Liquid ejection device, cleaning method and cleaning program

Abstract

A liquid ejection device, a cleaning method, and a cleaning program are provided that are capable of sufficiently cleaning a wiper member with a cleaning member even when high-viscosity ink is used. [Solution] The liquid ejection device comprises an ejection head having a nozzle plate with nozzle holes for ejecting liquid, a wiper member for wiping the nozzle surface which is one side of the nozzle plate, a wiper holder for supporting the wiper member, a cleaning member for removing liquid adhering to the wiper member by contacting the wiper member, foam impregnated with cleaning liquid provided on the cleaning member, and a switching mechanism for switching between a contact position where the wiper member contacts the foam and a separation position where the wiper member is separated from the foam.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a liquid ejection device used in a printing device such as an inkjet printer, a cleaning method, and a cleaning program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a liquid ejection device is known that includes a wiper member for wiping the ejection surface (nozzle surface) of an ejection head, a wiper movement mechanism that moves the wiper member to a wiping position where it can come into contact with the ejection surface and wipe the ejection surface, and a cleaning member that comes into contact with the wiper member to remove liquid adhering to the wiper member (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-190348 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, there has been a trend toward the use of ink with high viscosity. However, in the conventional liquid ejection device described above, it has been difficult to sufficiently clean a wiper member with highly viscous ink adhered thereto using a cleaning member.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a liquid ejection device, a cleaning method, and a cleaning program that are capable of sufficiently cleaning the wiper member with a cleaning member even when high-viscosity ink is used. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A liquid ejection device according to the present disclosure includes an ejection head having a nozzle plate in which nozzle holes for ejecting liquid are opened, a wiper member for wiping a nozzle surface which is one surface of the nozzle plate, a wiper holder for supporting the wiper member, a cleaning member for contacting the wiper member to remove liquid adhering to the wiper member, foam provided on the cleaning member and impregnated with a cleaning liquid, and a switching mechanism, wherein the switching mechanism is a first switching mechanism for switching between a wiping position where the wiper member can contact the nozzle surface to wipe the nozzle surface and a standby position where the wiper member can wait without contacting the nozzle surface, and the wiper holder and a second switching mechanism for switching between a contact position where the wiper member contacts the foam and a separation position where the wiper member is separated from the foam, the second switching mechanism being configured to switch from the separation position to the contact position and from the contact position to the separation position by moving the wiper holder in a direction having a horizontal component perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, when the second switching mechanism moves the wiper member to the contact position, the wiper member comes into contact with the foam impregnated with cleaning liquid. This causes the liquid adhering to the wiper member to come into contact with the cleaning liquid and be washed away. This makes it possible to sufficiently clean the wiper member with the cleaning liquid of the foam provided on the cleaning member, even when high-viscosity ink is used. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a liquid ejection device, a cleaning method, and a cleaning program that are capable of sufficiently cleaning the wiper member with the cleaning member even when highly viscous ink is used. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a liquid ejection device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the liquid ejection device of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the lifting device and the position switching device. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining the wiping process. [Figure 5] 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the return process after the wiping process. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the foam contact process. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a flow path switching device and each flow path connected to the flow path switching device. [Figure 8] Figure 8A is a diagram showing the flow path switching member in the flow path switching device of Figure 7 in a first position, Figure 8B is a diagram showing the flow path switching member in the flow path switching device of Figure 7 in a second position, and Figure 8C is a diagram showing the flow path switching member in the flow path switching device of Figure 7 in a third position. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the flow path switching device of FIG. 7 in a state where the flow path switching member is in a fourth position. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a cleaning process for the wiper member using foam. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a cleaning process for the wiper member using foam. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a cleaning process for the wiper member using foam. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an embodiment in which the cleaning liquid reservoir is provided outside the ejection head. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing a flow path switching mechanism in an embodiment in which the cleaning liquid storage section is provided outside the ejection head. [Figure 15] FIG. 15A is a diagram showing a state in which the switching member of the flow path switching device is in a second position, and FIG. 15B is a diagram showing a state in which the switching member of the flow path switching device is in a third position. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a state in which the switching member of the flow path switching device is in the third position. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a cleaning process for the wiper member using foam. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A liquid ejection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The liquid ejection device described below is merely one embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiment, and additions, deletions, and modifications are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. Note that, hereinafter, identical or corresponding elements will be designated by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted unless otherwise noted.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a liquid ejection device 100 according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system for the liquid ejection device 100 of FIG. 1. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 (described later), directions that are orthogonal to each other are referred to as a first direction Df, a second direction Ds, and a third direction Dt. In this embodiment, for example, the first direction Df is the transport direction of the print medium W, the second direction Ds is the movement direction of the carriage 41 (described later), and the third direction Dt is the up-down direction. In the following description, Ds will be referred to as the movement direction, Df will be referred to as the transport direction, and Dt will be referred to as the up-down direction. However, the above directions are merely examples and are not limiting.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid ejection device 100 is applied to an inkjet printer that prints an image on a print medium W, such as printing paper. The liquid ejection device 100 prints an image by ejecting ink supplied from a tank 12 onto the print medium W. Hereinafter, the liquid refers to, for example, a cleaning liquid and a predetermined liquid. The predetermined liquid is, for example, an ink such as a water-based ink, containing resin particles, colorant, an organic solvent, a surfactant, and water. In this embodiment, the predetermined liquid contains solids, including resin particles and solid colorant. For example, the resin particles are contained in the predetermined liquid in a range of 0.1 wt% to 30 wt%, and the solid colorant is contained in the predetermined liquid in a range of 0.1 wt% to 20 wt%. The viscosity of the predetermined liquid is higher than that of the cleaning liquid described below. The resin particles may contain, for example, at least one of methacrylic acid and acrylic acid as a monomer, and commercially available products may be used. The resin particles may further contain, for example, styrene, vinyl chloride, or the like as a monomer. The resin particles may be contained in an emulsion, for example, and have an average particle size of, for example, 30 nm to 200 nm.

[0013] The liquid ejection device 100 is, for example, a serial head type. The liquid ejection device 100 includes a cleaning liquid tank 10, a platen 11, a plurality of tanks 12, an ejection head 20, a conveying device 30, a scanning device 40, a cap 71a, and a cap 71b. In this embodiment, the cleaning liquid tank 10 corresponds to the tank. The liquid ejection device 100 may also be a line head type.

[0014] The ejection head 20 prints an image on the print medium W based on image data using, for example, color inks. The ejection head 20 is provided with a tank 10 that stores cleaning liquid. The ejection head 20 has a first nozzle surface 21a and a second nozzle surface 21b, which will be described later. The cleaning liquid does not contain solids. The cleaning liquid is a liquid that can clean (dilute) ink, and contains, for example, an organic solvent, a surfactant, and a water-soluble solvent including water.

[0015] The platen 11 has a flat upper surface and defines the distance between the print medium W placed on the upper surface and the lower surface of the ejection head 20 disposed opposite the platen 11. The tank 12 is connected to the ejection head 20 via a tube 13. The tank 12 stores color inks. The tank 12 stores, for example, three types of ink from among the basic color inks: cyan ink, yellow ink, magenta ink, and black ink. Specifically, the tank 12 stores, for example, cyan ink, yellow ink, and magenta ink. Note that the combination of color inks stored in the tank 12 can be changed as appropriate. The tank 12 may also store inks of colors different from the basic color inks, such as red ink, green ink, and blue ink.

[0016] The transport device 30 has, for example, two sets of transport rollers 31 and a transport motor M1. The two sets of transport rollers 31 are arranged with the platen 11 sandwiched between them in the transport direction Df. Each set of transport rollers 31 is configured as a roller pair and is arranged so that the print medium W is sandwiched between one roller and the other roller of the roller pair. One roller of each set of transport rollers 31 is connected to the transport motor M1. The transport rollers 31 are rotated by the rotational operation of the transport motor M1, thereby transporting the print medium W on the platen 11 in the transport direction Df.

[0017] The scanning device 40 has a carriage 41, two guide rails 42, a scanning motor M2, and an endless belt 44. The two guide rails 42 extend in the movement direction Ds above the platen 11 so as to sandwich the ejection head 20 in the transport direction Df. The carriage 41 supports the ejection head 20 and is supported by the two guide rails 42 so as to be movable in the movement direction Ds. The endless belt 44 extends in the movement direction Ds, is connected to the carriage 41, and is attached to the scanning motor M2 via a pulley 45. When the scanning motor M2 rotates, the endless belt 44 operates, and accordingly, the carriage 41 moves back and forth along the guide rails 42 in the movement direction Ds. As a result, the ejection head 20 is moved back and forth in the movement direction Ds by the carriage 41.

[0018] The cap 71a covers the first nozzle surface 21a of the ejection head 20. The cap 71b covers the second nozzle surface 21b of the ejection head 20. In this embodiment, the cap 71a corresponds to the second cap, and the cap 71b corresponds to the first cap. Note that the process performed when the first nozzle surface 21a of the ejection head 20 is covered by the cap 71a, and the process performed when the second nozzle surface 21b of the ejection head 20 is covered by the cap 71b will be described in detail later.

[0019] 2, the liquid ejection device 100 includes a control device 50, an interface 53, a head drive circuit DC1, a transport drive circuit DC2, a scan drive circuit DC3, a cap lift drive circuit DC4, a position switching drive circuit DC5, a flow path switching drive circuit DC6, a pump drive circuit DC7, a temperature measurement unit 5, and a humidity measurement unit 6. The liquid ejection device 100 also includes an elevator 73, a position switching device 64, a flow path switching device 67, a suction-type pump P1, and a suction-type pump P2. In this embodiment, the elevator 73 corresponds to the third switching mechanism, the position switching device 64 corresponds to the switching mechanism, and the flow path switching device 67 corresponds to the flow path switching mechanism.

[0020] The control device 50 corresponds to a computer, and has a calculation unit 51 and a memory unit 52. The control device 50 may be configured as a single device, or may be configured as a plurality of devices arranged in a distributed manner that cooperate to perform the operation of the liquid ejection device 100.

[0021] The calculation unit 51 includes at least one circuit, such as a processor such as a CPU and an integrated circuit such as an ASIC. The calculation unit 51 controls each unit by executing a predetermined program, and performs various operations such as liquid ejection. In this embodiment, the calculation unit 51 corresponds to a computer, a wiping control means, and a removal control means.

[0022] The storage unit 52 is a memory accessible from the calculation unit 51 and includes RAM and ROM. The RAM temporarily stores various data, such as image data received from an external device and data converted by the calculation unit 51. The ROM stores printing programs and predetermined data for performing various data processing. The programs may be stored in an external storage medium, such as a CD-ROM, that is different from the storage unit 52 and accessible from the calculation unit 51. The programs stored in the recording medium may be read via a reading device and executed by the calculation unit 51.

[0023] The interface 53 receives various data such as image data from external devices such as a computer, a camera, a communication network, a display, a printer, etc. The image data is raster data that indicates an image to be printed on the print medium W, and includes information on printing conditions such as the type of print medium W.

[0024] The ejection head 20 has a plurality of nozzle holes 22 (FIG. 7) and driving elements 25. The driving elements 25 are piezoelectric elements, heat generating elements, electrostatic actuators, etc., and are provided corresponding to the nozzle holes 22, and apply pressure to the ink to eject the ink from the nozzle holes 22.

[0025] The head drive circuit DC1 controls the operation of the drive element 25 based on instructions from the control device 50. The drive element 25 applies a predetermined ejection energy to the ink inside the ejection head 20. This causes the ink to be ejected.

[0026] The transport drive circuit DC2 controls the operation of the transport motor M1 of the transport device 30 based on instructions from the control device 50. When the transport motor M1 operates, the platen 11 transports the print medium W intermittently or continuously along the transport direction Df, and stops the print medium W at a predetermined position in the transport direction Df.

[0027] The scan drive circuit DC3 controls the operation of the scan motor M2 of the scanning device 40 based on instructions from the control device 50. When the scan motor M2 operates, the carriage 41 moves back and forth in the movement direction Ds, causing the ejection head 20 to move back and forth in the movement direction Ds.

[0028] The cap lifting / lowering drive circuit DC4 controls the operation of the lifting motor M3 provided in the lifting device 73 based on instructions from the control device 50. Furthermore, the position switching drive circuit DC5 controls the operation of the switching motor M4 provided in the position switching device 64 based on instructions from the control device 50. Furthermore, the flow path switching drive circuit DC6 controls the operation of the switching motor M5 provided in the flow path switching device 64 based on instructions from the control device 50. The pump drive circuit DC7 controls the operation of the pump motor M6 provided in the pump P1 and the operation of the pump motor M7 provided in the pump P2 based on instructions from the control device 50. The lifting device 73, the position switching device 64, and the flow path switching device 67 will be described in detail later.

[0029] The temperature measuring unit 5 is, for example, a thermometer, and measures the temperature inside the housing of the liquid ejection device 100. The humidity measuring unit 6 is, for example, a hygrometer, and measures the humidity inside the housing of the liquid ejection device 100. Information about the temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit 16 and information about the humidity measured by the humidity measuring unit 17 are sent to the control device 50.

[0030] The control device 50 acquires image data and executes a printing operation, which is a liquid ejection operation, based on the image data. The control device 50 ejects ink from the ejection head 20 onto the print medium W while moving the ejection head 20 in the movement direction Ds in the printing pass. The control device 50 then transports the print medium W forward in the transport direction Df. In this manner, the printing pass and the transport operation are repeated alternately. As a result, an image based on the image data is printed on the print medium W.

[0031] Next, Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the lifting device 73 and the position switching device 64. Figs. 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining the wiping process. Figs. 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the return process after the wiping process. Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining the foam contact process. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the flow path switching device 67 and each flow path connected to the flow path switching device 67.

[0032] 7, the ejection head 20 has a nozzle plate 20p in which nozzle holes 22 for ejecting ink are formed. The ejection head 20 has a nozzle surface 21 which is one surface of the nozzle plate 20p.

[0033] The nozzle holes 22 include nozzle holes 22a for ejecting or discharging ink as a predetermined liquid, and nozzle holes 22b for discharging cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid tank 10. The nozzle surface 21 includes a nozzle surface 21a in which the nozzle holes 22a are opened, and a nozzle surface 21b in which the nozzle holes 22b are opened. In this embodiment, the nozzle holes 22a correspond to the second nozzle holes, the nozzle holes 22b correspond to the first nozzle holes, the nozzle surface 21a corresponds to the second nozzle surface, and the nozzle surface 21b corresponds to the first nozzle surface.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3, cap 71a and cap 71b have, for example, a concave cross section. Cap 71a and cap 71b are arranged adjacent to each other in the movement direction Ds. Specifically, cap 71a is arranged, for example, to the left of cap 71b. A cap holder 72 is connected to the lifting device 73. Cap holder 72 supports caps 71a and 71b from below.

[0035] The lifting device 73 moves the cap holder 72 in the up-down direction Dt. That is, the lifting device 73 raises and lowers the cap holder 72. The lifting device 73 may be any device capable of raising and lowering the cap holder 72, and various known configurations may be used. As described above, since both the caps 71a and 71b are supported by the cap holder 72, when the cap holder 72 is raised and lowered by the lifting device 73, both the caps 71a and 71b are raised and lowered. The lifting device 73 switches between a capped position Pc2 in which the nozzle surface 21b is covered by the cap 71b and an uncapped position Pa2 ( FIG. 4A ) in which the nozzle surface 21b is not covered by the cap 71b. The lifting device 73 also switches between a capped position Pc1 in which the nozzle surface 21a is covered by the cap 71a and an uncapped position Pa1 ( FIG. 4A ) in which the nozzle surface 21a is not covered by the cap 71a. When performing the purging process and the cleaning liquid supply process described below, the cap 71b is located at the capping position Pc2, and the cap 71a is located at the capping position Pc1. In this embodiment, the capping position Pc2 corresponds to the first capping position, the uncapped position Pa2 corresponds to the first uncapped position, the capping position Pc1 corresponds to the second capping position, and the uncapped position Pa1 corresponds to the second uncapped position.

[0036] The position switching device 64 includes a frame 65, a wiper holder 76, a spring 81, a rotating cam 82, and a gear 83. The frame 65 is formed, for example, in a substantially L-shape. The frame 65 is disposed to the left of the lifting device 73 in the movement direction Ds. The frame 65 supports the wiper holder 76. The wiper holder 76 is provided with a protrusion 76b1 disposed in a guide groove of the frame 65 and protruding in the conveying direction Df, a protrusion 76a2 protruding to the left, and a protrusion 76b3 disposed below the protrusion 76a2 and protruding to the right. The wiper holder 76 is supported by the frame 65 so as to penetrate the frame 65 in the up-down direction Dt. The wiper holder 76 is supported by the frame 65 so as to be swingable about the protrusion 76b1 as a swing axis when the wiper member 75 is disposed at a standby position Ps (FIG. 3) described below. The wiper holder 76 supports a wiper member 75 for wiping the nozzle surface 21. The wiper member 75 is made of a flexible material such as resin.

[0037] A cleaning member 63 is provided on the frame 65. The cleaning member 63 is supported by the frame 65 at a position to the right of the wiper holder 76 in the movement direction Ds. The cleaning member 63 is made of, for example, resin. The cleaning member 63 is configured, for example, in an inverted L shape. In this case, the upper part of the cleaning member 63 is configured to protrude toward the wiper member 75. The upper part of the cleaning member 63 extends in the movement direction Ds. The upper part of the cleaning member 63 has an insertion hole extending in the movement direction Ds. The cleaning member 63 comes into contact with the wiper member 75 supported by the wiper holder 76 to remove ink adhering to the wiper member.

[0038] Here, the cleaning member 63 is provided with a foam 7 impregnated with cleaning liquid. The foam 7 is made of, for example, a sponge or the like, and extends in the movement direction Ds while being inserted into the insertion hole at the top of the cleaning member 63. The left end of the foam 7, i.e., the end on the wiper member 75 side, is exposed. Cleaning liquid is transferred to the foam 7, thereby impregnating the foam 7 with cleaning liquid. The foam 7 is not limited to the above-mentioned sponge, and may be, for example, gauze or nonwoven fabric, as long as it can be impregnated with cleaning liquid. The process of transferring cleaning liquid to the foam 7 will be described later.

[0039] The spring 81 has one end, that is, an upper end, attached to the wiper holder 76, and the other end, that is, a lower end, attached to the lower left end of the frame 65. Therefore, the spring 81 biases the wiper holder 76 diagonally downward to the left. Furthermore, when the wiper member 75 is disposed at the standby position Ps, the spring 81 biases the wiper holder 76 in a direction such that the upper end of the wiper member 75 rotates leftward and the lower end of the wiper member 75 rotates rightward about the protrusion 76b1. Therefore, when the wiper member 75 is disposed at the standby position Ps, the wiper holder 76 is positioned with the protrusion 76a2 abutting against the right side surface of the upper part of the maintenance frame 65.

[0040] The gear 83 is connected to the switching motor M4. The gear 83 is connected to the rotating cam 82. The rotating cam 82 is supported by the frame 65 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the vertical direction Dt. When the power of the switching motor M4 is transmitted to the gear 83, the gear 83 rotates about the axis extending in the vertical direction Dt, and the rotating cam 82 also rotates in the same direction. The rotating cam 82 has a raised portion 82c (FIG. 4A) and an abutment portion 82d (FIG. 6). The raised portion 82c and the abutment portion 82d are arranged spaced apart from each other along the rotation direction of the rotating cam 82.

[0041] The carriage 41 moves in the movement direction Ds to position the ejection head 20 at a wiper position Phw (FIG. 4B) where the nozzle surfaces 21a and 21b of the ejection head 20 are wiped by the wiper member 75, and at a predetermined waiting position Phs (FIG. 3).

[0042] In the above configuration, first, as shown in FIG. 3, the control device 50 executes a discharge head movement process in which the carriage 41 moves the discharge head 20 to a standby position Phs. At the beginning of the discharge head movement process, the wiper member 75 is positioned at a standby position Ps where it can wait without coming into contact with the nozzle faces 21a, 21b, and at a separated position Pr where it is separated from the form 7 provided on the cleaning member 63. Next, the control device 50 activates the lift motor M3 to execute a nozzle face covering process (position switching process) in which the lift device 73 covers the nozzle face 21b with the cap 71b and covers the nozzle face 21a with the cap 71a. In this case, the control device 50 switches the lift device 73 from the uncapped position Pa2 to the capped position Pc2 and from the uncapped position Pa1 to the capped position Pc1. Thereafter, the control device 50 operates the pump motor M6 to perform a purge process in which the pump P1 discharges ink from the nozzle holes 22a into the cap 71a and transfers the ink in the cap 71a to the waste liquid tank 8. The control device 50 also operates the pump motor M7 to perform a cleaning liquid supply process in which the pump P2 discharges cleaning liquid from the nozzle holes 22b into the cap 71b and supplies the cleaning liquid in the cap 71b to the foam 7.

[0043] 4A, the control device 50 then activates the lift motor M3 to perform a nozzle surface uncoating process in which the lift device 73 does not cover the nozzle surface 21b with the cap 71b and does not cover the nozzle surface 21a with the cap 71a. In this case, the control device 50 switches the lift device 73 from the cap position Pc2 to the uncap position Pa2 and from the cap position Pc1 to the uncap position Pa1. This causes the nozzle surfaces 21a and 21b of the ejection head 20 to move away from the caps 71a and 71b.

[0044] The control device 50 then activates the switching motor M4 to rotate the rotating cam 82 by a predetermined angle via the gear 83. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4A, the raised portion 82c of the rotating cam 82 abuts against the lower end of the wiper holder 76. At this time, the wiper holder 76 moves upward against the biasing force of the spring 81, and the upward movement of the wiper holder 76 causes the wiper member 75 to come into contact with the nozzle faces 21a, 21b and move to a wiping position Pw where the wiper member 75 can wipe the nozzle faces 21a, 21b. When the wiper member 75 moves to the wiping position in this manner, the protrusion 76a2 of the wiper holder 76 engages with the upper end surface of the frame 65. This holds the wiper member 75 in the wiping position Pw.

[0045] 4B, the control device 50 then executes a wiping process (wiping process) in which the carriage 41 moves the ejection head 20 to the wiper position Phw and wipes the nozzle surfaces 21a, 21b with the wiper member 75. In the figure, the ejection head 20 moves leftward to the wiper position Phw. This wipes away the ink and cleaning liquid adhering to the nozzle surfaces 21a, 21b.

[0046] Next, the control device 50 executes a return process to return the wiper member 75 to the standby position Ps in FIG. 3. In this case, the control device 50 moves the discharge head 20 shown in FIG. 5A after the wiping process is completed to the standby position Phs in FIG. 3 by the carriage 41. At this time, as shown in FIG. 5B, the discharge head 20 abuts against the wiper member 75, and the protrusion 76a2 of the wiper holder 76 is released from the frame 65. Thereafter, the rotating cam 82 further rotates to a position where the raised portion 82c of the rotating cam 82 is not provided. In this state, the raised portion 82c does not abut against the lower end of the wiper holder 76. This allows the wiper holder 76 to move downward. The wiper holder 76 is then disposed at the standby position Ps in FIG. 3 by being allowed to move downward.

[0047] In this manner, switching between the wiping position Pw and the standby position Ps is performed by the position switching device 64. That is, the position switching device 64 switches the wiper member 75 from the standby position Ps to the wiping position Pw by moving the wiper holder 76 upward, and allows the wiper holder 76 to move downward when the discharge head 20 and the wiper member 75 come into contact with each other as shown in Fig. 5B, thereby allowing switching from the wiping position Pw to the standby position Ps. In this embodiment, the position switching device 64 and the raised portion 82c of the rotating cam 82 correspond to a first switching mechanism.

[0048] Next, the control device 50 moves the ejection head 20, which is at the wiping position Phw, to the waiting position Phs using the carriage 41 as described above. Then, the position switching device 64 moves the wiper member 75, which is at the separation position Pr, to the contact position Pt where it contacts the foam 7, thereby executing a contact process (foam contact process) to bring the wiper member 75 into contact with the foam 7. In this case, the control device 50 activates the switching motor M4 to rotate the rotating cam 82 by a predetermined angle via the gear 83. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the contact portion 82d of the rotating cam 82 contacts the protrusion 76b3 of the wiper holder 76. As a result, the wiper holder 76 rotates to the right against the biasing force of the spring 81, and the upper end of the wiper member 75 contacts the foam 7 provided on the cleaning member 63. In this way, the wiper member 75 comes into contact with the foam 7 containing cleaning fluid, thereby removing any ink remaining on the wiper member 75. Thereafter, the control device 50 operates the switching motor M4 to further rotate the rotating cam 82 by a predetermined angle via the gear 83. This releases the abutment of the abutting portion 82d of the rotating cam 82 against the protrusion 76b3 of the wiper holder 76, and the urging force of the spring 81 returns the wiper holder 76 to the initial state shown in FIG.

[0049] In this manner, switching between the contact position Pt and the separated position Pr is performed by the position switching device 64. That is, the position switching device 64 performs switching from the separated position Pr to the contact position Pt and switching from the contact position Pt to the separated position pr by moving the wiper holder 76 in a direction having a horizontal component perpendicular to the vertical direction, i.e., by changing the attitude of the wiper holder 76. In this embodiment, the position switching device 64 and the abutment portion 82d of the rotating cam 82 correspond to the second switching mechanism.

[0050] Next, the flow path switching device 67 will be described. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the flow path switching device 67 and each flow path connected to the flow path switching device 67. Fig. 8A is a diagram showing a state in which the flow path switching member 67a in the flow path switching device 67 of Fig. 7 is at a first position Po1, Fig. 8B is a diagram showing a state in which the flow path switching member 67a in the flow path switching device 67 of Fig. 7 is at a second position Po2, and Fig. 8C is a diagram showing a state in which the flow path switching member 67a in the flow path switching device 67 of Fig. 7 is at a third position Po3. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the flow path switching member 67a in the flow path switching device 67 of Fig. 7 is at a fourth position Po4.

[0051] The flow path switching device 67 is disposed below the gear 83 in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 7, the flow path switching device 67 has five ports: a waste liquid side pump port 67b1, a cleaning liquid cap port 67b2, an ink cap port 67b3, an atmosphere communication port 67b4, and a foam side pump port 67b5.

[0052] The waste liquid side pump port 67b1 is connected to the pump P1 by a tube 9. The pump P1 is also connected to the waste liquid tank 8 by a tube 9. The pump P1 discharges ink from the nozzle holes 22a into the cap 71a, and transfers the ink discharged into the cap 71a to the waste liquid tank 8 via the flow path switching device 67. The cleaning liquid cap port 67b2 is connected to the cap 71b by a tube 9. The ink cap port 67b3 is connected to the cap 71a by a tube 9. The atmosphere communication port 67b4 is connected to the waste liquid tank 8, which is open to the atmosphere, by a tube 9. The foam side pump port 67b5 is connected to the pump P2 by a tube 9. The pump P2 is connected to the foam 7 by a tube 9. The pump P2 discharges the cleaning liquid from the nozzle holes 22b into the cap 71b, and transfers the cleaning liquid discharged into the cap 71b to the foam 7 via the flow path switching device 67. The flow path switching device 67 switches between a flow path for supplying the cleaning liquid to the foam 7 in the cap 71b and a flow path for supplying the cleaning liquid to other than the foam 7.

[0053] As shown in FIGS. 8A to 8C and 9, the flow path switching device 67 has a flow path switching member 67a and a cover 67b. The flow path switching member 67a is rotatably housed in the cover 67b. The flow path switching member 67a is connected to a switching motor M5. The control device 50 operates the switching motor M5 to rotate the flow path switching member 67a relative to the cover 67b. Depending on the position of the rotated flow path switching member 67a, a switching flow path 67c (described below) formed in the flow path switching member 67a is communicated with one of the five ports described above. This will be explained in detail below.

[0054] The flow path switching member 67a is formed in a cylindrical shape using an elastic material such as rubber. The flow path switching member 67a is disposed coaxially with the cover 67b. A switching flow path 67c is formed in the flow path switching member 67a. The switching flow path 67c includes a circular central groove 67c1 formed in the center of the lower surface of the flow path switching member 67a, three vertical grooves 67c2 formed on the outer circumferential side surface of the flow path switching member 67a, and three horizontal grooves 67c3 connecting the central groove 67c1 and the three vertical grooves 67c2. Each vertical groove 67c2 extends in the up-down direction and is spaced apart from one another in the rotational direction of the flow path switching member 67a. The horizontal grooves 67c3 extend from the central groove 67a1 in the radial direction of the flow path switching member 67a. Furthermore, the flow path switching member 67a is provided with a cutout portion 167 formed by cutting out a portion of the flow path switching member 67a from the outer circumferential surface of the flow path switching member 67a toward the center of the flow path switching member 67a.

[0055] The cover 67b is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom. A waste liquid pump port 67b1 is formed in, for example, the bottom wall of the cover 67b. The waste liquid pump port 67b1 is connected to the central groove 67c1. The above-mentioned cleaning liquid cap port 67b2, ink cap port 67b3, atmosphere communication port 67b4, and foam side pump port 67b5 are provided to penetrate the peripheral wall of the cover 67b.

[0056] In the above configuration, the flow path switching member 67a is selectively positioned at any one of the following first to fourth positions Po1 to Po4. As shown in FIG. 8A, when the flow path switching member 67a is positioned at the first position Po1 by the operation of the switching motor M5, the cleaning liquid cap port 67b2, the ink cap port 67b3, and the atmosphere communication port 67b4 communicate with each other via the switching flow path 67c. When the cap 71a is in the cap position Pc1 and the cap 71b is in the cap position Pc2, the flow path switching member 67a is positioned at the first position Po1.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 8B, when the flow path switching member 67a is placed at the second position Po2 by the operation of the switching motor M5, the ink cap port 67b3 is connected to the switching flow path 67c. This connects the pump P1 to the cap 71a via the flow path switching device 67. The control device 50 places the flow path switching member 67a at the second position Po2 as described above and operates the pump motor M6. This causes the pump P1 to discharge ink from the nozzle holes 22a into the cap 71a, and an ink purge process is performed in which the ink in the cap 71a is discharged into the waste tank 8 via the tube 9 and the flow path switching device 67. The waste tank 8 stores the ink discharged as described above.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 8C, when the flow path switching member 67a is placed at the third position Po3 by the operation of the switching motor M5, the cleaning liquid cap port 67b2 is connected to the switching flow path 67c. This connects the pump P1 to the cap 71b via the flow path switching device 67. After performing the ink purge process of FIG. 8B, the control device 50 places the flow path switching member 67a at the third position Po3 as described above and operates the pump motor M6. This causes the pump P1 to discharge the cleaning liquid from the nozzle holes 22b into the cap 71b, and the cleaning liquid in the cap 71b is discharged into the waste liquid tank 8 via the tube 9 and the flow path switching device 67. At this time, any ink remaining in the flow path switching device 67 through which the cleaning liquid flows is washed away by the cleaning liquid.

[0059] 9, when the flow path switching member 67a is placed at the fourth position Po4 by the operation of the switching motor M5, the cleaning liquid cap port 67b2 and the foam-side pump port 67b5 communicate with each other via the notch 167. As a result, the pump P2 communicates with the cap 71b via the flow path switching device 67, and the cap 71b communicates with the foam 7 via the pump P2. In other words, the control device 50 executes a flow path switching process in which the flow path switching device 67 switches the flow path from one that does not supply cleaning liquid to the foam 7 to one that supplies cleaning liquid to the foam 7.

[0060] As described above, after the control device 50 switches the flow path switching device 67 to the flow path that supplies the cleaning liquid to the foam 7, that is, after placing the flow path switching member 67a at the fourth position Po4, the control device 50 activates the pump motor M7 to perform a pump operation process in which the pump P2 discharges the cleaning liquid from the nozzle holes 22b into the cap 71b and transfers the cleaning liquid in the cap 71b to the foam 7. As a result, the cleaning liquid in the cap 71b is transferred to the foam 7 via the tube 9 and the flow path switching device 67. As a result, the cleaning liquid is impregnated into the foam 7. Note that the suction force of the pump P2 when discharging the cleaning liquid into the cap 71b and transferring the cleaning liquid to the foam 7 may be smaller than the suction force of the pump P1 when discharging ink into the cap 71a and discharging the ink into the waste liquid tank 8. In this case, the control device 50 sets the rotation speed of the pump motor M7 of the pump P2 when transferring the cleaning liquid to the foam 7 to be lower than the rotation speed of the pump motor M6 of the pump P1 when discharging the ink in the cap 71a to the waste liquid tank 8.

[0061] 8B , the control device 50 may perform a preliminary cleaning process in which the flow path switching device 67 switches the flow path so that the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid tank 10 to the foam 7, and then actuates the pump motor M7 of the pump P2 to transfer the cleaning liquid from the nozzle holes 22b to the cap 71b using the pump P2, and then transfers the cleaning liquid in the cap 71b to the foam 7. In this case, the control device 50 places the flow path switching member 67a at the fourth position Po4, discharges the cleaning liquid from the nozzle holes 22b to the cap 71b, and then transfers the cleaning liquid to the foam 7. This allows the flow path switching device 67 and the tube 9, through which ink flows during the ink purge process, to be wetted with cleaning liquid in advance.

[0062] Next, several examples of the cleaning process of the wiper member 75 using the foam 7 impregnated with cleaning liquid will be described. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing one example of the flow of the cleaning process of the wiper member 75 using the foam 7. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing another example of the flow of the cleaning process of the wiper member 75 using the foam 7. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing yet another example of the flow of the cleaning process of the wiper member 75 using the foam 7.

[0063] In the example of FIG. 10, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the control device 50 executed the ink purging process, the control device 50 executes a cleaning liquid supplying process in which the cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle holes 22b into the cap 71b is supplied to the foam 7. As shown in FIG. 10, the control device 50 first determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the control device 50 executed the purging process (step S1). If the predetermined time has elapsed (Yes in step S1), the control device 50 resets the timer (step S2). On the other hand, if the predetermined time has not elapsed (No in step S1), the control device 50 repeats the process of step S1.

[0064] Next, the control device 50 activates the switching motor M5 to rotate the flow path switching member 67a to the second position Po2 (step S3). This connects the ink cap port 67b3 to the switching flow path 67c. The control device 50 then activates the pump motor M6 to execute a purge process in which ink is discharged from the nozzle holes 22a into the cap 71a (step S4).

[0065] Next, the control device 50 operates the switching motor M5 to rotate the flow path switching member 67a to the fourth position Po4 (step S5). As a result, the cleaning liquid cap port 67b2 and the foam-side pump port 67b5 communicate with each other via the notch 167. After this, the control device 50 executes a cleaning liquid supply process (step S6). In the cleaning liquid supply process, the control device 50 operates the pump motor M7 to cause the pump P2 to discharge the cleaning liquid from the nozzle hole 22b into the cap 71b, and then supplies the cleaning liquid in the cap 71b to the foam 7. As a result, the cleaning liquid is impregnated into the foam 7.

[0066] Next, the control device 50 executes a wiping process (step S7). In the wiping process, the control device 50 moves the ejection head 20 to the wiper position Phw using the carriage 41, and wipes the nozzle surfaces 21a and 21b using the wiper member 75. This wipes away the ink and cleaning liquid adhering to the nozzle surfaces 21a and 21b.

[0067] Next, the control device 50 executes a return process (step S8). The return process returns the wiper member 75 to the standby position Ps. Thereafter, the control device 50 executes a foam contact process (step S9). In the foam contact process, the control device 50 uses the position switching device 64 to move the wiper member 75 to the contact position Pt and bring it into contact with the foam 7. As a result, any ink remaining on the wiper member 75 is removed by the cleaning liquid impregnated into the foam 7. Then, the control device 50 starts timing using a timer (step S10).

[0068] Alternatively, the cleaning process may be performed as shown in Figure 11. The cleaning liquid supply process includes a first cleaning liquid supply process and a second cleaning liquid supply process that follows the first cleaning liquid supply process. In the example of Figure 11, the control device 50 executes a calculation process to calculate the amount of cleaning liquid to be supplied to the form 7 in the second cleaning liquid supply process based on the elapsed time since the first cleaning liquid supply process was executed. Then, in the second cleaning liquid supply process, the control device 50 operates the pump P2 to supply the calculated amount of cleaning liquid.

[0069] 11, first, the control device 50 determines whether or not a purge signal indicating that a purge process should be performed has been received (step S21). If a purge signal has been received (Yes in step S21), the control device 50 acquires the time measured by the timer (step S22). The measured time is the time elapsed since the first cleaning liquid supply process was performed. On the other hand, if a purge signal has not been received (No in step S21), the control device 50 repeatedly executes the process of step S21.

[0070] Next, the control device 50 calculates the amount of cleaning liquid to be supplied to the form 7 based on the measured time (step S23). In this case, if the measured time is relatively long, the amount of cleaning liquid to be supplied to the form 7 is large, and if the measured time is relatively short, the amount of cleaning liquid to be supplied to the form 7 is small.

[0071] Thereafter, the control device 50 activates the switching motor M5 to rotate the flow path switching member 67a to the second position Po2 (step S24), and then executes a purge process to discharge ink from the nozzle holes 22a into the cap 71a (step S25).

[0072] Next, the control device 50 operates the switching motor M5 to rotate the flow path switching member 67a to the fourth position Po4 (step S26). After this, the control device 50 executes a cleaning liquid supply process (step S27). In the cleaning liquid supply process, the control device 50 determines the rotation speed (rpm) or rotation time of the pump motor M7 based on the calculated amount of cleaning liquid. Then, the control device 50 operates the pump motor M7 based on the determined rotation speed or rotation time, and causes the pump P2 to discharge the cleaning liquid from the nozzle holes 22b of the ejection head 20 into the cap 71b.

[0073] Next, the control device 50 executes a wipe process (step S28) and a return process (step S29). After that, the control device 50 executes a form contact process (step S30). Then, the control device 50 resets the timer (step S31) and starts the timer (step S32).

[0074] Alternatively, the cleaning process may be performed as shown in FIG. 12. In the example of FIG. 12, the control device 50 executes a timing process for measuring time, a threshold setting process, and a cleaning liquid supply process. In the threshold setting process, the control device 50 sets the timer threshold for executing the cleaning liquid supply process to a first value or a second value greater than the first value based on the temperature and humidity. In the cleaning liquid supply process, the control device 50 determines whether the measured time is equal to or greater than a first value or a second value as a criterion for determining whether or not to execute the cleaning liquid supply process, and then sets the amount of cleaning liquid to be supplied to the form 7 to a first amount or a second amount less than the first amount based on the temperature and humidity. The process will be described in detail below using a flowchart.

[0075] 12, first, the control device 50 determines whether the temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit 5 is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature (step S41). If the temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature (No in step S41), the control device 50 determines whether the humidity measured by the humidity measuring unit 6 is equal to or higher than a predetermined humidity (step S42).

[0076] If the temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature (Yes in step S41) and the humidity is lower than a predetermined humidity (No in step S42), the control device 50 sets the timer threshold to a first value (e.g., 1 hour) (step S43). On the other hand, if the temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature (No in step S41) and the humidity is higher than a predetermined humidity (Yes in step S42), the control device 50 sets the timer threshold to a second value (e.g., 2 hours) that is larger than the first value (step S44). Note that the second value of the timer threshold only needs to be larger than the first value, and can be changed appropriately together with the first value.

[0077] Next, the control device 50 acquires the time measured by the timer (step S45) and determines whether the measured time is equal to or greater than the first timer threshold or the second timer threshold (step S46). If the measured time is equal to or greater than the first timer threshold or the second timer threshold (Yes in step S46), the control device 50 resets the timer (step S47). On the other hand, if the measured time is less than the first timer threshold or the second timer threshold (No in step S46), the control device 50 returns to the process of step S41 and repeats the subsequent processes. As described above, in this embodiment, if the time measured in the timing process is equal to or greater than the first or second timer threshold, the control device 50 executes the cleaning liquid supply process of step S55, as described below.

[0078] Next, the control device 50 determines whether the temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit 5 is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature (step S48). If the temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature (No in step S48), the control device 50 determines whether the humidity measured by the humidity measuring unit 6 is equal to or higher than a predetermined humidity (step S49).

[0079] If the temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature (Yes in step S48) and the humidity is lower than a predetermined humidity (No in step S49), the control device 50 sets the amount of cleaning liquid to be supplied to the form 7 in the cleaning liquid supply process to a first amount (first cleaning liquid amount) (step S50). On the other hand, if the temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature (No in step S48) and the humidity is higher than a predetermined humidity (Yes in step S49), the control device 50 sets the amount of cleaning liquid to be supplied to the form 7 in the cleaning liquid supply process to a second amount (second cleaning liquid amount) that is smaller than the first amount (step S51).

[0080] Next, the control device 50 activates the switching motor M5 to rotate the flow path switching member 67a to the second position Po2 (step S52), and then executes a purge process to discharge ink from the nozzle holes 22a into the cap 71a (step S53).

[0081] Next, the control device 50 operates the switching motor M5 to rotate the flow path switching member 67a to the fourth position Po4 (step S54). After this, the control device 50 executes a cleaning liquid supply process (step S55). In the cleaning liquid supply process, the control device 50 determines the rotation speed (rpm) or rotation time of the pump motor M7 based on the set first amount or second amount as the amount of cleaning liquid. Then, the control device 50 operates the pump motor M7 based on the determined rotation speed or rotation time, and causes the pump P2 to discharge the cleaning liquid from the nozzle holes 22b of the ejection head 20 into the cap 71b.

[0082] Then, the control device 50 executes a wipe process (step S56), and executes a return process (step S57). After that, the control device 50 executes a form contact process (step S58), and starts time measurement by a timer after the form contact process is completed (step S59).

[0083] Next, other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing an embodiment in which the cleaning liquid storage section 110 is provided outside the ejection head 20. Fig. 14 is a block diagram showing a flow path switching mechanism 170 in an embodiment in which the cleaning liquid storage section 110 is provided outside the ejection head 20. In the other embodiments described below, the same components as those in the above-described embodiments will be given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted unless otherwise noted.

[0084] 13, a cleaning liquid storage section 110 for storing cleaning liquid is provided in a location other than the ejection head 20 in the liquid ejection device 100. In this embodiment, the cleaning liquid storage section 110 corresponds to the storage section.

[0085] The cleaning liquid storage section 110 stores the cleaning liquid. The cleaning liquid storage section 110 is connected to one end of a tube 151. A valve 161 is provided to the tube 151. The other end of the tube 151 is connected to a tube 152. One end of the tube 152 is connected to the cap 71a, and the other end of the tube 152 is connected to the foam 7. A pump P3 is provided to the tube 152. A valve 162 is provided to a portion of the tube 152 between the cap 71a and the pump P3. The other end of the tube 151 is connected to a portion of the tube 152 between the valve 162 and the pump P3. A valve 163 is provided to a portion of the tube 152 between the pump P3 and the foam 7. A tube 154 is branched off from a portion of the tube 152 between the pump P3 and the valve 163. A waste liquid tank 8 is connected to the downstream end of the tube 154. A valve 165 is provided to the tube 154. Furthermore, a tube 153 is provided branching off from the tube 152 at a portion between the pump P3 and the valve 162. A cap 71b is connected to the downstream end of the tube 153. A valve 164 is provided in the tube 153.

[0086] In this configuration, pump P3 transfers the cleaning liquid from cleaning liquid storage section 110 to form 7. In this case, control device 50 closes valves 162, 164, and 165, opens valves 161 and 163, and operates pump P3 to execute a cleaning liquid supply process in which cleaning liquid in cleaning liquid storage section 110 is supplied to form 7 via tubes 151 and 152.

[0087] Alternatively, the configuration shown in Fig. 14 may be adopted. In an embodiment in which the cleaning liquid storage section 110 is provided outside the ejection head 20, a flow path switching mechanism 170 may be provided that switches between a flow path for supplying the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid storage section 110 to the foam 7 and a flow path for supplying the cleaning liquid to places other than the foam 7, as shown in Fig. 14.

[0088] The flow path switching mechanism 170 includes, for example, a cylindrical fixed member 171 and a columnar rotating member 172 that rotates around a rotation axis relative to the fixed member 171. The fixed member 171 includes a cleaning liquid upstream port 180, a cleaning liquid downstream port 181, a first communication port 182, and a second communication port 183. The rotating member 172 is provided with switching flow paths 190 and 191. The cleaning liquid upstream port 180 is connected to the cleaning liquid storage section 110. The cleaning liquid downstream port 181 is connected to the foam 7. The first communication port 182 is a port for sending the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid upstream port 180 to the pump P4 via the switching flow path 190. The second communication port 183 is a port for sending the cleaning liquid from the pump P4 to the cleaning liquid downstream port 181 via the switching flow path 191. In this configuration, the control device 50 rotates the rotating member 172 relative to the fixed member 171 by a predetermined rotation angle. When the rotating member 172 is rotated by a predetermined rotation angle relative to the fixed member 171, the cleaning liquid upstream port 180 communicates with the first communication port 181, and the second communication port 183 communicates with the cleaning liquid downstream port 181. In this state, the control device 50 operates the pump P4 to transfer the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid storage section 110 to the foam 7. As a result, the cleaning liquid is impregnated into the foam 7.

[0089] Next, Fig. 15A is a diagram showing a state in which the flow path switching member 67a in the flow path switching device 267 is at the second position Po2, and Fig. 15B is a diagram showing a state in which the flow path switching member 67a in the flow path switching device 267 is at the third position Po3. Fig. 16 is a diagram showing a state in which the flow path switching member 67a in the flow path switching device 267 is at the third position Po3.

[0090] The flow path switching device 267 shown in Figures 15A, 15B, and 16 differs from the flow path switching device 67 shown in Figure 8A etc. in that a foam-side pump port 67b6 is provided instead of the foam-side pump port 67b5, four vertical grooves 67c2 and four horizontal grooves 67c3 are provided, a foam-side on-off valve 90 and a waste tank-side on-off valve 91 are provided, and the notch 167 is not provided. The foam-side on-off valve 90 is provided in a portion of the tube 9 between the pump P2 and the foam 7. The foam-side pump port 67b6 is provided at a position farther away from the cleaning liquid cap port 67b2 than the foam-side pump port 67b5. The waste tank-side on-off valve 91 is provided in a portion of the tube 9 between the pump P1 and the waste tank 8.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 15A, when the flow path switching member 67a is placed at the second position Po2 by the operation of the switching motor M5, the ink cap port 67b3 is connected to the switching flow path 67c. As a result, the pump P1 is connected to the cap 71a via the flow path switching device 267, similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 8A. The control device 50 places the flow path switching member 67a at the second position Po2, opens the waste tank-side opening / closing valve 91, and operates the pump motor M6. As a result, the pump P1 discharges ink from the nozzle holes 22a into the cap 71a, and the ink in the cap 71a is discharged into the waste tank 8 via the tube 9 and the flow path switching device 267.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 15B, when the flow path switching member 67a is placed at the third position Po3 by actuation of the switching motor M5, the cleaning liquid cap port 67b2 is connected to the switching flow path 67c, and the foam-side pump port 67b6 is connected to the switching flow path 67c. This allows the pump P2 to communicate with the cap 71b via the flow path switching device 267. In FIG. 15, the control device 50 places the flow path switching member 67a at the third position Po3, closes the foam-side opening / closing valve 90, opens the waste tank-side opening / closing valve 91, and then operates the pump motor M6. This causes the pump P1 to discharge cleaning liquid from the nozzle holes 22b into the cap 71b, and the cleaning liquid in the cap 71b is then discharged into the waste tank 8 via the tube 9 and the flow path switching device 267. At this time, any ink remaining in the flow path switching device 267 through which the cleaning liquid flows is washed away by the cleaning liquid.

[0093] As shown in FIG. 16 , with the flow path switching member 67a positioned at the third position Po3, the control device 50 opens the foam-side on-off valve 90, closes the waste tank-side on-off valve 91, and activates the pump motor M7. This causes the pump P2 to discharge cleaning liquid from the nozzle holes 22b into the cap 71b, and the cleaning liquid in the cap 71b is transferred to the foam 7 via the tube 9 and the flow path switching device 267. This allows the cleaning liquid to permeate the foam 7. In this way, after the ink purging process, by discharging the cleaning liquid into the waste tank 8 via the flow path switching device 267 before transferring the cleaning liquid to the foam 7, the likelihood of ink remaining in the switching flow path 67c of the flow path switching device 267 being removed is increased. Therefore, even if the cleaning liquid passes through the switching flow path 67c of the flow path switching device 267 when being transferred to the foam 7, the transfer of the remaining ink to the foam 7 along with the cleaning liquid is suppressed or prevented.

[0094] 15A, 15B, and 16. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of cleaning processing of the wiper member 75 by the form 7.

[0095] 17, first, the control device 50 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed (step S71). If the predetermined time has elapsed (Yes in step S71), the control device 50 resets the time counting by the first timer (step S72). On the other hand, if the predetermined time has not elapsed (No in step S71), the control device 50 repeatedly executes the process of step S71.

[0096] Next, the control device 50 activates the switching motor M5 to rotate the flow path switching member 67a to the second position Po2 (step S73). This connects the ink cap port 67b3 to the switching flow path 67c. The control device 50 then opens the waste liquid tank side opening / closing valve 91 (step S74).

[0097] Next, the control device 50 operates the pump motor M6 to discharge ink from the nozzle holes 22a into the cap 71a, and executes an ink purge process to transfer the ink discharged into the cap 71a to the waste liquid tank 8 (step S75).

[0098] Next, the control device 50 activates the switching motor M5 to rotate the flow path switching member 67a to the third position Po3 (step S76). As a result, the cleaning liquid cap port 67b2 is connected to the switching flow path 67c, and the foam-side pump port 67b6 is connected to the switching flow path 67c. This allows the pump P2 to be connected to the cap 71b via the flow path switching device 267.

[0099] Next, the control device 50 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed (step S77). If the predetermined time has elapsed (Yes in step S77), the control device 50 resets the timekeeping by the second timer (step S78). Then, the control device 50 closes the foam-side on-off valve 90 and opens the waste liquid tank-side on-off valve 91 (step S79). Thereafter, the control device 50 executes a cleaning liquid purge process in which the pump P1 discharges the cleaning liquid from the nozzle hole 22b into the cap 71b and discharges the cleaning liquid in the cap 71b into the waste liquid tank 8 (step S80).

[0100] If the predetermined time has not elapsed in the process of step S77 (No in step S77), or after the process of step S80, the control device 50 opens the foam-side on-off valve 90 and closes the waste liquid tank-side on-off valve 91 (step S81). Then, the control device 50 operates the pump motor M7 to cause the pump P2 to discharge the cleaning liquid from the nozzle hole 22b into the cap 71b, thereby executing a cleaning liquid supply process to supply the cleaning liquid in the cap 71b to the foam 7 (step S82). As a result, the cleaning liquid is impregnated into the foam 7.

[0101] Next, the control device 50 executes a wipe process (step S83) and a return process (step S84). After that, the control device 50 executes a form contact process (step S85). Then, the control device 50 starts time measurement by the second timer (step S86) and starts time measurement by the first timer (step S87).

[0102] As described above, according to the liquid ejection device 100 of this embodiment, the wiper member 75 is moved to the contact position Pt by the position switching device 64, whereby the wiper member 75 comes into contact with the foam 7 impregnated with cleaning liquid. As a result, ink adhering to the wiper member 75 comes into contact with the cleaning liquid and is cleaned. This makes it possible to sufficiently clean the wiper member 75 with the cleaning liquid in the foam 7 provided in the cleaning member 63, even when high-viscosity ink is used.

[0103] In this embodiment, the flow path switching device 67 switches between a flow path for supplying the cleaning liquid in the cap 71b to the foam 7 and a flow path for supplying the cleaning liquid to a location other than the foam 7. This allows the cleaning liquid to be supplied to the foam 7 as needed.

[0104] Furthermore, in this embodiment, after the flow path switching member 67a is placed at the fourth position Po4, the pump motor M7 is operated to cause the pump P2 to discharge the cleaning liquid from the nozzle holes 22b into the cap 71b, and transfer the cleaning liquid in the cap 71b to the foam 7. By adopting a configuration in which the cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle holes 22b of the ejection head 20 is transferred to the foam 7 in this way, there is no need to provide a separate configuration for transferring the cleaning liquid to the foam 7. This can suppress an increase in costs.

[0105] 13, the control device 50 closes the valves 162, 164, and 165, opens the valves 161 and 163, and operates the pump P3 to supply the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid storage section 110 to the form 7 via the tubes 151 and 152. In this way, even with a configuration in which the cleaning liquid storage section 110 is not provided in the discharge head 20, the cleaning liquid can be supplied to the form 7.

[0106] 14, the flow path switching mechanism 170 switches between a flow path for supplying the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid storage section 110 to the form 7 and a flow path for supplying the cleaning liquid to a location other than the form 7. In this way, even with a configuration in which the cleaning liquid storage section 110 is not provided in the discharge head 20, the cleaning liquid can be supplied to the form 7 as needed.

[0107] 14, when the rotating member 172 is rotated by a predetermined rotation angle relative to the fixed member 171, the cleaning liquid upstream port 180 communicates with the first communication port 181, and the second communication port 183 communicates with the cleaning liquid downstream port 181. In this state, the control device 50 operates the pump P4 to transfer the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid storage section 110 to the foam 7. In this way, the cleaning liquid can be easily transferred to the foam 7 simply by switching the flow path using the flow path switching mechanism 170.

[0108] In addition, in this embodiment, the control device 50 causes the carriage 41 to move the discharge head 20 from the wiper position Phw to the waiting position Phs, and then causes the position switching device 64 to perform a contact process in which the wiper member 75 located at the separation position Pr is moved to the contact position Pt where it contacts the form 7, thereby bringing the wiper member 75 into contact with the form 7. This makes it possible to easily bring the wiper member 75 into contact with the form 7.

[0109] Furthermore, in this embodiment, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the ink purging process, the control device 50 executes a cleaning liquid supply process, which supplies the cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzle holes 22b to the cap 71b to the foam 7. This allows the cleaning liquid supply process to be executed before the ink adheres to the flow path through which the ink flows and solidifies. Therefore, solidification of the ink in the flow path can be suppressed or prevented.

[0110] In this embodiment, the control device 50 executes a calculation process to calculate the amount of cleaning liquid to be supplied to the form 7 in the second cleaning liquid supply process based on the elapsed time since the first cleaning liquid supply process was executed. This makes it possible to supply an appropriate amount of cleaning liquid to the form 7, neither too much nor too little, depending on the elapsed time.

[0111] In this embodiment, the control device 50 executes the cleaning liquid supply process when the time measured in the timing process is equal to or greater than the first or second timer threshold value, thereby enabling the cleaning liquid supply process to be executed at an appropriate timing.

[0112] In this embodiment, the control device 50 determines the amount of cleaning liquid to be supplied to the form 7 based on the temperature and humidity during the cleaning liquid supply process as a first amount or a second amount that is smaller than the first amount. This allows the amount of cleaning liquid to be supplied to the form 7 to be appropriately determined depending on the temperature and humidity.

[0113] In this embodiment, the ink contains solids, including resin particles and solid colorant. The resin particles are contained in the ink at a concentration of 0.1 wt% to 30 wt%, and the solid colorant is contained in the ink at a concentration of 0.1 wt% to 20 wt%. The cleaning liquid is a liquid containing no solids but other materials. When using ink that can adhere firmly to the wiper member 75, a strong cleaning process is required for the wiper member 75. However, in this embodiment, the cleaning liquid does not contain solids. Therefore, compared to ink containing solids, solid components are less likely to remain on the surface of the wiper member 75 after the wiper member 75 comes into contact with the foam 7 impregnated with the cleaning liquid, thereby improving the cleaning ability of the wiper member 75.

[0114] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a pre-cleaning process may be performed. This allows the flow path switching device 67 and the tubes 9, through which ink flows during the ink purging process, to be wetted with cleaning liquid in advance. Therefore, even when high-viscosity ink is used, the viscosity of the ink can be reduced by contacting the ink with the cleaning liquid in the pre-cleaning process, thereby suppressing or preventing the ink from solidifying in the flow path switching device 67 and the tubes 9.

[0115] Although several other embodiments have been described above, the following modified examples may also be adopted without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0116] In the above embodiment, the flow path switching member 67a is configured to be controlled independently of the rotating cam 82, but this is not limited to this, and the flow path switching member 67a may be configured to rotate simultaneously with the rotating cam 82.

[0117] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an ejection head 20 that ejects color ink is given as an example, but this is not limited to this, and for example, an ejection head that ejects white ink or an ejection head that ejects special color ink may also be applied.

[0118] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the ejection head 20 is a serial head type, but it may also be a line head type. [Explanation of symbols]

[0119] 5 Temperature measurement section 6 Humidity measurement section 7 Forms 10 Cleaning solution tank 20 Discharge head 20p nozzle plate 21, 21a, 21b nozzle surface 22, 22a, 22b nozzle holes 41 Carriage 50 Control device 63 Cleaning material 64 Position Switching Device 67 Flow path switching device 71a,71b Cap 73 Lifting device 75 Wiper member 76 Wiper holder 82c ridge 82d Contact part 100 Liquid dispensing device 110 Cleaning fluid reservoir 170 Flow path switching mechanism 171 Fixing member 172 Rotating members 180 Upstream port for cleaning fluid 181 Cleaning fluid downstream port 182 First communication port 183 Second communication port Ds moving direction P1, P2, P3, P4 pumps Pa1,Pa2 Uncapped position Pc1, Pc2 cap position Phs waiting position Phw Wiper position Pr Separate position Ps standby position Pt contact position Pw Wiping position

Claims

1. a discharge head having a nozzle plate with nozzle holes for discharging liquid; a wiper member for wiping a nozzle surface, which is one surface of the nozzle plate; a wiper holder for supporting the wiper member; a cleaning member that comes into contact with the wiper member to remove liquid adhering to the wiper member; a foam provided on the cleaning member and impregnated with a cleaning liquid; a switching mechanism, The switching mechanism is a first switching mechanism that switches between a wiping position where the wiper member can come into contact with the nozzle surface to wipe the nozzle surface and a standby position where the wiper member can wait without coming into contact with the nozzle surface, the first switching mechanism switching the wiper member from the standby position to the wiping position by moving the wiper holder upward, and allowing the wiper holder to move downward when the discharge head and the wiper member come into contact, thereby allowing switching from the wiping position to the standby position; A liquid ejection device comprising: a second switching mechanism that switches between a contact position where the wiper member contacts the foam and a separation position where the wiper member is separated from the foam, and that switches from the separation position to the contact position and from the contact position to the separation position by moving the wiper holder in a direction having a horizontal component perpendicular to the vertical direction.

2. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , further comprising a flow path switching mechanism that switches between a flow path for supplying the cleaning liquid to the foam and a flow path for supplying the cleaning liquid to a location other than the foam.

3. the nozzle holes include a first nozzle hole for discharging the cleaning liquid as the liquid, the nozzle surface includes a first nozzle surface in which the first nozzle hole is opened, a tank provided in the ejection head and configured to store the cleaning liquid; a first cap that covers the first nozzle surface; a third switching mechanism that switches between a first capped position in which the first nozzle surface is covered by the first cap and a first uncapped position in which the first nozzle surface is not covered by the first cap; a pump for transferring the cleaning liquid from the first cap to the foam via the flow path switching mechanism; a control device, The control device a position switching process of switching from the first uncapped position to the first capped position by the third switching mechanism; a flow path switching process in which the flow path switching mechanism switches the flow path from a flow path that does not allow the cleaning liquid to flow into the foam to a flow path that allows the cleaning liquid to flow into the foam; The liquid ejection device described in claim 2, further comprising: a pump operation process in which the flow path switching mechanism switches the flow path to one that flows the cleaning liquid into the foam, and then the pump is operated to discharge the cleaning liquid from the first nozzle hole into the first cap and transfer it to the foam.

4. a reservoir for storing the cleaning liquid; a pump for transferring the cleaning fluid from the reservoir to the foam; a control device, The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the control device executes a cleaning liquid supply process for supplying the cleaning liquid in the reservoir to the foam through a tube by operating the pump.

5. The liquid ejection device according to claim 4 , further comprising a flow path switching mechanism that switches between a flow path for causing the cleaning liquid in the storage portion to flow into the foam and a flow path for causing the cleaning liquid to flow to other than the foam.

6. the flow path switching mechanism includes a fixed member and a rotating member that rotates relative to the fixed member, the fixing member has a cleaning liquid upstream port communicating with the storage section, a cleaning liquid downstream port communicating with the foam, a first communication port for sending the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid upstream port to the pump, and a second communication port for sending the cleaning liquid from the pump to the cleaning liquid downstream port; 6. The liquid ejection device according to claim 5, wherein when the rotating member is rotated at a predetermined rotation angle relative to the fixed member, the rotating member connects the cleaning liquid upstream port to the first communication port and connects the second communication port to the cleaning liquid downstream port.

7. the nozzle holes include second nozzle holes for ejecting a predetermined liquid as the liquid, the nozzle surface includes a second nozzle surface in which the second nozzle holes are opened, a second cap that covers the second nozzle surface; a carriage that supports the ejection head and moves in a predetermined movement direction so as to position the ejection head at a wiper position where the second nozzle surface of the ejection head is wiped by the wiper member and at a predetermined waiting position, the third switching mechanism switches between a second capped position in which the second nozzle surface is covered by the second cap and a second uncapped position in which the second nozzle surface is not covered by the second cap; The control device a discharge head moving process of moving the discharge head to the waiting position by the carriage; a nozzle surface covering process in which the third switching mechanism covers the first nozzle surface with the first cap and covers the second nozzle surface with the second cap; a purging process for discharging the predetermined liquid from the second nozzle hole into the second cap; a cleaning liquid supply process of operating the pump to discharge the cleaning liquid from the first nozzle hole into the first cap, and then supplying the cleaning liquid in the first cap to the foam; a wiping process in which the ejection head is moved to the wiper position by the carriage and the second nozzle surface is wiped by the wiper member; The liquid ejection device according to claim 3, further comprising: a contact process in which the carriage moves the ejection head from the wiper position to the waiting position, and then the second switching mechanism moves the wiper member to the contact position to bring the wiper member into contact with the foam.

8. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the control device executes the cleaning liquid supplying process after a predetermined time has elapsed since the purging process was executed.

9. the cleaning liquid supply process includes a first cleaning liquid supply process and a second cleaning liquid supply process subsequent to the first cleaning liquid supply process; The control device performing a calculation process of calculating an amount of cleaning liquid to be supplied to the foam in the second cleaning liquid supply process based on the elapsed time since the first cleaning liquid supply process was performed; The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein, in the second cleaning liquid supply process, the pump is operated so as to supply the calculated amount of cleaning liquid.

10. The device further includes a temperature measuring unit that measures temperature and a humidity measuring unit that measures humidity, The control device A timing process for measuring time; a first determination process for determining whether the temperature measured by the temperature measurement unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature; a second determination process for determining whether the humidity measured by the humidity measurement unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined humidity; a threshold setting process for setting a timer threshold for executing the cleaning liquid supply process when the temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature and the humidity is lower than a predetermined humidity to a first value, and for setting a timer threshold for executing the cleaning liquid supply process when the temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature and the humidity is equal to or higher than the predetermined humidity to a second value greater than the first value; The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the cleaning liquid supplying process is executed when the time measured in the timing process is equal to or greater than the first value or the second value.

11. The device further includes a temperature measuring unit that measures temperature and a humidity measuring unit that measures humidity, The control device a third process of determining whether the temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature; a fourth process of determining whether the humidity measured by the humidity measuring unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined humidity; The liquid ejection device described in claim 7, further comprising: a cleaning liquid amount setting process that sets the amount of cleaning liquid to be flowed into the foam in the cleaning liquid supply process to a first amount when the temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature and the humidity is lower than a predetermined humidity; and sets the amount of cleaning liquid to be flowed into the foam in the cleaning liquid supply process to a second amount that is smaller than the first amount when the temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature and the humidity is higher than a predetermined humidity.

12. the predetermined liquid contains solids, the solid content includes resin fine particles and solid content of a colorant, the resin fine particles are contained in the predetermined liquid in an amount of 0.1 wt % or more and 30 wt % or less, the solid content of the coloring material is contained in the predetermined liquid in a range of 0.1 wt % to 20 wt %; The liquid ejection device according to claim 7 , wherein the cleaning liquid does not contain the solid content.

13. The liquid ejection device described in claim 7, wherein the control device performs a preliminary cleaning process before the purging process, in which the flow path switching mechanism switches the flow path so that the cleaning liquid flows from the tank to the foam, and then the pump is operated to transfer the cleaning liquid from the first nozzle hole to the first cap, thereby transferring the cleaning liquid in the first cap to the foam.

14. a nozzle surface, which is one surface of a nozzle plate provided in the ejection head and in which nozzle holes for ejecting liquid are opened, is wiped with a wiper member; A cleaning method comprising the steps of: bringing a wiping member into contact with foam provided on a cleaning member and impregnated with cleaning liquid, thereby removing liquid adhering to the wiping member.

15. A cleaning program executed by a computer in a liquid ejection device including an ejection head having a nozzle surface, which is one surface of a nozzle plate in which nozzle holes for ejecting liquid are opened, comprising: The computer a wiping control means for wiping the nozzle surface with a wiper member; and a cleaning program that causes the wiper member to function as a removal control means for removing liquid adhering to the wiper member by bringing the wiper member into contact with foam that is provided on the cleaning member and impregnated with cleaning liquid;

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