Recording device and maintenance method

Abstract

To provide a technique for suppressing ejection failure at an ejection port that is caused by reaction of a reaction liquid and ink during a wiping operation.SOLUTION: In a recording device in which an ejection port surface of recording means having a first ejection port array capable of ejecting ink and a second ejection port array capable of ejecting a reaction liquid that reacts with the ink is wiped by maintenance means capable of receiving the ink and reaction liquid ejected from the recording means, ink that does not contribute to recording is ejected to a region of the maintenance means before the wiping, the region is between regions on which the first ejection port array and the second ejection port array respectively abut during the wiping.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that wipes an ejection port surface on which ejection ports of a recording head that ejects ink onto a recording medium are formed, and to a maintenance method that maintains and restores a good ink ejection state from the recording head. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for removing ink and other deposits from the nozzle surface of a recording head having nozzles for ejecting ink. Specifically, a sheet-like cleaning member is pressed against the nozzle surface to wipe and remove the deposits. The deposits include ink mist caused by ink accumulation or rebound at the nozzles during ink ejection, dust in the air, and fibers from the recording medium. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 8,342,638 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, the cleaning member wipes the ejection orifice surface, so the cleaning member comes into contact with the meniscus surface of each ejection orifice. This causes ink inside the ejection orifice to seep onto the cleaning member. In particular, in a recording device capable of ejecting a reaction liquid from an ejection orifice that promotes the aggregation of solids dispersed in the ink, if the reaction liquid uses a reaction component dissolved in a solvent, the reaction liquid will seep over a wider area of ​​the cleaning member than the solids dispersed in the ink. When the reaction liquid seeping out of the ejection orifice reaches the area where the cleaning member has wiped the ink, the solids, such as the pigment of the ink, will aggregate. This aggregate may adhere to the ejection orifice surface during the wiping operation, resulting in ejection problems from the ejection orifice.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a technique for suppressing ejection defects at ejection ports caused by the reaction between the reactive liquid and the ink during the wiping operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, one embodiment of the present invention is a recording device comprising: a recording means in which a first row of ejection ports extending along a predetermined direction and capable of ejecting ink, and a second row of ejection ports extending along the predetermined direction and capable of ejecting a reaction liquid that reacts with the ink, are formed side by side on the same plane in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction; a maintenance means capable of receiving the ink and reaction liquid ejected from the recording means and capable of wiping the ejection port surface of the recording means in which the first row of ejection ports and the second row of ejection ports are formed; and a control means for controlling the recording means and the maintenance means by moving at least one of the recording means and the maintenance means relatively to each other so that the maintenance means wipes the ejection port surface along the predetermined direction, wherein the control means performs a preliminary ejection, before performing the wiping, to eject ink into an area of ​​the maintenance means between an area with which the first row of ejection ports abuts and an area with which the second row of ejection ports abuts during the wiping. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress ejection defects at the ejection ports caused by the reaction between the reaction liquid and the ink during the wiping operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the main part of the recording apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a substrate on which an ejection port array is formed. [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Figure 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of ejection port arrays formed on an ejection port surface. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a movement area of ​​a print head and a movement area of ​​a maintenance unit. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system of the recording apparatus. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart of a maintenance process. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart of a preliminary ejection process that is a subroutine of the maintenance process in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a preliminary ejection position in the maintenance unit. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart of a wiping process that is a subroutine of the maintenance process in FIG. 9. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the maintenance unit during a wiping process. [Figure 14] 10 is a graph showing the number of ink droplets ejected from each ejection port of an ejection port array during preliminary ejection. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart of a preliminary ejection process according to another embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a preliminary ejection area in the maintenance unit. [Figure 17] 6A and 6B are diagrams for explaining preliminary ejection performed based on an ejection duty. [Figure 18] 10 is a flowchart of a preliminary ejection process according to another embodiment. [Figure 19] A table in which the temperature of the print head is associated with a coefficient by which the number of ink droplets ejected during preliminary ejection is multiplied. [Figure 20] 10 is a flowchart of a maintenance process according to another embodiment. [Figure 21] 21 is a flowchart of a wiping process that is a subroutine of the maintenance process of FIG. 20. [Figure 22] A table in which the ejection ratio is associated with a coefficient by which the number of wipes and the number of ink shots during preliminary ejection are multiplied. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of a recording device and a maintenance method will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiment does not limit the present invention, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiment are necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention. Furthermore, the relative positions, shapes, etc. of the components described in the embodiment are merely examples, and do not limit the scope of the present invention to them.

[0010] (First embodiment) First, a recording apparatus according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 14. The recording apparatus 10 in Figure 1 is a so-called serial scan type inkjet recording apparatus that uses an inkjet system to eject ink onto a conveyed recording medium while moving in a predetermined direction that intersects the conveyance direction (orthogonal in this embodiment) with the conveyance direction.

[0011] <Configuration of recording device> Fig. 1(a) is a schematic diagram of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment, Fig. 2(a) is a diagram illustrating a heating unit in the recording apparatus, and Fig. 2(b) is a diagram illustrating a recovery unit in the recording apparatus.

[0012] The recording device 10 includes a platen 12 that supports the recording medium P transported by a transport unit (not shown), and a recording unit 14 that records on the recording medium P supported by the platen 12. The recording device 10 also includes a heating unit 16 that heats the recording surface Pf of the recording medium P after recording, and a recovery unit 18 that maintains and recovers the ink ejection state in a good condition in the recording unit 14. The overall operation of the recording device 10 is controlled by a control unit 100.

[0013] The recording unit 14 includes a carriage 22 movably mounted on a guide shaft 20, and a recording head 24 mounted on the carriage 22 and configured to eject ink onto a recording medium P supported by the platen 12. The guide shaft 20 extends in the X direction, which intersects (orthogonal in this embodiment) the Y direction in which the recording medium P is transported, and the carriage 22 is configured to be able to move back and forth in the +X direction and the -X direction along the guide shaft 20. The recording head 24 has a plurality of ejection ports 32 (see FIG. 3) that eject ink, and is mounted on the carriage 22 so that an ejection port surface 34 (see FIG. 2(a)) in which the ejection ports 32 are formed faces the platen 12. As a result, in the recording device 10, the recording head 24 is configured to be able to eject ink while moving back and forth in the ±X directions.

[0014] The recording device 10 is provided with a linear encoder 30 (see FIG. 2(b)) extending in the X direction, and the position of the recording head 24 is controlled based on the signal from the linear encoder 30. The recording head 24 is also configured to be capable of ejecting four color inks and a reaction liquid RS that reacts with these inks to aggregate their solid contents. In this embodiment, the four color inks are black (K) ink, cyan (C) ink, magenta (M) ink, and yellow (Y) ink.

[0015] The recording device 10 performs a so-called bidirectional recording method, in which the recording unit 14, i.e., the recording head 24, ejects ink when moving in the +X direction and also ejects ink when moving in the -X direction. When recording starts, the recording device 10 moves the recording head 24 to a recording start position and feeds the recording medium P to a position where the recording head 24 can perform recording using the transport unit. Next, based on the recording data, a recording operation is performed in which ink is ejected while the recording head 24 moves (scans) in the +X direction (or the -X direction). Once the recording operation is complete, the transport unit performs a transport operation in which the recording medium P is transported a predetermined distance. Thereafter, a recording operation is performed in which ink is ejected while moving the recording head 24 in the -X direction (or the +X direction). Once the recording operation is complete, the transport unit again performs a transport operation in which the recording medium P is transported a predetermined distance. In this way, the recording device 10 performs recording on the recording medium P by alternately and repeatedly executing the recording operation and the transport operation. In this embodiment, for example, multi-pass printing is performed by scanning the printing unit 14 multiple times on a unit area on a printing medium.

[0016] The heating section 16 applies warm air to the recording surface Pf of the recording medium P on which ink (and reaction liquid) has been ejected from the recording section 14 and recorded, thereby heating the recording surface Pf and the ink applied to the recording surface Pf and fixing the ink to the recording surface Pf.

[0017] The recovery unit 18 includes a suction unit 26 provided adjacent to one end of the platen 12 in the X direction, and a maintenance unit 28 provided adjacent to the other end of the platen 12 in the X direction. That is, the suction unit 26 is located in an area S1 on one end side of the recording area Sp where ink is ejected from the recording unit 14 onto the recording medium P supported by the platen 12. The maintenance unit 28 is located in an area S2 on the other end side of the recording area Sp. The maintenance unit 28 will be described in detail later.

[0018] The suction unit 26 is configured to perform a suction process that forcibly sucks ink from a plurality of ejection ports 32 that eject ink in the recording head 24, thereby maintaining and restoring the ink inside the ejection ports 32 to a state suitable for ejection. The suction unit 26 includes a cap 36 that covers the ejection port surface 34 of the recording head 24, a pump 40 provided in a tube 38 that communicates with the cap 36, and an elevator 42 that raises and lowers the cap 36.

[0019] The caps 36 include caps 36a that cover a predetermined area on the ejection port surface 34, including all of the ejection ports 32RS that eject the reaction liquid RS, and caps 36b that cover a predetermined area including all of the ejection ports 32 for the four colors of ink. Specifically, the caps 36b cover the ejection ports 32K that eject K ink, the ejection ports 32C that eject C ink, the ejection ports 32M that eject M ink, and the ejection ports 32Y that eject Y ink. Note that the caps 36b may be configured so that each ink color is covered by an independent cap.

[0020] When the caps 36 are in contact with the ejection port surface 34 and cover a predetermined area including the corresponding ejection ports 32, negative pressure is generated within the caps 36, and the negative pressure forcibly sucks ink and reaction liquid from each ejection port 32. Note that the pump 40 may be configured to generate negative pressure only in the caps 36b, so that only the four colors of ink can be forcibly sucked.

[0021] The lifting unit 42 moves the caps 36 in the +Z direction, that is, raises them, so that the caps 36 come into contact with the outlet surface 34 and cover a predetermined area including the corresponding outlet 32. Also, by moving the caps 36 in the -Z direction, that is, lowering them, the caps 36 are separated from the outlet surface 34 and the predetermined area including the corresponding outlet 32 ​​is exposed.

[0022] <Recording head configuration> Next, the configuration of the recording head 24 will be described. A substrate 44 is disposed on the discharge port surface 34 of the recording head 24, on which a plurality of discharge ports 32 for discharging ink of each color and reaction liquid are formed. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the substrate 44 on which a discharge port array consisting of a plurality of discharge ports is formed. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the discharge port surface 34. Note that Figs. 3 and 5 are views seen from the discharge port surface 34 side.

[0023] The substrate 44 has two rows of ejection ports 32 that eject ink (or reaction liquid) as droplets, spaced at 600 dpi intervals (at a density of 600 ports per inch) along the Y direction (see FIG. 3). These two rows are formed such that one row is shifted by 1200 dpi in the Y direction from the other. In this embodiment, the substrate 44 has two rows of 1536 ejection ports 32, forming an ejection port row 33.

[0024] Furthermore, temperature sensors 46 capable of detecting the temperature of the substrate 44 are provided on the substrate 44 near both ends in the Y direction of the ejection port array 33. The temperature sensors 46 detect the temperature by, for example, utilizing the temperature dependency of the anode-cathode voltage of a diode.

[0025] In the substrate 44, an upper plate member 50 is formed on a base material 48 (see FIG. 4). A common liquid chamber 52 is formed between the base material 48 and the upper plate member 50. A liquid supply port 54 is connected to the common liquid chamber 52, through which the ink or reaction liquid to be ejected is supplied. A liquid flow path 56 extends from the common liquid chamber 52, and this liquid flow path 56 is connected to the ejection port 32 formed in the upper plate member 50.

[0026] A bubbling chamber 58 is formed at the end of the liquid flow path 56 on the ejection port 32 side, and a heating element 60 is disposed in this bubbling chamber 58 at a position facing the ejection port 32. In the substrate 44, liquid flow paths 56 that communicate between the ejection port 32 and the common liquid chamber 52 are formed between the upper plate member 50 and the base material 48, and partition walls 62 are formed between adjacent liquid flow paths 56.

[0027] When liquid (ink and reaction liquid) is ejected from the ejection ports 32, the heating elements 60 are driven via the print head driver 114 (see FIG. 8 ) based on a print signal output from the control unit 100. When the heating elements 60 are driven, the heat generated from the heating elements 60 locally heats the liquid in the bubbling chamber 58. This causes film boiling in the liquid in the bubbling chamber 58, and the resulting pressure causes the liquid to be ejected from the ejection ports 32. In this embodiment, the print head 24 ejects 4 ng of droplets from each ejection port 32, and is capable of ejecting droplets at a maximum ejection frequency of 21 kHz.

[0028] On the ejection port surface 34, substrates 44 corresponding to each color of ink and reaction liquid are provided so that the ejection port arrays 33 are parallel to the Y direction (see FIG. 5). That is, on the ejection port surface 34, a substrate 44Y that ejects Y ink, a substrate 44M that ejects M ink, a substrate 44C that ejects C ink, a substrate 44K that ejects K ink, and a substrate 44RS that ejects reaction liquid RS are arranged in this order along the +X direction. Note that an ejection port array 33Y consisting of a plurality of ejection ports 32 that eject Y ink is formed on the substrate 44Y. An ejection port array 33M consisting of a plurality of ejection ports 32 that eject M ink is formed on the substrate 44M. An ejection port array 33C consisting of a plurality of ejection ports 32 that eject C ink is formed on the substrate 44C. An ejection port array 33K consisting of a plurality of ejection ports 32 that eject K ink is formed on the substrate 44K. The substrate 44RS is formed with an ejection opening array 33RS consisting of a plurality of ejection openings 32 that eject the reaction liquid RS. In this way, in the recording head 24, the ejection opening array 33 that ejects the reaction liquid RS and the ejection opening array 33 that ejects each ink are formed on the same plane.

[0029] In this embodiment, the distance between the ejection opening array 33RS and the ejection opening array 33K is longer than the distance between adjacent ejection opening arrays 33 that eject ink. In this embodiment, this distance is, for example, longer than 5 mm. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the reaction liquid reacts with the solid content in the colored ink, specifically, the pigment contained in the colored ink, to promote its aggregation. As a result, when recording on a recording medium that does not absorb liquid (e.g., a resin sheet), the recording apparatus 10 mixes the reaction liquid with the colored ink on the recording medium to promote thickening due to pigment aggregation, enabling the formation of good images with reduced beading.

[0030] <Maintenance Department> Next, the maintenance unit 28 in the recovery unit 18 will be described. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the movement area of ​​the maintenance unit and the movement area of ​​the recording head. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of the maintenance unit, with Fig. 7(a) being a side view seen from the +X direction and Fig. 7(b) being a front view seen from the -Y direction. Note that in Figs. 7(a) and 7(b), some components are shown with dashed lines to make it easier to understand.

[0031] The maintenance unit 28 is provided in an area S2 on the other end side of the recording area Sp so as to be movable in the Y direction. The movement area Sm of the maintenance unit 28 partially overlaps with the movement area Sh of the recording head 24, which moves in the X direction, as shown in Fig. 6. The maintenance unit 28 is capable of reciprocating between a first position that does not overlap with the movement area Sh of the recording head 24 in the -Y direction, and a second position that does not overlap with the movement area Sh in the +Y direction.

[0032] When performing a maintenance process (described later) on the ejection port surface 34 of the recording head 24, the maintenance unit 28 is located at a maintenance start position within the area Sc where the movement area Sm of the maintenance unit 28 and the movement area Sh of the recording head 24 overlap. When not performing a maintenance process, the maintenance unit 28 may be located at a standby position located at the rearmost end (end in the -Y direction) of the movement area Sm, or at any position that serves as the first position. During the maintenance process (wiping process), the recording head 24 is located at a wiping position that is located within the area Sc and near the other end of the movement area Sh.

[0033] The maintenance unit 28 receives ink during maintenance processing and includes a cleaning member 70 that contacts the ejection port surface 34 to wipe off any deposits adhering to the ejection port surface 34. The maintenance unit 28 also includes a take-up unit 72 that takes up the cleaning member 70, and a pressing member 74 that presses the cleaning member 70 to contact the ejection port surface 34 with a predetermined pressure.

[0034] A nonwoven fabric can be used as the cleaning member 70. More specifically, it is preferable to use a sheet / web or pad-shaped nonwoven fabric in which fibers are fused or bonded or entangled by mechanical or chemical action. The cleaning member 70 can instantaneously absorb the applied ink and the ink (reaction liquid) adhering to the ejection port surface 34 by the capillary pressure of the fine pores in the nonwoven fabric. In this embodiment, the cleaning member 70 functions as a wiping member that wipes the ejection port surface 34.

[0035] The winding unit 72 includes a rotating member 72a around which an unused cleaning member 70 is wound, and a rotating member 72b that winds up a used cleaning member 70. The rotating member 72b is disposed on the +Y direction side of the rotating member 72a. The tip of the cleaning member 70 is attached to the rotating member 72b, and the rotating member 72b winds up the cleaning member 70 by rotating under the control of the control unit 100. The rotating members 72a and 72b are provided with a pair of disk members 80a and 80b at both ends in the X direction of a core 78 around which the cleaning member 70 is wound. The diameters of the disk members 80a and 80b are larger than the diameter of the core 78.

[0036] In the maintenance unit 28, the cleaning member 70, which is located between the rotating members 72a and 72b, is exposed when viewed from above (in the -Y direction). The size of the exposed cleaning member 70 is such that, with the maintenance unit 28 in the maintenance start position, the cleaning member 70 can receive the ink and reaction liquid ejected from each ejection port array 33 of the recording head 24 located within the region Sc. The size of the exposed portion is also such that the cleaning member 70 can simultaneously wipe at least each ejection port array 33 across the X direction when the cleaning member 70 moves within the movement region Sm while being pressed by the pressing member 74.

[0037] The pressing member 74 is located between the rotating members 72a and 72b and presses the cleaning member 70, which is located between the rotating members 72a and 72b, in the +Z direction by the biasing force of the biasing member 76. The length L1 of the pressing member 74 in the X direction is a length that enables the pressing member 74 to simultaneously press each of the ejection port arrays 33 of the recording head 24, which is in the wiping position, across the X direction via the cleaning member 70. The length L2 of the pressing member 74 in the Y direction is a predetermined length, for example, approximately 5 mm.

[0038] The maintenance unit 28 also includes a lowering unit (not shown) that lowers the pressing member 74. This lowering unit lowers the pressing member 74 against the biasing force of the biasing member 76 under the control of the control unit 100. This allows the maintenance unit 28 to move within the movement region Sm without the cleaning member 70 coming into contact with the ejection port surface 34.

[0039] <Control configuration of recording device> Next, we will explain the configuration of the control system of the recording device 10. Figure 8 is a block diagram of the control system of the recording device 10.

[0040] The control unit 100, which performs overall control of the recording device 10, includes a central processing unit (CPU) 102, a ROM 104, a RAM 106, and a gate array 108. The CPU 102 controls the operation of each component in the recording device 10 and processes input image data based on various programs. The ROM 104 functions as memory for storing various control and image data processing programs executed by the CPU 102. The RAM 106 stores various data used to control the recording device (such as image data and recording signals output to the recording head 24). The gate array 108 supplies recording signals to the recording head 24 and transmits data between an interface 110 (described below), the CPU 102, and the RAM 106.

[0041] The control unit 100 is connected to an interface 110, and information output from an external device 112 is input via the interface 110. A user inputs image data and various other information to the recording device 10 via the external device 112. The control unit 100 is also connected to a printhead driver 114, a scan motor driver 116, and a transport motor driver 118. The printhead driver 114 drives the printhead 24 (heating elements) to eject ink based on a print signal output from the control unit 100. The scan motor driver 116 drives the scan motor 120 to move the carriage 22 in the X direction based on a signal output from the control unit 100 in response to a signal from a linear encoder 30. The transport motor driver 118 drives the transport motor 122 to transport the recording medium via the transport unit based on a signal output from the control unit 100 in response to a signal from an encoder 124 that acquires information corresponding to the transport amount in the transport unit.

[0042] In the control unit 100, the CPU 102 and gate array 108 convert image data input from an external device 112 via an interface 110 into print data and store it in the RAM 106. Furthermore, the control unit 100 synchronously starts a print head driver 114, a scan motor driver 116, and a transport motor driver 118, thereby causing the printing unit 14 to perform a printing operation and the transport unit to perform a transport operation. As a result, an image based on the print data is printed on the printing medium.

[0043] The control unit 100 is also connected to a temperature sensor 46 provided on the substrate 44 of the print head 24, and can acquire temperature information of the substrate 44, i.e., the ink (reaction liquid) ejected from the substrate 44. In this embodiment, the temperature sensor 46 functions as a detection unit that can detect the temperature of the print head 24 equipped with the substrate 44. The control unit 100 is also connected to the heating unit 16, and outputs a signal to the heating unit 16 to drive the heating unit 16 and heat the print medium after printing. The control unit 100 is also connected to the suction unit 26 and the maintenance unit 28, and drives the suction unit 26, the maintenance unit 28, the print head 24, and the scanning motor 120 to perform a suction process by the suction unit 26 and a maintenance process by the maintenance unit 28. In this embodiment, the control unit 100 functions as a control unit that controls the print head 24, the maintenance unit 28, etc. to perform the maintenance process.

[0044] <Ink and reaction liquid> Next, the inks and reaction liquids used in the recording device 10 will be described. In this embodiment, the recording device 10 can use colored inks containing pigments and water-soluble resin particle inks that contain no pigments or that contain trace amounts of pigments. These colored inks and water-soluble resin particle inks contain water-soluble organic solvents. Various surfactants, defoamers, preservatives, antifungal agents, and the like can be added as needed to the colored inks and water-soluble resin particle inks used in the recording device 10 to impart desired properties.

[0045] The colored inks contain water-soluble resin particles that adhere to the recording medium and improve the abrasion resistance (fixability) of the recorded image. The resin particles are melted by heat, and a heater (such as heating unit 16) forms a film of the resin particles and dries the solvent contained in the ink. In this embodiment, the resin particles are polymer particles dispersed in water. The polymer particles dispersed in water may also be in the form of resin particles obtained by homopolymerizing or copolymerizing multiple types of monomers having dissociable groups, i.e., a so-called self-dispersing resin particle dispersion. The K ink uses carbon black as the pigment, the C ink uses CI Pigment Blue 15:3 as the pigment, the M ink uses CI Pigment Red as the pigment, and the Y ink uses CI Pigment Yellow 74 as the pigment.

[0046] The reactive liquid RS used in the recording apparatus 10 contains a reactive component that reacts with the pigment contained in each ink to aggregate or gel the pigment. The reactive component is a component that, when mixed with an ink containing a pigment that is stably dispersed in an aqueous medium by the action of ionic groups, can destroy the dispersion stability of the ink.

[0047] <Maintenance processing> In the above configuration, when the recording process for recording on the recording medium based on the recording data is started, the recording device 10 performs the maintenance process at a predetermined timing during the recording process. The predetermined timing may be, for example, the timing when the recording operation, which is a scan involving recording in the +X direction and the -X direction of the recording unit 14, has been performed 10 times each, i.e., 10 round trips.

[0048] Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing a detailed processing routine of the maintenance processing. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing a detailed processing routine of the preliminary ejection processing, which is a subroutine of the processing routine shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the preliminary ejection positions of each ink. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing a detailed processing routine of the wiping processing, which is a subroutine of the processing routine shown in Fig. 9. Figs. 13(a), (b), and (c) are diagrams explaining the wiping operation of the maintenance unit.

[0049] The series of processes shown in the flowcharts of Figures 9, 10, and 12 are performed by the CPU 102 by loading program code stored in ROM 104 into RAM 106 and executing the program code. Alternatively, some or all of the functions of the steps in Figures 9, 10, and 12 may be performed by hardware such as an ASIC or an electrical circuit. Note that the symbol S in the description of each process indicates a step in the flowchart. The same applies to the descriptions of the preliminary ejection process and wiping process described in other embodiments.

[0050] When 10 reciprocating recording operations are performed during the recording process, the control unit 100 starts a maintenance process for the recording head 24. When the maintenance process ends, the control unit 100 resumes the recording process, and when 10 reciprocating recording operations are performed again, the control unit 100 executes the maintenance process again.

[0051] When the maintenance process starts, first, a preliminary ejection process is performed (S902), which is a preliminary ejection of ink that does not contribute to recording an image on a recording medium. Then, a wiping process is performed (S904), which wipes the ejection port surface 34 with the cleaning member 70. This maintenance process ends.

[0052] =Pre-ejection processing= In the preliminary ejection process, first, the CPU 102 moves the maintenance unit 28 to a maintenance start position (S1002). In S1002, the maintenance unit 28, which is in a standby position (or first position) that does not overlap with the movement area Sh of the recording head 24, is moved to the maintenance start position set within the area Sc where the movement areas Sm and Sh of the maintenance unit 28 overlap (see FIG. 6). As a result, the cleaning member 70 faces the ejection port surface 34 of the recording head 24 that has moved into the area Sc. Note that during the execution of this preliminary ejection process, the pressing member 74 of the maintenance unit 28 does not press the cleaning member 70.

[0053] Next, the CPU 102 moves the print head 24 to a preliminary ejection position where K ink is preliminary ejected, and ejects a predetermined amount of K ink at the preliminary ejection position (S1004). The preliminary ejection position where K ink is preliminary ejected will now be described. In FIG. 11 , the positions of the ejection port surface 34 and the ejection port arrays 33 when the print head 24 is located at a wiping position, which will be described later, relative to the maintenance unit 28, which is located at the maintenance start position. During the wiping process, the maintenance unit 28 moves in the Y direction with the cleaning member 70 pressed by the pressing member 74 relative to the print head 24 located at the wiping position, to wipe the ejection port surface 34. Therefore, each ejection port array 33 comes into contact with the cleaning member 70 in an area pressed by the pressing member 74. The preliminary ejection position for preliminary ejection of K ink is a position in the X direction where K ink can be ejected into an area SB located between an area 1100 where the ejection port array 33RS abuts during the wiping process and an area 1102 where the ejection port array 33K abuts.

[0054] After the preliminary ejection of the K ink is completed, the CPU 102 moves the print head 24 to a preliminary ejection position for preliminary ejection of the C ink, and ejects a predetermined amount of the C ink at the preliminary ejection position (S1006). The preliminary ejection position for preliminary ejection of the C ink is a position where the C ink can be ejected into the area SB.

[0055] When the preliminary ejection of C ink is completed, the CPU 102 then moves the print head 24 to a preliminary ejection position for preliminary ejection of M ink, and ejects a predetermined amount of M ink at the preliminary ejection position (S1008). The preliminary ejection position for preliminary ejection of M ink is a position where M ink can be ejected into the area SB.

[0056] After the preliminary ejection of the M ink is completed, the CPU 102 moves the print head 24 to a preliminary ejection position for preliminary ejection of the Y ink, and ejects a predetermined amount of the Y ink at the preliminary ejection position (S1010). The preliminary ejection position for preliminary ejection of the Y ink is a position where the M ink can be ejected into the area SB.

[0057] In steps S1004 to S1010, preliminary ejection is performed with the maintenance unit 28 stopped at the maintenance start position and the recording head 24 stopped at the preliminary ejection position of the ink to be preliminary ejected. When the preliminary ejection of each ink is completed in this manner, the process proceeds to the wiping process of S904. A predetermined amount for preliminary ejection of each ink is set in advance. This predetermined amount varies depending on the type of ink and reaction liquid used, and is determined and set, for example, experimentally. A specific method for determining this predetermined amount will be described later. As the predetermined amount, for example, 100 ink droplets are ejected from each ejection port at an ejection frequency of 5 kHz.

[0058] The preliminary ejection positions for each ink may be the same or different, as long as the corresponding ink can be ejected within the region SB. Furthermore, the processes of S1004 to S1010 are not limited to being performed in the order described above, and may be changed as appropriate depending on the configuration of the print head 24 and the printing device 10. Furthermore, while preliminary ejection is performed for all of the inks, K ink, C ink, M ink, and Y ink, this is not limiting. That is, preliminary ejection may be performed only for inks of a predetermined color. In other words, the preliminary ejection process described above only requires preliminary ejection for at least one color of ink.

[0059] 5, the region SB is defined as the region between the ejection port array 33RS and the ejection port array 33K, but the region SB is not limited to this. That is, the region SB is the region between the ejection port array 33RS and the ejection port array 33 that ejects ink and is located next to the ejection port array 33RS.

[0060] = Wiping process = In the wiping process, first, the CPU 102 moves the recording head 24 to a wiping position (S1202). As shown in FIG. 11, the wiping position is a position where the entire ejection port surface 34 faces the cleaning member 70 of the maintenance unit 28, which is at the maintenance start position. The CPU 102 also moves the maintenance unit 28, which was at the maintenance start position during the preliminary ejection process, to the wiping start position (S1204). The wiping start position is a position where the cleaning member 70 does not come into contact with the carriage 22 and the recording head 24 when the pressing member 74 is pressing the cleaning member 70, and is a position on the -Y direction side of the recording head 24 (see FIG. 13(a)).

[0061] Next, the CPU 102 presses the cleaning member 70 with the pressing member 74 (S1206), and while maintaining this state, moves the maintenance unit 28 in the +Y direction to the wiping end position (S1208). When the maintenance unit 28 moves in the +Y direction from the wiping start position, the portion of the cleaning member 70 pressed by the pressing member 74 comes into contact with the ejection port surface 34. At this time, the ejection port surface 34 is pressed with a predetermined pressure by the cleaning member 70 due to the biasing force of the biasing member 76. Then, by further moving in the +Y direction, the ejection port surface 34 is wiped while being pressed by the cleaning member 70, and any deposits adhering to the ejection port surface 34 are removed by the cleaning member 70 (see FIG. 13(b)). Thus, in S1208, the maintenance unit 28 performs a wiping operation on the ejection port surface 34. The wiping end position is a position where the cleaning member 70 does not contact the carriage 22 and the recording head 24 when pressed by the pressing member 74, and is a position on the +Y side of the recording head 24 (see Figure 13(c)).

[0062] Incidentally, when the ejection port surface 34 is wiped with the pressing portion of the pressing member 74 of the cleaning member 70, there is a risk that ink and reaction liquid will seep out from the ejection ports 32 in each ejection port array 33. In this embodiment, a preliminary ink ejection process is performed before the wiping process, and in the preliminary ejection process, ink is ejected into an area SB between an area 1100 with which the ejection port array 33RS that ejects the reaction liquid RS abuts, and an area 1102 with which the ejection port array 33K that ejects the K ink abuts.

[0063] Therefore, even if the reaction liquid RS seeps out of the ejection ports 32 in the cleaning member 70 during the wiping operation in S1208, the seeped reaction liquid RS comes into contact with the preliminarily ejected ink before reaching the region where the ejection port array 33K abuts. As a result, the seeped reaction liquid RS reacts with the preliminarily ejected ink, making it difficult for the seeped reaction liquid RS to come into contact with the region 1102 or the seeped K ink. Therefore, the generation of aggregates due to the reaction between the K ink and the reaction liquid RS is suppressed in the region 1102 of the cleaning member 70 and its vicinity, and ejection defects caused by such aggregates are suppressed.

[0064] In this embodiment, the spread of the seeped-out reaction liquid RS is restricted by the preliminarily ejected ink. Therefore, the predetermined amount of ejection of each ink during the preliminarily ejected process is set, for example, as follows: Here, the ink and reaction liquid seep out from the region where the cleaning member 70 contacts the ejection port array 33 during the wiping process. That is, the reaction liquid RS seeps out from the region 1100, and the K ink seeps out from the region 1102. Therefore, the predetermined amount of ink ejection is set to a lower limit value that can restrict the spread of the reaction liquid RS from the region 1100 to the region 1102 (or its vicinity) at a frequency that does not exceed the maximum frequency of the print head 24. Alternatively, the predetermined amount of ink ejection is set to a value that is a certain value greater than the lower limit value.

[0065] Thereafter, the CPU 102 releases the pressure of the pressing member 74 on the cleaning member 70 at the wiping end position (S1210). In S1210, the CPU 102 drives a lowering unit (not shown) to lower the pressing member 74 against the biasing force of the biasing member 76. Then, while maintaining the state in which the pressure of the pressing member 74 on the cleaning member 70 is released, the CPU 102 moves the maintenance unit 28 in the -Y direction to the wiping start position (S1212). In S1212, because the pressure of the pressing member 74 on the cleaning member 70 has been released, the cleaning member 70 does not come into contact with the ejection port surface 34 during movement to the wiping start position.

[0066] When the maintenance unit 28 moves to the wiping start position, the CPU 102 drives the rotating member 72b to retract the cleaning member 70 (S1214), thereby ending the wiping process and terminating the maintenance process. The amount of retraction of the cleaning member 70 in S1214 corresponds to the length of the pressing member 74 in the Y direction. For example, in this embodiment, the length of the pressing member 74 in the Y direction is approximately 5 mm, and the cleaning member 70 is retracted by an amount corresponding to this. Alternatively, the cleaning member 70 may be retracted by a fixed amount longer than the length of the pressing member 74 in the Y direction, taking into account the seepage of ink and reaction liquid into the cleaning member 70 during wiping. After the cleaning member 70 is retracted in S1214, the cleaning member 70 is free of the wiped deposits in areas 1100, 1102, and the like.

[0067] As described above, in the recording apparatus 10 according to this embodiment, a preliminary ejection process is performed in which ink is preliminarily ejected onto the cleaning member 70 before a wiping process in which the cleaning member 70 wipes the ejection port surface 34. During the preliminary ejection process, ink is ejected onto the region SB of the cleaning member 70 between the ejection port array that ejects the reaction liquid and the adjacent ejection port array that ejects the ink. As a result, even if the reaction liquid RS seeps into the cleaning member 70 from the ejection ports 32 during the wiping operation, the seeped reaction liquid RS reacts with the preliminarily ejected ink, thereby restricting the reaction liquid RS from spreading into the region where the ejection port array adjacent to the ejection port array abuts. Therefore, during the wiping process, ejection defects caused by a reaction between the reaction liquid seeping into the cleaning member 70 and the ink are suppressed.

[0068] (Second embodiment) Next, a recording device according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 14. In the following description, the same reference numerals as those used in the first embodiment will be used for the same or corresponding components as those in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0069] The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the ink ejection amount (number of ejections) during preliminary ejection is changed in each ejection port array 33 depending on the position of the ejection port 32.

[0070] The ejection amount of each ink in the preliminary ejection process will be described in detail below. During the wiping operation, the portion of the cleaning member 70 pressed by the pressing member 74 comes into contact with the ejection port surface 34, so the reaction liquid RS seeps out and spreads from a region 1100 that overlaps with the region where the ejection port array 33RS of that portion comes into contact (see FIG. 11). For this reason, the amount of exuding reaction liquid RS decreases with increasing distance from the region 1100. Therefore, the amount of ink required to restrict the spread of the exuded reaction liquid RS, i.e., the number of ink shots during preliminary ejection, can be less at positions away from the region 1100 than at positions near the region 1100.

[0071] Therefore, in this embodiment, the amount of ink ejected in the preliminary ejection process is set to be greatest at the portion of the cleaning member 70 pressed by the pressing member 74, and to decrease the farther away from that portion. Note that in this embodiment, the pressing member 74 of the maintenance unit 28 at the maintenance start position is positioned approximately at the center, in the Y direction, of the ejection port array 33 of the recording head 24 at the wiping position.

[0072] FIG. 14 shows an example in which the amount of ink ejected during preliminary ejection is varied. In the preliminary ejection process, in steps S1004, S1006, S1008, and S1010, the number of ejections of ink from the ejection ports 32 in the ejection port arrays 33 is set as shown in FIG. 14, and the ejection frequency is 5 kHz. Specifically, each ejection port array 33 has 1,536 ejection ports 32, and the ejection ports 32 are assigned ejection port numbers 0 to 1,535 in order from one end to the other in the Y direction. The ejection ports 32 from ejection port Nos. 511 to 1,023, which correspond to the portions of the cleaning member 70 pressed by the pressing member 74, eject 100 ink droplets. From ejection port No. 511 toward ejection port No. 0, the number of ejection shots decreases the farther away from ejection port No. 511, and the ejection port 32 with ejection port No. 0 ejects 20 ink droplets. Further, from the ejection port No. 1023 toward the ejection port No. 1535, the number of ejections decreases as the position becomes farther from the ejection port No. 1023, and the ejection port 32 of the ejection port No. 1535 ejects 20 ink droplets.

[0073] According to experiments conducted by the inventors of the present application, this has enabled the pre-ejected ink to restrict the spread of the reaction liquid RS that has seeped out of the ejection port array 33RS in the cleaning member 70 to the area 1102 where the ejection port array 33K comes into contact and its surrounding area.

[0074] As described above, in the recording device 10 according to this embodiment, the ejection amount (number of shots) of ink to be preliminarily ejected is greatest at the portion of the cleaning member 70 pressed by the pressing member 74, and decreases as the distance from this portion increases. As a result, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the recording device according to this embodiment can further reduce the amount of ink consumed.

[0075] (Third embodiment) Next, a recording device according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 15 to 17. In the following description, the same reference numerals as those used in the first embodiment will be used for the same or corresponding components as those in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0076] The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the amount of ink ejected during preliminary ejection in each ejection port array 33 is changed depending on the position of the ejection port 32. The third embodiment also differs from the second embodiment in that ink is ejected while the print head 24 is moving during preliminary ejection.

[0077] The following describes a form in which ink is ejected while the print head 24 is moving during the preliminary ejection process. Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing a detailed processing routine of the preliminary ejection process in this embodiment. Fig. 16 is a diagram showing a preliminary ejected area when preliminary ejection is performed while the print head 24 is moving.

[0078] In the preliminary ejection process of this embodiment, the CPU 102 first moves the maintenance unit 28 to the maintenance start position (S1502). The specific process content of S1502 is the same as S1002. Next, the CPU 102 moves the print head 24 to a position where ink ejected from the ejection port array 33Y can be ejected to the preliminary ejection start position Pb, which is set near the region 1100 where the ejection port array 33RS abuts (S1504). Then, while moving the print head 24 in the -X direction, preliminary ejection is performed for each color ink with the number of ejections shown in FIG. 13 (S1506), and the process proceeds to the wiping process of S904. In S1506, while moving the print head 24 in the -X direction, when the ejection port array 33 corresponding to each ink reaches a position where it can eject ink to the preliminary ejection start position Pb, a preliminary ejection operation is performed in which ink is ejected from the ejection ports 32 of the ejection port array 33 that has reached that position. In this preliminary ejection operation, all ink is ejected within the region SB. For example, the print head 24 ejects ink at a ejection frequency of 6 kHz while scanning in 600 dpi increments at a speed of 10 ips in the -X direction. When the ejection opening array 33 reaches a position where ejection is possible at the preliminary ejection end position Pe, the preliminary ejection operation ends after ejecting ink from a predetermined ejection opening 32 of the ejection opening array 33 that has reached that position. When preliminary ejection is performed with the number of ejections shown in FIG. 13, the preliminary ejection area 1600 where each ink is pre-ejected will be as shown in FIG. 16.

[0079] In the preliminary ejection region 1600, ink is ejected from all ejection ports in each ejection port array at the preliminary ejection start position Pb. When the preliminary ejection start position Pb is reached at approximately 0.8 mm, the number of ejection ports gradually decreases. When the preliminary ejection start position Pn is reached at approximately 4.2 mm, ink is ejected only from the ejection ports 32 numbered 511 to 1023. When the ejection port array 33 reaches this position, ink ejection from that ejection port array 33 ends. Note that the values ​​shown in this embodiment can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the region from which ink is preliminary ejected is not limited to the preliminary ejection region 1600. That is, the preliminary ejection region can be changed by the number of preliminary ejections, etc., so as to be located within the region SB, without exceeding the maximum ejection frequency, based on the relationship between the scanning speed of the print head 24 and the number of preliminary ejections.

[0080] In the above description, preliminary ejection from each ejection port 32 during preliminary ejection is controlled based on the number of ejections of each ink from the ejection port 32 shown in Fig. 13, but this is not limiting. That is, for example, as shown in Figs. 17(a) and 17(b), the number of ink ejections from each ejection port 32 during preliminary ejection may be controlled by varying the ejection duty depending on the position of the ejection port 32 in the ejection port array 33. Fig. 17(a) is a diagram showing an example of a preliminary ejection region when the ejection duty is varied. Fig. 17(b) is a diagram showing the ejection duties corresponding to the ejection ports.

[0081] 17(b), ejection duty is set to 100% for ejection ports No. 511 to No. 1023, and the ejection duty gradually decreases from ejection port No. 511 to No. 0, until the ejection duty reaches 20% for ejection port No. 0. Furthermore, the ejection duty gradually decreases from ejection port No. 1023 to No. 1535, until the ejection duty reaches 20% for ejection port No. 1535.

[0082] When preliminary ejection is performed based on the ejection duty corresponding to ejection port 32 in this way, a preliminary ejection region 1700 such as that shown in Figure 17(a) is obtained. Region 1704 in the center of this preliminary ejection region 1700 corresponds to ejection port Nos. 511 to 1023 and is printed at an ejection duty of 100%. Region 1702 located on the +Y side of the preliminary ejection region 1700 corresponds to ejection port Nos. 0 to 510 and is printed with an ejection duty that gradually decreases toward ejection port No. 0, with ejection port No. 0 being printed with an ejection duty of 20%. Region 1706 located on the -Y side of the preliminary ejection region 1700 corresponds to ejection port Nos. 1024 to 1535 and is printed with an ejection duty that gradually decreases toward ejection port No. 1535, with ejection port No. 1535 being printed with an ejection duty of 20%.

[0083] As described above, in the recording device 10 according to this embodiment, the amount (number) of ink ejected during preliminary ejection is greatest at the portion of the cleaning member 70 pressed by the pressing member 74, and decreases as the distance from this portion increases. Furthermore, ink is ejected while the recording head 24 is scanning during preliminary ejection. This allows the recording device according to this embodiment to further reduce ink consumption in addition to the effects of the first embodiment. Furthermore, the amount of ink ejected during preliminary ejection can be controlled by the ejection duty.

[0084] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a recording device according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 18 and 19. In the following description, the same reference numerals as those used in the first embodiment will be used for the same or corresponding components as those in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0085] The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the amount of ink ejected during preliminary ejection is changed in accordance with the temperature of the print head 24.

[0086] More specifically, the higher the temperature of the substrate 44, the lower the viscosity of the ink and reaction liquid inside the ejection ports 32 formed in the substrate 44. If a wiping operation is performed when the viscosity of the ink and reaction liquid is low, a large amount of ink and reaction liquid will seep into the cleaning member 70 when the cleaning member 70 comes into contact with the ejection port array 33. If a large amount of the reaction liquid RS seeps into the cleaning member 70, it is necessary to increase the amount of ink ejected during preliminary ejection in order to restrict the spread of the reaction liquid RS on the cleaning member 70.

[0087] Therefore, in this embodiment, the temperature of the print head 24 is detected by temperature sensors 46 provided near both ends of the ejection port array 33RS in the Y direction, and the higher the detected temperature, the greater the amount of ink ejected during preliminary ejection. This makes it possible to respond to the amount of reaction liquid RS that has seeped into the cleaning member 70, which changes depending on the temperature of the print head 24, and more reliably suppresses ejection defects caused by the reaction between the ink and the reaction liquid RS.

[0088] The following describes an embodiment in which the amount of ink ejected during preliminary ejection is changed according to the temperature of the print head 24. Fig. 18 is a flowchart showing a detailed processing routine for preliminary ejection in this embodiment. Fig. 19 is a table showing coefficients by which the number of ink droplets ejected during preliminary ejection is multiplied, associated with the temperature of the print head 24.

[0089] In the preliminary ejection process of this embodiment, first, the CPU 102 moves the maintenance unit 28 to a maintenance start position (S1802). The specific processing content of S1802 is the same as S1002. Next, the CPU 102 acquires the temperature of the print head 24 (S1804). In S1804, in order to detect a temperature that is close to the temperature of the reaction liquid RS in the ejection ports 32, the CPU 102 acquires the temperature of the print head 24 based on a signal output from a temperature sensor 46 provided on the substrate 44RS of the print head 24.

[0090] Then, based on the acquired temperature, the number of ink droplets to be preliminarily ejected is calculated (S1806). That is, in S1806, the number of ink droplets to be actually ejected during preliminary ejection is calculated for each of the K ink, C ink, M ink, and Y ink from each of the ejection openings 32 in the ejection opening array 33. The calculated values ​​are stored in RAM 106.

[0091] In S1806, a coefficient is acquired based on the table (see FIG. 19) stored in ROM 104. The acquired coefficient is then multiplied by the number of ink shots set for the nozzle 32 during preliminary ejection to correct the number of ink shots, thereby calculating the number of ink shots actually ejected during preliminary ejection. For example, if the temperature of the print head 24 is 32°C, the coefficient is calculated to be 1.1 from the table shown in FIG. 19. Therefore, for nozzle No. 511, which is set to eject 100 shots, the number of ink shots actually ejected during preliminary ejection is calculated to be 110 (1.1 × 100). Similarly, for nozzle No. 0, which is set to eject 20 shots, the number of ink shots actually ejected during preliminary ejection is calculated to be 22 (1.1 × 20). The relationship between temperature and coefficient shown in FIG. 19 is merely an example, and can be changed as appropriate depending on the type of reaction liquid RS used, the type of cleaning member 70, etc.

[0092] 19, a coefficient is set as the number of ink ejections that can restrict the spread of the reaction liquid that has seeped into the cleaning member 70 to the region 1100 (or its vicinity) where the ejection port array 33K abuts, depending on the temperature of the recording head 24.

[0093] Thereafter, the CPU 102 moves the print head 24 to a preliminary ejection position for preliminary ejection of K ink, and at this preliminary ejection position, ejects K ink from each outlet 32 ​​of the ejection outlet array 33K for the number of shots calculated in S1806 (S1808). The CPU 102 also moves the print head 24 to a preliminary ejection position for preliminary ejection of C ink, and at this preliminary ejection position, ejects C ink from each outlet 32 ​​of the ejection outlet array 33C for the number of shots calculated in S1806 (S1810). The CPU 102 also moves the print head 24 to a preliminary ejection position for preliminary ejection of M ink, and at this preliminary ejection position, ejects M ink from each outlet 32 ​​of the ejection outlet array 33M for the number of shots calculated in S1806 (S1812). Furthermore, the CPU 102 moves the print head 24 to a preliminary ejection position for preliminary ejection of Y ink, and ejects Y ink from each of the ejection ports 32 of the ejection port array 33Y by the number of shots calculated in S1806 (S1814), and then proceeds to the wiping process of S904. Such preliminary ejection operation is performed at a frequency that does not exceed the maximum ejection frequency of the print head 24 used in the recording device 10.

[0094] In the above embodiment, a temperature sensor 46 is provided on each substrate 44, the temperature of the print head 24 is detected by the temperature sensor 46 on the substrate 44RS, and the number of ink droplets ejected during preliminary ejection is corrected based on the detection results, but this is not limited to this. That is, a coefficient for correcting the number of ink droplets ejected may be determined based on the detection results of the temperature sensor 46 provided on each substrate 44. Also, while the temperature sensors 46 are provided on each substrate 44 at both ends of the ejection port array 33 in the Y direction, this is not limited to this. That is, it is sufficient that the temperature sensor 46 is provided at at least one end of the ejection port array 33 in the Y direction.

[0095] As described above, in the recording apparatus 10 according to this embodiment, when the preliminary ejection process described in the first embodiment is performed, the higher the temperature of the recording head 24, the greater the amount of ink ejected during preliminary ejection. As a result, when a large amount of the reaction liquid RS seeps out onto the cleaning member 70 during the wiping operation, preliminary ejection can be performed with an ink amount that can accommodate the amount of the seeped reaction liquid. Therefore, the spread of the reaction liquid RS that has seeped out onto the cleaning member 70 to the region 1102 is restricted by the preliminarily ejected ink. This makes it possible to more reliably suppress ejection defects caused by the reaction between the ink and the reaction liquid RS.

[0096] (Fifth embodiment) Next, a recording device according to a fifth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 20 and 22. In the following description, the same reference numerals as those used in the first embodiment will be used for the same or corresponding components as those in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0097] The fifth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a discharge ratio is calculated based on the number of ink shots in the recording operation performed since the previous maintenance process, and the number of wipes and the amount of ink ejected preliminarily are changed based on this discharge ratio.

[0098] In the first embodiment, the maintenance process is performed every 10 reciprocating print operations of the print head 24. However, if the maintenance process is performed frequently during the print operation, the time required for the print operation increases. Therefore, from the viewpoint of efficiency, it is preferable to perform the maintenance process less frequently during the print operation. For example, by performing the maintenance process every 20 reciprocating print operations, the time required for the print operation can be reduced, enabling more efficient printing. However, in this case, twice as many print operations have been performed since the previous maintenance process, and there is a risk that more ink or other deposits will adhere to the ejection port surface 34.

[0099] Therefore, in this embodiment, the ink deposition ratio in the recording operation executed between maintenance processes is calculated, and the number of wiping operations and the amount of ink ejected preliminarily are changed based on this deposition ratio to deal with the deposits adhering to the ejection port surface 34. Note that in this embodiment, the deposition ratio is the ratio of the amount of ink ejected when ink is actually ejected to record based on recording data to the maximum amount of ink that can be ejected during the recording.

[0100] Below, we will explain an embodiment in which the number of wipes and the amount of ink ejected during preliminary ejection are changed according to the ink deposition ratio between maintenance processes. Fig. 20 is a flowchart showing a detailed processing routine for the maintenance process in this embodiment. Fig. 21 is a flowchart showing a detailed processing routine for the wiping process, which is a subroutine of Fig. 20. Fig. 22 is a table showing coefficients by which the number of wipes and the number of ink ejections during preliminary ejection are multiplied, associated with the deposition ratio.

[0101] In the recording apparatus 10 according to this embodiment, the CPU 102 is configured to count the total number of ink ejections for every 20 reciprocating motions of the recording operation from the start of recording. The control unit 100 may be configured to include a counter (not shown) that performs this counting.

[0102] In the maintenance process of this embodiment, first, the CPU 102 calculates the deposition ratio D using the count value of the total number of ink droplets ejected for each 20 reciprocating printing operations and the maximum number of ink droplets that can be ejected in 20 reciprocating printing operations (S2002). The maximum number of ink droplets that can be ejected in 20 reciprocating printing operations is the maximum number of ink droplets that can be ejected from the ejection openings 32 of the ejection opening arrays 33K, 33C, 33M, and 33Y when the printing operation is performed 20 times. In S2002, the deposition ratio D is obtained by dividing the count value by the maximum number of droplets that can be ejected.

[0103] Next, based on the calculated deposition ratio D, CPU 102 obtains the number of wipes, which is the number of wiping operations during the wiping process, and a coefficient by which to multiply the number of ejections of ink during preliminary ejection (S2004). In S2004, the number of wipes and the coefficient are obtained based on the calculated deposition ratio D and the table shown in FIG. 22. The table in FIG. 22 associates the number of wipes and the coefficient with the deposition ratio D. In this table, when the deposition ratio D is high, the number of wipes is greater and the coefficient by which to multiply the number of ejections of ink during preliminary ejection is larger than when the deposition ratio D is low; in other words, the amount of ink ejected during preliminary ejection is greater.

[0104] The deposition ratio, number of wipes, and coefficients shown in FIG. 22 are merely examples and can be changed as appropriate depending on the ink used, the type of reaction liquid, the type of cleaning member 70, and other factors. While FIG. 22 illustrates the deposition ratio D being associated with the number of wipes and the coefficient by which the number of ink shots ejected during preliminary ejection is multiplied, this is not a limitation. That is, the deposition ratio D may be associated with factors that, by changing the type of ink that is highly effective in restricting the diffusion of seeped reaction liquid, can be changed. Furthermore, the deposition ratio may be associated with factors that, by changing the value of the moving speed of the maintenance unit 28 or the pressing force of the pressing member 74, can be changed. In these cases, the subsequent preliminary ejection and wiping processes are performed according to the value and type of the factor associated with the deposition ratio D. Furthermore, while the deposition ratio D is divided into two stages and the number of wipes and other factors are associated with each stage, this is not a limitation. The deposition ratio D may also be divided into three stages.

[0105] Thereafter, the number of ink droplets to be ejected during preliminary ejection is calculated based on the obtained coefficient (S2006), and preliminary ejection processing is executed based on the calculated number of ink droplets (S2008). Specific processing details of the preliminary ejection processing are the same as those of the preliminary ejection processing shown in FIG. 10, except that each ink droplet is ejected for the number of ink droplets calculated in S2006. That is, in the preliminary ejection processing of S2008, in S1004, the print head 24 is moved to a preliminary ejection position for K ink, and K ink is ejected from each of the ejection openings 32 in the ejection opening array 33K based on the number of ink droplets calculated in S2006. Also, in S1006, the print head 24 is moved to a preliminary ejection position for C ink, and C ink is ejected from each of the ejection openings 32 in the ejection opening array 33C based on the number of ink droplets calculated in S2006. Furthermore, in S1008, the print head 24 is moved to a preliminary ejection position for M ink, and M ink is ejected from each ejection port 32 of the ejection port array 33M based on the number of ink shots calculated in S2006. Furthermore, in S1010, the print head 24 is moved to a preliminary ejection position for Y ink, and Y ink is ejected from each ejection port 32 of the ejection port array 33Y based on the number of ink shots calculated in S2006.

[0106] After the preliminary ejection process is completed, a wiping process is performed (S2010). The wiping process of S2010 will be described with reference to FIG. 21. In the wiping process of S2010, first, the CPU 102 moves the print head 24 to a wiping position (S2102). The CPU 102 also moves the maintenance unit 28 to a wiping start position (S2104). The specific processing contents of S2102 and S2104 are the same as those of S1202 and S1204 above.

[0107] Next, CPU 102 sets variable "n," which indicates the number of wiping operations, to "1" (S2106). Then, CPU 102 causes pressing member 74 to press cleaning member 70 (S2108), and while maintaining this state, moves maintenance unit 28 in the +Y direction to the wiping end position (S2110). After moving maintenance unit 28 to the wiping end position, CPU 102 then releases pressing member 74 from cleaning member 70 at the wiping end position (S2112). Then, CPU 102 moves maintenance unit 28 to the wiping start position (S2114). The specific processing content from S2108 to S2114 is the same as that from S1206 to S1212 above.

[0108] Thereafter, CPU 102 determines whether variable n has reached the number of wiping operations acquired in S2004 (S2116). If it is determined in S2116 that variable n has not reached the number of wiping operations acquired in S2004, n is incremented (S2118), and the process returns to S2108 to execute the subsequent processes. If it is determined in S2116 that variable n has reached the number of wiping operations acquired in S2004, CPU 102 drives rotating member 72b to reel in cleaning member 70 (S2120), and ends this wiping process, thereby ending the maintenance process. Note that the specific process content of S2118 is the same as that of S1214 above.

[0109] In the above description, the maintenance process is performed every 20 reciprocating motions of the recording head 24, but the timing for performing the maintenance process is not limited to this. That is, the timing may be changed as appropriate depending on the configuration of the recording head 24. The maintenance process may also be performed every 10 reciprocating motions of the recording head 24. In this case, the number of wiping operations and the coefficient can be changed depending on the ejection ratio, making it possible to perform maintenance according to the amount of ink ejected during the recording operation.

[0110] As described above, in the recording device 10 according to this embodiment, the ejection ratio in the recording operation since the previous maintenance process is calculated, and the coefficient by which the number of ink droplets ejected during preliminary ejection and the number of wiping operations are obtained based on this ejection ratio. In this case, when the ejection ratio is high, the coefficient is large compared to when the ejection ratio is low, and the amount of ink ejected during preliminary ejection and the number of wiping operations are also large.

[0111] This allows the frequency of maintenance processing to be reduced while maintaining the effects of the maintenance processing, contributing to a reduction in recording time. Furthermore, the extent of the preliminary ejection processing and wiping processing in the maintenance processing changes depending on the degree of dirt on the ejection port surface 34 based on the ejection ratio, making it possible to perform the maintenance processing efficiently.

[0112] (Other embodiments) The above embodiment may be modified as shown in the following (1) to (5).

[0113] (1) In the above embodiment, K ink, C ink, M ink, and Y ink containing pigments as coloring materials are preliminarily ejected, but the inks to be preliminarily ejected are not limited to this. Specifically, any ink that does not contain pigments (e.g., clear ink) may be ejected into the region SB as long as it contains solids and is a liquid that reacts with the reaction liquid RS. Furthermore, the inks containing pigments are not limited to K ink, C ink, M ink, and Y ink, and the number of these inks is not limited to four colors.

[0114] (2) In the above embodiment, the recording device 10 is configured such that the recording head 24 moves in the X direction and the maintenance unit 28 moves in the Y direction, but this is not limited to this. That is, one of the recording head 24 and the maintenance unit 28 may be fixedly disposed, while the other moves in the X and Y directions, and it is sufficient that the recording head 24 and the maintenance unit 28 are configured to be movable relative to each other.

[0115] (3) In the second and third embodiments, ink is ejected while the recording head 24 is moved in the X direction during preliminary ejection, but this is not limited to this. Specifically, the maintenance unit 28 may be configured to be movable in the X direction, and preliminary ejection may be performed while the maintenance unit 28 is moved in the X direction without moving the recording head 24.

[0116] (4) In the above embodiment, the amount of ink ejected during preliminary ejection is the same for each ink, but this is not limited to this. That is, a larger amount of ink may be ejected during preliminary ejection for ink that is highly reactive with the reaction liquid RS.

[0117] (5) The above embodiment and the various configurations shown in (1) to (4) may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 10 Recording Device 24 recording head 28 Maintenance Department 100 control section

Claims

1. a recording means in which a first row of ejection ports extending along a predetermined direction and capable of ejecting ink and a second row of ejection ports extending along the predetermined direction and capable of ejecting a reaction liquid that reacts with the ink are arranged side by side on the same plane in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction; a maintenance means capable of receiving the ink and the reaction liquid ejected from the recording means and capable of wiping an ejection port face of the recording means on which the first ejection port array and the second ejection port array are formed; a control unit that controls at least one of the recording unit and the maintenance unit to relatively move the recording unit and the maintenance unit so that the maintenance unit wipes the ejection port surface along the predetermined direction, The recording device is characterized in that, before performing the wiping, the control means performs a preliminary ejection to eject ink into an area of ​​the maintenance means between an area with which the first ejection port array contacts and an area with which the second ejection port array contacts during the wiping.

2. the maintenance means simultaneously wipes the first and second ejection port rows while pressing the ejection port face, 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means, when executing the preliminary ejection, maximizes the amount of ink ejected at a position on the maintenance means that corresponds to an area where the ejection port face is pressed during the wiping.

3. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means performs the preliminary ejection in a state in which the recording means and the maintenance means are stopped.

4. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs the preliminary ejection while relatively moving at least one of the recording unit and the maintenance unit.

5. 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means performs the preliminary ejection based on a preset number of ink ejections from each of the ink ejection ports constituting the first ejection port array.

6. 5. The printing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control means performs the preliminary ejection based on an ejection duty that is preset for each of the ink ejection ports that constitute the first ejection port array.

7. Further, the recording device has a detection means capable of detecting a temperature of the recording means, 7. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means changes an amount of ink ejected during the preliminary ejection based on a result of detection by the detection means.

8. 8. The recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the detection means is provided on at least one end side of the second ejection port array in the predetermined direction.

9. The recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the control means determines the amount of ink ejected during the preliminary ejection and the number of wipes based on the ratio of the amount of ink ejected in the recording performed since the previous wiping to the maximum amount of ink that can be ejected from the first ejection port array in the recording.

10. 10. The recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control means increases the number of times as the ratio increases.

11. 11. The recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control unit increases the amount of ink ejected during the preliminary ejection as the number of times increases.

12. The maintenance means includes: The nonwoven fabric is in the form of a sheet, web or pad, in which the fibers are fused or bonded or intertwined by mechanical or chemical action; 12. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the nonwoven fabric receives ink ejected from the recording means and wipes the ejection port surface.

13. the ink ejected from the first ejection port array is ink containing solids, 13. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reactive liquid discharged from the second discharge port array is a liquid containing a reactive component that reacts with solids to cause aggregation or gelation.

14. a recording means in which a first row of ejection ports extending along a predetermined direction and capable of ejecting ink and a second row of ejection ports extending along the predetermined direction and capable of ejecting a reaction liquid that reacts with the ink are arranged side by side on the same plane in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction; a maintenance means capable of receiving the ink and the reaction liquid ejected from the recording means and capable of wiping an ejection port face of the recording means on which the first ejection port array and the second ejection port array are formed, the maintenance method comprising the steps of: a step of performing a preliminary ejection of ink to an area between an area with which the first ejection port array contacts and an area with which the second ejection port array contacts, in the maintenance means, before the wiping by the maintenance means; a step of moving at least one of the recording means and the maintenance means relatively to each other, and wiping the ejection port surface with the maintenance means along the predetermined direction.

Images