Liquid discharge device

Abstract

To enable the movement between a position where a cover member covers a cap member and a position where the cover member is retracted from the cap member with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A liquid discharge device includes: a carriage 10 equipped with a liquid discharge head 11; guide rods 12A, 12B that extend in the main scanning direction Y, and support the carriage 10 in a manner of being movable in the main scanning direction Y; a cap member 21 that covers a discharge surface 11a of the liquid discharge head 11; and an auxiliary carriage 14 that covers the cap member 21. The auxiliary carriage 14 is supported by the guide rods 12A, 12B in a manner of being movable in the main scanning direction Y, and is provided so as to be attachable and detachable to / from the carriage 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid ejection device. [Background technology]

[0002] A liquid ejection device is provided with a cap member that covers the ejection surface of the liquid ejection head and sucks liquid from the nozzles and keeps the nozzles moist when the liquid is not being ejected.

[0003] However, depending on the type of liquid, there is a problem that the liquid may stick and accumulate inside the cap member due to characteristics such as high viscosity, low solubility, and quick drying.

[0004] In response to this, Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication 2002-316421 A) provides a cover member that covers and protects the cap member during printing operations. The cover member moves by the driving force of a motor that moves the cap member toward and away from the ejection surface of the liquid ejection head, and reciprocates between a position that protects the cap member and a position that is retracted from the cap member. By covering the cap member with the cover member when the cap member does not cover the ejection surface, it is possible to suppress adhesion and accumulation of liquid inside the cap member. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires a mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the motor that drives the cap member to the cap member, which makes the device configuration complicated.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to enable a cover member to be moved between a position where it covers the cap member and a position where it is retracted from the cap member with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a liquid ejection device comprising a carriage having a liquid ejection head, a support member extending in a main scanning direction and supporting the carriage so that it can move in the main scanning direction, a cap member covering the ejection surface of the liquid ejection head, and a cover member covering the cap member, wherein the cover member is supported by the support member so that it can move in the main scanning direction, and is arranged to be connectable and detachable to the carriage. Effect of the Invention

[0008] With a simple configuration, the cover member can be moved between a position where it covers the cap member and a position where it is retracted from the cap member. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a liquid ejection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a side view of a liquid ejection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 10A to 10C are side views showing a series of operations of the auxiliary carriage in the maintenance mode. [Diagram 5] 10A to 10C are side views showing a series of operations of the auxiliary carriage in the maintenance mode. [Figure 6] 10A to 10C are side views showing a series of operations of the auxiliary carriage in the maintenance mode. [Figure 7] 10A to 10C are side views showing a series of operations of the auxiliary carriage in the maintenance mode. [Figure 8] 10A to 10C are side views showing a series of operations of the auxiliary carriage in the maintenance mode. [Figure 9] 10A to 10C are side views showing a series of operations of the auxiliary carriage in the maintenance mode. [Figure 10] 10A to 10C are side views showing a series of operations of the auxiliary carriage in the maintenance mode. [Figure 11]13(a) to 13(c) are diagrams illustrating how the claw rotates counterclockwise due to the first pin. [Figure 12] 13(a) to 13(d) are diagrams illustrating how the claw rotates clockwise due to the second pin. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an auxiliary carriage that supplies cleaning liquid. [Figure 14] 4 is a side view showing a state in which the cap member covers the ejection surface. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the duplicated description will be appropriately simplified or omitted.

[0011] Figure 1 shows the overall configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the following explanation, a serial type inkjet recording apparatus that discharges ink as a liquid is exemplified as an example of a liquid discharge apparatus of the present invention. Direction X in Figure 1 is the sub-scanning direction, and direction Y is the main scanning direction. Directions X, Y, and Z are perpendicular to each other.

[0012] 1, a carriage 10 is provided on the upper part of an inkjet recording apparatus 100. The carriage 10 has liquid ejection heads 11 that eject ink droplets of each of the colors yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (K).

[0013] The carriage 10 is also provided with a head tank 35 for supplying ink of each color corresponding to the nozzle rows of the liquid ejection head 11. Ink of each color is supplied to this head tank 35 from an ink cartridge of each color via a supply tube of each color.

[0014] The paper feed section is provided on the paper stacking section (pressure plate) 41 of the paper feed tray 2. The paper feed section feeds paper 42 as a recording medium stacked on the paper stacking section 41 toward the paper guide 45. This paper feed section includes a half-moon roller (paper feed roller) 43 and a separation pad 44. The half-moon roller (paper feed roller) 43 separates and feeds the paper 42 one sheet at a time from the paper stacking section 41. The separation pad 44 is provided opposite the paper feed roller 43 and is made of a material with a large coefficient of friction. The separation pad 44 is biased toward the paper feed roller 43.

[0015] The inkjet recording device 100 includes a paper guide 45, a counter roller 46, a transport guide member 47, a pressing member 48, a transport belt 51, and a charging roller 56. The paper guide 45 feeds the paper 42 fed from the paper feed section to the lower side of the liquid ejection head 11. The transport belt 51 electrostatically attracts the fed paper 42 and transports it to a position facing the liquid ejection head 11. The transport belt 51 is an endless belt that is stretched between a transport roller 52 and a tension roller 53. The charging roller 56 charges the surface of the transport belt 51. The charging roller 56 is provided so as to contact the surface layer of the transport belt 51 and rotate following the rotation of the transport belt 51. The transport roller 52 is rotationally driven by a sub-scanning motor via a timing belt, so that the transport belt 51 moves in a belt transport direction (sub-scanning direction).

[0016] The inkjet recording device 100 also includes a paper discharge section for discharging the paper 42 on which recording has been performed by the liquid ejection head 11. This paper discharge section includes a separation claw 61, a paper discharge roller 62, a paper discharge roller 63, and a paper discharge tray 3. The separation claw 61 separates the paper 42 from the conveyor belt 51. The paper discharge tray 3 is provided below the paper discharge roller 62.

[0017] A duplex unit 71 is detachably attached to the rear of the inkjet recording apparatus 100. This duplex unit 71 takes in the paper 42 returned by the reverse rotation of the conveyor belt 51, inverts it, and feeds it again between the counter roller 46 and the conveyor belt 51. A manual feed tray 72 is provided on the upper surface of the duplex unit 71.

[0018] The printing operation is performed by driving the liquid ejection head 11 in response to an image signal while moving the carriage 10. The liquid ejection head 11 ejects ink droplets to record objects such as characters or images for one line on the stationary paper 42. Then, after the paper 42 has been transported a predetermined distance, the liquid ejection head 11 records the next line of objects. When a recording end signal is received or when it is detected that the rear end of the paper 42 has reached the recording area, the printing operation ends and the paper 42 is discharged to the paper discharge tray 3.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the main part of the inkjet recording apparatus. As shown in Fig. 2, a pair of guide rods 12A and 12B serving as support members are horizontally supported by left and right side plates 13A and 13B. The guide rods 12A and 12B extend in the main scanning direction. The side plates 13A and 13B form part of the housing of the inkjet recording device. The support members may be guide rails.

[0020] The carriage 10 and the auxiliary carriage 14 serving as a cover member are supported by guide rods 12A and 12B. The carriage 10 can move in the main scanning direction along the guide rods 12A and 12B by a main scanning direction drive motor. The auxiliary carriage 14 moves in the main scanning direction along the guide rods 12A and 12B by being pressed by the carriage 10 or by the movement of the connected carriage 10 (this will be described in detail later).

[0021] Each liquid ejection head 11 provided on the carriage 10 is formed by arranging a nozzle row consisting of a plurality of nozzles in the sub-scanning direction. The liquid ejection head 11 has an ejection surface 11a on which the ends of the nozzles are provided. Ink is ejected downward in FIG. 2 from the ends of each nozzle provided on the ejection surface 11a.

[0022] A print area A1 and a maintenance area A2 are provided in the main scanning direction as liquid ejection areas. The print area A1 is an area through which paper passes and where liquid is ejected by the liquid ejection head 11 to print on the paper. The maintenance area A2 is provided on one side of the print area A1 in the main scanning direction.

[0023] The maintenance area A2 is provided with a maintenance unit 20 and an auxiliary carriage 14. The maintenance unit 20 includes a cap member 21, a suction pump 22, a waste liquid tube 23, a waste liquid tank 24, and a wiper 25 as a wiping member.

[0024] The cap member 21 covers the ejection surface 11a of each liquid ejection head 11 during non-liquid ejection operation such as maintenance mode to prevent moisture evaporation of ink in the liquid ejection head 11. The cap member 21 is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction in FIG. 2, which is the direction in which the cap member 21 approaches and moves away from the ejection surface 11a. The cap member 21 is connected to a suction pump 22 via a flexible waste liquid tube 23. The waste liquid tube 23 is connected to a waste liquid tank 24 on the side opposite to the side connected to the cap member 21. By performing a suction operation by the suction pump 22 with the cap member 21 covering the ejection surface 11a as shown in FIG. 14, the ink adhering to the ejection surface 11a and the nozzles can be sent to the waste liquid tank 24. In this way, the cap member 21 of this embodiment has the function of moisturizing the inside of the liquid ejection head and also sucking up the remaining ink. However, the cap member 21 may only have the function of covering the ejection surface 11a to moisturize it.

[0025] The wiper 25 wipes the ejection surface 11a to remove ink and other particles adhering to the surface. The wiper 25 is movable in the vertical direction in FIG.

[0026] The auxiliary carriage 14 has a cover surface 14a. In this embodiment, the cover surface 14a is flat. The cover surface 14a abuts against the side of the cap member 21 that covers the ejection surface 11a, and seals the cap member 21. The cover surface 14a is not limited to a flat surface as long as it can seal the cap member 21, and other shapes, such as a concave shape, can be appropriately adopted.

[0027] The auxiliary carriage 14 is provided with a claw 15 as an engagement member. As shown in Fig. 3(a) and Fig. 3(b), the claw 15 is provided rotatably around a support shaft 15a. The claw 15 has a first protrusion 15b and a second protrusion 15c that protrude in the sub-scanning direction (the back side of the paper in Fig. 2). One side portion 15d of the claw 15 is an engagement portion that engages with the engaged portion 10a of the carriage 10 as shown in Fig. 2.

[0028] Next, how the auxiliary carriage 14 switches between a state in which the cover surface 14a of the auxiliary carriage 14 covers the cap member 21 and a state in which the auxiliary carriage 14 is retracted from the cap member 21 in the maintenance mode will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 4, during printing operation, the carriage 10 is positioned in the printing area A1. The cap member 21 also moves upward and comes into contact with the cover surface 14a of the auxiliary carriage 14 positioned above it, and the cap member 21 is sealed by the cover surface 14a. This prevents the inside of the cap member 21 from being exposed to the outside air, and prevents the inside of the cap member 21 from drying out. The cap member 21 is positioned at the top of the movable area.

[0030] When the printing operation is interrupted or finished and the maintenance operation is started, the cap member 21 moves downward and retreats from the cover surface 14a, as shown in Fig. 5. This releases the sealed state of the cap member 21.

[0031] 6, the carriage 10 moves from the printing area A1 to the maintenance area A2 and comes into contact with the auxiliary carriage 14. In this state, the auxiliary carriage 14 is not connected to the carriage 10. In this state, a driving force is applied to move the carriage 10 in the direction of arrow B1, whereby the carriage 10 pushes the auxiliary carriage 14 and moves together with the auxiliary carriage 14 in the direction of arrow B1. As a result, the auxiliary carriage 14 moves from the position facing the cap member 21.

[0032] Then, as the auxiliary carriage 14 moves in the direction of the arrow B1, the first protrusion 15b (see FIG. 3(b)) of the claw 15 comes into contact with a first pin provided on the housing of the inkjet recording device or the like. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 7, the claw 15 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 6, and as shown in FIG. 7, one side portion 15d of the claw 15 engages with the engaged portion 10a of the carriage 10. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11(a), when the claw 15 moves in the direction of the arrow B1 with the movement of the auxiliary carriage, the first protrusion 15b of the claw 15 comes into contact with the first pin 101 and receives a force as shown in FIG. 11(b). As a result, the claw 15 rotates around the support shaft 15a in the direction of the arrow B2, and as shown in FIG. 11(c), one side portion 15d of the claw 15 engages with the engaged portion 10a. As a result of the above, the auxiliary carriage 14 is connected to the carriage 10 as shown in FIG.

[0033] With the auxiliary carriage 14 connected to the carriage 10, as shown in FIG. 8, the movement direction of the carriage 10 changes and moves in the direction of the arrow B3. The auxiliary carriage 14 moves in the direction of the arrow B3 following the carriage 10. At this time, the wiper 25 is moved upward so that the wiper 25 can wipe the cover surface 14a of the auxiliary carriage 14. When the cap member 21 is sealed, ink that has adhered to the cap member 21 adheres to the cover surface 14a. The wiper 25 can wipe the ink that has adhered to the cover surface 14a. Note that while the carriage 10 is disposed in the maintenance area A2, the cap member 21 covers the ejection surface 11a of each liquid ejection head 11, and the suction pump 22 can perform a suction operation, and the wiper 25 can perform a wiping operation of each ejection surface 11a.

[0034] When the carriage 10 and the auxiliary carriage 14 further move in the direction of the arrow B3, the second protrusion 15c (see FIG. 3(b)) of the claw 15 comes into contact with a second pin provided on the housing of the inkjet recording device or the like. As a result, the claw 15 rotates clockwise in FIG. 8 as shown in FIG. 8 → FIG. 9, and the engagement state of the claw 15 with the engaged part 10a of the carriage 10 is released as shown in FIG. 9. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12(a), when the claw 15 moves in the direction of the arrow B3 with the movement of the auxiliary carriage, the second protrusion 15c of the claw 15 comes into contact with the second pin 102 and receives a force as shown in FIG. 12(b). As a result, the claw 15 rotates around the support shaft 15a in the direction of the arrow B4 as shown in FIG. 12(c), and the engagement state of the claw 15 with the engaged part 10a is released as shown in FIG. 12(d). As a result of the above, the auxiliary carriage 14 is released from the connected state with the carriage 10, as shown in FIG.

[0035] In this state, as shown in Fig. 10, the carriage 10 moves in the direction of arrow B1, pushing the auxiliary carriage 14 and moving the auxiliary carriage 14 again to a position facing the cap member 21. The carriage 10 then moves to the left in Fig. 10, and only the carriage 10 moves to the printing area A1. The cap member 21 also moves upward and is covered by the cover surface 14a of the auxiliary carriage 14, thereby returning to the state shown in Fig. 4. The above is the operation of the carriage 10 and other components in the maintenance mode.

[0036] As described above, in this embodiment, the auxiliary carriage 14 having the cover surface 14a can reciprocate between a position covering the cap member 21 and a position retracted from above the cap member 21 without using a dedicated drive source. That is, in this embodiment, the auxiliary carriage 14 is supported by the guide rods 12A and 12B and is configured to be connectable to and disconnectable from the carriage 10. This allows the auxiliary carriage 14 to move in the direction of arrow B1 in FIG. 5 etc. along the guide rods 12A and 12B mainly by the pressure of the carriage 10. Also, the auxiliary carriage 14 can move in the direction of arrow B3 in FIG. 8 etc. following the connected carriage 10. This allows the auxiliary carriage 14 to move to a position facing the cap member 21 when the cap member 21 is covered by the cover surface 14a of the auxiliary carriage 14 (see FIG. 4). Furthermore, during the maintenance operation of each liquid ejection head 11 by the maintenance unit 20, the auxiliary carriage 14 can be moved to a position retracted from the cap member 21 (see FIG. 7), and the cap member 21 can cover the ejection surface of the liquid ejection head. The above-mentioned operation of the auxiliary carriage 14 can be realized without providing a dedicated drive source, and therefore the structure of the liquid ejection device can be simplified. Furthermore, by connecting the auxiliary carriage 14 to the carriage 10 and making it movable to the left side in FIG. 8, the auxiliary carriage 14 can be moved to a position facing the wiper 25, and the wiper 25 can perform a wiping operation on the auxiliary carriage 14. Furthermore, by configuring the auxiliary carriage 14 to be supported by the guide rods 12A and 12B without being connected to a dedicated drive mechanism, the auxiliary carriage 14 can be easily detached and the structure of the liquid ejection device can be simplified.

[0037] The auxiliary carriage 14 is released from the carriage 10 at least at a position where the auxiliary carriage 14 faces the cap member 21 (the position in FIG. 4) or at a position to the left of the cap member 21 as in FIG. 2, for example. As a result, the auxiliary carriage 14 can be placed in the position in FIG. 4 facing the cap member 21 again by placing the auxiliary carriage 14 in the released position, or by pushing the auxiliary carriage 14 to the right in FIG. 2 in the main scanning direction by the carriage 10 after the release. The auxiliary carriage 14 is also connected to the carriage 10 at any position on the other side in the main scanning direction from the release position and where the carriage 10 abuts against the auxiliary carriage 14. As a result, the auxiliary carriage 14 can be connected to the carriage 10 within a necessary range in the main scanning direction and moved together.

[0038] 13, the auxiliary carriage 14 may have a cleaning nozzle 16 as a cleaning liquid supply unit. The cleaning nozzle 16 is connected to a cleaning liquid tank or the like that stores cleaning liquid. The auxiliary carriage 14 has an end of the cleaning nozzle 16 on the cover surface 14a, and cleaning liquid is supplied to the cap member 21 from this end. This allows the cap member 21 to be cleaned.

[0039] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0040] In the present application, the liquid to be ejected may have a viscosity and surface tension that allows it to be ejected from the head, and is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the viscosity of the liquid is 30 mPa·s or less at room temperature and pressure, or by heating or cooling. More specifically, the liquid may be a solution, suspension, emulsion, etc., containing a solvent such as water or an organic solvent, a colorant such as a dye or pigment, a functionalizing material such as a polymerizable compound, a resin, or a surfactant, a biocompatible material such as DNA, amino acids, proteins, or calcium, an edible material such as a natural colorant, etc., and these can be used for applications such as inkjet ink, surface treatment liquid, a liquid for forming a component of an electronic element or a light-emitting element, an electronic circuit resist pattern, a material liquid for three-dimensional modeling, etc.

[0041] "Liquid" includes not only ink but also paint, pretreatment liquid, binder, and overcoat liquid.

[0042] In this application, a "liquid ejection device" is a device that includes a carriage having a liquid ejection head and ejects liquid by driving the liquid ejection head. Liquid ejection devices include not only devices that can eject liquid onto a recording medium to which the liquid can adhere, but also devices that eject liquid into air or liquid.

[0043] This "liquid ejection device" can also include means for feeding, transporting, and discharging objects onto which liquid can be attached, as well as pre-processing devices and post-processing devices.

[0044] For example, examples of "liquid ejection devices" include image forming devices that eject ink to form an image on paper, and three-dimensional modeling devices that eject modeling liquid onto a powder layer formed by layering powder in order to create a three-dimensional object (a three-dimensional model).

[0045] Furthermore, the term "liquid ejection device" is not limited to devices that visualize meaningful images such as characters and figures by ejecting liquid. For example, the term also includes devices that form patterns that have no meaning in themselves and devices that create three-dimensional images.

[0046] The above-mentioned "object to which liquid can adhere" means an object to which liquid can adhere at least temporarily, and to which the liquid adheres and sticks, or to which the liquid adheres and penetrates, etc. Specific examples include media such as paper, recording paper, film, cloth, and other recording media, electronic boards, electronic components such as piezoelectric elements, powder layers, organ models, and test cells, and unless otherwise specified, includes all objects to which liquid can adhere.

[0047] The material of the above-mentioned "object to which liquid can adhere" may be any material to which liquid can adhere even temporarily, such as paper, thread, fiber, cloth, leather, metal, plastic, glass, wood, and ceramics.

[0048] Other examples of "liquid ejection devices" include a treatment liquid application device that ejects a treatment liquid onto paper to apply the treatment liquid to the surface of the paper for purposes such as modifying the surface of the paper, and an injection granulation device that ejects a composition liquid in which raw materials are dispersed through a nozzle to granulate fine particles of the raw materials.

[0049] In the present application, the terms image formation, recording, printing, imprinting, printing, modeling, and the like are all synonymous.

[0050] For example, aspects of the present invention are as follows. <1> a carriage having a liquid ejection head; a support member extending in a main scanning direction and supporting the carriage movably in the main scanning direction; a cap member for covering an ejection surface of the liquid ejection head; a cover member for covering the cap member, The cover member is supported by the support member so as to be movable in a main scanning direction, and is provided so as to be connectable to and detachable from the carriage. <2> When the liquid ejection head ejects liquid, the cover member covers the cap member. <1> The liquid ejection apparatus is as described above. <3> The cover member is pushed by the carriage and moves to one side in the main scanning direction, and the carriage moves to the other side in the main scanning direction with the cover member connected to the carriage, thereby causing the cover member to move to the other side in the main scanning direction. <1> or <2> The liquid ejection apparatus is as described above. <4> If the area where the liquid ejection head ejects liquid onto the recording medium is defined as a liquid ejection area, the cap member is disposed outside the liquid ejection area, The cover member is released from connection with the carriage at a position where the cover member faces the cap member or on the liquid ejection region side of the position. <3> The liquid ejection apparatus is as described above. <5> the carriage moves from the liquid ejection region toward the cover member, and the carriage and the cover member are connected to each other at a position on one side in the main scanning direction of a position where the carriage abuts against the cover member and at a position on one side in the main scanning direction of a position where the connection of the cover member to the carriage is released; <4> The liquid ejection apparatus is as described above. <6> a wiping member for wiping the ejection surface, The cover member moves to a position facing the wiping member and is wiped by the wiping member. <1> from <5> The liquid ejection apparatus according to any one of the above aspects is provided. <7> The cover member has an engagement member rotatably provided, The carriage has an engaged portion, By rotation of the engaging member, an engaging portion provided on the engaging member engages with the engaged portion, and the cover member is connected to the carriage. <1> from <6> The liquid ejection apparatus according to any one of the above aspects is provided. <8> The cover member has a cleaning liquid supply portion. <1> from <7> The liquid ejection apparatus according to any one of the above aspects is provided. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 10 Carriage 10a Engaged part 11 Liquid ejection head 11a Discharge surface 12A, 12B Guide rod (support member) 14 Auxiliary carriage (cover member) 15 Claw (engagement member) 15d One side (engagement part) 16 Cleaning nozzle (cleaning liquid supply part) 20 Maintenance Unit 21 Cap member 25 Wiper (wiping member) 42 Paper (recording media) 100 Inkjet recording device (liquid ejection device) A1 Print area (liquid ejection area) A2 Maintenance Area Y Main scanning direction [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0052] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-316421 A

Claims

1. a carriage having a liquid ejection head; a support member extending in a main scanning direction and supporting the carriage movably in the main scanning direction; a cap member for covering an ejection surface of the liquid ejection head; a cover member for covering the cap member, The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is supported by the support member so as to be movable in a main scanning direction, and is provided so as to be connectable to and detachable from the carriage.

2. 2. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cover member covers the cap member when the liquid ejection head ejects liquid.

3. A liquid ejection device as described in claim 1, wherein the cover member is pushed by the carriage and moves to one side in the main scanning direction, and the cover member moves to the other side in the main scanning direction as the carriage moves to the other side in the main scanning direction with the cover member connected to the carriage.

4. If the area where the liquid ejection head ejects liquid onto the recording medium is defined as a liquid ejection area, the cap member is disposed outside the liquid ejection area, 4. The liquid ejection device according to claim 3, wherein the cover member is released from connection with the carriage at a position where the cover member faces the cap member or at a position closer to the liquid ejection area than that.

5. A liquid ejection device as described in claim 4, wherein the carriage moves from the liquid ejection area toward the cover member, and the carriage and the cover member are connected at a position on one side in the main scanning direction of the position where the carriage abuts against the cover member and at a position on one side in the main scanning direction of the position where the connection of the cover member to the carriage is released.

6. a wiping member for wiping the ejection surface, The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the cover member moves to a position facing the wiping member and is wiped by the wiping member.

7. The cover member has an engagement member rotatably provided, The carriage has an engaged portion, 2. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is connected to the carriage by rotation of the engaging member, whereby an engaging portion provided on the engaging member engages with the engaged portion.

8. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cover member has a cleaning liquid supply section.

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