Liquid discharge device

Abstract

To solve a problem that there is a possibility that paper powder scraped by a blade falls below a conveyance belt and, for example, an operation malfunction occurs in a mechanism located below the conveyance belt.SOLUTION: A liquid discharge device includes: a support part capable of supporting a medium; a liquid discharge part capable of discharging liquid in a discharge direction from a nozzle provided in a nozzle surface, with respect to the medium supported by the support part; and a movement part movable in a first direction being a direction crossing with the discharge direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction. The movement part has a scraping member capable of scraping paper powder deposited in a lower part from the support part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid ejection device that ejects liquid onto a medium. [Background technology]

[0002] The liquid ejecting apparatus described in Patent Document 1 has a medium support unit that supports a medium at a recording position. The medium support unit has a conveyor belt and moves between a support position and a retracted position by rotating approximately 90 degrees. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-65303 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Since paper dust adheres to the conveyor belt, a blade may be provided to come into contact with the conveyor belt and scrape off the paper dust adhering to the conveyor belt. However, the paper dust scraped off by the blade falls below the conveyor belt, which may cause malfunctions in the mechanism located below the conveyor belt, for example. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, the liquid ejection device of the present invention comprises a support part capable of supporting a medium, a liquid ejection part capable of ejecting liquid from a nozzle provided on a nozzle face in an ejection direction onto the medium supported by the support part, and a moving part capable of moving in a first direction that intersects with the ejection direction and in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, and is characterized in that the moving part has a scraping member that can scrape off paper dust that has accumulated below the support part. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a media transport path of the printer. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a media transport path of the printer. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the control system of the printer. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a belt unit and a support frame that supports the belt unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a moving mechanism that moves the cap. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a moving mechanism that moves the cap. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a moving mechanism that moves the cap. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the wipe unit and the first and second guides that guide the wipe unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first guide and a brush provided in the wiping unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of a moving mechanism that moves the cap. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of a moving mechanism that moves the cap. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a maintenance operation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention will be briefly described below. The liquid ejection device according to the first aspect comprises a support portion capable of supporting a medium, a liquid ejection portion capable of ejecting liquid from a nozzle provided on a nozzle surface in an ejection direction onto the medium supported by the support portion, and a moving portion capable of moving in a first direction that intersects with the ejection direction and a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, and is characterized in that the moving portion has a scraping member capable of scraping off paper dust that has accumulated below the support portion. According to this aspect, the scraping member can scrape off paper dust accumulated below the support portion, thereby preventing malfunctions of mechanisms arranged below the support portion.

[0008] The second aspect is a dependent aspect of the first aspect, and is characterized in that it further comprises a storage section that is located below the area where the paper dust is scraped off by the scraping member and that is capable of storing the paper dust scraped off by the scraping member. According to this aspect, the scraped paper dust can be stored in the storage section, so that the paper dust can be prevented from spreading over a wide area.

[0009] A third aspect is a dependent aspect of the first aspect, and further includes a guide portion arranged below the support portion, the guide portion being configured to guide a guided portion arranged on the moving portion, the moving portion having a wiping portion capable of wiping the nozzle surface, and the scraping member being positioned in the first direction relative to the guided portion and scraping off paper dust accumulated on the guide portion when the moving portion moves in the first direction.

[0010] According to this aspect, the scraping member is positioned in the first direction relative to the guided portion and scrapes off paper dust accumulated on the guide portion when the moving portion moves in the first direction, thereby preventing the moving portion from becoming unable to move due to paper dust when the moving portion moves in the first direction.

[0011] A fourth aspect is an aspect dependent on the third aspect, characterized in that the scraping member is provided in a state inclined with respect to the moving direction of the moving part. According to this aspect, the scraping member is provided in a state inclined with respect to the moving direction of the moving part, and therefore, paper dust can be appropriately removed from above the guide part.

[0012] A fifth aspect is a dependent aspect of the fourth aspect, and is characterized in that the device further comprises a storage section that is located below the position of the guide section where the paper dust is scraped off by the scraping member and that can store the scraped off paper dust, and the storage section is located on the side of the guide section where the paper dust scraped off by the scraping member moves.

[0013] According to this aspect, the scraped paper dust can be contained in the container, which prevents the paper dust from spreading over a wide area. Furthermore, the container is provided on the side of the guide where the paper dust scraped by the scraping member moves, so the paper dust can be contained in the container more appropriately.

[0014] A sixth aspect is an aspect dependent on the first or second aspect, characterized in that the liquid ejection unit is a line head whose longitudinal direction is the movement direction of the moving unit, the support unit has a drive roller, a driven roller, and a conveying belt which is an endless belt wound between the drive roller and the driven roller, and the conveying belt is movable between a support position facing the liquid ejection unit and a retracted position away from the support position.

[0015] According to this aspect, the conveying belt is movable between a support position facing the liquid ejection unit and a retracted position away from the support position, so that maintenance and other procedures for the liquid ejection unit can be performed when the conveying belt is in the retracted position.

[0016] A seventh aspect is an aspect dependent on the sixth aspect, and is characterized in that the printer further comprises a paper dust removing unit that comes into contact with the conveyor belt and removes paper dust adhering to the conveyor belt. According to this aspect, the ink jet recording device further includes a paper dust removal unit that contacts the conveying belt and removes paper dust adhering to the conveying belt, thereby preventing paper dust adhering to the conveying belt from adhering to the nozzles of the liquid ejection unit.

[0017] An eighth aspect is a mode dependent on any of the third to fifth aspects, characterized in that the liquid ejection unit is a line head whose longitudinal direction is the movement direction of the moving unit, the support unit has a drive roller, a driven roller, and a conveying belt which is an endless belt wound between the drive roller and the driven roller, and the conveying belt is movable between a support position facing the liquid ejection unit and a retracted position away from the support position.

[0018] According to this aspect, the conveying belt is movable between a support position facing the liquid ejection unit and a retracted position away from the support position, so that maintenance and other procedures for the liquid ejection unit can be performed when the conveying belt is in the retracted position.

[0019] A ninth aspect is a dependent aspect of the eighth aspect, characterized in that the moving unit has an end in the second direction as a home position, and when wiping the nozzle surface with the wiping unit, it moves from the home position in the first direction, scraping off paper dust with the scraping member during this movement, and then moves in the second direction toward the home position, wiping the nozzle surface with the wiping unit during this movement.

[0020] As described above, the scraping member is positioned in the first direction relative to the guided portion, and is configured to scrape off paper dust accumulated on the guide portion when the moving portion moves in the first direction. According to this aspect, the moving unit has the end in the second direction as its home position, and when wiping the nozzle surface, it moves from the home position in the first direction, thereby preventing the moving unit from becoming unable to move when wiping the nozzle surface.

[0021] A tenth aspect is an aspect dependent on the eighth aspect, and is characterized in that the printer further comprises a paper dust removing unit that comes into contact with the conveyor belt and removes paper dust adhering to the conveyor belt. According to this aspect, the ink jet recording device further includes a paper dust removal unit that contacts the conveying belt and removes paper dust adhering to the conveying belt, thereby preventing paper dust adhering to the conveying belt from adhering to the nozzles of the liquid ejection unit.

[0022] An eleventh aspect is a dependent aspect of the eighth aspect, and further comprises a cap capable of contacting the nozzle surface, a moving mechanism that moves the cap between an opposing position facing the nozzle surface and a standby position that is horizontally further away from the guide portion than the opposing position, and a sheet member that can deform in accordance with the movement of the cap, and the sheet member covers at least a portion of the moving mechanism when the cap is in the standby position. According to this aspect, the sheet member can prevent paper dust from accumulating on at least a portion of the moving mechanism in the standby position, thereby preventing malfunction of the cap.

[0023] The twelfth aspect is a dependent aspect of the eleventh aspect, and is characterized in that it further comprises a push-up portion capable of pushing up at least a portion of the sheet member from below the sheet member, and as the cap moves toward the opposing position, the push-up portion pushes up the end of the sheet member that is close to the guide portion. According to this aspect, the pushing-up portion pushes up the end of the sheet member that is close to the guide portion, so that paper dust accumulated on the sheet member can be removed.

[0024] A thirteenth aspect is a dependent aspect of the eleventh aspect, and is characterized in that the moving mechanism further includes a push-up portion capable of pushing up at least a portion of the sheet member from below the sheet member, and when the moving mechanism moves the cap toward the opposing position, the push-up portion moves below the end of the sheet member that is closest to the guide portion and pushes up the end. According to this aspect, the pushing-up portion pushes up the end of the sheet member that is close to the guide portion, so that paper dust accumulated on the sheet member can be removed.

[0025] A fourteenth aspect is an aspect dependent on the second or fifth aspect, characterized in that the storage section is configured to be detachable. According to this aspect, the storage unit is configured to be detachable, so that the paper dust stored in the storage unit can be easily disposed of.

[0026] The present invention will be specifically described below. In the following, an inkjet printer 1 that performs recording by ejecting ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto a medium such as recording paper will be described as an example of a liquid ejection device. In the following, the inkjet printer 1 will be abbreviated as printer 1.

[0027] The XYZ coordinate system shown in each figure is a Cartesian coordinate system, with the Y axis direction being the width direction intersecting the medium transport direction and the depth direction of the device. In this embodiment, of the side surfaces that make up the periphery of the device body 2, the side surface in the +Y direction is the back surface, and the side surface in the -Y direction is the front surface. The X axis direction is the width direction of the device, with the +X direction being the left side and the -X direction being the right side as seen by the operator of the printer 1. The -X direction is also the direction in which media is fed out from each media cassette, which will be described later. The Z-axis direction is the vertical direction, that is, the height direction of the device, with the +Z direction being the upward direction and the -Z direction being the downward direction. In the following, the direction in which the medium is transported may be referred to as "downstream," and the opposite direction may be referred to as "upstream." In Figure 1, the medium transport path is indicated by a dashed line. In the printer 1, the medium is transported through the medium transport path indicated by the dashed line.

[0028] The printer 1 includes a medium cassette 3 below a device main body 2 that includes a line head 12 (described later). The symbol P indicates the medium stored in the medium cassette 3. A pick roller 21 is provided for the medium cassette 3 to feed the stored medium in the -X direction. A feed roller pair 25 is also provided for the medium cassette 3 to feed the medium fed by the pick roller 21 further downstream. Note that a plurality of medium cassettes (not shown) are further provided below the medium cassette 3. A pick roller (not shown) and a feed roller pair (not shown) are also provided for each of the plurality of medium cassettes (not shown). In the following, unless otherwise specified, a "roller pair" is defined as consisting of a drive roller driven by a power source such as a motor, and a driven roller that rotates in contact with the drive roller.

[0029] Symbol T1 indicates the transport path of the medium that is sent out from the medium cassette 3 and reaches the transport roller pair 34. The medium sent out from the medium cassette 3 receives a transport force from the transport roller pairs 29 and 33 and is sent to the transport roller pair 34. The medium receiving the feeding force from the transport roller pair 34 is sent to a recording position between the line head 12, which is an example of a liquid ejection unit, and the transport belt 53, that is, facing the line head 12. The transport roller pair 34 constitutes a transport unit that transports the medium between the line head 12 and the transport belt 53.

[0030] The line head 12 performs recording by ejecting ink, an example of a liquid, onto a medium from nozzles 13 provided on a nozzle surface 12a. In this embodiment, the ink is ejected from the nozzles 13 in the -Z direction. The line head 12 is an ink ejection head in which multiple nozzles 13 that eject ink are arranged to cover the entire area in the width direction of the medium, and is configured as an ink ejection head that can record across the entire width of the medium without moving in the width direction of the medium. However, the ink ejection head is not limited to this, and may be a type that is mounted on a carriage and ejects ink while moving in the width direction of the medium. Furthermore, the recording method is not limited to the inkjet method, but may be a dot impact method, a laser method, or an LED method of electrophotography.

[0031] The line head 12 according to this embodiment ejects ink of a plurality of colors, for example. Specifically, in this embodiment, the plurality of nozzles 13 are configured with a plurality of nozzles 13 that eject yellow ink, a plurality of nozzles 13 that eject magenta ink, a plurality of nozzles 13 that eject cyan ink, and a plurality of nozzles 13 that eject magenta ink.

[0032] Next, the conveyor belt 53 is an endless belt that is wound around a first roller 54 that is a drive roller and a second roller 55 that is a driven roller, and is rotated by driving the first roller 54 by a belt rotation motor 89 (see FIG. 3). The medium is attracted to the belt surface of the conveyor belt 53 and conveyed to a position facing the line head 12.

[0033] The first roller 54, the second roller 55, and the conveyor belt 53 constitute the belt unit 52. The belt unit 52 is an example of a support section that supports a medium. The belt unit 52 has the first roller 54 as a rotation axis, and is provided so as to be rotatable by the power of a belt movement motor 90 (see FIG. 3). As the belt unit 52 rotates, the conveyor belt 53 moves between a support position (see FIG. 1) facing the line head 12 and a retracted position (see FIG. 2) away from the support position. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the belt unit 52, in which reference numeral 57 denotes a support frame that rotatably supports the belt unit 52. Also in Fig. 4, reference numeral 58 denotes a link mechanism that rotates the belt unit 52. Also in Fig. 4, reference numeral 57a denotes an opening formed in the support frame 57. A storage section 65, which will be described later, is detachably provided in this opening 57a.

[0034] Reference numeral 56 denotes a blade serving as a paper dust removal unit that comes into contact with the conveyor belt 53 to remove paper dust adhering to the conveyor belt 53. The blade 56 is, for example, a plate-shaped elastic member having a predetermined thickness, and is made of urethane, rubber, or the like, and is capable of elastic deformation while in contact with the conveyor belt 53. Note that foreign matter such as dust and dirt, in addition to paper dust, may adhere to the conveyor belt 53, and the blade 56 scrapes off such foreign matter and drops it below the conveyor belt 53. In this specification, paper dust is treated as a typical example of foreign matter.

[0035] The blade 56 constitutes the belt unit 52 and rotates integrally with the belt unit 52. When the belt unit 52 is in the support position, the blade 56 contacts the conveyor belt 53 from below, as shown in FIG. 1. Therefore, paper dust scraped off by the blade 56 falls downward from the blade 56. Below the blade 56, a moving mechanism 60 and a first guide 16, which will be described later, are arranged.

[0036] 1, a medium on whose first side has been recorded by the line head 12 is sent by a transport roller pair 35 located downstream of the transport belt 53 toward either a transport roller pair 36 or a transport roller pair 40. A path switching flap (not shown) is provided downstream of the transport roller pair 35, and the path switching flap sends the medium, which receives a feeding force from the transport roller pair 35, toward either the transport roller pair 36 or the transport roller pair 40.

[0037] When recording is not performed on both the first side and the opposite second side of the medium, i.e., when double-sided recording is not performed, the medium is sent from transport roller pair 35 to transport roller pair 36, and is discharged through discharge path T4 to discharge tray 8. Discharge path T4 is provided with transport roller pair 38 and transport roller pair 39.

[0038] When recording is to be performed on both the first side and the opposite second side of the medium, i.e., when double-sided recording is to be performed, the medium is sent from transport roller pair 35 towards transport roller pair 40 and enters switchback path T2. The rotation direction of transport roller pair 40 is then switched, and the medium enters reversal path T3 and is sent to transport roller pair 34 by transport roller pairs 41, 42, and 43.

[0039] Reference numeral 10 denotes an ink storage section serving as a liquid storage section that stores ink before ejection. Ink to be ejected from the line head 12 is supplied from the ink storage section 10 to the line head 12 via a tube (not shown). The ink storage section 10 stores, as an example, black, yellow, magenta, and cyan inks.

[0040] Reference numeral 9 denotes a capping unit having a cap 9a that can come into contact with the nozzle surface 12a of the line head 12. The capping unit 9 is displaced by the power of a cap movement motor 91 (see FIG. 3) between a facing position (see FIG. 2) where the cap 9a faces the nozzle surface 12a of the line head 12 and a standby position (see FIG. 1) that is horizontally spaced apart from this facing position. An ink tube (not shown) is connected to the cap 9a, and ink discharged into the cap 9a is sent to a waste liquid storage unit (not shown).

[0041] The above is the overall configuration of the printer 1, and the control unit 80 will now be described with reference to FIG. The control unit 80 performs various controls, including recording control, in the printer 1. Note that Fig. 3 shows only the components necessary for explanation in this specification, and other components are omitted. The control unit 80 is electrically connected to an output system including a feed motor 87, a conveying motor 88, a belt rotation motor 89, a belt movement motor 90, a cap movement motor 91, a wiper movement motor 92, a head movement motor 93, and the line head 12. A feed motor 87 is a power source for each of the pick rollers and each of the feed roller pairs described above, and a transport motor 88 is a power source for each of the transport roller pairs described above.

[0042] The head movement motor 93 is a power source for moving the line head 12 forward and backward relative to the conveyor belt 53. That is, the line head 12 is provided so as to be displaceable in the Z-axis direction, that is, in the direction of forward and backward movement relative to the conveyor belt 53, by a guide unit (not shown). The control unit 80 can adjust the position of the line head 12 in the Z-axis direction by controlling the head movement motor 93.

[0043] Each of the motors is, for example, a DC motor. Each of the motors is provided with a rotary encoder (not shown), and the control unit 80 can detect the rotation direction, rotation amount, and rotation speed of each of the motors using this rotary encoder. In other words, the control unit 80 can detect the drive direction, drive amount, and drive speed of each drive object.

[0044] The control unit 80 includes a CPU 81 that executes a computer program, in other words, software, a volatile memory 82, and a nonvolatile memory 83. The CPU 81 performs various calculations required to execute a program 84 stored in the nonvolatile memory 83. The volatile memory 82 is used as a temporary data storage area. The nonvolatile memory 83 stores the program 84 and control parameters 85 required to execute the program 84. The program 84 includes programs that execute various processes described below, and the control parameters 85 include parameters for executing the program 84. The various processes described below are realized when the control unit 80 executes the program 84.

[0045] Next, a description will be given of the movement mechanism 60 that moves the cap 9a between the standby position (see FIG. 1) and the facing position (see FIG. 2). 5, 6, and 7 are perspective views of the movement mechanism 60. Note that the cap 9a is omitted from the illustrations of Fig. 5, 6, and 7. The cap 9a is supported by a link mechanism 61 in an upright state as shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 11. The movement mechanism 60 has a base body formed by a base frame 63 and side frames 59A and 59B. The base frame 63 is tray-shaped. The side frames 59A and 59B are frames extending along the X-axis direction, with the side frame 59A provided in the +Y direction relative to the base frame 63 and the side frame 59B provided in the -Y direction relative to the base frame 63. The side frames 59A and 59B guide the link mechanism 61.

[0046] A slider 62 that moves along the X-axis direction is provided inside the side frames 59A, 59B. Link mechanisms 61 are provided on both sides of the slider 62 in the Y-axis direction. The link mechanism 61 engages with the slider 62, and as the slider 62 moves along the X-axis direction, it switches the link mechanism 61 between a reclined state (see FIG. 5) and an upright state (see FIG. 6). When the link mechanism 61 is in the reclined state, the cap 9a is positioned at the standby position (see FIG. 1). When the link mechanism 61 is in the upright state, the cap 9a is positioned at the opposing position (see FIG. 2). The link mechanism 61 is a so-called four-bar link mechanism, and a detailed description of its configuration and operation will be omitted.

[0047] The slider 62 is provided with a screw portion (not shown in Figures 5 to 7), through which a ball screw 64 is passed. The ball screw 64 extends in the X-axis direction and rotates by receiving power from a cap movement motor 91. The rotation of the ball screw 64 causes the slider 62 to move along the X-axis direction. A sheet member 66 is provided on the upper part of the slider 62. This sheet member 66 will be described later.

[0048] Next, the wipe unit 14 will be described with reference to FIGS. The wiping unit 14 is provided so as to be movable along the Y-axis direction. The wiping unit 14 is an example of a moving part that is movable in the ink ejection direction from the line head 12, i.e., the Y-axis direction that intersects with the -Z direction. The -Y direction of the Y-axis direction is an example of a first direction, and the +Y direction is an example of a second direction. Reference numeral 16 denotes a first guide extending along the Y-axis direction, and reference numeral 18 denotes a second guide extending along the Y-axis direction. The first guide 16 is an example of a guide portion provided below the belt unit 52. The upper surfaces of the first guide 16 and the second guide 18 are formed as flat surfaces parallel to the XY plane. The wiping unit 14 is supported by the upper surfaces of the first guide 16 and the second guide 18 and is guided in the Y-axis direction. 9, the wiping unit 14 has a clamping portion 14a that clamps the first guide 16 in the Z-axis direction. The clamping portion 14a is an example of a guided portion that is guided by the first guide 16.

[0049] In Fig. 8, reference numeral 17 denotes a ball screw extending in the Y-axis direction. The wipe unit 14 has a threaded portion 19, and the ball screw 17 is passed through the threaded portion 19. The ball screw 17 is rotated by a wiper movement motor 92 (see Fig. 3), which causes the wipe unit 14 to move along the Y-axis direction.

[0050] The wiping unit 14 includes a wiper 15. The wiper 15 is an example of a wiping portion capable of wiping the nozzle surface 12a of the line head 12. The wiper 15 is made of urethane, rubber, or the like, and can be elastically deformed when in contact with the nozzle surface 12a. A brush 68, which is an example of a scraping member, is provided on the side surface of the wiping unit 14 in the -Y direction. The brush 68 is provided so as to be in contact with the upper surface of the first guide 16 in an elastically deformed state, as shown in Fig. 9. The brush 68 is made of chemical fibers such as nylon, polypropylene, polyester, metal fibers, animal fibers, plant fibers, etc. The brush 68 is provided so as to be inclined at an angle θa with respect to the Y-axis direction as shown in Fig. 8. The angle θa can be said to be the angle formed between the direction in which the bristles of the brush 68 are arranged and the Y-axis direction.

[0051] The wiping unit 14 has a home position at the end in the +Y direction of its movable range. When wiping the nozzle surface 12a of the line head 12, the line head 12 is at a height position where the nozzle surface 12a does not come into contact with the wiper 15, and in this state the wiping unit 14 moves to the end in the -Y direction. Next, the line head 12 descends to a position where the nozzle surface 12a comes into contact with the wiper 15, and in this state the wiping unit 14 moves in the +Y direction, causing the wiper 15 to wipe the nozzle surface 12a.

[0052] Next, the flow of head maintenance will be further explained with reference to Fig. 12. The process shown in Fig. 12 starts with the belt unit 52 in the support position, the cap 9a in the standby position, and the wipe unit 14 in the home position as shown in Fig. 8, as shown in Fig. 1. An example of this state is when a recording job is being executed. When the control unit 80 determines that it is time for head maintenance (Yes in step S101), it moves the belt unit 52 to the retracted position (step S102), thereby creating a space for the cap 9a to face the line head 12. The head maintenance timing may be, for example, when a predetermined number of sheets have been printed since the start of a printing job.

[0053] Next, the control unit 80 moves the cap 9a to the opposing position (step S103). This causes the cap 9a of the capping unit 9 to seal the nozzle surface 12a. An ink tube (not shown) is connected to the cap 9a, and a pump (not shown) is connected to this ink tube. The control unit 80 drives the pump while the cap 9a seals the nozzle surface 12a, thereby creating a negative pressure inside the cap 9a and sucking ink from the nozzles 13 (step S104).

[0054] Next, the control unit 80 moves the cap 9a to the standby position (step S105). This creates space for the wiping unit 14 to move. Next, the control unit 80 moves the wiping unit 14 from the home position in the -Y direction (step S106) and moves the line head 12 in the -Z direction (step S107). Then, in this state, the control unit 80 moves the wiping unit 14 in the +Y direction (step S108) and wipes the nozzle surface 12a with the wiper 15. Then, the control unit 80 moves the belt unit 52 to the support position (step S109). When the recording job is completed, the control unit 80 moves the belt unit 52 to the retracted position, moves the cap 9a to the opposing position, and seals the nozzle surface 12a with the cap 9a. This state is the recording standby state.

[0055] Next, the sheet member 66 provided on the upper part of the moving mechanism 60 will be described. 5 to 7, in this embodiment, the seat member 66 is provided so as to cover at least the ball screw 64 of the movement mechanism 60. In addition, in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the seat member 66 is drawn with imaginary lines to show the configuration of the movement mechanism 60. In Fig. 7, the seat member 66 of Fig. 5 is drawn with solid lines. Sheet member 66 has a straight portion 66a extending along the X-axis direction and a widened portion 66b located in the -X direction relative to straight portion 66a and having a shape in which the width in the Y-axis direction increases toward the -X direction. Sheet member 66 is an elastically deformable sheet member, and examples of the sheet member that can be used include a PP (polypropylene) sheet, a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) sheet, and a PC (polycarbonate) sheet.

[0056] In this embodiment, the +X direction end of the straight portion 66a of the sheet member 66 is fixed to a motor mounting portion 63a, which is a portion that fixes the cap movement motor 91 to the base frame 63. The motor mounting portion 63a is a portion formed to rise in the +Z direction. In this embodiment, the sheet member 66 has the −X direction end of the widened portion 66b fixed to a wall portion 63b formed on the base frame 63 so as to rise in the +Z direction. The sheet member 66 can be fixed to the base frame 63 using screws, adhesive, double-sided tape, or the like.

[0057] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the sheet member 66 is located above the slider 62 that constitutes the movement mechanism 60, and below the cap 9a. As shown in Figure 10, when the cap 9a is in the standby position, the sheet member 66 is pressed down by the cap 9a. As described above, the paper dust adhering to the conveyor belt 53 is removed by the blade 56 (see Figure 1), and the paper dust falls and accumulates on the sheet member 66. In Figure 10, the symbol D schematically indicates the paper dust accumulated on the sheet member 66.

[0058] When the cap 9a moves from this state toward the opposing position, as shown by the change from Fig. 10 to Fig. 11 , the cap 9a releases the pressure on the sheet member 66, and the -X direction end of the sheet member 66 is pushed up by the slider 62. As a result, the paper powder D that had accumulated on the sheet member 66 moves in the -X direction as shown by arrow a in Fig. 11 , and is accumulated on the first guide 16. In order to obtain multiple push-up effects of the slider 62 on the sheet member 66, the slider 62 may be reciprocated multiple times at the −X direction end of the movement range of the slider 62.

[0059] 8 and 9, the wiping unit 14 is provided with a brush 68 that comes into contact with the first guide 16. Therefore, when the wiping unit 14 moves in the −Y direction with paper powder D accumulated on the first guide 16 (step S106 in FIG. 12), the paper powder D accumulated on the first guide 16 is removed by the brush 68. 8 , the paper dust D picked up by the brush 68 moving in the −Y direction moves in the −X direction. A storage section 65 capable of storing paper dust D is provided in the −X direction relative to the first guide 16. Therefore, the paper dust D picked up by the brush 68 can enter the storage section 65.

[0060] In this embodiment, brush 68 is provided in the -Y direction relative to wiping unit 14, i.e., in the -Y direction relative to clamping portion 14a (see FIG. 9). The home position of wiping unit 14 is at the end in the +Y direction, and during wiping operation, it moves in the -Y direction from the home position (step S106 in FIG. 12). Therefore, paper dust D is drawn by brush 68 before it gets caught in clamping portion 14a, thereby preventing malfunctions in the operation of wiping unit 14.

[0061] It should be noted that when the wiping unit 14 is moved to remove paper dust accumulated on the first guide 16 by the brush 68, it is not necessary to wipe the nozzle surface 12a with the wiper 15. In other words, the wiping unit 14 may be moved only to remove paper dust accumulated on the first guide 16 by the brush 68.

[0062] The following describes the effects of the printer 1 according to this embodiment. The printer 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with a wiping unit 14 that is movable in the -Y direction and the +Y direction. The wiping unit 14 has a brush 68 that can scrape off paper dust that has accumulated below the belt unit 52. This brush 68 can scrape off paper dust accumulated below the belt unit 52, thereby preventing malfunctions of the mechanisms arranged below the belt unit 52. In this embodiment, the brush 68 scrapes off paper dust accumulated on the first guide 16, thereby preventing malfunctions of the wiping unit 14, but this is not limited to this, and the brush 68 may also scrape off paper dust accumulated in other locations to prevent malfunctions of other operating mechanisms.

[0063] The printer 1 according to this embodiment also includes a storage unit 65 that is located below the area where the paper dust is scraped off by the brush 68 and can store the paper dust scraped off by the brush 68. This allows the scraped off paper dust to be stored in the storage unit 65, preventing the paper dust from spreading over a wide area. The location of the storage section 65 is not limited to the location shown in this embodiment, and may be any other location that can store the paper dust drawn by the brush 68.

[0064] The printer 1 according to this embodiment also includes a first guide 16 that is located below the belt unit 52. The first guide 16 is configured to guide a clamping portion 14a that is located in the wiping unit 14. The wiping unit 14 has a wiper 15 that can wipe the nozzle surface 12a. The brush 68 is positioned in the -Y direction relative to the clamping portion 14a, and is configured to scrape off paper dust accumulated on the first guide 16 when the wiping unit 14 moves in the -Y direction. This prevents the wiping unit 14 from becoming unable to move due to paper dust when the wiping unit 14 moves in the -Y direction, as described above.

[0065] In this embodiment, the brush 68 is provided in a state inclined with respect to the Y-axis direction, which is the movement direction of the wiping unit 14. This allows paper dust to be removed from above the first guide 16 appropriately. In this embodiment, the angle θa in FIG. 8 is less than 90°, but it is not limited to this and may be 90° or greater than 90°.

[0066] Furthermore, in the printer 1 according to this embodiment, the storage section 65 is provided on the side of the first guide 16 where the paper dust scraped off by the brush 68 moves. This allows the paper dust to be more appropriately stored in the storage section 65.

[0067] Furthermore, in the printer 1 according to this embodiment, the liquid ejection unit is a line head 12 whose longitudinal direction is the movement direction of the wiping unit 14. The belt unit 52 has a first roller 54, a second roller 55, and a conveyor belt 53, which is an endless belt that is wound between the first roller 54 and the second roller 55. The conveyor belt 53 is movable between a support position facing the line head 12 and a retracted position away from the support position. This makes it possible to perform maintenance and other procedures on the line head 12 when the conveyor belt 53 is in the retracted position.

[0068] The printer 1 according to this embodiment also includes a blade 56 that comes into contact with the transport belt 53 and removes paper dust adhering to the transport belt 53. This prevents paper dust adhering to the transport belt 53 from adhering to the nozzles 13 of the line head 12.

[0069] In the printer 1 according to this embodiment, the wiping unit 14 has its home position at the end in the +Y direction. When wiping the nozzle surface 12a with the wiper 15, it moves from the home position in the -Y direction, scraping off paper dust with the brush 68 during this movement. It then moves in the +Y direction toward the home position, wiping the nozzle surface 12a with the wiper 15 during this movement. This prevents the wiping unit 14 from becoming unable to move.

[0070] The printer 1 according to this embodiment also includes a cap 9a that can come into contact with the nozzle surface 12a, a movement mechanism 60 that moves the cap 9a between a facing position where it faces the nozzle surface 12a and a standby position that is further away from the first guide 16 in the horizontal direction than the facing position, and a sheet member 66 that can deform in response to the movement of the cap 9a. The sheet member 66 covers a ball screw 64 that is at least part of the movement mechanism 60 when the cap 9a is in the standby position. This makes it possible to prevent malfunctions of the cap 9a. In this embodiment, the seat member 66 covers the ball screw 64, but it is not limited to this and may of course cover other parts.

[0071] In this embodiment, the sheet member 66 has a straight portion 66a extending along the X-axis direction and a widened portion 66b whose width in the Y-axis direction increases toward the -X direction. The straight portion 66a is limited to the width necessary to cover the ball screw 64, which prevents the sheet member 66 from interfering with other parts as it deforms, resulting in problems. The widened portion 66b is shaped to widen in the X-axis direction as it approaches the blade 56, which makes it possible to more reliably catch paper dust that falls downward from the blade 56.

[0072] The sheet member 66 is preferably a black sheet, and more preferably has an upper surface that is anti-reflection treated, which can prevent reflected light from causing erroneous detection by sensors.

[0073] Furthermore, in the printer 1 according to this embodiment, the movement mechanism 60 includes a slider 62, which is a push-up section that can push up at least a portion of the sheet member 66 from below the sheet member 66. When the movement mechanism 60 moves the cap 9a toward the opposing position, the slider 62 moves below the end of the sheet member 66 that is closest to the first guide 16 and pushes up that end. This allows paper dust that has accumulated on the sheet member 66 to fall off.

[0074] The push-up portion that can push up at least a part of the sheet member 66 from below the sheet member 66 is not limited to the slider 62, and may be another portion. For example, the push-up portion may be a lifting member that protrudes upward from below the sheet member 66 when the cap 9a moves toward the facing position, and retracts downward when the cap 9a moves to the standby position. Furthermore, the pushing-up portion that can push up at least a part of the sheet member 66 from below the sheet member 66 may be provided so as to be able to operate independently under the control of the control unit 80, without being linked to the movement of the cap 9a. For example, the lifting member can be raised and lowered by an actuator such as a solenoid or a motor.

[0075] Furthermore, in the printer 1 according to this embodiment, the storage unit 65 is configured to be detachable. This makes it easy to dispose of paper dust stored in the storage unit 65. The storage unit 65 may be detachably attached to the support frame 57 using a snap-fit ​​structure, for example.

[0076] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments and modifications described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and it goes without saying that these modifications are also included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1...inkjet printer, 2...device body, 3...media cassette, 8...output tray, 9...capping section, 9a...cap, 10...ink storage section, 12...line head, 12a...nozzle surface, 13...nozzle, 14...wiping unit, 15...wiper, 16...first guide, 17...ball screw, 18...second guide, 19...screw section, 21...pick roller, 25...feed roller pair, 29-43...transport roller pair, 52...belt unit, 53...transport belt, 54...first roller, 55...second roller, 56...blade, 57...support frame, 57a...opening, 58...link mechanism, 59A, 59B...side frame, 60...movement mechanism, 61...link mechanism, 62...slider, 63...base frame, 63a...motor mounting portion, 63b...wall portion, 64...ball screw, 65...accommodation portion, 66...sheet member, 66a...straight portion, 66b...widening portion, 68...brush, 80...control portion, 81...CPU, 82...volatile memory, 83...non-volatile memory, 84...program, 85...control parameters, 87...feed motor, 88...transport motor, 89...belt rotation motor, 90...belt movement motor, 91...cap movement motor, 92...wiper movement motor, 93...head movement motor

Claims

1. a support portion capable of supporting a medium; a liquid ejection unit capable of ejecting liquid from a nozzle provided on a nozzle surface in an ejection direction onto a medium supported by the support unit; a moving unit that is movable in a first direction that is a direction intersecting the discharge direction and in a second direction that is a direction opposite to the first direction; Equipped with The moving unit has a scraping member capable of scraping off paper dust accumulated below the support unit. A liquid ejection device characterized by:

2. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , The paper dust removal machine further includes a storage section that is provided below the area where the paper dust is scraped off by the scraping member and that is capable of storing the paper dust scraped off by the scraping member. A liquid ejection device characterized by:

3. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , Further, a guide portion is provided below the support portion, the guide portion is configured to guide a guided portion provided on the moving portion, the moving unit has a wiping unit that can wipe the nozzle surface, the scraping member is positioned in the first direction relative to the guided portion, and scrapes off paper dust accumulated on the guide portion when the moving portion moves in the first direction. A liquid ejection device characterized by:

4. The liquid ejection device according to claim 3, The scraping member is provided in a state inclined with respect to the movement direction of the moving part. A liquid ejection device characterized by:

5. 5. The liquid ejection device according to claim 4, The scraping member further includes a storage section that is provided below the guide section where the paper dust is scraped off, and that can store the scraped paper dust. the storage section is provided on a side of the guide section to which the paper dust scraped by the scraping member moves. A liquid ejection device characterized by:

6. 3. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, the liquid discharge unit is a line head whose longitudinal direction is the moving direction of the moving unit, the support portion includes a drive roller, a driven roller, and a conveyor belt that is an endless belt wound between the drive roller and the driven roller, the conveyor belt is movable between a support position facing the liquid discharge unit and a retracted position away from the support position; A liquid ejection device characterized by:

7. 7. The liquid ejection device according to claim 6, The conveyor belt further includes a paper dust removing unit that comes into contact with the conveyor belt to remove paper dust adhering to the conveyor belt. A liquid ejection device characterized by:

8. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, the liquid discharge unit is a line head whose longitudinal direction is the moving direction of the moving unit, the support portion includes a drive roller, a driven roller, and a conveyor belt that is an endless belt wound between the drive roller and the driven roller, the conveyor belt is movable between a support position facing the liquid discharge unit and a retracted position away from the support position; A liquid ejection device characterized by:

9. 9. The liquid ejection device according to claim 8, When the moving unit has an end in the second direction as a home position and the wiping unit wipes the nozzle surface, moving from the home position in the first direction, and scraping off paper dust with the scraping member during the movement; Then, the nozzle surface is wiped by the wiping unit while the nozzle is moving in the second direction toward the home position. A liquid ejection device characterized by:

10. 9. The liquid ejection device according to claim 8, The conveyor belt further includes a paper dust removing unit that comes into contact with the conveyor belt to remove paper dust adhering to the conveyor belt. A liquid ejection device characterized by:

11. 9. The liquid ejection device according to claim 8, a cap that can come into contact with the nozzle surface; a movement mechanism that moves the cap between a facing position where the cap faces the nozzle surface and a standby position that is horizontally farther from the guide portion than the facing position; a sheet member that is deformable in response to movement of the cap; Further provided with the sheet member covers at least a portion of the moving mechanism when the cap is in the standby position; A liquid ejection device characterized by:

12. The liquid ejection device according to claim 11, The sheet member further includes a push-up portion that can push up at least a portion of the sheet member from below the sheet member, As the cap moves toward the opposing position, the push-up portion pushes up the end of the sheet member that is close to the guide portion. A liquid ejection device characterized by:

13. The liquid ejection device according to claim 11, the moving mechanism has a push-up portion that can push up at least a portion of the sheet member from below the sheet member, When the moving mechanism moves the cap toward the opposing position, the push-up portion moves below an end portion of the sheet member that is close to the guide portion and pushes up the end portion. A liquid ejection device characterized by:

14. 6. The liquid ejection device according to claim 2, The storage section is configured to be detachable. A liquid ejection device characterized by:

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