JP7703987B2 - Wiping device, image forming apparatus, electrode manufacturing apparatus, and wiping method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wiping device, an image forming device, an electrode manufacturing device, and a wiping method.

Conventionally, a wiping device is known that wipes off liquid adhering to a nozzle surface in order to maintain the ejection state of a head having a nozzle surface on which multiple nozzles that eject liquid are formed.

The wiping device has an absorbent that is arranged opposite the nozzle holes of the nozzle plate and absorbs the liquid pushed out by the pressure mechanism, and the distance between the nozzle plate discharge surface and the absorbent is fixed at a certain distance, and then the liquid is absorbed by the absorbent using a suction mechanism (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

The wiping device is required to suppress changes in wiping performance over time.

The present invention aims to provide a wiping device that can suppress changes in wiping performance over time.

A wiping device according to one aspect of the present invention is a wiping device that wipes a nozzle surface of a head, and has: a sheet-like first wiping member arranged facing the nozzle surface at a position a predetermined distance from the nozzle surface; a first mechanism that moves the first wiping member; a second mechanism that moves the first wiping member relatively in a direction along the nozzle surface; and a control unit that controls the operation of each of the first and second mechanisms, wherein the control unit wipes the nozzle surface by controlling the movement of the first wiping member by the first mechanism and the relative movement of the first wiping member by the second mechanism, and the first mechanism has a support member that is provided on the opposite side of the nozzle surface to the first wiping member and supports the first wiping member, and a first water-repellent film is provided on the nozzle surface, and a second water-repellent film that is more water-repellent than the first water-repellent film is provided on the surface of the support member facing the first wiping member .

The present invention provides a wiping device that can suppress changes in wiping performance over time.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an overall configuration of an electrode manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment; 2 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of a head in the electrode manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 1 . 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a wiping device according to a first embodiment; 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control unit included in the wiping device of FIG. 3 . 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating a first example of the configuration of a support member in the wiping device of FIG. 3 . 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating a second example of the configuration of the support member in the wiping device of FIG. 3 . 11 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a wiping device according to a second embodiment. FIG.

Below, the embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same components are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

The embodiments shown below are illustrative of a wiping device, an image forming device, and an electrode manufacturing device to embody the technical ideas of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown below. Unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components described below are intended as examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the sizes and positional relationships of the components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation.

The wiping device 50 according to the embodiment wipes the nozzle surface of a head having a nozzle surface on which multiple nozzles for ejecting liquid are formed. The wiping device 50 has a sheet-like first wiping member arranged facing the nozzle surface at a position a predetermined distance away from the nozzle surface in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle surface, a first mechanism for moving the first wiping member, a second mechanism for relatively moving the first wiping member in a direction along the nozzle surface, and a control unit for controlling the operation of each of the first and second mechanisms. The control unit wipes the nozzle surface by controlling the movement of the first wiping member by the first mechanism and the relative movement of the first wiping member by the second mechanism.

Wiping the nozzle surface means removing liquid or the like adhering to the nozzle surface by wiping the nozzle surface. The wiping device 50 can maintain the ejection state of the head by wiping the nozzle surface. Moving the first wiping member means that the sheet-like first wiping member is hung on a rotating support such as a plurality of rollers, and the sheet-like first wiping member moves in response to the rotation of the rotating support. Note that in this specification and claims, removal means that at least the liquid or the like can be wiped away, and the amount of liquid or the like wiped away is not important.

The wiping device 50, with the above configuration, wipes off liquid adhering to the nozzle surface without contacting the nozzle surface, thereby preventing the nozzle surface or the water-repellent film provided on the nozzle surface from being scraped off, thereby preventing the ejection performance from changing over time.

The wiping device 50 maintains the freshness of the first wiping member disposed at a position facing the nozzle surface by controlling the movement of the first wiping member by the first mechanism and the relative movement of the first wiping member by the second mechanism. "Maintaining freshness" means wiping the nozzle surface using a portion of the sheet-like first wiping member that is still fresh for wiping, or in other words, wiping without using a first wiping member whose liquid absorption performance has decreased due to absorbing liquid. The portion that is fresh for wiping is a portion of the sheet-like first wiping member that is not primarily used for wiping, but may also be a portion of the wiping portion that has been used and can be reused. The wiping device 50 suppresses changes in wiping performance over time by wiping while maintaining the freshness of the first wiping member.

In this specification and claims, the term "sheet-like" refers to a flat or strip-like shape, but the ratio of sides and thickness are not important.

Hereinafter, an electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 will be described as an example, which has a wiping device 50 according to an embodiment and manufactures electrodes for use in electrochemical elements by forming an electrode material layer such as an active material on an electrode substrate. The electrode substrate is, for example, a current collector used in an electricity storage device such as a battery or capacitor, a power generation device such as a fuel cell, or a solar power generation device. The electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 forms an electrode material layer on the electrode substrate by discharging a liquid in which various materials, including a powdered active material or a catalyst composition, are dispersed, onto the electrode substrate, and then fixing and drying the liquid.

[Embodiment]
<Overall configuration example of electrode manufacturing apparatus 100>
Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an electrode manufacturing apparatus 100. Fig. 1 shows the inside of the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 seen through in a direction substantially perpendicular to a transport direction 20 of an electrode substrate 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electrode manufacturing device 100 has an unwinding section 1, an application section 3, a curing section 4, a drying section 5, and a winding section 6. The application section 3 has a plurality of liquid discharge sections 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d, and wiping devices 50a, 50b, 50c, and 50d.

The electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 conveys the electrode substrate 2 along a conveying direction 20 by the unwinding unit 1 and the winding unit 6, while applying liquids ejected by each of the liquid ejecting units 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d included in the application unit 3 onto the electrode substrate 2. The electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 forms a continuous, uniform film on the electrode substrate 2 by irradiating the liquid applied onto the electrode substrate 2 with ultraviolet light in the curing unit 4 to harden it, and by blowing hot air into the drying unit 5 to dry it.
In this embodiment, a configuration having both the curing section 4 and the drying section 5 will be described, but a configuration having only one of them may also be used.

The unwinding section 1 rotates the unwinding roll 12, which can rotate with the electrode substrate 2 wound around it, and unwinds the electrode substrate 2 wound around the roll, thereby moving and transporting the electrode substrate 2 from the unwinding section 1 to the application section 3. The winding section 6 winds the electrode substrate 2 around the rotating winding roll 7 and winds it up, thereby moving and transporting the electrode substrate 2 from the drying section 5 to the winding section 6.

In addition to the unwinding section 1 and the winding section 6, unreferenced transport rollers and the like are also used as transport means for transporting the electrode substrate 2. The transport rollers, the unwinding section 1, and the winding means constitute the transport means for the electrode substrate 2.

The electrode substrate 2 is continuous along the transport direction 20. The electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 transports the electrode substrate 2 along the transport path between the unwinding section 1 and the winding section 6. The length of the electrode substrate 2 along the transport direction 20 is at least longer than the transport path between the unwinding section 1 and the winding section 6. The electrode manufacturing apparatus 100 is capable of continuously forming a film on the electrode substrates 2 that are continuous along the transport direction 20.

The liquid is composed of a liquid that realizes the function of a membrane. There are no particular limitations as long as the liquid has a viscosity and surface tension that allows the liquid ejection section to eject the liquid, but it is preferable that the viscosity of the liquid is 30 mPa·s or less at room temperature and pressure, or when heated or cooled.

More specifically, these include solutions, suspensions, emulsions, etc. that contain solvents such as water and organic solvents, electrode materials such as dyes, pigments, and active materials, functionalizing materials such as polymerizable compounds, resins, and surfactants, biocompatible materials such as DNA, amino acids, proteins, and calcium, and edible materials such as natural dyes. These can be used, for example, as printing liquids, surface treatment liquids, and liquids for forming components of electronic elements and light-emitting elements, and various devices such as electronic circuit resist patterns.

The application unit 3 applies the liquid ejected by each of the liquid ejection units 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d onto the electrode substrate 2.

Since the liquid ejection units 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d each have the same configuration, they are collectively referred to as liquid ejection unit 30 unless otherwise specified. In this embodiment, the liquid ejection units 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d eject the same type of liquid. However, the number of liquid ejection units 30 is not limited to four, and may be any number.

The liquid ejection unit 30 has multiple nozzle rows in which multiple nozzles are arranged. The electrode manufacturing device 100 has the liquid ejection unit 30 so that the ejection direction of the liquid ejected from the nozzles is toward the electrode substrate 2.

The electrode substrate 2 is, for example, a non-permeable substrate such as a metal sheet on which a layer mainly made of particles is provided. The layer mainly made of particles provided on the non-permeable substrate is, for example, a graphite layer.

Non-permeable substrates include metal sheets such as aluminum, copper, stainless steel, nickel, and platinum, and resin films such as polypropylene film, polyethylene terephthalate film, and nylon film.

The wiping devices 50a, 50b, 50c, and 50d are provided in pairs with the liquid ejection units 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d, and maintain the ejection state of the heads of the liquid ejection units 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d, respectively.

The wiping devices 50a, 50b, 50c, and 50d have the same configuration, and therefore are collectively referred to as wiping device 50 unless otherwise specified. The wiping devices 50 are provided in a number corresponding to the number of liquid ejection units 30.

The wiping device 50 may be configured to have a number equal to or less than the number of liquid ejection units, and one wiping device may be configured to wipe multiple liquid ejection units, and the movement direction of the wiping member may be a direction intersecting the conveying direction on the electrode base plane, or a direction parallel to the conveying direction.

The number of wiping devices is preferably set to the number corresponding to the number of liquid ejection units, in terms of being able to perform wiping operations according to each liquid ejection unit, and from the standpoint of operational efficiency, it is preferable to have one wiping device wipe multiple liquid ejection units.

In addition, from the standpoint of compactness, it is preferable that the direction of movement of the wiping member is parallel to the direction of movement of the wiping member.

The curing unit 4 has light sources 45a and 45b. When light sources 45a and 45b are not distinguished, they are collectively referred to as light source 45. Light source 45 has a curing function of irradiating the liquid applied to the electrode substrate 2 with ultraviolet light to cure the liquid layer into a resin layer.

The light source 45 may be, for example, a mercury lamp such as a low-, medium-, or high-pressure mercury lamp, a tungsten lamp, an arc lamp, an excimer lamp, an excimer laser, a semiconductor laser, a high-output UV-LED, a YAG laser, a laser system combining a laser with a nonlinear optical crystal, a high-frequency induced ultraviolet generator, an electron beam irradiation device such as EB cure, an X-ray irradiation device, or the like. Among these, from the viewpoint of simplifying the system, a high-frequency induced ultraviolet generator, a high- or low-pressure mercury lamp, or a semiconductor laser, or the like, is preferable. The light source 45 may also be equipped with a focusing mirror and a sweeping optical system.

The drying section 5 has heaters 80a, 80b, and 80c. When heaters 80a, 80b, and 80c are not distinguished from one another, they are collectively referred to as heater 80. The heater 80 heats the liquid formed on the electrode substrate 2 to dry the remaining solvent in the liquid, and promotes or dries the hardening of the liquid. The heater 80 functions as a hardening or drying means or a heating or heating mechanism.

The heater 80 may be, for example, an infrared lamp, a roller with a built-in heating element (heat roller), a blower that blows out warm or hot air, or a furnace that introduces boiler-type hot air using water vapor, etc.

<Configuration Example of Liquid Discharge Unit 30>
Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the liquid discharge unit 30. Fig. 2 is a diagram of the liquid discharge units 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d as viewed from the liquid discharge direction side. The electrode substrate 2 is transported along the transport direction 20 while facing the liquid discharge units 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d.

The liquid ejection unit 30 is a line-type liquid ejection unit. A "line-type liquid ejection unit" is one in which nozzles that eject liquid are arranged across the entire width of the electrode substrate 2 in the width direction (the direction perpendicular to the transport direction 20).

As shown in FIG. 2, each of the liquid ejection units 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d has four heads 9 arranged in a direction approximately perpendicular to the transport direction 20. The heads 9 have a nozzle surface 11 in which multiple nozzles 10 that eject liquid are formed. The multiple nozzles 10 are arranged in a direction approximately perpendicular to the transport direction 20. The heads 9 can eject liquid from each of the multiple nozzles 10. Note that head 9 is a collective term for the four heads that each of the liquid ejection units 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d has.

By arranging four heads 9 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the transport direction 20, liquid can be ejected across the entire width of the electrode substrate 2. In FIG. 2, a configuration in which one liquid ejection unit 30 has four heads 9 is illustrated, but the liquid ejection unit 30 only needs to have at least one head 9. The width of the liquid ejection unit 30 does not necessarily have to be the entire width of the electrode substrate 2 and can be determined appropriately.

The means for applying a stimulus to the liquid in the head 9 to eject the liquid can be appropriately selected according to the purpose, and for example, a pressure device, a piezoelectric element, a vibration generator, an ultrasonic oscillator, a light, etc. can be used. Specifically, the means for ejecting the liquid can be a piezoelectric actuator such as a piezoelectric element, a shape memory alloy actuator that uses a metal phase change due to a temperature change, an electrostatic actuator that uses an electrostatic force, etc.

Among the above, it is particularly preferable to use a head that applies a voltage to a piezoelectric element attached to a position called a pressure chamber (also called a liquid chamber, etc.) in a liquid flow path inside the head 9. When a voltage is applied to this head 9, the piezoelectric element bends, and the volume of the pressure chamber shrinks, pressurizing the liquid in the pressure chamber and ejecting the liquid from the nozzle as droplets.

The liquid ejection unit 30 may include a head unit. The head unit is a collection of functional parts and mechanisms related to the ejection of liquid from the liquid ejection unit 30. The head unit may include a combination of at least one of the following components: a supply mechanism, a maintenance and recovery mechanism, and a liquid ejection head movement mechanism, with the liquid ejection unit 30.

<Configuration example of wiping device 50>
Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the wiping device 50 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 shows the inside of the wiping device 50 seen through in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the multiple nozzles 10 in the head 9 are arranged.

As shown in FIG. 3, the wiping device 50 has a first wiping member 51, a first mechanism 52, a second mechanism 53, a second wiping member 54, and a control unit 60. The first wiping member 51, the first mechanism 52, and the second wiping member 54 are supported by a support body 55, and can be moved as a unit in the movement direction 40 by the second mechanism 53.

The first wiping member 51 is a sheet-like member that is arranged facing the nozzle surface 11 at a position a predetermined distance away from the nozzle surface 11 along a direction perpendicular to the nozzle surface 11 of the head 9. The first wiping member 51 is arranged close to the nozzle surface 11, and uses capillary action to suck up and absorb the liquid 15 adhering to the nozzle surface 11. Here, capillary action refers to the physical phenomenon in which the liquid 15 located inside a thin tubular structure moves inside the tube. Capillary action is also called capillary action.

In this embodiment, the first wiping member 51 is made of, for example, nonwoven fabric, woven fabric, knitted fabric, porous material, etc. The mesh structure of the nonwoven fabric, woven fabric, knitted fabric, etc., and the holes of the porous material function as a thin tubular structure, and as the first wiping member 51 approaches the nozzle surface 11, the liquid 15 located inside the tubular structure of the first wiping member 51 is sucked up and absorbed by the first wiping member 51.

In this way, the first wiping member uses capillary action to suck up and absorb liquid adhering to the nozzle surface, so the wiping device of this embodiment can wipe liquid from the nozzle surface without coming into contact with the nozzle surface.

From the viewpoint of ink absorbency, the material of the nonwoven fabric, woven fabric or knitted fabric is preferably, for example, cotton, linen, silk, pulp, nylon, vinylon, polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, rayon, cupra, acrylic, polylactic acid, etc. Fibers of not only one type of material but also multiple types of materials may be mixed. From the viewpoint of ink absorbency, the material of the porous body is preferably, for example, polyurethane, polyolefin, PVA (Polyvinyl Alcohol), etc.

When the liquid discharged from the head 9 contains a large amount of particles, the first wiping member 51 is preferably made of a nonwoven fabric having multiple layers in terms of particle adsorption and solvent absorption in the liquid. In the nonwoven fabric having multiple layers, it is preferable that the porosity of the first layer is 0.60 or more and 0.85 or less, and the porosity of at least one layer other than the first layer is 0.80 or more and 0.99 or less.

The first mechanism 52 is a mechanism that moves the first wiping member 51. The first mechanism 52 has a take-up roll shaft 521, a first transmission member 522, a first motor 523, an unwinding roll shaft 524, a support member 525, a first support rotor 526, and a second support rotor 527.

The winding roll shaft 521 is a roll shaft that winds up the first wiping member 51 by winding the first wiping member 51 around its outer peripheral surface while rotating. The winding roll shaft 521 is driven to rotate by the first motor 523 via the first transmission member 522.

The unwinding roll shaft 524 is a supply roller that unwinds the first wiping member 51 wound around its outer circumferential surface while rotating. The unwinding roll shaft 524 rotates in response to the rotation of the winding roll shaft 521.

In the first mechanism 52, the first wiping member 51 is wound around the unwinding roll shaft 524, and one end of the first wiping member 51 is connected to the winding roll shaft 521, which is the initial state. From the initial state, the first mechanism 52 can move the first wiping member 51 along the movement direction 31 indicated by the arrow by rotating the winding roll shaft 521 with the first motor 523. When all of the first wiping member 51 wound around the unwinding roll shaft 524 is wound around the winding roll shaft 521, the winding roll shaft 521 and the unwinding roll shaft 524 are replaced as a set, and the initial state is restored.

The support member 525 is disposed on the opposite side of the first wiping member 51 from the nozzle surface 11, and supports the first wiping member 51. The support member 525 supports the first wiping member 51 when the first wiping member 51 is close to the nozzle surface 11 and is not in contact with the nozzle surface 11.

The support member 525 is positioned in advance so that the distance between the first wiping member 51 supported by the support member 525 and the nozzle surface 11 is a predetermined distance in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle surface 11 of the head 9. However, the support member 525 may be configured to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle surface 11 of the head 9 in order to vary the distance between the first wiping member 51 supported by the support member 525 and the nozzle surface 11.

When the liquid ejected from the head 9 contains a large amount of particles, from the viewpoint of protecting the nozzle surface 11 and the water-repellent film provided on the nozzle surface 11, it is preferable that the material of the support member 525 is rubber with a rubber hardness of 70° or less.

The first support rotor 526 is a rotor provided upstream of the support member 525 in the movement direction 31 and supports the first wiping member 51. The second support rotor 527 is a rotor provided downstream of the support member 525 in the movement direction 31 and supports the first wiping member 51.

When the roll diameter of the first wiping member 51 wound around the unwind roll shaft 524 and the roll diameter of the first wiping member 51 wound around the take-up roll shaft 521 gradually change due to the movement of the first wiping member 51, the contact angle of the first wiping member with respect to the support member 525 changes, and the movement of the first wiping member 51 may become unstable. By providing the first support rotor 526 and the second support rotor 527, the contact angle of the first wiping member with respect to the support member 525 does not change according to the movement of the first wiping member 51 and remains constant, so that the movement of the first wiping member 51 can be stabilized.

The second mechanism 53 is a mechanism that moves the first wiping member 51 relative to the nozzle surface 11 in a direction along the nozzle surface 11. The second mechanism 53 has a rack 531, a second transmission member 532, and a second motor 533.

The rack 531 is provided at the bottom of the support 55. The second transmission member 532 is arranged to mesh with the rack 531. When the second transmission member 532 is rotated by the second motor 533, the support 55 moves along the movement direction 40. The movement direction 40 corresponds to the direction along the nozzle surface 11.

The head 9 is provided independently of the support 55, so that the first wiping member 51, the first mechanism 52, and the second wiping member 54 can move relative to the head 9 in a direction along the nozzle surface 11 by moving the support 55. Alternatively, the support 55 may be fixed, and the head 9 may move relative to the first wiping member 51, the first mechanism 52, and the second wiping member 54.

The moving speed of the first wiping member 51 by the first mechanism 52 along the moving direction 31 is preferably equal to or greater than the moving speed of the first wiping member 51 by the second mechanism 53 along the moving direction 40. This makes it easier for the wiping device 50 to wipe the nozzle surface 11 using unused portions of the first wiping member 51, and allows the wiping performance to be maintained at a higher level.

The movement mechanism in the second mechanism 53 is not limited to a rack and pinion mechanism, and can be modified as appropriate depending on the specifications of the wiping device 50, etc.

The second wiping member 54 is a member that is provided in a position facing the nozzle surface 11 and capable of contacting the nozzle surface 11. The second wiping member 54 wipes the nozzle surface 11 by being moved along the movement direction 40 by the second mechanism 53 while in contact with the nozzle surface 11.

The second wiping member 54 can be, for example, a nonwoven fabric or a rubber-like material, but from the standpoint of obtaining good wiping properties and preventing frictional deterioration of the nozzle surface 11, it is preferable to use a blade-shaped rubber material. Note that the second wiping member 54 is not an essential component of this embodiment, and the wiping device 50 does not necessarily have to include the second wiping member 54.

The control unit 60 mainly controls the operation of each of the first mechanism and the second mechanism. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the control unit 60. The control unit 60 has a wiping operation control unit 61, a first movement control unit 62, and a second movement control unit 63. In addition to realizing these functions by electrical circuits, the control unit 60 can also realize some of these functions by software (CPU; Central Processing Unit). The control unit 60 may also realize these functions by multiple circuits or multiple software.

The first movement control unit 62 controls the movement by the first mechanism 52. The first movement control unit 62 can control, for example, the start and stop of the movement of the first wiping member 51, or the movement speed of the first wiping member 51 by the first mechanism 52, etc.

The second movement control unit 63 controls the movement by the second mechanism 53. The second movement control unit 63 can control, for example, the start and stop of the movement of the first wiping member 51 by the second mechanism 53, or the movement speed of the first wiping member 51, etc.

The wiping operation control unit 61 controls the wiping operation of the wiping device 50 using the first movement control unit 62 and the second movement control unit 63.

In this embodiment, the control unit 60 uses the first movement control unit 62 to move the first wiping member 51 with the first mechanism 52, while using the second movement control unit 63 to relatively move the first wiping member 51 with the second mechanism 53, thereby wiping the nozzle surface 11.

In addition, in this embodiment, the control unit 60 causes the second mechanism 53 to perform a wiping operation multiple times to move the first wiping member 51 relative to the nozzle surface 11, and then causes the second mechanism 53 to perform a wiping operation to move the second wiping member 54 relative to the nozzle surface 11 along the movement direction 40 while the nozzle surface 11 and the second wiping member 54 are in contact with each other.

<Configuration example of support member>
5 and 6 are diagrams illustrating the configuration of the support member in the wiping device 50. Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating a support member 525 that is a first example, and Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating a support member 525a that is a second example.

In FIG. 5, distance L corresponds to a predetermined distance between the first wiping member 51 and the nozzle surface 11 of the head 9 in a direction perpendicular to the nozzle surface 11. From the viewpoint of effectively drawing in the liquid by capillary action, distance L is preferably 5 mm or less. On the other hand, if distance L is short, the first wiping member 51 and the nozzle surface 11 may come into contact due to positioning errors or movement errors of the first wiping member 51, so distance L is preferably 0.5 mm or more. Therefore, it is more preferable that distance L is 0.5 mm or more and 5 mm or less.

The support member 525 faces the first wiping member 51 and includes a plane 528 parallel to the nozzle surface 11. By including the plane 528, the area where the first wiping member 51 supported by the support member 525 faces the nozzle surface 11 is increased, improving the absorbency of the liquid 15.

6, the support member 525a includes a cylindrical surface 529 that has a curvature along the movement direction 40 of the first wiping member 51 by the second mechanism 53, and has no curvature in a direction parallel to the nozzle surface 11 and substantially perpendicular to the movement direction 40. Since the support member 525a includes the cylindrical surface 529, the first wiping member 51 supported by the support member 525a can move smoothly on the support member 525a, and the wiping device 50 can maintain the freshness of the first wiping member 51 well.

In this embodiment, the nozzle surface 11 is provided with a first water-repellent film. A second water-repellent film having higher water repellency than the first water-repellent film is provided on the flat surface 528 or cylindrical surface 529 of the support member 525 that faces the first wiping member 51. With this configuration, the wiping device 50 can prevent the liquid 15 absorbed by the first wiping member 51 from adhering to the flat surface 528 by the water-repellent effect of the second water-repellent film.

<Function and effect of wiping device 50>
As described above, the wiping device 50 wipes the nozzle surface 11 of the head 9. The wiping device 50 has a sheet-like first wiping member 51 arranged facing the nozzle surface 11 at a position a predetermined distance away from the nozzle surface 11, a first mechanism 52 that moves the first wiping member 51, a second mechanism 53 that relatively moves the first wiping member 51 in a direction along the nozzle surface 11, and a control unit 60 that controls the operations of the first mechanism 52 and the second mechanism 53. The control unit 60 wipes the nozzle surface 11 by controlling the movement of the first wiping member 51 by the first mechanism 52 and the relative movement of the first wiping member 51 by the second mechanism 53.

The wiping device 50 can wipe the liquid 15 adhering to the nozzle surface 11 without contacting the nozzle surface 11, thereby suppressing deterioration over time in the ejection performance caused by scraping of the nozzle surface 11 or the water-repellent film (first water-repellent film) provided on the nozzle surface 11.

The wiping device 50 also moves the first wiping member 51 using the first mechanism 52 while moving the first wiping member 51 relatively using the second mechanism 53. This allows the wiping device 50 to maintain the freshness of the first wiping member 51, which is provided in a position facing the nozzle surface 11, and thus suppresses changes in wiping performance over time.

The timing of moving the first wiping member 51 by the first mechanism 52 and the timing of moving the first wiping member 51 by the second mechanism 53 may be different. That is, the first wiping member 51 may be moved relatively by the second mechanism 53 to remove the liquid 15 adhering to the nozzle surface by the first wiping member, and then the first wiping member 51 may be moved by the first mechanism 52 to maintain the freshness of the first wiping member.

In this embodiment, the wiping device 50 further has a second wiping member 54 that is provided at a position facing the nozzle surface 11 and capable of contacting the nozzle surface 11. The control unit 60 causes the second mechanism 53 to move the first wiping member 51 relatively, and then causes the second mechanism 53 to move the second wiping member 54 relatively in a direction along the nozzle surface 11 while the nozzle surface 11 and the second wiping member 54 are in contact with each other. This allows the wiping device 50 to perform a non-contact wiping operation and then a contact wiping operation, thereby more effectively removing trace amounts of liquid 15 adhering to the nozzle surface 11.

In addition, in this embodiment, the first mechanism 52 is provided on the opposite side of the first wiping member 51 from the nozzle surface 11, and has a support member 525 that supports the first wiping member 51. Since the wiping device 50 can support the first wiping member 51 by the support member 525 when the first wiping member 51 and the nozzle surface 11 are not in contact with each other, it is possible to suppress changes in the wiping performance over time by moving the first wiping member 51 while suppressing changes in the ejection performance over time.

The electrode manufacturing device 100 ejects abrasive liquids or liquids with a high solid content such as alumina or titanium oxide from the head 9, which can easily scrape off the nozzle surface 11 or the water-repellent film provided on the nozzle surface. For this reason, the wiping device 50 is more effective when applied to the electrode manufacturing device 100. However, this is not limited to this, and the wiping device 50 can also be applied to an image forming device that forms an image on a recording medium using liquid ejected from the head 9, and the above-mentioned effects can be obtained.

Furthermore, in the electrode manufacturing apparatus 100, when a liquid containing alumina, titanium oxide, etc. is ejected onto the surface of the active material on the current collector so that the alumina or titanium oxide covers the active material layer, and a functional film having an insulating function, for example, is formed, there is a concern that if the wiping performance changes over time, it will no longer be possible to cover the active material with alumina or titanium oxide.
Furthermore, when an active material is discharged onto a current collector to form an active material layer, if the wiping performance changes over time, a desired active material layer may not be formed, and excellent electrochemical device performance may not be obtained.

The electrode manufacturing device 100 according to this embodiment is advantageous in that it can alleviate the above concerns.

[Second embodiment]
A wiping device 50a according to a second embodiment will be described. Note that components that are the same as or have the same functions as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the wiping device 50a. Figure 7 shows the inside of the wiping device 50a seen through the direction in which the multiple nozzles 10 in the head 9 are arranged. The wiping device 50a has a holding member 56, a biasing member 57, and a third mechanism 58.

The holding member 56 includes an abutment surface 561 that abuts against the head 9, and holds the support member 525. The head 9 includes a head base 91, and the abutment surface 561 abuts against a surface that is approximately parallel to the nozzle surface 11 of the head base 91.

The biasing member 57 is an elastic member such as a spring that biases the holding member 56 in the translation direction 41. The biasing member 57 is provided between the holding member 56 and the housing member 59, and biases the surface 562 of the biasing member 57 opposite the abutment surface 561. The housing member 59 is a box-shaped member that houses the holding member 56, the biasing member 57, and the third mechanism 58.

The third mechanism 58 is a mechanical part that moves the holding member 56 toward the head 9. The third mechanism 58 includes a third transmission member 581 and a third motor 582, and moves the storage member 59 along the translation direction 41 by converting the rotational motion of the third motor 582 into translational motion by the third transmission member 581. The translation direction 41 is an example of a predetermined direction.

The support member 525 is moved by the third mechanism 58 so that the abutment surface 561 abuts against the head base 91, and the holding member 56 is positioned by being biased by the biasing member 57. This allows the wiping device 50a to accurately ensure the distance L between the support member 525 and the nozzle surface 11, and therefore allows the nozzle surface 11 to be wiped while suppressing changes over time in the ejection performance. Other effects are the same as those of the first embodiment.

Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiments above, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the claims.

In the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which the liquid ejection units 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d eject the same type of liquid is exemplified, but the same effect can be obtained even when the liquid ejection units 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d eject different types of liquid.

The ordinal numbers, quantities, and other numbers used in the description of the embodiments are all given as examples to specifically explain the technology of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the exemplified numbers. In addition, the connections between the components are given as examples to specifically explain the technology of the present invention, and the connections that realize the functions of the present invention are not limited to these.

The embodiment also includes a wiping method. For example, the wiping method is a wiping method using a wiping device that wipes a nozzle surface of a head, the wiping device including a step of moving a first wiping member by a first mechanism and a step of controlling the first mechanism by a control unit, and the control unit wipes the nozzle surface by moving the first wiping member by the first mechanism. Such a wiping method can provide the same effect as the wiping device described above.

Each function of the embodiments described above can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" in this specification includes a processor programmed to execute each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, and devices such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), DSP (digital signal processor), FPGA (field programmable gate array), and conventional circuit modules designed to execute each function described above.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Unwinding section 12 Unwinding roll 2 Electrode substrate 3 Coating section 30, 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d Liquid ejection section 4 Hardening section 5 Drying section 6 Winding section 7 Winding roll 9 Head 91 Head base 10 Nozzle 11 Nozzle surface 15 Liquid 20 Conveying direction 31 Moving direction 40 Moving direction 41 Translation direction (an example of a predetermined direction)
45 Light source 50 Wiping device 51 First wiping member 52 First mechanism 521 Winding roll shaft 522 First transmission member 523 First motor 524 Unwinding roll shaft 525 Support member 526 First support rotor 527 Second support rotor 528 Flat surface 529 Cylindrical surface 53 Second mechanism 531 Rack 532 Second transmission member 533 Second motor 54 Second wiping member 55 Support body 56 Holding member 561 Abutment surface 562 Surface 57 Pressing member 58 Third mechanism 581 Third transmission member 582 Third motor 59 Storage member 60 Control unit 61 Wiping operation control unit 62 First movement control unit 63 Second movement control unit 80 Heater 100 Electrode manufacturing device (an example of an image forming device)
L distance

JP 2008-273144 A

Claims (14)

A wiping device that wipes a nozzle surface of a head,
a sheet-like first wiping member that is disposed at a position a predetermined distance away from the nozzle surface and faces the nozzle surface;
A first mechanism that moves the first wiping member;
a second mechanism that relatively moves the first wiping member in a direction along the nozzle surface;
A control unit that controls the operation of each of the first mechanism and the second mechanism,
the control unit wipes the nozzle surface by controlling movement of the first wiping member by the first mechanism and relative movement of the first wiping member by the second mechanism ;
the first mechanism is provided on an opposite side of the first wiping member from the nozzle surface, and includes a support member that supports the first wiping member;
a first water-repellent film is provided on the nozzle surface;
A wiping device , wherein a second water-repellent film having higher water repellency than the first water-repellent film is provided on a surface of the support member facing the first wiping member . A wiping device that wipes a nozzle surface of a head,
a sheet-like first wiping member that is disposed at a position a predetermined distance away from the nozzle surface and faces the nozzle surface;
A first mechanism that moves the first wiping member;
a second mechanism that relatively moves the first wiping member in a direction along the nozzle surface;
A control unit that controls the operation of each of the first mechanism and the second mechanism,
the control unit wipes the nozzle surface by controlling movement of the first wiping member by the first mechanism and relative movement of the first wiping member by the second mechanism;
the first mechanism is provided on an opposite side of the first wiping member from the nozzle surface, and includes a support member that supports the first wiping member;
The wiping device is
a holding member including an abutting surface that is abutted against the head and holds the support member;
A biasing member that biases the holding member in a predetermined direction;
a third mechanism for moving the holding member toward the head,
the support member is moved by the third mechanism so that the abutment surface abuts against the head, and the holding member is urged by the urging member, thereby being positioned. The wiping device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit causes the first wiping member to move relative to the first wiping member by the first mechanism while causing the second mechanism to move the first wiping member relatively to the first wiping member. The wiping device according to claim 1 , wherein the head ejects a liquid. The wiping device according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined distance is 5 mm or less. The wiping device according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined distance is equal to or greater than 0.5 mm and equal to or less than 5 mm . The wiping device according to claim 1 , wherein a moving speed of the first wiping member caused by the first mechanism is equal to or faster than a moving speed of the first wiping member caused by the second mechanism. a second wiping member provided at a position facing the nozzle face and capable of contacting the nozzle face,
The wiping device according to claim 7 , wherein the control unit causes the second mechanism to move the first wiping member relatively, and then causes the second mechanism to move the second wiping member relatively in a direction along the nozzle face while the nozzle face and the second wiping member are in contact with each other. The wiping device according to claim 1 , wherein the support member includes a plane parallel to the nozzle surface. The wiping device according to claim 1 , wherein the support member includes a cylindrical surface having a curvature along a direction in which the first wiping member is moved by the second mechanism. a first support rotor provided upstream of the support member in a moving direction of the first wiping member and configured to support the first wiping member;
The wiping device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a second support rotor provided downstream of the support member in the movement direction of the first wiping member, the second support rotor supporting the first wiping member. A wiping device according to any one of claims 1 to 11 ;
The head,
An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium by ejecting liquid from the head. A wiping device according to any one of claims 1 to 11 ;
The head,
An electrode manufacturing apparatus that manufactures electrodes by ejecting liquid from the head. A wiping method using a wiping device that wipes a nozzle surface of a head, the wiping device comprising:
moving a first wiping member by a first mechanism;
moving the first wiping member relatively in a direction along the nozzle surface by a second mechanism;
and controlling the operation of the first mechanism by a control unit.
the control unit causes the first mechanism to move the first wiping member to wipe the nozzle surface ;
the first mechanism is provided on an opposite side of the first wiping member from the nozzle surface, and includes a support member that supports the first wiping member;
a first water-repellent film is provided on the nozzle surface;
A wiping method in which a second water-repellent film having higher water repellency than the first water-repellent film is provided on a surface of the support member facing the first wiping member .

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