Cleaning device and liquid dispensing device

Abstract

To provide a cleaning device that can be made smaller. [Solution] A cleaning device for cleaning a movable mounting surface 11a, comprising a cleaning member 41 that can contact the mounting surface 11a, wherein the cleaning member 41 is in contact with the mounting surface 11a and cleans the mounting surface 11a as the mounting surface 11a moves.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning device and a liquid ejection device.

Background Art

[0002] In a liquid ejection device such as an inkjet type image forming apparatus, there is a cleaning device for cleaning a placement surface on which a sheet is placed.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-300779), a cleaning cartridge has been proposed for cleaning ink and other foreign substances adhering to a platen by rolling a cleaning roller while sliding on the platen in order to clean the surface of the platen on which a recording material is placed.

[0004] However, in a configuration in which a cleaning roller is moved on a platen as in Patent Document 1, a moving mechanism for moving the cleaning roller is required, so there is a problem that the apparatus becomes large-sized.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device that can be downsized.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a cleaning device for cleaning a placement surface of a liquid ejection device that ejects liquid onto a medium placed on a movable placement surface, the cleaning device including a cleaning member that can contact the placement surface, and the cleaning member cleaning the placement surface by the placement surface moving while in contact with the placement surface.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, the apparatus can be downsized. ​

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a plan view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a front view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a side view of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a block diagram of a control unit that controls the operation of the entire image forming apparatus, including a cleaning device, according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure shows the cleaning operation of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This figure shows the cleaning operation of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure shows the cleaning operation of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This figure shows the cleaning operation of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described using an inkjet-type image forming apparatus, which is an example of a liquid ejection device, as an example. In the drawings used to explain the present invention, components such as members and parts having the same function or shape will be denoted by the same reference numerals as far as they can be distinguished, and their description will be omitted after they have been described once.

[0010] <Overall configuration of the image forming apparatus> First, the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

[0011] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a plan view of the image forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 is a front view of the image forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Here, the X, Y, and Z directions in Figures 1 to 3 are conveniently defined as the directions of the three-dimensional coordinate axes of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, the X direction indicates the horizontal direction when viewing the image forming apparatus 100 from above, and the Y direction indicates the vertical direction perpendicular to the X direction (horizontal direction) when viewing the image forming apparatus 100 from above. The Z direction indicates the direction perpendicular to the X and Y directions when viewing the image forming apparatus 100 from above (for example, the vertically upward direction when the image forming apparatus 100 is placed on a plane). The X, Y, and Z directions in the other drawings also indicate the same directions as in Figures 1 to 3.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the image forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a sheet transport unit 1, an image forming unit 2, a pre-processing unit 3, and a cleaning device 4.

[0014] The sheet transport unit 1 includes a mounting section 11 on which the sheet is placed, and a support base 12 that supports the mounting section 11. The upper surface of the mounting section 11 is a plane defined by the X and Y directions and functions as a mounting surface 11a on which the sheet is placed. The mounting section 11 is configured to reciprocate along a guide rail 13 extending in the Y direction in Figure 2 in the direction of arrow A. That is, the mounting section 11 is configured to reciprocate in the Y direction parallel to the mounting surface 11a. Furthermore, the mounting section 11 is configured to reciprocate in the direction of arrow B, which is perpendicular to the mounting surface 11a, by the lifting and lowering drive of the support base 12.

[0015] The image forming unit 2 includes a carriage 21 that is movable along a guide rail 23 extending in the X direction of FIG. 2, and a plurality of ink ejection heads 22 mounted on the carriage 21. The carriage 21 is configured to be reciprocally movable in the direction of arrow C, which is orthogonal to the directions of arrow A and arrow B, which are the moving directions of the placement unit 11. The plurality of ink ejection heads 22 are an example of a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid. In this case, the plurality of ink ejection heads 32 eject inks of different colors such as yellow, magenta, cyan, and black corresponding to the color separation components of the color image. However, the color of the ink ejected by each ink ejection head 22 is not limited to yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, and can be changed as appropriate. Also, the number of ink ejection heads 22 mounted on the carriage 21 may be a single number in addition to the case of being plural.

[0016] The pretreatment unit 3 includes a carriage 31 that is movable along a guide rail 33 extending in the X direction of FIG. 2, and a plurality of pretreatment liquid ejection heads 32 as liquid ejection heads mounted on the carriage 31. The carriage 31 of the pretreatment unit 3 is also configured to be reciprocally movable in the direction of arrow C, which is orthogonal to both the direction of arrow A and the direction of arrow B, which are the moving directions of the placement unit 11, similar to the carriage 21 of the image forming unit 2. Here, a plurality of pretreatment liquid ejection heads 32 are mounted on the carriage 31, but the number of pretreatment liquid ejection heads 32 mounted on the carriage 31 is not limited to the case of being plural, and may be a single number.

[0017] The cleaning device 4 includes a cleaning roller 41 as a cleaning member and the like. The detailed configuration of the cleaning device 4 will be described later.

[0018] <Image forming operation> Subsequently, the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0019] First, place the placement unit 11 at the standby position indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 2. With the sheet S placed on the placement unit 11, move the placement unit 11 along the guide rail 13 toward the back side (the upper side in FIG. 2). As a result, the sheet S is conveyed. Then, when the end of the sheet S on the back side reaches the movement range of the pre-treatment unit 3, temporarily stop the movement of the placement unit 11. Also, in this stopped state, move the carriage 31 of the pre-treatment unit 3 along the guide rail 33 and discharge the pre-treatment liquid from the pre-treatment liquid discharge head 32 toward the sheet S. As a result, the pre-treatment liquid is applied to the surface of the sheet S.

[0020] After that, while intermittently moving the placement unit 11 toward the back side, repeat the movement of the above-described carriage 31 and the discharge of the pre-treatment liquid. As a result, the pre-treatment liquid is applied over the entire image formation area of the sheet S.

[0021] Next, return the placement unit 11 to the standby position on the front side (the lower side in FIG. 2), and then move the placement unit 11 toward the back side again. When the end of the sheet S on the back side reaches the movement range of the image formation unit 2 as the placement unit 11 moves, temporarily stop the movement of the placement unit 11. Then, with the movement of the placement unit 11 stopped, move the carriage 21 of the image formation unit 2 along the guide rail 23 and discharge ink from the ink discharge head 22 toward the sheet S. As a result, ink is applied to the surface of the sheet S and an image is formed.

[0022] After that, while intermittently moving the placement unit 11 toward the back side again, repeat the movement of the above-described carriage 21 and the discharge of the ink. As a result, a desired image is formed in the image formation area of the sheet S. The image is not limited to an image having a meaning such as characters and figures, and may be an image having no meaning such as a pattern. When the discharge of the ink is completed, by returning the placement unit 11 to the standby position, the sheet S with the image formed can be removed from the placement unit 11.

[0023] The sheet S used for image formation may be paper such as plain paper, glossy paper, or specialty paper, as well as building materials such as wallpaper, flooring, and tiles, clothing fabrics such as T-shirts, textiles, or leather. Ceramics, glass, or metal may also be used as the sheet S. It is also possible to use an impermeable substrate as the sheet S. An impermeable substrate is a substrate with a surface that has low water permeability and absorption, and includes materials that have many voids inside but do not open to the outside. More quantitatively, in the Bristow method, the amount of water absorbed from the start of contact to 30 msec 1 / 2 is 10 mL / m². 2 The following are examples of non-permeable substrates. Specifically, examples of non-permeable substrates include plastic films such as polyvinyl chloride resin film, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film, polypropylene, polyethylene, and polycarbonate film.

[0024] By the way, in an image forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which pre-treatment liquid and ink are discharged onto a sheet S placed on a mounting section 11, foreign matter such as pre-treatment liquid or ink seeping from the sheet S may adhere to the mounting surface 11a. If the next image forming is performed with the foreign matter still attached to the mounting surface 11a, the foreign matter may adhere to the newly set sheet S, potentially soiling the sheet S. Therefore, in order to avoid the adhesion of foreign matter to the sheet S, it is preferable to perform a cleaning operation to remove the foreign matter from the mounting surface 11a after each image forming operation. However, if the user is required to perform the cleaning operation, it will increase the workload on the user, and the next image forming operation cannot be performed until the cleaning operation is completed, which will lead to a decrease in productivity (number of images formed per unit time).

[0025] Therefore, in the image forming apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, a cleaning device 4 is provided to clean the mounting surface 11a of the mounting section 11 in order to reduce the workload of the user and improve productivity. The configuration of the cleaning device 4 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

[0026] <Configuration of the cleaning device> Figure 4 is a side view of a cleaning device 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, the cleaning device 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes, in addition to the cleaning roller 41, a cleaning member holding unit 42, a biasing member 43, a support member 44, a cleaning member driving unit 45, and a position detection unit 46.

[0028] The cleaning roller 41 has a cylindrical core material 41a and a wiping section 41b wrapped around the outer surface of the core material 41a. The wiping section 41b is made of a material such as a sponge that can absorb pretreatment liquid and ink.

[0029] The cleaning member holding portion 42 rotatably holds the cleaning roller 41. In this case, a pair of cleaning member holding portions 42 are arranged on both axial ends of the cleaning roller 41, and the pair of cleaning member holding portions 42 rotatably holds both axial ends of the cleaning roller 41.

[0030] The biasing member 43 is a member that biases the cleaning member holding part 42 upward in Figure 4. In other words, the biasing member 43 biases the cleaning roller 41 in a direction away from the mounting surface 11a of the mounting part 11 during the cleaning operation described later. Here, the biasing member 43 is a compression coil spring that is compressed and held between the cleaning member holding part 42 and the frame member 101, which is part of the main body of the image forming apparatus, but the biasing member 43 may be an elastic member other than a compression coil spring.

[0031] The support member 44 is a member that supports the cleaning roller 41 and the cleaning member holding part 42 so that they can move in the vertical direction in Figure 4 relative to the frame member 101 of the image forming apparatus body. In other words, the support member 44 supports the cleaning roller 41 and the cleaning member holding part 42 so that they can move toward and away from the mounting surface 11a of the mounting part 11.

[0032] The cleaning member drive unit 45 is a driving means that moves the cleaning roller 41 downward in Figure 4 against the biasing force of the biasing member 43. In other words, the cleaning member drive unit 45 moves the cleaning roller 41 in a direction that brings it closer to the mounting surface 11a of the mounting unit 11. Here, an electromagnetic solenoid is used as the cleaning member drive unit 45, but the cleaning member drive unit 45 may be other driving means such as an electric motor.

[0033] The position detection unit 46 is a position detection means for detecting the position of the cleaning roller 41. Here, a transmissive photosensor is used as the position detection unit 46. A transmissive photosensor is a sensor that detects the position of an object by blocking or transmitting light emitted from a light emitter to a light receiver. In the example in Figure 4, when the cleaning roller 41 moves downward in the figure, the shielding part 42a provided on the cleaning member holding part 42 blocks the light emitted from the transmissive photosensor (position detection unit 46), thereby detecting the position of the cleaning roller 41. The position detection unit 46 may be another non-contact type sensor such as a reflective photosensor, or it may be a contact type sensor that detects the position of the cleaning roller 41 by contacting the cleaning roller 41 or a member that moves together with it.

[0034] <Configuration of the control unit> Figure 5 is a block diagram of a control unit 500 that controls the overall operation of an image forming apparatus 100 including a cleaning device 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] As shown in Figure 5, the image forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a control unit 500 that controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 100.

[0036] The control unit 500 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 501, ROM (Read Only Memory) 502, RAM (Random Access Memory) 503, NVRAM (Non-Volatile Random Access Memory) 504, an external device connection interface 505, a network interface 506, a bus line 507, and the like.

[0037] The CPU 501 controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 100. The ROM 502 stores programs used to drive the CPU 501, such as IPL. The RAM 503 is used as the work area for the CPU 501. The NVRAM 504 stores various data, such as programs, and can retain various data even when the power to the image forming apparatus 100 is cut off.

[0038] The external device connection interface 505 is connected to a PC (Personal Computer) via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable, etc., and communicates control signals and image data with the PC. The network interface 506 is an interface for data communication using a communication network such as the Internet. The bus line 507 is an address bus and data bus for electrically connecting various components such as the CPU 501.

[0039] Furthermore, the control unit 500 includes a main scanning driver 508, an ejection head driver 509, a cleaning driver 510, and a transport driver 511.

[0040] The main scanning driver 508 controls the movement of the carriages 21 and 31 of the image forming unit 2 and the pre-processing unit 3 in the main scanning direction (reciprocating movement in the X direction). The ejection head driver 509 is a driver that controls the ejection operation of the ink ejection head 22 and the pre-processing liquid ejection head 32. The cleaning driver 510 controls the drive of the cleaning member drive unit 45 of the cleaning device 4. The transport driver 511 is a driver that controls the mounting unit moving means 14 that moves the mounting unit 11 in the sheet transport direction.

[0041] <Cleaning operation> The cleaning operation of the cleaning device 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 6 to 9.

[0042] First, as shown in Figure 6, the mounting unit 11 is moved horizontally (Y direction) from its standby position to a position facing the cleaning roller 41. When the leading edge of the mounting surface 11a in the direction of travel reaches the position of the cleaning roller 41, the movement of the mounting unit 11 is stopped. At this time, the movement of the mounting unit 11 is in the same direction as when the sheet S is transported during image formation, and is along the guide rail 13 (see Figure 2) that extends in the Y direction. Also, when the mounting unit 11 moves, the cleaning roller 41 is positioned in a retracted position so as not to come into contact with the mounting unit 11.

[0043] Next, as shown in Figure 7, with the movement of the mounting section 11 stopped, the cleaning roller 41 is moved (descended) in a direction approaching the mounting surface 11a. In this embodiment of the present invention, an electromagnetic solenoid is used as the cleaning member holding section 42, so when the electromagnetic solenoid is turned ON, the cleaning roller 41 is pulled downward in Figure 7 against the biasing force of the biasing member 43. As a result, the cleaning roller 41 comes into contact with the mounting surface 11a. Furthermore, as the cleaning roller 41 moves, the shielding section 42a of the cleaning member holding section 42 is detected by the position detection section 46 (transmissive photosensor), and the movement (descending) of the cleaning roller 41 is stopped. As a result, the cleaning roller 41 is held in contact with the mounting surface 11a. At this time, the cleaning roller 41 is also biased downward in Figure 7 by a biasing member separate from the biasing member 43 that biases the cleaning member holding section 42, so the cleaning roller 41 is pressed against the mounting surface 11a with a predetermined pressure.

[0044] Next, as shown in Figure 8, with the cleaning roller 41 in contact with the mounting surface 11a, the mounting unit 11 resumes moving horizontally (in the Y direction), causing the cleaning roller 41 to rotate in conjunction with the movement of the mounting unit 11. In other words, since the cleaning roller 41 does not move in the direction of movement of the mounting unit 11 (horizontal direction), the cleaning roller 41 rotates in conjunction with the movement of the mounting unit 11. As a result, the wiping portion 41b of the roller 41 rotates while in contact with the mounting surface 11a, and the mounting surface 11a is wiped and cleaned by the wiping portion 41b.

[0045] Subsequently, once the cleaning (wiping) of the mounting surface 11a by the cleaning roller 41 is complete, the movement of the mounting unit 11 is stopped, as shown in Figure 9, and the cleaning roller 41 is moved away from (raised) the mounting surface 11a. In this embodiment of the present invention, when the electromagnetic solenoid is turned OFF, the pulling force from the electromagnetic solenoid is released, and the biasing force of the biasing member 43 pushes the cleaning roller 41 upward in the direction away from the mounting surface 11a. This completes the cleaning operation.

[0046] As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, by moving the mounting part 11 horizontally while the cleaning roller 41 is in contact with the mounting surface 11a, the mounting surface 11a can be cleaned by the cleaning roller 41 without the user having to perform cleaning work manually. Therefore, the workload of the user can be reduced and productivity can be improved.

[0047] Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, when cleaning the mounting surface 11a, cleaning can be performed by moving the mounting surface 11a horizontally without moving the cleaning roller 41 horizontally, thus enabling miniaturization and cost reduction of the device. In other words, in the embodiment of the present invention, there is no need to provide a dedicated moving means for moving the cleaning roller 41 horizontally, and since the existing moving means (mounting part moving means 14) used to move the mounting surface 11a during image formation is used as the moving means for the mounting surface 11a, there is no need to add a new moving means. For this reason, it is possible to miniaturize the device and reduce costs.

[0048] Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, since the cleaning roller 41 is configured to move toward and away from the mounting surface 11a, when cleaning is not performed, the cleaning roller 41 can be moved away from the mounting surface 11a. This prevents the cleaning roller 41 from interfering with the movement of the mounting section 11 during image formation.

[0049] Furthermore, since the cleaning roller 41 is configured to move closer to and further away from the mounting surface 11a, it is also possible to change the contact pressure of the cleaning roller 41 with respect to the mounting surface 11a. For example, if the mounting surface 11a is heavily soiled, the contact pressure of the cleaning roller 41 with respect to the mounting surface 11a can be increased by positioning the cleaning roller 41 closer to the mounting surface 11a than when the surface is lightly soiled. This enhances the cleaning function of the cleaning roller 41, making it possible to clean the mounting surface 11a more effectively.

[0050] Furthermore, the number of cleaning cycles of the mounting surface 11a by the cleaning roller 41 may be changed according to the amount of liquid (pretreatment liquid or ink) discharged onto the sheet S. Here, "number of cleaning cycles" refers to the number of horizontal movements or reciprocal movements of the mounting surface 11a performed while the cleaning roller 41 is in contact with the mounting surface 11a. When the amount of liquid discharged is large, the mounting surface 11a tends to become more soiled, so by increasing the number of movements (reciprocal movements) of the mounting unit 11 during the cleaning operation compared to when the discharge amount is small, the number of cleaning cycles can be increased, and the mounting surface 11a can be cleaned effectively. The control of the number of movements of the mounting unit 11 in this case can be performed by the control unit 500 described above controlling the mounting unit moving means 14 based on the amount of liquid discharged according to image data, etc.

[0051] Furthermore, the wiping section 41b of the cleaning roller 41 may be configured to be replaceable. By making the wiping section 41b replaceable, if dirt accumulates on the wiping section 41b, the wiping function can be restored by replacing the wiping section 41b.

[0052] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and the design can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0053] In the embodiments described above, the cleaning member was explained as a cleaning roller 41, but the cleaning member is not limited to a roller. For example, the cleaning member may be a blade member that slides without rotating as the mounting surface 11a moves, or it may be a wiper, web, brush, or suction mechanism.

[0054] Furthermore, the liquid dispensing device according to the present invention is not limited to an image forming device that dispenses ink onto a sheet to form an image, but may also be a device that dispenses liquid onto a sheet for purposes other than image formation, or a device that dispenses liquid onto a medium other than a sheet. For example, the liquid dispensing device according to the present invention may be a device that dispenses liquids such as solutions, suspensions, emulsions, etc., containing water, solvents such as organic solvents, colorants such as dyes and pigments, polymerizable compounds, resins, functional materials such as surfactants, biocompatible materials such as DNA, amino acids and proteins, calcium, and edible materials such as natural pigments onto a medium. These liquids are used not only for inkjet inks, but also for surface treatment liquids, components of electronic elements and light-emitting elements, liquids for forming electronic circuit resist patterns, and material liquids for 3D molding.

[0055] Furthermore, the liquid dispensing device according to the present invention may include means for feeding, conveying, and dispensing sheets, as well as a pre-treatment device and the like.

[0056] To summarize the embodiments of the present invention described above, the present invention includes at least the following embodiments.

[0057] [First aspect] The first embodiment is a cleaning device for cleaning the mounting surface of a liquid dispensing device that dispenses liquid onto a medium placed on a movable mounting surface, comprising a cleaning member capable of contacting the mounting surface, wherein the cleaning member is in contact with the mounting surface and the mounting surface moves as a result of the cleaning device.

[0058] [Second aspect] In a second embodiment, the cleaning member is movable to a retracted position spaced apart from the aforementioned mounting surface.

[0059] [Third aspect] In a third embodiment, the cleaning member is a rotatable roller, in the first or second embodiment.

[0060] [Fourth aspect] A fourth embodiment is one of the first to third embodiments in which the cleaning member has a wiping portion for wiping the surface described above.

[0061] [Fifth aspect] In a fifth embodiment, the wiping unit is replaceable, as in the fourth embodiment.

[0062] [Sixth aspect] The sixth embodiment is one of the first to fifth embodiments in which the cleaning member is in contact with the aforementioned surface and does not move in the direction of movement of the aforementioned surface.

[0063] [Seventh aspect] The seventh embodiment is a liquid dispensing device comprising a movable mounting surface on which a medium is placed, a liquid dispensing head for dispensing liquid onto the medium on the mounting surface, and a cleaning device of any one of the first to sixth embodiments for cleaning the mounting surface.

[0064] [Eighth aspect] The eighth aspect is the seventh aspect, wherein the number of times the cleaning member cleans the surface described above is changed according to the amount of liquid discharged into the medium. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0065] 4 Cleaning device 11 Mounting section 11a Mounting surface 22. Ink ejection head (liquid ejection head) 32 Pre-treatment liquid dispensing head (liquid dispensing head) 41 Cleaning roller (cleaning component) 41b Wiping section 100 Image forming device (liquid ejection device) S Sheet (Media) [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0066] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-300779

Claims

1. A cleaning device for cleaning the mounting surface of a liquid dispensing device that dispenses liquid onto a medium placed on a movable mounting surface, The system includes a cleaning member that can come into contact with the mounting surface, The cleaning device is characterized in that the cleaning member is in contact with the aforementioned surface, and the aforementioned surface moves while the cleaning member is in contact with the aforementioned surface, thereby cleaning the aforementioned surface.

2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member is movable to a retracted position spaced apart from the aforementioned mounting surface.

3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member is a rotatable roller.

4. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member has a wiping portion for wiping the surface described above.

5. The cleaning device according to claim 4, wherein the wiping unit is replaceable.

6. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member is in contact with the aforementioned surface and does not move in the direction of movement of the aforementioned surface.

7. A movable mounting surface on which the media is placed, A liquid dispensing head for dispensing liquid onto the medium on the mounting surface, A cleaning device according to claim 1 for cleaning the mounting surface, A liquid dispensing device characterized by comprising the following features.

8. The liquid dispensing device according to claim 7, wherein the number of times the cleaning member cleans the aforementioned surface is changed according to the amount of liquid dispensed to the medium.

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