CONTROL DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD, AND IMAGE RECORDING DEVICE

Abstract

To execute wipe processing using a suitable amount of washing liquid with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A printer 10 comprises: a carriage 41 which can move in the left-right direction 9; a head 42 which is mounted on the carriage 41; a first wiper 51 with which washing liquid can be impregnated; and a control unit 60. A nozzle surface 43 of the head 42 comprises: a first region 45 which does not have a nozzle 44; and a second region 46 which has the nozzle 44. The control unit 60 executes: pressing processing of relatively moving the carriage 41 and the first wiper 51 in the left-right direction 9 over the first time at a first speed and bringing the first wiper 51 into contact with the first region 45; and movement processing of relatively moving the carriage 41 and the first wiper 51 in the left-right direction 9 at a second speed faster than the first speed while the first wiper 51 is brought into contact with the second region 46.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus equipped with a head having nozzles for ejecting liquid, and more particularly to a control device for an image recording apparatus, a control method for an image recording apparatus, and an image recording apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known an image recording device that includes a head and a carriage on which the head is mounted, and that ejects ink from the nozzles of the head when the carriage moves in a predetermined direction. In the image recording device, a wiping process is performed in which the nozzle surface of the head is wiped with a wiper to remove unwanted matter (ink, dust, etc.) adhering to the nozzle surface.

[0003] As a wiping process, a method is known in which a wiper impregnated with cleaning liquid is applied to the nozzle surface, and the cleaning liquid and unnecessary matters adhering to the nozzle surface are wiped off. In this method, if too much cleaning liquid is applied to the nozzle surface, the cleaning liquid and unnecessary matters wiped off by the wiper may scatter when the wiper leaves the nozzle surface. In relation to this, Patent Document 1 describes a liquid ejection device in which a squeeze roller is pressed against a wiping member having liquid impregnation to squeeze the wiping member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-334095 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The liquid ejection device described in Patent Document 1 requires a plurality of dedicated members for pressing the squeeze roller against the wiping member, which makes the device configuration complex.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a means capable of performing a wiping process using a suitable amount of cleaning liquid with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) A control device according to the present invention is a control device for an image recording device having a carriage movable in a first direction, a head mounted on the carriage and ejecting liquid from nozzles, and a wiper impregnated with cleaning liquid. A nozzle surface of the head includes a first region having no nozzles and a second region having nozzles. The control device executes a pressing process of moving the carriage and the wiper relatively in the first direction at a first speed for a first time to bring the wiper into contact with the first region, and a movement process of moving the carriage and the wiper relatively in the first direction at a second speed faster than the first speed while the wiper is in contact with the second region.

[0008] According to the above-mentioned control device, the pressing process is performed to squeeze the wiper impregnated with the cleaning liquid, thereby reducing the amount of cleaning liquid impregnated in the wiper to a suitable amount. The pressing process can be performed without using a dedicated member. Therefore, by performing the moving process after the pressing process, the wiping process using a suitable amount of cleaning liquid can be performed with a simple configuration.

[0009] (2) Preferably, the first speed is zero.

[0010] (3) Preferably, the first speed is greater than zero.

[0011] (4) Preferably, the image recording device further includes a second wiper that is not impregnated with the cleaning liquid, and in the movement process, the control device relatively moves the carriage and the second wiper in the first direction at the second speed with the second wiper in contact with the second area.

[0012] (5) Preferably, the control device executes the pressing process in a state in which the second wiper is in contact with a side surface of the head.

[0013] (6) Preferably, after the control device moves the carriage and the wiper relative to one another in the pressing process, the control device moves the carriage and the wiper relative to one another in the moving process without moving them relatively in a direction opposite to the moving direction in the pressing process.

[0014] (7) Preferably, after the movement process, the control device moves the carriage and the wiper relatively to the position where the movement process was started or to a position away from that position without abutting the wiper against the head, and then executes the movement process again.

[0015] (8) Preferably, the first time period is greater than or equal to 1 second.

[0016] (9) A control method according to the present invention is a control method for an image recording device having a carriage movable in a first direction, a head mounted on the carriage and ejecting liquid from nozzles, and a wiper impregnated with cleaning liquid. A nozzle surface of the head includes a first region having no nozzles and a second region having nozzles. The control method includes a step of performing a pressing process of relatively moving the carriage and the wiper in the first direction at a first speed for a first time to bring the wiper into contact with the first region, and a step of performing a movement process of relatively moving the carriage and the wiper in the first direction at a second speed faster than the first speed while the wiper is in contact with the second region.

[0017] (10) An image recording device according to the present invention includes a carriage movable in a first direction, a head mounted on the carriage and ejecting liquid from nozzles, a wiper impregnated with cleaning liquid, and a control unit. A nozzle surface of the head includes a first region having no nozzles and a second region having nozzles. The control unit executes a pressing process of relatively moving the carriage and the wiper in the first direction at a first speed for a first time to bring the wiper into contact with the first region, and a movement process of relatively moving the carriage and the wiper in the first direction at a second speed faster than the first speed while the wiper is in contact with the second region. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, a wiping process using a suitable amount of cleaning liquid can be performed with a simple configuration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of a printer 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the movement range of the carriage 41. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit 60 and elements connected to the control unit 60. As shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the wiper unit 50. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing the states of the wiper unit 50, with FIG. 5A showing the upward facing state, FIG. 5B showing the intermediate state, and FIG. 5C showing the downward facing state. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control unit 60. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the wipe process performed by the control unit 60. As shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the two wipers of the wiper unit 50, where FIG. 8(A) shows the state before the pressing process, FIG. 8(B) shows the state during the pressing process, and FIG. 8(C) shows the state during the movement process. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the wipe process by the control unit according to the third modified example. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a wiper portion 59 according to a fourth modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] The printer 10 (an example of an image recording device) and the control unit 60 (an example of a control device) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Note that the embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the embodiment of the present invention can be modified as appropriate without changing the gist of the present invention. In the following description, the direction is expressed as the progress from the starting point of the arrow to the end point, and the movement on the line connecting the starting point and the end point of the arrow. In addition, the up-down direction 7 is defined based on the state in which the printer 10 is installed and ready for use (the state in FIG. 1), the front-rear direction 8 is defined with the surface where the discharge port 13 is provided as the front, and the left-right direction 9 is defined when the printer 10 is viewed from the front. The up-down direction 7, the front-rear direction 8, and the left-right direction 9 are perpendicular to each other.

[0021] [Overall configuration of Printer 10] The printer 10 shown in Fig. 1 is an image recording device that records an image on a sheet S by an inkjet recording method. The sheet S is a long sheet of paper wound in a roll. To load the sheet S into the printer 10, a through hole is formed in the center of the winding of the sheet S. The recording medium may be sticker paper, fanfold paper, cut paper, cloth, or the like.

[0022] The printer 10 has a housing 11 that is roughly rectangular. The housing 11 is sized to be able to be placed on a table, a floor, a rack, or the like. A slit-shaped discharge opening 13 extending in the left-right direction 9 is located in a front wall 12 of the housing 11. A sheet S on which an image is recorded by the printer 10 is discharged from the discharge opening 13. The discharged sheet S is taken up, for example, by a winding device (not shown) attached to the printer 10.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 includes a holder 21, a tensioner 22, a pair of conveying rollers 23, a pair of discharge rollers 24, a platen 25, four tanks 26A to 26D, a carriage 41, and a head 42 in a housing 11. The head 42 is mounted on the carriage 41. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 10 further includes two guide rails 37 and 38, a cap 39, and a wiper unit 50 in the housing 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the printer 10 further includes a control unit 60, a holder drive motor 71, a conveying motor 72, a carriage drive motor 73, a cap drive motor 74, and a wiper drive motor 75 in the housing 11. The printer 10 may further include various sensors and the like in addition to the above-mentioned elements.

[0024] [Tank 26A~26D] The tanks 26A to 26D store yellow, magenta, cyan, and black inks, respectively. The inks are so-called latex inks, and contain pigments, resin particles, and additives. The inks have a viscosity suitable for uniformly dispersing the pigments and resin particles. The pigments give the ink its color. The resin particles are for adhering the pigments to the sheet S, and are, for example, synthetic resins whose glass transition temperature is exceeded by heating with a heater (not shown).

[0025] It is sufficient that the printer 10 includes at least one tank. The tank may store a liquid other than ink. The liquid stored in the tank may be, for example, a pretreatment liquid. The pretreatment liquid may contain a cationic polymer, a polyvalent metal salt (for example, a magnesium salt), or the like. The pretreatment liquid has a function of preventing ink bleeding or strike-through by agglomerating or precipitating the components in the ink. The pretreatment liquid may also have a function of improving the color development and quick drying properties of the ink.

[0026] [Sheet S transport mechanism] A pair of side frames (not shown) extending in the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8 are positioned inside the housing 11. The holder 21 has a rotating shaft 31 supporting the sheet S. The rotating shaft 31 extends in the left-right direction 9, and both ends of the rotating shaft 31 are fixed to the side frames. Power of a holder drive motor 71 (see FIG. 3) is transmitted to the rotating shaft 31. This power rotates the holder 21 in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 31. In FIG. 1, the rotation direction of the holder 21 is counterclockwise. The rotation of the holder 21 also rotates the roll body supported by the holder 21. The sheet S is pulled upward from the rear end of the roll body by the rotation of the conveying roller pair 23 and the discharge roller pair 24, and is guided to the tensioner 22.

[0027] The tensioner 22, the conveying roller pair 23, and the discharge roller pair 24 each extend in the left-right direction 9 between the side frames, and are attached to be rotatable in the circumferential direction of a rotation shaft parallel to the left-right direction 9. A rearward biasing force is applied to the tensioner 22 by a biasing member such as a spring. The tensioner 22 comes into contact with the sheet S pulled out from the roll body, and guides the sheet S so as to curve forward.

[0028] The conveying roller pair 23 has a drive roller 32 and a pinch roller 33, and is located in front of the tensioner 22. The discharge roller pair 24 has a drive roller 34 and a pinch roller 35, and is located further in front of the conveying roller pair 23. The lower end positions of the drive rollers 32, 34 roughly coincide with the upper end position of the tensioner 22 in the up-down direction 7. The pinch roller 33 abuts on the drive roller 32 from below. The pinch roller 35 abuts on the drive roller 34 from below.

[0029] The power of a conveying motor 72 (see FIG. 3) is transmitted to the driving rollers 32 and 34. This power rotates the driving rollers 32 and 34. As a result, the driving rollers 32 and 34 convey the sheet S in a conveying direction 6 while nipping the sheet S between the driving rollers 32 and 34 and the pinch rollers 33 and 35. In this embodiment, the conveying direction 6 is forward.

[0030] [Platen 25] The platen 25 is attached to the side frames at a position between the pair of conveying rollers 23 and the pair of discharge rollers 24 in the front-rear direction 8. The platen 25 extends in the left-right direction 9 between the side frames and has a support surface 36 for the sheet S that expands in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9. The support surface 36 is the upper end surface of the platen 25. The vertical position of the support surface 36 roughly coincides with the upper end position of the tensioner 22. The platen 25 may be an adhesive platen that adhesively attaches the sheet S to the support surface 36.

[0031] [Carriage 41 and Head 42] As shown in FIG. 2, the guide rails 37, 38 extend parallel to each other in the left-right direction 9. The positions of the guide rails 37, 38 in the up-down direction 7 are the same. The guide rail 38 is located behind the guide rail 37 in the front-rear direction. Both ends of the guide rails 37, 38 are fixed to side frames. The carriage 41 is supported by the guide rails 37, 38. The power of a carriage drive motor 73 (see FIG. 3) is transmitted to a carriage drive mechanism (not shown). The carriage 41 moves in the left-right direction 9 while supported by the guide rails 37, 38 due to the action of the carriage drive mechanism. The left-right direction 9 is an example of a first direction.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1, the head 42 is mounted on a carriage 41. The lower surface of the head 42 is referred to as a nozzle surface 43. A plurality of nozzles 44 that eject ink are formed on the nozzle surface 43. The tanks 26A to 26D and the head 42 are connected via ink flow paths (not shown). The ink stored in the tanks 26A to 26D is supplied to the head 42 via the ink flow paths. While the carriage 41 is moving in the left-right direction 9, the ink supplied to the head 42 is ejected from the nozzles 44. In this way, an image is recorded on the sheet S.

[0033] [Control unit 60] 3, the control unit 60 has a CPU 61, a ROM 62, a RAM 63, an EEPROM 64, and an ASIC 65. The ROM 62 stores various data and the like necessary for the operation of the control unit 60. The RAM 63 is a working memory for the CPU 61. The EEPROM 64 stores a control program and the like executed by the CPU 61. Before the printer 10 executes image recording, the control program stored in the EEPROM 64 is copied to the RAM 63. The CPU 61 executes the control program stored in the RAM 63. As a result, the control unit 60 executes the image recording process and the wipe process described below.

[0034] The control unit 60 is electrically connected to the holder driving motor 71, the conveying motor 72, the carriage driving motor 73, the cap driving motor 74, the wiper driving motor 75, and the head 42 via the ASIC 65. The holder driving motor 71, the conveying motor 72, the carriage driving motor 73, the cap driving motor 74, and the wiper driving motor 75 rotate and generate power under the control of the control unit 60. The head 42 ejects ink onto the sheet S conveyed on the platen 25 under the control of the control unit 60.

[0035] The holder 21 rotates by the power from the holder driving motor 71. The driving rollers 32, 34 rotate by the power from the conveying motor 72. The sheet S is conveyed in the conveying direction 6 by the power from the conveying motor 72. The carriage 41 moves in the left-right direction 9 by the power from the carriage driving motor 73. The cap 39 moves in the up-down direction 7 between a relatively high covered position and a relatively low separated position by the power from the cap driving motor 74. The wiper unit 50 rotates by the power from the wiper driving motor 75 and changes state between the three states shown in FIG. 5. Note that the holder driving motor 71, the conveying motor 72, the carriage driving motor 73, the cap driving motor 74, and part of the wiper driving motor 75 may be realized by a common motor.

[0036] [Carriage 41 travel range and cap 39] As shown in FIG. 2, the platen 25 has a shape elongated in the left-right direction 9, and is located below the carriage 41 in the up-down direction 7 (see FIG. 1). The left end of the platen 25 is located near the left ends of the guide rails 37 and 38 in the left-right direction 9. The right end of the platen 25 is located to the right of the center of the guide rails 37 and 38 in the left-right direction 9. The wiper unit 50 is located to the right of the platen 25 in the left-right direction 9. The cap 39 is located further to the right of the wiper unit 50 in the left-right direction, near the right ends of the guide rails 37 and 38. While the printer 10 is performing image recording, the carriage 41 moves in the left-right direction 9 within the range of the platen 25. While the printer 10 is not performing image recording, the carriage 41 is located at a position where the head 42 faces the cap 39 (hereinafter referred to as a standby position).

[0037] When the carriage 41 is located at the standby position, the cap 39 is located at the covering position. The cap 39 located at the covering position covers the nozzle surface 43 of the head 42. When the carriage 41 is located at a position other than the standby position, the cap 39 is located at the separated position. The cap 39 located at the separated position does not cover the nozzle surface 43 of the head 42. In this way, the cap 39 has the function of covering the nozzle surface 43 of the head 42 when image recording is not being performed.

[0038] [Wiper part 50] As shown in Fig. 4, the wiper unit 50 has a first wiper 51, a second wiper 52, a wiper support unit 53, and a cleaning liquid tank 54. The cleaning liquid tank 54 has a box-like shape with an open top. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the cleaning liquid tank 54 is located below the wiper unit 50, and stores cleaning liquid L. The cleaning liquid L is a liquid suitable for removing unnecessary matter adhering to the nozzle surface 43 of the head 42. For example, glycerin is used as the cleaning liquid L.

[0039] The first wiper 51 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the front-rear direction 8 and short in the left-right direction 9. The length of the first wiper 51 in the front-rear direction 8 is shorter than the length of the wiper support portion 53 in the front-rear direction 8. The second wiper 52 has approximately the same shape and size as the first wiper 51. However, when cut in a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction 8, the cross-sectional shape of the first wiper 51 is rectangular, whereas the cross-sectional shape of the second wiper 52 is trapezoidal. Hereinafter, the first wiper 51 and the second wiper 52 will be collectively referred to as two wipers.

[0040] The first wiper 51 is impregnated with the cleaning liquid L and deforms with a high degree of freedom in response to an external force. On the other hand, the second wiper 52 is not impregnated with the cleaning liquid L and deforms in response to an external force while maintaining its shape to some extent. The first wiper 51 is formed of, for example, a porous material. The second wiper 52 is formed of, for example, a rubber material. The first wiper 51 is an example of a wiper.

[0041] The wiper support portion 53 has a shape that is long in the front-rear direction 8, and has a mounting surface 55 and a rotation shaft 56. The first wiper 51 is mounted on the mounting surface 55 so that its longitudinal direction coincides with the front-rear direction 8. The second wiper 52 is mounted on the mounting surface 55 so as to face the first wiper 51. The two wipers are mounted such that, with the mounting surface 55 facing upward, the first wiper 51 is located to the right of the second wiper 52 in the left-right direction 9.

[0042] The cleaning liquid tank 54 has a front wall 57 and a rear wall (not shown) that extend in the up-down direction 7 and the left-right direction 9. The front wall 57 and the rear wall each have a through hole at the center upper part (only the through hole 58 of the front wall 57 is shown in FIG. 4). One end of the rotating shaft 56 is inserted into the through hole 58 of the front wall 57. The other end (not shown) of the rotating shaft 56 is inserted into the through hole of the rear wall. As a result, the wiper support part 53 is supported by the cleaning liquid tank 54 so as to be rotatable around the rotating shaft 56. The power of the wiper drive motor 75 (see FIG. 3) is transmitted to the wiper drive mechanism (not shown). The rotating shaft 56 rotates a half turn by the action of the wiper drive mechanism. Accordingly, the first wiper 51, the second wiper 52, and the wiper support part 53 also rotate a half turn around the rotating shaft 56. The wiper drive mechanism may have any configuration.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 5, the wiper unit 50 rotates a half turn around the rotation shaft 56 to change between an upward state, an intermediate state, and a downward state. In the upward state (Fig. 5(A)), the mounting surface 55 faces upward. In the intermediate state (Fig. 5(B)), the mounting surface 55 faces to the right. In the downward state (Fig. 5(C)), the mounting surface 55 faces downward.

[0044] In the upward facing state, the two wipers are not immersed in the cleaning liquid L stored in the cleaning liquid tank 54, and are located at positions where they can come into contact with the nozzle surface 43 of the head 42. In the downward facing state, a part of the first wiper 51 and a part of the second wiper 52 are immersed in the cleaning liquid L stored in the cleaning liquid tank 54, and the two wipers are located at positions where they cannot come into contact with the nozzle surface 43. The intermediate state is an intermediate state between the upward facing state and the downward facing state. In the intermediate state, the two wipers are not immersed in the cleaning liquid L stored in the cleaning liquid tank 54, and are located at positions where they cannot come into contact with the nozzle surface 43. Note that in the downward facing state, the entire first wiper 51 and the entire second wiper 52 may be immersed in the cleaning liquid L.

[0045] While image recording is not being performed, the carriage 41 is located at the standby position, and the wiper unit 50 is facing downward. During this time, the first wiper 51 is soaked with the cleaning liquid L stored in the cleaning liquid tank 54. When the control unit 60 receives an image recording instruction, it moves the carriage 41 from the standby position to the recording start position and executes image recording. After receiving the image recording instruction and before executing image recording, the control unit 60 uses the wiper unit 50 to execute the wiping process shown in FIG. 7.

[0046] [Operation of control unit 60] The operation of the control unit 60 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. When the control unit 60 reaches S11, the carriage 41 is in the standby position, the cap 39 is in the covering position, and the wiper unit 50 is facing downward. At this time, the nozzle surface 43 of the head 42 is covered by the cap 39, and a part of the first wiper 51 and a part of the second wiper 52 are immersed in the cleaning liquid L stored in the cleaning liquid tank 54. The first wiper 51 is in a state of being impregnated with the cleaning liquid L.

[0047] The control unit 60 receives an image recording instruction from an operation unit (not shown) (S11). Specifically, the control unit 60 waits in S11 until it receives an image recording instruction. When the control unit 60 receives the image recording instruction in S11, it moves the cap 39 downward from the covering position to the separated position (S12). Next, the control unit 60 executes a wiping process (details of which will be described later) (S13). When the control unit 60 completes the process up to S13, the carriage 41 is positioned to the left of the wiper unit 50 in the left-right direction 9.

[0048] Next, the control unit 60 moves the carriage 41 leftward to the recording start position (S14). The recording start position is a predetermined position where the carriage 41 faces the platen 25. Next, the control unit 60 transports the sheet S to the recording start position (S15). Note that the control unit 60 may execute S15 in parallel with all or part of S12 to S14. When the control unit 60 completes the processes up to S15, the printer 10 is ready to execute image recording.

[0049] Next, the control unit 60 executes image recording on the sheet S (S21). In S21, the control unit 60 moves the carriage 41 in the left-right direction 9 (leftward or rightward). While the carriage 41 is moving in the left-right direction 9, the control unit 60 ejects an amount of ink according to image data from the nozzles 44 of the head 42.

[0050] Next, the control unit 60 judges whether image data remains (S22). If the control unit 60 judges in S22 that image data remains (S22: Yes), the control unit 60 proceeds to S23. In this case, the control unit 60 conveys the sheet S by a predetermined amount (S23) and proceeds to S21.

[0051] If the control unit 60 determines in S22 that no image data remains (S22: No), the process proceeds to S24. In this case, the control unit 60 discharges the sheet S to a predetermined position (S24). When the control unit 60 completes the process up to S24, the printer 10 has finished recording the image.

[0052] Next, the control unit 60 moves the carriage 41 to the right to the standby position (S25). Next, the control unit 60 moves the cap 39 upward from the separated position to the covered position (S26). After that, the control unit 60 proceeds to S11 to execute the next image recording.

[0053] 7 and 8, the wiping process executed by the control unit 60 will be described in detail. When the control unit 60 starts executing the wiping process, the carriage 41 is in the standby position, the cap 39 is in the separated position, and the wiper unit 50 is facing downward.

[0054] The standby position is located to the right of the wiper unit 50 in the left-right direction 9. At the time when the control unit 60 starts executing the wiping process, the carriage 41 is located to the right of the wiper unit 50 in the left-right direction 9. As shown in FIG. 8A, the nozzle surface 43 of the head 42 includes a first region 45 that does not have nozzles 44 and a second region 46 that has nozzles 44.

[0055] At the beginning of the wiping process, the control unit 60 controls the wiper unit 50 to face upward (S31). When the wiper unit 50 changes from a downward to an upward state, the two wipers come out of the cleaning liquid L stored in the cleaning liquid tank 54 and become upright (see FIG. 8(A)). While the wiper unit 50 is changing from a downward to an upward state and while the wiper unit 50 is in the upward state, a part of the cleaning liquid impregnated in the first wiper 51 and the cleaning liquid attached to the surface of the second wiper 52 move downward by the action of gravity and are collected in the cleaning liquid tank 54.

[0056] Next, the control unit 60 moves the carriage 41 leftward to the pressing position (S32). The pressing position is a position of the carriage 41 where the first wiper 51 abuts against the first region 45 (a region not having the nozzles 44) of the nozzle surface 43 (see FIG. 8B). The pressing position is preferably a position of the carriage 41 where the first wiper 51 abuts against the first region 45 and the second wiper 52 abuts against the side surface 47 of the head 42. By setting the pressing position to the above position, the cleaning liquid attached to the head 42 when the first wiper 51 abuts against the head 42 can be collected in the cleaning liquid tank 54 via the second wiper 52. The moving speed of the carriage 41 until it reaches the pressing position may be arbitrary.

[0057] Next, the control unit 60 keeps the carriage 41 stopped at the pressing position for a first time (S33). S33 is an example of the pressing process. While the carriage 41 is stopped at the pressing position, the first wiper 51 abuts against the first region 45, and the first wiper 51 is deformed so that the tip portion thereof is bent to the left (see FIG. 8B). This causes the first wiper 51 to be squeezed, and a part of the cleaning liquid impregnated in the first wiper 51 is separated from the first wiper 51. The cleaning liquid separated from the first wiper 51 moves downward by the action of gravity and is collected in the cleaning liquid tank 54. The length of the first time is determined according to, for example, the material of the first wiper 51, the characteristics of the cleaning liquid, the degree of deformation of the first wiper 51, and the like. The first time is, for example, one second or more.

[0058] Next, the control unit 60 moves the carriage 41 leftward for a second time at a speed (hereinafter referred to as a wiping speed) suitable for wiping the nozzle surface 43 of the head 42 (S34). S34 is an example of a movement process. While the control unit 60 is executing S34, the first wiper 51 abuts against the second region 46 (the region having the nozzles 44) of the nozzle surface 43. At this time, the two wipers abut against the second region 46, and the two wipers are deformed so that their tips are bent to the left (see FIG. 8(C)). In this way, the carriage 41 moves leftward with the two wipers abutting against the second region 46, and unnecessary matter attached to the nozzle surface 43 of the head 42 is removed.

[0059] In addition, in S34, the control unit 60 accelerates the carriage 41 from a stopped state to the wipe speed, and then moves the carriage 41 at the wipe speed for a second time. During the second time, the movement speed of the carriage 41 is constant (always the wipe speed), and the time during which the carriage 41 is accelerating is not included in the second time.

[0060] Next, the control unit 60 controls the wiper unit 50 to face downward (S35). When the wiper unit 50 changes from the upward to the downward state, a part of the first wiper 51 and a part of the second wiper 52 are again immersed in the cleaning liquid L stored in the cleaning liquid tank 54 (see FIG. 5(C)). Thereafter, the control unit 60 executes the process from S14 onward shown in FIG. 6.

[0061] [Effects of the embodiment] As described above, the control unit 60 executes a pressing process in which the carriage 41 is kept stopped at the pressing position for a first time and the first wiper 51 is brought into contact with the first region 45, and a movement process in which the carriage 41 is moved to the left at the wiper speed while the first wiper 51 is in contact with the second region 46.

[0062] According to the printer 10 and the control unit 60 of this embodiment, the pressing process is performed to squeeze the first wiper 51 impregnated with the cleaning liquid, and the amount of the cleaning liquid impregnated in the first wiper 51 can be reduced to an appropriate amount. The pressing process can be performed without using a dedicated member. Therefore, by performing the moving process after the pressing process, the wiping process using an appropriate amount of cleaning liquid can be performed with a simple configuration.

[0063] When the relative movement speed of the carriage 41 and the first wiper 51 during the pressing process is defined as a first speed, and the relative movement speed of the carriage 41 and the first wiper 51 during the movement process is defined as a second speed, the first speed is zero, and the second speed is the wiping speed. The second speed is faster than the first speed. Since the first speed is zero, the first wiper 51 can be squeezed in a state in which the carriage 41 and the first wiper 51 are stopped relative to each other.

[0064] In the movement process, the control unit 60 moves the carriage 41 leftward along the left-right direction 9 at the wiping speed with the second wiper 52 in contact with the second region 46. Therefore, after applying a suitable amount of cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface 43 using the first wiper 51, the cleaning liquid and unnecessary matter adhering to the nozzle surface 43 can be removed using the second wiper 52.

[0065] The control unit 60 executes the pressing process while the second wiper 52 is in contact with the side surface 47 of the head 42, so that the cleaning liquid adhering to the head 42 can be removed via the second wiper 52. By setting the first time to one second or more, the first wiper 51 can be squeezed for a sufficient period of time.

[0066] [Variations] In the above embodiment, the control unit 60 keeps the carriage 41 stopped for a first time in the pressing process. In the first modified example, the control unit 60 moves the carriage 41 at a speed greater than zero for a first time in the pressing process. That is, in the first modified example, the first speed (the relative moving speed of the carriage 41 and the first wiper 51 during the pressing process) is greater than zero. Even in the first modified example, the first wiper 51 impregnated with the cleaning liquid is squeezed in the pressing process to reduce the amount of cleaning liquid impregnated in the first wiper 51 to a suitable amount. Because the first speed is greater than zero, the first wiper 51 can be squeezed while the carriage 41 and the first wiper 51 are moving relative to each other.

[0067] In the above embodiment, the control unit 60 moves the carriage 41 in the left-right direction 9 (specifically, to the left) without moving the two wipers in the left-right direction 9 when performing the wiping process. In the second modified example, the control unit 60 moves the two wipers in the left-right direction 9 without moving the carriage 41 in the left-right direction 9 when performing the wiping process. Alternatively, the control unit 60 moves both the carriage 41 and the two wipers in the left-right direction 9 when performing the wiping process.

[0068] Generally, in the pressing process, the control unit 60 may relatively move the carriage 41 and the first wiper 51 in the left-right direction 9 at a first speed for a first period of time to bring the first wiper 51 into contact with the first region 45. In the moving process, the control unit 60 may relatively move the carriage 41 and the first wiper 51 in the first direction at a second speed faster than the first speed while the first wiper 51 is in contact with the second region 46.

[0069] After relatively moving the carriage 41 and the first wiper 51 in the pressing process, the control unit 60 may relatively move the carriage 41 and the first wiper 51 in the moving process in the opposite direction to the moving direction in the pressing process, but it is preferable to relatively move the carriage 41 and the first wiper 51 without relatively moving them in the opposite direction to the moving direction in the pressing process. This makes it possible to immediately execute the moving process after the pressing process.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the control unit 60 executes the wipe process shown in Fig. 7 in S13. In the third modified example, the control unit 60 executes the wipe process shown in Fig. 9 in S13. The wipe process shown in Fig. 9 is the wipe process shown in Fig. 7 with S41 to S44 added.

[0071] 9, after executing S31 to S34, the control unit 60 controls the wiper unit 50 to an intermediate state (S41). In the intermediate state, the two wipers are not immersed in the cleaning liquid L stored in the cleaning liquid tank 54, and are positioned so that they cannot come into contact with the nozzle surface 43 of the head 42.

[0072] Next, the control unit 60 moves the carriage 41 to the right to the pressing position (S42). The pressing position is the position of the carriage 41 when the movement process is started. Note that in S42, the control unit 60 may move the carriage 41 to the position where the movement process is started or to a position away to the right from that position.

[0073] Next, the control unit 60 controls the wiper unit 50 to face upward (S43). Next, the control unit 60 moves the carriage 41 leftward at the wiping speed for a second time period (S44). The process of S44 is the same as the process of S34. The control unit 60 does not execute the pressing process between S42 and S44. Next, the control unit 60 controls the wiper unit 50 to face downward (S35).

[0074] In the third modified example, after the movement process, the control unit 60 moves the carriage 41 to the position where the movement process was started or to a position away from that position without bringing the two wipers into contact with the head 42, and executes the movement process again. In the third modified example, since the pressing process is executed before the first movement process, the amount of cleaning liquid impregnated in the first wiper 51 is also suitable when the second movement process is executed. Therefore, the nozzle surface 43 of the head 42 can be wiped twice using a suitable amount of cleaning liquid.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the printer 10 is equipped with the wiper unit 50 shown in Fig. 4. In the fourth modified example, the printer 10 is equipped with the wiper unit 59 shown in Fig. 10. The wiper unit 59 shown in Fig. 10 has a first wiper 51, a wiper support portion 53, and a cleaning liquid tank 54, but does not have a second wiper 52. In this way, the printer does not have to be equipped with a second wiper that is not impregnated with cleaning liquid.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the control unit 60 moves the carriage 41 in the same direction (leftward) as the movement direction of the carriage 41 before the pressing process, without moving the carriage 41 in the opposite direction (rightward) to the movement direction of the carriage 41 before the pressing process, in the movement process after the pressing process. In the fifth modified example, the control unit 60 moves the carriage 41 in the opposite direction (rightward) to the movement direction of the carriage 41 before the pressing process for a predetermined time in the movement process after the pressing process, and then moves the carriage 41 in the same direction (leftward) as the movement direction of the carriage 41 before the pressing process.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the printer 10 is provided with one head 42, but the printer 10 may be provided with two or more heads 42. In the above embodiment, the printer 10 is provided with four tanks 26A to 26D, but the printer 10 may be provided with three or less tanks or five or more tanks.

[0078] In addition, the features of the printer and control unit according to the above-described embodiments and their modified examples may be combined in any manner as long as it is not contrary to their nature to configure a printer and control unit that combines the features of the printer and control unit according to the above-described embodiments and their modified examples. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 9...Left and right direction (first direction) 10 Printer (image recording device) 41... Carriage 42 Head 43 Nozzle surface 44 Nozzle 45...1st area 46...Second area 47. Side 50, 59... Wiper part 51...First wiper 52 Second wiper 60... Control unit (control device)

Claims

1. A control device for an image recording device having a carriage movable in a first direction, a head mounted on the carriage and configured to eject liquid from nozzles, and a wiper capable of being soaked with cleaning liquid, The nozzle surface of the head includes a first region having no nozzles and a second region having nozzles, a pressing process of moving the carriage and the wiper relatively in the first direction at a first speed for a first time period to bring the wiper into contact with the first region; a control device that executes a movement process for relatively moving the carriage and the wiper in the first direction at a second speed that is faster than the first speed while the wiper is in contact with the second region.

2. 2. The control system of claim 1, wherein said first speed is zero.

3. 2. The control system of claim 1, wherein said first speed is greater than zero.

4. The image recording device further includes a second wiper that is not impregnated with the cleaning liquid, 4. The control device according to claim 1, wherein, in the movement process, the carriage and the second wiper are moved relatively in the first direction at the second speed with the second wiper in contact with the second region.

5. The control device according to claim 4 , wherein the pressing process is performed in a state where the second wiper is in contact with a side surface of the head.

6. A control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein after the carriage and the wiper are moved relative to each other in the pressing process, the carriage and the wiper are moved relative to each other in the movement process without moving relatively in the opposite direction to the movement direction in the pressing process.

7. A control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein after the movement process, the carriage and the wiper are moved relatively to the position where the movement process was started or to a position away from that position without abutting the wiper against the head, and the movement process is executed again.

8. 8. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the first time period is equal to or greater than one second.

9. A method for controlling an image recording apparatus having a carriage movable in a first direction, a head mounted on the carriage and configured to eject liquid from nozzles, and a wiper capable of being soaked with cleaning liquid, the method comprising the steps of: The nozzle surface of the head includes a first region having no nozzles and a second region having nozzles, performing a pressing process of moving the carriage and the wiper relatively in the first direction at a first speed for a first time period to bring the wiper into contact with the first region; and executing a movement process for relatively moving the carriage and the wiper in the first direction at a second speed faster than the first speed while the wiper is in contact with the second region.

10. a carriage movable in a first direction; a head mounted on the carriage and configured to eject liquid from nozzles; a wiper capable of being impregnated with a cleaning liquid; A control unit. The nozzle surface of the head includes a first region having no nozzles and a second region having nozzles, The control unit is a pressing process of moving the carriage and the wiper relatively in the first direction at a first speed for a first time period to bring the wiper into contact with the first region; a moving process for relatively moving the carriage and the wiper in the first direction at a second speed faster than the first speed while the wiper is in contact with the second region.

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