Printing apparatus

Abstract

There was a risk that the size of the printing device would increase. [Solution] The printing device comprises a platen that supports a medium, a head that ejects liquid from nozzles onto the medium supported by the platen, a carriage that holds the head and is movable in the scanning direction, and a capping unit that caps the head and seals the nozzles, and is characterized in that when viewed in a plane with the capping unit capping the head, part of the carriage hangs over the platen.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] As shown in Patent Document 1, a printing device has been known that includes a head mounted on a carriage and maintenance units arranged on both sides of a platen, with the maintenance units including a capping unit that covers the head. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-59073 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned printing device, there is room for improvement in the space efficiency within the printing device, as the head finally reaches the position of the capping unit after the carriage has passed the platen, and there is a risk that the size will increase. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The printing device comprises a platen that supports a medium, a head that ejects liquid from nozzles onto the medium supported by the platen, a carriage that holds the head and is movable in a scanning direction, and a capping unit that caps the head and seals the nozzles, and is characterized in that when viewed in a plane with the capping unit capping the head, a portion of the carriage hangs over the platen. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the main parts of the printing unit and the maintenance unit as viewed from above. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the main parts of the print unit and the maintenance unit as viewed from the front. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] 1.Printing device An embodiment of the printing device 1 will be described below with reference to the drawings. Directions in the drawings will be described using a three-dimensional coordinate system. For ease of explanation, the positive direction of the Z axis will be referred to as the upward direction or simply "up," and the negative direction will be referred to as the downward direction or simply "down," the positive direction of the X axis will be referred to as the rightward direction or simply "right," and the negative direction will be referred to as the leftward direction or simply "left," and the positive direction of the Y axis will be referred to as the forward direction or simply "front," and the negative direction will be referred to as the backward direction or simply "back."

[0008] 1, the printing device 1 houses the printing unit 10, maintenance unit 20, etc. inside an exterior case 40. The exterior case 40 is supported by left and right legs 43. The maintenance unit 20 is located on the right side of the printing device 1. A cover 42 is attached to the exterior 40, covering the central portion of the printing device 1 and allowing the printing unit 10 to be seen during printing. In addition, an opening / closing cover 41 is attached to the exterior 40, which can be opened and closed above and to the right of the maintenance unit 20. As will be described later, when the user works on the maintenance unit 20 with the opening / closing cover 41 open, sufficient space can be secured above and to the right.

[0009] The medium P is transported in a transport direction F from rear to front by a transport mechanism including a transport motor, transport rollers, etc. (neither of which are shown). The medium P may be, for example, paper or a resin such as a film. The medium P may be long and wound up in a roll and set at the rear of the printing device 1. In this case, the printing device 1 may be provided with a winding section (not shown) at the front, which may transport the medium P in the transport direction F by the transport mechanism and wind up the medium P printed by the printing unit 10. The liquid that has been printed on the medium P is dried by a heating unit 44 such as an infrared heater. If it is not necessary to dry the medium P, the printing device 1 does not need to include the heating unit 44.

[0010] Furthermore, the printing device 1 includes an input / output unit 50 mounted on a control board (not shown). The input / output unit 50 is a user interface for the user. The input / output unit 50 is, for example, a touch panel display. The input / output unit 50 includes a display panel serving as an output unit that displays various information, and a detection panel serving as an input unit. Note that in the input / output unit 50, the input unit may be a keyboard, mouse, buttons, etc., and the output unit may be a stand-type liquid crystal display, etc.

[0011] The control board also has a processor (not shown) that reads out the stored programs and controls each part of the printing device 1 in an integrated manner. The processor can control printing by the printing unit 10, maintenance by the maintenance unit 20, etc., based on input from the user to the input / output unit 50. The printing device 1 is an inkjet printer, a so-called large-format liquid ejection device, capable of printing on, for example, A1 or larger sized media P. The printing device 1 is externally equipped with an ink tank capable of supplying liquid ink, a waste liquid tank (both not shown), and the like.

[0012] 2. Printing unit and maintenance unit The printing unit 10 and the maintenance unit 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 2, the medium P is transported along a transport direction F and is guided by a platen 30 and a paper guide 31. The printing unit 10 includes a head 12, a carriage 11, and a sensor 14. The carriage 11 holds the head 12 and the sensor 14.

[0013] The carriage 11 can be moved in the scanning direction S, which is the left-right direction, along a carriage shaft 15 shown in FIG. 3 by a carriage motor (not shown). The direction in which the carriage shaft 15 extends is also the scanning direction S. The head 12 is mounted on the carriage 11 and, while moving together with the carriage 11, is capable of printing by ejecting liquid ink from above onto a medium P supported by a platen 30. The head 12 that prints while moving in this manner is known as a serial head. Note that the end of the platen 30 on the maintenance unit 20 side and on the right side in the scanning direction S is referred to as the platen end 30a. As described above, the printing unit 10 is moved in the scanning direction S by the carriage motor. At this time, the head 12, carriage 11, and sensor 14 mounted on the printing unit 10 also move in the scanning direction S at the same time. For simplicity of explanation, the following description will be given assuming that any one of them moves in the scanning direction S.

[0014] 2, the area in the scanning direction S where the head 12 of the printing unit 10 can print on the medium P supported by the platen 30 is referred to as the printing area PA. The printing area PA is narrower than the width of the platen 30 in the scanning direction S. Therefore, the right edge of the printing area PA is located to the left of the platen edge 30a. The right edge of the printing area PA is the rightmost position at which the printing device 1 can print. In the examples of Figures 2 and 3, this position is used as the reference position for aligning the right edge of the medium P when the user sets the medium P. In other words, the right edge of the medium P is at the rightmost position of this printing area PA. In the printing area PA, the position at which the head 12 of the printing unit 10 can print on the medium P is used as the printing position 10A. The maintenance unit 20 is disposed in the printing device 1 to the right of the reference position when the medium P is set.

[0015] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, an area in the scanning direction S where the head 12 of the printing unit 10 can be maintained by the maintenance unit 20 is defined as a maintenance area PB. The maintenance area PB is an area to the right of the printing area PA. In addition, in the maintenance area PB, a position where the head 12 can be subjected to maintenance operation by the maintenance unit 20 is defined as a maintenance position 10B.

[0016] The head 12 has nozzles 13 that eject liquid ink onto the medium P. If the head 12 has multiple nozzles 13, it is possible to eject ink of multiple colors. In this case, the head 12 can eject white ink in addition to CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) ink. The nozzle surface 13a is the surface of the head 12 on which the nozzles 13 are formed and on which the nozzles 13 are open. The nozzle surface 13a faces downward and can face the platen 30 and each unit of the maintenance unit 20.

[0017] The carriage 11 includes a sensor 14, which is a detection sensor capable of detecting the medium P. The sensor 14 is, for example, a photosensor that irradiates detection light downward. The sensor 14 mounted on the carriage 11 can detect the medium P supported by the platen 30 from above. The sensor 14 can detect, for example, the presence or absence of the medium P being transported in the forward and backward directions. At this time, the sensor 14 can detect the leading and trailing ends of the medium P being transported. In other words, the sensor 14 can detect the length of the medium P.

[0018] Furthermore, the sensor 14 can move, for example, in the scanning direction S together with the carriage 11 to detect the presence or absence of the medium P. At this time, the sensor 14 can detect the right and left edges of the medium P. In other words, the sensor 14 can detect the width of the medium P. In this way, the sensor 14 can detect the position and size of the medium P.

[0019] The maintenance unit 20 includes, in order from the right side of the platen end 30a toward the right in the scanning direction S, a first capping unit 21, a flushing unit 22, a degassing unit 23, a second capping unit 24, and a wiping unit 25. These are attached to the frame 45. Furthermore, the frame 45 also has the above-mentioned carriage shaft 15, platen 30, paper guide 31, etc. attached thereto.

[0020] The head 12 of the printing unit 10 moves from the printing range PA to the maintenance area PB together with the carriage 11. The head 12 can undergo various maintenance operations such as those described below at positions where it can face each of the units that make up the maintenance unit 20. The degassing unit 23 uses a pressure reducing pump (not shown) to remove gas contained in ink in the ink supply flow path to the head 12. The degassing unit 23 does not directly perform maintenance on the head 12, and its location within the maintenance unit 20 can be changed. The degassing unit 23 is not an essential component depending on the printing device 1, so it may not be provided, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted below.

[0021] In the scanning direction S, the first capping unit 21 is disposed at a position closest to the platen 30 and to the right of the platen edge 30a. The first capping unit 21 has a first cap 21a and a first cap lifting mechanism (not shown). The first cap 21a can seal the nozzles 13 by covering the nozzle surface 13a of the head 12 from below. The first cap lifting mechanism is configured to include a first cap motor (not shown) that lifts and lowers the first cap 21a. The act of covering the nozzle surface 13a with the first cap 21a is also referred to as capping. The first capping unit 21 is also simply referred to as a capping unit.

[0022] 3, the head 12 of the printing unit 10 can reach a first capping position 10C in the maintenance position 10B by the carriage 11. The first capping position 10C is a position where the head 12 faces the first cap 21a of the first capping unit 21. When the head 12 is at the first capping position 10C, the first cap 21a is raised by the first cap lifting mechanism of the first capping unit 21. As a result, the first cap 21a can cap the nozzle surface 13a as a maintenance operation. If the head 12 has multiple nozzle rows, the head 12 may be configured to have multiple first caps 21a, one for each nozzle row.Also, one first cap 21a may be configured to cover multiple nozzle rows.

[0023] For example, when the printing device 1 is not printing, is not in use, or is turned off, the nozzle surface 13a of the head 12 is capped with the first cap 21a of the first capping unit 21. For this reason, the first cap 21a is also called an unused cap. The nozzles 13 are sealed by capping with the first capping unit 21. As a result, the ink in the nozzles 13 is prevented from thickening, and clogging of the nozzles 13 can be prevented. After capping, when the printing device 1 starts printing, the first cap 21a is lowered by the first cap lifting mechanism, and the first cap 21a is moved away from the nozzle surface 13a of the head 12. The head 12 becomes movable in the scanning direction S.

[0024] In the scanning direction S, the flushing unit 22 is disposed to the right of the first capping unit 21. As a maintenance operation, the flushing unit 22 can receive ink, which is a liquid, ejected from the nozzles 13 of the head 12. The flushing unit 22 has an absorber 22a that receives the ink ejected from the nozzles 13 by flushing. The absorber 22a faces upward. Flushing is an operation that ejects ink from the nozzles 13 to forcibly expel foreign matter, air bubbles, altered ink, thickened ink, and the like that may cause ejection defects. At the maintenance position 10B, when the carriage 11 moves the head 12 to a position facing the flushing unit 22, the head 12 flushes toward the absorber 22a. The flushed ink is collected from the absorber 22a to an external waste liquid tank via a tube or the like.

[0025] In the scanning direction S, the second capping unit 24 is disposed to the right of the flushing unit 22 . The second capping unit 24 has a second cap 24a and a second cap lifting mechanism (not shown). The second cap 24a is capable of capping the nozzle surface 13a of the head 12 from below. The second cap lifting mechanism includes a second cap motor (not shown) that lifts and lowers the second cap 24a. At the maintenance position 10B, when the carriage 11 moves the head 12 to a position facing the second cap 24a of the second capping unit 24, the second cap 24a is raised by the second cap lifting mechanism. As a result, the second cap 24a of the second capping unit 24 can cap the nozzle surface 13a of the head 12.

[0026] Furthermore, the second capping unit 24 has a suction pump (not shown) that communicates with the second cap 24a. As a maintenance operation, the second capping unit 24 caps the nozzle surface 13a of the head 12 with the second cap 24a, and can perform suction cleaning by using a suction pump to suck ink from inside the nozzles 13 of the head 12. Suction cleaning is an operation that sucks air bubbles and foreign matter from inside the nozzles 13 that can cause ejection problems together with the ink. The ink that has been suction cleaned is collected in an external waste liquid tank via a tube or the like from the suction pump. The second capping unit 24 is also referred to as a suction unit, and the second cap 24a is also referred to as a suction cap.

[0027] If the head 12 has multiple nozzle rows, the printing device 1 repeatedly performs the movement operation of the carriage 11 and the suction cleaning operation of the second capping unit 24 while changing the relative positions of the second capping unit 24 and the nozzle rows. In this way, if the head 12 has multiple nozzle rows, the second capping unit 24 can perform suction cleaning for each nozzle row. When the suction cleaning is completed, the second capping unit 24 lowers the second cap 24a by the second cap lifting mechanism, and moves the second cap 24a away from the nozzle surface 13a of the head 12. The head 12 becomes movable in the scanning direction S.

[0028] In the scanning direction S, the wiping unit 25 is disposed to the right of the second capping unit 24. The wiping unit 25 has a wiper 25a and a movement mechanism (not shown) that serves as a retraction section. The wiper 25a can wipe the nozzle surface 13a, which is the surface on which the nozzles 13 of the head 12 are formed, from below. The movement mechanism can move the wiper 25a.

[0029] For example, the movement mechanism includes a rail and a movement motor (both not shown). The rail can place the wiper 25a and extends in the front-to-rear direction, which intersects with the scanning direction S of the head 12. The movement motor can move the wiper 25a placed on the rail in the front-to-rear direction.

[0030] At the maintenance position 10B, the carriage 11 moves the head 12 to a position where it can face the wiper 25a of the wiping unit 25. At this time, the wiping unit 25 has retreated to a retreat position 25A, which will be described later. As a maintenance operation, the wiping unit 25 moves the wiper 25a back and forth using a movement mechanism to wipe the nozzle surface 13a of the head 12. Wiping is an operation to wipe away ink, dust, and the like adhering to the nozzle surface 13a, which may cause ejection defects.

[0031] 2, when wiping unit 25 is not wiping, it retracts to retract position 25A. Retract position 25A is a position that is moved forward from a position where wiping unit 25 can face nozzle surface 13a of head 12. When wiping unit 25 is in retract position 25A, it does not interfere with printing unit 10 moving in scanning direction S. That is, the wiping unit 25 can be retracted by the movement mechanism in a direction intersecting the scanning direction S. The wiping unit 25 may also be retracted to a rear position. When the wiping unit 25 is in the retracted position 25A, the head 12 of the carriage 11 can move in the scanning direction S without coming into contact with the wiper 25a of the wiping unit 25.

[0032] In other words, when wiping is performed by the wiping unit 25, the carriage 11 is in a position where the nozzle surface 13a of the head 12 can face the wiping unit 25, and can be moved by the moving mechanism to a position before the wiping unit 25 was retracted. That is, the carriage 11 can move the nozzle surface 13 a of the head 12 to a position where the nozzle surface 13 a can come into contact with the wiper 25 a of the wiping unit 25 .

[0033] The wiper 25a is made of, for example, a cloth such as a nonwoven fabric. The wiper 25a may be a long piece of cloth wound into a roll. In this case, the wiping unit 25 has a winding section (not shown) that winds up the wiper 25a. The wiping unit 25 can take up the used wiper 25a that has wiped the ink off the nozzle surface 13a by the take-up part, and can pay out a new wiper 25a for the next wiping. The wiper 25a may be made of a blade-shaped rubber or the like.

[0034] Wiping by the wiping unit 25 is performed, for example, after a printing operation. Note that even after suction cleaning by the second capping unit 24, ink may still be attached to the nozzle surface 13a of the head 12, so wiping is preferably performed. Note that wiping may disturb the meniscus (concavely curved ink surface) formed inside the nozzle 13. After wiping, the maintenance unit 20 preferably performs flushing using the flushing unit 22 to straighten the meniscus inside the nozzle 13.

[0035] Here, we will further explain the arrangement inside the maintenance unit 20. As described above, the maintenance unit 20 is arranged with the first capping unit 21, the flushing unit 22, the second capping unit 24, and the wiping unit 25 arranged in this order toward the right in the scanning direction S. That is, the first capping unit 21 is disposed between the platen 30 and the flushing unit 22 in the scanning direction S. In addition, the flushing unit 22 is disposed between the first capping unit 21 and the wiping unit 25 in the scanning direction S.

[0036] Assume that the head 12 starts printing after flushing by the flushing unit 22. The carriage 11 may need to be accelerated by a carriage motor. In this case, for example, the acceleration region in the scanning direction S is set to extend from the position of the flushing unit 22 to the position of the platen edge 30a of the left platen 30. After being accelerated, the head 12 can print on the medium P supported by the platen 30.

[0037] As described above, the first capping unit 21 is disposed in the acceleration region between the platen 30 and the flushing unit 22. That is, the carriage motor can use the distance in the scanning direction S created by the placement of the first capping unit 21 as the acceleration region. Because the printing device 1 can place the first capping unit 21 using the acceleration region, there is no need to secure additional space for acceleration by the carriage motor, and the size in the scanning direction S can be reduced. It is preferable that the carriage motor keeps the movement speed of the carriage 11 constant when printing is performed by the head 12.

[0038] Additionally, the units that make up the maintenance unit 20 are concentrated on the right side of the printer 1. As a result, it is possible to reduce the wasted space inside the printer 1 that would otherwise be created if the units were placed separately, and it is possible to reduce the overall size of the printer 1. This arrangement also minimizes the amount of movement required by the user when working on each unit within the maintenance unit 20, as will be described later. Furthermore, the input / output unit 50 operated by the user is also located on the maintenance unit 20 side of the printing device 1, minimizing the amount of movement required by the user.

[0039] 3 shows the printing unit 10 positioned at the first capping position 10C. At this time, the first capping unit 21 can cap the head 12 by raising the first cap 21a using the first cap lifting mechanism. Among the maintenance units 20, the first capping unit 21 is located closest to the platen 30, the printing area PA, and the medium P in the scanning direction S and in the maintenance area PB.

[0040] At the first capping position 10C, when the first capping unit 21 caps the head 12, the carriage end 11a, which is the left end of the carriage 11, is located to the left of the platen end 30a of the platen 30 in the scanning direction S. In other words, at this time, the platen end 30a is located to the right of the carriage end 11a and inside the carriage 11 in the scanning direction S.

[0041] In other words, when the carriage 11 is at the first capping position 10C, the platen end 30a, which is part of the platen 30, and the carriage end 11a, which is part of the carriage 11, are positioned so as to overlap each other in the scanning direction S. Furthermore, when the carriage 11 moves toward the first capping unit 21 on the right side in the scanning direction S, it can reach the first capping position 10C before passing the platen end 30a of the platen 30.

[0042] That is, when viewed from above in a plan view with the first capping unit 21 capping the head 12, the carriage 11 is positioned so that part of it hangs over the platen 30. As a result, it is possible to shorten the distance between the platen end 30a of the platen 30 and the first capping unit 21 in the scanning direction S. This configuration improves the space efficiency within the printing device 1, and reduces the size of the printing device 1 in the scanning direction S.

[0043] Assume that the printing device 1 is in a state where printing is paused, not in use, the power is off, etc. At this time, the printing unit 10 is in the first capping position 10C, and the head 12 is capped by the first capping unit 21. Incidentally, foreign matter such as paper dust and ink mist from the medium P may become floating on the printing area PA side inside the printing device 1. When the printing unit 10 is at the first capping position 10C, the printing unit 10 and the first capping position 10C can function as a so-called wall that separates the space between the printing area PA side and the maintenance area PB side in the scanning direction S. This wall can prevent foreign matter from entering from the printing area PA to the maintenance area PB, thereby preventing foreign matter from entering each unit that configures the maintenance unit 20.

[0044] Furthermore, at the first capping position 10C, the sensor 14 mounted on the carriage 11 is located to the left of the platen end 30a of the platen 30 in the scanning direction S. In the scanning direction S, the sensor 14 is located to the left of the platen end 30a and inside the platen 30. That is, when viewed from above in a plan view, with the first capping unit 21 capping the head 12, the sensor 14 is positioned above the platen 30. In this position, the sensor 14 can detect the medium P supported by the platen 30. Even when the first capping unit 21 caps the head 12, such as before printing starts, the sensor 14 can detect the presence or absence of the medium P being transported in the forward and backward directions, and can detect the leading and trailing ends of the transported medium P. The printing device 1 can reduce the time required for initial operations before printing starts.

[0045] 1, the exterior 40 has an opening / closing cover 41 that can open and close the maintenance unit 20 located on the right side of the printing device 1. The exterior 40 forms an opening 41a at the boundary with the opening / closing cover 41. In other words, the exterior 40 has the opening / closing cover 41 that covers the opening 41a. The opening / closing cover 41 can open and close the upper and right sides of the maintenance unit 20, which is located on the right side of the printing device 1. In other words, when the opening / closing cover 41 is open, the opening 41a can expose the upper and right sides of the maintenance unit 20. This makes it easy for users to work on the maintenance unit 20 from above and the right, and also makes it easy to get sufficient light in. The exterior 40 also accommodates the frame 45 shown in Figures 2 and 3. The exterior 40 on the right side of the opening 41a can cover the frame 45 from the right side.

[0046] Here, in order to explain the work performed by the user on the wiping unit 25, the description will be focused on the wiping unit 25. The user may perform work such as replacing the wiper 25a of the wiping unit 25. The wiping unit 25 is located at the rightmost position of the maintenance unit 20. The exterior 40 accommodates at least the wiping unit 25. The opening 41a of the exterior 40 is exposed in the scanning direction S, at least to the right of the maintenance unit 20. In other words, the exterior 40 has the opening 41a at a position in the scanning direction S relative to the wiping unit 25.

[0047] As a result, when the openable cover 41 is opened, the opening 41a can be opened in the scanning direction S, which is to the right of the wiping unit 25. When a user works on the wiping unit 25 from the right, sufficient space can be secured. When the opening / closing cover 41 is opened, the opening 41a can also be opened upward relative to the maintenance unit 20 including the wiping unit 25. This also ensures sufficient space when a user works on the maintenance unit 20 including the wiping unit 25 from above.

[0048] At this time, wiping unit 25 is retracted to retracted position 25 A. Wiping unit 25 is located in a position that does not get in the way of a user working from the right side. The user can operate the input / output unit 50 to move the printing unit 10 using the carriage 11 to a position on the wiping unit 25 side of the maintenance area PB. The user can access the printing unit 10 from the right side of the opening 41a. The user can also perform predetermined tasks such as cleaning on the head 12, carriage 11, sensor 14, and other components of the printing unit 10. Because the wiping unit 25 is retracted to the retracted position 25A, sufficient space can be secured below the printing unit 10, making it particularly easy to perform tasks on the nozzle surface 13a.

[0049] As described above, the printing device 1 includes the platen 30 that supports the medium P, the head 12 that ejects liquid from nozzles 13 onto the medium P supported by the platen 30, the carriage 11 that holds the head 12 and is movable in the scanning direction S, and the first capping unit 21 that caps the head 12 and seals the nozzles 13. When viewed from above with the first capping unit 21 capping the head 12, part of the carriage 11 overlaps the platen 30. With this configuration, the distance between the platen end 30a of the platen 30 and the first capping unit 21 in the scanning direction S can be shortened, improving space efficiency within the printing device 1 and reducing the size of the printing device 1 in the scanning direction S.

[0050] The above describes the embodiments in detail with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to the embodiments, and may be changed, replaced, deleted, etc. as long as it does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above description, the maintenance unit 20 is disposed on the right side of the printing apparatus 1, but it may also be disposed on the left side. In this case, the left and right in the above description are reversed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1...printing device, 10...printing unit, 10A...printing position, 10B...maintenance position, 10C...first capping position, 11...carriage, 11a...carriage end, 13...nozzle, 13a...nozzle face, 14...sensor, 20...maintenance unit, 21...first capping unit, 21a...first cap, 22...flushing unit, 24...second capping unit, 24a...second cap, 25...wiping unit, 25A...retracted position, 25a...wiper, 30...platen, 30a...platen end, 40...exterior, 41...opening cover, 41a...opening, F...transport direction, P...medium, PA...printing area, PB...maintenance area, S...scanning direction.

Claims

1. a platen for supporting the media; a head that ejects liquid from a nozzle onto the medium supported by the platen; a carriage that holds the head and is movable in a scanning direction; a capping unit that caps the head and seals the nozzle, a capping unit that caps the head, the capping unit being configured to cap the head when viewed from above, the carriage being partially overlapped by the platen;

2. a flushing unit that receives the liquid ejected from the nozzle of the head; 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the capping unit is disposed between the platen and the flushing unit in the scanning direction.

3. a wiping unit that wipes the surface on which the nozzles are formed, 3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the flushing unit is disposed between the capping unit and the wiping unit in the scanning direction.

4. the wiping unit has a retraction portion that retracts in a direction intersecting the scanning direction, 4. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the carriage is movable by the retracting portion to a position before the wiping unit is retracted.

5. an exterior that houses at least the wiping unit; The printing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the exterior has an opening at a position in the scanning direction relative to the wiping unit.

6. 6. The printing device according to claim 5, wherein the exterior has an opening / closing cover that covers the opening.

7. the carriage includes a detection sensor capable of detecting the medium; 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection sensor is located above the platen when viewed from above with the capping unit capping the head.

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