Liquid discharge device and cleaning method of discharge port surface of liquid discharge device

Abstract

To provide a liquid discharge device in which a printing failure is suppressed while reducing wear of a sealing material by a wiping member, and a cleaning method of a discharge port surface of the liquid discharge device.SOLUTION: Provided is a liquid discharge device including: a base plate having a discharge port surface provided with a discharge port for discharging liquid; a member including a recess accommodating the base plate; a sealing material 8 that seals a part between the recess of the member and the base plate; a wiping member 21 for wiping the discharge port surface; and an application member 22 for applying oil to the sealing material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid ejection apparatus and a method for cleaning an ejection port surface of a liquid ejection apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] An inkjet recording device, which is a type of liquid ejection device, is a device that ejects liquid from a substrate having an ejection port surface where an ejection port for ejecting liquid is provided, thereby recording images, characters, etc., on a recording medium. Inkjet recording devices may cause printing defects if ink aggregates, dirt and dust inside the device, paper powder from the recording medium, etc., adhere to the ink ejection port surface. For this reason, inkjet recording devices have traditionally used a cleaning method in which a wiping member is used to wipe the ejection port surface when not printing, thereby wiping off the attached matter. During this cleaning, a configuration is generally used in which the members around the ejection port surface to which ink may adhere are also wiped at the same time, but members that are weak against abrasion may generate dirt due to wear. In particular, a member having a recess in which a substrate is housed, and a sealant that seals between the recess and the substrate is prone to inclination of the sealant surface due to differences in wettability with the surrounding members that come into contact with it and its own hardening shrinkage. Therefore, if the wiping member comes into contact with the sealant unevenly, the sealant may be scraped off due to wear, causing dirt to be generated.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a method of making the sealant less susceptible to wear by impregnating a wiping member with a silicone oil component and applying the bleed-out oil component from the wiping member to the sealant, thereby reducing the frictional force between the wiping member and the sealant. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-159118 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in this method, since the wiping member that wipes the discharge port surface and the oil application member that contains silicone oil are the same member, there is a risk that the silicone oil will adhere to the discharge port surface when the discharge port surface is wiped, which may result in the liquid not being discharged normally, leading to printing defects.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejection device that reduces wear of a sealing material caused by a wiping member and suppresses printing defects, and a method for cleaning the ejection port surface of the liquid ejection device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the liquid ejection device of the present invention is characterized by having a substrate having an ejection port surface with an ejection port for ejecting liquid, a member having a recess in which the substrate is housed, a sealant that seals between the recess of the member and the substrate, a wiping member for wiping the ejection port surface, and an application member for applying oil to the sealant. Effect of the Invention

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejection device that reduces wear of a sealing material caused by a wiping member and suppresses printing defects, and a method for cleaning the ejection port surface of the liquid ejection device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] 6 is a flowchart showing a method for cleaning the ejection port surface. [Figure 4] 5 is a schematic diagram of a process of applying oil from an application member to a sealing material. FIG. [Diagram 5]6A to 6C are schematic diagrams illustrating a process in which a wiping member wipes the ejection port surface. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a liquid ejection head as viewed from an ejection port surface. [Figure 7] 5 is a schematic diagram of a wiping member that does not come into contact with the ejection port surface. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a liquid ejection device including a first oil supply unit and a second oil supply unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiment does not limit the subject matter of the present invention, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiment are necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention. Note that the same reference numbers are used for the same components.

[0011] In the present invention, the description of a numerical range such as "XX to YY" means a numerical range including the lower and upper limits, which are the endpoints, unless otherwise specified. When a numerical range is described in stages, the upper and lower limits of each numerical range can be arbitrarily combined.

[0012] (First embodiment) (Liquid discharge device) FIG. 1 shows a liquid ejection device according to this embodiment. The liquid ejection device according to this embodiment is an inkjet recording device that records images, characters, and the like by ejecting ink onto a recording medium. The liquid ejection device according to this embodiment has a liquid ejection head 3 (FIG. 2(a)) including a substrate 2 (FIG. 2(b)) having an ejection port surface 13 (FIG. 2(a)) on which an ejection port for ejecting liquid is provided, and a member 12 (FIG. 2(c)) having a recess 14 (FIG. 2(c)) in which the substrate is accommodated. The liquid ejection head 3 is mounted on a carriage 5 (FIG. 4). Furthermore, the liquid ejection device has a sealant 8 (FIG. 2(b)) that seals between the recess 14 of the member 12 and the substrate 2. The liquid ejection device is characterized by having a wiping member 21 (FIG. 5) that wipes the ejection port surface 13, and a supplying member 22 (FIG. 4) for supplying oil to the sealant 8, separate from the wiping member 21. By using different members 22 for applying oil to reduce wear of the sealant 8 and wiping member 21 for wiping the discharge port surface 13, it is possible to supply oil to the discharge port surface 13 while reducing wear of the sealant 8, i.e., to suppress printing defects. Details of the liquid discharge device of the present invention will be described below.

[0013] (Liquid ejection head) First, the liquid ejection head 3 of the present invention will be described. FIG. 2(a) shows a perspective view of the liquid ejection head 3 of the present invention. The liquid ejection head 3 of the present invention is an inkjet recording head that ejects ink onto a recording medium to record images, characters, and the like. The liquid ejection head 3 has a substrate 2 having an ejection port surface 13. FIG. 2(a) shows a so-called full line head in which a plurality of substrates 2 are arranged and the liquid ejection head 3 ejects liquid in a line onto the recording medium being transported without scanning, thereby recording images, characters, and the like. The liquid ejection head 3 of the present invention may be a so-called serial head in which the liquid ejection head 3 itself ejects liquid onto the recording medium being transported while scanning.

[0014] Fig. 2(b) shows a partial enlarged view of the liquid ejection head 3 as viewed from the ejection port surface 13, and Fig. 2(c) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 2(b). The liquid ejection head 3 has a member 12 provided with a recess for accommodating a substrate 2. A sealant 8 is provided between the substrate 2 and the member 12 to seal a gap formed between the wall of the recess of the member 12 and the substrate. Furthermore, the substrate 2 has an ejection port surface 13 for ejecting liquid, an energy generating element (not shown) that generates energy to eject the liquid, and an electronic circuit element (not shown) that controls the energy generating element.

[0015] (Cleaning method) As described above, the substrate 2 has the ejection port surface 13 for ejecting liquid. Ink aggregates, dirt and dust inside the liquid ejection device, paper powder from the recording medium, etc. may adhere to the ejection port surface 13. Cleaning the ejection port surface 13 is an effective way to remove these.

[0016] Next, a cleaning method in this embodiment will be described. Fig. 3 shows a flowchart of the cleaning method in this embodiment. Fig. 4 shows a schematic diagram showing the process of applying oil to the sealant 8, and Fig. 5 shows a schematic diagram showing the process of wiping the ejection port surface 13. Figs. 4 and 5 show the liquid ejection head 3 as viewed from the longitudinal direction.

[0017] The liquid ejection device according to the present embodiment has an oil application member 22 for applying oil to the sealing material 8, a first oil supply unit 7 for supplying oil to the oil application member 22, and an oil storage unit (not shown) for storing the oil. First, the oil application member 22 is moved in the direction A in FIG. 4 by a driving source (not shown), and oil is applied from the first oil supply unit 7 to the oil application member 22 (first supply step (step a)). In cleaning, the oil application member 22 is applied from the first oil supply unit 7, so that even if the oil in the oil application member 22 is insufficient, the oil can be appropriately applied to the oil application member 22, which is preferable. Note that in the liquid ejection device according to the present invention, the oil application member 22 may be permeated with oil from the beginning, or may be in a form that does not have the first oil supply unit 7 and the oil storage unit (not shown). The first oil supply unit 7 and the oil reservoir may be integrated, or the first oil supply unit 7 and the oil reservoir may be connected by a tube, and oil may be supplied from the oil reservoir to the oil supply unit.

[0018] The first oil supply unit 7 may be provided in the liquid ejection head 3. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the liquid ejection head 3 in which the first oil supply unit 7 is provided, viewed from the ejection port surface 13. As shown in FIG. 6(a), the first oil supply unit 7 is preferably provided at an end of the liquid ejection head 3 in the arrangement direction of the plurality of substrates 2 (an end in the longitudinal direction of the liquid ejection head 3). With this configuration, the supply of oil from the first oil supply unit 7 to the oil application member 22 and the application of oil from the oil application member 22 to the sealant 8 are performed at a short distance, so that the oil can be efficiently transferred without damaging the oil. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide the first oil supply unit 7 outside the liquid ejection head 3, the liquid ejection device can be made smaller.

[0019] Next, the oil application member 22 moves further in the direction of the arrow A, and the oil application member 22 comes into contact with the sealant 8, so that the oil application member 22 applies the oil to the sealant 8 (first application step) (step b). At this time, it is preferable that the oil application member 22 does not apply the oil to the discharge port surface 13. This makes it possible to suppress printing defects caused by the oil adhering to the discharge port surface 13. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 7, it is preferable that the oil application member 22 is configured to only come into contact with the sealant 8 located around the substrate 2, and not come into contact with the discharge port surface 13. At this time, it is preferable that the first oil supply unit 7 is provided in accordance with the shape of the oil application member 22, as shown in FIG. 6(b). Details of the wiping member 21 and the oil application member 22 will be described later.

[0020] Moreover, as shown in FIG. 8, the liquid discharge device 1 preferably has a second oil supply unit 17 for supplying oil to the application member 22 after the first application step, separate from the first oil supply unit 7. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6(c), the first oil supply unit 7 and the second oil supply unit 17 are preferably provided at both ends of the liquid discharge head 3 in the arrangement direction of the plurality of substrates 2. As a result, even in a liquid discharge head in which the plurality of substrates 2 are arranged, after the application member 22 moves from one end (the first oil supply unit 7 side) to the other end (the second oil supply unit 17 side), the application member can also be supplied with oil at the other end (second supply step). Furthermore, it is preferable to have a second application step in which the application member 22 applies oil to the sealant 8 when the application member 22 moves in the B direction after the second supply step. In other words, when the oil application member moves in direction A and runs short of oil at the end of the process of applying oil to the sealing material, oil is also supplied to the application member at the other end, so it is preferable that the oil can be applied to the sealing material while moving in direction B (second application process). This makes it possible to apply a sufficient amount of oil to the entire sealing material. With this configuration, the oil application member 22 is prevented from running out of oil, so that wear of the sealing material 8 due to a lack of oil in the application member 22 can be reduced even when moving from the other end to one end (direction B).

[0021] Next, the cleaning process of the discharge port surface 13 by the wiping member 21 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the wiping member 21 is moved in the direction of the arrow A by a driving source (not shown). At this time, the wiping member 21 wipes the discharge port surface 13, and dirt such as ink aggregates attached to the discharge port surface 13 can be removed (step d). At this time, even if the wiping member 21 comes into contact with the sealing material 8, the friction between the wiping member 21 and the sealing material 8 is reduced because the sealing material 8 is provided with oil, and the risk of the sealing material 8 being worn can be reduced. That is, it is preferable that the liquid discharge device 1 has a control unit (not shown) that controls the wiping member 21 to wipe the discharge port surface 13 while the sealing material 8 is retaining oil. Furthermore, even if oil is provided to the discharge port surface 13 from the providing member 22 in the first providing step or the second providing step, the oil attached to the discharge port surface can be removed by wiping the discharge port surface with the wiping member 21 that does not retain oil.

[0022] When the wiping member 21 further moves in the A direction, the wiping member 21 separates from the discharge port surface 13 (step e). Here, the liquid discharge device 1 preferably has a cleaner 4 that removes dirt and the like attached to the wiping member 21. When the liquid discharge device 1 has the cleaner 4, the wiping member 21 further moves in the A direction and comes into contact with the cleaner 4, thereby removing dirt and the like attached to the wiping member 21 (step f). After coming into contact with the cleaner 4, the wiping member 21 preferably also wipes the discharge port surface 13 when moving in the B direction. The cleaner 4 may be any one that can remove dirt and the like attached to the wiping member 21. For example, the cleaner 4 may be a cloth that wipes the wiping member 21.

[0023] In this way, by using different members 22 that apply oil to the sealing material 8 and the wiping member 21 that wipes the ejection port surface 13, it is possible to reduce wear of the sealing material caused by the application member while suppressing printing defects caused by application of oil to the ejection port surface.

[0024] (oil) Next, the oil according to this embodiment will be described. The oil in this embodiment is one that reduces the friction coefficient between the wiping member 21 and the sealing material 8, and is preferably an oily resin made of a linear polymer. More specifically, silicone-based oil, polyglycol-based oil, ester-based oil, etc. are more preferable.

[0025] The silicone oil in this embodiment refers to an oily resin having a siloxane bond as the main skeleton.Specific examples include dimethyl silicone oils, alkyl-modified silicone oils, fluorine-modified silicone oils, polyether-modified silicone oils, alcohol-modified silicone oils, amino-modified silicone oils, epoxy-modified silicone oils, epoxy polyether-modified silicone oils, phenol-modified silicone oils, carboxy-modified silicone oils, mercapto-modified silicone oils, amide-modified silicone oils, carbamate-modified silicone oils, and higher fatty acid-modified silicone oils, which are modified silicone oils in which various organic groups are introduced into a part of the methyl group in the molecule.Specific examples of silicone oils include KF-96-10CS, KF-96-300CS (manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) and DOWSIL BY 16-846 Fluid (manufactured by Dow Toray Co., Ltd.).

[0026] The polyglycol-based oil in the present invention refers to a polyalkylene glycol, specifically, polyethylene glycol, and examples of the product include PEG400, PEG600, and PEG1000 (manufactured by Sanyo Chemical Industries, Ltd.).

[0027] In addition, the ester oil in the present invention includes polyol ester oil, complex ester oil, polyol carbonate ester oil, etc. As the polyol ester oil, esters of hindered alcohols (neopentyl glycol, trimethylol ethane, trimethylol propane, trimethylol butane, pentaerythritol, etc.) (trimethylol propane tripelargonate, pentaerythritol 2-ethylhexanoate, pentaerythritol tetrapelargonate, etc.) are preferable. As the trade name, Unistar M series, H series (manufactured by NOF Corporation), etc. can be mentioned.

[0028] In particular, the oil is preferably silicone oil or polyglycol oil. Silicone-based or polyglycol-based oils have a high affinity with the wiping member 21 described below and can reduce friction, so they can be used preferably.

[0029] The molecular weight of the oil is preferably a weight average molecular weight of 1,000 to 100,000. Within this range, the oil is less likely to volatilize and has good fluidity, making it possible to effectively achieve low wear. The oil may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

[0030] (Wiping member and application member) Next, the wiping member 21 and the application member 22 will be described. The wiping member 21 used in this embodiment preferably has a rubber hardness of 30 degrees or more, more preferably 40 degrees or more, according to the JIS standard, so that the discharge port surface 13 can be efficiently cleaned. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of reducing the risk of the sealant 8 being worn when the wiping member 21 comes into contact with the sealant 8, the rubber hardness of the wiping member 21 is preferably 80 degrees or less, more preferably 70 degrees or less, according to the JIS standard. Moreover, the application member 22 also preferably has a rubber hardness of 80 degrees or less, more preferably 70 degrees or less, according to the JIS standard, so as to reduce the risk of the sealant 8 being worn when applying oil to the sealant 8.

[0031] The oil application member 22 used in this embodiment is for applying oil to the sealing material 8, and therefore it is preferable that the oil is easily transferred from the oil supply unit and that the oil is easily retained. Therefore, the contact angle of the oil with the oil application member 22 is preferably 60 degrees or less, and more preferably 40 degrees or less. On the other hand, it is preferable that oil does not adhere to the wiping member 21. Therefore, the contact angle of the oil with the wiping member 21 is preferably 50 degrees or more. Note that the contact angle of the oil in this embodiment refers to the dynamic receding contact angle of the oil.

[0032] Moreover, as the material of the wiping member 21 and the application member 22, ether-based urethane, butyl rubber-based hydrogenated nitrile rubber, or polypropylene can be used. Ether-based urethane and butyl rubber-based hydrogenated nitrile rubber are more preferable because they are not denatured by the adhesion of oil and are less likely to leave scratches on the sealing material 8. In particular, a material containing butyl rubber-based hydrogenated nitrile rubber is preferably used from the viewpoint of wettability. It is preferable that the material contains ether-based urethane or butyl rubber-based hydrogenated nitrile rubber. In particular, a material containing butyl rubber-based hydrogenated nitrile rubber is more preferable from the viewpoint of wettability.

[0033] (Sealing material) Next, a description will be given of the sealant 8 in this embodiment. It is preferable that the sealant 8 easily retains the oil applied from the oil application member 22. In other words, it is preferable that the contact angle of the oil with respect to the sealant 8 is 55 degrees or less.

[0034] Furthermore, it is preferable that the sealing material 8 easily receives oil from the oil-applying member 22. In other words, it is preferable that the oil is more easily transferred to the sealing material 8 than to the oil-applying member 22. This allows the oil to be efficiently transferred from the oil-applying member 22 to the sealing material 8, thereby reducing the risk of the sealing material 8 being worn by the wiping member 21. Specifically, it is preferable that the contact angle of the oil with respect to the sealing material 8 is smaller than the contact angle of the oil with respect to the oil-applying member 22 by 10 degrees or more.

[0035] Similarly, it is preferable that the wiping member 21 is less likely to receive oil from the sealing material 8. In other words, it is preferable that the sealing material 8 is more likely to retain oil than the wiping member 21. Furthermore, it is preferable that the contact angle of oil with the sealing material 8 is smaller than the contact angle of oil with the wiping member 21 by 10 degrees or more.

[0036] The sealing material 8 used in the present embodiment preferably contains an epoxy resin composition from the viewpoints of sealing properties, moldability, productivity, etc. In particular, from the viewpoint of the adhesion of the sealing material 8 to the substrate 2 and the member 12, it is more preferable that the sealing material 8 contains an anionic polymerization type epoxy resin composition.

[0037] In addition, the sealing material 8 can improve wettability and reduce friction by making the surface of the sealing material 8 uneven by including a silica filler in the composition. The type of silica filler is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of suppressing an increase in viscosity of the sealing material 8, the particle diameter is preferably 0.1 μm or more and preferably 100 μm or less. The particle diameter represents the volume cumulative particle diameter D50 measured by a laser diffraction scattering type particle size distribution measuring device. In addition, from the viewpoint of increasing affinity with other materials, it is preferable to use a silane-treated silica filler. The content of the silica filler in the composition of the sealing material 8 is preferably 40 wt% or more. In order to highly fill the filler as described above, it is preferable to use an epoxy resin that is liquid at room temperature. Specific epoxy resins include hydrogenated epoxy resin series manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, such as jER YX8000, YX8000D, YX8034, and YX8040.

[0038] In order to improve the compatibility between the filler and the epoxy resin, it is preferable to add a silane agent to the sealing material 8. In particular, it is preferable to use a silane agent with a low molecular weight. Specifically, the molecular weight of the silane agent is preferably 500 or less, and more preferably 300 or less. EXAMPLES

[0039] Various examples will be described below regarding the characteristic configurations of this embodiment, that is, the wiping member 21, the application member 22, the oil, and the sealant 8. Note that the following substances were used as the components described by product names in the following examples and comparative examples. JER YX8000 (Mitsubishi Chemical): Post-hydrogenated Bis-A type epoxy resin PEPT (SC Organic Chemicals): Ether-type trifunctional thiol PN40J (Ajinomoto Fine-Techno Co., Ltd.): Epoxy amine adduct FB-5D (Denka): Fused silica filler SO-E2 (Admatechs): Surface-treated silica filler AEROSIL200 (manufactured by Nippon Aerosil Co., Ltd.): Fused silica filler A-186 (Momentive Performance Materials): Cycloaliphatic epoxy silane agent KF-96-10CS (Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.): Silicone oil DOWSIL BY 16-846 Fluid (Dow Toray Industries, Inc.): Silicone oil PEG600 (manufactured by Sanyo Chemical Industries, Ltd.): Polyglycol oil PEG1000 (manufactured by Sanyo Chemical Industries, Ltd.): Polyglycol oil Unistar H310R (NOF Corporation): Ester oil (Examples 1 to 20) In this embodiment, an example in which the first oil supply unit 7 is provided outside the liquid ejection head is shown, and only the characteristic configuration and its operation are described. The cleaning method was performed according to the flow of FIG. 3. The composition prepared according to the composition of Table 1 was used as the sealing material 8. The sealing material 8 was prepared by kneading each material in the compounding ratio shown in the composition of Table 1, and then kneading in a HIVIS MIX model 3 manufactured by Primix Corporation at a speed of 600 rpm in vacuum for 5 minutes to obtain a resin composition for sealing material. The resin composition for sealing material was then poured into the portion of the sealing material 8 in FIG. 2(c) using a dispenser while being careful not to introduce bubbles, and the composition was left at room temperature for one day or more to harden.

[0040] [Table 1]

[0041] As shown in Fig. 4, the oil application member 22 was mechanically moved left and right and up and down to apply oil from the application member 22 to the sealing material 8. In each example, the application member 22 used had a different rubber hardness. Furthermore, in each example, the application member 22 used had a different contact angle of the oil with respect to the application member 22. Here, as the contact angle, the dynamic receding contact angle of the oil with respect to the application member 22 was measured.

[0042] Finally, as shown in Fig. 5, the wiping member 21 was mechanically moved to wipe the discharge port surface 13. The sliding speed of the wiping member 21 in the wiping process was 80 mm / sec, and the amount of penetration into the discharge port surface was 1.5 mm. In each example, the wiping member 21 used had a different rubber hardness. Furthermore, in each example, the wiping member 21 used had a different contact angle of oil with respect to the wiping member 21.

[0043] (Evaluation method) To evaluate the cleaning of the ejection port surface 13 of the liquid ejection head 3, the above-mentioned series of operations was repeated 1500 times, and then the presence or absence of scratches on the sealant and ink adhesion on the ejection port surface was confirmed using an optical microscope. The evaluation criteria were as follows:

[0044] Damage to the sealant A: No damage to the sealing material was found. B: Damage to the sealing material was visible, but not noticeable. C: Damage to the sealing material was confirmed and noticeable. - Ink adhesion on the nozzle surface A: No ink adhesion was observed B: Ink adhesion was observed in some areas, but was not noticeable. C: Ink adhesion was confirmed over the entire area and was noticeable. Next, the liquid ejection head after cleaning was evaluated. The print quality was evaluated visually for the presence or absence of streaks, white spots, and jetting disturbances in the 5% solid parts of the chart, according to the following criteria. The print pattern was printed with each ink at a duty ratio of 100% on a chart where the printing area of ​​each color was 5% of the total area of ​​the paper. The printing conditions were a recording density of 1200 dpi and one-pass printing.

[0045] Print quality A: No white spots, streaks or irregular jetting were observed in the solid areas. B: Some streaks and irregular jetting were observed, but no white spots were observed in solid areas. C: White spots, streaks, and jet disturbances were observed in some or all areas of the solid area. Comparative Example 1 In Comparative Example 1, the oil application step was not performed on the sealing material 8, and only the wiping step of wiping the sealing material with the wiping member 21 was performed. The other conditions were the same as those of Examples 1-20.

[0046] (Evaluation Results) The evaluation results of each of the examples and comparative examples are shown in Tables 2 to 4.

[0047] [Table 2]

[0048] [Table 3]

[0049] [Table 4]

[0050] In Examples 1 to 20, the oil applying member that applies oil to the sealing material and the wiping member that wipes the ejection port surface were different members, and therefore high print quality was obtained.

[0051] On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1, the step of applying oil to the sealant 8 was not performed, so that when the wiping member wiped the ejection port surface, the entire area of ​​the sealant 8 was scratched. As a result, the print quality was significantly reduced.

[0052] As described above, by using different members for applying oil to the sealant and wiping the ejection port surface, it is possible to reduce wear of the sealant caused by the wiping member and suppress printing defects.

[0053] To summarize the present invention as described above, the present invention includes the following.

[0054] (Configuration 1) a substrate having a discharge port surface on which a discharge port for discharging a liquid is provided; a member having a recess in which the substrate is accommodated; a sealant that seals between the recess of the member and the substrate; a wiping member for wiping the ejection port surface; an oil applying member for applying oil to the sealing material; A liquid ejection device comprising:

[0055] (Configuration 2) an oil supply unit for supplying oil to the application member; 2. The liquid ejection device according to configuration 1, further comprising: an oil reservoir for storing the oil.

[0056] (Configuration 3) 3. The liquid ejection device according to configuration 1 or 2, further comprising a control unit configured to control the wiping member to wipe the ejection port surface while the oil is held in the sealing material.

[0057] (Configuration 4) 4. The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein the oil application member does not apply the oil to the ejection port surface.

[0058] (Configuration 5) a liquid ejection head provided with a plurality of the substrates, the member, the sealant, and the oil supply unit; 3. The liquid ejection device according to configuration 2, wherein the oil supply unit is provided at an end of the liquid ejection head in an arrangement direction of the plurality of substrates.

[0059] (Configuration 6) A plurality of the oil supply units are provided, 6. The liquid ejection device according to configuration 5, wherein the oil supply units are provided at both ends of the liquid ejection head in an arrangement direction of the substrates.

[0060] (Configuration 7) 7. The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein the oil contains an oily resin made of a linear polymer.

[0061] (Configuration 8) 8. The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, wherein the oil contains at least one of silicone-based, polyglycol-based, and ester-based oils.

[0062] (Configuration 9) 9. The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, wherein a contact angle of the oil with respect to the wiping member is 60 degrees or less.

[0063] (Configuration 10) 10. The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, wherein the material of the wiping member includes an ether-based urethane or a hydrogenated nitrile rubber.

[0064] (Configuration 11) 11. The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 10, wherein the wiping member has a rubber hardness of 30 degrees or more and 80 degrees or less.

[0065] (Configuration 12) 12. The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 11, wherein a contact angle of the oil with respect to the sealant is 55 degrees or less.

[0066] (Configuration 13) 13. The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 12, wherein a contact angle of the oil with respect to the sealing material is smaller than a contact angle of the oil with respect to the wiping member by 10 degrees or more.

[0067] (Configuration 14) a substrate having an ejection port surface on which an ejection port for ejecting a liquid is provided, a member having a recess in which the substrate is housed, and a sealant for sealing between the recess of the member and the substrate; A method for cleaning a discharge port surface of a liquid discharge device having a wiping member for wiping the discharge port surface and an oil application member for applying oil to the sealant, comprising: a first application step of applying the oil from the application member to the sealing material; a wiping step of wiping the ejection port surface with the wiping member.

[0068] (Configuration 15) 15. The method for cleaning the ejection port surface of a liquid ejection device according to configuration 14, wherein the first application step is performed before the wiping step.

[0069] (Configuration 16) a first oil supply unit that supplies the oil to the application member; The method for cleaning the ejection port surface of the liquid ejection device according to configuration 14 or 15, further comprising a first supplying step of supplying the oil from the first oil supply section to the application member before the first application step.

[0070] (Configuration 17) a second oil supply unit that supplies the oil to the application member; A method for cleaning the ejection port surface of a liquid ejection device described in any one of configurations 14 to 16, comprising a second supplying step of supplying the oil from the second oil supply section to the application member after the first application step.

[0071] (Configuration 18) 18. The method for cleaning the ejection port surface of a liquid ejection device according to Configuration 17, further comprising a second application step of applying the oil from the application member to the sealant after the second supply step.

[0072] (Configuration 19) 18. The method for cleaning the ejection port surface of the liquid ejection device according to configuration 17, wherein the ejection port surface and the sealant are located between the first oil supply unit and the second oil supply unit.

[0073] (Configuration 20) 20. The method for cleaning the ejection port surface of a liquid ejection device according to any one of Configurations 14 to 19, wherein the oil contains at least one of silicone-based, polyglycol-based, and ester-based oils. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1 Liquid discharge device 2. Board 3 Liquid ejection head 4. Cleaner 5 Carriage 7 First Oil Supply 8. Encapsulating materials 12 Support member 13 Discharge port surface 14 Recess 17 Second oil supply 21 Wiping material 22 Addition material

Claims

1. a substrate having a discharge port surface on which a discharge port for discharging a liquid is provided; a member having a recess in which the substrate is accommodated; a sealant that seals between the recess of the member and the substrate; a wiping member for wiping the ejection port surface; an oil applying member for applying oil to the sealing material; A liquid ejection device comprising:

2. an oil supply unit for supplying oil to the application member; The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , further comprising: an oil reservoir for storing the oil.

3. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , further comprising a control unit configured to control the wiping member to wipe the ejection port surface while the oil is held in the sealant.

4. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the oil application member does not apply the oil to the ejection port surface.

5. a liquid ejection head provided with a plurality of the substrates, the member, the sealant, and the oil supply unit; The liquid ejection device according to claim 2 , wherein the oil supply section is provided at an end of the liquid ejection head in an arrangement direction of the plurality of substrates.

6. A plurality of the oil supply units are provided, The liquid ejection device according to claim 5 , wherein the oil supplying sections are provided at both ends of the liquid ejection head in an arrangement direction of the substrates.

7. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the oil contains an oily resin made of a linear polymer.

8. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the oil contains at least one of a silicone-based oil, a polyglycol-based oil, and an ester-based oil.

9. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein a contact angle of the oil with respect to the wiping member is equal to or smaller than 60 degrees.

10. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the material of the wiping member includes an ether-based urethane or a hydrogenated nitrile rubber.

11. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the wiping member has a rubber hardness of 30 degrees or more and 80 degrees or less.

12. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein a contact angle of the oil with respect to the sealant is 55 degrees or less.

13. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein a contact angle of the oil with respect to the sealing material is smaller than a contact angle of the oil with respect to the application member by 10 degrees or more.

14. a substrate having an ejection port surface on which an ejection port for ejecting a liquid is provided, a member having a recess in which the substrate is housed, and a sealant for sealing between the recess of the member and the substrate; A method for cleaning a discharge port surface of a liquid discharge device having a wiping member for wiping the discharge port surface and an oil application member for applying oil to the sealant, comprising the steps of: a first applying step of applying the oil from the applying member to the sealing material; a wiping step of wiping the ejection port surface with the wiping member.

15. The method for cleaning the ejection port surface of a liquid ejection device according to claim 14 , wherein the first application step is performed before the wiping step.

16. a first oil supply unit that supplies the oil to the application member; The method for cleaning the ejection port surface of the liquid ejection device according to claim 14 , further comprising a first supplying step of supplying the oil from the first oil supply section to the oil application member before the first application step.

17. a second oil supply unit that supplies the oil to the application member, 17. The method for cleaning the ejection port surface of a liquid ejection device according to claim 16, further comprising a second supplying step of supplying the oil from the second oil supply section to the oil application member after the first application step.

18. 18. The method for cleaning the ejection port surface of a liquid ejection device according to claim 17, further comprising a second application step of applying the oil from the application member to the sealant after the second supply step.

19. 18. The method for cleaning the ejection port face of a liquid ejection device according to claim 17, wherein the ejection port face and the sealant are located between the first oil supply part and the second oil supply part.

20. The method for cleaning the ejection port surface of a liquid ejection device according to claim 14, wherein the oil contains at least one of a silicone-based oil, a polyglycol-based oil, and an ester-based oil.

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