Inkjet recording apparatus

Abstract

The inkjet recording apparatus includes: a recording head that is provided with a nozzle surface in which ink ejection ports of a plurality of nozzles are open downward, and that is supported so as to be capable of rising and falling; a blade for contacting the nozzle surface and wiping the nozzle surface by moving in a predetermined moving direction; and a cleaning liquid supply member for accommodating a cleaning liquid and supplying the cleaning liquid between a movement start position of the blade and the nozzle surface, the cleaning liquid supply member having an accommodating portion for accommodating the cleaning liquid, the top surface of the accommodating portion being open. According to the present invention, since the accommodating part is formed in a concave shape without a top surface, the number of corners formed between the surfaces can be reduced, and a film of the cleaning liquid is difficult to form. Consequently, the clogging of the supply port by the film or the reduction of the volume of the accommodating part are reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an inkjet recording device including a blade for wiping a nozzle surface of a recording head using a cleaning liquid. Background Art

[0002] In an inkjet recording device, a wiping unit is provided, which moves a blade along a nozzle surface of a recording head to wipe the nozzle surface. When the blade moves along the nozzle surface, a cleaning liquid is supplied between the movement start position of the blade and the nozzle surface. The blade moves along the nozzle surface while holding the supplied cleaning liquid.

[0003] As a recording head of an inkjet recording device, a recording head of an inkjet recording device is proposed, which is provided with: a hollow container for containing a cleaning liquid; a supply port, which is connected to the container and is used to supply the cleaning liquid between the moving start position of the blade and the nozzle surface. The cleaning liquid supplied to the container from the cleaning liquid supply source via the supply port is retained in a state of overflowing downward from the supply port and being exposed. Thereafter, when the blade moves from the moving start position, the exposed cleaning liquid is scraped by the blade and retained on the blade, and then the nozzle surface is wiped by the blade using the cleaning liquid, and the ink and the like attached to the nozzle surface are removed.

[0004] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the recording head of the inkjet recording device, the container for the cleaning liquid is set to be hollow and surrounded by the top surface, the bottom surface and the four side surfaces, so the cleaning liquid supplied sometimes forms a film at the corners between the surfaces. As a result, since a part of the supply port is blocked by the film, the amount of the cleaning liquid supplied becomes uneven in the width direction intersecting the moving direction of the blade, or the amount of the cleaning liquid supplied to the container becomes less, and there is a problem that it is difficult to obtain a sufficient cleaning effect.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet recording apparatus capable of sufficiently and evenly supplying a cleaning liquid.

[0006] An inkjet recording device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a recording head, which is provided with a nozzle face with ink ejection outlets of a plurality of nozzles opening downward and is supported to be able to be raised and lowered; a blade, which is used to contact the nozzle face and wipe the nozzle face by moving in a predetermined moving direction; and a cleaning liquid supply component, which is used to contain cleaning liquid replenished from a cleaning liquid supply source and supply the cleaning liquid to a position between the moving start position of the blade and the nozzle face, the cleaning liquid supply component having a containing portion, the containing portion being used to contain the replenished cleaning liquid, the top surface of the containing portion being open.

[0007] According to the present invention, since the container is formed into a concave shape without a top surface, the number of corners formed between the surfaces can be reduced, so that the film of the cleaning liquid is difficult to form. Therefore, the supply port is less likely to be blocked by the film or the volume of the container is reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 It is a front view schematically showing the internal structure of the inkjet recording device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 2A It is a plan view schematically showing a head unit and a maintenance device of an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 2B It is a front view schematically showing a head unit and a maintenance device of an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 3A It is a side view showing a recording head of an inkjet recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 3B It is a bottom view showing a recording head of the inkjet recording device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 4 This is a perspective view showing a cover unit of the inkjet recording device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing a wiping unit and a cleaning liquid supply portion of an inkjet recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a side view showing a carriage and a cleaning liquid supply member of a wiping unit of an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 7 This is a perspective view showing a cleaning liquid supply member of a wiping unit of an inkjet recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Fig. 8A This is a perspective view showing a carriage moved to a movement start position in a wiping unit of an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 8B This is a perspective view showing a carriage moved to a movement end position in a wiping unit of an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Fig. 9 This is a cross-sectional view showing a supply pipe of a cleaning liquid supply portion in a wiping unit of an inkjet recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Fig.10 This is a perspective view showing a carriage and a cleaning liquid supply member when the cleaning liquid is replenished in the wiping unit of the inkjet recording device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Fig.11 This is a block diagram showing a control unit of an inkjet recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Fig.12 This is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which the cleaning liquid is replenished from the replenishment tube to the cleaning liquid storage member in the ink jet recording device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Fig.13A The present invention is a plan view and a front view showing a wiping unit, a cleaning liquid supply unit, and a recording head moved to a standby position in an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Fig. 13B The present invention is a plan view and a front view showing a wiping unit moved to a wiping position, a cleaning liquid supply portion, and a recording head in an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Hereinafter, an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0026] First, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2A as well as Figure 2B , the overall structure of the inkjet recording device 1 is described. Figure 1 It is a front view schematically showing the interior of the inkjet recording device 1 . Figure 2A is a top view schematically showing the head unit 11 and the maintenance unit 13, Figure 2B FIG. 1 is a front view schematically showing the head unit 11 and the maintenance unit 13. Figure 1 The front side of the paper in the figure is set as the main viewing side (front side) of the inkjet recording device 1. In each figure, U, Lo, L, R, Fr, and Rr represent up, down, left, right, front, and back, respectively. In addition, the up, down, left, right, front, and back directions shown in the following description are directions of an example when the description is made using each figure. However, it is not intended to limit the positions and directions of the various parts of the inkjet recording device 1 to the directions described below.

[0027] like Figure 1As shown, the inkjet recording device 1 is an inkjet image forming device that forms an image by ejecting ink. The inkjet recording device 1 includes a main body housing 3 in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. In the lower part of the main body housing 3, a paper feed box 5 for accommodating paper and a paper feed roller 7 for feeding paper from the paper feed box 5 are provided. Above the paper feed box 5, a conveying unit 9 for conveying paper is provided. Above the conveying unit 9, four head units 11M, 11C, 11Bk, and 11Y (collectively referred to as head units 11) and four maintenance units 13 (also referred to as maintenance units 13) are provided. Figure 2A as well as Figure 2B ). A discharge roller pair 15 for discharging paper with an image formed thereon and a discharge tray 17 for loading the discharged paper are provided at the upper left portion of the main housing 3. A conveying path 19 is provided inside the main housing 3, which leads from the paper feed cassette 5 to the discharge roller pair 15 via the conveying unit 9. In the conveying path 19, a plurality of conveying roller pairs 21 for conveying paper are provided.

[0028] Next, refer to Figure 1 The conveying unit 9 is described below. The conveying unit 9 includes an endless conveying belt 25. The conveying belt 25 has a plurality of through holes extending in the thickness direction. The conveying belt 25 is wound around a driving roller 27A and a driven roller 27B that are separately arranged on the left and right. The driving roller 27A is driven and rotated by a motor (not shown). The conveying belt 25 is rotated along the conveying belt 25 by the rotation of the driving roller 27A. Figure 1 The conveyor belt 25 running along the upper track forms a conveying path 19, which runs from Figure 1 The paper is transported in the right-to-left transport direction.

[0029] The hollow portion of the conveyor belt 25 is provided with a conveyor plate 29 and a suction device 31. The conveyor plate 29 has a plurality of through holes extending in the thickness direction. The conveyor plate 29 contacts the inner surface of the conveyor belt 25 running along the upper track. The suction device 31 is provided below the conveyor plate 29 and draws air through the through holes of the conveyor belt 25 and the through holes of the conveyor plate 29 to pull the paper closer to the conveyor belt 25.

[0030] Next, the head unit 11 is described. The four head units 11Y, 11Bk, 11C, and 11M correspond to the yellow, black, cyan, and magenta inks, respectively, and are arranged above the conveying unit 9 at predetermined intervals along the conveying direction. Ink containers 33Y, 33Bk, 33C, and 33M filled with yellow, black, cyan, and magenta inks, respectively, are connected to the four head units 11Y, 11Bk, 11C, and 11M. Figure 2A as well as Figure 2B As shown, the head unit 11 includes three recording heads 37 and a plate 39 that supports the three recording heads 37 .

[0031] Reference Figure 3A as well as Figure 3B , the recording head 37 is described. Figure 3A is a side view showing the recording head 37, Figure 3B : is a bottom view showing the recording head 37. The recording head 37 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the width direction (front-back direction) that intersects the conveying direction. The recording head 37 has a plurality of nozzles (not shown) for supplying ink and a piezoelectric element (not shown) provided for each nozzle. The nozzles of the plurality of nozzles are opened on the lower surface of the recording head 37. The piezoelectric element is driven, and the ink in the nozzle is ejected from the nozzle to the bottom. Figure 3B As shown in FIG. 1 , a surface including a region N of the ejection outlet opening is referred to as a nozzle surface N. FIG.

[0032] like Figure 2A As shown in FIG. 1 , the three recording heads 37 are arranged alternately in the width direction (front-back direction) and in the left-right direction. Specifically, two recording heads 37 are arranged side by side in the width direction, and one recording head 37 is arranged adjacent to the two recording heads 37 in the conveying direction (left-right direction). Figure 3A As shown, the recording head 37 is supported in such a manner that the lower end portion thereof projects from the plate 39 .

[0033] Each of the four head units 11 is controlled by a head unit lifting mechanism 41 (at Figure 1 , Figure 2A as well as Figure 2B The diagram is omitted, see Fig.11 ) is supported so as to be able to rise and fall between the printing position and the retreat position. The printing position is a position where the nozzle surface N of the recording head 37 of the head unit 11 faces the conveyor belt 25 running along the upper track at a predetermined interval (e.g., 1 mm) (see Figure 1 The retracted position is a position where the nozzle surface N of the recording head 37 of the head unit 11 is separated from the conveyor belt 25 above the printing position, and a space capable of accommodating the cap unit 51 and the wiping unit 53 of the maintenance unit 13 described later is formed above the conveyor unit 9. The head unit lifting mechanism 41 and the control unit 201 (see Fig.11 )Electrical connection.

[0034] Next, the maintenance unit 13 will be described. The four maintenance units 13 have the same structure and are provided for each of the four head units 11. The maintenance unit 13 is arranged adjacent to the corresponding head unit 11 in the conveying direction. In this example, the maintenance unit 13 is arranged on the downstream side (left side) of the corresponding head unit 11.

[0035] like Figure 2BAs shown, the maintenance unit 13 includes: a cap unit 51 that covers the nozzle surfaces N of the three recording heads 37 of the head unit 11; a wiping unit 53 that cleans the nozzle surfaces N of the three recording heads 37 of the head unit 11; and a cleaning liquid supply unit 55 that supplies cleaning liquid to the wiping unit 53.

[0036] The cap unit 51, the wiper unit 53, and the cleaning liquid supply unit 55 are supported by a housing 57. The housing 57 has a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the width direction, and has an opening on a surface (right surface) facing the corresponding head unit 11.

[0037] First, refer to Figure 4 , the cover unit 51 is described. Figure 4 1 is a perspective view showing the cap unit 51. The cap unit 51 includes three caps 61 that cover the nozzle surfaces N of the three recording heads 37. The three caps 61 are arranged to correspond to the three recording heads 37 of the head unit 11 and are supported by a support plate 63. Each cap 61 includes a recessed portion 61a opened on its upper surface and a discharge port (not shown) provided at the bottom of the recessed portion 61a.

[0038] The cover unit 51 can be moved to the standby position (see FIG. Figure 1 , Figure 2A as well as Figure 2B ) and the cap position in the conveying direction and the opposite direction (left-right direction). The standby position is a position where the cap unit 51 is accommodated in the lower space of the housing 57. The cap position is a position accommodated in the space below the head unit 11 that has risen to the retracted position. By moving the cap unit 51 to the cap position and lowering the head unit 11 to a predetermined height, the nozzle faces N of the three recording heads 37 are covered by the three caps 61. The cap unit 51 can move between the cap position and the standby position through the right opening of the housing 57.

[0039] Next, refer to Figure 5 , the wiping unit 53 is described. Figure 5 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the wiping unit 53 and the cleaning liquid supply unit 55. The wiping unit 53 includes three carriages 71, three cleaning liquid supply members 73, and a waste liquid tray 75 that supports the three carriages 71 and the three cleaning liquid supply members 73.

[0040] First, the waste liquid tray 75 will be described. The waste liquid tray 75 is a box-shaped member with an open top surface, and has a size corresponding to the head unit 11. Three guide rails 81 are provided along the width direction (front-back direction) in the waste liquid tray 75. The three guide rails 81 are arranged to correspond to the three recording heads 37 of the head unit 11.

[0041] The upper surface of the opening of the waste liquid tray 75 is opened and closed by a waste liquid tray cover 83. The waste liquid tray cover 83 is opened and closed by a waste liquid tray cover lifting mechanism 85 (at Figure 5 The diagram is omitted, see Fig.11 ) is supported on the housing 57 so as to be able to be raised and lowered. The waste liquid tray cover 83 is raised and lowered by the waste liquid tray cover raising and lowering mechanism 85 to a height at which the waste liquid tray 75 covers the upper surface and a height at which the waste liquid tray 75 is separated upward from the upper surface. The waste liquid tray cover raising and lowering mechanism 85 is connected to the control unit 201 (see Fig.11 The waste liquid tray cover 83 will be described later.

[0042] Next, also refer to Figure 6 , Figure 7 , the slide 71 and the cleaning liquid supply component 73 are described. Figure 6 is a side view showing the carriage 71 and the cleaning liquid supply member 73, Figure 7 1 is a perspective view showing the cleaning liquid supply member 73 .

[0043] First, refer to Figure 6 Next, the carriage 71 will be described. The carriage 71 includes a moving body 91 , a blade 93 , and a holder 95 that supports the blade 93 and is supported by the moving body 91 .

[0044] The moving body 91 is engaged with the guide rail 81 provided in the waste liquid tray 75, and the moving body 91 can be moved by the carriage moving mechanism 97 (in Figure 6 The diagram is omitted, see Fig.11 ) moves between the rear end and the front end of the guide rail 81. In this example, when cleaning the nozzle surface N of the recording head 37, the moving body 91 moves from the rear end (movement start position) of the guide rail 81 toward the front end (movement end position). The direction from the movement start position toward the movement end position (in this example, the direction from the back to the front) is set as the movement direction X1 of the moving body 91 (slide 71). The slide moving mechanism 97 and the control unit 201 (refer to Fig.11 )Electrical connection.

[0045] The blade 93 is a plate-like member having a width greater than the width of the nozzle surface N, and is made of a flexible resin or the like. The blade 93 is supported on the holder 95 at its lower end in a posture that is inclined toward the upstream side in the moving direction X1 and is inclined relative to the blade width direction X2 (left-right direction) intersecting the moving direction X1. The lower end of the holder 95 is supported by the moving body 91 at a position that is closer to the upstream side of the moving direction X1 than the blade 93 so as to be able to rotate around the rotation axis 99. Thus, the blade 93 can rotate with the holder 95 toward the upstream side and the downstream side of the moving direction X1 around the rotation axis 99. In addition, the holder 95 has a pair of arms 95a extending upward from both sides of the blade width direction X2.

[0046] Next, refer to Figure 6 as well as Figure 7 Next, the cleaning liquid supply component 73 will be described. The cleaning liquid supply component 73 is provided separately from the carriage 71 and includes a cleaning liquid container 101 and a pair of holders 103 that support the cleaning liquid container 101 and are supported on the guide rail 81 .

[0047] First, the cleaning liquid containing part 101 will be described. The cleaning liquid containing part 101 is a rectangular plate-shaped part, and the upper surface is formed to be flat. Figure 6 As shown, a recess 101a is formed on the lower surface of the cleaning liquid holding part 101 along the blade width direction X2. The side surface of the recess 101a on the downstream side of the moving direction X1 is inclined toward the downstream side of the moving direction X1. The cleaning liquid holding part 101 has a front end 101b that is closer to the downstream side of the moving direction X1 than the recess 101a, and a base end 101c on the upstream side. The front end 101b is formed to have a smaller thickness than the base end 101c. In addition, the lower surface of the front end 101b is formed to be a plane that is slightly inclined upward toward the downstream side of the moving direction X1.

[0048] like Figure 7 As shown, a container 111 for accommodating cleaning liquid is formed on the upper surface of the front end portion 101b. When viewed from above, the container 111 has a rectangular shape that is long in the blade width direction X2 and short in the moving direction X1, and is surrounded by a bottom surface, a pair of short side surfaces that are opposite in the blade width direction X2, and a pair of long side surfaces that are opposite in the moving direction X1, forming a concave shape with an open top surface. A raised portion 113 is formed in the center of the bottom surface in the blade width direction X2. The raised portion 113 has a planar top that is slightly lower than the height of the upper surface of the front end portion 101b and two side portions that are inclined downward from the top toward the bottom surface. In addition, a pair of long side surfaces on both sides of the raised portion 113 are inclined toward the bottom surface in a valley shape.

[0049] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, in the accommodating portion 111, a plurality of (three in this example) supply ports 115 are formed at predetermined intervals in the blade width direction X2. The central supply port 115 passes through the raised portion 113 in the vertical direction. The other two supply ports 115 are located on both sides of the central supply port 115 and pass through between the bottom surface of the accommodating portion 111 and the lower surface of the front end portion 101b in the vertical direction.

[0050] A rectangular sheet 119 is attached to the lower surface of the front end 101b and protrudes toward the downstream side of the moving direction X1. The sheet 119 extends along the downstream side (front) of the moving direction X1 substantially in the same direction as the lower surface of the front end 101b. The sheet 119 is attached to the downstream side of the moving direction X1 relative to the supply port 115.

[0051] Next, the pair of retainers 103 will be described. Each of the pair of retainers 103 is an L-shaped plate member when viewed from the side. The support shaft 121 is provided at one end of the retainer 103. Figure 6 As shown, the support shaft 121 is accommodated in the cutout 81a provided in the guide rail 81 at the upstream side of the movement start position of the carriage 71 in the movement direction X1. At the other end of the holder 103, the base end 101c of the cleaning liquid container 101 is supported so as to be rotatable around the rotation shaft 123.

[0052] Next, refer to Fig. 8A as well as Figure 8B , the movement of the slide 71 is described. Fig. 8A The carriage 71 is shown moved to the movement start position, Figure 8B The carriage 71 is shown moved to the movement end position.

[0053] When the carriage 71 moves to the movement start position (refer to Fig. 8A ), the front end of the blade 93 is accommodated in the recess 101a of the cleaning liquid containing member 101 (refer to Figure 6 The carriage 71 is moved by the carriage moving mechanism 97 (see Fig.11 ), from the moving start position (refer to Fig. 8A ) to the end position of the movement (refer to Figure 8B Here, since the cleaning liquid supply component 73 is immovably supported by the guide rail 81 of the waste liquid tray 75 as described above, the cleaning liquid supply component 73 does not move even if the carriage 71 moves.

[0054] Next, the movement of the wiping unit 53 will be described. The wiping unit 53 (the carriage 71, the cleaning liquid supply member 73, and the waste liquid tray 75) can be moved by the wiping unit moving mechanism 131 (see Fig.11 ), in the standby position (refer to Figure 2B) and the wiping position in the conveying direction and the opposite direction (left-right direction). The standby position is a position where the wiping unit 53 is accommodated in the upper space of the housing 57. The wiping position is a position accommodated in the space below the head unit 11 that has risen to the retreat position. After the head unit 11 moves to the retreat position, the wiping unit 53 moves to the wiping position, and the head unit 11 descends to a predetermined height, whereby the blade 93 can contact the nozzle surface N of the recording head 37. The wiping unit 53 can move between the standby position and the wiping position through the right opening of the housing 57.

[0055] The wiping unit moving mechanism 131 and the control unit 201 (see Fig.11 )Electrical connection.

[0056] In addition, by moving the wiping unit 53 to the standby position and the wiping position, the cleaning liquid supply component 73 included in the wiping unit 53 moves to the supply position where the cleaning liquid is replenished from the cleaning liquid replenishing part 55 and the supply position where the replenished cleaning liquid can be supplied to the nozzle surface N of the recording head 37.

[0057] Next, refer to Figure 5 , Fig. 9 as well as Fig.10 , the cleaning liquid supply unit 55 is described. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the supply pipe 141, Fig.10 7 is a perspective view showing the carriage 71 and the cleaning liquid supply member 73 when the cleaning liquid is replenished. The cleaning liquid replenishing unit 55 is provided in the housing 57 (see Figure 2B ), the cleaning liquid is supplied to the three cleaning liquid supply components 73 of the wiping unit 53. Figure 5 As shown, the cleaning liquid supply unit 55 includes three supply pipes 141 , a cleaning liquid tank 143 , and a pump 145 .

[0058] First, refer to Fig. 9 , the three supply pipes 141 are described. The supply pipe 141 has a connecting pipe 151 along the horizontal direction and a cylindrical branch pipe 153 that branches downward from the middle of the connecting pipe 151. In the hollow portion of the branch pipe 153, a nozzle 155 that is movable in the up and down directions is accommodated. In the nozzle 155, a spherical check valve 157 is accommodated. The check valve 157 is urged toward the bottom surface (upper surface) of the branch pipe 153 by a coil spring 159. On the bottom surface of the branch pipe 153, an O-ring 161 is arranged. The check valve 157 is urged by the coil spring 159 to be in close contact with the O-ring 161. As a result, the nozzle 155 is blocked by the check valve 157.

[0059] like Figure 5As shown, the three supply pipes 141 are arranged to correspond to the receiving parts 111 of the three cleaning liquid supply components 73 of the wiping unit 53 moved to the standby position, and the branch pipe 153 is supported by the waste liquid tray cover 83. Fig.11 ) is raised or lowered, the three supply pipes 141 are also raised or lowered together with the waste liquid tray cover 83. When the waste liquid tray cover 83 is lowered, the nozzles 155 of the three supply pipes 141 move to the top of the receiving portion 111.

[0060] like Fig.10 As shown, a pair of positioning pins 171 are formed on the lower surface of the waste liquid tray cover 83 on both sides of the branch pipe 153 in the blade width direction X2. Furthermore, a pair of rectangular parallelepiped protrusions 173 separated in the blade width direction X2 are formed on the lower surface of the waste liquid tray cover 83 on the upstream side of the branch pipe 153 in the moving direction X1.

[0061] Refer again Figure 5 , the cleaning liquid tank 143 is described. In the cleaning liquid tank 143, a cleaning liquid is stored. The cleaning liquid is, for example, a liquid with a solvent and water as main components, in which the coloring material is removed from the ink. In addition, a surfactant, a preservative, etc. may be added as needed. A pipe 181 is connected to the outlet of the cleaning liquid tank 143. In the middle of the pipe 181, a connecting pipe 151 of three supply pipes 141 is connected. The cleaning liquid tank 143 is an example of a cleaning liquid supply source in the present invention.

[0062] Next, the pump 145 will be described. The pump 145 is provided in the pipe 181 and pumps the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid tank 143 to the pipe 181 .

[0063] Next, refer to Fig.11 The control unit 201 is explained by a block diagram of FIG. 201. The control unit 201 operates the head unit lifting mechanism 41 to lift the head unit 11 to a plurality of positions, including a printing position, a retreat position, and a cleaning position between the printing position and the retreat position. The control unit 201 operates the waste liquid tray cover lifting mechanism 85 to lift the waste liquid tray cover 83 to the separation position and cover The control unit 201 operates the carriage moving mechanism 97 to move the carriage 71 between the movement start position and the movement end position. The control unit 201 operates the wiping unit moving mechanism 131 to move the wiping unit 53 between the wiping position and the standby position. Furthermore, the control unit 201 operates the pump 145 to start and stop pumping of the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid tank 143 to the pipe 181.

[0064] Next, refer to Fig.12 , Fig.13A as well as Fig. 13B, the printing operation and the head cleaning operation of the inkjet recording device 1 having the above-mentioned structure are described. Fig.12 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which the cleaning liquid is supplied from the supply pipe 141 to the container 111. Fig.13A as well as Fig. 13B It is a top view and a front view showing the wiping unit 53 , the cleaning liquid supply portion 55 , and the recording head 37 .

[0065] First, the maintenance unit 13 during the printing operation will be described. During the printing operation, the cover unit 51 and the wiping unit 53 move to the standby position. Fig.13A As shown, the cleaning liquid supply component 73 included in the wiping unit 53 moves to the replenishing position. Fig.10 As shown, the waste liquid tray cover 83 is lowered, and the pair of positioning pins 171 abut against the upper surface of the front end portion 101b of the cleaning liquid container 101, and the cleaning liquid container 101 is positioned in a horizontal posture. In addition, the pair of protrusions 173 push down the pair of arms 95a of the holder 95 of the carriage 71. As a result, the holder 95 rotates relative to the moving body 91, and the blade 93 tilts toward the upstream side of the moving direction X1.

[0066] Then, the nozzle 155 of the supply pipe 141 supported by the waste liquid tray cover 83 is lowered to the upper part of the container 111 of the cleaning liquid container 101. Fig.12 As shown, the tip of the nozzle 155 faces the top (central supply port 115) of the raised portion 113 of the container 111. In this way, the cleaning liquid can be supplied from the cleaning liquid tank 143 to the cleaning liquid container 101.

[0067] When the printing operation starts, paper is fed from the paper feed cassette 5 by the paper feed roller 7. The fed paper is transported to the transport unit 9 along the transport path 19 by the transport roller pair 21. The paper is transported along the track on the upper side of the transport belt 25 of the transport unit 9. At this time, ink is ejected from the recording head 37 of the head unit 11 corresponding to the image data onto the paper to form an image on the paper. Thereafter, the paper is transported along the transport path 19 by the transport roller pair 21 and discharged to the discharge tray 17 by the discharge roller pair 15.

[0068] In this way, during the printing operation, the head unit 11 is separated from the cleaning liquid supply member 73. Therefore, a problem that the cleaning liquid accidentally contacts the paper does not occur.

[0069] After the printing operation is completed, the wiping operation is performed at a predetermined timing (the capping operation is not described here). As described above, the wiping unit 53 moves to the standby position, and the cleaning liquid supply member 73 included in the wiping unit 53 moves to the replenishing position.

[0070] First, the control section 201 controls the head unit lifting mechanism 41 so that the head unit 11 is raised to the retracted position.

[0071] After that, the control unit 201 controls the pump 145 to pump the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid tank 143 to the piping 181. The cleaning liquid is transported to the three supply pipes 141 through the piping 181. At this time, when the cleaning liquid reaches the connecting pipe 151, the pressure of the cleaning liquid passing through the connecting pipe 151 is applied to the check valve 157 in the nozzle 155 contained in the branch pipe 153, and the check valve 157 resists the force of the coil spring 159 and separates from the O-ring 161. Thus, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the connecting pipe 151 to the nozzle 155 of the branch pipe 153. Then, it is supplied from the three nozzles 155 to the container parts 111 of the three cleaning liquid containing parts 101 and stored. In this way, in the present invention, the nozzle 155 is an example of a supply port where the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid supply source to the container part 111.

[0072] In detail, Fig.12 As shown, the cleaning liquid supplied from the nozzle 155 falls to the top of the raised portion 113 of the receiving portion 111. Fig.12 As shown by the arrows, a part of the cleaning liquid enters the supply port 115 formed at the top. In addition, a part of the cleaning liquid flows from the top along the two sides and enters the supply port 115 formed at the bottom. Since the two sides of the raised portion 113 are formed in a valley shape, the cleaning liquid flowing down from the raised portion 113 to the two sides is concentrated at the supply ports 115 on both sides. The control unit 201 drives the pump 145 to pump the cleaning liquid until the supplied cleaning liquid is maintained in a state of protruding from the supply port 115 in a hemispherical shape, and then stops driving the pump 145.

[0073] Thereafter, the control unit 201 controls the waste liquid tray cover lifting mechanism 85 to raise the waste liquid tray cover 83 .

[0074] Afterwards, if Fig. 13BAs shown, the control unit 201 controls the wiping unit moving mechanism 131 to move the wiping unit 53 (slide 71, cleaning liquid supply component 73, waste liquid tray 75) from the standby position to the wiping position. At this time, the cleaning liquid supply component 73 included in the wiping unit 53 moves to the supply position while the cleaning liquid is kept protruding from the supply port 115 in a hemispherical shape. After that, the control unit 201 controls the head unit lifting mechanism 41 to lower the head unit 11 to the cleaning position. The nozzle surface N of the recording head 37 of the head unit 11 is lowered to the same height as the lower surface of the front end portion 101b of the cleaning liquid holding component 101. As a result, the gap between the lower surface of the front end portion 101b of the cleaning liquid holding component 101 and the nozzle surface N of the recording head 37 is blocked by the sheet 119. As a result, the supply port 115 of the cleaning liquid holding component 101 is arranged between the blade 93 and the nozzle surface N.

[0075] After that, the control unit 201 controls the carriage moving mechanism 97 to move the carriage 71 from the movement start position to the movement end position. As a result, the blade 93 passes through the supply port 115 of the cleaning liquid storage member 101, and is transferred to the nozzle surface N along the sheet 119 while carrying the cleaning liquid protruding from the supply port 115. Then, a wiping action is performed in which the blade 93 moves along the nozzle surface N. Through this wiping action, the ink remaining on the nozzle surface N is wiped off by the blade 93 together with the cleaning liquid. The wiped off ink and cleaning liquid fall from the lower end edge or side edge of the blade 93 to the waste liquid tray 75 below.

[0076] Then, the control unit 201 controls the head unit lifting mechanism 41 to raise the head unit 11 to the standby position. Then, the control unit 201 controls the carriage moving mechanism 97 to move the carriage 71 to the movement start position. Then, the control unit 201 controls the wiping unit moving mechanism 131 to move the wiping unit 53 from the wiping position to the standby position. Furthermore, the control unit 201 controls the waste liquid tray cover lifting mechanism 85 to lower the waste liquid tray cover 83.

[0077] As described above, according to the present invention, since the container 111 of the cleaning liquid container 101 is formed in a concave shape without a top surface, the number of corners formed between the surfaces of the container 111 can be reduced. The cleaning liquid easily forms a film on the corner. Therefore, by reducing the number of corners, it is difficult for the film of the cleaning liquid to form, and the situation where the supply port 115 is blocked by the film or the volume of the container 111 is reduced is reduced. Therefore, the cleaning liquid supplied to the container 111 can be evenly supplied from the plurality of supply ports 115.

[0078] In particular, since the cleaning liquid falls to the raised portion 113 of the accommodating portion 111, the falling cleaning liquid flows from the top of the raised portion 113 to the bottom along the side portion. Therefore, the cleaning liquid also reliably flows into the supply ports 115 arranged on both sides of the blade width direction X2. In addition, since the supply ports 115 are also formed in the raised portion 113, the cleaning liquid can be evenly supplied in the blade width direction X2.

[0079] In addition, the wiping unit 53 includes a carriage 71 and a cleaning liquid supply component 73, and moves to a standby position during a printing operation. That is, since the head unit 11 is separated from the cleaning liquid supply component 73 during a printing operation, even if the paper is bent upward by mistake during a printing operation, the cleaning liquid will not adhere to the paper, or the paper will not contact the mechanism for supplying the cleaning liquid. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the paper from being contaminated by the cleaning liquid and the mechanism for supplying the cleaning liquid from being damaged by the paper.

[0080] In addition, the supply pipe 141 of the cleaning liquid supply part 55 that supplies the cleaning liquid to the cleaning liquid storage part 101 moves only in the vertical direction together with the waste liquid tray cover 83, and does not move in the left and right direction. In this way, since the moving distance of the supply pipe 141 is relatively short, it is possible to prevent the pipe 181 connected to the supply pipe 141 from bending and causing poor supply. Furthermore, the pipe 181 can be laid in a narrow space.

[0081] In the present embodiment, an example is described in which four head units 11 are provided for each ink color and the maintenance unit 13 is provided for each head unit 11. However, it is also possible to configure such that the four head units 11 are provided integrally and the maintenance unit 13 is provided integrally with four cap units 51 and four wiping units 53. Furthermore, the cleaning liquid supply member 73 may be provided on the recording head 37.

[0082] Various modifications and variations of the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In addition, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described in this specification.

Claims

1. An inkjet recording device, characterized in that have: A recording head having a nozzle face with a plurality of ink ejection ports opening downward and supported so as to be able to rise and fall; a blade for contacting the nozzle face and wiping the nozzle face by moving in a predetermined moving direction; as well as a cleaning liquid supplying member for receiving the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supplying source and supplying the cleaning liquid to a position between the movement start position of the blade and the nozzle surface; The cleaning liquid supply component has a receiving portion. The container is used to contain the replenished cleaning liquid. The top surface of the accommodation portion is open.

2. The inkjet recording device according to claim 1, wherein A raised portion is formed on the bottom surface of the housing portion at a center portion in a width direction of the blade intersecting the moving direction.

3. The inkjet recording device according to claim 2, wherein: The device further comprises a supply port for supplying the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid supply source to the containing portion. In the separated position, the top of the raised portion is opposite to the feeding port.

4. The inkjet recording device according to claim 3, characterized in that A plurality of supply ports are formed in the housing portion, and the plurality of supply ports are used to supply the cleaning liquid between the movement start position of the blade and the nozzle surface. One of the plurality of supply ports is formed at a top portion of the raised portion.

5. The inkjet recording device according to claim 4, characterized in that Supply ports other than the supply port which is one of the plurality of supply ports and formed on the top of the raised portion are formed on the bottom surface of the accommodation portion adjacent to both sides of the raised portion forming the inclined surface.

6. The inkjet recording device according to claim 3, characterized in that: In the housing portion, a plurality of supply ports are formed, the plurality of supply ports being used to supply the cleaning liquid between the movement start position of the blade and the recording head of the inkjet recording device, One of the plurality of supply ports is opposed to the feed port at the separation position.

7. The inkjet recording device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bottom surface of the accommodation portion is inclined downward from the top of the raised portion toward the periphery.

8. The inkjet recording device according to claim 1, wherein A wiping unit is provided, the wiping unit includes the blade and is movable to a wiping position where the blade contacts the nozzle surface and a standby position where the blade is separated from the nozzle surface, The cleaning liquid supply component is integrally provided with the wiping unit. When the wiping unit moves to the wiping position, the cleaning liquid supply member moves to a supply position between the movement start position of the blade and the nozzle surface. When the wiping unit moves to the standby position, the cleaning liquid supply member moves to a supply position for supplying cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid supply source to the containing portion.

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