Wiping unit, liquid ejection device

Abstract

To provide a wiping unit and a liquid discharge device which can accurately detect a residual amount of a wiping member.SOLUTION: A wiping unit includes: a long wiping member 30 for wiping a liquid discharge head 19 for discharging a liquid; a first roller 31 around which the wiping member 30 is wound; a second roller 32 for winding the wiping member 30 delivered from the first roller 31; a drive force transmission mechanism 29 for transmitting drive force of a drive source to the second roller 32; a conveyance roller 34 which is brought into contact with the wiping member 30 and is rotatable accompanying moving of the wiping member 30; a first detection part 36 capable of detecting a rotation amount of the first roller 31; and a second detection part 37 capable of detecting a rotation amount of the conveyance roller 34.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wiping unit and a liquid ejection device including the wiping unit.

Background Art

[0002] For example, as in Patent Document 1, there is a wiping unit that wipes a liquid ejection head with a wiping member. The wiping unit winds a wiping member fed from a feeding roller, which is an example of a first roller, around a winding roller, which is an example of a second roller, via a conveying roller. The wiping unit includes an encoder that detects the feeding amount of the wiping member from the rotation amount of the conveying roller.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The feeding amount of the wiping member sent during one rotation of the conveying roller varies depending on the thickness of the wiping member, the tension applied to the wiping member, and the slippage between the wiping member and the conveying roller. Therefore, the feeding amount of the wiping member calculated from the rotation amount of the conveying roller may deviate from the actual feeding amount. For example, when the calculated feeding amount is accumulated to calculate the remaining amount of the wiping member, the deviation from the actual feeding amount is also accumulated, so there is a risk that the calculated remaining amount and the actual remaining amount will deviate.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The wiping unit for solving the above problems includes a long wiping member for wiping a liquid discharge head that discharges a liquid, a first roller around which the wiping member is wound, a second roller that winds up the wiping member fed out from the first roller, a driving force transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force of a driving source to the second roller, a conveyance roller that contacts the wiping member and is rotatable as the wiping member moves, a first detection unit capable of detecting the rotation amount of the first roller, and a second detection unit capable of detecting the rotation amount of the conveyance roller.

[0006] The liquid discharge device for solving the above problems includes the liquid discharge head that discharges the liquid, the wiping unit having the above configuration, the driving source, and a control unit. The control unit calculates the diameter of the wiping member wound around the first roller based on the detection result by the first detection unit and the detection result by the second detection unit.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a wiping unit and a liquid discharge device will be described with reference to the drawings. The liquid discharge device is, for example, an inkjet printer that records images such as characters and photos by discharging ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto a medium such as paper, fabric, vinyl, plastic parts, and metal parts.

[0009] In the drawings, it is assumed that the liquid ejection device 11 is placed on a horizontal plane, and the direction of gravity is indicated by the Z-axis, and the directions along the horizontal plane are indicated by the X-axis and the Y-axis. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are orthogonal to each other.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid ejection device 11 may include a housing 12, a notification unit 13, a support unit 14, a carriage 15, a liquid storage unit 16, and a curing unit 17. The liquid ejection device 11 includes a liquid ejection head 19, a control unit 20, a drive source 21, and a wiping unit 22.

[0011] The housing 12 houses various components included in the liquid ejection device 11. The notification unit 13 may be a display unit such as a liquid crystal panel capable of displaying information. The notification unit 13 may be a touch panel capable of displaying and inputting information. The notification unit 13 may notify information by displaying characters, images, and the like.

[0012] The support unit 14 is configured to support the medium 24. The support unit 14 supports, for example, the medium 24 conveyed along the Y-axis. The carriage 15 may mount the liquid storage unit 16 and the liquid ejection head 19. The carriage 15 moves the liquid storage unit 16 and the liquid ejection head 19 by scanning with respect to the medium 24. The carriage 15 of the present embodiment reciprocates along the X-axis and the Y-axis. That is, the liquid ejection device 11 of the present embodiment is a so-called lateral printer. The liquid ejection device 11 may be a serial printer that scans the medium 24, or a line printer that can eject liquid all at once across the width of the medium 24.

[0013] The liquid storage unit 16 is configured to store liquid. The liquid storage unit 16 stores the liquid supplied to the liquid ejection head 19. The liquid storage unit 16 is connected to the liquid ejection head 19 via a flow path (not shown). The liquid storage unit 16 of the present embodiment stores UV ink.

[0014] The curing unit 17 is mounted on the carriage 15, for example. The curing unit 17 may have a light-emitting element that irradiates ultraviolet rays. The curing unit 17 cures the liquid discharged onto the medium 24 by irradiating the medium 24 with ultraviolet rays. The liquid is fixed to the medium 24 by curing.

[0015] The liquid ejection head 19 is configured to eject a liquid. The liquid ejection head 19 has one or more nozzles 26 for ejecting the liquid. The liquid ejection head 19 records an image on the medium 24 by ejecting the liquid from the nozzles 26 onto the medium 24 supported by the support unit 14.

[0016] Maintenance is performed on the liquid ejection head 19 to appropriately eject the liquid from the nozzles 26. Maintenance of the liquid ejection head 19 includes, for example, flushing, cleaning, and wiping.

[0017] Flushing is an operation of appropriately ejecting a liquid from the nozzles 26 to prevent clogging of the nozzles 26. Flushing is executed, for example, before recording, during recording, and after recording. When flushing is executed, the liquid ejection head 19 may eject the liquid toward the wiping unit 22.

[0018] Cleaning is an operation of forcibly ejecting a liquid from the nozzles 26 to discharge foreign substances, air bubbles, etc. inside the liquid ejection head 19. The cleaning in this embodiment is pressure cleaning that forcibly discharges the liquid from the nozzles 26 by pressurizing the inside of the liquid ejection head 19. Cleaning is executed, for example, before recording and after recording. When cleaning is executed, the liquid ejection head 19 may discharge the liquid toward the wiping unit 22.

[0019] Wiping is an operation of wiping the liquid ejection head 19 to remove the liquid adhering to the liquid ejection head 19. Wiping is executed, for example, after cleaning. When wiping is executed, the liquid ejection head 19 is wiped by the wiping unit 22.

[0020] The control unit 20 comprehensively controls the liquid ejection device 11, for example. The control unit 20 controls, for example, the carriage 15, the liquid ejection head 19, and the wiping unit 22. The control unit 20 can be configured as a circuit including α: one or more processors that execute various processes according to a computer program, β: one or more dedicated hardware circuits that execute at least a part of the various processes, or γ: a combination thereof. The hardware circuit is, for example, an application-specific integrated circuit. The processor includes a CPU and memories such as a RAM and a ROM, and the memories store program codes or instructions configured to cause the CPU to execute processes. The memory, that is, the computer-readable medium, includes any readable medium accessible by a general-purpose or dedicated computer.

[0021] The drive source 21 is configured to drive the wiping unit 22. The drive source 21 may be provided inside the wiping unit 22, may be attached to the wiping unit 22, or may be provided separately from the wiping unit 22. The drive source 21 is, for example, an electric motor such as a DC motor, an AC motor, or a stepping motor.

[0022] <Wiping Unit> The wiping unit 22 collects waste liquid generated by the maintenance of the liquid ejection head 19. The waste liquid is liquid among the liquid supplied from the liquid storage unit 16 to the liquid ejection head 19 that does not contribute to the image recorded on the medium 24. The wiping unit 22 is located, for example, at a position adjacent to the support unit 14. The wiping unit 22 collects waste liquid from the liquid ejection head 19 located directly above, for example.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, the wiping unit 22 may include a case 28. The wiping unit 22 may include a driving force transmission mechanism 29, a wiping member 30, a first roller 31, a second roller 32, a conveying roller 34, a first detection unit 36, and a second detection unit 37. The wiping unit 22 may include a pressing portion 39, a first guide roller 41 to a third guide roller 43. The first roller 31, the second roller 32, the conveying roller 34, the pressing portion 39, and the first guide roller 41 to the third guide roller 43 may be provided parallel to each other, for example, along the X axis.

[0024] The conveying roller 34, the pressing portion 39, and the first guide roller 41 to the third guide roller 43 are rotatably held by the case 28, for example. The conveying roller 34, the pressing portion 39, and the first guide roller 41 to the third guide roller 43 rotate passively as the wiping member 30 is conveyed.

[0025] The case 28 houses various components included in the wiping unit 22. The case 28 is configured to be detachable from the housing 12, for example. Therefore, the wiping unit 22 can be replaced with respect to the liquid ejection device 11.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3, the driving force transmission mechanism 29 may include a plurality of fixed gears 45 and a moving gear 46. The fixed gear 45 is a gear whose axial position does not change with respect to the case 28. The moving gear 46 is a gear whose axis is movably provided with respect to the case 28. In FIG. 3, the illustration of some of the fixed gears 45 is omitted, and the direction of the driving force transmitted by the omitted fixed gears 45 is indicated by a broken-line arrow.

[0027] The driving force transmission mechanism 29 is configured to transmit the driving force of the driving source 21 to the second roller 32. The driving force transmission mechanism 29 may also be capable of transmitting the driving force of the driving source 21 to the first roller 31. The driving force transmission mechanism 29 of the present embodiment switches the power transmission destination according to the driving direction of the driving source 21. Specifically, in the driving force transmission mechanism 29, the moving gear 46 moves according to the driving direction of the driving source 21, and the fixed gear 45 meshing with the moving gear 46 is switched.

[0028] When the drive source 21 is reversely driven, the moving gear 46 moves to the first position P1 shown by the solid line in FIG. 3. The moving gear 46 located at the first position P1 transmits the driving force to the first roller 31. That is, the driving force transmission mechanism 29 forms a power transmission path connecting the drive source 21 and the first roller 31, and disconnects the second roller 32 from the power transmission path. Thereby, the first roller 31 rotates in the rewinding direction R1. The rewinding direction R1 is the direction in which the first roller 31 winds up the wiping member 30. At this time, the second roller 32 becomes rotatable.

[0029] When the drive source 21 is forwardly driven, the moving gear 46 moves to the second position P2 shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3. The moving gear 46 located at the second position P2 transmits the driving force to the second roller 32. That is, the driving force transmission mechanism 29 forms a power transmission path connecting the drive source 21 and the second roller 32, and disconnects the first roller 31 from the power transmission path. Thereby, the second roller 32 rotates in the winding direction R2. The winding direction R2 is the direction in which the second roller 32 winds up the wiping member 30. At this time, the first roller 31 becomes rotatable.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, when the first roller 31 rotates in the rewinding direction R1, the first roller 31 winds up the wiping member 30. The first roller 31 pulls the wiping member 30. Therefore, the wiping member 30 is sent from the second roller 32 to the first roller 31, and the wiping member 30 is pulled out from the second roller 32. The second roller 32, the conveying roller 34, the pressing portion 39, and the first guide roller 41 to the third guide roller 43 rotate in a driven manner as the first roller 31 rotates.

[0031] When the second roller 32 rotates in the winding direction R2, the second roller 32 winds up the wiping member 30. The second roller 32 pulls the wiping member 30. Therefore, the wiping member 30 is sent from the first roller 31 to the second roller 32 and is pulled out from the first roller 31. The first roller 31, the conveying roller 34, the pressing portion 39, and the first guide roller 41 to the third guide roller 43 rotate in a driven manner as the second roller 32 rotates.

[0032] The wiping member 30 is for wiping the liquid discharge head 19. The wiping member 30 is configured in a long shape. The wiping member 30 can absorb waste liquid. The wiping member 30 may be, for example, cloth or sponge.

[0033] The wiping member 30 is held by the first roller 31 and the second roller 32. The wiping member 30 is wound around the first guide roller 41, the conveying roller 34, the second guide roller 42, the pressing portion 39, and the third guide roller 43 in this order along the conveying path from the first roller 31 and is wound around the second roller 32.

[0034] The first roller 31 and the second roller 32 wind out and wind up the wiping member 30 by rotating. The first roller 31 is configured such that the wiping member 30 is wound thereon. The first roller 31 of the present embodiment holds the unused wiping member 30 wound in a roll shape. The first roller 31 rotates integrally with the roll-shaped wiping member 30.

[0035] The second roller 32 is configured to wind up the wiping member 30 fed out from the first roller 31. The second roller 32 of the present embodiment winds up the used wiping member 30 in a roll shape. The second roller 32 rotates integrally with the wound roll-shaped wiping member 30.

[0036] The conveying roller 34 is configured to be rotatable in contact with the wiping member 30 as the wiping member 30 moves. The conveying roller 34 may be in contact with the wiping member 30 between the pressing portion 39 and the first roller 31. The conveying roller 34 of the present embodiment is in contact with the wiping member 30 between the first guide roller 41 and the second guide roller 42.

[0037] The first detection unit 36 is configured to be able to detect the rotation amount of the first roller 31. The first detection unit 36 may include a first encoder 36a that detects rotation and a first transmission unit 36b that transmits the rotation of the first roller 31 to the first encoder 36a. The first transmission unit 36b may be constituted by a plurality of gears.

[0038] The second detection unit 37 is configured to be able to detect the rotation amount of the conveying roller 34. The second detection unit 37 may include a second encoder 37a that detects rotation and a second transmission unit 37b that transmits the rotation of the conveying roller 34 to the second encoder 37a. The second transmission unit 37b may be constituted by a plurality of gears.

[0039] The pressing portion 39 may be configured to move between a wiping position shown by a solid line in FIG. 2 and a retracted position shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2. When the pressing portion 39 is in the retracted position, the wiping member 30 does not contact the liquid ejection head 19. By moving to the wiping position, the pressing portion 39 presses the wiping member 30 toward the liquid ejection head 19. When the pressing portion 39 is in the wiping position, the wiping member 30 can contact the liquid ejection head 19. The pressing portion 39 may move in accordance with the maintenance of the liquid ejection head 19 to be executed.

[0040] When wiping is performed, the pressing portion 39 is located at the wiping position. With the pressing portion 39 located at the wiping position, the liquid discharge device 11 performs wiping by relatively moving the liquid discharge head 19 and the wiping unit 22. Either the wiping unit 22 or the liquid discharge head 19 may move, or both may move. In the present embodiment, wiping is performed by moving the liquid discharge head 19 in the moving direction A. The moving direction A is, for example, a direction parallel to the Y-axis. The wiping member 30 recovers the liquid adhering to the liquid discharge head 19 by wiping the liquid discharge head 19.

[0041] When cleaning or flushing is performed, the pressing portion 39 is located at the retracted position. With the liquid discharge head 19 positioned at a position where the nozzle 26 faces the wiping member 30, the liquid discharge device 11 performs cleaning or flushing. The wiping member 30 recovers the liquid dripping from the liquid discharge head 19 or the liquid discharged from the nozzle 26.

[0042] The wiping unit 22 may recover the waste liquid with the wiping member 30 stationary, or may recover the waste liquid while feeding the wiping member 30. For example, when there is a large amount of waste liquid, such as during cleaning, the wiping unit 22 may recover the waste liquid while feeding the wiping member 30. Specifically, the wiping unit 22 may recover the waste liquid while causing the second roller 32 to wind up the wiping member 30.

[0043] For example, each time maintenance of the liquid discharge head 19 is performed, the wiping unit 22 feeds the wiping member 30 from the first roller 31 to the second roller 32. Each time maintenance of the liquid discharge head 19 is performed, the wiping unit 22 may recover the waste liquid with an unused wiping member 30.

[0044] The curing unit 17 may irradiate the wiping member 30 that has collected the waste liquid with ultraviolet rays to cure the waste liquid. The curing unit 17 may cure the waste liquid after the maintenance of the liquid ejection head 19 is completed, or may cure the waste liquid in parallel with the maintenance of the liquid ejection head 19. The curing unit 17 may cure the waste liquid collected by the wiping member 30 after the maintenance of the liquid ejection head 19 has been performed multiple times.

[0045] The liquid ejection device 11 may cure the waste liquid collected by the wiping member 30 while returning the wiping member 30 to the first roller 31. Thereafter, the liquid ejection device 11 may send the wiping member 30 to the second roller 32 until the portion where the waste liquid has cured passes through the pressing portion 39 or the third guide roller 43.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 4, the drive source 21 may be configured to perform acceleration driving that accelerates at the start of driving, constant-speed driving that drives at a constant speed, and deceleration driving that decelerates at the end of driving. The control unit 20 may control the driving of the drive source 21 based on the detection result of the second detection unit 37. That is, the control unit 20 may control the drive source 21 to accelerate the drive source 21 until the conveyance roller 34 reaches a predetermined rotational speed and to perform constant-speed driving while maintaining the predetermined rotational speed.

[0047] During constant-speed driving, slippage between the wiping member 30 and the conveyance roller 34 is less likely to occur than during acceleration driving and deceleration driving. The control unit 20 of the present embodiment calculates the diameter D shown in FIG. 2 based on the respective rotation amounts of the first roller 31 and the conveyance roller 34 during constant-speed driving. The diameter D is the diameter of the wiping member 30 wound in a roll around the circumference of the first roller 31.

[0048] Specifically, the control unit 20 acquires the rotation amounts of the first roller 31 and the conveyance roller 34 that have rotated from the first time point t1 to the second time point t2. The first time point t1 is a time point after the start time point ts at which the constant-speed driving starts. The second time point t2 is a time point after the first time point t1 and before the end time point te at which the constant-speed driving ends. The first time point t1 and the second time point t2 may be preset, or may be set by the control unit 20 based on the detection result of at least one of the first detection unit 36 and the second detection unit 37.

[0049] The control unit 20 acquires the number of first pulses output by the first detection unit 36 from the first time point t1 to the second time point t2. The control unit 20 acquires the number of second pulses output by the second detection unit 37 from the first time point t1 to the second time point t2. That is, the number of first pulses and the number of second pulses are the numbers of pulses output by the first detection unit 36 and the second detection unit 37 during the same period, respectively.

[0050] The control unit 20 calculates the feed amount a of the wiping member 30 from the number of second pulses. The control unit 20 calculates the diameter D of the wiping member 30 based on the calculated feed amount a and the number of first pulses output by the first detection unit 36.

[0051] The feed amount a of the wiping member 30 sent from the first time point t1 to the second time point t2 can be expressed by the following formula (1).

[0052]

Equation

[0053] As shown in FIG. 5, e is the diameter of the conveying roller 34, and f is the thickness of the wiping member 30. The diameter e and the thickness f may be stored in advance by the control unit 20. e + f is the diameter when the radius is from the center O of the conveying roller 34 to the center of the wiping member 30.

[0054] The wiping member 30 is sent from the first roller 31 to the second roller 32 via the conveying roller 34 by the amount fed out from the first roller 31. Therefore, the feed amount a of the wiping member 30 is equal to the amount fed out from the first roller 31. Thus, the feed amount a can also be expressed by the following formula (2).

[0055]

Number

[0056] As shown in FIG. 2, D is the diameter of the wiping member 30 held by the first roller 31. Therefore, D·π is the amount of the wiping member 30 fed out when the first roller 31 makes one rotation.

[0057] As shown by the following formula (3), when the rotation speed of the first roller 31 is b, from formulas (1) to (3), the diameter D of the wiping member 30 held by the first roller 31 is expressed by the following formula (4).

[0058]

Number

[0059]

Number

[0060] The control unit 20 may store a table showing the relationship between the diameter D of the wiping member 30 and the remaining amount. The control unit 20 may acquire the remaining amount based on the calculated diameter D. The control unit 20 may calculate the remaining amount from the calculated diameter D. The remaining amount of the wiping member 30 is the length of the wiping member 30 wound around the first roller 31. In other words, the remaining amount of the wiping member 30 is the length of the wiping member 30 that can be drawn out from the first roller 31.

[0061] When the calculated diameter D of the wiping member 30 is less than a predetermined value, the control unit 20 may give a notification. For example, when the remaining amount obtained from the diameter D is less than the amount required for maintenance, the control unit 20 may give a notification. That is, the control unit 20 may control the notification unit 13 to notify to replace the wiping member 30 or the wiping unit 22. When the calculated value is less than a preset threshold value, the control unit 20 may notify that the replacement time of the wiping member 30 or the wiping unit 22 is approaching.

[0062] The effects of this embodiment will be described. (1) The relationship between the amount of the wiping member 30 fed out by the rotation of the first roller 31 and the rotation amount of the first roller 31 changes according to the diameter D of the wiping member 30 wound around the first roller 31. Since the wiping member 30 is long, it is fed out from the first roller 31 by the amount wound around the second roller 32, and moves by this amount to rotate the conveying roller 34. The first detection unit 36 detects the rotation amount of the first roller 31, and the second detection unit 37 detects the rotation amount of the conveying roller 34. Therefore, the remaining amount of the wiping member 30 wound around the first roller 31 can be accurately detected.

[0063] (2) The rotation amount of the conveying roller 34 with respect to the feed amount a of the wiping member 30 may change depending on the amount of liquid adhering to the wiping member 30 or the like. In this regard, the conveying roller 34 contacts the wiping member 30 between the pressing portion 39 and the first roller 31. That is, since the conveying roller 34 contacts the wiping member 30 before the liquid discharge head 19 is wiped, the detection accuracy of the remaining amount of the wiping member 30 can be improved.

[0064] (3) The driving force transmission mechanism 29 can transmit the driving force of the driving source 21 to the first roller 31. That is, the driving source 21 can rotate the first roller 31 and the second roller 32. When the first roller 31 rotates, the wiping member 30 is fed out from the second roller 32, sent to the first roller 31, and wound around the first roller 31. When the second roller 32 rotates, the wiping member 30 is fed out from the first roller 31, sent to the second roller 32, and wound around the second roller 32. Therefore, the wiping member 30 fed out from the first roller 31 can be wound back to the first roller 31.

[0065] (4) The control unit 20 calculates the diameter D of the wiping member 30 wound around the first roller 31 based on the respective rotation amounts of the first roller 31 and the conveying roller 34 during constant-speed driving. During constant-speed driving, slippage between the wiping member 30 and the conveying roller 34 is less likely to occur compared to during acceleration driving and deceleration driving. Therefore, the diameter D of the wiping member 30 can be calculated more accurately.

[0066] (5) When the diameter D of the wiping member 30 wound around the first roller 31 falls below a predetermined value, the control unit 20 issues a notification. Therefore, it is possible to inform the user that the remaining amount of the wiping member 30 has decreased.

[0067] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the wiping unit and the liquid ejection device will be described. Note that in this second embodiment, the configurations of the drive source and the first detection unit are different from those in the first embodiment. And since other points are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment, duplicate explanations for the same configurations will be omitted by attaching the same reference numerals.

[0068] The drive source 21 of the present embodiment may be a servo motor. The servo motor has an encoder and can output its own rotation speed. That is, the servo motor also functions as the first detection unit 36. In other words, the drive source 21 and the first detection unit 36 may be configured by a servo motor.

[0069] The control unit 20 calculates the diameter D of the wiping member 30 based on equations (1) to (4) in the same manner as in the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, g is the number of rotations that the drive source 21 has rotated between the first time point t1 and the second time point t2. In the present embodiment, h is the number of rotations of the drive source 21 required to rotate the first roller 31 once. Therefore, g / h is the rotation amount of the first roller 31 between the first time point t1 and the second time point t2. The number of rotations h of the drive source 21 required to rotate the first roller 31 once is preset based on the gear ratio of the gear connecting the first roller 31 and the drive source 21, experimental results, etc., and may be stored in the control unit 20.

[0070] <Operation> The control unit 20 calculates the diameter D of the wiping member 30 from the rotation amount of the first roller 31 when the drive source 21 rotates the first roller 31 and the rotation amount of the conveyance roller 34 detected by the second detection unit 37. That is, the control unit 20 calculates the diameter D of the wiping member 30 from the rotation amounts of the first roller 31 and the conveyance roller 34 when returning the wiping member 30 to the first roller 31. The control unit 20 may give a notification when the calculated diameter D of the wiping member 30 falls below a predetermined value.

[0071] The effects of the present embodiment will be described. (6) The driving force transmission mechanism 29 transmits the driving force of the servo motor to the first roller 31 and rotates the first roller 31. Therefore, the rotation amount of the first roller 31 is proportional to the rotation speed of the servo motor. That is, the servo motor can detect the rotation amount of the first roller 31 by detecting its own rotation speed. The drive source 21 and the first detection unit 36 are constituted by a servo motor. Therefore, the configuration of the liquid ejection device 11 can be simplified as compared with the case where the drive source 21 and the first detection unit 36 are provided individually.

[0072] The present embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. The present embodiment and the following modification examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically non - conflicting range. · The notification unit 13 may be a speaker that gives a notification by sound or voice, or a bell. The notification unit 13 may be a light that gives a notification by lighting and blinking of light. The liquid ejection device 11 may include a plurality of notification units 13 and give a notification by combining these notification units 13.

[0073] · The notification unit 13 may be provided separately from the liquid ejection device 11. The control unit 20 may cause a notification unit of a terminal owned by, for example, a user or an operator who performs the replacement to give a notification by outputting a signal to the terminal.

[0074] ·The control unit 20 may calculate the diameter D of the wiping member 30 based on the rotation amounts of the first roller 31 and the conveying roller 34 during an arbitrary period from the start of driving of the drive source 21 to the stop of the drive source 21.

[0075] ·The wiping unit 22 may include a moving mechanism that moves the moving gear 46 by, for example, a cam or the like. ·The liquid ejection device 11 may include a plurality of drive sources 21. The liquid ejection device 11 may include a drive source 21 that drives the first roller 31 and a drive source 21 that drives the second roller 32. The control unit 20 may feed or retract the wiping member 30 by controlling the driving of the plurality of drive sources 21.

[0076] ·The liquid ejection device 11 may separately include a waste liquid receiving portion that receives waste liquid discharged during cleaning and flushing, apart from the wiping unit 22. ·The liquid ejection device 11 does not necessarily have to cure the waste liquid collected by the wiping member 30. The wiping unit 22 may cause the wiping member 30 that has absorbed the waste liquid to be wound around the second roller 32 as it is. The wiping unit 22 may be configured such that the wiping member 30 does not return to the first roller 31. In this case, the driving force transmission mechanism 29 does not necessarily have to have a gear that connects the drive source 21 and the first roller 31.

[0077] ·The conveying roller 34 may contact the wiping member 30 between the pressing portion 39 and the second roller 32. ·The wiping unit 22 includes the first roller 31, the second roller 32, and the pressing portion 39, and the second detection unit 37 may detect the rotation amount of the pressing portion 39. That is, the pressing portion 39 may function as a conveying roller.

[0078] · The liquid ejection device 11 may be a liquid ejection device that ejects or discharges liquids other than ink. The state of the liquid discharged as minute droplets from the liquid ejection device shall include those with a granular, teardrop-like, or thread-like trailing shape. The liquid here may be any material that can be discharged from the liquid ejection device. For example, the liquid may be in a state when the substance is in a liquid phase, including highly viscous or low-viscosity liquid substances, sols, gels, water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals, molten metals, and other fluid substances. The liquid shall include not only liquids as a state of matter but also those in which particles of functional materials composed of solid substances such as pigments and metal particles are dissolved, dispersed, or mixed in a solvent. Representative examples of the liquid include ink and liquid crystal as described in the above embodiments. Here, the ink shall include general aqueous inks, oil-based inks, and various liquid compositions such as gel inks and hot melt inks. Specific examples of the liquid ejection device include, for example, a device that discharges a liquid containing materials such as electrode materials and color materials used in the manufacture of liquid crystal displays, electroluminescent displays, surface-emitting displays, color filters, etc. in a dispersed or dissolved form. The liquid ejection device may be a device that ejects biological organics used in the manufacture of biochips, a device that ejects a liquid serving as a sample used as a precision pipette, a printing device, a microdispenser, etc. The liquid ejection device may be a device that precisely ejects lubricating oil onto precision machinery such as watches and cameras, or a device that discharges a transparent resin liquid such as an ultraviolet curable resin onto a substrate to form a micro hemispherical lens, an optical lens, etc. used in optical communication elements. The liquid ejection device may be a device that discharges an etching liquid such as an acid or an alkali to etch a substrate or the like.

[0079] The following describes the technical ideas grasped from the above-described embodiments and modification examples and their operational effects. (A) The wiping unit includes a long wiping member for wiping a liquid discharge head that discharges liquid, a first roller around which the wiping member is wound, a second roller that winds up the wiping member fed out from the first roller, a driving force transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force of a driving source to the second roller, a conveying roller that contacts the wiping member and is rotatable as the wiping member moves, a first detection unit capable of detecting the rotation amount of the first roller, and a second detection unit capable of detecting the rotation amount of the conveying roller.

[0080] The relationship between the feeding amount of the wiping member fed out by the rotation of the first roller and the rotation amount of the first roller changes according to the diameter of the wiping member wound around the first roller. Since the wiping member is long, it is fed out from the first roller by the amount wound around the second roller and moves by this amount to rotate the conveying roller. According to this configuration, the first detection unit detects the rotation amount of the first roller, and the second detection unit detects the rotation amount of the conveying roller. Therefore, the remaining amount of the wiping member wound around the first roller can be accurately detected.

[0081] (B) The wiping unit further includes a pressing portion that presses the wiping member toward the liquid discharge head, and the conveying roller may contact the wiping member between the pressing portion and the first roller.

[0082] The rotation amount of the conveying roller with respect to the feeding amount of the wiping member may change depending on the amount of liquid adhering to the wiping member. In this regard, according to this configuration, the conveying roller contacts the wiping member between the pressing portion and the first roller. That is, since the conveying roller contacts the wiping member before wiping the liquid discharge head, the detection accuracy of the remaining amount of the wiping member can be improved.

[0083] (C) In the wiping unit, the driving force transmission mechanism may be capable of transmitting the driving force of the driving source to the first roller. According to this configuration, the driving force transmission mechanism can transmit the driving force of the driving source to the first roller. That is, the driving source can rotate the first roller and the second roller. When the first roller rotates, the wiping member is fed out from the second roller, sent to the first roller, and wound around the first roller. When the second roller rotates, the wiping member is fed out from the first roller, sent to the second roller, and wound around the second roller. Therefore, the wiping member fed out from the first roller can be rewound around the first roller.

[0084] (D) The liquid ejection device includes the liquid ejection head that ejects the liquid, the wiping unit having the above configuration, the driving source, and the control unit. The control unit calculates the diameter of the wiping member wound around the first roller based on the detection result by the first detection unit and the detection result by the second detection unit. According to this configuration, the same effect as that of the above wiping unit can be achieved.

[0085] (E) In the liquid ejection device, the driving source and the first detection unit may be configured by a servo motor having an encoder. The driving force transmission mechanism transmits the driving force of the servo motor to the first roller and rotates the first roller. Therefore, the rotation amount of the first roller is proportional to the rotation speed of the servo motor. That is, the servo motor can detect the rotation amount of the first roller by detecting its own rotation speed. According to this configuration, the driving source and the first detection unit are configured by the servo motor. Therefore, the configuration of the liquid ejection device can be simplified compared to the case where the driving source and the first detection unit are provided individually.

[0086] (F) In the liquid ejection device, the driving source is configured to perform an acceleration drive that accelerates at the start of driving, a constant-speed drive that drives at a constant speed, and a deceleration drive that decelerates at the end of driving. The control unit may calculate the diameter based on the rotation amounts of the first roller and the conveyance roller during the constant-speed drive.

[0087] According to this configuration, the control unit calculates the diameter of the wiping member wound around the first roller based on the rotation amounts of the first roller and the conveying roller during constant-speed driving. During constant-speed driving, slippage between the wiping member and the conveying roller is less likely to occur compared to during acceleration driving and deceleration driving. Therefore, the diameter of the wiping member can be calculated with higher accuracy.

[0088] (G) In the liquid ejection device, the control unit may give a notification when the calculated diameter is less than a predetermined value. According to this configuration, when the diameter of the wiping member wound around the first roller is less than a predetermined value, the control unit gives a notification. Therefore, it is possible to notify the user that the remaining amount of the wiping member has decreased.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0089] 11... Liquid ejection device, 12... Housing, 13... Notification unit, 14... Support unit, 15... Carriage, 16... Liquid storage unit, 17... Curing unit, 19... Liquid ejection head, 20... Control unit, 21... Drive source, 22... Wiping unit, 24... Medium, 26... Nozzle, 28... Case, 29... Driving force transmission mechanism, 30... Wiping member, 31... First roller, 32... Second roller, 34... Conveying roller, 36... First detection unit, 36a... First encoder, 36b... First transmission unit, 37... Second detection unit, 37a... Second encoder, 37b... Second transmission unit, 39... Pressing unit, 41... First guide roller, 42... Second guide roller, 43... Third guide roller, 45... Fixed gear, 46... Movable gear, A... Moving direction, D... Diameter, e... Diameter, f... Thickness, O... Center, P1... First position, P2... Second position, R1... Rewinding direction, R2... Winding direction, t1... First time point, t2... Second time point, ts... Start time point, te... End time point.

Claims

1. A long wiping member for wiping a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid, a first roller around which the wiping member is wound, a second roller that winds up the wiping member fed out from the first roller, a driving force transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force of a driving source to the second roller, a conveying roller that contacts the wiping member and is rotatable as the wiping member moves, a first contact position that is upstream of the conveying roller in the feeding direction of the wiping member and contacts the wiping member at the first contact position to guide the wiping member, a second contact position that is downstream of the conveying roller in the feeding direction and contacts the wiping member at the second contact position to guide the wiping member, a first detection unit capable of detecting the rotation amount of the first roller, a second detection unit capable of detecting the rotation amount of the conveying roller, and comprising: The first guide roller, the second guide roller, and the conveying roller are provided at positions sandwiching the aforementioned wiping member, The conveying roller overlaps with the first guide roller and the second guide roller in a common tangent direction passing through the first contact position and the second contact position, and is characterized in that a wiping unit.

2. Further comprising a pressing portion that presses the wiping member toward the liquid ejection head, The conveying roller contacts the wiping member between the pressing portion and the first roller, The wiping unit according to claim 1, characterized in that

3. The driving force transmission mechanism is capable of transmitting the driving force of the driving source to the first roller, The wiping unit according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that

4. A liquid ejection head that ejects liquid, a wiping unit that wipes the liquid ejection head, a driving source, a control unit, and comprising: The wiping unit is a long wiping member for wiping the liquid ejection head, a first roller around which the wiping member is wound, a second roller that winds up the wiping member fed out from the first roller, a driving force transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the driving source to the second roller, a conveying roller that contacts the wiping member and is rotatable as the wiping member moves, a first detection unit capable of detecting the rotation amount of the first roller, a second detection unit capable of detecting the rotation amount of the conveying roller, and having The driving source has an accelerating drive that accelerates at the start of driving and a constant-speed drive that drives at a constant speed, configured to perform decelerating drive that decelerates when the drive is stopped, The control unit calculates the diameter of the wiping member wound around the first roller based on the number of revolutions of each of the first roller and the conveying roller only during the constant-speed drive. A liquid ejection device characterized by this.

5. The driving force transmission mechanism is capable of transmitting the driving force of the drive source to the first roller. The liquid ejection device according to claim 4, characterized by this.

6. The drive source and the first detection unit are configured by a servo motor having an encoder. The liquid ejection device according to claim 5, characterized by this.

7. The control unit is characterized by performing notification when the calculated diameter falls below a predetermined value. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 4 to 6.

8. The control unit calculates the diameter based on the respective number of revolutions and the thickness of the wiping member. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized by this. ​

Images