Liquid applying device

Abstract

To provide a liquid applying device that is able to perform an automatic adjustment such that the position of an ejection head relative to a cleaning mechanism is proper during cleaning even when the position of the ejection head relative to the cleaning mechanism is changed.SOLUTION: A liquid applying device includes a carriage on which an ejection head is mounted; a first moving mechanism that moves the carriage on a horizontal plane; a second moving mechanism that moves the carriage in a height direction; a base portion that is fixed to a main body; a plate portion that is installed on the base portion so as to be slidable on the horizontal plane; a capping mechanism that is mounted on the plate portion and caps a nozzle of the ejection head; a cleaning mechanism that is mounted on the plate portion and sprays a cleaning liquid for cleaning the nozzle, onto the nozzle; and guide means that slides the plate portion with respect to the base portion so that the nozzle is positioned to be capped, in a case where the carriage is positioned at a first position by the first moving mechanism and the carriage is moved from the first position toward the capping mechanism by the second moving mechanism.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid application device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In inkjet devices or image forming devices (or devices that eject liquid) that eject liquid such as ink to form images, a technique for adjusting the position of a cleaning mechanism relative to an ejection head is known.

[0003] An inkjet device or image forming device (or device that ejects liquid) having such a cleaning mechanism has been disclosed that includes a liquid ejection head having nozzles on its nozzle surface that eject liquid, a wiping member that wipes the nozzle surface, a rotatable pressing member that presses the wiping member against the nozzle surface, and a moving means that brings the wiping member into contact with the nozzle surface and performs a wiping operation by moving the liquid ejection head and the wiping member relative to each other, and the pressing member has a configuration in which a recess is provided in part of its surface that corresponds to the nozzle formation portion of the nozzle surface (for example, Patent Document 1). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the conventional technology, if the relative positions of the ejection head and the cleaning mechanism change, the position of the cleaning mechanism must be manually readjusted before printing.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a liquid application device that can automatically adjust the relative position of the ejection head to the cleaning mechanism so that it is appropriate during cleaning, even if the relative position between the ejection head and the cleaning mechanism changes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides a liquid application device that forms an image by ejecting liquid from an ejection head, comprising: a carriage that carries the ejection head; a first moving mechanism that moves the carriage on a horizontal plane; a second moving mechanism that moves the carriage in a vertical direction; a base portion fixed to the main body of the liquid application device; a plate portion installed on the base portion so that it can slide on the horizontal plane relative to the base portion; a capping mechanism mounted on the plate portion that caps the nozzles of the ejection head; a cleaning mechanism mounted on the plate portion that sprays cleaning liquid onto the nozzles to clean the nozzles; and a guide means that slides the plate portion relative to the base portion so that the nozzles are in a position where they are capped when the carriage is positioned at a first position by the first moving mechanism and moved from the first position toward the capping mechanism by the second moving mechanism. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, even if the relative position between the ejection head and the cleaning mechanism changes, the relative position of the ejection head with respect to the cleaning mechanism can be automatically adjusted to be appropriate during cleaning. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of the entire configuration of a liquid application apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the range over which the carriage of the liquid application device according to the embodiment can scan relative to the printing device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a carriage movement mechanism of the liquid application device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an outline of the operation when the liquid application device according to the embodiment prints outside the scanning range of the carriage. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the printing device is being carried on a dolly in the liquid application device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the printing device is placed on the printing surface from the carriage in the liquid application device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the liquid application apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a maintenance mechanism of the liquid application device according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a shoulder screw of a maintenance mechanism of a liquid application device according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an operation when a pin of the maintenance mechanism is inserted into a hole of the maintenance mechanism of the liquid application device according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the cleaning operation of the ink ejection head of the liquid application device according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the cleaning operation of the ink ejection head of the liquid application device according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a carriage movement mechanism of a liquid application device according to Modification 1. In FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating the operation of capping the ink ejection head of the liquid application device according to the first modification. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a carriage movement mechanism of a liquid application device according to Modification 2. In FIG.

[0009] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an embodiment of a liquid application device according to the present invention will be described in detail. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and the components in the following embodiment include those that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the scope of what is called equivalent. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the following embodiment.

[0010] (Overall configuration and operation of the liquid application device) Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of the overall configuration of a liquid application device according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the range over which a carriage of the liquid application device according to an embodiment can scan relative to a printing device. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a carriage movement mechanism of the liquid application device according to an embodiment. The overall configuration and operation outline of a liquid application device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3.

[0011] The liquid application device 1 shown in FIG. 1 divides a wide liquid application area, such as a road surface, into multiple printing areas, moves sequentially to each printing area, divides print data to be printed in each printing area into multiple print images, and ejects ink (an example of liquid) to print. Road surfaces, such as roads, include roads and wall surfaces of buildings, and will be referred to simply as "printing surfaces" hereinafter. "Printing" refers to the act of forming an image by applying or spraying ink onto a surface. In addition, in FIG. 2, the front panel of the printing device 10 is removed to show the internal structure of the printing device 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid application device 1 includes the printing device 10 and a dolly 20.

[0012] The printing device 10 is transportable on a dolly 20 and prints on a surface by scanning a carriage 16 carrying an ink ejection head 16a (see FIG. 3). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the printing device 10 includes a printing device main body 11, a control device 12, an ink supply system 13, a stand 14, and a carriage 16. As shown in FIG. 3, the printing device 10 also includes a frame 11a, a main scanning guide 17, a main scanning motor 17a, a sub-scanning guide 18, a sub-scanning motor 18a, a timing belt 18b, and a height movement mechanism 19 as a movement mechanism for scanning the carriage 16 carrying the ink ejection head 16a. The movement mechanism is supported by four stands 14 attached to the frame 11a, which forms the peripheral portion of the bottom surface of the printing device main body 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the printing device 10 also includes a support member 11b and a maintenance mechanism 50.

[0013] Printer body 11 is the main body of printer 10, and inside it carriage 16 scans in the main scanning direction and sub-scanning direction, and various components such as control device 12 and ink supply system 13 are mounted on the upper surface. Figure 2 shows a state in which carriage 16 has moved to each of the four corners of a rectangular area within printer body 11 that can be scanned by carriage 16.

[0014] The control device 12 is a controller that controls the printing operation of the printing device 10. Specifically, the control device 12 controls the scanning of the carriage 16 in the main scanning direction, sub-scanning direction, and height direction, the ink ejection operation of the ink ejection head 16a mounted on the carriage 16, and the ink supply operation from the ink supply system 13 to the ink ejection head 16a. Furthermore, when printing an image by ejecting ink from the ink ejection head 16a, the control device 12 can adjust the height of the carriage 16 in multiple stages using the height movement mechanism 19. Furthermore, when a maintenance operation is performed by the maintenance mechanism 50 as described below, the control device 12 causes the height movement mechanism 19 to move the carriage 16 in the height direction so that the carriage 16 is at the height required for the maintenance operation.

[0015] The ink supply system 13 is installed on the top surface of the printing device main body 11 and is a mechanism for supplying ink to the ink ejection head 16a of the carriage 16. Specifically, the ink supply system 13 includes a tank for storing ink, and supplies ink from the tank to the ink ejection head 16a of the carriage 16 via a supply path such as a tube.

[0016] The stands 14 are installed at the four corners of the bottom surface of the printer body 11, which has an overall rectangular parallelepiped shape, and are support members that contact the printing surface to support the printer 10. The number of stands 14 is not limited to four, and may be three or five or more.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 3, the carriage 16 is a member that carries an ink ejection head 16a that ejects ink and scans in the main scanning direction, sub-scanning direction, and height direction using the above-mentioned movement mechanism. The scanning of the carriage 16 is controlled by the control device 12. When an image is printed using the ink ejection head 16a, the carriage 16 moves in the main scanning and sub-scanning directions in the printing area AR shown in Fig. 3. When a printing operation is not being performed, the carriage 16 moves to the position of the maintenance mechanism 50, as shown in Fig. 3, where cleaning and capping operations are performed.

[0018] The ink ejection head 16a is an inkjet type ejection head and has a plurality of nozzles formed therein for ejecting ink.

[0019] The frame 11a is a frame member that forms the four sides of the bottom surface of the printing device main body 11. In the frame 11a that forms the four sides of the bottom surface of the printing device main body 11 in this way, stands 14 are installed at the four corners of the bottom surface, as shown in FIG.

[0020] The main scanning guide 17 is a guide member that extends in the main scanning direction shown in FIG. 3 and supports the carriage 16 so that it can slide in the main scanning direction.

[0021] The main scanning motor 17a is a motor for reciprocating the height movement mechanism 19, on which the carriage 16 is installed, in the main scanning direction along the main scanning guide 17.

[0022] The sub-scanning guide 18 is a guide member that is installed on a frame 11a extending in the sub-scanning direction shown in Fig. 3 and supports the main scanning guide 17 so that it can slide in the sub-scanning direction. As shown in Fig. 3, the sub-scanning guide 18 is provided on each of two opposing frames 11a extending in the sub-scanning direction so as to support the vicinity of the end of the main scanning guide 17 extending in the main scanning direction.

[0023] The sub-scanning motor 18a is a motor for reciprocating the main scanning guide 17 in the sub-scanning direction along the sub-scanning guide 18. In this case, a pulley rotated by the sub-scanning motor 18a and a timing belt 18b stretched around a pulley driven by the sub-scanning motor 18a are driven by the rotation of the sub-scanning motor 18a, thereby causing the main scanning guide 17 to reciprocate in the sub-scanning direction.

[0024] In this way, the carriage 16 carrying the ink ejection head 16a can move freely in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction on the surface surrounded by the four frames 11a.

[0025] The height movement mechanism 19 is a mechanism for moving the carriage 16 back and forth in the height direction.

[0026] The support member 11b is a member for supporting a base portion 50a (to be described later) of the maintenance mechanism 50 and for fixing the plate portion 50b to the frame 11a.

[0027] The maintenance mechanism 50 is a mechanism for performing maintenance operations such as cleaning and capping the ink ejection head 16a. As shown in FIG. 3, the maintenance mechanism 50 is supported by a support member 11b. As shown in FIG. 3, the maintenance mechanism 50 is installed in an area outside the printing area AR where printing is performed by the ink ejection head 16a. As shown in FIG. 3, the maintenance mechanism 50 includes a capping unit 51 (capping mechanism) for capping the nozzles of the ink ejection head 16a, and a cleaning unit 52 (cleaning mechanism) for cleaning the nozzles of the ink ejection head 16a. The configuration of the maintenance mechanism 50 will be described in detail later with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

[0028] The dolly 20 is a transport device for lifting up (raising) the printing device 10 from the bottom, thereby transporting it to a printing area where the printing device 10 will print. As shown in FIG. 1 , the dolly 20 includes a dolly frame 21, an elevating device 22, an elevating device 23, rear wheels 24, front wheels 25, and a handle portion 26.

[0029] The carriage frame 21 is a frame member having a rectangular shape, and supports the printing device 10 from the bottom when the printing device 10 is raised or lowered.

[0030] The lifting device 22 is a device that supports the handle portion 26 side (front side) of the printing device 10 and lifts and lowers the printing device 10.

[0031] The lifting device 23 is a device that supports the printing device 10 on the side opposite to the handle portion 26 (rear side) and lifts and lowers the printing device 10.

[0032] The rear wheels 24 and the front wheels 25 are wheels for moving the carriage 20 back and forth and left and right.

[0033] The handle portion 26 is attached to the front side of the cart 20 and is a handle member that is gripped by a user (operator). The user can grip the handle portion 26 to freely move the cart 20 forward, backward, left and right.

[0034] (Overview of overall operation of liquid application device) 4 is a diagram illustrating an outline of the operation of the liquid application device according to the embodiment when printing outside the scanning range of the carriage. With reference to FIG. 4, an outline of the overall operation of the liquid application device 1 according to the embodiment will be described.

[0035] As described above, the liquid application device 1 is movable in four directions: forward, backward, left, and right. That is, the carriage 16 carrying the ink ejection head 16a can move freely on a plane surrounded by the frame 11a of the liquid application device 1. As a result, when the liquid application device 1 causes the ink ejection head 16a to print on a printing surface outside the scanning range, as shown in FIG. 4, it divides the liquid application area, which is the entire printing area on the printing surface, into multiple printing areas, divides the entire printing data to be printed in the liquid application area into multiple printing images corresponding to each printing area, and moves the liquid application area in the forward, backward, and left-right directions to each printing area, printing each printing image while joining them together so that the seams are not noticeable, thereby completing printing of the entire image based on the printing data.

[0036] (Regarding the transport and lifting of the printing device using a dolly) Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which a printing device is being carried on a dolly in the liquid application apparatus according to the embodiment. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which a printing device is placed on a printing surface from the dolly in the liquid application apparatus according to the embodiment. With reference to Figs. 5 and 6, the transporting operation and lifting operation of the printing device 10 by the dolly 20 in the liquid application apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0037] 5 shows the liquid application device 1 being transported with the printing device 10 lifted up by the dolly 20 and the stands 14 spaced apart from the printing surface. Because the stands 14 of the printing device 10 are each spaced apart from the printing surface, the printing device 10 can be transported freely in all directions by the dolly 20. This allows the printing device 10 to be moved to the desired printing area.

[0038] 6, the printing device 10 is moved downward by the carriage 20 until the stand 14 comes into contact with the printing surface, thereby supporting the printing device 10 on the stand 14. In this way, the printing device 10 supported by the stand 14 is fixed to the printing surface, and printing can be performed by scanning the carriage 16 in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction.

[0039] The liquid application device 1 in this embodiment is a device that prints while moving on a printing surface such as a wall of a road or building, but is not limited to this and may be a normal inkjet type image forming device or commercial printing machine that prints by ejecting ink from an ink ejection head 16a.

[0040] (Hardware configuration of liquid application device) 7 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a liquid application apparatus according to an embodiment, and the hardware configuration of the liquid application apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0041] As shown in Figure 7, the liquid application device 1 includes a control device 12, a carriage 16, a main scanning movement mechanism 31, a sub-scanning movement mechanism 32, a height movement mechanism 19, a three-dimensional camera 33, a two-dimensional camera 34, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 35, an operation panel 36, and a cleaning unit 52.

[0042] The control device 12 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 61, a memory 62, an I / F 63, and a unit control circuit 64.

[0043] The CPU 61 is a calculation device that performs overall control of the operation of the liquid application device 1. The CPU 61 performs data communication with the memory 62, the I / F 63, and the unit control circuit 64 via the bus. The CPU 61 also performs drive control of the main scanning movement mechanism 31, the sub-scanning movement mechanism 32, the height movement mechanism 19, and the ink ejection head 16a via the unit control circuit 64, and estimates the self-position of the liquid application device 1 from the positioning signal received by the GNSS receiver 35.

[0044] The memory 62 is a storage medium such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory) that stores programs used to drive the CPU 61. The memory 62 is also used as a work area for the CPU 61.

[0045] The I / F 63 is a communication interface for connecting various external devices 40 such as a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a PC (Personal Computer), a server, a notebook PC, and the like.

[0046] The unit control circuit 64 is a control circuit that controls the operations of the main scanning movement mechanism 31, the sub-scanning movement mechanism 32, the height movement mechanism 19, and the ink ejection head 16a under the control of the CPU 61.

[0047] The carriage 16 is equipped with an ink ejection head 16a that ejects ink onto the printing surface, and moves in the main scanning direction along a main scanning guide 17 shown in Fig. 3, and moves in the sub-scanning direction as the main scanning guide 17 moves in the sub-scanning direction. The carriage 16 also moves in the height direction by a height movement mechanism 19.

[0048] The three-dimensional camera 33 is a three-dimensional shape measurement device supported at the front portion of the printing device 10, and is used for measuring the surroundings by capturing images of the surroundings of the liquid application device 1. The three-dimensional camera 33 transmits the captured images to the CPU 61 of the control device 12. The three-dimensional camera 33 may be powered by a battery installed in the camera itself, or may be powered in a manner that assumes continuous operation.

[0049] The two-dimensional camera 34 is an imaging device that captures images of the printing surface and the vicinity of the printed image printed on the printing surface. Therefore, the imaging direction of the two-dimensional camera 34 is downward. The two-dimensional camera 34 transmits the captured images to the CPU 61 of the control device 12. The two-dimensional camera 34 may be powered by a battery installed in the camera itself, or may be powered in a manner that assumes continuous operation.

[0050] The GNSS receiver 35 is a receiving device that receives positioning signals from positioning satellites based on GNSS (for example, GPS (Global Positioning System)) to measure the current position on Earth. The GNSS receiver 35 transmits the received positioning signals to the control device 12.

[0051] The operation panel 36 is a device that receives operations for the liquid application device 1 and displays the processing results of the liquid application device 1, etc.

[0052] The main scanning movement mechanism 31 is made up of the main scanning guide 17, the main scanning motor 17a, etc., and is a mechanism that moves the carriage 16 back and forth in the main scanning direction along the main scanning guide 17 under the control of the unit control circuit 64.

[0053] The sub-scanning movement mechanism 32 is made up of the sub-scanning guide 18, a sub-scanning motor 18a, a timing belt 18b, etc., and is a mechanism that moves the main scanning guide 17 back and forth on the sub-scanning guide 18 in the sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction under the control of the unit control circuit 64. This causes the carriage 16 supported by the main scanning guide 17 to move back and forth in the sub-scanning direction.

[0054] That is, the main scanning movement mechanism 31 and the sub-scanning movement mechanism 32 move the carriage 16 on a horizontal plane. The main scanning movement mechanism 31 and the sub-scanning movement mechanism 32 correspond to the "first movement mechanism" of the present invention.

[0055] The height movement mechanism 19 is a mechanism for moving the carriage 16 back and forth in the height direction under the control of the unit control circuit 64. The height movement mechanism 19 corresponds to the "second movement mechanism" of the present invention.

[0056] The cleaning unit 52 is installed in the maintenance mechanism 50 as described above, and is a mechanism that, under the control of the CPU 61, sprays water or a cleaning liquid containing a predetermined component upward to clean the nozzles of the ink ejection head 16a.

[0057] The hardware configuration of the liquid application apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 7 is an example, and the liquid application apparatus 1 may be equipped with other components.

[0058] (Configuration and operation of the maintenance mechanism) Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a maintenance mechanism of a liquid application device according to an embodiment. Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of a shoulder screw of the maintenance mechanism of a liquid application device according to an embodiment. Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating the operation when a pin of the maintenance mechanism is inserted into a hole of the maintenance mechanism of a liquid application device according to an embodiment. The configuration and operation of maintenance mechanism 50 of liquid application device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 8 to 10.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 8(a), the maintenance mechanism 50 has a base portion 50a, a plate portion 50b, a cap portion 51, a cleaning portion 52, a pin 53, shoulder screws 54a, 54b, holes 55a, 55b, screw holes 56a, 56b, and plungers 57a, 57b.

[0060] The base 50a is a plate-shaped base member fixed to the frame 11a by a support member 11b (not shown).

[0061] The plate portion 50b is a plate-like member that is disposed on the upper surface side of the base portion 50a and has a plate surface that is approximately parallel to the upper surface.

[0062] The cap portion 51 is a cap mechanism for capping the nozzles of the ink ejection head 16a of the lowered carriage 16. The cap portion 51 is installed on the plate portion 50b, as shown in Fig. 8(a).

[0063] The cleaning unit 52 is a mechanism that sprays water or a cleaning liquid containing a predetermined component upward to clean the nozzles of the ink ejection head 16a. The spray of the cleaning liquid by the cleaning unit 52 has a predetermined distribution of impact force, and since the cleaning state of the nozzles affects the ejection performance of the ink ejection head 16a, when cleaning by the cleaning unit 52, the ink ejection head 16a must be positioned in a position that corresponds to the distribution of impact force.

[0064] The pin 53 is a member that stands upward from the upper surface of the plate portion 50b and has a pointed tip. When the carriage 16 descends to cap the nozzle with the cap portion 51, the pin 53 is aligned by being inserted into a hole 16b formed in the underside of the carriage 16. The inner diameter of the hole 16b is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the pin 53, or has a clearance between the pin 53 and the hole 16b that is sufficient for the above alignment to be performed with sufficient precision.

[0065] The pin 53 and the hole 16b formed in the carriage 16 are an example of the "guide means" of the present invention.

[0066] The shoulder screws 54a, 54b are shoulder screw members for installing the plate portion 50b on the base portion 50a. When referring to any of the shoulder screws 54a, 54b or when referring collectively to the shoulder screws 54a, 54b, they will be simply referred to as "step screws 54."

[0067] Furthermore, when holes 55a and 55b described later are to be referred to as any holes or collectively, they will be simply referred to as "holes 55." Furthermore, when screw holes 56a and 56b described later are to be referred to as any holes or collectively, they will be simply referred to as "screw holes 56."

[0068] As shown in FIG. 9, the shoulder screw 54 is composed of a head 71, a shoulder 72 having a diameter smaller than that of the head 71, and a threaded portion 73 having an even smaller diameter than that of the shoulder 72.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 9 , the step portion 72 and the threaded portion 73 are inserted through a hole 55 formed vertically through the plate portion 50b, with the underside of the head portion 71 abutting against the upper surface of the plate portion 50b. Furthermore, the threaded portion 73 is threadedly engaged with a threaded hole 56 formed in the upper surface of the base portion 50a. Furthermore, as described below, the plungers 57a and 57b bias the lower surface of the plate portion 50b upward, thereby pressing the periphery of the hole 55 against the lower surface of the head portion 71, thereby maintaining the position of the plate portion 50b relative to the base portion 50a. However, the plate portion 50b can slide on a plane (horizontal plane) parallel to the upper surface of the base portion 50a by sliding against the biased plungers 57a and 57b and the lower surface of the head portion 71. Here, the sliding range of the plate portion 50b is within the diameter of the hole 55 into which the step portion 72 is housed, as shown in FIG. 9 .

[0070] Holes 55a and 55b are holes formed in plate portion 50b so as to penetrate in the up-down direction. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, step portions 72 and threaded portions 73 of shoulder screws 54a and 54b are inserted into holes 55a and 55b, respectively.

[0071] The screw holes 56a and 56b are formed in the upper surface of the base portion 50a and are threaded holes. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the threaded portions 73 of the shoulder screws 54a and 54b are threadedly engaged with the screw holes 56a and 56b, respectively.

[0072] The plungers 57a and 57b are members that stand upright on the upper surface of the base portion 50a and urge the lower surface of the plate portion 50b upward.

[0073] FIG. 8(b) shows the state in which the nozzles of the ink ejection head 16a are capped by the cap unit 51 in the maintenance mechanism 50 configured as described above. When capping is performed by the cap unit 51 after printing is completed, the main scanning movement mechanism 31 and the sub-scanning movement mechanism 32 first position the carriage 16 at a position (capping position) (first position) above the cap unit 51 of the maintenance mechanism 50. In a large printing device such as the liquid application device 1, the preset cleaning position of the ink ejection head 16a of the carriage 16 during cleaning by the cleaning unit 52 may be displaced from its original appropriate position due to vibrations during movement of the printing device 10, impacts when the printing device 10 is placed on the printing surface using the stand 14, vibrations caused by scanning the carriage 16 in the main scanning direction, sub-scanning direction, and height direction, or twisting of the printing device 10 caused by adjusting the position of the carriage 16 in the height direction. Here, the term "appropriate cleaning position" means that the cleaning effect of the cleaning unit 52 on the ink ejection head 16a at that position is optimal or suitable. As a result, the capping position of the ink ejection head 16a relative to the cap unit 51, which is fixed to the plate unit 50b like the cleaning unit 52, also shifts from its original appropriate position. Here, the term "appropriate capping position" means that when the ink ejection head 16a is lowered from that position, the nozzles of the ink ejection head 16a are properly capped so that the capping effect of the cap unit 51 is optimal or suitable. In other words, in this case, when the carriage 16 is positioned at the capping position, the axis of the hole 16b formed in the carriage 16 is misaligned with the axis of the pin 53 erected on the top surface of the base unit 50a, as shown in FIG. 10(a).

[0074] From this state, when the height adjustment mechanism 19 lowers the carriage 16 as shown in FIG. 10(a), the tip of the pin 53 first enters the hole 16b, and as the carriage 16 lowers, the tapered portion of the tip is pressed against the periphery of the hole 16b. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10(b), the plate portion 50b slides relative to the base portion 50a, and the pin 53 inserts into and fits into the hole 16b. As a result, the axis of the hole 16b and the axis of the pin 53 approximately coincide. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the ink ejection head 16a is capped by the cap portion 51 in the appropriate position. After the plate portion 50b slides, the position of the plate portion 50b relative to the base portion 50a is maintained by the biasing force of the plungers 57a and 57b. Then, by sliding the plate portion 50b, the capping position of the ink ejection head 16a is set to the appropriate position, and as a result, the cleaning position of the ink ejection head 16a is also set to the appropriate position. In other words, when the ink ejection head 16a is positioned at the cleaning position (second position), the relative position of the ink ejection head 16a with respect to the cleaning portion 52 is adjusted to the appropriate position.

[0075] It is also possible that a pin corresponding to the pin 53 of the maintenance mechanism 50 is formed on the underside of the carriage 16, and a hole corresponding to the hole 16b of the carriage 16 is formed in the plate portion 50b.

[0076] (Ink ejection head cleaning operation) 11 and 12 are diagrams illustrating the cleaning operation for the ink ejection head of the liquid application device according to this embodiment. The flow of the cleaning operation for the ink ejection head 16a of the liquid application device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0077] First, after the ink ejection head 16a has finished printing, the main scanning movement mechanism 31 and the sub-scanning movement mechanism 32 position the carriage 16 at a preset cleaning position, as shown in Figure 11(a). Next, the cleaning unit 52 sprays water or a cleaning liquid containing a predetermined component upward to clean the nozzles of the ink ejection head 16a, as shown in Figure 11(b). At this point, the cleaning position may be shifted from the original appropriate position due to twisting or other problems occurring in the printing device 10, as described above.

[0078] After cleaning by the cleaning unit 52, the main scanning movement mechanism 31 and the sub-scanning movement mechanism 32 position the ink ejection head 16a at a preset capping position, as shown in FIG. 11(c). Then, the height movement mechanism 19 lowers the carriage 16 from the capping position, as shown in FIG. 12(a), so that the pin 53 is inserted into and fitted into the hole 16b. At this time, as described above, the plate portion 50b slides relative to the base portion 50a, so that the ink ejection head 16a is capped by the cap portion 51 at the appropriate position. After the plate portion 50b slides, the position of the plate portion 50b relative to the base portion 50a is maintained by the biasing force of the plungers 57a, 57b.

[0079] When the ink ejection head 16a is next to perform a printing operation, the height movement mechanism 19 raises the carriage 16, releasing the capping state of the cap unit 51, as shown in FIG. 12(b). The main scanning movement mechanism 31 and the sub-scanning movement mechanism 32 then position the carriage 16 at the cleaning position, as shown in FIG. 12(c). The cleaning unit 52 then sprays water or a cleaning solution containing a predetermined component upward onto the nozzles of the ink ejection head 16a of the carriage 16, which is in the appropriate cleaning position. At this time, the capping position of the ink ejection head 16a is in the appropriate position due to the sliding of the plate unit 50b as described above, and therefore the cleaning position of the ink ejection head 16a is also in the appropriate position. Therefore, the nozzles of the ink ejection head 16a can be cleaned effectively, maintaining their normal state. The ink ejection head 16a then begins a printing operation.

[0080] As described above, in the liquid application device 1 according to this embodiment, the carriage 16 carries the ink ejection head 16a, the main scanning movement mechanism 31 and the sub-scanning movement mechanism 32 move the carriage 16 on a horizontal plane, the height movement mechanism 19 moves the carriage 16 in the height direction, the base 50a is fixed to the main body of the liquid application device 1, the plate 50b is installed on the upper surface of the base 50a so as to be slidable on a horizontal plane relative to the base 50a, and the cap 51 is mounted on the plate 50b. The nozzles are capped by the cleaning unit 52, which is mounted on the plate unit 50b and sprays a cleaning liquid onto the nozzles to clean them. The pins 53 and holes 16b slide the plate unit 50b horizontally relative to the base unit 50a when the carriage 16 is positioned at the capping position by the main scanning movement mechanism 31 and the sub-scanning movement mechanism 32 and the carriage 16 is lowered from the capping position toward the cap unit 51 by the height movement mechanism 19. This allows the relative position of the ink ejection head 16a to the cleaning unit 52 to be automatically adjusted to an appropriate position during cleaning, even if the relative position between the ink ejection head 16a and the cleaning unit 52 changes. Furthermore, cleaning can be performed with high cleaning effectiveness on the nozzles of the ink ejection head 16a, maintaining the nozzles in a normal state.

[0081] (Variation 1) The liquid application apparatus 1 according to Modification 1 will be described, focusing on the differences from the liquid application apparatus 1 according to the above-described embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, a configuration using a pin 53 to slide the plate portion 50b relative to the base portion 50a was described. In this modification, a configuration using two pins to slide the plate portion 50b relative to the base portion 50a will be described. The overall configuration of the liquid application apparatus 1 according to this modification, and the hardware configuration of the liquid application apparatus 1, are the same as the configurations described in the above-described embodiment.

[0082] <Configuration and operation of the maintenance mechanism> 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a carriage movement mechanism of the liquid application apparatus according to Modification 1. The configuration and operation of the maintenance mechanism 50-2 of the liquid application apparatus 1 according to this modification will be described with reference to FIG.

[0083] 13, the maintenance mechanism 50-2 has a base portion 50a, a plate portion 50b, a cap portion 51, a cleaning portion 52, pins 53a and 53b, shoulder screws 54a and 54b, holes 55a and 55b, screw holes 56a and 56b, and plungers 57a and 57b. The configuration of the maintenance mechanism 50-2, other than the pins 53a and 53b, is the same as the configuration of the maintenance mechanism 50 in the above-described embodiment.

[0084] The pin 53a is a member that stands upright from the upper surface of the plate portion 50b and has a pointed tip. The pin 53a corresponds to the pin 53 of the maintenance mechanism 50 according to the above-described embodiment.

[0085] The pin 53b is a member that stands upward from the upper surface of the plate portion 50b and has a pointed tip. As shown in Fig. 13, the length of the pin 53b in the axial direction is different from that of the pin 53a, and the length of the pin 53b in the axial direction is shorter than that of the pin 53a. Furthermore, the pin 53b stands, for example, on the opposite side of the cap portion 51 from the position where the pin 53a stands.

[0086] As shown in Fig. 13, holes 16b and 16c are formed in the underside of carriage 16. Of these, hole 16c is an elongated hole whose diameter increases in the direction connecting the center of round hole 16b and the center of hole 16c, as shown in Fig. 13. In other words, the long axis of elongated hole 16c is oriented in the direction connecting the center of hole 16b and the center of hole 16c. The inner diameter of hole 16b is approximately the same as the outer diameter of pin 53a, or has a clearance between pin 53a and hole 16b that provides sufficient accuracy for the above-mentioned alignment.

[0087] The pins 53a and 53b and the holes 16b and 16c formed in the carriage 16 are an example of the "guide means" of the present invention.

[0088] In the maintenance mechanism 50-2 configured as described above, FIG. 13 shows a state in which the nozzles of the ink ejection head 16a are capped by the cap unit 51. When capping is performed with the cap unit 51 after printing or the like, the main scanning movement mechanism 31 and the sub-scanning movement mechanism 32 first position the carriage 16 at a position (capping position) above the cap unit 51 of the maintenance mechanism 50. When the height movement mechanism 19 lowers the carriage 16 from this state, the tip of pin 53a, which is longer than pin 53b, first enters the hole 16b. As the carriage 16 descends, the tapered portion of the tip is pressed against the periphery of hole 16b. This causes the plate portion 50b to slide relative to the base portion 50a. Furthermore, when the tip of pin 53b enters the elongated hole 16c, movement of pin 53b in the minor axis direction of hole 16c is restricted. Then, the pin 53a is inserted into the hole 16b and fitted therein, so that the axis of the hole 16b and the axis of the pin 53 are approximately aligned. Furthermore, the direction connecting the center of the hole 16b and the center of the hole 16c is aligned with the direction connecting the axis of the pin 53a and the axis of the pin 53b. This ensures that the ink ejection head 16a is capped by the cap portion 51 in the appropriate position. After the plate portion 50b slides, the plungers 57a and 57b apply pressure to maintain the position of the plate portion 50b relative to the base portion 50a. The sliding of the plate portion 50b then brings the capping position of the ink ejection head 16a to the appropriate position, and as a result, the cleaning position of the ink ejection head 16a is also adjusted to the appropriate position. That is, when the ink ejection head 16a is positioned at the cleaning position, the relative position of the ink ejection head 16a with respect to the cleaning portion 52 is adjusted to the appropriate position.

[0089] It is also possible that pins corresponding to the pins 53a and 53b of the maintenance mechanism 50-2 are formed on the underside of the carriage 16, and holes corresponding to the holes 16b and 16c of the carriage 16 are formed in the plate portion 50b.

[0090] <Capping of ink ejection head> 14 is a diagram illustrating the operation of capping the ink ejection head of the liquid application device according to Modification 1. The operation of capping, which is part of the cleaning operation for the ink ejection head 16a of the liquid application device 1 according to this modification, will be described with reference to FIG.

[0091] After cleaning by the cleaning unit 52, the main scanning movement mechanism 31 and the sub-scanning movement mechanism 32 position the ink ejection head 16a at a preset capping position, as shown in FIG. 14(a). Then, the height movement mechanism 19 lowers the carriage 16 from the capping position, as shown in FIG. 14(b), and the plate portion 50b slides relative to the base portion 50a as described above. Then, as shown in FIG. 14(c), the pin 53a is inserted into and fitted with the hole portion 16b, and the pin 53b is inserted into and fitted with the hole portion 16c. As a result, the ink ejection head 16a is capped by the cap unit 51 in the appropriate position. After the plate portion 50b slides, the position of the plate portion 50b relative to the base portion 50a is maintained by the biasing force of the plungers 57a and 57b.

[0092] As described above, the configuration of the liquid application device 1 according to this modified example makes it possible to automatically adjust the relative position of the ink ejection head 16a to the cleaning unit 52 during cleaning so that it is appropriate, even if the relative position between the ink ejection head 16a and the cleaning unit 52 changes. Furthermore, cleaning can be performed with high cleaning effectiveness on the nozzles of the ink ejection head 16a, and the nozzles can be kept in a normal state.

[0093] (Variation 2) The liquid application apparatus 1 according to Modification 2 will be described, focusing on the differences from the liquid application apparatus 1 according to the above-described embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, a configuration using pins 53 to slide plate portion 50b relative to base portion 50a was described. In this modification, a configuration using guide members to slide plate portion 50b relative to base portion 50a will be described. The overall configuration of the liquid application apparatus 1 according to this modification, and the hardware configuration of the liquid application apparatus 1, are the same as those described in the above-described embodiment.

[0094] <Configuration and operation of the maintenance mechanism> 15 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a carriage movement mechanism of a liquid application apparatus according to Modification 2. The configuration and operation of a maintenance mechanism 50-3 of a liquid application apparatus 1 according to this modification will be described with reference to FIG.

[0095] 15, the maintenance mechanism 50-3 has a base portion 50a, a plate portion 50b, a cap portion 51, a cleaning portion 52, shoulder screws 54a, 54b, holes 55a, 55b, screw holes 56a, 56b, plungers 57a, 57b, and guide members 58a, 58b. The configuration of the maintenance mechanism 50-3, other than the pins 53a, 53b, is the same as the configuration of the maintenance mechanism 50 in the above-described embodiment. That is, the maintenance mechanism 50-3 has guide members 58a, 58b instead of the pin 53 in the maintenance mechanism 50. Furthermore, the carriage 16 does not have a hole 16b formed therein, as in the above-described embodiment.

[0096] The guide members 58a and 58b are erected upward from opposing positions on the upper surface of the plate portion 50b with the cap portion 51 in between, and are members with a tapered shape in which the distance between the opposing surfaces narrows from top to bottom as shown in Fig. 15. The guide members 58a and 58b are an example of the "guide means" of the present invention.

[0097] In the maintenance mechanism 50-3 configured as described above, FIG. 15 shows the state in which the nozzles of the ink ejection head 16a are capped by the cap unit 51. When capping is performed with the cap unit 51 after printing is completed, the main scanning movement mechanism 31 and the sub-scanning movement mechanism 32 first position the carriage 16 at a position (capping position) above the cap unit 51 of the maintenance mechanism 50. When the height movement mechanism 19 lowers the carriage 16 from this state, the peripheral edge of the underside of the carriage 16 abuts against one of the opposing surfaces of the guide members 58a, 58b, and the carriage 16 receives force from the abutting surface and is pushed toward the other opposing surface. This causes the plate portion 50b to slide relative to the base portion 50a. As a result, the ink ejection head 16a is capped by the cap unit 51 in the appropriate position. After the plate portion 50b has slid, the position of the plate portion 50b relative to the base portion 50a is maintained by the biasing force of the plungers 57a and 57b.

[0098] Therefore, by sliding the plate portion 50b, the capping position of the ink ejection head 16a is set to the appropriate position, and as a result, the cleaning position of the ink ejection head 16a is also set to the appropriate position. In other words, when the ink ejection head 16a is positioned at the cleaning position, the relative position of the ink ejection head 16a with respect to the cleaning portion 52 is adjusted to the appropriate position. This allows for highly effective cleaning of the nozzles of the ink ejection head 16a, and keeps the nozzles in a normal state.

[0099] Furthermore, in the liquid application device 1 according to this modified example, there is no need to form a hole portion 16b in the carriage 16, and guide members 58a, 58b can be installed on the plate portion 50b instead of the pin 53, so that the above-mentioned effects can be achieved with a simple configuration.

[0100] The aspects of the present invention are as follows. <1> A liquid application device that forms an image by ejecting liquid from an ejection head, a carriage on which the ejection head is mounted; a first movement mechanism that moves the carriage on a horizontal plane; a second movement mechanism that moves the carriage in a height direction; a base portion fixed to a main body of the liquid application device; a plate portion installed on the base portion so as to be slidable on a horizontal plane relative to the base portion; a capping mechanism mounted on the plate portion and configured to cap the nozzles of the ejection head; a cleaning mechanism mounted on the plate portion and configured to inject a cleaning liquid into the nozzle for cleaning the nozzle; a guide means for sliding the plate portion relative to the base portion so that the nozzle is positioned to be capped when the carriage is positioned at a first position by the first movement mechanism and the carriage is moved from the first position toward the capping mechanism by the second movement mechanism; and The liquid application device is provided with: <2> the second movement mechanism moves the carriage to the first position from a state in which the nozzles are capped by the cap mechanism; the first movement mechanism positions the carriage from the first position to a second position; the cleaning mechanism injects the cleaning liquid into the nozzles of the ejection head mounted on the carriage located at the second position. <1> 2. The liquid application device according to claim 1. <3> The guide means a pin provided upright on the plate portion and having a tip portion; a hole formed in the carriage for inserting the pin; The above-mentioned <1> or <2> 2. The liquid application device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid application device is a liquid application device. <4> The guide means a pin provided on the carriage and having a tip; a hole formed in the plate portion for inserting the pin; The above-mentioned <1> or <2> 2. The liquid application device according to claim 1. <5> The guide means Two pins each having a tip end and provided upright on the plate portion; two holes formed in the carriage for inserting the two pins therethrough; The above-mentioned <1> or <2> 2. The liquid application device according to claim 1. <6> The guide means Two pins having tip portions and provided upright on the carriage; two holes formed in the plate portion for inserting the two pins therethrough; The above-mentioned <1> or <2> 2. The liquid application device according to claim 1. <7> One of the two holes is a round hole and the other is an elongated hole, The direction of the major axis of the other hole portion is a direction connecting the center of the other hole portion and the center of the one hole portion. <5> or <6> 2. The liquid application device according to claim 1. <8> The axial lengths of the two pins are different from each other. <5> or <6> 2. The liquid application device according to claim 1. <9> the guide means are two guide members that are erected from opposing positions on the plate portion with the cap mechanism in between, and have a tapered shape in which the distance between opposing surfaces narrows toward the plate portion, When the carriage is positioned at a first position by the first moving mechanism and the carriage is moved from the first position toward the capping mechanism by the second moving mechanism, a peripheral edge of the carriage abuts against one of the opposing surfaces, causing the plate portion to slide on a horizontal plane relative to the base portion so that the nozzle is positioned to be capped. <1> or <2> 2. The liquid application device according to claim 1. <10> Dividing the print data into a plurality of print images, scanning the ejection head in a print area corresponding to each of the print images, and ejecting liquid from the ejection head onto the print surface; <1> ~ <9> 10. The liquid application device according to claim 9, wherein the liquid application device is a liquid application device having a nozzle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 1 Liquid application device 10 Printing device 11 Printing device body 11a frame 11b Support member 12 Control device 13 Ink supply system 14 Stand 16 Carriage 16a Ink ejection head 16b, 16c hole 17 Main scanning guide 17a Main scanning motor 18 Sub-scanning guide 18a Sub-scanning motor 18b timing belt 19 Height adjustment mechanism 20 carts 21 Bogie frame 22, 23 Lifting device 24 rear wheels 25 front wheel 26 Handle 31 Main scanning movement mechanism 32 Sub-scanning movement mechanism 33 3D Camera 34 2D Camera 35 GNSS receiver 36 Operation Panel 40 External equipment 50, 50-2, 50-3 maintenance mechanism 50a base 50b plate part 51 Cap part 52 Cleaning section 53, 53a, 53b pins 54, 54a, 54b Step screws 55, 55a, 55b holes 56, 56a, 56b screw holes 57a, 57b plunger 58a, 58b Guide members 61 CPU 62 memory 63 Interface 64 Unit control circuit 71 Head 72 Step part 73 Threaded part AR printing area [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0102] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-147289

Claims

1. A liquid application device that forms an image by ejecting liquid from an ejection head, a carriage on which the ejection head is mounted; a first movement mechanism that moves the carriage on a horizontal plane; a second movement mechanism that moves the carriage in a height direction; a base portion fixed to a main body of the liquid application device; a plate portion installed on the base portion so as to be slidable on a horizontal plane relative to the base portion; a capping mechanism mounted on the plate portion and configured to cap the nozzles of the ejection head; a cleaning mechanism mounted on the plate portion and configured to inject a cleaning liquid into the nozzle for cleaning the nozzle; a guide means for sliding the plate portion relative to the base portion so that the nozzle is positioned to be capped when the carriage is positioned at a first position by the first movement mechanism and the carriage is moved from the first position toward the capping mechanism by the second movement mechanism; and A liquid application device comprising:

2. the second movement mechanism moves the carriage to the first position from a state in which the nozzles are capped by the cap mechanism; the first moving mechanism positions the carriage from the first position to a second position; The liquid application device according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning mechanism injects the cleaning liquid onto the nozzles of the ejection head mounted on the carriage located at the second position.

3. The guide means a pin provided upright on the plate portion and having a tip portion; a hole formed in the carriage for inserting the pin; 3. The liquid application device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid application device comprises:

4. The guide means a pin provided on the carriage and having a tip; a hole formed in the plate portion for inserting the pin; 3. The liquid application device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid application device comprises:

5. The guide means Two pins each having a tip end and provided upright on the plate portion; two holes formed in the carriage for inserting the two pins therethrough; 2. The liquid application device according to claim 1, comprising:

6. The guide means two pins provided on the carriage and having tip portions; two holes formed in the plate portion for inserting the two pins therethrough; 2. The liquid application device according to claim 1, comprising:

7. One of the two holes is a round hole and the other is an elongated hole, 7. The liquid application device according to claim 5, wherein the direction of the major axis of the other hole portion is a direction connecting the center of the other hole portion and the center of the one hole portion.

8. 7. The liquid application device according to claim 5, wherein the two pins have different axial lengths.

9. the guide means are two guide members that are erected from opposing positions on the plate portion with the cap mechanism in between, and have a tapered shape such that the distance between opposing surfaces narrows toward the plate portion, A liquid application device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein when the carriage is positioned at a first position by the first moving mechanism and the carriage is moved from the first position toward the capping mechanism by the second moving mechanism, the peripheral portion of the carriage abuts against one of the opposing surfaces, causing the plate portion to slide on a horizontal plane relative to the base portion so that the nozzle is in a position where it is capped.

10. 3. The liquid application device according to claim 1, wherein print data is divided into a plurality of print images, and the ejection head is caused to scan over a print area corresponding to each of the print images, thereby ejecting liquid from the ejection head onto the print surface.

Images