Cleaning device and image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide a cleaning device which can inhibit foam of a cleaning fluid from adhering to a discharge surface, and to provide an image formation device.SOLUTION: A cleaning device includes: a cleaning part having a wiping member which wipes a discharge surface of a discharge part for discharging droplets, a storage member for storing a cleaning fluid in which the wiping member is immersed, the cleaning part configured to change a positional relationship between the wiping member and the storage member; and a control unit which changes the positional relationship between when the discharge surface is wiped by the wiping member and when the discharge surface is not wiped to change an immersion state of the wiping member in the cleaning fluid.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cleaning device and an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] In an image forming apparatus that forms an image by ejecting droplets of ink or the like onto a recording medium, if droplets adhere to the ejection surface of an ejection unit, the stability of droplet ejection deteriorates. For this reason, a technique has been known in the past to remove droplets that have adhered to the ejection surface by wiping the ejection surface with a cleaning member immersed in a cleaning liquid.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a roller member immersed in a cleaning liquid wipes the ejection surface. Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which the immersion state of a roller member that reciprocates along the ejection surface extending in a predetermined direction in the cleaning liquid is changed between the outward and return paths. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-179125 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-53822 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the roller member is immersed in the cleaning liquid while wiping the ejection surface, which causes bubbles of the cleaning liquid squeezed out from the roller member to adhere to the ejection surface, ultimately leading to poor droplet ejection.

[0006] Furthermore, if a defoaming agent is added to the cleaning liquid to prevent foaming, the defoaming agent may adhere to the ejection surface, which may adversely affect the durability of the ejection section.

[0007] Furthermore, the configuration described in Patent Document 2 is premised on the reciprocating motion of the roller member, and therefore there is room for improvement in terms of the configuration to alleviate the above problems.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device and an image forming apparatus that can prevent bubbles of cleaning liquid from adhering to the ejection surface. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The cleaning device according to the present invention comprises: Discharge surface of the discharge unit that discharges droplets The nozzle surface rotates while contacting the nozzle surface. to dispel Composed of roller members a cleaning unit including a wiping member, a reservoir member for storing a cleaning liquid in which the wiping member can be immersed, and a squeeze member for squeezing the cleaning liquid contained in the wiping member, the cleaning unit being configured so that the positional relationship between the wiping member and the reservoir member can be changed; Equipped with , The cleaning unit, based on the control of a control unit of the device including the discharge unit, The positional relationship is changed between when the wiping member wipes the ejection surface and when the wiping member does not wipe the ejection surface. And By doing so, the immersion state of the wiping member in the cleaning liquid is changed. And , The cleaning unit is set to a first state in which the wiping member is immersed in the cleaning liquid when not wiping, and a second state in which the wiping member is not immersed in the cleaning liquid when wiping, based on the control of the control unit. .

[0010] The image forming apparatus according to the present invention comprises: Discharge surface of the discharge unit that discharges droplets The nozzle surface rotates while contacting the nozzle surface. to dispel Composed of roller members a cleaning unit including a wiping member, a storage member for storing a cleaning liquid in which the wiping member can be immersed, and a squeezing member for squeezing the cleaning liquid contained in the wiping member, the cleaning unit being configured to be able to change the positional relationship between the wiping member and the storage member; a control unit that changes the positional relationship between when the wiping member is wiping the ejection surface and when the wiping member is not wiping the ejection surface, thereby changing the immersion state of the wiping member in the cleaning liquid; Equipped with 、 The control unit sets the wiping member to a first state in which it is immersed in the cleaning liquid when not wiping, and sets the wiping member to a second state in which it is not immersed in the cleaning liquid when wiping. . [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent bubbles of the cleaning liquid from adhering to the ejection surface. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the main parts of a control system of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a cleaning device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a cleaning device. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of notification control of the cleaning device. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a corner portion of the storage member in the first position. [Figure 7A] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a cleaning device according to a modified example. [Figure 7B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a cleaning device according to a modified example. [Figure 8A] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a cleaning device according to a modified example. [Figure 8B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a cleaning device according to a modified example. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating experimental results of a verification experiment according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 is an inkjet type image forming apparatus, and includes a belt conveying device 2, a recording head 3, a cleaning device 4, and the like.

[0015] In the belt conveying device 2, an endless conveying belt 23 of a predetermined width is stretched over a driving roller 21 and a driven roller 22 that are arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval. The upper surface of the conveying belt 23 stretched over the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22 serves as a loading surface on which the recording medium P is placed in close contact.

[0016] An adhesive is applied to the surface of the conveyor belt 23 to adhere the recording medium P during conveyance to the upper surface of the conveyor belt 23. The drive roller 21 is driven by a sub-scanning motor (not shown).

[0017] In the belt conveying device 2, the driving roller 21 is rotated at a predetermined speed in the counterclockwise direction (see the arrow) in Fig. 1 by the rotational drive of the sub-scanning motor, thereby rotating and moving the conveying belt 23 stretched between the driving roller 21 and the driven roller 22. By this operation, the recording medium P placed on the upper surface of the conveying belt 23 is conveyed in the direction of the arrow A in the figure, which is the sub-scanning direction.

[0018] The recording medium P may be any recording medium commonly used in inkjet recording, such as paper, fabric, plastic film, glass plate, etc. The recording medium P may be in the form of a sheet cut to a predetermined size, or may be in the form of a continuous length that is continuously unwound from a master roll wound into a roll.

[0019] A belt cleaning device (not shown) is provided on the opposite side of the belt conveying device 2 from the conveying surface of the recording medium P. Foreign matter adhering to the conveying belt 23 is removed by this belt cleaning device.

[0020] The recording head 3 has a plurality of recording elements (inkjet heads) and is arranged at a predetermined interval above the surface of the conveyor belt 23 on which the recording medium P is placed. The recording head 3 ejects ink droplets (liquid droplets) from ejection surfaces 3A (see FIG. 3, etc.) of a large number of nozzles provided on the lower surface of the recording head 3, thereby recording a desired image on the recording medium P being conveyed by the rotational movement of the conveyor belt 23. The recording head 3 corresponds to the "ejection unit" of the present invention.

[0021] In this embodiment, the recording head 3 is a line-type recording head that is fixedly suspended across the width of the conveyor belt 23 and records an image by ejecting ink droplets onto the continuously conveyed recording medium P. In this case, the driving of the drive roller 21 is controlled so that the conveyor belt 23 moves (rotates) continuously during recording.

[0022] The recording head 3 may be a shuttle type recording head mounted on a carriage (not shown) that moves back and forth in a main scanning direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the intermittently transported recording medium P. In this case, the drive of the drive roller 21 is controlled so that, during recording, the transport belt 23 performs an intermittent operation that alternates between a standby state and a driving state.

[0023] The cleaning device 4 is a device that wipes and cleans the ejection surface 3A of ink droplets ejected by the recording head 3, and has a cleaning unit 41 and a detection unit 42 (see FIG. 2). During image formation, the cleaning device 4 is disposed at a position different from the position corresponding to the ejection surface 3A of the recording head 3. Note that FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which the cleaning device 4 is disposed outside the position corresponding to the recording head 3 in the width direction of the conveyor belt 23. Details of the cleaning device 4 will be described later.

[0024] 2 is a block diagram showing the main functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 includes a control unit 100, a recording head driving unit 110, a conveyance driving unit 120, an input / output interface 130, a cleaning driving unit 140, and a notification unit 150.

[0025] The control unit 100 includes a CPU 101 (Central Processing Unit), a RAM 102 (Random Access Memory), a ROM 103 (Read Only Memory), and a storage unit 104.

[0026] The CPU 101 reads out various control programs and setting data stored in the ROM 103, stores them in the RAM 102, and executes the programs to perform various arithmetic processing. The CPU 101 also performs overall control of the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0027] The RAM 102 provides a working memory space for the CPU 101 and stores temporary data. The RAM 102 may include a non-volatile memory.

[0028] The ROM 103 stores various control programs and setting data executed by the CPU 101. Note that, instead of the ROM 103, a rewritable nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) or a flash memory may be used.

[0029] The storage unit 104 stores print jobs (image recording commands) and image data related to the print jobs input from the external device 6 via the input / output interface 130. As the storage unit 104, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) is used, and a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or the like may also be used in combination.

[0030] The recording head driving unit 110 supplies a driving signal corresponding to the image data to the recording head 3 at an appropriate timing based on the control of the control unit 100, thereby causing the nozzles of the recording head 3 to eject an amount of ink corresponding to the pixel values ​​of the image data.

[0031] The transport drive unit 120 supplies a drive signal to the sub-scanning motor of the drive roller 21 under the control of the control unit 100, thereby rotating the transport belt 23 at a predetermined speed and timing.

[0032] The input / output interface 130 mediates the transmission and reception of data between the external device 6 and the control unit 100. The input / output interface 130 is configured, for example, by any one of various serial interfaces, various parallel interfaces, or a combination of these.

[0033] The external device 6 is, for example, a personal computer, and supplies image recording commands (print jobs), image data, and the like to the control unit 100 via an input / output interface 130.

[0034] The cleaning drive unit 140 moves the cleaning device 4 by supplying a drive signal to the cleaning device 4 under the control of the control unit 100, for example.

[0035] The notification unit 150 is a part of the image forming apparatus 1, such as a display unit or a voice output unit, that can notify the user of predetermined information.

[0036] Next, the cleaning device 4 will be described in detail. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the cleaning device 4. Note that a Cartesian coordinate system (X, Y, Z) is used to explain the structure of the cleaning device 4 of this embodiment. The same Cartesian coordinate system (X, Y, Z) is used in the drawings that will be described later. For example, in Fig. 3 etc., the depth direction of the paper is the X direction, the left-right direction is the Y direction, and the up-down direction is the Z direction.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 3, the cleaning device 4 has the cleaning unit 41 and the detection unit 42, as described above, and is configured to be movable relative to the ejection surface 3A of the recording head 3 in the Y direction (predetermined direction).

[0038] The cleaning device 4 is provided at a position corresponding to the end of the recording head 3 in the Y direction during the wiping operation of the ejection surface 3A, and is configured to be able to move back and forth between one end and the other end of the ejection surface 3A in the Y direction. The cleaning device 4 cleans the ejection surface 3A by moving relatively in the Y direction to wipe away ink droplets adhering to the ejection surface 3A.

[0039] The cleaning device 4 may move in the Y direction to wipe the ejection surface 3A, or the recording head 3 may move in the Y direction to wipe the ejection surface 3A. If the recording head 3 is configured to be immovable, for example, the belt conveying device 2 may be configured to retract from the area in order to ensure an area in which the cleaning device 4 can move. If the recording head 3 is configured to be movable, for example, the cleaning device 4 may be disposed at a different position in the Y direction from the belt conveying device 2, and the recording head 3 may be configured to move to a position corresponding to the cleaning device 4. The Y direction may be any appropriate direction, such as the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 23 or the width direction of the conveyor belt 23.

[0040] The cleaning unit 41 includes a wiping member 411 , a storage member 412 , and a throttle member 413 .

[0041] The wiping member 411 is a roller member that wipes ink droplets (liquid droplets) off the ejection surface 3A of the recording head 3. A surface layer 411A of the wiping member 411 is an elastic member that can absorb ink droplets.

[0042] The elastic member may be made of any material as long as it is a porous substance, such as a sponge, but a material having open cells, such as a plastic polymer, is preferred, and a polyurethane material that easily absorbs cleaning liquid and ink is even more preferred.

[0043] The wiping member 411 is rotatably supported, for example, by a housing (not shown) that constitutes the cleaning device 4, and rotates while contacting the ejection surface 3A of the recording head 3 as the cleaning device 4 moves in the Y direction. This causes the wiping member 411 to wipe the ejection surface 3A.

[0044] The reservoir 412 is, for example, a bucket configured to be able to store the cleaning liquid W in which the wiping member 411 can be immersed. The cleaning liquid W may be any liquid (for example, pure water) that can clean the ejection surface 3A when the wiping member 411 wipes the ejection surface 3A.

[0045] Storing member 412 is disposed at a position where wiping member 411 fits inside, and is rotatably supported on a predetermined rotation shaft 412 A. Rotation shaft 412 A is provided at an appropriate position on the housing of cleaning device 4.

[0046] A predetermined amount of cleaning liquid W is stored in the storage member 412, and under the control of the control unit 100, the storage member 412 rotates between a first position (position in FIG. 3) and a second position (position in FIG. 4).

[0047] The first position is the position of the storage member 412 when the cleaning unit 41 is stopped and not performing a wiping operation. When the storage member 412 is located at the first position and a predetermined amount of cleaning liquid W is stored in the storage member 412, the wiping member 411 is immersed in the cleaning liquid W.

[0048] 4, the second position is the position of the storage member 412 when the cleaning unit 41 performs a wiping operation, and is a position where the storage member 412 has rotated to the negative side in the Z direction from the first position. When the storage member 412 is located at the second position and a predetermined amount of cleaning liquid W is stored in the storage member 412, the wiping member 411 is not immersed in the cleaning liquid W.

[0049] That is, the cleaning unit 41 is configured so that the positional relationship between the wiping member 411 and the storage member 412 can be changed.

[0050] Furthermore, a boost member 414 is provided on the negative side in the Z direction of the storage member 412. The boost member 414 is configured so that the storage member 412 rests on it when the storage member 412 is located at the first position. The boost member 414 supports the storage member 412 from the negative side in the Z direction, thereby stabilizing the immersion state of the wiping member 411 in the cleaning liquid W.

[0051] Note that boost member 414 may have any configuration as long as it can support storage member 412 when in the first position, such as being movable according to the position of storage member 412. Furthermore, if the position of storage member 412 can be stabilized by another method, boost member 414 does not need to be provided.

[0052] The throttle member 413 is, for example, an axial member extending in the X direction, and is disposed opposite the wiping member 411 in the Y direction. The throttle member 413 is configured to be able to come into contact with the wiping member 411 and to press against the surface layer 411A of the wiping member 411. The throttle member 413 presses against and squeezes the surface layer 411A of the wiping member 411, thereby adjusting the water content of the wiping member 411 that has absorbed the cleaning liquid so that it is less than before the adjustment.

[0053] The throttle member 413 may have any configuration as long as it is capable of squeezing the cleaning liquid from the surface layer 411A of the wiping member 411. The throttle member 413 may be configured so that the amount of pressure applied to the wiping member 411 can be adjusted by the control of the control unit 100, an operation by the user, or the like.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 2, the detector 42 is a sensor (for example, a float sensor) that detects the amount (liquid volume) of the cleaning liquid W in the reservoir member 412.

[0055] Next, the operation control of the cleaning unit 41 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0056] The control unit 100 changes the positional relationship between the wiping member 411 and the reservoir member 412 when the wiping member 411 is wiping the discharge surface 3A and when it is not wiping, thereby changing the state of immersion of the wiping member 411 in the cleaning liquid.

[0057] The non-wiping period is when the wiping member 411 is not wiping the ejection surface 3A, for example, when the cleaning unit 41 is located at a position corresponding to both ends of the recording head 3 in the Y direction. The non-wiping period includes the period before the wiping operation by the wiping member 411 starts and after it is completed, as well as an intermediate period when the wiping operation is performed by the reciprocating movement of the cleaning unit 41. The intermediate period is the period from when the cleaning unit 41 reaches from one end of the recording head 3 to the other end until it starts to return to one end.

[0058] During wiping, the wiping operation is performed by the wiping member 411, and the cleaning section 41 is located at a position corresponding to the ejection surface 3A between both ends of the recording head 3 in the Y direction.

[0059] Specifically, the control unit 100 sets the storage member 412 to a first position when not wiping, and sets the storage member 412 to a second position when wiping. In other words, the control unit 100 sets the wiping member 411 to a first state where it is immersed in the cleaning liquid W when not wiping, and sets the wiping member 411 to a second state where it is not immersed in the cleaning liquid W when wiping.

[0060] That is, during wiping, the control unit 100 moves the reservoir member 412 away from the wiping member 411 compared to when not wiping.

[0061] When the controller 100 performs the wiping operation with the cleaning unit 41, the controller 100 moves the storage member 412 from the first position to the second position to move the wiping member 411 away from the cleaning liquid W. Then, the controller 100 moves the cleaning unit 41 in the Y direction, and the wiping member 411 wipes the ejection surface 3A.

[0062] In this way, when not wiping, the wiping member 411 is immersed in the cleaning liquid W, thereby allowing the wiping member 411 to sufficiently absorb the cleaning liquid W. Then, when wiping, the wiping member 411 is not immersed in the cleaning liquid W, and therefore the wiping member 411 wipes the ejection surface 3A using only the cleaning liquid W that it has absorbed when not wiping.

[0063] Incidentally, when wiping the ejection surface with the wiping member constantly immersed in cleaning liquid, as in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the wiping member constantly absorbs the cleaning liquid. Because the wiping member is pressed by the throttle member, air is taken in when the wiping member, which has been deformed by the throttle member, returns to its original shape. When the cleaning liquid is squeezed out again, the air is expelled along with the cleaning liquid. This generates bubbles in the cleaning liquid, and these bubbles adhere to the ejection surface.

[0064] In contrast, in the present embodiment, the cleaning liquid W is not absorbed by the wiping member 411 during wiping, so that the cleaning liquid W is not squeezed out of the wiping member 411 more than necessary during wiping, and as a result, it is possible to prevent bubbles from forming in the cleaning liquid W (foaming) when wiping the ejection surface 3A. As a result, it is possible to prevent bubbles from forming in the cleaning liquid W from adhering to the ejection surface 3A.

[0065] Furthermore, in the configuration described in Patent Document 2, foaming of the cleaning liquid on the ejection surface is suppressed by moving the wiping member back and forth and performing the wiping operation twice with the wiping member. Specifically, by reducing the amount of immersion of the wiping member in the cleaning liquid on the return path compared to the outgoing path, foaming of the cleaning liquid on the return path is suppressed while wiping the ejection surface, but in this case, the reciprocating movement of the wiping member is a prerequisite, and therefore the wiping time increases accordingly.

[0066] In contrast, in this embodiment, wiping of the discharge surface 3A can be completed by a single operation of moving the wiping member 411 from one end to the other end in the Y direction. As a result, in this embodiment, compared to a configuration in which the wiping operation is performed twice, it is possible to reduce the bubbling of the cleaning liquid W and shorten the wiping time.

[0067] Furthermore, when the cleaning part 41 moves to the end opposite to the end at which it started to move, the control part 100 moves the storage member 412 from the second position to the first position, so that the wiping member 411 is immersed in the cleaning liquid W.

[0068] This allows the wiping member 411 to absorb the cleaning liquid W again, thereby preparing for the next wiping operation.

[0069] Furthermore, the cleaning unit 41 may wait for the next wiping operation at the position where it has been moved in one operation, or may return to its original position (the starting position of the wiping operation for the above-mentioned one operation). When the cleaning unit 41 returns to its original position, the cleaning unit 41 may be configured to return so that the wiping member 411 does not wipe the ejection surface 3A.

[0070] Furthermore, the cleaning unit 41 may be returned to its original position by performing the first operation and then the second operation in succession. In other words, the wiping operation may be performed by reciprocating the wiping member 411 and the storage member 412.

[0071] In this case, when the wiping member 411 and the storage member 412 reach from one end of the discharge surface 3A to the other end, the control unit 100 changes the storage member 412 from the second position (positional relationship during wiping) to the first position (positional relationship during non-wiping). Then, when the wiping member 411 and the storage member 412 return from the other end to one end, the control unit 100 changes the storage member 412 from the second position to the first position.

[0072] By doing this, when the return movement starts, the cleaning liquid W can be newly absorbed into the wiping member 411 and then cleaning can be performed, thereby improving the cleaning effect twice, on the forward and return paths, and suppressing foaming of the cleaning liquid W.

[0073] Furthermore, the control unit 100 performs adjustment control to adjust the amount of liquid in the reservoir member 412 in accordance with the detection result of the detection unit .

[0074] The amount of liquid in the storage member 412 is set to a predetermined range that ensures that the wiping member 411 is completely immersed in the cleaning liquid W when the storage member 412 is in the first position, and that the wiping member 411 is not immersed in the cleaning liquid W when the storage member 412 is in the second position.

[0075] Here, for example, if the amount of liquid is below a predetermined range and the position of the storage member 412 is the first position, the wiping member 411 is not immersed in the cleaning liquid W, or the amount of immersion of the wiping member 411 in the cleaning liquid W is insufficient. In this case, the wiping member 411 will not absorb a necessary and sufficient amount of cleaning liquid W, which may affect the subsequent wiping operation.

[0076] Furthermore, if the amount of liquid exceeds a predetermined range, when the position of the storage member 412 is the second position, the wiping member 411 will be immersed in the cleaning liquid W, which may cause the cleaning liquid W to foam during the wiping operation.

[0077] Therefore, when the amount of liquid in the storage member 412 falls below a predetermined range, the control unit 100 controls, for example, a cleaning liquid supply unit (not shown) to supply the cleaning liquid W into the storage member 412. Furthermore, when the amount of liquid in the storage member 412 exceeds the predetermined range, the control unit 100 controls, for example, a discharge unit (not shown) in the storage member 412 to discharge the cleaning liquid W from the storage member 412.

[0078] In this way, the amount of cleaning liquid W in the reservoir member 412 is adjusted and maintained within a predetermined range, thereby allowing the cleaning unit 41 to perform the wiping operation appropriately.

[0079] Furthermore, when the above adjustment control is being performed, if the detection unit 42 does not detect the amount of liquid based on the adjustment control, the control unit 100 performs notification control to notify an error. Specifically, if the detection unit 42 does not detect the amount of liquid based on the adjustment control even after a predetermined period of time (for example, 2 minutes) has elapsed since the adjustment control began, the control unit 100 performs notification control to notify an error.

[0080] The notification control is, for example, a control in which the notification unit 150 notifies the user that an error has occurred, such as that the amount of cleaning liquid W is inappropriate or that there is a problem in the part related to the supply and discharge of cleaning liquid W.

[0081] This makes it easier for the user to notice that some kind of problem has occurred in the cleaning section 41.

[0082] A description will be given of an example of the operation of the notification control of the cleaning device 4. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the notification control of the cleaning device 4. The processing in Fig. 5 is executed as appropriate during operation of the image forming apparatus 1, for example.

[0083] 5, the control unit 100 determines whether or not a wiping operation is in progress (step S101). If the determination result indicates that a wiping operation is in progress (step S101, YES), the control unit 100 determines whether or not the amount of cleaning liquid exceeds a predetermined range (step S102).

[0084] If the result of the determination is that the amount of cleaning liquid does not exceed the predetermined range (step S102, NO), this control ends. On the other hand, if the amount of cleaning liquid exceeds the predetermined range (step S102, YES), the control unit 100 performs control to discharge the cleaning liquid W (step S103).

[0085] The control unit 100 determines whether the control of step S103 has not been completed even after a predetermined time has elapsed (step S104). If the control of step S103 has been completed as a result of the determination (step S104, NO), this control ends.

[0086] On the other hand, if the control in step S103 is not completed (step S104, YES), the control unit 100 notifies an error (step S105).

[0087] Returning to the determination in step S101, if the wiping operation is not in progress (step S101, NO), the control unit 100 determines whether the amount of cleaning liquid is below the predetermined range (step S106).

[0088] If the result of the determination is that the amount of cleaning liquid is not below the predetermined range (step S106, NO), this control ends. On the other hand, if the amount of cleaning liquid is below the predetermined range (step S106, YES), the control unit 100 performs control to supply the cleaning liquid W (step S107).

[0089] The control unit 100 determines whether the control of step S107 has not been completed even after a predetermined time has elapsed (step S108). If the control of step S107 has been completed as a result of the determination (step S108, NO), this control ends.

[0090] On the other hand, if the control of step S107 is not completed (step S108, YES), the control unit 100 notifies an error (step S105). After step S105, this control ends.

[0091] According to the present embodiment configured as described above, when not wiping, the wiping member 411 is immersed in the cleaning liquid W, so that the wiping member 411 is sufficiently saturated with the cleaning liquid W, and when wiping, the wiping member 411 wipes the ejection surface 3A using only the cleaning liquid W that it has absorbed when not wiping.

[0092] As a result, the cleaning liquid W is not absorbed by the wiping member 411 during wiping, so that the cleaning liquid W is not squeezed out of the wiping member 411 more than necessary during wiping, and thus foaming of the cleaning liquid W can be suppressed when wiping the ejection surface 3A. As a result, foam of the cleaning liquid W can be suppressed from adhering to the ejection surface 3A.

[0093] Incidentally, one approach to suppress foaming in the cleaning liquid is to add an antifoaming agent to the cleaning liquid. However, if the amount of antifoaming agent is increased, the antifoaming agent particles may adhere to the ejection surface, accelerating wear on the ejection surface and ultimately reducing the durability of the recording head.

[0094] In contrast, in the present embodiment, foaming of the cleaning liquid W can be suppressed, so it is possible to reduce the amount of antifoaming agent or even eliminate the need for antifoaming agent, which results in a reduction in the amount of antifoaming agent adhering to the ejection surface 3A, thereby improving the durability of the recording head 3.

[0095] Furthermore, since the configuration is such that storing member 412 rotates around rotating shaft 412A, there is no need to provide a complex mechanism, and the positional relationship with wiping member 411 can be changed. As a result, a simple configuration can be achieved.

[0096] Furthermore, by moving the storage member 412, the immersion state of the wiping member 411 in the cleaning liquid W is changed, so that the amount of cleaning liquid W can be minimized, and thus the supply amount of cleaning liquid W can be minimized.

[0097] As a result, it is possible to reduce the overall supply amount of the cleaning liquid W. Furthermore, since the supply amount of the cleaning liquid W can be reduced, the discharge amount of the cleaning liquid W can also be reduced at the same time.

[0098] Furthermore, since wiping of the ejection surface 3A can be completed in one operation, the wiping time can be reduced compared to a configuration that requires a reciprocating operation.

[0099] Furthermore, during wiping, by moving and tilting the storage member 412 away from the wiping member 411 compared to when not wiping, it is possible to make it easier to collect the foreign matter D that has been absorbed by the wiping member 411 and squeezed out into the storage member 412 at the corners at the ends of the storage member 412, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0100] This corner portion is the deepest position in the storing member 412, and therefore the portion of the wiping member 411 that is immersed in the cleaning liquid W can be relatively separated from the foreign matter D. As a result, it is possible to prevent the foreign matter D in the cleaning liquid W from being absorbed by the wiping member 411.

[0101] Furthermore, by providing a discharge portion near the corner, foreign matter D can be easily discharged.

[0102] Furthermore, it is desirable that the first position be such that the corner portion at the end of the storing member 412 faces the negative-most portion in the Z direction of the wiping member 411. By doing so, the distance between the foreign matter collected at the corner portion and the wiping member 411 can be maximized, which further prevents the foreign matter in the cleaning liquid from being absorbed by the wiping member 411.

[0103] In the above embodiment, storage member 412 is configured to be rotatable about rotation shaft 412A, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figures 7A and 7B, cleaning device 4 may have guide portion 43 that guides the movement of cleaning portion 41, and storage member 412 may be configured to be movable by guide portion 43. Guide portion 43 has first guide 431 and second guide 432.

[0104] The first guide 431 is provided at a position corresponding to both ends of the recording head 3 in the Y direction, and is the portion where the cleaning part 41 is located when not wiping. The first guide 431 is inclined so as to be positioned on the negative side in the Z direction as it moves toward the inside of the recording head 3 in the Y direction.

[0105] Since the first guide 431 has a symmetrical configuration at each of its ends in the Y direction, only the first guide 431 located at the end on the negative side in the Y direction is shown in Figures 7A and 7B, and the first guide located at the end on the positive side in the Y direction is not shown.

[0106] The second guide 432 is located between the two first guides 431 arranged at both ends in the Y direction, and is the portion where the cleaning part 41 is located during wiping. The second guide 432 extends linearly so as to be parallel to the ejection surface 3A.

[0107] The storage member 412 is configured to be rotatable relative to the wiping member 411 and movable along the guide portion 43. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 7A, when not wiping, the storage member 412 is located on the first guide 431 and is disposed in an attitude inclined with respect to the Y direction. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 7B, when wiping, the storage member 412 is located on the second guide 432 and is disposed in an attitude parallel to the Y direction.

[0108] That is, guide portion 43 guides the movement of storage member 412 so that the position of storage member 412 changes between when wiping and when not wiping.

[0109] In addition, since the storage member 412 is arranged in an inclined position when positioned on the first guide 431, a stopper that restricts the movement of the storage member 412 toward the second guide 432, or a driving source that generates a driving force to move the storage member 412, etc. may be provided.

[0110] The amount of cleaning liquid in the storage member 412 is within a range in which the wiping member 411 is immersed in the cleaning liquid because the storage member 412 is positioned at an angle on the first guide 431, and the wiping member 411 is not immersed in the cleaning liquid because the storage member 412 is positioned without an angle on the second guide 432.

[0111] In other words, the cleaning section 41 is configured so that the storage member 412 can transition between a first state in which the wiping member 411 is immersed in cleaning liquid when not wiping, and a second state in which the wiping member 411 is not immersed in cleaning liquid when wiping.

[0112] In this way, the positional relationship between the storage member 412 and the wiping member 411 can be changed between when wiping and when not wiping by the guide portion 43. As a result, even with this configuration, the cleaning liquid W is not absorbed by the wiping member 411 when wiping, so that foaming of the cleaning liquid W can be suppressed when wiping the ejection surface 3A.

[0113] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the storing member 412 is configured to be movable, but the present invention is not limited to this. The wiping member 411 may be configured to be movable relative to the storing member 412.

[0114] 8A and 8B includes a support mechanism 44 in addition to the cleaning mechanism 41. The support mechanism 44 includes a movement support portion 441 and a fixed portion 442.

[0115] The movement support part 441 is a part that moves together with the cleaning part 41, and is a part that supports the wiping member 411 so that the wiping member 411 can move in the Z direction.

[0116] The moving support part 441 is configured to extend in the Y direction, and supports the wiping member 411 at its center in the Y direction. The moving support part 441 is also configured to be deformable into a V-shape that opens to the positive side in the Z direction at its center in the Y direction, and is configured to deform into a V-shape when an external force is applied that presses either one of the two end parts in the Y direction toward the inside in the Y direction (see FIG. 8B).

[0117] In other words, when the above-mentioned external force is not applied, the moving support part 441 becomes straight and places the wiping member 411 in a contact position (position in Figure 8A) where it contacts the ejection surface 3A, and when the above-mentioned external force is not applied, it deforms into a V-shape and places the wiping member 411 in an immersion position (position in Figure 8B) on the negative side of the contact position in the Z direction.

[0118] Storing member 412 can move parallel to the Y direction without changing its posture. The amount of cleaning liquid in storing member 412 is such that wiping member 411 is immersed in the cleaning liquid when wiping member 411 is in the immersion position.

[0119] The fixed portion 442 is a portion fixed to each of the side walls at both ends in the Y direction within the movement range of the cleaning portion 41, and is disposed at a position where it comes into contact with the end of the movement support portion 441 when the cleaning portion 41 is positioned at a position corresponding to each end in the Y direction. Note that since the fixed portion 442 has a symmetrical configuration at each of both ends in the Y direction, only the fixed portion 442 disposed at the end on the negative side in the Y direction is shown in Figures 8A and 8B, and the fixed portion disposed at the end on the positive side in the Y direction is not shown.

[0120] When the fixed portion 442 comes into contact with the end of the movement support portion 441, the movement support portion 441 is pressed inward in the Y direction, thereby moving the wiping member 411 to the immersion position.

[0121] Therefore, the wiping member 411 is located at the immersion position when not wiping and the cleaning part 41 is located at either end in the Y direction, and is located at the contact position when wiping and the cleaning part 41 is located at a position corresponding to the ejection surface 3A. In other words, the control unit 100 moves the wiping member 411 away from the storage member 412 when wiping compared to when not wiping.

[0122] In other words, the cleaning section 41 is configured to be able to transition between a first state in which the wiping member 411 is immersed in the cleaning liquid when not wiping, and a second state in which it is not immersed in the cleaning liquid when wiping.

[0123] In this way, the positional relationship between the storage member 412 and the wiping member 411 can be changed between when wiping and when not wiping by the support mechanism 44. As a result, even with this configuration, the cleaning liquid W is not absorbed by the wiping member 411 when wiping, so that foaming of the cleaning liquid W can be suppressed when wiping the ejection surface 3A.

[0124] Furthermore, in the support mechanism 44, the movement support part 441 supports the throttle member 413 in the same manner as the wiping member 411. Therefore, the throttle member 413 is configured to move in conjunction with the movement of the wiping member 411.

[0125] By linking the throttling member 413 with the movement of the wiping member 411 and keeping the throttling member 413 in constant contact with the wiping member 411, it is possible to prevent the throttling member 413 from separating from the wiping member 411 as the wiping member 411 moves. Therefore, it is possible to squeeze out ink droplets and the like wiped from the ejection surface 3A while adjusting the amount of cleaning liquid contained in the wiping member 411 by the throttling member 413.

[0126] In addition, when the cleaning unit 41 is fixed and the recording head 3 is a moving fixed star, the support mechanism 44 may be configured to deform in conjunction with the movement of the recording head 3.

[0127] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, detection control by the detector 42 and notification control based on adjustment control are performed, but the present invention is not limited to this, and detection control and notification control do not necessarily have to be performed.

[0128] Next, a verification experiment on the cleaning device 4 according to the present embodiment will be described. The verification experiment used the image forming apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 1, and used a water-based dispersion ink as the ink. The cleaning device 4 was configured to rotate the storage member 412, as shown in Fig. 3, for example.

[0129] The cleaning conditions were as follows: the moving speed of the cleaning device 4 was 50 mm / s, the rotation speed of the wiping member 411 was 50 mm / s, the material of the wiping member 411 was sponge, the pressing amount of the squeezing member 413 was 1 mm, and the squeezing amount was 1 mm. The cleaning liquid was pure water, and the verification experiment was carried out with three concentrations of antifoaming agent in the cleaning liquid: 10% (large antifoaming agent), 1% (small antifoaming agent), and 0% (no antifoaming agent).

[0130] Figure 9 shows the results of a verification experiment. In this verification experiment, a cleaning operation in which the state transitions from the first state to the second state and then back to the first state was repeated 1,000 times, and it was confirmed whether foaming of the cleaning liquid adhered to the ejection surface ("Foaming" in Figure 9). In addition, the durability of the print head ("Head durability" in Figure 9), the amount of cleaning liquid consumed ("Liquid consumption" in Figure 9), the amount of foreign matter remaining in the storage member ("Amount of remaining foreign matter" in Figure 9), etc. were also confirmed.

[0131] 9 has a configuration in which the wiping member is constantly immersed in cleaning liquid, as in the configuration described in Patent Document 1. In Fig. 9, "◯" in "Foaming" indicates that no foam has adhered to the ejection surface, "△" indicates that slight foaming has adhered to the ejection surface, and "X" indicates that foam has adhered to the ejection surface. In Fig. 9, "◯" in "Head durability" indicates that there is almost no change (less than 5%) in the contact angle between the ejection surface and the wiping member, "△" indicates that there has been a slight change in the contact angle (5% to less than 10%), and "X" indicates that there has been a relatively noticeable change in the contact angle (10% or more).

[0132] In Fig. 9, "◯" in "liquid consumption" indicates that the amount of cleaning liquid consumed is small (the amount of cleaning liquid supplied at one time is less than one-third of the capacity of the storage member), and "×" indicates that the amount of cleaning liquid consumed is large (the amount of cleaning liquid supplied at one time is one-third or more of the capacity of the storage member). In Fig. 9, "◯" in "amount of remaining foreign matter" indicates that the amount of foreign matter in the storage member is small, and "×" indicates that the amount of foreign matter in the storage member is large.

[0133] 9, it was confirmed that in the configuration of the comparative example, the smaller the amount of antifoaming agent, the more foaming occurred. At the same time, it was confirmed that the greater the amount of antifoaming agent, the worse the head durability.

[0134] In contrast, in the present embodiment (Example), it was confirmed that foaming was suppressed regardless of the amount of antifoaming agent, and that head durability was not impaired. In other words, it was confirmed that the present embodiment was effective in suppressing foaming and improving the durability of the recording head.

[0135] Furthermore, it was confirmed that the comparative example configuration consumed a large amount of cleaning liquid and left a large amount of foreign matter. In contrast, it was confirmed that the present embodiment consumed a small amount of cleaning liquid and left a small amount of foreign matter. In other words, it was confirmed that the present embodiment has a configuration that can reduce the consumption of cleaning liquid and easily discharge foreign matter.

[0136] Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are merely examples of specific embodiments for carrying out the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited by these embodiments. In other words, the present invention can be carried out in various forms without departing from the gist or main features thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0137] 1. Image forming device 2 Belt conveyor 3 Recording head 3A Discharge surface 4 Cleaning device 21 Drive roller 22 driven roller 23 Conveyor belt 41 Cleaning Department 42 Detector 43 Guide section 44 Support mechanism 100 control section 110 Recording head drive unit 120 Conveyor drive unit 130 Input / Output Interface 140 Cleaning drive unit 150 Information Department 411 Wiping member 411A Surface layer 412 Storage material 412A Rotating shaft 413 Drawer parts 414 Push-up member 431 First Guide 432 Second Guide 441 Moving support part 442 Fixed part W cleaning solution D Foreign object

Claims

1. a cleaning unit including a wiping member made of a roller member that rotates while in contact with the discharge surface of a discharge unit that discharges droplets to wipe the discharge surface, a storage member that stores a cleaning liquid in which the wiping member can be immersed, and a squeezing member that squeezes out the cleaning liquid contained in the wiping member, and configured to be able to change the positional relationship between the wiping member and the storage member; the cleaning unit changes the positional relationship between when the wiping member is wiping the ejection surface and when the wiping member is not wiping the ejection surface based on control by a control unit of the device including the ejection unit, thereby changing the immersion state of the wiping member in the cleaning liquid; The cleaning unit is set to a first state in which the wiping member is immersed in the cleaning liquid during the non-wiping period under the control of the control unit, and is set to a second state in which the wiping member is not immersed in the cleaning liquid during the wiping period. Cleaning equipment.

2. The storage member is configured to be movable relative to the wiping member, The cleaning unit is controlled based on the control of the control unit so that, during the wiping operation, the storage member moves farther away from the wiping member than during the non-wiping operation. The cleaning device according to claim 1 .

3. A cleaning unit having a wiping member for wiping the discharge surface of a discharge part that discharges droplets, a storage member for storing a cleaning liquid in which the wiping member can be immersed, and a squeezing member for squeezing the cleaning liquid contained in the wiping member, and configured so that the positional relationship between the wiping member and the storage member can be changed; the cleaning unit changes the positional relationship between when the wiping member is wiping the ejection surface and when the wiping member is not wiping the ejection surface based on control by a control unit of the device including the ejection unit, thereby changing the immersion state of the wiping member in the cleaning liquid; The storage member is configured to be movable relative to the wiping member, The cleaning unit is controlled based on the control of the control unit so that, during the wiping operation, the storage member moves farther away from the wiping member than during the non-wiping operation. Cleaning equipment.

4. The storage member is configured to be rotatable around a predetermined rotation axis.

4. The cleaning device according to claim 2 or 3.

5. the cleaning unit has a guide unit that guides the movement of the storage member so as to change the posture of the storage member between the wiping state and the non-wiping state.

4. The cleaning device according to claim 2 or 3.

6. The wiping member is configured to be movable relative to the storage member, The cleaning unit is controlled based on the control of the control unit so that, during the wiping operation, the wiping member moves farther away from the storage member than during the non-wiping operation. The cleaning device according to claim 1 .

7. The cleaning unit has a support mechanism that supports the wiping member so that the wiping member can move between a wiping position and a non-wiping position.

7. The cleaning device according to claim 6.

8. The throttle member moves in conjunction with the movement of the wiping member.

8. The cleaning device according to claim 6 or 7.

9. A cleaning unit having a wiping member for wiping the discharge surface of a discharge part that discharges droplets, a storage member for storing a cleaning liquid in which the wiping member can be immersed, and a squeezing member for squeezing the cleaning liquid contained in the wiping member, and configured so that the positional relationship between the wiping member and the storage member can be changed; the cleaning unit changes the positional relationship between when the wiping member is wiping the ejection surface and when the wiping member is not wiping the ejection surface based on control by a control unit of the device including the ejection unit, thereby changing the immersion state of the wiping member in the cleaning liquid; The wiping member is configured to be movable relative to the storage member, the cleaning unit is controlled based on the control of the control unit so that, during the wiping, the wiping member moves farther away from the storage member than during the non-wiping period; The throttle member moves in conjunction with the movement of the wiping member. Cleaning equipment.

10. The wiping member and the storage member are configured to be relatively movable along the ejection surface. The cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. the wiping member and the storage member are reciprocally movable between one end and the other end of the ejection surface, When the wiping operation is performed by the reciprocating movement of the wiping member and the storage member, the cleaning unit changes, under the control of the control unit, from the positional relationship during wiping to the positional relationship during non-wiping when the wiping member and the storage member reach the other end from the one end, and changes from the positional relationship during non-wiping to the positional relationship during wiping when the wiping member and the storage member return from the other end to the one end. The cleaning device according to claim 10.

12. The wiping member has an elastic portion made of a porous material. The cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. a detection unit for detecting the amount of liquid in the storage member; The cleaning unit is controlled to perform adjustment control for adjusting the amount of liquid in the reservoir member in accordance with the detection result of the detection unit under the control of the control unit. The cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. the cleaning unit is controlled to perform notification control for notifying an error when the detection unit does not detect the adjustment of the cleaning liquid by the adjustment control after performing the adjustment control based on the control of the control unit.

14. The cleaning device according to claim 13.

15. a cleaning unit that includes a wiping member made of a roller member that rotates while in contact with the discharge surface of a discharge unit that discharges droplets to wipe the discharge surface, a storage member that stores a cleaning liquid in which the wiping member can be immersed, and a squeezing member that squeezes out the cleaning liquid contained in the wiping member, and is configured so that the positional relationship between the wiping member and the storage member can be changed; a control unit that changes the positional relationship between when the wiping member is wiping the ejection surface and when the wiping member is not wiping the ejection surface, thereby changing the immersion state of the wiping member in the cleaning liquid; Equipped with the control unit sets the wiping member to a first state in which it is immersed in the cleaning liquid during the non-wiping period, and sets the wiping member to a second state in which it is not immersed in the cleaning liquid during the wiping period. Image forming device.

Images