Inkjet recording apparatus

Abstract

An inkjet recording apparatus includes at least one head that respectively ejects a liquid, and a container that has a container main body and a partition portion that partitions the container main body into a plurality of independent regions, the container main body having an opening that receives the liquid ejected from the at least one head. The partition portion has at least one first portion that partitions the container main body in a first direction, and at least one second portion that partitions the container main body in a second direction that intersects the first direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus having a head that ejects liquid. Background Technology

[0002] Inkjet recording devices, such as inkjet printers, include a head that ejects liquids such as ink or processing fluid for image formation toward a recording medium. Typically, in addition to the printing area where printing is performed, an inkjet recording device also includes a maintenance area for performing prescribed treatments on the head. In the maintenance area, treatments are performed to remove blockages from the nozzles that eject the liquid and to remove dirt from the nozzle surfaces of the head. To perform these treatments, a purging action is performed by ejecting pressurized liquid from the nozzles, and a wiping action is performed by wiping the nozzle surfaces with a wiper equipped with a scraper or similar wiping member. The maintenance area is equipped with a container to collect liquid that falls from the head during the purging and wiping actions.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which a container disposed in a maintenance area is divided into two recovery chambers by a partition extending in a straight direction. When liquids falling from multiple heads mix with each other, reactions sometimes occur between the liquids, causing them to accumulate. Such accumulation can hinder the discharge of liquids from the container. Therefore, in the aforementioned techniques, in order to prevent easily reactive liquids from mixing with each other, dedicated recovery chambers are provided for each of the easily reactive liquids.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-008628 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The inkjet recording apparatus disclosed herein includes: at least one head, each of which ejects liquid; and a container having a container body and a partition dividing the container body into a plurality of independent regions, the container body having an opening for receiving liquid ejected from the at least one head, the partition having: at least one first portion that separates the container body in a first direction; and at least one second portion that separates the container body in a second direction intersecting the first direction. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing the overall structure of an inkjet printer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of line II-II.

[0010] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 An enlarged perspective view of the carriage and maintenance unit shown.

[0011] Figure 4 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the carriage and maintenance unit.

[0012] Figure 5 This is a block diagram showing the control structure of an inkjet printer.

[0013] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional view of the maintenance unit.

[0014] Figure 7 From Figure 6 The maintenance unit shown is a 3D view excluding the state of the cleaning unit.

[0015] Figure 8A From Figure 7 The state further removes the stereoscopic view of the state of the wiping unit.

[0016] Figure 8B yes Figure 8A A magnified view of the area near the processing liquid container.

[0017] Figure 9 This is a diagram that combines a top view of the wiping unit (area A) and a top view (area B) showing the configuration of the ink head mounted on the carriage.

[0018] Figure 10 This is a three-dimensional view of one of the wipers included in the wiping unit.

[0019] Figure 11A It is to make the direction of strabismus consistent with Figure 7 3D view of different maintenance units.

[0020] Figure 11B yes Figure 11A An enlarged view of the drive system portion of the wiping unit.

[0021] Figure 12 This is a three-dimensional diagram used to illustrate the direction of movement of the wiping unit.

[0022] Figure 13 This is a top view of the maintenance unit showing the movement path of the wiping unit.

[0023] Figure 14A This is a schematic left-right cross-sectional view showing an example of a configuration of a processing liquid container that avoids the opening of the ink container.

[0024] Figure 14B This is a schematic left-right cross-sectional view showing an example of a configuration of a processing liquid container that avoids the opening of the ink container.

[0025] Figure 14C This is a schematic left-right cross-sectional view showing an example of a configuration of a processing liquid container that avoids the opening of the ink container.

[0026] Figure 14D This is a schematic top view showing an example of a configuration of a processing liquid container that avoids the opening of the ink container.

[0027] Figure 15A This is a schematic diagram illustrating the range of movement of the treatment fluid wiper during wiping.

[0028] Figure 15B This is a schematic diagram illustrating the range of movement of the treatment fluid wiper during wiping.

[0029] Figure 15C This is a schematic diagram illustrating the range of movement of the treatment fluid wiper during wiping.

[0030] Figure 16A This is a schematic side view showing the ink wiper and its cleaning components.

[0031] Figure 16B It is shown Figure 16A A perspective view of the main parts of the maintenance unit with the configuration of the cleaning components shown.

[0032] Figure 17 This is a top view showing the tilt configuration of the ink scraper and the processing liquid scraper.

[0033] Figure 18A This diagram shows the wiping condition of a scraper head without any tilt.

[0034] Figure 18B This diagram shows the wiping conditions of the inclined processing liquid scraper and ink scraper heads.

[0035] Figure 18C This diagram shows the wiping conditions of the inclined processing liquid scraper and ink scraper heads.

[0036] Figure 19 This is a perspective view of a container unit according to a first modified embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 20 This is a perspective view of a container unit according to a second modified embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 21 This is a perspective view of a container unit according to a third modified embodiment of this disclosure.

[0039] Figure 22 This is a perspective view of the container unit according to the fourth modified embodiment of this disclosure.

[0040] Figure 23This is a perspective view of the container unit according to the fifth modified embodiment of this disclosure.

[0041] Figure 24 This is a perspective view of the container unit according to the sixth modified embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0042] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, as a specific example of an inkjet recording apparatus, an inkjet printer equipped with an inkjet head that ejects ink for image formation onto a wide and elongated recording medium is illustrated. The inkjet printer of this embodiment is suitable for digital printing of images such as text and patterns by inkjet printing on recording media made of fabrics, woven fabrics, or other raw materials. Of course, the inkjet recording apparatus of the present disclosure can also be used for printing various inkjet images on recording media such as paper and resin sheets.

[0043] [Overall structure of an inkjet printer]

[0044] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing the overall structure of an inkjet printer 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view along line II-II. The inkjet printer 1 is a printer that prints images on a wide and elongated workpiece W using inkjet technology, including a device frame 10 and a workpiece transport section 20 and a carriage 3 assembled on the device frame 10. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the left-right direction is the main scanning direction when printing on the workpiece W, and the direction from rear to front is the secondary scanning direction and the transport direction F of the workpiece W.

[0045] The device frame 10 forms a skeleton for mounting the various components of the inkjet printer 1. The workpiece transport unit 20 is a mechanism that intermittently transports the workpiece W so that the workpiece W travels from the rear to the front transport direction F in the printing area where inkjet printing is performed. The carriage 3 carries the ink head 4, the pre-processing head 5, the post-processing head 6, and the auxiliary canister (not shown), and moves back and forth in the left-right direction during the inkjet printing process.

[0046] The device frame 10 includes a central frame 111, a right frame 112, and a left frame 113. The central frame 111 forms a skeleton for mounting various components of the inkjet printer 1 and has a left-right width corresponding to the workpiece transport section 20. The right frame 112 is erected on the right side of the central frame 111, and the left frame 113 is erected on the left side of the central frame 111. Between the right frame 112 and the left frame 113 is the printing area 12 for printing the workpiece W.

[0047] The right frame 112 forms a maintenance area 13. Maintenance area 13 is the area where the carriage 3 retracts when the printing process is not being performed. A maintenance unit 7 is disposed in maintenance area 13. Maintenance unit 7 is located below the retracted carriage 3. Maintenance unit 7 is used for wiping the lower surfaces (nozzle arrangement surfaces) of the ink head 4, pretreatment head 5, and posttreatment head 6, and for purging the nozzles. Maintenance unit 7 also functions as a cover to prevent drying when the heads 4, 5, and 6 are at rest. The left frame 113 forms a reversal area 14 for the carriage 3. Reversal area 14 is the area where the carriage 3, after scanning the printing area 12 from right to left during the printing process, temporarily enters before scanning in the opposite direction.

[0048] A carriage guide 15 for reciprocating movement of the carriage 3 in the left-right direction is assembled on the upper side of the device frame 10. The carriage guide 15 is a flat plate-shaped member that is longer in the left-right direction and is disposed above the workpiece transport section 20. A timing belt 16 is assembled on the carriage guide 15 so that it can move around in the left-right direction (main scanning direction). The timing belt 16 is an annular belt and is driven by a drive source (not shown) to move around in the left or right direction.

[0049] A pair of upper and lower guide rails 17 are mounted on the carriage guide 15 in a parallel manner along the left and right direction. The carriage 3 has a locking portion relative to the guide rails 17. The carriage 3 is fixed to the timing belt 16. As the timing belt 16 moves around in the left or right direction, the carriage 3 moves to the left or right along the carriage guide 15 while being guided by the guide rails 17.

[0050] Main reference Figure 2 The workpiece transport unit 20 includes a feed roller 21 for conveying the workpiece W before printing and a winding roller 22 for winding the workpiece W after printing. The feed roller 21 is located at the lower rear of the device frame 10 and serves as the winding shaft of the feed roll WA for the workpiece W before printing. The winding roller 22 is located at the lower front of the device frame 10 and serves as the winding shaft of the winding roll WB for the workpiece W after printing. A first motor M1 is attached to the winding roller 22, which drives the winding roller 22 to rotate around its shaft, performing the winding action of the workpiece W.

[0051] The path through the printing area 12 between the feed roller 21 and the winding roller 22 forms the transport path for the workpiece W. Along this transport path, from the upstream side, are arranged a first tension roller 23, a workpiece guide 24, a transport roller 25, a pinch roller 26, a return roller 27, and a second tension roller 28. The first tension roller 23 applies a predetermined tension to the workpiece W upstream of the transport roller 25. The workpiece guide 24 changes the transport direction of the workpiece W from upward to forward, moving the workpiece W into the printing area 12.

[0052] The transport roller 25 generates an intermittent transport force for the workpiece W in the printing area 12. The transport roller 25 is driven to rotate around its axis by a second motor M2. The transport roller 25 intermittently transports the workpiece W forward (transport direction F) so that the workpiece W passes through the printing area 12 opposite to the carriage 3. The pinch roller 26 is arranged opposite the transport roller 25 from above, forming a transport clamping portion with the transport roller 25. The return roller 27 changes the transport direction of the workpiece W, which has passed through the printing area 12, from the forward direction to the downward direction, guiding the printed workpiece W towards the winding roller 22. The second tension roller 28 applies a predetermined tension to the workpiece W on the downstream side of the transport roller 25. A pressure plate 29 is arranged below the transport path of the workpiece W in the printing area 12.

[0053] The carriage 3, cantilevered and supported by the guide rail 17, reciprocates in the main scanning direction (left-right direction) intersecting the transport direction F. The carriage 3 includes a carriage frame 30, an ink head 4 mounted on the carriage frame 30, a pre-processing head 5, a post-processing head 6, and a sub-canister (not shown). The carriage frame 30 includes a head support frame 31 and a rear frame 32. The head support frame 31 is a horizontal plate that holds the heads 4 to 6 horizontally. The rear frame 32 is a vertical plate extending upward from the rear end edge of the head support frame 31. The timing belt 16 is fixed relative to the rear frame 32, and the guide rail 17 engages with the rear frame 32.

[0054] [Details about the carriage]

[0055] The carriage 3 will be further explained. Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The enlarged perspective view of the carriage 3 shown also includes the maintenance unit 7. Figure 3 The diagram shows the transport direction F (sub-scanning direction) of workpiece W and the main scanning direction S, which is the moving direction of carriage 3. Figure 3 The illustration shows an example of a carriage 3 mounting multiple ink heads 4 that eject ink for image formation onto a workpiece W, and pre-processing heads 5 and post-processing heads 6 that eject a non-color-developing processing liquid. In a real carriage 3, multiple auxiliary tanks are also mounted to supply the ink and processing liquid to these heads 4, 5, and 6. It should be noted that the number of heads is not limited to the above; at least one head may also be configured.

[0056] Each ink head 4 has multiple nozzles that eject ink droplets using a piezoelectric method employing a piezoelectric element or a thermal method employing a heating element, and an ink path that guides the ink to the nozzles. The ink can be, for example, an aqueous pigment ink containing a water-based solvent, pigment, and binder resin. In this embodiment, the multiple ink heads 4 include a first ink head to an eighth ink head 4A to 4H that eject eight different colors of ink.

[0057] Each color ink head 4A to 4H is mounted on the head support frame 31 of the carriage 3 in a manner arranged in the main scanning direction S. Each color ink head 4A to 4H has two heads. For example, the first ink head 4A consists of an upstream side head 4A1 located upstream in the transport direction F, and a downstream side head 4A2 located downstream of the upstream side head 4A1 and offset to the left in the main scanning direction S. The other color ink heads 4B to 4H are arranged similarly. The upstream side heads of these ink heads 4B to 4H are arranged in a row in the main scanning direction S at the same position as the upstream side head 4A1 in the transport direction F, and the downstream side heads are arranged in a row in the main scanning direction S at the same position as the downstream side head 4A2 in the transport direction F.

[0058] The pre-processing head 5 (processing fluid head) and the post-processing head 6 (processing fluid head) are positioned differently from the ink head 4 in the transport direction F. The pre-processing head 5 is located upstream of the ink head 4 in the transport direction F. Figure 3 The image shows an example where a pre-processing head 5 is positioned near the left end of the arrangement of ink heads 4. In contrast, a post-processing head 6 is positioned downstream of the ink head 4 in the transport direction F. Figure 3 The image shows an example of two post-processing heads 6A and 6B arranged along the main scanning direction S near the right end of the arrangement of ink heads 4.

[0059] The pretreatment head 5 ejects a pretreatment solution (treatment liquid) for performing a prescribed pretreatment on the workpiece W. The pretreatment solution is ejected from the pretreatment head 5 to a position on the workpiece W before ink is ejected from the ink head 4. The pretreatment solution is a non-color-developing treatment solution that does not develop color even when adhered to the workpiece W; for example, it is a treatment solution that improves the fixing properties of the ink on the workpiece W and the aggregation properties of the ink pigment on the workpiece W. Such a pretreatment solution can be a treatment solution containing a binding resin in a solvent, or a treatment solution containing a positively charged cationic resin in a solvent.

[0060] The post-processing head 6 ejects a post-processing liquid (treatment liquid) for performing a prescribed post-processing on the workpiece W to which ink has adhered. The post-processing liquid is ejected from the post-processing head 6 to the position on the workpiece W after ink has been ejected from the ink head 4. The post-processing liquid is also a non-color-developing treatment liquid that does not develop color even when adhered to the workpiece W, and it is designed to improve the fixing and adhesion of the ink image imprinted on the workpiece W by the ink head 4. The adhesion refers to resistance to friction and cutting. As such a post-processing liquid, a silicone-based treatment liquid or the like can be used.

[0061] Here, "non-color-developing processing liquid" refers to a processing liquid that, when printed alone on a recording medium, is not perceived as color-developing by the naked eye. This includes colors with a chromaticity of 0, such as black, white, and gray. Although non-color-developing processing liquids are generally transparent liquids, for example, when observing 1 liter of processing liquid in its liquid state, it may not be completely transparent and may appear slightly white. Such a color is very light, and therefore, when printed alone on a recording medium, it cannot be perceived as color-developing by the naked eye. It should be noted that, depending on the type of processing liquid, when printed alone on a recording medium, it may sometimes produce changes such as gloss on the recording medium, but this is not considered color development.

[0062] An opening 31H is provided at the head mounting position of the head support frame 31. The ink heads 4A to 4F, the pre-processing head 5, and the post-processing head 6 are assembled on the head support frame 31 to fit into each opening 31H. The nozzles disposed on the lower end face of each head 4, 5, and 6 protrude from each opening 31H.

[0063] As described above, the inkjet printer 1 of this embodiment is an integrated printer in which the inkjet head 4, the pretreatment head 5, and the posttreatment head 6 are mounted on a single carriage 3. According to this printer 1, for example, in the inkjet printing process of fabric in digital printing, the pretreatment liquid ejection process and the posttreatment liquid ejection process can be performed simultaneously. Therefore, the printing process can be simplified, and the printing apparatus can be made more compact.

[0064] [Overview structure of the maintenance unit]

[0065] Figure 4 This is a schematic cross-sectional view along the front and rear of the carriage 3 and maintenance unit 7. Maintenance unit 7 includes a container unit 70, a wiping unit 8, and a cleaning unit 9. Maintenance area 13 ( Figure 1 This area is for clearing blockages in the nozzles of heads 4, 5, and 6, and removing dirt from the nozzle arrangement surface NA of heads 4, 5, and 6. To perform this treatment, purging, wiping, and cleaning actions are performed in maintenance area 13.

[0066] The purging action is an action that forces pressurized ink, pretreatment solution, and posttreatment solution to be ejected from ink head 4, pretreatment head 5, and posttreatment head 6, respectively. The container unit 70 recovers the ink, pretreatment solution, and posttreatment solution ejected from heads 4, 5, and 6 during the purging action. The wiping action is an action that wipes the nozzle arrangement surface NA with a wiper equipped with a wiping component such as a scraper. The wiping unit 8 is the unit that performs the wiping action. The cleaning action is an action that cleans the soiled wiping unit 8 by performing the wiping action. The cleaning unit 9 is the unit that performs the cleaning action. It should be noted that the container unit 70 also recovers the cleaning solution used in the cleaning action.

[0067] The container unit 70 has a structure for separately recovering the pretreatment liquid, ink, and posttreatment liquid. In this embodiment, as described above, a pretreatment liquid that improves the fixing properties and pigment aggregation of the ink is used. Therefore, when the pretreatment liquid and ink are mixed, the mixture aggregates, which can sometimes hinder recovery to the waste tank. On the other hand, the posttreatment liquid used in this embodiment does not aggregate even when mixed with ink. This is the reason for the separate recovery described above in the container unit 70.

[0068] The container unit 70 includes an ink container 71, a pretreatment liquid container 72 (treatment liquid container), and a cleaning liquid tray 73 (cleaning container section). The ink container 71 is used to collect the ink and post-treatment liquid ejected from the ink head 4 and the post-treatment head 6, respectively, during the purging operation. The ink container 71 has a first opening 71H on its upper surface for receiving the ink and post-treatment liquid. The first opening 71H opens upwards at a position opposite in the vertical direction to at least the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the ink head 4 and the post-treatment head 6. The ink container 71 also collects the ink and post-treatment liquid wiped away from the nozzle arrangement surface NA during the wiping operation.

[0069] The pretreatment fluid container 72 is positioned to cover a portion of the area above the first opening 71H. The pretreatment fluid container 72 is used to collect the pretreatment fluid ejected from the pretreatment head 5 during the purging action. The pretreatment fluid container 72 has a second opening 72H on its upper surface for receiving the pretreatment fluid. The second opening 72H opens upwards at a position opposite to at least the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the pretreatment head 5 in the vertical direction. The pretreatment fluid container 72 also collects the pretreatment fluid wiped away from the nozzle arrangement surface NA during the wiping action. The cleaning fluid tray 73 is used to collect (receive) the cleaning fluid 9A ejected from the cleaning fluid cleaning unit 9 and passed through each wiper during the cleaning action.

[0070] The container unit 70 includes an overflow path 741, a processing liquid passage 742, and a relay path 743 for the flow of recovered liquid. The overflow path 741 has a starting opening on the bottom surface of the ink container 71 and is a passage with its end facing a waste liquid container (not shown). The processing liquid passage 742 has a starting opening near the bottom surface of the pre-processing liquid container 72 and is a passage with its end facing the waste liquid container. The relay path 743 has a starting opening on the bottom surface of the cleaning liquid tray 73 and is a passage with an end opening near the bottom surface of the ink container 71. That is, the cleaning liquid 9A recovered from the cleaning liquid tray 73 is temporarily introduced into the ink container 71 and then recovered to the waste liquid container via the overflow path 741.

[0071] A cap rubber 75 is mounted on the upper surface 70A of the container unit 70. The cap rubber 75 is configured to surround the periphery of the first opening 71H of the ink container 71. The carriage 3, as shown by arrow A1 in the figure, is capable of moving in the vertical direction. When the carriage 3 is in standby mode in the maintenance area 13, or when the printer 1 is stopped, the carriage 3 descends, and the lower surface 311 of the head support frame 31 contacts the cap rubber 75. As a result, the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the heads 4, 5, and 6 is sealed.

[0072] The wiping unit 8 includes a wiper support plate 81 (support member), an ink wiper 82 supported by the wiper support plate 81, a pretreatment liquid wiper 83 (treatment liquid wiper), and a posttreatment liquid wiper 84. As shown by arrow A2 in the figure, the wiping unit 8 is movable in the front-rear direction. The wiper support plate 81 is a flat plate that moves in the front-rear direction between the carriage 3, the cleaning unit 9, and the container unit 70. The ink wiper 82 moves rearward while in contact with the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the ink head 4, thereby wiping the nozzle arrangement surface NA. Similarly, the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 and the posttreatment liquid wiper 84 wipe the nozzle arrangement surfaces NA of the pretreatment head 5 and the posttreatment head 6, respectively.

[0073] In this embodiment, heads 4, 5, and 6 eject only ink, pretreatment solution, and posttreatment solution, respectively. However, one head may have a nozzle for ejecting ink and a nozzle for ejecting at least one of the pretreatment solution and posttreatment solution. In this case, at least the nozzle for ejecting ink and the nozzle for ejecting pretreatment solution are separately arranged in different areas and are wiped by different wipers. By having heads 4, 5, and 6 eject only ink, pretreatment solution, and posttreatment solution, respectively, the possibility of ink mixing with the pretreatment solution or posttreatment solution can be reduced.

[0074] The cleaning unit 9 includes a nozzle holding plate 91 and a plurality of cleaning nozzles 92 (spraying sections) held by the nozzle holding plate 91. The nozzle holding plate 91 is a flat plate-shaped component and is fixedly arranged opposite to the cleaning fluid tray 73 of the container unit 70. The plurality of cleaning nozzles 92 are arranged at positions corresponding to the ink wiper 82, the pretreatment fluid wiper 83, and the posttreatment fluid wiper 84 mounted on the wiper support plate 81, respectively. That is, when the wiping unit 8 moves to a predetermined position directly below the cleaning unit 9, the plurality of cleaning nozzles 92 are held by the nozzle holding plate 91 at positions opposite to the wipers 82, 83, and 84 from above. The cleaning nozzles 92 spray (spray) the cleaning fluid 9A in a fan-shaped spray pattern. The cleaning fluid 9A is supplied to the cleaning nozzles 92 from a cleaning fluid tank (not shown) via a cleaning fluid hose 93.

[0075] [Control Structure]

[0076] Figure 5This is a block diagram showing a portion of the control structure of printer 1. Printer 1 includes a controller 33, a carriage drive motor 34 whose operation is controlled by the controller 33, a carriage lifting motor 35, a wiper moving motor 36, a cleaning water supply pump 37, and a head drive unit 38.

[0077] Carriage drive motor 34 is located in the folding area 14, printing area 12, and maintenance area 13. Figure 1 Within the range of ), a driving force is generated to move the carriage 3 in the left and right directions. The carriage drive motor 34 is paired with the synchronous belt 16 ( Figures 1-3 The carriage lifting motor 35 generates a driving force within the maintenance area 13 to move the carriage 3 vertically. The wiper moving motor 36 generates a driving force to move the wiping unit 8 forward and backward. The cleaning water supply pump 37 is connected to the cleaning fluid hose 93 and supplies cleaning fluid 9A to the cleaning nozzle 92 at a specified pressure. The head drive unit 38 performs the ejection action of ink, pretreatment fluid, and posttreatment fluid from each of the heads 4, 5, and 6.

[0078] During the purging action, the controller 33 controls the wiping motor 36 to move the wiping unit 8 rearward to a retracted position below the cleaning unit 9. Next, the controller 33 controls the head drive unit 38 to spray ink, pretreatment solution, and posttreatment solution from each of the heads 4, 5, and 6 at high pressure, thereby cleaning the nozzles. The ink and posttreatment solution sprayed during the purging action are recovered in the ink container 71, and the pretreatment solution is recovered in the pretreatment solution container 72.

[0079] During the wiping action, the controller 33 controls the wiping motor 36 to move the wiping unit 8 to the foremost wiping start position. Next, the controller 33 controls the carriage lifting motor 35 to lower the nozzle arrangement surfaces NA of each of the heads 4, 5, and 6 to a height position where they contact the wipers 82, 83, and 84 of the wiping unit 8. Then, the controller 33 moves the wiping unit 8 rearward. The ink and post-processing liquid wiped from the nozzle arrangement surfaces NA by the ink wiper 82 and the post-processing liquid wiper 84 are recovered in the ink container 71. Additionally, the pre-processing liquid wiped from the nozzle arrangement surfaces NA by the pre-processing liquid wiper 83 is recovered in the pre-processing liquid container 72.

[0080] During the cleaning operation, the controller 33 controls the wiper movement motor 36, causing the wiping unit 8 to move rearward to a retracted position below the cleaning unit 9. Next, the controller 33 controls the cleaning water supply pump 37 to supply cleaning fluid 9A to the cleaning nozzle 92 via the cleaning fluid hose 93. This blows the cleaning fluid 9A into the wipers 82, 83, and 84 of the wiping unit 8, removing foreign matter adhering to the wiper. The cleaning fluid 9A is then recovered in the cleaning fluid tray 73.

[0081] [Detailed structure of the maintenance unit]

[0082] Next, a specific embodiment of the maintenance unit 7 described above will be illustrated, and its detailed structure will be explained. Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional view of the entire maintenance unit 7. Figure 7 From Figure 6 The 3D view of the state of cleaning unit 9 has been removed. Figure 8A From Figure 7 The state further removed the stereoscopic view of the state of wiping unit 8. Figure 8B yes Figure 8A A magnified view of the area near the pretreatment liquid container 72. Figure 6 and Figure 7 The image shows a standby state awaiting a wiping command or a state in which the cleaning action is being performed, with the wiping unit 8 moved to its rearmost position.

[0083] As described above, the maintenance unit 7 includes a container unit 70, a wiping unit 8, and a cleaning unit 9 (cleaning section). The container unit 70 is mounted on the device frame 10. Figure 1 The wiping unit 8 is assembled to be able to be pulled forward within the maintenance area 13. The wiping unit 8 is assembled to be movable in the front-to-back direction relative to the container unit 70. The cleaning unit 9 is fixedly assembled to the device frame 10.

[0084] <Container Unit>

[0085] The container unit 70 includes a frame structure 700 having a slightly elongated cuboid shape in the front-rear direction, an ink container 71 and a pretreatment liquid container 72 disposed on the front side of the frame structure 700, and a cleaning liquid tray 73 disposed on the rear side of the frame structure 700. The frame structure 700 includes a pair of left and right side frames 701 extending in the front-rear direction and a front frame 702 connecting the front ends of these side frames 701 to each other.

[0086] A handle 703 for pulling forward of the container unit 70 is installed on the front frame 702. Multiple waste liquid hoses 704 extend from below the front frame 702. The waste liquid hoses 704 connect an overflow passage 741 communicating with the cavity of the ink container 71, a processing liquid passage 742 communicating with the cavity of the pretreatment liquid container 72, and a waste liquid tank (not shown). Sliding members 705 are mounted on the outer surfaces of a pair of side frames 701. The sliding members 705 engage with guide rails (not shown) fixed to the device frame 10, allowing them to be pulled forward of the container unit 70 from the device frame 10 (frame). At this time, the wiping unit 8, which will be described in detail later, can also be pulled out integrally with the container unit 70. Therefore, the container unit 70 and the wiping unit 8 can be easily cleaned and maintained. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the cleaning unit 9 can also be pulled out integrally. It should be noted that a chain protector 706 for accommodating cables and hoses is installed below the frame structure 700. The chain protector 706 deforms when the container unit 70 is pulled out.

[0087] The ink container 71 is a receiving dish-type container with a first rectangular opening 71H that is longer in the left-right direction on its upper surface. The ink container 71 includes a rectangular base 711 that is longer in the left-right direction, four conical surfaces 712 extending upwards from the four ends of the base 711, and an upper flange 708 formed around the periphery of the first opening 71H. The ink container 71 is separate from the frame structure 700 and is embedded in the frame structure 700. The upper flange 708 of the ink container 71 is supported by the side frame 701 and the front frame 702. The initial opening of the overflow path 741 protrudes upwards from the base 711 by a predetermined length. The final opening of the relay path 743 protrudes from near the lower end of the left-side conical surface 712.

[0088] The left-right dimension of the first opening 71H is approximately equal to the distance between the pair of side frames 701. The front-back dimension of the first opening 71H is slightly larger than half the front-back width of the container unit 70. A cover rubber 75 is mounted on the upper surface of the upper flange 708, arranged to surround the first opening 71H. It should be noted that the upper flange 708 is... Figure 4 The portion corresponding to the upper surface 70A shown in the schematic diagram. The head support frame 31 of the carriage 3 has a larger size than the area surrounded by the cover rubber 75. On the other hand, the arrangement area of ​​the heads 4, 5, and 6 held in the head support frame 31 is slightly smaller than the size of the first opening 71H. The cover rubber 75 abuts against the lower surface 311 of the head support frame 31 at the outer periphery of the arrangement area of ​​the heads 4, 5, and 6, sealing the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the heads 4, 5, and 6. Thus, in this embodiment, the container unit 70 also serves as a cover capable of sealing the ink head 4, the pre-treatment head 5, and the post-treatment head 6.

[0089] Reference Figure 8A , Figure 8B The pretreatment liquid container 72 is positioned to the left rear of the ink container 71, covering a portion of the first opening 71H. This pretreatment liquid container 72 is positioned so that it is directly opposite the pretreatment head 5 of the carriage 3 during wiping. As will be described later, if the pretreatment head 5 is positioned near the center or right end of the head support frame 31, the pretreatment liquid container 72 is also positioned accordingly. The pretreatment liquid container 72 has a second rectangular opening 72H on its upper surface, elongated in the front-rear direction, corresponding to the shape of the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the pretreatment head 5. In this embodiment, the second opening 72H is at the same height as the first opening 71H. In other words, the second opening 72H occupies a portion of the area originally occupied by the first opening 71H.

[0090] The pretreatment liquid container 72 is formed by a front wall 721, a rear wall 722, a right wall 723, and a left wall 724. The rear wall 722 utilizes the portion near the upper end of the rear conical surface 712 of the ink container 71, and the left wall 724 utilizes the portion near the upper end of the left conical surface 712. The front wall 721 is a wall that protrudes to the right from near the upper end of the left conical surface 712 and from near its center in the front-rear direction. The right wall 723 is a wall that connects the right edges of the front wall 721 and the rear wall 722 to each other. The right wall 723 slopes slightly upwards and to the right from the downward-sloping left conical surface 712.

[0091] It should be noted that, regarding the structure of the container unit 70 described above, in other words, the container unit 70 has: a container body 700H ( Figure 8A , Figure 8B It has an opening for receiving liquid ejected from multiple heads; and a partition that divides the container body 700H into multiple independent regions. In this embodiment, Figure 8B The front wall 721 and right wall 723 correspond to the partition. The partition divides the container body 700H into an ink container 71 and a pretreatment liquid container 72. At this time, the front wall 721 (first part) separates the container body 700H in the front-back direction, and the right wall 723 (second part) is connected to the front wall 721 and separates the container body 700H in the left-right direction.

[0092] Thus, in this embodiment, the dividing portion separates the container body 700H of the container unit 70 in two directions, thereby enabling the separate recovery of multiple liquids that are intended to be avoided from mixing, and increasing the flexibility in the configuration of the corresponding heads. In particular, as Figure 3As shown, the ink head 4, pre-processing head 5, and post-processing head 6 are arranged in an alternating manner, and even in a complex configuration, ink containers 71 and pre-processing liquid containers 72 can be respectively arranged below each head.

[0093] It should be noted that, here, "receiving liquid" refers to receiving liquid falling from above. Liquid can flow from the cleaning fluid tray 73 to the ink container 71 via the relay passage 743, but this is not included in the aforementioned receiving process. The liquid flowing from the cleaning fluid tray 73 contains, in addition to the cleaning fluid, a small amount of ink, pretreatment fluid, and posttreatment fluid. However, due to the low concentration of the pretreatment fluid, it will not substantially solidify even if it enters the ink container 71. It should also be noted that a separator can be provided on the cleaning fluid tray 73 to allow only liquid without pretreatment fluid to flow into the ink container 71.

[0094] In addition, in this embodiment, while the pretreatment liquid is recycled into a dedicated pretreatment liquid container 72, the ink and posttreatment liquid are recycled into an ink container 71. This prevents the mixing of the pretreatment liquid and ink, which are prone to aggregate when mixed with ink, and allows for easy discharge of both treatment liquids.

[0095] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the bottom surface of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is positioned above the bottom surface of the ink container 71. That is, the depth of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is shallower than the depth of the ink container 71. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the likelihood of a relatively small amount of pretreatment liquid adhering to the inner wall of the pretreatment liquid container 72, and the pretreatment liquid can be easily discharged from the pretreatment liquid container 72. It should be noted that the depth of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is the depth from the upper end of the partition separating the pretreatment liquid container 72 and the ink container 71 to the lowest part of the pretreatment liquid container 72. Similarly, the depth of the ink container 71 is the depth from the upper end of the aforementioned partition to the lowest part of the ink container 71.

[0096] In particular, in this embodiment, the container body 700H of the container unit 70 has an inclined surface that, together with the partition, defines the ink container 71. Figure 8BThe left-side conical surface 712). Furthermore, by defining a portion of the inclined surface above the bottom surface 711 of the ink container 71, the pretreatment liquid container 72 (left wall 724) is further defined, thereby setting the depth of the pretreatment liquid container 72 to be shallower than the depth of the ink container 71. In other words, the pretreatment liquid container 72 is formed using the area from the upper edge of the left-side conical surface 712 to the middle of the conical surface 712. Therefore, the ink container 71 and the pretreatment liquid container 72 can be formed using the aforementioned inclined surface, and the rigidity of the pretreatment liquid container 72 can be improved by attaching the pretreatment liquid container 72 to the ink container 71. Therefore, compared to the case where all the wall portions defining the pretreatment liquid container 72 are completely independent of the ink container 71, deformation of the pretreatment liquid container 72 due to gravity can be suppressed.

[0097] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the left wall 724 of the pretreatment liquid container 72 ( Figure 8B The right wall 723 is inclined in a manner that allows the pretreatment liquid received from the pretreatment head 5 to be guided downwards and then to the right (in a predetermined direction). Similarly, the right wall 723 is inclined in a manner that allows the pretreatment liquid received from the pretreatment head 5 to be guided downwards and then to the left (in a predetermined direction). The pretreatment liquid guided along the right wall 723 and the left wall 724 gathers at the intersection of the two and is discharged from the pretreatment liquid passage 742. It should be noted that the inner surfaces of the right wall 723 and the left wall 724 correspond to the bottom surfaces of the pretreatment liquid container 72 that can be visually confirmed when viewed from above.

[0098] The cleaning fluid tray 73 has a rectangular opening on its upper surface that is longer in the left-right direction, and is a container shallower than the ink container 71. The bottom surface of the cleaning fluid tray 73 includes an inclined surface 731 and a collection surface 732. The inclined surface 731 slopes gently from the right end of the cleaning fluid tray 73 towards the left end. The collection surface 732 is located near the left end of the cleaning fluid tray 73, forming the deepest part of the bottom surface. The left edge of the inclined surface 731 connects to the right edge of the collection surface 732. The beginning of the relay path 743 opens into the collection surface 732.

[0099] <Wiping Unit>

[0100] like Figure 7 As shown, the wiping unit 8 includes a wiper support plate 81, an ink wiper 82, a pretreatment liquid wiper 83 (treatment liquid wiper), a posttreatment liquid wiper 84 (treatment liquid wiper), and a wiper drive unit 85. Figure 9It is a diagram combining a top view (area A) of the wiper support plate 81 holding the wipers 82, 83, and 84, a top view showing the configuration of the ink head 4, pre-processing head 5, and post-processing head 6 mounted on the carriage 3, and a top view showing the correspondence with the wipers 82, 83, and 84 (area B). Figure 9 The configuration of headers 4, 5, and 6 shown in (Area B) is the same as before. Figure 3 The examples are in the same manner.

[0101] The wiper support plate 81 is formed by punching a thin-walled flat plate component and has multiple rectangular protrusions 811. The protrusions 811 protrude in the rearward direction, which is the direction of movement during wiping. Recesses 812 are formed between adjacent protrusions 811, recessed on the front side. Ink wipers 82 for wiping the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the ink head 4 are mounted on the end edges (rear ends) of the protrusions 811 and the end edges of the recesses 812. The ink wipers 82 disposed on the end edges of the protrusions 811 are used to wipe the upstream ends of the ink heads 4 of each color, such as ink wipers 82A1 configured for the upstream end 4A1 of the first ink head 4A. On the other hand, the ink wipers 82 disposed on the end edges of the recesses 812 are used to wipe the downstream ends of the ink heads 4 of each color, such as ink wipers 82A2 configured for the downstream end 4A2.

[0102] In the wiper support plate 81, the support area for the pretreatment liquid wiper 83, which wipes the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the pretreatment head 5, is positioned to protrude rearward in the wiping direction compared to other areas of the wiper support plate 81. Specifically, the protrusion 814 extends further rearward from the rear end of the leftmost protrusion 811. The pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is mounted on the end edge (rear end) of the protrusion 814. A window 815 corresponding to the recess 812 is provided on the front side of the protrusion 814. In this way, by configuring the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 to be supported at the part of the wiper support plate 81 that protrudes most in the wiping direction, the pretreatment liquid wiped by the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is less likely to adhere to other parts of the wiper support plate 81 during wiping.

[0103] like Figure 9As shown in Area B, in this embodiment, the pretreatment head 5 and the downstream head 4A2 of the first ink head 4A are arranged in a position that completely overlaps with each other in the wiping direction (rearward direction). That is, the pretreatment head 5 and the downstream head 4A2 are arranged at the same position in the left-right direction of the head support frame 31, and are arranged upstream and downstream in the transport direction F. If this is arranged, the path of the ink wiper 82A2 from the wiping area toward the cleaning unit 9 overlaps with the path wiped by the pretreatment liquid wiper 83. Therefore, the risk of pretreatment liquid dripping onto the ink wiper 82A2 and causing aggregation can be reduced. It should be noted that the pretreatment head 5 and the downstream head 4A2 are preferably arranged in a positional relationship that completely overlaps in the wiping direction, but they can also be arranged slightly offset in the left-right direction.

[0104] The right end of the wiper support plate 81 is the support area for the post-processing liquid wiper 84, which supports the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the post-processing head 6. Near the right end of the head support frame 31, two post-processing heads 6A and 6B are arranged in the main scanning direction. The post-processing head 6A on the left and the upstream head 4G1 of the seventh ink head 4G, and the post-processing head 6B on the right and the upstream head 4H1 of the eighth ink head 4H are arranged on the upstream and downstream sides of the transport direction F, respectively.

[0105] Corresponding to this head configuration, the wiper support plate 81 has a pair of retaining plates 816 and a window 817 near its right end. The retaining plates 816 support ink wipers 82G1 and 82H1 for wiping the upstream heads 4G1 and 4H1 at their rear end edges. Ink wipers 82G2 and 82H2 for wiping the downstream heads 4G2 and 4H2 are supported at the end edges of the recesses 812 adjacent to the left side of each retaining plate 816. The window 817 is an opening located in front of the retaining plates 816. Post-processing liquid wipers 84 (84A and 84B) for wiping the post-processing heads 6A and 6B are supported at the opening edges on the front side of the window 817.

[0106] The wiper support plate 81 has a plurality of protrusions 813 respectively configured in correspondence with the wipers 82, 83, and 84. The protrusions 813 are respectively connected to the rear end of the protrusion 811, the base edge of the recess 812, the rear end of the protrusion 814, and the base edge of the window 817. These protrusions 813 are small protrusions that project in the direction of movement during wiping in a top view. The wipers 82, 83, and 84 are respectively disposed on the corresponding protrusions 813. With this configuration, ink or processing liquid adhering to the wipers 82, 83, and 84 is less likely to adhere to the wiper support plate 81.

[0107] Figure 10This is a perspective view showing the detailed structure of the ink wiper 82. The pretreatment liquid wiper 83 and the posttreatment liquid wiper 84 also have the same structure as the ink wiper 82 shown here. The ink wiper 82 includes a wiper blade 821 (ink blade or treatment liquid blade), a first retainer 822, and a second retainer 823.

[0108] The wiper blade 821 is a plate material that actually abuts against the nozzle arrangement surface NA to perform the wiping action. The upper end of the wiper blade 821 is located at a position that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the wiper support plate 81. The first retainer 822 and the second retainer 823 are components that clamp and retain the wiper blade 821. The first retainer 822 is fitted into the recess provided in the protrusion 813 and is threaded and fixed, supporting the lower part of the back side of the wiper blade 821. The second retainer 823 is added to the lower part of the front side of the wiper blade 821.

[0109] The second retainer 823 has a pair of openings 824, and the wiper blade 821 also has a through hole at the same position as the openings 824. On the other hand, the first retainer 822 has a pair of claws 825. The claws 825 pass through the through hole and the openings 824, and engage the second retainer 823 at the periphery of the openings 824. Through this engaging force, the wiper blade 821 is held by the first retainer 822 and the second retainer 823. The wiper blade 821 is held in a position that protrudes further than the protruding end face of the protrusion 813.

[0110] The pretreatment fluid wiper 83 and the posttreatment fluid wiper 84 can be made by means of... Figure 10 The ink wipers 82 shown have the same structure, shape, and material, but they can also be different. For example, the shape, material, and support structure of the wiper blade 821 can be varied according to the properties of the ink and the treatment liquid, making the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 and / or posttreatment liquid wiper 84 different from the ink wiper 82. The wiper blade 821 is made of a rubber or resin material with a specified rigidity. For example, assuming the pretreatment liquid dries faster than the ink, making it more difficult to wipe, in this case, the wiper blade 821 of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 preferably uses a blade with higher rigidity than the ink wiper 82, or the protrusion height of the wiper blade 821 is increased to improve its wiping force.

[0111] Figure 11A It is to make the direction of strabismus consistent with Figure 7 The perspective view of the different maintenance units 7 is used to illustrate the wiper drive unit 85. Figure 11B Is Figure 11AThe enlarged view shows the XIB portion enclosed by the dashed line. The wiper drive unit 85 is a mechanism that moves the wiper support plate 81, which holds the wipers 82, 83, and 84, in the back-and-forth direction. The wiper drive unit 85 includes a servo motor 851, a ball screw 852, and a slider 853. It should be noted that the servo motor 851 is connected to... Figure 5 The motor corresponding to the wiper moving motor 36 shown.

[0112] A servo motor 851 generates a driving force that moves the wiper support plate 81. The servo motor 851 is mounted on the right end of the rear plate 707 of the container unit 70. A ball screw 852 is driven by the servo motor 851 to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise around its axis. The ball screw 852 extends in the front-rear direction along the right-side side frame 701. Note that a guide rod (not shown) extending in the front-rear direction is added to the left-side side frame 701. A slider 853 encloses a nut member that engages with the ball screw 852. If the ball screw 852 rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, the slider 853 moves back and forth along the ball screw 852 in the front-rear direction.

[0113] The slider 853 is connected to the wiper support plate 81. A connecting plate 818, consisting of an elongated flat plate member, is mounted on the upper part of the slider 853. The right end 81E of the wiper support plate 81 is placed on the connecting plate 818, and the two are fastened together by a fixing screw 819. Although not shown in the figure, the left end of the wiper support plate 81 is also supported by a member of the same type as the connecting plate 818 and the slider 853, and is guided along the guide rod.

[0114] The wiping support plate 81 moves between the front end (wiping area) and the rear end (cleaning area) of the container unit 70. For example, if the servo motor 851 is driven to rotate forward by the controller 33, the slider 853 is conveyed forward, and the wiping support plate 81 fixed to the slider 853 also moves forward. On the other hand, if the servo motor 851 is driven to rotate in reverse, the wiping support plate 81 moves backward.

[0115] It should be noted that, as described above, as the wiper support plate 81 moves, the ink container 71 can receive ink that falls from the ink head 4 when wiping the ink wiper 82 through the first opening 71H. Furthermore, the ink container 71 can receive ink that falls from the post-processing head 6 when wiping the post-processing liquid wiper 84 through the first opening 71H. On the other hand, the pre-processing liquid container 72 can receive processing liquid that falls from the pre-processing head 5 when wiping the pre-processing liquid wiper 83 through the second opening 72H.

[0116] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the container unit 70 and the wiping unit 8 can be pulled out integrally from the device frame 10 (frame). In this case, the pulling direction of the wiping unit 8 is along the direction of movement of each wiper when wiping each head. Therefore, when the wiping unit 8 moves in and out, the direction of acceleration applied to the liquid adhering to each wiper is along the direction of movement of the wiper, thus reducing the likelihood of liquid adhering to each wiper adhering to the wiper support plate 81.

[0117] <Cleaning Unit>

[0118] Reference Figure 6 The cleaning unit 9 includes a nozzle holding plate 91 and multiple cleaning nozzles 92. The nozzle holding plate 91 is a U-shaped frame including a top plate 911 (top plate portion) and a pair of left and right side plates 912. The top plate 911 is a flat plate with a width slightly larger than the left and right width of the container unit 70. The pair of side plates 912 are flat plates hanging from the left and right ends of the top plate 911, respectively, and are opposite to the left and right side frames 701.

[0119] Nozzle retaining plate 91 is fixed to device frame 10. Figure 1 The nozzle holding plate 91 is positioned at an appropriate location relative to the rear region of the container unit 70 when the container unit 70 is installed in a predetermined position on the device frame 10. The portion of the container unit 70 covered by the nozzle holding plate 91 forms a cleaning area for cleaning the ink wiper 82, the pretreatment liquid wiper 83, and the posttreatment liquid wiper 84. The top plate 911 is positioned vertically opposite the cleaning liquid tray 73 of the container unit 70 with a predetermined gap between them. The gap has a vertical width that allows the wiping unit 8 to enter between the top plate 911 and the cleaning liquid tray 73. It should be noted that in this embodiment, since the cleaning unit 9 is left in place while the cleaning liquid tray 73 is pulled out together with the container unit 70, it is easier to clean the cleaning liquid tray 73.

[0120] Multiple cleaning nozzles 92 are disposed at appropriate locations on the top plate 911 in a manner consistent with the arrangement of wipers 82, 83, and 84 toward the wiper support plate 81. The multiple cleaning nozzles 92 include nozzles 92A for the cleaning ink wiper 82, nozzles 92B for the cleaning pretreatment solution wiper 83, and nozzles 92C for the cleaning posttreatment solution wiper 84. These nozzles 92A, 92B, and 92C spray cleaning fluid 9A in a fan-shaped spray pattern from their respective lower end faces (see reference). Figure 4 Clean the wipers 82, 83, and 84.

[0121] [Movement path during wiping]

[0122] Next, the movement path during wiping, including the positional relationship of the wiping unit 8 relative to the surrounding components, will be explained. Figure 12 This is a perspective view showing the initial position of the wiping unit 8 during wiping. During wiping, the wiping unit 8 moves rearward from the initial position toward the cleaning area where the cleaning unit 9 is located. The area above the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 and the second opening 72H of the pretreatment liquid container 72 becomes the wiping area for the heads 4, 5, and 6 of the wiping devices 82, 83, and 84 to wipe.

[0123] On the left side of the maintenance unit 7, there is a printing area 12 that causes the ink head 4 to eject ink to form an image. Figure 1 Therefore, when carriage 3 is being repaired in maintenance area 13, it is accessed from the left side of maintenance unit 7. (As...) Figure 9 As shown, the pretreatment head 5 and the downstream head 4A2 of the first ink head 4A are supported by the carriage 3 at the leftmost position. At the same time, the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is also positioned at the leftmost position on the wiper support plate 81.

[0124] That is, in the direction of movement of the carriage 3 from the printing area 12 to the wiping area, the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is positioned closer to the printing area 12 than the other ink wipers 82 except for the ink wiper 82A2 used for the downstream side head 4A2. According to this configuration, the pretreatment liquid container 72 is naturally positioned near the left end of the ink container 71. In this case, during the maintenance, it is possible to achieve a configuration where the pretreatment head 5 does not pass through the first opening 71H of the ink container 71. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the pretreatment liquid adhering to the pretreatment head 5 from dripping into the ink container 71.

[0125] It should be noted that the configuration of the pretreatment liquid container 72 also achieves the above-mentioned effect. That is, in this embodiment, in the moving direction of the carriage 3 equipped with the pretreatment head 5 from the printing area to the wiping area, the pretreatment liquid container 72 is positioned closer to the printing area than the ink container 71. Therefore, based on the premise that the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 wipes the pretreatment head 5 on the pretreatment liquid container 72, it is possible to reduce the possibility of the pretreatment head 5 entering deep into the wiping area and the pretreatment liquid adhering to the pretreatment head 5 adhering to the ink container 71, etc.

[0126] Furthermore, in the direction of movement from the wiping area to the cleaning area, the position of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 closest to the cleaning area among wipers 82, 83, and 84 is supported by the wiper support plate 81. That is, as... Figure 9 As shown in (Area A), the pretreatment fluid wiper 83 is positioned at the end edge of the protrusion 814 that protrudes furthest rearward when viewed from above in the wiper support plate 81. Therefore, the pretreatment fluid wiper 83 can be introduced into the cleaning area and cleaning treatment can be performed at the earliest possible time. For example, if the pretreatment fluid has quick-drying properties, if the nozzle 92B of the pretreatment fluid wiper 83 is used for cleaning... Figure 6If the nozzle is positioned at the frontmost side of the nozzle holding plate 91, the pretreatment fluid wiper 83 can be cleaned immediately.

[0127] It should be noted that the configuration of the pretreatment liquid container 72 also achieves the above-mentioned effect. That is, in this embodiment, the pretreatment liquid container 72 is positioned closer to the cleaning area (cleaning unit 9, cleaning section) than the ink container 71. Therefore, the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 can be quickly cleaned by wiping the pretreatment head 5 on the pretreatment liquid container 72. It should also be noted that the pretreatment liquid container 72 can also be configured to protrude further towards the cleaning area than the ink container 71.

[0128] Figure 13 This is a top view of the maintenance unit 7 showing the movement path MW of the wiping unit 8 during wiping. The position indicated by the dashed line in the figure is the initial position of the wiping unit 8 and the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 during wiping. Figure 13 In the diagram, the positions of the wiping unit 8, indicated by solid lines, represent the wiping completion position, the positions of the cleaning wipers 82, 83, and 84, and the standby position awaiting the execution instruction for the wiping action.

[0129] In this embodiment, the movement path MW (movement range) of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 during wiping is set at a position directly above the first opening 71H of the ink container 71. In other words, the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 is positioned directly below the movement path MW of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83. Specifically, in the wiping area, the movement range of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 during wiping is set directly above the second opening 72H of the pretreatment liquid container 72. In other words, there is substantially no first opening 71H directly below the area where the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 wipes the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the pretreatment head 5, and most or even all of the area is configured to be vertically opposed to the second opening 72H. To further describe it another way, viewed from above, the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 is positioned outside the entire movement path MW of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83. This configuration reduces the likelihood of pretreatment liquid from the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 mixing into the ink container 71 through the first opening 71H during wiping. Therefore, it suppresses chemical reactions such as ink aggregation.

[0130] When viewing the ink container 71 and the pretreatment liquid container 72 along the direction of the movement path MW (front-back direction), it can be said that a portion of the first opening 71H (the front left end) and the second opening 72H are arranged in series (see reference). Figure 13That is, a portion of the first opening 71H is on the front side, and the second opening 72H is on the rear side. Furthermore, the direction of the moving path MW, that is, the moving direction of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83, is from the front side to the rear side. In other words, the moving direction of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is away from the first opening 71H. Moreover, as... Figure 8B As shown, the rear end edge (rear wall 722) of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is coplanar with the rear end edge (rear conical surface 712) of the ink container 71. That is, in the movement path MW, the first opening 71H is not sandwiched between the rear end edge of the pretreatment liquid container 72 and the cleaning area. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of pretreatment liquid that splashes into the ink container 71 when the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 leaves the nozzle arrangement surface NA after finishing wiping the pretreatment head 5.

[0131] Furthermore, the direction of the movement path MW is the direction in which the cleaning area where the cleaning unit 9 is located is situated. This configuration also contributes to the countermeasures against pretreatment fluid scattering. That is, when the pretreatment fluid wiper 83 separates from the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the pretreatment head 5, even if the pretreatment fluid adhering to the pretreatment fluid wiper 83 scatters, its scattering destination becomes the cleaning area. In the cleaning area, the scattered pretreatment fluid is diluted by a larger amount of cleaning fluid and collected by the cleaning fluid tray 73. Therefore, it is possible to achieve an operation where pretreatment fluid droplets are unlikely to enter the ink container 71.

[0132] <Regarding avoiding the position directly above the first opening>

[0133] Regarding the aforementioned "avoiding the position directly above the first opening 71H", its variation will be explained. Figures 14A to 14D This is a schematic diagram showing various configuration examples of the pretreatment liquid container 72 that avoids the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 directly above it. Figure 14A , Figure 14B , Figure 14C This is a schematic cross-sectional view of maintenance unit 7 in the left-right direction. Figure 14D This is a top view. The phrase "avoiding the position directly above" includes not only the case where the position is located in the space above the first opening 71H, but also the case where other components are sandwiched between a portion of the first opening 71H and the pretreatment liquid wiper 83.

[0134] Figure 14A An example is shown in which the range of motion of the pretreatment fluid wiper 83 is set to avoid being directly above the first opening 71H by positioning the pretreatment fluid container 72 in a position that covers a portion of the first opening 71H. Figure 14A Examples similar to those above Figure 8AThe example shown is the same. In this example, by setting the movement range of the pretreatment fluid wiper 83 above the first opening 71H, and also arranging the second opening 72H of the pretreatment fluid container 72 below the movement range, the position "avoiding the position directly above the first opening 71H" is achieved.

[0135] Figure 14B A simple example is shown where the range of motion of the pretreatment fluid wiper 83 is set at a position offset from the space above the first opening 71H. In this example, the pretreatment fluid container 72 is naturally configured in a position that does not overlap with the first opening 71H in the vertical direction. Figure 14C This is an example where other components are sandwiched between the first opening 71H and the pretreatment liquid wiper 83. The pretreatment liquid container 72 is arranged adjacent to the ink container 71. On the other hand, the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is located above the first opening 71H to wipe the pretreatment head 5 arranged above the first opening 71H. Moreover, below the pretreatment liquid wiper 83, the guide plate 76 is arranged in a downwardly inclined manner toward the second opening 72H. The pretreatment liquid wiped from the pretreatment head 5 by the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is guided to the second opening 72H through the guide plate 76.

[0136] Figure 14D An example is shown where the shape of the ink container 71 is designed to "avoid being directly above the first opening 71H". The ink container 71 has a cutout 713 at a position corresponding to the area below the pretreatment head 5. Therefore, the range of movement of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is offset from the first opening 71H. The pretreatment liquid container 72 is disposed in the cutout 713.

[0137] It should be noted that, in the above examples, in other words, in these examples, the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 can be positioned directly below the entire moving path of the pretreatment fluid wiper 83. In any case, this reduces the likelihood of pretreatment fluid entering the ink container 71 as the pretreatment fluid wiper 83 moves. It should be noted that "directly below" means not only that the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 is positioned below the moving path of the pretreatment fluid wiper 83, but also that it is positioned diagonally below, or that a portion of the first opening 71H is sandwiched between the first opening 71H and the pretreatment fluid wiper 83.

[0138] <Regarding the relationship between the range of movement and the position of the second opening>

[0139] Next, the relationship between the moving range of the pretreatment fluid wiper 83 and the position of the second opening 72H of the pretreatment fluid container 72 will be explained. Figure 15A , Figure 15B , Figure 15CThis is a schematic diagram illustrating the range of movement of the pretreatment fluid wiper 83 during the wiping action. Figure 15A The actual wiping range d1 during which the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 performs its wiping action is shown. The actual wiping range d1 corresponds to the width of the nozzle arrangement 51 in the pretreatment head 5, which contains multiple nozzles that spray pretreatment liquid. In other words, d1 is the length from the upstream end (front end) to the downstream end (rear end) of the nozzle arrangement 51 in the moving direction of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83. The nozzle arrangement 51 becomes the portion currently covered with pretreatment liquid. Therefore, the distance traveled within this actual wiping range d1 becomes the area within which the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 (wiper blade 821) substantially performs its wiping operation. During wiping, the wiped pretreatment liquid flows from the wiper blade 821 along the second retainer 823 (see reference 823). Figure 10 The pretreatment solution is added dropwise. The pretreatment solution is received by the pretreatment solution container 72.

[0140] exist Figure 15A The diagram shows an example where a pretreatment liquid container 72 with a front-to-back width of a second opening 72H, having a thickness corresponding to the thickness of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 covering the actual wiping area d1 and the area before and after it, is disposed below the pretreatment head 5. If the second opening 72H is disposed within such a range, at least the area where pretreatment liquid is most easily added can be covered, thus significantly reducing the possibility of pretreatment liquid mixing into the ink container 71. It should be noted that alternatively... Figure 15A For example, let's say a second opening 72H has the same or slightly larger size as the actual wiping area d1.

[0141] Figure 15B The diagram shows the container area d2 from the starting position of the actual wiping by the pretreatment fluid wiper 83 to the point where it passes through the wiping area. The starting position of the actual wiping is... Figure 15A Similarly, it is the upstream end of the nozzle arrangement 51. In this embodiment, the wiping area is the area covered by the first opening 71H of the ink container 71, therefore the position passing through the wiping area becomes the rear end edge of the first opening 71H. Figure 15B The image shows an example of a pretreatment liquid container 72A with a second opening 72H covering such a container area d2, disposed below the pretreatment head 5. If the second opening 72H is disposed corresponding to the container area d2, the pretreatment liquid dripped from the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 during the period from the completion of the actual wiping toward the cleaning area can be recovered using the pretreatment liquid container 72A.

[0142] Figure 15C The predetermined movement path MW of the pretreatment fluid wiper 83 during wiping is shown. Figure 13The overall range d3 of the movement path MW. The rear end of the movement path MW is the standby position and the completed position of the pretreatment fluid wiper 83. The front end of the movement path MW is the position where the pretreatment fluid wiper 83 moves forward the most during a series of wiping actions. That is, during the wiping action, the pretreatment fluid wiper 83 moves forward from the rear end of the movement path MW to the front end, and after the carriage 3 descends and the nozzle arrangement surface NA reaches the predetermined wiping height, it returns from the front end of the movement path MW to the rear end. Here, an example is shown where the front end of the movement path MW is further forward than the pretreatment head 5, but the front edge of the pretreatment head 5 and the upstream end of the nozzle arrangement 51 can also be considered as the front end of the movement path MW.

[0143] exist Figure 15C The diagram shows an example where a pretreatment liquid container 72B with a second opening 72H covering the entire area d3 is positioned below the pretreatment head 5. In this case, the entire movement path MW is configured to avoid a position directly above the first opening 71H. If the second opening 72H is configured corresponding to such an area d3, the pretreatment liquid can be recovered more reliably using the pretreatment liquid container 72B. The pretreatment liquid container 72B has a separator 725 at the boundary between the wiping area and the cleaning area. The rear portion of the pretreatment liquid container 72B enters the cleaning area. By providing the separator 725, the pretreatment liquid recovered in the wiping area can be isolated and recovered via a separate path.

[0144] <Ink wiper removal section>

[0145] The ink wiper 82 among the multiple ink wipers 82 provided in the wiping unit 8 is configured as the ink wiper 82A2 for the downstream side head 4A2 located on the far left. Figure 9 When the wiping unit 8 faces the cleaning area, it passes through the air above the second opening 72H of the pretreatment liquid container 72. During this passage, ink adhering to the ink wiper 82A2 may drip into the pretreatment liquid container 72, causing aggregation, etc. An example of dealing with this adverse situation is shown below. Figure 16A and Figure 16B middle.

[0146] Figure 16A This is a schematic side view showing the periphery of the ink wiper 82A2. The wiper blade 821 of the ink wiper 82A2, held by the first holder 822 and the second holder 823, is supported by the protrusion 813 of the wiper support plate 81. When the ink wiper 82A2 wipes the downstream side head 4A2 of the first ink head 4A, the wiped ink, etc., sometimes remains as residue T as adhering material if it does not completely fall from the lower end of the ink wiper 82A2. To reduce this residue T near the second opening 72H of the pretreatment liquid container 72, a sponge 77 (removal section) is preferably provided.

[0147] Figure 16B It is shown Figure 16A The diagram shows a perspective view of the main portion of the container unit 70 with the sponge 77 arranged as shown. In this embodiment, the second opening 72H is disposed downstream of the first opening 71H in the direction of movement of the ink wiper 82A2 toward the cleaning area. The sponge 77 is located at a height that contacts the lower end face of the ink wiper 82A2 and is disposed upstream of the second opening 72H. A support plate 78 is provided near the upper end of the left conical surface 712 of the ink container 71 and protrudes upstream of the second opening 72H. The lower end of the sponge 77 is fixed to the upper surface of the support plate 78. The ink-containing deposits T are removed by the sponge 77 before the ink wiper 82A2 reaches the second opening 72H. Therefore, the mixing of ink into the forward processing liquid container 72 can be suppressed.

[0148] [Regarding the tilt setting of the wiper]

[0149] Next, a preferred configuration example of the ink wiper 82 and the pretreatment solution wiper 83 is shown. Figure 17 This is a top view showing the tilt configuration of the ink wiper 82 and the pretreatment liquid wiper 83. (As shown) Figure 10 As shown, the ink wiper 82 has a wiper blade 821A (ink wiper blade) extending in a direction that intersects the wiping movement direction (front-back direction) in the left-right direction. Similarly, the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 also has a wiper blade 821B (treatment liquid wiper blade) extending in the left-right direction.

[0150] The wiper blade 821A of the ink wiper 82 is tilted so that its left end protrudes more than its right end in the direction of movement during wiping. Focus is placed on the ink wiper 82A1 wiping the ink head 4A1 upstream of the first ink head 4A located on the right side of the pretreatment head 5. Also as... Figure 18C As shown, the wiper blade 821A of the ink wiper 82A1 is inclined such that its left end 82L (first end) on the side where the pretreatment liquid container 72 is located protrudes more in the direction of movement than its right end 82R (second end) on the opposite side. The posttreatment liquid wipers 84A and 84B of the posttreatment heads 6A and 6B are also inclined such that their left ends protrude more in the direction of movement than their right ends.

[0151] In contrast, the wiper blade 821B of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is inclined in such a way that its right end protrudes more than its left end in the direction of movement of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83. See also Figure 18BThe wiping blade 821B of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is tilted in such a way that the right end 83R (third end) on the right side of the ink container 71, where the first opening 71H exists, protrudes more in the direction of movement than the left end 83L (fourth end) on the opposite side.

[0152] Figure 18A This diagram illustrates the wiping action of a wiper blade 8210 without tilt on the head 40. Liquid L adheres to the head 40. The wiper blade 8210 is arranged to extend in a direction orthogonal to the wiping direction. When wiping with such a wiper blade 8210, the liquid L wiped from the head 40 is dripped from the left and right sides of the head 40, as indicated by the arrows in the diagram. For example, when this wiper blade 8210 is applied to the pretreatment liquid wiper 83, the pretreatment liquid dripping from the right side of the pretreatment head 5 may mix into the ink container 71. Furthermore, when this wiper blade 8210 is applied to the upstream side head 4A1 of the first ink head 4A, the ink dripping from the left side of the upstream side head 4A1 may mix into the pretreatment liquid container 72.

[0153] Figure 18B This diagram illustrates the wiping action of a pretreatment liquid wiper 83 with an inclined wiper blade 821B on the pretreatment head 5. The wiper blade 821B has an inclined angle with its right end 83R protruding in the wiping direction. Therefore, the pretreatment liquid L1 wiped from the pretreatment head 5 by the wiper blade 821B is specifically dripped from the left side of the pretreatment head 5. This reduces the likelihood of the pretreatment liquid L1 dripping into the first opening 71H of the ink container 71, which is adjacent to the right side of the second opening 72H of the pretreatment liquid container 72.

[0154] Figure 18C This diagram illustrates the wiping action of an ink wiper 82 with an angled wiper blade 821A on the ink head 4 (upstream head 4A1). The wiper blade 821A has an angle where its left end 82L protrudes in the wiping direction. Therefore, the ink L2 wiped from the upstream head 4A1 by the wiper blade 821A is specifically dripped from the right side of the upstream head 4A1. This reduces the likelihood of ink L2 dripping into the second opening 72H during wiping.

[0155] according to Figure 17 and Figure 18B , Figure 18CIn the illustrated embodiment, the tilting configuration of the wiper blades 821A and 821B allows for control over the destination of the pretreatment liquid L1 and ink L2 being wiped. Therefore, the possibility of the pretreatment liquid L1 and ink L2 mixing in the ink container 71 or the pretreatment liquid container 72 can be reduced. It should be noted that, when suppressing the mixing of pretreatment liquid L1 and ink L2 through the tilting configuration of the wiper blades 821A and 821B, a portion or all of the movement range of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 during wiping can be positioned directly above the first opening 71H.

[0156] Figure 19 This is a perspective view of the container unit 70M (container) according to the first modified embodiment of this disclosure. It should be noted that in this modified embodiment, components having the same function as those in the above-described embodiments are labeled differently. Figure 1-Figure 2 8. The same reference numerals are used. The same applies to other variations described later.

[0157] The container unit 70M has a container body 700H, multiple side frames 701, and a partition 760. Similarly to the above embodiment, the ink head 4 that ejects ink (liquid), the pretreatment head 5 that ejects pretreatment liquid (liquid), and the posttreatment head 6 that ejects posttreatment liquid (liquid) are supported above the container unit 70M by the carriage 3.

[0158] The container body 700H has a rectangular shape when viewed from above, and its upper surface has an opening to receive liquid ejected from the plurality of heads. The partition 760 divides the container body 700H into multiple independent areas.

[0159] Specifically, in this modified embodiment, such as Figure 19 As shown, the partition 760 divides the container body 700H into front and rear regions. An ink container 71 (ink container section) is formed on the front side of the partition 760, and a pretreatment liquid container 72 (treatment liquid container section) is formed on the rear side of the partition 760. The ink container 71 has a first opening 71H for receiving ink ejected from the ink head 4, and the pretreatment liquid container 72 has a second opening 72H for receiving pretreatment liquid (the other party's treatment liquid) ejected from the pretreatment head 5. Furthermore, similarly to the above embodiment, the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 also receives posttreatment liquid (one party's treatment liquid) ejected from the posttreatment head 6. The ink container 71 opening has the aforementioned overflow path 741 and relay path 743, and the pretreatment liquid container 72 opening has a treatment liquid path 742 (discharge port) and relay path 743 (cleaning liquid supply section). As a result, the cleaning liquid passed through the wiper flows from the cleaning liquid tray 73 (cleaning section)... Figure 8AThe cleaning solution flows into the ink container 71 and the pretreatment solution container 72, and the ink and posttreatment solution or pretreatment solution mixed with the cleaning solution are discharged respectively. Therefore, the cleaning solution can be effectively utilized, and the ink, pretreatment solution and posttreatment solution can be efficiently discharged by utilizing the flowability of the cleaning solution.

[0160] The partition 760 has a plurality of horizontal plates 761 and a plurality of horizontal plates 762 (first part), and a plurality of vertical plates 763 (second part) connected to these horizontal plates. Each horizontal plate 761 and each horizontal plate 762 separates the container body 700H in a front-back direction (first direction). On the other hand, each vertical plate 763 separates the container body 700H in a left-right direction (second direction intersecting the first direction). It should be noted that in this modified embodiment, the horizontal plates 761, 762, and 763 are separated in a horizontal direction. Furthermore, as in the modified embodiments described later, one horizontal plate and one vertical plate may also be provided.

[0161] like Figure 19 As shown, the partition 760 does not divide the container body 700H linearly, but in a two-dimensional manner. More specifically, around the partition 760, the rear end of the ink container 71 and the front end of the pretreatment liquid container 72 are respectively arranged in an alternating pattern. Therefore, the ink container 71 side can be positioned above the partition 760 corresponding to the alternating spatial arrangement. Figure 9 (Region B) The upstream heads 4A1 to 4H1 of the ink head 4, and the pretreatment head 5 is arranged above it corresponding to the pretreatment liquid container 72 side, such as Figure 9 As in (Region B), this allows for greater flexibility in the configuration of the ink head 4 and the pretreatment head 5. It should be noted that... Figure 19 In the example, it is also possible to make Figure 9 The position of the pre-processing head 5 in (Region B) is moved to the right relative to the adjacent heads of the upstream heads 4A1 to 4H1. Alternatively, multiple pre-processing heads 5 can be arranged at these positions respectively.

[0162] Thus, in this modified embodiment, the separator 760 also separates the container body 700H of the container unit 70 in two directions, thereby enabling the separate recovery of multiple liquids that are intended to be avoided from mixing, and further improving the flexibility of the corresponding head configuration. It should be noted that... Figure 19 The number of horizontal plates 761, 762 and vertical plates 763 in the middle only needs to be based on Figure 9 The configuration and number of heads illustrated in (Region B) can be set appropriately. The same applies to the modified implementation methods described later.

[0163] Figure 20This is a perspective view of the container unit 70N (container) according to a second modified embodiment of the present disclosure. In this modified embodiment, unlike the first modified embodiment described above, the container unit 70N further includes a partition 770. The partition 770 has the same structure as the partition 760, dividing the portion of the container body 700H forward of the pretreatment liquid container 72 (pretreatment container section) into an ink container 71 (ink container section) and a post-treatment container 79 (post-treatment container section). The post-treatment container 79 has a second opening 79H for receiving post-treatment liquid ejected from the post-treatment head 6. Furthermore, in addition to the aforementioned relay passage 743, a treatment liquid passage 744 is formed in the post-treatment container 79. The treatment liquid passage 744 is an opening for discharging the post-treatment liquid mixed with the cleaning liquid.

[0164] That is, in this modified embodiment, the partitions 760 and 770 separate the container body 700H of the container unit 70N to form a pretreatment liquid container 72 that receives the pretreatment liquid ejected from the pretreatment head 5 and a posttreatment container 79 that is independently configured relative to the pretreatment liquid container 72 and receives the posttreatment liquid ejected from the posttreatment head 6.

[0165] In detail, the partition 770, like the partition 760, has multiple horizontal plates 771 and multiple horizontal plates 772 (first part) and multiple vertical plates 773 (second part) connected to these horizontal plates. The partition 770 does not divide the container body 700H linearly, but rather in a two-dimensional manner. More specifically, around the periphery of the partition 770, the rear end of the ink container 71 and the front end of the post-processing container 79 are arranged in an alternating pattern. Therefore, ink containers 71 can be positioned above the partition 770 corresponding to the alternating spatial arrangement. Figure 9 Downstream of the ink head 4 in region B, heads 4A2 to 4H2 are arranged, and above them, corresponding to the post-processing container 79, a post-processing head 6 is arranged, such as... Figure 9 As in (Region B), this allows for greater flexibility in the configuration of the pre-processing head 5, ink head 4, and post-processing head 6. It should be noted that... Figure 20 In the example, it can also be made Figure 9 The position of the post-processing head 6 in (Region B) is moved between adjacent heads of the downstream side heads 4A2 to 4H2. Alternatively, one or more post-processing heads 6 may be configured in these positions.

[0166] Furthermore, in this modified embodiment, each ink wiper 82 also moves along a predetermined movement path when wiping the ink head 4, but the second opening 79H of the post-processing container 79 is positioned directly below, and specifically in front of, the movement path of the ink wiper 82, avoiding its overall movement. Therefore, in this configuration, the possibility of ink entering the post-processing container 79 while the ink wiper 82 is moving can be reduced. This is therefore useful in situations where ink and post-processing liquid readily react.

[0167] Figure 21 This is a perspective view of the container unit 70P (container) according to a third modified embodiment of this disclosure. In this modified embodiment, a pretreatment liquid container 72 is formed at the right rear corner of the container body 700H, and an ink container 71 is formed in other parts. Ink and posttreatment liquid are recovered in the ink container 71. The ink container 71 and the pretreatment liquid container 72 are separated by a partition 760, which has a plurality of horizontal plates 761 and one horizontal plate 762 (arbitrary first part), and a vertical plate 764 (second part) connected to one of the horizontal plates 761. In this modified embodiment, as an example, two pretreatment heads 5 can be arranged above the recesses on the left and right sides of the horizontal plate 762.

[0168] Figure 22 This is a perspective view of the container unit 70Q (container) according to the fourth modified embodiment of this disclosure. In this modified embodiment, a post-processing container 79 is formed at the left front corner of the container body 700H, and an ink container 71 is formed in other parts. In this modified embodiment, the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 receives ink and pre-processing liquid (one of the processing liquids), while the second opening 79H of the post-processing container 79 receives only the post-processing liquid (the other of the processing liquids). The ink container 71 and the post-processing container 79 are separated by a partition 770, which has a horizontal plate 771 (first part) and a vertical plate 773 (second part) connected thereto. In this modified embodiment, a post-processing head 6 can be disposed above the post-processing container 79.

[0169] It should be noted that the assumption is replaced Figure 22 The post-processing container 79 shown is formed at the right front corner of the container body 700H. In this case, as an example, only the post-processing head 6 is configured on the carriage 3. Figure 9The post-processing head 6B (area B). Each ink wiper 82 moves along a predetermined path when wiping the ink head 4, and the second opening 79H of the post-processing container 79 is positioned directly below the entire moving path of the ink wiper 82. Therefore, in this structure, the amount of ink entering the post-processing container 79 when the ink wiper 82 moves can be reduced.

[0170] Figure 23 This is a perspective view of the container unit 70R (container) according to the fifth modified embodiment of this disclosure. In this modified embodiment, Figure 8A , Figure 8B In the previously illustrated embodiment, the pretreatment liquid container 72 is moved to the right. In this case, it is possible to... Figure 9 The position of the pre-processing head 5 in (Region B) moves between the adjacent heads of the upstream side heads 4A1 to 4H1.

[0171] In this modified embodiment, the front wall 721 (first part) separates the container unit 70R in the front-to-back direction, and the right wall 723 and left wall 724 (second part) separate the container unit 70R in the left-to-right direction. A pretreatment liquid passage 742 is opened at the bottom of the pretreatment liquid container 72. The pretreatment liquid discharged through this passage 742 is guided by the relay pipe 74P to the conical surface 712 on the rear side of the container unit 70R. Then, the discharged pretreatment liquid merges into the waste liquid hose 704. Figure 8A ).

[0172] Figure 24 This is a perspective view of the container unit 70S (container) according to the sixth modified embodiment of this disclosure. In this modified embodiment, the main difference from the fifth modified embodiment described above lies in the inclination of the bottom surface of the pretreatment liquid container 72. Specifically, the bottom surface of the pretreatment liquid container 72 faces downwards and slopes backwards, and a treatment liquid passage 742 (discharge hole) for discharging pretreatment liquid from the pretreatment liquid container 72 is opened at the intersection of this bottom surface and the rear conical surface 712. With this structure, the inclination of the bottom allows for smooth guidance of the recovered pretreatment liquid to the treatment liquid passage 742, thus suppressing the recyclability of the pretreatment liquid and the accumulation within the pretreatment liquid container 72.

[0173] Furthermore, in this modified embodiment, the processing fluid passage 742 is disposed downstream of the moving side (downstream end) of the pretreatment fluid wiper 83 in the pretreatment fluid container 72 when wiping the pretreatment head 5. With this structure, the processing fluid passage 742 can be disposed near the location where the pretreatment fluid is dripped from the pretreatment fluid wiper 83, thereby reducing the area of ​​pretreatment fluid adhering to the interior of the pretreatment fluid container 72 and minimizing pretreatment fluid adhesion within the container.

[0174] In addition, in this modified embodiment, such as Figure 24 As shown, the bottom surface of the pretreatment liquid container 72 has a portion that deepens downstream in the moving direction of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83. Therefore, it is easier to discharge the recovered pretreatment liquid.

[0175] It should be noted that, in Figure 24 In this configuration, a rubber cap 75 may be attached not only to the outer periphery of the ink container 71 but also to the outer periphery of the pretreatment liquid container 72. In this case, the container unit 70 also functions as a cap capable of independently (separately) sealing the ink head 4, the post-treatment head 6, and the pretreatment head 5. Therefore, even if the volatile components of the pretreatment liquid mix with the ink and may aggregate, such aggregation can be reduced. It should be noted that, as described above, only the pretreatment head 5 may be sealed independently, and the post-treatment head 6 may also be sealed independently.

[0176] Furthermore, in the fifth and sixth modified embodiments described above, and with Figure 8A , Figure 8B Similarly, the pretreatment liquid container 72 shown is arranged overlapping the ink container 71 when viewed from above. Furthermore, a portion of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is formed using one side (conical surface 712) of container units 70R and 70S. As a result, when viewed from above, one side of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is shared with each container unit 70R and 70S, while the other three sides are arranged as if floating in the air. Therefore, compared to the case where the pretreatment liquid container 72 is positioned above the ink container 71 and the wall of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is completely independent of the ink container 71, the rigidity of the pretreatment liquid container 72 can be improved, and deformation due to gravity can be prevented.

[0177] Furthermore, the partition structure of the container units 70-70S described in the above embodiments is not limited to containers for recovering liquids (ink, processing liquid) dripped during wiping. As an example, container units 70-70S may also be flushing containers capable of receiving ink and processing liquid ejected from the ink head 4 and the processing liquid heads (pre-processing head 5, post-processing head 6) during flushing. In this case, the flexibility in the arrangement of each head can be increased, and the mixing of ink and processing liquid during flushing can be reduced. It should be noted that, in the case of a flushing container, the container body may also be divided by a partition extending linearly in one direction. This direction may be the direction of movement of the carriage 3, or it may be a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the carriage 3.

[0178] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0179] 1. Inkjet printer

[0180] 10. Device frame (frame)

[0181] 12 Printing Area

[0182] 13 Maintenance Area

[0183] 14 Turnaround Area

[0184] 20. Workpiece Handling Department

[0185] 3. Carriage

[0186] 30 Carriage frame

[0187] 31-head support frame

[0188] 32 Rear Frame

[0189] 33 Controller

[0190] 4 ink head

[0191] 4A First Ink Head

[0192] 4A1 upstream side

[0193] 4A2 Downstream Side

[0194] 5. Pretreatment head (treatment fluid head)

[0195] 6. Post-treatment head (treatment fluid head)

[0196] 7 Maintenance Unit

[0197] 70, 70N, 70N, 70P, 70Q, 70R, 70S container units (containers)

[0198] 700 Frame Structure

[0199] 700H Container Body

[0200] 71 Ink Containers (Ink Container Section)

[0201] 71H First Opening

[0202] 711 Bottom

[0203] 712 Conical surface (inclined surface)

[0204] 72. Pretreatment liquid container (pretreatment container section)

[0205] 72H, 79H Second Opening

[0206] 721 Anterior Wall

[0207] 722 Rear Wall

[0208] 723 Right Wall

[0209] 724 left wall

[0210] 73. Cleaning solution tray (cleaning section, cleaning container section)

[0211] 741 Overflow Flow Path (Discharge Outlet)

[0212] 742, 744 Treatment fluid passage (drainage port)

[0213] 743 Relay Circuit (Cleaning Fluid Supply Department)

[0214] 74P relay tube

[0215] 75 rubber caps

[0216] 760 partition

[0217] 761, 762, 771, 772 Horizontal Plates (Part 1)

[0218] Longitudinal plates 763, 764, and 773 (Part Two)

[0219] 77 Sponge (Removal Section)

[0220] 79 Post-processing container (post-processing container section)

[0221] 8 wiping units

[0222] 81 Wiper Support Plate

[0223] 82 Ink Wipeer

[0224] 83 Pretreatment solution wiper

[0225] 84 Post-treatment solution wiper

[0226] 85 Wiper Drive Unit

[0227] 9. Cleaning Unit (Cleaning Section)

[0228] 91 Nozzle Holding Plate

[0229] 911 Top Slab (Top Section)

[0230] 912 Side Panel

[0231] 92 Cleaning Nozzle

[0232] 93 Cleaning fluid hose

[0233] F. Direction of transport

[0234] S Main scanning direction

[0235] W: Workpiece (recording medium).

Claims

1. An inkjet recording device, wherein, The inkjet recording device includes: At least one head, each ejecting liquid; and A container having a container body and partitions dividing the container body into multiple independent regions, the container body having an opening for receiving liquid ejected from at least one head. The partition has: At least one first portion that separates the container body in a first direction; and At least one second portion that separates the container body in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The at least one head has: Inkjet head, which ejects ink; and The treatment head sprays out the treatment fluid. The partition is configured to divide the container body into an ink container section and a processing liquid container section. The ink container section has a first opening for receiving ink ejected from the ink head, and the processing liquid container section has a second opening for receiving processing liquid ejected from the processing liquid head. The processing head has: The pretreatment head sprays out the pretreatment solution; and The post-treatment head sprays out the post-treatment fluid. The partition divides the container body in such a way that the first opening of the ink container receives one of the pre-processing liquid ejected from the pre-processing head and the post-processing liquid ejected from the post-processing head, as well as the ink ejected from the ink head; and the second opening of the processing liquid container receives the other of the pre-processing liquid ejected from the pre-processing head and the post-processing liquid ejected from the post-processing head.

2. An inkjet recording device, wherein, The inkjet recording device includes: At least one head, each ejecting liquid; and A container having a container body and partitions dividing the container body into multiple independent regions, the container body having an opening for receiving liquid ejected from at least one head. The partition has: At least one first portion that separates the container body in a first direction; and At least one second portion that separates the container body in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The at least one head has: Inkjet head, which ejects ink; and The treatment head sprays out the treatment solution. The partition is configured to divide the container body into an ink container section and a processing liquid container section. The ink container section has a first opening for receiving ink ejected from the ink head, and the processing liquid container section has a second opening for receiving processing liquid ejected from the processing liquid head. The processing head has: The pretreatment head sprays out the pretreatment solution; and The post-treatment head sprays out the post-treatment fluid. The partition divides the container body into a processing liquid container section comprising a pre-processing container section and a post-processing container section. The pre-processing container section receives the pre-processing liquid ejected from the pre-processing head, and the post-processing container section is configured independently relative to the pre-processing container section and receives the post-processing liquid ejected from the post-processing head.

3. An inkjet recording device, wherein, The inkjet recording device includes: At least one head, each ejecting liquid; and A container having a container body and partitions dividing the container body into multiple independent regions, the container body having an opening for receiving liquid ejected from at least one head. The partition has: At least one first portion that separates the container body in a first direction; and At least one second portion that separates the container body in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The at least one head has: Inkjet head, which ejects ink; and The treatment head sprays out the treatment solution. The partition is configured to divide the container body into an ink container section and a processing liquid container section. The ink container section has a first opening for receiving ink ejected from the ink head, and the processing liquid container section has a second opening for receiving processing liquid ejected from the processing liquid head. The depth of the processing liquid container is shallower than the depth of the ink container.

4. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, The container body has an inclined surface that, together with the partition, divides the ink container portion. At a position above the bottom of the ink container section, a portion of the inclined surface further defines the processing liquid container section, thereby making the depth of the processing liquid container section shallower than the depth of the ink container section.

5. An inkjet recording device, wherein, The inkjet recording device includes: At least one head, each ejecting liquid; and A container having a container body and partitions dividing the container body into multiple independent regions, the container body having an opening for receiving liquid ejected from at least one head. The partition has: At least one first portion that separates the container body in a first direction; and At least one second portion that separates the container body in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The at least one head has: Inkjet head, which ejects ink; and The treatment head sprays out the treatment solution. The partition is configured to divide the container body into an ink container section and a processing liquid container section. The ink container section has a first opening for receiving ink ejected from the ink head, and the processing liquid container section has a second opening for receiving processing liquid ejected from the processing liquid head. The processing liquid container has a bottom surface that is tilted in a manner that allows the processing liquid received from the processing liquid head to be guided downwards and then in a predetermined direction.

6. An inkjet recording device, wherein, The inkjet recording device includes: At least one head, each ejecting liquid; and A container having a container body and partitions dividing the container body into multiple independent regions, the container body having an opening for receiving liquid ejected from at least one head. The partition has: At least one first portion that separates the container body in a first direction; and At least one second portion that separates the container body in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The at least one head has: Inkjet head, which ejects ink; and The treatment head sprays out the treatment solution. The partition is configured to divide the container body into an ink container section and a processing liquid container section. The ink container section has a first opening for receiving ink ejected from the ink head, and the processing liquid container section has a second opening for receiving processing liquid ejected from the processing liquid head. The bottom surface of the processing liquid container is located above the bottom surface of the ink container.

7. The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The inkjet recording device also includes a wiping unit, which has an ink wiper for wiping the ink head and a processing liquid wiper for wiping the processing liquid head. The ink container section is capable of receiving ink that falls from the ink head during the wiping process of the ink wiper through the first opening. The processing liquid container is capable of receiving the processing liquid that falls from the processing liquid head during wiping by the processing liquid wiper through the second opening.

8. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, The treatment fluid wiper moves along a predetermined path during the wiping process. The first opening of the ink container is positioned directly below the entire movement path.

9. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, The ink wiper moves along a predetermined path when performing the wiping action. The second opening of the processing liquid container is positioned directly below the entire movement path.

10. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, The inkjet recording device also includes a printing area in which the inkjet head ejects ink to form an image. In the direction of movement of the head from the printing area to the wiping area, the processing liquid container is positioned closer to the printing area than the ink container.

11. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, The processing liquid container section has a discharge port from which the processing liquid is discharged. The discharge port is located downstream of the processing liquid wiper in the processing liquid container section when the processing liquid head is wiped.

12. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, The bottom of the treatment fluid container has a portion that deepens downstream in the direction of movement when the treatment fluid wiper wipes the treatment fluid head.

13. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, The inkjet recording device also includes a frame. The container and the wiping unit can be pulled out as a whole relative to the frame.

14. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, The inkjet recording device also includes a cleaning unit capable of cleaning the ink wiper and the processing liquid wiper. The processing liquid container is positioned closer to the cleaning section than the ink container.

15. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, The inkjet recording device also includes: A cleaning unit capable of cleaning the ink wiper and the processing solution wiper; and The removal section reduces the amount of ink adhering to the ink wiper or its support structure. In the direction of movement of the ink wiper toward the cleaning section, the second opening is located downstream of the first opening. The removal section is positioned upstream of the second opening.

16. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 14 or 15, wherein, The inkjet recording device also includes a frame. The container, the wiping unit, and the cleaning section can be pulled out as a whole relative to the frame.

17. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, The cleaning unit has: The spraying unit sprays cleaning fluid onto the ink wiper and the processing fluid wiper; and The cleaning container section receives the cleaning solution that has passed through the ink wiper and the processing liquid wiper. The container, the wiping unit, and the cleaning container section can be pulled out integrally relative to the frame.

18. The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The inkjet recording device also includes: Frame; and The wiping unit has a wiper for wiping the head and is pullable relative to the frame. The wiping unit is pulled out in the same direction as the wiping head moves when the wiping device wipes it.

19. The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The inkjet recording device also includes: Wipes the head; The cleaning unit is capable of spraying cleaning fluid and cleaning the wiper; The cleaning fluid supply unit supplies the cleaning fluid that has passed through the wiper to the container body; as well as The outlet discharges the liquid and the cleaning solution mixed inside the container body.

20. The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The container also serves as a cap that can seal the ink head and the processing liquid head respectively.

21. The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The container is a rinsing container capable of receiving ink and processing liquid ejected from the ink head and the processing liquid head during rinsing.

22. The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The at least one first part has multiple first parts.

23. The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The at least one second part has multiple second parts.

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