JP7651979B2 - Head cap device, liquid ejection device, and head capping method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a head cap device, a device for ejecting liquid, and a head capping method.

In devices that use heads that eject liquid, maintenance means (maintenance and recovery mechanisms) are provided that include a cap for capping the nozzle surface and a wiping member for wiping the nozzle surface in order to maintain and restore the performance of the head.

A conventional maintenance tool for manually performing head maintenance is known, which has a plate-like member that covers the nozzle surface, including the nozzles, when placed over the nozzle surface of the ejection head, and has an exposure portion on the plate-like member that exposes the maintenance portion, which is the part of the ejection head that needs maintenance (Patent Document 1).

JP 2013-136162 A

However, even when a head maintenance means is provided, the device may break down and the head may not be able to be moved to a maintenance position by the maintenance means. In this case, the nozzle of the head may be left exposed to the atmosphere, causing the liquid in the nozzle to thicken and solidify, which may make it impossible to recover and require the head to be replaced.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to make it possible to manually prevent the nozzles of the head from drying out.

In order to solve the above problems, a head cap device according to the present invention comprises:
a cap for capping the nozzle surface of the head;
a holder member for holding the cap,
The holder member is configured to be detachably attached to a guide member that guides the reciprocating movement of a carriage carrying the head.

This invention allows you to manually prevent the nozzles of the head from drying out.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a printing apparatus as a liquid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a head cap device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a perspective explanatory view of the same seen from a different direction from FIG. 4 . FIG. 11 is a front view of the cap in the capping state. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional explanatory view taken along the direction in which the caps are arranged. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the head cap device attached to a carriage. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a holder member of a head cap device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 11 is a perspective explanatory view of the holder member as viewed from a different direction from that of FIG. 10 . 13 is a perspective view illustrating a process of mounting the holder member to a guide member. FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the holder member attached to the guide member; FIG. 14 is a perspective explanatory view of the same as that of FIG. 13, seen from a different direction.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings. An example of a printing device as a device for ejecting liquid in the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. Fig. 1 is an explanatory perspective view of the printing device, Fig. 2 is an explanatory plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 is an explanatory front view of the same.

The printing device 1 is a device that ejects liquid, and is equipped with multiple heads 20 (20A-20D) that are liquid ejection means that eject liquid, and a carriage 11 that has a sub-tank and the like mounted thereon. The heads 20 have multiple nozzle rows, and eject liquids such as black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) colors, white ink, and clear ink.

Guide members 12 and 13 (omitted from FIG. 3) hold the carriage 11 so that it can move back and forth in the main scanning direction X. The carriage 11 is connected to a timing belt 17 that is wound around a drive pulley 15 and a driven pulley 16 that are rotated by a main scanning motor 14, and the carriage 11 is moved back and forth in the main scanning direction X by driving the main scanning motor 14.

The encoder sheet 18 is arranged along the main scanning direction X. The encoder sheet 18 has periodic slits. The carriage 11 has a reading sensor that reads the slits of the encoder sheet 18, and the position of the carriage 11 in the main scanning direction X can be detected from the reading result of the reading sensor.

The controller board 50 controls the ejection of liquid ink from the head 20 by adjusting the timing from the carriage position obtained from the reading results of the reading sensor of the carriage 11 to the ejection position.

Subtanks that temporarily store the liquid to be supplied to the heads 20A to 20C are mounted integrally with the heads 20A to 20C on the carriage 11, and the subtanks are supplied with the liquid stored in the main tank 32.

The printing device 1 is equipped with a platen 40, which is a holding member that holds fabric 400 as a printing target (subject to which liquid is applied). The platen 40 is mounted on a lifting mechanism 41 so that its height in the vertical direction Z can be adjusted. The lifting mechanism 41 of the platen 40 is mounted on a slider 42. The slider 42 is movably mounted on a slide rail 43 that extends in a sub-scanning direction Y perpendicular to the main scanning direction X.

The slider 42 is reciprocated in the sub-scanning direction Y by the sub-scanning drive mechanism via the timing belt 45. As the slider 42 is reciprocated in the sub-scanning direction Y, the platen 40 is also reciprocated in the sub-scanning direction Y.

A maintenance device 60 is disposed at one end in the main scanning direction to maintain and recover the head 20. The maintenance device 60 is equipped with a suction cap 61 that caps the nozzle surface of the head 20, a moisture retention cap 62 that caps the nozzle surface of the head 20 to retain moisture, and a wiper 63 that is a wiping member that wipes the nozzle surface of the head 20. A suction pump is connected to the suction cap 61.

A discharge receiver 66 is located at the other end in the main scanning direction. During printing, liquid is discharged from the head 20 into the discharge receiver 66 to maintain and recover the head 20.

The printing device 1 also includes a power button 70, an operation unit 71, a power supply unit 72, etc.

When printing on a fabric (printing target) such as a T-shirt in this printing device 1, the fabric 400 is placed on the platen 40. After that, the operation unit 71 is operated to completely retract the platen 40 to the rear of the device via the slider 42.

When the retraction of the platen 40 is complete, the printer enters a print data standby state. At this point, the printing operation is started when the printer 1 receives print data from an external information processing device. Alternatively, if print data has been stored in the controller board 50 in advance, the printing operation is started by selecting the print data with the operation unit 71.

When the printing operation begins, the platen 40 is moved to the printing start position via the slider 42. The carriage 11 is then moved and liquid is ejected from the head 20 to print one line. After one line has been printed, the platen 40 is moved one line via the slider 42. By repeating one scan of the carriage 11 and intermittent movement of the slider 42, printing is performed in the desired area of the fabric 400. After printing is completed, the platen 40 is returned to the front of the device and printing is completed.

Next, the head cap device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 9. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the head cap device, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the same from a different direction than Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is a front view of the caps in the capping state, Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view along the arrangement direction of the caps, and Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the same. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the head cap device when attached to a carriage.

As shown in FIG. 6, the head cap device 600 includes a plurality of caps 601 for capping the nozzle surface 20a of the head 20 mounted on the carriage 11, and a holder member 602 for holding the plurality of caps 601.

The multiple caps 601 provided on the holder member 602 are sealed inside when capping.

In this embodiment, at least one of the caps 601 has a passage 611, as shown in FIG. 6, and the passage 611 is closed by a sealing portion 611a.

In other words, in this embodiment, the cap configuration of the head cap device 600 is the same as the suction cap 61 and moisturizing cap 62 provided in the maintenance device 60 of the printing device 1 described above.

At this time, for the cap 601 corresponding to the suction cap 61, the passage 611 connected to the suction means is closed by the sealing portion 611a so that the inside of the cap 601 is sealed during capping, similar to the cap 601 corresponding to the moisturizing cap 62. In other words, by closing the passage 611 of the cap 601 corresponding to the suction cap 61 by the sealing portion 611a, the cap of the head cap device 600 can be made common to the suction cap 61 and moisturizing cap 62 provided in the maintenance device 60 of the printing device 1.

In addition, for the cap 601, which corresponds to the suction cap 61, the passage 611 connected to the suction means is closed by the sealing portion 611a, so that even if moisturizing liquid is filled, leakage through the passage 611 is prevented.

The caps 601 are held in pairs in a cap holder 612. An elastic member 613 such as a spring is disposed between the cap 601 and the cap holder 612 so that the cap 601 is pressed against the nozzle surface 20a when the nozzle surface 20a is capped with the cap 601.

The holder member 602 has hooks (claws) 621 at both ends in the cap arrangement direction as engagement parts that can be detachably attached to protrusions 121 (see FIG. 9) as engagement parts provided on the exterior of the carriage 11. The hooks 621 as engagement parts of the head cap device 600 engage with the protrusions 121 of the carriage 11 so as to maintain the attached state.

The holder member 602 has guide portions 622 at its four corners, which serve as guides and positioning portions when mounting it on the carriage 11.

The holder member 602 has a positioning portion 623 that regulates the positional relationship between the cap 601 and the nozzle surface 20a in the longitudinal direction of the cap 601. There is one positioning portion 623 for each cap holder 612.

In addition, an absorbent member 603 that absorbs liquid is arranged below the cap holder 612 within the holder member 602.

Next, head capping using the head cap device 600 of this embodiment will be described.

There are cases where the printing device 1 stops due to a malfunction or other reason, and the carriage 11 cannot be moved to the capping position (maintenance position) by the maintenance device 60. In this case, the nozzles of the head 20 will be exposed to the atmosphere until repairs are completed by a service technician or the like. This can cause the water in the ink or other liquid in the nozzles to evaporate, thickening the ink and causing it to solidify.

As shown in FIG. 9(a), the carriage 11 is stopped midway, and the guide portion 622 of the head cap device 600 is lifted from below while aligning it with the exterior of the carriage 11.

Then, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the head cap device 600 is attached to the carriage 11 by engaging the hook portion 621 of the head cap device 600 with the protrusion 121 of the carriage 11.

At this time, the cap 601 of the head cap device 600 comes into contact with the nozzle surface 20a of the head 20 to cap the nozzle surface 20a. The cap 601 is biased toward the nozzle surface 20a by the elastic member 613, sealing the nozzle surface 20a.

This blocks the nozzle surface 20a of the head 20 from outside air, suppressing evaporation of moisture more than when the head is not capped, and preventing thickening and adhesion.

In this way, even if the head 20 cannot be capped using the maintenance means (maintenance device 60), the head cap device 600 according to this embodiment can be used to manually prevent the nozzles of the head 20 from drying out.

When capping with the cap 601 of the head cap device 600, the nozzle surface 20a including the nozzles can be kept moist by filling the cap 601 with a moisturizing liquid including a cleaning liquid and the like. This more reliably suppresses evaporation of water and prevents thickening and adhesion.

In this case, when the nozzle surface 20a is capped with the cap 601, the nozzle surface 20a can be cleaned at the same time by filling the nozzle surface 20a with a cleaning liquid that also functions as a moisturizing liquid so that the cleaning liquid comes into contact with the nozzle surface 20a. Even if the moisturizing liquid filled in the cap 601 spills during capping, it can be absorbed by the absorbing member 603 and prevented from soiling the inside of the device.

If the carriage 11 stops during printing, the carriage 11 is in a position opposite the platen 40, making it difficult to attach the head cap device 600 to the carriage 11.

In such a case, the head capping method first involves moving the platen 40, which is a member that holds the object to which liquid is applied from the head 20, from a position facing the head 20 to a position that does not face the head 20.

Then, the holder member 602 of the head cap device 600 is attached to the carriage 11, and a process of capping the nozzle surface 20a of the head 20 with the cap 601 is performed.

In this way, the member that holds the object to which the liquid is to be applied is movable relative to the carriage, making it easier to perform the capping operation using the head cap device 600.

Next, a head cap device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 10 to 14. Fig. 10 is a perspective explanatory diagram of a holder member of the head cap device, and Fig. 11 is a perspective explanatory diagram of the holder member viewed from a different direction than Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a perspective explanatory diagram of the process of attaching the holder member to the guide member, Fig. 13 is a perspective explanatory diagram of the holder member attached to the guide member, and Fig. 14 is a perspective explanatory diagram of the holder member viewed from a different direction than Fig. 13.

The holder member 602 in this embodiment has an engagement portion 631 that engages with the guide member 12 as a guide member, and an engagement portion 632 that engages with the guide member 13 as a guide member.

The engaging portion 631 has a substantially semicircular recess (fitting portion) 631a that conforms to the peripheral surface of the guide member 12. The engaging portion 632 has arm portions 632a and 632b that can be folded at a hinge portion 633.

When the holder member 602 of this head cap device is attached to the guides 12 and 13 as guide members, the arms 632a and 632b of the engagement portion 632 are folded as shown in FIG. 12. This allows the holder member 602 to pass between the guide members 12 and 13.

As shown in FIG. 12, the holder member 602 is passed between the guide members 12 and 13, and the recess 631a of the engagement portion 631 is hooked onto the peripheral surface of the guide member 12.

Next, as shown in Figures 13 and 14, the arms 632a and 632b of the engagement portion 632 of the holder member 602 are deployed, and the engagement portion 632 is placed on the guide member 13.

This causes the holder member 602 to be attached to the guide members 12 and 13, and the head cap device to be attached to the guide members.

In this embodiment, the holder member 602 also has an engagement portion (hook portion 621) as described in the first embodiment. This allows it to be attached to either the carriage or the guide member. However, it is not necessary to have the engagement portion as described in the first embodiment.

In the above embodiment, the liquid ejecting device to which the head cleaning device can be detachably connected is described as a printing device that prints on fabric as the liquid application target, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to devices that eject liquid onto a sheet material as the liquid application target.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the hook portion as the engagement portion is provided on the head cap device, but the hook portion as the engagement portion can also be provided on the carriage or the guide member (guide member). Furthermore, the engagement portion can be configured to be something other than a hook portion (claw), and can be configured to be detachable using a magnet or the like.

In this application, a "liquid ejection device" is a device that includes a liquid ejection head or a liquid ejection unit and ejects liquid by driving the liquid ejection head. A liquid ejection device includes not only a device that can eject liquid onto an object onto which the liquid can adhere, but also a device that ejects liquid into air or liquid.

This "liquid ejecting device" can also include means for feeding, transporting, and discharging items onto which liquid can be attached, as well as pre-processing devices and post-processing devices.

For example, examples of "devices that eject liquid" include image forming devices that eject ink to form an image on paper, and three-dimensional modeling devices that eject modeling liquid onto a powder layer formed by layering powder in order to create a three-dimensional object (a three-dimensional model).

In addition, the term "liquid ejection device" is not limited to devices that use ejected liquid to visualize meaningful images such as letters and figures. For example, it also includes devices that form patterns that have no meaning in themselves and devices that create three-dimensional images.

The above phrase "something to which liquid can adhere" refers to something to which liquid can adhere at least temporarily, and to which the liquid adheres and sticks, or adheres and penetrates. Specific examples include media such as paper, recording paper, film, and cloth, electronic circuit boards, electronic components such as piezoelectric elements, powder layers, organ models, and testing cells, and unless otherwise specified, includes all things to which liquid can adhere.

The above-mentioned "materials to which liquid can adhere" include paper, thread, fiber, cloth, leather, metal, plastic, glass, wood, ceramics, and other materials to which liquid can adhere even temporarily.

The "liquid" may be any liquid having a viscosity and surface tension that allows it to be discharged from the head, and is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the viscosity is 30 mPa·s or less at room temperature and pressure, or by heating or cooling. More specifically, it is a solution, suspension, emulsion, etc. that contains a solvent such as water or an organic solvent, a colorant such as a dye or pigment, a functionalizing material such as a polymerizable compound, a resin, or a surfactant, a biocompatible material such as DNA, amino acids, proteins, or calcium, an edible material such as a natural dye, etc., and these can be used for applications such as inkjet ink, surface treatment liquid, a liquid for forming a component of an electronic element or a light-emitting element, an electronic circuit resist pattern, a material liquid for three-dimensional modeling, etc.

In addition, the "liquid ejection device" may be a device in which the liquid ejection head and the object to which the liquid can be attached move relatively, but is not limited to this. Specific examples include a serial type device in which the liquid ejection head moves, and a line type device in which the liquid ejection head does not move.

Other examples of "liquid ejecting devices" include a treatment liquid application device that ejects a treatment liquid onto paper to apply the treatment liquid to the surface of the paper for purposes such as modifying the surface of the paper, and an injection granulation device that ejects a composition liquid in which raw materials are dispersed through a nozzle to granulate fine particles of the raw materials.

1 Printing device (device for ejecting liquid)
11 Carriage 12, 13 Guide member 20 Head 40 Platen member 60 Maintenance device 400 Fabric (subject to be applied)
600 Head cap device 601 Cap 602 Holder member 603 Absorption member 621 Hook portion (engagement portion)
631 Engagement portion 632 Engagement portion

Claims (13)

a cap for capping the nozzle surface of the head;
a holder member for holding the cap,
The head cap device is characterized in that the holder member is detachably attached to a guide member that guides the reciprocating movement of a carriage on which the head is mounted. 2. The head cap device according to claim 1, further comprising an absorbent member disposed within the holder member for absorbing liquid. 3. The head cap device according to claim 2, wherein the absorbing member is disposed below the cap. the holder member includes a plurality of the caps;
4. The head cap device according to claim 1, wherein the insides of the plurality of caps are sealed during capping. 5. The head cap device according to claim 1, wherein the holder member has an engagement portion for detachably mounting to the carriage or the guide member. 6. The head cap device according to claim 5, wherein the engaging portion of the holder member is a hook portion. 7. The head cap device according to claim 5, wherein the engaging portion of the holder member is engaged with the carriage or the guide member so as to be able to maintain a mounted state. A carriage carrying a head;
a guide member for guiding the reciprocating movement of the carriage,
8. A liquid ejecting device comprising: an engaging portion to which the head cap device according to claim 1 can be detachably attached. 9. The liquid ejection device according to claim 8, further comprising a maintenance device having a cap for capping the nozzle surface of the head, and a wiping member for wiping the nozzle surface of the head. At least one of the caps included in the maintenance device has a passage connected to a suction means,
The passage connected to the passage suction means is provided with a sealing portion for closing the passage.
10. The liquid dispensing device according to claim 9. 11. The liquid ejecting device according to claim 8, wherein an object onto which the liquid ejected from the head is to be applied is fabric. a member for holding a target onto which the liquid ejected from the head is applied,
12. The liquid ejecting device according to claim 8, wherein the member that holds the target is movable between a position facing the head and a position not facing the head. a step of moving a member that holds a target to which liquid is applied from a head from a position facing the head to a position not facing the head;
a head capping device comprising a cap for capping the nozzle surface of the head and a holder member for holding the cap, the head capping device being attached to a guide member for guiding the reciprocating movement of a carriage carrying the head, and a step of capping the nozzle surface of the head with the cap.

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