Recording apparatus

Abstract

To prevent size of a recording apparatus from increasing.SOLUTION: A recording device 1 includes: a recording head 40 that discharges an ink from nozzles 44 provided in a discharge surface 42; a wiper 76 that can wipe the discharge surface 42 when moving in an X-axis direction along the discharge surface 42 in a state of being in contact with the discharge surface 42; a wiper carriage 75 that is provided with the wiper 76 and can move the wiper 76 in the X-axis direction; and a receiving portion 79 having a receiving port 84 that receives the ink wiped by the wiping. Therein: the wiper carriage 75 has a lead-out port 77d; the ink wiped by the wiping is led out vertically downward of the lead-out port 77d from the wiper carriage 75 via the lead-out port 77d; and the receiving port 84 is open upward, and located vertically downward of the lead-out port 77d that moves in the X-axis direction along with the movement of the wiper carriage 75.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a recording device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a liquid ejection device including a liquid ejection head that ejects ink, and a wiping device including a wiper that wipes by moving along the ejection surface of the liquid ejection head. The wiping device includes a wiper carriage to which the wiper is fixed and that moves in a wiping direction along the ejection surface, and a connection unit provided at one end in the moving direction of the wiper carriage. It is disclosed that by connecting the suction hole of the wiper carriage and the suction needle of the connection unit, the connection unit can suck the ink removed by the wiper from the liquid storage part of the wiper carriage.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the liquid ejection device of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to address the risk of ink leakage from the connection structure between the suction hole of the wiper carriage and the suction needle of the connection unit. In this case, since a countermeasure structure against ink leakage is required, there is a risk that the liquid ejection device may become larger in size.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The recording apparatus includes a recording unit that performs recording by discharging a liquid onto a medium from a nozzle provided on a discharge surface, a wiper that is capable of wiping the discharge surface by moving in a wiping direction along the discharge surface while being in contact with the discharge surface, a wiper carriage on which the wiper is provided, the wiper carriage being movable in the wiping direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the medium while the wiper is in contact with the discharge surface, and a receiving unit having a receiving port that receives the liquid wiped off from the discharge surface by the wiping. The wiper carriage has a lead-out port, and the liquid wiped off by the wiping is led out from the wiper carriage through the lead-out port to a position vertically below the lead-out port. The receiving port is located vertically below the lead-out port that moves in the wiping direction as the wiper carriage moves, and opens upward.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0007] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described based on embodiments. In each figure, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted. In this specification, "the same" does not only mean completely the same. In this specification, "the same" shall include the case where they are the same considering measurement errors. In this specification, "the same" shall include the case where they are the same considering manufacturing variations of the members.

[0008] In this specification, "the same" shall include the case where they are the same within a range that does not impair the function. Therefore, for example, "the dimensions of both are the same" means that considering measurement errors and manufacturing variations of the members, the dimensional difference between the two is within ±5%, particularly preferably within ±3% of one of the dimensions.

[0009] 1. Embodiment 1 The recording device 1 is, for example, an inkjet printer capable of recording on a single-sheet recording paper or the like, which is an example of the medium P. Hereinafter, the recording device 1 will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] In each figure, X, Y, and Z represent three mutually orthogonal spatial axes. In this specification, the directions along these axes are referred to as the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction. When specifying the direction, the positive direction is denoted as "+", the negative direction is denoted as "-", and the positive and negative signs are used in combination in the direction notation. The direction in which the arrow in each figure points is the + direction, and the opposite direction of the arrow is the - direction for explanation.

[0011] The Z-axis direction indicates the direction of gravity, the +Z direction indicates vertically upward, and the -Z direction indicates vertically downward. The plane including the X-axis and the Y-axis is described as the X-Y plane, the plane including the X-axis and the Z-axis is described as the X-Z plane, and the plane including the Y-axis and the Z-axis is described as the Y-Z plane. The X-Y plane is a horizontal plane. For the three spatial axes X, Y, and Z without limiting the positive and negative directions, they are described as the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis.

[0012] The X-axis direction is the width direction of the recording device 1 and is the width direction of the medium P on which recording is performed. Looking from the operator located on the front side of the recording device 1, the +X direction is the right side and the -X direction is the left side.

[0013] The Y-axis direction is the depth direction of the recording device 1 and is the direction along the conveyance direction of the medium P during recording. The +Y direction is the direction from the front to the back of the recording device 1, and the -Y direction is the direction from the back to the front of the recording device 1. In the present embodiment, among the side surfaces constituting the periphery of the recording device 1, the side surface in the -Y direction is the front surface of the recording device 1, and the side surface in the +Y direction is the back surface of the recording device 1.

[0014] Hereinafter, the direction in which the medium P is sent may be referred to as "downstream", and the opposite direction may be referred to as "upstream".

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the recording device 1 includes a housing 4. The housing 4 defines the outer contour of the recording device 1. The housing 4 forms a front surface that is the side surface of the recording device 1 on the -Y direction side and a back surface that is the side surface on the +Y direction side. The housing 4 forms a right side surface that is the side surface of the recording device 1 on the +X direction side and a left side surface that is the side surface on the -X direction side. The housing 4 forms an upper surface that is the surface of the recording device 1 on the +Z direction side and a bottom surface that is the surface on the -Z direction side. The housing 4 may be composed of a plurality of members.

[0016] Hereinafter, the constituent members included in the recording device 1 will be described along the conveyance path along which the medium P is conveyed. The recording device 1 includes a medium storage cassette 2 on the bottom side inside the housing 4. The medium P is stored in the medium storage cassette 2. The medium storage cassette 2 is detachably stored from the front surface of the recording device 1 on the -Y direction side.

[0017] A pick roller 3 driven by a motor (not shown) is provided on the +Z direction side of the medium storage cassette 2. The pick roller 3 is capable of advancing and retreating with respect to the medium P stored in the medium storage cassette 2. The pick roller 3 rotates in contact with the medium P stored in the medium storage cassette 2 to send out the medium P from the medium storage cassette 2 in the +Y direction.

[0018] Downstream of the media storage cassette 2, a feed roller 5 driven by a motor (not shown) and a separation roller 6 to which rotational torque is applied by a torque limiter (not shown) are provided. The media P fed out from the media storage cassette 2 is separated by being nipped between the feed roller 5 and the separation roller 6, and is further conveyed downstream.

[0019] Downstream of the feed roller 5 and the separation roller 6, a reversing roller 8 driven by a motor (not shown) is provided. Around the reversing roller 8, a first nip roller 9 and a second nip roller 10 are provided. The media P is nipped between the reversing roller 8 and the first nip roller 9, and is further nipped between the reversing roller 8 and the second nip roller 10 and conveyed. The conveyance direction of the media P is reversed from the +Y direction to the -Y direction by the reversing roller 8 and is conveyed downstream.

[0020] Downstream of the reversing roller 8, a pair of recording rollers 15 including a recording roller 16 driven by a motor (not shown) and a driven roller 17 that can be rotationally driven is provided. The media P is conveyed to a position facing the recording head 40 by the pair of recording rollers 15.

[0021] In addition to the conveyance path from the media storage cassette 2, the recording apparatus 1 includes a conveyance path from the media supply tray 12. The media supply tray 12 supports the media P in an inclined posture. The media P supported by the media supply tray 12 is conveyed toward the pair of recording rollers 15 by a supply roller 13 driven by a motor (not shown). Rotational torque is applied to the separation roller 14 by a torque limiter (not shown).

[0022] The recording apparatus 1 includes a recording head 40. The recording head 40 performs recording by discharging ink onto the media P from a plurality of nozzles 44 provided on the discharge surface 42. The ink is an example of a liquid. The recording head 40 is a so-called line head in which a plurality of nozzles 44 for discharging ink are arranged so as to cover the entire width of the media P in the X-axis direction, which is the media width direction.

[0023] The recording head 40 is configured as a liquid ejection head that is long in the X-axis direction and can perform recording over the entire width of the medium without moving in the X-axis direction. The recording head 40 is an example of a recording unit that performs recording by ejecting ink onto the medium P.

[0024] The ejection surface 42 is a surface facing the medium P. The ejection surface 42 can also be referred to as a liquid ejection surface or a nozzle surface. The ink ejected from the recording head 40 is supplied to the recording head 40 from a liquid container IC provided inside the housing 4 via a supply tube 49. The liquid container IC is detachably accommodated from the front surface of the recording apparatus 1 on the -Y direction side at a position between the recording head 40 and the medium cassette 2 in the Z-axis direction.

[0025] The recording apparatus 1 includes a medium support portion 50 at a position facing the ejection surface 42 of the recording head 40. The medium support portion 50 is provided vertically below the recording head 40 on the -Z direction side. The medium support portion 50 supports the conveyed medium P, thereby defining a gap between the medium P and the ejection surface 42. Hereinafter, the gap between the medium P and the ejection surface 42 may be referred to as a recording gap. The medium support portion 50 will be described later.

[0026] The recording apparatus 1 includes a guide frame 18. The guide frame 18 is provided on the +Y direction side upstream of the recording head 40. The guide frame 18 supports the recording head 40 so as to be movable in the adjustment direction of the recording gap. The adjustment direction of the recording gap is the direction in which the recording head 40 moves forward and backward with respect to the medium support portion 50.

[0027] In the present embodiment, the adjustment direction of the recording gap is a direction along the Z-axis direction. Hereinafter, the movement of the recording head 40 in the +Z-axis direction may be referred to as "ascending", and the movement in the -Z direction may be referred to as "descending".

[0028] The recording device 1 includes a head moving unit 45. The head moving unit 45 moves the recording head 40 supported by the guide frame 18 in the adjustment direction of the recording gap when a head moving motor (not shown) is driven. The head moving unit 45 can be configured, for example, by a rack and pinion mechanism including a rack (not shown) provided on the recording head 40 and a pinion (not shown) meshing with this rack. The head moving motor rotates this pinion.

[0029] The head moving unit 45 can move the recording head 40 to a recording position Hr (see FIG. 2), a wiping position Hw (see FIG. 5), and a retracted position Hu (see FIG. 6). The recording position Hr is a position where the recording head 40 records on the medium P supported by the shutter 51 (see FIG. 2). The wiping position Hw is located in the +Z direction with respect to the recording position Hr. The retracted position Hu is located in the +Z direction with respect to the wiping position Hw.

[0030] The recording device 1 includes a wiping unit 70 (see FIG. 5) at a position on the +Z direction side of the medium support unit 50. The wiping unit 70 wipes the ejection surface 42 of the recording head 40 at the wiping position Hw. The wiping unit 70 will be described later.

[0031] A pair of post-feed rollers 19 is provided downstream of the recording head 40. The pair of post-feed rollers 19 includes a post-feed roller 20 driven by a motor (not shown) and a driven roller 21 that can rotate passively. The medium P on which recording has been performed is sent downstream by the pair of post-feed rollers 19.

[0032] A pair of transfer rollers 27 is provided downstream of the pair of post-feed rollers 19, and a pair of discharge rollers 28 is provided further downstream of the pair of transfer rollers 27. The path between the pair of transfer rollers 27 and the pair of discharge rollers 28 constitutes a face-down discharge path. The medium P on which recording has been performed is discharged to the discharge tray 29 by the pair of discharge rollers 28 with the most recent recording surface facing down.

[0033] Next, the medium support unit 50 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the medium support unit 50 is provided vertically below the -Z direction side of the recording head 40. The medium support unit 50 of the present embodiment is provided with a shutter 51 and a cap unit 60. The medium support unit 50 has an opening 53 and a medium support surface 54 on the upper surface which is the +Z direction side surface.

[0034] The opening 53 opens at a position facing the ejection surface 42 of the recording head 40, and exposes the accommodation chamber 55 that houses the shutter 51 and the cap unit 60 in the +Z direction. The medium support surface 54 is provided on the -Y direction side which is downstream with respect to the opening 53, and supports the conveyed medium P.

[0035] The shutter 51 is provided in the accommodation chamber 55 of the medium support unit 50 so as to be movable between a shielding position and an open position. The shielding position is a position facing the ejection surface 42. The open position is a position separated from the shielding position in the -Y direction side, and is a position vertically below which is the -Z direction side of the medium support surface 54. The shutter 51 in the shielding position supports the conveyed medium P, and together with the medium support surface 54, defines the recording gap.

[0036] The shutter 51 has bosses 52 protruding outward at both ends in the X-axis direction, with a space in the Y-axis direction. By inserting the bosses 52 into the guide holes 56 provided on both side walls in the X-axis direction of the accommodation chamber 55, the shutter 51 is supported by the guide holes 56 so as to be movable between the shielding position and the open position.

[0037] The medium support unit 50 is provided with a shutter moving unit (not shown) that moves the shutter 51 between the shielding position and the open position. The shutter moving unit is configured by, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism including a rack (not shown) meshing with a pinion (not shown) provided on a moving plate (not shown) slidable in the Y-axis direction.

[0038] The moving plate is provided on the medium support unit 50 so as to be slidable in the Y-axis direction. The moving plate supports the boss 52 inserted into the guide hole 56 and protruding outside the medium support unit 50 so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction.

[0039] When the above-described pinion rotates by driving a shutter movement motor (not shown), the moving plate slides in the Y-axis direction. When the moving plate slides in the Y-axis direction, the shutter 51 supported by the moving plate is guided by the guide hole 56 and moves to the shielding position and the open position.

[0040] The cap portion 60 is provided vertically below the shutter 51 in the -Z direction at the shielding position. The cap portion 60 has a cap 61 and a cap base 62 that supports the cap 61. The cap 61 is provided in the accommodation chamber 55 so as to be movable between a cap position (see FIG. 4) and a separated position (see FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 4, the cap position is a position that covers the ejection surface 42. As shown in FIG. 3, the separated position is a position separated from the cap position in the -Z direction.

[0041] The medium support portion 50 is provided with a cap moving portion (not shown) that moves the cap 61 between the cap position and the separated position by driving a cap moving motor (not shown). The cap moving portion is configured by, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism including a pinion (not shown) that meshes with a rack provided on the cap base 62. The cap moving motor raises and lowers the cap 61 in the Z-axis direction by rotating this pinion.

[0042] The cap base 62 is formed of a resin material or the like. The cap 61 is provided with a recess 61a including a portion that contacts the ejection surface 42. The recess 61a is formed of an elastic material such as rubber. When the cap 61 covers the ejection surface 42, a closed space is formed by the recess 61a, the ejection surface 42, and the ink in the nozzle 44.

[0043] A cap tube 85 is connected to the cap 61. As shown in FIG. 1, the cap tube 85 is connected to a feed pump 88 provided in the waste liquid tube 89 via a switching section 87 and a waste liquid tube 89. As shown in FIG. 4, when the feed pump 88 operates with the cap 61 moved to the cap position covering the ejection surface 42 of the recording head 40 located at the recording position Hr, a negative pressure is generated in the above-described closed space. Thereby, ink is sucked from the nozzles 44 of the recording head 40.

[0044] The ink sucked from the nozzles 44 is collected as waste liquid in a waste liquid collector WC via the cap 61, the cap tube 85, the switching section 87, the waste liquid tube 89, and the feed pump 88 as shown in FIG. 1. The waste liquid collector WC is accommodated inside the housing 4 at a position on the +Y direction side of the discharge tray 29.

[0045] The waste liquid collector WC is detachably accommodated from the upper surface of the recording apparatus 1 on the +Z direction side at a position between the upper surface of the recording apparatus 1 and the medium supply tray 12 in the Z-axis direction. The waste liquid collector WC is an example of a collector. The waste liquid collector WC may be in a form having an air communication section so as to be able to accommodate waste liquid in a case, or may be in a form including a flexible bag body capable of accommodating waste liquid in a case.

[0046] Incidentally, the switching section 87 is, for example, a switching valve that switches the connection state between the cap tube 85 and a receiving section tube 86 described later, and the waste liquid tube 89. For example, when ejecting ink from the nozzles 44 of the recording head 40, the switching section 87 communicates the cap tube 85 and the waste liquid tube 89. Also, for example, when collecting ink from the receiving section 79 of a wiping section 70 described later into the waste liquid collector WC, the switching section 87 communicates the receiving section tube 86 and the waste liquid tube 89.

[0047] Next, the wiping unit 70 will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, the wiping unit 70 includes a wiper motor 71, a drive pulley 72, a driven pulley 73, an endless belt 74, a wiper carriage 75, a wiper 76, and a receiving portion 79. In FIG. 7, for the sake of explanation, the illustration of the recording head 40 provided on the guide frame 18 and the head moving portion 45 is omitted.

[0048] The wiper motor 71 is provided at the -X direction end of the guide frame 18. A drive pulley 72 is provided on the motor shaft of the wiper motor 71. A driven pulley 73 is provided at the +X direction end of the guide frame 18. An endless belt 74 is wound around the drive pulley 72 and the driven pulley 73. A wiper carriage 75 is fixed to a part of the endless belt 74.

[0049] When the endless belt 74 circulates due to the rotation of the wiper motor 71, the wiper carriage 75 moves along the X-axis direction. In this embodiment, the wiper carriage 75 takes the position shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, that is, the position at the -X direction end in the moving range of the wiper carriage 75 as the home position. When the power of the recording apparatus 1 is turned off or in the standby state when recording is being performed, the wiper carriage 75 is positioned at the home position.

[0050] Hereinafter, the positions of the wiper carriage 75 and the wiper 76 when the wiper carriage 75 is at the home position are referred to as the standby position Ws. The wiper carriage 75 and the wiper 76 at the standby position Ws are located on the -X direction side from the -X direction end of the ejection surface 42 of the recording head 40. The wiper carriage 75 and the wiper 76 at the standby position Ws are located on the -X direction side from the -X direction end of the medium support portion 50.

[0051] When the wiper carriage 75 moves in the -X direction from a position on the +X direction side of the standby position Ws and contacts a movement restricting portion (not shown) when it reaches the standby position Ws, further movement in the -X direction is restricted. A control unit 90 described later can grasp that the wiper carriage 75 is positioned at the standby position Ws by detecting an increase in the motor drive current value when the wiper carriage 75 contacts the movement restricting portion.

[0052] An encoder sensor 78 is provided in the wiper motor 71. With this encoder sensor 78, the control unit 90 can detect the rotation amount of the wiper motor 71. Thereby, the control unit 90 can detect the movement amount of the wiper carriage 75 from the home position, that is, can grasp the current position of the wiper carriage 75.

[0053] As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, a recess 77 is provided in the wiper carriage 75. The recess 77 is a depression that opens in the +Z direction. A discharge port 77d is provided at the -Y direction end of the carriage inner bottom 77b which is the bottom surface defining the -Z direction side of the recess 77. The discharge port 77d is a rectangular through-hole that opens the carriage inner bottom 77b in the -Z direction.

[0054] The discharge port 77d of the present embodiment opens the -Y direction end of the carriage inner bottom 77b across the X-axis direction. The discharge port 77d may be a through-hole having a diameter smaller than the -Y direction dimension of the carriage inner bottom 77b.

[0055] The carriage inner bottom 77b is an inclined surface that is inclined in the direction of being positioned in the -Z direction as it goes in the -Y direction. In other words, the carriage inner bottom 77b is inclined downward toward the discharge port 77d. The degree of inclination of the carriage inner bottom 77b is set in consideration of, for example, the characteristics of the ink, the assumed inclined posture of the recording apparatus 1, etc. The carriage inner bottom 77b of the present embodiment is a flat surface, but may be a curved surface or may have a cross-sectional waveform shape when viewed from a direction along the Y-axis direction.

[0056] The wiper 76 is provided in the recess 77 of the wiper carriage 75. The wiper 76 is a thin plate-like member made of an elastic material such as rubber. The wiper 76 is attached to the inner bottom 77b of the carriage. The wiper 76 attached to the inner bottom 77b of the carriage extends in the Y-axis direction and extends in the +Z direction from the inner bottom 77b of the carriage.

[0057] In addition, the wiper carriage 75 can be formed in a box shape with the +Z direction side of the recess 77 open, or may be in a semi-closed shape with only the portion surrounding the wiper 76 open.

[0058] When the wiper carriage 75 moves in the X-axis direction along the discharge surface 42 with the wiper 76 elastically contacting the discharge surface 42, the wiper 76 wipes the discharge surface 42 over the dimension of the discharge surface 42 in the X-axis direction. The X-axis direction is an example of a wiping direction that intersects the conveyance direction of the medium P.

[0059] In the present embodiment, when the discharge surface 42 is wiped, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, the recording head 40 is located at the wiping position Hw. In this state, the wiper carriage 75 and the wiper 76 move in the X-axis direction from the standby position Ws to the end position We shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 8, thereby wiping the discharge surface 42. The end position We is the end on the +X direction side within the movement range of the wiper carriage 75.

[0060] The wiper 76 when located at the end position We is located on the +X direction side of the +X direction end of the discharge surface 42 of the recording head 40. The wiper 76 when located at the end position We is located on the +X direction side of the +X direction end of the medium support portion 50. The ink wiped from the discharge surface 42 by wiping is temporarily stored in the recess 77.

[0061] The ink wiped from the ejection surface 42 by wiping and temporarily stored in the recess 77 moves toward the outlet 77d along the inclined direction of the inner bottom 77b of the carriage. The ink that has reached the outlet 77d is led out from the wiper carriage 75 in the -X direction, which is vertically below the outlet 77d, through the outlet 77d.

[0062] The receiving portion 79 is provided inside the housing 4 so as to be able to receive the ink wiped from the ejection surface 42 by wiping. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the receiving portion 79 has a receiving port 84 for receiving the ink wiped by wiping and a receiving chamber 81 for storing the ink received from the receiving port 84. The outer shape of the receiving portion 79 has a dimension in the Y-axis direction smaller than the dimension in the X-axis direction.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 9, the receiving portion 79 is provided on the -Z direction side below the wiper carriage 75. As shown in FIG. 2, the receiving portion 79 is provided on the +Z direction side above the medium support portion 50. The receiving portion 79 is provided on the +Z direction side above the pair of rear feed rollers 19. The receiving portion 79 is provided on the -Y direction side downstream of the recording head 40.

[0064] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the receiving portion 79 is composed of a receiving case 80 and a lid 83. The receiving case 80 is formed of, for example, a resin material. The lid 83 is formed of, for example, a plate-shaped metal member. The receiving case 80 is provided with a recess that constitutes the bottom surface, which is the surface on the -Z direction side of the receiving chamber 81, and the side surfaces in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

[0065] The recesses that constitute the bottom surface and the side surfaces of the receiving chamber 81 open upward in the +Z direction. By the recess opening upward, an opening is formed in the +Z direction surface of the receiving case 80. This opening can also be said to be the opening of the receiving chamber 81.

[0066] The lid 83 is attached to the +Z direction side of the receiving case 80. By covering a part of the -Y direction side of the opening of the receiving case 80 across the X-axis direction, the upper surface which is the +Z direction side surface of the receiving chamber 81 and the receiving port 84 of the receiving portion 79 are provided. Therefore, the dimension of the receiving port 84 in the Y-axis direction is smaller than the dimension of the receiving chamber 81 in the Y-axis direction.

[0067] A guide 83g is provided at the +Y direction end of the lid 83 attached to the receiving case 80. The guide 83g is formed, for example, by bending the +Y direction end of the lid 83 in the +Z direction across the X-axis direction. The guide 83g guides the movement of the wiper carriage 75 in the X-axis direction by supporting the -Y direction end of the wiper carriage 75.

[0068] In other words, the lid 83 also serves as a guide portion for guiding the movement of the wiper carriage 75. As shown in FIG. 9, the -Y direction end of the receiving port 84 is located on the -Y direction side of the -Y direction end of the outlet 77d. The +Y direction end of the receiving port 84 is located on the +Y direction side of the +Y direction end of the outlet 77d.

[0069] The receiving port 84 receives the ink discharged from the outlet 77d that moves in the X-axis direction as the wiper carriage 75 moves. As shown in FIG. 8, the -X direction end of the receiving port 84 is located on the -X direction side of the -X direction end of the outlet 77d when the wiper carriage 75 is in the standby position Ws. The +X direction end of the receiving port 84 is located on the +X direction side of the +X direction end of the outlet 77d when the wiper carriage 75 is in the end position We.

[0070] In other words, the receiving port 84 is located vertically below the outlet 77d that moves in the X-axis direction as the wiper carriage 75 moves, and opens in the +Z direction which is the upper side. The receiving port 84 extends in the X-axis direction corresponding to the outlet 77d that moves in the X-axis direction as the wiper carriage 75 moves. The dimension of the receiving port 84 in the Y-axis direction is larger than the dimension of the outlet 77d in the Y-axis direction.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 8, the bottom surface of the receiving chamber 81 is composed of an opposing portion 82b and an inner bottom portion 81b of the receiving chamber. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the opposing portion 82b faces the wiper carriage 75 positioned at the standby position Ws.

[0072] The opposing portion 82b is located on the -Z direction side below the inner bottom portion 81b of the receiving chamber. For this reason, the depth of the receiving chamber 81, which is the dimension of the receiving chamber 81 in the Z-axis direction in the opposing portion 82b, is set deeper than the depth of the receiving chamber 81 in the inner bottom portion 81b of the receiving chamber. The -X direction end of the opposing portion 82b that defines the -X direction end of the bottom surface of the receiving chamber 81 is located vertically below the -X direction end of the receiving port 84.

[0073] The opposing portion 82b is provided with a discharge port 81d for discharging the ink received in the receiving chamber 81 to the outside of the receiving chamber 81. The discharge port 81d is located vertically below the wiper carriage 75 positioned at the standby position Ws.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 8, the inner bottom portion 81b of the receiving chamber is adjacent to the +X direction side of the opposing portion 82b. The +X direction end of the inner bottom portion 81b that defines the +X direction end of the bottom surface of the receiving chamber 81 is located vertically below the +X direction end of the receiving port 84.

[0075] The inner bottom portion 81b of the receiving chamber is an inclined surface inclined in the direction of being located in the -Z direction as it goes in the -X direction. In other words, the inner bottom portion 81b of the receiving chamber is inclined downward toward the opposing portion 82b and the discharge port 81d. The degree of inclination of the inner bottom portion 81b of the receiving chamber is set in consideration of, for example, the characteristics of the ink, the assumed inclined posture of the recording apparatus 1, etc. The inner bottom portion 81b of the present embodiment is a flat surface, but it may be a curved surface or may have a cross-sectional waveform shape when viewed from a direction along the X-axis direction.

[0076] The ink received at the bottom 81b of the receiving chamber through the receiving port 84 moves toward the opposing portion 82b and the discharge port 81d along the inclined direction of the bottom 81b of the receiving chamber. The ink that has reached the opposing portion 82b from the bottom 81b of the receiving chamber and the ink received at the opposing portion 82b through the receiving port 84 are discharged to the outside of the receiving portion 79 through the discharge port 81d.

[0077] A receiving portion tube 86 is connected to the discharge port 81d. The ink received in the receiving chamber 81 of the receiving portion 79 is collected as waste liquid in the waste liquid collector WC through the receiving portion tube 86, the switching portion 87, the waste liquid tube 89, and the feed pump 88, as shown in FIG. 1. In other words, the ink wiped off from the ejection surface 42 by wiping is collected in the waste liquid collector WC through the discharge port 81d.

[0078] The recording apparatus 1 includes a control unit 90. The control unit 90 controls the entire recording apparatus 1. The control unit 90 may include a processor that executes various processes according to a program, a dedicated hardware circuit such as an application-specific integrated circuit that executes at least a part of the various processes, or a combination thereof.

[0079] The processor includes a CPU and memories such as a RAM and a ROM, and the memories store program codes or instructions configured to cause the CPU to execute processes. The memory, that is, the computer-readable medium, includes any readable medium accessible by a general-purpose or dedicated computer.

[0080] For example, in the recording standby state when the power of the recording apparatus 1 is off or on, the cap unit 60 and the shutter 51 are in the states shown in FIG. 4. At this time, the recording head 40 is located at the recording position Hr, the cap 61 is located at the cap position, and the shutter 51 is located at the open position. Incidentally, the wiper carriage 75 and the wiper 76 (see FIG. 8) of the wiping unit 70 are located at the standby position Ws.

[0081] When receiving and recording recording data in this state, first, the control unit 90 controls the cap moving unit to move the cap 61 from the cap position to the separated position shown in FIG. 3. Next, the control unit 90 controls the shutter moving unit to move the shutter 51 from the open position to the shielding position shown in FIG. 2.

[0082] As a result, the shutter 51 can support the medium P at a position facing the recording head 40. The control unit 90 performs recording by discharging ink from the nozzles 44 of the recording head 40 at the recording position Hr onto the medium P conveyed between the ejection surface 42 and the shutter 51.

[0083] The control unit 90 performs flushing during the intervals of recording on the medium P. Flushing is a maintenance operation of the recording head 40 performed for the purpose of maintaining the normal ejection of ink from the nozzles 44. In this case, the control unit 90 controls the shutter moving unit to move the shutter 51 from the shielding position to the open position shown in FIG. 3.

[0084] The control unit 90 controls the recording head 40 to discharge ink as flushing from the nozzles 44 of the recording head 40 at the recording position Hr toward the recess 61a of the cap 61 at the separated position. Flushing is performed before the leading end, which is the -Y direction end of the medium P to be next recorded, reaches the opening 53 after the medium P where recording has been performed is conveyed in the -Y direction of the opening 53.

[0085] When the recording job is completed, as shown by the change from FIG. 2 to FIG. 4, the control unit 90 controls the shutter moving unit to move the shutter 51 from the shielding position to the open position. Next, as shown by the change from FIG. 2 to FIG. 4, the control unit 90 controls the cap moving unit to move the cap 61 from the separated position to the cap position.

[0086] When performing suction cleaning to suck ink from the nozzles 44 of the recording head 40, the control unit 90 controls the switching unit 87 to communicate the cap tube 85 and the waste liquid tube 89. Next, in the state shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 90 drives and controls the feed pump 88 to suck ink from the nozzles 44 of the recording head 40.

[0087] When performing wiping following the suction cleaning, as shown by the change from FIG. 4 to FIG. 5, the control unit 90 controls the head moving unit 45 to move the recording head 40 from the recording position Hr to the wiping position Hw. As a result, an interval is formed for the wiper carriage 75 to enter between the recording head 40 and the medium support unit 50, and the wiper 76 can come into contact with the ejection surface 42.

[0088] When performing wiping, the cap 61 may be in the cap position or in the separated position shown in FIG. 5. From the states shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, the control unit 90 drives and controls the wiper motor 71 to move the wiper carriage 75 in the +X direction from the standby position Ws toward the end position We. As a result, the ejection surface 42 is wiped by the wiper 76.

[0089] After performing wiping, the control unit 90 drives and controls the wiper motor 71 to move the wiper carriage 75 in the -X direction and position the wiper carriage 75 at the standby position Ws. At this time, the control unit 90 may control the head moving unit 45 to move the recording head 40 from the wiping position Hw to the retracted position Hu shown in FIG. 6.

[0090] After performing wiping, the control unit 90 controls the head moving unit 45 to move the recording head 40 to the recording position Hr to enter the recording standby state shown in FIG. 4. When the cap 61 is in the separated position, the control unit 90 controls the cap moving unit to move the cap 61 to the cap position. Incidentally, before entering the recording standby state, the control unit 90 may perform flushing.

[0091] The ink wiped from the ejection surface 42 by wiping is received in the receiving chamber 81 when wiping and when the wiper carriage 75 is located at the standby position Ws. The ink wiped from the ejection surface 42 by wiping is received in the receiving chamber 81 via the inner bottom 77b and the outlet 77d of the carriage of the wiper carriage 75 and the receiving port 84 of the receiving portion 79.

[0092] When collecting the ink received in the receiving chamber 81 in the waste liquid collector WC, the control unit 90 controls the switching unit 87 to communicate the receiving portion tube 86 and the waste liquid tube 89. Next, the control unit 90 drives and controls the feed pump 88 to suck the ink from the receiving chamber 81 through the discharge port 81d.

[0093] As described above, according to the recording apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1, the following effects can be obtained.

[0094] The recording apparatus 1 includes a recording head 40 that performs recording by ejecting ink onto the medium P from the nozzles 44 provided on the ejection surface 42. The recording apparatus 1 includes a wiper 76 that can wipe the ejection surface 42 by moving in the X-axis direction along the ejection surface 42 while being in contact with the ejection surface 42. The recording apparatus 1 includes a wiper carriage 75 provided with the wiper 76, and the wiper carriage 75 is movable in the X-axis direction while the wiper 76 is in contact with the ejection surface 42. The recording apparatus 1 includes a receiving portion 79 having a receiving port 84 for receiving the ink wiped from the ejection surface 42 by wiping. The wiper carriage 75 has an outlet 77d, and the ink wiped by wiping is led out from the wiper carriage 75 through the outlet 77d to directly below the outlet 77d in the vertical direction. The receiving port 84 is located directly below the outlet 77d that moves in the X-axis direction as the wiper carriage 75 moves, and opens upward.

[0095] According to this, compared with the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, the wiping unit 70 that performs wiping can reduce the dimension in the X-axis direction, which is the wiping direction intersecting with the conveyance direction of the medium P. As a result, the recording apparatus 1 can be easily miniaturized. Further, since there is no need to provide a connection structure such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1 between the wiper carriage 75 and the receiving unit 79, ink leakage when the receiving unit 79 receives ink can be prevented. As a result, the recording apparatus 1 can be easily miniaturized.

[0096] The wiper carriage 75 has a carriage inner bottom portion 77b that slopes downward toward the discharge port 77d. According to this, ink can be guided toward the discharge port 77d with a simple configuration. Since it is possible to configure without additional parts for guiding the ink to the discharge port 77d, the recording apparatus 1 can be easily miniaturized.

[0097] The dimension of the receiving unit 79 in the Y-axis direction is smaller than the dimension of the receiving unit 79 in the X-axis direction. According to this, it is easy to reduce the dimension in the Y-axis direction, which is the conveyance direction of the medium P, among the dimensions of the recording apparatus 1.

[0098] The recording apparatus 1 is detachably provided with a waste liquid collector WC that can collect ink wiped off by wiping. The receiving unit 79 has a discharge port 81d for discharging the received ink. The ink wiped off by wiping is collected in the waste liquid collector WC through the discharge port 81d.

[0099] According to this, a configuration for collecting the ink wiped off by wiping in the replaceable waste liquid collector WC can be easily realized.

[0100] The receiving unit 79 has a receiving chamber 81 for accommodating the received ink. The receiving chamber 81 has a receiving chamber inner bottom portion 81b that slopes downward toward the discharge port 81d. According to this, the ink received in the receiving chamber 81 can be guided toward the discharge port 81d with a simple configuration. Further, since it is possible to configure without additional parts for guiding the ink to the discharge port 81d, the recording apparatus 1 can be easily miniaturized.

[0101] When recording is being performed, the wiper carriage 75 is located at the standby position Ws. The discharge port 81d is located vertically below the wiper carriage 75 located at the standby position Ws. According to this, even after wiping is completed, the ink discharged from the discharge port 77d and received in the receiving chamber 81 can be efficiently collected into the waste liquid collector WC via the discharge port 81d. Also, in the receiving chamber 81, the volume of the region excluding the region located vertically below the wiper carriage 75 at the standby position Ws can be made small. According to this, the receiving portion 79 can be made small, so that the recording apparatus 1 can be easily miniaturized.

[0102] The receiving chamber 81 has a facing portion 82b that faces the wiper carriage 75 located at the standby position Ws, and the facing portion 82b is provided with the discharge port 81d. The depth of the receiving chamber 81 in the facing portion 82b is set deeper than the depth of the receiving chamber 81 at the bottom 81b inside the receiving chamber.

[0103] According to this, the dimension in the Z-axis direction, which is the height direction of the receiving portion 79 corresponding to the bottom 81b inside the receiving chamber, can be made small. Thereby, the recording apparatus 1 can be easily miniaturized. Also, for example, when the recording apparatus 1 is moved, the ink received by the receiving portion 79 can be made less likely to leak from the receiving portion 79.

[0104] The recording apparatus 1 includes a lid 83. The receiving portion 79 has a receiving chamber 81 that houses the received ink. The receiving chamber 81 has an opening that opens upward. By covering the opening of the receiving chamber 81 with the lid 83, a receiving port 84 is provided, and the dimension of the receiving port 84 in the Y-axis direction is smaller than the dimension of the receiving chamber 81 in the Y-axis direction.

[0105] According to this, for example, when the recording apparatus 1 is moved, the ink received by the receiving portion 79 can be made less likely to leak from the receiving portion 79. Also, compared to the case where the lid 83 is not provided, it is possible to prevent the user from touching the ink received in the receiving chamber 81.

[0106] The cover 83 also serves as a guide portion that guides the movement of the wiper carriage 75. According to this, the number of members constituting the recording apparatus 1 can be reduced, and thus the recording apparatus 1 can be easily miniaturized.

[0107] The recording apparatus 1 according to the above-described embodiment is basically configured as described above, but it is of course possible to make partial configuration changes, omissions, etc. within a range not departing from the gist of the present disclosure. Also, the above-described embodiment and other embodiments described below can be implemented in combination with each other within a range where there is no technical contradiction. Other embodiments will be described below.

[0108] In the above-described embodiment, the standby position Ws of the wiper carriage 75 and the wiper 76 does not have to be the end on the -X direction side within the movement range of the wiper carriage 75. For example, the standby position Ws of the wiper carriage 75 and the wiper 76 may be the end on the +X direction side within the movement range of the wiper carriage 75. In this case, the end position We of the wiper carriage 75 and the wiper 76 may be the end on the -X direction side within the movement range of the wiper carriage 75.

[0109] In the above-described embodiment, the receiving port 84 does not have to be provided by the cover 83 covering a part on the -Y direction side of the opening of the receiving case 80 in the X-axis direction. For example, by attaching the cover 83 in which the through hole serving as the receiving port 84 is formed to the +Z direction side of the receiving case 80, the opening on the +Z direction side of the receiving chamber 81 may be covered. Thereby, the upper surface which is the surface on the +Z direction side of the receiving chamber 81 and the receiving port 84 of the receiving portion 79 are provided. Also in this case, the dimension of the receiving port 84 in the Y-axis direction may be smaller than the dimension of the receiving chamber 81 in the Y-axis direction.

[0110] In the above-described embodiment, the cover 83 does not have to cover the opening of the receiving case 80. In this case, the opening of the receiving case 80, which is also the opening of the recess constituting the bottom surface and the side surface of the receiving chamber 81, serves as the receiving port 84. In this case, the dimension of the receiving port 84 in the Y-axis direction may be the same as the dimension of the receiving chamber 81 in the Y-axis direction.

[0111] In the above embodiment, the receiving portion 79 may be detachably provided with respect to the housing 4. In this case, for example, by making either the discharge tray 29 or the face-down discharge path detachable with respect to the housing 4, it may be possible to access the receiving portion 79 from the outside of the housing 4. In this case, the receiving portion 79 may not include the discharge port 81d. In this case, the control unit 90 may restrict the removal of the receiving portion 79 until a predetermined time has elapsed after the wiping is performed.

[0112] In the above embodiment, the ink received in the receiving chamber 81 of the receiving portion 79 may not be collected in the waste liquid collector WC. For example, the ink received in the receiving chamber 81 may be collected in the liquid container IC. In this case, the liquid container IC is provided with an ink storage portion for storing the ink supplied to the recording head 40 and a waste liquid collection portion for collecting the ink received in the receiving chamber 81 as waste liquid. In this case, the ink received in the receiving chamber 81 is collected in the waste liquid collection portion of the liquid container IC via the receiving portion tube 86 connected to the discharge port 81d.

[0113] In the above embodiment, the waste liquid collector WC may not be detachably provided with respect to the housing 4. In this case, the waste liquid collector WC may be provided inside the housing 4 at a position on the -Z direction side of the medium support portion 50 and the receiving portion 79. Further, in this case, the waste liquid collector WC may be provided at a position vertically above the medium storage cassette 2. Further, in this case, the waste liquid collector WC may be provided with a receiving opening capable of receiving ink inside the waste liquid collector WC at a position vertically below the discharge port 77d of the wiper carriage 75 located at the standby position Ws. According to this, for example, when the receiving portion 79 is removed from the housing 4, the ink falling from the discharge port 77d can be collected inside the waste liquid collector WC.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0114] 1... Recording device, 2... Media storage cassette, 3... Pickup roller, 4... Housing, 5... Feeding roller, 6... Separation roller, 8... Inversion roller, 9... First nip roller, 10... Second nip roller, 12... Media supply tray, 13... Supply roller, 14... Separation roller, 15... Recording roller pair, 16... Recording roller, 17... Driven roller, 18... Guide frame, 19... Post-feed roller pair, 20... Post-feed roller, 21... Driven roller, 27... Transfer roller pair, 28... Discharge roller pair, 29... Discharge tray, 40... Recording head, 42... Ejection surface, 44... Nozzle, 45... Head movement unit, 49... Supply tube, 50... Media support unit, 51... Shutter, 52... Boss, 53... Opening, 54... Media support surface, 55... Storage chamber, 56... Guide hole, 60... Cap part, 61... Cap, 61a... Concave part, 62... Cap base, 70... Wiping part, 71... Wiper motor, 72... Driving pulley, 73... Driven pulley, 74... Endless belt, 75... Wiper carriage, 76... Wiper, 77... Concave part, 77b... Inner bottom of carriage, 77d... Outlet, 78... Encoder sensor, 79... Receiving part, 80... Receiving case, 81... Receiving chamber, 81b... Inner bottom of receiving chamber, 81d... Drain port, 82b... Opposing part, 83... Lid, 83g... Guide, 84... Receiving port, 85... Cap tube, 86... Receiving part tube, 87... Switching part, 88... Feed pump, 89... Waste liquid tube, 90... Control unit, Hr... Recording position, Hw... Wiping position, Hu... Retracted position, IC... Liquid storage body, P... Media, WC... Waste liquid collection body, We... Terminal position, Ws... Standby position.

Claims

1. a recording unit that performs recording by ejecting liquid onto a medium from nozzles provided on an ejection surface; a wiper that is capable of wiping the ejection surface by moving in a wiping direction along the ejection surface while in contact with the ejection surface; a wiper carriage on which the wiper is provided, the wiper carriage being movable in the wiping direction intersecting the transport direction of the medium while the wiper is in contact with the ejection surface; a receiving portion having a receiving port for receiving the liquid wiped off from the ejection surface by the wiping; Equipped with the wiper carriage has an outlet, and the liquid wiped off by the wiping is discharged from the wiper carriage via the outlet to a position vertically below the outlet; the receiving opening is located vertically below the outlet opening, which moves in the wiping direction as the wiper carriage moves, and opens upward; A recording device characterized by:

2. The wiper carriage has an inner bottom portion that slopes downward toward the outlet.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is a recording medium.

3. a size of the receiving portion in the transport direction is smaller than a size of the receiving portion in the wiping direction; 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. a detachable collecting body capable of collecting the liquid wiped off by the wiping; the receiving portion has a discharge port for discharging the received liquid, The liquid wiped off by the wiping is collected in the collection body through the discharge port.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is a recording medium.

5. the receiving portion has a receiving chamber for containing the received liquid, The receiving chamber has a bottom that slopes downward toward the outlet.

5. The recording apparatus according to claim 4.

6. When the recording is being performed, the wiper carriage is located at a standby position, the discharge port is located vertically below the wiper carriage located at the standby position; 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 5.

7. the receiving chamber has an opposing portion facing the wiper carriage located at the standby position, the opposing portion being provided with the discharge port; The depth of the receiving chamber at the facing portion is set to be deeper than the depth of the receiving chamber at the bottom portion of the receiving chamber. The recording apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that...

8. Comprising a lid, The receiving portion has a receiving chamber for storing the received liquid, The receiving chamber has an opening that opens upward, By covering the opening of the receiving chamber with the lid, the receiving port is provided, The dimension of the receiving port in the conveyance direction is smaller than the dimension of the receiving chamber in the conveyance direction, The recording apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that...

9. The lid also serves as a guide portion for guiding the movement of the wiper carriage, The recording apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that...

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