Liquid discharge device

Abstract

To arrange a cleaning unit for automatically cleaning a head with high location accuracy.SOLUTION: A liquid discharge device comprises a cleaning unit and a positional alignment member. The cleaning unit comprises: a head which moves in a main scanning direction, and discharges a liquid; a table which can move in a sub-scanning direction crossing the main scanning direction; a wall part which extends in the sub-scanning direction and a vertical direction on a lateral side of the table; and a cleaning member which cleans the head; and is removably fixed to the wall part, and can move the cleaning member with respect to the head by movement of the table. The positional alignment member is provided on the wall part, and aligns the cleaning unit at a prescribed position with respect to the wall part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes moving a carriage and a head to a maintenance area and performing maintenance on the head in the maintenance area.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Conventionally, an operator manually cleaned the head (see, for example, FIG. 3C of Patent Document 1). However, in the cleaning operation by the operator, variations in the quality of cleaning are likely to occur. On the other hand, when the head is automatically cleaned, although variations in the quality of cleaning can be suppressed, it is necessary to arrange a cleaning unit for automatically cleaning the head with high positional accuracy.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to arrange a cleaning unit for automatically cleaning a head with high positional accuracy.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The main invention for achieving the above object is a liquid ejection device including a head that moves in a main scanning direction to eject liquid, a table that is movable in a sub-scanning direction intersecting the main scanning direction, a wall portion that extends in the sub-scanning direction and the vertical direction on a side of the table, a cleaning member that cleans the head, a cleaning unit that is removably fixed to the wall portion and is configured to be movable relative to the head by the movement of the table, and an alignment member that is provided on the wall portion and aligns the cleaning unit to a predetermined position with respect to the wall portion.

[0007] Other features of the present invention will be clarified by the description in this specification.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to arrange a cleaning unit for automatically cleaning the head with high positional accuracy.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

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Figure 16

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] ===Embodiment=== <Configuration of the Liquid Discharge Device 100> Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of the liquid discharge device 100. Figure 2 is a block diagram of the liquid discharge device 100.

[0011] In the following description, the moving direction of the head 20 that discharges the liquid (the moving direction of the carriage 31) is defined as the "left - right direction". When viewed from the operator who operates the liquid ejection device 100, the right - hand side is defined as "right", and the opposite side is defined as "left". Note that the left - right direction may also be referred to as the "main scanning direction" or the "first direction". The direction perpendicular to the mounting surface on which the liquid ejection device 100 is placed is defined as the "up - down direction". When viewed from the mounting surface, the side of the liquid ejection device 100 is defined as "up", and the opposite side is defined as "down". The up - down direction is parallel to the vertical direction. The direction perpendicular to both the up - down direction and the left - right direction is defined as the "front - back direction". When viewed from the liquid ejection device 100, the side of the operator is defined as "front", and the opposite side is defined as "back". Note that the front - back direction may also be referred to as the "sub - scanning direction" or the "second direction", and the up - down direction may also be referred to as the "third direction". The up - down direction and the front - back direction intersect the left - right direction (the moving direction of the head 20).

[0012] The liquid ejection device 100 is a device that ejects liquid from the head 20. Here, the liquid ejection device 100 is an ink - jet printing device (ink - jet printer) that ejects ink onto a three - dimensional structure (the object to be printed). However, the liquid ejection device 100 is not limited to a printing device and may be, for example, a 3D printer. The liquid ejection device 100 includes a wall portion 10, a head 20, a carriage unit 30, a table unit 40, and a control unit 50.

[0013] The wall portion 10 is a wall - shaped part that extends in the front - back direction (sub - scanning direction) and the up - down direction on the side of the table 41. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the wall portion 10 constitutes a side frame that supports the guide frame 1A provided with a guide rail 33 (described later). However, the wall portion 10 is not limited to a member that supports the guide frame 1A. The wall portion 10 has a wall surface parallel to the up - down direction and the front - back direction (a wall surface perpendicular to the left - right direction). Here, the wall portion 10 is arranged on the left side of the liquid ejection space. However, the wall portion 10 may be arranged on the right side of the liquid ejection space. A cleaning unit 60 (described later) will be attached to the wall portion 10.

[0014] The head 20 is a member that discharges liquid. The head 20 is disposed on the lower surface of the carriage 31 and is movable in the left - right direction together with the carriage 31.

[0015] FIGS. 3A and 3B are explanatory views of the head 20. FIG. 3A is an explanatory view of the cover member 22. FIG. 3B is an explanatory view of the guard member 23. In FIG. 3A, the cover member 22 is shown in a sand - like pattern. In FIG. 3B, the guard member 23 is shown in a sand - like pattern.

[0016] The head 20 has a nozzle plate 21 and a cover member 22.

[0017] The nozzle plate 21 is a plate provided with nozzles for discharging liquid. A plurality of nozzle rows 21A are provided on the nozzle plate 21. The nozzle row 21A is composed of a plurality of nozzles arranged in the front - rear direction. The plurality of nozzle rows 21A are arranged side by side in the left - right direction.

[0018] The cover member 22 is a member that covers the edge of the nozzle plate 21. The cover member 22 is formed by bending a metal sheet. The cover member 22 has a pair of cover parts 22A parallel to the front - rear direction. The pair of cover parts 22A are parts that cover the left edge and the right edge of the nozzle plate 21 respectively. The cover part 22A is configured to cover the corners of the lower surface and the side surface (right or left side surface) of the head 20.

[0019] The head 20 protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the carriage 31. Therefore, when the head 20 moves in the left - right direction, for example, a printed object or the like may come into contact with the head 20, and the head 20 may be damaged. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3B, a guard member 23 is provided.

[0020] The guard member 23 is a member that protects the head 20. The guard member 23 is a member provided so as to surround the head 20. The guard member 23 is fixed to the bottom surface of the carriage 31 and protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the carriage 31 together with the head 20. By arranging the guard member 23 on the outer sides in the left - right direction of the head 20, the head 20 is protected.

[0021] The carriage unit 30 is a unit (mechanism) that moves the carriage 31 in the left - right direction. The carriage unit 30 includes the carriage 31 and the carriage drive motor 32. The carriage 31 mounts the head 20 and is configured to be movable in the left - right direction. The carriage 31 is guided in the left - right direction by the guide rail 33. The guide rail 33 is provided on the guide frame 1A, and the guide frame 1A is supported by the side frame constituted by the wall portion 10. The carriage drive motor 32 is a drive source for moving the carriage 31. The carriage unit 30 has a transmission mechanism (not shown; for example, gears, pulleys, belts, etc.) for transmitting the driving force of the carriage drive motor 32 to the carriage 31. By the carriage unit 30 moving the carriage 31 in the left - right direction, the head 20 moves in the left - right direction.

[0022] The table unit 40 is a unit (mechanism) that moves the table 41 in the vertical and front-rear directions. The table unit 40 includes the table 41, a front-rear drive motor 42, a lifting platform 43, and a lifting drive motor 44. The table 41 is a member movable in a direction (vertical and front-rear directions) intersecting the moving direction of the head 20. The table 41, for example, mounts the object to be printed. The table 41 is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the lifting platform 43 and is configured to be movable in the vertical direction together with the lifting platform 43. The front-rear drive motor 42 is a drive source for moving the table 41. The lifting platform 43 is a member for moving the table 41 in the vertical direction. The lifting drive motor 44 is a drive source for moving the lifting platform 43. The lifting platform 43 is provided with the front-rear drive motor 42 and a transmission mechanism (not shown; for example, a feed screw mechanism, etc.) for transmitting the driving force of the front-rear drive motor 42 to the table 41. The table unit 40 drives the front-rear drive motor 42 to move the table 41 with respect to the lifting platform 43, thereby moving the table 41 in the front-rear direction. Also, the table unit 40 drives the lifting drive motor 44 to move the lifting platform 43 in the vertical direction, thereby moving the table 41 in the vertical direction.

[0023] The control unit 50 is in charge of controlling the liquid ejection device 100. The control unit 50, for example, has an arithmetic processing device and a storage device (not shown), and the arithmetic processing device executes a program stored in the storage device. The control unit 50 includes a printing control unit 51 and a cleaning control unit 52. The printing control unit 51 controls each part of the liquid ejection device 100 based on a printing command from an external computer and causes the liquid ejection device 100 to perform a printing operation. The cleaning control unit 52 controls each part of the liquid ejection device 100 and causes the cleaning operation described later to be performed.

[0024] <Cleaning unit 60> Conventionally, an operator manually cleaned the head 20 using a cleaning member. However, in manual cleaning operations, variations in the quality of cleaning are likely to occur. Therefore, in the liquid ejection apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the head 20 is cleaned by a cleaning unit 60 including a cleaning member 70. By automatically cleaning the head 20 using the cleaning unit 60, variations in the quality of cleaning can be suppressed. By the way, when cleaning the head 20 with the cleaning member of the cleaning member mounted on the table 41, it is necessary to attach the cleaning member to the table 41 with high positional accuracy. However, it is difficult to attach the cleaning member to the movable table 41 with high positional accuracy. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the cleaning unit 60 will be attached to the wall portion 10 (a non-movable member). Hereinafter, the configuration of the cleaning unit 60 and the cleaning operation using the cleaning unit 60 will be described.

[0025] FIG. 4A is an explanatory view of the cleaning unit 60 in a state of being attached to the wall portion 10. FIG. 4B is an explanatory view of the cleaning unit 60 before being attached to the wall portion 10. FIG. 5A is an explanatory view of the cleaning unit 60. FIG. 5B is an exploded view of the cleaning unit 60. FIGS. 6A to 6C are orthographic projection views of the cleaning unit 60. FIGS. 7A and 7B are explanatory views of the state before and after the moving body 65 moves with respect to the base member 61. In addition, FIGS. 7A and 7B also show the state of the spring 67 (see FIG. 5B) extending.

[0026] The cleaning unit 60 is a unit (mechanism) for cleaning the head 20 with the cleaning member 70. The cleaning unit 60 is configured to be detachable from the wall portion 10. Further, the cleaning member 70 is detachably attached to the cleaning unit 60. During maintenance, an operator attaches the cleaning unit 60 to the wall portion 10, and then automatically cleans the head 20 using the cleaning unit 60.

[0027] The cleaning member 70 is a member for cleaning the head 20. As shown in FIG. 5B, the cleaning member 70 is a member like a cotton swab. The cleaning member 70 includes a cleaning body 71 and a rod portion 72.

[0028] The cleaning body 71 is a part that comes into contact with the object to be cleaned. By bringing the cleaning body 71 into contact with the object to be cleaned, the object to be cleaned will be cleaned. The cleaning body 71 is composed of a member (absorbent) that absorbs liquid. Here, a cleaning liquid is applied to the cleaning body 71 in advance, and the head 20 (object to be cleaned) is cleaned by bringing the cleaning body 71 that has absorbed the cleaning liquid into contact with the head 20. However, the head 20 may also be cleaned by bringing the dry cleaning body 71 into contact with the head 20 to cause the ink adhering to the head 20 to be absorbed by the cleaning body 71. The diameter of the cleaning body 71 is larger than the diameter of the rod portion 72. This makes it easier to bring the cleaning body 71 into contact with the object to be cleaned without bringing the rod portion 72 into contact with the object to be cleaned. As shown in FIG. 6B, when the cleaning body 71 is attached to the moving body 65, the upper edge of the cleaning body 71 is located above the upper surface of the moving body 65. This makes it easier to bring the cleaning body 71 into contact with the object to be cleaned without bringing the moving body 65 into contact with the object to be cleaned.

[0029] The rod portion 72 is a rod-shaped part. The cleaning body 71 is provided at the tip (rear end) of the rod portion 72. The rod portion 72 serves as a part for attaching the cleaning member 70 to the cleaning unit 60 (moving body 65). As shown in FIG. 5B, the cleaning member 70 is attached to the cleaning unit 60 such that the rod portion 72 is parallel in the front-rear direction.

[0030] The cleaning unit 60 includes a base member 61 and a moving body 65.

[0031] The base member 61 is a member that is removably fixed to the wall portion 10. The base member 61 mounts the moving body 65 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The base member 61 has a fixing portion 62 and a mounting portion 63.

[0032] The fixing portion 62 is a portion fixed to the wall portion 10. The fixing portion 62 is a plate-like portion perpendicular to the vertical direction (a plate-like portion parallel to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction). An upper plate portion 12 perpendicular to the vertical direction is provided on the upper portion of the wall portion 10. With the fixing portion 62 placed on the upper surface of the top plate portion 12, the fixing portion 62 is fixed to the top plate portion 12 by fixing screws 621 (see FIGS. 4A and 4B). Thereby, the cleaning unit 60 (base member 61) is fixed to the wall portion 10. Note that since the top plate portion 12 has a shape extending in the front-rear direction with a predetermined length (predetermined width) in the left-right direction (described later; see FIGS. 11A and 12), by fixing the fixing portion 62 on the top plate portion 12, the base member 61 can be stably fixed to the wall portion 10.

[0033] The fixing portion 62 of the base member 61 has a hole 62A (see FIGS. 4B and 5B) through which the fixing screw 621 is inserted and a pair of protruding pieces 62B. The protruding piece 62B is a portion protruding downward from the fixing portion 62. The protruding piece 62B is formed by bending a sheet metal constituting the fixing portion 62. The protruding piece 62B is to be inserted into an insertion port 121 provided in the top plate portion 12 (see FIG. 4A). The pair of protruding pieces 62B are arranged apart in the front-rear direction. By inserting the pair of protruding pieces 62B into the pair of insertion ports 121 of the top plate portion 12 respectively, the fixing portion 62 and the wall portion 10 are aligned, and the base member 61 is fixed to the wall portion 10 at a predetermined position by the fixing screw 621. Note that as will be described later, the protruding piece 62B is to be inserted into a slit 831 of the alignment member 81. By inserting the pair of protruding pieces 62B into the pair of slits 831 respectively, the base member 61 will be fixed to the wall portion 10 at a predetermined position with high accuracy. The mounting structure for mounting the cleaning unit 60 (base member 61) will be described later.

[0034] The placing portion 63 is a portion for placing the moving body 65 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. Note that as will be described later, the moving body 65 may move upward (separate; float) with respect to the placing portion 63. The placing portion 63 has a placing surface 63A, a through hole 63B, a spring retaining portion 63C, and a restricting portion 63D.

[0035] The placement surface 63A is a part for placing the moving body 65. The placement surface 63A has a surface perpendicular to the vertical direction. The placement surface 63A serves as a sliding surface on which the moving body 65 slides.

[0036] The insertion hole 63B is a through hole for inserting the protruding portions 652 (described later; the front protruding portion 652A and the rear protruding portion 652B) of the moving body 65. The insertion hole 63B is configured such that the moving body 65 can move in the front-rear direction with the protruding portions 652 of the moving body 65 inserted therethrough. The insertion hole 63B for inserting the front protruding portion 652A is configured in a groove shape along the front-rear direction. Among the edges of the insertion hole 63B, the edges parallel to the front-rear direction function as guide portions for guiding the moving body 65 in the front-rear direction.

[0037] The spring retaining portion 63C is a part for retaining the rear end of the spring 67 and is provided on the placement surface 63A. Note that the front end of the spring 67 is retained by the spring retaining portion 656 (see FIGS. 7A and 7B) of the moving body 65. The pair of spring retaining portions 63C are arranged apart in the left-right direction (in FIG. 5B, the right spring retaining portion 63C is not shown).

[0038] The restricting portion 63D is a part for restricting the movement range of the moving body 65. The restricting portion 63D restricts the movement range of the moving body 65 by coming into contact with the moving body 65.

[0039] The moving body 65 is a member that moves in the front-rear direction with respect to the base member 61 while holding the cleaning member 70. The moving body 65 is guided by the base member 61 and is movable in the front-rear direction. By moving the moving body 65, the cleaning member 70 can be moved. The moving body 65 has a holding portion 651, a protruding portion 652, a receiving portion 655, and a spring retaining portion 656.

[0040] The holding part 651 is a part that holds the cleaning member 70. The holding part 651 holds the cleaning member 70 such that the rod part 72 is parallel to the front-rear direction and the cleaning body 71 is on the rear side with respect to the rod part 72. Here, the holding part 651 has an insertion part 651A, a clamping part 651B, and a support part 651C. The insertion part 651A is a part that holds the rear end of the rod part 72. When attaching the cleaning member 70 to the holding part 651, the operator inserts the rear end of the rod part 72 into the insertion part 651A while moving the rod part 72 that is parallel to the front-rear direction forward. The insertion part 651A suppresses the movement of the rear end of the rod part 72 in the left-right direction and the up-down direction, preventing the rear end of the rod part 72 from swaying. The clamping part 651B is a part that clamps the rod part 72 from the left-right direction. The clamping part 651B clamps the rod part 72 at a position closer to the cleaning body 71 than the rear end of the rod part 72. The rod part 72 is held from the left-right direction at positions separated in the front-rear direction by the holding part 651 and the clamping part 651B. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the rod part 72 from bending when the cleaning body 71 receives a force in the left-right direction. The support part 651C is a part that supports the rod part 72 from below. The support part 651C supports the rod part 72 at a position behind the clamping part 651B (on the side of the cleaning body 71). By the support part 651C supporting the rod part 72 near the cleaning body 71, it is possible to suppress the rod part 72 from bending when the cleaning body 71 receives a downward force. When the cleaning body 71 receives a downward force during cleaning, a rotational force with the support part 651C as a fulcrum acts on the rod part 72, but the insertion part 651A suppresses the rear end of the rod part 72 from bouncing upward by pressing the rear end of the rod part 72 from above. Note that the holding part 651 may have a configuration different from the above as long as it can hold the cleaning member 70 on the moving body 65.

[0041] The protruding portion 652 is a part that protrudes downward from the lower surface of the moving body 65 (the surface that contacts the placement surface 63A). The protruding portion 652 is inserted into the insertion hole 63B of the base member 61 and protrudes below the base member 61. Thereby, the protruding portion 652 and the table 41 can be brought into contact with each other below the base member 61. The protruding portion 652 is guided in the front-rear direction by the edge of the insertion hole 63B. The protruding portion 652 has a front protruding portion 652A and a rear protruding portion 652B. The front protruding portion 652A is disposed on the front side of the moving body 65, and the rear protruding portion 652B is disposed on the rear side of the moving body 65. The front protruding portion 652A and the rear protruding portion 652B are each composed of a pair arranged in the left-right direction.

[0042] The protruding portion 652 (the front protruding portion 652A and the rear protruding portion 652B) has a contact portion 653 that contacts the upper surface of the table 41. By moving the table 41 upward while bringing the contact portion 653 into contact with the table 41, the moving body 65 can be moved upward. That is, when the table 41 rises with the upper surface of the table 41 in contact with the contact portion 653, the moving body 65 is lifted by the table 41.

[0043] The front protruding portion 652A has a catching portion 654 that contacts the front edge of the table 41. By moving the table 41 in the front-rear direction while bringing the catching portion 654 into contact with the table 41, the moving body 65 can be moved in the front-rear direction. That is, when the table 41 moves forward with the front edge of the table 41 in contact with the catching portion 654, the moving body 65 is pushed by the table 41 and moves forward.

[0044] The receiving portion 655 is a portion that receives liquid. The receiving portion 655 is configured in a concave shape and can store liquid. When the cleaning member 70 is attached to the holding portion 651, the cleaning body 71 is disposed above the receiving portion 655. By disposing the receiving portion 655 below the cleaning body 71, the receiving portion 655 can receive the liquid falling from the cleaning body 71. Here, the receiving portion 655 has a function of receiving the cleaning liquid for wetting the cleaning body 71. Note that the receiving portion 655 may have a function of preventing the ink (liquid) attached to the head 20 from dripping during cleaning. The moving body 65 may not include the receiving portion 655.

[0045] The spring retaining portion 656 is a portion that retains the front end of the spring 67 (see FIGS. 7A and 7B). As already described, the rear end of the spring 67 is retained by the spring retaining portion 63C of the base member 61 (mounting portion 63). The spring retaining portion 656 of the moving body 65 is disposed on the front side of the spring retaining portion 63C of the base member 61.

[0046] The spring 67 is disposed between the base member 61 and the moving body 65 so that a restoring force acts along the front-rear direction. The spring 67 is disposed in a stretched state between the base member 61 and the moving body 65. Thereby, the spring 67 applies a force toward the rear side to the moving body 65 by the restoring force. When the table 41 is not in contact with the moving body 65, the moving body 65 is in a predetermined position with respect to the base member 61 by the force of the spring 67. Here, a pair of springs 67 are arranged side by side on the left and right. However, the number of springs 67 is not limited to two. Also, the cleaning unit 60 may not be provided with the spring 67.

[0047] FIGS. 8A to 8F are schematic explanatory views of the cleaning operation as viewed from the left-right direction. FIGS. 9A to 9D are schematic explanatory views of the cleaning operation as viewed from the front-rear direction. Each process in the drawings is realized by the cleaning control unit 52 controlling each part of the liquid ejection device 100 after the operator attaches the cleaning unit 60 to the wall portion 10. Note that the attachment structure and attachment method for attaching the cleaning unit 60 to the wall portion 10 will be described later.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 8A and 9A, the cleaning control unit 52 moves the table 41 in the vertical and front - rear directions to bring the front edge of the table 41 into contact with the engaging portion 654 of the moving body 65. At this time, the upper surface of the table 41 and the protruding portion 652 (contact portion 653) of the moving body 65 may be in contact. At this stage, the upper edge of the cleaning body 71 is located below the lower surface of the head 20.

[0049] After the cleaning control unit 52 brings the front edge of the table 41 into contact with the engaging portion 654 of the moving body 65, as shown in FIG. 8B, the cleaning control unit 52 moves the table 41 forward. As a result, the moving body 65 is pushed by the table 41, and the moving body 65 and the cleaning member 70 move forward with respect to the base member 61. Since the cleaning member 70 can be moved using the table 41, the structure of the cleaning unit 60 is simplified compared to the case where the cleaning unit 60 is provided with a moving mechanism for moving the cleaning member 70. When the moving body 65 moves forward with respect to the base member 61 as shown in FIG. 8B, the spring 67 further extends.

[0050] Next, as shown in FIGS. 8C and 9B, the cleaning control unit 52 moves the carriage 31 so that the head 20 (the object to be cleaned) is at a predetermined position in the left - right direction. At this time, the cleaning control unit 52 moves the carriage 31 so that the cleaning position of the head 20 has a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the cleaning body 71 in the left - right direction. The cleaning position of the head 20 will be described later. At this stage, since the upper edge of the cleaning body 71 is located below the lower surface of the head 20, when the carriage 31 is moved in the left - right direction, the head 20 and the cleaning body 71 do not collide.

[0051] After moving the carriage 31 so that the head 20 (the object to be cleaned) reaches a predetermined position, the cleaning control unit 52 moves the table 41 upward as shown in FIGS. 8D and 9C. At this time, the table 41 comes into contact with the protruding portion 652 (contact portion 653). With the upper surface of the table 41 in contact with the contact portion 653 of the moving body 65, when the table 41 moves upward, the moving body 65 and the cleaning member 70 move upward, and the moving body 65 separates (lifts) from the placement portion 63 of the base member 61. The cleaning body 71 after movement is positioned at a height at which the object to be cleaned (head 20) can be cleaned.

[0052] Incidentally, when the table 41 is moved upward, the cleaning body 71 comes into contact with the head 20 (the object to be cleaned). At this time, the cleaning body 71 receives a downward force from the head 20, and a rotational force with the support portion 651C as a fulcrum acts on the rod portion 72. However, the insertion portion 651A of the moving body 65 presses the rear end of the rod portion 72 from above, preventing the rear end of the rod portion 72 from bouncing upward.

[0053] Next, as shown in FIG. 8E, the cleaning control unit 52 moves the table 41 rearward. When the table 41 moves rearward, the moving body 65 and the cleaning member 70 also move rearward due to the restoring force of the spring 67. At this time, the cleaning body 71 moves while in contact with the head 20 (the object to be cleaned), and the head 20 is cleaned. Here, the cleaning liquid on the cleaning body 71 is applied to the head 20. Instead of the cleaning body 71 applying the cleaning liquid to the head 20, the cleaning body 71 may wipe off the ink adhering to the head 20. In this way, the head 20 can be cleaned by sliding the cleaning body 71 and the head 20.

[0054] By the way, if the cleaning body 71 moves while in contact with the head 20 while the moving body 65 is being pushed forward by the table 41, an excessive force may be applied to the head 20. On the other hand, since the cleaning body 71 moves while in contact with the head 20 while the moving body 65 moves backward by the restoring force of the spring 67, it is possible to suppress an excessive force from being applied to the head 20. For this reason, when the moving body 65 is moving by the restoring force of the spring 67, it is desirable that the cleaning body 71 moves while in contact with the head 20 (the object to be cleaned).

[0055] Also, when cleaning the head 20 when the moving body 65 moves forward, there is a possibility that the rod portion 72 of the cleaning member 70 may come out of the insertion portion 651A during cleaning, and the cleaning member 70 may fall off the moving body 65. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8E, by moving the moving body 65 and the cleaning member 70 backward in the direction in which the rod portion 72 of the cleaning member 70 is inserted into the insertion portion 651A to clean the head 20, it is possible to suppress the rod portion 72 of the cleaning member 70 from coming out of the insertion portion 651A during cleaning. Thus, when the insertion portion 651A is configured to move the rod portion 72 forward and insert the rear end of the rod portion 72, it is desirable for the cleaning control unit 52 to clean the head 20 when moving the cleaning member 70 forward. However, when the cleaning member 70 is held by the moving body 65 so as not to fall off, the head 20 can be cleaned regardless of whether the cleaning member 70 moves forward or backward. Also, when the cleaning member 70 is held by the moving body 65 so as not to fall off, the cleaning control unit 52 may reciprocate the cleaning member 70 in the front-rear direction to clean the head 20.

[0056] Next, as shown in FIGS. 8F and 9D, the cleaning control unit 52 moves the table 41 downward. As a result, the moving body 65 and the cleaning member 70 move downward, and the upper edge of the cleaning body 71 is positioned below the lower surface of the head 20. For this reason, when the carriage 31 is moved in the left-right direction, the head 20 and the cleaning body 71 do not collide. When there are a plurality of cleaning locations on the head 20, the cleaning control unit 52 repeats the operations shown in FIGS. 8B to 8F (and FIGS. 9B to 9D).

[0057] FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of an example of a cleaning portion of the head 20. In the figure, the cleaning portion is indicated by an arrow. Here, the cleaning portion is the side surface (left and right side surfaces) of the cover member 22 of the head 20 and the lower surface (lower surface of each of the left and right cover portions 22A) of the cover member 22. Note that there is a step 221 between the cover portion 22A and the nozzle surface, and since ink is likely to adhere to this step 221, it is desirable to clean the step 221 between the cover portion 22A and the nozzle surface. In other words, when the cleaning body 71 is brought into contact with the lower surface of the cover member 22, it is desirable that the cleaning body 71 is positioned at the step 221 between the cover portion 22A and the nozzle surface.

[0058] When the heights of the cleaning portions are different, it is desirable that the cleaning control unit 52 changes the height of the table 41 shown in FIG. 8D according to the height of the cleaning portion. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, since the side surface of the cover member 22 of the head 20 and the lower surface of the cover member 22 have different heights, when the cleaning control unit 52 cleans the side surface of the cover member 22 of the head 20, it is desirable to increase the height of the table 41 shown in FIG. 8D compared to when cleaning the lower surface of the cover member 22.

[0059] The cleaning portion is not limited to the portion shown in FIG. 10. For example, between the nozzle rows 21A of the lower surface of the nozzle plate 21 shown in FIG. 3A or the lower surface of the guard member 23 shown in FIG. 3B may be included in the cleaning portion.

[0060] <Mounting structure> FIGS. 11A and 11B are explanatory views of a mounting structure for mounting the cleaning unit 60. FIG. 11B is an explanatory view seen through the top plate portion 12 of FIG. 11A. FIG. 12 is an exploded view of the mounting structure.

[0061] As already described, the wall portion 10 is provided on the left side of the liquid discharge space (see FIG. 1). The wall portion 10 is provided with a mounting structure for mounting the cleaning unit 60. The mounting structure is composed of the wall portion 10 and the alignment unit 80.

[0062] The wall portion 10 is a member that constitutes the inner wall surface of the liquid discharge space. The wall portion 10 has a wall plate portion 11 and a top plate portion 12.

[0063] The wall plate portion 11 is a plate-shaped member parallel to the vertical direction and the front-rear direction (perpendicular to the left-right direction). Here, the wall plate portion 11 is made of sheet metal. An upwardly bent portion 11A is provided at the upper portion of the wall plate portion 11. The bent portion 11A is a portion where the upper edge of the wall plate portion 11 is bent and has a plate surface perpendicular to the vertical direction (a plate surface parallel to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction). The bent portion 11A serves as a portion for fixing the top plate portion 12.

[0064] The wall plate portion 11 has positioning holes 111 (see FIG. 12). The positioning holes 111 are portions (holes) for positioning the alignment unit 80. By inserting a protrusion 84 (described later) of the alignment unit 80 into the positioning holes 111, the alignment unit 80 can be arranged at a predetermined position in the front-rear direction with respect to the wall portion 10.

[0065] The top plate portion 12 is a plate-shaped member perpendicular to the vertical direction (a plate-shaped member parallel to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction). The top plate portion 12 has a predetermined length (predetermined width) in the left-right direction and has a shape extending in the front-rear direction. The top plate portion 12 is provided at the upper portion of the wall plate portion 11. The top plate portion 12 is fixed to the bent portion 11A by fixing screws 13. The top plate portion 12 serves as a portion for fixing the cleaning unit 60 (base member 61). The top plate portion 12 is arranged above the alignment member 80.

[0066] Here, the wall plate portion 11 and the top plate portion 12 are constituted by separate members, but the structure of the wall portion 10 is not limited to this configuration, and it is sufficient that a top plate portion (a portion perpendicular to the vertical direction) is provided at the upper portion of the wall portion 10. For example, the wall plate portion 11 and the top plate portion 12 may be integrally formed by bending the upper edge of the wall plate portion 11 to form the top plate portion.

[0067] The top plate portion 12 has an insertion port 121. The insertion port 121 has a shape along the front-rear direction. A pair of insertion ports 121 are arranged apart from each other in the front-rear direction on the top plate portion 12. The protruding piece 62B of the base member 61 is inserted into each insertion port 121.

[0068] Figs. 13A to 13C are explanatory views of the state of inserting the protruding piece 62B of the base member 61 into the insertion port 121.

[0069] As shown in Fig. 13A, the tip of the protruding piece 62B protrudes forward from the base of the protruding piece 62B. In other words, the protruding piece 62B is configured in a hook shape and is configured in an L shape (inverted L shape) when viewed from the right side. The portion on the tip side protruding from the base of the protruding piece 62 may be referred to as the "hook-shaped portion". As shown in Figs. 13B and 13C, after inserting the protruding piece 62B into the insertion port 121, the base member 61 (fixing portion 62) is slid forward with respect to the top plate portion 12. As shown in Fig. 13C, when the base member 61 is slid, the tip of the protruding piece 62B can be slid under the top plate portion 12. As a result, the top plate portion 12 is sandwiched between the tip of the protruding piece 62B and the fixing portion 62, and the hook-shaped portion (the portion on the tip side protruding from the base) of the protruding piece 62B engages with the top plate portion 12, so that the base member 61 (fixing portion 62) is less likely to shift in the vertical direction with respect to the wall portion 10 (top plate portion 12). As described above, by disposing the tip (hook-shaped portion) of the hook-shaped protruding piece 62B under the top plate portion 12, it becomes easier to stably fix the base member 61 to the wall portion 10. Note that the protruding piece 62B does not have to be configured in a hook shape. Also, after inserting the protruding piece 62B into the insertion port 121, the base member 61 (fixing portion 62) does not have to be configured to be slid with respect to the top plate portion 12.

[0070] Fig. 14A is an explanatory view of the alignment unit 80. Fig. 14B is an exploded view of the alignment unit 80.

[0071] The alignment unit 80 is a member for aligning the cleaning unit 60 (base member 61) to a predetermined position with respect to the wall portion 10. The alignment unit 80 includes an alignment member 81 and a sensor 86.

[0072] The alignment member 81 is a member that forms the main body of the alignment unit 80. The alignment member 81 is composed of bent sheet metal. The alignment member 81 has a main body portion 82, a pair of protruding portions 83 (front protruding portion 83A and rear protruding portion 83B), and a protrusion 84.

[0073] The main body portion 82 is a portion fixed to the wall panel portion 11. The main body portion 82 is a plate-shaped portion parallel to the front-rear direction and the up-down direction. By aligning the plate-shaped main body portion 82 with the plate surface (inner wall surface) of the wall panel portion 11, the alignment member 81 can be arranged at a predetermined position in the left-right direction. The plate surface of the main body portion 82 functions as a positioning portion in the left-right direction of the alignment member 81. The main body portion 82 is fixed to the wall panel portion 11 by fixing screws 821. The main body portion 82 has a pair of long holes 82A. The long holes 82A are holes for inserting the fixing screws 821 for fixing the main body portion 82 to the wall panel portion 11. The long holes 82A are narrow in the up-down direction and long in the front-rear direction. The pair of long holes 82A are arranged apart in the front-rear direction. By fixing the alignment member 81 to the wall panel portion 11 by the fixing screws 821 through the pair of long holes 82A, the alignment member 81 can be arranged at a predetermined position in the up-down direction. The long holes 82A (specifically, the upper edge and the lower edge of the long holes 82A) function as positioning portions that define the up-down position of the alignment member 81. Also, the pair of long holes 82A function as positioning portions that define the rotational position about the left-right direction axis of the alignment member 81.

[0074] The protruding portion 83 is a part that protrudes from the end of the main body portion 82. The protruding portion 83 is a plate-shaped part parallel to the left-right direction and the up-down direction. The protruding portion 83 protrudes from the main body portion 82 toward the table 41 side. In other words, the protruding portion 83 protrudes from the main body portion 82 toward the side of the liquid discharge space (here, the right side). The protruding portion 83 is formed by bending the sheet metal that constitutes the main body portion 82. The protruding portions 83 are provided at the front-rear direction ends of the main body portion 82 respectively. In the following description, the protruding portion 83 disposed on the front side may be referred to as the front protruding portion 83A, and the protruding portion 83 disposed on the rear side may be referred to as the rear protruding portion 83B.

[0075] The protruding portion 83 (the front protruding portion 83A and the rear protruding portion 83B) has slits 831 (831A, 831B). The slit 831 has a shape in which the upper edge of the plate-shaped protruding portion 83 is notched downward. The slit 831 is a part for inserting the protruding piece 62B of the base member 61. By inserting the protruding piece 62B of the cleaning unit 60 into the slit 831, the protruding piece 62B can be arranged at a predetermined position in the left-right direction. The slit 831 functions as an alignment part for aligning the left-right position of the cleaning unit 60 (base member 61). Also, the pair of slits 831 functions as an alignment part for aligning the rotational direction position about the up-down direction axis of the cleaning unit 60 (base member 61). Incidentally, the slit 831 of the front protruding portion 83A may be referred to as the front slit 831A, and the slit 831 of the rear protruding portion 83B may be referred to as the rear slit 831B.

[0076] The slit 831 (831A, 831B) is disposed below the insertion port 121 of the top plate portion 12. Therefore, when the protruding piece 62B is inserted into the insertion port 121, the protruding piece 62B will be inserted into the slit 831. Note that the protruding piece 62B may be configured to be directly inserted into the slit 831 without interposing the insertion port 121. However, in this case, it becomes difficult for the operator to insert the protruding piece 62B into the slit 831. On the contrary, by configuring the slit 831 to be disposed below the insertion port 121 of the top plate portion 12 and the protruding piece 62B to be inserted into the slit 831 through the insertion port 121, the slit 831 can regulate the wobbling of the cleaning unit 60 (base member 61), so that it becomes easier for the operator to insert the protruding piece 62B into the slit 831.

[0077] In any state before and after sliding the cleaning unit 60 (base member 61) relative to the top plate portion 12 (see FIGS. 13B and 13C), the slit 831 is arranged so that the protruding piece 62B is inserted into the slit 831. Thereby, the protruding piece 62B can be surely inserted into the slit 831.

[0078] FIG. 15 is a view of the alignment member 81 seen from the front side. The width (inner dimension in the left-right direction) of the rear slit 831B of the rear protruding portion 83B is narrower than the width of the front slit 831A of the front protruding portion 83A. Therefore, the rear slit 831B of the rear protruding portion 83B can define the position of the protruding piece 62B with higher positional accuracy than the front slit 831A of the front protruding portion 83A. In other words, the position of the cleaning unit 60 (base member 61) in the left-right direction is mainly defined by the rear slit 831B of the rear protruding portion 83B. Note that the width of the slit 831 of the front protruding portion 83A is set to be slightly wider than the thickness of the protruding piece 62B in order to provide a play (gap).

[0079] When the widths of a pair of slits 831 arranged apart in the front-rear direction are different, it is desirable that the slit 831 with the smaller width be arranged closer to the head 20 (the object to be cleaned). Thereby, when the cleaning unit 60 is aligned by the pair of slits 831, the position of the cleaning unit 60 can be defined with high positional accuracy with respect to the head 20, so that the object to be cleaned can be cleaned accurately. Here, since the rear slit 831B of the rear overhanging portion 83B is arranged closer to the head 20 than the front slit 831A of the front overhanging portion 83A, it is configured to have a width smaller than that of the slit 831 of the front overhanging portion 83A.

[0080] Also, when the widths of a pair of slits 831 arranged apart in the front-rear direction are different, it is desirable that the slit 831 with the smaller width be arranged closer to the cleaning body 71. Thereby, when the cleaning unit 60 is aligned by the pair of slits 831, the position of the cleaning body 71 can be defined with high positional accuracy, so that the object to be cleaned can be cleaned accurately. Here, since the rear slit 831B of the rear overhanging portion 83B is arranged closer to the cleaning body 71 than the front slit 831A of the front overhanging portion 83A, it is configured to have a width smaller than that of the slit 831 of the front overhanging portion 83A.

[0081] A guide portion 832 is provided above the slit 831. The guide portion 832 is a portion configured to be wider toward the upper side. By providing the guide portion 832 above the slit 831, it becomes easier to insert the protruding piece 62B into the slit 831.

[0082] The protrusion 84 is a portion for positioning the alignment member 81 with respect to the wall portion 10 (wall plate portion 11). The protrusion 84 protrudes from the main body portion 82 toward the side of the wall plate portion 11 (here, the left side; the side opposite to the liquid discharge space side). In other words, the protrusion 84 protrudes toward the side opposite to the overhanging portion 83. The protrusion 84 is configured in a plate shape perpendicular to the front-rear direction. Here, the protrusion 84 is configured to extend from the front overhanging portion 83A. However, the protrusion 84 is not limited to the shape extending from the overhanging portion 83.

[0083] Figs. 16A to 16C are explanatory views of the positioning in the front-rear direction using the protrusion 84. Fig. 16A is a view of the state where the protrusion 84 is inserted into the positioning hole 111 as seen obliquely. Fig. 16B is a view of the state where the protrusion 84 is inserted into the positioning hole 111 as seen from the left. Fig. 16C is a view with the protrusion 84 removed from Fig. 16B and is an explanatory view of the positioning hole 111.

[0084] The wall plate portion 11 is provided with a positioning hole 111. By inserting the protrusion 84 into the positioning hole 111, the alignment member 81 can be arranged at a predetermined position in the front-rear direction. The protrusion 84 and the positioning hole 111 have a function as a positioning portion for positioning the alignment member 81 in the front-rear direction.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 16C, the positioning hole 111 has a pair of first contact portions 111A and a second contact portion 111B. The first contact portion 111A and the second contact portion 111B are portions that come into contact with the protrusion 84 and are portions that define the position of the protrusion 84 in the front-rear direction. Here, the first contact portion 111A is arranged on the rear side of the second contact portion 111B. The pair of first contact portions 111A come into contact with the rear surface of the protrusion 84, and the second contact portion 111B comes into contact with the front surface of the protrusion 84. However, the front-rear positional relationship between the first contact portion 111A and the second contact portion 111B may be reversed. The first contact portion 111A and the second contact portion 111B need to be configured with high positional accuracy. If the first contact portion 111A and the second contact portion 111B are arranged opposite to each other, it is difficult to perform punching processing on the positioning hole 111 so that both the first contact portion 111A and the second contact portion 111B have high positional accuracy. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 16C, when the first contact portion 111A and the second contact portion 111B are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction, the portions facing the first contact portion 111A and the portions facing the second contact portion 111B do not come into contact with the protrusion 84. Therefore, even if the positional accuracy of these portions is low, it is acceptable. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 16C, when the first contact portion 111A and the second contact portion 111B are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction, it becomes possible to perform punching processing on the positioning hole 111 so that the first contact portion 111A and the second contact portion 111B have high positional accuracy. Note that the positioning hole 111 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 16C. For example, the first contact portion 111A and the second contact portion 111B may be arranged opposite to each other. Also, the protrusion 84 may be configured in a pin shape, and the positioning hole 111 may be configured as a round hole.

[0086] The sensor 86 detects whether the cleaning unit 60 is attached to the wall portion 10. Here, the sensor 86 detects whether the protruding piece 62B of the base member 61 is inserted into the slit 831. The sensor 86 is composed of a transmissive optical sensor, and a groove-shaped gap is provided between the light emitting portion 86A and the light receiving portion 86B. When there is no protruding piece 62B between the light emitting portion 86A and the light receiving portion 86B, the light reception amount of the light receiving portion 86B increases, and when there is a protruding piece 62B between the light emitting portion 86A and the light receiving portion 86B, the light reception amount of the light receiving portion 86B decreases. Therefore, based on the detection signal of the sensor 86 (the signal indicating the light reception amount of the light receiving portion 86B), the presence or absence of the protruding piece 62B can be detected.

[0087] Note that the sensor 86 is not limited to an optical sensor as long as it can detect whether the cleaning unit 60 is attached to the wall portion 10. For example, a contact-type mechanical sensor may be used. However, since the sensor 86 is composed of an optical sensor having a light emitting portion 86A and a light receiving portion 86B, the presence or absence of the protruding piece 62B can be detected non-contact, and the failure of the sensor 86 can be suppressed.

[0088] The groove of the sensor 86 (the gap between the light emitting portion 86A and the light receiving portion 86B) is disposed below the insertion port 121 of the top plate portion 12. Therefore, when the protruding piece 62B is inserted into the insertion port 121, the protruding piece 62B is inserted between the light emitting portion 86A and the light receiving portion 86B. Note that the protruding piece 62B may be configured to be directly inserted between the light emitting portion 86A and the light receiving portion 86B without interposing the insertion port 121. However, in this case, it becomes difficult for the operator to insert the protruding piece 62B into the groove of the sensor 86. On the other hand, by configuring the groove of the sensor 86 to be disposed below the insertion port 121 of the top plate portion 12 and the protruding piece 62B to be inserted between the light emitting portion 86A and the light receiving portion 86B of the sensor 86 through the insertion port 121, it becomes easier for the operator to insert the protruding piece 62B between the light emitting portion 86A and the light receiving portion 86B. Further, since the position of the protruding piece 62B can be defined by the insertion port 121, it is possible to suppress the protruding piece 62B from contacting the sensor 86 and to suppress damage to the sensor 86.

[0089] In any state before and after sliding the cleaning unit 60 (base member 61) relative to the top plate portion 12 (see FIGS. 13B and 13C), the sensor 86 is arranged such that the protruding piece 62B is disposed between the light emitting portion 86A and the light receiving portion 86B of the sensor 86. Thereby, the sensor 86 can surely detect the protruding piece 62B inserted into the insertion port 121.

[0090] The sensor 86 is fixed to the overhanging portion 83 (front overhanging portion 83A) by a fixing screw 861. Since the overhanging portion 83 is provided with a slit 831, by fixing the sensor 86 to the overhanging portion 83, the groove of the sensor 86 (the gap between the light emitting portion 86A and the light receiving portion 86B) can be arranged near the slit 831. The sensor 86 is arranged such that the groove of the sensor 86 overlaps the slit 831 when viewed from the front-rear direction. The sensor 86 has a positioning projection 862, and the overhanging portion 83 has a positioning hole 833. By fitting the positioning projection 862 of the sensor 86 and the positioning hole 833 of the overhanging portion 83, the sensor 86 is arranged at a predetermined position with respect to the alignment member 81. The width of the groove of the sensor 86 (the distance between the light emitting portion 86A and the light receiving portion 86B) is larger than that of the slit 831. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the protruding piece 62B from contacting the sensor 86 and damaging the sensor 86.

[0091] The sensor 86 outputs a detection signal to the control unit 50 (see FIG. 2). Based on the detection signal of the sensor 86, the control unit 50 sets the allowable upper limit position of the moving range of the table 41 (the position where the table 41 can move to the uppermost side). For example, when the sensor 86 detects the protruding piece 62B (when the cleaning unit 60 is attached to the wall portion 10), the control unit 50 sets the allowable upper limit position of the table 41 lower than when the protruding piece 62B is not detected (when the cleaning unit 60 is not attached to the wall portion 10). Thereby, the collision between the table 41 and the cleaning unit 60 can be suppressed, and the damage of the cleaning unit 60 can be suppressed. Further, the control unit 50 may determine whether the printing operation or the cleaning operation is possible based on the detection signal of the sensor 86. For example, when the sensor 86 detects the protruding piece 62B (when the cleaning unit 60 is attached to the wall portion 10), the control unit 50 prohibits the printing operation by the printing control unit 51 and permits the cleaning operation by the cleaning control unit 52.

[0092] Note that the alignment unit 80 may not include the sensor 86. That is, the alignment member 81 may be provided on the wall portion 10 alone. Even in this case, the cleaning unit 60 can be arranged with high positional accuracy.

[0093] The alignment unit 80 (alignment member 81) is positioned with respect to the wall portion 10 as described below. With the side surface of the main body portion 82 and the side surface of the wall plate portion 11 aligned, the alignment unit 80 is fixed to the wall portion 10, whereby the alignment unit 80 is arranged at a predetermined position in the left-right direction. Note that with the side surface of the main body portion 82 and the side surface of the wall plate portion 11 aligned, the alignment unit 80 is fixed to the wall portion 10, whereby the alignment unit 80 is arranged at a predetermined angle with respect to the rotation direction about the vertical axis and the rotation direction about the front-rear axis. Further, with the protrusion 84 inserted into the positioning hole 111 of the wall plate portion 11, the alignment unit 80 is fixed to the wall portion 10, whereby the alignment unit 80 is arranged at a predetermined position in the front-rear direction. In addition, the alignment unit 80 is fixed to the wall portion 10 by fixing screws 821 through vertically narrow long holes 82A, so that the alignment unit 80 is arranged at a predetermined position in the vertical direction. Note that, when the alignment unit 80 is fixed to the wall portion 10 by fixing screws 821 through a pair of long holes 82A, the alignment unit 80 is arranged at a predetermined angle with respect to the rotation direction about the left - right direction axis. Note that, with the alignment unit 80 (alignment member 81) fixed to the wall portion 10 as described above, the liquid ejection device 100 will be shipped to the user.

[0094] In addition, the cleaning unit 60 is aligned with the wall portion 10 as follows. With the bottom surface of the fixing portion 62 of the base member 61 and the upper surface of the top plate portion 12 being aligned, the cleaning unit 60 is fixed to the wall portion 10 by fixing screws 621, so that the cleaning unit 60 is arranged at a predetermined position in the vertical direction. Note that, with the bottom surface of the fixing portion 62 of the base member 61 and the upper surface of the top plate portion 12 being aligned and the cleaning unit 60 being fixed to the wall portion 10, the cleaning unit 60 is arranged at a predetermined angle with respect to the rotation direction about the left - right direction axis and the rotation direction about the front - back direction axis. In addition, with the fixing portion 62 of the base member 61 fixed to the wall portion 10 (top plate portion 12) by fixing screws 621 through holes 62A, the cleaning unit 60 is arranged at a predetermined position in the front - back direction. In addition, with the protruding pieces 62B of the base member 61 inserted into the slits 831 of the alignment unit 80 and the cleaning unit 60 being fixed to the wall portion 10, the cleaning unit 60 is arranged at a predetermined position in the left - right direction. Note that, with a pair of protruding pieces 62B inserted into a pair of slits 831 and the cleaning unit 60 being fixed to the wall portion 10, the cleaning unit 60 is arranged at a predetermined angle with respect to the rotation direction about the up - down direction axis.

[0095] As described above, since the alignment unit 80 is arranged at a predetermined position with high positional accuracy with respect to the wall portion 10, when the cleaning unit 60 is attached to the wall portion 10 using the alignment unit 80, the cleaning unit 60 can be arranged at a predetermined position with high positional accuracy. Therefore, when an operator attaches the cleaning unit 60 to the wall portion 10, variations in the accuracy of the attachment position of the cleaning unit 60 can be suppressed, and as a result, variations in the quality of cleaning can be suppressed.

[0096] <Parentheses> The liquid ejection device 100 described above includes a head 20 that moves in the main scanning direction to eject liquid, a table 41 that is movable in a sub-scanning direction intersecting the main scanning direction, a wall portion 10 that extends in the sub-scanning direction and the vertical direction on the side of the table 41, a cleaning unit 60, and an alignment member 81. The cleaning unit 60 includes a cleaning member 70 that cleans the head, is removably fixed to the wall portion 10, and is configured to be movable with respect to the head 20 by the movement of the table 41. In the liquid ejection device 100 of the present embodiment, an alignment member 81 for aligning the cleaning unit 60 with a predetermined position with respect to the wall portion 10 is provided on the wall portion 10. By fixing the cleaning unit 60 to the wall portion 10 in a state where the cleaning unit 60 is aligned by the alignment member 81, the cleaning unit 60 for automatically cleaning the head 20 can be arranged with high positional accuracy.

[0097] The alignment member 81 has a main body portion 82 fixed to the wall portion 10 and an overhanging portion 83 that projects from the main body portion 82 toward the table 41 side, and the overhanging portion 83 has a slit 831. By inserting a protruding piece 62B provided on the cleaning unit 60 into the slit 831, the cleaning unit 60 is arranged at a predetermined position. Thereby, the cleaning unit 60 can be arranged with high positional accuracy with a simple configuration.

[0098] The wall portion 10 includes a top plate portion 12 that has a predetermined length in the main scanning direction above the alignment member 81 and extends in the sub-scanning direction. The top plate portion 12 is provided with an insertion port 121 into which the protruding piece 62B is inserted. And the slit 831 is disposed below the insertion port 121 of the top plate portion 12. Thereby, when the protruding piece 62B is inserted into the insertion port 121 of the top plate portion 12, the protruding piece 62B can be inserted into the slit 831.

[0099] Of the pair of slits 831 (831A, 831B), the width of the slit 831B closer to the head 20 is narrower than the width of the other slit 831A. Thereby, since the position of the cleaning unit 60 can be defined with high positional accuracy with respect to the head 20, the cleaning target can be accurately cleaned.

[0100] The alignment member 81 is provided with a sensor 86 for detecting whether or not the cleaning unit 60 is attached to the wall portion 10. Thereby, the attachment and detachment of the cleaning unit 60 can be detected by the sensor 86.

[0101] The sensor 86 includes a light emitting portion 86A and a light receiving portion 86B, and when the cleaning unit 60 is attached to the wall portion 10, the protruding piece 62B of the cleaning unit 60 is disposed between the light emitting portion 86A and the light receiving portion 86B. Thereby, the sensor 86 can detect whether or not the cleaning unit 60 is attached to the wall portion 10.

[0102] The wall portion 10 includes a top plate portion 12 that has a predetermined length in the main scanning direction above the alignment member 81 and extends in the sub-scanning direction. The top plate portion 12 is provided with an insertion port 121 into which the protruding piece 62B is inserted. The protruding piece 62B is formed in a hook shape such that the tip protrudes from the base, and the cleaning unit 60 is configured to be slidable with respect to the top plate portion 12 with the protruding piece 62B inserted into the insertion port 121. Thereby, the hook-shaped portion (the portion on the tip side protruding from the base) engages with the top plate portion 12, making it difficult for the base member 61 to shift with respect to the top plate portion 12 and facilitating stable fixation of the base member 61 to the wall portion 10. Also, in any state before and after sliding the cleaning unit 60 with respect to the top plate portion 12, the protruding piece 62B is disposed between the light emitting portion 86A and the light receiving portion 86B. Thereby, the sensor 86 can reliably detect the protruding piece 62B.

[0103] The liquid ejection device 100 further includes a control unit 50 that controls the movement of the table 41. The control unit 50 sets the movement range of the table 41 based on the detection result of the sensor 86. Thereby, the movement range of the table 41 can be set according to the attachment and detachment of the cleaning unit 60.

[0104] When the cleaning unit 60 is attached to the wall portion 10, the control unit 50 sets the allowable upper limit position of the movement range of the table 41 lower than when the cleaning unit 60 is not attached to the wall portion 10. Thereby, collision between the table 41 and the cleaning unit 60 can be suppressed, and damage to the cleaning unit 60 can be suppressed.

[0105] By inserting the protrusion 84 into the positioning hole 111 provided in the wall portion 10, the alignment member 81 is disposed at a predetermined position with respect to the wall portion 10. Thereby, the alignment member 81 can be disposed at a predetermined position with respect to the wall portion 10, and as a result, the cleaning unit 60 can be disposed with high positional accuracy.

[0106] ===Other Embodiments=== The above embodiments are presented as examples and do not limit the scope of the invention. The above configurations can be implemented in appropriate combinations, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. The above embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, as well as in the invention described in the claims and its equivalent scope.

Explanation of Signs

[0107] 1A Guide frame, 10 Wall portion, 11 Wall plate portion, 11A Bending portion, 111 Positioning hole, 111A First contact portion, 111B Second contact portion, 12 Ceiling plate portion, 121 Insertion port, 122 Hole, 13 Fixing screw, 20 Head, 21 Nozzle plate, 21A Nozzle row, 22 Cover member, 22A Cover portion, 221 Step, 23 Guard member, 30 Carriage unit, 31 Carriage, 32 Carriage drive motor, 33 Guide rail, 40 Table unit, 41 Table, 42 Forward and backward drive motor, 43 Lift table, 44 Lift drive motor, 50 Control unit, 51 Printing control unit, 52 Cleaning control unit, 60 Cleaning unit, 61 Base member, 62 Fixing portion, 62A Hole, 62B Protruding piece, 621 Fixing screw, 63 Mounting portion, 63A Mounting surface, 63B Insertion hole, 63C Spring retention portion, 63D Restriction portion, 65 Moving body, 651 Holding portion, 651A Insertion portion, 651B Clamping portion, 651C Support portion, 652 Protruding portion, 652A Front protruding portion, 652B Rear protruding portion, 653 Contact portion, 654 Hooking portion, 655 receiving part, 656 spring retaining part, 67 spring 70 cleaning member, 71 cleaning body, 72 rod part 80 alignment unit, 81 alignment member 82 main body part, 82A long hole, 821 fixing screw 83 protruding part, 83A front protruding part, 83B rear protruding part 831 slit, 831A front slit, 831B rear slit 832 guide part, 833 positioning hole, 84 protrusion 86 sensor, 86A light emitting part, 86B light receiving part 861 fixing screw, 862 positioning protrusion 100 liquid ejection device

Claims

1. A head that moves in the main scanning direction and discharges liquid, A table movable in a sub-scanning direction intersecting the main scanning direction, A wall portion extending in the sub-scanning direction and the vertical direction on the side of the table, A cleaning unit including a cleaning member for cleaning the head, the cleaning unit being removably fixed to the wall portion and configured to be movable relative to the head by the movement of the table, An alignment member provided on the wall portion for aligning the cleaning unit at a predetermined position with respect to the wall portion, A liquid ejection device comprising the same.

2. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the alignment member has a main body portion fixed to the wall portion and a protruding portion protruding from the main body portion toward the table side, the protruding portion has a slit, and the liquid ejection device is configured to dispose the cleaning unit at a predetermined position by inserting a protruding piece provided on the cleaning unit into the slit.

3. The liquid ejection device according to claim 2, wherein the wall portion includes a top plate portion having a predetermined length in the main scanning direction above the alignment member and extending in the sub-scanning direction, the top plate portion has an insertion opening into which the protruding piece is inserted, and the slit is disposed below the insertion opening.

4. The liquid ejection device according to claim 2, wherein the alignment member has a pair of slits, and the width of the slit closer to the head among the pair of slits is narrower than the width of the other slit.

5. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the alignment member is provided with a sensor for detecting whether or not the cleaning unit is attached to the wall portion.

6. The liquid ejection device according to claim 5, wherein the sensor includes a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion, and when the cleaning unit is attached to the wall portion, a protruding piece provided on the cleaning unit is disposed between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion.

7. The liquid ejection device according to claim 6, wherein the wall portion includes a top plate portion having a predetermined length in the main scanning direction above the alignment member and extending in the sub-scanning direction, the top plate portion has an insertion opening into which the protruding piece is inserted, The protruding piece is formed in a hook shape such that the tip protrudes more than the base, and is configured to engage with the top plate portion by sliding it with respect to the top plate portion when attaching the cleaning unit to the wall portion. A liquid ejection device in which the protruding piece is disposed between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion in any state before and after sliding the cleaning unit.

8. The liquid ejection device according to claim 5, further comprising a control unit that controls the movement of the table, wherein the control unit sets a movement range of the table based on a detection result of the sensor.

9. The liquid ejection device according to claim 8, wherein the control unit sets a lower allowable upper limit position of the movement range of the table when the cleaning unit is attached to the wall portion than when the cleaning unit is not attached to the wall portion.

10. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the alignment member has a protrusion, and the alignment member is disposed at a predetermined position with respect to the wall portion by inserting the protrusion into a positioning hole provided in the wall portion.

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