Recording device

Abstract

To provide means that makes aqueous ink less likely to retain in a part that comes into contact with a tip part of a wiper, on a cleaning member that holds cleaning liquid.SOLUTION: A recording device 10 includes: a platen 28; a print head 34; a wiper 72 including a tip part 72A for wiping a nozzle surface 33A of the print head 34; a cleaning member 74 coming into contact with the tip part 72A; and cleaning liquid held in the cleaning member 74. The cleaning liquid has viscosity of 120 mPa S or less. In the recording device, a formula 1 (B>A) is met, where A represents density of aqueous ink and B represents density of the cleaning liquid.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording device in which water-based ink is ejected from a head toward a recording medium, in which the tip of a wiper that wipes the nozzle surface of the head is cleaned by a cleaning member that holds a cleaning liquid. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art There is known a printing device in which a recording medium onto which ink has been ejected from nozzles of a print head is heated by a heater, thereby fixing the ink to the recording medium (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4505921 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] After purging, which forcibly expels ink from the nozzles of the print head, or flushing, which continuously ejects ink droplets from the nozzles of the print head, the nozzle face of the print head is wiped with a wiper to remove ink adhering to the nozzle face. Since the ink removed from the nozzle face adheres to the wiper, a cleaning member holding a cleaning liquid comes into contact with the wiper to clean the wiper.

[0005] As the cleaning member repeatedly comes into contact with the wiper, ink accumulates on the cleaning member, and in order to effectively clean the wiper, it is desirable that no ink accumulate on the cleaning member where it comes into contact with the wiper.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide a means for preventing water-based ink from remaining in a cleaning member that holds cleaning liquid at the portion that comes into contact with the tip of the wiper. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The recording device according to the present invention comprises a head that ejects water-based ink from nozzles, a wiper having a tip that wipes the nozzle face of the head, a cleaning member that comes into contact with the tip, and a cleaning liquid held in the cleaning member. The water-based ink contains a colorant. The cleaning liquid has a viscosity of 120 mPa·S or less. The recording device satisfies the following formula 1, where A is the density of the water-based ink and B is the density of the cleaning liquid. (Formula 1) B>A Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, in the cleaning member that holds the cleaning liquid, water-based ink is less likely to remain in the portion that comes into contact with the tip of the wiper. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a recording device 10. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of the recording device 10. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the print head 34, a cap 71, a wiper 72, and a cleaning member 74. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the cleaning operation. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a modification of the cleaning member 74. As shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The recording device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Note that the embodiment described below is merely one example of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the embodiment can be appropriately modified within the scope of the present invention. In addition, in the following description, the progress from the starting point of the arrow to the end point is expressed as a direction, and the movement on the line connecting the starting point and the end point of the arrow is expressed as a direction. In addition, in the following description, the up-down direction 7 is defined based on the state in which the recording device 10 is installed so that it can be used (the state in FIG. 1), the front-rear direction 8 is defined with the side where the discharge port 13 is provided as the front side (front), and the left-right direction 9 is defined when the recording device 10 is viewed from the front side (front).

[0011] [External configuration of recording device 10] 1, the printer 10 includes a housing 20, a panel unit 21, a cover 22, a paper feed tray 23, and a paper discharge tray 24, which are held by the housing 20. The printer 10 records an image on a sheet 6 (see FIG. 2).

[0012] The sheet 6 is an example of a recording medium. The sheet 6 may be a recording medium cut to a predetermined size, may be a sheet pulled out from a roll wound in a cylindrical shape, or may be a fanfold type. The sheet 6 may be uncoated paper or coated paper. The term "coated paper" refers to paper made of pulp such as high-grade printing paper or medium-grade printing paper, which is coated with a coating agent for the purpose of improving smoothness, whiteness, gloss, etc., and specifically includes high-grade coated paper and medium-grade coated paper. The sheet 6 may be tack paper in which an adhesive and a release paper are combined.

[0013] The panel unit 21 includes a touch panel and a plurality of operation switches and receives operations from a user.

[0014] 1, the paper feed tray 23 is located at the bottom of the housing 20. The paper output tray 24 is located at the bottom of the housing 20, above the paper feed tray 23. The cover 22 is located at the right part of the front surface of the housing 20. The cover 22 is rotatable relative to the housing 20. When the cover 22 is opened, the tank 70 that stores ink is accessible.

[0015] In this embodiment, only one tank 70 is shown, but the tank 70 is not limited to storing one color of ink, such as black, and may have four storage chambers, each of which stores four colors of ink: black, yellow, cyan, and magenta.

[0016] [Print Engine 50] As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 20 holds the print engine 50 therein. The print engine 50 mainly includes a print head 34, a feed roller 25, a transport roller 26, a discharge roller 27, a platen 28, and a heater 38. The feed roller 25 is held by a frame (not shown) provided in the housing 20 so as to be able to abut against the sheet 6 placed on the paper feed tray 23. The feed roller 25 is rotated by a motor (not shown). The rotating feed roller 25 sends the sheet 6 to a transport path 37. The transport path 37 is a space partitioned by a guide member (not shown). In the illustrated example, the transport path 37 curves and extends from the rear end of the paper feed tray 23 to a position above the paper feed tray 23, and then extends forward.

[0017] The conveying roller 26 is located downstream of the paper feed tray 23 in the conveying direction of the sheet 6. The conveying roller 26 and the driven roller 35 form a roller pair. The conveying roller 26 is rotated by a motor (not shown). The rotating conveying roller 26 and the driven roller 35 convey the sheet 6 sent out to the conveying path 37 by the feed roller 25 while sandwiching it. The discharge roller 27 is located downstream of the conveying roller 26 in the conveying direction of the sheet 6. The discharge roller 27 and the driven roller 36 form a roller pair. The discharge roller 27 is rotated by a motor (not shown). The rotating discharge roller 27 and the driven roller 36 convey the sheet 6 while sandwiching it, and discharge it to the paper discharge tray 24. The platen 28 is located between the conveying roller 26 and the discharge roller 27 in the front-rear direction 8, downstream of the conveying roller 26 and upstream of the discharge roller 27 in the conveying direction of the sheet 6.

[0018] The print head 34 is located between the transport roller 26 and the discharge roller 27. The print head 34 is a so-called serial head. That is, the print head 34 is movable along the left-right direction 9. The print head 34 is normally located in a maintenance position described later and is covered by a cap 71 (see FIG. 3). The print head 34 has a flow path through which ink flows inside. The flow path is connected to a tank 70 by a tube 31. That is, ink stored in the tank 70 is supplied to the print head 34 through the tube 31. The print head 34 has a plurality of nozzles 33 that open toward the platen 28. The ink supplied to the print head 34 through the flow path is selectively ejected as ink droplets from the plurality of nozzles 33 when the print head 34 is moving. Note that the print head 34 may be a line head instead of a serial head. In the case of a line head, a wiper 72 (see FIG. 3) moves relative to the line head to wipe the nozzle surface.

[0019] The platen 28 is located below the print head 34. The upper surface of the platen 28 is a support surface for the sheet 6. Although not shown in the figures, an opening through which suction pressure is generated is formed in the upper surface of the platen 28. The sheet 6 is brought into close contact with the upper surface of the platen 28 by the suction pressure generated on the upper surface of the platen 28.

[0020] 2 and 3, a heater 38 is located above the transport path 37, downstream of the print head 34 and upstream of the discharge roller 27. The heater 38 is a so-called halogen heater.

[0021] 2, the heater 38 is located downstream in the transport direction from the print head 34, i.e., in front of it. The heater 38 has a halogen lamp 40, which is a heating element that radiates infrared rays, a reflector 41, and a housing 42. The housing 42 is roughly cuboid in shape and opens downward. An opening 43 is located in the bottom wall of the housing 42. Through the opening 43, heat from the halogen lamp 40 and the reflector 41 is radiated to the outside or is blocked.

[0022] A halogen lamp 40 is located in the internal space of the housing 42. The halogen lamp 40 has an elongated cylindrical shape, with the left-right direction 9 being the longitudinal direction. A reflector 41 is located above the halogen lamp 40 in the internal space of the housing 42. The reflector 41 is a metal plate coated with a ceramic film or the like, and is curved in an arc shape with the vicinity of the opening 43 as the central axis. Note that instead of the reflector 41, a halogen lamp 40 coated with a ceramic film or the like may be used.

[0023] The heater 38 heats at least one of the sheet 6 passing under the opening 43 and the ink attached to the sheet 6. In this embodiment, the heater 38 heats both the sheet 6 and the ink. When the ink is heated, the resin particles undergo glass transition, and when the sheet 6 passing under the heater 38 cools, the glass-transitioned resin hardens. This causes the ink to be fixed to the sheet 6.

[0024] The heater 38 is not limited to a halogen heater as long as it can heat the sheet or the ink. For example, the heater 38 may be a carbon heater, a dryer, an oven, a belt conveyor oven, or the like.

[0025] [Cap 71 and wiper 72] As shown in Figure 3, the cap 71 is made of an elastic material such as rubber. The cap 71 is located below the print head 34 in the maintenance position. The cap 71 is cup-shaped and opens upward. The cap 71 is movable in the up and down direction 7. As shown by the dashed line in Figure 3, the cap 71 comes into close contact with the nozzle surface 33A of the print head 34 in the maintenance position, covering the openings of all of the nozzles 33.

[0026] A waste ink tube 71A is connected to the cap 71. Specifically, a discharge port is formed in the bottom of the cap 71. One end of the waste ink tube 71A is connected to the discharge port so as to be fluidly connected. The other end of the waste ink tube 71A is connected to a waste ink tank (not shown).

[0027] A flushing process or a purging process is performed on the print head 34 while it is covered by the cap 71. The flushing process or the purging process forcibly discharges the ink inside the print head 34. The ink discharged from the print head 34 is received by the cap 71 and guided to the waste ink tank via the waste ink tube 71A.

[0028] 3, the wiper 72 is movable in the vertical direction 7 beside the cap 71. The wiper 72 moves in the vertical direction 7 while holding the tip of a wiper blade made of an elastic material such as rubber facing upward. When the wiper 72 is positioned at the top, the tip 72A of the wiper blade comes into contact with the nozzle surface 33A of the print head 34 which moves in the left-right direction 9. As a result, the wiper 72 wipes off ink droplets adhering to the nozzle surface 33A of the print head 34.

[0029] [Cleaning material 74] As shown in FIG. 3, a cleaning member 74 is located below the print head 34. The cleaning member 74 includes a cleaner carriage 75 and a wiper cleaner 76. The cleaner carriage 75 is a resin frame having a rectangular outer shape when viewed from above. The wiper cleaner 76 is supported by the cleaner carriage 75. The wiper cleaner 76 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape. The wiper cleaner 76 is a foam (foamed material) that wipes off ink adhering to the tip 72A of the wiper 72, and examples of such foam include melamine foam. The wiper cleaner 76 holds a cleaning liquid. The lower surface of the wiper cleaner 76 is aligned along the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9, and is located slightly below the tip 72A of the wiper 72 located at the lower position (cleaning position) as shown by the solid line in FIG. 3. The upper surface and upper portion of the wiper cleaner 76 are located above the tip 72A of the wiper 72 located at the lower position (cleaning position).

[0030] [Ink composition] The following describes in detail the ink (an example of a water-based ink) stored in the tank 70. In this embodiment, the ink contains a resin-dispersed pigment (an example of a coloring material) as a pigment, resin fine particles, a water-soluble organic solvent, and water.

[0031] The pigment may be a self-dispersing pigment that can be dispersed without a dispersant, or may be a resin-dispersed pigment. The resin-dispersed pigment is, for example, one that can be dispersed in water by a pigment dispersion resin (resin dispersant). The resin-dispersed pigment is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include carbon black, inorganic pigments, and organic pigments. Examples of carbon black include furnace black, lamp black, acetylene black, and channel black. Examples of inorganic pigments include titanium oxide, iron oxide-based inorganic pigments, and carbon black-based inorganic pigments. Examples of organic pigments include azo pigments such as azo lakes, insoluble azo pigments, condensed azo pigments, and chelate azo pigments; polycyclic pigments such as phthalocyanine pigments, perylene and perinone pigments, anthraquinone pigments, quinacridone pigments, dioxazine pigments, thioindigo pigments, isoindolinone pigments, and quinophthalone pigments; dye lake pigments such as basic dye lake pigments and acid dye lake pigments; nitro pigments; nitroso pigments; and aniline black daylight fluorescent pigments. Other examples of resin-dispersed pigments include CI Pigment Black 1, 6 and 7; CI Pigment Yellow 1, 2, 3, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 55, 73, 74, 75, 78, 83, 93, 94, 95, 97, 98, 114, 128, 129, 138, 150, 151, 154, 180, 185 and 194; CI Pigment Orange 31 and 43; CI Pigment Red 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 12, 15, 16, 48, 48:1, 48:3, 53:1, 57, 57:1, 112, 122, 123, 139, 144, 146, 149, 150, 166, 168, 175, 176, 177, 178, 184, 185, 190, 202, 209, 221, 222, 224, 238 and 254; CI Pigment Violet 19 and 196; CI Pigment Blue 1, 2, 3, 15, 15:1, 15:2, 15:3, 15:4, 16, 22 and 60; CI Pigment Green 7 and 36; and solid solutions of these pigments. In addition to the resin-dispersed pigment, the ink may further contain other pigments and dyes. The ink may also contain only dyes as coloring materials.

[0032] The pigment solid content of the resin-dispersed pigment in the total amount of ink is not particularly limited and can be appropriately determined, for example, depending on the desired optical density or saturation. The pigment solid content is the mass of the pigment only, and does not include the mass of the resin fine particles. The resin-dispersed pigment may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

[0033] As the resin fine particles, for example, those containing at least one of methacrylic acid and acrylic acid as a monomer can be used, and for example, commercially available products may be used. The resin fine particles may further contain, for example, styrene, vinyl chloride, etc. as a monomer. The resin fine particles may be, for example, those contained in a resin emulsion. The resin emulsion is, for example, composed of resin fine particles and a dispersion medium (for example, water, etc.). The resin fine particles are not dissolved in the dispersion medium, but are dispersed in a specific particle size range. Examples of the resin fine particles contained in the resin emulsion include acrylic acid resins, maleic acid ester resins, vinyl acetate resins, carbonate type resins, polycarbonate type resins, styrene type resins, ethylene type resins, polyethylene type resins, propylene type resins, polypropylene type resins, urethane type resins, polyurethane type resins, polyester type resins, and copolymer resins thereof. The content of the resin fine particles in the total amount of ink is not particularly limited. One type of resin fine particles may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.

[0034] Examples of the water-soluble organic solvent include glycerin, triethylene glycol, butylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, thiodiglycol, trimethylolpropane, trimethylolethane, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, etc. These organic solvents may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0035] The water is preferably ion-exchanged water or pure water.

[0036] The ink may further contain conventionally known additives as necessary. Examples of additives include surfactants, pH adjusters, surface tension adjusters, and antifungal agents. Examples of viscosity adjusters include polyvinyl alcohol, cellulose, and water-soluble resins.

[0037] The ink can be prepared, for example, by uniformly mixing a resin-dispersed pigment, resin fine particles, a specific organic solvent, water, and, if necessary, other additive components, using a conventionally known method, and removing any insoluble matter using a filter or the like.

[0038] [Cleaning solution composition] The cleaning liquid held in the wiper cleaner 76 of the cleaning member 74 will be described in detail below. The cleaning liquid contains a water-soluble organic solvent and water.

[0039] The saturated vapor pressure of the water-soluble organic solvent at 20°C is preferably 0.1 hPa or less, and more preferably 0.02 hPa or less. When the saturated vapor pressure of the water-soluble organic solvent is in this range, the water-soluble organic solvent is less likely to volatilize from the cleaning liquid. As a result, the ink attached to the wiper 72 is easily replaced with the cleaning liquid held in the wiper cleaner 76, and the cleaning effect of the wiper 72 is maintained for a long time. Examples of the water-soluble organic solvent include glycerin, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, butylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, thiodiglycol, polyethylene glycol, and polypropylene glycol. These water-soluble organic solvents may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of the water-soluble organic solvent in the total amount of the cleaning liquid is preferably 50% by mass or more, and more preferably 70% by mass or more. The average molecular weight of the polyethylene glycol is, for example, 180 to 200.

[0040] The water is preferably ion-exchanged water or pure water. The content of water in the total amount of the cleaning liquid is, for example, preferably 50% by mass or less, more preferably 30% by mass or less. The content of water may be, for example, the balance of other components.

[0041] The viscosity of the cleaning liquid is preferably 120 mPa·S or less, more preferably 80 mPa·S or less, and particularly preferably in the range of 5 mPa·S to 80 mPa·S.

[0042] The density (B) of the cleaning liquid and the density (A) of the ink preferably have a relationship represented by (Formula 1), and more preferably have a relationship represented by (Formula 2). (Formula 1) B>A (Formula 2) BA≧0.03

[0043] [Wiper 72 cleaning operation] 3, when the wiper 72 with its tip 72A facing upward is positioned below the print head 34, as the cleaning member 74 moves in the left-right direction 9, the lower surface and bottom of the wiper cleaner 76 come into contact with the tip 72A of the wiper 72. As cleaning liquid adheres to the tip 72A of the wiper 72, the ink adhering to the tip 72A flows into the wiper cleaner 76 and is absorbed. As the cleaning member 74 moves back and forth in the left-right direction 9 while abutting against the tip 72A of the wiper 72, the ink adhering to the tip 72A is cleaned off.

[0044] During the cleaning operation, the upper surface and upper part of the wiper cleaner 76 do not come into contact with the tip 72A of the wiper 72. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4A, the ink 5 that has flowed from the tip 72A of the wiper 72 to the wiper cleaner 76 is present near the lower surface of the wiper cleaner 76 immediately after the cleaning operation. Since the density (A) of the ink 5 is smaller than the density (B) of the cleaning liquid (B>A), the ink 5 present near the lower surface of the wiper cleaner 76 moves upward over time, as shown in FIG. 4B. As a result, during the subsequent cleaning operation, the tip 72A of the wiper 72 comes into contact with the lower surface and lower part of the wiper cleaner 76 where there is almost no ink 5.

[0045] In addition, the cleaning member 74 does not necessarily have to have a bottom surface of the wiper cleaner 76 aligned along the front-rear direction 7 and the left-right direction 9 as long as the cleaning member 74 moves relatively to the tip 72A of the wiper 72 while being positioned above the tip 72 of the wiper 72 when the wiper 72 is in a position where the tip 72 faces upward. For example, as shown in Fig. 5(A) , the cleaning member 74 may move relatively to the tip 72A of the wiper 72 during the cleaning operation while the bottom surface of the wiper cleaner 76 is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction (left-right direction 9).

[0046] The cleaning member 74 may have a contact portion that contacts the tip 72A of the wiper 72 and a non-contact portion that is located above the contact portion and does not contact the tip 72A of the wiper 72. For example, as shown in Fig. 5(B), the wiper cleaner 76 may move relative to the cleaning member 74 in a state in which the surface that contacts the wiper 72 is along the up-down direction 7 and the tip 72A of the wiper 72 faces laterally along the front-rear direction 8 or the left-right direction 9 (left-right direction 9 in Fig. 5(B)). At this time, if the tip 72A of the wiper 72 does not move relatively to the upper part 76U of the wiper cleaner 76, the upper part 76U of the wiper cleaner 72A becomes the non-contact portion. Then, the lower part 76L of the wiper cleaner 76 becomes the contact portion. Therefore, the ink that flows from the tip 72A of the wiper 72 to the lower portion 76L of the wiper cleaner 76 moves to the upper portion 76U of the wiper cleaner 76 over time. EXAMPLES

[0047] Examples of the present invention will be described below together with comparative examples. The examples and comparative examples are not intended to be limiting or restrictive.

[0048] [Pigment dispersion A] Pure water was added to 20% by mass of pigment (carbon black) and 7% by mass of styrene-acrylic acid copolymer neutralized with sodium hydroxide (acid value 175 mgKOH / g, molecular weight 10,000) to make the total 100% by mass, and the mixture was stirred and mixed to obtain a mixture. This mixture was placed in a wet sand mill filled with 0.3 mm diameter zirconia beads and subjected to a dispersion treatment for 6 hours. The zirconia beads were then removed using a separator, and the mixture was filtered through a cellulose acetate filter with a pore size of 3.0 μm to obtain pigment dispersion liquid A. The styrene-acrylic acid copolymer is a water-soluble polymer that is generally used as a dispersant for pigments.

[0049] [Ink preparation] An ink solvent was obtained by uniformly mixing the following components, excluding the resin fine particles and the resin-dispersed pigment dispersion liquid in the composition shown in Table 1. Next, the resin fine particles were added and mixed uniformly, and then the resin-dispersed pigment dispersion liquid was added to obtain a mixture with the total amount being 100 mass %. The obtained mixture was filtered through a cellulose acetate type membrane filter (pore size 3.00 μm) manufactured by Toyo Roshi Kaisha, Ltd., to obtain inks 1 and 2, respectively. Resin particles: Seiko PMC Corporation's "Hi-Loss-X (registered trademark) QE-1042" Water-soluble organic solvent: Propylene glycol (saturated vapor pressure at 20°C: 0.1 hPa), glycerin (saturated vapor pressure at 20°C: 0.001 hPa) Surfactant: "Olfine (registered trademark) E1010" manufactured by Nissin Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

[0050] [Preparation of cleaning solution] The water-soluble organic solvent was uniformly mixed with water in the amounts shown in Table 2 to obtain cleaning liquids of Examples 1-8 and Comparative Examples 1-3. Water-soluble organic solvents: glycerin (saturated vapor pressure at 20°C: 0.001 hPa), diethylene glycol (saturated vapor pressure at 20°C: 0.03 hPa), propylene glycol (saturated vapor pressure at 20°C: 0.1 hPa), triethylene glycol butyl ether (saturated vapor pressure at 20°C: 0.01 hPa)

[0051] [Table 1]

[0052] [Ink Rising] The cleaning liquids in Examples 1 to 8 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 were prepared by mixing melamine foam (surface area 400 mm 2 The melamine foam was allowed to absorb the ink (thickness: 5 mm). 2 μL of ink 1 or ink 2 was contacted from the bottom side of the melamine foam to allow the ink to be absorbed into the melamine foam. After 1 hour and 2 hours, the melamine foam was cut and the cross section was observed and evaluated according to the following criteria. AA: After one hour, the ink had risen to the top of the melamine foam. A: After two hours, the ink had risen to the top of the melamine foam. C: After 2 hours, the ink had not risen to the top of the melamine foam.

[0053] [Cleaning fluid retention] The cleaning liquids in Examples 1 to 8 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 were prepared by mixing melamine foam (surface area 100 mm 2 The melamine foam was observed after 24 hours and evaluated according to the following criteria. AA: The level of the cleaning liquid absorbed into the melamine foam after 24 hours is 20 mm or less above the upper surface. A: The level of the cleaning liquid absorbed into the melamine foam after 24 hours is more than 20 mm below the top surface.

[0054] The evaluation results of Examples 1 to 8 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 are shown in Table 2.

[0055] [Table 2]

[0056] As shown in Table 2, in Examples 1 to 8, there was no C rating for ink rise, but in Comparative Examples 1 to 3, all ink rises were rated C. Moreover, in Example 6 in which the relationship between the density (A) of the ink and the density (B) of the cleaning liquid did not satisfy (Formula 2), the rise in ink was rated A. In Example 5, in which the viscosity of the cleaning liquid was greater than 80 mPa·S, the ink rise was rated A. In Example 6, in which the viscosity of the cleaning liquid was less than 5 mPa·S, the retention of the cleaning liquid was rated A. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 10. Recording device 28···Platen 34 Print head (head) 72 Wiper 72A...Tip 74 Cleaning material

Claims

1. A head that ejects ink from nozzles; a wiper having a tip portion for wiping the nozzle surface of the head; a cleaning member that contacts the tip; a cleaning liquid held in the cleaning member, The ink contains a coloring material, The viscosity of the cleaning liquid is 5 mPa·S or more and 80 mPa·S or less, The cleaning member is A support; a wiper cleaner supported by the support and made of foam; When the density of the ink is A and the density of the cleaning liquid is B, the following formula 2 is established: The wiper cleaner is a contact portion that contacts the tip portion of the wiper; a non-contact portion located above the contact portion, on the upper surface and upper portion of the wiper cleaner, above the tip of the wiper, and not in contact with the tip. (Formula 2) 0.03≦B−A≦0.17

2. A recording device as described in claim 1, wherein ink that moves from the tip of the wiper to the contact portion when the tip comes into contact with the contact portion moves from the contact portion to the non-contact portion over time.

3. The recording device according to claim 1, wherein the density B of the cleaning liquid is 1.08 g / cm 3 or more and 1.22 g / cm 3 or less.

4. A recording device according to claim 1, wherein the density A of the ink is 1.05 g / cm 3 or more and 1.10 g / cm 3 or less.

5. The ink is an aqueous ink containing a pigment as the coloring material, a water-soluble organic solvent, and water, 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning liquid contains a water-soluble organic solvent.

6. The recording apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the water-based ink further contains fine resin particles.

7. The cleaning liquid contains a water-soluble organic solvent, 7. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the water-soluble organic solvent has a saturated vapor pressure of 0.1 hPa or less at 20[deg.] C. and accounts for 50% by mass or more of the total amount of the cleaning liquid.

8. 8. The recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the water-soluble organic solvent contained in the cleaning liquid has a saturated vapor pressure of 0.02 hPa or less at 20[deg.] C. and accounts for 50% by mass or more of the total amount of the cleaning liquid.

9. The cleaning liquid further comprises water, 9. The recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning liquid has a water content of 50% by mass or less in the total amount of the cleaning liquid.

10. 10. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member moves relatively to the wiper while being positioned above the tip end of the wiper when the tip end of the wiper is facing upward.

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