Liquid discharge device, maintenance unit, and maintenance method of liquid discharge device

Abstract

To provide a liquid discharge device capable of preventing liquid from scattering at the time of maintenance.SOLUTION: A liquid discharge device includes: a liquid discharge part that has a nozzle surface with a nozzle opened and discharges liquid from the nozzle; a cap part that receives the liquid discharged from the liquid discharge part; a suction pump that sucks the liquid inside the cap part; and a wiping part that wipes the nozzle surface by moving in a first direction together with the cap part and the suction pump.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid ejection apparatus, a maintenance unit, and a maintenance method for a liquid ejection apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, among liquid ejection devices that eject ink onto a medium, there are known devices that include a mechanism for performing maintenance on the liquid ejection unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The device described in Patent Document 1 includes a mechanism for wiping the nozzle surface on which the nozzles that eject liquid are arranged, and a liquid receiving unit that receives the ink ejected for flushing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-69676 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As with the device described in Patent Document 1, when the liquid ejection unit is moved for wiping after ejecting liquid during maintenance, there is a possibility that ink adhering to the liquid ejection unit will scatter, which requires measures such as slowing down the movement of the liquid ejection unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is a liquid ejection device comprising: a liquid ejection section having a nozzle surface where a nozzle opens and ejecting liquid from the nozzle; a cap section that receives the liquid discharged from the liquid ejection section; a suction pump that sucks the liquid inside the cap section; and a wiping section that wipes the nozzle surface by moving in a first direction together with the cap section and the suction pump.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is a maintenance unit for maintaining a liquid ejection device having a nozzle surface where nozzles open and a liquid ejection section that ejects liquid from the nozzles, the maintenance unit comprising: a cap section that receives liquid discharged from the liquid ejection section; a suction pump that sucks the liquid inside the cap section; and a wiping section that wipes the nozzle surface by moving in a first direction together with the cap section and the suction pump.

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure is a maintenance method for a liquid ejection unit that has a nozzle surface where nozzles open and ejects liquid from the nozzles, the maintenance method including: discharging liquid from the liquid ejection unit into a cap portion that receives the liquid; moving a suction pump that sucks the liquid from the cap portion together with the cap portion, and a wiping portion in a first direction to wipe the nozzle surface with the wiping portion; and sucking the liquid ejected into the cap portion with the suction pump. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a liquid ejection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a main part including a liquid ejection unit and a carriage. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the liquid ejection device. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the liquid ejection device. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the liquid ejection device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [1. Configuration of liquid ejection device] A liquid ejection device 11 according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each figure, the same components are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, in each figure, X, Y, and Z represent three spatial axes that are orthogonal to one another. In the following explanation, the directions along the X, Y, and Z axes will be referred to as the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction, respectively. When specifying a direction, the positive direction will be indicated by "+" and the negative direction by "-", and both positive and negative signs will be used to indicate the direction, with the direction of the arrow in each figure being referred to as the + direction and the direction opposite the arrow being referred to as the - direction.

[0010] The Z-axis direction indicates the direction of gravity, the +Z direction indicates the vertically downward direction, and the -Z direction indicates the vertically upward direction. Furthermore, the three spatial axes X, Y, and Z, which are not limited to positive and negative directions, will be described as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. In the following description, the direction along the X-axis will also be referred to as the width direction X, the direction along the Y-axis as the depth direction Y, and the direction along the Z-axis as the gravity direction Z.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a liquid ejection device 11 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The liquid ejection device 11 is, for example, an inkjet printer that prints by ejecting ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto a medium M such as paper.

[0012] The medium M can be a sheet containing natural or synthetic fibers, or a film or sheet made of synthetic resin. For example, the medium M can be paper, cloth, nonwoven fabric, or film. In this embodiment, the configuration of the liquid ejection device 11 that uses a long piece of cloth wound into a roll as the medium M is exemplified, but other sheets can also be used as the medium M. The present disclosure can also be applied to devices that use a sheet cut to a predetermined size as the medium M.

[0013] The liquid ejection device 11 of this embodiment ejects ink, a pretreatment liquid, and a posttreatment liquid onto the medium M. The pretreatment liquid can also be called a reaction liquid. The reaction liquid contains a component that increases the viscosity of the ink when it comes into contact with the ink and hardens the ink. When the reaction liquid mixes with the ink, the viscosity of the mixture of the ink and the reaction liquid becomes higher than the viscosity of the ink, and the mixture hardens. The posttreatment liquid is a material that coats the surface of the medium M when at least one of the pretreatment liquid and the ink is attached to the medium M, and is ejected, for example, on top of the pretreatment liquid and the ink.

[0014] The inks used by the liquid ejection device 11 include white, black, and other colored inks. They may be liquids containing colored pigments or liquids containing dissolved dyes. For example, the liquid ejection device 11 can use inks of various colors, such as white, black, cyan, magenta, yellow, red, green, and orange. The liquid ejection device 11 can also use light-colored inks or neutral-colored inks, such as light cyan and light magenta. Each ink is a so-called pigment ink, which uses water as a solvent and contains a pigment as a coloring component. For example, white ink is an ink containing a white pigment. Examples of pigments include white inorganic pigments. Specific examples include alkaline earth metal sulfates such as barium sulfate, alkaline earth metal carbonates such as calcium carbonate, silicas such as finely powdered silicic acid and synthetic silicates, calcium silicate, alumina, alumina hydrate, metal compounds such as titanium oxide and zinc oxide, talc, and clay. Furthermore, black ink is an ink containing a black pigment, including a black inorganic pigment. Specifically, black ink includes carbon black.

[0015] Furthermore, among the inks used by the liquid ejection device 11, the inks of colors other than white ink and black ink contain organic pigments as colorant components, and are liquids that either do not contain inorganic pigments or contain less inorganic pigment than organic pigments.

[0016] The liquid ejection device 11 includes a pair of legs 12 and a housing 13 mounted on the legs 12. The liquid ejection device 11 includes a payout unit 15 that unwinds and pays out the medium M that has been wound up in a roll, a guide unit 16 that guides the medium M that is discharged from the housing 13, and a recovery unit 17 that winds up and recovers the medium M. The liquid ejection device 11 includes a tension applying mechanism 18 that applies tension to the medium M that is recovered in the recovery unit 17.

[0017] The liquid ejection device 11 includes a liquid ejection unit 20 capable of ejecting liquid, a carriage 21 that moves the liquid ejection unit 20, and a maintenance unit 22 that performs maintenance on the liquid ejection unit 20. The liquid ejection device 11 also includes a liquid supply unit 23 that supplies liquid to the liquid ejection unit 20, and an operation panel 24 that is operated by a user. The carriage 21 moves the liquid ejection unit 20 back and forth along the X axis. The liquid ejection unit 20 ejects the liquid supplied through the liquid supply unit 23 while moving, and prints on the medium M. The liquid ejection unit 20 is what is known as a print head.

[0018] The liquid supply device 23 includes a mounting portion 26 to which a plurality of liquid containers 25 for containing liquid are removably mounted, and a supply flow path 27 that supplies liquid from the liquid containers 25 mounted to the mounting portion 26 to the liquid ejection portion 20.

[0019] The liquid ejection device 11 includes a control unit 29 that controls the operation of the liquid ejection device 11. The control unit 29 includes a processor, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and a memory. The control unit 29 controls the liquid ejection unit 20, the liquid supply device 23, the maintenance unit 22, etc. by the processor executing a program stored in the memory.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the main part including the liquid discharge unit 20 and the carriage 21. As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid ejection device 11 includes a guide shaft 47 that supports the carriage 21, and a carriage motor 48 that moves the carriage 21. The guide shaft 47 extends in the width direction X. The control unit 29 controls the driving of the carriage motor 48 to move the carriage 21 and the liquid ejection unit 20 back and forth along the guide shaft 47. The carriage motor 48 can be referred to as a movement mechanism, and the movement mechanism may include the carriage 21 and the guide shaft 47.

[0021] The liquid ejection unit 20 has a configuration in which a plurality of heads 30 are arranged on a main body made of metal such as stainless steel. The heads 30 are supported by the main body of the liquid ejection unit 20 and arranged in a line along the X-axis and Y-axis. Nozzles of the heads 30 open on a nozzle surface 40 corresponding to the bottom surface of the liquid ejection unit 20. The nozzle surface 40 is covered with a liquid-repellent film that repels liquids such as ink.

[0022] The nozzles are openings of pipes through which liquid supplied from the liquid supply device 23 via the supply flow path 27 passes, and eject the liquid toward the medium M. The head 30 has a large number of nozzle openings that eject the liquid lined up at regular intervals in a row in the depth direction Y. These nozzle rows constitute nozzle groups 36. One head 30 has, for example, four nozzle groups 36.

[0023] The liquid discharger 20 is connected to a liquid flow mechanism 28. The liquid flow mechanism 28 is a device that sends the liquid supplied from the liquid supply device 23 through a supply flow path 27 to the head 30 of the liquid discharger 20. The liquid flow mechanism 28 includes, for example, a pump, a pressure adjustment mechanism, an on-off valve, etc. The liquid flow mechanism 28 is connected to each head 30 via a supply flow path 42, and pressure-feeds the liquid sent from the liquid supply device 23 to the head 30.

[0024] The carriage 21 moves back and forth along a guide shaft 47 by the power of a carriage motor 48. The movement direction of the medium M relative to the liquid discharger 20, i.e., the transport direction F, is parallel to the Y axis, specifically the +Y direction, as shown in FIG. 2. The liquid discharger 20 discharges liquid while moving together with the carriage 21 in the width direction X relative to the medium M.

[0025] [2. Maintenance unit configuration] A maintenance unit 22 is provided at one end of the movement range of the carriage 21 in the width direction X. Here, the maintenance unit 22 will be described.

[0026] Fig. 3 is a plan view of the maintenance unit 22. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are side views of the maintenance unit 22.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the maintenance unit 22 includes a case 61, a rail 62, a wiping motor 63, a wiping unit 43, and a capping device 45.

[0028] The maintenance unit 22 is provided at one end of the movement range of the carriage 21 in the width direction X, and is located outside the area where the medium M is transported. When the carriage 21 moves to a position where it overlaps with the maintenance unit 22 in the gravity direction Z, the liquid discharger 20 is positioned above the maintenance unit 22, allowing the maintenance unit 22 to perform maintenance on the liquid discharger 20. The area above the maintenance unit 22 can be called the home position of the liquid discharger 20. The home position is the starting point for the movement of the liquid discharger 20.

[0029] The case 61 is a housing that houses the wiping unit 43 and the capping device 45. An exposure opening 67 is formed on the top surface of the case 61 to expose the wiping member 60 (described later) and the capping device 45. The capping device 45 corresponds to an example of a cap unit.

[0030] The case 61 is connected to the wiping motor 63 via a movement mechanism 66. The movement mechanism 66 includes, for example, a rack, pinion gear, a reducer, etc., and causes the case 61 to move back and forth along the Y axis on the rails 62 using the power of the wiping motor 63. When the wiping motor 63 is driven in the forward direction, the case 61 moves in a first wiping direction W1 parallel to the Y axis, and when the wiping motor 63 is driven in the reverse direction, the case 61 moves in a second wiping direction W2 opposite to the first wiping direction W1. The depth direction Y is an example of a first direction, and one or both of the first wiping direction W1 and the second wiping direction W2 correspond to the first direction.

[0031] By moving the case 61, the liquid discharger 20 and the maintenance unit 22 move relatively in the depth direction Y. The maintenance unit 22 transitions between a state in which the wiping unit 43 faces the nozzle surface 40 and a state in which the capping device 45 faces the nozzle surface 40. When the capping device 45 faces the nozzle surface 40, the relative position of the liquid discharger 20 with respect to the capping device 45 is referred to as a cap position CP.

[0032] 3, the cap position CP of the liquid discharger 20 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. The liquid discharger 11 has a configuration in which the liquid discharger 20 and the maintenance unit 22 move relatively in the depth direction Y. In this embodiment, the liquid discharger 20 does not move in the depth direction Y, but the maintenance unit 22 moves in the depth direction Y. Therefore, the cap position CP in FIG. 3 indicates the position of the liquid discharger 20 when the liquid discharger 20 is located above the capping device 45 as a result of the movement of the maintenance unit 22.

[0033] 3 and 4, the capping device 45 includes a cap 56, a cap holder 57, an elevating mechanism 68 that reciprocates the cap holder 57 along the Z axis, and a cap motor 58 that drives the elevating mechanism 68. The elevating mechanism 68 moves the capping device 45 in the gravity direction Z using the power of the cap motor 58. This causes the capping device 45 to rise and fall. The capping device 45 is located in a position that does not contact the liquid discharger 20 in the gravity direction Z, and when capping the liquid discharger 20, the capping device 45 is raised by the elevating mechanism 68 and comes into contact with the liquid discharger 20 that is located at the cap position CP. A position where the capping device 45 is separated from the liquid discharger 20 is referred to as the separated position.

[0034] The capping device 45 includes a plurality of caps 56. Each cap 56 is supported by a cap holder 57. In this embodiment, the liquid ejection unit 20 includes 18 heads 30, and two caps 56 correspond to each head 30, so 36 caps 56 are arranged in the capping device 45. One cap 56 can cover two nozzle groups 36 of a head 30.

[0035] The cap 56 has a generally elliptical edge in plan view, with a recess inside the edge and a hole (not shown) opening at the bottom of the recess. The capping device 45 is a container capable of storing liquid without leakage. When liquid flows from the nozzle into the cap 56, the liquid passes through the hole in the cap 56 and accumulates at the bottom of the capping device 45. In the capping device 45, an absorption member 44 is disposed below the cap 56. The absorption member 44 absorbs the liquid that accumulates at the bottom of the capping device 45 and prevents the liquid from splashing, etc. A suction pump 49 is connected to the bottom of the capping device 45 via a pipe. A pump motor 59 that drives the suction pump 49 is connected to the suction pump 49. The suction pump 49 sucks the liquid that accumulates at the bottom of the capping device 45 using the power of the pump motor 59. The pump motor 59 corresponds to an example of a drive source. As will be described later, the pump motor 59 moves together with the wiping unit 43 and the capping device 45 and the suction pump 49 when they move in the depth direction Y.

[0036] The edge of the cap 56 is made of a flexible material and fits tightly against the nozzle surface 40. Therefore, when the cap 56 is in contact with the nozzle surface 40, the nozzles opening in the nozzle surface 40 are tightly covered, preventing the liquid adhering to the nozzles from drying out. Bringing the cap 56 into contact with the nozzle surface 40 when the liquid ejection device 11 is not printing is called standby capping, and is part of maintenance. Standby capping prevents liquid from evaporating from the nozzles, maintaining good nozzle conditions. Furthermore, when the suction pump 49 performs suction while the cap 56 is in contact with the nozzle surface 40, negative pressure is generated inside the cap 56, allowing liquid to be sucked from the nozzles into the cap 56.

[0037] Furthermore, a lip portion 46 is provided at an end portion in the depth direction Y of the capping device 45. The lip portion 46 is a member that extends in the width direction X at the end portion of the capping device 45 and protrudes upward from the upper end of the capping device 45. The lip portion 46 may be made of a flexible material or a rigid material.

[0038] The wiping unit 43 includes a wiping member 60 capable of absorbing liquid. The wiping member 60 is an example of a sheet-like absorbing member. The wiping member 60 is wound around an unwinding roller 70 and a winding shaft 71 arranged inside the case 61. The unwinding roller 70 is located closer to the +Y side of the case 61, and the wiping member 60 is housed wound around the unwinding roller 70 and is unwound from the unwinding roller 70. The winding roller 72 is located on the -Y side of the unwinding roller 70 and winds up the wiping member 60 unwound from the unwinding roller 70 into a roll. The pressing unit 76 is located between the unwinding roller 70 and the winding roller 72 in the depth direction Y and protrudes above the case 61. The unwinding roller 70 and the winding roller 72 correspond to examples of rollers.

[0039] The wiping member 60 is unwound from the unwinding roller 70, passes over the pressing portion 76, and is taken up by the take-up roller 72. An unwinding shaft 69, which is the central shaft of the unwinding roller 70, is supported rotatably relative to the case 61 with the X-axis as its axial direction. A winding shaft 71, which is the central shaft of the winding roller 72, is held by the case 61 with the X-axis as its axial direction and is connected to the winding motor 64 via a power transmission mechanism 65. The power transmission mechanism 65 includes a reducer and the like, and rotates the winding roller 72 with the driving force of the winding motor 64, thereby winding the wiping member 60 onto the winding roller 72. As a result, the portion of the wiping member 60 that is unwound from the unwinding roller 70 moves in the direction D. The direction D is the direction along the conveyance path of the wiping member 60, and is the direction of movement from the upstream unwinding roller 70 toward the downstream winding roller 72.

[0040] The power transmission mechanism 65 may be configured to be disconnected from the take-up shaft 71 as the case 61 moves. For example, the power transmission mechanism 65 may be configured to connect the take-up motor 64 and the take-up shaft 71 when the case 61 is in a position where the nozzle surface 40 is wiped, as described below, and to disconnect the take-up motor 64 and the take-up shaft 71 when the case 61 moves away from this position.

[0041] The pressing portion 76 urges the wiping member 60 upward, causing the wiping member 60 to protrude upward from the exposed opening 67. When the liquid discharger 20 passes a position where it overlaps with the pressing portion 76 in the gravity direction Z, the wiping member 60 comes into contact with the nozzle face 40. The position where the wiping member 60 comes into contact with the nozzle face 40 is called the contact position 60a. The liquid discharger 20 and the case 61 move relative to each other in the depth direction Y, causing the contact position 60a to move along the nozzle face 40 in the depth direction Y. As a result, the nozzle face 40 is wiped by the wiping member 60 that has absorbed the liquid.

[0042] [3. Maintenance Operation] The liquid ejection device 11 performs maintenance on the liquid ejection section 20 using the maintenance unit 22. Maintenance includes flushing, suction cleaning, wiping, and pressure cleaning. When wiping is performed following suction cleaning, wiping can be performed using the lip section 46. These types of maintenance will be described below.

[0043] [3-1.Flushing] Flushing is an operation of ejecting liquid from the nozzles of the liquid ejection unit 20. For example, it has the effect of draining liquid that has accumulated in the nozzles without being ejected for a predetermined period of time or longer, thereby restoring fluidity. When performing flushing, the liquid ejection device 11 moves the carriage 21 so that the liquid ejection unit 20 is positioned above the maintenance unit 22, and moves the case 61 so that the capping device 45 is positioned below the liquid ejection unit 20. Then, with the liquid ejection unit 20 positioned at the cap position CP, the liquid ejection unit 20 ejects liquid. At this time, the cap 56 may be in contact with the nozzle surface 40, or the cap 56 may be spaced apart from the nozzle surface 40. When flushing is performed, liquid accumulates in the capping device 45. Therefore, during or after flushing, the liquid ejection device 11 operates the pump motor 59 to suck the liquid using the suction pump 49.

[0044] [3-2. Suction cleaning] Suction cleaning is an operation in which liquid is ejected from the nozzles of the liquid ejection unit 20 using the suction force of the suction pump 49. Forcing the liquid to flow out of the nozzles can be expected to have the effect of clearing minor nozzle clogs and removing liquid with reduced fluidity from inside the nozzles. Suction cleaning is performed when the liquid ejection unit 20 is positioned at the cap position CP. When performing suction cleaning, the liquid ejection device 11 operates the cap motor 58 to abut the cap 56 of the capping device 45 against the nozzle face 40, and then operates the pump motor 59 to perform suction with the suction pump 49. This generates negative pressure inside the cap 56, and the liquid inside the nozzles of the liquid ejection unit 20 is sucked out by the action of this negative pressure. The liquid discharged from the nozzles during suction cleaning is received by the capping device 45 and then sucked up by the suction pump 49.

[0045] [3-3. Wiping] Wiping is a maintenance process in which the wiping member 60 wipes the nozzle surface 40 . The liquid discharger 11 operates the wiping motor 63 to move the case 61, and wipes the liquid discharger 20 in at least one of the processes in which the case 61 moves in the first wiping direction W1 and the second wiping direction W2. In this embodiment, the liquid discharger 11 performs wiping in the process of moving the wiping member 60 in the second wiping direction W2 relative to the liquid discharger 20. That is, during wiping, a contact position 60a where the wiping member 60 comes into contact with the liquid discharger 20 moves in the second wiping direction W2.

[0046] 6 shows the relative positions of the maintenance unit 22 and the liquid discharger 20 during wiping. As shown in Fig. 6, the pressing portion 76 pushes up the wiping member 60 to a position where it contacts the nozzle face 40. Therefore, when the case 61 moves in the second wiping direction W2, the wiping member 60 contacts the nozzle face 40 at the contact position 60a and wipes the nozzle face 40.

[0047] [3-4. Wiping after suction cleaning] When wiping is performed after suction cleaning, the position of the case 61 moves in the second wiping direction W2 from the position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 6. In other words, the liquid ejection unit 20 moves relatively from the cap position CP to above the wiping unit 43. During this process, liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 may fall or splash between the capping device 45 and the wiping unit 43. Therefore, the liquid ejection device 11 of this embodiment is provided with a lip portion 46 that protrudes upward from the capping device 45, making it possible to perform wiping using the lip portion 46.

[0048] 5 shows the process of the maintenance unit 22 transitioning from the state shown in FIG. 4 to the state shown in FIG. 6. That is, this is the state in which the position of the liquid discharger 20 relative to the case 61 moves from the cap position CP to above the wiping unit 43. As shown in FIG. 5, after performing suction cleaning, the liquid discharger 11 operates the cap motor 58 to raise the capping device 45 before moving the case 61 in the second wiping direction W2. At this time, the liquid discharger 11 raises the capping device 45 until the height position H1 of the upper end of the lip portion 46 does not reach the nozzle surface 40.

[0049] The height position H1 is lower than the nozzle surface 40. Furthermore, the height position H1 is preferably set to a height that allows the capping device 45 to come into contact with the droplets L adhering to the surface of the nozzle surface 40. When the case 61 moves in the second wiping direction W2 after the capping device 45 is raised, the droplets L adhering to the nozzle surface 40 are scraped off by the lip portion 46 and flow into the capping device 45. This prevents the droplets L adhering to the nozzle surface 40 from falling or scattering while the case 61 is moving.

[0050] The lip portion 46 only needs to protrude upward from the end of the capping device 45, and is desirably large enough to span almost the entire nozzle surface 40 in the width direction X, or at least the area in which the nozzle group 36 is provided. The lip portion 46 may have any shape in a side view. For example, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the lip portion 46 may have a slope that slopes toward the inside of the capping device 45 in a side view, and may be configured to guide the droplets L into the inside of the capping device 45. Furthermore, the lip portion 46 does not need to be located at the very end of the capping device 45.

[0051] In the liquid ejection device 11, when wiping is performed by the wiping unit 43 after flushing, wiping may be performed by the lip unit 46 in the same manner as described above. Also, when wiping is performed by the wiping unit 43 after performing pressurized cleaning, which will be described later, wiping may be performed by the lip unit 46 in the same manner as described above.

[0052] [3-5. Pressure cleaning] Pressurized cleaning is an operation in which the liquid is ejected from the nozzles of the liquid ejection unit 20 by the pressure applied by the pressurizing mechanism 28a to pressurize the liquid, and is expected to have the same effect as suction cleaning. Pressurized cleaning is performed when the liquid ejection unit 20 is located at the cap position CP. When performing pressurized cleaning, the liquid ejection device 11 operates the cap motor 58 to bring the cap 56 of the capping device 45 into contact with the nozzle surface 40, or brings the capping device 45 into close proximity to the nozzle surface 40.

[0053] The liquid ejection device 11 operates the pressurizing mechanism 28a to pressure-feed the liquid from the liquid flow mechanism 28 to the head 30. This pressure causes the liquid to be discharged from the nozzles. The liquid discharged from the nozzles by the pressure cleaning is received by the capping device 45 and sucked by the suction pump 49.

[0054] [4. Liquid Discharge Device Control System] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the liquid ejection device 11. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 29 is connected to the liquid discharge unit 20, the operation panel 24, the pressure mechanism 28a, the carriage motor 48, the cap motor 58, the pump motor 59, the wiping motor 63, and the winding motor 64.

[0055] 7 are the main parts of the liquid ejection device 11, and functional parts, motors, sensors, or other devices not shown in Fig. 7 may be connected to the control unit 29. For example, the liquid ejection device 11 may include sensors that detect or count the position of the carriage 21 in the width direction X, the position of the case 61 in the depth direction Y, the height of the capping device 45, the amount of wiping member 60 taken up by the take-up roller 72, etc. These sensors may be connected to the control unit 29, and the control unit 29 may control each part of Fig. 7 based on the detection values of each sensor.

[0056] The control unit 29 controls the pressurizing mechanism 28a to send the liquid supplied via the supply flow path 27 to the liquid discharge unit 20. The control unit 29 controls the liquid discharge unit 20 to discharge the liquid supplied from the liquid flow mechanism 28 from the nozzle.

[0057] The control unit 29 operates the carriage motor 48 to move the carriage 21 in the width direction X. The control unit 29 operates the cap motor 58 to move the capping device 45 in the gravity direction Z. The control unit 29 operates the pump motor 59 to drive the suction pump 49 and suck the liquid out of the capping device 45. The control unit 29 operates the wiping motor 63 to move the case 61 in the first wiping direction W1 and the second wiping direction W2. The control unit 29 also operates the winding motor 64 to unwind the wiping member 60 from the unwinding roller 70 and wind it around the winding roller 72. The control unit 29 causes the operation panel 24 to display the operating state of the liquid ejection device 11 and the like.

[0058] [5. Example of operation of liquid ejection device] 8 and 9 are flowcharts showing the operation of the liquid ejector 11. Fig. 8 shows the operation of the liquid ejector 11 when suction cleaning and wiping by the wiping unit 43 are performed successively. Fig. 9 shows the operation of the liquid ejector 11 in pressure cleaning. An example of the operation of the liquid ejector 11 will be described with reference to these figures. The operations of Figs. 8 and 9 are executed under the control of the control unit 29.

[0059] The liquid ejection device 11 operates the carriage motor 48 to move the carriage 21 in the width direction X (step S11). In detail, the liquid ejection device 11 moves the carriage 21 to a position where the liquid ejection section 20 overlaps the maintenance unit 22 in the width direction X.

[0060] Next, the liquid discharger 11 operates the wiping motor 63 to move the case 61 (step S12). Specifically, the liquid discharger 11 moves the case 61 until the capping device 45 of the maintenance unit 22 is positioned below the liquid discharger 20. As a result, the liquid discharger 20 is positioned at the cap position CP.

[0061] The liquid ejection device 11 operates the cap motor 58 to raise the capping device 45 to the contact position (step S13). The contact position is the position of the capping device 45 in the gravity direction Z, and is the height at which the cap 56 abuts or presses against the nozzle surface 40.

[0062] After the capping device 45 has been raised, the liquid ejection device 11 operates the pump motor 59 to perform suction by the suction pump 49 (step S14). This causes the liquid to be discharged from the nozzles of the nozzle surface 40.

[0063] After stopping the suction in step S14, the liquid ejector 11 operates the cap motor 58 to lower the capping device 45 to the wiping position (step S15). The wiping position is the position of the capping device 45 in the direction of gravity Z, and is the height at which the cap 56 is separated from the nozzle face 40. The wiping position is also the position at which the lip portion 46 comes into contact with the droplets L adhering to the nozzle face 40. In other words, the height of the upper end of the lip portion 46 at the wiping position is height position H1.

[0064] After lowering the capping device 45 to the wiping position, the liquid discharger 11 starts suction by the suction pump 49 (step S16). Then, while the suction pump 49 is performing suction, the liquid discharger 11 starts moving the case 61 (step S17). In step S17, the wiping motor 63 is operated to start moving the case 61 in the second wiping direction W2.

[0065] After the liquid discharger 20 has moved above the wiping unit 43 and the wiping member 60 has completed wiping of the nozzle surface 40, the liquid discharger 11 stops the wiping motor 63 and ends the movement of the case 61 (step S18). The liquid discharger 11 also stops the pump motor 59 and stops suction by the suction pump 49 (step S19).

[0066] The timing at which the liquid ejection device 11 stops suction by the suction pump 49 may be before step S18. For example, the liquid ejection device 11 may stop the suction pump 49 at any timing after the lip portion 46 reaches the end of the nozzle surface 40 on the -Y side.

[0067] 8, suction cleaning of the liquid discharge unit 20 and wiping by the wiping member 60 can be performed consecutively. Then, while the case 61 is being moved after the suction cleaning is completed, the liquid droplets L adhering to the nozzle surface 40 are received by the lip portion 46 in the capping device 45. Therefore, suction cleaning and wiping can be performed consecutively without the liquid droplets L falling or scattering outside the capping device 45.

[0068] As described above, the operation of FIG. 8 can also be applied to the case where flushing and wiping by the wiping member 60 are performed consecutively, and the case where pressurized cleaning and wiping by the wiping member 60 are performed consecutively.

[0069] Next, pressure cleaning will be described. The liquid discharger 11 operates the carriage motor 48 to move the carriage 21 to a position where the liquid discharger 20 overlaps the maintenance unit 22 in the width direction X (step S21).

[0070] Next, the liquid discharger 11 operates the wiping motor 63 to move the case 61 until the capping device 45 of the maintenance unit 22 is positioned below the liquid discharger 20 (step S22). As a result, the liquid discharger 20 is positioned at the cap position CP.

[0071] The liquid discharger 11 operates the cap motor 58 to raise the capping device 45 to the contact position (step S23).

[0072] After the capping device 45 has been raised, the liquid ejection device 11 operates the pump motor 59 to start suction by the suction pump 49 (step S24). Next, the liquid ejection device 11 operates the pressurizing mechanism 28a to start pressurizing (step S25). This starts the pressure-feeding of the liquid from the liquid flow mechanism 28 to the head 30.

[0073] After a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of pressurization, the liquid discharger 11 stops the pressurization mechanism 28a and ends the pressurization (step S26), thereby stopping the pressure-feeding of the liquid to the head 30. Thereafter, the liquid discharger 11 stops the pump motor 59 and stops the suction of the suction pump 49 (step S27).

[0074] 9, pressurized cleaning is performed by pressure-feeding liquid from the liquid flow mechanism 28 to the liquid discharger 20, and the liquid discharged from the nozzles during the pressurized cleaning is received and sucked by the capping device 45. This allows pressurized cleaning to be performed without the liquid leaking out of the capping device 45.

[0075] After the pressure cleaning, the liquid ejection device 11 may perform wiping by the wiping unit 43. In this case, the liquid ejection device 11 may perform the operations of steps S15 to S19 in FIG. 8 following step S27 in FIG.

[0076] [6. Effects, etc.] As described above, the liquid ejection device 11 of the present disclosure has a nozzle surface 40 where the nozzles open, and includes a liquid ejection unit 20 that ejects liquid from the nozzles, and a capping device 45 that receives the liquid discharged from the liquid ejection unit 20. The liquid ejection device 11 also includes a suction pump 49 that sucks the liquid inside the capping device 45, and a wiping unit 43 that moves together with the capping device 45 and the suction pump 49 in the depth direction Y relative to the liquid ejection unit 20 to wipe the nozzle surface 40.

[0077] This allows the operation of sucking the liquid from the nozzles of the liquid discharger 20 and discharging it into the cap, as well as wiping, to be performed without moving the liquid discharger 20. This makes it possible to prevent or reduce the liquid from dropping or splashing from the nozzle surface 40 to the outside of the cap during maintenance of the liquid discharger 20.

[0078] The liquid ejection device 11 can suck the liquid from the liquid ejection unit 20 when the capping device 45 covers the nozzle surface 40 by the suction pump 49 performing suction.

[0079] This allows maintenance of the nozzles to be performed by sucking the liquid from the nozzles using the negative pressure of the suction pump 49.

[0080] The liquid discharger 11 further includes a pressurizing mechanism 28a that pumps the liquid to the liquid discharger 20, thereby discharging the liquid from the liquid discharger 20. The liquid discharger 11 can use a suction pump 49 to suck the liquid that has been discharged from the liquid discharger 20 to the capping device 45 by the pressure of the pressurizing mechanism 28a.

[0081] This allows nozzle maintenance to be performed by pressure-feeding liquid from the liquid flow mechanism 28. Furthermore, since the capping device 45 can be used to perform suction cleaning and pressure cleaning, the maintenance unit 22 can be made smaller.

[0082] The wiping section 43 has a wiping member 60 that absorbs liquid, and an unwinding roller 70 and a winding roller 72 around which the wiping member 60 is wound.

[0083] This allows the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 to be wiped off efficiently.

[0084] The capping device 45 has a lip portion 46 that protrudes toward the nozzle surface 40. In the liquid ejection device 11, the lip portion 46 comes into contact with the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 while the capping device 45 and the wiping unit 43 move in the depth direction Y.

[0085] This makes it possible to prevent or reduce the amount of liquid dropping or scattering from the nozzle surface 40 to the outside of the capping device 45 while the maintenance unit 22 is moving. Also, by using the lip portion 46 to scrape off the droplets L adhering to the nozzle surface 40, the amount of liquid that the wiping member 60 must absorb can be reduced.

[0086] In the above configuration, the capping device 45 and the wiping unit 43 move in the depth direction Y while the lip portion 46 is in contact with the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 and is not in contact with the nozzle surface 40.

[0087] This makes it possible to scrape off droplets L adhering to the nozzle surface 40 without the lip portion 46 coming into contact with the nozzle surface 40. This makes it possible to prevent dirt and the like adhering to the lip portion 46 from adhering to the nozzle surface 40.

[0088] In the above configuration, the suction pump 49 sucks the liquid inside the capping device 45 while the pressurizing mechanism 28a discharges the liquid into the capping device 45.

[0089] This allows suction cleaning to be performed without causing the liquid received in the capping device 45 to overflow from the capping device 45.

[0090] The capping device 45 has an absorbing member 44 that absorbs the liquid received from the liquid discharge portion 20 .

[0091] This allows the amount of liquid that the capping device 45 can receive to be increased.

[0092] The liquid discharge device 11 further includes a pump motor 59 that drives the suction pump 49. The pump motor 59 moves in the depth direction Y together with the capping device 45, the suction pump 49, and the wiping unit 43.

[0093] With this, the pump motor 59 moves together with the suction pump 49, so that the connection structure between the pump motor 59 and the suction pump 49 can be simplified, and power can be easily transmitted from the pump motor 59 to the suction pump 49.

[0094] The maintenance unit 22 is a maintenance unit 22 for maintaining the liquid ejection device 11, which has a nozzle surface 40 where the nozzles open and is equipped with a liquid ejection section 20 that ejects liquid from the nozzles. The maintenance unit 22 includes a capping device 45 that receives the liquid discharged from the liquid ejection section 20, and a suction pump 49 that sucks the liquid inside the capping device 45. The maintenance unit 22 also includes a wiping section 43 that moves in the depth direction Y together with the capping device 45 and the suction pump 49 to wipe the nozzle surface 40.

[0095] This allows the operation of sucking the liquid from the nozzles of the liquid discharger 20 and discharging it into the cap, as well as wiping, to be performed without moving the liquid discharger 20. This makes it possible to prevent or reduce the liquid from dropping or splashing from the nozzle surface 40 to the outside of the cap during maintenance of the liquid discharger 20.

[0096] The maintenance unit 22 further includes a pump motor 59 that drives the suction pump 49. The pump motor 59 moves in the depth direction Y together with the capping device 45, the suction pump 49, and the wiping unit 43.

[0097] With this, the pump motor 59 moves together with the suction pump 49, so that the connection structure between the pump motor 59 and the suction pump 49 can be simplified, and power can be easily transmitted from the pump motor 59 to the suction pump 49.

[0098] A maintenance method for a liquid ejection unit 20 that has a nozzle surface 40 where nozzles open and ejects liquid from the nozzles includes discharging liquid from the liquid ejection unit 20 to a capping device 45 that receives the liquid. The method also includes moving a suction pump 49 that sucks the liquid from the capping device 45 and a wiping unit 43 in the depth direction Y together with the capping device 45, and wiping the nozzle surface 40 with the wiping unit 43. The method also includes sucking the liquid that has been ejected into the capping device 45 with the suction pump 49.

[0099] This allows the operation of sucking the liquid from the nozzles of the liquid discharger 20 and discharging it into the cap, as well as wiping, to be performed without moving the liquid discharger 20. This makes it possible to prevent or reduce the liquid from dropping or splashing from the nozzle surface 40 to the outside of the cap during maintenance of the liquid discharger 20.

[0100] The maintenance method includes moving the capping device 45 toward the nozzle surface 40 and bringing the capping device 45 into contact with the nozzle surface 40. The method also includes operating the suction pump 49 while the capping device 45 is in contact with the nozzle surface 40, thereby discharging the liquid from the liquid discharge unit 20.

[0101] This allows maintenance of the nozzles to be performed by sucking the liquid from the nozzles using the negative pressure of the suction pump 49.

[0102] The maintenance method includes pumping the liquid to the liquid discharger 20 to cause the liquid to be discharged from the liquid discharger 20 to the capping device 45 .

[0103] This allows maintenance of the nozzles by pumping liquid into the nozzles. In addition, since the capping device 45 can be used to perform cleaning by suction and pressure cleaning, the maintenance unit 22 can be made smaller.

[0104] The above-mentioned maintenance method includes operating a suction pump 49 to suck liquid from the capping device 45 while pumping liquid into the liquid discharge section 20 to discharge the liquid from the liquid discharge section 20 to the capping device 45.

[0105] This allows the capping device 45 to quickly suck in the liquid received during maintenance by pumping the liquid to the nozzles, thereby making it possible to eject a larger amount of liquid during maintenance.

[0106] 7. Other Embodiments The above-described embodiment merely shows a specific example of application of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0107] In the above embodiment, the maintenance unit 22 has been described as being configured to wipe the nozzle surface 40 with the wiping member 60 while the case 61 moves in the second wiping direction W2, but this is just one example. For example, the maintenance unit 22 may be configured to wipe while the case 61 moves in the first wiping direction W1.

[0108] In the above embodiment, a cleaning liquid for cleaning may be used as the liquid supplied from the liquid flow mechanism 28 to the head 30 during the suction cleaning and pressure cleaning.

[0109] The liquid ejection device 11 may be a liquid ejection device that ejects or sprays liquids other than ink. The state of the liquid ejected as minute droplets from the liquid ejection device includes granular, teardrop-like, and string-like tails. The liquid referred to here may be any material that can be ejected from the liquid ejection device. For example, the liquid may be any state in which a substance is in a liquid phase, including fluids such as high or low viscosity liquids, sols, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals, and metal melts. The liquid may not only refer to a single state of matter, but also to particles of functional materials, such as solid pigments and metal particles, dissolved, dispersed, or mixed in a solvent. Representative examples of liquids include inks and liquid crystals, as described in the above embodiments. Here, ink includes various liquid compositions, such as general water-based inks and oil-based inks, as well as gel inks and hot-melt inks. Specific examples of liquid ejection devices include devices that eject liquids containing dispersed or dissolved materials such as electrode materials and color materials used in the manufacture of liquid crystal displays, electroluminescent displays, surface-emitting displays, and color filters. The liquid ejection device may be a device that ejects bioorganic materials used in biochip manufacture, a device used as a precision pipette to eject sample liquids, a textile printing device, a microdispenser, or the like. The liquid ejection device may be a device that ejects lubricating oil with pinpoint accuracy onto precision machinery such as watches and cameras, or a device that ejects transparent resin liquids such as ultraviolet-curing resins onto substrates to form micro-hemispherical lenses, optical lenses, and the like used in optical communication elements. The liquid ejection device may also be a device that ejects etching liquids such as acids or alkalis to etch substrates, etc.

[0110] In the above embodiment, the liquid ejection unit 20 is configured to include 18 heads 30, but there is no limit to the number of heads 30 that the liquid ejection unit 20 can include. Furthermore, there are no limitations on the configurations relating to the maintenance unit 22 and the transport of the medium M described in the above embodiment, and various configurations can be adopted.

[0111] 8. Configurations Described by the Embodiments The above embodiment describes the following configuration.

[0112] (Configuration 1) A liquid ejection device comprising: a liquid ejection section having a nozzle surface where nozzles open and ejecting liquid from the nozzles; a cap section that receives liquid discharged from the liquid ejection section; a suction pump that sucks liquid from inside the cap section; and a wiping section that wipes the nozzle surface by moving in a first direction together with the cap section and the suction pump. This allows the operation of sucking the liquid from the nozzles of the liquid ejection unit and discharging it into the cap, as well as wiping, to be performed without moving the liquid ejection unit, thereby preventing or reducing the risk of liquid dripping or splashing from the nozzle surface to the outside of the cap during maintenance of the liquid ejection unit.

[0113] (Configuration 2) The liquid ejection device according to configuration 1, wherein the suction pump performs suction, thereby sucking liquid from the liquid ejection unit in a state where the cap unit covers the nozzle surface. This allows maintenance of the nozzles to be performed by sucking the liquid from the nozzles using the negative pressure of the suction pump.

[0114] (Configuration 3) The liquid ejection device according to Configuration 2, further comprising a pressurizing mechanism that expels liquid from the liquid ejection section by pressurizing the liquid to the liquid ejection section, and the suction pump is capable of sucking the liquid that has been expelled from the liquid ejection section to the cap section by the pressure of the pressurizing mechanism. This allows maintenance of the nozzles by pumping liquid from the liquid flow mechanism. In addition, the cap can be used to perform cleaning by suction and pressure cleaning, making it possible to miniaturize the maintenance mechanism.

[0115] (Configuration 4) In the liquid ejection device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 3, the wiping section has a wiping member that absorbs the liquid and a roller around which the wiping member is wound. This allows the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface to be wiped off efficiently.

[0116] (Configuration 5) A liquid ejection device as described in Configuration 4, wherein the cap portion has a lip portion that protrudes toward the nozzle surface, and the lip portion comes into contact with liquid adhering to the nozzle surface while the cap portion and the wiping portion move in the first direction. This prevents or reduces the liquid from dropping or splashing from the nozzle surface to the outside of the cap while the cap and wiping member are moving. Also, by using the lip portion to scrape off the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface, the amount of liquid that needs to be wiped away by the wiping member can be reduced.

[0117] (Configuration 6) A liquid ejection device according to Configuration 5, wherein the lip portion contacts the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface, and the cap portion and the wiping portion move in the first direction while the lip portion is not in contact with the nozzle surface. This allows the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface to be scraped off without the lip portion coming into contact with the nozzle surface, thereby preventing dirt and other contaminants adhering to the lip portion from adhering to the nozzle surface.

[0118] (Configuration 7) The liquid ejection device according to configuration 3, wherein the suction pump sucks the liquid inside the cap portion while the pressurizing mechanism is discharging the liquid into the cap portion. This allows liquid to be sucked from the nozzles and maintenance of the nozzles to be carried out without causing the liquid received in the cap portion to overflow from the cap portion.

[0119] (Configuration 8) The liquid ejection device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 7, wherein the cap portion has an absorbing member that absorbs the liquid received from the liquid ejection portion. This allows the amount of liquid that the cap portion can receive to be increased.

[0120] (Configuration 9) A liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, further comprising a drive source for driving the suction pump, wherein the drive source moves in the first direction together with the cap portion, the suction pump, and the wiping portion. According to this, the drive source of the suction pump moves together with the suction pump, so that the connection structure between the drive source and the suction pump can be simplified, and power can be easily transmitted from the drive source to the suction pump.

[0121] (Configuration 10) A maintenance unit for maintaining a liquid ejection device having a nozzle surface where nozzles open and a liquid ejection section that ejects liquid from the nozzles, the maintenance unit comprising: a cap section that receives liquid discharged from the liquid ejection section; a suction pump that sucks the liquid inside the cap section; and a wiping section that wipes the nozzle surface by moving in a first direction together with the cap section and the suction pump. This provides the same effect as in configuration 1.

[0122] (Configuration 11) The maintenance unit according to configuration 10, further comprising a drive source that drives the suction pump, the drive source moving in one direction together with the cap portion, the suction pump, and the wiping portion. This makes it possible to obtain the same effect as in configuration 9.

[0123] (Configuration 12) A maintenance method for a liquid ejection unit that has a nozzle surface with nozzles opening and ejects liquid from the nozzles, the maintenance method including: discharging liquid from the liquid ejection unit into a cap unit that receives the liquid; moving a suction pump that sucks the liquid from the cap unit together with the cap unit, and a wiping unit in a first direction to wipe the nozzle surface with the wiping unit; and sucking up the liquid ejected into the cap unit with the suction pump. This provides the same effect as in configuration 1.

[0124] (Configuration 13) The maintenance method described in Configuration 12, comprising: moving the cap portion toward the nozzle surface and abutting the cap portion against the nozzle surface; and operating the suction pump while the cap portion is abutting against the nozzle surface, thereby ejecting liquid from the liquid ejection portion. This allows maintenance of the nozzles to be performed by sucking the liquid from the nozzles using the negative pressure of the suction pump.

[0125] (Configuration 14) The maintenance method according to Configuration 13, further comprising pumping liquid to the liquid discharger, thereby discharging the liquid from the liquid discharger to the cap portion. This allows maintenance of the nozzles by pumping liquid into the nozzles. In addition, the cap can be used to perform cleaning by suction and pressure cleaning, making it possible to miniaturize the maintenance mechanism.

[0126] (Configuration 15) A maintenance method according to Configuration 14, which includes operating the suction pump to suck liquid from the cap portion while pumping liquid to the liquid discharge portion to discharge liquid from the liquid discharge portion to the cap portion. This allows the liquid received by the cap portion to be quickly sucked in during maintenance in which the liquid is pressure-fed to the nozzle, thereby enabling a larger amount of liquid to be ejected during maintenance. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 11...liquid ejection device, 20...liquid ejection section, 21...carriage, 22...maintenance unit, 23...liquid supply device, 24...operation panel, 25...liquid container, 26...mounting section, 27...supply flow path, 28...liquid flow mechanism, 28a...pressurizing mechanism, 29...control section, 30...head, 36...nozzle group, 40...nozzle surface, 42...supply flow path, 43...wiping section, 44...absorbing member, 45...capping device (cap section), 46...lip section, 47...guide shaft, 48...carriage motor, 49...suction pump, 56...cap, 57...cap holder, 58...cap cap motor, 59...pump motor (drive source), 60...wiping member, 60a...contact position, 61...case, 62...rail, 63...wiping motor, 64...winding motor, 65...power transmission mechanism, 66...movement mechanism, 67...exposure opening, 68...lifting mechanism, 69...unwinding shaft, 70...unwinding roller (roller), 71...winding shaft, 72...winding roller (roller), 76...pressure section, CP...cap position, L...droplet, M...medium, W1...first wiping direction (first direction), W2...second wiping direction (first direction), X...width direction, Y...depth direction (first direction), Z...gravity direction.

Claims

1. a liquid ejection unit having a nozzle surface on which nozzles are opened and ejecting liquid from the nozzles; a cap portion that receives the liquid discharged from the liquid discharge portion; a suction pump that sucks the liquid inside the cap portion; a wiping unit that wipes the nozzle surface by moving in a first direction together with the cap unit and the suction pump.

2. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the suction pump performs suction to suck the liquid from the liquid ejection unit in a state where the cap unit covers the nozzle surface.

3. a pressurizing mechanism for pumping the liquid to the liquid discharge portion to thereby discharge the liquid from the liquid discharge portion, The liquid ejection device according to claim 2 , wherein the suction pump is capable of sucking the liquid discharged from the liquid ejection unit to the cap unit by pressure feeding from the pressurizing mechanism.

4. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the wiping unit has a wiping member that absorbs the liquid and a roller around which the wiping member is wound.

5. the cap portion has a lip portion that protrudes toward the nozzle surface, The liquid ejection device according to claim 4 , wherein the lip portion comes into contact with the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface while the cap portion and the wiping portion move in the first direction.

6. The liquid ejection device according to claim 5 , wherein the lip portion contacts the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface, and the cap portion and the wiping portion move in the first direction while the lip portion is not in contact with the nozzle surface.

7. The liquid ejection device according to claim 3 , wherein the suction pump sucks the liquid from inside the cap portion while the pressurizing mechanism discharges the liquid into the cap portion.

8. 3. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the cap portion has an absorbing member that absorbs the liquid received from the liquid ejection portion.

9. Further, a drive source for driving the suction pump is provided, The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the driving source moves in the first direction together with the cap unit, the suction pump, and the wiping unit.

10. A maintenance unit for performing maintenance on a liquid ejection device having a nozzle surface in which nozzles are opened and a liquid ejection unit that ejects liquid from the nozzles, a cap portion that receives the liquid discharged from the liquid discharge portion; a suction pump that sucks the liquid inside the cap portion; a wiping unit that moves in a first direction together with the cap unit and the suction pump to wipe the nozzle surface.

11. Further, a drive source for driving the suction pump is provided, The maintenance unit according to claim 10 , wherein the driving source moves in one direction together with the cap portion, the suction pump, and the wiping portion.

12. A maintenance method for a liquid ejection unit that has a nozzle surface in which nozzles open and ejects liquid from the nozzles, comprising: discharging liquid from the liquid discharge portion into a cap portion that receives the liquid; moving a suction pump that sucks liquid from the cap portion and a wiping portion in a first direction together with the cap portion, and wiping the nozzle surface with the wiping portion; and sucking the liquid discharged into the cap portion by the suction pump.

13. moving the cap portion toward the nozzle surface and bringing the cap portion into contact with the nozzle surface; The maintenance method according to claim 12 , further comprising: operating the suction pump in a state in which the cap portion is in contact with the nozzle surface, thereby discharging the liquid from the liquid discharge portion.

14. The maintenance method according to claim 13 , further comprising pumping liquid to the liquid discharger, thereby discharging the liquid from the liquid discharger to the cap portion.

15. The maintenance method according to claim 14, further comprising operating the suction pump to suck liquid from the cap portion while pumping liquid to the liquid discharge portion to discharge liquid from the liquid discharge portion to the cap portion.

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