LIQUID EJECTING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING LIQUID EJECTING APPARATUS

Abstract

To provide a liquid jet device and a control method of a liquid jet device that can suppress a belt-like member from being wound up excessively.SOLUTION: A liquid jet device comprises; a liquid collecting device 43 that has a liquid jet part 20 that jets liquid, a belt-like member 60 that can contact the liquid jet part 20 to wipe out a liquid adhering to the liquid jet part 20 and a winding part 72 that can wind up the belt-like member 60; a temperature / humidity sensor that obtains temperature / humidity information concerning temperatures and humidity in the vicinity of the liquid collecting device 43; and a control part that makes the winding part 72 wind the belt-like member 60 after bringing the belt-like member 60 into contact with the liquid jet part 20 to wipe out the liquid. The control part determines a winding-length of the belt-like member 60 that is wound up by the winding part 72 after the belt-like member 60 wipes out the liquid, on the basis of the temperature / humidity information detected by the temperature / humidity sensor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid ejection apparatus and a method for controlling the liquid ejection apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a printer that prints by ejecting ink from a printhead is known. This printer is equipped with a cleaning device that cleans the printhead using a web as a belt-shaped member. The cleaning device slides a web supplied from a web supply source over the printhead, causing the web to absorb ink. The cleaning device then winds up a predetermined amount of the web, making it possible to perform cleaning on an unused portion the next time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-300329 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Since the ink wiped off by the web or other strip-shaped member spreads over time into unused portions that are not in contact with the print head, in an amount that depends on the surrounding environment, such as temperature and humidity, when the strip-shaped member is wound up after cleaning, it is necessary to take into account this amount of spreading. However, if the strip-shaped member is always wound up by a fixed amount, there is a problem that when used in an environment where the ink does not spread much, excess strip-shaped member that has not absorbed ink will be wound up. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The liquid ejection device includes a wiping unit having a liquid ejection unit that ejects liquid, a strip-shaped member that can contact the liquid ejection unit to wipe off liquid adhering to the liquid ejection unit, and a winding unit that can wind up the strip-shaped member, a temperature and humidity information acquisition unit that acquires temperature and humidity information relating to the temperature and humidity around the wiping unit, and a control unit that causes the winding unit to wind up the strip-shaped member after the strip-shaped member has been brought into contact with the liquid ejection unit to wipe off the liquid, and the control unit determines the winding length of the strip-shaped member to be wound up by the winding unit after the strip-shaped member has wiped off the liquid, based on the temperature and humidity information acquired by the temperature and humidity information acquisition unit.

[0006] A control method for a liquid ejection device includes a wiping unit having a liquid ejection unit that ejects liquid, a strip-shaped member that can contact the liquid ejection unit to wipe off liquid adhering to the liquid ejection unit, and a take-up unit that can take up the strip-shaped member, and a temperature and humidity information acquisition unit that acquires temperature and humidity information regarding the temperature and humidity surrounding the wiping unit, and after bringing the strip-shaped member into contact with the liquid ejection unit to wipe it, the control method causes the take-up unit to take up the strip-shaped member, and determines the take-up length of the strip-shaped member to be taken up by the take-up unit after the strip-shaped member has wiped off the liquid, based on the temperature and humidity information acquired by the temperature and humidity information acquisition unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a liquid ejection device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a schematic bottom view of the liquid ejecting unit and the carriage. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the liquid collecting device with the case located at the standby position. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a liquid collecting device that wipes the liquid ejecting portion. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the liquid collecting device with the case located in the receiving position. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the liquid collecting device with the strip-shaped member wound up. [Figure 8] 6 is a flowchart showing a first maintenance operation. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a table for determining a winding length. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a second maintenance operation. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic side view of a liquid collecting device according to a first modified example. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a schematic side view of a liquid collecting device according to a second modified example. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic side view of a liquid collecting device according to a third modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a liquid ejection device and a method for controlling the liquid ejection device will be described with reference to the drawings. The liquid ejection device 11 is, for example, an inkjet printer that prints by ejecting ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto a medium 14 such as paper.

[0009] In the drawings, the liquid ejection device 11 is placed on a horizontal plane, the direction of gravity is indicated by the Z axis, and the directions along the horizontal plane are indicated by the X and Y axes. The X, Y, and Z axes are perpendicular to each other. In the following description, the direction along the X axis is also referred to as the width direction X, the direction along the Y axis is also referred to as the depth direction Y, and the direction along the Z axis is also referred to as the gravity direction Z.

[0010] 1, liquid ejection device 11 may include a pair of legs 12 and a housing 13 mounted on legs 12. Liquid ejection device 11 may include a payout unit 15 that unwinds and pays out medium 14 wound in a roll, a guide unit 16 that guides medium 14 discharged from housing 13, and a collection unit 17 that winds up and collects medium 14. Liquid ejection device 11 may include a tension applying mechanism 18 that applies tension to medium 14 collected in collection unit 17.

[0011] The liquid ejecting device 11 includes a liquid ejecting unit 20 capable of ejecting liquid, a carriage 21 that moves the liquid ejecting unit 20, and a maintenance unit 22 that performs maintenance on the liquid ejecting unit 20. The liquid ejecting device 11 may also include a liquid supplying unit 23 that supplies liquid to the liquid ejecting unit 20, and an operation panel 24 that is operated by a user. The carriage 21 moves the liquid ejecting unit 20 back and forth along the X-axis. While moving, the liquid ejecting unit 20 ejects liquid supplied through the liquid supplying unit 23 to print on the medium 14.

[0012] The liquid supply device 23 includes a mounting portion 26 in which a plurality of liquid containers 25 for containing liquid are removably mounted, and a supply flow path 27 that supplies liquid from the liquid containers 25 mounted in the mounting portion 26 to the liquid ejection portion 20.

[0013] The liquid ejection device 11 includes a temperature and humidity sensor 28 that detects temperature and humidity, and a control unit 29 that controls the operation of the liquid ejection device 11. The control unit 29 includes, for example, a CPU, a memory, and the like. The control unit 29 controls the liquid ejection unit 20, the liquid supply device 23, the maintenance unit 22, and the like by the CPU executing a program stored in the memory. The temperature and humidity sensor 28 is disposed inside the liquid ejection device 11, specifically, inside the housing 13, near the maintenance unit 22. The temperature and humidity sensor 28 detects the temperature and humidity around the maintenance unit 22, and transmits the detection result to the control unit 29 as temperature and humidity information. In other words, the temperature and humidity information is information related to the temperature and humidity around the maintenance unit 22, and the temperature and humidity sensor 28 corresponds to a temperature and humidity information acquisition unit that acquires the temperature and humidity information.

[0014] 2, the liquid ejecting device 11 may include a guide shaft 31 that supports the carriage 21, and a carriage motor 32 that moves the carriage 21. The guide shaft 31 extends in the width direction X. The control unit 29 controls the driving of the carriage motor 32 to cause the carriage 21 and the liquid ejecting unit 20 to reciprocate along the guide shaft 31.

[0015] The liquid ejecting device 11 may include an air rectification unit 34 that is held under the carriage 21. When the air rectification units 34 are provided on both sides of the liquid ejecting unit 20 in the width direction X, it becomes easier to rectify the airflow around the liquid ejecting unit 20 that moves back and forth along the X axis.

[0016] The liquid ejection unit 20 may include a nozzle forming member 37 in which a plurality of nozzles 36 are formed, and a cover member 38 that covers a portion of the nozzle forming member 37. The cover member 38 is made of a metal such as stainless steel. The cover member 38 is formed with a plurality of through holes 39 that penetrate the cover member 38 in the gravity direction Z. The cover member 38 covers the side of the nozzle forming member 37 on which the nozzles 36 are formed so that the nozzles 36 are exposed from the through holes 39. The nozzle surface 40 is formed to include the nozzle forming member 37 and the cover member 38. Specifically, the nozzle surface 40 is formed by the nozzle forming member 37 exposed from the through holes 39 and the cover member 38, and the nozzles 36 that eject the liquid are formed on the nozzle surface 40.

[0017] In the liquid ejecting section 20, a large number of openings of the nozzles 36 that eject liquid are arranged at regular intervals in one direction. The multiple nozzles 36 form a nozzle row. In this embodiment, the openings of the nozzles 36 are arranged in the depth direction Y, forming a first nozzle row L1 to a twelfth nozzle row L12. The nozzles 36 that form one nozzle row eject the same type of liquid. Of the nozzles 36 that form one nozzle row, the nozzle 36 located at the back in the depth direction Y and the nozzle 36 located at the front in the depth direction Y are formed with a shift in position in the width direction X.

[0018] The first nozzle row L1 to the twelfth nozzle row L12 are arranged close to each other in pairs in the width direction X. In this embodiment, two nozzle rows arranged close to each other are called a nozzle group. In the liquid ejecting unit 20, the first nozzle group G1 to the sixth nozzle group G6 are arranged at regular intervals in the width direction X.

[0019] Specifically, the first nozzle group G1 includes a first nozzle row L1 that ejects magenta ink and a second nozzle row L2 that ejects yellow ink. The second nozzle group G2 includes a third nozzle row L3 that ejects cyan ink and a fourth nozzle row L4 that ejects black ink. The third nozzle group G3 includes a fifth nozzle row L5 that ejects light cyan ink and a sixth nozzle row L6 that ejects light magenta ink. The fourth nozzle group G4 includes a seventh nozzle row L7 and an eighth nozzle row L8 that eject treatment liquid. The fifth nozzle group G5 includes a ninth nozzle row L9 that ejects black ink and a tenth nozzle row L10 that ejects cyan ink. The sixth nozzle group G6 includes an eleventh nozzle row L11 that ejects yellow ink and a twelfth nozzle row L12 that ejects magenta ink.

[0020] Next, the maintenance unit 22 will be described. As shown in Fig. 3, the maintenance unit 22 has a flushing device 42, a liquid collecting device 43 as a wiping unit, a suction device 44, and a capping device 45, which are arranged in the width direction X. The area above the capping device 45 is the home position HP of the liquid ejecting unit 20. The home position HP is the starting point of the movement of the liquid ejecting unit 20. The area above the liquid collecting device 43 is the cleaning position CP of the liquid ejecting unit 20. In Fig. 3, the liquid ejecting unit 20 positioned at the cleaning position CP is indicated by a two-dot chain line.

[0021] The flushing device 42 receives the liquid that is sprayed from the liquid spraying unit 20 by flushing. Flushing is a maintenance procedure in which liquid is sprayed as waste liquid in order to prevent and clear clogging of the nozzles 36.

[0022] The flushing device 42 includes a liquid receiving portion 47 that receives the liquid ejected by the liquid ejecting portion 20 for flushing, a lid member 48 for covering the opening of the liquid receiving portion 47, and a lid motor 49 that moves the lid member 48. The flushing device 42 may include a plurality of liquid receiving portions 47 and a plurality of lid members 48. The control portion 29 may select the liquid receiving portion 47 depending on the type of liquid. The flushing device 42 of this embodiment includes two liquid receiving portions 47, one of which receives a plurality of color inks ejected by flushing from the liquid ejecting portion 20, and the other liquid receiving portion 47 receives the treatment liquid ejected by flushing from the liquid ejecting portion 20. The liquid receiving portion 47 may contain a moisturizing liquid.

[0023] Lid member 48 is driven by lid motor 49 to move between a covering position (not shown) that covers the opening of liquid receiving portion 47 and an exposing position (shown in Fig. 3) that exposes the opening of liquid receiving portion 47. When flushing is not being performed, lid member 48 moves to the covering position to prevent the contained moisturizing liquid and the received liquid from drying out.

[0024] The suction device 44 includes a suction cap 51, a suction holder 52, a suction motor 53 that reciprocates the suction holder 52 along the Z axis, and a decompression mechanism 54 that reduces the pressure inside the suction cap 51. The suction motor 53 moves the suction cap 51 between a contact position and a retracted position. The contact position is a position where the suction cap 51 contacts the liquid ejection unit 20 and surrounds the nozzles 36. The retracted position is a position where the suction cap 51 is separated from the liquid ejection unit 20. The suction cap 51 may be configured to surround all of the nozzles 36, may be configured to surround at least one nozzle group, or may be configured to surround some of the nozzles 36 that constitute the nozzle group. The suction device 44 of this embodiment surrounds one of the first nozzle group G1 to the sixth nozzle group G6 with two suction caps 51.

[0025] The liquid ejecting device 11 may perform suction cleaning by positioning the liquid ejecting unit 20 above the suction device 44 and positioning the suction cap 51 at a contact position to surround one nozzle group and reduce the pressure inside the suction cap 51 to discharge the liquid from the nozzles 36. In other words, the suction device 44 may receive the liquid discharged by the suction cleaning.

[0026] The capping device 45 has a left-standing cap 56, a left-standing holder 57, and a left-standing motor 58 that moves the left-standing holder 57 back and forth along the Z axis. The left-standing motor 58 is driven to move the left-standing holder 57 and the left-standing cap 56 upward or downward. The left-standing cap 56 moves from a lower, separated position to an upper, capping position, and comes into contact with the liquid ejecting unit 20 stopped at the home position HP.

[0027] The left-behind cap 56 located at the capping position surrounds the openings of the nozzles 36 constituting the first nozzle group G1 to the sixth nozzle group G6. Maintenance in which the left-behind cap 56 surrounds the openings of the nozzles 36 in this manner is called left-behind capping. Left-behind capping is a type of capping. The left-behind capping prevents the nozzles 36 from drying out.

[0028] The leaving cap 56 may be configured to surround all of the nozzles 36, may be configured to surround at least one nozzle group, or may be configured to surround some of the nozzles 36 that make up a nozzle group.

[0029] Next, the liquid collecting device 43 will be described. 3, the liquid collecting device 43 includes a belt-shaped member 60 capable of absorbing liquid. The liquid collecting device 43 may include a case 61 that houses the belt-shaped member 60, a pair of rails 62 extending along the Y axis, a wiping motor 63, a winding motor 64, and a power transmission mechanism 65 that transmits the power of the winding motor 64. The case 61 has a first opening 66 and a second opening 67 that expose the belt-shaped member 60. If the size of the belt-shaped member 60 in the width direction X is equal to or larger than the size of the nozzle surface 40, the liquid ejecting unit 20 can be efficiently maintained.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 3, the case 61 reciprocates on the rail 62 along the Y axis by the power of the wiping motor 63. Specifically, the case 61 moves between a standby position shown in Fig. 4 and a receiving position shown in Fig. 3. When the wiping motor 63 is driven in the forward direction, the case 61 located at the standby position moves in a first wiping direction W1 parallel to the Y axis toward the receiving position. When the wiping motor 63 is driven in the reverse direction, the case 61 located at the receiving position moves in a second wiping direction W2 opposite to the first wiping direction W1 toward the standby position.

[0031] The liquid ejecting device 11 may wipe the liquid ejecting unit 20 during at least one of the processes of moving the case 61 from the standby position to the receiving position and moving the case 61 from the receiving position to the standby position. Wiping is a maintenance method in which the belt-shaped member 60 is moved in contact with the nozzle surface 40 to wipe off the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 4, the liquid collecting device 43 includes an unwinding section 70 having an unwinding shaft 69, and a winding section 72 having a winding shaft 71. The unwinding section 70 holds the belt-shaped member 60 in a rolled state. The belt-shaped member 60 unwound and fed from the unwinding section 70 is transported to the winding section 72 along the transport path. The liquid collecting device 43 may include an upstream roller 74, a tension roller 75, a pressing section 76, a regulating roller 77, a first horizontal roller 78, and a second horizontal roller 79, which are provided in this order from upstream along the transport path of the belt-shaped member 60. The case 61 supports the unwinding shaft 69, the upstream roller 74, the tension roller 75, the pressing section 76, the regulating roller 77, the first horizontal roller 78, the second horizontal roller 79, and the winding shaft 71 rotatably about the X-axis.

[0033] The winding shaft 71 rotates by being driven by the winding motor 64. The winding unit 72 winds the strip-shaped member 60 in a roll around the winding shaft 71. The winding unit 72 winds the strip-shaped member 60, thereby moving the portion of the strip-shaped member 60 that has been unwound from the unwinding unit 70 in a moving direction D. The moving direction D is a direction along the transport path of the strip-shaped member 60, from the upstream unwinding unit 70 toward the downstream winding unit 72.

[0034] The power transmission mechanism 65 may connect the winding motor 64 and the winding shaft 71 when the case 61 is located at the standby position, and may disconnect the winding motor 64 and the winding shaft 71 when the case 61 moves away from the standby position. The winding motor 64 may rotate and drive at least one of the winding shaft 71, the upstream roller 74, the tension roller 75, the pressing portion 76, the regulating roller 77, the first horizontal roller 78, and the second horizontal roller 79 together with the winding shaft 71.

[0035] The tension roller 75 is disposed upstream of the pressing portion 76 in the moving direction D and below the gravity direction Z. The tension roller 75 applies tension to the belt-shaped member 60 by pressing the belt-shaped member 60 downward.

[0036] The pressing portion 76 in this embodiment is a roller around which the belt-shaped member 60 is wound. The pressing portion 76 presses the belt-shaped member 60 unwound from the unwinding portion 70 from below to above, causing the belt-shaped member 60 to protrude from the first opening 66.

[0037] The regulating roller 77 is disposed downstream of the pressing portion 76 in the movement direction D and below the gravity direction Z. The regulating roller 77 applies tension to the belt-shaped member 60 by pressing the belt-shaped member 60 downward, and regulates the belt-shaped member 60 downward from the pressing portion 76.

[0038] The conveying path may have an upstream region A1 upstream of the pressing section 76, a contact region A2 where the belt-shaped member 60 can be brought into contact with the liquid spraying section 20, an inclined region A3 where the belt-shaped member 60 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, and a horizontal region A4 where the belt-shaped member 60 is held approximately horizontally.

[0039] The upstream region A1 is a region from the bottom of the tension roller 75 to the upstream end of the contact region A2. The pressing portion 76 is located downstream and above the tension roller 75 in the moving direction D. Therefore, the belt-shaped member 60 located in the upstream region A1 has an upward slope that rises in the opposite direction to the gravity direction Z as it goes downstream in the moving direction D. In this embodiment, the upstream angle θ1 formed by the horizontal plane indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 4 and the belt-shaped member 60 located in the upstream region A1 is smaller than 30 degrees. The upstream angle θ1 is the angle formed by the horizontal plane and the portion of the belt-shaped member 60 located in the contact region A2 that is not in contact with the pressing portion 76 and the tension roller 75.

[0040] 4 and 5, the contact area A2 is an area that comes into contact with the liquid jetting unit 20 during wiping. The pressing unit 76 presses the contact portion 60a of the belt-shaped member 60 that is located in the contact area A2, and is capable of bringing the contact portion 60a into contact with the liquid jetting unit 20. That is, the liquid collection device 43 wipes the liquid jetting unit 20 by moving the case 61 with the contact portion 60a in contact with the liquid jetting unit 20. In the drawings, the contact portion 60a is shown painted black.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 4, the inclined region A3 is provided downstream of the pressing portion 76 in the moving direction D. The inclined region A3 is a region from the downstream end of the contact region A2 to the bottom of the regulating roller 77 with which the belt-shaped member 60 comes into contact. The regulating roller 77 is located downstream and below the pressing portion 76 in the moving direction D. Therefore, the belt-shaped member 60 located in the inclined region A3 has a downward slope that descends in the direction of gravity Z toward the downstream of the moving direction D. In this embodiment, the downstream angle θ2 formed by the horizontal plane and the belt-shaped member 60 located in the inclined region A3 is greater than 30 degrees. That is, the inclination of the belt-shaped member 60 toward the downstream and downward of the moving direction D in the inclined region A3 with respect to the horizontal plane is greater than the inclination of the belt-shaped member 60 toward the upstream and downward of the moving direction D from the pressing portion 76 with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0042] An inclination length Ls of the inclined region A3 in the movement direction D may be longer than a contact length Lc of the contact portion 60a in the movement direction D. A height H of the inclined region A3 in the gravity direction Z may be higher than a height at which the belt-shaped member 60 sucks up liquid in the gravity direction Z. The inclined region A3 may have a volume capable of absorbing and retaining liquid attached to the contact portion 60a.

[0043] The horizontal region A4 is the region from the top of the first horizontal roller 78 to the top of the second horizontal roller 79. The first horizontal roller 78 and the second horizontal roller 79 are provided at the same height in the gravity direction Z, and keep the belt-shaped member 60 located in the horizontal region A4 approximately horizontal. The horizontal region A4 is located below the second opening 67, and the belt-shaped member 60 located in the horizontal region A4 is exposed from the second opening 67.

[0044] 6, when the case 61 is located at the receiving position and the liquid ejecting unit 20 is located at the cleaning position CP, the belt-shaped member 60 in the horizontal region A4 faces the nozzle surface 40. In this state, the liquid ejecting device 11 may perform pressure cleaning to discharge pressurized liquid from the nozzles 36. In other words, the liquid collecting device 43 may receive the liquid discharged by the pressure cleaning.

[0045] The operation of this embodiment will be described. First, a description will be given of a case where the control unit 29 performs suction cleaning, wiping, and flushing in this order as maintenance of the liquid ejecting unit 20. Hereinafter, maintenance performed in this order will also be referred to as first maintenance.

[0046] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first maintenance. The control unit 29 stops the liquid ejecting unit 20 above the suction device 44 and performs suction cleaning on the nozzle group that requires suction cleaning (step S1). When the suction cleaning is completed, the control unit 29 moves the liquid ejecting unit 20 to the cleaning position CP (step S2).

[0047] As shown in FIG. 4, with the case 61 in the standby position, the control unit 29 drives the wiping motor 63 to rotate in the normal direction to move the case 61 in the first wiping direction W1, thereby performing wiping (step S3). 5, the liquid collection device 43 wipes by bringing the contact portion 60a into contact with the liquid ejection unit 20. Specifically, the liquid collection device 43 performs wiping by causing the pressing portion 76 to press the belt-shaped member 60 against the nozzle surface 40, and moving the case 61 with the belt-shaped member 60 sandwiched between the pressing portion 76 and the nozzle surface 40.

[0048] 6, when the case 61 moves to the receiving position, the control unit 29 stops driving the wiping motor 63 and moves the liquid ejecting unit 20 to the home position HP (step S4). After that, the control unit 29 drives the wiping motor 63 in the reverse direction to move the case 61 in the second wiping direction W2 and return it to the standby position (step S5).

[0049] Next, the control unit 29 acquires temperature and humidity information from the temperature and humidity sensor 28 (step S6), and determines the winding length of the belt-like member 60 based on the acquired temperature and humidity information (step S7). In the present embodiment, the control unit 29 determines the winding length according to a table T stored in a memory within the control unit 29. As shown in FIG. 9, the table T has winding lengths B1 to B9 (mm) corresponding to three temperature ranges and three humidity ranges, which are determined and stored in advance. These are values determined based on the results of evaluations performed beforehand.

[0050] The liquid absorbed by the belt-like member 60 by wiping diffuses within the belt-like member 60. And when the liquid is ink, the dye component also diffuses together with the solvent component of the ink diffusing within the belt-like member 60. When the contact portion 60a is located in the contact region A2, although the liquid easily diffuses toward the inclined region A3 having a large inclination with respect to the contact region A2 due to the action of gravity, it also diffuses to the upstream region A1 having a small inclination with respect to the contact region A2. Since the upstream region A1 is the region used for the next wiping, it is necessary to wind up the belt-like member 60 by a length considering the diffusion of the liquid.

[0051] In the belt-like member 60, the range in which the liquid diffuses varies depending on the temperature and humidity within the liquid ejecting device 11. Specifically, under the condition that the temperature is the same, the lower the humidity, the larger the amount of water vapor that can be held in the air, so the liquid absorbed by the belt-like member 60 is more likely to evaporate. That is, the lower the humidity, the faster the amount of liquid diffusing within the belt-like member 60 decreases, and the length diffusing to the upstream region A1 is short. Therefore, in the table T, when the temperature range is the same, the lower the humidity, the shorter the winding length, and specifically, it is set to satisfy B1 < B4 < B7, B2 < B5 < B8, and B3 < B6 < B9. In other words, assuming that the humidity detected by the temperature and humidity sensor 28 is the first humidity, in this case, the winding length is shorter than when the temperature is the same and the humidity is the second humidity higher than the first humidity.

[0052] Also, under the same humidity conditions, the lower the temperature, the higher the viscosity of the liquid absorbed by the belt member 60. Therefore, the speed at which the liquid diffuses into the belt member 60 is slow, and the length of diffusion into the upstream region A1 is short. For this reason, on the table T, when the humidity range is the same, the lower the temperature, the shorter the winding length. Specifically, it is set to satisfy B1 < B2 < B3, B4 < B5 < B6, and B7 < B8 < B9. In other words, assuming that the temperature detected by the temperature and humidity sensor 28 is the first temperature, in this case, compared with the case where the humidity is the same and the temperature is the second temperature higher than the first temperature, the winding length becomes shorter.

[0053] Thereafter, the control unit 29 drives the winding motor 64 so that the belt member 60 is wound around the winding unit 72 by the determined winding length (step S8). As shown in FIG. 7, when the winding unit 72 winds the belt member 60, the contact portion 60a moves in the moving direction D.

[0054] When the wiping is completed, the control unit 29 moves the liquid injection unit 20 above the liquid receiving unit 47 and performs flushing by injecting the liquid from the liquid injection unit 20 at the timing when the liquid injection unit 20 passes through the liquid receiving unit 47 (step S9). Thereby, the first maintenance is completed.

[0055] Next, the case where the control unit 29 performs pressure cleaning, wiping, and flushing in order as maintenance of the liquid injection device 11 will be described. Hereinafter, the maintenance performed in this order is also referred to as the second maintenance. In the second maintenance of the present embodiment, wiping by the belt member 60 is performed twice.

[0056] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the second maintenance. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, when performing pressure cleaning, the control unit 29 moves the case 61 to the receiving position and stops it (step S11). Thereafter, the control unit 29 moves the liquid injection unit 20 to the cleaning position CP and stops it (step S12).

[0057] The control unit 29 controls the liquid supply device 23 to supply pressurized liquid to the nozzle 36 and discharge the liquid from the nozzle 36 (step S13). The liquid discharged from the nozzle 36 remains on the nozzle surface 40 so as to spread thereon. When the amount of liquid remaining on the nozzle surface 40 increases, the liquid drips from the nozzle surface 40. At this time, the strip-shaped member 60 is located directly below the nozzle 36. Therefore, during pressurized cleaning, the liquid remaining on the nozzle surface 40 is received by the strip-shaped member 60 located in the horizontal region A4.

[0058] 5, after performing the pressurized cleaning, the control unit 29 drives the wiping motor 63 in the reverse direction while keeping the liquid ejecting unit 20 stopped, and moves the case 61 in the second wiping direction W2 to the standby position. That is, the control unit 29 performs a first wiping with the belt-shaped member 60 (step S14), and wipes away the liquid discharged by the pressurized cleaning and remaining on the nozzle surface 40.

[0059] After wiping, the control unit 29 drives the winding motor 64 to wind up the belt-shaped member 60 (step S15). Note that since the second wiping is to be performed immediately afterwards, the winding length here is set to a predetermined length.

[0060] Then, with the case 61 in the standby position, the control unit 29 drives the wiping motor 63 in the forward direction to move the case 61 in the first wiping direction W1 to perform a second wiping (step S16), and the case 61 moves to the receiving position as shown in FIG. 6.

[0061] The control unit 29 stops driving the wiping motor 63 and moves the liquid ejecting unit 20 to the home position HP (step S17). Then, the control unit 29 drives the wiping motor 63 in the reverse direction to move the case 61 in the second wiping direction W2 and return to the standby position (step S18).

[0062] Thereafter, the control unit 29 acquires temperature and humidity information from the temperature and humidity sensor 28 (step S19), and determines the winding length of the strip-shaped member 60 based on the acquired temperature and humidity information and in accordance with a table (not shown) stored in the memory of the control unit 29 (step S20). Note that the table used here is not the same as the table T used in the first maintenance, and this table stores predetermined winding lengths suitable for wiping in the second maintenance. However, the magnitude relationship of the winding lengths in each temperature range and each humidity range is the same as that in table T.

[0063] Thereafter, the control unit 29 drives the winding motor 64 so that the strip-shaped member 60 is wound by the determined winding length (step S21).

[0064] Then, the control unit 29 moves the liquid ejecting unit 20 above the liquid receiving unit 47 to perform flushing (step S22), thereby completing the second maintenance.

[0065] When the amount of liquid adhering to the contact portion 60a is large, the control portion 29 may increase the length of the belt-shaped member 60 that is taken up by the take-up portion 72 after the belt-shaped member 60 is brought into contact with the liquid ejecting portion 20, compared to when the amount of liquid adhering to the contact portion 60a is small. That is, the amount of liquid that adheres to the nozzle surface 40 by the pressure cleaning is greater than the amount that adheres to the nozzle surface 40 by the suction cleaning. Therefore, the control portion 29 may increase the length of the belt-shaped member 60 that is taken up in association with the wiping in the second maintenance, compared to the length of the belt-shaped member 60 that is taken up in association with the wiping in the first maintenance.

[0066] As described above, according to this embodiment, the control unit 29 determines the winding length of the strip-shaped member 60 after wiping based on the temperature and humidity detected by the temperature and humidity sensor 28. Specifically, when the temperature range is the same, the control unit 29 shortens the winding length as the humidity is lower, and when the humidity range is the same, the control unit 29 shortens the winding length as the temperature is lower. In this way, since an appropriate winding length is determined based on the temperature and humidity, excessive winding of the strip-shaped member 60 can be suppressed. In addition, the time required for winding, i.e., the time required for maintenance, can be shortened accordingly.

[0067] This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that there is no technical contradiction. As in the first modified example shown in FIG. 11, the pressing section may be composed of a plurality of pressing rollers 81. When the liquid collecting device 43 includes two pressing rollers 81, the area between the upper ends of the pressing rollers 81 becomes the contact area A2. The liquid collecting device 43 may include a downstream roller 82 provided between the pressing roller 81 and the regulating roller 77 in the transport path of the strip-shaped member 60. The inclined area A3 may include a gentle slope area A5 with a gentle slope and a steep slope area A6 with a steep slope. Specifically, in the moving direction D, the gentle slope area A5 is from the downstream end of the contact area A2 to the downstream roller 82. In the moving direction D, the steep slope area A6 is from the downstream roller 82 to the bottom of the regulating roller 77. The steep slope area A6 is located downstream of the gentle slope area A5 in the moving direction D. The gentle angle θ3 between the horizontal plane and the belt-shaped member 60 located in the gently inclined region A5 may be smaller than 30 degrees or may be the same as the upstream angle θ1. When the gentle angle θ3 and the upstream angle θ1 are the same, the nozzle surface 40 can be wiped in the same manner in the wiping in which the case 61 is moved in the first wiping direction W1 and the wiping in which the case 61 is moved in the second wiping direction W2. The steep angle θ4 between the horizontal plane and the belt-shaped member 60 located in the steeply inclined region A6 may be larger than the upstream angle θ1 and the gentle angle θ3 and may be equal to or larger than the downstream angle θ2. In other words, the inclination of the belt-shaped member 60 toward the downstream and downward of the moving direction D in the steeply inclined region A6 is larger than the inclination of the belt-shaped member 60 toward the upstream and downward of the moving direction D in the upstream region A1. After bringing the contact portion 60a into contact with the liquid spraying unit 20 to perform wiping, the control unit 29 may cause the take-up unit 72 to take up the belt-shaped member 60 by a length longer than the total length of the contact length Lc and the length of the gently inclined region A5 in the moving direction D. In other words, the control unit 29 may move the contact portion 60a that has absorbed liquid during wiping to the steeply inclined region A6.

[0068] As in the second modified example shown in FIG. 12, the liquid collecting device 43 may include a nip roller 83 that sandwiches the belt-shaped member 60. The control unit 29 may wind up the belt-shaped member 60 with the pair of nip rollers 83 positioned at the release position shown by the solid line in FIG. 12, and may position the pair of nip rollers 83 at the nip position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 12 after the contact portion 60a has passed the nip rollers 83. By sandwiching the belt-shaped member 60 with the nip rollers 83, it is possible to reduce the risk that the liquid held in the contact portion 60a will diffuse upstream of the nip rollers 83. Therefore, for example, the volume of the belt-shaped member 60 in the inclined region A3 may be smaller than the volume capable of absorbing and holding the liquid attached to the contact portion 60a. The height H of the inclined region A3 in the gravity direction Z may be lower than the height at which the belt-shaped member 60 sucks up the liquid in the gravity direction Z. Even in such a case, it is possible to reduce the risk that the liquid adhering to the contact portion 60a that has moved to the inclined region A3 will spread to the contact region A2.

[0069] As in a third modified example shown in Fig. 13, nip roller 83 may sandwich belt-shaped member 60 between itself and regulating roller 77. Control unit 29 may wind up belt-shaped member 60 with nip roller 83 positioned at the release position shown by the solid line in Fig. 13, and may position nip roller 83 at the nip position shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 13 after contact portion 60a has passed inclined region A3.

[0070] The nip roller 83 may sandwich the belt-shaped member 60 located in the inclined region A3 between the pressing unit 76 and the nip roller 83. The control unit 29 may wind up the belt-shaped member 60 with the nip roller 83 located in the release position, and after the contact portion 60a moves to the inclined region A3, the control unit 29 may position the nip roller 83 at the nip position to sandwich the belt-shaped member 60 between the pressing unit 76 and the nip roller 83.

[0071] The liquid collecting device 43 may be configured to wind up the strip-shaped member 60 at the receiving position.

[0072] When the elapsed time from when the belt-shaped member 60 starts wiping to when the next wiping cannot be estimated, the control unit 29 may wind up a fixed length of the belt-shaped member 60. In this case, it is preferable to set the fixed length to the total length of the maximum spreading length in the direction opposite to the moving direction D from the contact area A2 to the unwinding unit 70 side when the maximum elapsed time has elapsed from when the liquid adheres to the contact portion 60a until the liquid stops spreading in the belt-shaped member 60 in the usage environment of the liquid ejection device 11 and the spreading range is the largest, and the contact length Lc. For example, in wiping performed after cleaning, the belt-shaped member 60 performs wiping in the first wiping direction W1 twice in succession. Then, when the elapsed time from when the first wiping starts to when the second wiping starts is shorter than the maximum elapsed time and the elapsed time from when the second wiping starts to when the next wiping cannot be estimated, the control unit 29 may set the length of the belt-shaped member 60 wound up with the first wiping to be shorter than the fixed length that is the length of the belt-shaped member 60 wound up with the second wiping.

[0073] For example, when the liquid is ink, the pigment components of the ink absorbed in a wet belt-shaped member 60 take longer to diffuse within the belt-shaped member 60 and diffuse to a larger extent than the pigment components of the ink absorbed in a dry belt-shaped member 60. Therefore, when the belt-shaped member 60 is provided with a wiping liquid supply mechanism capable of supplying liquid for wiping, the control unit 29 may make the length of the belt-shaped member 60 wound up in conjunction with wiping by the belt-shaped member 60 supplied with wiping liquid longer than the length of the belt-shaped member 60 wound up in conjunction with wiping by the belt-shaped member 60 not supplied with wiping liquid.

[0074] During wiping, liquid collected from the nozzle surface 40 is collected in the contact area A2 and in a region ahead of the contact area A2 in the wiping direction. Also, liquid absorbed in the belt-shaped member 60 is unlikely to spread from the region sandwiched between the pressing portion 76 and the nozzle surface 40 to a region not sandwiched between the pressing portion 76 and the nozzle surface 40. Therefore, the control unit 29 may make the length of the belt-shaped member 60 wound up in conjunction with wiping in which the front side in the wiping direction is the unwinding side of the belt-shaped member 60 longer than the length of the belt-shaped member 60 wound up in conjunction with wiping in which the front side in the wiping direction is the winding side of the belt-shaped member 60.

[0075] The liquid collection device 43 may perform wiping after winding up the strip-shaped member 60. In this case, it is not necessary to wind up the strip-shaped member 60 after wiping. When winding up the strip-shaped member 60 before wiping, the control unit 29 may change the amount of the strip-shaped member 60 to be wound up based on the time elapsed since the previous wiping.

[0076] The amount of liquid that adheres to the nozzle surface 40 by suction cleaning increases as the number of nozzle groups that are subjected to suction cleaning increases. Therefore, when all nozzle groups have been suction cleaned, the control unit 29 may cause the length of the strip-shaped member 60 to be wound up to be longer than when one nozzle group is suction cleaned.

[0077] The control unit 29 may perform the winding operation of the belt-shaped member 60 multiple times between wiping and the next wiping. In this case, the length of the belt-shaped member 60 wound in one winding operation may be shorter than the contact length Lc. For example, the control unit 29 may cause the belt-shaped member 60 to be wound up by the length from the upstream end of the contact portion 60a to the top of the pressing unit 76 after wiping by bringing the contact portion 60a into contact with the liquid ejecting unit 20, and may cause the belt-shaped member 60 to be further wound up before the next wiping. The winding operation after the previous wiping positions the upstream end of the contact portion 60a downstream from the top of the pressing unit 76. Therefore, the diffusion of the liquid toward the upstream of the moving direction D is reduced by the action of gravity, and the winding operation performed before the next wiping makes it easy to position the portion of the belt-shaped member 60 to which the liquid does not adhere in the contact area A2.

[0078] The inclination length Ls of the inclined region A3 in the movement direction D may be the same as or shorter than the contact length Lc of the contact portion 60a in the movement direction D. In this case, the control unit 29 may cause the belt-shaped member 60 to be wound up so that at least a part of the contact portion 60a passes through the inclined region A3.

[0079] The liquid collecting device 43 may not include the regulating roller 77. For example, the inclined area A3 may be an area that hangs down downstream in the moving direction D from the pressing portion 76.

[0080] The temperature and humidity information is not limited to information acquired from the temperature and humidity sensor 28. For example, the temperature and humidity information may be input from an external device via an interface (not shown), or the user may input the information from the operation panel 24. In these cases, the interface or operation panel 24 corresponds to the temperature and humidity information acquisition unit. Also, the temperature and humidity may be acquired via different routes.

[0081] The winding length is determined using table T, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the winding length may be calculated by substituting the acquired temperature and humidity information into a predetermined formula each time.

[0082] The winding length is determined based on two parameters, the temperature range and the humidity range, but is not limited to this configuration. For example, the winding length may be determined based on three or more parameters, such as the temperature range, the humidity range, and the elapsed time. Note that the range in which the liquid wiped by the belt-shaped member 60 diffuses within the belt-shaped member 60 increases with the passage of time, so if the elapsed time is used as a parameter, the winding length should be set to be longer as the elapsed time increases.

[0083] When accurate temperature and humidity information cannot be obtained due to a malfunction of the temperature and humidity sensor 28, that is, when either the temperature or humidity is unknown, the control unit 29 may determine the take-up length to be a predetermined length. This length may be determined to be a length that allows wiping of an area where no liquid has spread, regardless of the temperature and humidity environment.

[0084] The liquid ejection device 11 may be a liquid ejection device that ejects or ejects liquid other than ink. The state of the liquid ejected from the liquid ejection device as minute droplets includes granular, teardrop, and thread-like tails. The liquid here may be any material that can be ejected from the liquid ejection device. For example, the liquid may be any state in which the substance is in a liquid phase, and includes fluids such as high or low viscosity liquids, sols, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals, and metal melts. The liquid includes not only liquids as one state of matter, but also particles of functional materials made of solids such as pigments and metal particles dissolved, dispersed, or mixed in a solvent. Representative examples of liquids include inks and liquid crystals as described in the above embodiment. Here, the ink includes various liquid compositions such as general water-based inks and oil-based inks, as well as gel inks and hot melt inks. Specific examples of the liquid ejection device include a device that ejects a liquid containing materials such as electrode materials and color materials in a dispersed or dissolved form, which are used in the manufacture of liquid crystal displays, electroluminescence displays, surface-emitting displays, and color filters. The liquid ejection device may be a device that ejects biological organic matter used in the manufacture of biochips, a device that ejects liquid as a sample used as a precision pipette, a textile printing device, a microdispenser, or the like. The liquid ejection device may be a device that ejects lubricating oil at a pinpoint onto precision machinery such as a watch or camera, or a device that ejects transparent resin liquid such as ultraviolet curing resin onto a substrate to form a micro hemispherical lens, optical lens, or the like used in optical communication elements. The liquid ejection device may be a device that ejects an etching liquid such as an acid or alkali to etch a substrate or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 11...liquid ejection device, 12...leg portion, 13...housing, 14...medium, 15...feeding portion, 16...guide portion, 17...recovery portion, 18...tension applying mechanism, 20...liquid ejection portion, 21...carriage, 22...maintenance unit, 23...liquid supply device, 24...operation panel, 25...liquid container, 26...mounting portion, 27...supply flow path, 28...temperature and humidity sensor, 29...control portion, 31...guide shaft, 32...carriage motor, 34...air adjustment portion, 36...nozzle, 37...nozzle forming member, 38...cover member, 39...through hole, 40...nozzle a liquid receiving portion, 42...flushing device, 43...liquid collecting device, 44...suction device, 45...capping device, 47...liquid receiving portion, 48...lid member, 49...lid motor, 51...suction cap, 52...suction holder, 53...suction motor, 54...pressure reducing mechanism, 56...left cap, 57...left holder, 58...left motor, 60...belt-shaped member, 60a...contact portion, 61...case, 62...rail, 63...wiping motor, 64...winding motor, 65...power transmission mechanism, 66...first opening, 67...second opening, 69 ...unwinding shaft, 70...unwinding section, 71...winding shaft, 72...winding section, 74...upstream roller, 75...tension roller, 76...pressing section, 77...regulating roller, 78...first horizontal roller, 79...second horizontal roller, 81...pressing rollers, 81...pressing roller, 82...downstream roller, 83...nip roller, A1...upstream region, A2...contact region, A3...inclined region, A4...horizontal region, A5...gently inclined region, A6...steeply inclined region, CP...cleaning position, D...movement direction, G1...first nozzle group, G2...second nozzle group, G3... Third nozzle group, G4...fourth nozzle group, G5...fifth nozzle group, G6...sixth nozzle group, HP...home position, L1...first nozzle row, L2...second nozzle row, L3...third nozzle row, L4...fourth nozzle row, L5...fifth nozzle row, L6...sixth nozzle row, L7...seventh nozzle row, L8...eighth nozzle row, L9...ninth nozzle row, L10...tenth nozzle row, L11...eleventh nozzle row, L12...twelfth nozzle row, T...table, W1...first wiping direction, W2...second wiping direction, X...width direction, Y...depth direction, Z...gravity direction.

Claims

1. A liquid ejection unit that ejects liquid; a belt-shaped member capable of contacting the liquid ejection unit and wiping off liquid adhering to the liquid ejection unit; a wiping unit having a winding unit capable of winding up a strip-shaped member; a housing having the liquid ejecting unit and the wiping unit therein; A temperature and humidity sensor disposed inside the housing and near the wiping unit detects the temperature and humidity. a temperature and humidity information acquiring unit that acquires temperature and humidity information relating to the temperature and humidity around the wiping unit; The belt-shaped member is brought into contact with the liquid ejecting portion to wipe off the liquid, and then the belt-shaped member is A control unit that causes the winding unit to wind the material, The control unit controls the belt-shaped member to be wound up by the winding unit after wiping off the liquid. The winding length of the belt-shaped material is determined based on the temperature and humidity information acquired by the temperature and humidity information acquisition unit. Based on the above, The control unit determines the wiping action of the belt-shaped member as a wiping action, and after the wiping action, If the operation of winding the belt-shaped member on the winding section is called a winding operation, then after the first wiping operation, In the case where the second wiping operation is performed, the winding in the first winding operation after the first wiping operation is performed The wiping length is determined to be a predetermined length, and the second wiping operation is performed after the second wiping operation. The winding length in the winding operation is calculated based on the temperature and humidity information acquired by the temperature and humidity information acquisition unit. A liquid ejection device that determines the amount of liquid to be ejected based on the amount of liquid to be ejected.

2. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1 , When the humidity acquired by the temperature and humidity information acquisition unit is a first humidity, the control unit: The temperature is the same and the humidity is a second humidity that is higher than the first humidity. A liquid ejection device characterized in that the ejection length is shortened.

3. 3. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, When the temperature acquired by the temperature and humidity information acquisition unit is a first temperature, the control unit: The temperature of the roll is increased by 100% compared to when the humidity is the same and the temperature is a second temperature higher than the first temperature. A liquid ejection device characterized in that the ejection length is shortened.

4. 4. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, When either the temperature or the humidity is unknown, the control unit controls the winding length in advance. The liquid ejection apparatus is characterized in that the length is determined to be a predetermined length that is set for the liquid ejection apparatus.

5. 5. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, The belt-shaped member is connected to the liquid ejection unit along a path along which the belt-shaped member is wound. The region where the liquid can come into contact with the surface of the liquid is called the contact region, and the region upstream of the contact region is called the upstream region. If the area downstream of the contact area is defined as the downstream area, At least a portion of the downstream region is located lower than the upstream region in the direction of gravity. A liquid ejection apparatus comprising:

6. 6. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 5, The height of the downstream region in the direction of gravity is such that the belt-shaped member sucks up the liquid in the direction of gravity. A liquid ejection device characterized by being taller than the device.

7. A liquid ejection unit that ejects liquid; a belt-shaped member capable of contacting the liquid ejection unit and wiping off liquid adhering to the liquid ejection unit; a wiping unit having a winding unit capable of winding up a strip-shaped member; a housing having the liquid ejecting unit and the wiping unit therein; A temperature and humidity sensor disposed inside the housing and near the wiping unit detects the temperature and humidity. a temperature and humidity information acquiring unit that acquires temperature and humidity information relating to the temperature and humidity around the wiping unit; and after the belt-shaped member is brought into contact with the liquid ejecting portion to wipe the liquid, the belt-shaped member is A method for controlling a liquid ejecting device to cause a take-up unit to take up liquid, comprising the steps of: A winding unit winds up the belt-shaped member after the belt-shaped member has wiped off the liquid. determining a take-up length based on the temperature and humidity information acquired by the temperature and humidity information acquisition unit; The wiping action of the belt-shaped member is referred to as a wiping action, and the belt-shaped member When the operation of winding the toner cartridge on the winding section is called a winding operation, the first wiping operation is followed by the second wiping operation. When performing the wiping operation, the winding length in the first winding operation after the first wiping operation is set to The length is determined to be a predetermined length, and the length is determined to be a predetermined length in the second winding operation after the second wiping operation. The winding length is determined based on the temperature and humidity information acquired by the temperature and humidity information acquisition unit. A control method for a liquid ejection device, comprising:

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