Inkjet recording device and method for recovering liquid from an inkjet recording device

Abstract

To provide an inkjet recording device which can separately recover several kinds of liquids which should avoid mixing and enables improvement of flexibility of head arrangement.SOLUTION: An inkjet recording device includes: at least one head which discharges a liquid; and a container having a container body including an opening which receives the liquid discharged from the at least one head, and a partition part which partitions the container body into multiple independent areas. The partition part includes: at least one first portion which partitions the container body in a first direction; and at least one second portion which partitions the container body in a second direction intersecting with the first direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 19

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus including a head that discharges a liquid.

Background Art

[0002] An inkjet recording apparatus such as an inkjet printer includes a head that discharges a liquid such as ink for image formation or a processing liquid toward a recording medium. Generally, an inkjet recording apparatus includes a maintenance area for performing a predetermined process on the head in addition to a printing area where printing processing is performed. In the maintenance area, processes such as removing clogging of nozzles that discharge a liquid and removing dirt on the nozzle arrangement surface of the head are performed. For this process, a purge operation for discharging a pressurized liquid from the nozzles, a wiping operation for wiping the nozzle arrangement surface with a wiper provided with a wiping member such as a blade, and the like are performed. In the maintenance area, a container for collecting liquid that falls from the head during the purge operation or the wiping operation is provided.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which a container disposed in a maintenance area is partitioned into two recovery chambers by a partition portion linearly extending in one direction. When liquids falling from a plurality of heads are mixed with each other, a reaction may occur between the liquids and they may aggregate. Such aggregation hinders the discharge of the liquid from the container. Therefore, in each of the above techniques, in order to prevent easily reacting liquids from being mixed, a dedicated recovery chamber is secured for each of the plurality of liquids that are likely to react.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0005] The inkjet recording apparatus of the present disclosure comprises at least one head for ejecting liquids, a container having a container body with an opening for receiving the liquid ejected from the at least one head, and a partition portion for dividing the container body into a plurality of independent regions, wherein the partition portion has at least one first portion that partitions the container body in a first direction, and at least one second portion that partitions the container body in a second direction intersecting the first direction. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an inkjet printer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view along line II-II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the carriage and maintenance unit shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the carriage and maintenance unit. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of an inkjet printer. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an overall perspective view of the maintenance unit. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the maintenance unit shown in Figure 6 with the cleaning unit removed. [Figure 8A] Figure 8A is a perspective view of the state shown in Figure 7 with the wiping unit further removed. [Figure 8B] Figure 8B is a magnified view of the area around the processing liquid container in Figure 8A. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a combined diagram showing a plan view of the wiping unit (area A) and a plan view showing the arrangement of the ink heads mounted on the carriage (area B). [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a perspective view of one of the wipers included in the wiping unit. [Figure 11A]Figure 11A is a perspective view of the maintenance unit, with a different perspective orientation than that of Figure 7. [Figure 11B] Figure 11B is an enlarged view of the drive system portion of the wiping unit shown in Figure 11A. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a perspective view illustrating the direction of movement of the wiping unit. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a top view of the maintenance unit showing the movement path of the wiping unit. [Figure 14A] Figure 14A is a schematic cross-sectional view in the left-right direction showing an example of the arrangement of the processing liquid container, avoiding the area directly above the opening of the ink container. [Figure 14B] Figure 14B is a schematic cross-sectional view in the left-right direction showing an example of the arrangement of the processing liquid container, avoiding the area directly above the opening of the ink container. [Figure 14C] Figure 14C is a schematic cross-sectional view in the left-right direction showing an example of the arrangement of the processing liquid container, avoiding the area directly above the opening of the ink container. [Figure 14D] Figure 14D is a schematic top view showing an example of the arrangement of the processing liquid container, avoiding the area directly above the opening of the ink container. [Figure 15A] Figure 15A is a schematic diagram illustrating the range of movement of the processing liquid wiper during wiping. [Figure 15B] Figure 15B is a schematic diagram illustrating the range of movement of the processing liquid wiper during wiping. [Figure 15C] Figure 15C is a schematic diagram illustrating the range of movement of the processing liquid wiper during wiping. [Figure 16A] Figure 16A is a schematic side view showing an ink wiper and its cleaning component. [Figure 16B] Figure 16B is a perspective view of the main part of the maintenance unit showing the arrangement of the cleaning components shown in Figure 16A. [Figure 17] Figure 17 is a plan view showing the inclined arrangement of the ink blade and the processing liquid blade. [Figure 18A] Figure 18A shows the wiping condition of the head with a blade that is not tilted. [Figure 18B] FIG. 18B is a diagram showing the wiping state of the head by the processing liquid blade and the ink blade having an inclination. [Figure 18C] FIG. 18C is a diagram showing the wiping state of the head by the processing liquid blade and the ink blade having an inclination. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a container unit according to a first modified embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a container unit according to a second modified embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a container unit according to a third modified embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a container unit according to a fourth modified embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a container unit according to a fifth modified embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a container unit according to a sixth modified embodiment of the present disclosure.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

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

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

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

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

[0011] The right frame 112 forms a maintenance area 13. The maintenance area 13 is an area where the carriage 3 is retracted when the printing process is not being performed. A maintenance unit 7 is located in the maintenance area 13. The maintenance unit 7 is located below the retracted carriage 3. The maintenance unit 7 is a unit for wiping the underside (nozzle arrangement surface) of the ink head 4, pre-processing head 5, and post-processing head 6, and for purging the nozzles. The maintenance unit 7 also functions as a cap to prevent the drying of the heads 4, 5, and 6 when they are idle. The left frame 113 forms a folding area 14 for the carriage 3. The folding area 14 is an area where the carriage 3, which has scanned the printing area 12 from right to left during the printing process, temporarily enters before performing a scan in the reverse direction.

[0012] A carriage guide 15 is assembled on the upper side of the device frame 10 to allow the carriage 3 to move back and forth in the left-right direction. The carriage guide 15 is a long, flat plate-shaped member and is positioned above the workpiece transport section 20. A timing belt 16 is mounted on the carriage guide 15 so as to be able to move around in the left-right direction (main scanning direction). The timing belt 16 is an endless belt and is driven by a drive source (not shown) to move around in the left or right direction.

[0013] The carriage guide 15 is equipped with a pair of upper and lower guide rails 17 that extend parallel to each other in the left-right direction. The carriage 3 has engagement parts with the guide rails 17. The carriage 3 is fixed to the timing belt 16. As the timing belt 16 rotates to the left or right, the carriage 3 moves along the carriage guide 15 to the left or right, guided by the guide rails 17.

[0014] Referring mainly to Figure 2, the workpiece transport unit 20 includes a feed roller 21 for feeding out the workpiece W before printing and a take-up roller 22 for winding up the workpiece W after printing. The feed roller 21 is located at the lower rear of the device frame 10 and is the winding shaft of the feed roll WA, which is the winding body of the workpiece W before printing. The take-up roller 22 is located at the lower front of the device frame 10 and is the winding shaft of the take-up roll WB, which is the winding body of the workpiece W after printing. The take-up roller 22 is equipped with a first motor M1 that rotates the take-up roller 22 around its axis and performs the winding operation of the workpiece W.

[0015] The path between the feed roller 21 and the take-up roller 22, passing through the printing area 12, serves as the transport path for the workpiece W. Along this transport path, the first tension roller 23, workpiece guide 24, transport roller 25 and pinch roller 26, return roller 27, and second tension roller 28 are arranged in order from upstream. The first tension roller 23 applies a predetermined tension to the workpiece W upstream of the transport roller 25. The workpiece guide 24 changes the transport direction of the workpiece W from upward to forward, bringing the workpiece W into the printing area 12.

[0016] The transport roller 25 generates a transport force that intermittently feeds the workpiece W in the printing area 12. The transport roller 25 is rotationally driven around its axis by the second motor M2. The transport roller 25 intermittently transports the workpiece W forward (transport direction F) so that it passes through the printing area 12 facing the carriage 3. The pinch roller 26 is positioned opposite the transport roller 25 from above and forms a transport nip with the transport roller 25. The return roller 27 changes the transport direction of the workpiece W that has passed through the printing area 12 from forward to downward, guiding the printed workpiece W to the winding roller 22. The second tension roller 28 applies a predetermined tension to the workpiece W downstream of the transport roller 25. A platen 29 is positioned below the transport path of the workpiece W in the printing area 12.

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

[0018] [Carriage Details] Further explanation of carriage 3 is provided. Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of carriage 3 shown in Figure 1, and the maintenance unit 7 is also shown. Figure 3 shows the transport direction F (sub-scanning direction) of the workpiece W and the main scanning direction S, which is the direction of movement of carriage 3. Figure 3 shows an example in which multiple ink heads 4 that eject image-forming ink to the workpiece W, and pre-processing heads 5 and post-processing heads 6 that eject non-coloring processing liquid are mounted on carriage 3. The actual carriage 3 is also equipped with multiple sub-tanks that supply the ink and processing liquid to these heads 4, 5, and 6. Note that the number of heads is not limited to the above, and at least one head may be arranged.

[0019] Each of the ink heads 4 comprises a number of nozzles that eject ink droplets using an ejection method such as a piezoelectric method using a piezoelectric element or a thermal method using a heating element, and an ink passage that guides the ink to these nozzles. As the ink, for example, an aqueous pigment ink containing an aqueous solvent, a pigment, and a binder resin can be used. The plurality of ink heads 4 in this embodiment include first to eighth ink heads 4A to 4H, each ejecting eight different colors of ink.

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

[0021] The pre-processing head 5 (processing liquid head) and the post-processing head 6 (processing liquid head) are positioned differently from the ink head 4 in the transport direction F. The pre-processing head 5 is positioned upstream of the ink head 4 in the transport direction F. Figure 3 shows an example where one pre-processing head 5 is positioned near the left end of the ink head 4 array. In contrast, the post-processing head 6 is positioned downstream of the ink head 4 in the transport direction F. Figure 3 shows an example where two post-processing heads 6A and 6B are positioned near the right end of the ink head 4 array, aligned in the main scanning direction S.

[0022] The pre-treatment head 5 discharges a pre-treatment liquid (processing liquid) to perform a predetermined pre-treatment on the workpiece W. The pre-treatment liquid is discharged from the pre-treatment head 5 to a position on the workpiece W where ink has not yet been discharged from the ink head 4. The pre-treatment liquid is a non-coloring processing liquid that does not develop color even when it adheres to the workpiece W, and is a processing liquid that exhibits functions such as improving the ink's fixation to the workpiece W and the aggregation of the ink pigment. As such a pre-treatment liquid, a processing liquid containing a binder resin in the solvent, or a processing liquid containing a positively charged cationic resin in the solvent can be used.

[0023] The post-processing head 6 discharges a post-processing liquid (processing solution) to perform a predetermined post-processing on the workpiece W to which ink has adhered. The post-processing liquid is discharged from the post-processing head 6 to the position on the workpiece W after the ink has been discharged from the ink head 4. The post-processing liquid is a non-coloring processing solution that does not develop color even when it adheres to the workpiece W, and is a processing solution that enhances the fixation and robustness of the ink image printed on the workpiece W by the ink head 4. The robustness refers to resistance to abrasion and scratching. As such a post-processing liquid, a silicone-based processing solution or the like can be used.

[0024] Here, a non-coloring processing solution refers to a solution that, when printed on a recording medium alone, is not perceived as color by the naked eye. Here, "color" includes colors with zero saturation, such as black, white, and gray. A non-coloring processing solution is basically a transparent liquid; however, for example, a liter of the solution may not be completely transparent when viewed in liquid form, and may appear slightly white. Such colors are very faint, and therefore, when printed on a recording medium alone, they are not perceived as color by the naked eye. Note that depending on the type of processing solution, when printed on a recording medium alone, changes such as glossiness may occur on the recording medium; however, such a state is not considered color development.

[0025] An opening 31H is provided in the head support frame 31 where the print heads are positioned. The ink heads 4A to 4F, the pre-processing head 5, and the post-processing head 6 are assembled to the head support frame 31 so that they fit into their respective openings 31H. The nozzles located on the lower end faces of each of the print heads 4, 5, and 6 are exposed through each opening 31H.

[0026] As described above, the inkjet printer 1 according to this embodiment is an all-in-one type printer in which three types of heads, an ink head 4, a pre-treatment head 5, and a post-treatment head 6, are mounted on a single carriage 3. With this printer 1, for example, in the printing process of performing inkjet printing on fabric in digital textile printing, the pre-treatment liquid discharge process and the post-treatment liquid discharge process can be performed integrally. Therefore, the printing process can be simplified and the printing equipment can be made more compact.

[0027] [Overall configuration of the maintenance unit] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the carriage 3 and the maintenance unit 7 along the front and rear. The maintenance unit 7 includes a container unit 70, a wiping unit 8, and a washing unit 9. The maintenance area 13 (Figure 1) is the area where processing is performed to clear clogging from the nozzles of heads 4, 5, and 6, and to remove dirt from the nozzle arrangement surface NA of heads 4, 5, and 6. For this processing, purging, wiping, and washing operations are performed in the maintenance area 13.

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

[0029] The container unit 70 is equipped with a structure for separating and recovering the pretreatment liquid, ink, and posttreatment liquid. In this embodiment, as described above, the pretreatment liquid used is a treatment liquid that enhances the fixation of the ink and the coagulation of the ink pigment. Therefore, if the pretreatment liquid and the ink are mixed, the mixture will coagulate, which may hinder recovery to the waste liquid tank. On the other hand, the posttreatment liquid used in this embodiment does not coagulate even when mixed with the ink. This is the reason for the separate recovery in the container unit 70.

[0030] The container unit 70 comprises an ink container 71, a pre-treatment liquid container 72 (treatment liquid container), and a cleaning liquid tray 73 (cleaning container section). The ink container 71 is a container for recovering the ink and post-treatment liquid discharged from the ink head 4 and the post-treatment head 6, respectively, during the purging operation. The ink container 71 has a first opening 71H on its upper surface for receiving the ink and post-treatment liquid. The first opening 71H opens upward at a position that is at least vertically opposite to the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the ink head 4 and the post-treatment head 6. The ink container 71 also recovers the ink and post-treatment liquid wiped from the nozzle arrangement surface NA during the wiping operation.

[0031] The pretreatment liquid container 72 is positioned to cover a portion of the upper part of the first opening 71H. The pretreatment liquid container 72 is a container for collecting the pretreatment liquid discharged from the pretreatment head 5 during the purging operation. The pretreatment liquid container 72 has a second opening 72H on its upper surface for receiving the pretreatment liquid. The second opening 72H opens upward at a position at least vertically opposite the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the pretreatment head 5. The pretreatment liquid container 72 also collects the pretreatment liquid wiped from the nozzle arrangement surface NA during the wiping operation. The cleaning liquid tray 73 is a container for collecting (receiving) the cleaning liquid 9A that is sprayed from the cleaning liquid cleaning unit 9 during the cleaning operation and passes through each wiper.

[0032] The container unit 70 is equipped with an overflow passage 741, a processing liquid passage 742, and a relay passage 743 for the distribution of the recovered liquid. The overflow passage 741 has an opening at the bottom of the ink container 71 and its end leads to a waste liquid container (not shown). The processing liquid passage 742 has an opening near the bottom of the pre-processing liquid container 72 and its end leads to the waste liquid container. The relay passage 743 has an opening at the bottom of the cleaning liquid tray 73 and its end opening near the bottom of the ink container 71. In other words, the cleaning liquid 9A recovered in the cleaning liquid tray 73 is first introduced into the ink container 71 and then recovered to the waste liquid container through the overflow passage 741.

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

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

[0035] In this embodiment, heads 4, 5, and 6 each discharge only ink, pre-treatment liquid, and post-treatment liquid, respectively. However, a single head may include a nozzle for discharging ink and a nozzle for discharging at least one of the pre-treatment liquid and the post-treatment liquid. In that case, at least the nozzle for discharging ink and the nozzle for discharging pre-treatment liquid are separated and located in different areas and wiped by different wipers. By having heads 4, 5, and 6 each discharge only ink, pre-treatment liquid, and post-treatment liquid, the possibility of mixing ink with the pre-treatment liquid or post-treatment liquid can be reduced.

[0036] The cleaning unit 9 includes a nozzle holding plate 91 and a plurality of cleaning nozzles 92 (spraying parts) held by the nozzle holding plate 91. The nozzle holding plate 91 is made of a flat plate-shaped member and is fixedly positioned facing the cleaning liquid tray 73 of the container unit 70. The plurality of cleaning nozzles 92 are positioned corresponding to the ink wiper 82, pre-treatment liquid wiper 83, and post-treatment liquid wiper 84, which are mounted on the wiper support plate 81. In other words, when the wiping unit 8 moves to a predetermined position directly below the cleaning unit 9, the plurality of cleaning nozzles 92 are each held by the nozzle holding plate 91 in a position facing the wipers 82, 83, and 84 from above. The cleaning nozzles 92 discharge (spray) cleaning liquid 9A in a fan-shaped spray. Cleaning liquid 9A is supplied to the cleaning nozzles 92 from a cleaning liquid tank (not shown) via a cleaning liquid hose 93.

[0037] [Control Configuration] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing part of the control configuration of printer 1. Printer 1 includes a controller 33 and a carriage drive motor 34, a carriage lifting motor 35, a wiper moving motor 36, a wash water supply pump 37, and a head drive unit 38, whose operation is controlled by the controller 33.

[0038] The carriage drive motor 34 generates a driving force to move the carriage 3 in the left-right direction within the range of the folding area 14, the printing area 12, and the maintenance area 13 (Figure 1). The carriage drive motor 34 also drives the timing belt 16 (Figures 1 to 3). The carriage lifting motor 35 generates a driving force to move the carriage 3 in the up-down direction within the maintenance area 13. The wiper moving motor 36 generates a driving force to move the wiping unit 8 in the front-back direction. The cleaning water supply pump 37 is connected to the cleaning fluid hose 93 and supplies cleaning fluid 9A to the cleaning nozzle 92 at a predetermined pressure. The head drive unit 38 performs the discharge operations of ink, pre-treatment fluid, and post-treatment fluid from each of the heads 4, 5, and 6.

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

[0040] When executing the wiping operation, the controller 33 controls the wiper movement motor 36 to move the wiping unit 8 to the furthest forward wiping start position. Next, the controller 33 controls the carriage lifting motor 35 to lower the nozzle arrangement surfaces NA of each head 4, 5, and 6 to a height position where they contact the wipers 82, 83, and 84 of the wiping unit 8. After that, the controller 33 moves the wiping unit 8 towards the rear. The ink and post-treatment liquid wiped from the nozzle arrangement surfaces NA by the wiping of the ink wiper 82 and the post-treatment liquid wiper 84 are collected in the ink container 71. The pre-treatment liquid wiped from the nozzle arrangement surfaces NA by the wiping of the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 is collected in the pre-treatment liquid container 72.

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

[0042] [Detailed structure of the maintenance unit] Next, we will illustrate one specific embodiment of the maintenance unit 7 described above and explain its detailed structure. Figure 6 is an overall perspective view of the maintenance unit 7, Figure 7 is a perspective view of Figure 6 with the cleaning unit 9 removed, Figure 8A is a perspective view of Figure 7 with the wiping unit 8 further removed, and Figure 8B is an enlarged view of the area around the pretreatment liquid container 72 in Figure 8A. Figures 6 and 7 show the state in which the unit is waiting for a wiping command or in which the cleaning operation is being performed, with the wiping unit 8 moved to the furthest rear end.

[0043] As previously described, the maintenance unit 7 includes a container unit 70, a wiping unit 8, and a cleaning unit 9 (cleaning section). The container unit 70 is mounted on the device frame 10 (Figure 1) so as to be retractable forward in the maintenance area 13. The wiping unit 8 is assembled to the container unit 70 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The cleaning unit 9 is fixedly assembled to the device frame 10.

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

[0045] A handle 703 is attached to the front frame 702 for pulling the container unit 70 forward. Multiple waste liquid hoses 704 extend from the bottom of the front frame 702. The waste liquid hoses 704 connect an overflow passage 741 that communicates with the cavity of the ink container 71, a processing liquid passage 742 that communicates with the cavity of the pre-treatment liquid container 72, and a waste liquid tank (not shown). Sliders 705 are mounted on the outer surfaces of a pair of side frames 701. The sliders 705 engage with guide rails (not shown) fixed to the device frame 10, enabling the container unit 70 to be pulled forward from the device frame 10 (housing). At this time, the wiping unit 8, which will be described in detail later, can also be pulled out integrally with the container unit 70. Therefore, the container unit 70 and the wiping unit 8 can be easily cleaned and maintained. In other embodiments, the cleaning unit 9 may also be pulled out integrally. Furthermore, a chain protector 706 for housing electrical cables and hoses is installed below the frame structure 700. The chain protector 706 deforms as the container unit 70 is extended.

[0046] The ink container 71 is a tray-type container having a rectangular first opening 71H on its upper surface that is elongated in the left-right direction. The ink container 71 includes a rectangular bottom surface 711 that is elongated in the left-right direction, four tapered surfaces 712 that extend upward from each of the four edges of the bottom surface 711, and an upper end flange 708 formed on the periphery of the first opening 71H. The ink container 71 is a separate component from the frame structure 700 and is fitted into the frame structure 700. The upper end flange 708 of the ink container 71 is supported by the side frame 701 and the front frame 702. The starting end opening of the overflow passage 741 protrudes upward from the bottom surface 711 by a predetermined length. The terminal end opening of the intermediate passage 743 protrudes from near the lower end of the left tapered surface 712.

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

[0048] Referring to Figures 8A and 8B, the pretreatment liquid container 72 is positioned to the left rear of the ink container 71, covering a portion of the first opening 71H. This position of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is the position in which the pretreatment head 5, held by the carriage 3, faces directly during wiping. As will be described later, if the pretreatment head 5 is positioned near the center or right end of the head support frame 31, the pretreatment liquid container 72 is also positioned in a corresponding location. The pretreatment liquid container 72 has a long rectangular second opening 72H on its upper surface, corresponding to the shape of the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the pretreatment head 5. In this embodiment, the second opening 72H is at the same height as the first opening 71H. In other words, the second opening 72H occupies a portion of the area originally occupied by the first opening 71H.

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

[0050] To put the structure of the container unit 70 described above in other words, the container unit 70 has a container body 700H (Figures 8A and 8B) with openings for receiving liquids discharged from multiple heads, and partitions that divide the container body 700H into multiple independent regions. In this embodiment, the front wall 721 and the right wall 723 in Figure 8B correspond to the partitions. The partitions divide the container body 700H into an ink container 71 and a pre-treatment liquid container 72. In this case, the front wall 721 (first part) divides the container body 700H in the front-to-back direction, and the right wall 723 (second part) is connected to the front wall 721 and divides the container body 700H in the left-to-right direction.

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

[0052] In this context, "receiving liquid" refers to receiving liquid that falls from above. Liquid flows into the ink container 71 from the cleaning solution tray 73 through the relay passage 743, but this is not included in the aforementioned "receiving." The liquid flowing from the cleaning solution tray 73 contains, in addition to the cleaning solution, a small amount of ink, pre-treatment solution, and post-treatment solution. However, since the concentration of the pre-treatment solution is low, it does not solidify even when it enters the ink container 71. Alternatively, a partition may be provided in the cleaning solution tray 73 to allow only liquid without the pre-treatment solution to flow into the ink container 71.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by collecting the pre-treatment liquid in a dedicated pre-treatment liquid container 72 while collecting the ink and post-treatment liquid in an ink container 71, mixing of the pre-treatment liquid, which tends to agglomerate when mixed with ink, with the ink is prevented, and both types of treatment liquids can be easily discharged.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the bottom surface of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is positioned above the bottom surface of the ink container 71. That is, the depth of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is shallower than the depth of the ink container 71. This reduces the likelihood of the pretreatment liquid, which has a relatively small discharge volume, adhering to the inner wall of the pretreatment liquid container 72, and makes it easier to discharge the pretreatment liquid from the pretreatment liquid container 72. The depth of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is defined as the distance from the upper end of the partition separating the pretreatment liquid container 72 and the ink container 71 to the lowest part of the pretreatment liquid container 72. The depth of the ink container 71 is defined as the distance from the upper end of the aforementioned partition to the lowest part of the ink container 71.

[0055] In particular, in this embodiment, the container body 700H of the container unit 70 has an inclined surface (the tapered surface 712 on the left side in Figure 8B) that defines the ink container 71 together with the partition. Furthermore, a part of the inclined surface above the bottom surface 711 of the ink container 71 defines the pre-treatment liquid container 72 (left wall 724), so that the depth of the pre-treatment liquid container 72 is set to be shallower than the depth of the ink container 71. In other words, the pre-treatment liquid container 72 is formed using the region from the upper edge of the left tapered surface 712 to the middle of the tapered surface 712. Therefore, the ink container 71 and the pre-treatment liquid container 72 can be formed using the above-mentioned inclined surface, and the rigidity of the pre-treatment liquid container 72 can be increased by attaching the pre-treatment liquid container 72 to the ink container 71. Consequently, compared to the case where all the wall portions defining the pre-treatment liquid container 72 are completely independent of the ink container 71, deformation of the pre-treatment liquid container 72 due to gravity can be suppressed.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the left wall 724 (Figure 8B) of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is inclined so as the pretreatment liquid received from the pretreatment head 5 moves downward, it can be guided to the right (in a predetermined direction). Similarly, the right wall 723 is inclined so as the pretreatment liquid received from the pretreatment head 5 moves downward, it can be guided to the left (in a predetermined direction). The pretreatment liquid guided along the right wall 723 and the left wall 724 is collected at the point where they intersect and discharged from the treatment liquid passage 742. Note that the inner surfaces of the right wall 723 and the left wall 724 correspond to the bottom surface of the pretreatment liquid container 72 as seen in a plan view of the pretreatment liquid container 72.

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

[0058] <Wiping Unit> As shown in Figure 7, the wiping unit 8 includes a wiper support plate 81, an ink wiper 82, a pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 (treatment liquid wiper), a post-treatment liquid wiper 84 (treatment liquid wiper), and a wiper drive unit 85. Figure 9 is a combined diagram of a plan view (area A) of the wiper support plate 81 holding the wipers 82, 83, and 84, and a plan view (area B) showing the arrangement of the ink head 4, pre-treatment head 5, and post-treatment head 6 mounted on the carriage 3, and their correspondence with the wipers 82, 83, and 84. The arrangement of heads 4, 5, and 6 shown in Figure 9 (area B) is the same as the arrangement illustrated earlier in Figure 3.

[0059] The wiper support plate 81 is formed by punching out a thin, flat plate member and has multiple strip-shaped protrusions 811. The multiple protrusions 811 protrude in the rearward direction, which is the direction of movement during wiping. A recess 812 is formed between adjacent protrusions 811, recessed towards the front. Ink wipers 82 are attached to the edges (rear ends) of the protrusions 811 and the edges of the recesses 812 to wipe the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the ink head 4. The ink wipers 82 positioned on the edges of the protrusions 811 are for wiping the upstream heads of each color ink head 4, such as the ink wiper 82A1 positioned for the upstream head 4A1 of the first ink head 4A. On the other hand, the ink wipers 82 positioned on the edges of the recesses 812 are for wiping the downstream heads of each color ink head 4, such as the ink wiper 82A2 positioned for the downstream head 4A2.

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

[0061] As shown in Figure 9 (Area B), in this embodiment, the pre-treatment head 5 and the downstream head 4A2 of the first ink head 4A are positioned so that they completely overlap each other in the direction of movement (rearward direction) during wiping. In other words, the pre-treatment head 5 and the downstream head 4A2 are positioned side by side on the upstream and downstream sides of the transport direction F at the same position in the left-right direction of the head support frame 31. With this arrangement, the path that the ink wiper 82A2 passes through when moving from the wiping area to the cleaning unit 9 overlaps with the path wiped by the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83. Therefore, the risk of pre-treatment liquid dripping onto the ink wiper 82A2 and causing aggregation can be reduced. It is desirable that the pre-treatment head 5 and the downstream head 4A2 are positioned so that they completely overlap in the direction of movement during wiping, but it is also acceptable for them to be slightly offset from each other in the left-right direction.

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

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

[0064] The wiper support plate 81 has a plurality of protrusions 813 that are arranged in correspondence with each of the wipers 82, 83, and 84 described above. The protrusions 813 are connected to the rear end of the protrusion plate 811, the base edge of the recess 812, the rear end of the protrusion piece 814, and the base edge of the window portion 817, respectively. In a top view, these protrusions 813 are small projections that protrude in the direction of movement during wiping. The wipers 82, 83, and 84 are each positioned on their corresponding protrusions 813. This arrangement makes it difficult for ink or processing liquid adhering to the wipers 82, 83, and 84 to adhere to the wiper support plate 81.

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

[0066] The wiper blade 821 is a plate material that actually contacts the nozzle arrangement surface NA to perform the wiping action. The upper end of the wiper blade 821 is positioned to protrude upward from the upper surface of the wiper support plate 81. The first holder 822 and the second holder 823 are members that hold the wiper blade 821 by clamping it. The first holder 822 is fitted into a recess provided in the protrusion 813 and fixed with screws, supporting the lower back part of the wiper blade 821. The second holder 823 is attached to the lower front part of the wiper blade 821.

[0067] The second holder 823 has a pair of openings 824, and the wiper blade 821 also has a through hole at the same position as the openings 824. On the other hand, the first holder 822 has a pair of claw portions 825. The claw portions 825 are inserted through the through hole and the opening 824 and lock the second holder 823 at the periphery of the opening 824. This locking force holds the wiper blade 821 between the first holder 822 and the second holder 823. The wiper blade 821 is held in a position that protrudes further than the protruding end face of the convex portion 813.

[0068] The pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 and the post-treatment liquid wiper 84 may be constructed with the same structure, shape, and material as the ink wiper 82 shown in Figure 10, but they may also be different. For example, the shape and material of the wiper blade 821 and the support structure of the wiper blade 821 may be different for the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 and / or post-treatment liquid wiper 84 from those of the ink wiper 82, depending on the properties of the ink and treatment liquid. As the wiper blade 821, a blade made of rubber or resin material having a predetermined rigidity is used. For example, consider a case where the pre-treatment liquid dries faster than the ink, making wiping relatively difficult. In this case, it is desirable to use a blade with higher rigidity for the wiper blade 821 of the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 than that of the ink wiper 82, or to increase the protrusion height of the wiper blade 821 to enhance its wiping power.

[0069] Figure 11A is a perspective view of the maintenance unit 7, viewed from a different angle than Figure 7, and is a diagram illustrating the wiper drive unit 85. Figure 11B is an enlarged view of the XIB portion enclosed by the dotted line in Figure 11A. The wiper drive unit 85 is a mechanism that moves the wiper support plate 81, which holds the wipers 82, 83, and 84, in the front-rear direction. The wiper drive unit 85 includes a servo motor 851, a ball screw 852, and a slider 853. The servo motor 851 is the motor corresponding to the wiper moving motor 36 shown in Figure 5.

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

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

[0072] The range of movement of the wiper support plate 81 is between the front end (wiping area) and the rear end (washing area) of the container unit 70. For example, when the servo motor 851 is driven forward by the controller 33, the slider 853 is moved forward, and the wiper support plate 81, which is fixed to the slider 853, also moves forward. On the other hand, when the servo motor 851 is driven in the reverse direction, the wiper support plate 81 moves backward.

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

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the container unit 70 and the wiping unit 8 can be pulled out integrally from the device frame 10 (housing). In this case, the direction in which the wiping unit 8 is pulled out is in the direction along the direction of movement of each wiper when wiping each head. Therefore, when the wiping unit 8 is pulled out or inserted, the direction of the acceleration applied to the liquid attached to each wiper is in the direction of movement of the wiper, so that the liquid attached to each wiper does not adhere to the wiper support plate 81.

[0075] <Washing Unit> Referring to Figure 6, the washing unit 9 comprises a nozzle holding plate 91 and a plurality of washing nozzles 92. The nozzle holding plate 91 is a U-shaped frame material including a top plate 911 (top plate portion) and a pair of left and right side plates 912. The top plate 911 is a flat plate with a width slightly larger than the left and right width of the container unit 70. The pair of side plates 912 are flat plates that hang down from the left and right ends of the top plate 911, and face the left and right side frames 701, respectively.

[0076] The nozzle holding plate 91 is fixed to a suitable location on the device frame 10 (Figure 1). When the container unit 70 is loaded into a predetermined position on the device frame 10, the nozzle holding plate 91 is positioned such that it fits into the rear region of the container unit 70 from above. The portion of the container unit 70 covered by the nozzle holding plate 91 becomes a cleaning area for cleaning the ink wiper 82, pre-treatment liquid wiper 83, and post-treatment liquid wiper 84. The top plate 911 faces the cleaning liquid tray 73 of the container unit 70 in the vertical direction with a predetermined gap between them. The gap has a vertical width that allows the wiping unit 8 to enter between the top plate 911 and the cleaning liquid tray 73. In this embodiment, the cleaning liquid tray 73 is pulled out together with the container unit 70, leaving the cleaning unit 9 in place, thus making cleaning the cleaning liquid tray 73 even easier.

[0077] Multiple cleaning nozzles 92 are arranged on the top plate 911 in a manner that matches the arrangement of wipers 82, 83, and 84 on the wiper support plate 81. The multiple cleaning nozzles 92 include a nozzle 92A for cleaning the ink wiper 82, a nozzle 92B for cleaning the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83, and a nozzle 92C for cleaning the post-treatment liquid wiper 84. These nozzles 92A, 92B, and 92C discharge cleaning liquid 9A in a fan-shaped spray from their respective lower end surfaces (see Figure 4) to clean the wipers 82, 83, and 84.

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

[0079] To the left of the maintenance unit 7 is the printing area 12 (Figure 1), where ink is ejected from the ink head 4 to form an image. Therefore, when the carriage 3 enters the maintenance area 13, it enters from the left side of the maintenance unit 7. As shown in Figure 9, the pre-treatment head 5 is supported by the carriage 3 at the leftmost position, alongside the downstream head 4A2 of the first ink head 4A. Accordingly, the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 is also positioned at the leftmost position on the wiper support plate 81.

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

[0081] Furthermore, the above effects are also achieved through the arrangement of the pre-treatment liquid container 72. Specifically, in this embodiment, in the direction in which the carriage 3 equipped with the pre-treatment head 5 moves from the printing area to the wiping area, the pre-treatment liquid container 72 is positioned closer to the printing area than the ink container 71. Therefore, assuming that the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 wipes the pre-treatment head 5 on the pre-treatment liquid container 72, it is possible to reduce the amount of pre-treatment liquid that adheres to the pre-treatment head 5 adhering to the ink container 71 or the like by preventing the pre-treatment head 5 from entering deep into the wiping area.

[0082] Furthermore, the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is supported by the wiper support plate 81 at the position closest to the cleaning area among the wipers 82, 83, and 84 in the direction of movement from the wiping area to the cleaning area. That is, as shown in Figure 9 (Area A), the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is positioned on the edge of the protruding piece 814 that is furthest rearward when viewed from above on the wiper support plate 81. Therefore, it is possible to introduce the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 into the cleaning area as quickly as possible and perform the cleaning process. For example, if the pretreatment liquid has fast-drying properties, the nozzle 92B (Figure 6) for cleaning the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 can be positioned on the furthest forward side of the nozzle holding plate 91, making it possible to immediately clean the pretreatment liquid wiper 83.

[0083] Furthermore, the above effects are also achieved through the arrangement of the pre-treatment liquid container 72. In this embodiment, the entire pre-treatment liquid container 72 is positioned closer to the cleaning area (cleaning unit 9, cleaning section) than the entire ink container 71. Therefore, assuming that the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 wipes the pre-treatment head 5 on the pre-treatment liquid container 72, the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 can be cleaned more quickly. The pre-treatment liquid container 72 may also be positioned to protrude further towards the cleaning area than the ink container 71.

[0084] Figure 13 is a top view of the maintenance unit 7 showing the movement path MW of the wiping unit 8 during wiping. The dotted lines in the figure indicate the initial positions of the wiping unit 8 and the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 during wiping. In Figure 13, the solid lines indicate the position of the wiping unit 8, which is the position where wiping is completed and wipers 82, 83, and 84 are cleaned, as well as the waiting position for an instruction to execute the wiping operation.

[0085] In this embodiment, the movement path MW (movement range) of the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 during wiping is set to a position that avoids being directly above the first opening 71H of the ink container 71. In other words, the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 is positioned to avoid being directly below the movement path MW of the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83. Specifically, the movement range of the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 when performing a wiping operation in the wiping area is set to be directly above the second opening 72H of the pre-treatment liquid container 72. In other words, the first opening 71H is not substantially located directly below the area where the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 wipes the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the pre-treatment head 5, and most or all of the said area is positioned to face the second opening 72H in the vertical direction. To put it another way, the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 is positioned, when viewed from above, outside the entire movement path MW of the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83. This arrangement reduces the occurrence of pre-treatment liquid wiped by the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 entering the ink container 71 through the first opening 71H during wiping. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of chemical reactions such as ink aggregation.

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

[0087] Furthermore, the direction of the movement path MW is the direction in which the cleaning area where the cleaning unit 9 is located is situated. This arrangement also contributes to preventing the scattering of pre-treatment liquid. That is, when the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 separates from the nozzle arrangement surface NA of the pre-treatment head 5, even if the pre-treatment liquid adhering to the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 is scattered, it will land in the cleaning area. In the cleaning area, the scattered pre-treatment liquid is diluted with a relatively large amount of cleaning liquid and collected in the cleaning liquid tray 73. Therefore, it is possible to achieve an operation in which it is difficult for droplets of pre-treatment liquid to enter the ink container 71.

[0088] <Regarding the position that avoids being directly above the first opening> Let's explain the variations of the "position avoiding the area directly above the first opening 71H" mentioned above. Figures 14A to 14D are schematic diagrams showing various arrangement examples of the pre-treatment liquid container 72 that avoid the area directly above the first opening 71H of the ink container 71. Figures 14A, 14B, and 14C are schematic cross-sectional views of the maintenance unit 7 in the left-right direction, and Figure 14D is a top view. The "position avoiding the area directly above" includes not only the case where the container is located outside the space above the first opening 71H, but also the case where other components are interposed between a part of the first opening 71H and the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83.

[0089] Figure 14A shows an example in which the pretreatment liquid container 72 is positioned to cover a portion of the first opening 71H, thereby setting the movement range of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 to a position that avoids directly above the first opening 71H. The example in Figure 14A is the same as the example shown in Figure 8A above. In this example, while setting the movement range of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 above the first opening 71H, the second opening 72H of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is positioned below that movement range, thereby achieving a position that "avoids directly above the first opening 71H".

[0090] Figure 14B simply shows an example where the movement range of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is set to a position outside the space above the first opening 71H. In this example, the pretreatment liquid container 72 is naturally positioned so as not to overlap with the first opening 71H in the vertical direction. Figure 14C shows an example where other components are interposed between the first opening 71H and the pretreatment liquid wiper 83. The pretreatment liquid container 72 is positioned adjacent to the ink container 71. On the other hand, the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is positioned above the first opening 71H for wiping the pretreatment head 5 which is located above the first opening 71H. Below the pretreatment liquid wiper 83, a guide plate 76 is positioned in a manner that slopes downward toward the second opening 72H. The pretreatment liquid wiped from the pretreatment head 5 by the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 is guided to the second opening 72H through the guide plate 76.

[0091] Figure 14D shows an example of achieving a position that avoids being directly above the first opening 71H by modifying the shape of the ink container 71. The ink container 71 has a notch 713 located below the area where the pre-treatment head 5 is positioned. Therefore, the movement range of the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 is outside the first opening 71H. The pre-treatment liquid container 72 is positioned in the notch 713.

[0092] In other words, in each of the above examples, it can be said that in these examples, the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 is set in a position that avoids being directly below the entire movement path of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83. In all cases, it is possible to reduce the amount of pretreatment liquid that enters the ink container 71 as the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 moves. Note that "a position that avoids being directly below" includes not only the case where the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 is located outside the space below the movement path of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83, but also a position that is diagonally downward, or a position where another member is interposed between a part of the first opening 71H and the pretreatment liquid wiper 83.

[0093] <Regarding the relationship between the range of movement and the position of the second opening> Next, we will explain the positional relationship between the movement range of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 and the second opening 72H of the pretreatment liquid container 72. Figures 15A, 15B, and 15C are schematic diagrams illustrating the movement range of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 during wiping operation. Figure 15A shows the actual wiping range d1 in which the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 substantially performs wiping operation. The actual wiping range d1 corresponds to the width of the nozzle array section 51 in the pretreatment head 5, where a large number of nozzles for discharging the pretreatment liquid are arranged. In other words, d1 is the length from the upstream end (front end) to the downstream end (rear end) of the nozzle array section 51 in the direction of movement of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83. The nozzle array section 51 is the part in which the pretreatment liquid actually adheres. Therefore, the period during which the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 (wiper blade 821) substantially wipes away the pretreatment liquid is the section in which it moves. When wiping is performed, the wiped pretreatment liquid drips from the wiper blade 821 down the second holder 823 (see Figure 10). The dripped pretreatment liquid is received in the pretreatment liquid container 72.

[0094] Figure 15A shows an example where a pretreatment liquid container 72 is positioned below the pretreatment head 5, having a second opening 72H with a front-to-back width that covers the actual wiping range d1 and the thickness of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 before and after it. By positioning the second opening 72H in such a range, at least the area where the pretreatment liquid is most likely to drip can be covered, thus significantly reducing the possibility of the pretreatment liquid mixing with the ink container 71. Alternatively, instead of the example in Figure 15A, the second opening 72H may be the same size as or slightly larger than the actual wiping range d1.

[0095] Figure 15B shows the container area range d2 from the starting position of the actual wiping to the point where the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 exits the wiping area. The starting position of the actual wiping is the upstream end of the nozzle arrangement section 51, as in Figure 15A. In this embodiment, the wiping area is the area covered by the first opening 71H of the ink container 71, so the point where the wiper exits the wiping area is the rear edge of the first opening 71H. Figure 15B shows an example in which a pretreatment liquid container 72A having a second opening 72H that covers such a container area range d2 is positioned below the pretreatment head 5. By positioning the second opening 72H corresponding to the container area range d2, the pretreatment liquid that drips from the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 between the completion of the actual wiping and the start of the cleaning area can be collected in the pretreatment liquid container 72A.

[0096] Figure 15C shows the entire range d3 of a predetermined movement path MW (Figure 13) to which the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 moves when performing wiping. The rear end of the movement path MW is the standby position and the position where the operation has been completed for the pretreatment liquid wiper 83. The front end of the movement path MW is the position where the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 moves furthest forward in a series of wiping operations. In other words, during the wiping operation, the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 moves from the rear end to the front end of the movement path MW, the carriage 3 descends and the nozzle arrangement surface NA is set to a predetermined wiping height, and then moves back from the front end to the rear end of the movement path MW. Here, an example is shown where the front end of the movement path MW is in front of the pretreatment head 5, but the front end of the movement path MW may also be the space between the front edge of the pretreatment head 5 and the upstream end of the nozzle arrangement section 51.

[0097] Figure 15C shows an example where a pretreatment liquid container 72B, having a second opening 72H that covers the entire range d3, is positioned below the pretreatment head 5. In this case, the entire movement path MW is set to a position that avoids being directly above the first opening 71H. By positioning the second opening 72H to correspond to such a range d3, the pretreatment liquid can be more reliably recovered in the pretreatment liquid container 72B. The pretreatment liquid container 72B is equipped with a partition plate 725 at the boundary between the wiping area and the washing area. The rear portion of the pretreatment liquid container 72B enters the washing area. By providing the partition plate 725, the pretreatment liquid recovered in the wiping area can be isolated and recovered via an independent path.

[0098] <Ink wiper removal area> Of the multiple ink wipers 82 provided by the wiping unit 8, the ink wiper 82A2 (Figure 9), which is positioned for the downstream head 4A2 and is located on the far left, passes over the second opening 72H of the pre-treatment liquid container 72 when the wiping unit 8 moves toward the cleaning area. During this passage, ink adhering to the ink wiper 82A2 may drip into the pre-treatment liquid container 72, potentially causing aggregation or other problems. Examples of how to address this problem are shown in Figures 16A and 16B.

[0099] Figure 16A is a schematic side view showing the area around the ink wiper 82A2. The wiper blade 821 of the ink wiper 82A2 is held by the first holder 822 and the second holder 823 and supported by the protrusion 813 of the wiper support plate 81. When the ink wiper 82A2 wipes the downstream head 4A2 of the first ink head 4A, the wiped ink and other substances may remain as deposits T without completely falling from the lower end of the ink wiper 82A2. It is desirable to place a sponge 77 (removal part) to reduce these deposits T before they reach the second opening 72H of the pretreatment liquid container 72.

[0100] Figure 16B is a perspective view of the main part of the container unit 70 showing the arrangement of the sponge 77 shown in Figure 16A. In this embodiment, the second opening 72H is located downstream of the first opening 71H in the direction of movement of the ink wiper 82A2 towards the cleaning area. The sponge 77 is located upstream of the second opening 72H at a height position that contacts the lower end surface of the ink wiper 82A2. A support plate 78 is provided protruding from near the upper end of the left tapered surface 712 of the ink container 71, upstream of the second opening 72H. The lower end of the sponge 77 is fixed to the upper surface of the support plate 78. The deposits T containing ink are removed by the sponge 77 before the ink wiper 82A2 reaches the second opening 72H. Therefore, mixing of the ink into the ink pretreatment liquid container 72 can be suppressed.

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

[0102] The wiper blade 821A of the ink wiper 82 is positioned at an angle such that its left end protrudes more than its right end in the direction of movement when the ink wiper 82 is wiping. Let's focus on the ink wiper 82A1 that wipes the upstream head 4A1 of the first ink head 4A, which is located to the right of the pre-treatment head 5. As shown in Figure 18C, the wiper blade 821A of the ink wiper 82A1 is positioned at an angle such that its left end 82L (first end) on the side where the pre-treatment liquid container 72 is located protrudes more than its right end 82R (second end) on the opposite side in the direction of movement. The post-treatment liquid wipers 84A and 84B that wipe the post-treatment heads 6A and 6B are also positioned at an angle such that their left ends protrude more than their right ends in the direction of movement.

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

[0104] Figure 18A shows the wiping of the head 40 by a wiper blade 8210 that is not tilted. Liquid L is attached to the head 40. The wiper blade 8210 is positioned to extend in a direction perpendicular to the wiping direction. When wiping is performed with such a wiper blade 8210, the liquid L wiped from the head 40 drips from the left and right sides of the head 40, as indicated by the arrows in the figure. For example, if the wiper blade 8210 is applied to the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83, there is a risk that the pre-treatment liquid dripping from the right side of the pre-treatment head 5 will mix with the ink container 71. Also, if the wiper blade 8210 is applied to the upstream head 4A1 of the first ink head 4A, there is a risk that the ink dripping from the left side of the upstream head 4A1 will mix with the pre-treatment liquid container 72.

[0105] Figure 18B shows the wiping condition of the pretreatment head 5 by a pretreatment liquid wiper 83 having an inclined wiper blade 821B. The wiper blade 821B has an inclination such that its right end 83R protrudes in the wiping direction. As a result, the pretreatment liquid L1 wiped from the pretreatment head 5 by the wiper blade 821B drips exclusively from the left side of the pretreatment head 5. Therefore, the possibility of the pretreatment liquid L1 dripping onto the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 adjacent to the right side of the second opening 72H of the pretreatment liquid container 72 can be reduced.

[0106] Figure 18C shows the wiping condition of the ink head 4 (upstream head 4A1) by an ink wiper 82 having an inclined wiper blade 821A. The wiper blade 821A has an inclination such that its left end 82L protrudes in the wiping direction. As a result, the ink L2 wiped from the upstream head 4A1 by the wiper blade 821A drips exclusively from the right side of the upstream head 4A1. Therefore, the possibility of ink L2 dripping into the second opening 72H during wiping can be reduced.

[0107] According to the embodiments shown in Figures 17, 18B, and 18C, the tilted arrangement of the wiper blades 821A and 821B makes it possible to control the droplet destination of the pretreatment liquid L1 and ink L2 wiped by wiping. Therefore, the possibility of the pretreatment liquid L1 and ink L2 mixing in the ink container 71 or the pretreatment liquid container 72 can be reduced. If the tilted arrangement of the wiper blades 821A and 821B suppresses the mixing of the pretreatment liquid L1 and ink L2, then part or all of the movement range of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83 during wiping may be set directly above the first opening 71H.

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

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

[0110] The container body 700H has a rectangular shape in plan view and is provided with an opening on its upper surface to receive the liquid discharged from the multiple heads mentioned above. The partition 760 divides the container body 700H into multiple independent regions.

[0111] Specifically, in this modified embodiment, as shown in Figure 19, the partition 760 divides the container body 700H into two regions, front and rear. An ink container 71 (ink container section) is formed on the front side of the partition 760, and a pre-treatment liquid container 72 (treatment liquid container section) is formed on the rear side of the partition 760. The ink container 71 has a first opening 71H for receiving ink discharged from the ink head 4, and the pre-treatment liquid container 72 has a second opening 72H for receiving pre-treatment liquid (the other treatment liquid) discharged from the pre-treatment head 5. Also, similar to the previous embodiment, the first opening 71H of the ink container 71 also receives post-treatment liquid (the other treatment liquid) discharged from the post-treatment head 6. The ink container 71 has the aforementioned overflow passage 741 and relay passage 743 open to it, and the pre-treatment liquid container 72 has a treatment liquid passage 742 (discharge port) and relay passage 743 (cleaning liquid supply section) open to it. As a result, the cleaning solution that has passed through the wiper flows into the ink container 71 and the pre-treatment solution container 72 from the cleaning solution tray 73 (cleaning section) (Figure 8A), and the ink and post-treatment solution, or pre-treatment solution, mixed with the cleaning solution are discharged, respectively. Therefore, the cleaning solution can be used effectively, and the fluidity of the cleaning solution can be used to efficiently discharge the ink, pre-treatment solution, and post-treatment solution.

[0112] The partition section 760 has a plurality of horizontal plates 761 and a plurality of horizontal plates 762 (first part) and a plurality of vertical plates 763 (second part) connected to these horizontal plates. Each horizontal plate 761 and each horizontal plate 762 partitions the container body 700H in the front-to-back direction (first direction). On the other hand, each vertical plate 763 partitions the container body 700H in the left-to-right direction (second direction intersecting the first direction). In this modified embodiment, the direction in which the horizontal plates 761, 762 and vertical plates 763 partition is horizontal. Also, as in the modified embodiment described later, the horizontal plates and vertical plates may be arranged one by one.

[0113] As shown in Figure 19, the partition 760 divides the container body 700H not linearly, but two-dimensionally. More specifically, around the partition 760, the rear end of the ink container 71 and the front end of the pre-treatment liquid container 72 are arranged in a staggered pattern. Therefore, it is possible to position the upstream heads 4A1 to 4H1 of the ink head 4 in Figure 9 (area B) above the ink container 71 side of the staggered space, while positioning the pre-treatment head 5 above the pre-treatment liquid container 72 side, thereby increasing the flexibility of the placement of the ink head 4 and pre-treatment head 5 as shown in Figure 9 (area B). In the example of Figure 19, it is also possible to move the position of the pre-treatment head 5 in Figure 9 (area B) to the right between adjacent heads of the upstream heads 4A1 to 4H1. Furthermore, multiple pre-treatment heads 5 can be positioned at these locations.

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

[0115] Figure 20 is a perspective view of a container unit 70N (container) according to a second modified embodiment of the present disclosure. This modified embodiment differs from the first modified embodiment in that the container unit 70N further has a partition 770. The partition 770 has the same structure as the partition 760 and divides the container body 700H in front of the pre-treatment liquid container 72 (pre-treatment container section) into an ink container 71 (ink container section) and a post-treatment container 79 (post-treatment container section). The post-treatment container 79 has a second opening 79H for receiving the post-treatment liquid discharged from the post-treatment head 6. In addition to the aforementioned relay passage 743, the post-treatment container 79 also has a processing liquid passage 744. The processing liquid passage 744 is an opening through which the post-treatment liquid mixed with the cleaning liquid is discharged.

[0116] In other words, in this modified embodiment, the partitions 760 and 770 partition the container body 700H of the container unit 70N so as to form a pre-treatment liquid container 72 that receives the pre-treatment liquid discharged from the pre-treatment head 5, and a post-treatment container 79 that is independently positioned relative to the pre-treatment liquid container 72 and receives the post-treatment liquid discharged from the post-treatment head 6.

[0117] More specifically, the partition section 770, like the partition section 760, has a plurality of horizontal plates 771 and a plurality of horizontal plates 772 (first part), and a plurality of vertical plates 773 (second part) connected to these horizontal plates. The partition section 770 partitions the container body 700H two-dimensionally, rather than linearly. More specifically, around the partition section 770, the rear end of the ink container 71 and the front end of the post-processing container 79 are arranged in a staggered pattern. Therefore, it is possible to arrange the downstream heads 4A2 to 4H2 of the ink head 4 in Figure 9 (area B) above the ink container 71 side of the staggered space, while arranging the post-processing head 6 above the post-processing container 79 side, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in arranging the pre-processing head 5, ink head 4, and post-processing head 6 as shown in Figure 9 (area B). In the example shown in Figure 20, it is also possible to move the position of the post-processing head 6 in Figure 9 (area B) between adjacent heads of the downstream heads 4A2 to 4H2. Furthermore, one or more post-processing heads 6 can be placed at these positions.

[0118] Furthermore, in this modified embodiment as well, each ink wiper 82 moves along a predetermined movement path when wiping the ink head 4, but the second opening 79H of the post-treatment container 79 is positioned to avoid being directly below the entire movement path of the ink wiper 82, specifically, in front of the movement path. Therefore, with this configuration, it is possible to reduce the amount of ink that enters the post-treatment container 79 when the ink wiper 82 moves. This is therefore useful when the ink and the post-treatment liquid are prone to reacting.

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

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

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

[0122] Figure 23 is a perspective view of the container unit 70R (container) according to the fifth modified embodiment of this disclosure. In this modified embodiment, the pretreatment liquid container 72 in the previous embodiment shown in Figures 8A and 8B is moved to the right. In this case, the position of the pretreatment head 5 in Figure 9 (area B) can be moved between adjacent heads of the upstream heads 4A1 to 4H1.

[0123] In this modified embodiment, the front wall 721 (first part) partitions the container unit 70R in the front-to-back direction, and the right wall 723 and left wall 724 (second part) partition the container unit 70R in the left-to-right direction, respectively. A treatment liquid passage 742 is opened at the bottom of the pretreatment liquid container 72, and the pretreatment liquid discharged through the treatment liquid passage 742 is guided by a relay pipe 74P to the tapered surface 712 on the rear side of the container unit 70R. After that, the discharged pretreatment liquid joins the waste liquid hose 704 (Figure 8A).

[0124] Figure 24 is a perspective view of a container unit 70S (container) according to the sixth modified embodiment of the present disclosure. This modified embodiment differs from the fifth modified embodiment described above mainly in that the bottom surface of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is inclined. That is, the bottom surface of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is inclined downward and towards the rear, and a treatment liquid passage 742 (discharge hole) for discharging the pretreatment liquid from the pretreatment liquid container 72 is opened at the intersection of the bottom surface and the rear tapered surface 712. With this configuration, the recovered pretreatment liquid can be smoothly guided to the treatment liquid passage 742 by the inclination of the bottom, thereby improving the recoverability of the pretreatment liquid and suppressing aggregation within the pretreatment liquid container 72.

[0125] Furthermore, in this modified embodiment, the processing liquid passage 742 is located in the downstream portion (downstream end) of the pre-treatment liquid container 72 in the direction of movement when the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83 wipes the pre-treatment head 5. With this configuration, it is possible to position the processing liquid passage 742 near the place where the pre-treatment liquid drips from the pre-treatment liquid wiper 83, thereby narrowing the area in which the pre-treatment liquid adheres inside the pre-treatment liquid container 72 and reducing the solidification of the pre-treatment liquid inside the pre-treatment liquid container 72.

[0126] Furthermore, in this modified embodiment, as shown in Figure 24, the bottom surface of the pretreatment liquid container 72 has a portion that deepens toward the downstream direction in the direction of movement of the pretreatment liquid wiper 83. This makes it easier to discharge the recovered pretreatment liquid.

[0127] In Figure 24, the cap rubber 75 may be attached not only to the outer periphery of the ink container 71 but also to the outer periphery of the pre-treatment liquid container 72. In this case, the container unit 70 also serves as a head cap that allows the ink head 4, the post-treatment head 6, and the pre-treatment head 5 to be capped independently (individually). Therefore, even if volatile components of the pre-treatment liquid mix with the ink and agglomerate, such agglomeration can be reduced. In addition, as described above, only the pre-treatment head 5 may be capped independently, or the post-treatment head 6 may also be capped independently.

[0128] Furthermore, in the fifth and sixth modified embodiments described above, similar to the pretreatment liquid container 72 shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the pretreatment liquid container 72 is positioned to overlap the ink container 71 in a plan view. In addition, a part of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is formed using the wall surface (tapered surface 712) which is one side of the container units 70R and 70S. As a result, in a plan view, one side of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is shared with each of the container units 70R and 70S, while the other three sides are positioned to float in the air. Therefore, while positioning the pretreatment liquid container 72 above the ink container 71, the rigidity of the pretreatment liquid container 72 can be increased compared to the case where the wall surface of the pretreatment liquid container 72 is completely independent of the ink container 71, and deformation of the pretreatment liquid container 72 due to gravity can be prevented.

[0129] Furthermore, the partition structure of the container units 70 to 70S described in each of the above embodiments is not limited to a container for collecting liquid (ink, processing liquid) that drips during wiping. For example, the container units 70 to 70S may be flushing containers capable of receiving ink and processing liquid discharged from the ink head 4 and processing liquid heads (pre-processing head 5, post-processing head 6) during flushing. In this case as well, the degree of freedom in the arrangement of each head can be increased, and the mixing of ink and processing liquid during flushing can be reduced. In the case of a flushing container, the container body may be partitioned by a partition extending linearly in one direction. This one direction may be the direction of movement of the carriage 3, or it may be a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the carriage 3. [Explanation of Symbols]

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

Claims

1. Each head dispenses a liquid, A container having a container body with an opening for receiving liquid discharged from at least one head, and a partition portion that divides the container body into a plurality of independent regions, and a container located below the at least one head, Equipped with, The at least one head is An ink head having a nozzle for ejecting ink, A processing liquid head having a nozzle for discharging the processing liquid, It has, The partition is arranged to divide the container body into an ink container section having a first opening for receiving the ink discharged from the nozzle of the ink head, and a processing liquid container section having a second opening for receiving the processing liquid discharged from the nozzle of the processing liquid head. An inkjet recording device in which the vertical distance between the nozzle of the processing liquid head and the bottom of the processing liquid container is smaller than the vertical distance between the nozzle of the ink head and the bottom of the ink container.

2. An inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, The aforementioned partition is, At least one first portion that partitions the container body in the first direction, At least one second portion partitions the container body in a second direction intersecting the first direction, An inkjet recording device having the following features.

3. An inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2, The inkjet recording apparatus having at least one first part, or a plurality of first parts.

4. An inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, The inkjet recording apparatus having at least one second part, or a plurality of second parts.

5. An inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, The aforementioned processing liquid head is A pre-treatment head that discharges the pre-treatment liquid, A post-treatment head that discharges post-treatment liquid, It has, An inkjet recording apparatus, wherein the partition divides the container body such that the first opening of the ink container section receives one of the processing liquids, the pre-processing liquid discharged from the pre-processing head and the post-processing liquid discharged from the post-processing head, and the ink discharged from the ink head, and the second opening of the processing liquid container section receives the other processing liquid, the pre-processing liquid discharged from the pre-processing head and the post-processing liquid discharged from the post-processing head.

6. An inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, The aforementioned processing liquid head is A pre-treatment head that discharges the pre-treatment liquid, A post-treatment head that discharges post-treatment liquid, It has, An inkjet recording apparatus, wherein the partition divides the container body such that the processing liquid container section includes a pre-processing container section that receives the pre-processing liquid discharged from the pre-processing head and a post-processing container section that is independently arranged from the pre-processing container section and receives the post-processing liquid discharged from the post-processing head.

7. An inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 5, and 6, An inkjet recording device in which the depth of the processing liquid container is shallower than the depth of the ink container.

8. An inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 7, The container body has an inclined surface that defines the ink container portion together with the partition portion. An inkjet recording device in which a portion of the inclined surface further defines the processing liquid container portion above the bottom of the ink container portion, so that the depth of the processing liquid container portion is shallower than the depth of the ink container portion.

9. An inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 5, and 6, The inkjet recording apparatus has a bottom surface that is inclined so as the processing liquid received from the processing liquid head moves downward, the processing liquid can be guided in a predetermined direction.

10. An inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 5, and 6, An inkjet recording device in which the bottom surface of the processing liquid container is located above the bottom surface of the ink container.

11. An inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 5, and 6, The wiping unit further comprises an ink wiper for wiping the ink head and a processing liquid wiper for wiping the processing liquid head, The ink container portion is capable of receiving ink that falls from the ink head during the wiping of the ink wiper through the first opening. The processing liquid container section is capable of receiving the processing liquid that falls from the processing liquid head during the wiping of the processing liquid wiper through the second opening of the inkjet recording apparatus.

12. An inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 11, The aforementioned liquid wiper moves along a predetermined path when performing the wiping. An inkjet recording device in which the first opening of the ink container portion is positioned to avoid being directly below the entire movement path.

13. An inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 11, The ink wiper moves along a predetermined path when performing the wiping. An inkjet recording device in which the second opening of the processing liquid container is positioned to avoid being directly below the entire movement path.

14. An inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 11, The printing area further comprises an ink head that ejects ink to form an image, In an inkjet recording apparatus, in which, in the direction of movement of the head from the printing area to the area where wiping is performed, the processing liquid container is positioned closer to the printing area than the ink container.

15. An inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 11, The processing liquid container section has a discharge hole for discharging the processing liquid from the processing liquid container section. The discharge hole is located in the downstream portion of the processing liquid container in the direction of movement when the processing liquid wiper wipes the processing liquid head, in an inkjet recording device.

16. An inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 11, An inkjet recording apparatus wherein the bottom of the processing liquid container portion has a portion that deepens toward the downstream direction in the direction of movement when the processing liquid wiper wipes the processing liquid head.

17. An inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 11, The enclosure is further equipped, An inkjet recording device in which the container and the wiping unit are integrally removable from the housing.

18. An inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 11, The system further includes a cleaning unit capable of cleaning the ink wiper and the processing liquid wiper. An inkjet recording device in which the processing liquid container section is located closer to the cleaning section than the ink container section.

19. An inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 11, A cleaning unit capable of cleaning the ink wiper and the processing liquid wiper, A removal unit that reduces the amount of ink adhering to the ink wiper or its support member, Furthermore, In the direction of movement of the ink wiper toward the cleaning section, the second opening is positioned downstream of the first opening. The removal section is located upstream of the second opening in the inkjet recording apparatus.

20. An inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 18, The enclosure is further equipped, An inkjet recording device in which the container, the wiping unit, and the cleaning unit are integrally removable from the housing.

21. An inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 20, The aforementioned cleaning unit is A spray unit for spraying cleaning fluid onto the ink wiper and the processing fluid wiper, A cleaning container section that receives the cleaning liquid that has passed through the ink wiper and the processing liquid wiper, It has, An inkjet recording device in which the container, the wiping unit, and the washing container section are integrally removable from the housing.

22. An inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The casing and A wiping unit having a wiper for wiping the head and being retractable from the housing, Furthermore, An inkjet recording apparatus in which the direction in which the wiping unit is pulled out is in the direction along which the wiper moves when wiping the head.

23. An inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A wiper for wiping the aforementioned head, A cleaning unit capable of spraying cleaning fluid to clean the wiper, A cleaning liquid supply unit that supplies the cleaning liquid that has passed through the wiper to the container body, An outlet for discharging the liquid and cleaning solution mixed within the container body, An inkjet recording device that further incorporates the following features.

24. An inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 5, and 6, An inkjet recording device in which the container also serves as a head cap capable of individually capping the ink head and the processing liquid head.

25. An inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 5, and 6, An inkjet recording apparatus, wherein the container is a flushing container capable of receiving ink and processing liquid ejected from the ink head and the processing liquid head during flushing.

26. A container body is positioned below an ink head having a nozzle for ejecting ink and a processing liquid head having a nozzle for ejecting processing liquid, to receive the ink and processing liquid ejected from the ink head and the processing liquid head, The container body is divided into an ink container section with a first opening and a processing liquid container section with a second opening, creating separate areas for the container body. The vertical distance between the nozzle of the processing liquid head and the bottom of the processing liquid container is set to be smaller than the vertical distance between the nozzle of the ink head and the bottom of the ink container. The ink discharged from the nozzle of the ink head is received into the ink container through the first opening, while the processing liquid discharged from the nozzle of the processing liquid head is received into the processing liquid container through the second opening, thereby recovering the ink and the processing liquid. A liquid recovery method for an inkjet recording device, comprising the following features.

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