Wiping device, liquid discharge device, and control method of liquid discharge device

Abstract

To provide a wiping device, a liquid discharge device, and a control method of the liquid discharge device capable of improving a solidified liquid wiping property.SOLUTION: A wiping device 30 capable of wiping a nozzle surface 25 of a liquid discharge head 22 that discharges liquid includes: a band-shaped absorption member 39 capable of absorbing liquid; and a movement mechanism that moves the absorption member 39 between a contact position Pc to be able to contact the nozzle surface 25 and a separation position to be separated from the nozzle surface 25. The absorption member 39 includes: an impregnation part 56 capable of contacting the nozzle surface 25 while being impregnated with liquid; and a wiping part 55 capable of wiping the nozzle surface 25 by moving relatively to the liquid discharge head 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wiping device, a liquid ejection device, and a method for controlling a liquid ejection device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a liquid ejection device that is an example of a liquid ejection device. The liquid ejection device performs printing by ejecting ink, an example of a liquid, from a liquid ejection head, an example of a liquid ejection head. The liquid ejection device is equipped with a wiper unit, an example of a wiping device. The wiper unit wipes the liquid ejection head by moving a cloth sheet pressed against the liquid ejection head using a first roller and a second roller. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-103399 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A liquid ejection head that ejects liquid to perform printing may be subject to mist or the like that scatters as the liquid is ejected. If the mist or other liquid that has adhered to the liquid ejection head solidifies, it may not be possible to wipe it off with a cloth sheet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A wiping device that solves the above problem is a wiping device that can wipe the nozzle surface of a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid, and is equipped with a strip-shaped absorption member that can absorb liquid, and a moving mechanism that moves the absorption member to a contact position where it can contact the nozzle surface and a separated position where it is separated from the nozzle surface, and the absorption member has an impregnated portion that can contact the nozzle surface when impregnated with liquid, and a wiping portion that can wipe the nozzle surface by moving relative to the liquid ejection head.

[0006] A liquid ejection device that solves the above problem includes a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid from nozzles formed on a nozzle surface, and a wiping device having the above configuration. A control method for a liquid ejection device that solves the above problem includes a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid from nozzles formed on a nozzle surface, and a wiping device that can wipe the nozzle surface, wherein the wiping device is an absorbing member having a wiping portion that can wipe the nozzle surface by moving relative to the liquid ejection head, and an impregnated portion that can contact the nozzle surface when impregnated with liquid, and a moving mechanism having a first moving mechanism that can move the wiping portion of the absorbing member to a position where it can contact the nozzle surface, and a second moving mechanism that can move the impregnated portion of the absorbing member to a position where it contacts the nozzle surface, and the control method includes contacting the impregnated portion with the nozzle surface using the second moving mechanism and maintaining the state in which the impregnated portion is in contact with the nozzle surface for a predetermined period of time, moving the impregnated portion away from the nozzle surface using the second moving mechanism, moving the wiping portion with the first moving mechanism to a position where it can contact the nozzle surface, and wiping the nozzle surface with the wiping portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a liquid ejection device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wiping device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the wiping device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the pressing portion and the support member. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the wiping device with the wiping part located at the wiping position. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the wiping device in which the impregnation section is located at the impregnation position. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the wiping device in which the impregnated portion is located at the contact position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] [Embodiment] The following describes an embodiment of a wiping device, a liquid ejection device, and a method for controlling a liquid ejection device, with reference to the drawings. The liquid ejection device is, for example, an inkjet printer that prints images such as characters and photographs by ejecting ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto a medium such as paper or fabric.

[0009] In the drawings, the liquid ejection device 11 is assumed to be placed on a horizontal plane, with the direction of gravity indicated by the Z axis and directions along the horizontal plane indicated by the X and Y axes. The X, Y, and Z axes are perpendicular to one another. In the following description, the direction parallel to the X axis is also referred to as the scanning direction X1 and the wiping direction X2, the direction parallel to the Y axis is also referred to as the width direction Y, and the direction parallel to the Z axis is also referred to as the vertical direction Z. The wiping direction X2 is the direction opposite to the scanning direction X1.

[0010] <Liquid discharge device> As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid ejection device 11 may include a control unit 12, a medium transport unit 13, a printing unit 14, and a maintenance unit 15.

[0011] The control unit 12 comprehensively controls the driving of each mechanism in the liquid ejection device 11 and controls various operations executed by the liquid ejection device 11. The control unit 12 may be configured as a circuit including: α: one or more processors that execute various processes according to a computer program; β: one or more dedicated hardware circuits that execute at least some of the various processes; or γ: a combination thereof. The hardware circuit is, for example, an application-specific integrated circuit. The processor includes a CPU and memory such as RAM and ROM, and the memory stores program code or instructions configured to cause the CPU to execute processes. The memory, i.e., computer-readable medium, includes any readable medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or dedicated computer.

[0012] <Media transport section> The medium transport unit 13 is configured to transport a medium 17. The medium transport unit 13 may include a medium support unit 18 and transport rollers 19.

[0013] The medium support section 18 supports the medium 17. For example, the medium support section 18 supports the medium 17 from below. The medium support section 18 supports the medium 17 being transported. The medium transport unit 13 may include a plurality of transport rollers 19. The transport rollers 19 transport the medium 17 by rotating.

[0014] The medium transport unit 13, for example, transports the medium 17 intermittently. Specifically, the medium transport unit 13 stops transporting the medium 17 while the printing unit 14 prints on the medium 17. The medium transport unit 13 transports the medium 17 after printing has been performed on the medium 17. The medium transport unit 13 is not limited to transporting a long medium 17, and may transport a cut sheet of medium 17.

[0015] <Print section> The printing unit 14 is configured to print on the medium 17. The printing unit 14 prints on an area of ​​the medium 17 that is supported by a medium support unit 18. The printing unit 14 may include a carriage 21, a liquid ejection head 22, and a pressure unit 23.

[0016] The carriage 21 is configured to move back and forth in the scanning direction X1 and the wiping direction X2. By moving back and forth in the scanning direction X1 and the wiping direction X2, the carriage 21 passes through a position facing the medium 17. The carriage 21 passes above the medium support unit 18, for example.

[0017] In the liquid ejection device 11 of this embodiment, the direction in which the carriage 21 moves coincides with the direction in which the medium 17 moves on the medium support unit 18. Therefore, the liquid ejection device 11 is a lateral printer. The liquid ejection device 11 may also be a serial printer in which the medium 17 is transported in a direction different from the scanning direction X1.

[0018] The printing unit 14 may include a plurality of liquid ejection heads 22. The printing unit 14 of this embodiment includes five liquid ejection heads 22. The plurality of liquid ejection heads 22 may be arranged side by side in the scanning direction X1. Each of the plurality of liquid ejection heads 22 has the same configuration. Therefore, the following description will focus on one liquid ejection head 22.

[0019] The liquid ejection head 22 is configured to eject liquid. The liquid ejection head 22 of this embodiment ejects liquid in the vertical direction Z. The liquid ejection head 22 has a nozzle surface 25. Nozzles 26 are formed on the nozzle surface 25. The nozzle surface 25 is a surface on which one or more nozzles 26 open. The liquid ejection head 22 ejects liquid from the nozzles 26. The liquid ejection head 22 is mounted on a carriage 21. The liquid ejection head 22 prints an image on the medium 17 by ejecting liquid onto the medium 17. The multiple liquid ejection heads 22 may each eject the same type of liquid, or may each eject different types of liquid. For example, four liquid ejection heads 22 may each eject ink of a different color, and one liquid ejection head 22 may eject a reaction liquid that aggregates the ink.

[0020] The liquid ejection head 22 is, for example, a line head that can eject liquid simultaneously onto the medium 17 across the width direction Y. The liquid ejection head 22 is movable in the scanning direction X1. The liquid ejection head 22 is movable in the wiping direction X2. The liquid ejection head 22 moves back and forth together with the carriage 21 in the scanning direction X1 and the wiping direction X2. The liquid ejection head 22 can eject liquid over the entire area of ​​the medium 17 that is supported by the medium support unit 18.

[0021] The pressurizing unit 23 is connected to the liquid ejection head 22. The pressurizing unit 23 applies pressure to, for example, the interiors of the plurality of liquid ejection heads 22. The printing unit 14 may include a plurality of pressurizing units 23. For example, the printing unit 14 may include a pressurizing unit 23 for each liquid ejection head 22.

[0022] The pressurizing unit 23 is, for example, a pump. The pressurizing unit 23 applies pressure inside the liquid ejection head 22 to discharge the liquid from the liquid ejection head 22. That is, the pressurizing unit 23 applies pressure inside the liquid ejection head 22 to discharge the liquid from the nozzles 26. Discharging the liquid under pressure is also called pressure cleaning. Pressure cleaning is a maintenance method in which the liquid is forcibly discharged from the nozzles 26, thereby discharging air bubbles, foreign matter, and the like from the nozzles 26 along with the liquid inside the liquid ejection head 22.

[0023] <Maintenance Department> The maintenance unit 15 is configured to perform maintenance on the liquid ejection head 22. The maintenance unit 15 may include a moisturizing unit 28, a cleaning unit 29, a wiping device 30, and a liquid receiving unit 31. The moisturizing unit 28, the cleaning unit 29, the wiping device 30, the liquid receiving unit 31, and the medium support unit 18 may be arranged side by side in this order in the scanning direction X1. In other words, the liquid receiving unit 31 may be arranged adjacent to the wiping device 30 in the scanning direction X1.

[0024] The moisturizing unit 28 may include one or more moisturizing caps 33. The moisturizing unit 28 may include the same number of moisturizing caps 33 as the liquid ejection heads 22. The moisturizing caps 33 come into contact with the liquid ejection heads 22 to form a space communicating with the nozzles 26. The moisturizing caps 33 cap the liquid ejection heads 22 that are positioned in the home position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1. The moisturizing caps 33 moisten the nozzles 26 by capping the liquid ejection heads 22.

[0025] The cleaning unit 29 sucks liquid from the liquid ejection head 22 to perform suction cleaning of the liquid ejection head 22. The cleaning unit 29 may include one or more suction caps 35. The cleaning unit 29 may clean a plurality of liquid ejection heads 22 individually. The cleaning unit 29 may also clean a plurality of liquid ejection heads 22 collectively.

[0026] The suction cap 35 comes into contact with the liquid ejection head 22 to form a space communicating with the nozzles 26. The suction cap 35 caps the liquid ejection head 22. The cleaning unit 29 performs suction cleaning by creating a negative pressure inside the suction cap 35 through suction. By performing suction cleaning on a liquid ejection head 22 that is not filled with liquid, the liquid ejection head 22 can be filled with liquid. By performing suction cleaning on a liquid ejection head 22 that is filled with liquid, air bubbles, foreign matter, and the like can be discharged from inside the liquid ejection head 22. The suction cap 35 receives the liquid that is discharged during suction cleaning.

[0027] The liquid receiving portion 31 is configured to receive liquid discharged from the nozzle 26. The liquid receiving portion 31 may receive liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head 22 by the pressurizing portion 23. That is, the liquid receiving portion 31 may receive liquid discharged in conjunction with pressurized cleaning. The liquid receiving portion 31 may also receive liquid that has been blank-discharged. Blank-discharge is an operation in which liquid is discharged from the nozzle 26 to prevent clogging of the nozzle 26. Blank-discharge is also called flushing. Blank-discharge causes, for example, thickened liquid to be discharged from the nozzle 26. The liquid receiving portion 31 receives liquid that is discharged from the liquid ejection head 22 that faces it.

[0028] <Wiping device> 2, the wiping device 30 may include a feeding section 37, a winding section 38, an absorbing member 39, a guide roller 40, and a moving mechanism 41. The wiping device 30 may include a plurality of guide rollers 40. The moving mechanism 41 may include a first moving mechanism 44 and a second moving mechanism 45.

[0029] The payout unit 37 may include a brake unit 47 and a payout spindle 48. The brake unit 47 limits the rotation of the payout spindle 48. The brake unit 47 applies a load to the rotating payout spindle 48. The payout spindle 48 supports an unused absorbent member 39 wound in a roll. The payout spindle 48 pays out the unused absorbent member 39 by rotating.

[0030] The winding unit 38 is capable of winding up the absorbing member 39. The winding unit 38 may include a drive source 50 and a winding shaft 51. The drive source 50 rotates the winding shaft 51. The winding shaft 51 winds up and supports the used absorbing member 39 in a roll shape.

[0031] 3, the absorbing member 39 is strip-shaped. The absorbing member 39 is wound around a plurality of guide rollers 40. The plurality of guide rollers 40 extend, for example, in the width direction Y. The absorbing member 39 unwound from the unwinding unit 37 is sent to the winding unit 38 via the plurality of guide rollers 40.

[0032] The absorbing member 39 is capable of absorbing liquid. The absorbing member 39 is, for example, a cloth. The absorbing member 39 has a contact surface 53 and a back surface 54. The contact surface 53 is the surface that contacts the nozzle surface 25. The back surface 54 is the surface opposite to the contact surface 53. The absorbing member 39 has a wiping portion 55 and an impregnated portion 56. The wiping portion 55 may be located further ahead of the impregnated portion 56 in the wiping direction X2. The wiping portion 55 may be disposed between the cleaning portion 29 and the impregnated portion 56 in the scanning direction X1.

[0033] 3, when the absorbing member 39 is located at the separated position Ps, the wiping portion 55 and the impregnated portion 56 are located below the nozzle surface 25. The separated position Ps is a position where the absorbing member 39 is separated from the nozzle surface 25. The wiping portion 55 and the impregnated portion 56 located at the separated position Ps do not interfere with the liquid ejection head 22 moving back and forth in the scanning direction X1.

[0034] The first moving mechanism 44 may include a first lifting unit 58 , a holder 59 , a frame 60 , and a pressing unit 61 . The holder 59 detachably holds the frame 60. The frame 60 rotatably supports the payout spindle 48 and the take-up spindle 51. The user can replace the absorbing member 39 by removing the frame 60 from the holder 59 and removing the payout spindle 48 and the take-up spindle 51 from the frame 60.

[0035] The first lifting / lowering unit 58 is, for example, an air cylinder. The first lifting / lowering unit 58 moves the holder 59 back and forth in the vertical direction Z. The first lifting / lowering unit 58 moves the holder 59 and the frame 60 supported by the holder 59. In other words, the first moving mechanism 44 moves the entire absorbing member 39 back and forth in the vertical direction Z.

[0036] The pressing portion 61 is configured to press the wiping portion 55 against the nozzle surface 25. The absorbing member 39 is wrapped around the pressing portion 61. The pressing portion 61 includes a holding member 63, a cover member 64, an attachment member 65, a roller 66, and an elastic member 67. The pressing portion 61 may include a plurality of attachment members 65, rollers 66, and elastic members 67. The holding member 63 and the cover member 64 form a space that accommodates the attachment member 65, roller 66, and elastic member 67.

[0037] 3 and 4, the cover member 64 has through holes 69, the number of which is equal to the number of rollers 66. A portion of each roller 66 protrudes from the corresponding through hole 69. As shown in FIG. 3, the roller 66 is attached to the attachment member 65. The roller 66 contacts the back surface 54 of the absorbing member 39. The attachment member 65 rotatably holds the roller 66. The roller 66 may rotate in response to the transport of the absorbing member 39. The elastic member 67 presses the attachment member 65. The elastic member 67 presses up the absorbing member 39 via the attachment member 65 and the roller 66. The elastic member 67 is, for example, a spring.

[0038] The roller 66 has a cylindrical portion 71 and a shaft portion 72. The cylindrical portion 71 is a portion around which the absorbing member 39 is wound. The shaft portion 72 is a portion that is inserted into the cylindrical portion 71. The shaft portion 72 is attached to the attachment member 65. The shaft portion 72 extends, for example, in the width direction Y. The cylindrical portion 71 of the roller 66, which comes into contact with the wiping part 55, may be elastic. The cylindrical portion 71 may be made of a material such as sponge or rubber. In this case, the absorbing member 39 is more likely to come into close contact with the nozzle surface 25.

[0039] The multiple shaft portions 72 are attached to different mounting members 65. Therefore, the multiple shaft portions 72 can be tilted at different angles. Therefore, the multiple cylindrical portions 71 can be tilted in accordance with the nozzle surface 25 when wiping the nozzle surface 25. This makes it easier for the absorbing member 39 to come into close contact with the nozzle surface 25.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 5, the first movement mechanism 44 can move the absorbing member 39 to a wiping position Pw. The first movement mechanism 44 moves the wiping unit 55 between the separated position Ps shown in FIG. 3 and the wiping position Pw shown in FIG. 5. When the absorbing member 39 is located at the wiping position Pw, the wiping unit 55 is located above the nozzle surface 25. The wiping position Pw is a position where the wiping unit 55 can contact the nozzle surface 25. When the absorbing member 39 is located at the wiping position Pw, the impregnated unit 56 is located below the nozzle surface 25. The wiping position Pw is a position where the impregnated unit 56 is separated from the nozzle surface 25. The wiping unit 55 located at the wiping position Pw interferes with the liquid ejection head 22, which moves back and forth in the scanning direction X1.

[0041] The wiping device 30 is capable of wiping the nozzle surface 25. The wiping section 55 is capable of wiping the nozzle surface 25 by moving relative to the liquid ejection head 22. In this embodiment, wiping of the nozzle surface 25 is performed by moving the liquid ejection head 22 in the wiping direction X2 relative to the wiping section 55, which is stopped at the wiping position Pw. The wiping section 55 removes liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 25. Wiping of the nozzle surface 25 by the wiping device 30 is also referred to as wiping.

[0042] 2, the movement mechanism 41 may include a plurality of second movement mechanisms 45. The movement mechanism 41 of this embodiment includes a pair of second movement mechanisms 45. The pair of second movement mechanisms 45 are provided on both sides of the holder 59 with a gap between them in the width direction Y.

[0043] The second movement mechanism 45 may include a second lifting unit 74 and a support member 75 . The second lifting / lowering unit 74 is, for example, an air cylinder. The second lifting / lowering unit 74 pushes the support member 75 from below. The second lifting / lowering unit 74 moves the support member 75 back and forth in the vertical direction Z. The second moving mechanism 45 is capable of moving the support member 75.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 4, the support member 75 may include a support plate 76 , an elastic body 77 , and a porous body 78 . The support plate 76 may have one or more guide portions 79. The guide portion 79 is, for example, a surface that contacts the frame 60. In this embodiment, the guide portion 79 is the inner surface of a hole that penetrates the support plate 76. The guide portion 79 guides the support plate 76 in the vertical direction Z. The guide portion 79 allows movement of the support plate 76 in the vertical direction Z and in the direction opposite to the vertical direction Z, but restricts movement in the scanning direction X1 and the width direction Y. The support member 75 is provided so as to be able to move back and forth in the vertical direction Z.

[0045] The elastic body 77 and the porous body 78 may be plate-like members. The elastic body 77 and the porous body 78 may be provided one on top of the other on the support plate 76. The elastic body 77 may be placed on the support plate 76. The porous body 78 may be placed on the elastic body 77. The porous body 78 is, for example, a sponge or a sea sponge. The porous body 78 may have elasticity. The porous body 78 may have water absorption or hygroscopicity. The elastic body 77 has elasticity. The elastic body 77 is, for example, a rubber or a spring.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 3, the support member 75 is positioned below the impregnation section 56. The support member 75 may be on standby at a position separated from the absorbent member 39, which is positioned at the separated position Ps. The porous body 78 may face the back surface 54 of the impregnation section 56. The support member 75, which is positioned at the standby position shown in FIG. 3, moves upward to contact the back surface 54 of the impregnation section 56. The second moving mechanism 45 can move the support member 75 between a position where it contacts the impregnation section 56 and a position where it is separated from the impregnation section 56. The support member 75 can move so as to push up the impregnation section 56. When pushing up the impregnation section 56, the support member 75 may pull out the absorbent member 39 from the feeding section 37.

[0047] The portion of the support member 75 that contacts the impregnated portion 56 may be larger than the nozzle surface 25 in the scanning direction X1. The portion of the support member 75 that contacts the impregnated portion 56 may be larger than the nozzle surface 25 in the width direction Y. In this embodiment, the porous body 78 contacts the impregnated portion 56. The impregnated portion 56 in this embodiment is larger than the nozzle surface 25 in the scanning direction X1 and the width direction Y.

[0048] As shown in Figure 6, the second movement mechanism 45 can move the impregnation section 56 to the impregnation position Pi. The impregnation position Pi is a position closer to the nozzle surface 25 than the separated position Ps, and is a position where the impregnation section 56 does not contact the nozzle surface 25. When the second movement mechanism 45 moves the impregnation section 56, the wiping section 55 does not move. Therefore, at this time, the wiping section 55 is positioned below the nozzle surface 25. When the impregnation section 56 is positioned at the impregnation position Pi, the absorbing member 39 does not interfere with the liquid ejection head 22.

[0049] The liquid ejection head 22 may eject liquid from the nozzle 26 toward the impregnation section 56 located at the impregnation position Pi. The liquid ejection head 22 may impregnate the ejected liquid into the impregnation section 56. Impregnation refers to the process of allowing the liquid to seep into gaps such as minute holes. In other words, the impregnation section 56 is capable of absorbing the liquid supplied to the contact surface 53 and taking it in, as well as retaining the absorbed liquid. There may be one or more liquid ejection heads 22 supplying liquid to the impregnation section 56.

[0050] One liquid ejection head 22 may eject liquid while, for example, stationary at a position facing the impregnated section 56. For example, one liquid ejection head 22 may eject liquid while moving back and forth in short increments in the scanning direction X1 above the impregnated section 56. For example, one or more liquid ejection heads 22 may supply liquid to the impregnated section 56 at the timing when they pass above the impregnated section 56 while moving in the scanning direction X1 or the wiping direction X2.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 7, the second movement mechanism 45 is capable of moving the impregnated portion 56 of the absorbing member 39 to a contact position Pc where it contacts the nozzle surface 25. The second movement mechanism 45 is capable of moving the impregnated portion 56 to the contact position Pc. The contact position Pc is a position closer to the nozzle surface 25 than the impregnated position Pi. The contact position Pc is a position where the impregnated portion 56 contacts the nozzle surface 25. The impregnated portion 56 can contact the nozzle surface 25 in a state where it is impregnated with liquid. The contact position Pc is a position where the absorbing member 39 can contact the nozzle surface 25. In other words, the movement mechanism 41 moves the absorbing member 39 between the contact position Pc and the separated position Ps.

[0052] <Pressure cleaning> The control unit 12 performs pressure cleaning, for example, when a predetermined time has passed since printing started, or when a predetermined time has passed since the previous maintenance. The control unit 12 may perform pressure cleaning on multiple liquid ejection heads 22 collectively or one by one. The following describes maintenance when pressure cleaning is performed on one liquid ejection head 22.

[0053] 3, when performing maintenance, the control unit 12 first moves the liquid ejection head 22 so that the nozzle surface 25 faces the impregnation unit 56. At this time, the absorbing member 39 is positioned at the separated position Ps. The control unit 12 then drives the winding unit 38 to position the unused portion in the impregnation unit 56. The control unit 12 may move the liquid ejection head 22 and wind up the absorbing member 39 simultaneously.

[0054] 6, when the winding of the absorbing member 39 is completed, the control unit 12 drives the second movement mechanism 45 to move the impregnation unit 56 to the impregnation position Pi. The control unit 12 impregnates the impregnation unit 56, which is located at the impregnation position Pi, with the liquid. The control unit 12 ejects the liquid from the nozzle 26 onto the impregnation unit 56, thereby impregnating the impregnation unit 56 with the liquid.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 12 drives the second movement mechanism 45 to move the impregnation unit 56 to the contact position Pc. That is, the control unit 12 causes the second movement mechanism 45 to bring the impregnation unit 56 into contact with the nozzle surface 25. The control unit 12 maintains the state in which the impregnation unit 56 is in contact with the nozzle surface 25 for a predetermined time. The predetermined time may be several tens of seconds, one minute, or several minutes. The predetermined time may be set depending on the amount of liquid to be impregnated, the type of liquid to be impregnated, the type of absorbent member 39, the temperature, the humidity, etc.

[0056] 3, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the impregnation section 56 was brought into contact with the nozzle surface 25, the control section 12 moves the impregnation section 56 to the separated position Ps. The control section 12 separates the impregnation section 56 from the nozzle surface 25 using the second movement mechanism 45.

[0057] The control unit 12 drives the winding unit 38 in a state in which the absorbing member 39 is separated from the nozzle surface 25. The control unit 12 moves the liquid-impregnated portion of the absorbing member 39 from the impregnating unit 56 and positions the unused portion in the wiping unit 55.

[0058] The control unit 12 moves the liquid ejection head 22 so that the nozzle surface 25 faces the liquid receiving unit 31. The control unit 12 causes the pressurizing unit 23 to discharge the liquid from the liquid ejection head 22. That is, the control unit 12 performs pressurized cleaning. The liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head 22 is received in the liquid receiving unit 31. Next, the control unit 12 moves the liquid ejection head 22 so that the nozzle surface 25 faces the wiping unit 55.

[0059] With the wiping unit 55 facing the nozzle surface 25, the control unit 12 drives the first movement mechanism 44 to move the wiping unit 55 to the wiping position Pw. The control unit 12 causes the first movement mechanism 44 to move the wiping unit 55 to a position where it can come into contact with the nozzle surface 25. The control unit 12 causes the first movement mechanism 44 to bring the wiping unit 55 into contact with the nozzle surface 25.

[0060] After moving the wiping unit 55 to the wiping position Pw, the control unit 12 returns the wiping unit 55 to the separated position Ps. That is, the control unit 12 causes the wiping unit 55 to temporarily contact the nozzle surface 25, and then causes the first movement mechanism 44 to separate the wiping unit 55 from the nozzle surface 25. The wiping unit 55 in contact with the nozzle surface 25 absorbs the liquid that has adhered to the nozzle surface 25 as a result of the pressure cleaning.

[0061] The control unit 12 drives the winding unit 38 in a state in which the absorbing member 39 is separated from the nozzle surface 25. The control unit 12 causes the winding unit 38 to wind up the absorbing member 39, thereby positioning a new portion of the absorbing member 39 in the wiping unit 55.

[0062] 3, the control unit 12 moves the liquid ejection head 22 in the scanning direction X1. The control unit 12 moves the liquid ejection head 22 to a position where it does not face the wiping unit 55. 5, the control unit 12 drives the first movement mechanism 44 to move the wiping unit 55 to the wiping position Pw. The control unit 12 causes the first movement mechanism 44 to move the wiping unit 55 to a position where it can come into contact with the nozzle surface 25.

[0063] The control unit 12 moves the liquid ejection head 22 in the wiping direction X2. The control unit 12 moves the liquid ejection head 22 to pass the wiping unit 55. The control unit 12 causes the wiping unit 55 to wipe the nozzle surface 25. After wiping the nozzle surface 25, the control unit 12 moves the wiping unit 55 to the separated position Ps.

[0064] The control unit 12 moves the liquid ejection head 22 so that the nozzle surface 25 faces the liquid receiving portion 31. The control unit 12 ejects liquid from the liquid ejection head 22 toward the liquid receiving portion 31. That is, the control unit 12 causes the wiping unit 55 to wipe the nozzle surface 25, and then performs idle ejection of liquid from the liquid ejection head 22 toward the liquid receiving portion 31. This completes maintenance for one liquid ejection head 22. The control unit 12 performs maintenance on multiple liquid ejection heads 22 in turn.

[0065] <Suction cleaning> The control unit 12 may perform suction cleaning instead of the pressure cleaning of the above maintenance. The control unit 12 may perform suction cleaning when, for example, pressure cleaning does not clear the clogged nozzles 26. The control unit 12 may perform suction cleaning on multiple liquid ejection heads 22 together or one by one. The following describes maintenance when suction cleaning is performed on one liquid ejection head 22.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 12 brings the impregnated portion 56, which is impregnated with liquid, into contact with the nozzle surface 25 for a predetermined period of time, as in the case of pressure cleaning. As shown in Figure 3, when a predetermined time has passed since the impregnation section 56 was brought into contact with the nozzle surface 25, the control section 12 moves the impregnation section 56 to the separation position Ps and drives the winding section 38 to wind up the absorbing member 39.

[0067] The control unit 12 moves the liquid ejection head 22 so that the nozzle surface 25 faces the cleaning unit 29. The control unit 12 performs suction cleaning of the liquid ejection head 22 using the cleaning unit 29. That is, the control unit 12 caps the liquid ejection head 22 with the suction cap 35. The control unit 12 creates a negative pressure inside the suction cap 35, causing the liquid to be discharged from the nozzles 26. As a result, the liquid is discharged from the nozzles 26. When the suction cleaning is completed, the control unit 12 releases the capping.

[0068] Next, the control unit 12 sequentially causes the wiping unit 55 to temporarily contact the nozzle surface 25, wipes the nozzle surface 25, and causes the liquid ejection head 22 to perform an empty ejection, as in the case of pressurized cleaning.

[0069] Specifically, the control unit 12 moves the liquid ejection head 22 so that the nozzle surface 25 faces the wiping unit 55 . With the wiping unit 55 facing the nozzle surface 25, the control unit 12 drives the first movement mechanism 44 to move the wiping unit 55 to the wiping position Pw. The control unit 12 causes the first movement mechanism 44 to bring the wiping unit 55 into contact with the nozzle surface 25.

[0070] After moving the wiping unit 55 to the wiping position Pw, the control unit 12 returns the wiping unit 55 to the separated position Ps. That is, the control unit 12 causes the wiping unit 55 to temporarily contact the nozzle surface 25, and then causes the first movement mechanism 44 to separate the wiping unit 55 from the nozzle surface 25. The wiping unit 55 in contact with the nozzle surface 25 absorbs the liquid that has adhered to the nozzle surface 25 during suction cleaning.

[0071] The control unit 12 drives the winding unit 38 in a state in which the absorbing member 39 is separated from the nozzle surface 25. The control unit 12 causes the winding unit 38 to wind up the absorbing member 39, thereby positioning a new portion of the absorbing member 39 in the wiping unit 55.

[0072] 3, the control unit 12 moves the liquid ejection head 22 in the scanning direction X1. The control unit 12 moves the liquid ejection head 22 to a position where it does not face the wiping unit 55. 5, the control unit 12 drives the first movement mechanism 44 to move the wiping unit 55 to the wiping position Pw. The control unit 12 causes the first movement mechanism 44 to move the wiping unit 55 to a position where it can come into contact with the nozzle surface 25.

[0073] The control unit 12 moves the liquid ejection head 22 in the wiping direction X2. The control unit 12 moves the liquid ejection head 22 to pass the wiping unit 55. The control unit 12 causes the wiping unit 55 to wipe the nozzle surface 25. After wiping the nozzle surface 25, the control unit 12 moves the wiping unit 55 to the separated position Ps.

[0074] The control unit 12 moves the liquid ejection head 22 so that the nozzle surface 25 faces the liquid receiving portion 31. The control unit 12 causes the liquid ejection head 22 to eject liquid toward the liquid receiving portion 31. That is, the control unit 12 causes the wiping unit 55 to wipe the nozzle surface 25, and then causes the liquid ejection head 22 to idle-eject liquid toward the liquid receiving portion 31. This completes the maintenance of one liquid ejection head 22. The control unit 12 performs maintenance on multiple liquid ejection heads 22 in turn.

[0075] <Operation of this embodiment> The operation of this embodiment will be described. Before wiping nozzle surface 25, control unit 12 brings impregnated section 56, which is impregnated with liquid, into contact with nozzle surface 25. The liquid adhering to nozzle surface 25 absorbs the liquid contained in impregnated section 56 and its viscosity decreases. This makes it easier to wipe nozzle surface 25.

[0076] When pressure cleaning and suction cleaning are performed, some of the discharged liquid adheres to the nozzle surface 25. Before wiping the nozzle surface 25, the control unit 12 temporarily brings the wiping unit 55 into contact with the nozzle surface 25, thereby reducing the amount of liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 25 before wiping. This makes it possible to increase the speed at which the wiping unit 55 and the liquid ejection head 22 move relative to each other during wiping. Because the amount of liquid that gets mixed into the nozzles 26 can be reduced, the amount of liquid that is discharged without ejection can also be reduced.

[0077] <Effects of this embodiment> The effects of this embodiment will be described. (1-1) The absorbing member 39 has an impregnated portion 56 and a wiping portion 55. The impregnated portion 56 comes into contact with the nozzle surface 25 while impregnated with the liquid, thereby reducing the viscosity of the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 25. Therefore, the wiping portion 55 can wipe away the liquid with reduced viscosity, thereby improving the wiping performance of solidified liquid.

[0078] (1-2) The movement mechanism 41 includes a first movement mechanism 44 and a second movement mechanism 45. The first movement mechanism 44 moves the wiping unit 55. The second movement mechanism 45 moves the impregnation unit 56. Therefore, the wiping unit 55 can wipe the nozzle surface 25 and the impregnation unit 56 can be brought into contact with the nozzle surface 25 independently of each other.

[0079] (1-3) The winding unit 38 can wind up the absorbing member 39. By winding up the absorbing member 39, the unused portion of the absorbing member 39 can be used as the impregnated portion 56 and the wiping portion 55.

[0080] (1-4) The first movement mechanism 44 has a roller 66. The roller 66 has elasticity. The roller 66 comes into contact with the rear surface 54 of the wiping part 55, sandwiching the wiping part 55 between the roller 66 and the nozzle surface 25, thereby improving the ability of the wiping part 55 to follow the nozzle surface 25. This improves wiping performance.

[0081] (1-5) The second movement mechanism 45 has a support member 75. The support member 75 comes into contact with the rear surface 54 of the impregnated portion 56, sandwiching a contact portion between the support member 75 and the nozzle surface 25, so that the impregnated portion 56 can be pressed against the nozzle surface 25.

[0082] (1-6) The support member 75 can be moved to a position away from the impregnation section 56. The winding section 38 can wind up the absorbing member 39 with the support member 75 away from it, thereby reducing the winding load.

[0083] (1-7) The support member 75 has a porous body 78. The support member 75 contacts the rear surface 54 of the impregnated portion 56 and sandwiches the impregnated portion 56 between the support member 75 and the nozzle surface 25, thereby improving the ability of the impregnated portion 56 to conform to the nozzle surface 25. This makes it easier to reduce the viscosity of the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 25.

[0084] (1-8) Support member 75 has elastic body 77. Support member 75 contacts back surface 54 of impregnated portion 56 and sandwiches impregnated portion 56 between it and nozzle surface 25, thereby improving the ability of impregnated portion 56 to conform to nozzle surface 25. Therefore, it is possible to more easily reduce the viscosity of the liquid adhering to nozzle surface 25.

[0085] (1-9) The liquid ejection head 22 impregnates the impregnated portion 56 with the liquid ejected from the nozzle 26. Therefore, the liquid ejection device 11 can be made smaller than when a separate component for impregnating the impregnated portion 56 with the liquid is provided.

[0086] (1-10) After suction cleaning is performed by the cleaning unit 29, the nozzle surface 25 is wiped by the wiping unit 55. The distance between the wiping unit 55 and the cleaning unit 29 is shorter than the distance between the impregnation unit 56 and the cleaning unit 29. Therefore, the time required for suction cleaning and wiping can be shortened.

[0087] (1-11) After suction cleaning of the liquid ejection head 22 is performed, the wiping unit 55 is brought into contact with the nozzle surface 25. Therefore, the liquid that has adhered to the nozzle surface 25 during suction cleaning can be absorbed by the wiping unit 55. After the wiping unit 55 comes into contact with the nozzle surface 25, the take-up unit 38 takes up the absorbing member 39. By taking up the absorbing member 39, an unused portion of the absorbing member 39 can be used as the wiping unit 55. Therefore, the wiping unit 55 can reduce the amount of liquid that has adhered to the nozzle surface 25 during suction cleaning, and then wipe the nozzle surface 25 with a new portion.

[0088] (1-12) The liquid receiving portion 31 is disposed adjacent to the wiping device 30 in the scanning direction X1. Therefore, after the wiping device 30 has wiped the nozzle surface 25, blank ejection can be performed quickly on the liquid receiving portion 31.

[0089] (1-13) The liquid receiving section 31 receives the liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head 22 by the pressurizing section 23. Therefore, the liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head 22 and the liquid discharged under pressure from the liquid ejection head 22 can be received in one liquid receiving section 31.

[0090] (1-14) After pressurizing the inside of the liquid ejection head 22 to discharge the liquid, the wiping unit 55 is brought into contact with the nozzle surface 25. Therefore, the liquid that has adhered to the nozzle surface 25 due to the pressurized discharge can be absorbed by the wiping unit 55. After the wiping unit 55 comes into contact with the nozzle surface 25, the take-up unit 38 takes up the absorbing member 39. By taking up the absorbing member 39, an unused portion of the absorbing member 39 can be used as the wiping unit 55. Therefore, the wiping unit 55 can reduce the amount of liquid that has adhered to the nozzle surface 25 due to the pressurized discharge, and then wipe the nozzle surface 25 with a new portion.

[0091] [Example of change] This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0092] The wiping device 30 may wipe the nozzle surface 25 with the impregnated section 56. When wiping the nozzle surface 25, the impregnated section 56 does not need to be impregnated with liquid. The size of the support member 75 and the impregnated portion 56 may be smaller than the nozzle surface 25. The support member 75 may bring the entire nozzle surface 25 into contact with the impregnated portion 56 by pressing the impregnated portion 56 against a part of the nozzle surface 25 multiple times at different positions.

[0093] The wiping device 30 may not temporarily bring the absorbing member 39 into contact with the nozzle surface 25 after at least one of the pressure cleaning and the suction cleaning. The portion of the absorbing member 39 that is brought into temporary contact with the nozzle surface 25 after the pressure cleaning and suction cleaning may be the impregnated portion 56. The control unit 12 may bring the absorbing member 39 into temporary contact with the nozzle surface 25 after the pressure cleaning and suction cleaning.

[0094] The liquid ejection device 11 may be capable of either pressure cleaning or suction cleaning. The liquid ejection device 11 may be provided with either the pressure unit 23 or the cleaning unit 29. The absorbing member 39 may receive liquid that has been blank-ejected from the liquid ejection head 22. The absorbing member 39 may receive liquid that has been discharged by pressure cleaning. In this case, the liquid ejection device 11 may not be provided with the liquid receiving section 31.

[0095] The wiping device 30 may include a conveying section that conveys the strip-shaped absorbent member 39. The conveying section may collect the used absorbent member 39 by folding it over. The printing unit 14 may supply the liquid from the nozzles 26 to the impregnated section 56 by the pressurizing section 23 applying pressure inside the liquid ejection head 22. The pressurizing section 23 may apply pressure inside the liquid ejection head 22 while the impregnated section 56 is in contact with the nozzle surface 25. The liquid ejection device 11 may supply the liquid to the impregnated section 56 after bringing the nozzle surface 25 into contact with the impregnated section 56.

[0096] The liquid supplied to the impregnated section 56 may be, for example, ink, a reaction liquid, water, a solvent, a moisturizing liquid, a cleaning liquid, or the like. The wiping device 30 may include a supply unit that supplies liquid to the impregnation unit 56 , separate from the liquid ejection head 22 .

[0097] The support member 75 may be formed by stacking the porous body 78 and the elastic body 77 on the support plate 76 in this order. The support member 75 may be configured without at least one of the porous body 78 and the elastic body 77 .

[0098] The second moving mechanism 45 may not include the support member 75. The first moving mechanism 44 may move the impregnation section 56 by moving the guide rollers 40, for example. The movement mechanism 41 may use the first movement mechanism 44 to move the impregnation section 56 to the contact position Pc.

[0099] The rollers 66 may be rigid. The first moving mechanism 44 may not include the roller 66. The first moving mechanism 44 may press the wiping part 55 against the nozzle surface 25 using, for example, a plate-shaped member.

[0100] The wiping device 30 may be provided separately from the liquid ejection device 11 . The liquid ejection device 11 may be a liquid ejection device that ejects or discharges liquids other than ink. The liquid ejected as minute droplets from the liquid ejection device may be in the form of granules, tears, or strings. The liquid referred to here may be any material that can be ejected from the liquid ejection device. For example, the liquid may be in any 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 refer not only to a single state of matter, but also to solid functional material particles, such as pigments and metal particles, dissolved, dispersed, or mixed in a solvent. Typical examples of liquids include inks and liquid crystals, as described in the above embodiments. Here, ink encompasses 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.

[0101] [Definition] The phrase "at least one" as used herein means "one or more" of the desired options. As an example, the phrase "at least one" as used herein means "only one option" or "both of two options" when the number of options is two. As another example, the phrase "at least one" as used herein means "only one option," "any combination of two options," or "any combination of three or more options" when the number of options is three or more.

[0102] [Note] The technical concepts and effects that can be understood from the above-described embodiment and modified examples will be described below.

[0103] (A) The wiping device is a wiping device capable of wiping the nozzle surface of a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid, and is equipped with a strip-shaped absorbing member capable of absorbing liquid, and a moving mechanism that moves the absorbing member to a contact position where it can contact the nozzle surface and a separated position where it is separated from the nozzle surface, and the absorbing member has an impregnated portion that can contact the nozzle surface when impregnated with liquid, and a wiping portion that can wipe the nozzle surface by moving relative to the liquid ejection head.

[0104] According to this configuration, the absorbing member has an impregnated portion and a wiping portion. The impregnated portion, when impregnated with liquid, comes into contact with the nozzle face, thereby reducing the viscosity of the liquid adhering to the nozzle face. Therefore, the liquid with reduced viscosity can be wiped away by the wiping portion, thereby improving the wiping performance of solidified liquid.

[0105] (B) In the wiping device described in (A), the moving mechanism may have a first moving mechanism capable of moving the wiping portion of the absorbing member to a position where it can contact the nozzle surface, and a second moving mechanism capable of moving the impregnated portion of the absorbing member to a position where it can contact the nozzle surface.

[0106] According to this configuration, the movement mechanism includes a first movement mechanism and a second movement mechanism. The first movement mechanism moves the wiping unit. The second movement mechanism moves the impregnation unit. Therefore, it is possible to cause the wiping unit to wipe the nozzle surface and to bring the impregnation unit into contact with the nozzle surface independently of each other.

[0107] (C) The wiping device described in (A) or (B) may further include a winding section capable of winding up the absorbing member. According to this configuration, the take-up section can take up the absorbent member. By taking up the absorbent member, the unused portion of the absorbent member can be used as the impregnated section and the wiping section.

[0108] In the wiping device described in (D), (B) or (C), the first moving mechanism includes a roller that contacts the back surface of the wiping unit opposite to the contact surface that contacts the nozzle surface, and the roller may have elasticity in the portion that contacts the wiping unit.

[0109] According to this configuration, the first movement mechanism has a roller. The roller has elasticity. The roller comes into contact with the rear surface of the wiping unit, sandwiching the wiping unit between the roller and the nozzle surface, thereby improving the ability of the wiping unit to follow the nozzle surface. Therefore, wiping performance can be improved.

[0110] (E) In the wiping device described in (B) to (D), the second movement mechanism may have a support member that contacts a rear surface of the impregnation section opposite to a contact surface that contacts the nozzle surface. According to this configuration, the second movement mechanism has a support member that contacts the rear surface of the impregnated portion and sandwiches the contact portion between the support member and the nozzle surface, so that the impregnated portion can be pressed against the nozzle surface.

[0111] In the wiping device described in (F) and (E), the second movement mechanism may be capable of moving the support member between a position where the support member is in contact with the impregnation portion and a position where the support member is separated from the impregnation portion.

[0112] According to this configuration, the support member can be moved to a position spaced apart from the impregnation section. The take-up section can take up the absorbent member with the support member spaced apart, thereby reducing the load on the take-up section.

[0113] In the wiping device according to (G), (E), or (F), the support member may have a porous body. According to this configuration, the support member has a porous body. The support member contacts the back surface of the impregnated portion and sandwiches the impregnated portion between the support member and the nozzle surface, thereby improving the conformability of the impregnated portion to the nozzle surface. This makes it easier to reduce the viscosity of the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface.

[0114] In the wiping device described in (H), (E) to (G), the support member may have an elastic body. According to this configuration, the support member has an elastic body. The support member contacts the back surface of the impregnated portion and sandwiches the impregnated portion between the support member and the nozzle surface, thereby improving the conformability of the impregnated portion to the nozzle surface. This makes it easier to reduce the viscosity of the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface.

[0115] (I) A liquid ejection device includes a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid from nozzles formed on a nozzle surface, and a wiping device described in (A) to (H). According to this configuration, the same effects as those of the above-described wiping device can be achieved.

[0116] (J) A method for controlling a liquid ejection device includes a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid from nozzles formed on a nozzle surface, and a wiping device that can wipe the nozzle surface, wherein the wiping device is an absorbing member having a wiping portion that can wipe the nozzle surface by moving relative to the liquid ejection head, and an impregnated portion that can contact the nozzle surface when impregnated with liquid, and a moving mechanism having a first moving mechanism that can move the wiping portion of the absorbing member to a position where it can contact the nozzle surface, and a second moving mechanism that can move the impregnated portion of the absorbing member to a position where it contacts the nozzle surface, and the method includes bringing the impregnated portion into contact with the nozzle surface using the second moving mechanism and maintaining the state in which the impregnated portion is in contact with the nozzle surface for a predetermined period of time, moving the impregnated portion away from the nozzle surface using the second moving mechanism, moving the wiping portion to a position where it can contact the nozzle surface using the first moving mechanism, and wiping the nozzle surface with the wiping portion.

[0117] According to this method, it is possible to achieve the same effect as the wiping device described above. The method for controlling a liquid ejection device described in (K) and (J) may include ejecting liquid from the nozzle to the impregnated portion, thereby impregnating the impregnated portion with the liquid.

[0118] According to this method, the liquid ejection head impregnates the impregnated portion with the liquid ejected from the nozzles, which allows the liquid ejection device to be made smaller than when a separate component is provided for impregnating the impregnated portion with the liquid.

[0119] In the method for controlling a liquid ejection device described in (L), (J), or (K), the liquid ejection device may further include a cleaning unit that sucks liquid from the liquid ejection head and performs suction cleaning of the liquid ejection head, the liquid ejection head being movable in a scanning direction, the wiping unit being positioned between the cleaning unit and the impregnation unit in the scanning direction, and the method may include performing suction cleaning of the liquid ejection head by the cleaning unit, moving the wiping unit to a position where it can contact the nozzle surface by the first moving mechanism, and wiping the nozzle surface by the wiping unit.

[0120] According to this method, after suction cleaning is performed by the cleaning unit, the nozzle surface is wiped by the wiping unit. The distance between the wiping unit and the cleaning unit is shorter than the distance between the impregnation unit and the cleaning unit. Therefore, the time required for suction cleaning and wiping can be shortened.

[0121] In the control method for a liquid ejection device described in (M)(L), the wiping device may further include a winding unit capable of winding up the absorbing member, and may include suction cleaning of the liquid ejection head by the cleaning unit, bringing the wiping unit into contact with the nozzle face by the first moving mechanism, moving the wiping unit away from the nozzle face by the first moving mechanism, winding up the absorbing member by the winding unit to position a new portion of the absorbing member on the wiping unit, and moving the wiping unit to a position where it can contact the nozzle face by the first moving mechanism.

[0122] According to this method, after suction cleaning of the liquid ejection head is performed, the wiping unit is brought into contact with the nozzle face. As a result, liquid adhering to the nozzle face during suction cleaning can be absorbed by the wiping unit. After the wiping unit comes into contact with the nozzle face, the take-up unit winds up the absorbing member. By winding up the absorbing member, unused portions of the absorbing member can be used as the wiping unit. As a result, the wiping unit can reduce the amount of liquid adhering to the nozzle face during suction cleaning, and then wipe the nozzle face with new portions.

[0123] In the control method of a liquid ejection device described in (N)(J) to (M), the liquid ejection device may further include a liquid receiving section that receives liquid that has been idle-ejected from the liquid ejection head, the liquid receiving section being arranged adjacent to the wiping device in the scanning direction, and after the nozzle surface is wiped by the wiping section, liquid may be idle-ejected from the liquid ejection head toward the liquid receiving section.

[0124] According to this method, the liquid receiving portion is disposed adjacent to the wiping device in the scanning direction, and therefore, after the nozzle surface has been wiped with the wiping device, blank ejection can be performed quickly onto the liquid receiving portion.

[0125] In the control method of a liquid ejection device described in (O)(N), the liquid ejection device may further include a pressurizing unit that pressurizes the inside of the liquid ejection head to discharge liquid from the liquid ejection head, and may include receiving the liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head by the pressurizing unit in the liquid receiving unit, moving the wiping unit by the first moving mechanism to a position where it can contact the nozzle surface, and wiping the nozzle surface by the wiping unit.

[0126] According to this method, the liquid receiving portion receives the liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head by the pressurizing portion, so that the liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head and the liquid discharged under pressure from the liquid ejection head can be received in a single liquid receiving portion.

[0127] In the control method for a liquid ejection device described in (P)(O), the wiping device may further include a winding unit capable of winding up the absorbing member, and may include discharging liquid from the liquid ejection head using the pressure unit, bringing the wiping unit into contact with the nozzle face using the first moving mechanism, moving the wiping unit away from the nozzle face using the first moving mechanism, winding up the absorbing member using the winding unit to position a new portion of the absorbing member on the wiping unit, and moving the wiping unit to a position where it can contact the nozzle face using the first moving mechanism.

[0128] According to this method, after pressurizing the inside of the liquid ejection head to discharge the liquid, the wiping unit is brought into contact with the nozzle surface. Therefore, the liquid that adheres to the nozzle surface as a result of the pressurized discharge can be absorbed by the wiping unit. The take-up unit winds up the absorbing member after the wiping unit comes into contact with the nozzle surface. By winding up the absorbing member, an unused portion of the absorbing member can be used as the wiping unit. Therefore, the wiping unit can reduce the amount of liquid that adheres to the nozzle surface as a result of the pressurized discharge, and then wipe the nozzle surface with a new portion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0129] 11...liquid ejection device, 12...controller, 13...medium transport unit, 14...printing unit, 15...maintenance unit, 17...medium, 18...medium support unit, 19...transport roller, 21...carriage, 22...liquid ejection head, 23...pressure unit, 25...nozzle surface, 26...nozzle, 28...moisturizing unit, 29...cleaning unit, 30...wiping device, 31...liquid receiving unit, 33...moisturizing cap, 35...suction cap, 37...feeding unit, 38...winding unit, 39...absorbing member, 40...guide roller, 41...moving mechanism, 44...first moving mechanism, 45...second moving mechanism, 47...braking unit, 48...feeding shaft, 5 0...drive source, 51...winding shaft, 53...contact surface, 54...back surface, 55...wiping section, 56...impregnation section, 58...first lifting section, 59...holder, 60...frame, 61...pressing section, 63...holding member, 64...cover member, 65...mounting member, 66...roller, 67...elastic member, 69...through hole, 71...cylindrical portion, 72...shaft portion, 74...second lifting section, 75...support member, 76...support plate, 77...elastic body, 78...porous body, 79...guide portion, Pc...contact position, Pi...impregnation position, Ps...separation position, Pw...wiping position, X1...scanning direction, X2...wiping direction, Y...width direction, Z...vertical direction.

Claims

1. A wiping device capable of wiping a nozzle surface of a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid, a strip-shaped absorbent member capable of absorbing liquid; a movement mechanism that moves the absorbing member to a contact position where the absorbing member can come into contact with the nozzle face and a spaced position where the absorbing member is spaced from the nozzle face; Equipped with The absorption member is an impregnated portion that is impregnated with a liquid and can come into contact with the nozzle surface; a wiping unit that can wipe the nozzle surface by moving relatively to the liquid ejection head; A wiping device comprising:

2. The moving mechanism includes: a first movement mechanism that moves the wiping portion of the absorbing member to a position where the wiping portion can come into contact with the nozzle surface; a second movement mechanism that moves the impregnated portion of the absorbing member to a position where the impregnated portion contacts the nozzle surface; The wiping device according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. The wiping device according to claim 2, further comprising a winding section capable of winding up the absorbing member.

4. the first movement mechanism includes a roller that contacts a rear surface of the wiping unit opposite to a contact surface that contacts the nozzle surface, The wiping device according to claim 3 , wherein the roller has an elastic portion that comes into contact with the wiping portion.

5. The wiping device according to claim 3 , wherein the second movement mechanism has a support member that contacts a rear surface of the impregnation portion opposite to a contact surface that contacts the nozzle surface.

6. The wiping device according to claim 5 , wherein the second movement mechanism is capable of moving the support member between a position where the support member is in contact with the impregnated portion and a position where the support member is spaced apart from the impregnated portion.

7. The wiping device according to claim 6, wherein the support member comprises a porous material.

8. The wiping device according to claim 6, wherein the support member has an elastic body.

9. a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid from nozzles formed on a nozzle surface; A wiping device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; A liquid ejection device comprising:

10. a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid from nozzles formed on a nozzle surface; a wiping device capable of wiping the nozzle surface; Equipped with The wiping device is an absorbing member having a wiping portion that can wipe the nozzle surface by moving relatively to the liquid ejection head, and an impregnated portion that can come into contact with the nozzle surface in a state impregnated with liquid; a movement mechanism including a first movement mechanism capable of moving the wiping portion of the absorbing member to a position where it can contact the nozzle surface, and a second movement mechanism capable of moving the impregnation portion of the absorbing member to a position where it can contact the nozzle surface; A method for controlling a liquid ejection device comprising: bringing the impregnated portion into contact with the nozzle surface by the second moving mechanism and maintaining the state in which the impregnated portion is in contact with the nozzle surface for a predetermined time; moving the impregnation unit away from the nozzle surface by the second movement mechanism; moving the wiping unit to a position where the wiping unit can come into contact with the nozzle surface by the first movement mechanism; wiping the nozzle surface with the wiping unit; A method for controlling a liquid ejection device, comprising:

11. The method for controlling a liquid ejection device according to claim 10, further comprising the step of ejecting the liquid from the nozzle to the impregnated portion, thereby impregnating the impregnated portion with the liquid.

12. the liquid ejection device further includes a cleaning unit that sucks liquid from the liquid ejection head to perform suction cleaning of the liquid ejection head; the liquid ejection head is movable in a scanning direction; the wiping unit is disposed between the cleaning unit and the impregnation unit in the scanning direction, performing suction cleaning of the liquid ejection head by the cleaning unit; moving the wiping unit to a position where the wiping unit can come into contact with the nozzle surface by the first movement mechanism; wiping the nozzle surface with the wiping unit; The method for controlling a liquid ejection device according to claim 10, further comprising:

13. The wiping device further includes a winding section capable of winding up the absorbing member, performing suction cleaning of the liquid ejection head by the cleaning unit; bringing the wiping unit into contact with the nozzle surface by the first movement mechanism; moving the wiping unit away from the nozzle surface by the first movement mechanism; the absorbent member is wound up by the winding section to position a new portion of the absorbent member in the wiping section; moving the wiping unit to a position where the wiping unit can come into contact with the nozzle surface by the first movement mechanism; The method for controlling a liquid ejection device according to claim 12, further comprising:

14. the liquid ejection device further includes a liquid receiving section that receives liquid that has been blank-ejected from the liquid ejection head; the liquid receiving portion is disposed adjacent to the wiping device in the scanning direction; 13. The method for controlling a liquid ejection device according to claim 12, further comprising, after wiping the nozzle surface with the wiping unit, blank ejection of liquid from the liquid ejection head toward the liquid receiving unit.

15. the liquid ejection device further includes a pressurizing unit that applies pressure to the inside of the liquid ejection head to eject liquid from the liquid ejection head; receiving the liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head by the pressurizing unit in the liquid receiving unit; moving the wiping unit to a position where the wiping unit can come into contact with the nozzle surface by the first movement mechanism; wiping the nozzle surface with the wiping unit; The method for controlling a liquid ejection device according to claim 14, further comprising:

16. The wiping device further includes a winding section capable of winding up the absorbing member, discharging the liquid from the liquid ejection head by the pressurizing unit; bringing the wiping unit into contact with the nozzle surface by the first movement mechanism; moving the wiping unit away from the nozzle surface by the first movement mechanism; the absorbent member is wound up by the winding section to position a new portion of the absorbent member in the wiping section; moving the wiping unit to a position where the wiping unit can come into contact with the nozzle surface by the first movement mechanism; The method for controlling a liquid ejection device according to claim 15, further comprising:

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