Maintenance mechanism, liquid discharge device, and maintenance method for liquid discharge device

Abstract

To arrange a cleaning member, without increasing the size of a device.SOLUTION: A maintenance mechanism has: a first maintenance unit having a plurality of cleaning mechanisms for cleaning a recording head for discharging liquid; a second maintenance unit which is arranged in parallel to the first maintenance unit in a transverse direction of the recording head; a support member for supporting the first maintenance unit and the second maintenance unit so as to scan the maintenance units in a longitudinal direction of the recording head; a first positioning member for positioning the recording head to a first cleaning position; and a second positioning member for positioning the recording head to a second cleaning position which is a position different from the first cleaning position in the transverse direction of the recording head.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a maintenance mechanism, a liquid ejection device, and a maintenance method for a liquid ejection device. [Background technology]

[0002] In inkjet recording devices, a type of liquid ejection device, ink in the nozzles of the recording head can dry out, causing the ink to thicken or solidify. Furthermore, paper dust or air bubbles can get into the nozzles of the recording head, causing ejection problems. For this reason, inkjet recording devices generally require cleaning of the recording head.

[0003] One known cleaning method is to use an elastic blade to wipe the nozzle surface that ejects liquid, restoring the nozzle surface to its pre-ejection state and maintaining ejection performance. Patent Document 1 describes a cleaning method in which ink that has adhered to the nozzle surface and become highly adhesive is suppressed by applying a cleaning liquid, and the ink and cleaning liquid are then removed by a blade. Patent Document 1 also describes a cleaning method that combines wiping with a blade with a cleaning operation that applies negative pressure to the nozzles. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-017388 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When additional cleaning members are arranged to improve cleaning power, there is a demand for a technique that allows the cleaning members to be arranged without increasing the size of the apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A maintenance mechanism according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is characterized by having a first maintenance unit equipped with a plurality of cleaning mechanisms for cleaning a recording head that ejects liquid; a second maintenance unit equipped with a cleaning mechanism separate from the cleaning mechanism equipped in the first maintenance unit and arranged alongside the first maintenance unit in the short direction of the recording head; a support member that supports the first maintenance unit and the second maintenance unit so that they can be scanned in the long direction of the recording head; a first positioning member that positions the recording head at a first cleaning position; and a second positioning member that positions the recording head at a second cleaning position that is a different position from the first cleaning position in the short direction of the recording head. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, the cleaning member can be arranged without increasing the size of the device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the recording apparatus. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a housing of a sheet conveying unit in the recording unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a lifting mechanism for a recording head. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a recording head. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a maintenance tray and a recording head positioned on the maintenance tray. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating an operation for positioning a recording head relative to a maintenance tray. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the positioning of the recording head on the maintenance tray is completed. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9]10A and 10B are diagrams showing the pitch of the recording head positioning members in the far side beam. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a maintenance unit. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the maintenance tray as viewed from the side. [Figure 12] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating the configuration of a nozzle formation surface, which is a surface to be head cleaned. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a maintenance unit. [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a schematic state when blade members come into contact with each other; [Figure 15] FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the cleaning liquid deposition unit has been moved to a position where it comes into contact with the nozzle formation surface. [Figure 17] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the first wiper portion has been moved to a position where it contacts the nozzle formation surface. FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the suction unit has been moved to a position where it comes into contact with the nozzle formation surface. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a head cleaning operation using the first maintenance unit. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state in which the maintenance tray moves to the first cleaning position. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a head cleaning operation using the second maintenance unit. [Figure 22] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the state in which the maintenance tray moves to a first cleaning position and a second cleaning position. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the second maintenance unit has been moved to a position where it comes into contact with the nozzle forming surface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the subject matter of the present disclosure, and not all combinations of features described in the following embodiments are necessarily essential to the solutions of the present disclosure. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate identical components. Furthermore, in symbols indicating equivalent components, individual elements may be identified using letters. When no letters are used, it is assumed that a common description of the components is provided.

[0010] <<First Embodiment>> <Configuration of recording device> FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a recording device 1, an example of a liquid ejection device. The recording device 1 is an inkjet recording device that ejects ink (liquid) using an inkjet method. The up-down direction in FIG. 1 is defined as the "height direction," the left-right direction in FIG. 1 as the "longitudinal direction," and the direction perpendicular to the height direction and the longitudinal direction (the direction from the front to the back of the page in FIG. 1) as the "sheet width direction." The height direction corresponds to the z direction, the longitudinal direction corresponds to the x direction, and the sheet width direction corresponds to the y direction. Note that the longitudinal direction (x direction) refers to the length of the device body. Note that the longitudinal direction of the recording head 22, described later, is the same direction as the sheet width direction (y direction). In the following, the recording device 1 will be described as a printer that records images using ink on a rolled continuous sheet and is a high-speed line printer capable of high-speed recording.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 1, the recording device 1 has therein the following units: an unwinding roll unit 2, a first dancer unit 3, a first main conveyance unit 4, a meandering correction unit 5, a conveyance detection unit 6, a mark sensor unit 7, and a recording unit 8. The recording device 1 also has, as subsequent units to the recording unit 8, the following units: a first scanner unit 9, a first drying unit 10, a second drying unit 11, a cooling unit 12, a second scanner unit 13, a second main conveyance unit 14, a second dancer unit 15, a take-up roll unit 16, and a maintenance tray 17. The sheet S is conveyed along the sheet conveyance path indicated by the solid line in the figure, and is processed by each of the aforementioned units.

[0012] The unwinding roll unit 2 is a unit for holding and supplying a continuous sheet wound in a roll. The unwinding roll unit 2 is configured to store an unwinding roll and pull out and supply the sheet S. Although FIG. 1 shows that one roll can be stored, the number of rolls that can be stored is not limited to one, and the unit may store two, three, or more rolls and selectively pull out and supply the sheet S from one of the multiple rolls.

[0013] The first dancer section 3 is a unit for applying a constant sheet tension between the unwinding roll section 2 and the first main conveying section 4. In the first dancer section 3, tension is applied to the sheet by a tension applying means (not shown).

[0014] The first main conveying unit 4 is a unit that feeds the sheet S to the subsequent unit and applies a predetermined tension to the sheet in cooperation with the second main conveying unit 14. The first main conveying unit 4 rotates by driving a motor (not shown), and conveys the sheet S while applying tension to the sheet S.

[0015] The meandering correction unit 5 is a unit for correcting meandering in the sheet width direction when a tensioned sheet S is conveyed. The meandering correction unit 5 has a meandering correction roller 5a and a meandering detection sensor (not shown) that detects meandering of the sheet S. The meandering correction roller 5a can change the inclination of the sheet S using a motor (not shown) and corrects meandering of the sheet S based on the measurement results of the meandering detection sensor. At this time, the meandering correction function can be improved by wrapping the sheet S around the meandering correction roller 5a. The meandering correction unit 5 can return the conveying direction of the meandering sheet S to the normal conveying direction.

[0016] The transport detection unit 6 is a unit for detecting tension when a tensioned sheet is transported between the first main transport unit 4 and the second main transport unit 14. The transport detection unit 6 is also a unit for detecting the speed of the sheet S in order to control the recording timing of the recording unit 8.

[0017] The mark sensor section 7 is a unit for detecting marks recorded on the sheet S in advance in order to control the recording timing of the recording section 8.

[0018] The recording unit 8 is a unit for recording on the transported sheet S. It records an image on the sheet S by performing a recording process (specifically, ink ejection process, etc.) on the sheet S from above using a recording head 22. The transport path in the recording unit 8 is formed by multiple guide rollers 23 arranged in an upwardly convex arc shape. A certain amount of tension is applied to the sheet S, ensuring clearance between the sheet S and the recording head 22. The recording heads 22 are arranged in a line along the transport direction. The recording device 1 of this example has a total of eight line-type recording heads corresponding to four colors: Bk (black), Y (yellow), M (magenta), and C (cyan), as well as reaction liquids and three spot colors. The number of colors is not limited to four, and the number of recording heads is not limited to eight. The inkjet method applicable to the recording head 22 can be a method using a heating element, a method using a piezoelectric element, a method using an electrostatic element, a method using a MEMS element, or the like. Each color of ink is supplied to the recording head 22 from a corresponding ink tank (not shown) via an ink tube.

[0019] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a sheet conveying unit housing in the recording unit 8. As shown in Fig. 2, a plurality of paired recording head positioning members 811 for positioning the recording heads 22 are provided in the sheet conveying unit housing 81 of the recording unit 8. More specifically, three paired recording head positioning members 811 are provided for one recording head 22. These three paired recording head positioning members 811 are in a relationship in which they sandwich the sheet S at different positions in the y direction, with one paired recording head positioning members 811 provided on the front side (-y side) of the drawing and two on the back side (+y side) of the drawing.

[0020] Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the lifting mechanism for the recording head 22. As shown in Fig. 3, the recording head 22 is supported from below by a recording head holding part 26 that holds the recording head 22 and moves it up and down via a recording head support shaft 27. The recording head holding part 26 moves up and down along a recording head lifting rail 29 provided in a recording head lifting frame 28 by a drive mechanism (not shown) provided inside.

[0021] 4 is a perspective view of the recording head 22, showing the nozzle forming surface 223. The nozzle forming surface 223 facing the sheet is provided with a plurality of nozzle plates 224, and each of the plurality of nozzle plates 224 is provided with a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink droplets onto the sheet S.

[0022] Referring again to Figure 1, the components in the figure will be described. The first scanner unit 9 is a unit that reads the image recorded on the sheet S by the recording unit 8 and detects misalignment and density of the image. The detection results of the first scanner unit 9 are used for correction, such as position correction and color correction.

[0023] The first drying unit 10 and the second drying unit 11 are units for reducing the liquid content of the ink applied to the sheet S by the recording unit 8 and improving the fixation of the ink to the sheet S. The second drying unit 11 is located downstream of the first drying unit 10 in the sheet conveyance direction. The first drying unit 10 and the second drying unit 11 heat the recorded sheet S to dry the applied ink. Inside the first drying unit 10 and the second drying unit 11, hot air is applied to at least the ink-applied surface of the sheet S passing through, thereby drying the ink-applied surface. Note that the drying method may be a combination of a method of applying hot air, a method of irradiating the surface of the sheet S with electromagnetic waves (such as ultraviolet or infrared rays), or a conductive heat transfer method using contact with a heating element.

[0024] The winding guide roller 31 is a roller that wraps around the surface of the sheet S opposite the ink-applied surface at a certain winding angle downstream of the recording unit 8 in the conveying direction, for the purpose of blocking the influence of hot air generated in the first drying unit 10 on the recording unit 8. In this example, two winding guide rollers 31 are arranged between the first scanner unit 9 and the first drying unit 10, and the sheet S is folded back so that it is approximately parallel at the top and bottom of the device. The first drying unit 10 is arranged below the recording unit 8, and the second drying unit 11 is arranged below the conveyance detection unit 6 and the mark sensor unit 7.

[0025] The cooling unit 12 cools the sheet S on which the ink has been fixed in the first drying unit 10 and the second drying unit 11, solidifying the softened ink, and suppressing temperature changes in the sheet S across the processes of each unit downstream in the conveyance direction of the recording device 1. Inside the cooling unit 12, air at a temperature lower than that of the sheet S is blown onto at least the ink-applied surface side of the passing sheet S, thereby cooling the ink-applied surface of the sheet S. Note that the cooling method is not limited to the method of blowing air, but may also be a conductive heat transfer method using contact with a heat dissipation member, or a combination of these methods.

[0026] The second scanner unit 13 is a unit for reading the test image recorded on the sheet S by the recording unit 8 before the actual printing, and detecting the misalignment and density of the image. The detection results of the second scanner unit 13 are used for correction in the actual printing after the test image is printed.

[0027] The second main transport unit 14 is a unit that functions by operating together with the first main transport unit 4. It transports the sheet S while applying tension to the sheet S and adjusts the tension of the sheet S. The second main transport unit 14 is rotated by a motor (not shown). The tension of the sheet S is adjusted by a clutch (not shown) that can control the torque connected to the drive shaft based on the tension value detected by a tension control unit (not shown). Note that, as an additional configuration for adjusting the tension of the sheet S, a configuration for controlling the speed of the second main transport unit 14 based on the detection result of the transport detection unit 6 may be added. To realize this configuration, it is possible to use either a torque control method that controls the value of the torque transmitted from the clutch or a speed control method that controls the roller speed of the second main transport unit 14. Alternatively, these two methods may be used interchangeably depending on the purpose, or both may be used simultaneously.

[0028] The second dancer section 15 is a unit for applying a constant tension between the second main conveying section 14 and the winding roll section 16. In the second dancer section 15, a constant tension is applied to the sheet by a tension applying means (not shown).

[0029] The winding roll unit 16 is a unit for winding the sheet S after recording onto a core. Although one collectable roll is shown in FIG. 1, the number of collectable rolls is not limited to one, and the unit may have two or three or more cores, and may be configured to selectively switch between them to collect the sheet S. Depending on the content of the post-recording processing, the unit may cut the continuous sheet using a cutter and stack the cut sheets S, rather than winding the sheet S onto a core.

[0030] The control unit 21 is a unit that controls each unit of the recording device 1. The control unit 21 includes a CPU, a storage device, a controller equipped with various control units, an external interface, and an operation unit 24 through which the user performs input and output. The operation of the recording device 1 is controlled based on commands input via the operation unit 24 or commands from a host device 25 such as a host computer connected to the controller via the external interface.

[0031] The maintenance tray 17 is a maintenance mechanism equipped with members for restoring the ejection performance of the recording head 22. Examples of members for restoring the ejection performance include a cap member for protecting the nozzle forming surface 223 of the recording head 22, a wiper member for wiping the nozzle forming surface 223, and a suction member for negatively sucking ink from inside the recording head 22 through the nozzle forming surface 223.

[0032] <Maintenance tray configuration> FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the maintenance tray 17 and the recording heads positioned on the maintenance tray. Here, one recording head 22 is illustrated. As shown in FIG. 5, the maintenance tray 17 includes a first maintenance unit 40 corresponding to each recording head 22. In addition to the first maintenance unit 40, the maintenance tray 17 also includes a second maintenance unit 41 corresponding to each recording head 22. The maintenance tray 17 in this embodiment is configured so that, in addition to maintenance using the first maintenance unit 40, maintenance using the second maintenance unit 41 can also be performed. Details of the first maintenance unit 40 and the second maintenance unit 41 will be described later. It is desired to arrange the second maintenance unit 41 to perform additional maintenance without increasing the size of the maintenance tray 17.

[0033] In this embodiment, one first maintenance unit 40 and one second maintenance unit 41 are provided in the maintenance tray 17 corresponding to one recording head 22. The first maintenance unit 40 and the second maintenance unit 41 are arranged side by side in the x direction, which is the head short direction of the recording head 22. The maintenance tray 17 also includes a plurality of spherical paired recording head positioning members 171 for positioning the recording head 22 with respect to each maintenance unit. The plurality of paired recording head positioning members 171 corresponding to a given recording head 22 are arranged in front and behind each other in the device depth direction (y direction) inside the maintenance tray 17 and are held by a beam member 180 extending in the sheet conveying direction (x direction). Of the two beam members 180, the beam member on the -y direction side is referred to as the front beam 180a, and the beam member on the +y direction side is referred to as the back beam 180b. In this example, three balls of the recording head positioning member 171 are required to position one recording head 22 relative to the maintenance tray 17. Specifically, the first maintenance unit 40 has one recording head positioning member (171a in FIG. 5) arranged on the front beam 180a and two (171b in FIG. 5) arranged on the rear beam 180b in the maintenance tray 17. Similarly, the second maintenance unit 41 has one recording head positioning member (171c in FIG. 5) arranged on the front beam 180a and two (171d in FIG. 5) arranged on the rear beam 180b.

[0034] The arrangement of the balls used for positioning is not limited to this, and may be two on the front side and one on the back side, or one on the front side and one on the back side, with the attitude of the recording head 22 determined at different locations. The positioning arrangement is not limited to the use of spherical positioning members. For example, a configuration in which part of the recording head 22 is butted against the maintenance tray 17, or a configuration in which positioning is performed using holes and pins provided in the maintenance tray 17 and the recording head 22, may be employed.

[0035] The position where the recording head 22 is positioned by the recording head positioning members 171a and 171b of the maintenance tray 17 is called the first cleaning position. The position where the recording head 22 is positioned by the recording head positioning members 171c and 171d of the maintenance tray 17 is called the second cleaning position.

[0036] <Positioning the recording head relative to the maintenance tray> 6 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of positioning the recording head 22 with respect to the maintenance tray 17. During the recording operation, the maintenance tray 17 is retracted to the paper feed side of the recording device 1 with respect to the recording unit 8.

[0037] When performing maintenance on the recording head 22, the recording head 22 is moved above the sheet transport unit housing 81 by the recording head lifting mechanism described above. The maintenance tray 17 is moved to a position retracted from the recording head 22 (shown in FIG. 6A, referred to as the retracted position). Then, as shown in FIG. 6B, the maintenance tray 17 is moved horizontally from the retracted position to below the recording head 22 by a drive mechanism and rails (not shown). The maintenance tray 17 is provided with a recording head positioning member 171, and a recording head 22 positioning member 221 is provided below the recording head 22. When the recording head 22 descends, the recording head 22 is positioned relative to the maintenance tray 17, as shown in FIG. 6C. The maintenance tray 17 in FIGS. 6B and 6C shows the state in which it is located at the first cleaning position. The position where the maintenance tray 17 is displaced in the x direction (horizontal direction) from the position shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C is the second cleaning position. The second cleaning position is a position where the recording head positioning members 171c and 171d of the maintenance tray 17 are located at positions corresponding to the positioning members 221 of the recording head 22.

[0038] 7A and 7B are diagrams showing the state in which the recording head 22 has been positioned on the maintenance tray 17. Fig. 7A is a diagram seen from the rear side of the device, and Fig. 7B is a diagram seen from the front side of the device. As shown in the figure, the positioning member 221 has a conical recess 221a, a V-shaped groove 221b, and a flat portion 221c.

[0039] 7(a) and 7(b), as the recording head holding portion 26 descends, the positioning member 221 of the recording head 22 abuts against the recording head positioning member 171 of the maintenance tray 17. As the recording head holding portion 26 further descends, the first pin 27a of the recording head 22 moves away from the first hole 261 of the recording head holding portion 26, the second pin 27b moves away from the second hole 262, and the third pin 27c moves away from the third hole 263. At this time, the positioning member 221 of the recording head 22 is equalized by the recording head positioning member 171, and the recording head 22 is positioned with high precision relative to the maintenance tray 17.

[0040] 6 and 7, when the positioning member 221 abuts against the printhead positioning members 171a and 171b, the printhead 22 is accommodated in a cleaning position corresponding to the first maintenance unit 40. That is, the printhead positioning members 171a and 171b are members for positioning the printhead 22 at the first cleaning position of the maintenance tray 17. Also, although not shown in FIG. 7, when the positioning member 221 abuts against the printhead positioning members 171c and 171d, the printhead 22 is accommodated in a cleaning position corresponding to the second maintenance unit 41. That is, the printhead positioning members 171c and 171d are members for positioning the printhead 22 at the second cleaning position of the maintenance tray 17.

[0041] FIG. 8 is a top view of the maintenance tray. FIG. 8 shows the arrangement of each maintenance unit and its corresponding recording head positioning members. On the front beam 180a, recording head positioning members 171a for the first maintenance unit 40 and recording head positioning members 171c for the second maintenance unit 41 are alternately arranged, one by one, in the head short-side direction (x direction). A recording head positioning member is also arranged on the rear beam 180b opposite the front beam 180a. On the rear beam 180b, recording head positioning members 171b for the first maintenance unit 40 and recording head positioning members 171d for the second maintenance unit 41 are alternately arranged, two by two, in the head short-side direction (x direction). The two recording head positioning members 171b are arranged at positions corresponding to the recording head positioning members 171a. The two recording head positioning members 171d are arranged at positions corresponding to the recording head positioning members 171c. In a standby state where no maintenance is being performed, the first maintenance unit 40 and the second maintenance unit 41 are located on the front beam 180a side (hereinafter referred to as the standby position) as shown in Fig. 8. The standby position of each maintenance unit is between the recording head positioning members (e.g., 171a and 171b) that face each other in the y direction, and is a position closer to the front beam 180a.

[0042] The rear beam 180b in FIG. 8 is configured so that two recording head positioning members are provided for one recording head. In other words, with limited space in the x direction, two recording head positioning members must be arranged for each maintenance unit. In this embodiment, the gap in the x direction between the inclined surface 221d (FIG. 7(a)) of the positioning member 221c of the recording head 22 and the recording head positioning member 171 is utilized. By utilizing this gap, the positions of the head positioning members of each maintenance unit are adjusted and positioned so that they are not too close to each other in the x direction. This will be explained in detail below.

[0043] 9 is a diagram showing the pitch of the paired recording head positioning members 171 on the rear beam 180b. As described above, the rear beam 180b is provided with two paired recording head positioning members 171 corresponding to each maintenance unit. FIG. 9 shows the pitch 172a between the paired recording head positioning members 171b for the first maintenance unit 40. Similarly, FIG. 9 shows the pitch 172b between the paired recording head positioning members 171d for the second maintenance unit 41.

[0044] In FIG. 9 , the component in the −x direction between the two recording head positioning members is simply referred to as the right ball, and the component in the +x direction is simply referred to as the left ball. Assume that the recording head positioning members 171d for the second maintenance unit are arranged at the same pitch 172a as the recording head positioning members 171b for the first maintenance unit. In this case, the gap 173 between the right ball of the recording head positioning member 171d and the left ball of the recording head positioning member 171b becomes small, causing the balls to be too close to each other. If the balls are too close to each other, the recording head 22 may interfere with the adjacent first maintenance unit 40 when performing maintenance on the recording head 22 using the second maintenance unit 41. On the other hand, if the pitch 172b is set to the same value as the pitch 172a while maintaining the gap 173 at a predetermined size, interference with the recording head 22 can be avoided. However, this increases the size of the maintenance tray 17 in the x direction.

[0045] As described in FIG. 7, the recording head 22 is positioned by three recording head positioning members 171. As shown in FIG. 7(b), the recording head positioning member 171a (171c) on the front side abuts against the positioning member 221a of the recording head 22 at two points on the slope. As shown in FIG. 7(a), the left ball of the recording head positioning member 171b (171d) on the rear side (end side) abuts against the positioning member 221b of the recording head 22 at two points on the slope. On the other hand, the right ball of the recording head positioning member 171b (171d) on the rear side abuts against the positioning member 221c of the recording head 22 at one point on the horizontal plane. The right ball abuts against the positioning member 221c of the recording head 22 at the horizontal plane, and is used to restrict the rotation of the recording head 22. In this way, the right ball has only one contact position with the positioning member 221c of the recording head 22, so its position can be adjusted, albeit slightly, in the x direction. As shown in Fig. 7(a), a gap is formed between the right ball and the inclined surface 221d of the positioning member 221c of the recording head 22. Therefore, there is no problem with adjusting the position of this gap in the x direction.

[0046] In this embodiment, the positioning member 221c of the recording head 22 contacts the recording head positioning member 171b (171d) only at the flat portion, and the gap in the x direction between the inclined surface 221d and the recording head positioning member 171 is reduced to adjust to pitch 172b. In other words, the pitch 172b is arranged to be smaller than pitch 172a. This ensures a gap 173 between the right ball of the recording head positioning member 171d and the left ball of the recording head positioning member 171b. This prevents the recording head 22 from interfering with other maintenance units during maintenance. Note that, although this embodiment shows an example in which the pitch 172b is arranged to be smaller than the pitch 172a, the pitch 172a may also be arranged to be smaller than the pitch 172b.

[0047] This concludes the description of the arrangement of the recording head positioning members 171. The maintenance units are also arranged alternately in the short side direction of the head on the maintenance tray 17 in accordance with the arrangement of these recording head positioning members 171.

[0048] In this embodiment, the maintenance tray 17 includes a second maintenance unit 41 in addition to a first maintenance unit 40. As described below, the first maintenance unit 40 applies cleaning liquid to ink that has adhered to the nozzle forming surface 223 and has increased adhesive strength, thereby reducing the adhesion, and then removes the ink and cleaning liquid using a blade. Additionally, negative pressure is applied to the nozzle forming surface 223 to remove ink that cannot be cleaned by wiping with a blade alone. However, even with this cleaning operation, it is possible that residual ink or cleaning liquid may not be completely removed. For this reason, in this embodiment, a second maintenance unit 41 with high removal power is additionally provided. As described below, during maintenance operations, the maintenance unit raises a maintenance mechanism to act on the nozzle forming surface 223 of the print head 22. The maintenance unit, along with the mechanism itself that performs this lifting and lowering operation, is configured to scan in the longitudinal direction of the print head 22. If the second maintenance unit 41 were to be added in the longitudinal direction (y direction) of the recording head 22, for example, if the second maintenance unit 41 were added at a position adjacent to the first maintenance unit 40 in the y direction, the maintenance tray 17 would become larger. In other words, the second maintenance unit 41, which is additionally placed in the y direction, also acts on the nozzle forming surface 223, so the standby position of the maintenance unit would extend in the y direction, and accordingly the maintenance tray 17 would also become larger in the y direction. As a result, the size of the recording apparatus 1 would become larger.

[0049] In this embodiment, as described above, the first maintenance units 40 and the second maintenance units 41 are arranged alternately in the short-side direction of the head. Therefore, compared to when the maintenance units are arranged in the long-side direction of the head, the space required for the maintenance tray 17 in the y direction in FIG. 8 does not need to be increased.

[0050] <Maintenance unit configuration example> FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the maintenance unit. The first maintenance unit 40 includes a cleaning liquid deposition unit 50, a first wiper unit 60, and a suction unit 70. The cleaning liquid deposition unit 50 is a mechanism that deposits cleaning liquid on the nozzle surface 223 of the recording head 22. The first wiper unit 60 is a mechanism for removing ink, paper dust, or cleaning liquid adhering to the recording head 22. For example, the first wiper unit 60 is a wiper blade. The suction unit 70 is a mechanism that applies negative pressure to the nozzle plate 224 of the recording head 22 to remove ink that has adhered to the nozzle surface 223 or bubbles in the ink flow paths. The second maintenance unit 41 includes a second wiper unit 62 having a blade with a different shape or material than the first wiper unit 60. As shown in FIG. 10, the first maintenance unit 40 and the second maintenance unit 41 are arranged side by side in the head width direction (x direction). More specifically, the second wiper section 62, which is the second maintenance unit 41, is arranged next to the cleaning liquid deposition section 50 in the head width direction (x direction).

[0051] More specifically, each mechanism is provided on a stage that can be raised and lowered. Specifically, the cleaning liquid deposition unit 50 is provided on the first stage 50a. The first wiper unit 60 is provided on the second stage 60a. The suction unit 70 is provided on the third stage 70a. The second wiper unit 62 is also provided on the first stage 50a, along with the cleaning liquid deposition unit 50. Maintenance is performed using the corresponding mechanism while the maintenance unit moves in the scanning direction. In this embodiment, the first stage 50a, the second stage 60a, and the third stage 70a are configured to be driven by the same drive source. Therefore, when maintenance is performed by any of the mechanisms of the maintenance unit, the first stage 50a, the second stage 60a, and the third stage 70a move together in the scanning direction. In this embodiment, each maintenance unit is provided corresponding to each recording head. Therefore, when maintenance is performed, the maintenance units move together in the scanning direction.

[0052] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the maintenance tray 17 as viewed from the side. In FIG. 11, the recording head 22 is positioned in the maintenance tray 17. FIG. 11 shows a state in which the recording head 22 is being cleaned by the second maintenance unit 41 within the maintenance tray 17. That is, in FIG. 11, the maintenance tray 17 is located at the second cleaning position, and the recording head 22 is positioned in the maintenance tray 17. The second maintenance unit 41 of this embodiment performs maintenance while scanning in the +y direction from the standby position of the front beam 180a. Then, after scanning to the rear beam 180b side, maintenance is performed while scanning in the -y direction. That is, the second maintenance unit 41 is configured to perform maintenance in both the forward scanning and the backward scanning. FIG. 11(a) is a diagram when scanning in the forward direction (-y direction) is completed, and FIG. 11(b) is a diagram when scanning in the backward direction (+y direction) has begun. 11(a) and 11(b), the removability is ensured by the bending direction of the second wiper portion 62 (blade) that contacts the nozzle forming surface 223 of the recording head 22 being opposite to the moving direction of the second maintenance unit 41. While FIG. 11 shows the state of maintenance in the return direction, the removability is also ensured in the forward direction by the bending direction of the second wiper portion 62 (blade) that contacts the nozzle forming surface 223 of the recording head 22 being opposite to the moving direction of the second maintenance unit 41. The second maintenance unit 41 is used when the first maintenance unit 40 cannot completely remove dirt from the nozzle forming surface 223.

[0053] As described above, the second maintenance unit 41 (second wiper portion 62) is provided on the same first stage 50a as the cleaning liquid deposition portion 50 in the first maintenance unit 40. Therefore, when the second maintenance unit 41 acts on the nozzle forming surface 223, the first stage 50a rises. As shown in FIG. 11, as the first stage 50a rises, not only the second maintenance unit 41 but also the cleaning liquid deposition portion 50 rises. Note that in the example of FIG. 11, the recording head 22 is positioned by a recording head positioning member 171d and a recording head positioning member 171c (not shown). That is, in the example of FIG. 11, the maintenance tray 17 is located at the second cleaning position. Therefore, the nozzle forming surface 223 is not located on the scanning path of the cleaning liquid deposition portion 50, but is located on the scanning path of the second maintenance unit 41. Therefore, even when the first stage 50a is raised and scans in the longitudinal direction of the head together with the second stage 60a and the third stage 70a, the nozzle forming surface 223 does not collide with the adjacent first maintenance unit 40.

[0054] FIG. 12 illustrates the configuration of the nozzle formation surface, which is the surface to be cleaned. FIG. 12(a) is a schematic plan view of the nozzle formation surface 223. As shown in FIG. 12(a), multiple nozzle plates 224 are arranged on the nozzle formation surface 223 along the head longitudinal direction (y direction). Each nozzle plate 224 has an electrical connection portion (not shown) for electrical connection. The electrical connection portion is covered with a sealing portion 225 made of a resin material or the like to protect it from corrosion or disconnection. FIG. 12(b) illustrates the structure of one nozzle plate 224. The nozzle plate 224 has an ejection port array 226 in which multiple ejection ports 227 are arranged. In addition, the nozzle plate 224 is provided with an ejection energy generating element (not shown) corresponding to each ejection port 227. The periphery of the ejection port array 226 is covered with a nozzle guard 222 to protect the nozzles. FIG. 12(c) is a cross-sectional view showing the XIIc cross section of FIG. 12(b). In this embodiment, the height difference h between the nozzle guard 222 and the ejection port array 226 is set to 30 μm, but is not limited to this value.

[0055] The following describes the differences between the first wiper unit 60 and the second wiper unit 62 with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. The first wiper unit 60 is a mechanism that uses a first blade 61 to wipe the nozzle surface 223 while applying a contact force to the nozzle guard 222, which is a convex portion of the nozzle surface 223, thereby removing ink, paper dust, cleaning liquid, and the like that has adhered to the nozzle guard 222, which is a convex portion of the nozzle surface 223. The width (x direction) of the first blade 61 is configured to be equal to or greater than the length of the nozzle surface 223 in the x direction, since it is necessary to wipe the entire nozzle surface 223. The second wiper unit 62 is a mechanism that uses a second blade 63 to wipe the ejection port array 226, which is a concave portion of the nozzle surface 223, while applying a contact force to remove ink that has adhered to the ejection port array 226 and that cannot be removed by the suction unit 70. The width (x direction) of the second blade 63 may be equal to or greater than the length of the ejection port array 226 in the nozzle surface 223 in the x direction. In this embodiment, the width of the second blade 63 is configured to be shorter than the width of the first blade 61. Note that, although this embodiment shows an example in which there are two first blades 61 and one second blade 63, this is not limited thereto. There may be one or more first blades 61 and one or more second blades 63 each.

[0056] Wiping by the first wiper unit 60 requires a certain level of contact force on the nozzle guard 222 to clean the nozzle guard 222. On the other hand, wiping by the first wiper unit 60 requires a contact force of a certain pressure or less on the outlet row 226 to suppress damage to the outlets 227. Wiping by the second wiper unit 62 requires a certain level of contact force to be applied to the outlet row 226, which is a recess in the nozzle forming surface 223. On the other hand, wiping by the second wiper unit 62 requires suppressing damage to members (such as the sealing portion 225) on the convex portions of the nozzle forming surface 223 that may be caused by excessive contact force on the convex portions, as well as damage to the second wiper unit 62 itself.

[0057] Therefore, in this embodiment, elastic materials suitable for the respective applications are used for the first wiper portion 60 and the second wiper portion 62, thereby achieving both the ability to clean uneven portions and durability.

[0058] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic view of a blade member contacting the XIIc cross section in FIG. 12(b). Note that FIG. 13 is upside down compared to FIG. 12(c). FIG. 13(a) is a conceptual diagram of a blade member with a relatively high hardness contacting the XIIc cross section in FIG. 12(b). FIG. 13(b) is a conceptual diagram of a blade member with a relatively low hardness contacting the XIIc cross section in FIG. 12(b). When wiping is performed using an elastic material 551 with high hardness, conformability to the step is poor, whereas when an elastic material 552 with low hardness is used, conformability is good. In other words, by using a blade member with high hardness, it is possible to apply a large contact force to the protrusions on the nozzle-forming surface 223 while suppressing the contact force to the recesses. On the other hand, by using a blade member with low hardness, it is possible to apply a necessary contact force to the recesses on the nozzle-forming surface 223 while suppressing the contact force to the protrusions. However, since the first wiper portion 60 and the second wiper portion 62 scan while applying a contact force to the nozzle forming surface 223, it is preferable that the hardness of each blade member is equal to or greater than the minimum hardness that allows the contact force to be designed, and equal to or less than the upper limit of hardness at which each blade member can be deformed. Specifically, the hardness is preferably equal to or greater than 10 Hs and equal to or less than 90 Hs.

[0059] As described above, several types of cleaning mechanisms have been described as examples of the mechanisms that make up the maintenance unit, but the types of cleaning mechanisms for both the first maintenance unit 40 and the second maintenance unit 41 are not limited to the examples described above. For example, other cleaning mechanisms may be arranged in the maintenance unit, such as a mechanism that cleans the nozzle forming surface 223 by contacting a web, or a mechanism that contacts a porous body against the nozzle forming surface 223.

[0060] <Up and down of maintenance unit> FIG. 14 shows a state in which the recording head 22 is positioned by the recording head positioning member 171 held by the beam member 180. The cleaning liquid deposition unit 50, the first wiper unit 60, the second wiper unit 62, and the suction unit 70 are shown retracted in the −z direction relative to the height of the nozzle forming surface 223. When any of the cleaning liquid deposition unit 50, the first wiper unit 60, the second wiper unit 62, and the suction unit 70 is to act on the nozzle forming surface 223, it is necessary to move the cleaning mechanism to the contact position with the nozzle forming surface 223. The position (contact position) at which the cleaning mechanism acts on the nozzle forming surface 223 is referred to as the first position. The position at which the cleaning mechanism is on standby is referred to as the second position. In other words, the cleaning mechanism moves up from the second position in the height direction to the first position, and then moves in the scanning direction to perform scanning. As described above, the cleaning liquid deposition unit 50 and the second wiper unit 62 are provided on the first stage 50a. The first wiper unit 60 is provided on the second stage 60a. The suction unit 70 is provided on the third stage 70a. In this embodiment, each stage is configured to move up and down, thereby moving each cleaning mechanism up and down. Figure 14 shows an example in which a blade cleaner 65 is also provided to remove liquid or paper dust adhering to the first wiper unit 60 and restore the removability of the first wiper unit 60. A support member 160 supports each stage.

[0061] FIGS. 14 to 18 are diagrams illustrating a cam mechanism when a cam is used as an example of a lifting mechanism. FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the cam mechanism. FIGS. 16 to 18 are diagrams illustrating the lifting operation when a cam is used as an example of a lifting mechanism and the cleaning mechanism is moved to the contact height of the nozzle forming surface 223 of the recording head 22. During the lifting operation, the recording head 22 is moved in the -z direction away from the recording head positioning member 171 to be retracted. This prevents the suction unit 70 from contacting the nozzle forming surface 223 of the recording head 22 during the lifting operation of the first maintenance unit 40, allowing for smooth lifting and lowering of the first maintenance unit 40. Once the lifting of the cleaning mechanism is complete, the retracted recording head 22 is lowered and repositioned by the recording head positioning member 171. This is not a limitation to this example; as long as smooth lifting and lowering of the first maintenance unit 40 is possible, the recording head 22 does not need to be retracted.

[0062] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a state in which the cleaning liquid deposition unit 50 of the first maintenance unit 40 has been moved to a position where it contacts the nozzle forming surface 223. The cleaning liquid deposition unit 50 can be raised and lowered by following a first cam 91 attached to a shaft 90 provided at the bottom of the first maintenance unit 40. FIG. 16 also shows a state in which the second wiper unit 62 of the second maintenance unit 41 has been moved to a position where it contacts the nozzle forming surface 223. As described above, the cleaning liquid deposition unit 50 and the second wiper unit 62 are provided on the same first stage 50a. Therefore, when the first stage 50a is raised by the first cam 91, both the cleaning liquid deposition unit 50 and the second wiper unit 62 are raised to a height position where maintenance is performed.

[0063] 17 is a diagram showing a state in which the first wiper unit 60 of the first maintenance unit 40 has been moved to a position where it abuts against the nozzle forming surface 223. The first wiper unit 60 can be raised and lowered by operating in conjunction with a first cam 91 attached to a shaft 90 provided at the bottom of the first maintenance unit 40 and a second cam 92 disposed below the first wiper unit 60 and following the first cam 91. The first wiper unit 60 is provided on a second stage 60a. When the second stage 60a is raised by the first cam 91 and the second cam 92, the first wiper unit 60 rises to a height position where maintenance will be performed.

[0064] 18 is a diagram showing a state in which the suction unit 70 has been moved to a position where it abuts against the nozzle forming surface 223. The suction unit 70 can be raised and lowered by operating in conjunction with a first cam 91 attached to a shaft 90 provided at the bottom of the first maintenance unit 40 and a third cam 93 provided below the suction unit 70. The suction unit 70 is provided on the third stage 70a. When the third stage 70a is raised by the first cam 91 and the third cam 93, the suction unit 70 rises to a height position where maintenance will be performed.

[0065] In this way, each stage is supported by a support member 160 that supports the maintenance unit so that it can be scanned in the longitudinal direction of the recording head 22. The support member 160 has an elevation mechanism (shaft and various cams) that raises and lowers the cleaning mechanism between a first position where it acts on the recording head 22 and a second position where it does not act on the recording head 22.

[0066] In this embodiment, by using a first cam 91 attached to a single shaft 90 to raise and lower each maintenance unit, it is possible to raise and lower multiple mechanism parts with a single drive source, which makes it possible to raise and lower multiple cleaning mechanisms in a small space.

[0067] <Cleaning Operation Sequence Using First Maintenance Unit 40> FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an example of a head cleaning operation using the first maintenance unit 40. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the state in which the maintenance tray 17 moves to the first cleaning position. An operation sequence using the first maintenance unit 40 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 19 and 20. The process shown in FIG. 19 is executed under the control of the control unit 21. FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the execution flow of normal head cleaning, which is executed as a frequently performed maintenance. For ease of explanation, an example in FIG. 20 shows five recording heads 22.

[0068] During initial installation, as shown in Figure 20(a), the maintenance tray 17 is retracted from the recording head 22, and the tray drive gear 271, which is the drive source, is not engaged with the rack 275. To engage the tray drive gear 271 with the rack 275, the maintenance tray 17 is manually pushed in the -x direction. This causes the roller members 274 of the maintenance tray 17 to roll within the rails 273, allowing the maintenance tray 17 to be pushed in.

[0069] Figure 20(b) shows a state in which the rack 275 is engaged with the tray drive gear 271 and the flag 276 is approaching the first detection sensor 277 near the center. By detecting this flag, the control unit 21 can detect the position of the maintenance tray 17. Also, this is a state in which the maintenance tray 17 can be scanned by the tray drive motor 272. The position in Figure 20(b) is called the tray standby position.

[0070] The process of the flowchart shown in Fig. 19 is started when the maintenance tray 17 is positioned at the tray standby position shown in Fig. 20(b). The process of the flowchart shown in Fig. 19 is also executed after a certain period of time has passed since the power was turned on, after the device has started up, after a specified number of prints have been made, or after a specific error has occurred. However, the timing of the execution is not limited to these. For example, the process may be executed in response to the control unit 21 receiving an instruction to perform maintenance on the recording head 22.

[0071] In S100, the control unit 21 moves the maintenance tray 17 by the specified pulse distance toward the first cleaning position. Figure 20(c) shows the state in which the maintenance tray 17 is further scanned in the -x direction from the tray standby position until the flag 276 reaches the second detection sensor 278 at the rear left.

[0072] In S101, the control unit 21 confirms the position of the maintenance tray 17 using the second detection sensor 278 and stops the movement of the maintenance tray 17. Next, in S102, the control unit 21 lowers the recording head 22 to be cleaned. Figure 20(d) is a diagram showing the state in which the recording head 22 to be cleaned has been lowered. When the recording head 22 is lowered, the positioning member 221 of the recording head 22 abuts against the head positioning member 171 in the maintenance tray 17, and positioning is complete.

[0073] Next, in S103, the control unit 21 uses the cleaning liquid deposition unit 50 to deposit cleaning liquid onto the nozzle forming surface 223. That is, the cleaning liquid deposition unit 50 is raised, and while moving the cleaning liquid deposition unit 50 in the scanning direction, cleaning liquid is deposited onto the nozzle forming surface 223. The effect of the deposited cleaning liquid then reduces the adhesive strength of the ink that has adhered to the nozzle forming surface 223. Thereafter, the cleaning liquid deposition unit 50 descends to its original position, and moves in the direction opposite to the scanning direction to return to the cleaning standby position.

[0074] Next, in S104, the control unit 21 performs wiping using the first wiper unit 60. That is, the first wiper unit 60 is raised and wipes the nozzle forming surface 223 while moving the first wiper unit 60 in the scanning direction. The first wiper unit 60 mainly removes ink and other solidified matter and cleaning liquid from the nozzle guard 222, which is a convex portion on the nozzle forming surface 223. The first wiper unit 60 then descends to its original position and moves in the opposite direction to the scanning direction to return to the cleaning standby position.

[0075] Next, in S105, the control unit 21 performs negative pressure suction using the suction unit 70. That is, the suction unit 70 is raised, and the suction unit 70 is moved in the scanning direction to perform negative pressure suction on the nozzle forming surface 223. The suction unit 70 acts on the nozzle plate 224 to perform negative pressure suction, thereby removing ink that has solidified near the ejection ports 227 and tiny bubbles in the ink flow paths. The suction unit 70 then descends to its original position, and moves in the opposite direction to the scanning direction to return to the cleaning standby position.

[0076] In S106, the control unit 21 raises the recording head 22 to the retracted position. Figure 20(e) shows a state in which cleaning by the first maintenance unit 40 has been performed and the head has been retracted after the cleaning operation is completed. After the head has been retracted, the maintenance tray 17 must also be retracted in order to print again. Therefore, in S107, the control unit 21 moves the maintenance tray 17 to the tray standby position. In S108, the control unit 21 confirms the position of the maintenance tray 17 by detecting the flag 276 with the first detection sensor 277. Then, the control unit 21 stops the movement of the maintenance tray 17.

[0077] Here, the head cleaning flow using the three cleaning mechanisms described above as the cleaning mechanisms constituting the first maintenance unit 40 has been described, but is not limited to this flow. The processes of S103 and S105 may be skipped. The processes of S103, S104, and S105 may each be performed once or multiple times. The order in which the processes of S103, S104, and S105 are performed may also be different. The wiping direction in S103 may be unidirectional or bidirectional.

[0078] 19, as described above, when each cleaning mechanism is raised or lowered, the recording head 22 may be retracted to a position a predetermined distance in the +z direction from the recording head positioning member 171. That is, the processing in FIG. 19 may include a step in which the recording head 22 moves upward, retracts, and then descends before cleaning by each cleaning mechanism is performed.

[0079] <Cleaning Operation Sequence Using Second Maintenance Unit 41> FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing an example of a head cleaning operation using the second maintenance unit 41. Cleaning using the second maintenance unit 41 is also performed in conjunction with cleaning using the first maintenance unit 40. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing the movement of the maintenance tray 17 to the first cleaning position and the second cleaning position. An operation sequence using the second maintenance unit 41 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 21 and 22. The process shown in FIG. 21 is executed under the control of the control unit 21. FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing the execution flow of powerful head cleaning, which is performed as infrequent maintenance. That is, FIG. 21 shows a process for performing cleaning using the second maintenance unit 41 when cleaning using the first maintenance unit 40 alone is insufficient. For ease of explanation, FIG. 22 illustrates an example in which five recording heads 22 are shown.

[0080] The process of the flowchart shown in FIG. 21 is executed after a certain period of time has passed since the power was turned on, after the device was started up, after a specific print job was performed, or after a specific error occurred. However, the timing of execution is not limited to these. For example, the process may be executed in response to the control unit 21 receiving an instruction to perform maintenance on the recording head 22. However, the purpose of the powerful head cleaning is to remove ink deposits that accumulate on the ejection port array 226 over time as the device is used and that cannot be removed by normal head cleaning. For this reason, the powerful head cleaning is executed less frequently than normal head cleaning.

[0081] Steps S200 to S203 are the same as steps S100 to S103 described with reference to FIG. 19. That is, in step S200, the control unit 21 moves the maintenance tray 17 by the specified number of pulses toward the first cleaning position. In step S201, the control unit 21 checks the position of the maintenance tray 17 using the second detection sensor 278 and stops the movement of the maintenance tray 17. In step S202, the control unit 21 lowers the recording head 22 to be cleaned. In step S203, the control unit 21 applies cleaning liquid to the nozzle forming surface 223 using the cleaning liquid application unit 50. The applied cleaning liquid reduces the adhesive strength of ink adhering to the nozzle forming surface 223. The cleaning liquid application unit 50 then descends to its original position and moves in the direction opposite to the scanning direction to return to the cleaning standby position.

[0082] In S204, the control unit 21 raises the print head 22 to the retracted position. In S205, the control unit 21 moves the maintenance tray 17 by the specified pulses to the second cleaning position. FIG. 22(a) shows the state in which the maintenance tray 17 has been moved to the second cleaning position. FIG. 22(a) shows an example in which the maintenance tray 17 has been moved by a movement amount M1 from the state shown in FIG. 20(e). In this embodiment, the movement amount M1 is achieved by sending a signal to the tray drive motor 272 by the specified pulses from the state shown in FIG. 20(e) to move the tray by the specified amount. However, this is not limited to this example. For example, a detection sensor may be additionally provided at the position where the flag 276 in FIG. 22(a) is set, and the movement amount M1 may be achieved by detecting the second cleaning position.

[0083] In S206, the control unit 21 lowers the recording head 22 that is the object of maintenance. Figure 22(b) shows a state in which the recording head 22 has been lowered and positioned.

[0084] In S207, the control unit 21 uses the second wiper unit 62 of the second maintenance unit 41 to wipe the nozzle forming surface 223. That is, the second wiper unit 62 is raised and wipes the nozzle forming surface 223 while moving the second wiper unit 62 in the scanning direction. Wiping using the second wiper unit 62 mainly removes ink and other solidified matter adhering to the ejection port arrays 226, which are recesses in the nozzle forming surface 223. The second wiper unit 62 then descends to its original position and moves in the opposite direction to the scanning direction to return to the cleaning standby position. In S208, the control unit 21 raises the height of the print head 22 to the retracted position. Figure 22(c) shows an example in which the print head 22 has been raised.

[0085] In S209, the control unit 21 moves the maintenance tray 17 by the specified pulse distance toward the first cleaning position. In S210, the control unit 21 confirms the position of the maintenance tray 17 with the second detection sensor and stops the movement of the maintenance tray 17. Figure 22(d) is a diagram showing the state when the maintenance tray 17 has reached the first cleaning position.

[0086] In S211, the control unit 21 lowers the recording head 22. Figure 22(e) is a diagram showing a state in which the recording head 22 is positioned on the maintenance tray 17.

[0087] In S212, the control unit 21 performs additional wiping using the first wiper unit 60 and negative pressure suction of the print head using the suction unit 70. Wiping by the first wiper unit 60 is performed to remove cleaning liquid and the like from the nozzle guard 222. The first wiper unit 60 then descends to its original position and moves in the opposite direction to the scanning direction to return to the cleaning standby position. Next, the suction unit 70 acts on the nozzle plate 224 to apply negative pressure suction, thereby removing ink that has solidified near the ejection ports 227 and tiny bubbles in the ink flow paths. The suction unit 70 then descends to its original position and moves in the opposite direction to the scanning direction to return to the cleaning standby position.

[0088] In S213, the control unit 21 raises the recording head 22 to the retracted position. Figure 22(f) shows the recording head 22 in the raised state.

[0089] In S214, the control unit 21 moves the maintenance tray 17 by the specified pulse distance toward the retracted position. In S215, the control unit 21 confirms the position of the maintenance tray 17 with the first detection sensor 277 and stops the maintenance tray 17. Figure 22(g) shows the state where the maintenance tray 17 is located at the tray standby position.

[0090] Here, the cleaning flow has been described in which the three cleaning mechanisms described above are used as the cleaning mechanisms constituting the first maintenance unit 40, and one cleaning mechanism is used as the cleaning mechanism constituting the second maintenance unit 41. However, this is not limited to such processes. The number of times each of the processes in S203, S207, and S210 is performed may be one or more times. Furthermore, the order in which each of the processes in S203, S207, and S210 is performed may be different. The wiping direction in S203 and S210 may be one-way or two-way.

[0091] 21, as described above, when each cleaning mechanism is raised or lowered, the recording head 22 may be retracted upward to a position a predetermined distance in the +z direction from the recording head positioning member 171. That is, the processing in FIG. 21 may include a step in which the recording head 22 moves upward, retracts, and then descends before cleaning is performed by each cleaning mechanism.

[0092] As described above, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to arrange cleaning members without increasing the size of the device. In other words, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to arrange more cleaning mechanisms within a limited space in the scanning direction in which the cleaning mechanisms scan, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the device.

[0093] <<Second embodiment>> In the first embodiment, an example was described in which the first cam 91 that raises and lowers the cleaning liquid deposition part 50 is used in the raising and lowering operation of the second maintenance unit 41, as shown in FIG. 16 . When the first cam 91 is used to raise and lower the second maintenance unit 41, the amount of lift is the same as that of the cleaning liquid deposition part 50. For this reason, a position adjustment member for adjusting the position of the unit in the z direction may be required to implement the optimal raising and lowering position of the second maintenance unit 41. In the present embodiment, an example is described in which a fourth cam with a different arrangement or shape is used on the shaft that acts on the first cam 91 in the raising and lowering operation of the second maintenance unit 41.

[0094] Fig. 23 is a diagram showing a state in which the second maintenance unit 41 has been moved to a position in which it abuts against the nozzle forming surface 223. Fig. 23 shows a state in which the second maintenance unit 41 has been moved by the fourth cam 94 to a position in which it abuts against the nozzle forming surface 223. Note that, because the fourth cam 94 also acts on the first stage 50a, the cleaning liquid deposition part 50 of the first maintenance unit 40 has also risen.

[0095] The fourth cam 94 is offset in the x direction from the first cam 91, and has a different lifting amount from the first cam 91. By using this configuration, it is possible to make the lifting amount (movement amount) when lifting and lowering the cleaning liquid deposition part 50, which is provided on the same stage, different from the lifting amount (movement amount) when lifting and lowering the second maintenance unit 41. This allows the second maintenance unit 41 to be provided with an optimal lifting amount. This further improves the removal power of the nozzle forming surface 223. Furthermore, it is not necessary to provide a position adjustment member for adjusting the position of the unit in the z direction.

[0096] <<Other embodiments>> The disclosure of the present embodiment includes configurations typified by the following maintenance mechanism example, liquid ejection device example, and maintenance method example for the liquid ejection device.

[0097] <Configuration 1> a first maintenance unit having a plurality of cleaning mechanisms for cleaning a recording head that ejects liquid; a second maintenance unit that includes a cleaning mechanism different from the cleaning mechanism provided in the first maintenance unit and is arranged alongside the first maintenance unit in the short side direction of the recording head; a support member that supports the first maintenance unit and the second maintenance unit so that they can be scanned in the longitudinal direction of the recording head; a first positioning member for positioning the recording head at a first cleaning position; a second positioning member that positions the recording head at a second cleaning position that is a position different from the first cleaning position in the widthwise direction of the recording head; A maintenance mechanism comprising:

[0098] <Configuration 2> The maintenance mechanism includes: It can move horizontally, When the first maintenance unit is to clean the recording head, the first maintenance unit moves to the first cleaning position, The maintenance mechanism according to configuration 1, wherein when the second maintenance unit is to clean the recording head, the maintenance mechanism moves to the second cleaning position.

[0099] <Configuration 3> The maintenance mechanism described in configuration 1 or 2, wherein the support member has a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the cleaning mechanism to a first position where it acts on the recording head and a second position where it does not act on the recording head.

[0100] <Configuration 4> The maintenance mechanism described in configuration 3, characterized in that when the second maintenance unit moves to the first position, some of the multiple cleaning mechanisms in the first maintenance unit move from the second position.

[0101] <Configuration 5> The maintenance mechanism described in configuration 4, characterized in that when the second maintenance unit moves to the first position, some of the multiple cleaning mechanisms in the first maintenance unit also move to the first position.

[0102] <Configuration 6> The maintenance mechanism described in configuration 4 or 5, characterized in that the amount of movement of the second maintenance unit when it moves from the second position to the first position is the same as the amount of movement of some of the multiple cleaning mechanisms in the first maintenance unit when it moves from the second position to the first position.

[0103] <Configuration 7> The maintenance mechanism described in configuration 4 or 5, characterized in that the amount of movement of the second maintenance unit when it moves from the second position to the first position is different from the amount of movement of some of the plurality of cleaning mechanisms in the first maintenance unit when it moves from the second position to the first position.

[0104] <Configuration 8> 8. The maintenance mechanism according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, wherein the plurality of cleaning mechanisms in the first maintenance unit are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the recording head.

[0105] <Configuration 9> one of the plurality of cleaning mechanisms in the first maintenance unit is a first wiper unit that removes liquid from a nozzle formation surface of the recording head, the cleaning mechanism in the second maintenance unit is a second wiper unit that removes liquid from the nozzle formation surface of the recording head; 9. The maintenance mechanism according to any one of configurations 1 to 8.

[0106] <Configuration 10> the nozzle formation surface of the recording head includes an ejection port array in which ejection ports for ejecting liquid are arranged, and a nozzle guard that covers the ejection port array; the first wiper portion removes liquid from the nozzle guard; the second wiper unit removes liquid from the ejection port array. 10. The maintenance mechanism according to configuration 9.

[0107] <Configuration 11> 11. The maintenance mechanism according to configuration 9 or 10, wherein the second wiper unit performs cleaning in both the forward and backward directions in the longitudinal direction of the recording head.

[0108] <Configuration 12> the first positioning member and the second positioning member are members having the same shape, a plurality of members are provided at each of the first positioning member and the second positioning member at an end portion in the longitudinal direction of the recording head; 12. The maintenance mechanism according to any one of configurations 1 to 11, wherein at the end, the pitch between the multiple members in the first positioning member is different from the pitch between the multiple members in the second positioning member.

[0109] <Configuration 13> 13. The maintenance mechanism according to any one of configurations 1 to 12, further comprising a detection means capable of detecting the first cleaning position and the second cleaning position.

[0110] <Configuration 14> The maintenance mechanism described in any one of configurations 1 to 13, characterized in that the first maintenance unit and the second maintenance unit are provided for each recording head, the first maintenance unit and the second maintenance unit are arranged alternately in the short direction of the recording head, and the first positioning member and the second positioning member are arranged alternately in the short direction of the recording head.

[0111] <Configuration 15> a recording head that ejects liquid; a first maintenance unit having a plurality of cleaning mechanisms for cleaning the recording head; a second maintenance unit that includes a cleaning mechanism different from the cleaning mechanism provided in the first maintenance unit and is arranged alongside the first maintenance unit in the short side direction of the recording head; a support member that supports the first maintenance unit and the second maintenance unit so that they can be scanned in the longitudinal direction of the recording head; a first positioning member for positioning the recording head at a first cleaning position; a second positioning member that positions the recording head at a second cleaning position that is a position different from the first cleaning position in the widthwise direction of the recording head; a maintenance mechanism having A liquid ejection device comprising:

[0112] <Configuration 16> A maintenance method for a liquid ejection device, comprising: a step of positioning a recording head that ejects liquid at a first cleaning position; performing first maintenance of the recording head positioned at the first cleaning position by a first maintenance unit having a plurality of cleaning mechanisms; positioning the recording head on which the first maintenance has been performed at a second cleaning position that is a position different from the first cleaning position in the width direction of the recording head; performing second maintenance of the recording head after the first maintenance has been performed and positioned at a second cleaning position by a second maintenance unit having a cleaning mechanism different from the cleaning mechanism provided in the first maintenance unit; positioning the recording head on which the second maintenance has been performed at the first cleaning position; performing third maintenance of the recording head, which has undergone the second maintenance and is positioned at the first cleaning position, by the first maintenance unit; A maintenance method for a liquid ejection device, comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 17 Maintenance tray 40 Maintenance Unit 1 41 Second Maintenance Unit 171a Recording head positioning member 171b Recording head positioning member 171c Recording head positioning member 171d Recording head positioning member

Claims

1. a first maintenance unit including a plurality of cleaning mechanisms for cleaning a recording head that ejects liquid; a second maintenance unit that includes a cleaning mechanism different from the cleaning mechanism provided in the first maintenance unit and is arranged alongside the first maintenance unit in the widthwise direction of the recording head; a support member that supports the first maintenance unit and the second maintenance unit so that they can be scanned in the longitudinal direction of the recording head; a first positioning member for positioning the recording head at a first cleaning position; a second positioning member that positions the recording head at a second cleaning position that is different from the first cleaning position in the widthwise direction of the recording head; A maintenance mechanism comprising:

2. The maintenance mechanism includes: It can move horizontally, When the first maintenance unit is to clean the recording head, the first maintenance unit moves to the first cleaning position.

2. The maintenance mechanism according to claim 1, wherein when the second maintenance unit is to clean the recording head, the maintenance mechanism moves to the second cleaning position.

3. 2. The maintenance mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the support member has a lifting mechanism that lifts the cleaning mechanism between a first position where the cleaning mechanism acts on the recording head and a second position where the cleaning mechanism does not act on the recording head.

4. The maintenance mechanism according to claim 3 , wherein when the second maintenance unit moves to the first position, some of the cleaning mechanisms of the plurality of cleaning mechanisms in the first maintenance unit move from the second position.

5. The maintenance mechanism according to claim 4 , wherein when the second maintenance unit moves to the first position, some of the cleaning mechanisms in the first maintenance unit also move to the first position.

6. A maintenance mechanism as described in claim 4, characterized in that the amount of movement of the second maintenance unit when it moves from the second position to the first position is the same as the amount of movement of some of the plurality of cleaning mechanisms in the first maintenance unit when it moves from the second position to the first position.

7. 5. The maintenance mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the amount of movement of the second maintenance unit when it moves from the second position to the first position is different from the amount of movement of some of the cleaning mechanisms of the first maintenance unit when it moves from the second position to the first position.

8. 8. The maintenance mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of cleaning mechanisms in the first maintenance unit are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the recording head.

9. one of the plurality of cleaning mechanisms in the first maintenance unit is a first wiper unit that removes liquid from a nozzle formation surface of the recording head, the cleaning mechanism in the second maintenance unit is a second wiper unit that removes liquid from the nozzle formation surface of the recording head.

8. The maintenance mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the maintenance mechanism is a mechanism for maintaining a predetermined distance.

10. the nozzle formation surface of the recording head includes an ejection port array in which ejection ports for ejecting liquid are arranged, and a nozzle guard that covers the ejection port array; the first wiper portion removes liquid from the nozzle guard; the second wiper unit removes liquid from the ejection port array.

10. The maintenance mechanism according to claim 9.

11. 10. The maintenance mechanism according to claim 9, wherein the second wiper unit performs cleaning in both the forward and backward directions in the longitudinal direction of the recording head.

12. the first positioning member and the second positioning member are members having the same shape, a plurality of members are provided at each of the first positioning member and the second positioning member at an end portion in the longitudinal direction of the recording head; 8. The maintenance mechanism according to claim 1, wherein, at the end portion, the pitch between the plurality of members in the first positioning member is different from the pitch between the plurality of members in the second positioning member.

13. 8. The maintenance mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a detection means capable of detecting the first cleaning position and the second cleaning position.

14. A maintenance mechanism described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the first maintenance unit and the second maintenance unit are provided for each recording head, the first maintenance unit and the second maintenance unit are arranged alternately in the short direction of the recording head, and the first positioning member and the second positioning member are arranged alternately in the short direction of the recording head.

15. a recording head that ejects liquid; a first maintenance unit including a plurality of cleaning mechanisms for cleaning the recording head; a second maintenance unit that includes a cleaning mechanism different from the cleaning mechanism provided in the first maintenance unit and is arranged alongside the first maintenance unit in the widthwise direction of the recording head; a support member that supports the first maintenance unit and the second maintenance unit so that they can be scanned in the longitudinal direction of the recording head; a first positioning member for positioning the recording head at a first cleaning position; a second positioning member that positions the recording head at a second cleaning position that is different from the first cleaning position in the widthwise direction of the recording head; a maintenance mechanism having A liquid ejection device comprising:

16. A maintenance method for a liquid ejection device, comprising: a step of positioning a recording head that ejects liquid at a first cleaning position; performing first maintenance of the recording head positioned at the first cleaning position by a first maintenance unit having a plurality of cleaning mechanisms; positioning the recording head on which the first maintenance has been performed at a second cleaning position that is a position different from the first cleaning position in the width direction of the recording head; performing second maintenance of the recording head after the first maintenance has been performed and positioned at the second cleaning position by a second maintenance unit having a cleaning mechanism different from the cleaning mechanism provided in the first maintenance unit; positioning the recording head on which the second maintenance has been performed at the first cleaning position; performing third maintenance of the recording head, which has undergone the second maintenance and is positioned at the first cleaning position, by the first maintenance unit; A maintenance method for a liquid ejection device, comprising:

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