Head cleaning device and liquid discharge device

Abstract

To hold down a maintenance cost of a liquid discharge device by holding down a cost of a replacement part of a sweeping member.SOLUTION: A head cleaning device cleans a nozzle surface of a liquid discharge head by sweeping it by a sweeping member 611 supported by a support member 612. The sweeping member comprises a sweeping part 611b for sweeping the nozzle surface by coming into contact with it, and a flexible pressing part 611a which is more flexible than the nozzle surface and which presses the sweeping part against the nozzle surface. A fixing member 613 for replaceably fixing the sweeping part to the flexible pressing part is provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a head cleaning device and a device for ejecting liquid. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a head cleaning device that wipes and cleans the nozzle surface of a liquid ejection head with a wiping member supported by a support member.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a head cleaning device that is attached to a guide member that guides the reciprocating movement of a carriage carrying a liquid ejection head. This head cleaning device has a slider member (support member) that is held slidably relative to a holder (slidable in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the guide member), and a wiping member is replaceably attached to this slider member. When cleaning this head cleaning device, the holder is attached to the guide member that supports the carriage, and the wiping member is brought into contact with the nozzle face of the liquid ejection head on the carriage. Thereafter, by manually sliding the slider member on the holder, the wiping member moves relative to the nozzle face, and the nozzle face of the liquid ejection head is wiped and cleaned by the wiping member. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventional head cleaning devices that are configured so that the wiping member supported by the support member is replaceable have had the problem that the cost of replacement parts is high, and the maintenance costs of the device that ejects liquid are high. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a head cleaning device that wipes and cleans the nozzle surface of a liquid ejection head using a wiping member supported by a support member, wherein the wiping member has a wiping section that comes into contact with the nozzle surface to wipe it, and a soft pressing section that is softer than the nozzle surface and presses the wiping section against the nozzle surface, and has a fixing member that replaceably fixes the wiping section to the soft pressing section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, the cost of replacement parts can be kept low compared to when the entire wiping member is replaced as a replacement part, and the maintenance costs of the liquid ejection device can be kept low. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an illustrative side view of a printing apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a head cleaning device in the printing apparatus; [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cleaning device main body of the head cleaning device. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a wiping member in the cleaning device main body. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] 5(a) to 5(c) are explanatory diagrams showing the procedure for replacing the wiping sheet. [Figure 9] 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams showing the procedure for installing the head cleaning device in the printing device. [Figure 10] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the soft pressing portion of the wiping member of the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a perspective explanatory view of a cleaning device main body in a head cleaning device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a wiping member in the cleaning device main body. [Figure 13]10(a) and 10(b) are cross-sectional views showing a modified example of the head cleaning device of the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, an embodiment (hereinafter, this embodiment will be referred to as "Embodiment 1") in which the present invention is applied to a head cleaning device that cleans the nozzle surface of a liquid ejection head in a printing device that is a device that ejects liquid will be described.

[0009] First, the printing apparatus of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is an explanatory side view of the printing apparatus of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory front view of the printing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory plan view of the printing apparatus of the first embodiment.

[0010] The printing device 1 of this embodiment 1 has, within the device main body 10, a printing means 100 that prints on fabric 400, which is the printing target held in a tray 300, which is a holding member, and a heating means 500 that heats the fabric 400 printed by the printing means 100.

[0011] The printing means 100 includes one or more liquid ejection heads 101 that eject liquid, and a carriage 102 on which the liquid ejection heads 101 are mounted. For example, the carriage 102 is mounted with five liquid ejection heads 101 corresponding to the colors C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow), K (black) and white ink. The carriage 102 is guided by a main guide member 103 and a sub-guide member 104 (not shown in FIG. 2) that serve as guide members, so as to be able to move back and forth in the main scanning direction (X direction).

[0012] The heating means 500 includes, for example, a heater 501. The heating means 500 may include a hot air dryer, a contact heating means such as a press using a hot plate, or a non-contact heating means.

[0013] The printing apparatus 1 also has a transport means 200 that forms a transport path for transporting the tray 300 through the inlet 11 of the apparatus main body 10, passing through the printing means 100 and the heating means 500, and then out of the outlet 12 of the apparatus main body 10. The transport means 200 can be formed, for example, of a timing belt or a conveyor. The transport means 200 is formed of a first transport means 201 that transports the tray 300 in the direction of arrow Y opposite the printing means 100, and a second transport means 202 that transports the tray 300 in the direction of arrow Y opposite the heating means 500.

[0014] The tray 300 detachably holds a fabric 400 such as a T-shirt that will be the printing target (a target onto which liquid is applied). The holding member may be a tray or a cassette, and may be any member that holds the printing target.

[0015] In addition, in the printing apparatus 1, a maintenance unit 111 including a cap for capping the nozzle surface 101a of the liquid ejection head 101 is disposed on the home position side of the carriage .

[0016] Next, the head cleaning device according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the head cleaning device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective explanatory view of the cleaning device main body in the head cleaning device of the first embodiment.

[0017] The head cleaning device 600 includes a cleaning device main body 601 and a holder 602 that movably holds the cleaning device main body 601. The cleaning device main body 601 includes a wiping member 611 and a slider member 612 that serves as a support member that supports the wiping member 611.

[0018] The slider member 612 holds the wiping member 611 on a box-shaped slider body 612a. The slider member 612 also has a protrusion 612c on the outer surface of the slider body 612a as a knob for manual operation. In the first embodiment, a plurality of wiping members 611 can be set on the slider member 612.

[0019] Each wiping member 611 is provided to correspond to each liquid ejection head 101 (or nozzle row) that ejects, for example, each of the colors C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow), K (black) and white ink.

[0020] The holder 602 movably holds the cleaning device main body 601 and is mainly composed of a bottom 622a and side plate portions 622b, 622b on both sides of the bottom 622a. The side plate portions 622b, 622b of the holder 602 are provided with hook portions 623 as an example of a connection portion that hooks onto the main guide member 103 of the printing device 1 and detachably connects the head cleaning device 600 to the main guide member 103.

[0021] Further, a groove-shaped guide portion 624 is provided on the side plate portion 622b of the holder 602 to guide the convex portion 612c of the slider member 612 of the cleaning device main body 601 so that the convex portion 612c can move in the direction of the arrow Y (the moving direction of the cleaning device main body 601). An opening portion 624a is provided on one end portion of the guide portion 624 (more specifically, the end portion on the side where the hook portion 623 is provided in the sub-scanning direction Y), and the convex portion 612c can be inserted into or removed from the guide portion 624 through the opening portion 624a.

[0022] Stopper 625 is provided in open portion 624a of guide portion 624. This stopper 625 is made of an elastic member or a combination of a resin member and a spring, and catches on protrusion 612c of cleaning device main body 601 arranged inside guide portion 624, thereby preventing cleaning device main body 601 from easily coming off holder 602.

[0023] Furthermore, a wall portion 622c is provided at the other end of the guide portion 624 (more specifically, the end opposite the side where the hook portion 623 is provided in the sub-scanning direction Y). Furthermore, an inclined portion 622d serving as a notch is provided at the corners of both side plate portions 622b, 622b of the holder 602 (more specifically, the upper surface of the side plate portion 622b opposite the side where the hook portion 623 is provided in the sub-scanning direction Y). Furthermore, a fixing plate attachment portion 622e is provided on both side plate portions 622b, 622b of the holder 602. A fixing plate 603, which will be described later, is attached to the fixing plate attachment portion 622e.

[0024] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the wiping member 611 in the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the wiping member 611 in the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the wiping member 611 provided in the cleaning device body 601 includes a wiping sheet 611b, which is a sheet-like wiping material serving as a wiping portion, and a soft pressing portion 611a that presses the wiping sheet 611b against the nozzle surface.

[0025] The wiping sheet 611b of the wiping member 611 is the part that comes into contact with and wipes the nozzle face of the liquid ejection head. The wiping sheet 611b is made of a material that can ensure the required cleaning capabilities, such as high water absorption (to absorb and clean liquids on the nozzle face) and high wiping performance (high mechanical wiping performance). It is also required to have flexibility that allows it to deform together with the soft pressing portion 611a and reduce the contact pressure with the nozzle face. Such a wiping sheet 611b is preferably a sheet-like wiping material that is arranged to cover the pressing surface 611a1 of the soft pressing portion 611a and is thinner than the soft pressing portion 611a. More specific examples of the wiping sheet 611b include sheet materials made of cloth such as rags and nonwoven fabric, or paper.

[0026] The flexible pressing portion 611a of the wiping member 611 is a portion that supports the wiping surface 611b1 of the wiping sheet 611b from the back side with a pressing surface 611a1 and presses the wiping surface 611b1 of the wiping sheet 611b against the nozzle surface. This flexible pressing portion 611a is made of a material that is softer than the nozzle surface and has flexibility that allows deformation of the flexible pressing portion 611a to reduce the contact pressure when the wiping sheet 611b supported by the flexible pressing portion 611a contacts the nozzle surface. A soft material with the required flexibility, such as rubber or a porous material such as sponge, is preferably used for this flexible pressing portion 611a.

[0027] After use, dirt from the head surface adheres to the wiping surface 611b1 of the wiping member 611, so if the wiping member 611 is reused as is, there is a risk that the nozzle surface will end up getting dirty instead. Therefore, in order to maintain the printing device 1 in an optimal state, it is preferable to replace the wiping member 611 with a new one after using it once. However, conventional wiping members are configured so that the entire wiping member must be replaced, which means that replacement parts are expensive and the maintenance costs of the printing device 1 increase.

[0028] In the first embodiment, the wiping member 611 supported on the slider member 612 is divided into a wiping sheet 611b, which is a wiping portion, and a soft pressing portion 611a, and the wiping sheet 611b is configured to be replaceable with respect to the soft pressing portion 611a. This allows only the portion of the wiping sheet 611b, which becomes soiled on the head surface with use, to be replaced as a replaceable part, while the soft pressing portion 611a, which has sufficient thickness, ensures flexibility to wipe without damaging the nozzle surface. As a result, according to the first embodiment, the cost of replacement parts can be kept lower than when the entire wiping member 611 is replaced as a replacement part, and the maintenance costs of the printing device 1 can be kept low.

[0029] Although the soft pressing unit 611a in this embodiment is integrally attached to the slider member 612, it may be configured to be replaceable with respect to the slider member 612. However, even in this case, the soft pressing unit 611a is replaced less frequently than the wiping sheet 611b, and therefore the maintenance costs of the printing device 1 can be kept low.

[0030] Next, a procedure for replacing the wiping sheet 611b, which is a replacement part, will be described. 8(a) to 8(c) are explanatory diagrams showing the procedure for replacing the wiping sheet 611b. The cleaning device main body 601 of the first embodiment is provided with a sheet pressing member 613 as a fixing member that replaceably fixes the wiping sheet 611b to the soft pressing portion 611a of the wiping member 611.

[0031] The sheet pressing member 613 is configured to be switchable between a fixed state in which it presses and fixes the extending portion 611b2 of the wiping sheet extending outward from the pressing surface 611a1 of the soft pressing portion, and a replaceable state in which it releases the pressure on the extending portion and makes the wiping sheet replaceable.

[0032] Specifically, the sheet holding member 613 is supported rotatably around the axis of a hinge portion 613a on a slider member 612 serving as a support member. The hinge portion 613a is disposed on one longitudinal end side of the wiping member 611. The sheet holding member 613 is a rectangular frame member with an opening in the center, and is configured so that the wiping surface 611b1 of the wiping member 611 is exposed from the central opening of the sheet holding member 613.

[0033] As shown in Figures 8(a) and (b), the replaceable state is when the sheet holding member 613 is opened around the axis of the hinge portion 613a so as to move away from the wiping member 611. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 8(c), the fixed state is when the sheet holding member 613 is closed around the axis of the hinge portion 613a. In Figure 5, the sheet holding member 613 of the wiping member 611 located at the very end (the front side in the figure) of the five wiping members 611 supported on the slider member 612 is in the open state (replaceable state). In Figure 5, the sheet holding members 613 of the remaining wiping members 611 are in the closed state (fixed state).

[0034] In the first embodiment, when attaching the wiping sheet 611b, first, the sheet pressing member 613 is opened as shown in FIG. 8(a). Next, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the wiping sheet 611b is placed so as to cover the pressing surface 611a1 of the soft pressing unit 611a that is not covered by the wiping sheet 611b. Thereafter, the sheet pressing member 613 is closed. As a result, the part of the soft pressing unit 611a covered by the wiping sheet 611b fits into the central opening of the sheet pressing member 613, and the extending portion 611b2 of the wiping sheet that extends outward from the pressing surface 611a1 of the soft pressing unit is pressed by the sheet pressing member 613.

[0035] Then, the sheet holding member 613 is closed until the stoppered portion 613b provided at the tip end of the sheet holding member 613 (the end opposite to the hinge portion 613a) engages with the stopper portion 614 on the slider member 612. This prevents the sheet holding member 613 from rotating around the axis of the hinge portion 613a, and the sheet holding member 613 is locked in a fixed state, as shown in FIG. 8(c). In the fixed state, the portion of the soft pressing portion 611a covered by the wiping sheet 611b (wiping surface 611b1) is exposed from the central opening of the sheet holding member 613, and the wiping surface 611b1 can be brought into contact with the nozzle surface of the liquid ejection head 101 to wipe it.

[0036] On the other hand, when removing the soiled wiping sheet 611b after cleaning, the stopped portion 613b of the sheet pressing member 613 is disengaged from the stopper portion 614 on the slider member 612 to release the lock. Thereafter, the sheet pressing member 613 is rotated about the axis of the hinge portion 613a to open it and set it in the replaceable state shown in FIG. 8(b). Then, the wiping sheet 611b covering the soft pressing portion 611a is removed to set it in the state shown in FIG. 8(a). Thereafter, a new wiping sheet 611b is attached according to the attachment procedure described above.

[0037] Next, a head cleaning method using the head cleaning device 600 of the first embodiment will be described. When cleaning the head using the head cleaning device 600, first, as shown in Fig. 9(a), the hook portion 623 of the holder 602 of the head cleaning device 600 is hooked onto and connected to the main guide member 103. Then, as shown in Fig. 9(b), the holder 602 is rotated around the axis of the main guide member 103 to bring the wiping member 611 of the cleaning device main body 601 into contact with the nozzle surface 101a of the liquid ejection head 101.

[0038] At this time, by attaching the fixing plate 603 to the fixing plate attachment portion 622e, the head cleaning device 600 is fixed to the main guide member 103 and the sub-guide member 104. In the first embodiment, the head cleaning device 600 is fixed to the sub-guide member 104 using the fixing plate attachment portion 622e and the fixing plate 603, but the fixing method is not limited thereto. For example, it may be fixed using a magnet or a snap fit.

[0039] 9(a) to 9(b), the holder 602 of the first embodiment has an inclined portion 622d, so that a part of the holder 602 does not come into contact with the sub-guide member 104. Furthermore, the guide portion 624 has the wall portion 622c at the end opposite to the side where the hook portion 623 is provided in the sub-scanning direction Y, so that the holder 602 can be prevented from falling under its own weight during the fixing operation from FIG.

[0040] In this state, in the first embodiment, the convex portion 612c of the slider member 612 of the cleaning device main body 601 is grasped, and the slider member 612 is manually moved in the Y direction along the guide portion 624. This causes the wiping member 611 of the cleaning device main body 601 to move relative to the nozzle surface 101a of the liquid ejection head 101 to wipe the nozzle surface 101a, thereby cleaning the nozzle surface 101a. This makes it easy to clean the nozzle surface 101a of the liquid ejection head 101, which is arranged facing downward.

[0041] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the cleaning device main body 601 is provided with wiping members 611 for multiple heads, so that it is possible to simultaneously wipe and clean the nozzle surfaces 101a of multiple liquid ejection heads 101. This allows head cleaning to be completed in a short cleaning time.

[0042] Furthermore, by providing the holder 602 of the head cleaning device 600 with a drive source and drive mechanism for moving the slider member 612 back and forth, the wiping operation of the wiping member 611 of the cleaning device main body 601 on the nozzle surface 101a of the liquid ejection head 101 can be performed automatically.

[0043] Furthermore, by using different materials or shapes for the wiping member 611 for the head that ejects the color liquid and the head that ejects the white liquid, it is possible to more effectively clean the color liquid and the white liquid, which differ in the way they get dirty and how easily they can be cleaned.

[0044] In the first embodiment, the guide portion 624 is provided along the sub-scanning direction Y, and therefore the movement direction of the wiping member 611 is also the sub-scanning direction, but by providing the guide portion 624 along the main scanning direction, the movement direction of the wiping member 611 can also be the main scanning direction X. Furthermore, the wiping member 611 may be movable in both the main scanning direction X and the sub-scanning direction Y.

[0045] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, in order to remove dirt adhering to the head, cleaning liquid may be impregnated into the wiping member 611. In this case, the cleaning liquid may be impregnated into the wiping sheet 611b, which is a replaceable part, or may be impregnated into the soft pressing part 611a, which is a non-replaceable part, and the cleaning liquid may be supplied from the soft pressing part 611a to the replaced wiping sheet 611b.

[0046] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the pressing surface of the soft pressing portion 611a of the wiping member 611 is configured as a flat surface, but it may also be configured as an uneven surface, for example, as shown in Fig. 10. When the pressing surface of the soft pressing portion 611a is an uneven surface, the convex portions generate a strong local contact pressure on the wiping sheet 611b, which has the effect of scraping off dirt on the nozzle surface of the liquid ejection head 101. This makes it possible to improve head cleaning performance.

[0047] [Embodiment 2] Next, another embodiment (hereinafter, this embodiment will be referred to as "Embodiment 2") in which the present invention is applied to a head cleaning device that cleans the nozzle surface of a liquid ejection head in a printing device that is a device that ejects liquid will be described. This embodiment 2 is similar to the above-described embodiment 1 except for the configuration of the head cleaning device 600, which differs from the above-described embodiment 1. Therefore, the following explanation will mainly focus on the differences from the above-described embodiment 1.

[0048] FIG. 11 is a perspective explanatory view of the cleaning device main body in the head cleaning device of the second embodiment. The basic configuration of the head cleaning device 600 of this second embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment described above, but the configuration of the wiping member 615 of the cleaning device main body 601 is different from that of the wiping member 611 of the first embodiment described above.

[0049] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a wiping member 615 according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the wiping member 615 provided in the cleaning device body 601 includes a plurality of wiping sheets 615b, which are sheet-like wiping materials serving as wiping portions, and a soft pressing portion 615a that presses the wiping sheets 615b against the nozzle surface.

[0050] The wiping sheet 615b of the wiping member 615 is the part that comes into contact with and wipes the nozzle face of the liquid ejection head. Therefore, like the wiping sheet 611b of the first embodiment described above, a material that can ensure the required cleaning capabilities, such as high water absorption and high wiping properties, is used, and the wiping sheet 615b is also required to be flexible enough to deform together with the flexible pressing portion 615a and reduce the contact pressure with the nozzle face. As with the first embodiment described above, examples of such wiping sheets 615b include cloth sheets such as rags and nonwoven fabrics, and paper sheets.

[0051] The soft pressing portion 615a of the wiping member 615 is a portion that supports the wiping surface 615b1 of the wiping sheet 615b from the back side with the pressing surface 615a1 and presses the wiping surface 615b1 of the wiping sheet 615b against the nozzle surface. As in the first embodiment described above, this soft pressing portion 615a is made of a material that is softer than the nozzle surface and has flexibility that allows deformation of the soft pressing portion 615a to reduce the contact pressure when the wiping sheet 615b supported by the soft pressing portion 615a contacts the nozzle surface. As in the first embodiment described above, a soft material with the required flexibility, such as rubber, sponge, or other porous material, is preferably used for this soft pressing portion 615a.

[0052] 12, multiple wiping sheets 615b of the second embodiment are arranged in a stack on the pressing surface 615a1 of the soft pressing portion 615a. Therefore, during cleaning, it is the uppermost wiping sheet 615b of the multiple stacked wiping sheets 615b that comes into contact with and wipes the nozzle surface of the liquid ejection head 101. Therefore, dirt on the nozzle surface adheres only to the uppermost wiping sheet 615b during cleaning.

[0053] In the second embodiment, each of the stacked wiping sheets 615b is removably fixed to the other wiping sheet 615b located immediately below it by an adhesive or the like. After cleaning, as shown in Fig. 12, the uppermost wiping sheet 611b is grasped by its edge and peeled off from the wiping sheet 615b immediately below it. This allows only the soiled uppermost wiping sheet 611b to be removed, and a new, unsoiled wiping sheet 615b immediately below it to be placed at the top.

[0054] In this second embodiment, as in the first embodiment described above, the flexible pressing portion 615a has a sufficient thickness to ensure flexibility that allows wiping without damaging the nozzle surface, while only the portion of the wiping sheet 615b that becomes soiled on the head surface with use can be replaced as a replacement part. Therefore, in this second embodiment as well, the cost of replacement parts can be kept low compared to when the entire wiping member 615 is replaced as a replacement part, and the maintenance costs of the printing device 1 can be kept low.

[0055] Moreover, according to the second embodiment, there is no need for the sheet pressing member 613 for replaceably fixing the wiping sheet 611b to the soft pressing portion 611a, which was necessary in the first embodiment, and therefore the configuration of the head cleaning device 600 can be simplified.

[0056] Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, the removal of the soiled wiping sheet 615b and the installation of a new wiping sheet 615b can be completed at the same time by simply peeling off the top wiping sheet 615b. Therefore, the procedure for replacing the wiping sheets is simpler than in the first embodiment.

[0057] In the above-described first and second embodiments, the head cleaning device is detachably connected to the device that ejects liquid. However, the head cleaning device may be incorporated into the device that ejects liquid. In this case, for example, during cleaning, the carriage 102 is moved to a predetermined head cleaning position (a position facing the head cleaning device 600 from above). Then, the head cleaning device 600 is raised relative to the carriage 102 by a drive unit, and the wiping member 611 of the cleaning device main body 601 is brought into contact with the nozzle surface 101a of the liquid ejection head 101.

[0058] In this case, in the second embodiment, the height of the wiping member 615 changes depending on the number of stacked wiping sheets 615b. Therefore, when the head cleaning device 600 is raised by the drive unit to bring the wiping member 615 into contact with the nozzle surface 101a of the liquid ejection head 101, the contact pressure between the wiping member 615 and the nozzle surface 101a of the liquid ejection head 101 changes depending on the height of the wiping member 615. Therefore, it is preferable to configure the uppermost wiping sheet 615b so that it can always contact the nozzle surface 101a of the liquid ejection head 101 with approximately the same contact pressure.

[0059] 13(a) and 13(b), a sensor 617 is provided to detect the height position of the uppermost wiping sheet 615b. Then, based on the detection result of the sensor 617 (the timing at which the uppermost wiping sheet 615b passes the detection position of the sensor 617), the raised position of the head cleaning device 600 is controlled by a drive unit 616 that raises the head cleaning device 600.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the liquid ejecting device to which the head cleaning device can be detachably connected is described as a printing device that prints on fabric as a liquid application target, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to devices that eject liquid onto sheet material as a liquid application target.

[0061] In this application, a "liquid ejecting device" is a device that includes a liquid ejection head or a liquid ejection unit and ejects liquid by driving the liquid ejection head. Liquid ejecting devices include not only devices that can eject liquid onto objects to which the liquid can adhere, but also devices that eject liquid into air or liquid.

[0062] This "liquid ejecting device" can also include means for feeding, transporting, and discharging items onto which liquid can be attached, as well as pre-processing devices and post-processing devices.

[0063] For example, examples of "liquid ejecting devices" include image forming devices that eject ink to form images on paper, and three-dimensional modeling devices (three-dimensional modeling devices) that eject modeling liquid onto a powder layer formed from layers of powder in order to create a three-dimensional object (a three-dimensional model).

[0064] Furthermore, the term "liquid ejection device" is not limited to devices that use ejected liquid to visualize meaningful images such as letters and figures. For example, it also includes devices that form patterns that have no meaning in themselves, and devices that create three-dimensional images.

[0065] The above-mentioned "object onto which a liquid can adhere" means an object onto which a liquid can adhere at least temporarily, an object onto which the liquid can adhere and stick, an object onto which the liquid can penetrate, etc. Specific examples include media such as paper, recording paper, film, and cloth, electronic circuit boards, electronic components such as piezoelectric elements, powder layers, organ models, and test cells, and unless otherwise specified, includes all objects onto which a liquid can adhere.

[0066] The material of the "substance to which a liquid can adhere" may be any material to which a liquid can adhere, even temporarily, such as paper, thread, fiber, fabric, leather, metal, plastic, glass, wood, or ceramics.

[0067] The "liquid" is not particularly limited as long as it has a viscosity and surface tension that allows it to be ejected from a head, but it is preferably one whose viscosity is 30 mPa·s or less at room temperature and normal pressure, or upon heating or cooling. More specifically, it is a solution, suspension, emulsion, etc. containing a solvent such as water or an organic solvent, a colorant such as a dye or pigment, a functionalizing material such as a polymerizable compound, a resin, or a surfactant, a biocompatible material such as DNA, amino acids, proteins, or calcium, or an edible material such as a natural colorant. These can be used, for example, as inkjet inks, surface treatment liquids, liquids for forming components of electronic devices or light-emitting elements, or electronic circuit resist patterns, and material liquids for 3D modeling.

[0068] Furthermore, the "liquid ejection device" may be a device in which a liquid ejection head and an object onto which liquid can be attached move relatively, but is not limited to this. Specific examples include a serial type device in which a liquid ejection head moves, and a line type device in which a liquid ejection head does not move.

[0069] Other examples of "liquid ejecting devices" include a treatment liquid application device that ejects a treatment liquid onto paper to apply the treatment liquid to the surface of the paper for purposes such as modifying the surface of the paper, and an injection granulation device that ejects a composition liquid in which raw materials are dispersed through a nozzle to granulate fine particles of the raw materials.

[0070] The above description is merely an example, and each of the following aspects provides unique effects. [First aspect] The first aspect is a head cleaning device 600 that wipes and cleans the nozzle surface 101a of a liquid ejection head 101 with a wiping member 611 supported on a support member (e.g., a slider member 612), and is characterized in that the wiping member has a wiping portion (e.g., a wiping sheet 611b) that contacts and wipes the nozzle surface, and a soft pressing portion 611a that is softer than the nozzle surface and presses the wiping portion against the nozzle surface, and has a fixing member (e.g., a sheet pressing member 613) that replaceably fixes the wiping portion to the soft pressing portion. Typically, a wiping member that comes into contact with and wipes the nozzle surface of a liquid ejection head is made of a material that is sufficiently thick and flexible compared to the nozzle surface so as to wipe the nozzle surface without damaging it. In particular, the head cleaning device disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses a wiping member that is impregnated with cleaning liquid to remove dirt adhering to the head, and thus uses a sponge that can retain a sufficient amount of cleaning liquid. Such a sufficiently thick and flexible wiping member is expensive. However, after use, dirt from the head surface adheres to the wiping surface of the wiping member, so reusing the wiping member may contaminate the nozzle surface. Therefore, to maintain a liquid ejection device in an optimal condition, it is preferable to replace the wiping member with a new one after one use. However, as mentioned above, conventional wiping members are replacement parts, which are expensive, resulting in the problem of high maintenance costs for liquid ejection devices. In this aspect, the wiping member supported on the support member is divided into a wiping section that comes into contact with the nozzle face to wipe it, and a soft pressing section that is softer than the nozzle face and presses the wiping section against the nozzle face, and the wiping section is fixed to the soft pressing section in a replaceable manner. This makes it possible to replace only the wiping section, to which dirt from the head surface adheres, as a replaceable part, while ensuring flexibility that allows wiping without damaging the nozzle face with the soft pressing section. Therefore, compared to replacing the entire wiping member as a replaceable part, the cost of the replacement part (only the wiping section of the wiping member) can be kept low, and the maintenance costs of the device that ejects liquid can be kept low.

[0071] [Second mode] The second aspect is characterized in that, in the first aspect, the wiping portion is arranged to cover the pressing surface 611a1 of the soft pressing portion and is a sheet-like wiping material (e.g., a wiping sheet 611b) that is thinner than the thickness of the soft pressing portion. This makes it possible to keep the cost of replacement parts (only the wiping portion of the wiping member) low, and to keep the maintenance costs of the device that ejects liquid low.

[0072] [Third aspect] The third aspect is characterized in that in the second aspect, the fixing member (e.g., sheet pressing member 613) is switchable between a fixed state in which it presses and fixes the extending portion 611b2 of the sheet-like wiping material (e.g., wiping sheet 611b) extending outward from the pressing surface, and a replaceable state in which it releases the pressure on the extending portion, making the sheet-like wiping material replaceable. According to this, by switching the fixing member between the fixed state and the replaceable state, the sheet-type wiping material can be replaced and fixed, making the work of replacing the sheet-type wiping material easier.

[0073] [Fourth aspect] The fourth aspect is characterized in that in any one of the first to third aspects, the pressing surface 611a1 of the soft pressing portion is formed with unevenness. This allows the convex portion formed on the pressing surface of the soft pressing portion to generate a strong local contact pressure on the wiping portion, which has the effect of scraping off dirt from the nozzle surface of the liquid ejection head, thereby improving head cleaning performance.

[0074] [Fifth mode] The fifth aspect is a head cleaning device 600 that wipes and cleans the nozzle surface 101a of the liquid ejection head 101 with a wiping member 615 supported on a support member (e.g., a slider member 612), and the wiping member includes a wiping portion (e.g., a wiping sheet 615b) that comes into contact with the nozzle surface to wipe it, and a soft pressing portion 615a that is softer than the nozzle surface and presses the wiping portion against the nozzle surface, and multiple wiping portions are stacked on the pressing surface 615a1 of the soft pressing portion, and the wiping portions are fixed so as to be releasable from other wiping portions located directly below them. In this aspect, too, the wiping member supported on the support member is divided into a wiping section that comes into contact with the nozzle face to wipe it, and a soft pressing section that is softer than the nozzle face and presses the wiping section against the nozzle face, and the wiping section is fixed to the soft pressing section in a replaceable manner. This makes it possible to replace only the wiping section, to which dirt from the head surface adheres, as a replaceable part, while ensuring flexibility that allows wiping without damaging the nozzle face with the soft pressing section. Therefore, compared to replacing the entire wiping member as a replaceable part, the cost of the replacement part (only the wiping section of the wiping member) can be kept low, and the maintenance costs of the device that ejects liquid can be kept low. Moreover, according to this aspect, the fixing member provided in the above-mentioned aspect is not necessary, so the configuration of the head cleaning device can be simplified. Furthermore, according to this aspect, the removal of the dirty wiping unit and the installation of a new wiping unit can be completed in one go by simply peeling off the top wiping unit among the multiple stacked wiping units, thereby simplifying the procedure for replacing the wiping units.

[0075] [Sixth aspect] A sixth aspect is characterized in that in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the soft pressing portion is integrally attached onto the support member. According to this, since the soft pressing portion of the wiping member is a non-replaceable part, the cost of replacement parts can be further reduced, and the maintenance cost of the device that ejects liquid can be further reduced.

[0076] [Seventh aspect] The seventh aspect is a device (e.g., a printing device 1) for ejecting liquid that includes a liquid ejection head 101 and a head cleaning device 600 that cleans the nozzle surface 101a of the liquid ejection head, and is characterized in that the head cleaning device is any of the head cleaning devices of the first to sixth aspects. This makes it possible to keep the maintenance costs of the liquid ejection device low. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1:Printing device 10: Device body 11: Loading entrance 12: Exit 100: Printing means 101: Liquid ejection head 101a: Nozzle surface 102: Carriage 103: Main guide member 104: Sub-guide member 111: Maintenance unit 200: Means of transport 300: Tray 400: Fabric 500: Heating means 600: Head cleaning device 601: Cleaning device body 602: Holder 603: Fixed plate 611, 615: Wiping member 611a, 615a: Flexible pressing part 611a1,615a1: Pressing surface 611b, 615b: Wiping sheet 611b1, 615b1: Wiping surface 611b2 :Extending part 612: Slider member 612a: Slider body 612c: Convex part 613: Sheet holding member 613a: Hinge part 613b: Stoppered part 614: Stopper part 616: Drive unit 617: Sensor 623: Hook 624: Guide part 625: Stopper [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0078] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-091201

Claims

1. A head cleaning device that wipes and cleans a nozzle surface of a liquid ejection head with a wiping member supported by a support member, the wiping member includes a wiping portion that comes into contact with the nozzle surface to wipe it, and a soft pressing portion that is softer than the nozzle surface and presses the wiping portion against the nozzle surface, The head cleaning device further comprises a fixing member that replaceably fixes the wiping portion to the soft pressing portion.

2. 2. The head cleaning device according to claim 1, The head cleaning device is characterized in that the wiping portion is a sheet-like wiping material that is arranged to cover the pressing surface of the soft pressing portion and is thinner than the thickness of the soft pressing portion.

3. 3. The head cleaning device according to claim 2, The head cleaning device is characterized in that the fixing member switches between a fixed state in which it presses and fixes the extended portion of the sheet-shaped wiping material extending outward from the pressing surface, and a replaceable state in which it releases the pressure on the extended portion and makes the sheet-shaped wiping material replaceable.

4. 4. The head cleaning device according to claim 1, The head cleaning device is characterized in that the pressing surface of the soft pressing portion is formed with unevenness.

5. A head cleaning device that wipes and cleans a nozzle surface of a liquid ejection head with a wiping member supported by a support member, the wiping member includes a wiping portion that comes into contact with the nozzle surface to wipe it, and a soft pressing portion that is softer than the nozzle surface and presses the wiping portion against the nozzle surface, A plurality of wiping units are stacked on the pressing surface of the soft pressing unit, The head cleaning device is characterized in that the wiping unit is releasably fixed to another wiping unit located directly below.

6. 6. The head cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein: The head cleaning device is characterized in that the soft pressing portion is integrally attached to the support member.

7. a liquid ejection head; a head cleaning device that cleans the nozzle surface of the liquid ejection head, 6. A liquid ejection device, comprising the head cleaning device according to claim 1.

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