Liquid discharge device

Abstract

In this liquid discharge device, a nozzle surface can be wiped with a wiper to which a cleaning liquid is attached.　A wiper unit 53 has a first wiper 81 and a second wiper 82. In a state in which the wiper unit 53 is located at a wipe position, the upper end of the left-side surface of the first wiper 81 is an inclined surface 81A. In addition, in a state in which the wiper unit 53 is located at the wipe position, a protruding part 81B protruding leftward is formed on a portion, located below the inclined surface 81A, of the left-side surface of the first wiper 81. In addition, in a state in which the wiper unit 53 is located at the wipe position, a recessed part 81C recessed rightward is formed at a portion, located below the protruding part 81B, of the left-side surface of the first wiper 81.

Description

liquid discharge device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a liquid ejection device that ejects liquid from a nozzle.

[0002] As an example of a liquid ejection device that ejects liquid from nozzles, Patent Document 1 describes a printer that ejects ink from nozzles to print an image on a recording medium. The printer described in Patent Document 1 includes a wiper for removing ink adhering to a nozzle face having nozzles formed thereon and a cleaning liquid tank disposed below the wiper. The wiper is rotatable about a rotation axis by a wiper movement mechanism. By rotating the wiper about the rotation axis, the wiper can be displaced to a position where it can contact the nozzle face, a position where it is immersed in cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank, and a position where it contacts a scraper that absorbs cleaning liquid adhering to the wiper. In the printer described in Patent Document 1, the cleaning liquid is used to clean ink and other substances adhering to the wiper when the wiper wipes the nozzle face. Before wiping the nozzle face with the wiper, the wiper is brought into contact with the scraper to remove the cleaning liquid from the wiper.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-198988

[0004] As described above, in the printer of Patent Document 1, cleaning fluid is removed from the wiper before wiping the nozzle surface with the wiper. Meanwhile, in a printer like that of Patent Document 1 that includes a wiper and a cleaning fluid tank that stores cleaning fluid in which the wiper is immersed, wiping the nozzle surface with the wiper that has cleaning fluid attached to it is conceivable to efficiently remove dirt and other contaminants adhering to the nozzle surface. However, in this case, when the wiper is positioned to wipe the nozzle surface, cleaning fluid attached to the surface of the wiper tends to flow downward, which could result in the nozzle surface being wiped with a wiper that does not have cleaning fluid attached to the part that comes into contact with the nozzle surface.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a liquid ejection device that is capable of wiping a nozzle surface with a wiper to which cleaning liquid has been attached.

[0006] A liquid ejection device according to the present disclosure includes a nozzle surface, a first wiper that extends in a first direction along the nozzle surface and wipes the nozzle surface, a cleaning liquid tank that is disposed below the first wiper and stores cleaning liquid or through which the cleaning liquid flows, a wiper rotation mechanism that rotates the first wiper about a rotation axis that extends in the first direction to displace the first wiper between a wiping position where it can come into contact with the nozzle surface and an immersion position where it is immersed in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank, and a wiper rotation mechanism that extends in the first direction and, when the first wiper is positioned at the wiping position, The wiper includes a second wiper that is arranged on one side of the first wiper in a second direction that is along the nozzle surface and intersects with the first direction, and wipes the nozzle surface; a moving mechanism that moves the nozzle surface to one side in the second direction when the first wiper is located at the wiping position, or moves the first wiper and the second wiper to the other side in the second direction; and a cleaning liquid holding portion that holds the cleaning liquid at the upper end of the first wiper when the first wiper is located at the wiping position.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, the first wiper is provided with a cleaning liquid holding portion that holds cleaning liquid at its upper end when the first wiper is in the wiping position, so that the nozzle surface can be wiped with the first wiper that has cleaning liquid attached. Also, by wiping the nozzle surface with the first wiper that has cleaning liquid attached, the cleaning liquid remaining on the nozzle surface can be wiped off with the second wiper, so that dirt and the like attached to the nozzle surface can be removed together with the cleaning liquid.

[0008] 5 is a schematic perspective view of a printing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the printing device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a front view of the printing device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a cleaning liquid tank and the like. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a part of the cleaning liquid tank with the cover corresponding to the white head removed. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the area around the wiper region in FIG. 5. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a wiper unit. (a) is a cross-sectional view of a section perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction of the wiper unit and the like for explaining the wiping position, and (b) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to (a) for explaining the immersion position. (a) is a perspective view of a wiper unit in which the height of a portion supported from the right side of the first wiper is the same as the height of a portion supported from the right side of the second wiper, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the wiper unit in (a) for explaining the cleaning liquid holding portion formed by arranging the first wiper and the third wiper side by side, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the wiper unit in (a) for explaining the cleaning liquid holding portion.

[0009] Embodiment A printing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the up-down direction and the front-rear direction are defined based on the state in which the printing device 1 is installed and ready for use, as shown in FIG. 1 , and the left-right direction is defined when viewing the printing device 1 from the front. In the following description, the left-right direction may also be referred to as the main scanning direction, and the front-rear direction as the sub-scanning direction. Note that in this embodiment, the printing device 1 corresponds to the "liquid ejection device" of the present disclosure. Also, in this embodiment, the front-rear direction corresponds to the "first direction" of the present disclosure. Also, in this embodiment, the left-right direction corresponds to the "second direction" of the present disclosure, and the right and left sides of the left-right direction correspond to "one side of the second direction" and "the other side of the second direction," respectively, of the present disclosure.

[0010] 1 is an inkjet printer that prints by ejecting ink onto a print medium. The printer 1 prints a color image on the print medium using seven colors of ink: white, black, yellow, cyan, magenta, green, and orange. The print medium is not particularly limited as long as it is possible to form an image by ejecting ink onto it, and examples of the print medium include fabric and paper.

[0011] Hereinafter, the white ink among the seven color inks will be referred to as "white ink." When referring to the six color inks of the seven color inks, namely black, cyan, yellow, magenta, green, and orange, collectively or when not specifying any one of them, they will be referred to as "color ink." When referring to white ink and color inks collectively or when not specifying any one of them, they will simply be referred to as "ink." White ink is used in printing to represent the white part of an image or as a base for color inks. Color inks are ejected on top of the white ink base and are used to print color images.

[0012] 1 to 3, the external configuration of the printing device 1 will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, the printing device 1 includes a housing 8, a platen 12, a transport mechanism 14, an operation unit 15, a display screen 16, and a discharge machine 40 shown in Fig. 2.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 8 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the housing 8 has a frame 2 and a cover 3. The frame 2 is configured in a lattice pattern with multiple shafts extending in the front-rear, left-right, or up-down directions. The cover 3 is configured with multiple plate-like members fixed to the frame 2 so as to cover the outer periphery of the frame 2. A platen opening 13 is formed in the front of the cover 3 of the housing 8, approximately in the center in the left-right and up-down directions. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the platen 12 is made of a plate-like member having a substantially rectangular planar shape. The upper surface of the platen 12 is a support surface 12A that supports a print medium. The support surface 12A has a rectangular shape.

[0014] The housing 8 also has a dispenser cover 8A. The dispenser cover 8A is located in the front part of the cover 3 and above the platen opening 13. The dispenser cover 8A is formed in the shape of a roughly rectangular parallelepiped box that is open at the bottom, and covers the dispenser 40.

[0015] 1 and 2, the housing 8 houses seven ink tanks 10 each storing seven colors of ink. From the rear, the seven ink tanks 10 store white, magenta, cyan, yellow, black, green, and orange ink. The housing 8 also houses a cleaning liquid tank 11 that stores cleaning liquid. The cleaning liquid tank 11 is disposed in front of the seven ink tanks 10 and aligned with the ink tanks 10 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1 , the operation units 15 are provided at positions on either side of a platen support unit 37 (described below) located forward of the platen opening 13. The operation units 15 output information corresponding to operations by an operator to a control unit (not shown). By operating the operation unit 15, the operator can input a print start command, etc. to the control unit to start printing by the printing device 1. The print start command includes print data. The print data includes image data of the image to be formed on the print medium. The display screen 16 is provided on the front surface of the cover 3, above and to the right of the platen opening 13. The display screen 16 displays various information. The display screen 16 is also composed of a touch panel and has operation buttons for supplying treatment liquid.

[0017] The transport mechanism 14 transports a platen 12, on which the printing medium is placed, between the inside and outside of the housing 8 through a platen opening 13. When the platen 12 is positioned in a print transport region P3 indicated by a two-dot chain line inside the housing 8 shown in Figure 2, ink is ejected from a head 30 (described below) to perform printing. When the platen 12 is positioned in a treatment liquid ejection region P4 shown in Figure 2, treatment liquid is ejected from a ejector 40 and applied to the printing medium. The treatment liquid ejected from the ejector 40 is, for example, a pretreatment liquid that forms a base before printing.

[0018] 2 and 3, the transport mechanism 14 has a support base 36, a platen support portion 37, a pair of left and right rails 38, and a transmission member 39. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the platen support portion 37 has a tray 37A and a support portion 37B.

[0019] 3, the support portion 37B extends vertically and supports the platen 12 from below. The lower end of the support portion 37B is fixed to the tray 37A, connecting the tray 37A and the platen 12.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2 , the pair of left and right rails 38 extend in the front-rear direction and support the platen support portion 37 so that it can move in the front-rear direction. The pair of rails 38 are disposed on a support base 36 that is disposed below the platen support portion 37. The support base 36 also extends in the front-rear direction. The support base 36 and the pair of rails 38 extend from the rear to the front of the housing 8 and protrude outside the housing 8. A transmission member 39 connects the platen support portion 37 to a sub-scanning motor (not shown) and moves the platen support portion 37 in the front-rear direction, i.e., the sub-scanning direction, in response to the drive of the sub-scanning motor.

[0021] With the platen 12 positioned forward of the front surface of the housing 8, i.e., outside the housing 8, the operator places the print medium on the support surface 12A of the platen 12. The position of the platen 12 shown in FIG. 2 is the set position P1 where the print medium is supported by the platen 12. The treatment liquid ejection region P4 described above is located midway along the transport path of the platen 12, below the ejector 40, and is an area where treatment liquid is ejected from the ejector 40. Furthermore, before printing on the print medium, the platen 12 moves from the set position P1 to a pre-printing standby position P2, indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2 . The pre-printing standby position P2 is located behind the treatment liquid ejection region P4 and the print transport region P3, at the rear end of the transport path of the platen 12. The print transport region P3 is an area in the transport path of the platen 12 that vertically overlaps with the main scanning direction movement path of the head 30, described below. The movement path of the heads 30 in the main scanning direction is the path between the rear end of a white head 31A (described later), which is the rearmost head 30, and the front end of a color head 32D (described later), which is the frontmost head 30.

[0022] The internal structure of the printing device 1 will now be described. As shown in Figure 2, the printing device 1 includes, inside a housing 8, two white heads 31A and 31B, four color heads 32A to 32D, and a movement mechanism 7. The movement mechanism 7 includes a guide shaft 20 and a carriage 6 fixed to the frame 2. As shown in Figure 2, the guide shaft 20 is made up of a front shaft 21, a rear shaft 22, a left shaft 23, and a right shaft 24.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2 , the front shaft 21 is disposed at the front end of the frame 2 and extends in the left-right direction from the left end to the right end of the frame 2. The rear shaft 22 is disposed at approximately the center of the frame 2 in the front-rear direction and extends in the left-right direction from the left end to the right end of the frame 2. The left shaft 23 is disposed at the left end of the frame 2 and extends in the front-rear direction from the left end of the front shaft 21 to the left end of the rear shaft 22. The right shaft 24 is disposed at the right end of the frame 2 and extends in the front-rear direction from the right end of the front shaft 21 to the right end of the rear shaft 22. The front shaft 21 and the rear shaft 22 support the carriage 6. The transport mechanism 14 is fixed to the frame 2.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 2, the carriage 6 is supported by a front shaft 21 and a rear shaft 22 so as to be movable in the main scanning direction. The carriage 6 is plate-shaped and extends in the front-rear and left-right directions. The carriage 6 extends from the front shaft 21 to the rear shaft 22. As shown in Fig. 2, the carriage 6 is provided with white heads 31A and 31B and color heads 32A to 32D.

[0025] The white heads 31A, 31B and the color heads 32A to 32D each have the same structure and are rectangular parallelepiped-shaped in this embodiment. Hereinafter, when the white heads 31A, 31B and the color heads 32A to 32D are referred to collectively or when one of them is not specified, they will be referred to as "heads 30." As shown in FIG. 2, the white heads 31A, 31B are located at the rear of the carriage 6. The white heads 31A, 31B are positioned with a shift in the front and rear. The white heads 31A, 31B are connected to an ink tank 10 that stores white ink via piping (not shown), and white ink is supplied from the ink tank 10.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the color heads 32A and 32B are positioned in front of the white heads 31A and 31B. The color heads 32A and 32B are also positioned with a front-to-back offset, similar to the white heads 31A and 31B. The color heads 32C and 32D are positioned in front of the color heads 32A and 32B, as shown in Figure 2. The color heads 32C and 32D are also positioned with a front-to-back offset, similar to the color heads 32A and 32B. The color heads 32A to 32D are each connected to six ink tanks 10 that store color ink via piping (not shown), and are supplied with color ink from these ink tanks 10.

[0027] Each of these heads 30 has a plurality of nozzles formed on its underside, the nozzle surface 30A. The nozzle surface 30A extends in the front-rear and left-right directions. A liquid-repellent film may be formed on the nozzle surface 30A. The white heads 31A and 31B eject white ink downward from their plurality of nozzles. The plurality of nozzles in each of the color heads 32A to 32D are arranged so that six nozzle rows extending in the front-rear direction are aligned left-right. Each of the six nozzle rows in each of the color heads 32A to 32D corresponds to a different color ink. In other words, each of the color heads 32A to 32D ejects color ink of the color corresponding to its respective nozzle row downward from its plurality of nozzles.

[0028] Alternatively, each of the color heads 32A to 32D may have four nozzle rows, and magenta, cyan, yellow, and black inks may be ejected from the four nozzle rows of each of the color heads 32A to 32D, without ejecting green and orange inks from the color heads 32A to 32D. In this case, there is no need to provide ink tanks 10 for storing green and orange inks.

[0029] The movement mechanism 7 has a drive belt 7A and a main scanning motor 7M. The drive belt 7A is connected to the rear end of the carriage 6. The drive belt 7A is mounted on a rear shaft 22 and extends in the left-right direction. The left end of the drive belt 7A is connected to the main scanning motor 7M. When the main scanning motor 7M is driven, the drive belt 7A moves the carriage 6 in the left-right direction along the front shaft 21 and rear shaft 22. In other words, the movement mechanism 7 moves the carriage 6, on which the head 30 is mounted, in the main scanning direction. Figure 2 shows the carriage 6 positioned at the right end of its movement range R.

[0030] The head 30 is positioned primarily at one of a cap position B1, a discharge region B2, and a head standby position B3 as the carriage 6 moves. The cap position B1 is the position of the head 30 when the carriage 6 is positioned at the left end of the movement range R. The cap position B1 is the position when the nozzle surface 30A of the head 30 is covered with a cap 51, which will be described later. The discharge region B2 is an area between the cap position B1 and the head standby position B3 in the main scanning direction, and is an area in the movement path of the head 30 that vertically overlaps with a print transport region P3, which is the transport path of the platen 12. Furthermore, when printing on a print medium, as the head 30 passes through the discharge region B2 as the carriage 6 moves, the head 30 discharges ink from nozzles formed in the nozzle surface 30A based on print data, thereby printing on the print medium on the platen 12. The head standby position B3 is the position of the head 30 when the carriage 6 is positioned at the right end of the movement range R. The head standby position B3 is a position where the head 30 is placed when an operator performs work such as cleaning on the head 30.

[0031] The printing device 1 moves the platen 12 in the sub-scanning direction in the printing transport area P3 and moves the carriage 6 in the main scanning direction in the ejection area B2, thereby moving the printing medium relative to the head 30 in the sub-scanning direction and the main scanning direction.

[0032] The operation of moving the head 30 in the main scanning direction and ejecting ink onto the printing medium when the head 30 is facing the printing medium is called an "ejection scan." The printing device 1 prints on the printing medium by repeating ejection scans and moving the platen 12 in the sub-scanning direction. For example, the printing device 1 ejects white ink from the white heads 31A and 31B during an ejection scan to form a base for color inks on the printing medium. The printing device 1 prints a color image by ejecting color inks from the color heads 32A to 32D onto the base formed on the printing medium during an ejection scan.

[0033] 1, the housing 8 has a protrusion 8B that protrudes forward. The protrusion 8B is located in the front portion of the cover 3 and below the platen opening 13. As shown in FIG. 3, the protrusion 3B has a door 8B1 on the front surface. When the door 8B1 is open, a processing liquid tank (not shown) that stores the processing liquid is exposed.

[0034] Next, a description will be given of the maintenance unit 50. The maintenance unit 50 includes six caps 51, a cleaning liquid tank 52, and six wiper units 53.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2 , six caps 51 are provided individually for the six heads 30. The six caps 51 are positioned below the six heads 30 and vertically overlap the six heads 30 positioned at cap position B1. The six caps 51 can be raised and lowered by a lifting mechanism (not shown). For example, when moving a head 30 to cap position B1, the lifting mechanism contacts the carriage 6 just before the head 30 reaches cap position B1. The lifting mechanism then raises the six caps 51 by utilizing the force exerted by the carriage 6, which moves leftward until the head 30 reaches cap position B1. When the head 30 reaches cap position B1, the nozzle surface 30A of each head 30 is covered with the corresponding cap 51. On the other hand, when the carriage 6 is moved rightward from a state in which the nozzle surface 30A of each head 30 is covered with the corresponding cap 51, the cap 51 is lowered by the lifting mechanism. Alternatively, the lifting mechanism may be connected to a motor and may be driven by the motor to lift and lower the cap 51 .

[0036] 1, the cleaning liquid tank 52 is located between the cap position B1 and the ejection area B2 in the main scanning direction. When the carriage 6 moves to move the head 30 between the cap position B1 and the ejection area B2, the head 30 passes above the cleaning liquid tank 52.

[0037] 4 to 6, the cleaning liquid tank 52 has a housing 61 and lids 62 and 63. The housing 61 is a generally rectangular parallelepiped member that is open at the top and extends in the front-to-rear direction. Cleaning liquid chambers 64 and 65 are provided inside the housing 61. Cleaning liquid is stored in the cleaning liquid chambers 64 and 65, or, as will be described later, the cleaning liquid flows through the cleaning liquid chambers 64 and 65.

[0038] The cleaning liquid chamber 64 is provided with a supply port 75 and a drain port (not shown). The supply port 75 is connected to the cleaning liquid tank 11 via a pipe (not shown), and the cleaning liquid is supplied from the supply port 75 to the cleaning liquid chamber 64. The drain port is connected to a waste liquid tank (not shown) via a pipe (not shown), and the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid chamber 64 is discharged from a drainage flow path. The cleaning liquid flows in the cleaning liquid chamber 64 when the cleaning liquid is supplied from the supply port 75 and when the cleaning liquid is discharged from the drain port.

[0039] The cleaning liquid chamber 64 is also provided with two wiper support portions 71A and 71B. Each of the wiper support portions 71A and 71B supports a holding member 84 so that the holding member 84 can rotate about a rotation shaft 84A that is parallel to the sub-scanning direction. A gear 86A is provided at the front end of each holding member 84. The gear 86A is connected to a wiper motor 85 via multiple gears, including a gear 86B that meshes with the gear 86A. By driving the wiper motor 85, the holding member 84 can be rotated about the rotation shaft 84A.

[0040] Each holding member 84 holds the wiper unit 53. As a result, when the holding member 84 is rotated about the rotation shaft 84A, the wiper unit 53 rotates integrally with the holding member 84 about the rotation shaft 84A. Note that in this embodiment, the combination of the holding member 84, the multiple gears including the gears 86A and 86B, and the wiper motor 85 corresponds to the "wiper rotation mechanism" of the present disclosure.

[0041] The two wiper units 53 attached to the holding members 84 supported by the two wiper support portions 71A, 71B are arranged with a gap in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the positions of these two wiper units 53 in the front-to-rear direction are the same as those of the white heads 31A, 31B, and are arranged with a shift in the front-to-rear direction, just like the white heads 31A, 31B. Here, six wiper units 53 are provided individually for the six heads 30. The two wiper units 53 attached to each of the two holding members 84 supported by the wiper support portions 71A, 71B correspond to the two white heads 31A, 31B.

[0042] The wiper unit 53 can be moved between a wiping position shown in FIG. 8A and a submerged position shown in FIG. 8B by rotating the wiper unit 53 about the rotation shaft 84A. When the wiper unit 53 is in the wiping position, as shown in FIG. 8A, the tip of a first wiper 81 (described later) and the tip of a second wiper 82 (described later) are positioned above the nozzle surface 30A. When the wiper unit 53 is in the submerged position, as shown in FIG. 8B, the tip of a first wiper 81 (described later) and the tip of a second wiper 82 (described later) are submerged in the cleaning liquid in the wiping region 71. When the wiper unit 53 is in the submerged position, the entire wiper unit 53 is positioned below the nozzle surface 30A. Therefore, when the wiper unit 53 is positioned in the immersion position, even if the head 30 is moved in the main scanning direction and passes above the wiper unit 53, the wiper unit 53 does not come into contact with the nozzle surface 30A.

[0043] As shown in Figures 7, 8(a), and 8(b), the wiper unit 53 includes a first wiper 81, a second wiper 82, and a wiper support member 83. The first wiper 81 and the second wiper 82 extend in the front-rear direction over the entire length of the corresponding white head 31A, 31B. The first wiper 81 and the second wiper 82 are spaced apart in the main scanning direction. The first wiper 81 is made of a material with a lower hardness than the second wiper 82. For example, the first wiper 81 is made of a rubber material with a hardness of approximately A45, and the second wiper 82 is made of a rubber material with a hardness of approximately A60.

[0044] 8A, when the wiper unit 53 is in the wiping position, the upper end of the left surface of the first wiper 81 is an inclined surface 81A. When the wiper unit 53 is in the wiping position, the inclined surface 81A extends from right to left as it extends from top to bottom. When the wiper unit 53 is in the wiping position, the upper end of the inclined surface 81A is located above the nozzle surface 30A, and the lower end of the inclined surface 81A is located below the nozzle surface 30A.

[0045] Furthermore, when the wiper unit 53 is in the wiping position, a protrusion 81B that protrudes to the left is provided on the left surface of the first wiper 81. When the wiper unit 53 is in the wiping position, the protrusion 81B is located below the inclined surface 81A. The protrusion 81B is provided continuously over the entire length of the first wiper 81 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0046] When the wiper unit 53 is in the wiping position, a recess 81C recessed to the right is formed on the left surface of the first wiper 81. When the wiper unit 53 is in the wiping position, the recess 81C is located lower than the protrusion 81B. The recess 81C is provided continuously over the entire length of the first wiper 81 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0047] The wiper support member 83 extends in the front-rear direction over the entire length of the wiper unit 53, supports the first wiper 81 and the second wiper 82, and is fixed to the holding member 84. The wiper support member 83 also has a first wiper support portion 83A, a second wiper support portion 83B, and a third wiper support portion 83C.

[0048] The first wiper support portion 83A is located between the first wiper 81 and the second wiper 82 in the left-right direction. When the wiper unit 53 is located in the wiping position, the left end of the first wiper support portion 83A contacts the right surface of the first wiper 81, and the right end of the first wiper support portion 83A contacts the left surface of the second wiper 82.

[0049] When the wiper unit 53 is in the wiping position, the second wiper support portion 83B is located to the right of the second wiper 82 and contacts the right surface of the second wiper 82. As a result, the second wiper 82 is supported by being sandwiched between the first wiper support portion 83A and the second wiper support portion 83B from the left and right directions.

[0050] When the wiper unit 53 is in the wiping position, the third wiper support portion 83C is located on the left side of the first wiper 81 and contacts the left surface of the first wiper 81. As a result, the first wiper 81 is supported by being sandwiched between the first wiper support portion 83A and the third wiper support portion 83C from the left and right directions.

[0051] Furthermore, the upper end of the contact portion of the first wiper 81 with the first wiper support portion 83A is located lower than the upper end of the contact portion of the second wiper 82 with the second wiper support portion 83B. Here, the upper end of the contact portion of the first wiper 81 with the first wiper support portion 83A, more specifically, refers to the upper end of the portion of the right side surface of the first wiper 81 that is in contact with the first wiper support portion 83A when the wiper unit 53 is located at the wiping position. Furthermore, the upper end of the contact portion of the second wiper 82 with the second wiper support portion 83B, more specifically, refers to the upper end of the portion of the right side surface of the second wiper 82 that is in contact with the second wiper support portion 83B when the wiper unit 53 is located at the wiping position. As a result, as shown in Figure 8 (a), when the wiper unit 53 is positioned in the wiping position, the length L1 from the upper end of the first wiper 81 to the upper end of the contact portion of the first wiper 81 with the first wiper support portion 83A is longer than the length L2 from the upper end of the second wiper 82 to the upper end of the contact portion of the second wiper 82 with the second wiper support portion 83B.

[0052] In this embodiment, the first wiper 81 and the second wiper 82 of the two wiper units 53 supported by the wiper support portions 71A and 71B can wipe the nozzle surfaces 30A of the white heads 31A and 31B, respectively. To explain in detail, in order for the first wiper 81 and the second wiper 82 to wipe the nozzle surfaces 30A of the white heads 31A and 31B, first, with the wiper unit 53 located in the immersion position, the carriage 6 is moved to move the head 30 to the cap position B1.

[0053] Next, the two wiper units 53 rotate to the wiping position, and then the head 30 moves from the cap position B1 to the ejection area B2 due to the movement of the carriage 6. As a result, the nozzle surfaces 30A of the white heads 31A and 31B are wiped by the first wiper 81 and the second wiper 82 of the two wiper units 53.

[0054] Here, because the first wiper 81 has the inclined surface 81A and the protruding portion 81B as described above, when the wiper unit 53 is moved from the immersion position to the wiping position, the cleaning liquid adhering to the first wiper 81 is likely to be retained on the inclined surface 81A and the upper surface of the protruding portion 81B. This allows the nozzle surface 30A to be wiped by the first wiper 81 with the cleaning liquid adhering thereto. Note that in this embodiment, the inclined surface 81A and the protruding portion 81B each correspond to the "cleaning liquid retaining portion" of the present disclosure.

[0055] Furthermore, the second wiper 82 wipes away the cleaning liquid that has adhered to the nozzle surface 30A during wiping by the first wiper 81, thereby removing dirt and the like that has adhered to the nozzle surface 30A together with the cleaning liquid and smoothing the meniscus of the nozzles on the nozzle surface 30A. Note that when the wiper unit 53 is moved from the immersion position to the wiping position, the cleaning liquid that has adhered to the surface of the second wiper 82 flows downward. Therefore, when the nozzle surface 30A is wiped by the second wiper 82, almost no cleaning liquid is adhered to the second wiper 82.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the head 30 is moved to the right, causing the first wiper 81 and the second wiper 82 to wipe the nozzle surface 30A. Therefore, when the first wiper 81 and the second wiper 82 wipe the nozzle surface 30A, the first wiper 81 and the second wiper 82 are elastically deformed so as to tilt to the right due to the force they receive from the nozzle surface 30A. At this time, the first wiper 81 elastically deforms with the upper end of the left end of the first wiper support portion 83A, which contacts the first wiper 81 from the right side, as a fulcrum. Meanwhile, the second wiper 82 elastically deforms with the upper end of the second wiper support portion 83B, which contacts the second wiper 82 from the right side, as a fulcrum. Therefore, the fulcrum of the elastic deformation of the first wiper 81 is located lower than the fulcrum of the elastic deformation of the second wiper 82, i.e., it is farther from the nozzle surface 30A.

[0057] An ink receiving plate 77 is provided in the cleaning liquid chamber 64 at the upper end of the portion to the right of the wiper support portions 71A and 71B. The ink receiving plate 77 has a plurality of through-holes 77A. In this embodiment, flushing is performed in which ink is ejected from the nozzles of the white heads 31A and 31B toward the ink receiving plate 77 while the white heads 31A and 31B are positioned above the ink receiving plate 77. The white ink ejected onto the ink receiving plate 77 by flushing flows into the cleaning liquid chamber 64 through the plurality of through-holes 77A in the ink receiving plate 77.

[0058] The cleaning liquid chamber 65 is located in front of the cleaning liquid chamber 64 and is separated from the cleaning liquid chamber 64. The cleaning liquid chamber 65 is provided with a supply port (not shown) connected to the cleaning liquid tank 11 via a pipe (not shown), and the cleaning liquid is supplied from this supply port to the cleaning liquid chamber 65. The cleaning liquid chamber 65 is also provided with a drain port (not shown), and the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid chamber 65 is discharged from this drain port.

[0059] The cleaning liquid chamber 65 is provided with four wiper support portions that rotatably support four holding members 84 to which four of the six wiper units 53 corresponding to the four color heads 32A to 32D are attached. The four holding members 84 supported by these four wiper support portions are also connected to a wiper motor 85 via gears (not shown). When the wiper motor 85 is driven, the four holding members 84 supported by these four wiper support portions and the four wiper units 53 attached to these four holding members 84 rotate. This allows the four wiper units 53 to be positioned at the above-mentioned immersion position and wiping position. Furthermore, as described above, when the nozzle surfaces 30A of the white heads 31A and 31B are wiped by the first wipers 81 and second wipers 82 of the two wiper units 53 corresponding to the white heads 31A and 31B, the nozzle surfaces 30A of the color heads 32A to 32D are wiped by the first wipers 81 and second wipers 82 of the four wiper units 53 corresponding to the color heads 32A to 32D.

[0060] Additionally, the cleaning liquid chamber 65 is provided with an ink receiving plate 87 corresponding to the color heads 32A and 32B, and an ink receiving plate 88 corresponding to the color heads 32C and 32D. The ink receiving plates 87 and 88 are similar to the ink receiving plate 77. This allows the color heads 32A, 32B, 32C, and 32D to perform flushing in the same manner as the white heads 31A and 31B.

[0061] 4, the lid 62 is disposed on top of the housing 61 and fixed to the housing 61. The lid 62 is also formed with two substantially rectangular through-holes 62A and one through-hole 62B corresponding to the two wiper units 53, with the two wiper units 53 exposed from the two through-holes 62A and the ink receiving plate 77 exposed from the one through-hole 62B.

[0062] The lid 63 is disposed in front of the lid 62 and is fixed to the housing 61. The lid 63 has four substantially rectangular through-holes 63A and two through-holes 63B formed therein, which correspond to the four wiper units 53. The four wiper units 53 are exposed from the four through-holes 63A, and the ink receiving plates 87 and 88 are exposed from the two through-holes 63B.

[0063] <Effects> In this embodiment, the first wiper 81 has an inclined surface 81A and a protruding portion 81B as a cleaning liquid holding portion that holds cleaning liquid at the upper end of the first wiper 81 when the wiper unit 53 is in the wiper position. This makes it easier for cleaning liquid to be held on the inclined surface 81A and the upper surface of the protruding portion 81B when the wiper unit 53 is in the wiper position, and the first wiper 81 with cleaning liquid attached can wipe the nozzle surface 30A. Furthermore, by wiping the nozzle surface 30A with the first wiper 81 with cleaning liquid attached, the cleaning liquid remaining on the nozzle surface 30A can be wiped away with the second wiper 82, and dirt and the like attached to the nozzle surface 30A can be removed together with the cleaning liquid. Furthermore, if a liquid-repellent film is formed on the nozzle surface 30A, the first wiper 81 applies cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface 30A, and then the second wiper 82 wipes off the cleaning liquid that has adhered to the nozzle surface 30A, thereby preventing the liquid-repellent film from being damaged when wiping the nozzle surface 30A.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as the head 30 moves to the right, the nozzle surface 30A is wiped by the first wiper 81 and the second wiper 82. At this time, the left side surfaces of the first wiper 81 and the second wiper 82 come into contact with the nozzle surface 30A. In contrast, in this embodiment, the inclined surface 81A is the left side surface of the first wiper 81 when the wiper unit 53 is located in the wiper position. Furthermore, the protrusion 81B is provided on the left side surface of the first wiper 81 when the wiper unit 53 is located in the wiper position. This allows the first wiper 81 with cleaning liquid attached to wipe the nozzle surface 30A more reliably.

[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the wiper unit 53 is in the wiping position, the lower end of the inclined surface 81A is located below the nozzle surface 30A. This allows the inclined surface 81A, which is likely to retain cleaning liquid, to come into contact with the nozzle surface 30A and wipe the nozzle surface 30A.

[0066] In this embodiment, the protrusion 81B is provided continuously over the entire length in the front-rear direction of the first wiper 81. As a result, when the wiper unit 53 is in the wiping position, the nozzle surface 30A can be wiped by the first wiper 81, which tends to retain cleaning fluid over the entire length in the front-rear direction of the upper end portion.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the wiper unit 53 is in the wiping position, a recess 81C recessed to the right is formed in a portion of the first wiper 81 below the protruding portion 81B. This makes the portion of the first wiper 81 below the protruding portion 81B thinner and more likely to deform when the wiper unit 53 is in the wiping position. As a result, the force applied to the nozzle surface 30A by the first wiper 81 can be reduced.

[0068] Here, in this embodiment, the main purpose of wiping the nozzle surface 30A with the second wiper 82 is to wipe off cleaning liquid that has adhered to the nozzle surface 30A. Therefore, when wiping the nozzle surface 30A with the second wiper 82, it is necessary to increase the force that the second wiper 82 applies to the nozzle surface 30A to a certain extent. In contrast, the main purpose of wiping the nozzle surface 30A with the first wiper 81 is to apply cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface 30A. And even if the force that the first wiper 81 applies to the nozzle surface 30A when wiping the nozzle surface 30A with the first wiper 81 is small, the purpose of applying cleaning liquid to the nozzle surface 30A can be achieved.

[0069] In this embodiment, the recess 81C is provided continuously over the entire length of the first wiper 81 in the front-to-rear direction. This makes it easier for the portion of the first wiper located below the protrusion 81B to deform when the wiper unit 53 is in the wiping position. As a result, the force applied to the nozzle surface 30A by the first wiper 81 can be reduced when the first wiper 81 wipes the nozzle surface 30A.

[0070] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the wiper unit 53 is in the wiping position, the protrusion 81B is positioned below the nozzle surface 30A. This prevents the protrusion 81B from coming into contact with the nozzle surface 30A when the first wiper 81 wipes the nozzle surface 30A.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first wiper 81 is formed from a material that is less hard than the second wiper 82. As a result, when the first wiper 81 and the second wiper 82 wipe the nozzle surface 30A, the first wiper 81 is more likely to elastically deform than the second wiper 82, and the force applied to the nozzle surface 30A by the first wiper 81 can be reduced.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, when the first wiper 81 and the second wiper 82 wipe the nozzle surface 30A, the first wiper 81 and the second wiper 82 elastically deform so as to tilt to the right. At this time, the first wiper 81 elastically deforms with the upper end of a portion of the right surface of the first wiper 81 that contacts the first wiper support portion 83A as a fulcrum. Meanwhile, the second wiper 82 elastically deforms with the upper end of a portion of the right surface of the second wiper 82 that contacts the second wiper support portion 83B as a fulcrum. In contrast, in this embodiment, when the wiper unit 53 is located in the wiping position, the upper end of the portion of the right surface of the first wiper 81 that contacts the first wiper support portion 83A is positioned lower than the upper end of the portion of the right surface of the second wiper 82 that contacts the second wiper support portion 83B. As a result, the fulcrum of elastic deformation of the first wiper 81 when the first wiper 81 wipes the nozzle surface 30A is located farther from the nozzle surface 30A than the fulcrum of elastic deformation of the second wiper 82 when the second wiper 82 wipes the nozzle surface 30A. As a result, the first wiper 81 is more likely to elastically deform than the second wiper 82, and the force applied to the nozzle surface 30A from the first wiper 81 can be reduced.

[0073] <Modifications> The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0074] In the above-described embodiment, when the wiper unit 53 is positioned in the wiping position, the upper end of the portion of the right surface of the first wiper 81 that is in contact with the first wiper support portion 83A is positioned lower than the upper end of the portion of the right surface of the second wiper 82 that is in contact with the second wiper support portion 83B, but this is not limited to this.

[0075] In the first modification, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B , a wiper unit 110 includes a first wiper 111, a second wiper 112, and a wiper support member 113. The first wiper 111 is similar to the first wiper 81 of the above-described embodiment and has an inclined surface 111A, a protruding portion 111B, and a recessed portion 111C similar to the inclined surface 81A, the protruding portion 81B, and the recessed portion 81C of the first wiper 81. Note that the leftward protrusion of the protruding portion 111B of the first wiper 111 shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B is smaller than the leftward protrusion of the protruding portion 81B of the first wiper 81 of the above-described embodiment. However, the leftward protrusion of the protruding portion 111B of the first wiper 111 may be approximately the same as the leftward protrusion of the protruding portion 81B of the first wiper 81 of the above-described embodiment. The second wiper 112 is similar to the second wiper 82 of the above-described embodiment.

[0076] The wiper support member 113 has a first wiper support portion 113A, a second wiper support portion 113B, and a third wiper support portion 113C. The first wiper support portion 113A is located between the first wiper 81 and the second wiper 82 in the left-right direction. When the wiper unit 110 is located in the wiping position, the left end of the first wiper support portion 113A contacts the right surface of the first wiper 81, and the right end of the first wiper support portion 113A contacts the left surface of the second wiper 82.

[0077] The second wiper support portion 113B is similar to the second wiper support portion 83B in the above embodiment. The third wiper support portion 113C is similar to the third wiper support portion 83C in the above embodiment.

[0078] However, in variant example 1, unlike the above-described embodiment, when the wiper unit 110 is positioned in the wiping position, the upper end of the portion of the right surface of the first wiper 111 that is in contact with the first wiper support portion 113A and the upper end of the portion of the right surface of the second wiper 112 that is in contact with the second wiper support portion 113B are positioned at approximately the same height.

[0079] Alternatively, when the wiper unit is positioned in the wiping position, the upper end of the portion of the right surface of the first wiper that is in contact with the first wiper support portion may be positioned higher than the upper end of the portion of the right surface of the second wiper that is in contact with the second wiper support portion.

[0080] In the above embodiment, the first wiper 81 is made of a material having a lower hardness than the second wiper 82. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the first wiper 81 and the second wiper 82 may be made of materials having the same hardness, such as the first wiper 81 and the second wiper 82 being made of the same material. Alternatively, the first wiper 81 may be made of a material having a higher hardness than the second wiper 82.

[0081] In the above embodiment, the recess 81C is provided continuously over the entire length of the first wiper 81 in the front-to-rear direction in a portion of the first wiper 81 that is located below the protrusion 81B on the left side surface when the wiper unit 53 is located at the wiping position. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the recess 81C may be provided only in a partial area of ​​the first wiper 81 in the front-to-rear direction. Alternatively, no recess may be formed in the portion of the first wiper 81 that is located below the protrusion 81B on the left side surface when the wiper unit 53 is located at the wiping position.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the protrusion 81B is provided continuously over the entire length of the first wiper 81 in the front-to-rear direction in a portion of the first wiper 81 that is located below the inclined surface 81A on the left side when the wiper unit 53 is in the wiping position. However, this is not limiting. The protrusion 81B may be provided only in a partial area of ​​the first wiper in the front-to-rear direction.

[0083] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, when the wiper unit 53 is in the wiping position, the lower end of the inclined surface 81A is located below the nozzle surface 30A, but this is not limited to this. When the wiper unit 53 is in the wiping position, the lower end of the inclined surface 81A may be located at the same height as the nozzle surface 30A, or the lower end of the inclined surface 81A may be located above the nozzle surface 30A.

[0084] Furthermore, when the wiper unit 53 is positioned in the wiping position and the lower end of the inclined surface 81A is positioned above the nozzle surface 30A, the upper end of the protrusion 81B may be positioned below the nozzle surface 30A, may be positioned at the same height as the nozzle surface 30A, or may be positioned above the nozzle surface 30A.

[0085] In the above-described embodiment, the first wiper 81 has the inclined surface 81A and the protruding portion 81B as the cleaning liquid holding portion, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the first wiper 81 may have only one of the inclined surface 81A and the protruding portion 81B. When the first wiper 81 has only the protruding portion 81B of the inclined surface 81A and the protruding portion 81B, when the wiper unit 53 is in the wiping position, the upper end of the protruding portion 81B may be located below the nozzle surface 30A, may be located at the same height as the nozzle surface 30A, or may be located above the nozzle surface 30A.

[0086] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the cleaning liquid holding portion that holds the cleaning liquid is formed by the inclined surface 81A and the protrusion 81B, but the cleaning liquid holding portion may be formed by a different configuration.

[0087] For example, in Modification 2, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, a wiper unit 120 includes a first wiper 121, a second wiper 122, a third wiper 123, and a wiper support member 124.

[0088] The first wiper 121 is formed so that the thickness of its upper portion is thinner than the thickness of its lower portion. The first wiper 121 also has an inclined surface 121A similar to the inclined surface 81A of the first wiper 81 in the above-described embodiment. However, the first wiper 121 does not necessarily have to have the inclined surface 121A. That is, the left surface of the upper end of the first wiper 121 when the wiper unit 120 is in the wiping position may be parallel to the up-down direction. Unlike the first wiper 81 in the above-described embodiment, the first wiper 121 does not have a protrusion. The second wiper 122 is similar to the second wiper 82 in the above-described embodiment.

[0089] The third wiper 123 has substantially the same shape as the first wiper 121. The third wiper 123 is located to the left of the first wiper 121 when the wiper unit 120 is located at the wiping position, and is disposed adjacent to the first wiper 121 in the left-right direction. A gap 125 is formed between the first wiper 121 and the third wiper 123. In the second modification, cleaning fluid is easily retained in the gap 125 when the wiper unit 120 is located at the wiping position. That is, in the second modification, the gap 125 corresponds to the "cleaning fluid retaining portion" of the present disclosure.

[0090] The wiper support member 124 has a first wiper support portion 124A, a second wiper support portion 124B, and a third wiper support portion 124C.

[0091] The first wiper support portion 124A is located between the first wiper 121 and the second wiper 82 in the left-right direction. Similar to the first wiper support portion 83A in the above-described embodiment, the left end of the first wiper support portion 124A contacts the right surface of the first wiper 121, and the right end of the first wiper support portion 124A contacts the left surface of the second wiper 82.

[0092] The second wiper support portion 124B is located on the right side of the second wiper 82 and contacts the right surface of the second wiper 82. As a result, the second wiper 82 is supported by being sandwiched between the first wiper support portion 124A and the second wiper support portion 1243B in the left-right direction.

[0093] 10B, when the wiper unit 120 is located at the wiping position, the upper end of the portion of the right surface of the first wiper 121 that is in contact with the first wiper support portion 124A and the upper end of the portion of the right surface of the second wiper that is in contact with the second wiper support portion 124B are located at the same height. However, when the wiper unit 120 is located at the wiping position, the upper end of the portion of the right surface of the first wiper 121 that is in contact with the first wiper support portion 124A may be located lower or higher than the upper end of the portion of the right surface of the second wiper that is in contact with the second wiper support portion 124B.

[0094] When the wiper unit 120 is in the wiping position, the third wiper support portion 124C is located on the left side of the third wiper 123 and contacts the left surface of the third wiper 123. As a result, the first wiper 121 and the third wiper 123 are sandwiched and supported from the left and right directions by the first wiper support portion 124A and the third wiper support portion 124C.

[0095] In the above example, the nozzle surface 30A is wiped by the first wiper and the second wiper as the head 30 moves to the right, but this is not limited to this. For example, the cleaning liquid tank 52 and the wiper unit 53 may be provided on a carriage that moves in the main scanning direction driven by a motor. The nozzle surface 30A may be wiped by the first wiper and the second wiper as the cleaning liquid tank 52 and the wiper unit 53 move to the left. In this case, the carriage on which the cleaning liquid tank 52 and the wiper unit 53 are provided, together with the motor and other components for moving the carriage in the main scanning direction, constitutes the "moving mechanism" of the present disclosure. Alternatively, the nozzle surface 30A may be wiped by the first wiper and the second wiper as the head 30 moves to the right and the cleaning liquid tank 52 and the wiper unit 53 move to the left.

[0096] Furthermore, in the above examples, the nozzle surface 30A is wiped by the first wiper and the second wiper when the head 30 moves to the right or the wiper unit 53 moves to the left, whereas the cleaning liquid holding portion that holds the cleaning liquid at the upper end of the first wiper 81 when the first wiper 81 is positioned at the wiping position is provided on the left side of the first wiper 81 when the first wiper 81 is positioned at the wiping position, but this is not limited to this.

[0097] For example, when the wiper unit is in the wiping position, the first wiper may be located to the right of the second wiper, and the head 30 may move to the right or the wiper unit may move to the left, thereby wiping the nozzle surface 30A with the first wiper and the second wiper. The cleaning liquid holder may be provided on the right side of the first wiper when the first wiper is in the wiping position. In this case, the left side corresponds to "one side in the second direction" and the right side corresponds to "the other side in the second direction" in this disclosure. In this case, too, the cleaning liquid holder is provided on the other side of the first wiper in the second direction.

[0098] Alternatively, the cleaning system holding portion may be provided on one side of the first wiper in the second direction. Specifically, in a case where the nozzle surface 30A is wiped by the first wiper and the second wiper as the head 30 moves to the right or the wiper unit moves to the left, the cleaning liquid holding portion may be provided on the right side of the first wiper when the wiper unit is located at the wiping position. Alternatively, in a case where the nozzle surface 30A is wiped by the first wiper and the second wiper as the head 30 moves to the left or the wiper unit moves to the right, the cleaning liquid holding portion may be provided on the left side of the first wiper when the wiper unit is located at the wiping position.

[0099] Although the above describes an example in which the present disclosure is applied to a printing device that ejects ink to print on a print medium, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the present disclosure may be applied to a liquid ejection device other than a printing device that ejects a liquid other than ink, such as a liquid resin or metal liquid, onto a receiving medium.

[0100] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Printing device 30A Nozzle surface 52 Cleaning liquid tank 63 Cleaning liquid chamber 81 First wiper 81A Inclined surface 81B Projection 81C Recess 82 Second wiper 111 First wiper 111A Inclined surface 111B Projection 111C Recess 112 Second wiper 113 Third wiper 121 First wiper 121A Inclined surface 122 Second wiper 123 Third wiper 125 Gap

Claims

1. A nozzle surface; a first wiper extending in a first direction along the nozzle surface and wiping the nozzle surface; a cleaning liquid tank arranged below the first wiper and storing cleaning liquid or through which the cleaning liquid flows; a wiper rotation mechanism that rotates the first wiper about a rotation axis extending in the first direction to displace the first wiper between a wiping position where it can contact the nozzle surface and an immersion position where it is immersed in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank; a second wiper extending in the first direction and, when the first wiper is positioned at the wiping position, arranged on one side of the first wiper in a second direction that is along the nozzle surface and intersects with the first direction, and wipes the nozzle surface; and a movement mechanism that, when the first wiper is positioned at the wiping position, moves the nozzle surface to one side in the second direction or moves the first wiper and the second wiper to the other side in the second direction. a cleaning liquid holding portion that holds the cleaning liquid at an upper end of the first wiper when the first wiper is positioned at the wiping position.

2. A liquid ejection device as described in claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning liquid holding portion is provided on the other side of the first wiper in the second direction when the first wiper is positioned at the wiping position.

3. A liquid ejection device as described in claim 2, characterized in that the cleaning liquid holding portion is the surface of the first wiper and has an inclined surface that slopes from one side to the other side in the second direction as it goes from top to bottom when the first wiper is positioned in the wiping position.

4. The liquid ejection device according to claim 3, wherein the lower end of the inclined surface is located below the nozzle surface when the first wiper is located at the wiping position.

5. A liquid ejection device as described in claim 2, characterized in that the cleaning liquid holding portion has a protruding portion that protrudes to the other side in the second direction from a portion of the surface of the first wiper on the other side in the second direction that is located below the upper end of the first wiper when the first wiper is positioned at the wiping position.

6. The liquid ejection device according to claim 5, wherein the protrusion is provided continuously over the entire length of the first wiper in the first direction.

7. A liquid ejection device as described in claim 5, characterized in that a recess is provided in a portion of the first wiper below the protrusion when the first wiper is positioned at the wiping position, the recess being recessed on one side of the second direction when the first wiper is positioned at the wiping position.

8. The liquid ejection device according to claim 7, wherein the recess is provided continuously over the entire length of the first wiper in the first direction.

9. The liquid ejection device according to claim 5, wherein the protrusion is located below the nozzle surface when the first wiper is located at the wiping position.

10. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the first wiper is made of a material having a lower hardness than the second wiper.

11. A liquid ejection device as described in claim 1, comprising: a first wiper support portion that contacts the surface of the first wiper on one side in the second direction when the first wiper is positioned at the wiping position and supports the first wiper; and a second wiper support portion that contacts the surface of the second wiper on one side in the second direction when the first wiper is positioned at the wiping position and supports the second wiper, wherein when the first wiper is positioned at the wiping position, the upper end of the portion of the first wiper that contacts the first wiper support portion is located lower than the upper end of the portion of the second wiper that contacts the second wiper support portion.

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