Recording device and method of wiping

Abstract

To reduce consumption of wiping members while maintaining wiping performance.SOLUTION: A recording device counts the ejection shots for each of the ejection port arrays and determines a feed amount of a wiping member on the basis of the count value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus and a wiping method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a wiping technique in which a sheet-like wiping member is pressed against the ejection port surface of a recording head in which ejection ports for ejecting ink are formed to remove ink and other deposits. It also discloses that the wiping member is advanced a certain amount after wiping so that the next wiping can be performed with a clean surface of the cleaning member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-138509 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, if the feed rate of the wiping member is constant, the feed rate may be insufficient, and ink may remain on the wiping surface. Also, if the feed rate is too large, a large area may not be used for wiping.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to reduce the consumption of wiping members while maintaining wiping performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention comprises a recording means having an ejection port surface on which a plurality of ejection port arrays are formed, in which a plurality of ejection port arrays are arranged to eject ink; a wiping means having a sheet-shaped wiping member for wiping the ejection port surface and capable of wiping the ejection port surface; a control means for controlling the wiping means so that the wiping means and the recording means move relatively in the arrangement direction of the ejection port arrays to cause the wiping means to perform a wiping operation to wipe the ejection port surface, and then to feed the wiping member so that a new area can be wiped in the next wiping operation; and an acquisition means for acquiring information regarding the ejection amount of each of the ejection port arrays, wherein the control means determines a feed amount by which the wiping member is fed after the wiping operation based on the information regarding the ejection amount acquired by the acquisition means. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the consumption of the wiping member while maintaining the wiping performance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the internal configuration of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a main configuration of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a recording head according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating movement areas of a recording head and a wiping unit according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a wiping unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the printing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 6A to 6C are diagrams illustrating a wiping operation in the embodiment. [Figure 8] 5 is a schematic top view of the wiping member during a wiping operation in the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] 4 is a flowchart of a wiping operation in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 13 is an equation for associating the ejection number count with the amount of ink attached to the sheet in the first embodiment. [Figure 11] 4 is a table showing droplet adhesion amounts in the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a schematic top view of a wiping member during a wiping operation in a comparative example. [Figure 13] 13 is a schematic top view of a wiping member during a wiping operation in the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart of a wiping operation in the second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a panel display in the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] An example of an embodiment of a recording device will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiment does not limit the present invention, and not all of the combinations of features described in the present embodiment are necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention. Furthermore, the positions, shapes, and the like of the components described in the embodiment are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to only those.

[0010] In this specification, "recording" refers not only to the formation of meaningful information such as characters and figures, but also to the formation of meaningful or insignificant information. Furthermore, "recording" refers to the formation of an image, design, pattern, etc. on a recording medium, or the processing of the medium, regardless of whether it is manifested so that humans can visually perceive it. Furthermore, "recording medium" refers not only to paper used in general recording devices, but also to cloth, plastic film, metal plate, glass, ceramics, wood, leather, and other objects that can accept ink. Furthermore, "ink" (also referred to as "liquid" in this specification) should be interpreted broadly in the same manner as the definition of "recording" above. In other words, "ink" refers to a liquid that is applied to a recording medium to form an image, design, pattern, etc., or to process the recording medium, or to process the ink (for example, to solidify or insolubilize the coloring material in the ink applied to the recording medium). Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, "nozzle" refers collectively to an ejection port, a flow path connected to the ejection port, and an element that generates energy used for ejecting ink.

[0011] (First embodiment) First, a recording apparatus according to a first embodiment will be described. The recording apparatus described in this specification is a so-called serial scan type inkjet recording apparatus that ejects ink onto a conveyed recording medium while moving in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction (orthogonal in this embodiment) by an inkjet method. Note that in this specification, directions are indicated using the mutually orthogonal X, Y, and Z directions.

[0012] <Recording device configuration> Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the inside of a recording apparatus 10. Fig. 2(a) is a diagram illustrating a heating section in the recording apparatus, and Fig. 2(b) is a diagram illustrating a recovery section in the recording apparatus.

[0013] The recording device 10 includes a platen 12 that supports the recording medium P transported by the transport unit 11, and a recording unit 14 having a recording head 200 that records an image on the recording medium P supported by the platen 12. The recording head does not have to record an image, but may be a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid. The recording device 10 also includes a heating unit 16 that heats the recording surface Pf of the recording medium P after recording, and a recovery unit 18 (see FIG. 2(b)) that maintains and recovers the ink ejection state in the recording unit 14 in a good condition. The overall operation of the recording device 10 is controlled by a control unit 600 (described later). In this embodiment, there is one control unit, but it may be divided into two or more units.

[0014] The conveying unit 11 conveys a sheet-like recording medium, which is unwound from roll paper 27 and fed, to the platen 12 by a conveying roller 23 driven via a gear by a conveying motor (not shown). After recording, the recording medium P is taken up by a spool 21. Note that the conveying mechanism of the conveying unit 11 is not limited to this, and various known technologies can be used.

[0015] The recording unit 14 includes a carriage 22 movably mounted on a guide shaft 20, and a recording head 200 that is detachably attached to the carriage 22 and ejects ink onto a recording medium P supported by a platen 12 (see FIG. 2A). The guide shaft 20 extends in an X direction intersecting (orthogonal in this embodiment) the Y direction in which the recording medium P is transported, and the carriage 22 is configured to be able to reciprocate in the X direction along the guide shaft 20. The recording head 200 includes ejection port arrays 302 (described later) formed by arranging a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting ink along the Y direction, and is mounted on the carriage 22 so that an ejection port surface 202 (see FIG. 2A) in which the ejection port arrays 302 are formed faces the platen 12. As a result, in the recording device 10, the recording head 200 is configured to be able to eject ink while moving back and forth in the X direction. As a specific moving mechanism for the carriage 22, various known techniques can be used, such as a carriage belt that transmits driving force from a carriage motor or a mechanism using a lead screw.

[0016] In the recording device 10, a scale 30 having slits formed at equal intervals in the X direction is extended in the X direction, and the carriage 22 is provided with a linear encoder (not shown) for reading the scale 30. The linear encoder outputs a signal based on the reading result of the scale 30 to the control unit 600. The control unit 600 acquires the position of the recording head 200 based on this signal and controls the movement of the recording head 200. The recording head 200 is configured to eject multiple types of ink. In this embodiment, the recording head 200 is configured to eject black (K) ink, cyan (C) ink, magenta (M) ink, and yellow (Y) ink. The types and number of inks ejected from the recording head 200 are not limited to the above four.

[0017] In the recording device 10, the recording unit 14, i.e., the recording head 200, moves at a speed of, for example, 40 inch / sec, and performs recording at a resolution of 1200 dpi (1 dot per 1 / 1200 inch). When recording is started, the recording device 10 moves the recording head 200 to a recording start position, and conveys the recording medium P by the conveying unit 11 to a position where the recording head 200 can perform recording. Next, based on the recording data, a recording operation is performed in which ink is ejected while moving (scanning) the recording head 200 in the X direction, and when the recording operation is completed, a conveying operation is performed in which the conveying unit 11 conveys the recording medium P by a predetermined amount, and then the recording operation is performed again. In this way, the recording device 10 performs recording on the recording medium P by alternately and repeatedly performing the recording operation and the conveying operation. Note that in this embodiment, for example, a multi-pass recording is performed in which the recording unit 14 is scanned multiple times to record a unit area on the recording medium.

[0018] The carriage 22 is also provided with a sensor 25 on one side or the other side in the X direction for detecting the density or brightness of ink adhering to an object located at a position that can face the ejection port surface 202 of the recording head 200. The sensor 25 is an optical sensor, and receives light emitted from a light emitting unit toward the object at a light receiving unit, and outputs the amount of light received at this time to the control unit 600. The control unit 600 detects the density or brightness of the ink based on the amount of light received. Although details will be described later, in this embodiment, the sensor 25 detects the density of ink adhering to a wiping member 204 (described later) in a wiping unit 203 (described later) of the recovery unit 18. The sensor 25 is used to detect the end of the recording medium P transported onto the platen 12 and to measure attributes such as the distance between the recording medium P and the recording head 200. The sensor 25 may be configured to be capable of detecting ink adhering to the wiping member 204 of the wiping unit 203.

[0019] The heating unit 16 applies heat to the recording surface Pf of the recorded recording medium P, thereby heating the recording surface Pf and the ink ejected onto the recording surface Pf, and fixing the ink on the recording surface Pf. The heating unit 16 is covered with a cover 17, which has the function of efficiently reflecting the heat of the heating unit 16 onto the recording medium P and the function of protecting the heating unit 16. As the heating unit 16, various heaters such as a sheath heater and a halogen heater can be used. The heating unit 16 may be configured to heat the recording medium P using not only such a non-contact type thermal conduction heater, but also hot air. Since the heating unit 16 is configured to fix the ink on the recording medium P, depending on the type of ink used, the recording device 10 may not be configured to include the heating unit 16. Although not shown, the recording device 10 may be configured to include a cutter unit capable of cutting the recording medium P at a predetermined position.

[0020] The recovery unit 18 includes a suction unit 26 provided at a position adjacent to one end of the platen 12 in the X direction, and a wiping unit 203 provided at a position adjacent to the other end of the platen 12 in the X direction. That is, the suction unit 26 is located in an area S1 on one end side of a recording area Sp where recording is performed by the recording head 200 on the recording medium P supported by the platen 12. The wiping unit 203 is located in an area S2 on the other end side of the recording area Sp. The detailed configuration of the wiping unit 203 will be described later.

[0021] The suction unit 26 is configured to perform a suction process that forcibly sucks ink from a plurality of ejection ports constituting each ejection port array 302 in the print head 200, thereby maintaining and recovering good ink ejection performance from each ejection port. The suction unit 26 includes a cap 36 that covers a predetermined area including the ejection port array 302 in the ejection port surface 202 of the print head 200. Specifically, the cap 36 covers the ejection port array for K ink, the ejection port array for C ink, the ejection port array for M ink, and the ejection port array for Y ink. Note that the cap 36 may be configured independently for each ink color.

[0022] The cap 36 is connected to a pump 40 via a tube 38. With the cap 36 in contact with the ejection port surface 202 and covering a predetermined area including each ejection port array 302, a negative pressure is generated in the cap 36 by the pump 40 connected to the cap 36, and the ink is forcibly sucked from each ejection port by the negative pressure. The cap 36 is configured to be movable in the Z direction by a lifting unit 42. When the cap 36 is raised by the lifting unit 42, it comes into contact with the ejection port surface 202 and covers the predetermined area, and when the cap 36 is lowered by the lifting unit 42, it is separated from the ejection port surface 202 and opens the predetermined area.

[0023] <Recording head configuration> Next, the configuration of the print head 200 will be described. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the print head 200. On the ejection port surface 202 of the print head 200, ejection port arrays 302 each formed of a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting a corresponding ink color are formed. The ejection port arrays 302 extend in the Y direction, and the ejection port arrays 302 corresponding to each color of ink are arranged side by side along the X direction.

[0024] In this embodiment, the ejection port array 302 has 1280 ejection ports arranged along the Y direction at a density of 1200 dpi. The amount of ink droplets ejected from each ejection port at one time is about 4.5 pl. In an area of ​​the ejection port surface 202 including the ejection port array 302, for example, an area including at least a predetermined area covered by the cap 36, a water-repellent film that repels ink, that is, water-repellent, is formed to suppress adhesion of ink droplets to each ejection port. The adhesion of ink droplets to the ejection port is suppressed by this water-repellent film, so that the ejection performance from each ejection port is kept stable. The contact angle of the water-repellent film with the ink is, for example, 80 degrees or more and 100 degrees or less. The contact angle refers to the contact angle (dynamic receding contact angle) of the ink droplet on the water-repellent film. In this embodiment, water repellency means that when a water droplet (ink droplet) comes into contact with the water-repellent film, the water droplet does not wet and spread at the contact area. Whether the water repellency is high or low can be judged by measuring the contact angle (dynamic receding contact angle) of an ink droplet that comes into contact with the surface of the member.

[0025] Ink is supplied to each ejection port through an ink flow path (not shown) inside the recording head 200 from a joint section 304 connected via a supply tube (not shown) to an ink tank (not shown) that stores the corresponding ink. The recording head 200 is a thermal type inkjet recording head that ejects ink using thermal energy, and includes a plurality of electrothermal transducers for generating thermal energy. That is, the recording head 200 generates thermal energy by a pulse signal applied to the electrothermal transducers, and the thermal energy causes film boiling of the ink in an ink bubbling chamber (not shown), and ejects the ink from the ejection port by using the bubbling pressure of the film boiling. Note that the ink ejection method is not limited to this, and may be any other known method, such as a method using a piezoelectric element.

[0026] In this embodiment, the carriage 22 is described as having one recording head 200, but may have a configuration having a plurality of recording heads 200. Ink supplied to the recording head 200 is supplied from an ink tank mounted in the main body or an external unit through a supply tube. The ink is supplied from the ink tank to the recording head 200 by using a pressurizing unit. Alternatively, the ejection port surface 202 of the recording head 200 may be capped with a cap 36, and ink may be supplied from the ink tank to the recording head 200 by applying negative pressure to the inside of the cap 36 by a pump 40 to suck the ink.

[0027] <Wiping unit> Next, a configuration of the wiping unit 203 in the recovery unit 18 will be described. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a movement area Sm of the wiping unit 203 and a movement area Sh of the recording head 200. Fig. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of the wiping unit 203, and is a side view when viewed from the other side in the X direction.

[0028] The wiping unit 203 is provided in an area S2 on the other end side of the recording area Sp so as to be movable in the Y direction. The movement area Sm of the wiping unit 203 partially overlaps with the movement area Sh of the recording head 200 which moves in the X direction, as shown in Fig. 4. The wiping unit 203 is capable of reciprocating between a first position on the other side in the Y direction of the movement area Sh of the recording head 200, and a second position on one side in the Y direction of the movement area Sh.

[0029] When the wiping unit 203 is not performing a wiping operation, it is located at a standby position where the movement area Sm of the wiping unit 203 does not overlap with the movement area Sh of the recording head 200. When the wiping unit 203 performs a wiping operation, the wiping unit 203 moves from the wiping start position to the wiping end position with the recording head 200 located at the wiping position in the area Sc where the movement area Sm and the movement area Sh overlap. The wiping start position is a position where the wiping unit 203 is located when starting wiping, and is provided on the first position side without overlapping with the area Sc. The wiping end position is a position where the wiping unit 203 is located when ending wiping, and is provided on the second position side without overlapping with the area Sc. The first position and the second position may be on the +Y side or the -Y side of the area Sc.

[0030] The wiping unit 203 is provided with a sheet-like wiping member 204 that receives ink during wiping and that comes into contact with the ejection port surface 202 to wipe off ink and the like adhering to the ejection port surface 202 (see FIG. 5). The wiping unit 203 also includes a take-up section 207 that takes up the wiping member 204, and a pressing member 205 that presses the wiping member 204 to bring the wiping member 204 into contact with the ejection port surface 202 with a predetermined pressure.

[0031] For example, a porous material is used as the wiping member 204. Compared with an elastic material, a porous material is more likely to absorb ink from the ejection port during wiping. The wiping member 204 may be pre-impregnated with an impregnation liquid whose main component is a solvent with low volatility, such as polyethylene glycol. For example, a nonwoven fabric is used as the wiping member 204. More specifically, it is preferable to use a sheet / web or pad-shaped nonwoven fabric in which fibers are fused or bonded or entangled by mechanical or chemical action. The wiping member 204 can instantly absorb liquid such as attached ink by capillary pressure due to fine pores in the nonwoven fabric. For example, a nonwoven fabric made of polyester staple fibers can be used as the nonwoven fabric. The wiping member 204 may be a sheet-shaped knitted or woven fabric made of long fibers, and the material may be a mixture of polyester and nylon, cotton, or the like.

[0032] The winding unit 207 includes a rotating member 207a around which an unused wiping member 204 is wound, and a rotating member 207b that winds up a used wiping member 204. The rotating member 207b is disposed on one side in the Y direction with respect to the rotating member 207a. The tip of the wiping member 204 is attached to the rotating member 207b, and the rotating member 207b winds up the wiping member 204 by rotating under the control of the control unit 600. By winding up the portion that has wiped the recording head 200, the next wiping can be performed using an unused, unsoiled portion of the wiping member 204.

[0033] The driving of the rotating member 207b is controlled, for example, via a gear, by driving a conveying motor that drives the conveying roller 23. As a result, the wiping member 204 located between the rotating members 207a and 207b is conveyed in the opposite direction (-Y direction) to the conveying direction of the recording medium P. Note that the conveying amount of the wiping member 204 is not limited to being controlled by the driving amount of the conveying motor, and for example, a configuration capable of measuring the conveying amount of the wiping member 204 may be provided, and the conveying amount may be controlled based on the measurement result of the configuration.

[0034] The pressing member 205 presses the wiping member 204 located between the rotating member 207a and the rotating member 207b, toward the other side in the Z direction, that is, toward the upper side, by the biasing force of the wiping portion spring 206. The wiping portion spring 206 changes its pressing force depending on the height of the recording head 200. In this embodiment, a spring is used, but any elastic member may be used. The length L1 of the pressing member 205 in the X direction corresponds to the above-mentioned predetermined area of ​​the discharge port surface 202 of the recording head 200 at the wiping position. The length of the pressing area in the X direction where the wiping member 204 is pressed by the pressing member 205 may be longer than the length corresponding to the above-mentioned predetermined area, and may be, for example, a length that can cover the entire discharge port surface 202 of the recording head 200. In this case, by adjusting the length of the wiping member 204 in the X direction, it becomes possible to wipe the entire ejection port surface 202, so that when the above-mentioned predetermined area is capped with the cap 36, a gap is unlikely to be formed between the cap 36 and the ejection port surface 202. The length L2 in the Y direction of the pressing member 205 is, for example, about 5 mm. This length allows the wiping member 204 pressed by the pressing member 205 to simultaneously abut against about 240 ejection ports in the ejection port array 302.

[0035] The recording head 200 also includes a lifting unit (not shown) that can be raised and lowered. The lifting unit is controlled by the control unit 600, and can change the distance from the wiping unit 203. When the wiping unit 203 wipes the ejection port surface 202 of the recording head 200, the recording head 200 descends. Note that the form is not limited to this. For example, the wiping unit 203 may be provided with a descending unit that descends the pressing member 205. The descending unit descends the pressing member 205 against the biasing force of the wiping unit spring 206 under the control of the control unit 600. This makes it possible to move the wiping unit 203 within the movement region Sm without bringing the wiping member 204 into contact with the ejection port surface 202. Also, the ejection port surface 202 may be wiped by moving both the recording head 200 and the wiping unit 203. In other words, the recording apparatus 10 may be configured to wipe the discharge port surface 202 by relatively moving the recording head 200 and the wiping unit 203 in the direction of arrangement of the discharge ports.

[0036] <Configuration of the control system of the recording device> Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the control system of the recording apparatus 10. FIG 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the recording apparatus 10.

[0037] The control unit 600, which controls the entire recording device 10, includes a central processing unit (CPU) 602, a ROM 604, a RAM 606, and a memory 608. The CPU 602 controls the operation of each component in the recording device 10 and processes input image data based on various programs. The ROM 604 functions as a memory for storing various control and image data processing programs executed by the CPU 602. The RAM 606 is a memory for temporarily storing various data used to control the recording device 10, and serves as a work area used when the CPU 602 executes various processes. The memory 608 stores data such as a count value used in the wiping process described later. The control unit 600 also includes an input / output port 610, and is connected to various drivers and drive circuits via the input / output port 610.

[0038] The control unit 600 is connected to an interface circuit 612 via an input / output port, and is connected to a host device 614 via the interface circuit 612. The control unit 600 is also connected to an operation panel 624 that can be operated by a user via an input / output port 610. The user inputs image data and the like to the recording device 10 via the host device 614, and inputs various information to the recording device 10 via the host device 614 and the operation panel 624. The control unit 600 is also connected to a motor driver 616 via the input / output port 610, and controls the driving of a motor 618 via the motor driver 616. In FIG. 6, various motors in the recording device 10, such as a motor for moving the carriage 22, a motor for transporting the recording medium P, a motor for moving the wiping unit 203, and a motor for driving the winding unit 207, are collectively shown as a motor 618.

[0039] The control unit 600 is connected to a head driver 620 via an input / output port 610, and controls the recording head 200 via the head driver 620 to eject ink. The control unit 600 is also connected to a drive circuit 622 via the input / output port 610, and controls the drive of the heating unit 16 via the drive circuit 622. The control unit 600 is also connected to a sensor 25 via the input / output port 610, and controls the drive of the sensor 25 and receives detection results from the sensor 25.

[0040] In the control unit 600, the CPU 602 converts image data input from the host device 614 into print data and stores it in the RAM 606. Specifically, when the CPU 602 acquires image data represented by 8-bit 256-value information (0 to 255) for each of RGB, the CPU 602 converts the image data into multi-value data represented by multiple types of ink (K, C, M, Y in this embodiment) used for printing, based on the image data. This color conversion process generates multi-value data represented by 8-bit 256-value information (0 to 255) that defines the gradation of each ink of K, C, M, Y in each pixel group consisting of multiple pixels.

[0041] Next, the multi-value data represented by K, C, M, and Y is quantized to generate quantized data (binary data) represented by 1-bit binary information (0, 1) that determines whether or not each of the K, C, M, and Y inks is ejected for each pixel. As the quantization process, various known quantization methods such as an error diffusion method, a dither method, and an index method can be used. After that, a distribution process is performed to distribute the quantized data to a plurality of scans of the print head 200 for the unit area. By this distribution process, print data represented by 1-bit binary information (0, 1) that determines whether or not each of the K, C, M, and Y inks is ejected for each pixel in each of the plurality of scans of the unit area of ​​the print medium is generated. This distribution process corresponds to the plurality of scans, and is performed using a mask pattern that determines whether or not ink ejection is permitted for each pixel. Note that the generation of such print data is not limited to being performed by the control unit 600, and may be performed by the host device 614, or a part of the process may be performed by the host device 614 and the remaining process may be performed by the control unit 600.

[0042] 7(a) to (d) are schematic cross-sectional views showing the positional relationship between the wiping unit and the recording head during the wiping operation.

[0043] FIG. 7(a) shows the positional relationship between the wiping unit 203 and the recording head 200 before wiping, and the recording head 200 and the wiping unit 203 are in a positional relationship that allows them to move in the Y direction without touching each other. FIG. 7(b) shows a state in which the recording head 200 has been moved downward in the Z direction in preparation for the wiping operation. In the state of FIG. 7(b), if the wiping unit 203 is moved in the Y direction, the pressing area pressed by the pressing member 205 of the wiping member 204 can come into contact with the discharge port surface 202 of the recording head 200. FIG. 7(c) shows a state in which the wiping unit 203 is moved in the Y direction and the pressing area pressed by the pressing member 205 of the wiping member 204 comes into contact with the discharge port surface 202 of the recording head 200. By making contact, it becomes possible for the pressing area pressed by the pressing member 205 of the wiping member 204 to absorb the ink deposits 208 adhering to the discharge port surface 202. Fig. 7(d) shows the state where the wiping unit 203 is scanned in the Y direction and moved to the standby position. Furthermore, it is also possible for the sheet winding section 207 to move the wiping unit while winding up the sheet. Fig. 7(e) shows the state where the pressure on the wiping section spring 206 is released at the standby position and the wiping section 205 is moved downward in the Z direction. One wiping operation is completed by Figs. 7(a) to (e).

[0044] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the top surface of the wiping member (sheet) 204 during a wiping operation. FIG. 8(a) shows the state of the sheet 204 before wiping has been performed even once. Because wiping has not been performed, the entire surface of the sheet 204 is free of ink adhesion and in a clean state. FIG. 8(b) shows the state of the sheet 204 after wiping has been performed once, and because wiping was performed at a location that corresponds to wiping position 210, ink adhesion has occurred at wiping position 210. A first feed amount 211 is determined from the value of the number of ejection shots counted up until the first wiping, and a feed is performed to feed the sheet. The state after the feed is performed is shown in FIG. 8(c).

[0045] FIG. 8(d) shows the state after the second wiping has been performed. The area with the largest ink adhesion corresponds to the nozzle row with the largest number of ejections. When the number of ejections is large, the ink adhesion area also becomes larger because the ink is more likely to adhere to the surface of the print head. FIG. 8(e) shows the state in which the second feed amount 212 is determined based on the ejection number count value of the nozzle row with the largest number of ejections, and feeding is performed. The second feed amount 212 is larger than the first feed amount 211. FIG. 8(f) shows the surface of the sheet 204 after wiping and feeding are repeated in the same manner, and the feed amount is changed corresponding to the largest number of ejections.

[0046] The feed amount is designed to leave a certain amount of gap for each wiping. This is to allow the gap to absorb mechanical precision variations during feeding, so that wiping can always be performed with a clean surface of the sheet 204. Therefore, the smaller the precision variation of the feed device, the smaller the gap can be, and if the precision variation is extremely close to zero, no gap is necessary.

[0047] Next, a flowchart of the wiping operation is shown in Fig. 9. This flowchart is executed by the control unit 600 in accordance with a program stored in the ROM 604. For example, the operation starts when the recording device 10 receives a recording instruction from a user.

[0048] First, when the printing operation is started in step S400, the number of ink ejections is counted for each ejection port array in step S401.

[0049] Next, in step S402, a determination step is performed as to whether or not to perform a wiping operation. Examples of timings for performing wiping include timing when the number of ejections reaches a level that may cause ejection abnormalities, and timing when the number of printed sheets reaches a predetermined number. In this embodiment, the determination is based on the number of ejections. The number of ejections for performing wiping is preset and stored in ROM 604. In step S402, it is determined whether the number of ejections counted in step S401 is equal to or greater than the number of ejections stored in ROM 604. If it is equal to or greater than the stored number of ejections, the process proceeds to step S403, and if it is not equal to or greater than the stored number of ejections, the process proceeds to step S408.

[0050] In step S403, wiping is performed. The wiping unit and the print head are moved as described in FIG. 8. Next, in step S404, the maximum value of the number of ejection shots counted for each ejection port array in step S401 is read out. Then, in step S405, a determination step is performed in which the read out count and an equation or table that associates the size of the ink adhesion area and the number of ejection shots, which is separately stored in ROM 604, are used to determine the sheet feed amount. The equation or table that is stored in ROM 604 may directly associate the sheet feed amount with the number of ejection shots.

[0051] Since it is necessary to present a clean surface of the sheet 204 in the pressing area, the feed amount of the sheet needs to be larger than the size of the ink-adhered area. The formula or table that associates the ejection number count with the amount of ink attached also includes the effects of the ink color, the time from ejection to wiping, and the humidity and temperature of the surrounding environment. Different ink colors have different types and amounts of ink pigment components, resin components, and solvent components, which changes the viscosity and surface tension of the ink. Generally, the lower the viscosity and surface tension, the more difficult it is for the ejected ink droplets to gather together, and the more mist is generated. As the amount of mist generated increases, the amount of ink that adheres to the liquid ejection surface also increases, and the amount of ink that adheres to the sheet surface during wiping increases.

[0052] After the feed amount of the sheet is determined in step S405, the sheet is fed in step S406. Note that in this embodiment, the sheet is fed immediately after wiping, but it may be fed immediately before the next wiping.

[0053] Then, in step S407, the ejection count value of each ejection port array is cleared to match the adhesion state of the ejection port surface after wiping with the ejection count value. In step S408, it is determined whether printing has finished, and if printing has not finished, the process returns to the ejection count step S401, and if printing has finished, the printing operation is completed in step S409.

[0054] Note that wiping operations are also performed when the printer is not in printing mode. One example is during suction recovery. Suction recovery is a sequence in which, when ink cannot be ejected due to drying or thickening of ink, the ink is sucked out to expel the dried or thickened ink from the nozzles, making it possible to eject ink from the nozzles. Since the nozzle surface is dirty with ink after suction recovery, wiping is performed to clean the nozzle surface. At this time, the feed amount after wiping is determined by converting the suction recovery time and suction strength into the number of ejections.

[0055] In the present embodiment, the number of ejected ink droplets is counted to determine whether or not wiping should be performed, but the present invention is not limited to this as long as the information is related to the ejection amount. For example, the ejection amount itself may be acquired, and the feed amount may be determined based on the acquired information.

[0056] Figure 10 shows the formula that correlates the ejection shot count with the amount of ink attached to the sheet. The sheet feed amount is the value of the color that maximizes the product of the droplet adhesion amount and the spread rate on the sheet, plus a margin. The droplet adhesion amount is the amount of ink that adheres to the liquid ejection surface, and the calculated value is shown in Figure 11.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 11, the droplet adhesion amount per ejection in this embodiment was 1E-4 [pl] for cyan, 3E-4 [pl] for magenta, 2E-4 [pl] for yellow, and 1E-4 [pl] for black. The droplet adhesion amount per ejection was measured at an environmental temperature of 40° C. and an environmental humidity of 50%. The droplet adhesion amount is obtained by determining the amount of ink adhesion to the ejection port surface of the liquid ejection head 200 from the weight change of the recording medium or the liquid ejection head 200 on which the image was recorded, after the ink is attached to the ejection port surface after ejection multiple times, and dividing the amount by the number of ejections. Here, it is assumed that the ink attached to the ejection port surface of the liquid ejection head is completely absorbed by the sheet by wiping. The droplet adhesion amount of each color varies depending on the ink components, such as the amount of solvent contained and the amount of pigment components.

[0058] Next, the spread rate on the sheet in FIG. 11 is expressed by how far [mm] the ink spreads with 1 [pl] of ink attached. In this embodiment, it was 1E-3 [mm / pl] for cyan and magenta, and 2E-3 [mm / pl] for yellow and black. The amount of ink spread on the sheet also varies depending on the ink components. For example, the lower the surface tension of the ink, the higher the spread rate on the sheet. Furthermore, it also varies depending on the material of the sheet. When the sheet is a nonwoven fabric, the fibers have a mesh structure, and the finer the mesh, the stronger the capillary force that absorbs the ink, so the ink spreads more easily on the sheet. In addition, the sheet may be impregnated with a solvent or moisturizing liquid, and in this case, the higher the solubility of the impregnating liquid and the ink, the greater the ink spread on the sheet.

[0059] Using Figures 10 and 11, we will examine the spread of ink on the sheet and the feeding of the sheet. For example, when a certain printing is being performed continuously, the number of ejected shots immediately before wiping is 2E4 for cyan, 4E4 for magenta, 1E4 for yellow, and 1E4 for black. Note that the setting is that wiping is performed when the number of ejected shots reaches 4E4 for each row. With 512 ejection ports per row, an environmental temperature of 40°C, and an environmental humidity of 50%, the product of the liquid adhesion amount and the spread rate on the sheet is the largest for magenta, at 6.144 mm. The margin is set to 1.0 mm, and the fraction is rounded up, resulting in a sheet feed amount of 8.0 mm. After wiping, printing is continued, and the number of ejected shots accumulated until the next wiping is 2E4 for cyan, 2E4 for magenta, 2E4 for yellow, and 2E4 for black. With 512 ejection ports per row, an environmental temperature of 40°C, and an environmental humidity of 50%, the product of the liquid adhesion amount and the spread rate on the sheet is the largest for yellow, at 4.096 mm. With a margin of 1 mm and the decimal point rounded up, the sheet feed amount is calculated to be 6.0 mm. As described above, by determining the feed amount of the sheet 204 using the ejection shot count value before wiping, it is possible to change the sheet feed amount for each wiping. The unused area of ​​the sheet does not become large, and a clean sheet surface can always be provided at the wiping position. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of sheet usage while removing ink adhesion to the ejection port surface that causes ejection defects by wiping.

[0060] (Comparative Example) Fig. 12 shows a comparative example. Fig. 12(a) shows the surface of the sheet 204 after wiping in a case where a clean surface of the sheet 204 can be placed at the wiping position even when the amount of attached ink is at its maximum, and the feed amount of the sheet 204 is fixed at the maximum expected feed amount 213. When the amount of attached ink in a certain ejection port array is large, there is no waste in the amount of sheet usage, but when there is not much difference in the amount of attached ink between the ejection port arrays, the feed amount of the sheet 204 becomes unnecessarily large, and the unused area of ​​the sheet 204 increases.

[0061] The feed amount is calculated from the formula in Figure 11 and Figure 8(j). When the number of ejected shots is the same for each color, the ink spread on the sheet surface is greatest in the yellow row. In other words, the condition where the number of shots ejected up until just before wiping is yellow: 4E4 shots is the greatest, and the sheet feed amount is 10.0 mm including a 1.0 mm margin. It can be seen that more feed is required compared to when the feed amount is changed according to the number of ejected shots. This shows that the sheet usage efficiency is poor.

[0062] FIG. 12B shows the surface of the sheet 204 after wiping when the feed amount of the sheet 204 is fixed at the minimum feed amount 214 assumed based on the case where the amount of ink adhesion is small. When the amount of ink adhesion is not significantly different between the ejection port rows, the feed amount of the sheet 204 is not wasted, and a clean surface of the sheet 204 can be set as the wiping position. However, when the amount of ink adhesion becomes locally large in a certain ejection port row, the feed amount of the sheet 204 is insufficient, and wiping is performed on a dirty surface during the next wiping, which may cause re-adhesion of ink to the ejection port surface or damage. For example, when the feed amount is the smallest, it is assumed that no ink is ejected at all, and the margin is 1.0 mm, but when ink adhesion as shown in FIG. 12A occurs on the sheet, a feed amount of 1.0 mm does not allow the clean surface of the sheet to be used as the next wiping surface.

[0063] Therefore, if the feed amount is kept constant, the unused area of ​​the sheet increases or the feed amount of the sheet becomes insufficient, making it impossible to feed the sheet optimally.

[0064] Second embodiment 13 is a diagram showing the wiping operation of the second embodiment. Note that since the basic wiping operation is similar to that of the first embodiment, differences will be mainly described.

[0065] Fig. 13(a) shows the state of the surface of the sheet 204 before wiping. Fig. 13(b) shows the state after the first wiping. Fig. 13(c) shows the state in which the sheet 204 is fed immediately before the second wiping is performed, and Fig. 13(d) shows the state after the second wiping is completed. What differs from the first embodiment is that the wiping direction is different between the first and second wipings. When the ejection port rows with the maximum amount of ink adhesion are different between the first and second wipings, changing the wiping direction can reduce the amount of feeding of the sheet 204 while keeping the size of the ink adhesion area unchanged.

[0066] 14 shows a flowchart of the wiping operation. This flowchart is executed by the control unit 600 in accordance with a program stored in the ROM 604. For example, the operation starts when the recording device 10 receives a recording instruction from a user.

[0067] Steps S410 to S412 are the same as steps S400 to S402 in Fig. 9. In step S413, the previous and current ejection shot counts are read. Then, in step S414, the maximum ink adhesion amount is found for each column from the ejection shot count values ​​acquired in step S413, and the sheet feed amount is calculated. The method of calculating the sheet feed amount is the same as step S405 in Fig. 9.

[0068] Thereafter, in step S415, the wiping direction is determined. There are forward and reverse directions for wiping, and if the previous wiping was in the forward direction and the ejection port row used to determine the sheet feed amount was different, the wiping direction will be reverse. If the previous wiping was in the reverse direction, the wiping direction will be the forward direction regardless of the ejection port row used to determine the sheet feed amount.

[0069] The wiping direction is determined in step S416. If the wiping direction determined in step S415 is the reverse direction (step S416: NO), proceed to step S419. In step S419, first, the sheet is fed by an amount other than the margin. Next, in step S420, wiping is performed in the reverse direction, and in step S421, the margin is fed.

[0070] In the determination of step S416, if the wiping direction determined in step S415 is the forward direction (step S416: YES), the process proceeds to step S417. In step S417, wiping is performed, and in step S418, the sheet is fed including the margin.

[0071] When step S418 or step S421 is completed, the ejection shot count value is stored in a separate memory area as the previous ejection shot count value in step S422, and the current ejection shot count value is cleared in step S423. In step S424, it is determined whether printing has finished, and if printing has not finished, the process returns to ejection shot count step S411, and if printing has finished, the printing operation is completed in step S425.

[0072] The actual feed amount is calculated from the formula in Figure 11 and Figure 8(j). When a certain print is continuously performed, the number of ejected shots immediately before wiping is 2E4 for cyan, 4E4 for magenta, 1E4 for yellow, and 1E4 for black. With 512 ejection ports per row, an environmental temperature of 40°C, and an environmental humidity of 50%, the product of the liquid adhesion amount and the spread rate on the sheet is the largest for magenta, at 6.144 mm. The margin is set at 1 mm, and the fraction is rounded up, so the sheet feed amount is calculated as 8.0 mm. After wiping, printing is continued, and the number of ejected shots accumulated until the next wiping is 4E4 for cyan, 1E4 for magenta, 1E4 for yellow, and 1E4 for black. With 512 nozzles per row, and under conditions of an environmental temperature of 40°C and an environmental humidity of 50%, the product of the liquid adhesion amount and the spread rate on the sheet is the largest for cyan, at 2.048 mm. With a margin of 1 mm, the fraction is rounded up, and the sheet feed amount is calculated as 4.0 mm. The feed amount for the first and second wipings is 12 mm in total. Here, the color used for the calculated sheet feed amount is different, magenta for the first wiping and cyan for the second wiping. If the colors are different, the wiping direction for the second wiping is changed. First, the feed amount before the second wiping is set. The feed amount is calculated from the nozzle row value where the sum of the first and second feed amounts is maximum, using the first and second ejection shot count values ​​from Figure 11 and Figure 8(j). In this embodiment, the cumulative number of ejections for the first and second times is 6E4 for cyan, 5E4 for magenta, 2E4 for yellow, and 2E4 for black, and the total required feed amount for the first and second times is 5.0 mm for cyan, 4.0 mm for magenta, 6.0 mm for yellow, and 4.0 mm for black. Therefore, wiping and feeding are performed based on 6.0 mm for yellow. Since a feed of 3.0 mm is required for the second wiping of yellow, the sheet is first fed 3.0 mm. Next, the wiping start position and wiping direction are changed, and wiping is performed. Then, the width of the sheet used for the first and second wiping is 6.0 mm, and the amount of sheet used can be saved compared to the case where the wiping direction is the same.

[0073] As described above, by determining the feed amount of the sheet 204 using the count value of the number of ejected shots before wiping, it is possible to change the feed amount of the sheet for each wiping. The unused area of ​​the sheet does not become large, and a clean sheet surface can always be provided at the wiping position. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of sheet usage while removing ink adhesion to the ejection port surface that causes ejection defects by wiping.

[0074] (Third embodiment) FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a third embodiment.

[0075] FIG. 15(a) shows a panel display for setting wiping, and the user can set one of two modes, "energy saving mode" and "normal mode". If the user wants to change the setting, the user can display the screen of FIG. 15(a) and reselect the setting. The wiping method shown in the first and second embodiments is called "energy saving mode", and the wiping method shown in FIG. 13(a) of the comparative example is called "normal mode". Note that the method shown in FIG. 13(b) of the comparative example is not used because wiping may result in wiping with the ink of the sheet adhering to the discharge port surface of the print head 200. The "energy saving mode" has the advantage of being able to reduce the amount of sheet usage, and the "normal mode" has the advantage of being able to reduce the time required to calculate the feed amount of the sheet.

[0076] Fig. 15(b) shows a screen display to which the transition occurs when the "normal mode" is selected in Fig. 15(a). The user is notified that the wiper unit may need to be replaced more frequently than in the "energy saving mode", and the user is made aware of the maintainability of the wiping unit 203 before selecting a mode.

[0077] FIG. 15(c) shows the estimated remaining number of prints until the wipe unit 203 is replaced, which is displayed regardless of whether the "energy saving mode" or the "normal mode" is selected. By notifying the user of the remaining number of prints until replacement, the user can purchase a replacement part without delay. Furthermore, when the remaining estimated number of prints becomes smaller than a predetermined value, the user may be prompted to prepare a replacement part for the wiper unit. The estimated remaining number of prints is calculated by subtracting the integrated feed amount from the total length of the sheet, dividing it by the feed amount setting value in the normal mode to calculate the remaining number of wipings, and multiplying it by the number of prints per wiping. The reason for dividing by the feed amount setting value in the normal mode is that the feed amount when using the energy saving mode varies depending on the situation and is difficult to estimate. From the above, the user can set the energy saving mode in which the feed amount of the sheet can be adjusted for each wiping. When the energy saving mode is selected, the amount of sheet usage can be reduced while removing ink adhesion to the ejection port surface that causes ejection defects due to wiping.

[0078] <Summary of the embodiment> Some features exemplified in the embodiments are summarized as follows: (Configuration 1) a recording means having a discharge port surface on which a plurality of discharge port arrays are formed, each of which has a plurality of discharge ports arranged therein for discharging ink; a wiping means for wiping the ejection port surface, the wiping means including a sheet-shaped wiping member for wiping the ejection port surface; a control means for controlling the wiping means so that the wiping means and the recording means move relatively in a direction in which the nozzle array is arranged, the wiping means performs a wiping operation for wiping the nozzle face, and thereafter, the wiping member is sent so that the wiping member can be wiped in a new area in the next wiping operation; acquiring information regarding the ejection amount of each of the ejection port arrays; having The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means determines a feed amount for feeding the wiping member after the wiping operation based on the information regarding the ejection amount acquired by the acquisition means.

[0079] (Configuration 2) The recording device described in configuration 1, wherein the control means determines the feed amount after the wiping operation by using an equation or a table that corresponds the information regarding the ejection amount acquired by the acquisition means to the size of the ink adhesion area on the wiping member.

[0080] (Configuration 3) The recording device described in configuration 2, wherein the control means derives the size of the ink adhesion area on the wiping member using an equation or a table that corresponds the information on the ejection amount acquired by the acquisition means to the size of the ink adhesion area on the wiping member, and determines the feed amount after the wiping operation based on the derived ink adhesion area.

[0081] (Configuration 4) 4. The recording apparatus according to configuration 3, wherein the feed amount is greater than the size of the ink-adhered area on the wiping member.

[0082] (Configuration 5) 5. The recording apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the operation of feeding the wiping member is performed immediately after the wiping operation.

[0083] (Configuration 6) 5. The recording apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the operation of feeding the wiping member is performed immediately before the wiping operation.

[0084] (Configuration 7) 7. The recording apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein the information on the ejection amount is information on the ejection amount after a previous wiping operation.

[0085] (Configuration 8) 8. The recording apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, wherein the information regarding the ejection amount is the number of ejections.

[0086] (Configuration 9) The recording apparatus according to configuration 7 or 8, characterized in that the feed amount after the wiping operation is determined based on information about the ejection amount of the ejection port array having the largest ejection amount among the plurality of pieces of information about the ejection amounts acquired by the acquisition means.

[0087] (Configuration 10) The recording device described in configuration 9, characterized in that when the ejection port row with the highest ejection volume acquired by the acquisition means is different from the ejection port row with the highest ejection volume acquired during the previous wiping operation, the control means performs the wiping operation to wipe the recording means in a direction opposite to the wiping operation direction of the previous wiping operation on the recording means.

[0088] (Configuration 11) The recording device described in configuration 10, characterized in that when the nozzle row with the highest ejection volume acquired by the acquisition means is different from the nozzle row with the highest ejection volume acquired during the previous wiping operation, the control means controls the wiping means so that the feed amount after the wiping operation is smaller than when the nozzle row with the highest ejection volume acquired by the acquisition means is the same as the nozzle row with the highest ejection volume acquired during the previous wiping operation.

[0089] (Configuration 12) the recording means is capable of ejecting ink of a plurality of colors; 12. The recording apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 11, wherein the feed amount is changed depending on the color of the ink even if the information regarding the ejection amount is the same.

[0090] (Configuration 13) 13. The recording apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 12, wherein the feed amount is changed depending on the time from when the ink is ejected to when the wiping operation is performed.

[0091] (Configuration 14) 14. The recording apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 13, wherein the feed amount is changed depending on the temperature and humidity of the surrounding environment.

[0092] (Configuration 15) 15. The recording apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 14, wherein the wiping operation can be set to either an energy saving mode or a normal mode.

[0093] (Configuration 16) 16. The recording apparatus according to configuration 15, wherein when the user selects the normal mode, a notification is given that there is a possibility that the frequency of replacement of the wiping member may increase.

[0094] (Configuration 17) 17. The recording apparatus according to configuration 16, further comprising a notification of an estimated remaining number of printed sheets until the wiping member is replaced.

[0095] (Configuration 18) 18. The recording apparatus according to configuration 17, wherein the estimated remaining number of prints is calculated based on the integrated value of the feed amount.

[0096] (Configuration 19) The recording device described in configuration 18, characterized in that the estimated remaining number of printed sheets is calculated by subtracting the integrated value of the feed amount from the total length of the wiping member, dividing the result by the set value of the feed amount in the normal mode to calculate the remaining number of wiping operations, and multiplying the result by the number of printed sheets for each wiping operation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1 sheet 2 Operation Panel 100 Printing device 200 Liquid ejection head 203 Wiping unit 204 Wiping material

Claims

1. a recording means having a discharge port surface on which a plurality of discharge port arrays are formed, each of which has a plurality of discharge ports arranged therein for discharging ink; a wiping means for wiping the ejection port surface, the wiping means including a sheet-shaped wiping member for wiping the ejection port surface; a control means for controlling the wiping means so that the wiping means and the recording means move relatively in a direction in which the nozzle array is arranged, the wiping means performs a wiping operation for wiping the nozzle face, and thereafter, the wiping member is sent so that the wiping member can be wiped in a new area in the next wiping operation; acquiring information regarding the ejection amount of each of the ejection port arrays; having The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means determines a feed amount for feeding the wiping member after the wiping operation based on the information regarding the ejection amount acquired by the acquisition means.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means determines the feed amount after the wiping operation using an equation or table that corresponds the information regarding the ejection amount acquired by the acquisition means to the size of the ink adhesion area on the wiping member.

3. The recording device according to claim 2, wherein the control means derives the size of the ink adhesion area on the wiping member using an equation or table that corresponds the information on the ejection amount acquired by the acquisition means to the size of the ink adhesion area on the wiping member, and determines the feed amount after the wiping operation based on the derived ink adhesion area.

4. 4. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the feed amount is greater than the size of the ink-adhered area on the wiping member.

5. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation of feeding the wiping member is performed immediately after the wiping operation.

6. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation of feeding the wiping member is performed immediately before the wiping operation.

7. 7. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information on the ejection amount is information on the ejection amount after a previous wiping operation.

8. 8. The recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the information regarding the ejection amount is the number of ejections.

9. 9. A recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the feed amount after the wiping operation is determined based on information on the ejection amount of the ejection port array having the largest ejection amount among the information on the multiple ejection amounts acquired by the acquisition means.

10. The recording device according to claim 9, characterized in that, when the nozzle row with the highest ejection volume acquired by the acquisition means is different from the nozzle row with the highest ejection volume acquired during the previous wiping operation, the control means performs the wiping operation to wipe the recording means in a direction opposite to the wiping direction of the previous wiping operation on the recording means.

11. The recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, when the nozzle row with the highest ejection volume acquired by the acquisition means is different from the nozzle row with the highest ejection volume acquired during the previous wiping operation, the control means controls the wiping means so that the feed amount after the wiping operation is smaller than when the nozzle row with the highest ejection volume acquired by the acquisition means is the same as the nozzle row with the highest ejection volume acquired during the previous wiping operation.

12. the recording means is capable of ejecting ink of a plurality of colors; 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the feed amount is changed depending on the color of the ink even if the information regarding the ejection amount is the same.

13. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the feed amount is changed depending on the time from when the ink is ejected until when the wiping operation is performed.

14. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the feed amount is changed depending on the temperature and humidity of the surrounding environment.

15. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wiping operation can be set to either an energy saving mode or a normal mode.

16. 16. The recording apparatus according to claim 15, wherein, when a user selects the normal mode, a notification is given that there is a possibility that the frequency of replacement of the wiping member will increase.

17. 17. The recording apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a notification of an estimated remaining number of printed sheets until the wiping member is replaced.

18. 18. The recording apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the estimated remaining number of prints is calculated based on an integrated value of the feed amount.

19. The recording device according to claim 18, characterized in that the estimated remaining number of printed sheets is calculated by subtracting the integrated value of the feed amount from the total length of the wiping member, dividing the result by the set value of the feed amount in the normal mode to calculate the remaining number of wiping operations, and multiplying the result by the number of printed sheets for each wiping operation.

20. a wiping step of moving a recording means having an ejection port surface on which a plurality of ejection port arrays are formed, in which a plurality of ejection port arrays for ejecting ink are arranged, and a wiping means having a sheet-like wiping member for wiping the ejection port surface and capable of wiping the ejection port surface, relative to the ejection port arrays in a direction in which the ejection port arrays are arranged, to cause the wiping means to perform a wiping operation of wiping the ejection port surface; a feed step of controlling the wiping means to feed the wiping member so as to be able to wipe a new area in a next wiping operation after the wiping step; acquiring information regarding the ejection amount of each of the ejection port arrays; a determining step of determining a feed amount for feeding the wiping member after the wiping operation based on information regarding the discharge amount obtained in the obtaining step; having A wiping method, wherein in the feeding step, the feed amount determined in the determining step is fed.

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