Conveyor device, recording device

Abstract

To provide a transportation device which enables reduction of a possibility of deterioration of a cleaning roller, and to provide a recording device.SOLUTION: A transportation device includes: a conveyor belt 22 which has a support surface 26 capable of supporting a medium and may transport the medium supported by the support surface; a cleaning roller 32 which includes an absorber 52 capable of absorbing a cleaning fluid and may clean the support surface by the absorber contacting with the support surface; a supply part 31 which may supply the cleaning fluid to the cleaning roller; and a spray part 35 which may spray gas to the support surface cleaned by the cleaning roller. The spray part is configured to spray the gas to the cleaning roller.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport device and a recording device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a conveying device that includes a conveying belt that conveys a medium and a cleaning roller that cleans the conveying belt. A cleaning liquid is supplied to the cleaning roller. The cleaning roller comes into contact with the conveying belt to clean the conveying belt with the cleaning liquid. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-137034 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In such a conveying device, if the cleaning roller remains wet with the cleaning liquid, there is a risk that the cleaning roller will deteriorate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A conveying device that solves the above problem comprises a conveying belt having a support surface capable of supporting media and capable of conveying the media supported on the support surface, a cleaning roller that includes an absorbent material capable of absorbing cleaning liquid and is capable of cleaning the support surface by the absorbent material coming into contact with the support surface, a supply unit capable of supplying the cleaning liquid to the cleaning roller, and a blowing unit capable of blowing gas onto the support surface cleaned by the cleaning roller, and the blowing unit is configured to be capable of blowing the gas onto the cleaning roller.

[0006] A recording device that solves the above problem includes a recording unit capable of recording on media, a conveying belt having a support surface capable of supporting the media and capable of conveying the media supported on the support surface, a cleaning roller that includes an absorbent material capable of absorbing cleaning liquid and is capable of cleaning the support surface by contacting the absorbent material with the support surface, a supply unit capable of supplying the cleaning liquid to the cleaning roller, and a blowing unit capable of blowing gas onto the support surface cleaned by the cleaning roller, and the blowing unit is configured to be capable of blowing the gas onto the cleaning roller. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of a recording apparatus including a conveying device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a side view of the cleaning mechanism in a supply state and a contact state. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a side view showing the cleaning mechanism in a non-feeding and non-contact state. [Figure 4] 11 is a flowchart showing a drying process performed by a spraying unit. [Diagram 5] 11 is a flowchart showing a drying process using a wringing member. [Figure 6] 6 is a flowchart showing a drying process performed by a spray unit and a throttle member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] An embodiment of a recording device including a conveying device will be described below with reference to the drawings. The recording device is, for example, an inkjet printer that records images such as characters and photographs by ejecting ink, which is an example of a recording material, onto a medium such as paper or fabric. The recording device is not limited to an inkjet type, and may be a toner jet type or may record using other recording methods.

[0009] As shown in FIG. 1, the recording device 11 includes a recording unit 12, a control unit 13, a receiving unit 14, and a transport device 15. The recording unit 12 is configured to record on the medium 99. The recording unit 12 is, for example, a head. Therefore, the recording unit 12 in this example has one or more nozzles 16. In this example, the recording unit 12 is a serial head that scans the medium 99. The recording unit 12 may also be a line head that records simultaneously across the width of the medium 99. The recording unit 12 records an image on the medium 99 by ejecting liquid onto the medium 99.

[0010] The control unit 13 controls the recording device 11. The control unit 13 controls, for example, the recording unit 12, the conveying device 15, etc. The control unit 13 may be configured as a circuit including: α: one or more processors that execute various processes according to a computer program; β: one or more dedicated hardware circuits, such as application specific integrated circuits, that execute at least some of the various processes; or γ: a combination thereof. The processor includes a CPU and memory, such as RAM and ROM, and the memory stores program code or instructions configured to cause the CPU to execute processes. The memory, i.e., computer-readable medium, includes any readable medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or dedicated computer.

[0011] The reception unit 14 is configured to receive instructions from a user. The reception unit 14 is, for example, an operation panel. The reception unit 14 is connected to the control unit 13. The user's instructions received by the reception unit 14 are input to the control unit 13. The reception unit 14 is capable of receiving instructions from the user regarding the operation of the squeezing member 33 squeezing the absorbent material 52, as described below. The reception unit 14 can display various information related to the recording device 11.

[0012] The conveying device 15 is a device that conveys the medium 99. In this example, the conveying device 15 conveys the medium 99 intermittently. The conveying device 15 may also convey the medium 99 continuously.

[0013] The conveying device 15 includes a plurality of rollers, a driving source 21, a conveying belt 22, and a cleaning mechanism 23. The conveying device 15 may include a control unit that controls the conveying device 15, separate from the control unit 13 included in the recording device 11. In this case, for example, the control unit 13 included in the recording device 11 and the control unit included in the conveying device 15 communicate with each other. Instead of the control unit 13, the conveying device 15 may include a control unit. In this case, for example, the control unit included in the conveying device 15 controls the recording unit 12. When the conveying device 15 includes a control unit, the receiving unit 14 may be connected to the control unit. For example, the conveying device 15 may include the receiving unit 14.

[0014] The transport device 15 of this example includes a plurality of rollers, for example, a first roller 24 and a second roller 25. The first roller 24 and the second roller 25 transport the medium 99 in a first direction A1. The first direction A1 is the direction in which the medium 99 is transported. The first roller 24 and the second roller 25 are lined up in this order in the first direction A1. Therefore, the first roller 24 is located upstream of the recording unit 12 in the first direction A1. The second roller 25 is located downstream of the recording unit 12 in the first direction A1.

[0015] The driving source 21 is, for example, a motor that rotates a plurality of rollers. The driving source 21 is connected to, for example, the first roller 24, the second roller 25, or both. In this example, the driving source 21 is connected to the first roller 24. Therefore, the driving source 21 rotates the first roller 24. In this example, as the first roller 24 is rotated by the conveyor belt 22, the second roller 25 rotates.

[0016] The conveyor belt 22 is wound around a number of rollers. In this example, the conveyor belt 22 is wound around a first roller 24 and a second roller 25. When the driving source 21 rotates the first roller 24, the conveyor belt 22 moves, i.e., rotates, along the first roller 24 and the second roller 25. In this way, the conveyor belt 22 conveys the medium 99. In this example, the conveyor belt 22 conveys the medium 99 by moving intermittently. The conveyor belt 22 rotates, for example, in a counterclockwise direction in FIG. 1.

[0017] The transport belt 22 has a support surface 26 that supports the medium 99. The support surface 26 is the outer circumferential surface of the transport belt 22. The conveyor belt 22 is, for example, a belt coated with an adhesive. The adhesive is applied to the support surface 26. The adhesive adheres the medium 99 to the support surface 26. This stabilizes the position of the medium 99. The medium 99 may be adhered to the support surface 26 by means of, for example, an attractive force, an electrostatic force, an intermolecular force, or the like, without being limited to an adhesive. An image is recorded by the recording unit 12 on the medium 99 supported on the support surface 26.

[0018] The conveyor belt 22 may become dirty as it conveys the media 99. The support surface 26 is particularly susceptible to dirt. For example, powder and fluff generated by the media 99, dust in the air, recording material from the recording unit 12, and the like may adhere to the support surface 26. This causes the support surface 26 to become dirty. If the support surface 26 becomes dirty, there is a risk that dirt will adhere to the media 99. Furthermore, if the support surface 26 becomes dirty, there is a risk that the adhesive force of the support surface 26 to the media 99 will be impaired.

[0019] 1 and 2, the cleaning mechanism 23 is a mechanism that cleans the conveyor belt 22. Specifically, the cleaning mechanism 23 cleans the support surface 26 by contacting the support surface 26. This reduces the risk of contamination from the conveyor belt 22 adhering to the media 99. In addition, the risk of the adhesive force of the support surface 26 being impaired is reduced.

[0020] The cleaning mechanism 23 is positioned so as to contact the support surface 26 in an area where the media 99 does not pass. The area where the media 99 does not pass is, for example, an area facing the part of the support surface 26 that moves in the second direction A2. The second direction A2 is the opposite direction to the first direction A1. On the other hand, the area where the media 99 passes is, for example, an area facing the part of the support surface 26 that moves in the first direction A1. Therefore, the cleaning mechanism 23 is positioned so as to contact, for example, the part of the support surface 26 that moves in the second direction A2. Therefore, in this example, the cleaning mechanism 23 and the recording unit 12 are positioned so as to sandwich the conveyor belt 22 between them. Specifically, the cleaning mechanism 23 and the recording unit 12 are positioned so as to sandwich the conveyor belt 22 between them from above and below. As a result, the cleaning mechanism 23 cleans the support surface 26 after it has finished supporting the media 99, that is, the support surface 26 after the media 99 has been peeled off. The support surface 26 after being cleaned rotates to support the media 99 again.

[0021] The cleaning mechanism 23 is controlled, for example, by the control unit 13. If the transport device 15 includes a control unit, the cleaning mechanism 23 may be controlled by the control unit. The cleaning mechanism 23 will be described in detail later.

[0022] The conveying device 15 may include a moving mechanism 27. The moving mechanism 27 moves the conveying belt 22 and the cleaning roller 32 relatively so that the cleaning roller 32 of the cleaning mechanism 23 moves away from the support surface 26. The cleaning roller 32 will be described later. In this example, the moving mechanism 27 moves the cleaning mechanism 23 relative to the conveying belt 22, thereby moving the cleaning roller 32 away from the support surface 26. The moving mechanism 27 in this example raises and lowers the cleaning mechanism 23 relative to the conveying belt 22. The moving mechanism 27 may move the conveying belt 22 relative to the cleaning mechanism 23, or may move both the conveying belt 22 and the cleaning mechanism 23. The moving mechanism 27 may also move the cleaning roller 32 alone, rather than the entire cleaning mechanism 23.

[0023] Next, the cleaning mechanism 23 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in this example, the cleaning mechanism 23 has a supply unit 31, a cleaning roller 32, a squeezing member 33, a drive unit 34, and a spray unit 35.

[0024] The supply unit 31 is configured to supply a cleaning liquid to the cleaning roller 32. The cleaning liquid is, for example, water. The cleaning liquid may be other liquids. The supply unit 31 has, for example, a support tank 41, a storage tank 42, a supply pipe 43, a supply valve 44, a discharge pipe 45, and a discharge valve 46.

[0025] The support tank 41 contains a storage tank 42. In this example, the cleaning roller 32, the throttle member 33, and the spray unit 35 are attached to the support tank 41. The support tank 41 has a discharge port 47. The discharge port 47 is located, for example, on the bottom surface of the support tank 41. The discharge port 47 is an opening for discharging the cleaning liquid that has overflowed from the storage tank 42 into the support tank 41.

[0026] The storage tank 42 stores the cleaning liquid. In this example, the storage tank 42 accommodates a portion of the cleaning roller 32. Specifically, the storage tank 42 accommodates the lower end portion of the cleaning roller 32. Therefore, by storing the cleaning liquid in the storage tank 42, the cleaning roller 32 is immersed in the cleaning liquid. In this manner, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the cleaning roller 32. The storage tank 42 is located, for example, on the bottom surface of the support tank 41. By accommodating the storage tank 42 in the support tank 41, the risk of the cleaning liquid stored in the storage tank 42 splashing around the supply unit 31 is reduced.

[0027] Supply pipe 43 is connected to a cleaning liquid supply source and support tank 41. The cleaning liquid supply source is, for example, a water supply. The cleaning liquid flows from the supply source through supply pipe 43, whereby the cleaning liquid is supplied to storage tank 42. After flowing into support tank 41, the cleaning liquid falls and is stored in storage tank 42. Supply pipe 43 may be connected to storage tank 42.

[0028] The supply valve 44 is provided in the supply pipe 43. When the supply valve 44 is opened, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the storage tank 42 through the supply pipe 43. When the supply valve 44 is closed, the supply of the cleaning liquid to the storage tank 42 stops.

[0029] The discharge pipe 45 is connected to the storage tank 42. The cleaning liquid flows from the storage tank 42 through the discharge pipe 45, whereby the cleaning liquid is discharged from the storage tank 42.

[0030] The drain valve 46 is provided in the drain pipe 45. When the drain valve 46 is opened, the cleaning liquid is drained from the storage tank 42 through the drain pipe 45. When the drain valve 46 is closed, the drainage of the cleaning liquid from the storage tank 42 stops.

[0031] The supply unit 31 is configured to be switchable between a supply state in which cleaning liquid is supplied to the cleaning roller 32 and a non-supply state in which cleaning liquid is not supplied to the cleaning roller 32. In this example, the supply state is a state in which the cleaning roller 32 comes into contact with the liquid stored in the storage tank 42. In this example, the non-supply state is a state in which the cleaning roller 32 does not come into contact with the liquid stored in the storage tank 42.

[0032] In this example, the state of the supply unit 31 is switched between a supply state and a non-supply state by fluctuations in the level of the cleaning liquid stored in the storage tank 42. For example, the control unit 13 controls the supply valve 44 and the drain valve 46, which causes the level of the cleaning liquid stored in the storage tank 42 to fluctuate. For example, when the control unit 13 controls the supply valve 44 and the drain valve 46 so that the opening degree of the supply valve 44 is greater than the opening degree of the drain valve 46, the level of the cleaning liquid rises. In this case, when the control unit 13 controls the supply valve 44 and the drain valve 46 so that the opening degree of the supply valve 44 is smaller than the opening degree of the drain valve 46, the level of the cleaning liquid falls.

[0033] In this example, when the supply unit 31 is in a supplying state, the level of the cleaning liquid stored in the storage tank 42 is a height at which the cleaning roller 32 is immersed in the cleaning liquid. When the supply unit 31 is in a non-supplying state, the level of the cleaning liquid stored in the storage tank 42 is a height at which the cleaning roller 32 is not immersed in the cleaning liquid. The state of the supply unit 31 may be switched not only by changing the level of the cleaning liquid stored in the storage tank 42, but also by, for example, moving the cleaning roller 32 and the storage tank 42 relative to each other.

[0034] The cleaning roller 32 cleans the support surface 26 by coming into contact with the support surface 26. The cleaning roller 32 is supported in a support tank 41 so as to be rotatable. The cleaning roller 32 includes a rotating shaft 51 and an absorbent material 52. The rotating shaft 51 is, for example, parallel to the axis of the first roller 24 and the axis of the second roller 25. The absorbent material 52 is a member capable of absorbing cleaning liquid. The absorbent material 52 is, for example, a sponge. The absorbent material 52 is supported by the rotating shaft 51. The absorbent material 52 rotates together with the rotating shaft 51. The absorbent material 52 comes into contact with the support surface 26, thereby cleaning the support surface 26.

[0035] In this example, a portion of the absorbent 52 is accommodated in the storage tank 42. Specifically, a lower end portion of the absorbent 52 is accommodated in the storage tank 42. Therefore, when the supply unit 31 is in a supplying state, the absorbent 52 comes into contact with the cleaning liquid stored in the storage tank 42. As a result, the absorbent 52 becomes in a state of containing the cleaning liquid. When the supply unit 31 is in a non-supplying state, the absorbent 52 does not come into contact with the cleaning liquid stored in the storage tank 42.

[0036] The cleaning roller 32 is switched by the moving mechanism 27 between a contact state in which it is in contact with the support surface 26 and a non-contact state in which it is away from the support surface 26. When the cleaning roller 32 is in the contact state, the absorbent material 52 contacts the support surface 26. In this example, the upper end portion of the absorbent material 52 contacts the support surface 26. When the cleaning roller 32 is in the non-contact state, the absorbent material 52 does not contact the support surface 26.

[0037] When the supply unit 31 is in a supply state and the cleaning roller 32 is in a contact state, the cleaning roller 32 rotates to clean the support surface 26. In this example, the cleaning roller 32 is rotated by the drive unit 34. The cleaning roller 32 may be driven to rotate by the drive force of the drive unit 34, or may be rotated by the drive force of the drive source 21 while in contact with the conveyor belt 22. The absorbent material 52 wetted with the cleaning liquid comes into contact with the support surface 26 while rotating, thereby removing dirt from the support surface 26.

[0038] In this example, when cleaning the conveyor belt 22, the cleaning roller 32 rotates in the same direction as the rotation direction of the conveyor belt 22. That is, when cleaning the conveyor belt 22, the cleaning roller 32 rotates in the counterclockwise direction in Figs. 2 and 3. In this example, the cleaning roller 32 rotates such that, at the contact point of the cleaning roller 32, the absorbent 52 moves in the first direction A1 while the conveyor belt 22 moves in the second direction A2. This increases the contact resistance between the conveyor belt 22 and the cleaning roller 32, making it easier to remove dirt from the conveyor belt 22.

[0039] When cleaning the conveyor belt 22, the cleaning roller 32 may be rotated by the drive unit 34 in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the conveyor belt 22. That is, the cleaning roller 32 may be rotated in a clockwise direction in Figures 2 and 3. Even in this case, the cleaning roller 32 can clean the conveyor belt 22.

[0040] The squeezing member 33 is a member that squeezes the absorbent material 52. The squeezing member 33 comes into contact with the absorbent material 52 so as to deform the absorbent material 52. The squeezing member 33 comes into contact with the absorbent material 52 so as to sink into the absorbent material 52. The squeezing member 33 squeezes the absorbent material 52 by rotating the cleaning roller 32 while in contact with the absorbent material 52.

[0041] The wringing member 33 wrings the absorbent 52 after it is immersed in the storage tank 42 and before it comes into contact with the support surface 26. Therefore, the absorbent 52 that has absorbed the cleaning liquid in the storage tank 42 comes into contact with the support surface 26 after being wrung by the wringing member 33. By being wrung, the amount of cleaning liquid contained in the absorbent 52 is adjusted. In other words, the cleaning roller 32 cleans the support surface 26 in a state in which the absorbent 52 contains an appropriate amount of cleaning liquid for cleaning the conveyor belt 22. This reduces the risk of the support surface 26 being unnecessarily wetted with cleaning liquid.

[0042] In this example, since the cleaning roller 32 rotates in the counterclockwise direction in Figs. 2 and 3 when cleaning the conveyor belt 22, the wringing member 33 is located at a position shifted in the second direction A2 with respect to the cleaning roller 32. If the cleaning roller 32 rotates in the clockwise direction in Figs. 2 and 3 when cleaning the conveyor belt 22, the wringing member 33 is located at a position shifted in the first direction A1 with respect to the cleaning roller 32. That is, in the rotation direction of the cleaning roller 32, the wringing member 33 is provided in at least a part of the region from the downstream of the part of the cleaning roller 32 that contacts the cleaning liquid to the upstream of the part of the cleaning roller 32 that contacts the support surface 26. As a result, the absorbent 52 that has absorbed the cleaning liquid in the storage tank 42 comes into contact with the support surface 26 after being wrung by the wringing member 33.

[0043] In this example, the squeezing member 33 is a roller. Therefore, when squeezing the absorbent material 52, the squeezing member 33 rotates together with the cleaning roller 32. The squeezing member 33 is not limited to a roller, and may be a clamp or a blade. The squeezing member 33 may be configured to deform the absorbent material 52 by coming into contact with the absorbent material 52.

[0044] When the supply unit 31 is in the supplying state, the squeeze member 33 squeezes the absorbent 52, thereby appropriately cleaning the conveyor belt 22. When the supply unit 31 is in the non-supplying state, the squeeze member 33 squeezes the absorbent 52, thereby reducing the amount of cleaning liquid contained in the absorbent 52. This makes it easier for the absorbent 52 to dry. This reduces the risk that the absorbent 52 will remain wet with the cleaning liquid.

[0045] If the absorbent material 52 is left wet for a long time, it may deteriorate. For example, mold may grow on the absorbent material 52. Therefore, the squeeze member 33 promotes the drying of the absorbent material 52, thereby reducing the risk of the absorbent material 52 deteriorating. For example, when it is expected that the conveying device 15 will not be used for a long time, it is preferable that the squeeze member 33 squeezes the absorbent material 52 to promote the drying of the absorbent material 52.

[0046] The drive unit 34 is configured to rotate the cleaning roller 32. When the drive unit 34 rotates the cleaning roller 32, the absorbent 52 is squeezed by the squeeze member 33. In this example, the drive unit 34 is a motor connected to the cleaning roller 32. Therefore, in this example, the drive unit 34 drives the cleaning roller 32 to rotate. The drive unit 34 may be configured to rotate the cleaning roller 32 in a driven manner. That is, the drive force for rotating the cleaning roller 32 may be transmitted to another element instead of the cleaning roller 32. For example, the drive unit 34 may be a motor connected to the squeeze member 33. In this case, the cleaning roller 32 is rotated in a driven manner by the rotation of the squeeze member 33 by the drive unit 34. Alternatively, for example, the drive force of the drive source 21 may be transmitted to the cleaning roller 32 via the conveyor belt 22. That is, the drive unit 34 may be omitted, and the drive force of the drive source 21 may be transmitted to the cleaning roller 32 via the conveyor belt 22. In this case, the driving source 21 rotates the cleaning roller 32. When the conveyor belt 22 is rotated by the driving source 21, the cleaning roller 32 is rotated while being in contact with the support surface .

[0047] The blowing unit 35 is connected to a blower 54. In this example, the blower 54 is a component external to the recording device 11. In other words, the blower 54 is connected to the recording device 11 or the conveying device 15. The blower 54 sends gas to the blowing unit 35.

[0048] The blowing unit 35 is configured to give directionality to the wind pressure (energy) of the gas sent from the blower 54. The blowing unit 35 is, for example, an air knife. The blowing unit 35 blows the gas sent from the blower 54 onto the conveyor belt 22. Specifically, the blowing unit 35 blows the gas onto the support surface 26.

[0049] The blowing unit 35 blows gas onto the support surface 26 cleaned by the cleaning roller 32. That is, the blowing unit 35 blows gas onto the support surface 26 after the cleaning roller 32 has come into contact with it. Specifically, the blowing unit 35 blows gas onto a specific region of the support surface 26 after it has been cleaned by the cleaning roller 32. In this way, the blowing unit 35 dries the support surface 26 that has become wet with the cleaning liquid. In this example, the blowing unit 35 is positioned at a position shifted in the second direction A2 with respect to the cleaning roller 32. Note that, with regard to drying the support surface 26 by the blowing unit 35, the residual moisture on the support surface 26 does not have to be completely reduced to zero.

[0050] The blowing unit 35 is configured to blow gas onto the cleaning roller 32. The blowing unit 35 is configured to blow the gas onto the absorbent material 52, not limited to the support surface 26. In this example, the blowing unit 35 is configured to be able to switch the target onto which the gas is blown, between the support surface 26 and the cleaning roller 32.

[0051] In this example, the blowing section 35 has an inner drum 55 and an outer drum 56. The inner drum 55 and the outer drum 56 each have an outlet for blowing out gas. The gas delivered by the blower 54 passes through the inner drum 55 and the outer drum 56 in this order.

[0052] The inner drum 55 is housed in the outer drum 56. The inner drum 55 is configured to rotate relative to the outer drum 56. The inner drum 55 has a first air outlet 57 as an air outlet. The outer drum 56 is fixed to the support tank 41. The outer drum 56 has a second air outlet 58 and a third air outlet 59 as air outlets. The second air outlet 58 and the third air outlet 59 face in different directions. The second air outlet 58 faces the support surface 26. The third air outlet 59 faces the absorbent material 52.

[0053] The inner drum 55 is configured to be rotatable by a switching mechanism (not shown). The switching mechanism (not shown) includes, for example, a switching drive unit that can be controlled by the control unit 13, and a transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force of the switching drive unit to the inner drum 55. When a motor is used as the switching drive unit, for example, the transmission mechanism uses one or both of a transmission belt and at least one gear. When the inner drum 55 rotates, the first air outlet 57 moves inside the outer drum 56. When the first air outlet 57 overlaps with the second air outlet 58, gas is blown onto the support surface 26. When the first air outlet 57 overlaps with the third air outlet 59, gas is blown onto the absorbent material 52.

[0054] In this example, the blowing unit 35 is configured to selectively blow gas onto the support surface 26 or the absorbent material 52. As a result, the amount of gas blown per unit time increases compared to the case where gas is blown onto both the support surface 26 and the absorbent material 52 simultaneously under the condition that the amount of gas per unit time from the blower 54 is substantially constant. The blowing unit 35 may be configured to blow gas onto both the support surface 26 and the absorbent material 52 simultaneously. In this case, for example, the inner drum 55 may be removed from the blowing unit 35. Alternatively, for example, the blowing unit 35 having only one blowing port may be disposed at an angle and blow gas toward the contact point between the support surface 26 and the absorbent material 52, thereby blowing gas onto both the support surface 26 and the absorbent material 52.

[0055] The blowing unit 35 blows gas onto the absorbent 52, which makes it easier for the absorbent 52 to dry. This reduces the risk that the absorbent 52 will remain wet with the cleaning liquid. If the absorbent 52 is left wet for a long time, it may deteriorate. For example, mold may grow on the absorbent 52. In particular, mold is likely to grow on the parts of the absorbent 52 that are in contact with the air. The blowing unit 35 promotes the drying of the absorbent 52, which reduces the risk that the absorbent 52 will deteriorate. For example, when it is expected that the conveying device 15 will not be used for a long time, the blowing unit 35 may promote the drying of the absorbent 52 by blowing gas onto the absorbent 52.

[0056] The cleaning mechanism 23 may have a heating unit 61. In other words, the recording device 11 or the conveying device 15 may be provided with the heating unit 61. The heating unit 61 is configured to heat the gas blown by the blowing unit 35. The heating unit 61 includes, for example, a heat generating element. The heating unit 61 is attached, for example, inside the inner drum 55. The heating unit 61 may be attached to the outer drum 56. The heating unit 61 may not be attached to the inner drum 55 or the outer drum 56, but may be provided between the blowing unit 35 and the cleaning roller 32. The heating unit 61 heats the gas blown by the blowing unit 35, and the heated gas is blown onto the absorbent 52. This further promotes drying of the absorbent 52. The heating unit 61 may heat the gas blown onto the support surface 26.

[0057] The cleaning mechanism 23 may have a detection unit 62. In other words, the recording device 11 or the conveying device 15 may be equipped with the detection unit 62. The detection unit 62 is configured to detect the amount of cleaning liquid contained in the absorbent 52. The detection unit 62 is located at a position where it contacts the absorbent 52, i.e., at a position where it contacts the surface of the absorbent 52. The detection unit 62 detects the amount of cleaning liquid contained in the absorbent 52, for example, by measuring the electrical resistance value of the surface of the absorbent 52. The detection unit 62 transmits the detection result to the control unit 13.

[0058] In this example, the detection unit 62 comes into contact with a portion of the absorbent 52 that is to be squeezed by the squeeze member 33. Therefore, the detection unit 62 detects the amount of cleaning liquid contained in the portion of the absorbent 52 that is to be squeezed by the squeeze member 33. The detection unit 62 and the squeeze member 33 are positioned, for example, to sandwich the rotation shaft 51 therebetween. That is, the detection unit 62 is positioned at a position shifted in the first direction A1 with respect to the cleaning roller 32.

[0059] When the state of the supply unit 31 is the supply state, the control unit 13 can grasp the supply state of the cleaning liquid to the absorbent 52 based on the detection result of the detection unit 62. That is, the control unit 13 can grasp whether an appropriate amount of cleaning liquid is supplied to the absorbent 52 when cleaning the conveyor belt 22. For example, based on the detection result of the detection unit 62, the control unit 13 controls the supply amount of the cleaning liquid. When the amount of cleaning liquid contained in the absorbent 52 is large when cleaning the conveyor belt 22, the control unit 13 lowers the liquid level of the cleaning liquid stored in the storage tank 42. This reduces the amount of cleaning liquid supplied to the absorbent 52. When the amount of cleaning liquid contained in the absorbent 52 is small when cleaning the conveyor belt 22, the control unit 13 raises the liquid level of the cleaning liquid stored in the storage tank 42. This increases the amount of cleaning liquid supplied to the absorbent 52.

[0060] When the supply unit 31 is in a non-supply state, the dryness of the absorbent 52 can be grasped based on the detection result of the detection unit 62. For example, the control unit 13 controls a drying process that promotes the drying of the absorbent 52 by the blowing unit 35, the throttle member 33, or both, based on the detection result of the detection unit 62. This controls the dryness of the absorbent 52. In this example, the dryness of the absorbent 52 can also be controlled based on the duration of the drying process, not limited to the detection result of the detection unit 62.

[0061] The cleaning mechanism 23 may have a brush roller 63. The brush roller 63 cleans the support surface 26 by contacting the support surface 26. The brush roller 63 is rotatably supported in the support tank 41. In this example, when the cleaning roller 32 is in a contact state, the brush roller 63 contacts the support surface 26. When the cleaning roller 32 is in a non-contact state, the brush roller 63 is separated from the support surface 26.

[0062] The brush roller 63 is aligned parallel to the cleaning roller 32. In this example, the brush roller 63 is positioned at a position shifted in the first direction A1 from the cleaning roller 32. Therefore, the brush roller 63 comes into contact with the specific region of the support surface 26 before the cleaning roller 32 comes into contact with the specific region.

[0063] The brush roller 63 has a rotating shaft 64 and a brush 65. The rotating shaft 64 is parallel to the rotating shaft 51. The brush 65 extends radially from the rotating shaft 64 when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 64. The brush 65 is supported by the rotating shaft 64. The brush 65 rotates together with the rotating shaft 64.

[0064] In this example, a part of the brush 65 is accommodated in the storage tank 42. Specifically, a lower end portion of the brush 65 is accommodated in the storage tank 42. Therefore, depending on the level of the cleaning liquid stored in the storage tank 42, the brush 65 comes into contact with the cleaning liquid stored in the storage tank 42. That is, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the brush 65. In this example, when the state of the supply unit 31 is the supply state, the brush 65 comes into contact with the cleaning liquid stored in the storage tank 42. When the state of the supply unit 31 is the non-supply state, the brush 65 does not come into contact with the cleaning liquid stored in the storage tank 42. That is, in this example, the supply state is a state in which the cleaning liquid is supplied from the supply unit 31 to the cleaning roller 32 and the brush roller 63. The non-supply state is a state in which the cleaning liquid is not supplied from the supply unit 31 to the cleaning roller 32 and the brush roller 63.

[0065] The brush roller 63 cleans the support surface 26 by rotating while the supply unit 31 is in the supply state. In this example, the brush roller 63 is interlocked with the rotation of the cleaning roller 32, for example. The brush roller 63 may be driven to rotate by the drive unit 34. The brush roller 63 may be rotated by rotation of the conveyor belt 22 without being interlocked with the cleaning roller 32. The brush 65 wetted with the cleaning liquid comes into contact with the support surface 26 while rotating, thereby removing dirt from the support surface 26.

[0066] In this example, the rotation direction of the brush roller 63 coincides with the rotation direction of the cleaning roller 32. The rotation direction of the brush roller 63 may be different from the rotation direction of the cleaning roller 32. In this example, the brush roller 63 rotates counterclockwise in Figures 2 and 3. This increases the contact resistance between the conveyor belt 22 and the brush roller 63, making it easier to remove dirt from the conveyor belt 22.

[0067] Next, a drying process for accelerating the drying of the absorbent material 52 will be described. The control unit 13 executes a drying process that promotes drying of the absorbent 52 by one or both of the blowing unit 35 and the throttling member 33. The control unit 13 starts the drying process at a predetermined time. For example, the control unit 13 starts a first drying process in which gas is blown from the blowing unit 35 to the cleaning roller 32 at a predetermined time. For example, the control unit 13 starts a second drying process in which the throttling member 33 squeezes the absorbent 52 when the supply unit 31 is in a non-supply state at a predetermined time. The control unit 13 starts a third drying process in which gas is blown from the blowing unit 35 to the cleaning roller 32 and the throttling member 33 squeezes the absorbent 52 when the supply unit 31 is in a non-supply state at a predetermined time. The control unit 13 may select a process to be executed from the first drying process, the second drying process, and the third drying process.

[0068] The specified time is, for example, when the recording device 11 or the conveying device 15 is turned off, when the reception unit 14 receives an instruction from the user to start the drying process, when a preset time is reached, etc.

[0069] The control unit 13 ends the drying process based on a predetermined condition. The control unit 13 ends the first drying process in which gas is blown from the blowing unit 35 to the cleaning roller 32 based on a predetermined condition, for example. The control unit 13 ends the second drying process in which the supply unit 31 is in a non-supply state and the throttling member 33 squeezes the absorbent 52 based on a predetermined condition, for example. The control unit 13 ends the third drying process in which gas is blown from the blowing unit 35 to the cleaning roller 32 and the throttling member 33 squeezes the absorbent 52 based on a predetermined condition, for example.

[0070] The predetermined condition is, for example, a condition based on the detection result of the detection unit 62, a condition based on the duration of the drying process, etc. The control unit 13 ends the drying process when the predetermined condition is satisfied. Therefore, the control unit 13 ends the drying process based on the detection result of the detection unit 62 and the duration of the drying process. The duration can be arbitrarily set by the user via the reception unit 14, for example. The duration may be set to an appropriate value based on the evaluation results of experiments or simulations performed in advance, for example. The control unit 13 may end the drying process when a predetermined condition is met, such as when the reception unit 14 receives an instruction from the user to end the drying process, or when a preset time has arrived.

[0071] First, the first drying process will be described. For example, when the control unit 13 receives a start instruction to start blowing gas from the blowing unit 35 to the cleaning roller 32, that is, an instruction to start the first drying process, from the user via the reception unit 14, the control unit 13 starts the first drying process shown in FIG.

[0072] 4, in step S11, the control unit 13 switches the state of the cleaning roller 32 from a contact state to a non-contact state. If the state of the cleaning roller 32 is the non-contact state at the time of performing step S11, the state of the cleaning roller 32 is maintained in the non-contact state. The control unit 13 separates the cleaning roller 32 from the support surface 26 by the moving mechanism 27. At this time, the control unit 13 may switch the state of the supply unit 31 from the supply state to the non-supply state.

[0073] In step S12, the control unit 13 causes the blowing unit 35 to blow gas onto the cleaning roller 32. The control unit 13 rotates the inner drum 55 to overlap the first blowing outlet 57 with the third blowing outlet 59. This causes the gas to be blown onto the cleaning roller 32. At this time, since the cleaning roller 32 is separated from the support surface 26, the gas easily flows along the circumferential surface of the cleaning roller 32. This tends to promote drying of the absorbent material 52. In this way, the blowing unit 35 of this example blows the gas onto the cleaning roller 32 while the cleaning roller 32 is separated from the support surface 26.

[0074] Even if the blowing unit 35 blows gas onto the cleaning roller 32 in contact with the absorbent 52, the drying of the absorbent 52 can be promoted. Therefore, in the first drying process, step S11 may be skipped. Also, in the first drying process, steps S11 and S12 may be performed simultaneously.

[0075] When the supply unit 31 is in the non-supply state, the blowing unit 35 blows gas onto the cleaning roller 32, thereby promoting drying of the entire absorbent 52. When the supply unit 31 is in the supply state, the drying of the portion of the absorbent 52 that is not immersed in the cleaning liquid is promoted. The portion of the absorbent 52 that is immersed in the cleaning liquid is less likely to be exposed to the air and therefore is less likely to deteriorate.

[0076] In step S13, the control unit 13 determines whether or not the first predetermined condition is satisfied. The first predetermined condition is a condition for terminating the first drying process. The first predetermined condition may be a condition based on the duration of the first drying process, or may be a condition based on the amount of cleaning liquid detected by the detection unit 62. The control unit 13 may determine that the first predetermined condition is satisfied, for example, when the elapsed time since the start of the blowing of gas from the blowing unit 35 to the cleaning roller 32 reaches the duration. That is, the control unit 13 may determine that the first predetermined condition is satisfied, when the elapsed time since the start of step S12 reaches the duration. In this case, the control unit 13 counts the time when step S12 is executed. The control unit 13 may count the time elapsed from the execution of step S11 as the elapsed time. The control unit 13 may determine that the first predetermined condition is satisfied, for example, when the amount of cleaning liquid detected by the detection unit 62 becomes equal to or less than a threshold value. In this case, the threshold value is stored in the control unit 13. The threshold value is set to an appropriate value based on, for example, the evaluation results of experiments or simulations carried out in advance.

[0077] When the control unit 13 determines in step S13 that the first predetermined condition is satisfied, it ends the first drying process. At this time, the control unit 13 ends the operation of blowing gas from the blowing unit 35 to the cleaning roller 32. The control unit 13 may rotate the inner drum 55 so that the first blowing outlet 57 overlaps with the second blowing outlet 58, or may rotate the inner drum 55 so that the first blowing outlet 57 does not overlap with either the second blowing outlet 58 or the third blowing outlet 59.

[0078] When the control unit 13 determines in step S13 that the first predetermined condition is not satisfied, it repeats step S13. That is, the blowing unit 35 continues blowing gas onto the cleaning roller 32 until the first predetermined condition is satisfied. The first predetermined condition may include a condition based on the duration and a condition based on the detection result of the detection unit 62. In this case, the control unit 13 ends the first drying process when the elapsed time reaches the duration and the amount of cleaning liquid detected by the detection unit 62 becomes equal to or less than the threshold. When the elapsed time reaches the duration but the amount of cleaning liquid detected by the detection unit 62 does not become equal to or less than the threshold, the control unit 13 may report an error.

[0079] Next, the second drying process will be described. For example, when the control unit 13 receives a start instruction for causing the squeeze member 33 to start squeezing the absorbent 52 when the supply unit 31 is in a non-supply state, that is, an instruction to start the second drying process, from the user through the reception unit 14, the control unit 13 starts the second drying process shown in FIG. 5. The start instruction and the duration are examples of instructions related to the operation of the squeeze member 33 squeezing the absorbent 52. The instruction related to the operation of the squeeze member 33 squeezing the absorbent 52 may be, for example, the value of the pressure when the squeeze member 33 presses the absorbent 52 or the value of the rotation speed of the cleaning roller 32. The control unit 13 may control the operation of the squeeze member 33 squeezing the absorbent 52 based on the instruction. For example, the control unit 13 may control the pressure, the rotation speed, or the like based on the instruction.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 5, in step S21, the control unit 13 switches the state of the supply unit 31 from the supply state to the non-supply state. If the state of the supply unit 31 is the non-supply state at the time of execution of step S21, the state of the supply unit 31 is maintained as the non-supply state. The control unit 13 switches the state of the supply unit 31 from the supply state to the non-supply state by closing the supply valve 44 and opening the discharge valve 46. At this time, the control unit 13 may switch the state of the cleaning roller 32 from the contact state to the non-contact state. However, in the case of a configuration in which the driving force of the driving source 21 is transmitted to the cleaning roller 32 via the conveyor belt 22, the control unit 13 switches the state of the cleaning roller 32 from the non-contact state to the contact state or maintains the state in the contact state. The reason for this is that if the state of the cleaning roller 32 is the non-contact state, the cleaning roller 32 cannot be rotated by the driving source 21.

[0081] In step S22, the control unit 13 controls the drive unit 34 to rotate the cleaning roller 32. As a result, the cleaning roller 32 is squeezed by the squeezing member 33. Note that in the second drying process, steps S21 and S22 may be performed simultaneously.

[0082] When the cleaning roller 32 is in a non-contact state in step S21, the squeezing member 33 squeezes the absorbent material 52 in step S22 while the cleaning roller 32 is away from the support surface 26. In this case, the rotational resistance applied to the cleaning roller 32 is reduced compared to when the cleaning roller 32 is in a contact state. Therefore, it becomes easier to squeeze the absorbent material 52.

[0083] In step S23, the control unit 13 determines whether or not the second predetermined condition is satisfied. The second predetermined condition is a condition for terminating the second drying process. The second predetermined condition may be a condition based on the duration of the second drying process, or may be a condition based on the amount of cleaning liquid detected by the detection unit 62. The control unit 13 may determine that the second predetermined condition is satisfied, for example, when the elapsed time since the squeezing member 33 started squeezing the absorbent 52 reaches the duration. That is, the control unit 13 may determine that the second predetermined condition is satisfied, when the elapsed time since the start of step S22 reaches the duration. In this case, the control unit 13 counts the time when step S22 is executed. The control unit 13 may count the time elapsed from the execution of step S21 as the elapsed time. The control unit 13 may determine that the second predetermined condition is satisfied, for example, when the amount of cleaning liquid detected by the detection unit 62 becomes equal to or less than a threshold value.

[0084] When the control unit 13 determines in step S23 that the second predetermined condition is satisfied, the control unit 13 ends the second drying process. At this time, the control unit 13 ends the operation of the squeezing member 33 squeezing the absorbent material 52. The control unit 13 controls the drive unit 34 to stop the cleaning roller 32.

[0085] When the control unit 13 determines in step S23 that the second predetermined condition is not satisfied, it repeats step S23. That is, the control unit 13 continues squeezing the absorbent material 52 until the second predetermined condition is satisfied. The second predetermined condition may include a condition based on the duration and a condition based on the detection result of the detection unit 62, similar to the first predetermined condition. The second predetermined condition may be the same as the first predetermined condition, or may be a different condition.

[0086] The first drying process and the second drying process may be performed in parallel. When performed in parallel, they may be started at the same time or at different times. The first drying process and the second drying process are started at their respective predetermined times and ended under their respective predetermined conditions.

[0087] Next, the third drying process will be described. When the control unit 13 receives, for example, a start instruction to start both the blowing unit 35 blowing gas to the cleaning roller 32 and the squeezing member 33 squeezing the absorbent 52 while the supply unit 31 is not supplying, that is, an instruction to start the third drying process, from the user through the reception unit 14, the control unit 13 starts the third drying process shown in FIG. 6. That is, the third drying process is a process that combines the first drying process and the second drying process. The start instruction and the duration are examples of instructions related to the operation of the squeezing member 33 squeezing the absorbent 52. The instruction related to the operation of the squeezing member 33 squeezing the absorbent 52 may be, for example, a value of pressure when the squeezing member 33 presses the absorbent 52 or a value of the rotation speed of the cleaning roller 32. The control unit 13 may control the operation of the squeezing member 33 squeezing the absorbent 52 based on the instruction. For example, the control unit 13 may control the pressure, the rotation speed, and the like based on the instruction.

[0088] 6, in step S31, the control unit 13 switches the state of the cleaning roller 32 from a contact state to a non-contact state, similarly to step S11. If the state of the cleaning roller 32 is the non-contact state at the time of executing step S31, the state of the cleaning roller 32 is maintained in the non-contact state.

[0089] In step S32, the control unit 13 switches the state of the supply unit 31 from the supply state to the non-supply state, similarly to step S21. If the state of the supply unit 31 is the non-supply state at the time of executing step S32, the state of the supply unit 31 is maintained in the non-contact state. The order of steps S31 and S32 may be reversed. Steps S31 and S32 may be executed simultaneously.

[0090] In step S33, the control unit 13 causes the blowing unit 35 to blow gas onto the cleaning roller 32, similarly to step S12. In step S34, the control unit 13 rotates the cleaning roller 32, similarly to step S22. The order of steps S33 and S34 may be reversed. Steps S33 and S34 may be performed simultaneously. Steps S31 to S34 may be performed simultaneously.

[0091] In step S35, the control unit 13 determines whether or not a third predetermined condition is satisfied. The third predetermined condition is a condition for terminating the third drying process. The third predetermined condition may be a condition based on the duration of the third drying process, or may be a condition based on the amount of cleaning liquid detected by the detection unit 62. The control unit 13 may determine that the third predetermined condition is satisfied, for example, when the elapsed time since the start of the blowing of gas from the blowing unit 35 to the cleaning roller 32 and the squeezing of the absorbent 52 by the squeezing member 33 reaches the duration. That is, the control unit 13 may determine that the third predetermined condition is satisfied, for example, when the elapsed time since the execution of both steps S33 and S34 reaches the duration. The control unit 13 may determine that the third predetermined condition is satisfied, for example, when the amount of cleaning liquid detected by the detection unit 62 becomes equal to or less than a threshold value.

[0092] When the control unit 13 determines in step S35 that the third predetermined condition is satisfied, it ends the third drying process. At this time, the control unit 13 ends the operation of the blowing unit 35 blowing gas onto the cleaning roller 32 and the operation of the throttle member 33 squeezing the absorbent 52. The control unit 13 stops the cleaning roller 32 while rotating the inner drum 55 so that the first blowing outlet 57 does not overlap the third blowing outlet 59.

[0093] When the control unit 13 determines in step S35 that the third predetermined condition is not satisfied, it repeats step S35. That is, the control unit 13 continues the blowing of gas to the cleaning roller 32 by the blowing unit 35 and the squeezing of the absorbent material 52 by the squeezing member 33. The third predetermined condition may include a condition based on the duration and a condition based on the detection result of the detection unit 62, similar to the first and second predetermined conditions. The third predetermined condition may be the same as the first predetermined condition, may be the same as the second predetermined condition, or may be a different condition from the first and second predetermined conditions.

[0094] Next, the operation and effects of the above embodiment will be described. (1) The conveying device 15 includes the blowing unit 35 capable of blowing gas onto the support surface 26 cleaned by the cleaning roller 32. The blowing unit 35 is configured to be able to blow gas onto the cleaning roller 32.

[0095] The blowing unit 35 dries the support surface 26 by blowing gas onto the support surface 26 cleaned by the cleaning roller 32. According to the above configuration, the blowing unit 35 blows gas onto not only the support surface 26 but also the cleaning roller 32. This makes it easier for the cleaning roller 32 to dry. Therefore, the risk of the cleaning roller 32 remaining wet with the cleaning liquid is reduced. In other words, the risk of the cleaning roller 32 deteriorating is reduced.

[0096] (2) The blowing unit 35 blows gas onto the cleaning roller 32 while the cleaning roller 32 is separated from the support surface 26 . According to the above configuration, compared to a state in which the cleaning roller 32 is in contact with the support surface 26, the gas blown onto the cleaning roller 32 by the blowing unit 35 more easily flows along the circumferential surface of the cleaning roller 32. As a result, the cleaning roller 32 is more likely to dry.

[0097] (3) The throttle member 33 throttles the absorbent material 52 when the supply section 31 is in the non-supply state. According to the above configuration, when the supply unit 31 is in the non-supply state, the squeeze member 33 squeezes the absorbent 52, thereby reducing the amount of cleaning liquid contained in the absorbent 52. This makes it easier for the cleaning roller 32 to dry.

[0098] (4) After the supply unit 31 is in the non-supply state and the throttle member 33 starts to throttle the absorbent 52, the control unit 13 ends the operation of the throttle member 33 to throttle the absorbent 52 based on predetermined conditions.

[0099] According to the above-mentioned configuration, squeezing of the absorbent material 52 is completed based on a predetermined condition, which reduces the possibility of squeezing the absorbent material 52 more than necessary. If the absorbent material 52 is squeezed more than necessary, the deterioration of the absorbent material 52 will be accelerated.

[0100] (5) When the amount of cleaning liquid detected by the detector 62 is equal to or less than the threshold value, the controller 13 stops the operation of the throttle member 33 to throttle the absorbent 52. According to the above-described configuration, squeezing of the absorbent 52 is completed based on the amount of cleaning liquid contained in the absorbent 52, so that the risk of squeezing the absorbent 52 more than necessary is reduced.

[0101] (6) The control unit 13 controls the operation of the throttle member 33 to throttle the absorbent 52 based on an instruction related to the operation of the throttle member 33 to throttle the absorbent 52 . According to the above configuration, the operation of the throttle member 33 to throttle the absorbent 52 can be controlled based on an instruction from the user, so that an appropriate throttle operation is performed depending on the user.

[0102] (7) The control unit 13 ends the operation of the throttling member 33 to squeeze the absorbent 52 when the elapsed time since the throttling member 33 started to squeeze the absorbent 52 reaches the duration time. According to the above-mentioned configuration, the absorbent material 52 is squeezed for a duration set by the user, which improves convenience for the user.

[0103] (8) When the receiving unit 14 receives a start instruction, the control unit 13 switches the state of the supply unit 31 from the supply state to the non-supply state, and controls the drive unit 34 to rotate the cleaning roller 32. According to the above-mentioned configuration, the absorbent material 52 can be squeezed by the squeezing member 33 at a time desired by the user, thereby improving convenience for the user.

[0104] (9) The conveying device 15 includes a heating unit 61 capable of heating the gas blown by the blowing unit 35 . According to the above configuration, the heated gas is blown onto the cleaning roller 32. Therefore, the cleaning roller 32 is easily dried.

[0105] (10) The blowing unit 35 is configured to be able to switch the target onto which the gas is blown, between the support surface 26 and the cleaning roller 32. According to the above configuration, the amount of gas blown onto the cleaning roller 32 per unit time is increased compared to when the blowing section 35 simultaneously blows gas onto both the support surface 26 and the cleaning roller 32. This makes it easier for the cleaning roller 32 to dry.

[0106] 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. The supply unit 31 may be configured to supply the cleaning liquid to the cleaning roller 32 by spraying or dripping the cleaning liquid toward the cleaning roller 32. In this case, the supply unit 31 has a cleaning liquid nozzle that sprays or drips the cleaning liquid. The state in which the cleaning liquid is sprayed or dripped from the cleaning liquid nozzle is the supply state. The state in which the spraying or dripping of the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid nozzle has stopped is the non-supply state.

[0107] The blowing unit 35 may be configured to switch the target to which the gas is blown, between the support surface 26 and the cleaning roller 32, for example, by means of a shutter, a valve, or the like. The blower 54 may be a component of the recording device 11 or the transport device 15. That is, the blower 54 may be controlled by the control unit 13. The control unit 13 may control the amount of gas sent by the blower 54, turning the blower 54 on and off, and the like.

[0108] The liquid discharged by the recording unit 12 is not limited to ink, and may be, for example, a liquid in which particles of a functional material are dispersed or mixed in a liquid. For example, the recording unit 12 may discharge a liquid containing, in a dispersed or dissolved form, a material such as an electrode material or a pixel material used in the manufacture of liquid crystal displays, electroluminescence displays, and surface-emitting displays.

[0109] The technical ideas and effects obtained from the above-described embodiment and modified examples will be described below. (A) A conveying device includes a conveying belt having a support surface capable of supporting media and capable of conveying the media supported on the support surface, a cleaning roller including an absorbent material capable of absorbing cleaning liquid and capable of cleaning the support surface by contacting the absorbent material with the support surface, a supply unit capable of supplying the cleaning liquid to the cleaning roller, and a blowing unit capable of blowing gas onto the support surface cleaned by the cleaning roller, and the blowing unit is configured to be capable of blowing the gas onto the cleaning roller.

[0110] The blowing unit dries the support surface cleaned by the cleaning roller by blowing gas onto the support surface. According to the above configuration, the blowing unit blows gas not only onto the support surface but also onto the cleaning roller. This makes it easier for the cleaning roller to dry. Therefore, the risk of the cleaning roller remaining wet with cleaning liquid is reduced. In other words, the risk of the cleaning roller deteriorating is reduced.

[0111] (B) The conveying device may include a moving mechanism that moves the conveying belt and the cleaning roller relative to one another so that the cleaning roller moves away from the support surface, and the blowing section may blow the gas toward the cleaning roller while the cleaning roller is away from the support surface.

[0112] With this configuration, the gas blown onto the cleaning roller by the blowing section flows along the circumferential surface of the cleaning roller more easily than in a state where the cleaning roller is in contact with the support surface, and as a result, the cleaning roller is more likely to dry.

[0113] (C) The above-mentioned conveying device includes a drive unit that rotates the cleaning roller, and a squeeze member that contacts the absorbent material and squeezes the absorbent material as the cleaning roller rotates while in contact with the absorbent material, and the supply unit is configured to be switchable between a supply state in which the cleaning liquid is supplied to the cleaning roller and a non-supply state in which the cleaning liquid is not supplied to the cleaning roller, and the squeeze member may squeeze the absorbent material when the supply unit is in the non-supply state.

[0114] According to the above configuration, when the supply section is in the non-supply state, the squeeze member squeezes the absorbent material, thereby reducing the amount of cleaning liquid contained in the absorbent material, which makes it easier for the cleaning roller to dry.

[0115] (D) The conveying device may be provided with a control unit, and the control unit may terminate the operation of the throttling member squeezing the absorbent material based on predetermined conditions after the supply unit is in the non-supply state and the throttling member has started squeezing the absorbent material.

[0116] According to the above-described configuration, squeezing of the absorbent material is completed based on a predetermined condition, so that the risk of the absorbent material being squeezed more than necessary is reduced.

[0117] (E) The conveying device may include a detection unit capable of detecting the amount of cleaning liquid contained in the absorbent material, and the specified condition may include a condition based on the amount of cleaning liquid detected by the detection unit, and the control unit may terminate the operation of the throttling member squeezing the absorbent material when the amount of cleaning liquid detected by the detection unit is below a threshold value.

[0118] According to the above-described configuration, squeezing of the absorbent material is completed based on the amount of cleaning liquid contained in the absorbent material, thereby reducing the risk of the absorbent material being squeezed more than necessary.

[0119] (F) The conveying device may include a receiving unit capable of receiving instructions from a user regarding the operation of the squeeze member to squeeze the absorbent material, and the control unit may control the operation of the squeeze member to squeeze the absorbent material based on the instructions. According to the above configuration, the operation of the throttle member to throttle the absorbent material can be controlled based on instructions from the user, so that an appropriate throttle operation can be performed depending on the user.

[0120] (G) In the above-mentioned conveying device, the receiving unit may receive from a user as the instruction a duration for which the throttle member continues to squeeze the absorbent material, and the specified condition may include a condition based on the duration, and the control unit may terminate the operation of the throttle member to squeeze the absorbent material when the elapsed time since the throttle member began squeezing the absorbent material reaches the duration.

[0121] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the absorbent material is squeezed for a duration set by the user, which improves convenience for the user.

[0122] (H) In the above-mentioned conveying device, the receiving unit may receive from a user a start instruction to cause the squeezing member to start squeezing the absorbent material as the instruction, and when the receiving unit receives the start instruction, the control unit may switch the state of the supply unit from the supply state to the non-supply state and rotate the cleaning roller by controlling the drive unit.

[0123] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the throttle member can throttle the absorbent material at a time desired by the user, thereby improving convenience for the user.

[0124] (I) The transport device may include a heating unit capable of heating the gas blown by the blowing unit.

[0125] According to the above configuration, the heated gas is blown onto the cleaning roller, which makes it easier for the cleaning roller to dry.

[0126] (J) In the above-mentioned conveying device, the blowing section may be configured to be able to switch the target onto which the gas is blown, between the support surface and the cleaning roller.

[0127] According to the above configuration, the amount of gas blown onto the cleaning roller per unit time is increased compared to when the blowing section blows gas onto both the support surface and the cleaning roller at the same time, which makes it easier to dry the cleaning roller.

[0128] (K) The recording device includes a recording unit capable of recording on media, a conveying belt having a support surface capable of supporting the media and capable of conveying the media supported on the support surface, a cleaning roller including an absorbent material capable of absorbing cleaning liquid and capable of cleaning the support surface by contacting the absorbent material with the support surface, a supply unit capable of supplying the cleaning liquid to the cleaning roller, and a blowing unit capable of blowing gas onto the support surface cleaned by the cleaning roller, and the blowing unit is configured to be capable of blowing the gas onto the cleaning roller.

[0129] According to the above recording apparatus, the same effects as those of the above-mentioned conveying apparatus can be obtained. [Explanation of symbols]

[0130] 11...recording device, 12...recording unit, 13...control unit, 14...reception unit, 15...conveying device, 16...nozzle, 21...driving source, 22...conveying belt, 23...cleaning mechanism, 24...first roller, 25...second roller, 26...support surface, 27...moving mechanism, 31...supply unit, 32...cleaning roller, 33...throttling member, 34...driving unit, 35...spraying unit, 41...support tank, 42...storage tank, 43...supply pipe, 44...supply valve, 45...discharge pipe, 46...discharge valve, 47...discharge outlet, 51...rotating shaft, 52...absorbent material, 54...blower, 55...inner drum, 56...outer drum, 57...first blowing outlet, 58...second blowing outlet, 59...third blowing outlet, 61...heating unit, 62...detection unit, 63...brush roller, 64...rotating shaft, 65...brush, 99...media.

Claims

1. a conveyor belt having a support surface capable of supporting a medium and capable of conveying the medium supported by the support surface; a cleaning roller including an absorbent material capable of absorbing a cleaning liquid, the absorbent material contacting the support surface to clean the support surface; a supply unit capable of supplying the cleaning liquid to the cleaning roller; a blowing unit capable of blowing gas onto the support surface cleaned by the cleaning roller, The conveying device, wherein the blowing unit is configured to be able to blow the gas onto the cleaning roller so as to promote drying of the cleaning roller.

2. a moving mechanism that moves the conveyor belt and the cleaning roller relatively so that the cleaning roller is separated from the support surface, The conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein the blowing unit blows the gas onto the cleaning roller in a state in which the cleaning roller is separated from the support surface.

3. A drive unit that rotates the cleaning roller; a squeezing member that contacts the absorbent material and squeezes the absorbent material by rotating the cleaning roller while in contact with the absorbent material, the supply unit is configured to be switchable between a supply state in which the cleaning liquid is supplied to the cleaning roller and a non-supply state in which the cleaning liquid is not supplied to the cleaning roller, 3. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the throttle member throttles the absorbent material when the supply section is in the non-supply state.

4. A control unit is provided, The conveying device according to claim 3, characterized in that after the supply section is in the non-supply state and the squeeze member starts squeezing the absorbent material, the control unit terminates the operation of the squeeze member squeezing the absorbent material based on predetermined conditions.

5. a detection unit capable of detecting an amount of the cleaning liquid contained in the absorbent material; the predetermined condition includes a condition based on the amount of the cleaning liquid detected by the detection unit, 5. The transport device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit terminates the operation of the squeeze member squeezing the absorbent material when the amount of the cleaning liquid detected by the detection unit is equal to or less than a threshold value.

6. a reception unit capable of receiving an instruction from a user regarding an operation of the squeeze member to squeeze the absorbent material, 6. The conveying device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit controls an operation of the squeeze member to squeeze the absorbent material based on the instruction.

7. The reception unit receives, as the instruction, a duration for which the throttle member continues to squeeze the absorbent material. Accepted from users, the predetermined condition includes a condition based on the duration, The conveying device according to claim 6, characterized in that the control unit terminates the operation of the squeeze member squeezing the absorbent material when the elapsed time since the squeeze member started to squeeze the absorbent material reaches the duration.

8. The reception unit receives, as the instruction, a start instruction from a user to cause the squeezing member to start squeezing the absorbent material, The conveying device according to claim 6 or claim 7, characterized in that when the receiving unit receives the start instruction, the control unit switches the state of the supply unit from the supply state to the non-supply state and rotates the cleaning roller by controlling the drive unit.

9. The conveying device according to claim 1 , further comprising a heating unit capable of heating the gas blown by the blowing unit.

10. The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the blowing unit is configured to be able to switch the target onto which the gas is blown, between the support surface and the cleaning roller.

11. A recording unit capable of recording on a medium; a conveyor belt having a support surface capable of supporting the medium and capable of conveying the medium supported on the support surface; a cleaning roller including an absorbent material capable of absorbing a cleaning liquid, the absorbent material contacting the support surface to clean the support surface; a supply unit capable of supplying the cleaning liquid to the cleaning roller; a blowing unit capable of blowing gas onto the support surface cleaned by the cleaning roller, The recording apparatus, wherein the blowing unit is configured to be able to blow the gas onto the cleaning roller so as to promote drying of the cleaning roller.

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