Inkjet recording device

Abstract

This inkjet recording device comprises: one or more heads that eject liquids individually; and a container having a container body provided with openings for receiving the liquids ejected by the one or more heads, and a partition part by which the container body is partitioned into a plurality of separate areas. The partition part includes: at least one first section for partitioning the container body in a first direction; and at least one second section for partitioning the container body in a second direction which crosses the first direction.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus equipped with a head that ejects liquid. [Background technology]

[0002] An inkjet recording device such as an inkjet printer includes a head that ejects liquid such as ink for forming an image or a treatment liquid toward a recording medium. In general, an inkjet recording device includes a printing area where printing processing is performed, as well as a maintenance area where predetermined processing is performed on the head. In the maintenance area, processing is performed to unclog nozzles that eject liquid and to remove dirt from the nozzle arrangement surface of the head. For this processing, a purging operation in which pressurized liquid is ejected from the nozzles, and a wiping operation in which the nozzle arrangement surface is wiped with a wiper equipped with a wiping member such as a blade are performed. A container is provided in the maintenance area to collect liquid that drops from the head during the purging operation and wiping operation.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a container arranged in a maintenance area is divided into two collection chambers by a partition that extends linearly in one direction. When liquids dropping from multiple heads mix with each other, a reaction may occur between the liquids, causing them to aggregate. Such aggregation prevents the liquids from being discharged from the container. For this reason, in each of the above technologies, a dedicated collection chamber is provided for each of the multiple liquids that are likely to react, in order to prevent the liquids that are likely to react from mixing with each other. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-008628 A Summary of the Invention

[0005] The inkjet recording device of the present disclosure comprises a container having at least one head that ejects liquid, a container body with an opening that receives the liquid ejected from the at least one head, and a partition portion that divides the container body into a plurality of independent regions, the partition portion having at least one first portion that divides the container body in a first direction and at least one second portion that divides the container body in a second direction intersecting the first direction. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the carriage and the maintenance unit shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the carriage and the maintenance unit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the inkjet printer. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an overall perspective view of the maintenance unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the maintenance unit shown in FIG. 6 with the cleaning unit removed. [Figure 8A] FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the state in FIG. 7 from which the wiping unit has been further removed. [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B is an enlarged view of the processing liquid container and its vicinity in FIG. 8A. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a combination of a plan view (area A) of the wiping unit and a plan view (area B) showing the arrangement of the ink heads mounted on the carriage. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of one of the wipers included in the wiping unit. [Figure 11A]FIG. 11A is a perspective view of the maintenance unit viewed from a different perspective direction than in FIG. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11B is an enlarged view of the drive system portion of the wiping unit in FIG. 11A. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view for explaining the movement direction of the wiping unit. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a top view of the maintenance unit showing the movement path of the wiping unit. [Figure 14A] FIG. 14A is a schematic cross-sectional view in the left-right direction showing an example of the arrangement of the treatment liquid container, which avoids being located directly above the opening of the ink container. [Figure 14B] FIG. 14B is a schematic cross-sectional view in the left-right direction showing an example of the arrangement of the treatment liquid container, which avoids being located directly above the opening of the ink container. [Figure 14C] FIG. 14C is a schematic cross-sectional view in the left-right direction showing an example of the arrangement of the treatment liquid container, which avoids being located directly above the opening of the ink container. [Figure 14D] FIG. 14D is a schematic top view showing an example of the arrangement of the treatment liquid container, which avoids being located directly above the opening of the ink container. [Figure 15A] FIG. 15A is a schematic diagram for explaining the movement range of the treatment liquid wiper during wiping. [Figure 15B] FIG. 15B is a schematic diagram for explaining the movement range of the treatment liquid wiper during wiping. [Figure 15C] FIG. 15C is a schematic diagram for explaining the movement range of the treatment liquid wiper during wiping. [Figure 16A] FIG. 16A is a schematic side view showing the ink wiper and its cleaning member. [Figure 16B] FIG. 16B is a perspective view of a main part of the maintenance unit showing the arrangement of the cleaning members shown in FIG. 16A. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a plan view showing the inclination arrangement of the ink blade and the treatment liquid blade. [Figure 18A] FIG. 18A is a diagram showing a state in which a head is wiped by a blade with no inclination. [Figure 18B] FIG. 18B is a diagram showing a state in which the head is wiped by the inclined treatment liquid blade and ink blade. [Figure 18C] FIG. 18C is a diagram showing a state in which the head is wiped by the inclined treatment liquid blade and ink blade. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a container unit according to a first modified embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a container unit according to a second modified embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a container unit according to a third modified embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a container unit according to a fourth modified embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a container unit according to a fifth modified embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a container unit according to a sixth modified embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, as a specific example of an inkjet recording device, an inkjet printer equipped with an ink head that ejects ink for forming an image on a wide and long recording medium is exemplified. The inkjet printer of this embodiment is suitable for digital textile printing that prints images such as characters and patterns by an inkjet method on a recording medium made of fabric such as woven fabric or knitted fabric. Of course, the inkjet recording device according to the present disclosure can also be used for printing various inkjet images on recording media such as paper sheets and resin sheets.

[0008] [Overall configuration of inkjet printer] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an inkjet printer 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Fig. 1. The inkjet printer 1 is a printer that prints images on a wide and long workpiece W by an inkjet method, and includes a device frame 10, and a workpiece transport section 20 and a carriage 3 that are incorporated into this device frame 10. Note that in this embodiment, the left-right direction is the main scanning direction when printing on the workpiece W, and the direction from the rear to the front is the sub-scanning direction, which is the transport direction F of the workpiece W.

[0009] The device frame 10 forms a framework for mounting various components of the inkjet printer 1. The work transport unit 20 is a mechanism that intermittently feeds the work W so that the work W progresses in a transport direction F from rear to front through a printing area where inkjet printing processing is performed. The carriage 3 is equipped with an ink head 4, a pre-processing head 5, a post-processing head 6, and a sub-tank (not shown), and moves back and forth in the left and right directions during the inkjet printing processing.

[0010] The device frame 10 includes a central frame 111, a right frame 112, and a left frame 113. The central frame 111 forms a framework for mounting various components of the inkjet printer 1, and has a left-right width corresponding to the work transport section 20. The right frame 112 is erected to the right of the central frame 111, and the left frame 113 is erected to the left of the central frame 111. Between the right frame 112 and the left frame 113 is the printing area 12 where printing processing is performed on the work W.

[0011] The right frame 112 forms a maintenance area 13. The maintenance area 13 is an area where the carriage 3 is retracted when the printing process is not being performed. The maintenance unit 7 is disposed in the maintenance area 13. The maintenance unit 7 is located below the retracted carriage 3. The maintenance unit 7 is a unit for performing a wiping process for wiping the lower surfaces (nozzle arrangement surfaces) of the ink heads 4, pre-processing head 5, and post-processing head 6, and for purging the nozzles. The maintenance unit 7 also functions as a cap for preventing the heads 4, 5, and 6 from drying out when they are at rest. The left frame 113 forms a turn-around area 14 for the carriage 3. The turn-around area 14 is an area where the carriage 3 temporarily enters after scanning the printing area 12 from right to left in the printing process before scanning in the opposite direction.

[0012] A carriage guide 15 for reciprocating the carriage 3 in the left-right direction is attached to the upper side of the device frame 10. The carriage guide 15 is a flat plate-shaped member that is long in the left-right direction, and is disposed above the work transport section 20. A timing belt 16 is attached to the carriage guide 15 so as to be capable of circulating in the left-right direction (main scanning direction). The timing belt 16 is an endless belt, and is driven by a drive source (not shown) to circulate leftward or rightward.

[0013] A pair of upper and lower guide rails 17 are provided on the carriage guide 15 so as to extend parallel to the left-right direction. The carriage 3 has an engagement portion for engaging with the guide rails 17. The carriage 3 is fixed to a timing belt 16. The carriage 3 moves leftward or rightward along the carriage guide 15 while being guided by the guide rails 17 as the timing belt 16 moves leftward or rightward.

[0014] Referring mainly to FIG. 2, the work transport section 20 includes a feed roller 21 that pays out the work W before printing, and a take-up roller 22 that takes up the work W after printing. The feed roller 21 is disposed at the rear lower part of the device frame 10, and is a take-up shaft for the feed roll WA, which is a wound body of the work W before printing. The take-up roller 22 is disposed at the front lower part of the device frame 10, and is a take-up shaft for the take-up roll WB, which is a wound body of the work W after the printing process. A first motor M1 is attached to the take-up roller 22, which drives the take-up roller 22 to rotate about its axis and executes the operation of winding up the work W.

[0015] The path between the delivery roller 21 and the take-up roller 22 and passing through the printing area 12 is the transport path for the work W. On this transport path, a first tension roller 23, a work guide 24, a transport roller 25 and a pinch roller 26, a turn-back roller 27, and a second tension roller 28 are arranged in this order from the upstream side. The first tension roller 23 applies a predetermined tension to the work W on the upstream side of the transport roller 25. The work guide 24 changes the transport direction of the work W from the upward direction to the forward direction, and allows the work W to enter the printing area 12.

[0016] The transport roller 25 generates a transport force that intermittently transports the work W in the printing area 12. The transport roller 25 is driven to rotate around its axis by the second motor M2. The transport roller 25 transports the work W intermittently forward (in the transport direction F) so that the work W passes through the printing area 12 facing the carriage 3. The pinch roller 26 is disposed so as to face the transport roller 25 from above, and forms a transport nip with the transport roller 25. The turn-back roller 27 changes the transport direction of the work W that has passed through the printing area 12 from the forward direction to the downward direction, and guides the work W after the printing process to the winding roller 22. The second tension roller 28 applies a predetermined tension to the work W downstream of the transport roller 25. A platen 29 is disposed below the transport path of the work W in the printing area 12.

[0017] The carriage 3 is supported at one end by the guide rail 17 and moves back and forth in the main scanning direction (left and right direction) intersecting with the transport direction F. The carriage 3 includes a carriage frame 30, and an ink head 4, a pre-processing head 5, a post-processing head 6, and a sub-tank (not shown) mounted on the carriage frame 30. The carriage frame 30 includes a head support frame 31 and a back frame 32. The head support frame 31 is a horizontal plate that holds the heads 4 to 6 described above. The back frame 32 is a vertical plate that extends upward from the rear end edge of the head support frame 31. A timing belt 16 is fixed to the back frame 32, and the guide rail 17 is engaged therewith.

[0018] [Carriage Details] The carriage 3 will be further described. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the carriage 3 shown in FIG. 1, and a maintenance unit 7 is also shown. FIG. 3 shows the conveying direction F (sub-scanning direction) of the work W and the main scanning direction S which is the moving direction of the carriage 3. FIG. 3 shows an example in which a plurality of ink heads 4 which eject ink for image formation onto the work W, and a pre-treatment head 5 and a post-treatment head 6 which eject non-coloring treatment liquid are mounted on the carriage 3. The actual carriage 3 also has a plurality of sub-tanks which supply the ink and treatment liquid to the heads 4, 5, and 6. The number of heads is not limited to the above, and at least one head may be disposed.

[0019] Each of the ink heads 4 includes a number of nozzles that eject ink droplets by an ejection method such as a piezo method using a piezo element or a thermal method using a heating element, and ink passages that guide ink to the nozzles. For example, a water-based pigment ink containing a water-based solvent, pigment, and binder resin can be used as the ink. In this embodiment, the multiple ink heads 4 include first to eighth ink heads 4A to 4H that eject eight different colors of ink, respectively.

[0020] The ink heads 4A to 4H of each color are mounted on the head support frame 31 of the carriage 3 so as to be aligned in the main scanning direction S. Each of the ink heads 4A to 4H of each color has two heads. For example, the first ink head 4A is composed of an upstream head 4A1 arranged on the upstream side of the transport direction F, and a downstream head 4A2 arranged downstream of the upstream head 4A1 and shifted to the left in the main scanning direction S. The ink heads 4B to 4H of the other colors are arranged in the same manner. Each of the upstream heads of these ink heads 4B to 4H is aligned in a row in the main scanning direction S at the same position as the upstream head 4A1 in the transport direction F, and each of the downstream heads is aligned in a row in the main scanning direction S at the same position as the downstream head 4A2 in the transport direction F.

[0021] The pre-treatment head 5 (treatment liquid head) and post-treatment head 6 (treatment liquid head) are arranged at a different position from the ink heads 4 in the transport direction F. The pre-treatment head 5 is arranged upstream of the ink heads 4 in the transport direction F. FIG. 3 shows an example in which one pre-treatment head 5 is arranged near the left end of the array of ink heads 4. In contrast, the post-treatment head 6 is arranged downstream of the ink heads 4 in the transport direction F. FIG. 3 shows an example in which two post-treatment heads 6A, 6B are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction S near the right end of the array of ink heads 4.

[0022] The pretreatment head 5 ejects a pretreatment liquid (treatment liquid) for performing a predetermined pretreatment on the workpiece W. The pretreatment liquid is ejected from the pretreatment head 5 onto a position on the workpiece W where ink has not yet been ejected from the ink head 4. The pretreatment liquid is a non-coloring treatment liquid that does not develop color even when attached to the workpiece W, and is a treatment liquid that exhibits functions such as increasing the fixation of ink to the workpiece W and the coagulation of ink pigments. As such a pretreatment liquid, a treatment liquid in which a binder resin is blended into a solvent, or a treatment liquid in which a positively charged cationic resin is blended into a solvent, can be used.

[0023] The post-treatment head 6 ejects a post-treatment liquid (treatment liquid) for performing a predetermined post-treatment on the workpiece W to which the ink has been attached. The post-treatment liquid is ejected from the post-treatment head 6 to a position on the workpiece W after the ink has been ejected from the ink head 4. The post-treatment liquid is a non-coloring treatment liquid that does not develop color even when it adheres to the workpiece W, and is a treatment liquid that exhibits a function of enhancing the fixability and robustness of the ink image printed on the workpiece W by the ink head 4. The robustness means resistance to rubbing and scraping. As such a post-treatment liquid, a silicone-based treatment liquid or the like can be used.

[0024] Here, the non-coloring treatment liquid refers to a treatment liquid that is not recognized as colored by the naked eye when printed alone on a recording medium. The color here includes colors with a saturation of 0, such as black, white, and gray. The non-coloring treatment liquid is basically a transparent liquid, but when, for example, 1 liter of treatment liquid is viewed in liquid form, it is not completely transparent and may appear slightly white. Such a color is very light, so when printed alone on a recording medium, it is not recognized as colored by the naked eye. Note that, depending on the type of treatment liquid, when printed alone on a recording medium, a change such as glossiness may occur on the recording medium, but such a state is not colored.

[0025] Openings 31H are provided at the locations of the heads in the head support frame 31. The ink heads 4A to 4F, the pre-treatment head 5, and the post-treatment head 6 are attached to the head support frame 31 so as to be fitted into the respective openings 31H. Nozzles arranged on the lower end surface of each of the heads 4, 5, and 6 are exposed from each opening 31H.

[0026] As described above, the inkjet printer 1 according to this embodiment is an all-in-one printer in which three types of heads, the ink head 4, the pre-treatment head 5, and the post-treatment head 6, are mounted on a single carriage 3. With this printer 1, for example, in the printing process of performing inkjet printing on fabric in digital textile printing, the process of ejecting the pre-treatment liquid and the process of ejecting the post-treatment liquid can be executed integrally. This makes it possible to simplify the textile printing process and make the textile printing device more compact.

[0027] [Maintenance unit outline] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view along the front and rear of the carriage 3 and the maintenance unit 7. The maintenance unit 7 includes a container unit 70, a wiping unit 8, and a cleaning unit 9. The maintenance area 13 (FIG. 1) is an area where processes are performed to unclog the nozzles of the heads 4, 5, and 6 and to remove dirt and the like from the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the heads 4, 5, and 6. For this process, a purging operation, a wiping operation, and a cleaning operation are performed in the maintenance area 13.

[0028] The purging operation is an operation forcibly ejecting pressurized ink, pre-treatment liquid, and post-treatment liquid from the ink head 4, pre-treatment head 5, and post-treatment head 6, respectively. The container unit 70 collects the ink, pre-treatment liquid, and post-treatment liquid ejected from the heads 4, 5, and 6 during the purging operation. The wiping operation is an operation for wiping the nozzle array surface NA with a wiper equipped with a wiping member such as a blade. The wiping unit 8 is a unit that performs the wiping operation. The cleaning operation is an operation for cleaning the wiping unit 8 that has become contaminated by performing the wiping operation. The cleaning unit 9 is a unit that performs the cleaning operation. The container unit 70 also collects the cleaning liquid used in the cleaning operation.

[0029] The container unit 70 has a structure for separately collecting the pre-treatment liquid, ink, and post-treatment liquid. In this embodiment, as described above, a treatment liquid that improves the fixability of the ink and the coagulation property of the ink pigment is used as the pre-treatment liquid. Therefore, when the pre-treatment liquid and the ink are mixed, the mixed liquid will coagulate, which may cause problems in collecting the mixed liquid in the waste liquid tank. On the other hand, the post-treatment liquid used in this embodiment will not coagulate even when mixed with the ink. This is the reason for the above-mentioned separate collection in the container unit 70.

[0030] The container unit 70 includes an ink container 71, a pre-treatment liquid container 72 (treatment liquid container), and a cleaning liquid tray 73 (cleaning container section). The ink container 71 is a container that collects the ink and post-treatment liquid ejected from the ink head 4 and the post-treatment head 6, respectively, in the purging operation. The ink container 71 includes a first opening 71H on its upper surface that receives the ink and post-treatment liquid. The first opening 71H opens upward at a position that faces at least the nozzle array surface NA of the ink head 4 and the post-treatment head 6 in the vertical direction. The ink container 71 also collects the ink and post-treatment liquid wiped from the nozzle array surface NA in the wiping operation.

[0031] The pre-treatment liquid container 72 is disposed at a position covering a part of the upper side of the first opening 71H. The pre-treatment liquid container 72 is a container that collects the pre-treatment liquid discharged from the pre-treatment head 5 in the purging operation. The pre-treatment liquid container 72 has a second opening 72H on its upper surface that receives the pre-treatment liquid. The second opening 72H opens upward at a position that faces at least the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the pre-treatment head 5 in the vertical direction. The pre-treatment liquid container 72 also collects the pre-treatment liquid wiped off from the nozzle arrangement surface NA in the wiping operation. The cleaning liquid tray 73 is a container that collects (receives) the cleaning liquid 9A that is sprayed from the cleaning liquid cleaning unit 9 and passes through each wiper in the cleaning operation.

[0032] The container unit 70 includes an overflow passage 741, a treatment liquid passage 742, and a relay passage 743 for the circulation of the collected liquid. The overflow passage 741 has a start opening on the bottom surface of the ink container 71, and a terminal end leading to a waste liquid container (not shown). The treatment liquid passage 742 has a start opening near the bottom surface of the pretreatment liquid container 72, and a terminal end leading to the waste liquid container. The relay passage 743 has a start opening on the bottom surface of the cleaning liquid tray 73, and a terminal opening near the bottom surface of the ink container 71. That is, the cleaning liquid 9A collected in the cleaning liquid tray 73 is first introduced into the ink container 71, and then collected into the waste liquid container through the overflow passage 741.

[0033] A cap rubber 75 is attached to the upper surface 70A of the container unit 70. The cap rubber 75 is arranged so as to surround the periphery of the first opening 71H of the ink container 71. The carriage 3 is capable of moving in the vertical direction as indicated by the arrow A1 in the figure. When the carriage 3 is in standby mode in the maintenance area 13 or when the printer 1 is at rest, the carriage 3 is lowered and the lower surface 311 of the head support frame 31 comes into contact with the cap rubber 75. This seals the nozzle array surface NA of the heads 4, 5, and 6.

[0034] The wiping unit 8 includes a wiper support plate 81 (support member), and an ink wiper 82, a pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 (treatment liquid wiper), and a post-treatment liquid wiper 84 supported by the wiper support plate 81. The wiping unit 8 is capable of moving in the front-rear direction as indicated by the arrow A2 in the figure. The wiper support plate 81 is a flat member, and moves in the front-rear direction between the carriage 3 and the cleaning unit 9, and the container unit 70. The ink wiper 82 wipes the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the ink head 4 by moving in the rear direction while being in contact with the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the ink head 4. Similarly, the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 and the post-treatment liquid wiper 84 wipe the nozzle arrangement surfaces NA of the pre-treatment head 5 and the post-treatment head 6, respectively.

[0035] In this embodiment, the heads 4, 5, and 6 eject only the ink, the pretreatment liquid, and the posttreatment liquid, respectively, but one head may include a nozzle that ejects the ink and a nozzle that ejects at least one of the pretreatment liquid and the posttreatment liquid. In this case, at least the nozzle that ejects the ink and the nozzle that ejects the pretreatment liquid are arranged separately in different regions and wiped by different wipers. By ejecting only the ink, the pretreatment liquid, and the posttreatment liquid from the heads 4, 5, and 6, respectively, it is possible to reduce the possibility of the ink and the pretreatment liquid or the posttreatment liquid being mixed together.

[0036] The cleaning unit 9 includes a nozzle holding plate 91 and a plurality of cleaning nozzles 92 (ejecting parts) held by the nozzle holding plate 91. The nozzle holding plate 91 is made of a flat member and is fixedly disposed so as to face the cleaning liquid tray 73 of the container unit 70. The plurality of cleaning nozzles 92 are disposed at positions corresponding to the ink wiper 82, the pre-processing liquid wiper 83, and the post-processing liquid wiper 84 mounted on the wiper support plate 81. That is, when the wiping unit 8 moves to a predetermined position directly below the cleaning unit 9, the plurality of cleaning nozzles 92 are held by the nozzle holding plate 91 at positions facing the wipers 82, 83, and 84 from above. The cleaning nozzles 92 spray (eject) the cleaning liquid 9A in a fan-shaped spray. The cleaning liquid 9A is supplied to the cleaning nozzles 92 from a cleaning liquid tank (not shown) via a cleaning liquid hose 93.

[0037] [Control configuration] 5 is a block diagram showing part of the control configuration of the printer 1. The printer 1 includes a controller 33, a carriage drive motor 34, a carriage lift motor 35, a wiper movement motor 36, a cleaning water supply pump 37, and a head drive unit 38, the operations of which are controlled by the controller 33.

[0038] The carriage drive motor 34 generates a driving force for moving the carriage 3 in the left-right direction within the range of the turn-back area 14, the printing area 12, and the maintenance area 13 (FIG. 1). The carriage drive motor 34 drives the timing belt 16 (FIGS. 1 to 3). The carriage lift motor 35 generates a driving force for moving the carriage 3 in the up-down direction in the maintenance area 13. The wiper movement motor 36 generates a driving force for moving the wiping unit 8 in the front-rear direction. The cleaning water supply pump 37 is connected to the cleaning liquid hose 93, and supplies the cleaning liquid 9A to the cleaning nozzle 92 at a predetermined pressure. The head drive unit 38 executes the ejection operation of the ink, pre-treatment liquid, and post-treatment liquid from each of the heads 4, 5, and 6.

[0039] When performing the purging operation, the controller 33 controls the wiper movement motor 36 to move the wiping unit 8 backward to a retracted position below the cleaning unit 9. Next, the controller 33 controls the head drive unit 38 to eject the ink, pre-treatment liquid, and post-treatment liquid at high pressure from each of the heads 4, 5, and 6 to clean the nozzles. The ink and post-treatment liquid ejected in the purging operation are collected in an ink container 71, and the pre-treatment liquid is collected in a pre-treatment liquid container 72.

[0040] When performing the wiping operation, the controller 33 controls the wiper movement motor 36 to move the wiping unit 8 to the frontmost wiping start position. Next, the controller 33 controls the carriage lift motor 35 to lower the nozzle arrangement surface NA of each of the heads 4, 5, 6 to a height position where the nozzle arrangement surface NA contacts the wipers 82, 83, 84 of the wiping unit 8. Thereafter, the controller 33 moves the wiping unit 8 backward. The ink and post-treatment liquid wiped from the nozzle arrangement surface NA by wiping with the ink wiper 82 and the post-treatment liquid wiper 84 are collected in the ink container 71. In addition, the pre-treatment liquid wiped from the nozzle arrangement surface NA by wiping with the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 is collected in the pre-treatment liquid container 72.

[0041] When performing the cleaning operation, the controller 33 controls the wiper movement motor 36 to move the wiping unit 8 backward to a retracted position below the cleaning unit 9. Next, the controller 33 controls the cleaning water supply pump 37 to supply cleaning liquid 9A to the cleaning nozzle 92 via the cleaning liquid hose 93. As a result, the cleaning liquid 9A is sprayed onto each of the wipers 82, 83, and 84 of the wiping unit 8, and foreign matter attached by wiping is removed. The cleaning liquid 9A is collected in the cleaning liquid tray 73.

[0042] [Detailed structure of the maintenance unit] Next, one specific embodiment of the above-mentioned maintenance unit 7 will be illustrated, and its detailed structure will be described. Fig. 6 is an overall perspective view of the maintenance unit 7, Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a state in which the cleaning unit 9 has been removed from Fig. 6, Fig. 8A is a perspective view of a state in which the wiping unit 8 has been further removed from the state in Fig. 7, and Fig. 8B is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the pre-treatment liquid container 72 in Fig. 8A. Figs. 6 and 7 show a standby state waiting for a wiping command or a state in which the cleaning operation is performed, in which the wiping unit 8 has been moved to the rearmost side.

[0043] As described above, the maintenance unit 7 includes the container unit 70, the wiping unit 8, and the cleaning unit 9 (cleaning section). The container unit 70 is attached to the apparatus frame 10 (FIG. 1) so as to be able to be pulled out forward in the maintenance area 13. The wiping unit 8 is assembled to the container unit 70 so as to be able to move in the front-rear direction. The cleaning unit 9 is assembled fixedly to the apparatus frame 10.

[0044] <Container unit> The container unit 70 includes a frame structure 700 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is somewhat elongated in the front-rear direction, an ink container 71 and a pretreatment liquid container 72 disposed on the front side of the frame structure 700, and a cleaning liquid tray 73 (cleaning section) disposed on the rear side of the frame structure 700. The frame structure 700 includes a pair of left and right side frames 701 extending in the front-rear direction, and a front frame 702 connecting front ends of these side frames 701 to each other.

[0045] A handle 703 for pulling the container unit 70 forward is attached to the front frame 702. A plurality of waste liquid hoses 704 are pulled out from the lower part of the front frame 702. The waste liquid hoses 704 connect an overflow passage 741 communicating with the cavity of the ink container 71, a treatment liquid passage 742 communicating with the cavity of the pretreatment liquid container 72, and a waste liquid tank (not shown). A slider 705 is attached to the outer side surface of the pair of side frames 701. The slider 705 engages with a guide rail (not shown) fixed to the device frame 10, and enables the container unit 70 to be pulled out forward from the device frame 10 (housing). At this time, the wiping unit 8, which will be described in detail later, can also be pulled out together with the container unit 70. Therefore, the container unit 70 and the wiping unit 8 can be easily cleaned and maintained. In another embodiment, the cleaning unit 9 may also be pulled out together. A chain protector 706 for accommodating electric cables and hoses is provided below the frame structure 700. When the container unit 70 is pulled out, the chain protector 706 is deformed.

[0046] The ink container 71 is a tray-shaped container having a rectangular first opening 71H on the top surface, the first opening 71H being long in the left-right direction. The ink container 71 includes a rectangular bottom surface 711 long in the left-right direction, four tapered surfaces 712 extending upward from the four edges of the bottom surface 711, and an upper end flange 708 formed on the periphery of the first opening 71H. The ink container 71 is a separate entity from the frame structure 700 and is fitted into the frame structure 700. The upper end flange 708 of the ink container 71 is supported by the side frame 701 and the front frame 702. From the bottom surface 711, a start end opening of an overflow passage 741 protrudes upward by a predetermined length. From the vicinity of the lower end of the tapered surface 712 on the left side, a terminal end opening of a relay passage 743 protrudes.

[0047] The size of the first opening 71H in the left-right direction is approximately equal to the distance between the pair of side frames 701. The size of the first opening 71H in the front-rear direction is slightly larger than half the front-rear width of the container unit 70. A cap rubber 75 arranged to surround the periphery of the first opening 71H is attached to the upper surface of the upper end flange 708. The upper end flange 708 corresponds to the upper surface 70A shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 4. The head support frame 31 of the carriage 3 has a size larger than the area surrounded by the cap rubber 75. On the other hand, the arrangement area of ​​the heads 4, 5, and 6 held by the head support frame 31 is a size slightly smaller than the size of the first opening 71H. The cap rubber 75 abuts against the lower surface 311 of the head support frame 31 on the outer periphery of the arrangement area of ​​the heads 4, 5, and 6, and seals the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the heads 4, 5, and 6. In this manner, in this embodiment, the container unit 70 also serves as a head cap capable of capping the ink head 4, the pre-treatment head 5, and the post-treatment head 6.

[0048] 8A and 8B, the pretreatment liquid container 72 is disposed at a position on the left rear side of the ink container 71 so as to cover a part of the first opening 71H. The position of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is a position directly facing the pretreatment head 5 held by the carriage 3 during wiping. As described later, if the pretreatment head 5 is disposed in the center or near the right end of the head support frame 31, the pretreatment liquid container 72 is also disposed at a position corresponding thereto. The pretreatment liquid container 72 has a rectangular second opening 72H on its upper surface that is elongated in the front-rear direction so as to correspond to the shape of the nozzle array surface NA of the pretreatment head 5. In this embodiment, the second opening 72H is located at the same height as the first opening 71H. In other words, the second opening 72H occupies a part of the area of ​​the original first opening 71H.

[0049] The pre-treatment liquid container 72 is formed by a front wall 721, a rear wall 722, a right wall 723, and a left wall 724. Of these walls, the rear wall 722 utilizes a portion near the upper end of the rear tapered surface 712 of the ink container 71, and the left wall 724 utilizes a portion near the upper end of the left tapered surface 712. The front wall 721 is a wall that is near the upper end of the left tapered surface 712 and protrudes to the right from near the center in the front-to-rear direction. The right wall 723 is a wall that connects the right edges of the front wall 721 and the rear wall 722. The right wall 723 is inclined upward and to the right at a slight angle from the left tapered surface 712, which is inclined downward and to the right.

[0050] In other words, the structure of the container unit 70 includes a container body 700H (FIGS. 8A and 8B) having openings for receiving liquid ejected from a plurality of heads, and a partition portion for partitioning the container body 700H into a plurality of independent regions. In this embodiment, the front wall 721 and the right wall 723 in FIG. 8B correspond to the partition portion. The partition portion partitions the container body 700H into the ink container 71 and the pre-treatment liquid container 72. In this case, the front wall 721 (first portion) partitions the container body 700H in the front-rear direction, and the right wall 723 (second portion) is connected to the front wall 721 and partitions the container body 700H in the left-right direction.

[0051] In this manner, in this embodiment, the partition divides the container body 700H of the container unit 70 in two directions, so that multiple types of liquid that should not be mixed can be collected separately, and the degree of freedom in arranging the corresponding heads can be increased. In particular, even if the ink heads 4, pre-treatment heads 5, and post-treatment heads 6 are arranged in a complex manner, such as in a staggered arrangement as shown in Fig. 3, the ink containers 71 and pre-treatment liquid containers 72 can be arranged below each head, respectively.

[0052] Incidentally, receiving liquid here means receiving liquid that falls from above. Liquid flows into the ink container 71 from the cleaning liquid tray 73 through the relay passage 743, but this is not included in the above-mentioned receiving. The liquid flowing from the cleaning liquid tray 73 contains small amounts of ink, pre-treatment liquid, and post-treatment liquid in addition to the cleaning liquid. However, since the concentration of the pre-treatment liquid is low, it does not substantially solidify even if it enters the ink container 71. Incidentally, a partition may be provided in the cleaning liquid tray 73 so that only liquid that does not contain pre-treatment liquid flows into the ink container 71.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the pre-treatment liquid is collected in a dedicated pre-treatment liquid container 72 while the ink and post-treatment liquid are collected in the ink container 71, thereby preventing the pre-treatment liquid, which tends to coagulate when mixed with the ink, from mixing with the ink and making it easier to discharge both types of treatment liquid.

[0054] In this embodiment, the bottom surface of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is disposed above the bottom surface of the ink container 71. That is, the depth of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is shallower than the depth of the ink container 71. This reduces adhesion of the pretreatment liquid, which is discharged in a relatively small amount, to the inner wall of the pretreatment liquid container 72, making it easier to discharge the pretreatment liquid from the pretreatment liquid container 72. The depth of the pretreatment liquid container 72 refers to the depth from the upper end of the partition that separates the pretreatment liquid container 72 and the ink container 71 to the lowest part of the pretreatment liquid container 72. The depth of the ink container 71 refers to the depth from the upper end of the partition described above to the lowest part of the ink container 71.

[0055] Particularly, in this embodiment, the container body 700H of the container unit 70 has an inclined surface (the tapered surface 712 on the left side in FIG. 8B) that defines the ink container 71 together with the partition. A part of the inclined surface further defines the pretreatment liquid container 72 (left wall 724) above the bottom surface 711 of the ink container 71, so that the depth of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is set to be shallower than the depth of the ink container 71. In other words, the pretreatment liquid container 72 is formed using a region from the upper edge of the left tapered surface 712 to the middle of the tapered surface 712. Therefore, the ink container 71 and the pretreatment liquid container 72 can be formed using the inclined surface, and the rigidity of the pretreatment liquid container 72 can be increased by attaching the pretreatment liquid container 72 to the ink container 71. Therefore, compared to a case where all the wall portions defining the pretreatment liquid container 72 are completely independent from the ink container 71, it is possible to suppress the pretreatment liquid container 72 from being deformed by the effect of gravity.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the left wall 724 ( FIG. 8B ) of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is inclined so as to guide the pretreatment liquid received from the pretreatment head 5 in a right direction (a predetermined direction) as it advances downward. Similarly, the right wall 723 is inclined so as to guide the pretreatment liquid received from the pretreatment head 5 in a left direction (a predetermined direction) as it advances downward. The pretreatment liquid guided along the right wall 723 and the left wall 724 is collected at the intersection of the right wall 723 and the left wall 724 and is discharged from the treatment liquid passage 742. The inner surfaces of the right wall 723 and the left wall 724 correspond to the bottom surface of the pretreatment liquid container 72 as viewed in a plan view of the pretreatment liquid container 72.

[0057] The cleaning liquid tray 73 is a container that has a rectangular top opening that is long in the left-right direction, and is shallower than the ink container 71. The bottom surface of the cleaning liquid tray 73 includes an inclined surface 731 and a liquid collection surface 732. The inclined surface 731 is a surface that slopes gently downward from the right end side to the left end side of the cleaning liquid tray 73. The liquid collection surface 732 is located near the left end of the cleaning liquid tray 73, and is a flat surface that forms the deepest part of the bottom surface. The left edge of the inclined surface 731 is continuous with the right edge of the liquid collection surface 732. The starting end of a relay passage 743 opens into the liquid collection surface 732.

[0058] <Wiping unit> 7, the wiping unit 8 includes a wiper support plate 81, an ink wiper 82, a pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 (treatment liquid wiper), a post-treatment liquid wiper 84 (treatment liquid wiper), and a wiper drive section 85. Fig. 9 is a combination of a plan view (area A) of the wiper support plate 81 holding the wipers 82, 83, and 84, and a plan view (area B) showing the arrangement of the ink head 4, pre-treatment head 5, and post-treatment head 6 mounted on the carriage 3, and showing the corresponding relationship with the wipers 82, 83, and 84. The arrangement of the heads 4, 5, and 6 shown in Fig. 9 (area B) is the same as the arrangement exemplified previously in Fig. 3.

[0059] The wiper support plate 81 is formed by punching a thin flat plate member, and has a plurality of rectangular convex plates 811. The plurality of convex plates 811 protrude in the rear direction, which is the moving direction during wiping. Between adjacent convex plates 811, a recess 812 recessed in the front side is formed. Ink wipers 82 for wiping the nozzle array surface NA of the ink head 4 are attached to the end edge (rear end) of the convex plate 811 and the end edge of the recess 812. The ink wipers 82 arranged on the end edge of the convex plate 811 are for wiping the upstream head of the ink head 4 of each color, such as the ink wiper 82A1 arranged for the upstream head 4A1 of the first ink head 4A. On the other hand, the ink wipers 82 arranged on the end edge of the recess 812 are for wiping the downstream head of the ink head 4 of each color, such as the ink wiper 82A2 arranged for the downstream head 4A2.

[0060] In the wiper support plate 81, a support region that supports the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 that wipes the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the pretreatment head 5 is disposed at a position that protrudes rearward in the movement direction during wiping compared to other regions of the wiper support plate 81. Specifically, a convex piece 814 extends further rearward from the rear end of the leftmost convex plate 811. The pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is attached to the edge (rear end) of the convex piece 814. A window portion 815 corresponding to the recess 812 is provided on the front side of the convex piece 814. In this way, by disposing the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 to be supported at the position that protrudes most in the movement direction on the wiper support plate 81, the pretreatment liquid wiped by the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is less likely to adhere to other parts of the wiper support plate 81 during wiping.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 9 (area B), in this embodiment, the pre-treatment head 5 and the downstream head 4A2 of the first ink head 4A are arranged at positions where they completely overlap each other in the moving direction (rear direction) during wiping. That is, the pre-treatment head 5 and the downstream head 4A2 are arranged side by side on the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction F at the same position in the left-right direction of the head support frame 31. With such an arrangement, the path through which the ink wiper 82A2 passes when moving from the wiping area to the cleaning unit 9 overlaps with the path wiped by the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the risk of the pre-treatment liquid dripping onto the ink wiper 82A2 and causing aggregation. It is preferable that the pre-treatment head 5 and the downstream head 4A2 are arranged in a positional relationship where they completely overlap each other in the moving direction during wiping, but they may be arranged with a slight shift in the left-right direction.

[0062] The right end side of the wiper support plate 81 is a support area that supports a post-processing liquid wiper 84 that wipes the nozzle array surface NA of the post-processing head 6. Two post-processing heads 6A, 6B are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction near the right end of the head support frame 31. The post-processing head 6A on the left side is arranged side by side with the upstream head 4G1 of the seventh ink head 4G, and the post-processing head 6B on the right side is arranged side by side with the upstream head 4H1 of the eighth ink head 4H, respectively, on the upstream and downstream sides of the transport direction F.

[0063] Corresponding to such a head arrangement, the wiper support plate 81 is provided with a pair of holding pieces 816 and a window portion 817 near its right end. The holding piece 816 supports ink wipers 82G1, 82H1 that wipe the upstream heads 4G1, 4H1 at its rear edge. Ink wipers 82G2, 82H2 that wipe the downstream heads 4G2, 4H2 are supported at the edge of the recess 812 adjacent to the left side of each holding piece 816. The window portion 817 is an opening disposed in front of the holding piece 816. The post-processing liquid wipers 84 (84A, 84B) that wipe the post-processing heads 6A, 6B are supported at the opening edge on the front side of the window portion 817.

[0064] The wiper support plate 81 has a plurality of protruding portions 813 arranged corresponding to each of the wipers 82, 83, and 84 described above. The protruding portions 813 are connected to the rear end of the protruding plate 811, the base end edge of the recess 812, the rear end of the protruding piece 814, and the base end edge of the window portion 817. These protruding portions 813 are small projections that protrude in the movement direction during wiping when viewed from above. The wipers 82, 83, and 84 are arranged on the protruding portions 813 that are respectively associated with them. With such an arrangement, it is possible to make it difficult for ink or treatment liquid adhering to the wipers 82, 83, and 84 to adhere to the wiper support plate 81.

[0065] 10 is a perspective view showing a detailed structure of the ink wiper 82. The pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 and the post-treatment liquid wiper 84 also have a structure similar to that of the ink wiper 82 shown here. The ink wiper 82 includes a wiper blade 821 (ink blade or treatment liquid blade), a first holder 822, and a second holder 823.

[0066] The wiper blade 821 is a plate material that actually comes into contact with the nozzle array surface NA to perform wiping. The upper end of the wiper blade 821 is located at a position that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the wiper support plate 81. The first holder 822 and the second holder 823 are members that sandwich and hold the wiper blade 821. The first holder 822 is fitted into a recess provided in the protruding portion 813 and fixed with a screw, and supports the lower back surface of the wiper blade 821. The second holder 823 is attached to the lower front surface of the wiper blade 821.

[0067] The second holder 823 has a pair of openings 824, and the wiper blade 821 also has a through hole at the same position as the opening 824. Meanwhile, the first holder 822 has a pair of claws 825. The claws 825 are inserted through the through holes and the opening 824, and engage the second holder 823 at the periphery of the opening 824. Due to this engagement force, the wiper blade 821 is sandwiched between the first holder 822 and the second holder 823. The wiper blade 821 is held at a position protruding further than the protruding end face of the convex portion 813.

[0068] The pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 and the post-treatment liquid wiper 84 may be configured to have the same structure, shape, and material as the ink wiper 82 shown in FIG. 10, or may be configured to have different structures, shapes, and materials. For example, the shape and material of the wiper blade 821 and the support structure of the wiper blade 821 may be different from those of the ink wiper 82 for the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 and / or the post-treatment liquid wiper 84 depending on the properties of the ink and treatment liquid. A blade made of a rubber or resin material having a predetermined rigidity is used as the wiper blade 821. For example, assume that the pre-treatment liquid has a property of drying faster than the ink and is relatively difficult to wipe. In this case, it is desirable to increase the wiping power by using a blade having a higher rigidity than that of the ink wiper 82 as the wiper blade 821 of the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 or increasing the protruding height of the wiper blade 821.

[0069] 11A is a perspective view of the maintenance unit 7 from a different perspective direction than in FIG. 7, and is a view for explaining the wiper driving unit 85. FIG. 11B is an enlarged view of a portion XIB surrounded by a dotted line in FIG. 11A. The wiper driving unit 85 is a mechanism for moving the wiper support plate 81 holding the wipers 82, 83, and 84 in the front-rear direction. The wiper driving unit 85 includes a servo motor 851, a ball screw 852, and a slider 853. The servo motor 851 is a motor corresponding to the wiper moving motor 36 shown in FIG. 5.

[0070] The servo motor 851 generates a driving force for moving the wiper support plate 81. The servo motor 851 is attached to the right end of the rear plate 707 of the container unit 70. The ball screw 852 is driven to rotate forward or backward around its axis by the servo motor 851. The ball screw 852 extends in the front-rear direction along the right side frame 701. A guide bar (not shown) extending in the front-rear direction is attached to the left side frame 701. The slider 853 includes a nut member screwed into the ball screw 852. When the ball screw 852 rotates forward or backward, the slider 853 moves forward or backward along the ball screw 852.

[0071] The slider 853 is connected to the wiper support plate 81. A connecting plate 818 made of a long, thin flat member is attached to the upper part of the slider 853. A right end 81E of the wiper support plate 81 is placed on this connecting plate 818, and the two are fastened together with a fixing screw 819. Although not shown in the figure, the left end of the wiper support plate 81 is also supported by the same member as the connecting plate 818 and the slider 853, and is guided along the guide bar.

[0072] The movement range of wiper support plate 81 is between the front end (wiping area) and the rear end (cleaning area) of container unit 70. For example, when servo motor 851 is driven to rotate forward by controller 33, slider 853 is sent forward, and wiper support plate 81 fixed to slider 853 also moves forward. On the other hand, when servo motor 851 is driven to rotate reversely, wiper support plate 81 moves rearward.

[0073] As the wiper support plate 81 moves as described above, the ink container 71 can receive, from the first opening 71H, the ink that falls from the ink head 4 when the ink wiper 82 is wiping. Furthermore, the ink container 71 can also receive, from the first opening 71H, the ink that falls from the post-treatment head 6 when the post-treatment liquid wiper 84 is wiping. On the other hand, the pre-treatment liquid container 72 can receive, from the second opening 72H, the treatment liquid that falls from the pre-treatment head 5 when the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 is wiping.

[0074] In this embodiment, as described above, the container unit 70 and the wiping unit 8 can be pulled out integrally from the device frame 10 (housing). At this time, the pulling direction of the wiping unit 8 is along the movement direction of each wiper when wiping each head. Therefore, when the wiping unit 8 is inserted or removed, the direction of the acceleration applied to the liquid adhering to each wiper is along the movement direction of the wiper, so that it is possible to reduce the liquid adhering to each wiper from adhering to the wiper support plate 81.

[0075] <Cleaning unit> 6, the cleaning unit 9 includes a nozzle holding plate 91 and a plurality of cleaning nozzles 92. The nozzle holding plate 91 is a U-shaped frame material including a top plate 911 (top plate portion) and a pair of left and right side plates 912. The top plate 911 is a flat plate having a width slightly larger than the left and right width of the container unit 70. The pair of side plates 912 are flat plates hanging down from the left and right ends of the top plate 911, and face the left and right side frames 701, respectively.

[0076] The nozzle holding plate 91 is fixed at a suitable position on the apparatus frame 10 (FIG. 1). When the container unit 70 is loaded at a predetermined position on the apparatus frame 10, the nozzle holding plate 91 is positioned so as to be fitted from above into the rear region of the container unit 70. The portion where the nozzle holding plate 91 covers the container unit 70 becomes a cleaning area for cleaning the ink wiper 82, the pre-processing liquid wiper 83, and the post-processing liquid wiper 84. The top plate 911 faces the cleaning liquid tray 73 of the container unit 70 in the vertical direction with a predetermined gap therebetween. The gap has a vertical width that allows the wiping unit 8 to enter between the top plate 911 and the cleaning liquid tray 73. In this embodiment, the cleaning liquid tray 73 is pulled out together with the container unit 70, leaving the cleaning unit 9 behind, so that cleaning of the cleaning liquid tray 73 is further easily realized.

[0077] The multiple cleaning nozzles 92 are disposed at appropriate positions on the top plate 911 so as to match the arrangement of the wipers 82, 83, and 84 on the wiper support plate 81. The multiple cleaning nozzles 92 include a nozzle 92A for cleaning the ink wiper 82, a nozzle 92B for cleaning the pre-processing liquid wiper 83, and a nozzle 92C for cleaning the post-processing liquid wiper 84. These nozzles 92A, 92B, and 92C eject the cleaning liquid 9A in a fan-shaped spray form from their respective bottom end surfaces (see FIG. 4) to clean the wipers 82, 83, and 84.

[0078] [Wipe movement path] Next, the movement path during wiping will be described, including the positional relationship of the wiping unit 8 with respect to the surrounding members. Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing the initial position of the wiping unit 8 during wiping. During wiping, the wiping unit 8 moves backward from the initial position so as to head toward the cleaning area where the cleaning unit 9 is arranged. The wiping area where the wipers 82, 83, and 84 wipe the heads 4, 5, and 6 is located above the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 and the second opening 72H of the pre-treatment liquid container 72.

[0079] To the left of the maintenance unit 7 is a printing area 12 (FIG. 1) where an image is formed by discharging ink from the ink head 4. For this reason, when the carriage 3 makes a pit stop in the maintenance area 13, it enters from the left side of the maintenance unit 7. As shown in FIG. 9, the pretreatment head 5 is supported by the carriage 3 at the leftmost position alongside the downstream head 4A2 of the first ink head 4A. Accordingly, the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is also disposed at the leftmost position on the wiper support plate 81.

[0080] That is, in the movement direction in which the carriage 3 moves from the printing area 12 to the wiping area, the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is disposed at a position closer to the printing area 12 than the other ink wipers 82, except for the ink wiper 82A2 for the downstream head 4A2. With this arrangement, the pretreatment liquid container 72 is naturally disposed near the left end of the ink container 71. In this case, it is possible to realize an arrangement in which the pretreatment head 5 does not pass through the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 during the pit-in. This makes it possible to make it difficult for the pretreatment liquid adhering to the pretreatment head 5 to drip into the ink container 71.

[0081] The above-mentioned effect is also achieved from the arrangement of the pretreatment liquid container 72. That is, in this embodiment, in the movement direction in which the carriage 3 equipped with the pretreatment head 5 moves from the printing area to the wiping area, the pretreatment liquid container 72 is arranged at a position closer to the printing area than the ink container 71. Therefore, assuming that the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 wipes the pretreatment head 5 on the pretreatment liquid container 72, it is possible to reduce the pretreatment liquid adhering to the pretreatment head 5 from adhering to the ink container 71 or the like due to the pretreatment head 5 penetrating deep into the wiping area.

[0082] Further, the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is supported by the wiper support plate 81 at a position closest to the cleaning area among the wipers 82, 83, and 84 in the moving direction from the wiping area to the cleaning area. That is, as shown in Fig. 9 (area A), the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is disposed on the edge of the convex piece 814 that protrudes furthest backward in the top view of the wiper support plate 81. This allows the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 to be introduced into the cleaning area as quickly as possible for cleaning treatment. For example, when the pretreatment liquid has a quick-drying property, by disposing the nozzle 92B (Fig. 6) for cleaning the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 on the most forward side of the nozzle holding plate 91, the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 can be immediately cleaned.

[0083] The above-mentioned effects are also achieved from the arrangement of the pretreatment liquid container 72. That is, in this embodiment, the entire pretreatment liquid container 72 is arranged at a position closer to the cleaning area (cleaning unit 9, cleaning section) than the entire ink container 71. Therefore, on the premise that the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 wipes the pretreatment head 5 on the pretreatment liquid container 72, the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 can be cleaned quickly. The pretreatment liquid container 72 may be arranged so as to protrude toward the cleaning area side more than the ink container 71.

[0084] Fig. 13 is a top view of the maintenance unit 7, showing the movement path MW of the wiping unit 8 during wiping. The position indicated by the dotted line in the figure is the initial position during wiping of the wiping unit 8 and the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83. The position of the wiping unit 8 indicated by the solid line in Fig. 13 is the wiping completion position where the wipers 82, 83, and 84 are cleaned, and is also a standby position where an instruction to perform a wiping operation is awaited.

[0085] In this embodiment, the movement path MW (movement range) of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 during wiping is set at a position that avoids being directly above the first opening 71H of the ink container 71. In other words, the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 is disposed at a position that avoids being directly below the movement path MW of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83. Specifically, the movement range of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 when performing wiping in the wiping area is set at a position directly above the second opening 72H of the pretreatment liquid container 72. In other words, the first opening 71H does not substantially exist directly below the region where the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 wipes the nozzle array surface NA of the pretreatment head 5, and most or all of the region is disposed to face the second opening 72H in the up-down direction. In other words, the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 is disposed at a position other than the entire movement path MW of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 when viewed from above. This arrangement can reduce the occurrence of the pretreatment liquid wiped by the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 entering the ink container 71 through the first opening 71H during wiping. This can therefore suppress the occurrence of chemical reactions such as ink aggregation.

[0086] When the ink container 71 and the pretreatment liquid container 72 are viewed in a direction (front-rear direction) along the moving path MW, it can be said that a part of the first opening 71H (left end front part) and the second opening 72H are arranged in series (see FIG. 13). That is, a part of the first opening 71H is on the front side, and the second opening 72H is on the rear side. The orientation direction of the moving path MW, that is, the movement direction of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83, is from the front side to the rear side. In other words, the movement direction of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is a direction away from the first opening 71H. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 8B, the rear end edge (rear wall 722) of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is flush with the rear end edge (rear tapered surface 712) of the ink container 71. That is, the first opening 71H is not interposed between the rear end edge of the pretreatment liquid container 72 and the cleaning area in the moving path MW. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of pretreatment liquid that may splash when the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 finishes wiping the pretreatment head 5 and moves away from the nozzle array surface NA into the ink container 71.

[0087] Moreover, the direction of the movement path MW is the direction in which the cleaning area in which the cleaning unit 9 is arranged is located. Such an arrangement also contributes to measures against scattering of the pretreatment liquid. That is, even if the pretreatment liquid adhering to the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 scatters when the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 moves away from the nozzle array surface NA of the pretreatment head 5, the scatter destination is the cleaning area. In the cleaning area, the scattered pretreatment liquid is diluted with a relatively large amount of cleaning liquid and is collected in the cleaning liquid tray 73. Therefore, an operation in which splashes of the pretreatment liquid are unlikely to enter the ink container 71 can be realized.

[0088] <Avoiding the area directly above the first opening> Variations of the above-mentioned "position avoiding a position directly above the first opening 71H" will now be described. Fig. 14A to Fig. 14D are schematic diagrams showing various arrangement examples of the pretreatment liquid container 72 that avoid a position directly above the first opening 71H of the ink container 71. Fig. 14A, Fig. 14B, and Fig. 14C are schematic cross-sectional views in the left-right direction of the maintenance unit 7, and Fig. 14D is a top view. The "position avoiding a position directly above" includes a position outside the space above the first opening 71H, as well as a position where another member is interposed between a partial area of ​​the first opening 71H and the pretreatment liquid wiper 83.

[0089] Fig. 14A shows an example in which the pretreatment liquid container 72 is disposed at a position that covers a part of the first opening 71H, thereby setting the movement range of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 to a position that avoids being directly above the first opening 71H. The example in Fig. 14A is similar to the example shown in Fig. 8A above. In this example, while the movement range of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is set above the first opening 71H, the second opening 72H of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is disposed below the movement range, thereby achieving "a position that avoids being directly above the first opening 71H".

[0090] FIG. 14B shows an example in which the movement range of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is simply set to a position outside the space above the first opening 71H. In this example, the pretreatment liquid container 72 is naturally disposed at a position that does not overlap the first opening 71H in the vertical direction. FIG. 14C shows an example in which another member is interposed between the first opening 71H and the pretreatment liquid wiper 83. The pretreatment liquid container 72 is disposed adjacent to the ink container 71. Meanwhile, the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is positioned above the first opening 71H in order to wipe the pretreatment head 5 disposed above the first opening 71H. In addition, a guide plate 76 is disposed below the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 in a manner that is inclined downward toward the second opening 72H. The pretreatment liquid wiped from the pretreatment head 5 by the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is guided to the second opening 72H through the guide plate 76.

[0091] 14D shows an example in which the shape of the ink container 71 is devised to achieve a position that avoids being located directly above the first opening 71H. The ink container 71 has a cutout 713 at a position corresponding to a position below the arrangement area of ​​the pre-treatment head 5. Therefore, the movement range of the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 is outside the first opening 71H. The pre-treatment liquid container 72 is arranged in the cutout 713.

[0092] In other words, in each of the above examples, the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 is set at a position that avoids being directly below the entire movement path of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83. In any case, it is possible to reduce the inflow of pretreatment liquid into the ink container 71 due to the movement of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83. Note that the "position that avoids being directly below" includes a case where the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 is located outside the space below the movement path of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83, as well as a position diagonally below the first opening 71H and a position where another member is interposed between a portion of the first opening 71H and the pretreatment liquid wiper 83.

[0093] <Regarding the positional relationship between the moving range and the second opening> Next, the positional relationship between the movement range of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 and the second opening 72H of the pretreatment liquid container 72 will be described. FIGS. 15A, 15B, and 15C are schematic diagrams for explaining the movement range of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 during wiping operation. FIG. 15A shows an actual wiping range d1 in which the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 actually performs wiping operation. The actual wiping range d1 corresponds to the width of the nozzle arrangement section 51 in which a large number of nozzles that eject the pretreatment liquid are arranged in the pretreatment head 5. That is, d1 is the length from the upstream end (front end) to the downstream end (rear end) of the nozzle arrangement section 51 in the movement direction of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83. The nozzle arrangement section 51 is the portion to which the pretreatment liquid actually adheres. Therefore, the period during which the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 moves through the actual wiping range d1 is the section in which the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 (wiper blade 821) actually performs the work of wiping off the pretreatment liquid. When wiping is performed, the wiped pretreatment liquid drips from the wiper blade 821 along the second holder 823 (see FIG. 10). The dripped pretreatment liquid is received in the pretreatment liquid container 72.

[0094] 15A shows an example in which the pretreatment liquid container 72 having the second opening 72H with a front-to-rear width that covers the actual wiping range d1 and the thickness of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 before and after the actual wiping range d1 is disposed below the pretreatment head 5. By disposing the second opening 72H in such a range, it is possible to cover at least the area where the pretreatment liquid is most likely to drip, and therefore it is possible to significantly reduce the possibility that the pretreatment liquid will be mixed into the ink container 71. Note that instead of the example of FIG. 15A, the second opening 72H may have a size that is the same as or slightly larger than the actual wiping range d1.

[0095] 15B shows a container area range d2 from the start position of the actual wiping until the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 leaves the wiping area. The start position of the actual wiping is the upstream end of the nozzle array section 51, as in FIG. 15A. In this embodiment, the wiping area is the range covered by the first opening 71H of the ink container 71, so the position where the wiping area leaves is the rear end edge of the first opening 71H. FIG. 15B shows an example in which a pretreatment liquid container 72A having a second opening 72H that covers such a container area range d2 is disposed below the pretreatment head 5. If the second opening 72H is disposed corresponding to the container area range d2, the pretreatment liquid that drips from the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 while moving toward the cleaning area after the completion of the actual wiping can be collected by the pretreatment liquid container 72A.

[0096] 15C shows the entire range d3 of a predetermined movement path MW (FIG. 13) along which the pre-processing liquid wiper 83 moves when performing wiping. The rear end of the movement path MW is the standby position and operation completion position of the pre-processing liquid wiper 83. The front end of the movement path MW is the position to which the pre-processing liquid wiper 83 moves furthest forward in a series of wiping operations. That is, during wiping operation, the pre-processing liquid wiper 83 moves forward from the rear end to the front end of the movement path MW, and after the carriage 3 descends and the nozzle array surface NA is set to a predetermined wiping height, the pre-processing liquid wiper 83 moves back from the front end to the rear end of the movement path MW. Here, an example is shown in which the front end of the movement path MW is forward of the pre-processing head 5, but the front end of the movement path MW may be between the front edge of the pre-processing head 5 and the upstream end of the nozzle array section 51.

[0097] FIG. 15C shows an example in which the pretreatment liquid container 72B having the second opening 72H covering the entire range d3 is disposed below the pretreatment head 5. In this case, the entire movement path MW is set at a position that avoids being directly above the first opening 71H. By disposing the second opening 72H corresponding to such a range d3, the pretreatment liquid can be more reliably collected in the pretreatment liquid container 72B. The pretreatment liquid container 72B has a partition plate 725 at the boundary between the wiping area and the cleaning area. The rear part of the pretreatment liquid container 72B enters the cleaning area. By providing the partition plate 725, the pretreatment liquid collected in the wiping area can be isolated and collected in an independent path.

[0098] <Ink wiper removal section> Of the multiple ink wipers 82 included in the wiping unit 8, the ink wiper 82A2 (FIG. 9) arranged for the downstream head 4A2 located at the far left side passes over the second opening 72H of the treatment liquid container 72 when the wiping unit 8 moves toward the cleaning area. During this passage, ink adhering to the ink wiper 82A2 may drip into the treatment liquid container 72 and cause coagulation or the like. An example of dealing with this problem is shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B.

[0099] 16A is a schematic side view showing the periphery of the ink wiper 82A2. The wiper blade 821 of the ink wiper 82A2 is supported by a convex portion 813 of the wiper support plate 81 while being held by a first holder 822 and a second holder 823. When the ink wiper 82A2 wipes the downstream head 4A2 of the first ink head 4A, the wiped ink or the like may not completely fall from the lower end of the ink wiper 82A2 and may remain as adhering matter T. In order to reduce the adhering matter T just before the second opening 72H of the pre-treatment liquid container 72, it is desirable to provide a sponge 77 (removal portion).

[0100] FIG. 16B is a perspective view of a main part of the container unit 70 showing the arrangement of the sponge 77 shown in FIG. 16A. In this embodiment, the second opening 72H is arranged downstream of the first opening 71H in the moving direction of the ink wiper 82A2 to the cleaning area. The sponge 77 is arranged at a height position where it contacts the lower end surface of the ink wiper 82A2 and upstream of the second opening 72H. A support plate 78 is protruding near the upper end of the left tapered surface 712 of the ink container 71 and upstream of the second opening 72H. The lower end of the sponge 77 is fixed to the upper surface of the support plate 78. The deposit T containing ink is removed by the sponge 77 before the ink wiper 82A2 reaches the second opening 72H. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the ink from being mixed into the pre-treatment liquid container 72.

[0101] [Wiper angle arrangement] Next, a preferred arrangement example of the ink wiper 82 and the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 will be shown. Fig. 17 is a plan view showing the inclined arrangement of the ink wiper 82 and the pretreatment liquid wiper 83. As shown in Fig. 10, the ink wiper 82 has a wiper blade 821A (ink blade) that extends in a direction (left-right direction) intersecting the movement direction (front-back direction) during wiping. Similarly, the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 also has a wiper blade 821B (treatment liquid blade) that extends in the left-right direction.

[0102] The wiper blade 821A of the ink wiper 82 is disposed at an incline such that its left end protrudes more than its right end in the moving direction of the ink wiper 82 during wiping. Focus is now given on the ink wiper 82A1 that wipes the upstream head 4A1 of the first ink head 4A located to the right of the pre-treatment head 5. As also shown in FIG. 18C, the wiper blade 821A of the ink wiper 82A1 is disposed at an incline such that its left end 82L (first end) on the side where the pre-treatment liquid container 72 exists protrudes more than its right end 82R (second end) on the opposite side in the moving direction. The post-treatment liquid wipers 84A and 84B that wipe the post-treatment heads 6A and 6B are also disposed at an incline such that their left end protrudes more than their right end in the moving direction.

[0103] In contrast, the wiper blade 821B of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is disposed at an angle such that its right end protrudes more than its left end in the movement direction of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83. Referring also to Fig. 18B, the wiper blade 821B of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is disposed at an angle such that its right end 83R (third end) on the side on the right of the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 protrudes more than its opposite left end 83L (fourth end) in the movement direction.

[0104] 18A is a diagram showing a state where the head 40 is wiped by a wiper blade 8210 with no inclination. The liquid L is attached to the head 40. The wiper blade 8210 is arranged so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the wiping direction. When wiping is performed by such a wiper blade 8210, the liquid L wiped from the head 40 drips from the left and right sides of the head 40 as shown by the arrows in the figure. For example, when the wiper blade 8210 is applied to the pretreatment liquid wiper 83, there is a risk that the pretreatment liquid dripping from the right side of the pretreatment head 5 may be mixed into the ink container 71. Furthermore, when the wiper blade 8210 is applied to the upstream head 4A1 of the first ink head 4A, there is a risk that the ink dripping from the left side of the upstream head 4A1 may be mixed into the pretreatment liquid container 72.

[0105] 18B is a diagram showing wiping of the pretreatment head 5 by the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 having an inclined wiper blade 821B. The wiper blade 821B is inclined such that the right end 83R protrudes in the wiping direction. For this reason, the pretreatment liquid L1 wiped from the pretreatment head 5 by the wiper blade 821B drips mainly from the left side of the pretreatment head 5. This reduces the possibility that the pretreatment liquid L1 drips onto the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 adjacent to the right side of the second opening 72H of the pretreatment liquid container 72.

[0106] 18C is a diagram showing the wiping state of the ink head 4 (upstream head 4A1) by the ink wiper 82 having an inclined wiper blade 821A. The wiper blade 821A is inclined such that the left end 82L protrudes in the wiping direction. Therefore, ink L2 wiped from the upstream head 4A1 by the wiper blade 821A drips mainly from the right side of the upstream head 4A1. This reduces the possibility that ink L2 will drip into the second opening 72H during wiping.

[0107] 17, 18B, and 18C, the inclined arrangement of the wiper blades 821A and 821B makes it possible to control the destinations of the pretreatment liquid L1 and the ink L2 wiped by wiping. This makes it possible to reduce the possibility that the pretreatment liquid L1 and the ink L2 will mix in the ink container 71 or the pretreatment liquid container 72. Note that, if the inclined arrangement of the wiper blades 821A and 821B can suppress the mixing of the pretreatment liquid L1 and the ink L2, a part or the whole of the movement range of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 during wiping may be set directly above the first opening 71H.

[0108] Fig. 19 is a perspective view of a container unit 70M (container) according to a first modified embodiment of the present disclosure. In this modified embodiment, members having the same functions as those in the previous embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as in Figs. 1 to 18. The same applies to other modified embodiments described below.

[0109] The container unit 70M has a container body 700H, a plurality of side frames 701, and a partition portion 760. As in the previous embodiment, above the container unit 70M, an ink head 4 that ejects ink (liquid), a pre-treatment head 5 that ejects pre-treatment liquid (liquid), and a post-treatment head 6 that ejects post-treatment liquid (liquid) are supported by the carriage 3.

[0110] The container body 700H has a rectangular shape in a plan view, and has openings on its upper surface for receiving liquids ejected from the plurality of heads. The partitions 760 divide the container body 700H into a plurality of independent regions.

[0111] Specifically, in this modified embodiment, as shown in FIG. 19, a partition 760 partitions the container body 700H into two regions, a front region and a rear region. An ink container 71 (ink container section) is formed on the front side of the partition 760, and a pre-treatment liquid container 72 (treatment liquid container section) is formed on the rear side of the partition 760. The ink container 71 has a first opening 71H that receives ink discharged from the ink head 4, and the pre-treatment liquid container 72 has a second opening 72H that receives pre-treatment liquid (the other treatment liquid) discharged from the pre-treatment head 5. As in the previous embodiment, the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 also receives post-treatment liquid (the one treatment liquid) discharged from the post-treatment head 6. The ink container 71 has the above-mentioned overflow passage 741 and relay passage 743 opened therein, and the pre-treatment liquid container 72 has a treatment liquid passage 742 (discharge port) and relay passage 743 (cleaning liquid supply section) opened therein. As a result, the cleaning liquid that has passed through the wiper flows from a cleaning liquid tray 73 (cleaning unit) (FIG. 8A) into the ink container 71 and the pretreatment liquid container 72, and the ink and posttreatment liquid mixed with the cleaning liquid, or the pretreatment liquid, is discharged. This makes it possible to effectively use the cleaning liquid, and also makes it possible to efficiently discharge the ink, pretreatment liquid, and posttreatment liquid by utilizing the fluidity of the cleaning liquid.

[0112] The partition section 760 has a plurality of horizontal plates 761 and a plurality of horizontal plates 762 (first portions), and a plurality of vertical plates 763 (second portions) connected to these horizontal plates. Each horizontal plate 761 and each horizontal plate 762 divides the container body 700H in the front-rear direction (first direction). Meanwhile, each vertical plate 763 divides the container body 700H in the left-right direction (second direction intersecting with the first direction). In this modified embodiment, the direction in which the horizontal plates 761, 762, and vertical plates 763 divide the container body 700H is the horizontal direction. Also, as in a modified embodiment described later, one horizontal plate and one vertical plate may be disposed.

[0113] As shown in FIG. 19, the partition 760 does not divide the container body 700H linearly, but divides it two-dimensionally. More specifically, the rear end of the ink container 71 and the front end of the pretreatment liquid container 72 are arranged in a staggered manner around the partition 760. Therefore, it is possible to arrange the upstream heads 4A1 to 4H1 of the ink head 4 in FIG. 9 (region B) above the ink container 71 side of the staggered space, and arrange the pretreatment head 5 above the pretreatment liquid container 72 side, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in arranging the ink head 4 and the pretreatment head 5 as shown in FIG. 9 (region B). In the example of FIG. 19, it is also possible to move the position of the pretreatment head 5 in FIG. 9 (region B) to the right between the adjacent heads of the upstream heads 4A1 to 4H1. Also, a plurality of pretreatment heads 5 can be arranged at these positions.

[0114] In this manner, in this modified embodiment, the partition 760 divides the container body 700H of the container unit 70 in two directions, so that multiple types of liquids that should not be mixed can be collected separately, and the degree of freedom in arranging the corresponding heads can be further increased. Note that the numbers of the horizontal plates 761, horizontal plates 762, and vertical plates 763 in Fig. 19 may be appropriately set according to the arrangement and number of heads as exemplified in Fig. 9 (area B). The same applies to the modified embodiments described below.

[0115] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a container unit 70N (container) according to a second modified embodiment of the present disclosure. This modified embodiment is different from the first modified embodiment in that the container unit 70N further includes a partition section 770. The partition section 770 has a structure similar to that of the partition section 760, and partitions a portion of the container body 700H that is forward of the pre-treatment liquid container 72 (pre-treatment container section) into an ink container 71 (ink container section) and a post-treatment container 79 (post-treatment container section). The post-treatment container 79 includes a second opening 79H that receives the post-treatment liquid discharged from the post-treatment head 6. In addition to the relay passage 743 described above, the post-treatment container 79 is also formed with a treatment liquid passage 744. The treatment liquid passage 744 is an opening through which the post-treatment liquid mixed with the cleaning liquid is discharged.

[0116] That is, in this modified embodiment, the partitions 760, 770 divide the container body 700H of the container unit 70N to form a pre-treatment liquid container 72 that receives the pre-treatment liquid ejected from the pre-treatment head 5, and a post-treatment container 79 that is arranged independently of the pre-treatment liquid container 72 and receives the post-treatment liquid ejected from the post-treatment head 6.

[0117] Specifically, the partition section 770 has a plurality of horizontal plates 771 and a plurality of horizontal plates 772 (first portion), and a plurality of vertical plates 773 (second portion) connected to these horizontal plates, similar to the partition section 760. The partition section 770 partitions the container body 700H two-dimensionally, not linearly. More specifically, the rear end of the ink container 71 and the front end of the post-processing container 79 are arranged in a staggered manner around the partition section 770. Therefore, it is possible to arrange the downstream heads 4A2 to 4H2 of the ink head 4 in FIG. 9 (region B) above the ink container 71 side of the staggered space, while arranging the post-processing head 6 above the post-processing container 79 side, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in arranging the pre-processing head 5, the ink head 4, and the post-processing head 6 as shown in FIG. 9 (region B). In the example of Fig. 20, the position of the post-processing head 6 in Fig. 9 (area B) can be moved to between adjacent downstream heads 4A2 to 4H2. Also, one or more post-processing heads 6 can be disposed at these positions.

[0118] Also in this modified embodiment, each ink wiper 82 moves along a predetermined movement path when wiping the ink head 4, but the second opening 79H of the post-treatment container 79 is disposed at a position that avoids being directly below the entire movement path of the ink wiper 82, specifically, in front of the movement path. Therefore, this configuration can reduce ink from entering the post-treatment container 79 when the ink wiper 82 moves. This is therefore useful when the ink and the post-treatment liquid are likely to react with each other.

[0119] FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a container unit 70P (container) according to a third modified embodiment of the present disclosure. In this modified embodiment, a pre-treatment liquid container 72 is formed in a right rear corner of a container body 700H, and an ink container 71 is formed in the remaining portion. Ink and post-treatment liquid are collected in the ink container 71. The ink container 71 and the pre-treatment liquid container 72 are separated by a partition 760, and the partition 760 has a plurality of horizontal plates 761, one horizontal plate 762 (any first portion), and one vertical plate 764 (second portion) connected to one horizontal plate 761. In this modified embodiment, as an example, two pre-treatment heads 5 can be arranged above the horizontal plate 762 in correspondence with the recesses on both the left and right sides of the horizontal plate 762.

[0120] FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a container unit 70Q (container) according to a fourth modified embodiment of the present disclosure. In this modified embodiment, a post-processing container 79 is formed at the left front corner of a container body 700H, and an ink container 71 is formed in the remaining portion. In this modified embodiment, a first opening 71H of the ink container 71 receives ink and pre-processing liquid (one processing liquid), and a second opening 79H of the post-processing container 79 receives only post-processing liquid (the other processing liquid). The ink container 71 and the post-processing container 79 are separated by a partition 770, and the partition 770 has one horizontal plate 771 (first portion) and one vertical plate 773 (second portion) connected thereto. In this modified embodiment, one post-processing head 6 can be disposed above the post-processing container 79 in correspondence with the post-processing container 79.

[0121] It is assumed that the post-processing container 79 is formed in the right front corner of the container body 700H instead of the post-processing container 79 shown in Fig. 22. In this case, as an example, only the post-processing head 6B in Fig. 9 (area B) is arranged on the carriage 3 as the post-processing head 6. Each ink wiper 82 moves along a predetermined movement path when wiping the ink head 4, but the second opening 79H of the post-processing container 79 is arranged at a position that avoids being directly below the entire movement path of the ink wiper 82. Therefore, even with this configuration, it is possible to reduce ink entering the post-processing container 79 when the ink wiper 82 moves.

[0122] Fig. 23 is a perspective view of a container unit 70R (container) according to a fifth modified embodiment of the present disclosure. In this modified embodiment, the pre-treatment liquid container 72 in the previous embodiment shown in Figs. 8A and 8B is moved to the right. In this case, it is possible to move the position of the pre-treatment head 5 in Fig. 9 (area B) to a position between adjacent heads of the upstream heads 4A1 to 4H1.

[0123] In this modified embodiment, the front wall 721 (first portion) divides the container unit 70R in the front-rear direction, and the right wall 723 and the left wall 724 (second portion) divide the container unit 70R in the left-right direction. A processing liquid passage 742 is opened at the bottom of the pre-treatment liquid container 72, and the pre-treatment liquid discharged through the processing liquid passage 742 is guided by the relay pipe 74P to the tapered surface 712 on the rear side of the container unit 70R. The discharged pre-treatment liquid then joins the waste liquid hose 704 (FIG. 8A).

[0124] 24 is a perspective view of a container unit 70S (container) according to a sixth modified embodiment of the present disclosure. This modified embodiment is mainly different from the fifth modified embodiment in that the bottom surface of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is inclined. That is, the bottom surface of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is inclined downward and rearward, and a processing liquid passage 742 (discharge hole) for discharging the pretreatment liquid from the pretreatment liquid container 72 is opened at the intersection line between the bottom surface and the rear tapered surface 712. According to this configuration, the recovered pretreatment liquid can be smoothly guided to the processing liquid passage 742 by the inclination of the bottom, so that the recovery of the pretreatment liquid and the suppression of aggregation in the pretreatment liquid container 72 can be achieved.

[0125] In this modified embodiment, the treatment liquid passage 742 is disposed in a downstream portion (downstream end portion) of the pretreatment liquid container 72 in the moving direction of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 when wiping the pretreatment head 5. With this configuration, it is possible to dispose the treatment liquid passage 742 near the location where the pretreatment liquid drips from the pretreatment liquid wiper 83, thereby narrowing the area inside the pretreatment liquid container 72 where the pretreatment liquid adheres, and reducing adhesion of the pretreatment liquid inside the pretreatment liquid container 72.

[0126] 24, in this modified embodiment, the bottom surface of the pretreatment liquid container 72 has a portion that deepens toward the downstream in the moving direction of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83. This makes it even easier to discharge the collected pretreatment liquid.

[0127] 24, the cap rubber 75 may be attached not only to the outer periphery of the ink container 71 but also to the outer periphery of the pre-treatment liquid container 72. In this case, the container unit 70 also serves as a head cap capable of capping the ink head 4 and the post-treatment head 6, and the pre-treatment head 5 independently (individually). Therefore, even if a volatile component of the pre-treatment liquid is mixed with the ink and may cause aggregation, such aggregation can be reduced. Note that only the pre-treatment head 5 may be independently capped as described above, and further, the post-treatment head 6 may be independently capped.

[0128] 8A and 8B, the pretreatment liquid container 72 is disposed so as to overlap the ink container 71 in plan view. Furthermore, a part of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is formed by using one wall surface (tapered surface 712) of the container unit 70R and the container unit 70S. As a result, one side of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is shared with each of the container units 70R and 70S in plan view, and the other three sides are disposed so as to float in the air. Therefore, while disposing the pretreatment liquid container 72 above the ink container 71, the rigidity of the pretreatment liquid container 72 can be increased compared to a case where the wall surface of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is completely independent from the ink container 71, and the pretreatment liquid container 72 can be prevented from being deformed by the effect of gravity.

[0129] Moreover, the partition structure of the container units 70 to 70S described in each of the above embodiments is not limited to a container that collects liquid (ink, treatment liquid) dripped during wiping. As an example, the container units 70 to 70S may be flushing containers that can receive ink and treatment liquid ejected from the ink head 4 and treatment liquid head (pre-treatment head 5, post-treatment head 6) during flushing. In this case, too, the degree of freedom in arranging each head can be increased, and mixing of ink and treatment liquid during flushing can be reduced. In the case of a flushing container, the container body may be partitioned by a partition that extends linearly in one direction. The one direction may be the moving direction of the carriage 3, or may be a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the carriage 3. [Explanation of symbols]

[0130] 1. Inkjet printer 10 Equipment frame (housing) 12 Printing Area 13 Maintenance Area 14 Turnaround Area 20 Work transport section 3 Carriage 30 Carriage Frame 31 Head support frame 32 Back Frame 33 Controller 4 Ink head 4A 1st ink head 4A1 Upstream Head 4A2 Downstream Head 5 Pre-treatment head (treatment liquid head) 6 Post-processing head (processing liquid head) 7 Maintenance Unit 70, 70N, 70N, 70P, 70Q, 70R, 70S Container unit (container) 700 Frame Structure 700H Container body 71 Ink container (ink container part) 71H 1st opening 711 Bottom 712 Tapered surface (inclined surface) 72 Pretreatment liquid container (pretreatment container part) 72H, 79H 2nd opening 721 Front wall 722 Back wall 723 Right wall 724 Left wall 73 Cleaning solution tray (cleaning section, cleaning container section) 741 Overflow passage (outlet) 742, 744 Processing liquid passage (drain hole) 743 Relay passage (cleaning liquid supply section) 74P relay tube 75 Cap rubber 760 Partition 761, 762, 771, 772 Horizontal plate (1st part) 763, 764, 773 Vertical board (second part) 77 Sponge (removal part) 79 Post-treatment container (Post-treatment container section) 8 Wiping Unit 81 Wiper support plate 82 Ink Wiper 83 Pre-treatment liquid wiper 84 Post-processing liquid wiper 85 Wiper drive unit 9 Cleaning unit (cleaning section) 91 Nozzle holding plate 911 Top plate (top plate part) 912 Side Panel 92 Cleaning nozzle 93 Cleaning fluid hose F Conveying direction S Main scanning direction W Work (recording medium)

Claims

1. At least one head that ejects liquid; a container having a container body with an opening for receiving liquid ejected from the at least one head, and a partition portion for partitioning the container body into a plurality of independent regions; Equipped with The partition portion is At least one first portion that divides the container body in a first direction; At least one second portion that divides the container body in a second direction intersecting the first direction; having The at least one head is An ink head that ejects ink; a treatment liquid head that ejects a treatment liquid; having the partition section is disposed so as to partition the container body into an ink container section having a first opening for receiving the ink ejected from the ink head, and a treatment liquid container section having a second opening for receiving the treatment liquid ejected from the treatment liquid head, The processing liquid head includes: a pretreatment head that ejects a pretreatment liquid; a post-processing head that ejects a post-processing liquid; having an inkjet recording device, wherein the partition section divides the container body so that the first opening of the ink container section receives one of the pre-treatment liquid ejected from the pre-treatment head and the post-treatment liquid ejected from the post-treatment head, and the ink ejected from the ink head, and the second opening of the processing liquid container section receives the other of the pre-treatment liquid ejected from the pre-treatment head and the post-treatment liquid ejected from the post-treatment head.

2. At least one head that ejects liquid; a container having a container body with an opening for receiving liquid ejected from the at least one head, and a partition portion for partitioning the container body into a plurality of independent regions; Equipped with The partition portion is At least one first portion that divides the container body in a first direction; At least one second portion that divides the container body in a second direction intersecting the first direction; having The at least one head is An ink head that ejects ink; a treatment liquid head that ejects a treatment liquid; having the partition section is disposed so as to partition the container body into an ink container section having a first opening for receiving the ink ejected from the ink head, and a treatment liquid container section having a second opening for receiving the treatment liquid ejected from the treatment liquid head, The processing liquid head includes: a pretreatment head that ejects a pretreatment liquid; a post-processing head that ejects a post-processing liquid; having an inkjet recording device, wherein the partition section divides the container body so that the processing liquid container section includes a pre-processing container section that receives the pre-processing liquid ejected from the pre-processing head, and a post-processing container section that is arranged independently of the pre-processing container section and receives the post-processing liquid ejected from the post-processing head.

3. At least one head that ejects liquid; a container having a container body with an opening for receiving liquid ejected from the at least one head, and a partition portion for partitioning the container body into a plurality of independent regions; Equipped with The partition portion is At least one first portion that divides the container body in a first direction; At least one second portion that divides the container body in a second direction intersecting the first direction; having The at least one head is An ink head that ejects ink; a treatment liquid head that ejects a treatment liquid; having the partition section is disposed so as to partition the container body into an ink container section having a first opening for receiving the ink ejected from the ink head, and a treatment liquid container section having a second opening for receiving the treatment liquid ejected from the treatment liquid head, An inkjet recording apparatus, wherein a depth of the treatment liquid container section is shallower than a depth of the ink container section.

4. 4. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 3, the container body has an inclined surface that defines the ink container portion together with the partition portion, an inkjet recording device, wherein a portion of the inclined surface further defines the treatment liquid container portion above a bottom of the ink container portion, so that the depth of the treatment liquid container portion is shallower than the depth of the ink container portion;

5. At least one head for ejecting liquid; a container having a container body with an opening for receiving liquid ejected from the at least one head, and a partition portion for partitioning the container body into a plurality of independent regions; Equipped with The partition portion is At least one first portion that divides the container body in a first direction; At least one second portion that divides the container body in a second direction intersecting the first direction; having The at least one head is An ink head that ejects ink; a treatment liquid head that ejects a treatment liquid; having the partition section is disposed so as to partition the container body into an ink container section having a first opening for receiving the ink ejected from the ink head, and a treatment liquid container section having a second opening for receiving the treatment liquid ejected from the treatment liquid head, The treatment liquid container portion has a bottom surface that is inclined so that the treatment liquid received from the treatment liquid head can be guided in a predetermined direction as it flows downward.

6. At least one head for ejecting liquid; a container having a container body with an opening for receiving liquid ejected from the at least one head, and a partition portion for partitioning the container body into a plurality of independent regions; Equipped with The partition portion is At least one first portion that divides the container body in a first direction; At least one second portion that divides the container body in a second direction intersecting the first direction; having The at least one head is An ink head that ejects ink; a treatment liquid head that ejects a treatment liquid; having the partition section is disposed so as to partition the container body into an ink container section having a first opening for receiving the ink ejected from the ink head, and a treatment liquid container section having a second opening for receiving the treatment liquid ejected from the treatment liquid head, An inkjet recording apparatus, wherein a bottom surface of the treatment liquid container is located higher than a bottom surface of the ink container.

7. At least one head for ejecting liquid; a container having a container body with an opening for receiving liquid ejected from the at least one head, and a partition portion for partitioning the container body into a plurality of independent regions; Equipped with The partition portion is At least one first portion that divides the container body in a first direction; At least one second portion that divides the container body in a second direction intersecting the first direction; having The at least one head is An ink head that ejects ink; a treatment liquid head that ejects a treatment liquid; having the partition section is disposed so as to partition the container body into an ink container section having a first opening for receiving the ink ejected from the ink head, and a treatment liquid container section having a second opening for receiving the treatment liquid ejected from the treatment liquid head, a wiping unit having an ink wiper for wiping the ink head and a treatment liquid wiper for wiping the treatment liquid head, the ink container portion is capable of receiving, through the first opening, ink dropping from the ink head during the wiping by the ink wiper; The inkjet recording apparatus, wherein the treatment liquid container portion is capable of receiving, from the second opening, the treatment liquid that drops from the treatment liquid head during the wiping by the treatment liquid wiper.

8. 8. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 7, the processing liquid wiper moves along a predetermined movement path when performing the wiping; an ink jet recording apparatus, wherein the first opening of the ink container portion is disposed at a position that avoids being directly below the entire movement path;

9. 8. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 7, The ink wiper moves along a predetermined movement path when performing the wiping, The second opening of the treatment liquid container portion is disposed at a position that does not lie directly below the entire movement path.

10. 10. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 7, Further, a printing area is provided in which ink is ejected from the ink head to form an image. an ink jet recording apparatus, wherein in a movement direction in which the head moves from the printing area to the area where wiping is performed, the treatment liquid container section is disposed at a position closer to the printing area than the ink container section.

11. 11. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 7, the treatment liquid container has a discharge hole for discharging the treatment liquid from the treatment liquid container, an ink jet recording apparatus, the discharge hole being disposed in a downstream portion of the treatment liquid container portion in a moving direction of the treatment liquid wiper when wiping the treatment liquid head;

12. 12. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 7, an ink jet recording apparatus, wherein a bottom of the treatment liquid container portion has a portion that becomes deeper downstream in a movement direction when the treatment liquid wiper wipes the treatment liquid head;

13. 13. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 7, Further comprising a housing, The container and the wiping unit are capable of being pulled out integrally from the housing of the inkjet recording apparatus.

14. 14. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 7, a cleaning unit capable of cleaning the ink wiper and the processing liquid wiper, The inkjet recording apparatus, wherein the treatment liquid container is disposed closer to the cleaning unit than the ink container.

15. 15. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 7, a cleaning unit capable of cleaning the ink wiper and the processing liquid wiper; a remover for reducing ink adhering to the ink wiper or its support member; Further comprising: the second opening is disposed downstream of the first opening in a moving direction of the ink wiper toward the cleaning unit, The removal unit is disposed upstream of the second opening.

16. 16. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 14, Further comprising a housing, The container, the wiping unit and the cleaning section are integrally removable from the housing.

17. 17. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 16, The cleaning unit includes: an ejection unit that ejects a cleaning liquid onto the ink wiper and the processing liquid wiper; a cleaning container portion for receiving the cleaning liquid that has passed through the ink wiper and the processing liquid wiper; having The container, the wiping unit and the cleaning container section are integrally removable from the housing.

18. At least one head for ejecting liquid; a container having a container body with an opening for receiving liquid ejected from the at least one head, and a partition portion for partitioning the container body into a plurality of independent regions; Equipped with The partition portion is At least one first portion that divides the container body in a first direction; At least one second portion that divides the container body in a second direction intersecting the first direction; having A housing and a wiping unit having a wiper for wiping the head and capable of being drawn out from the housing; Further comprising: An inkjet recording apparatus, wherein a pull-out direction of the wiping unit is a direction along a movement direction of the wiper when wiping the head.

19. At least one head for ejecting liquid; a container having a container body with an opening for receiving liquid ejected from the at least one head, and a partition portion for partitioning the container body into a plurality of independent regions; Equipped with The partition portion is At least one first portion that divides the container body in a first direction; At least one second portion that divides the container body in a second direction intersecting the first direction; having a wiper for wiping the head; a cleaning unit capable of spraying a cleaning liquid to clean the wiper; a cleaning liquid supply unit that supplies the cleaning liquid that has passed through the wiper to the container body; an outlet for discharging the liquid and the cleaning liquid mixed in the container body; The inkjet recording apparatus further comprises:

20. At least one head for ejecting liquid; a container having a container body with an opening for receiving liquid ejected from the at least one head, and a partition portion for partitioning the container body into a plurality of independent regions; Equipped with The partition portion is At least one first portion that divides the container body in a first direction; At least one second portion that divides the container body in a second direction intersecting the first direction; having The at least one head is An ink head that ejects ink; a treatment liquid head that ejects a treatment liquid; having the partition section is disposed so as to partition the container body into an ink container section having a first opening for receiving the ink ejected from the ink head, and a treatment liquid container section having a second opening for receiving the treatment liquid ejected from the treatment liquid head, In the inkjet recording apparatus, the container also serves as a head cap capable of individually capping the ink head and the treatment liquid head.

21. At least one head for ejecting liquid; a container having a container body with an opening for receiving liquid ejected from the at least one head, and a partition portion for partitioning the container body into a plurality of independent regions; Equipped with The partition portion is At least one first portion that divides the container body in a first direction; At least one second portion that divides the container body in a second direction intersecting the first direction; having The at least one head is An ink head that ejects ink; a treatment liquid head that ejects a treatment liquid; having the partition section is disposed so as to partition the container body into an ink container section having a first opening for receiving the ink ejected from the ink head, and a treatment liquid container section having a second opening for receiving the treatment liquid ejected from the treatment liquid head, In an inkjet recording apparatus, the container is a flushing container capable of receiving the ink and the treatment liquid ejected from the ink head and the treatment liquid head during flushing.

22. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, The at least one first portion includes a plurality of first portions.

23. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, The at least one second portion includes a plurality of second portions.

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