JP5487751B2 - Cleaning device, liquid ejecting apparatus, and cleaning method for liquid ejecting apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cleaning device provided in a liquid ejecting apparatus including a liquid ejecting head that ejects a liquid supplied from a liquid supply source from a nozzle formed on a nozzle forming surface, a liquid ejecting apparatus including the cleaning device, and The present invention relates to a method for cleaning a liquid ejecting apparatus using the cleaning apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, ink jet recording apparatuses (hereinafter referred to as “printers”) are widely known as liquid ejecting apparatuses that eject liquid from a liquid ejecting head to a target. In this printer, if air bubbles are mixed in the ink ejected from the liquid ejecting head, there is a risk of causing a printing defect. Therefore, a printer is usually provided with a mechanism for forcibly sucking and removing bubbles from the ink in the liquid ejecting head through the nozzle openings, as described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, for example. It has been.

  That is, the ink ejecting apparatus described in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which a plurality of channels are formed in parallel in a state in which the channels are isolated via a partition wall. Further, a nozzle plate is bonded to the ink ejecting apparatus so as to cover the openings of these channels. In the nozzle plate, a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink droplets are formed along the parallel direction of the channels. The channel communicating with the nozzle is configured as an ink liquid chamber filled with ink, while the channel provided adjacent to the ink liquid chamber is configured as a non-ejecting chamber not filled with ink. Moreover, the partition which isolate | separates each channel is comprised by the ventilation member which a part of area | region close to a nozzle plate consists of a porous material.

  In the ink ejecting apparatus configured as described above, by keeping the pressure of the air in the non-ejection chamber at a low pressure, bubbles mixed in the ink in the ink liquid chamber are vented according to the negative pressure in the non-ejection chamber. It is taken into the non-injection chamber on the low pressure side through the member. The ventilation member has extremely fine pores that allow the passage of gas but restrict the passage of liquid. Therefore, when the air bubbles are sucked and removed from the ink in the ink liquid chamber, the ink liquid The ink in the room hardly leaks to the non-ejection chamber side through the ventilation member.

  In addition, the ink jet printing apparatus described in Patent Document 2 has a suction cap that abuts the nozzle forming surface of the ink jet head so as to surround the nozzle. A gas permeable filter that restricts the permeation of a liquid such as ink while allowing the permeation of a gas such as air is adhered to the front end surface of the annular side wall of the suction cap.

  In the ink jet printing apparatus configured as described above, the gas permeable filter is pressed against the nozzle forming surface of the ink jet head to seal the nozzle, and the suction cap is brought into contact with the nozzle forming surface so as to surround the nozzle. In this state, a negative pressure is generated in a sealed space between the suction cap and the nozzle forming surface. Then, the ink is sucked from the ink cartridge by the action of the negative pressure, and the ink is filled to the tip of each nozzle of the inkjet head. In addition, since the gas permeable filter has a property of transmitting only gas, when bubbles are generated in the ink flow path from the ink cartridge to the nozzle of the inkjet head, the ink in the ink flow path is discharged from the nozzle. While discharging is restricted, bubbles in the ink flow path can be permeated and discharged from the nozzle.

JP-A-9-76513 Japanese Patent No. 4168893

  By the way, in the ink ejecting apparatus described in Patent Document 1, in order to reliably remove bubbles mixed in the ink in the ink liquid chamber, a negative pressure is applied to the ink in the ink liquid chamber from the non-ejection chamber through the ventilation member. Need to act greatly. However, when the internal pressure of the ink in the ink liquid chamber is greatly reduced, a large pressure difference is generated between the internal pressure of the ink in the ink liquid chamber and the atmospheric pressure. Then, there is a possibility that air enters the ink liquid chamber via the nozzles and bubbles are newly generated in the ink liquid chamber.

  In addition, in the ink jet printing apparatus described in Patent Document 2, when the ink is filled up to the tip of each nozzle of the ink jet head, the gas permeable filter is pressed against the nozzle forming surface of the ink jet head, A negative pressure is generated in a sealed space formed between the suction cap and the nozzle forming surface. In this case, the negative pressure in the space region acts on the ink in the ink flow path through the nozzles in a state attenuated by the pressure loss in the gas permeable filter. For this reason, a sufficient suction force cannot be applied to the ink in the ink flow path, and it takes an excessive amount of time to fill the ink flow path to each nozzle of the inkjet head. was there.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to ensure the liquid filling speed from the liquid supply source to the nozzle of the liquid ejecting head while ensuring the liquid filling speed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning device, a liquid ejecting device, and a cleaning method for the liquid ejecting device that can reliably remove bubbles from the liquid inside.

In order to achieve the above object, a cleaning device of the present invention is provided in a liquid ejecting apparatus including a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid supplied from a liquid supply source from nozzles formed on a nozzle forming surface, and the liquid A cleaning device that removes bubbles from a liquid flow path from a supply source to the nozzle, a cap capable of forming a space region by contacting the nozzle forming surface so as to surround the nozzle, and a suction of the space region A suction means that is driven to perform the filtering, a filter medium that is disposed in the cap and restricts permeation of the liquid while allowing permeation of the bubbles, and abutment that abuts the cap against the nozzle formation surface A moving mechanism that moves between a position and a retracted position that is spaced apart from the nozzle forming surface, and the moving mechanism moves in front of the filter medium while being separated from the nozzle forming surface. A first contact position where the cap contacts the nozzle forming surface; and a first contact position where the filter media contacts the nozzle forming surface and seals the nozzle in contact with the nozzle forming surface. The cap is configured to be movable between two abutting positions, and the suction means is configured so that the cap is in the first abutting position and the second abutting position, respectively. Aspirate space .

  According to the above configuration, when the space area between the cap and the nozzle forming surface is sucked by the suction means in the state where the cap is disposed at the first contact position, the negative pressure generated in the space area is filtered. Since the nozzle is not sealed with the nozzle being separated from the nozzle forming surface, it directly acts on the liquid in the liquid flow path. Therefore, unlike the case where a negative pressure is applied to this space area in a state where the filter medium contacts the nozzle formation surface and the nozzle is sealed with the filter medium, the negative pressure generated in this space area is attenuated by the filter medium. In addition, the time required to fill the liquid flow path from the liquid supply source can be reduced. On the other hand, in the state where the cap is disposed at the second contact position, when the sealed space region between the cap and the nozzle forming surface is sucked by the suction means, the negative pressure generated in this space region causes the filter medium to flow. Acting on the liquid in the liquid flow path. Here, the filter medium allows gas to pass through without allowing liquid to pass therethrough, that is, has gas permeability. Therefore, the filter medium can selectively permeate only air bubbles mixed in the liquid in the liquid flow path and discharge the liquid from the nozzle without leaking the liquid from the liquid flow path through the nozzle. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably remove bubbles generated in the liquid flow path while ensuring a liquid filling speed in the liquid flow path from the liquid supply source to the nozzle of the liquid ejecting head.

In the cleaning device according to the aspect of the invention, the suction unit may suck the liquid from the liquid flow path when the cap is in the first contact position, and the cap is in the second contact position. In the state, the bubbles are sucked from the liquid channel .

According to the above configuration, in the state where the cap is in the first contact position, foreign matter and bubbles can be sucked together with the liquid from the liquid flow path, while in the state where the cap is in the second contact position , the liquid Only air bubbles can be sucked from the flow path .

  In addition, the cleaning apparatus of the present invention further includes a control unit that controls the suction unit, and the control unit is configured such that when the cap is disposed at the second contact position, the cap is the first unit. The suction means is controlled so that the suction force for sucking the space region is larger than the case where it is arranged at the contact position.

  According to the above configuration, in a state where the cap is disposed at the second contact position, the suction force from the suction means acts on the space area sealed between the cap and the nozzle forming surface. At this time, since the nozzle is sealed with the filter medium, a large suction force acts on the liquid in the liquid channel via the filter medium when a large negative pressure is generated in this space region. Therefore, even if bubbles are mixed in the liquid in the liquid flow path, such bubbles are reliably removed through the filter medium. Further, even if a large negative pressure is generated in this space region, the nozzle is in a state of being sealed by the filter medium, so that the liquid in the liquid flow path is hardly discharged through the filter medium. Therefore, bubbles contained in the liquid in the liquid channel can be reliably removed while suppressing the consumption of the liquid in the liquid channel.

  The liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention includes the liquid ejecting head that ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid supply source from the nozzle formed on the nozzle forming surface, and the cleaning device having the above-described configuration.

According to the said structure, the effect similar to invention of the said cleaning apparatus is acquired.
The cleaning method for a liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention is a cleaning method for a liquid ejecting apparatus using the cleaning device having the above-described configuration, and one of the first contact position and the second contact position. A first contact stage in which the cap is disposed at the contact position, and a first cleaning operation execution stage in which the first cleaning operation is performed with the cap disposed at the one contact position; A second abutting step of moving the cap from the one abutting position to the other abutting position; and a second cleaning operation in which the cap is disposed at the other abutting position. Two cleaning operation execution stages.

  According to the above configuration, first, the first cleaning operation is performed in a state where the cap is located at one of the first contact position and the second contact position, and then the cap is moved. The second cleaning operation is performed in a state where the first contact position is displaced to the other contact position. That is, by displacing the cap from one abutting position to the other abutting position, these cleaning operations can be executed continuously, and as a result, the throughput of the entire apparatus during the cleaning operation is reduced. Can do.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the printer according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a recording head and a cleaning device. (A) is a sectional view of the recording head and the cleaning device in a state where the cap is located at the first contact position, and (b) is a sectional view of the recording head and the cleaning device in a state where the cap is located at the second contact position. FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view of the recording head and the cleaning device after the second cleaning operation is performed in the state shown in FIG. (A) is a cross-sectional view of the recording head and the cleaning device during the initial filling of ink, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the recording head and the cleaning device in a state where ink is further filled from the state shown in (a). .

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in an ink jet recording apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a “printer”) will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 1, a printer 10 as a liquid ejecting apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a main body case 11 having a substantially rectangular box shape, and a platen 12 is disposed in a main scanning direction at a lower front portion in the main body case 11. It is constructed along the longitudinal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1) of the main body case 11 which becomes. Further, a rod-shaped guide shaft 13 is installed in the main body case 11 above the rear portion of the platen 12 along the main scanning direction, and a carriage 14 is supported on the guide shaft 13 so as to be movable. A driving pulley 15 and a driven pulley 16 are rotatably supported at positions corresponding to both end portions of the guide shaft 13 on the rear side surface in the main body case 11. A carriage motor 17 is connected to the drive pulley 15, and an endless timing belt 18 that supports the carriage 14 is hung between the pair of pulleys 15 and 16. Therefore, the carriage 14 can be reciprocated in the main scanning direction along the guide shaft 13 by driving the carriage motor 17.

  A box-shaped cartridge holder 19 is provided on one end side (the right end side in FIG. 1) in the main body case 11. A plurality (four in the present embodiment) of ink cartridges 20 as liquid supply sources are detachably mounted on the cartridge holder 19 for each color of ink as liquid.

  Each ink cartridge 20 is connected to the upstream end of the ink supply tube 21 when mounted in the cartridge holder 19. The downstream end of each ink supply tube 21 is connected to the upstream side of the valve unit 22 mounted on the carriage 14, and the downstream side of the valve unit 22 is a liquid jet head provided on the lower surface side of the carriage 14. Are connected to the recording head 23.

  A space between the cartridge holder 19 and the platen 12 is a home position HP that serves as a standby position for the carriage 14 when the printer 10 is powered off or when the recording head 23 is maintained. In addition, a cleaning device 26 for cleaning the recording head 23 is provided at a lower position when the carriage 14 is disposed at the home position HP.

  A pressure unit 34 is placed on the upper side of the cartridge holder 19. The pressurizing unit 34 includes a pressurizing pump 35, and pressurized air generated by driving the pressurizing pump 35 is pressure-fed into the ink cartridge 20 through the air supply path 36. In the pressurizing unit 34, a pressure detector 37 and an atmosphere release valve device 38 are connected to the air supply path 36 on the downstream side of the pressurizing pump 35. The air supply path 36 is branched as many as the number of ink cartridges 20 with a distributor 39 disposed downstream of the atmosphere release valve device 38 as a boundary. Each branched air supply path 36 is connected to the corresponding ink cartridge 20 at each downstream end.

  Each ink cartridge 20 has a pressurized chamber (not shown) inside, and the downstream end of the air supply path 36 is connected to the pressurized chamber so that pressurized air can be introduced. Further, an ink pack (not shown) formed in a bag shape with a flexible film is accommodated in the pressure chamber of each ink cartridge 20. Therefore, when the pressurizing pump 35 is driven, the pressurized air fed from the pressurizing pump 35 is introduced into the ink cartridge 20 through the air supply path 36, and the ink pack is discharged by the air pressure of the pressurized air. By being crushed, the ink stored in the ink pack is supplied to the recording head 23 side via the ink supply tube 21.

  Next, the configuration of the recording head 23 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, it is assumed that the valve unit 22 (see FIG. 1) interposed between the ink supply tube 21 and the recording head 23 is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 2, the recording head 23 of this embodiment includes a head case 40, a flow path forming plate 41, a nozzle plate 42, and the like as constituent elements.
First, the head case 40 has a substantially square box shape with a bottom open, and a groove portion 43 extending along the left-right direction in FIG. 2 is formed on the lower surface of the head case 40 by the number of grooves corresponding to the number of ink cartridges 20. It is formed in parallel. In addition, an opening 44 that penetrates between the top surface of the head case 40 and the bottom surface of the groove 43 in the vertical direction is formed at a substantially central portion of the bottom surface of the groove 43 in the head case 40. On the other hand, the downstream end of the ink supply tube 21 is connected from the upper surface side of the head case 40.

  Next, the flow path forming plate 41 has a flat plate shape corresponding to the head case 40 in plan view, and its upper surface is joined to the lower end surface of the head case 40 so that the upper surface and the head case 40 The ink storage chamber 43a is surrounded by the inner surface of the groove 43. Then, ink can flow into the ink storage chamber 43 a from the ink supply tube 21 through the opening 44 of the head case 40. In addition, the flow path forming plate 41 is formed such that concave portions 45 serving as a number of pressure chambers (15 are exemplarily shown in FIG. 2) are continuously formed at equal intervals along the left-right direction in FIG. Has been. And for every recessed part 45, it penetrates between the upper surface of the flow-path formation board 41 and the bottom face of each recessed part 45 in the up-down direction (thickness direction of the flow-path formation board 41), and the inside of the recessed part 45 and the groove part 43 of the head case 40 A communication hole 46 that communicates with (in the ink storage chamber 43a) is provided.

  Further, the nozzle plate 42 has a flat plate shape corresponding to the head case 40 and the flow path forming plate 41 in plan view, and the upper surface thereof is joined to the lower surface of the flow path forming plate 41. The nozzle plate 42 has a large number of nozzles 47 (15 in FIG. 2 exemplarily shown) individually communicating with the respective recesses 45 formed in the flow path forming plate 41. It is formed so as to penetrate in the thickness direction of the plate 42. The lower surface of the nozzle plate 42 is a nozzle forming surface 48 on which a plurality of rows (four rows corresponding to the number of the ink cartridges 20 in this embodiment) are formed by such a large number of nozzles 47. Yes.

  That is, in this embodiment, the liquid flow path from the ink cartridge 20 to the nozzle 47 is formed by the ink supply tube 21, the groove 43 serving as the ink storage chamber 43 a of the head case 40, the communication hole 46, and the recess 45 serving as the pressure chamber. The ink supply flow path 49 is configured.

Next, the configuration of the cleaning device 26 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2, the cleaning device 26 of this embodiment includes a cap 50, a gas permeable filter 51 as a filter medium, a suction pump 52 as a suction means, and the like as constituent elements.

  The cap 50 has a substantially square box shape with an opening on the upper side, and is brought into contact with the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23 based on driving of an elevating mechanism 53 as a moving mechanism. Between the contact position where the sealed space region 61 is formed and the retracted position which is separated from the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23. Further, the cap 50 is a contact portion where the front end portion 54 a of the annular side wall 54 contacts the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23 at the contact position, and the front end portion 54 a is pressed against the nozzle forming surface 48. It is comprised from elastic bodies, such as rubber | gum which can shrink | contract in the up-down direction in the state made.

  The gas permeable filter 51 is, for example, a porous film obtained by stretching a fluororesin, and has a property of selectively transmitting a gas such as air without transmitting a liquid such as ink (so-called waterproof moisture permeability). ). The gas permeable filter 51 is supported on the inner wall surface of the bottom wall 55 of the cap 50 via a coil spring 56 so as to face the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23 in the vertical direction. Further, the gas permeable filter 51 seals the openings of all the nozzles 47 formed on the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23 in a state where the gas permeable filter 51 is in contact (contact) with the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23. It functions as a filter medium that can be stopped. In the present embodiment, the upper surface of the gas permeable filter 51 is lower than the front end portion 54a of the cap 50 in a state where the front end portion 54a of the annular side wall 54 of the cap 50 is separated from the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23 ( The length of the coil spring 56 when not contracted is set so that the coil spring 56 is disposed at a position (close to the bottom wall 55 of the cap 50).

  In addition, the cap 50 has a protruding portion 55a protruding downward from a substantially central portion of the bottom wall 55, and a discharge path 57 for discharging ink from the cap 50 into the protruding portion 55a. Are formed penetrating in the vertical direction. An upstream end of a discharge tube 58 made of a flexible material is connected to the protrusion 55a, and a downstream end of the discharge tube 58 is inserted into a waste liquid container 59. Further, in the middle portion of the discharge tube 58 between the cap 50 and the waste liquid container 59, the ink is forcibly sucked and discharged from the cap 50 side toward the waste liquid container 59 side (that is, in the cap 50 (that is, A suction pump 52 for sucking a sealed space region 61) formed between the cap 50 and the nozzle forming surface 48 at the contact position is disposed.

  That is, at the time of cleaning the recording head 23, the tip end portion 54a of the annular side wall 54 of the cap 50 is in contact with the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23 so as to surround the nozzle 47. By driving the suction pump 52 based on the control signal from the unit 60, the ink is sucked together with foreign matter such as dust and bubbles from the ink supply flow path 49 from each ink cartridge 20 to each nozzle 47, and the cap 50 And it is discharged to the waste liquid container 59 through the discharge tube 58.

Next, among the operations of the printer 10 configured as described above, a description will be given below, particularly focusing on the operation in the case of removing foreign matters and bubbles from the ink supply channel 49.
In the printer 10, as shown in FIG. 3A, foreign matter A and bubbles B enter the ink supply channel 49 through the opening of the nozzle 47, or bubbles B are deposited in the ink supply channel 49 during cleaning. Can occur. Such foreign matter A and air bubbles B are desirably removed from the ink supply channel 49 because they cause so-called dot dropout when ejected from the nozzle 47 of the recording head 23 together with ink during printing. If the ink is forcibly sucked together with the ink by the conventional cleaning method, the ink is wasted.

  Therefore, in the cleaning method for removing foreign matter A and bubbles B in the printer 10 of this embodiment, the foreign matter A and bubbles B are removed from the ink supply channel 49 as follows.

  That is, first, as shown in FIG. 3A, the lifting mechanism 53 raises the cap 50 as the first contact stage. Then, the cap 50 is brought into contact with the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23 so that the tip end portion 54 a of the annular side wall 54 surrounds the opening of the nozzle 47. In this case, a slight gap is secured in the vertical direction between the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23 and the gas permeable filter 51. In other words, the cap 50 is formed so that the gas permeable filter 51 does not seal the opening of the nozzle 47 formed on the nozzle formation surface 48 of the recording head 23, and the annular side wall 54 is in contact with the nozzle formation surface 48 of the recording head 23. It will be arranged at the first contact position (one contact position) with which the tip 54a contacts.

  Then, as a first cleaning operation execution stage, the cleaning device 26 is configured to perform the control of the controller 60 in a state where a sealed space region 61 is formed between the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23 and the cap 50. The suction pump 52 is driven by the control. Then, in a state where the ink supply flow path 49 communicates with the space area 61 via the nozzle 47, the space area 61 is in a negative pressure state. As a result, in the ink supply channel 49, the foreign matter A and the bubbles B existing in the recess 45 as a pressure chamber close to the nozzle 47 are forcibly removed by the first cleaning operation. That is, in the first cleaning operation, the foreign matter A and the bubbles B are sucked together with the ink existing in the recess 45 close to the nozzle 47 in the ink supply flow path 49 according to the suction force acting from the space area 61. It is discharged to a waste liquid container 59 through a discharge tube 58.

  In this case, the control unit 60 is relatively weak in the ink supply channel 49 so as to suck the space region 61 with a suction force sufficient to suck and discharge ink existing in the vicinity of the nozzle 47. The suction pump 52 is driven by the driving force. Therefore, as the suction pump 52 is driven, an excessive suction force does not act on the ink existing in the ink supply channel 49 via the nozzle 47, and the ink supply channel 49 passes through the nozzle 47. Thus, wasteful consumption of ink is suppressed.

  Subsequently, when the elevating mechanism 53 further raises the cap 50, the tip end portion 54 a of the annular side wall 54 of the cap 50 comes into strong pressure contact with the nozzle forming surface 48. Then, the tip 54 a of the annular side wall 54 of the cap 50 is compressed in the vertical direction so as to be crushed by the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23, so that the bottom wall 55 of the cap 50 is the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23. Approach. As a result, the gas permeable filter 51 is in contact with the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23 while being supported on the bottom wall 55 of the cap 50 via the coil spring 56.

  Then, as the second contact stage, when the lifting mechanism 53 further raises the cap 50 in a state where the gas permeable filter 51 is in contact with the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23, the gas permeable filter 51. Is more strongly pinched between the coil spring 56 and the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23. Then, the gas permeable filter 51 contracts the coil spring 56 as the drag acting from the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23 increases. As a result, since the biasing force from the coil spring 56 is enhanced, the gas permeable filter 51 is firmly adhered to the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23 so as to seal the opening of the nozzle 47 (FIG. 3 (b)). In other words, the cap 50 is configured so that the gas permeable filter 51 seals the nozzle 47 formed on the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23 and the tip of the annular side wall 54 with respect to the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23. It will be arrange | positioned in the 2nd contact position (the other contact position) which contacts 54a.

  Subsequently, as a second cleaning operation execution stage, the cleaning device 26 drives the suction pump 52 under the control of the control unit 60 while the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23 and the gas permeable filter 51 are in close contact with each other. . Then, a negative pressure is generated in the space area 61, and the negative pressure acts on the ink existing in the ink supply channel 49 via the gas permeable filter 51 and the nozzle 47.

  In this case, the control unit 60 sucks the ink present in the ink storage chamber 43 a formed by the groove 43 in the head case 40 separated from the nozzle 47 in the ink supply channel 49. The suction pump 52 is driven so that the space area 61 is sucked with a suction force sufficient for discharging. That is, the control unit 60 uses a relatively strong driving force to generate a space with a larger suction force than when the gas permeable filter 51 is separated from the nozzle formation surface 48 of the recording head 23. The suction pump 52 is driven so that the area 61 is sucked.

  Further, in this case, the gas permeable filter 51 restricts the permeation of the ink from the ink supply flow path 49, but is permeable to the bubbles B contained in the ink. Therefore, even if the ink supply channel 49 has a bubble B in the ink storage chamber 43a in the head case 40 separated from the nozzle 47, the bubble B is forcibly forced by the second cleaning operation. Removed. That is, in the second cleaning operation, the bubbles B reach the nozzles 47 from the ink storage chambers 43 a through the communication holes 46 and the recesses 45 according to the suction force acting from the space region 61 through the gas permeable filter 51. After flowing in the ink supply channel 49, the ink is discharged from the recording head 23 through the gas permeable filter 51 (see FIG. 3C).

  On the other hand, the gas permeable filter 51 is impermeable to the ink in the ink supply channel 49 under the same pressure condition. Therefore, ink in the ink supply channel 49 hardly leaks through the gas permeable filter 51. Therefore, in the second cleaning operation of the recording head 23, ink is hardly consumed from the ink supply channel 49 via the nozzle 47.

  Next, among the operations of the printer 10 configured as described above, the following description will be focused on the operation when the ink is initially filled from the ink cartridge 20 into the ink supply channel 49.

  That is, in the printer 10 of the present embodiment, first, as shown in FIG. 4A, the elevating mechanism 53 raises the cap 50 so as to surround the nozzle 47 with respect to the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23. Abut. In this case, a slight gap is secured in the vertical direction between the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23 and the gas permeable filter 51.

  Next, the cleaning device 26 drives the suction pump 52 under the control of the control unit 60 in a state where the sealed space area 61 is formed between the recording head 23 and the cap 50. Then, in a state where the ink supply channel 49 communicates with the space region 61 via the nozzle 47, the space region 61 is in a negative pressure state. As a result, the negative pressure in the space area 61 acts in the ink cartridge 20 via the ink supply channel 49 and the ink supply tube 21. Therefore, the ink supply channel 49 is gradually filled with ink from the ink cartridge 20 through the ink supply tube 21.

  In this case, the cap 50 is annular with respect to the nozzle formation surface 48 of the recording head 23 in a state where the gas permeable filter 51 does not seal the opening of the nozzle 47 formed on the nozzle formation surface 48 of the recording head 23. The front end portion 54a of the side wall 54 is brought into contact. Therefore, in the state where the gas permeable filter 51 seals the opening of the nozzle 47 formed on the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23, the tip end portion 54 a of the annular side wall 54 of the cap 50 is the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23. The following points are different from the case of abutting against the.

  That is, in a state where the opening of the nozzle 47 is opened without being sealed by the gas permeable filter 51, when a negative pressure is generated in the sealed space region 61 between the recording head 23 and the cap 50, The negative pressure is not attenuated by the pressure loss in the gas permeable filter 51. Therefore, a large suction force acts in the ink supply channel 49 from the space area 61 through the opening of the nozzle 47, so that the initial filling of the ink into the ink supply channel 49 is performed quickly.

  In the ink supply channel 49, when the ink filling into the ink storage chamber 43a including the groove 43 in the head case 40 is almost completed, the drive of the suction pump 52 is temporarily stopped by the control of the control unit 60. . At this time, any of the nozzles 47 formed on the nozzle formation surface 48 of the recording head 23 is not filled with ink until reaching the opening of the nozzle 47, and the nozzle formation surface 48 of the recording head 23 is not filled. Ink is not ejected through the nozzle 47.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 4B, the elevating mechanism 53 further raises the cap 50 to seal the gas permeable filter 51 with respect to the nozzle formation surface 48 of the recording head 23. Adhere closely. The cleaning device 26 drives the suction pump 52 again under the control of the control unit 60 while the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23 and the gas permeable filter 51 are in close contact with each other. Then, a negative pressure is generated in the space area 61, and the negative pressure acts in the ink supply channel 49 via the gas permeable filter 51 and the nozzle 47. As a result, the ink is gradually filled up to the opening of the nozzle 47 formed in the nozzle formation surface 48 of the recording head 23 in the ink supply channel 49.

  In this case, the gas permeable filter 51 is impermeable to the ink in the ink supply channel 49. Therefore, ink in the ink supply channel 49 hardly leaks through the gas permeable filter 51. Therefore, in the initial filling operation of ink into the ink supply channel 49, ink is hardly consumed from the ink supply channel 49 through the nozzle 47.

According to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In the above embodiment, when the cap 50 is disposed at the first contact position, the sealed space region 61 between the cap 50 and the nozzle forming surface 48 is sucked by the suction pump 52. The negative pressure generated in the space area 61 directly acts on the ink in the ink supply channel 49. Therefore, unlike the case where a negative pressure is applied to the space region 61 in a state where the opening of the nozzle 47 is sealed by the gas permeable filter 51, the negative pressure generated in the space region 61 is attenuated by the gas permeable filter 51. The time required for filling ink from the ink cartridge 20 into the ink supply channel 49 can be reduced. On the other hand, in a state where the cap 50 is disposed at the second contact position, when the sealed space area 61 between the cap 50 and the nozzle forming surface 48 is sucked by the suction pump 52, the space area 61 The generated negative pressure acts on the ink in the ink supply channel 49 via the gas permeable filter 51. Here, the gas permeable filter 51 has gas permeability that allows only gas to pass therethrough without allowing ink in the ink supply channel 49 to pass therethrough. Therefore, the gas permeable filter 51 can selectively permeate only the bubbles B mixed in the ink in the ink supply flow path 49 and discharge the ink from the nozzle 47 without causing the ink to leak from the nozzle 47. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably remove the bubbles B generated in the ink supply channel 49 while ensuring the ink filling speed to the ink supply channel 49 from the ink cartridge 20 to the nozzle 47 of the recording head 23. .

  (2) In the above embodiment, when the cap 50 is disposed at the first contact position, the gas permeable filter 51 is separated from the opening of the nozzle 47. When the distal end portion 54 a of the annular side wall 54 that abuts against the nozzle forming surface 48 contracts with the movement to the contact position, the gas permeable filter 51 is displaced in a direction approaching the nozzle forming surface 48. Therefore, when the cap 50 moves from the first contact position to the second contact position, a configuration in which the gas permeable filter 51 can seal the opening of the nozzle 47 can be easily realized.

  (3) In the above embodiment, in the state where the cap 50 is disposed at the second contact position, the space area 61 sealed between the cap 50 and the nozzle forming surface 48 is sucked from the suction pump 52. Power acts greatly. At this time, since the opening of the nozzle 47 is sealed by the gas permeable filter 51, if a large negative pressure is generated in the space region 61, the gas permeable filter is applied to the ink in the ink supply channel 49. A large suction force acts via 51. Therefore, even when the bubbles B are mixed in the ink in the ink supply channel 49, such bubbles B are reliably removed through the gas permeable filter 51. Even if a large negative pressure is generated in the space region 61, the nozzle 47 is sealed by the gas permeable filter 51, so that the ink in the ink supply channel 49 causes the gas permeable filter 51 to pass through. It is hardly discharged through. Therefore, it is possible to surely remove the bubbles B contained in the ink in the ink supply channel 49 while suppressing consumption of the ink in the ink supply channel 49.

  (4) In the above-described embodiment, first, the first cleaning operation is performed in a state where the cap 50 is positioned at the first contact position, and then the cap 50 is moved from the first contact position to the second contact position. The second cleaning operation is executed in the state displaced to the position. That is, by gradually displacing the cap 50 from the first contact position to the second contact position, these cleaning operations can be performed continuously. As a result, the entire apparatus during the cleaning operation can be performed. Throughput can be reduced.

The above embodiment may be changed to another embodiment as described below.
In the above embodiment, the tip of the annular side wall 54 of the cap 50 with the gas permeable filter 51 sealing the opening of the nozzle 47 formed on the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23 when the printer 10 is powered off. The cap 50 may be arranged at the second contact position where the portion 54 a contacts the nozzle forming surface 48 of the recording head 23. In this case, even when the printer 10 is turned off in a state where the bubbles B are generated in the ink supply channel 49 when the printer 10 is used, the bubbles B in the ink supply channel 49 are as follows. Can be removed. That is, when the printer 10 is turned off, the configuration in which the negative pressure state of the space region 61 sealed between the cap 50 and the nozzle forming surface 48 is maintained, the bubbles B in the ink supply channel 49 are According to the suction force acting through the gas permeable filter 51 from the space region 61, the ink is gradually discharged from the ink supply channel 49 through the gas permeable filter 51.

  In the above-described embodiment, first, a cleaning operation for removing the bubbles B from the ink supply flow path 49 through the nozzle 47 and the gas permeable filter 51 is performed with the cap 50 positioned at the second contact position. After that, the cleaning operation for removing the foreign matter A and the bubbles B from the ink supply flow path 49 through the nozzle 47 in a state where the cap 50 is displaced from the second contact position to the first contact position is executed. It is good also as composition to do. In this case, the previous cleaning operation with the cap 50 positioned at the second contact position is the first cleaning operation, and the subsequent cleaning operation with the cap 50 positioned at the first contact position is performed. A second cleaning operation is performed.

  In the above embodiment, when the cap 50 is disposed at the second contact position, the control unit 60 forms the cap 50 and the nozzle when compared with the case where the cap 50 is disposed at the first contact position. The suction pump 52 may be driven and controlled so that the suction force for sucking the space 61 sealed with the surface 48 is increased.

  In the above-described embodiment, the cap 50 is configured such that the tip end portion 54a of the annular side wall 54 serving as a contact portion with the nozzle forming surface 48 has a bellows structure that can expand and contract in the vertical direction that is the up-and-down direction of the cap 50. Also good. In other words, the distal end portion 54a of the annular side wall 54 of the cap 50 can adopt any configuration as long as it can be expanded and contracted in the up-and-down direction of the cap 50.

  In the above embodiment, as a mechanism for supporting the gas permeable filter 51 on the bottom wall 55 of the cap 50, an ink absorbing material made of a porous material may be provided instead of the coil spring 56. That is, the gas permeable filter 51 may be attached to the upper surface of the ink absorbing material that faces the nozzle forming surface 48 in the vertical direction. In this case, the ink absorbing material is made of a material having flexibility so as to be in close contact while being deformed according to the surface shape of the nozzle forming surface 48 when the cap 50 is raised in the direction approaching the nozzle forming surface 48. It is desirable to configure.

  -In the said embodiment, you may employ | adopt the OPS film etc. which are obtained by extending | stretching a polystyrene resin as the gas-permeable filter 51. FIG. That is, any configuration can be adopted as long as the configuration has gas permeability that allows permeation of bubbles contained in the ink without transmitting the ink. However, when a configuration having affinity (water absorption) for the ink is adopted as the gas permeable filter 51, if the gas permeable filter 51 is left in contact with the ink for a long period of time, the gas There is a possibility that the ink impermeability of the permeable filter 51 may be impaired. Therefore, it is desirable that the gas permeable filter 51 is made of a material having non-affinity (water repellency) with respect to ink.

  In addition, “liquid” in this specification includes liquids other than ink (including inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals (metal melts), etc.) and functional material particles. It also includes fluids that are dispersed or mixed, and fluids such as gels. Examples of the liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects or discharges such “liquid” include, for example, electrode materials and color materials (pixel materials) used for manufacturing liquid crystal displays, EL (electroluminescence) displays, and surface-emitting displays. Liquid ejecting device that ejects a liquid material that contains materials such as dispersed or dissolved materials, a liquid ejecting device that ejects bio-organic matter used in biochip manufacturing, and a liquid ejecting fluid that serves as a sample used as a precision pipette It may be a device. In addition, transparent resin liquids such as UV curable resin to form liquid injection devices that pinpoint lubricant oil onto precision machines such as watches and cameras, and micro hemispherical lenses (optical lenses) used in optical communication elements. A liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects a liquid onto the substrate, a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects an etching solution such as acid or alkali to etch the substrate, and a fluid ejecting apparatus that ejects a fluid such as a gel (for example, a physical gel) It may be.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Printer as liquid ejecting device, 20 ... Ink cartridge as liquid supply source, 23 ... Recording head as liquid ejecting head, 26 ... Cleaning device, 47 ... Nozzle, 48 ... Nozzle formation surface, 49 ... As liquid flow path , A cap as a cap means, 51 a gas permeable filter as a sealing part, 52 a suction pump as a suction means, 53 an elevating mechanism as a moving mechanism, 54 a as a contact part. , 60... Control unit as control means, 61... Spatial region, B.

Claims (5)

Air bubbles are removed from the liquid flow path from the liquid supply source to the nozzle, provided in a liquid ejection device that includes a liquid ejection head that ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid supply source from the nozzle formed on the nozzle formation surface. A cleaning device for
A cap capable of forming a space region in contact with the nozzle forming surface so as to surround the nozzle;
Suction means driven to suck the space area;
A filter medium disposed in the cap to restrict the permeation of the liquid while permitting the permeation of the bubbles;
A moving mechanism that moves the cap between a contact position that contacts the nozzle forming surface and a retracted position that is separated from the nozzle forming surface;
With
The moving mechanism includes a first contact position where the cap contacts the nozzle forming surface in a state where the filter material is separated from the nozzle forming surface, and the filter medium contacts the nozzle forming surface and the nozzle is movable said cap said cap in a state that seals between the second contact position to contact with the nozzle forming surface,
The cleaning device , wherein the suction means sucks the space area in each of a state in which the cap is in the first contact position and a state in which the cap is in the second contact position . The cleaning device according to claim 1,
The suction means sucks the liquid from the liquid channel when the cap is in the first contact position, and the suction means is inside the liquid channel when the cap is in the second contact position. A cleaning device, wherein the bubbles are sucked from the air . In the cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2,
A control means for controlling the suction means;
When the cap is arranged at the second contact position, the control means has a suction force for sucking the space area more than when the cap is arranged at the first contact position. A cleaning device that controls the suction means to be large. A liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid supplied from a liquid supply source from nozzles formed on a nozzle forming surface;
The cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: A cleaning method for a liquid ejecting apparatus using the cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A first contact stage in which the cap is disposed at one of the first contact position and the second contact position;
A first cleaning operation execution stage for executing a first cleaning operation in a state where the cap is disposed at the one contact position;
A second contact stage for moving the cap from the one contact position to the other contact position;
A second cleaning operation execution stage for executing a second cleaning operation in a state where the cap is disposed at the other contact position;
A cleaning method for a liquid ejecting apparatus, comprising:

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