 switches from the separated state to the contact state, it switches to the contact state at a predetermined angle to the normal line Dn relative to the outer peripheral surface Sa of the conveyor belt 33. In this configuration, since the side surface of the scraper 36 contacts the conveyor belt 33, if the side surface of the scraper 36 contacts the middle of the cleaning area Ra, ink may adhere to the side surface of the scraper 36, i.e., an area not intended for cleaning, thereby adversely affecting the cleaning effect. However, the cleaning position adjustment control described above prevents the side surface of the scraper 36 from contacting the middle of the cleaning area Ra, thus preventing any adverse effects on the cleaning effect.

[0143] In addition, when at least a portion of the cleaning area Ra is included in the first section 33a of the conveyor belt 33, the control unit 50 performs cleaning area movement control (step S203) to rotate the conveyor belt 33 forward until the cleaning area Ra leaves the first section 33a before performing cleaning position adjustment control (step S207).

[0144] This can reduce the risk of the user touching the cleaning area Ra and getting their fingers dirty when the user attempts to remove the medium P remaining on the conveyor belt 33 .

[0145] It should be noted that in the above embodiment, the cleaning area movement control is performed when at least a portion of the cleaning area Ra is included in the first section 33a of the conveyor belt 33. However, for example, in a case where there is a possibility that the user may come into contact with the belt section wound around the driven pulley 32, the cleaning area movement control may be performed when at least a portion of the cleaning area Ra is included in the first section 33a of the conveyor belt 33 and the belt section wound around the driven pulley 32 (partially or entirely).

[0146] In the above embodiment, the control unit 50 rotates the conveyor belt 33 forward in the cleaning area movement control (step S203) until the entire cleaning area Ra enters the second section 33b. This can more reliably reduce the risk of the user touching the area that was accidentally ejected.

[0147] However, the moving destination of the cleaning area Ra is not limited to the position where the entire cleaning area Ra enters the second section 33b as long as the risk of the user touching the area where the spray is accidentally sprayed can be reduced. For example, a portion of the cleaning area Ra may be located in the belt section wound around the driven pulley 32.

[0148] In addition, in the cleaning area movement control, the control unit 50 moves the conveyor belt 33 in the following manner after the cleaning area Ra as a whole enters the second section 33b. Figure 10 The cleaning area Ra shown stops in a state where the cleaning area Ra is located in the upstream position of the second interval 33b as a whole. Here, the cleaning area Ra is located in the upstream position of the second interval 33b as a whole means that the middle position of the cleaning area Ra in the belt moving direction is located closer to the +F direction than the middle position of the second interval 33b.

[0149] By setting the moving destination of the cleaning area Ra in this manner, the amount of reverse rotation of the conveyor belt 33 during the cleaning position adjustment control (step S207 ) can be suppressed, and the cleaning operation of the conveyor belt 33 can be started promptly.

[0150] In addition, after performing the cleaning area movement control, the control unit 50 suspends the cleaning position adjustment control (step S207) until an input instruction is received from the user ("Yes" in step S205), and performs the cleaning position adjustment control by receiving the input instruction. More specifically, in this embodiment, after performing the cleaning area movement control, an alarm is issued to prompt the removal of the medium from the conveyor belt 33 (step S204), and the cleaning position adjustment control is suspended (step S207) until an input instruction is received from the user in response to the alarm ("Yes" in step S205), and performs the cleaning position adjustment control by receiving the input instruction. In this way, the risk of the user encountering the cleaning area Ra can be more reliably suppressed.

[0151] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a charging roller 29 is provided downstream of the contact position Cb in the forward rotation direction of the conveyor belt 33. This charging roller 29 is a contact portion that contacts the conveyor belt 33. In such a configuration, the charging roller 29 is easily contaminated by ink. However, since the scraper 36 is located upstream of the charging roller 29 in the forward rotation direction, it is possible to suppress contamination of the charging roller 29 with ink.

[0152] Furthermore, compared to the case where the charging roller 29 is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat relative to the conveyor belt 33 in order to prevent the charging roller 29 from being contaminated by ink, it is possible to suppress an increase in cost and an increase in size of the device.

[0153] Note that, in this embodiment, the paper dust removing scraper 46 and the contact piece 47 are also examples of the contact portion.

[0154] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since the second cleaning unit 40 is provided downstream of the contact position Cb in the forward rotation direction of the conveyor belt 33 , the cleaning effect of the conveyor belt 33 can be enhanced.

[0155] Next, refer to Figure 12 、 Figure 13 Other embodiments of the belt unit 6 and its surrounding structure will be described. Figure 12 、 Figure 13 The same components as those already described are marked with the same reference numerals and will not be described in detail below.

[0156] exist Figure 12 、 Figure 13 In the figure, reference numeral 70 denotes a transport unit. The transport unit 70 is a unit body including the belt unit 30 , the first cleaning unit 35 , the second cleaning unit 40 described above, and a recovery box 48A as another embodiment of the recovery box 48 .

[0157] An opening and closing cover 2a is provided on the side surface (right side) in the -X direction of the device body 2. Figure 12 The state after the access cover 2a is opened is shown. As shown in the figure, by opening the access cover 2a, the conveying unit 70 is exposed. It should be noted that by opening the access cover 2a, it is also possible to remove the blocked medium when a paper jam occurs in the medium conveying path.

[0158] The collection box 48A according to this embodiment includes a detachable box 71 that can be attached to and detached from the conveying unit 70 as shown by the arrow Ck. Figure 13 In the figure, the two-dot chain line indicated by reference numeral 71-1 represents the removed detachable box 71. The detachable box 71 can be attached to the transport unit 70 by screws (not shown), and can be removed from the transport unit 70 by removing the screws.

[0159] Then, by opening the opening and closing cover 2a, Figure 12 As shown, the detachable box 71 is exposed together with the transport unit 70 , and the detachable box 71 can be attached to and detached from the transport unit 70 .

[0160] Since the paper dust collected by the collection box 48A is accumulated in the detachable box 71 , the accumulated paper dust can be easily discarded by removing the detachable box 71 from the conveyance unit 70 .

[0161] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the detachable box 71 is mounted on the conveying unit 70 by screws, but it is not limited to this. Of course, other mounting methods such as snap fit, magnets, etc. can also be used.

[0162] Furthermore, 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 claims, and such modifications are naturally included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A liquid ejection device, characterized in that: have: A liquid ejection part, ejecting liquid toward the medium; a conveyor belt, opposed to the liquid ejection portion, and configured to convey the medium downstream in a conveying direction by rotating in a forward direction; a cleaning member that cleans a cleaning area on the conveyor belt by contacting the conveyor belt, the cleaning member being capable of switching between a contact state with the conveyor belt and a separation state separated from the conveyor belt, wherein the cleaning member switches from the separation state to the contact state when cleaning the conveyor belt; as well as a control unit that controls the liquid ejection operation of the liquid ejection unit, the rotation operation of the conveyor belt, and the state switching of the cleaning component; When at least a portion of the cleaning area is located downstream of the contact position between the cleaning component and the conveyor belt in the forward direction of rotation of the conveyor belt when cleaning the cleaning area, the control unit can perform cleaning position adjustment control to rotate the conveyor belt in a reverse direction opposite to the forward direction of rotation before switching the cleaning component from the separated state to the contact state so that the cleaning area as a whole is located upstream of the contact position in the forward direction of rotation.

2. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein The control unit rotates the conveyor belt in the reverse direction during the cleaning position adjustment control so that the downstream end of the cleaning area in the forward rotation direction faces the contact position.

3. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein The cleaning component is composed of a scraper. When the scraper switches from the separated state to the contact state, the scraper switches to the contact state at a predetermined angle with respect to the normal direction of the surface of the conveyor belt.

4. The liquid ejection device according to claim 3, wherein: The conveyor belt is wound around the first pulley and the second pulley. The scraper is provided at a position where it sandwiches the conveyor belt together with the second pulley in the contact state.

5. The liquid ejection device according to claim 4, wherein: The second pulley is located downstream of a region facing the liquid ejecting portion when the conveyor belt rotates in the forward direction.

6. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The conveyor belt has a first section, which is a flat belt section and includes a region facing the liquid ejection portion. The cleaning area is an area where the liquid is accidentally ejected from the liquid ejection portion. When the first section includes at least a portion of the cleaning area, the control unit executes cleaning area movement control for rotating the conveyor belt in the forward direction until the cleaning area at least leaves the first section before executing the cleaning position adjustment control.

7. The liquid ejection device according to claim 6, wherein: The conveyor belt has a second section opposite to the first section, and the second section is a flat belt section. The control unit rotates the conveyor belt in the forward rotation direction until the entire cleaning area enters the second section during the cleaning area movement control.

8. The liquid ejection device according to claim 7, wherein: In the cleaning area movement control, after the entire cleaning area enters the second section, the control unit stops the conveyor belt in a state where the entire cleaning area is located upstream in the second section.

9. The liquid ejection device according to claim 6, wherein: The control unit suspends the cleaning position adjustment control after performing the cleaning area movement control until receiving an input instruction from a user, and executes the cleaning position adjustment control upon receiving the input instruction.

10. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein The liquid ejecting device includes a contact portion that comes into contact with the conveyor belt downstream of the contact position in the forward rotation direction of the conveyor belt.

11. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein The cleaning member serves as a first cleaning member, and the liquid ejecting device includes a second cleaning member for cleaning the conveyor belt, downstream of the contact position in the forward rotation direction of the conveyor belt.

12. The liquid ejecting device according to claim 11, wherein: The second cleaning member comprises: A circumferential cleaning body for cleaning the conveyor belt; and The reinforcing body is bonded to the inner periphery of the cleaning body to reinforce the cleaning body.

13. A method for controlling a liquid ejection device, characterized in that: The liquid ejection device comprises: A liquid ejection part, ejecting liquid toward the medium; a conveyor belt, facing the liquid ejection portion and conveying the medium; and A cleaning component cleans a cleaning area on the conveyor belt by contacting the conveyor belt, and the cleaning component can switch between a contact state with the conveyor belt and a separation state separated from the conveyor belt. When cleaning the conveyor belt, the cleaning component switches from the separation state to the contact state. In the control method, When cleaning the cleaning area, when at least a portion of the cleaning area is downstream of the contact position between the cleaning component and the conveyor belt in the forward direction of rotation of the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt is rotated in a reverse direction opposite to the forward direction of rotation before the cleaning component is switched from the separated state to the contact state, so that the cleaning area as a whole is located upstream of the forward direction of rotation relative to the contact position.

14. A program product, characterized in that Executed by a control unit of a liquid ejection device, the liquid ejection device comprising: A liquid ejection part, ejecting liquid toward the medium; a conveyor belt, facing the liquid ejection portion and conveying the medium; and A cleaning component cleans a cleaning area on the conveyor belt by contacting the conveyor belt, and the cleaning component can switch between a contact state with the conveyor belt and a separation state separated from the conveyor belt. When cleaning the conveyor belt, the cleaning component switches from the separation state to the contact state. The program product includes: determining whether at least a portion of the cleaning area is located downstream of a contact position between the cleaning member and the conveyor belt in the forward direction of rotation of the conveyor belt when the cleaning area is being cleaned; and When at least a portion of the cleaning area is downstream of the contact position in the forward rotation direction, the conveyor belt is rotated in a reverse direction opposite to the forward rotation direction before switching the cleaning component from the separated state to the contact state, so that the cleaning area as a whole is located upstream of the contact position in the forward rotation direction.

Images