JP7309331B2 - Inkjet printer cleaning system and cleaning method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an inkjet printer cleaning system and cleaning method.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ink jet printer is known which has a wiping mechanism for removing ink and the like adhering to an ink head. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-101001 discloses an inkjet recording apparatus that includes a wiping member (blade) that wipes ink and the like by slidingly contacting ejection opening surfaces of a plurality of recording heads.

JP-A-7-125228

By the way, a certain amount of space is required to provide the cleaning mechanism as described above in the inkjet printer. In addition, a certain cost is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning system for an inkjet printer that can clean the ink head while saving cost and space. Another object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning method for such an ink jet printer.

An inkjet printer cleaning system disclosed herein includes an inkjet printer and a cleaning unit. The inkjet printer includes an ink head, and a table facing the ink head and on which an object to be printed is placed. The cleaning unit includes a mounting portion configured to be detachable from the table, and a cleaning member arranged to face the ink head when the mounting portion is mounted on the table.

Further, the cleaning method for an inkjet printer disclosed herein includes an ink head, a table provided to face the ink head and on which an object to be printed is placed, and relatively moving the ink head and the table. and a moving device for moving the ink head. This method includes a first step of mounting the cleaning unit on the table, and a second step of bringing the ink head and the cleaning unit into contact by relatively moving the ink head and the table by the moving device. and a step.

According to the inkjet printer cleaning system and cleaning method described above, head cleaning can be easily performed by attaching a detachable cleaning unit to a table provided as a member for placing a printed material. According to this method, the cost and space required for head cleaning can be saved.

1 is a front view of a printer according to one embodiment; FIG. It is a top view of a table. FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of the lower surface of the carriage; 3 is a perspective view of a cleaning unit; FIG. 4B is a diagram showing a state in which the absorbent member, the sheet holding member, and the fourth leg are removed from the state shown in FIG. 4A; FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of leg parts. 5 is a flow chart showing a cleaning operation of the first ink head; 4 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship among the first ink head, the first cleaning member, and the second cleaning member in step S11; FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship among the first ink head, first cleaning member, and second cleaning member in step S12; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship among the first ink head, first cleaning member, and second cleaning member in step S20; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship among the first ink head, first cleaning member, and second cleaning member in step S30; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship of the first ink head, first cleaning member, and second cleaning member during sliding operation; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship among the first ink head, first cleaning member, and second cleaning member in step S41; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship among the first ink head, first cleaning member, and second cleaning member in step S42; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship among the first ink head, first cleaning member, and second cleaning member in step S50; FIG. 8 is a plan view schematically showing the positional relationship between the carriage and the cleaning unit at the time of step S20; FIG. 11 is a side view schematically showing a cleaning unit according to a first modified example; FIG. 11 is a plan view schematically showing a first ink head and a cleaning unit according to a second modified example; FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a cleaning unit according to a third modified example;

A cleaning system for an inkjet printer according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described herein are, of course, not intended to limit the invention in particular. Further, members and portions having the same action are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are appropriately omitted or simplified. In the following description, when the inkjet printer is viewed from the front, the side away from the inkjet printer is the front, and the side closer to the inkjet printer is the rear. In addition, symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings represent front, rear, left, right, up, and down, respectively. However, these directions are merely for convenience of explanation, and do not limit the installation mode of the inkjet printer.

Symbol Y in the drawing indicates the main scanning direction. The main scanning direction Y is the horizontal direction. Furthermore, hereinafter, one of the main scanning directions Y will be referred to as a first main scanning direction Y1 and the other as a second main scanning direction Y2. In this embodiment, the first main scanning direction Y1 is leftward. The second main scanning direction Y2 is to the right. Symbol X indicates the sub-scanning direction. The sub-scanning direction X is the front-rear direction. The main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X are orthogonal in plan view. Furthermore, hereinafter, one of the sub-scanning directions X will be referred to as a first sub-scanning direction X1 and the other as a second sub-scanning direction X2. In this embodiment, the first sub-scanning direction X1 is forward. The second sub-scanning direction X2 is backward. Symbol Z indicates the vertical direction. The vertical direction Z is orthogonal to the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. However, the main scanning direction Y, the sub-scanning direction X, and the vertical direction Z are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately set according to the form of the printer 10 .

As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning system 1 according to this embodiment includes a printer 10 and a cleaning unit 100. As shown in FIG. The cleaning system 1 is a system that uses the cleaning unit 100 to clean the ink heads 40A to 40D of the printer 10. FIG. The cleaning unit 100 is detachably attached to the table 30 . Here, the cleaning unit 100 constitutes the cleaning system 1 together with the printer 10 . However, cleaning unit 100 may be a detachable member of printer 10 .

The printer 10 includes a printer main body 11, a carriage 20, a plurality of ink heads 40A to 40D mounted on the carriage 20, a moving device 50, a capping device 80, and a control device 90.

The printer main body 11 is formed in a box shape with an open front surface. The printer main body 11 extends in the left-right direction. The printer main body 11 accommodates a carriage 20, a table 30, ink heads 40A to 40D, a moving device 50, a capping device 80, and a control device 90 inside. The printer main body 11 has a front cover 12 whose front opening can be opened and closed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the table 30 is arranged substantially in the center of the main scanning direction Y in the internal space of the printer body 11 . The table 30 is installed substantially horizontally. The table 30 is a member on which the printed material 5 (see FIG. 2) is placed. The printer 10 according to this embodiment is a so-called flatbed printer.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the table 30. FIG. In FIG. 2, the cleaning unit 100 is illustrated with a two-dot chain line. As shown in FIG. 2, a jig 200 for positioning the printing material 5 is placed on the table 30 . The shape of the object to be printed 5 is not particularly limited, and may have various three-dimensional shapes other than a flat plate shape. Further, the material of the printing material 5 is not particularly limited, and the printing material 5 may be, for example, wood, metal, glass, paper, cloth, or the like. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 2, the number of printed materials 5 may be plural. A plurality of substrates 5 to be printed are each mounted in the housing portion 210 of the jig 200 . The storage part 210 is a through hole formed in a planar shape corresponding to the printing material 5 here. The printing material 5 is positioned with respect to the table 30 by being mounted in the storage section 210 . The jig 200 has a constant thickness. A material with a standardized thickness is preferably used for the jig 200 . The thickness of the jig 200 is, for example, 3 mm or 6 mm. The jig 200 is made of, for example, ABS.

As shown in FIG. 2, the table 30 is set with a print area A1, which is the maximum printable area. The jig 200 is arranged inside the printing area A1 here. Although not shown, the print area A1 of the table 30 is provided with a plurality of screw holes. The jig 200 is fixed to the table 30 with bolts 220 using those screw holes. Although not shown, the table 30 is provided with a plurality of through holes. As shown in FIG. 1, a fan 32 is installed below the table 30 . A negative pressure is formed in the space below the table 30 by driving the fan 32 and discharging the air in the space below the table 30 . Due to this negative pressure, the printing material 5 is attracted to the table 30 through the plurality of through holes.

As shown in FIG. 2, the table 30 has a unit installation portion 30a on which the cleaning unit 100 is installed. Here, the unit installation portion 30 a is set within a certain range from the left front end of the table 30 . The unit installation portion 30a has mounting holes 31a to 31c into which the legs 141 to 143 (see FIG. 4A) of the cleaning unit 100 are inserted, respectively. The mounting holes 31a to 31c constitute a first positioning mechanism that determines the position where the cleaning unit 100 is mounted. The mounting holes 31a to 31c are through holes that pass through the table 30 in the vertical direction Z. As shown in FIG. The mounting holes 31 a to 31 c are arranged outside the printing area A 1 of the table 30 . Specifically, the first mounting hole 31 a is provided at the left front end of the table 30 . The second mounting hole 31b is provided at the front end of the table 30 and to the right of the first mounting hole 31a. The third mounting hole 31c is provided at the left end of the table 30 behind the first mounting hole 31a. Although three mounting holes are provided in this embodiment, at least two mounting holes may be provided. If at least two mounting holes are formed, it can function as a positioning mechanism.

A plurality of ink heads 40A to 40D are provided so as to face the table 30. As shown in FIG. The ink heads 40A to 40D are mounted on the carriage 20. As shown in FIG. The carriage 20 is movably engaged with the printer body 11 via the guide rails 61 of the moving device 50 . FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of the lower surface of the carriage 20. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of ink heads 40A to 40D are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y on the carriage 20. As shown in FIG. Among them, the first ink head 40A is arranged farthest in the first main scanning direction Y1 (here, to the left). The second ink head 40B is arranged in the second main scanning direction Y2 (here, to the right) of the first ink head 40A. The third ink head 40C is arranged in the second main scanning direction Y2 from the second ink head 40B. The fourth ink head 40D is arranged closest to the second main scanning direction Y2. The ink heads 40A to 40D extend in the sub-scanning direction X, respectively. The positions of the ink heads 40A to 40D in the sub-scanning direction X are aligned.

The first ink head 40A has a nozzle surface 42 on which a plurality of nozzles 41 are formed. Here, the nozzle surface 42 is the lower surface of the first ink head 40A. The nozzles 41 are fine holes through which ink is ejected. An actuator having a piezoelectric element is connected to each of the nozzles 41 . Each nozzle 41 ejects ink by driving each actuator. Each actuator includes a pressure chamber that communicates with the nozzle 41 and stores ink, and a piezoelectric element that is in contact with the pressure chamber. When the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element is changed, the piezoelectric element expands and contracts, and the displacement changes the volume of the pressure chamber. Ink is ejected from the nozzle 41 by this change in volume of the pressure chamber. The plurality of actuators are electrically connected to and controlled by the controller 90 . In the first ink head 40A, the multiple nozzles 41 form two nozzle rows 43a and 43b extending in the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. The first nozzle row 43a and the second nozzle row 43b are arranged in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG.

The nozzle surface 42 of the first ink head 40A has a nozzle forming area A2 including all the nozzles 41. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the nozzle formation area A2 here is a rectangular area set outside the first nozzle row 43a and the second nozzle row 43b. The nozzle forming area A2 is a virtually set area as the range and the periphery of the nozzle surface 42 where the nozzles 41 are formed. Therefore, the nozzle forming area A2 does not need to have any structure other than the nozzles 41 . As shown in FIG. 3, an area A3 with which a cap 81, which will be described later, contacts is present outside the nozzle forming area A2.

The nozzle surface 42 has an end portion 42a on the first sub-scanning direction X1 side (hereinafter also referred to as the first end portion 42a) and an end portion 42b on the second sub-scanning direction X2 side (hereinafter also referred to as the second end portion 42b). ) is provided. Here, the first end 42 a is the front end of the nozzle face 42 . The second end 42 b is the rear end of the nozzle surface 42 . A head guard 44 is provided outside the nozzle surface 42 including the first end 42a and the second end 42b as boundaries. The head guard 44 protrudes below the nozzle surface 42 . A head guard 44 is provided to prevent an obstacle from colliding with the nozzle 41 . A boundary between the head guard 44 and the nozzle surface 42 is a step.

The second ink head 40B to the fourth ink head 40D also have the same configuration as the first ink head 40A. One ink cartridge (not shown) is connected to each of the nozzle rows of the ink heads 40A to 40D. The nozzle arrays of the ink heads 40A to 40D eject ink stored in ink cartridges connected thereto. The ink material is not limited at all, and various materials conventionally used as ink materials for inkjet printers can be used. Here, an ultraviolet curable pigment ink that is cured by receiving ultraviolet rays is used.

As shown in FIG. 1, the carriage 20 is provided with an ultraviolet lamp 25 . Here, the ultraviolet lamp 25 is provided on the left side of the carriage 20 . The ultraviolet lamp 25 extends in the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. The ultraviolet lamp 25 irradiates the table 30 with ultraviolet rays. The ultraviolet lamp 25 is electrically connected to and controlled by the controller 90 .

The moving device 50 is a mechanism for moving the ink heads 40A to 40D and the table 30 relative to each other. A moving device 50 according to this embodiment includes a carriage moving device 60 and a table moving device 70 . The carriage moving device 60 is configured to move the carriage 20 in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. A main scanning direction Y is parallel to the table 30 . The carriage moving device 60 includes a guide rail 61 , a belt 62 , left and right pulleys (not shown), and a scan motor 63 . The carriage 20 is slidably engaged with the guide rail 61 . The guide rail 61 is fixed to the printer main body 11 and extends in the left-right direction. The guide rail 61 guides the lateral movement of the carriage 20 . Belt 62 is fixed to carriage 20 . The belt 62 is an endless belt. The belt 62 is wound around pulleys (not shown) provided on the left and right sides of the guide rail 61 . A scan motor 63 is attached to one pulley. Scan motor 63 is electrically connected to control device 90 . Scan motor 63 is controlled by control device 90 . When the scan motor 63 is driven, the pulley rotates and the belt 62 runs. Thereby, the carriage 20 moves in the left-right direction along the guide rails 61 .

A table moving device 70 is arranged below the table 30 . The table moving device 70 is a mechanism for moving the table 30 in the sub-scanning direction X and the vertical direction Z. As shown in FIG. The table moving device 70 supports the table 30 from below. The table moving device 70 includes a Z-axis direction moving mechanism 71 and an X-axis direction moving mechanism 72 . The Z-axis direction moving mechanism 71 is a mechanism for supporting the table 30 and moving it in the vertical direction Z. As shown in FIG. The vertical direction Z is perpendicular to the table 30 . The Z-axis movement mechanism 71 includes a ball screw mechanism and a motor (not shown). A ball screw mechanism is driven by a motor. The Z-axis movement mechanism 71 is supported from below by an X-axis movement mechanism 72 . The X-axis direction moving mechanism 72 is a mechanism for moving the table 30 in the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. The sub-scanning direction X is a direction parallel to the table 30 and perpendicular to the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. The X-axis movement mechanism 72 includes a ball screw mechanism and a motor (not shown).

The configuration of the mobile device 50 is not particularly limited. The moving device 50 includes a moving mechanism for moving at least one of the ink heads 40A to 40D and the table 30 in the main scanning direction Y, and a moving mechanism for moving at least one of the ink heads 40A to 40D and the table 30 in the sub scanning direction X. and a moving mechanism for moving at least one of the ink heads 40A to 40D and the table 30 in the vertical direction Z, and is not limited to this. For example, the moving device may move either the table 30 or the carriage 20 in the main scanning direction Y, the sub-scanning direction X, and the vertical direction Z. Alternatively, both the table 30 and the carriage 20 may be moved in the main scanning direction Y, the sub-scanning direction X, and the vertical direction Z. The movements of the ink heads 40A to 40D and the table 30 are relative, and there is no limitation as to which member moves in which direction. The moving device 50 is electrically connected to and controlled by the control device 90 .

As shown in FIG. 1, a home position HP is set at the right end of the movable range of the carriage 20 . The home position HP is a position where the carriage 20 is arranged when waiting for printing. A capping device 80 is arranged below the carriage 20 at the home position HP. The capping device 80 includes a cap 81 , a cap moving mechanism 82 and a suction pump 83 .

The caps 81 are provided in the same number as the ink heads 40A to 40D. One cap 81 corresponds to one ink head. The cap 81 has a container-like shape with an open top. The cap 81 is made of rubber or the like. The upper edge of the cap 81 corresponds to the area A3 with which the cap 81 contacts in FIG. When attached to the ink heads 40A to 40D, the upper edge of the cap 81 contacts the area A3 outside the nozzle forming area A2.

A plurality of caps 81 are supported by one cap moving mechanism 82 . The cap moving mechanism 82 is configured to bring the plurality of caps 81 into contact with or separate from the nozzle surfaces 42 of the ink heads 40A-40D. The cap moving mechanism 82 moves in the vertical direction Z while supporting the cap 81 from below. Thereby, the cap 81 is attached to the ink heads 40A to 40D and separated. The upper edge of the cap 81 is pressed against the nozzle surface 42 when attached to the ink heads 40A to 40D. Therefore, the elasticity of the cap 81 brings the cap 81 into close contact with the nozzle surface 42 .

The suction pump 83 is connected to the plurality of caps 81 via tubes or the like (not shown). The suction pump 83 sucks ink or the like accumulated in the cap 81 . The suction pump 83 is electrically connected to and controlled by the controller 90 .

As shown in FIG. 1, the right end of the printer 10 accommodates a control device 90 that controls various operations of the printer 10 . As shown in FIG. 1 , the control device 90 has a cleaning control section 91 . The cleaning control section 91 controls the moving device 50 to bring the cleaning members 120A to 120H of the cleaning unit 100 into contact with the ink heads 40A to 40D. The ink heads 40A to 40D are cleaned by moving the ink heads 40A to 40D and the cleaning unit 100 in a predetermined motion. The control device 90 also has a control section that takes charge of other functions such as printing, but the description thereof is omitted here. The cleaning control section 91 includes a first control section 91a, a second control section 91b, a third control section 91c, a fourth control section 91d, and a fifth control section 91e.

The configuration of the control device 90 is not particularly limited. The control device 90 is, for example, a microcomputer. The hardware configuration of the microcomputer is not particularly limited. processing unit), ROM (read only memory) that stores the program executed by the CPU, RAM (random access memory) that is used as a working area for developing the program, and memory that stores the above program and various data and a storage device.

The first control unit 91a of the cleaning control unit 91 performs a first step in the cleaning operation, in which the cleaning members 120A to 120H are brought into contact with the portion of the nozzle surface 42 on the second sub-scanning direction X2 side of the first end 42a. do. Further, after the first step, the second control unit 91b performs a second step of moving the cleaning members 120A to 120H in the second sub-scanning direction X2 with respect to the ink heads 40A to 40D while keeping the cleaning members 120A to 120H in contact with the nozzle surface 42. Execute. After the second step, the third control section 91c executes the third step of separating the cleaning members 120A to 120H from the nozzle surface . After the third step, the fourth controller 91d executes the fourth step of bringing the cleaning members 120A to 120H into contact with the portion of the nozzle surface 42 closer to the first sub-scanning direction X1 than the second end 42b. After the fourth step, the fifth control section executes the fifth step of moving the ink heads 40A to 40D in the first sub-scanning direction X1 while keeping the cleaning members 120A to 120H in contact with the nozzle surface . Details of the cleaning operation will be described later.

4A and 4B are perspective views of the cleaning unit 100. FIG. FIG. 4A is a view of the cleaning unit 100 with all parts assembled. FIG. 4B is a diagram showing a state in which the absorbing member 122, the sheet holding member 130, and the fourth leg 144 are removed from the state shown in FIG. 4A. However, in FIG. 4, the absorbing member 122 is illustrated by a chain double-dashed line. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the cleaning unit 100 includes a base 110, a plurality of cleaning members 120A-120H, a sheet holding member 130, and legs 140. As shown in FIGS.

The base 110 is formed in a plate shape. The upper surface 111 of the base 110 is provided with cleaning members 120A to 120H. Legs 140 are provided on the lower surface 112 of the base 110 . A sheet holding member 130 is attached to and detached from the base 110 . The base 110 is made of metal, for example. As shown in FIG. 4B, the base 110 includes a contact member holding portion 113, a leg attachment portion 114, and an attachment groove 115 for the seat holding member 130. As shown in FIG.

The contact member holding portion 113 is formed on the upper surface 111 of the base 110 . The contact member holding portion 113 holds the contact members 121 of the cleaning members 120A to 120H. The contact member holding portion 113 has a concave portion 113a. The recess 113 a is one step lower than the upper surface 111 of the base 110 . The concave portion 113a extends in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. A holding base 113b is placed in the recess 113a. The holding table 113b also extends in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. The holding table 113b is made of sheet metal or the like. The holding table 113b has a plurality of partitions 113b1. The partition 113b1 divides the bottom surface of the holding base 113b into eight sections in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. The partitioned areas constitute eight frames 113b2. The holding base 113b is fixed to the base 110 with bolts 113c.

The leg mounting portion 114 is configured such that the legs 141 to 144 of the leg portion 140 can be attached and detached. A plurality of leg mounting portions 114 are provided. Each of the leg mounting portions 114 is a through hole passing through the base 110 in the up-down direction Z here. The first mounting portion 114 a is provided near the left front end of the base 110 . The second mounting portion 114 b is provided near the right front end of the base 110 . The third mounting portion 114 c is provided near the left rear end of the base 110 . A plurality of fourth mounting portions 114 d are provided near the right rear end of the base 110 . Therefore, the user can select a mounting portion to which the fourth leg 144 is to be mounted from among the plurality of fourth mounting portions 114d. The relationship between the fourth mounting portion 114d and the fourth leg 144 will be described later.

The mounting grooves 115 of the sheet holding member 130 are formed so as to face the left and right ends of the concave portion 113a of the contact member holding portion 113 one by one. The attachment groove 115 is longer in the sub-scanning direction X than the recess 113a. In addition, it is formed short in the main scanning direction Y. Therefore, the mounting groove 115 has a flat shape in the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG.

The cleaning unit 100 comprises a plurality of cleaning members 120A-120H. A plurality of cleaning members 120A-120H are provided on the upper surface 111 of the base 110. As shown in FIG. A plurality of cleaning members 120A to 120H are arranged in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. The cleaning members 120A-120H clean the ink heads 40A-40D of the printer 10. FIG. The cleaning members 120A to 120H are arranged to face the ink heads 40A to 40D when the cleaning unit 100 is attached to the table 30. As shown in FIG. Each of the cleaning members 120A-120H has a contact member 121 and an absorption member 122. As shown in FIG. However, as will be described later, in this embodiment, the absorbing member 122 is shared by all the cleaning members 120A-120H.

The contact member 121 is made of a flexible material. The contact member 121 is made of rubber, more preferably silicone rubber having a hardness of 5 degrees or more and 20 degrees or less. The contact member 121 is formed by bending a plate-shaped material. The plate-shaped material of the contact member 121 is bent outwardly by the contact member holding portion 113 and held in that state. More specifically, the material of the contact member 121 is inserted into the frame 113b2 separated by the partition 113b1 of the holding base 113b. At that time, the material of the contact member 121 is bent substantially at the center in the main scanning direction Y, and both ends are inserted into the frame 113b2. The material of the contact member 121 is inserted into the frame 113b2 so that both ends are aligned in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the contact member 121 has a convex surface 121a that projects toward the side opposite to the base 110 at the center in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. The convex surface 121a is formed into a curved surface. A convex surface 121a of the contact member 121 extends in the sub-scanning direction X in its cross-sectional shape. The convex surface 121a has the same cross-sectional shape along the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. The contact member 121 is formed in a saddle shape.

Since the contact member 121 is formed in a saddle shape, it has a space below the convex surface 121a. Therefore, the contact member 121 can be deformed by the amount of deformation of its space in addition to its own flexibility. The contact member 121 is fixed by a restraining member 113 d of the contact member holding portion 113 . The restraining member 113d restrains the contact member 121 so as to fix both ends of the contact member 121 to each other.

The absorbing member 122 is made of a sheet-like material that absorbs ink. Here, the absorbent member 122 is made of nonwoven fabric. One absorbing member 122 is used for a plurality of contacting members 121 . The absorbing member 122 covers the plurality of contact members 121 arranged in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. The absorbing member 122 is attachable to and detachable from the contact member 121 . The length of the absorbing member 122 in the main scanning direction Y is longer than the length of the plurality of contact members 121 arranged in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. Also, the length of the absorption member 122 in the sub-scanning direction X is longer than that of the contact member 121 . Therefore, the absorbing member 122 can be placed so as to cover the plurality of contacting members 121 from above.

The absorbent member 122 is held by a sheet holding member 130 . The sheet holding member 130 has a box-like shape with an opening on the side of the base 110 (lower surface). The sheet holding member 130 extends in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. The sheet holding member 130 also has an opening 131 on its upper surface. The opening 131 is configured to allow a plurality of contact members 121 arranged in the main scanning direction Y to pass therethrough. Therefore, when the sheet holding member 130 is attached to the base 110 , the convex surface 121 a of the contact member 121 protrudes above the opening 131 . The sheet holding member 130 has claw portions 132 at the lower end portions of both side surfaces in the main scanning direction Y, respectively. The sheet holding member 130 is attached to the base 110 by fitting the claw portions 132 into the attachment grooves 115 of the base 110 .

The sheet holding member 130 has sheet holding portions 133 on both side surfaces in the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. The sheet holding portion 133 protrudes downward from the upper surface and extends in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. The sheet holding portion 133 presses the absorbing member 122 on the first sub-scanning direction X1 side and the second sub-scanning direction X2 side of the contact member 121 . The sheet holding member 130 presses the absorbing member 122 against the contact member 121 . As a result, the absorbing member 122 is arranged along the outer periphery of the convex surface 121a of the contact member 121 and curved along the convex surface 121a. The sheet holding member 130 detachably holds the absorbing member 122 .

On the other hand, in the main scanning direction Y, the sheet holding member 130 does not hold the absorbing member 122 and is open. The sheet holding member 130 does not have portions protruding downward like the sheet holding portion 133 on both side surfaces in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. Both side surfaces of the sheet holding member 130 in the main scanning direction Y form open portions 134 that open the absorbing member 122 in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the absorbing member 122 can move in the main scanning direction Y when the sheet holding member 130 is attached. Therefore, the absorbing member 122 is arranged along the outer circumference of the contacting member 121 .

In this embodiment, each of the cleaning members 120A to 120H includes the contact member 121 and the absorbing member 122, but the present invention is not limited to this. The cleaning members 120A to 120H may each have a convex surface S1, and the convex surface S1 may be made of a material that is flexible and absorbs ink. For example, cleaning members 120A-120H may each be comprised of a single material. In that case, the material of the cleaning members 120A-120H should have both flexibility and ink absorbency. For example, the cleaning members 120A to 120H may be made of sponge or the like having moderate elasticity. Further, the length in the sub-scanning direction X of the cleaning members 120A-120H is shorter than the length in the sub-scanning direction X of the nozzle surfaces 42 of the ink heads 40A-40D. Here, the length of the cleaning members 120A to 120H in the sub-scanning direction X is slightly longer than half the length of the nozzle surface 42 in the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG.

Also, it is preferable to apply a small amount of cleaning liquid to the absorbing member 122 when cleaning the ink heads 40A to 40D. A liquid that dissolves the ink, such as a solvent for the ink, is preferably used as the cleaning liquid.

The legs 140 are provided on the bottom surface 112 of the base 110 . The legs 140 are installed on the table 30 of the printer 10 . In the cleaning unit 100 , the leg portion 140 is configured as a mounting portion that can be attached to and detached from the table 30 . Here, leg 140 comprises a plurality of legs 141-144. The first leg 141 to third leg 143 have the same configuration. The first leg 141 has a nut portion 141a and a tip portion 141b. As shown in FIGS. 4B and 4B, the nut portion 141a has an outer shape of a hexagonal column extending in the up-down direction Z. As shown in FIG. The nut portion 141a extends outward beyond the leg mounting portion 114 of the base 110 in plan view. A screw hole extending in the vertical direction Z is formed in the nut portion 141a. The nut portion 141a is fixed to the base 110 by fastening a bolt 141c to this screw hole. Note that the leg portion 140 is arranged inside the outline of the base 110 in plan view. Accordingly, the leg portion 140 does not protrude outside the base 110, and the cleaning unit 100 can be made compact.

A tip portion 141b is provided at the lower end of the nut portion 141a. The tip portion 141b has a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter smaller than that of the nut portion 141a. A step exists at the boundary between the nut portion 141a and the tip portion 141b. The outer diameter of the tip portion 141b corresponds to the inner diameter of the mounting holes 31a to 31c of the table 30. As shown in FIG. The first leg 141 is inserted into the first mounting hole 31 a of the table 30 . The first leg 141 is positioned in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X by inserting the tip portion 141b into the first mounting hole 31a. Further, the nut portion 141a is positioned in the vertical direction Z by abutting against the table 30. As shown in FIG. The same is true for second leg 142 and third leg 143 . The second leg 142 is inserted into the second mounting hole 31b of the table 30. As shown in FIG. The third leg 143 is inserted into the third mounting hole 31c of the table 30. As shown in FIG. The leg portion 140 functions as a second positioning mechanism corresponding to the first positioning mechanism (here, mounting holes 31a to 31c) provided on the table 30 side.

The fourth leg 144 is detachably attached to the fourth mounting portion 114 d of the base 110 . As described above, a plurality of fourth mounting portions 114d are provided. The number of fourth attachment portions 114 d to which the fourth legs 144 can be attached is greater than the number of the fourth legs 144 . Therefore, the position of the fourth leg 144 on the base 110 can be changed by changing the fourth mounting portion 114d to be mounted. Here, the number of fourth legs 144 is one and the number of fourth mounting portions 114d is three. Note that the number of legs that can be moved on the base 110 is not limited to one, and may be two or more. The number of leg attachment parts to which movable legs can be attached is not particularly limited as long as it is greater than the number of legs.

As shown in FIG. 2, the movement range of the fourth leg 144 is set within the printing area A1 of the table 30. As shown in FIG. That is, in plan view, all of the fourth mounting portions 114d are within the print area A1. However, the moving range of the fourth leg 144 may at least partially overlap the printing area A1 of the table 30, and the entire moving range does not necessarily have to be included in the printing area A1. In other words, the fourth leg 144 may be able to move outside the print area A1. The fourth leg 144 also has a nut portion and is configured to be secured to the base 110 by bolts. The fourth leg 144 does not necessarily have to be placed in the perforated portion of the table 30, so it has a tipless shape.

The leg portion 140 is configured to be variable in length. In this embodiment, each of the plurality of legs 141-144 is configured to be variable in length. Each of the first leg 141 to the fourth leg 144 is configured by one of a plurality of leg parts that can be attached to the base 110 and have different lengths. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of leg parts. As shown in FIG. 5, leg parts have five types of leg parts, for example, a first leg part Pt1 to a fifth leg part Pt5. The leg parts Pt1 to Pt5 include leg parts having different nut lengths. Also, the leg parts Pt1 to Pt5 include those with tip portions and those without. A method of selecting leg parts will be described later.

Mounting of the cleaning unit 100 to the printer 10 and cleaning operation of the ink heads 40A to 40D will be described below. First, attachment of the cleaning unit 100 to the printer 10 will be described.

The cleaning unit 100 according to this embodiment is configured to be attached to the table 30 without removing the jig 200 . The cleaning unit 100 lifts the base 110 above the jig 200 by the legs 140 . The user selects a leg part with a suitable length for that purpose. A length L0 shown in FIG. 5 is the thickness of the jig 200 . In order to avoid the jig 200, the leg 140 needs to lift the lower surface 112 of the base 110 to a height higher than the thickness L0 of the jig. Therefore, the leg part Pt2 is selected for the first leg 141 to the third leg 143. FIG. The length of the nut portion of the leg part Pt2 is longer than the thickness L0 of the jig. On the other hand, the length of the leg parts Pt1 for the other first leg 141 to third leg 143 is the same as the thickness L0 of the jig. A first leg 141 to a third leg 143 are legs standing outside the print area A1 of the table 30 . Therefore, the lengths of the first leg 141 to the third leg 143 need to be longer than the thickness L0 of the jig 200. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the fourth leg 144 stands within the print area A1. The user can select the fourth mounting portion 114d on which the fourth leg 144 is mounted. The user thereby selects where the fourth leg 144 stands on the table 30 . In the example of FIG. 2 , one fourth mounting portion 114 d 1 of the plurality of fourth mounting portions 114 d is positioned above the storage portion 210 of the jig 200 . The storage part 210 is a through hole formed in the jig 200 . Therefore, the user can select the mounting section 114d1 as the leg mounting section on which the fourth leg 144 is mounted. The fourth leg 144 can stand on the table 30 by selecting the mounting portion 114d1. Accordingly, the cleaning unit 100 can be stably installed. In this case, the user selects the leg part Pt3 as the fourth leg 144. FIG. The leg part Pt3 has the same nut portion length as the leg part Pt2 and does not have a tip portion.

The user can place the fourth leg 144 on the jig 200 if the fourth leg 144 cannot pass through the recess 210 of the jig 200 . In that case, the user selects the leg part Pt4 as the fourth leg 144. FIG. The leg part Pt4 is a leg part having a nut portion whose length is the same as the difference between the height of the leg part Pt2 and the thickness L0 of the jig 200, and which does not have a tip.

Although only five types of leg parts Pt1 to Pt5 are illustrated in FIG. 5, leg parts of various lengths may be prepared according to need. The leg parts may be prepared under the assumption that the jig 200 is made from a standardized thickness of material. Assuming that the jig 200 is manufactured from a material with a standardized thickness, the length of leg parts to be prepared is limited to a specific combination. Therefore, according to this method, the types of leg parts can be reduced. However, the leg parts may be prepared in increments of 1 mm, for example, regardless of the thickness of the jig 200 . Of course, even without the jig 200, the leg 140 functions as a positioning mechanism for the cleaning unit 100 side.

After the leg parts have been selected and the legs 141 to 144 are attached to the base 110, the cleaning unit 100 is attached to the unit installation portion 30a. This mounting is performed by inserting the first to third legs 141 to 143 into the first to third mounting holes 31a to 31c of the table 30, respectively. Such a method makes it possible to easily position the printer 10 and the cleaning unit 100 . The fourth leg 144 here is not related to the positioning of the cleaning unit 100 and functions to stably install the cleaning unit 100 .

By mounting the cleaning unit 100 on the table 30, the cleaning members 120A to 120H are arranged to face the ink heads 40A to 40D. Specifically, the cleaning members 120A-120H are arranged so that the convex surface S1 faces the ink heads 40A-40D. Further, in each of the cleaning members 120A to 120H, the contact member 121 is arranged on the table 30 side, and the absorbing member 122 is arranged on the ink head 40A to 40D side.

Next, the cleaning operation of the ink heads 40A to 40D will be explained. In this embodiment, the moving device 50 relatively moves the ink heads 40A to 40D and the table 30 while the cleaning unit 100 is attached to the table 30 . As a result, the ink heads 40A to 40D and the cleaning unit 100 move relative to each other. A cleaning controller 91 controls the operation of the moving device 50 . This movement cleans the ink heads 40A to 40D.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the cleaning operation of the first ink head 40A. As shown in FIG. 6, the cleaning operation of the first ink head 40A includes five steps S10-S50. More specifically, the first step S10 includes steps S11 and S12. The fourth step S40 includes steps S41 and S42. In this embodiment, after the third step S30 and before the fourth step S40, the cleaning unit 100 is moved in the main scanning direction Y with respect to the ink heads 40A to 40D. Although details will be described later, this sliding operation may not be performed depending on the embodiment.

7A to 7H are schematic diagrams showing the positional relationship of the first ink head 40A, first cleaning member 120A, and second cleaning member 120B during the cleaning operation. Among them, FIG. 7A shows the positional relationship of the first ink head 40A, the first cleaning member 120A, and the second cleaning member 120B in step S11. FIG. 7B shows the positional relationship of the first ink head 40A, first cleaning member 120A, and second cleaning member 120B in step S12. FIG. 7C shows the positional relationship of the first ink head 40A, first cleaning member 120A, and second cleaning member 120B in step S20. FIG. 7D shows the positional relationship of the first ink head 40A, first cleaning member 120A, and second cleaning member 120B in step S30. FIG. 7E shows the positional relationship of the first ink head 40A, the first cleaning member 120A, and the second cleaning member 120B during the sliding operation. FIG. 7F shows the positional relationship of the first ink head 40A, first cleaning member 120A, and second cleaning member 120B in step S41. FIG. 7G shows the positional relationship of the first ink head 40A, first cleaning member 120A, and second cleaning member 120B in step S42. FIG. 7H shows the positional relationship of the first ink head 40A, first cleaning member 120A, and second cleaning member 120B in step S50. In FIGS. 7A to 7H, the drawings on the left side are schematic plan views. The figure on the right is a schematic side view.

As shown in FIG. 6, in step S11, the first cleaning member 120A is moved to the first position P1 below the first ink head 40A. The movement of the cleaning unit 100 is performed by movement of the first ink head 40A by the carriage movement device 60 and movement of the table 30 by the table movement device 70 . The cleaning unit 100 is positioned with respect to the table 30 by the leg portion 140 and the mounting holes 31a to 31c. Therefore, the cleaning control section 91 can arrange the cleaning unit 100 and the table 30 at desired relative positions.

As shown in the plan view of FIG. 7A, at the first position P1, the first cleaning member 120A is arranged at a portion of the nozzle surface 42 closer to the second sub-scanning direction X2 than the first end 42a. More specifically, the first cleaning member 120A is arranged such that the front end is located on the first sub-scanning direction X1 side of the center line CL in the sub-scanning direction X of the nozzle forming area A2. At this time, as shown in the side view of FIG. 7A, the first cleaning member 120A is arranged below the first ink head 40A and spaced apart from the first ink head 40A.

At step S12, the cleaning unit 100 is moved upward. Thereby, the first cleaning member 120A contacts the nozzle surface 42 of the first ink head 40A. More specifically, the first cleaning member 120A contacts a portion of the nozzle surface 42 closer to the second sub-scanning direction X2 than the first end 42a. In this embodiment, the rear end of the first cleaning member 120A is also in contact with the nozzle surface 42 . The first cleaning member 120A is in contact with a portion of the nozzle surface 42 between the first end 42a and the second end 42b.

In the subsequent second step S20, the first cleaning is performed. As shown in FIG. 7C, in the second step S20, the cleaning controller 91 moves the first cleaning member 120A in the second sub-scanning direction X2 while keeping it in contact with the nozzle surface 42 of the first ink head 40A. As a result, more than half of the nozzle surface 42 of the first ink head 40A on the second sub-scanning direction X2 side is cleaned.

FIG. 8 is a plan view schematically showing the positional relationship between the ink heads 40A-40D and the cleaning members 120A-120H at the time of the second step S20. As shown in FIG. 8, the second ink head 40B and the third cleaning member 120C are aligned in the main scanning direction Y in the second step S20. Therefore, in the second step S20, the second ink head 40B is cleaned by the third cleaning member 120C. Similarly, the third ink head 40C is cleaned by the fifth cleaning member 120E. The fourth ink head 40D is cleaned by the seventh cleaning member 120G. The pitch of the cleaning members 120A to 120H in the main scanning direction Y is set to half the pitch in the main scanning direction Y of the ink heads 40A to 40D. Therefore, the plurality of ink heads 40A to 40D are simultaneously cleaned by the plurality of cleaning members 120A, 120C, 120E, and 120G arranged in the main scanning direction Y. FIG. A plurality of cleaning members 120A, 120C, 120E, and 120G are arranged in the main scanning direction Y alternately.

In cleaning the first ink head 40A, the configuration of the first cleaning member 120A has an advantageous effect. The first cleaning member 120A has a convex surface S1 that protrudes toward the first ink head 40A. The convex surface S1 has flexibility and ink absorptivity. Since the flexible convex surface S1 protrudes toward the first ink head 40A, the adhesion to the nozzles 41 is improved compared to, for example, the case where the upper end of the cleaning member is flat. In particular, the first ink head 40A has a head guard 44. As shown in FIG. Therefore, when the upper end of the cleaning member is flat, the head guard 44 often interferes and the cleaning member and the nozzles 41 do not come into close contact with each other. The convex surface S1 is particularly effective when the ink head has a portion such as a head guard that protrudes from the nozzle forming area. The first cleaning member 120A has ink absorbability, and cleans the nozzles 41 by absorbing ink.

Further, in this embodiment, the first cleaning member 120A extends in the sub-scanning direction X while maintaining the same upwardly convex cross-sectional shape. According to such a configuration, the ink of the nozzles 41 can be absorbed in a wide range in the sub-scanning direction X at the same time.

In this embodiment, the first cleaning member 120A includes a close contact member 121 and an absorbing member 122. As shown in FIG. The adhesion member 121 takes charge of flexibility among the functions that the first cleaning member 120A should have. The absorption member 122 takes charge of ink absorption among the functions that the first cleaning member 120A should have. According to this configuration, after cleaning, only the absorbing member 122 that has absorbed the ink needs to be replaced, so consumables can be saved.

Further, the contact member 121 is formed by bending a plate-shaped material. Therefore, there is a space below the convex surface 121a. According to such a configuration, the contact member 121 can be largely deformed in the vertical direction Z. As shown in FIG. Therefore, regardless of variations in the distance between the first ink head 40A and the first cleaning member 120A, the force with which the first cleaning member 120A presses the first ink head 40A at the time of contact can be made substantially constant.

In the present embodiment, at the start of step S20, the rear end of the first cleaning member 120A is positioned closer to the first sub-scanning direction X1 than the second end 42b, thereby effectively cleaning the second end 42b. are doing on purpose. A second end portion 42b that is part of the boundary between the head guard 44 and the nozzle surface 42 is formed with a step. Ink tends to accumulate on this step, and the accumulated ink is difficult to remove even by cleaning. However, according to the cleaning system 1 of the present embodiment, the rear end of the first cleaning member 120A passes through the second end portion 42b in the second step S20. Therefore, the corner of the rear end of the first cleaning member 120A enters the stepped portion, and the ink on the second end portion 42b can be effectively removed.

These effects are also exhibited between the second ink head 40B and the third cleaning member 120C, between the third ink head 40C and the fifth cleaning member 120E, and between the fourth ink head 40D and the seventh cleaning member 120G. .

In the subsequent third step S30, the cleaning control section 91 lowers the cleaning unit 100 as shown in FIG. 7D. Thereby, the cleaning control section 91 separates the first cleaning member 120A from the nozzle surface 42 . The third controller 91c separates the cleaning unit 100 from the nozzle surface 42 by, for example, moving the cleaning unit 100 in the vertical direction Z. As shown in FIG. However, the direction of movement at this time may be any direction not parallel to the nozzle surface 42 and may not coincide with the vertical direction Z.

As shown in FIG. 7E, in the sliding operation, the cleaning control section 91 moves the cleaning unit 100 in the first main scanning direction Y1 with respect to the first ink head 40A. This movement is actually performed by moving the carriage 20 in the second main scanning direction Y2. The moving distance of the first ink head 40A at this time is the same as the width of the first cleaning member 120A, as shown in FIG. 7E. Therefore, the first ink head 40A is moved to a position aligned in the sub-scanning direction X with the second cleaning member 120B. At this time, the second ink head 40B is moved to a position aligned in the sub-scanning direction X with the fourth cleaning member 120D. The third ink head 40C is moved to a position aligned in the sub-scanning direction X with the sixth cleaning member 120F. The fourth ink head 40D is moved to a position aligned in the sub-scanning direction X with the eighth cleaning member 120H.

In step S41, as shown in the plan view of FIG. 7F, the second cleaning member 120B is moved to the second position P2 below the first ink head 40A. As shown in FIG. 7F, at the second position P2, the second cleaning member 120B is arranged at a portion of the nozzle surface 42 closer to the first sub-scanning direction X1 than the second end 42b. More specifically, the second cleaning member 120B is arranged such that the trailing end thereof is closer to the second sub-scanning direction X2 than the center line CL of the nozzle forming area A2 in the sub-scanning direction X. At this time, as shown in the side view of FIG. 7F, the second cleaning member 120B is arranged below the first ink head 40A and spaced apart from the first ink head 40A.

In step S42, the cleaning unit 100 is moved upward as shown in FIG. 7G. Thereby, the second cleaning member 120B comes into contact with the nozzle surface 42 of the first ink head 40A. More specifically, the second cleaning member 120B contacts a portion of the nozzle surface 42 closer to the first sub-scanning direction X1 than the second end 42b. In this embodiment, the front end of the second cleaning member 120B is also in contact with the nozzle surface 42. As shown in FIG. The second cleaning member 120B is again in contact with the portion of the nozzle face 42 between the first end 42a and the second end 42b.

In the subsequent fifth step S50, the second cleaning is performed. As shown in FIG. 7H, in the fifth step S50, the cleaning controller 91 moves the second cleaning member 120B in the first sub-scanning direction X1 while keeping it in contact with the nozzle surface 42 of the first ink head 40A. As a result, more than half of the nozzle surface 42 of the first ink head 40A on the first sub-scanning direction X1 side is cleaned. Note that the area cleaned in the second step S20 and the area cleaned in the fifth step S50 are partially overlapped so as not to leave unwiped areas. The second ink head 40B, the third ink head 40C, and the fourth ink head 40D are similarly cleaned by the fourth cleaning member 120D, the sixth cleaning member 120F, and the eighth cleaning member 120H, respectively.

Thus, in this embodiment, one ink head is cleaned twice. More specifically, in the initial cleaning, the first cleaning member 120A is arranged so that at least one end thereof hangs within the nozzle forming area A2 of the first ink head 40A, and then moves toward the outside of the nozzle forming area A2. be moved. In the fifth step S50, it is done by reversing the traveling direction.

Conventionally, ink head cleaning has been performed in one direction from one end of the nozzle surface to the other end. For example, in the case of the first ink head 40A according to the present embodiment, typically, a cleaning member such as a wiper is provided outside one end of the first ink head 40A at a height capable of contacting the nozzle surface 42. retained. Then, the cleaning member was moved toward the center of the first ink head 40A while maintaining its height. As a result, the cleaning member first contacted the head guard 44, then the region A3 where the cap 81 contacts, and then the nozzle formation region A2. Here, as described above, the end of the nozzle surface 42 (here, the boundary between the head guard 44 and the nozzle surface 42) tends to accumulate ink. Also, ink tends to adhere to the region A3 when the cap 81 is attached and detached. Therefore, the cleaning member drags the ink removed from the end of the nozzle surface 42 and the area A3 to the nozzle forming area A2. Therefore, there is a possibility that the ink removed from the end portion of the nozzle surface 42 or the area A3 may adhere to the nozzles 41 . In particular, if there is a solidified portion in the removed ink at the end of the nozzle surface 42 or in the area A3, the solidified ink may enter the nozzle 41 and cause problems such as ink ejection failure. In this way, ink may adhere to the outside of the nozzle formation area A2, and if such ink is brought into the nozzle formation area A2, there is a risk of causing problems such as ink ejection failure. rice field.

Therefore, the printer 10 according to the present embodiment is set so that the cleaning members 120A to 120H are brought into contact with the nozzle surface 42 first, and then the cleaning unit 100 is moved toward the outside of the nozzle surface 42 . According to this operation, the ink removed from the area outside the nozzle forming area A2 is not brought into the nozzle forming area A2. Therefore, there is no concern that such ink will cause problems in the nozzles 41 . In this embodiment, the entire nozzle surface 42 is cleaned by performing cleaning from the center side of the nozzle surface 42 toward the peripheral edge side twice in total in different directions.

Further, in the present embodiment, the movement in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X in the first step S10 and the third step S30 lowers the cleaning unit 100 so that the cleaning members 120A to 120H come into contact with the ink heads 40A to 40D. It is done in a state of impossibility. According to this operation, it is possible to prevent the ink outside the nozzle formation area A2 from being brought into the nozzle formation area A2 before the first cleaning and the second cleaning.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the printer 10 cleans one ink head with two cleaning members. For example, the first cleaning of the first ink head 40A is performed by the first cleaning member 120A. The second cleaning of the first ink head 40A is performed by the second cleaning member 120B. According to such work, two cleanings can be performed with clean cleaning members. Therefore, cleaning of the ink heads 40A to 40D can be performed with higher quality. In this embodiment, since the nozzle row 43a and the nozzle row 43b are arranged in the main scanning direction Y, the plurality of cleaning members 120A to 120H are also arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. Then, the cleaning control section 91 performs the sliding operation of the cleaning unit 100 between the third step S30 and the fourth step S40.

In the above description, the cleaning members used are changed between the first cleaning and the second cleaning, but they do not have to be changed. In that case, the cleaning unit 100 should have the same number of cleaning members as the ink heads 40A to 40D of the printer 10 (here, four). In that case, there is no need to perform the slide operation described above.

The above-described embodiment can be implemented by some modifications. Some preferred modifications are described below. In the following description of the modified example, members common to those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by common reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted or simplified.

(First modification)
In the first modified example, a cleaning unit 100a having a configuration different from that of the embodiment described above is used. FIG. 9 is a side view schematically showing a cleaning unit 100a according to the first modified example. As shown in FIG. 9, the cleaning unit 100a has a wiper 150 as a cleaning member. The base 110a has a vise 160 that holds the wiper 150. As shown in FIG.

Wiper 150 is formed in a plate shape. The wiper 150 extends in the main scanning direction Y (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 9). The wiper 150 is arranged substantially vertically. The wiper 150 here includes a contact member 151 and an absorbent member 152 . The contact member 151 is provided to bring the wiper 150 into contact with the ink heads 40A to 40D. The contact member 151 is made of, for example, a flexible material such as polyurethane foam.

The absorbent member 152 is formed in a sheet shape. The absorbing member 152 covers the contact member 151 from above. A small amount of cleaning liquid is applied to the absorbing member 122 when cleaning the ink heads 40A to 40D. The contact member 151 and the absorbing member 152 are held by a vice 160 as a wiper 150 . However, the configuration of wiper 150 is not limited to this. For example, wiper 150 may be configured to only wipe ink and not absorb ink. In such a case, wiper 150 may be made entirely of flexible material, such as polyurethane foam, for example.

(Second modification)
In the second modification, cleaning is performed in a direction different from that of the embodiment described above. Further, the extending direction of the cleaning member is different from that of the above-described embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a plan view schematically showing a first ink head 40A and a cleaning member 150b according to the second modification. In this modification, the cleaning unit includes a wiper-like cleaning member 150b. The cleaning member 150b extends in the sub-scanning direction X here. The first nozzle row 43a and the second nozzle row 43b extend in the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. However, in the present embodiment, the direction of progress of cleaning is set to the first main scanning direction Y1 and the second main scanning direction Y2. Taking the direction of progress of cleaning as a reference, the first nozzle row 43a and the second nozzle row 43b extend in a direction orthogonal to the direction of progress of cleaning. Also, the first nozzle row 43a and the second nozzle row 43b are arranged in the direction of progress of cleaning.

As shown in FIG. 10, the width D2 of the cleaning member 150b in the main scanning direction Y is configured to be shorter than the interval D1 in the main scanning direction Y between the first nozzle row 43a and the second nozzle row 43b. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, the cleaning member 150b can be arranged between the first nozzle row 43a and the second nozzle row 43b in plan view.

In cleaning the first ink head 40A, the first step S10 to the fifth step S50 of the first embodiment are performed with the cleaning direction changed. In the first step of this modification, the first controller 91a of the cleaning controller 91 brings the cleaning member 150b into contact with the portion of the nozzle surface 42 between the first nozzle row 43a and the second nozzle row 43b. The cleaning unit is moved from this position in the second main scanning direction Y2 in the second step. The second step cleans the second nozzle row 43b.

In the third step, the cleaning control section 91 separates the cleaning member 150b from the nozzle surface 42 . In the fourth step, the fourth controller 91d of the cleaning controller 91 brings the cleaning member 150b into contact with the portion of the nozzle surface 42 between the first nozzle row 43a and the second nozzle row 43b again. The cleaning unit is moved from this position in the first main scanning direction Y1 in the fifth step. The fifth step cleans the first nozzle row 43a.

As in the first embodiment, according to this cleaning method, the cleaning member 150b is moved outward from the center of the nozzle forming area A2, so that the ink or the like adhering to the outside of the nozzle forming area A2 is removed from the nozzles. It is not carried into the formation area A2. Furthermore, according to this cleaning method, since the extending direction of the nozzle rows 43 a and 43 b is perpendicular to the cleaning direction, ink is not moved from one nozzle 41 to another nozzle 41 . Therefore, higher quality cleaning can be performed.

(Third modification)
In the third modified example, the configuration for changing the length of the leg and the configuration for changing the position of the fourth leg are different from the embodiment described above. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a cleaning unit 100c according to a third modified example. In this modified example, as shown in FIG. 11, the base 110c has a leg mounting portion consisting of a first mounting portion 116a to a fourth mounting portion 116d.

Each of the first mounting portion 116a to the third mounting portion 116c according to this modified example has a screw hole. The screw hole extends vertically Z through the base 110c. The first to third legs 145 to 147 corresponding to the first to third mounting portions 116a to 116c are provided with bolt portions 145a to 147a, respectively. The bolt portions 145a to 147a are fitted into screw holes of the first mounting portion 116a to the third mounting portion 116c, respectively. Nuts are fitted to the bolt portions 145a to 147a, respectively. For example, the bolt portion 145a of the first leg 145 is fitted with a nut 145b. The nut 145b is now arranged on the upper side of the base 110c. By rotating the first leg 145 while being engaged with the screw hole of the first mounting portion 116a, the length of protrusion from the lower surface of the base 110c can be changed. After the projection length is determined, the nut 145b is tightened. Thereby, the first leg 145 is fixed. The same is true for second leg 146 and third leg 147 .

Further, the fourth mounting portion 116d has a long hole 116d1. The long hole 116d1 is a long hole that penetrates the base 110c in the vertical direction Z, and extends in the main scanning direction Y here. However, the planar shape of the long hole 116d1 is not particularly limited. The long hole 116d1 may extend in the sub-scanning direction X, or may extend in both the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X by bending halfway. Alternatively, a plurality of long holes 116d1 may be provided. The fourth leg 148 has a bolt portion 148a. The bolt portion 148a is passed through the long hole 116d1. An upper nut 148b and a lower nut (not shown) are fitted to the bolt portion 148a. The upper nut 148b is arranged above the base 110c. The lower nut is arranged below the base 110c. Fourth leg 148 can be repositioned on base 110c by moving horizontally along slot 116d. Also, by changing the positions of the upper nut 148b and the lower nut, the length of protrusion from the lower surface of the base 110c can be changed. Once the projection length is determined, the upper nut 148b and the lower nut are tightened. The fourth leg 148 is thereby fixed.

Such a configuration also allows the length of the legs of the cleaning unit and the position of at least one leg to be adjusted. In particular, such an arrangement allows fine adjustment of the length of the legs and the position of at least one leg.

A preferred embodiment and several modifications have been described above. However, the above embodiments are merely examples, and the technology disclosed herein can be implemented in various other forms. For example, in the embodiments described above, the cleaning unit is configured to be attached to the table on which the printed material is placed. However, the cleaning unit is not limited to the unit attached to the table as long as it is provided so as to be movable relative to the ink head. For example, the cleaning unit may be mounted on a moving device outside the table. Alternatively, the ink head may move three-dimensionally and the cleaning unit may be fixed. The configuration for changing the positional relationship between the cleaning unit and the ink head is not particularly limited.

Also, in the embodiments described above, the cleaning unit has a plurality of legs. However, the configuration of the legs of the cleaning unit is not limited to this. For example, the cleaning unit may have one leg that is L-shaped or C-shaped in plan view. Also, the legs of the cleaning unit may not be provided on the bottom surface of the base. The legs may, for example, be configured to be attached to the sides or top of the base. Furthermore, the cleaning unit does not necessarily have legs to avoid jigs for positioning the substrate. The method of attaching the cleaning unit to the table is not particularly limited. For example, the cleaning unit may be attached to the table via another member.

The configuration of the cleaning member is also not limited. The configuration of the cleaning member described above is a preferred example, and the shape, material, arrangement, etc. of the cleaning member are not limited. For example, the convex surface of the cleaning member need not necessarily include curved surfaces. Also, the movements of the ink head and the cleaning unit during cleaning are not limited to those described above.

In addition, the configurations of the inkjet printer and the cleaning unit are not limited unless otherwise specified. For example, the technology disclosed herein can also be used for roll-to-roll type inkjet printers. Moreover, it can also be used for devices in which an ink jet printer is incorporated as a part thereof, such as a print-and-cut device.

1 cleaning system 5 printed matter 10 printer (inkjet printer)
30 Table 30a Unit setting portions 31a to 31c Mounting holes 40A to 40D Ink head 41 Nozzle 42 Nozzle surface 42a First end 42b Second end 43a First nozzle row 43b Second nozzle row 50 Moving device 60 Carriage moving device 70 Table Moving device 71 Z-axis direction moving mechanism 72 X-axis direction moving mechanism 90 Control device 91 Cleaning control section 91a First control section 91b Second control section 91c Third control section 91d Fourth control section 91e Fifth control section 100 Cleaning unit 110 Base 113 Adhesion member holding portion 114 Leg mounting portions 120A to 120H Cleaning member 121 Adhesion member 122 Absorbing member 130 Sheet holding member 133 Sheet holding portion 134 Opening portion 140 Leg Pt1 to Pt5 Leg parts 141 to 144 Leg 200 Jig A1 Printing area A2 Nozzle forming area S1 convex surface

Claims (8)

an inkjet printer and
a cleaning unit;
including
The inkjet printer is
a carriage configured to be movable in the main scanning direction;
an ink head mounted on the carriage ;
a table provided to face the ink head and on which a printed material is placed;
a capping device having a cap attached to the ink head and provided below a home position located at one end of the movable range of the carriage;
with
The cleaning unit
a mounting portion configured to be detachable from the table;
a cleaning member having an absorbing member that absorbs ink and arranged to face the ink head when the mounting portion is attached to the table;
is equipped with
Inkjet printer cleaning system. The inkjet printer is
a moving device that relatively moves the ink head and the table;
a control device comprising a cleaning control unit that controls the moving device to bring the cleaning member and the ink head into contact;
has
The table has a mounting surface on which the printed material is mounted,
The moving device
a first moving mechanism for moving the table in a first direction parallel to the mounting surface;
a second moving mechanism for moving the ink head in a second direction parallel to the mounting surface and orthogonal to the first direction;
a third moving mechanism for moving the table in a third direction orthogonal to the mounting surface;
is equipped with
The inkjet printer cleaning system according to claim 1 . the table includes a first positioning mechanism that determines a position where the cleaning unit is mounted;
The cleaning unit comprises a second positioning mechanism corresponding to the first positioning mechanism.
3. The inkjet printer cleaning system according to claim 1 or 2. The cleaning unit includes a holding section that detachably holds the absorbing member.
The inkjet printer cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . The cleaning member is arranged closer to the table than the absorbing member, and includes a close contact member made of a material having flexibility.
The inkjet printer cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . The cleaning unit has a flat base,
The cleaning member is provided on one side surface of the base,
The mounting portion includes a leg portion provided on the other side surface of the base and installed on the table of the inkjet printer,
The inkjet printer cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . an inkjet printer and
a cleaning unit;
including
The inkjet printer is
an ink head;
a table provided to face the ink head and on which a printed material is placed;
with
The cleaning unit
a flat base,
a mounting portion configured to be detachable from the table;
a cleaning member provided on one side of the base and arranged to face the ink head when the mounting portion is attached to the table;
with
the mounting portion includes a leg portion provided on the other side of the base and installed on the table of the inkjet printer;
the leg comprises a plurality of legs,
at least one leg of the plurality of legs is configured to be movable in position on the base ;
Inkjet printer cleaning system. an inkjet printer and
a cleaning unit;
including
The inkjet printer is
an ink head;
a table provided to face the ink head and on which a printed material is placed;
with
The cleaning unit
a flat base,
a mounting portion configured to be detachable from the table;
a cleaning member provided on one side of the base and arranged to face the ink head when the mounting portion is attached to the table;
with
the mounting portion includes a leg portion provided on the other side of the base and installed on the table of the inkjet printer;
the leg comprises a plurality of legs,
the table includes a unit installation portion on which the cleaning unit is installed;
The unit installation portion includes mounting holes into which at least two of the plurality of legs are respectively inserted ,
Inkjet printer cleaning system.

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