Maintenance equipment and printing equipment

Abstract

To provide a maintenance device which can supply a cleaning liquid to a cap member and can prevent clogging of a cap member and a waste liquid route due to adhering of ink components with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A maintenance device has: a cap member 21 which can contact a nozzle surface of a liquid discharge head 12; suction means 23 which sucks a liquid from the cap member; a waste liquid storage part 25 to which the liquid sucked by the cap member is discharged; a waste liquid route 24 which connects the cap member and the waste liquid storage part; a cleaning liquid storage part 26 which accommodates a cleaning liquid; and a cleaning liquid feeding route 29 which connects the cap member and the cleaning liquid storage part. The waste liquid storage part and the cleaning liquid storage part connect to each other so that internal gas passes through, and are provided with a partition 28 so that the liquid in the waste liquid storage part and the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid storage part are not mixed. An internal pressure increases in the waste liquid storage part and the cleaning liquid storage part through suction by the suction means, and the cleaning liquid is supplied to the cap member through the cleaning liquid feeding route by the increase of the internal pressure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a maintenance device and a printing device.

Background Art

[0002] In a printing device such as an inkjet printer, a technique of sucking ink from the nozzle surface of a liquid ejection head using a cap and a pump is known. One of the purposes is to suck ink from the nozzle surface to keep the nozzle state of the liquid ejection head clean.

[0003] In such a device, the operation of sucking ink from the nozzle surface is one of the maintenance mechanisms. In the maintenance mechanism, the sucked ink is discharged to a waste liquid tank, and a cleaning liquid is supplied to a cap that abuts on the liquid ejection head, etc.

[0004] In Patent Document 1, an image forming apparatus is disclosed that has a plurality of cap members, suction means, a waste liquid tank, a cleaning liquid tank, and a switching valve that connects one of the waste liquid tank or the cleaning liquid tank and disconnects the other. According to Patent Document 1, it is possible to reduce the amount of cleaning liquid used, and thus it is said that it can contribute to downsizing of the apparatus.

[0005] In Patent Document 2, an inkjet printer having a cap member, a suction pump, and liquid filling means is disclosed. The liquid filling means supplies liquid to the cap member and fills the liquid into an ink path located on the downstream side of the cap member. According to Patent Document 2, it is possible not to provide a negative pressure release time in the suction process, or to shorten the negative pressure release time, and it is said that the processing time of the cleaning process can be shortened.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Patent Document 1 describes a container for storing cleaning fluid for cleaning the maintenance mechanism and a path for supplying the cleaning fluid. However, since part of the ink waste fluid path and the cleaning fluid supply path are common, a path switching mechanism is necessary. Furthermore, the cleaning fluid that reaches the cap is the liquid after passing through the waste fluid path, so the cleaning fluid may contain ink components. If the cleaning fluid containing ink components dries, the ink components may solidify and cause clogging.

[0007] In Patent Document 2, the cleaning liquid contained in the cleaning liquid tank is supplied to the cap member by a liquid transfer pump. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a liquid transfer pump to supply the cleaning liquid, which prevents miniaturization of the device and makes it impossible to prevent the device from becoming complex. Furthermore, since it is also necessary to control the liquid transfer pump, it is impossible to prevent the control from becoming complex.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a maintenance device that can supply cleaning fluid to the cap member with a simple configuration and prevent clogging of the cap member and waste fluid passage due to the adhesion of ink components. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the above problems, the maintenance device of the present invention is A cap member that can contact the nozzle surface of the liquid dispensing head, A suction means for drawing liquid from the cap member, A waste liquid storage section from which the liquid sucked up by the cap member is discharged, A waste liquid path connecting the cap member and the waste liquid storage section, A cleaning solution storage section for containing the cleaning solution, It has a cleaning liquid supply path connecting the cap member and the cleaning liquid storage section, The waste liquid storage section and the cleaning liquid storage section are connected so that the gas inside them is in communication, and a partition is provided to prevent the liquid in the waste liquid storage section and the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid storage section from mixing. As the suction means performs suction, the pressure inside the waste liquid storage section and the cleaning liquid storage section increases, and the increase in internal pressure causes the cleaning liquid to be supplied to the cap member through the cleaning liquid supply path. It is characterized by the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, a maintenance device can be provided that can supply cleaning solution to the cap member with a simple configuration and prevent clogging of the cap member and waste liquid passage due to the adhesion of ink components. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a maintenance device and a printing device according to the present invention. [Figure 2A] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of maintenance procedures. [Figure 2B] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of maintenance procedures. [Figure 2C] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of maintenance procedures. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of the control unit. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram showing a comparative example maintenance device not included in the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The maintenance apparatus and printing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown below, and can be modified, added, altered, or deleted to the extent that a person skilled in the art can conceive of it. Any embodiment that achieves the function and effect of the present invention is included within the scope of the present invention.

[0013] The maintenance device of the present invention is A cap member that can contact the nozzle surface of the liquid dispensing head, Suction means for sucking liquid from the cap member, A waste liquid storage section for discharging the liquid sucked by the cap member, A waste liquid path connecting the cap member and the waste liquid storage section, A cleaning liquid storage section for storing the cleaning liquid, A cleaning liquid supply path connecting the cap member and the cleaning liquid storage section, and having The waste liquid storage section and the cleaning liquid storage section are connected so that the internal gases communicate with each other, and a partition is provided so that the liquid in the waste liquid storage section and the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid storage section do not mix. When the suction means performs suction, the pressure inside the waste liquid storage section and the cleaning liquid storage section rises, and due to the rise in the internal pressure, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the cap member through the cleaning liquid supply path. It is characterized by the above.

[0014] The printing apparatus of the present invention is characterized by having a liquid ejection head for ejecting liquid onto a recording medium and the maintenance apparatus of the present invention. The printing apparatus may be referred to as an apparatus for ejecting liquid, an image forming apparatus, a recording apparatus, an inkjet printer, or the like. The recording medium (which may also be referred to as a printing medium or the like) is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected.

[0015] According to the present invention, the cleaning liquid can be supplied to the cap member with a simple configuration, and clogging of the cap member and the waste liquid path due to the adhesion of the ink components can be prevented.

[0016] First, a maintenance apparatus according to a comparative example not included in the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the maintenance apparatus according to this comparative example. The figure shows an example in which the cap member 21 is brought into contact with the nozzle surface of the liquid ejection head 12 and suction is performed by the suction pump 23. The liquid (for example, ink) sucked by the cap member 21 is discharged to the waste liquid tank 25 through the waste liquid path 24. By sucking the ink in this way, the nozzle state is restored.

[0017] However, if this suction is repeated many times, ink may solidify inside the cap member 21 (the inner space formed by the nozzle surface and the cap member 21) or inside the waste liquid path 24. When ink solidifies, it can cause malfunctions in the suction operation, and it may not be possible to restore the nozzle condition. In this case, the ejection performance of the liquid ejection head 12 will decrease, resulting in a decrease in image quality.

[0018] As explained in the background technology section, conventional technologies have proposed methods for supplying cleaning fluid to the cap component. However, there is a need for a technology that can supply cleaning fluid to the cap component with a simple configuration and prevent clogging of the cap component and waste fluid pathway due to the adhesion of ink components.

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the maintenance device 20 and printing device 1 of this embodiment. The printing apparatus 1 includes, for example, a liquid ejection head 12 and a maintenance device 20. The liquid ejection head 12 receives liquid (e.g., ink) from the ink tank 14 and ejects the liquid onto the recording medium. The liquid ejection head is not particularly limited and may be serial or line-type. Furthermore, there may be multiple liquid ejection heads, or it may be configured as a head array or head unit.

[0020] The maintenance device 20 includes, for example, a cap member 21, a suction pump 23, a waste liquid tank 25, and a cleaning liquid tank 26. The cap member 21 can contact the nozzle surface of the liquid dispensing head 12. The suction pump 23 is an example of a suction means and sucks liquid from the cap member 21. The waste liquid tank 25 is an example of a waste liquid storage unit, and the liquid sucked in by the cap member 21 is discharged from it. In the figure, the sucked-in liquid is shown as waste liquid 31. The cleaning fluid tank 26 is an example of a cleaning fluid storage unit and stores the cleaning fluid 32.

[0021] The maintenance device 20 also has a waste liquid route 24 and a cleaning liquid supply route 29. The waste liquid route 24 connects the cap member 21 to the waste liquid tank 25. The cleaning liquid supply route 29 connects the cap member 21 to the cleaning liquid tank 26. The waste liquid route 24 and the cleaning liquid supply route 29 are not particularly limited, but can be formed, for example, by tubing.

[0022] The cap member 21 has, for example, a first connection port to which the waste liquid path 24 is connected, and a second connection port to which the cleaning liquid delivery path 29 is connected. The positions of the first and second connection ports are not particularly limited and can be changed as appropriate.

[0023] In this embodiment, the waste liquid tank 25 and the cleaning liquid tank 26 are connected so that their internal gases are in communication, and a partition 28 is provided to prevent the liquid in the waste liquid tank 25 and the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank 26 from mixing. The fact that the waste liquid tank 25 and the cleaning liquid tank 26 are connected so that their internal gases are in communication may be referred to as being internally connected.

[0024] This configuration allows for the automatic supply of cleaning fluid 32 to the cap member 21. For example, when suction is performed with the cap member 21 in contact with the nozzle surface, the internal pressure of the waste liquid tank 25 and the cleaning fluid tank 26 increases, pushing the cleaning fluid 32 in the cleaning fluid tank 26 into the cleaning fluid supply path 29. As a result, simultaneously with suction, the cleaning fluid 32 is automatically supplied to the cap member 21 through the cleaning fluid supply path 29.

[0025] In this embodiment, cleaning fluid can be supplied to the cap member 21 without providing a path switching mechanism or complicating the device. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cleaning fluid supplied to the cap member 21 is supplied without passing through the waste fluid path 24, and is therefore supplied without containing ink components. As a result, it is possible to prevent the cleaning fluid from drying out and causing ink components to solidify in the waste fluid path 24, for example, and thus prevent clogging of the path.

[0026] In other words, according to this embodiment, the cleaning solution 32 can be passed through the cap member 21 and the waste liquid passage 24 simultaneously with the suction of ink and automatically, allowing any ink remaining in the cap member 21 and the waste liquid passage 24 to be washed away. This prevents ink from solidifying in the cap member 21 and the waste liquid passage 24, and prevents deterioration of the maintenance mechanism's function due to ink solidification. According to this embodiment, the maintenance mechanism necessary to maintain and restore the discharge state of the liquid discharge head 12 can be cleaned with a simple configuration.

[0027] When suction is performed on the cap member 21 and cleaning liquid is supplied to the cap member 21, the cap member 21 may be in contact with the nozzle surface or not. By performing suction with the cap member 21 in contact with the nozzle surface, cleaning can be performed on the nozzle surface of the liquid discharge head 12. On the other hand, by performing suction with the cap member 21 not in contact with the nozzle surface, the cap member 21 will draw in air. Even in this case, the pressure inside the waste liquid tank 25 and the cleaning liquid tank 26 will increase, and cleaning liquid 32 will be supplied to the cap member 21.

[0028] The supply amount of cleaning solution 32 can be selected as appropriate, and can be designed considering, for example, the capacities of the waste liquid tank 25 and the cleaning solution tank 26, and the amount of liquid in the waste liquid tank 25. Furthermore, since the amount of liquid (waste liquid) discharged into the waste liquid tank 25 may affect the pressure changes inside the tank, it is preferable to design the system while also considering the amount of waste liquid in the waste liquid tank 25.

[0029] In this embodiment, when the cap member 21 contacts the nozzle surface of the liquid discharge head 12, the cap member 21 may contact the nozzle surface in a manner that presses against it. Pressing the cap member 21 against the nozzle surface makes it easier for the cap member 21 to form a sealed space with respect to the nozzle surface. The method of pressing is not particularly limited, and any biasing means can be used.

[0030] It is preferable that the cap member 21 can be pressed against the nozzle surface of the liquid discharge head 12 to create a sealed state against the nozzle surface. This can improve the suction efficiency.

[0031] In this embodiment, a valve 22 is provided in the waste liquid path 24. When the valve 22 is open, waste liquid can be discharged from the cap member 21 to the waste liquid tank 25. On the other hand, when the valve 22 is closed, even if suction is performed, no waste liquid will be discharged from the cap member 21 to the waste liquid tank 25. Note that the discharge of liquid through the waste liquid path 24 to the waste liquid tank 25 can also be described as discharge, supply, or introduction. By providing the valve 22, the options for maintenance operations are expanded.

[0032] The maintenance device of this embodiment includes a liquid storage tank 27. The liquid storage tank 27 is an example of a liquid storage section and includes a waste liquid tank 25 (waste liquid storage section) and a cleaning liquid tank 26 (cleaning liquid storage section). The liquid storage tank 27 is connected to a waste liquid path 24 and a cleaning liquid supply path 29, and is also equipped with an atmospheric release valve 30 that opens and closes communication with the atmosphere.

[0033] By providing the atmospheric release valve 30, the options for maintenance operations are expanded. For example, by opening the atmospheric release valve 30, the cleaning fluid 32 can be prevented from being supplied to the cap member 21 even when suction is performed. On the other hand, by closing the atmospheric release valve 30, the cleaning fluid 32 can be supplied to the cap member 21 when suction is performed. Therefore, it is possible to choose whether or not to clean the cap member 21 and the waste liquid passage 24. Since the cap member 21 and the waste liquid passage 24 can be cleaned by simultaneously performing suction and supplying cleaning fluid, the choice of whether or not to perform such cleaning can be made by opening or closing the atmospheric release valve 30.

[0034] The atmospheric release valve 30 is an example of an atmospheric release section and controls communication with the atmosphere. When the atmospheric release valve 30 is open (open), the liquid storage tank 27 is in communication with the atmosphere, and when the atmospheric release valve 30 is closed (closed), the liquid storage tank 27 is no longer in communication with the atmosphere.

[0035] In this example, the liquid storage tank 27 is composed of, for example, a single housing or storage section, and is divided by a partition 28 to separate the waste liquid storage section from the cleaning liquid storage section.

[0036] An example of the operation of the maintenance device 20 of this embodiment will be described. The following example of operation also includes an example of the case in which an atmospheric release valve 30 is used, but the atmospheric release valve 30 can be configured arbitrarily.

[0037] (1) Cleaning the liquid dispensing head The cap member 21 is brought into contact with the nozzle surface of the liquid discharge head 12. With the valve 22 open, suction is performed by the suction pump 23. As a result, liquid is drawn from the cap member 21, creating a negative pressure inside the cap member 21, which then draws suction onto the nozzle surface of the liquid discharge head 12. This causes the liquid from the cap member 21 to pass through the waste liquid path 24 in the direction of arrow a in the figure and be discharged into the waste liquid tank 25. In this way, for example, liquid adhering to the nozzle surface of the liquid discharge head 12 can be cleaned.

[0038] The term "inside the cap member 21" refers to the space between the nozzle surface of the liquid dispensing head 12 and the cap member 21.

[0039] (2) Cleaning of the cap member and waste liquid path In this embodiment, when the suction described in (1) above is performed, the pressure inside the waste liquid tank 25 and the cleaning liquid tank 26 increases. As a result, the cleaning liquid 32 in the cleaning liquid tank 26 is pushed out and flows through the cleaning liquid supply path 29 in the direction of arrow b. Therefore, the cleaning liquid 32 is supplied to the cap member 21. In other words, the cleaning liquid 32 can be automatically supplied to the cap member 21 at the same time as the suction described in (1) above is performed.

[0040] By supplying cleaning solution 32 to the cap member 21 simultaneously with suction, any liquid (e.g., ink) remaining in the cap member 21 and the waste liquid passage 24 can be washed away. In this way, the cap member 21 and the waste liquid passage 24 can be cleaned. By washing away the ink remaining in the cap member 21 and the waste liquid passage 24, it is possible to prevent ink from solidifying inside the cap member 21 and the waste liquid passage 24. Therefore, the maintenance function of the maintenance device can be maintained.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the cleaning liquid 32 can be automatically supplied to the cap member 21 at the same time as the suction described in (1) above, a liquid delivery pump for supplying the cleaning liquid 32 is unnecessary. This also means that, according to this embodiment, the complexity of the device's configuration and control processes when supplying the cleaning liquid 32 can be prevented, and the device can be made more compact.

[0042] Examples of the operations described in (1) and (2) above result in a state as shown in Figure 1. As indicated by arrow a, liquid (e.g., ink) is discharged from the cap member 21 to the waste liquid tank 25, and as indicated by arrow b, cleaning liquid 32 is supplied from the cleaning liquid tank 26 to the cap member 21.

[0043] (3) Suction without supplying cleaning solution In (2) above, the cleaning liquid 32 was automatically supplied to the cap member 21 at the same time as the suction in (1) above, but it is also possible to not supply the cleaning liquid 32. When performing the suction in (1) above, the atmospheric release valve 30 is opened and suction is performed with the suction pump 23. As a result, the pressure inside the liquid storage tank 27 is kept at the same level as atmospheric pressure, and only the suction operation can be performed without supplying the cleaning liquid 32.

[0044] The operation example described in (3) above results in a state like that shown in Figure 2A. As indicated by arrow a, liquid is discharged from the cap member 21 to the waste liquid tank 25, but the cleaning liquid 32 is not supplied to the cap member 21.

[0045] (4) Supply the cleaning solution to the cap member The cleaning liquid 32 can also be supplied to the cap member 21 without suction being applied to the nozzle surface of the liquid discharge head 12. In this case, the cap member 21 is not brought into contact with the liquid discharge head 12, the valve 22 is left open, and the atmospheric release valve 30 is closed, while suction is performed by the suction pump 23. As a result, the cap member 21 draws in air, the pressure in the liquid storage tank 27 increases, and the cleaning liquid 32 is supplied to the cap member 21 through the cleaning liquid supply path 29.

[0046] If the suction pump 23 continues to operate in this state, the cleaning liquid 32 supplied to the cap member 21 will be discharged through the waste liquid path 24, so the suction pump 23 should be stopped at an appropriate time. In this way, the cap member 21 can be filled with the cleaning liquid 32.

[0047] The operation example described in (4) above results in a state as shown in Figure 2B. The cap member 21 moves away from the liquid discharge head 12, and air is drawn in from the cap member 21 as indicated by arrow a. As a result, the internal pressure of the waste liquid tank 25 and the cleaning liquid tank 26 increases, and the cleaning liquid 32 is supplied to the cap member 21 as indicated by arrow b.

[0048] (5) Capping (cap operation) With the cleaning solution 32 remaining inside the cap member 21, the cap member 21 is brought into contact with the nozzle surface of the liquid discharge head 12. This allows capping to be performed while keeping the inside of the cap member 21 moist, preventing the liquid discharge head 12 from drying out. Therefore, it is possible to prevent malfunctions in discharge caused by the drying of the liquid discharge head 12.

[0049] It is preferable to perform the cap operation with valve 22 and atmospheric release valve 30 closed. In this case, it is easier to maintain a moist state inside the cap member 21.

[0050] The operation example in (5) above results in a state as shown in Figure 2C, for example. With valve 22 and atmospheric release valve 30 closed, the cap member 21 is brought into contact with the nozzle surface of the liquid discharge head 12 to perform capping.

[0051] The above operations can be controlled, for example, by a control unit. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control unit 100. The control unit 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) / SSD (Solid State Drive) 104, and an I / F (Interface) 105. These are electrically connected to each other via the system bus B, and are also connected to the liquid discharge head 12, maintenance device 20, etc., via the system bus B to send and receive data and signals.

[0052] In the diagram, the liquid discharge head 12 is shown, but it may also be referred to as the liquid discharge unit including the liquid discharge head 12. Also, while the control unit 100 is shown in Figure 1, it is omitted from Figure 2A and other figures.

[0053] The CPU 101 uses the RAM 103 as a workspace and executes programs stored in the ROM 102. The HDD / SSD 104 is used as a storage unit and stores pre-configured settings. The information stored in the HDD / SSD 104 may also be used by the CPU 101 when executing read programs. The I / F 105 is an interface that enables communication between, for example, the printing device 1 and an external PC (Personal Computer) 110.

[0054] The control unit 100 controls the liquid discharge head 12, the maintenance device 20, etc. For example, the control unit controls the cap member 21, the valve 22, the suction pump 23, and the atmospheric release valve 30 of the maintenance device 20. While not particularly limited, it controls, for example, the contact and separation of the cap member 21, the opening and closing of the valve 22, the driving and stopping of the suction pump 23, and the opening and closing of the atmospheric release valve 30.

[0055] The printing apparatus of this embodiment preferably includes a liquid storage tank 27 (liquid storage section), an atmospheric release valve 30 (atmospheric release section), and a control unit 100, as described above. This makes it easier to perform the operations (1) to (5) described above. The liquid storage tank 27 has a waste liquid tank 25 and a cleaning liquid tank 26, and a waste liquid path 24 and a cleaning liquid supply path 29 are connected to it. The atmospheric release valve 30 is provided in the liquid storage tank 27 and opens and closes the communication between the liquid storage tank 27 and the atmosphere. An example of control of the control unit 100 will be described below.

[0056] The control unit 100 controls the suction pump 23 to suck up the liquid remaining on the cap member 21 without supplying cleaning fluid to the cap member 21, by keeping the atmospheric release valve 30 open. This is equivalent to the operation described in (3) above.

[0057] The control unit 100 controls the filling of the cap member 21 with cleaning fluid by performing suction with the suction pump 23 while the atmospheric release valve 30 is closed and the cap member 21 is separated from the nozzle surface. This corresponds to the operation described in (4) above.

[0058] The control unit 100 controls the opening and closing of the valve 22, and by closing the valve 22, it controls the cleaning liquid supplied to the cap member 21 to remain in the cap member. This allows the cap member 21 to be capped while wet when performing the capping described in (5) above.

[0059] Examples of the present invention are as follows: <1> A cap member that can contact the nozzle surface of the liquid dispensing head, A suction means for drawing liquid from the cap member, A waste liquid storage section from which the liquid sucked up by the cap member is discharged, A waste liquid path connecting the cap member and the waste liquid storage section, A cleaning solution storage section for containing the cleaning solution, It has a cleaning liquid supply path connecting the cap member and the cleaning liquid storage section, The waste liquid storage section and the cleaning liquid storage section are connected so that the gas inside them is in communication, and a partition is provided to prevent the liquid in the waste liquid storage section and the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid storage section from mixing. As the suction means performs suction, the pressure inside the waste liquid storage section and the cleaning liquid storage section increases, and the increase in pressure causes the cleaning liquid to be supplied to the cap member through the cleaning liquid supply path. A maintenance device characterized by the following features. <2> The liquid storage unit comprises the waste liquid storage unit and the cleaning liquid storage unit, The liquid storage section is connected to the waste liquid passage and the cleaning liquid supply passage, and is also provided with an atmospheric vent that opens and closes communication with the atmosphere. Characterized by <1> Maintenance equipment as described above. <3> A liquid dispensing head that dispenses liquid onto a recording medium, <1> The maintenance device described above has A printing apparatus characterized by the following features. <4> A liquid storage unit having the waste liquid storage unit and the cleaning liquid storage unit, the waste liquid path and the cleaning liquid supply path are connected, An atmospheric vent is provided in the liquid storage section, which opens and closes the communication between the liquid storage section and the atmosphere, The cap member, the suction means, and the control unit that controls the atmospheric vent, has Characterized by <3> The printing device described above. <5> The control unit performs suction with the suction means while the atmospheric vent is open, thereby preventing the supply of the cleaning liquid to the cap member and controlling the suction to remove any remaining liquid from the cap member. Characterized by <4> The printing device described above. <6> The control unit controls the filling of the cap member with the cleaning liquid by performing suction with the suction means while the atmospheric vent is closed and the cap member is separated from the nozzle surface. Characterized by <4> or <5> The printing device described above. <7> A valve is provided in the aforementioned wastewater path, The control unit controls the opening and closing of the valve, and by closing the valve, controls the cleaning liquid supplied to the cap member to remain in the cap member. Characterized by <4> from <6> A printing device as described in any of the following. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1 Printing device 12 liquid dispensing heads 14 Ink Tanks 20 Maintenance equipment 21 Cap member 22 valves 23 Suction pump 24. Wastewater route 25 Waste liquid tank 26 Cleaning solution tank 27 Liquid storage tanks 28 dividers 29 Washing fluid delivery route 30. Atmospheric release valve 31 Waste liquid 32 Cleaning solution [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0061] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-120266 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-168798

Claims

1. A cap member that can contact the nozzle surface of the liquid dispensing head, A suction means for drawing liquid from the cap member, A waste liquid storage section from which the liquid sucked up by the cap member is discharged, A waste liquid path connecting the cap member and the waste liquid storage section, A cleaning solution storage section for containing the cleaning solution, It has a cleaning liquid supply path connecting the cap member and the cleaning liquid storage section, The waste liquid storage section and the cleaning liquid storage section are connected so that the gas inside them is in communication, and a partition is provided to prevent the liquid in the waste liquid storage section and the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid storage section from mixing. As the suction means performs suction, the pressure inside the waste liquid storage section and the cleaning liquid storage section increases, and the increase in pressure causes the cleaning liquid to be supplied to the cap member through the cleaning liquid supply path. A maintenance device characterized by the following features.

2. The liquid storage unit comprises the waste liquid storage unit and the cleaning liquid storage unit, The liquid storage section is connected to the waste liquid passage and the cleaning liquid supply passage, and is also provided with an atmospheric vent that opens and closes communication with the atmosphere. The maintenance device according to feature 1.

3. A liquid dispensing head that dispenses liquid onto a recording medium, A maintenance device according to claim 1, comprising A printing apparatus characterized by the following features.

4. A liquid storage unit having the waste liquid storage unit and the cleaning liquid storage unit, the waste liquid path and the cleaning liquid supply path are connected, An atmospheric vent is provided in the liquid storage section, which opens and closes the communication between the liquid storage section and the atmosphere, The cap member, the suction means, and the control unit that controls the atmospheric vent, has The printing apparatus according to feature 3.

5. The control unit performs suction with the suction means while the atmospheric vent is open, thereby preventing the supply of the cleaning liquid to the cap member and controlling the suction to remove any remaining liquid from the cap member. The printing apparatus according to feature 4.

6. The control unit controls the filling of the cap member with the cleaning liquid by performing suction with the suction means while the atmospheric vent is closed and the cap member is separated from the nozzle surface. The printing apparatus according to feature 4.

7. A valve is provided in the aforementioned wastewater path, The control unit controls the opening and closing of the valve, and by closing the valve, controls the cleaning liquid supplied to the cap member to remain in the cap member. The printing apparatus according to feature 4.

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