Cleaning device and image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide a cleaning device which can inhibit a discharge surface from being damaged due to absorbed objects which are absorbed by a cleaning member and stick to the cleaning member, and to provide an image formation device.SOLUTION: A cleaning device includes cleaning members which contact with a discharge surface of a droplet discharge part which discharges droplets to clean the discharge surface. The cleaning members are in a wet state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning device and an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] In an image forming device that forms an image by ejecting droplets onto a recording medium, if droplets adhere to the droplet ejection surface in the droplet ejection section, this will affect the droplet ejection performance, so a technique for cleaning the ejection surface with a wet cleaning member has been known.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration having a first abutment member moistened with a wetting liquid and a second abutment member that is drier than the first abutment member, in which the first abutment member and the second abutment member come into contact with and wipe the ejection surface, thereby reducing areas of the ejection surface that are left unwiped. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-82687 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, if the absorbed matter that was absorbed by wiping the ejection surface with the contact member dries and sticks, there is a risk that the stuck matter will damage the ejection surface when the ejection surface is cleaned with the contact member containing the stuck absorbed matter (sticky matter). If the ejection surface is damaged, the ejection portion (nozzle) may be chipped, causing a deterioration in ejection performance, or the cleaning performance may be deteriorated due to deterioration of the ejection surface, etc.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device and an image forming apparatus capable of suppressing damage to the ejection surface caused by adhesion of absorbed matter absorbed by the cleaning member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The cleaning device according to the present invention comprises: a plurality of cleaning members for contacting and cleaning a discharge surface of a droplet discharge unit that discharges droplets; The above The cleaning members are in a moist state.

[0008] The image forming apparatus according to the present invention comprises: A droplet ejection unit that ejects droplets onto a recording medium; The above cleaning device; Equipped with. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the ejection surface from being damaged due to the adhesion of absorbed matter absorbed by the cleaning member. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram showing a main part of a control system of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a cleaning device. [Figure 4] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of cleaning control of a cleaning device in an image forming apparatus. [Figure 5A] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of a cleaning device in which an adjustment unit is provided for each cleaning member. [Figure 5B] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of a cleaning device in which an adjustment unit is provided for each cleaning member. [Figure 6A] 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of a cleaning device provided with a first cleaning member capable of transitioning between a contact state and a non-contact state. FIG. [Figure 6B]13 is a diagram showing a configuration of a cleaning device provided with a first cleaning member capable of transitioning between a contact state and a non-contact state. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a cleaning device in which a cleaning member is a roller member. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a cleaning device in which each cleaning member is a blade member and a roller member. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a cleaning device provided with a supply and discharge unit. [Figure 10] 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of controlling the supply of dampening liquid in the image forming apparatus. [Figure 11] 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of controlling discharge of dampening fluid in the image forming apparatus. [Figure 12] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating experimental results of a verification experiment according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 is an inkjet type image forming apparatus, and includes a belt conveying device 2, a recording head 3, a cleaning device 4, and the like.

[0013] In the belt conveying device 2, an endless conveying belt 23 of a predetermined width is stretched around a driving roller 21 and a driven roller 22 that are arranged in parallel with each other at a predetermined interval. The upper surface of the conveying belt 23 stretched around the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 serves as a placement surface on which the recording medium P is placed in close contact with the conveying belt 23.

[0014] An adhesive is applied to the surface of the conveyor belt 23 to adhere the recording medium P during conveyance to the upper surface of the conveyor belt 23. The drive roller 21 is driven by a sub-scanning motor (not shown).

[0015] In the belt conveying device 2, the driving roller 21 is rotated at a predetermined speed in the counterclockwise direction (see the arrow) in Fig. 1 by the rotational drive of the sub-scanning motor, thereby rotating and moving the conveying belt 23 stretched between the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22. By this operation, the recording medium P placed on the upper surface of the conveying belt 23 is conveyed in the direction of the arrow A in the figure, which is the sub-scanning direction.

[0016] The recording medium P may be, for example, a recording medium that is commonly used in inkjet recording, such as paper, fabric, plastic film, glass plate, etc. The recording medium P may be in the form of a sheet cut to a predetermined size, or may be in the form of a long piece that is continuously unwound from a master roll wound in the form of a roll.

[0017] A belt cleaning device (not shown) is provided on the opposite side of the belt conveying device 2 to the conveying surface of the recording medium P. Foreign matter adhering to the conveying belt 23 is removed by this belt cleaning device.

[0018] The recording head 3 has a plurality of recording elements (inkjet heads) and is disposed at a predetermined interval above the surface of the conveyor belt 23 on which the recording medium P is placed. The recording head 3 ejects ink droplets (liquid droplets) from an ejection surface 3A of a large number of nozzles provided on its underside, thereby recording a desired image on the recording medium P that is transported by the rotational movement of the conveyor belt 23. The recording head 3 corresponds to the "droplet ejection section" of the present invention.

[0019] In this embodiment, the recording head 3 is a line-type recording head that is fixedly suspended across the width direction of the conveyor belt 23 and records an image by ejecting ink droplets onto the continuously conveyed recording medium P. In this case, the driving of the driving roller 21 is controlled so that the conveyor belt 23 moves (rotates) continuously during recording.

[0020] The recording head 3 may be a shuttle type recording head mounted on a carriage (not shown) and reciprocating in a main scanning direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the intermittently transported recording medium P. In this case, the drive of the drive roller 21 is controlled so that the transport belt 23 performs an intermittent operation of repeating a standby state and a driven state during recording.

[0021] The cleaning device 4 is a device that cleans the ejection surface 3A of ink droplets ejected by the recording head 3, and has a cleaning unit 41, a sticking prevention unit 42, and an adjustment unit 43 (see FIG. 3). The cleaning device 4 is disposed at a position different from the position corresponding to the ejection surface 3A of the recording head 3 during image formation. Note that FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which the cleaning device 4 is disposed outside the position corresponding to the recording head 3 in the width direction of the conveyor belt 23. Details of the cleaning device 4 will be described later.

[0022] 2 is a block diagram showing the main functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 includes a control unit 100, a recording head driving unit 110, a transport driving unit 120, an input / output interface 130, a cleaning driving unit 140, and a notification unit 150.

[0023] The control unit 100 includes a CPU 101 (Central Processing Unit), a RAM 102 (Random Access Memory), a ROM 103 (Read Only Memory), and a storage unit 104.

[0024] The CPU 101 reads out various control programs and setting data stored in the ROM 103, stores them in the RAM 102, and executes the programs to perform various arithmetic processing. The CPU 101 also performs overall control of the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0025] The RAM 102 provides a working memory space for the CPU 101 and stores temporary data. The RAM 102 may include a non-volatile memory.

[0026] The ROM 103 stores various control programs and setting data executed by the CPU 101. Note that, instead of the ROM 103, a rewritable non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) or a flash memory may be used.

[0027] The storage unit 104 stores a print job (image recording command) and image data related to the print job input from the external device 6 via the input / output interface 130. As the storage unit 104, for example, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) is used, and a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or the like may also be used in combination.

[0028] The recording head driving unit 110 supplies a driving signal corresponding to the image data to the recording head 3 at an appropriate timing based on the control of the control unit 100, thereby causing the nozzles of the recording head 3 to eject an amount of ink corresponding to the pixel values ​​of the image data.

[0029] The transport driver 120 supplies a drive signal to the sub-scanning motor of the drive roller 21 under the control of the controller 100, thereby rotating the transport belt 23 at a predetermined speed and timing.

[0030] The input / output interface 130 mediates the transmission and reception of data between the external device 6 and the control unit 100. The input / output interface 130 is configured, for example, by any one of various serial interfaces, various parallel interfaces, or a combination of these.

[0031] The external device 6 is, for example, a personal computer, and supplies image recording commands (print jobs), image data, and the like to the control unit 100 via an input / output interface 130 .

[0032] The cleaning drive unit 140 moves the cleaning device 4 by supplying a drive signal to the cleaning device 4 under the control of the control unit 100, for example.

[0033] The notification unit 150 is a part of the image forming apparatus 1, such as a display unit or a voice output unit, that can notify a user of predetermined information.

[0034] Next, the cleaning device 4 will be described in detail. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the cleaning device 4. In describing the structure of the cleaning device 4 of this embodiment, a Cartesian coordinate system (X, Y, Z) is used. The same Cartesian coordinate system (X, Y, Z) is used in the drawings to be described later. For example, in Fig. 3 etc., the depth direction of the paper is the X direction, the left-right direction is the Y direction, and the up-down direction is the Z direction.

[0035] 3, as described above, the cleaning device 4 has the cleaning unit 41, the adhesion prevention unit 42, and the adjustment unit 43, and is configured to be movable in the Y direction (predetermined direction) relative to the ejection surface 3A of the recording head 3. For example, when cleaning the ejection surface 3A, the cleaning device 4 is provided at a position corresponding to an end of the recording head 3 in the Y direction, and cleans the ejection surface 3A by wiping off ink droplets D adhering to the ejection surface 3A by moving relatively in the Y direction.

[0036] The cleaning device 4 may move in the Y direction to clean the ejection surface 3A, or the recording head 3 may move in the Y direction to clean the ejection surface 3A. If the recording head 3 is immovable, the belt conveying device 2 is configured to retreat from the area in order to ensure an area in which the cleaning device 4 can move. If the recording head 3 is movable, the cleaning device 4 is arranged at a different position in the Y direction from the belt conveying device 2, and the recording head 3 is configured to move to a position corresponding to the cleaning device 4. The Y direction may be any appropriate direction, such as the conveying direction of the conveying belt 23 or the width direction of the conveying belt 23.

[0037] The cleaning unit 41 has a first cleaning member 411A and a second cleaning member 411B (a plurality of cleaning members 411) that clean ink droplets D (liquid droplets) on the ejection surface 3A of the recording head 3. In the following description, the first cleaning member 411A and the second cleaning member 411B will be simply referred to as cleaning members 411 unless there is any particular need to distinguish between them.

[0038] The cleaning members 411 are elastic members (e.g., sponges) capable of absorbing ink droplets D (moisture), and are configured as blade members extending in the vertical direction. The cleaning members 411 are arranged so that their upper end portions can come into contact with the ejection surface 3A of the recording head 3, and are arranged side by side in the Y direction.

[0039] When the cleaning device 4 starts cleaning, the first cleaning member 411A is disposed at a position closer to the recording head 3 than the second cleaning member 411B. In other words, the second cleaning member 411B is disposed downstream of the first cleaning member 411A in the direction in which the cleaning device 4 moves relatively (hereinafter, movement direction, see arrow A1). The first cleaning member 411A corresponds to the "upstream cleaning member" of the present invention, and the second cleaning member 411B corresponds to the "downstream cleaning member" of the present invention.

[0040] The adhesion prevention section 42 is for preventing the absorbent absorbed by the plurality of cleaning members 411 from the ejection surface 3A from adhering inside the cleaning members 411, and has a storage section 421 that stores the wetting liquid W for moistening the plurality of cleaning members 411. The wetting liquid W may be any liquid, such as pure water, as long as it is capable of cleaning the ejection surface 3A.

[0041] The plurality of cleaning members 411 are arranged such that their lower ends are located within the reservoir 421, and are immersed in the wetting liquid W in the reservoir 421. This keeps the plurality of cleaning members 411 in a wet state. In other words, the adhesion prevention unit 42 is configured to keep the plurality of cleaning members 411 in a wet state at all times.

[0042] In this way, by keeping the multiple cleaning members 411 in a moist state, when the cleaning members 411 wipe off the ink droplets D adhering to the ejection surface 3A, it is possible to prevent the absorbed matter (ink droplets) absorbed by the cleaning members 411 from drying and solidifying.

[0043] Moreover, the storage section 421 is composed of a first storage section 421A and a second storage section 421B. The first storage section 421A is a storage section for keeping the first cleaning member 411A in a wet state, and is disposed corresponding to the first cleaning member 411A. The second storage section 421B is a storage section for keeping the second cleaning member 411B in a wet state, and is disposed corresponding to the second cleaning member 411B.

[0044] In addition, when the cleaning device 4 is configured to move, each cleaning member 411 may be fixed in the storage section 421 and the storage section 421 may be configured to move. In addition, when the recording head 3 is configured to move, each cleaning member 411 may be fixed to an appropriate position such as the storage section 421.

[0045] Adjustment unit 43 adjusts the moisture content in cleaning member 411 in a wet state so as to reduce the moisture content below the moisture content before the adjustment, and is disposed in second storage unit 421B. Adjustment unit 43 is composed of a pressing member configured to press second cleaning member 411B toward the side wall of second storage unit 421B.

[0046] Specifically, the adjustment unit 43 is formed of, for example, a plate-like member parallel to the Y-direction surface of the cleaning member 411, and is configured to be able to press the cleaning member 411 by moving in the Y direction (see arrow B1).

[0047] The adjustment unit 43 is configured to be capable of adjusting the water content of the second cleaning member 411B to a side of the second storage section 421B so as to squeeze out the water contained in the second cleaning member 411B and to reduce the water content of the second cleaning member 411B by pressing the second cleaning member 411B against the side wall of the second storage section 421B. In other words, the adjustment unit 43 is configured to be capable of making the water content of the second cleaning member 411B less than the water content of the first cleaning member 411A. Note that the adjustment unit 43 may have any configuration as long as it is configured to adjust the water content of the cleaning member 411.

[0048] The adjustment unit 43 is configured to be able to set an adjustment amount (amount of reduction) of the water content of the second cleaning member 411B depending on the cleaning type of the recording head 3. The adjustment unit 43 automatically sets the above adjustment amount under the control of the control unit 100. Note that the above adjustment amount may also be set by a user operation.

[0049] For example, the adjustment unit 43 sets the adjustment amount so that the water content is reduced when cleaning after purging to recover from missing or bent nozzles in the recording head 3. Purging involves forcibly ejecting ink droplets from the nozzles of the recording head 3, so that after purging, there are many liquid ink droplets on the ejection surface 3A. Therefore, in this case, wiping with the cleaning member 411, which has a low water content, is more likely to absorb the ink droplets.

[0050] In this embodiment, in this case, by setting the adjustment amount so that the water content of the second cleaning member 411B is reduced, the second cleaning member 411B can be maintained in a wet state while reliably absorbing the ink droplets on the ejection surface 3A after wiping by the first cleaning member 411A.

[0051] Furthermore, the adjustment unit 43 sets the adjustment amount so that the second cleaning member 411B has a high water content in cleaning to remove stains caused by ink droplets adhering to the recording head 3. Specifically, the adjustment unit 43 sets the adjustment amount to 0, for example, and releases the pressure on the second cleaning member 411B so that the second cleaning member 411B is sufficiently wet.

[0052] In this way, the ejection surface 3A can be cleaned by the plurality of cleaning members 411 in a sufficiently wet state, whereby the above-mentioned adhered dirt can be easily removed.

[0053] A description will be given of an operation example of cleaning control of the cleaning device 4 in the image forming apparatus 1 configured as above. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the cleaning control of the cleaning device 4 in the image forming apparatus 1. The process in Fig. 4 is appropriately executed when the image forming apparatus 1 receives a command to execute cleaning control, for example.

[0054] 4, the control unit 100 determines whether or not the cleaning control is performed after purging (step S101). If the determination result is that the cleaning control is performed after purging (step S101, YES), the control unit 100 adjusts the water content by the adjustment unit 43 (step S102).

[0055] On the other hand, if cleaning control after purging is not performed (step S101, NO), the control unit 100 does not adjust the moisture content by the adjustment unit 43 (step S103). After step S102 or step S103, the control unit 100 performs cleaning by the cleaning device 4 (step S104). After step S104, this control ends.

[0056] According to the present embodiment configured as described above, the multiple cleaning members 411 are kept in a wet state, so that it is possible to prevent the absorbed matter of the ink droplets wiped off and absorbed from the ejection surface 3A from solidifying.

[0057] If the absorbed matter is fixed to the cleaning member, when the ejection surface is cleaned with the cleaning member containing the absorbed matter (fixed matter), the fixed matter may damage the ejection surface.

[0058] In contrast, in the present embodiment, the cleaning member 411 can prevent the absorbed matter from adhering to the surface 3A, and therefore, damage to the surface 3A caused by the adhering matter can be suppressed. As a result, the cleaning performance of the cleaning device 4 can be improved.

[0059] Furthermore, since the ejection surface 3A is cleaned by the multiple cleaning members 411, any ink droplets that are not wiped off by the first cleaning member 411A can be cleaned by the second cleaning member 411B. As a result, the cleaning performance of the cleaning device 4 can be improved.

[0060] In addition, since the moisture content of the second cleaning member 411B can be reduced to a value lower than the moisture content before the adjustment, the moisture content of the second cleaning member 411B can be adjusted according to the type of cleaning. As a result, appropriate cleaning can be performed according to the situation, and the cleaning performance of the cleaning device 4 can be improved.

[0061] In addition, since the cleaning members 411 are immersed in the wetting liquid W, the cleaning members 411 do not dry out. This reliably prevents the absorbed matter absorbed in the cleaning members 411 from sticking to the cleaning members, thereby improving the cleaning performance of the cleaning device 4.

[0062] Furthermore, since the cleaning member 411 is made up of a blade member, the structure of the cleaning device 4 can be simplified.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the adjustment unit 43 can adjust only the water content of the second cleaning member 411B, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the adjustment unit 43 may be able to adjust the water content of all of the multiple cleaning members 411.

[0064] In this configuration, for example, when the multiple cleaning members 411 move back and forth between forward and backward paths in the Y direction (predetermined direction), when cleaning is performed on the forward path and on the backward path, it is possible to switch between the presence and absence of adjustment by each adjustment unit 43. The forward path is a path toward the + side of the Y direction (the direction of arrow A1 in FIG. 5A). The backward path is a path toward the - side of the Y direction (the direction of arrow A2 in FIG. 5B).

[0065] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5A, during cleaning on the outward path, adjustment unit 43 adjusts the water content of second cleaning member 411B, which is located downstream of first cleaning member 411A, which is located upstream in the movement direction of cleaning member 411 (see arrow A1).

[0066] That is, adjustment unit 43 presses only second cleaning member 411B (see arrow B1) to reduce only the water content of second cleaning member 411B below the water content before adjustment. First cleaning member 411A during cleaning on the outward path corresponds to the "upstream cleaning member" of the present invention, and second cleaning member 411B during cleaning on the outward path corresponds to the "downstream cleaning member" of the present invention.

[0067] Then, as shown in FIG. 5B, during cleaning on the return path, adjustment unit 43 adjusts the water content of first cleaning member 411A, which is located downstream of second cleaning member 411B, which is located upstream in the movement direction of cleaning member 411 (see arrow A2).

[0068] That is, only the first cleaning member 411A is pressed (see arrow B2) to reduce only the water content of the first cleaning member 411A below the water content before adjustment. The second cleaning member 411B during cleaning on the return path corresponds to the "upstream cleaning member" of the present invention, and the first cleaning member 411A during cleaning on the return path corresponds to the "downstream cleaning member" of the present invention.

[0069] That is, when the multiple cleaning members 411 move back and forth in the Y direction, the adjustment unit 43 is configured to be able to switch between the cleaning member 411 that reduces the water content among the multiple cleaning members 411, between the forward and backward movements.

[0070] In this way, the moisture content of each cleaning member 411 can be adjusted appropriately for cleaning on the outward path and for cleaning on the return path.

[0071] The water content of the cleaning member 411 located upstream in the movement direction may also be adjusted. The cleaning member 411 located upstream in the movement direction is the first cleaning member 411A in Fig. 5A, and is the second cleaning member 411B in Fig. 5B. In this case, it is preferable to adjust the water content of the cleaning member 411 to be higher than the water content of the cleaning member 411 located downstream of the cleaning member 411.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the cleaning members 411 are capable of contacting the ejection surface 3A during cleaning, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figures 6A and 6B, at least some of the cleaning members 411 may be configured to be capable of transitioning between a contact state in which they can contact the ejection surface 3A and a non-contact state in which they cannot contact the ejection surface 3A.

[0073] 6A and 6B, for example, first cleaning member 411A is configured to be able to transition between a contact state and a non-contact state. In this configuration, first storage section 421A is configured to be able to advance and retreat with respect to ejection surface 3A. Specifically, first storage section 421A is configured to be able to transition between a first position (position shown in FIG. 6A) where first cleaning member 411A is in a contact state, and a second position (position shown in FIG. 6B) where first cleaning member 411A is in a non-contact state.

[0074] The second position is, for example, a position retreated downward from the discharge surface 3A from the first position. A known technique can be used for the mechanism for advancing and retreating the first storage portion 421A. In the configuration shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the adjustment portion 43 is provided at a position corresponding to the second cleaning member 411B.

[0075] With such a configuration, for example, when the multiple cleaning members 411 move back and forth between forward and backward paths in the Y direction, it is possible for the first cleaning member 411A to switch between a contact state and a non-contact state depending on the forward and backward movement.

[0076] For example, as shown in Fig. 6A, on the outward path, first cleaning member 411A is in contact with second cleaning member 411B, and the water content of second cleaning member 411B is reduced to clean ejection surface 3A. Then, as shown in Fig. 6B, on the return path, first cleaning member 411A is in a non-contact state, and second cleaning member 411B is left in the state of the outward path.

[0077] In this way, when the cleaning member 411 is returned to the position before cleaning on the return path, the second cleaning member 411B with reduced water content wipes the ejection surface 3A, while the first cleaning member 411A with a high water content does not come into contact with the ejection surface 3A.

[0078] When the first cleaning member 411A, which has sufficient water content, is brought into contact with the ejection surface 3A, it can sufficiently absorb the ink droplets on the outward path, but when the first cleaning member 411A comes into contact with the ejection surface 3A again when returning to its original position on the return path, there is a possibility that the absorbed ink droplets will be expelled onto the ejection surface 3A.

[0079] However, by doing so, it is possible to prevent ink droplets absorbed by the first cleaning member 411A from being expelled onto the ejection surface 3A by the return movement. Also, since the ink droplets are wiped off twice by the second cleaning member 411B with a reduced water content, it is possible to further reduce the occurrence of ink remaining on the ejection surface 3A.

[0080] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the cleaning member 411 is configured as a blade member, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the cleaning member 411 may be configured as a roller member 412.

[0081] In this configuration, roller member 412 (cleaning member) has a surface layer made of an elastic member capable of absorbing moisture. Adjustment unit 44 is made of, for example, an axis member capable of contacting the surface layer of roller member 412. Adjustment unit 44 is configured to be able to advance and retreat relative to the surface layer, and is able to adjust the moisture content of roller member 412 by sandwiching the surface layer between itself and the axis of roller member 412.

[0082] In this configuration, by forming the cleaning member with the roller member 412, it is possible to smoothly move the cleaning member relative to the ejection surface 3A. Furthermore, by rotating the roller member 412, the portion of the ejection surface 3A to be wiped can be cleaned with the wetting liquid W, thereby improving the cleaning performance of the cleaning device 4.

[0083] 8, multiple cleaning members may be configured by combining blade members 413 and roller members 414. In this configuration, blade member 413 is provided on the upstream side in the movement direction (see arrow A1), and roller member 414 is provided on the downstream side in the movement direction.

[0084] In addition, in this configuration, the storage unit 421 is configured to soak all of the two cleaning members. That is, the storage unit 421 has one area capable of soaking all of the multiple cleaning members in the wetting liquid W. By configuring in this way, it is not necessary to separate the areas for each cleaning member, and therefore the configuration can be simplified.

[0085] Further, in the above embodiment, no mention is made of the supply or discharge of the wetting liquid W in the reservoir 421. However, the reservoir 421 may be configured to be capable of supplying and discharging the wetting liquid W.

[0086] 9 has a supply and discharge unit 45 and a liquid amount detection unit 46. The supply and discharge unit 45 has a supply unit 451 and a discharge unit 452. The supply unit 451 is connected to a tank (not shown) or the like in which the wetting liquid W is stored, and supplies the wetting liquid W into the storage unit 421 under the control of the control unit 100, for example.

[0087] The discharge unit 452 communicates with the inside of the storage unit 421, and discharges the wetting liquid W from the storage unit 421 by opening a valve (not shown) under the control of the control unit 100, for example.

[0088] The liquid amount detection unit 46 is a sensor that detects the amount of wetting liquid W in the storage unit 421, and is provided at an appropriate position in the cleaning device 4. The liquid amount detection unit 46 may be one that can detect the liquid level by laser detection, float sensor detection, or the like, or may be one that can detect the weight of the storage unit 421 by liquid volume detection, or the like.

[0089] The supply and discharge unit 45 (supply unit 451), for example under the control of the control unit 100, supplies the wetting liquid W so that the amount of liquid in the storage unit 421 becomes an appropriate amount based on the detection result of the liquid amount detection unit 46. The appropriate amount is an amount that allows the cleaning member 411 to be in a wet state to a degree required for cleaning the ejection surface 3A, and is set to an appropriate amount.

[0090] For example, if the detection result of liquid amount detection unit 46 indicates that the amount of liquid in storage unit 421 has not reached an appropriate amount, control unit 100 controls supply unit 451 to adjust the amount of liquid in storage unit 421 to an appropriate amount. In this way, the amount of wetting liquid W in storage unit 421 can be maintained at an appropriate amount.

[0091] Furthermore, the control unit 100 determines whether or not an error state has occurred based on the detection result of the liquid volume detection unit 46 and in accordance with the supply time of the wetting liquid W from the supply unit 451. For example, the control unit 100 determines that an error state has occurred when the liquid volume (detection result of the liquid volume detection unit 46) does not reach an appropriate volume even when the supply time of the wetting liquid W reaches a predetermined time (e.g., 60 seconds).

[0092] When the control unit 100 determines that an error state has occurred, the control unit 100 outputs a notification command to notify the user that an error state has occurred, for example, to the notification unit 150 of the image forming apparatus 1. In this case, the notification unit 150 notifies the user that the cleaning device 4 is in an error state.

[0093] This allows the user to quickly grasp that some problem has occurred around storage section 421.

[0094] Furthermore, the control unit 100 controls the discharge unit 452 to discharge the wetting liquid W in the storage unit 421 according to the cleaning state by the multiple cleaning members 411. For example, when cleaning is performed a predetermined number of times (e.g., five times) or more by the multiple cleaning members 411, it is considered that the wetting liquid W is contaminated to a certain extent by the ink droplets wiped off by the cleaning members 411.

[0095] Therefore, in this case, the control unit 100 drains the wetting liquid W from the storage unit 421. Then, after draining the wetting liquid W, the control unit 100 controls the supply unit 451 to supply the wetting liquid W into the storage unit 421.

[0096] In this way, the wetting liquid W stored in the storage unit 421 can be maintained in an appropriate state. The cleaning state may be determined based on the number of cleanings as described above, or based on the detection results of a sensor that detects the liquid concentration and the liquid transmittance. The number of cleanings (predetermined number of times) described above can be set appropriately depending on the scale of the image forming apparatus 1 and the size of the recording head 3.

[0097] An example of the operation of controlling the supply of wetting liquid W by the cleaning device 4 in the image forming apparatus 1 having the supply and discharge section 45 will be described. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of controlling the supply of wetting liquid W in the image forming apparatus 1. The process in Fig. 10 is appropriately executed when the image forming apparatus 1 receives a command to execute cleaning control, for example.

[0098] 10, the control unit 100 determines whether or not the amount of wetting fluid W is appropriate (step S201). If the determination result is that the amount of wetting fluid W is appropriate (step S201, YES), this control ends.

[0099] On the other hand, if the amount of wetting fluid W is not appropriate (step S201, NO), the control unit 100 controls the supply unit 451 to supply the wetting fluid W (step S202). Next, the control unit 100 determines whether the amount of wetting fluid W is not appropriate even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the supply of the wetting fluid W (step S203).

[0100] If the determination result shows that the amount of wetting fluid W is appropriate after a predetermined time has elapsed (step S203, NO), the control unit 100 stops the supply of wetting fluid W (step S204). On the other hand, if the amount of wetting fluid W is not appropriate after a predetermined time has elapsed (step S203, YES), the control unit 100 stops the supply of wetting fluid W and notifies the user of an error state (step S205). After step S204 or step S205, this control ends.

[0101] Next, an example of the operation of controlling the discharge of the wetting liquid W from the cleaning device 4 in the image forming apparatus 1 having the supply and discharge section 45 will be described. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of controlling the discharge of the wetting liquid W in the image forming apparatus 1. The process in Fig. 11 is appropriately executed when the image forming apparatus 1 receives a command to execute cleaning control, for example.

[0102] 11, the control unit 100 determines whether the number of cleaning operations by the cleaning device 4 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number (step S301). If the result of the determination is that the number of cleaning operations is less than the predetermined number (step S301, NO), this control ends.

[0103] On the other hand, if the number of cleaning operations is equal to or greater than the predetermined number (step S301, YES), the control unit 100 controls the discharge unit 452 to discharge the wetting liquid W (step S302). After step S302, this control ends. After this control ends, the control according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 10 is executed.

[0104] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, two cleaning members are provided, but the present invention is not limited to this, and three or more cleaning members may be provided.

[0105] In addition, in the above embodiment, the cleaning member is constantly immersed in the wetting liquid in the storage section, but the present invention is not limited to this, and as long as the cleaning member is kept in a moist state during cleaning, it is not necessary for the cleaning member to be constantly immersed in the wetting liquid in the storage section.

[0106] In addition, in the above embodiment, the cleaning member is moistened by being immersed in the wetting liquid in the storage section, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the cleaning member may be moistened by other anti-sticking sections, such as a device capable of applying wetting liquid.

[0107] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an adjustment unit is provided, but the present invention is not limited to this, and an adjustment unit does not necessarily have to be provided.

[0108] Next, a verification experiment on the cleaning device 4 according to the present embodiment will be described. In the verification experiment, the image forming apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 1 was used, and dye ink (water-based ink) was used as the ink. The cleaning device 4 was configured to include a cleaning unit having a blade member and a roller member, for example, as shown in Fig. 8. The cleaning conditions were as follows: the moving speed of the cleaning device 4 was 50 mm / s, the rotation speed of the roller member was 50 mm / s, the pushing amount of the adjustment unit was 1 mm, and the wetting liquid was pure water.

[0109] In this verification experiment, it was confirmed whether or not scratches would occur on the ejection surface during cleaning after purging. In the comparative example, the cleaning member was not constantly immersed in the wetting liquid, unlike the configuration described in Patent Document 1.

[0110] 12, in the configuration of the comparative example, it was confirmed that the number of defects caused by scratches on the ejection surface was detected relatively frequently as the number of cleanings increased (see dashed line L1). Specifically, several hundred defects were detected after N cleanings (approximately 500 cleanings).

[0111] In contrast, in this embodiment, less than 20 defects were detected after N cleanings, and it was confirmed that the number of defects detected was significantly reduced compared to the comparative example (see solid line L2). That is, it was confirmed that this embodiment can suppress damage to the ejection surface caused by the adhesion of absorbent material, and thus can improve the cleaning performance of the cleaning device.

[0112] In addition, the above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples of the embodiment of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by them. In other words, the present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the gist or main characteristics of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1. Image forming device 2 Belt conveyor 3 Recording head 3A Discharge surface 4 Cleaning device 21 Drive roller 22 Driven roller 23 Conveyor belt 41 Cleaning Department 42 Sticking prevention part 43 Adjustment section 44 Adjustment section 45 Supply and discharge section 46 Liquid volume detector 100 Control section 110 Recording head drive unit 120 Conveyor drive unit 130 Input / Output Interface 140 Cleaning drive unit 150 Notification Department 411 Cleaning materials 411A First cleaning member 411B Second cleaning member 412 Roller parts 413 Blade material 414 Roller parts 421 Storage Unit 421A First Reservoir 421B Second Reservoir 451 Supply section 452 Discharge section W Wetting Fluid

Claims

1. a plurality of cleaning members for contacting and cleaning a discharge surface of a droplet discharge unit that discharges droplets; The plurality of cleaning members are in a wet state. Cleaning equipment.

2. a sticking prevention portion that prevents the matter absorbed by the cleaning members from sticking to the inside of the cleaning members, The cleaning device according to claim 1 .

3. the adhesion prevention unit is configured to bring the plurality of cleaning members into the wet state at least when cleaning the ejection surface; The cleaning device according to claim 2.

4. the plurality of cleaning members are arranged side by side in a predetermined direction and configured to be movable relative to the ejection surface in the predetermined direction. The cleaning device according to claim 2 or 3.

5. an adjusting unit for adjusting the moisture content of the cleaning member in a wet state, the adjusting unit adjusts the water content in the cleaning member so as to be reduced from the water content before the adjustment.

5. The cleaning device according to claim 4.

6. the adjustment unit adjusts a water content of a downstream cleaning member, which is located downstream of an upstream cleaning member in a moving direction of the plurality of cleaning members, to be less than a water content of the upstream cleaning member. The cleaning device according to claim 5.

7. the adjustment unit is configured to be able to switch, when the plurality of cleaning members reciprocate between an outward path and a return path in the predetermined direction, a cleaning member that reduces the water content among the plurality of cleaning members between the outward path and the return path.

7. The cleaning device according to claim 6.

8. The cleaning member is made of an elastic member capable of absorbing moisture, and is either a blade member or a roller member. The cleaning device according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

9. The adjustment unit is configured to be able to set an adjustment amount of the water content automatically or by a user operation depending on a cleaning type in the droplet ejection unit. The cleaning device according to any one of claims 5 to 8.

10. the plurality of cleaning members reciprocate between an outward path and a return path in the predetermined direction, At least some of the plurality of cleaning members are a contact state in which the nozzle can come into contact with the ejection surface and a non-contact state in which the nozzle cannot come into contact with the ejection surface; a switchable state between the contact state and the non-contact state in response to the forward movement and the return movement; The cleaning device according to any one of claims 4 to 9.

11. The sticking prevention unit has a reservoir that stores a wetting liquid, The plurality of cleaning members are wetted by being immersed in the wetting liquid in the reservoir. The cleaning device according to any one of claims 2 to 10.

12. the reservoir portion has one area capable of immersing all of the plurality of cleaning members in the wetting liquid; The cleaning device according to claim 11.

13. A droplet ejection unit that ejects droplets onto a recording medium; A cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 12; An image forming apparatus comprising:

14. a supply and discharge unit capable of supplying and discharging the wetting liquid to a storage unit that stores the wetting liquid for wetting the plurality of cleaning members, The image forming apparatus according to claim 13.

15. a liquid amount detection unit that detects the amount of the wetting liquid in the reservoir; a control unit that controls the supply and discharge unit to supply the wetting liquid to the storage unit so that the amount of liquid in the storage unit becomes an appropriate amount based on a detection result of the liquid amount detection unit; Equipped with The image forming apparatus according to claim 14.

16. a notification unit that notifies an error state in accordance with a time during which the wetting liquid is supplied into the reservoir by the supply and discharge unit based on a detection result of the liquid amount detection unit, The image forming apparatus according to claim 15.

17. The control unit controls the supply and discharge unit to discharge the wetting liquid in the storage unit in accordance with a cleaning state of the plurality of cleaning members.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15 or 16.

Images