BELT CLEANING DEVICE AND INKJET RECORDING APPARATUS

Abstract

To provide a belt cleaning device which can surely remove ink and a foreign matter adhering to a conveyor belt in an image recording device that can perform high-speed printing and an ink jet recording device that uses the belt cleaning device.SOLUTION: A belt cleaning device comprises: a plurality of washing parts which wash the surface of a conveyor belt while supplying washing liquid to the surface of the conveyor belt; a plurality of recovery parts which are provided so as to recover the washing liquid supplied to the surface of the conveyor belt by at least one washing part; and a plurality of removal members which are provided for each of the plurality of recovery parts, arranged on the downstream side of the washing part in the circumference direction of the conveyor belt and remove a foreign matter and the washing liquid remaining on the surface of the conveyor belt.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a belt cleaning device and an inkjet recording apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Inkjet image recording devices are used to record images on various recording media such as paper, fabric, etc. In such image recording devices, a recording medium is transported in close contact with an endless transport belt, and a desired image is formed on the recording medium by ejecting ink from an inkjet head onto the recording medium.

[0003] In such an inkjet type image recording device, the ink ejected onto the conveyor belt adheres to the conveyor belt for various reasons, such as misfeeding of the recording medium, borderless printing, ink bleed-through, etc. Furthermore, when a fabric or the like is used as the recording medium, foreign matter such as lint may adhere to the conveyor belt.

[0004] Therefore, an inkjet image recording device is provided with a belt cleaning device for removing ink and foreign matter adhering to the conveyor belt. Patent Document 1 discloses a belt cleaning device for an inkjet recording device that includes a plurality of cleaning means and a cleaning liquid supplying means provided for each cleaning means. In Patent Document 1, a roller brush is used as the upstream cleaning means, and a liquid suction roller is used as the cleaning means provided downstream of the roller brush in the conveying direction of the conveyor belt. In Patent Document 1, cleaning liquid is constantly supplied to the cleaning tubs in which the roller brush and the liquid suction roller are immersed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-116617 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, when printing speeds increase, the invention described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that the cleaning capacity is insufficient.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a belt cleaning device capable of more reliably removing residues remaining on a transport belt even in an inkjet recording device capable of high-speed printing, and to provide an image forming apparatus using the belt cleaning device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object of the present invention, the belt cleaning device of the present invention is a belt cleaning device that cleans the surface of an endless transport belt that carries a recording medium while moving in a circular motion and that includes a plurality of cleaning units that clean the surface of the transport belt while supplying a cleaning liquid to the surface of the transport belt, a plurality of recovery units that are provided to recover the cleaning liquid supplied to the surface of the transport belt by at least one of the cleaning units, and a plurality of scraping units that are provided for each of the plurality of recovery units and are disposed downstream of the cleaning units in the circular direction of the transport belt and that scrape off foreign matter and the cleaning liquid remaining on the surface of the transport belt.

[0009] The inkjet recording device of the present invention includes an endless transport belt that carries a recording medium while moving in a circular motion, and a recording head unit that ejects ink toward the recording medium placed on the transport belt to form a desired image. The inkjet recording device also includes a belt cleaning device. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, even when printing speed increases, it is possible to more reliably remove residue remaining on the transport belt. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of an inkjet recording apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] An example of an inkjet recording apparatus and a belt cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following example. In each of the drawings described below, the same reference numerals are used to denote common members.

[0013] <1. First embodiment> 1-1. Inkjet recording device FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a paper feeder 2, an inkjet recording apparatus main body 10, and a paper discharger 6. The inkjet recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment can be used with various print media as recording media, such as paper, fabric, and resin film, on which ink can be fixed when it lands on a sheet-like main surface. The inkjet recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to a case where a rolled recording medium is used in the paper feeder 2.

[0014] [Paper Feeder] The paper feeder 2 includes a roll paper setting section 8. In the roll paper setting section 8, the desired recording medium is wound around a support shaft and set up so as to be rotatable. The paper feeder 2 also includes a paper transport section (not shown) that is configured with multiple transport rollers 11 (only one is shown in FIG. 1) on the inkjet recording device main body 10 side of the roll paper setting section 8. In the paper feeder 2, the recording medium set in the roll paper setting section 8 is transported to the inkjet recording device main body 10 side by the paper transport section. This is controlled by a control section 60 (see FIG. 4).

[0015] [Inkjet recording device] The inkjet recording apparatus main body 10 includes a belt transport device 13, a recording head unit 7, and a belt cleaning device .

[0016] The belt conveying device 13 includes a driving roller 4, a driven roller 5, and an endless conveying belt 3 stretched between them, and the conveying belt 3 is rotated by the rotation of the driving roller 4. The conveying belt 3 is configured to have a predetermined width in a direction perpendicular to the rotation direction, and the outer peripheral surface portion between the driving roller 4 and the driven roller 5 forms a mounting surface 3a (hereinafter referred to as the surface) for the recording medium.

[0017] An adhesive layer (not shown) for adhering the recording medium to the surface is provided on the surface of the conveyor belt 3. The adhesive layer is formed by applying an adhesive called a backing agent to the surface of the conveyor belt. As the adhesive, an adhesive resin such as a water-soluble resin, a pressure-sensitive resin, or a heat-sensitive resin is used.

[0018] The belt conveying device 13 conveys the recording medium, which has been conveyed from the paper feed device 2 and supplied onto the mounting surface 3a of the conveying belt 3, in the rotational direction of the conveying belt 3 while being adhered to the mounting surface 3a. A desired image is then formed on the recording medium conveyed by the conveying belt 3 at a position facing the recording head unit 7. The belt conveying device then further conveys the recording medium on which the desired image has been formed, toward the paper discharge device 6.

[0019] The recording head unit 7 is disposed at a predetermined interval in a position facing the recording medium placement surface 3a of the belt transport device 13. The recording head unit 7 includes a plurality of ink heads (not shown), and a nozzle surface (not shown) is provided on the surface of each ink head facing the belt transport device 13. The recording head unit 7 ejects ink from nozzles on the nozzle surface to record a desired image on the recording medium being transported by the belt transport device 13.

[0020] The belt cleaning device 70 is disposed near the conveyor belt 3 of the belt conveying device 13, and in this embodiment, is disposed between the drive roller 4 and the driven roller 5. The belt cleaning device 70 is disposed downstream of the paper discharge device 6 in the rotation direction of the conveyor belt 3 (the direction of the white arrow in FIG. 1). In other words, the belt cleaning device 70 is disposed at a position in the belt conveying device 13 where it is possible to clean the surface of the conveyor belt 3 after the recording medium is delivered to the paper discharge device 6.

[0021] The belt cleaning device 70 is provided with a plurality of members for cleaning the surface of the transport belt 3 along the rotation direction of the transport belt 3. The configuration of the belt cleaning device 70 will be described in detail later.

[0022] [Paper output device] The paper discharge device 6 is disposed downstream of the belt conveying device 13 in the conveying direction of the recording medium, and includes a winding section 9 that winds up the recording medium discharged from the belt conveying device 13 side. The paper discharge device 6 also includes a paper conveying section (not shown) that is configured with a plurality of conveying rollers 16 (only one is shown in FIG. 1) on the belt conveying device 13 side of the winding section 9. The recording medium discharged from the belt conveying device 13 side is conveyed to the winding section 9 side by the paper conveying section, and the winding section 9 winds up the conveyed recording medium into a roll as required.

[0023] In this embodiment, a recording medium wound in a roll is shown as an example, but other recording media such as a recording medium cut to a predetermined size or a recording medium in a folded state can also be used.

[0024] In this embodiment, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 includes the paper feeder 2 and the paper discharger 6, but the paper feeder 2 and the paper discharger 6 may be configured as separate units.

[0025] 1-2.Belt cleaning device Next, the belt cleaning device 70 of this embodiment will be described. The belt cleaning device 70 of this embodiment includes a first cleaning section 50 and a second cleaning section 60.

[0026] In this embodiment, the first cleaning section 50 includes a first collection section 51, a first water sprinkling section 58, a first brush roller 52, a first scraping section 53, a first water storage section 54, and a first liquid delivery section 56. In this embodiment, the first water sprinkling section 58 and the first brush roller 52 constitute the cleaning section of the present invention. Also, the first scraping section 53 represents an example of a removal member of the present invention.

[0027] The first collection section 51 is a bucket-shaped member that is open on the conveyor belt 3 side and can collect cleaning liquid dripping from the conveyor belt 3, and from a first sprinkling section 58, a first brush roller 52, and a first scraping section 53, which will be described later. Near the opening of the first collection section 51 on the conveyor belt 3 side, the first sprinkling section 58, the first brush roller 52, and the first scraping section 53 are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the rotation direction of the conveyor belt 3.

[0028] The first water sprinkler section 58 includes a nozzle that spans the entire width in the width direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the conveyor belt 3. The nozzle of the first water sprinkler section 58 is provided at a position facing the surface of the conveyor belt 3. tubeThe cleaning liquid supplied from first sprinkler unit 58 is sprayed from the nozzle toward the surface of conveyor belt 3. In this embodiment, for example, the cleaning liquid sprayed from the nozzle of first sprinkler unit 58 is sprayed into the area between first brush roller 52 (described later) and conveyor belt 3. The cleaning liquid sprayed from first sprinkler unit 58 cleans foreign matter adhering to the surface of conveyor belt 3 and enhances the cleaning effect of first brush roller 52 arranged in the subsequent stage on conveyor belt 3. The cleaning liquid supplied from first sprinkler unit 58 toward conveyor belt 3 drips into first recovery unit 51.

[0029] The first brush roller 52 (the brush section of the present invention) is provided downstream of the first water sprinkling section 58 in the rotation direction of the conveyor belt 3. The first brush roller 52 is a roller-shaped brush with a brush bundle provided on a rotating shaft that is hung across the entire width of the conveyor belt 3 in the width direction perpendicular to the rotation direction, and is arranged so that the tip of the brush comes into contact with the surface of the conveyor belt 3. The first brush roller 52 rotates while always in contact with the surface of the conveyor belt 3.

[0030] The first brush roller 52 is configured to rotate, for example, in the opposite direction to the moving direction of the conveyor belt 3 at the contact position with the conveyor belt 3, and is driven to rotate at a predetermined speed to rub the surface of the conveyor belt 3 with the brush. This removes foreign matter washed by the spraying of the cleaning liquid by the first spraying unit 58 from the surface of the conveyor belt 3. The cleaning liquid containing the foreign matter removed by the first brush roller 52 drips into the first recovery unit 51.

[0031] The first scraping section 53 is provided downstream of the first brush roller 52 in the rotation direction of the conveyor belt 3. The first scraping section 53 is composed of a flat plate-shaped member (so-called scraper) made of, for example, an elastic member such as rubber, a PET sheet, etc., and is spanned across the entire width of the conveyor belt 3 in the width direction perpendicular to the rotation direction. The tip of the first scraping section 53 is disposed so as to contact the surface of the conveyor belt 3, and is provided so as to be able to scrape off the cleaning liquid and foreign matter remaining on the conveyor belt 3. The cleaning liquid containing the foreign matter scraped off from the surface of the conveyor belt 3 by the first scraping section 53 drips into the first collection section 51.

[0032] The first water storage section 54 is provided on the bottom side of the first collection section 51 and is configured to be able to store the cleaning liquid containing the foreign matter dropped into the first collection section 51. The first water storage section 54 is provided with a first water spraying section 54. tube The first water storage section 54 is provided with a drain 55 connected to the drain 57. The drain 55 is provided with a filter 55a for removing foreign matter, and the cleaning liquid stored in the first water storage section 54 is passed through the filter 55a and is sent to the first water spray section 57. tube It is discharged to side 57.

[0033] The first liquid delivery section 56 is a first water spray section that connects the first water storage section 54 to the first water spray section 58. tube 57. First liquid sending section 56 is composed of a liquid sending pump, and sends the cleaning liquid discharged from first water storage section 54 to first sprinkling section 58. In this embodiment, the cleaning liquid sprayed from first sprinkling section 58 onto conveyor belt 3 drips into first recovery section 51, passes through first water storage section 54 and first liquid sending section 56, and is sprayed again from first sprinkling section 58, thereby being reused.

[0034] The second cleaning section 60 is provided downstream of the first cleaning section 50 in the rotation direction of the conveyor belt 3. The second cleaning section 60 includes a second collection section 61, a second water sprinkling section 68, a second brush roller 62, a second scraping section 63a, an auxiliary scraping section 63b, a second water storage section 64, and a second liquid delivery section 66. In this embodiment, the second water sprinkling section 68 and the second brush roller 62 constitute the cleaning section of the present invention. The second scraping section 63a is an example of a removing member of the present invention, and the auxiliary scraping section 63b is an example of an auxiliary removing member of the present invention.

[0035] The second recovery section 61 is disposed downstream of the first recovery section 51 in the rotation direction of the conveyor belt 3. In this embodiment, one pail is divided into two areas by the separator 59, so that the first recovery section 51 and the second recovery section 61 are configured as independent sections in the rotation direction of the conveyor belt 3.

[0036] The second collection section 61, like the first collection section 51, is a bucket that is open on the conveyor belt 3 side and can store cleaning liquid dripping from the conveyor belt 3 and from a second sprinkling section 68, second brush roller 62, second scraping section 63a, and auxiliary scraping section 63b (described later). Near the opening of the second collection section 61 on the conveyor belt 3 side, the second sprinkling section 68, the second brush roller 62, the second scraping section 63a, and the auxiliary scraping section 63b are arranged in this order in the rotation direction of the conveyor belt 3.

[0037] In the second cleaning section 60, the configurations of the second sprinkler section 68, the second brush roller 62, the second scraping section 63a, the second water storage section 64, and the second liquid delivery section 66 are similar to the configurations of the first sprinkler section 58, the first brush roller 52, the first scraping section 53, the first water storage section 54, and the first liquid delivery section 56, respectively, and therefore will not be described again. tube The configuration of 67 also includes a discharge portion 55 provided in the first water storage portion 54, a filter 55a provided in the discharge portion 55, and a first water sprinkler tube 57, so duplicate explanation will be omitted.

[0038] The auxiliary scraping portion 63b is provided downstream of the second scraping portion 63a in the rotation direction of the conveyor belt 3. The auxiliary scraping portion 63b is composed of a flat plate-shaped member (so-called scraper) made of an elastic member such as rubber or a PET sheet, and is bridged across the entire width of the conveyor belt 3 in the width direction perpendicular to the rotation direction. In addition, the tip of the auxiliary scraping portion 63b is disposed so as to contact the surface of the conveyor belt 3.

[0039] In the second cleaning section 60, the auxiliary scraping section 63b is provided, so that the cleaning liquid and foreign matter on the surface of the conveyor belt 3 that could not be completely removed by the second scraping section 63a can be removed. This makes it possible to make the surface of the conveyor belt 3 cleaner.

[0040] In this embodiment, in the first cleaning section 50, the surface of the conveyor belt 3 is cleaned by the first brush roller 52, and then the cleaning liquid and foreign matter are scraped off by the first scraping section 53. This makes it possible to prevent contaminated cleaning liquid from moving to the second collection section 61 side. Thereafter, in the second cleaning section 60, the surface of the conveyor belt 3 is cleaned by the second brush roller 62, and then the cleaning liquid and foreign matter are scraped off by the second scraping section 63a and the auxiliary scraping section 63b. This makes it possible to perform a cleaning process twice on the conveyor belt 3, and therefore makes it possible to more reliably remove dirt such as lint and ink adhering to the conveyor belt 3.

[0041] When the speed of the conveyor belt 3 increases due to an increase in printing speed, foreign matter may not be completely removed by cleaning only with the first cleaning unit 50. In contrast, in this embodiment, even if foreign matter that was not completely removed by the first cleaning unit 50 remains on the surface of the conveyor belt 3, the second cleaning unit 60 can spray cleaning liquid again and remove the foreign matter with the second brush roller 62. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second cleaning unit 60 is provided with an auxiliary scraping unit 63b after the second scraping unit 63a. This makes it possible to more reliably remove the cleaning liquid remaining on the surface of the conveyor belt 3.

[0042] In addition, in this embodiment, the first cleaning section 50 and the second cleaning section 60 are provided with the first collection section 51 and the second collection section 61, respectively, independently. Therefore, the cleaning liquid used in the first cleaning section 50 is collected in the first collection section 51 and circulates only in the first cleaning section 50, and the cleaning liquid used in the second cleaning section 60 is collected in the second collection section 61 and circulates only in the second cleaning section 60. The cleaning liquid in the first cleaning section 50 is more likely to become dirty than the cleaning liquid in the second cleaning section 60, and more foreign matter is mixed in. Therefore, by making the first collection section 51 and the second collection section 61 independent in structure, it is possible to circulate a cleaner cleaning liquid in the second cleaning section 60 than in the first cleaning section 50. Therefore, the conveyor belt 3 can be cleaned more cleanly than when a tub in which the first collection section 51 and the second collection section 61 are connected is used.

[0043] In this embodiment, the first collection section 51 is provided with a first scraping section 53. This makes it possible to prevent the cleaning liquid that has adhered to and is contaminated by the conveyor belt 3 from moving to the second collection section 61 side of the second cleaning section 60. This makes it possible to maintain the cleaning liquid stored in the second collection section 61 of the second cleaning section 60 in a cleaner state than the cleaning liquid stored in the first collection section 51.

[0044] In this embodiment, the first brush roller 52 and the second brush roller 62 are configured to rotate in the opposite direction to the moving direction of the conveyor belt 3 at the position where they contact the conveyor belt 3, but this is not limited to this and they may be configured to rotate in the same direction. Also, in this embodiment, a brush roller is used as the cleaning unit, but for example, a plurality of cup brushes in which brush bristles are held by a cup member may be arranged, and various cleaning units can be applied.

[0045] In the present embodiment, the first scraping portion 53 and the second scraping portion 63a are formed of scrapers as the removing members, and the auxiliary scraping portion 63b is formed of a scraper as the auxiliary removing member, but the present invention is not limited to this. The removing member and the auxiliary removing member may each be formed of a roller-shaped water absorbing roller made of a material having liquid absorption properties such as a sponge.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cleaning liquid dropped into the first collection section 51 and the second collection section 61 is sprayed again onto the conveyor belt 3 from the first sprinkler section 58 and the second sprinkler section 68, respectively, but the method of supplying the cleaning liquid to the conveyor belt 3 is not limited to this. Below, examples in which the method of supplying the cleaning liquid to the conveyor belt 3 is different will be described.

[0047] <2. Second embodiment> Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an inkjet recording apparatus 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The inkjet recording apparatus 100 of this embodiment is an example in which the method of supplying cleaning liquid to the conveyor belt 3 in a belt cleaning device 110 is different from that of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. In Fig. 2, parts corresponding to those in Fig. 1 are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0048] The belt cleaning device 110 in this embodiment includes a first cleaning section 111 and a second cleaning section 121. The first cleaning section 111 includes a first collection section 51, a first brush roller 52 provided in the first collection section 51 from the upstream side to the downstream side in the rotation direction of the conveyor belt 3, and a first scraping section 53. A cleaning liquid is stored in the first collection section 51, and a lower part of the first brush roller 52 on the side opposite to the side that contacts the conveyor belt 3 is partially immersed in the cleaning liquid. In this embodiment, the first brush roller 52 constitutes the cleaning section of the present invention.

[0049] The second cleaning section 121 includes a second collection section 61, a second brush roller 62, a second scraping section 63a, and an auxiliary scraping section 63b, which are provided in the second collection section 61 in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the main rotation direction of the conveyor belt 3. Similar to the first collection section 51, the second collection section 61 stores cleaning liquid, and a lower part of the second brush roller 62 opposite to the side that contacts the conveyor belt 3 is partially immersed in the cleaning liquid. In this embodiment, the second brush roller 62 constitutes the cleaning section of the present invention.

[0050] In this embodiment, in the first cleaning section 111, the first brush roller 52 rotates and comes into contact with the conveyor belt 3 while stirring up the cleaning liquid, thereby supplying the cleaning liquid to the conveyor belt 3. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first brush roller 52 supplies the cleaning liquid to the conveyor belt 3 and removes foreign matter adhering to the conveyor belt 3.

[0051] Also in the second cleaning section 121, similar to the first cleaning section 111, the second brush roller 62 comes into contact with the conveyor belt 3 while stirring up the cleaning liquid during rotation, thereby supplying the cleaning liquid to the conveyor belt 3. As a result, also in the second cleaning section 121, similar to the first cleaning section 111, the second brush roller 62 supplies the cleaning liquid to the conveyor belt 3 and removes foreign matter adhering to the conveyor belt 3.

[0052] In this embodiment, since no liquid feed pump is required, it is possible to simplify the configuration of the belt cleaning device 110. In addition, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0053] <3. Third embodiment> Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of an inkjet recording apparatus 200 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The inkjet recording apparatus 200 of this embodiment is an example in which the method of supplying cleaning liquid to the conveyor belt 3 in a belt cleaning device 210 is different from that of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. In Fig. 3, parts corresponding to those in Fig. 1 are given the same reference numerals and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0054] The belt cleaning device 210 in this embodiment includes a first cleaning unit 220 and a second cleaning unit 230. The first cleaning unit 220 includes a first collection unit 51, and a first sprinkling unit 58, a first brush roller 52, and a first scraping unit 53, which are provided in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the rotation direction of the conveyor belt 3 within the first collection unit 51. The first cleaning unit 220 further includes a first storage unit 202, a first flow rate adjustment unit 205, and a first liquid delivery unit 56. The first cleaning unit 220 also includes a first discharge unit 230. tube 204, 1st supply tube 201, First Overflow tube 203, First Watering tube Has 57.

[0055] The first flow rate adjustment unit 205 adjusts the amount of cleaning liquid supplied from a cleaning liquid supply tank (not shown). tube The flow rate of the cleaning liquid supplied via 216 is adjusted, and the first supply tube Supply cleaning solution to the 201 side. 1st supply tube One end of 201 is connected to the first flow rate adjustment unit 205, and the other end is provided inside the first storage unit 202. tube The cleaning solution discharged to the 201 side is fed to the first supply tube The liquid is supplied from 201 to a first reservoir 202 .

[0056] The first storage section 202 is a first discharge tube Cleaning solution sent from 204 and first supply tube This is a container that stores the cleaning solution sent from 201. tube 201 and the first overflow tube 203 and the first watering tube 57 is connected. tube One end of 204 is connected to the lower side of first collection section 51, and the other end is connected to first storage section 202. As a result, the cleaning liquid accumulated in the lower part of first collection section 51 is constantly discharged to first storage section 202.

[0057] First overflow tube 203 is disposed so that its axial direction is parallel to the vertical direction of the first storage section 202 inside the first storage section 202 at one end side, and one end is installed at a position at a predetermined height from the bottom of the first storage section 202. tube The other end of 203 is connected to a drain tank (not shown) vertically below the one end.

[0058] In the first storage section 202, a first overflow tube When the cleaning liquid accumulates above the height of one end of 203, the cleaning liquid flows through the first overflow. tube The cleaning liquid is discharged to the discharge tank via 203. As a result, the liquid level of the cleaning liquid stored in the first storage section 202 becomes the first overflow. tube 203.

[0059] Furthermore, the cleaning liquid stored in the first storage section 202 is sent to the first liquid delivery section 56 as a first water spray. tube The water is sprayed onto the surface of the conveyor belt 3 from the first water spray section 58 via 57.

[0060] On the other hand, the second cleaning section 230 includes a second collection section 61, and a second sprinkling section 68, a second brush roller 62, a second scraping section 63a, and an auxiliary scraping section 63b, which are provided in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the rotation direction of the conveyor belt 3 within the second collection section 61. The second cleaning section 230 further includes a second storage section 212, a second flow rate adjustment section 215, and a second liquid delivery section 66. The second cleaning section 230 also includes a second discharge section 66. tube 214 and the second supply tube 211 and the second overflow tube 213 and the second watering tube 67.

[0061] The configurations of the second storage section 212 and the second flow rate adjustment section 215 in the second cleaning section 230 are similar to the configurations of the first storage section 202 and the first flow rate adjustment section 205 in the first cleaning section 220. tube 214, 2nd supply tube 211 and the second overflow tube The configuration of 213 is a first discharge in the first cleaning section 220. tube 204, 1st supply tube 201, and the first overflow tube The second flow rate adjustment unit 215 is the same as the cleaning liquid supply unit 203. tube It is connected to 216.

[0062] In the second cleaning section 230, like the first cleaning section 220, the cleaning liquid supply tube The cleaning liquid supplied from a cleaning liquid supply tank (not shown) via 216 is adjusted in flow rate by the second flow rate adjustment unit, and the second supply tube Discharged to 211 side. Second supply tube The cleaning liquid discharged to the 211 side is supplied to the second reservoir 212. Also, in the second cleaning section 230, the second overflow tube The cleaning liquid stored in the second storage section 212 is supplied to the second liquid supply section 66 via the second liquid supply section 66. tubeThe liquid is sprayed from 67 onto the surface of the conveyor belt 3 .

[0063] Here, the flow rates in the first flow rate adjustment unit 205 and the second flow rate adjustment unit 215 may be adjusted manually, or may be changed automatically depending on the degree of contamination of the cleaning liquid. When the flow rates are changed automatically depending on the degree of contamination of the cleaning liquid, for example, a concentration detection unit is provided in each of the first recovery unit 51 and the second recovery unit 61, and the flow rates are set to be variable depending on the contamination concentration. For example, if the contamination concentration is higher than a specified value, the flow rate is set to be higher than the reference value, and if the contamination concentration is lower than the specified value, the flow rate is set to be lower than the reference value (or to zero). Furthermore, the flow rates in the first flow rate adjustment unit 205 and the second flow rate adjustment unit 215 may be different from each other, or may be the same. In some cases, the first supply tube 201 and / or second supply tube The supply of new cleaning fluid from 211 may be stopped.

[0064] In this embodiment, new cleaning liquid is supplied to the first reservoir 202 and the second reservoir 212 via the first flow rate adjustment unit 205 and the second flow rate adjustment unit 215, respectively. tube When the level of the stored cleaning liquid becomes higher than one end of 203, the cleaning liquid is discharged as needed. tube When the level of the stored cleaning liquid becomes higher than the other end of 213, the cleaning liquid is discharged as needed. This allows new cleaning liquid to be supplied as needed while old cleaning liquid is discharged, so that the contamination concentration of the cleaning liquid can be kept low. This makes it possible to further improve the cleaning ability of the first cleaning part 220 and the second cleaning part 230. In addition, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0065] <4. Fourth embodiment> 4 is a schematic diagram of an inkjet recording apparatus 300 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The inkjet recording apparatus 300 of this embodiment is the same as the inkjet recording apparatus 200 according to the third embodiment, except that the second overflow in the belt cleaning device 310 is not included. tube 4, the same reference numerals are given to the parts corresponding to those in FIGS. 1 to 3, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0066] The belt cleaning device 310 of this embodiment includes a first cleaning section 320 and a second cleaning section 330. In the belt cleaning device 310 of this embodiment, a second overflow provided in the second storage section 212 tube This embodiment differs from the third embodiment in that the other end of 301 is connected to first storage section 202.

[0067] Second Overflow tube 301 is disposed so that its axial direction is parallel to the vertical direction of second storage section 212 inside second storage section 21 at one end side, and one end is installed at a position at a predetermined height from the bottom of second storage section 212. tube The other end of 301 is connected to the first storage section 202 vertically below the one end. tube The end of 301 is connected to a first overflow 302 installed in the first storage section 202. tube It is connected to a position vertically above one end of 203.

[0068] In this embodiment, the cleaning liquid that overflows the second reservoir 212 is stored as a second overflow. tubeThe cleaning liquid is supplied to the first storage section 202 via 301. The second cleaning section 330 is more slowly contaminated with the cleaning liquid than the first cleaning section 320. Therefore, a cleaning liquid that is relatively cleaner than the cleaning liquid discharged to the first recovery section 51 by the first cleaning section 320 can be supplied from the second storage section 212 to the first storage section 202. This makes it possible to slow down the consumption rate of new cleaning liquid supplied from a cleaning liquid supply tank (not shown) and to slow down the discharge rate of the cleaning liquid discharged to the discharge tank (not shown). As a result, the belt cleaning device of this embodiment can reuse less contaminated cleaning liquid, and can be used for a long time with stable cleaning performance.

[0069] In addition, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0070] In the above-described embodiment, an adhesive layer is formed on the surface of the conveyor belt 3, and the recording medium is conveyed by adhering it to the adhesive layer, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the belt cleaning device of the present invention can be applied to a conveyor belt 3 configured to hold the recording medium by electrostatic adsorption, or to a conveyor belt configured to hold the recording medium by friction, suction, or the like. When a conveyor belt having an adhesive layer is used as in the above-described embodiment, the belt cleaning device of the present invention is more effective because the belt has a characteristic that lint and the like are easily attached to the conveyor belt.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the bell cleaning device is configured with two cleaning units, the first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit, but may be configured with two or more cleaning units. In this case, the effects of the present invention can be obtained by each cleaning unit having an independent collection unit, and a cleaning unit and a scraping unit provided in that order downstream in the rotation direction of the conveyor belt within the collection unit.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the second cleaning section is configured to have the auxiliary scraping section 63b, but the effects of the present invention can be obtained even in a configuration without the auxiliary scraping section 63b. Furthermore, a water absorbing member made of, for example, a sponge-like member may be disposed behind the auxiliary scraping section 63b in the second cleaning section so as to abut against the conveyor belt surface. This makes it possible to more reliably remove water droplets from the surface of the conveyor belt 3.

[0073] The above-mentioned embodiment has been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to having all of the configurations described. For example, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of the embodiment with another configuration, and it is also possible to add another configuration to the configuration of the embodiment. Also, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of the embodiment with another configuration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1, 100, 200, 300...inkjet recording device, 2...paper feeder, 3...conveyor belt, 3a...mounting surface, 4...drive roller, 5...driven roller, 6...paper discharge device, 7...recording head section, 8...roll paper mounting section, 9...winding section, 13...belt conveyor, 21...second storage section, 50...first cleaning section, 51...first collection section, 52...first brush roller, 53...first scraping section, 54...first water storage section, 55...discharge section, 55a...filter, 56...first liquid delivery section, 57...first water spray tube , 58...first water sprinkling section, 60...second cleaning section, 61...second collection section, 62...second brush roller, 63a...second scraping section, 63b...auxiliary scraping section, 64...second water storage section, 65...discharge section, 65a...filter, 66...second liquid delivery section, 67...second water sprinkling section tube , 68... second watering section, 203... first overflow tube , 205...first flow rate adjusting portion, 213...second overflow tube , 215... second flow rate adjusting section, 216... cleaning liquid supply tube

Claims

1. A belt cleaning device that cleans a mounting surface of an endless conveyor belt that conveys a recording medium while moving in a circular motion with a recording medium placed on the mounting surface, a first cleaning unit and a second cleaning unit that clean the support surface of the conveyor belt while supplying a cleaning liquid to the support surface of the conveyor belt; a first recovery section provided to recover the cleaning liquid supplied to the placement surface of the conveyor belt by the first cleaning section; a first removal member provided in the first recovery section, disposed downstream of the first cleaning section in a rotation direction of the conveyor belt, and configured to remove residue remaining on a support surface of the conveyor belt; a first reservoir configured to store the cleaning liquid discharged from the first recovery unit; a first water sprinkler pipe that delivers the cleaning liquid in the first reservoir to the first cleaning section; a first overflow pipe for discharging the cleaning liquid stored in the first storage section to the outside of the first cleaning section and the second cleaning section; a second recovery section provided to recover the cleaning liquid supplied to the placement surface of the conveyor belt by the second cleaning section; a second removal member provided in the second recovery section, disposed downstream of the second cleaning section in a rotation direction of the conveyor belt, and configured to remove residue remaining on a support surface of the conveyor belt; a second reservoir configured to store the cleaning liquid discharged from the second recovery section; a second water sprinkler pipe that delivers the cleaning liquid in the second reservoir to the second cleaning section; a second overflow pipe for discharging the cleaning liquid stored in the second storage section into the first storage section; a cleaning liquid supply pipe that supplies the cleaning liquid to the first storage section and the second storage section. Belt cleaning device.

2. the first cleaning unit includes a first water spray unit that sprays the cleaning liquid onto the support surface of the conveyor belt, and a first brush unit that cleans the support surface of the conveyor belt onto which the cleaning liquid has been sprayed, The second cleaning unit includes a second water spray unit that sprays the cleaning liquid onto the placement surface of the conveyor belt, and a second brush unit that cleans the placement surface of the conveyor belt onto which the cleaning liquid has been sprayed. The belt cleaning device according to claim 1 .

3. a first liquid delivery unit that delivers the cleaning liquid recovered in the first collection unit to the first sprinkling unit via the first sprinkling pipe; a second liquid delivery section that delivers the cleaning liquid recovered in the second collection section to the second sprinkling section via the second sprinkling pipe. The belt cleaning device according to claim 2 .

4. A filter for removing foreign matter mixed in the cleaning liquid is provided in a flow path from the first collection unit to the first liquid delivery unit and in a flow path from the second collection unit to the second liquid delivery unit. The belt cleaning device according to claim 3.

5. The second collecting section further includes an auxiliary removing member downstream of the second removing member in the main rotation direction of the conveyor belt. The belt cleaning device according to claim 1 .

6. The second overflow pipe is installed so that one end is located at a predetermined height from the bottom of the second storage section, and the other end is connected to the first storage section vertically below the one end. The belt cleaning device according to claim 1 .

7. The other end of the second overflow pipe is connected to a position vertically above the end of the first overflow pipe installed in the first storage section. The belt cleaning device according to claim 1 .

8. a first flow rate adjusting unit that adjusts a flow rate of the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supply pipe to the first reservoir; a second flow rate adjusting unit that adjusts the flow rate of the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supply pipe to the second reservoir. The belt cleaning device according to claim 1 .

9. A concentration detection unit is disposed in the first collection unit and the second collection unit, the first flow rate adjusting unit adjusts a flow rate of the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supply pipe to the first reservoir based on a contamination concentration of the cleaning liquid in the first collection unit detected by the concentration detecting unit; The second flow rate adjusting unit adjusts a flow rate of the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supply pipe to the second reservoir based on a contamination concentration of the cleaning liquid in the second collection unit detected by the concentration detecting unit. The belt cleaning device according to claim 8.

10. a conveyor belt that conveys the recording medium while rotating on a recording medium placement surface; a recording head unit that ejects ink toward the recording medium placed on the conveyor belt to form a desired image; a first cleaning unit and a second cleaning unit that are provided downstream of the recording head unit in a rotation direction of the conveyor belt and clean the support surface of the conveyor belt while supplying a cleaning liquid to the support surface of the conveyor belt; a first recovery section provided to recover the cleaning liquid supplied to the placement surface of the conveyor belt by the first cleaning section; a first removal member provided in the first recovery section, disposed downstream of the first cleaning section in a rotation direction of the conveyor belt, and configured to remove residue remaining on a support surface of the conveyor belt; a first reservoir configured to store the cleaning liquid discharged from the first recovery unit; a first water sprinkler pipe that delivers the cleaning liquid in the first reservoir to the first cleaning section; a first overflow pipe for discharging the cleaning liquid stored in the first storage section to the outside of the first cleaning section and the second cleaning section; a second recovery section provided to recover the cleaning liquid supplied to the placement surface of the conveyor belt by the second cleaning section; a second removal member provided in the second recovery section, disposed downstream of the second cleaning section in a rotation direction of the conveyor belt, and configured to remove residue remaining on a support surface of the conveyor belt; a second reservoir configured to store the cleaning liquid discharged from the second recovery section; a second water sprinkler pipe that delivers the cleaning liquid in the second reservoir to the second cleaning section; a second overflow pipe for discharging the cleaning liquid stored in the second storage section into the first storage section; a cleaning liquid supply pipe that supplies the cleaning liquid to the first storage section and the second storage section. Inkjet recording device.

11. An adhesive layer for adhesively holding the recording medium is provided on the surface of the conveyor belt. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 10.

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