JP7767787B2 - printing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a printing device.

The inkjet printer in Patent Document 1 uses a wiper to wipe off ink from an inkjet head that is positioned at an angle.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 08-300672

Hereinafter, the inkjet head will be referred to as the recording unit, and the wiper will be referred to as the scraping unit. In a printing device in which a recording unit that records by ejecting liquid is arranged at an angle, such as the inkjet printer described in Patent Document 1, cleaning can be performed using a cleaning unit that includes a scraping unit that scrapes off liquid from the recording unit and a liquid storage unit that stores the scraped liquid. Furthermore, a guide unit that guides a guided unit provided on the cleaning unit in the movement direction can be provided, and the recording unit can be cleaned while the cleaning unit is moved.
In order to store the scraped liquid directly in the liquid storage section, it is preferable that the liquid storage section be positioned close to the scraping section, but if the liquid storage section is positioned close to the scraping section, the guide section will be positioned farther away from the scraping section than the liquid storage section.
Here, when the liquid adhering to the recording portion is scraped off by the scraping portion, there is a risk that the guided portion may be twisted because the guiding portion is positioned away from the point of application of the force acting on the scraping portion.

To solve the above problem, the printing device of the present invention has a recording unit that records on a medium by ejecting liquid from an ejection surface along a transverse direction that intersects the vertical direction, a scraping unit that scrapes the liquid from the ejection surface, and a liquid storage unit that is positioned below the scraping unit in the vertical direction and stores the liquid scraped by the scraping unit. The printing device also has a cleaning unit that moves in a movement direction that intersects both the vertical direction and the transverse direction and cleans the ejection surface using the scraping unit, and a guide unit that extends in the movement direction and guides the cleaning unit. The cleaning unit has a guided portion that is guided by the guide unit, and the liquid storage unit and the guided portion overlap in the transverse direction.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a medium transport path of the printer according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of the interior of the printer according to the embodiment, viewed from the rear to the front of the device. FIG. 10 is a bottom view illustrating a state in which the blade cleans the ejection surface of the line head according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a wiper unit and a drive unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a wiper unit and a guide portion according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of the wiper unit and the guide portion according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a frame unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a blade unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a cover member of the blade unit according to the embodiment in an opaque state. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a main shaft portion of the wiper unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a countershaft of the wiper unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the wiper unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a force is applied to the wiper unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a side view of a wiper unit according to a modified example of the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the surroundings of a drive pulley, a wiper carriage, and a driven pulley of a printer according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the periphery of a driven pulley of the wiper unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the periphery of the driven pulley of the wiper unit according to the embodiment, seen from an angle different from that of FIG. 15 .

The present invention will be briefly described below.
A printing device according to a first aspect has a recording unit that records on a medium by ejecting liquid from an ejection surface along an intersecting direction that intersects the vertical direction, a scraping unit that scrapes the liquid from the ejection surface, and a liquid storage unit that is positioned below the scraping unit in the vertical direction and stores the liquid scraped by the scraping unit, and is equipped with a cleaning unit that moves in a movement direction that intersects both the vertical direction and the intersecting direction and cleans the ejection surface using the scraping unit, and a guiding unit that extends in the movement direction and guides the cleaning unit, wherein the cleaning unit has a guided portion that is guided by the guiding portion, and the liquid storage unit and the guided portion overlap in the intersecting direction.
When the cleaning unit is moved in the movement direction, the scraping unit scrapes the liquid off the ejection surface. The scraped liquid is stored in the liquid storage unit. When the scraping unit scrapes the liquid off the ejection surface, a reaction force acts in the opposite direction to the movement direction at the point of application of the force of the scraping unit. This reaction force generates a moment force at the contact point between the guiding unit and the guided unit.
According to this aspect, compared to a configuration in which the guided portion is located farther from the scraping portion than the liquid storage portion, or a configuration in which the liquid storage portion and the guided portion do not overlap in the intersecting direction, the overlapping of the liquid storage portion and the guided portion in the intersecting direction shortens the distance from the scraping portion to the contact portion between the guiding portion and the guided portion, thereby reducing the moment force acting on the contact portion between the guiding portion and the guided portion. In other words, it is possible to prevent the guided portion from becoming twisted.

A printing device according to a second aspect is the printing device of the first aspect, characterized in that the scraping unit and the liquid storage unit overlap in a device width direction that is perpendicular to the vertical direction.
According to this aspect, the installation space for the scraping unit and the liquid storage unit in the device width direction is smaller than in a configuration in which the scraping unit and the liquid storage unit are lined up in the device width direction, so the printing device can be made smaller in size in the device width direction.

A printing device according to a third aspect is the printing device of the second aspect, characterized in that the liquid storage portion does not overlap with the scraping portion in a direction perpendicular to the ejection surface.
According to this aspect, since the liquid storage portion is arranged so as not to overlap with the scraping portion in the orthogonal direction, it is possible to set a long path along which the liquid flows from the scraping portion to the liquid storage portion. In other words, since the path from the liquid storage portion to the scraping portion is long, even if the liquid flowing toward the liquid storage portion flows backward, it is possible to prevent the liquid from adhering to the scraping portion again.

A printing device according to a fourth aspect is any one of the first to third aspects, and is provided with a drive unit that drives the cleaning unit in the movement direction, an auxiliary guiding unit that is arranged parallel to the guiding unit along the movement direction, and an auxiliary guided unit that is guided by the auxiliary guiding unit, wherein the scraping unit is a blade that is long in one direction, the drive unit drives a portion of the cleaning unit that has the guided unit in the movement direction, and a first distance from the guided unit to a central position of the blade in the one direction in the intersecting direction is shorter than a second distance from the auxiliary guided unit to the central position.
According to this aspect, the guided portion, on which the driving force from the driving unit acts directly, is positioned closer to the blade than the auxiliary guided portion, on which the driving force from the driving unit does not act directly. In other words, it is possible to set the distance from the point of application of the driving force of the driving unit to the blade shorter, thereby suppressing twisting of the guided portion.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is a printing device according to the fourth aspect, characterized in that the guided portion is positioned lower than the auxiliary guided portion in the vertical direction.
The liquid scraped by the scraping portion flows downward in the vertical direction due to its own weight. Here, according to this aspect, the guided portion is positioned lower than the auxiliary guided portion in the vertical direction, so that the liquid storage portion is positioned vertically below the scraping portion. Therefore, the liquid scraped by the scraping portion can be efficiently collected in the liquid storage portion without providing a member that guides the liquid to the liquid storage portion.

A printing device according to a sixth aspect is characterized in that, in the fourth or fifth aspect, the guiding portion has a first plate portion having a thickness in the intersecting direction and a second plate portion having a thickness in an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the ejection surface, the auxiliary guiding portion has a third plate portion having a thickness in the orthogonal direction, the guided portion is in contact with the first plate portion in the intersecting direction, the guided portion is provided with a clamping portion that clamps the second plate portion in the orthogonal direction together with the guided portion, and the auxiliary guided portion has a recess into which the third plate portion is inserted in the intersecting direction.
According to this aspect, the guided portion comes into contact with the first plate portion in the transverse direction, and the guided portion and the clamping portion clamp the second plate portion in the orthogonal direction, thereby restricting movement of the guided portion in the transverse direction and the orthogonal direction, thereby preventing the position of the cleaning portion from shifting relative to the position of the guiding portion.
On the other hand, the auxiliary guided portion has a degree of freedom of movement not only in the movement direction but also in the intersecting direction. Here, when a reaction force in the direction opposite to the movement direction acts on the scraping portion, the auxiliary guided portion and the auxiliary guiding portion are less likely to come into contact with each other, so that twisting of the auxiliary guided portion can be suppressed.

A printing device according to a seventh aspect is any one of the fourth to sixth aspects, characterized in that the ejection surface has a plurality of ejection ports arranged in an arrangement direction that intersects with the movement direction, and the blade is arranged so that the one direction is along the arrangement direction.
According to this aspect, when the scraping portion is moved in the movement direction, the direction in which the blade extends is along the arrangement direction, making it easier for the scraping portion to scrape off the liquid from multiple outlets simultaneously, thereby improving the scraping ability of the scraping portion to scrape off the liquid.

A printing device according to an eighth aspect is any one of the first to third aspects, and is provided with a drive unit that drives the cleaning unit in the movement direction, the drive unit having a circular belt that engages with the cleaning unit, a drive pulley around which the belt is wound, a drive source that rotates the drive pulley, a driven pulley around which the belt is wound and that rotates in response to the movement of the belt that accompanies the rotation of the drive pulley, and a biasing unit that biases the driven pulley in a direction away from the drive pulley, and is characterized in that the cleaning unit does not clean the ejection surface when moving toward the driven pulley in the movement direction, but cleans the ejection surface when moving toward the drive pulley in the movement direction.
In a drive unit configured to include a circular belt that engages with the cleaning unit, a drive pulley around which the belt is wound, and a driven pulley that biases the driven pulley in a direction away from the drive pulley, if the cleaning unit comes into contact with the discharge surface as it moves toward the driven pulley and is subjected to a load, problems with the cleaning unit's movement, such as belt tooth skipping, are likely to occur. However, according to this aspect, the cleaning unit does not clean the discharge surface when it moves toward the driven pulley, but only when it moves toward the drive pulley. This makes it possible to prevent the cleaning unit from being subjected to a load caused by contact with the discharge surface as it moves toward the driven pulley, thereby preventing problems with the cleaning unit's movement.

A printer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below as an example of a printing device.
1 shows a printer 1. The printer 1 is configured as an inkjet device that performs recording by ejecting ink K, an example of a liquid, onto a medium M, typically recording paper. Note that the X-Y-Z coordinate system shown in each figure is a Cartesian coordinate system.
The X direction is the horizontal direction and is the width direction of the printer 1 as seen by the operator. Within the X direction, the direction to the left is the +X direction, and the direction to the right is the −X direction.
The Y direction is the width direction of the medium M and the depth direction of the device, and is a horizontal direction that intersects with the transport direction of the medium M. The Y direction also intersects with both the A direction and the B direction, which will be described later. The direction toward the front of the Y direction is the +Y direction, and the direction toward the back is the -Y direction. Furthermore, the Y direction is an example of the movement direction of the wiper unit 50, which will be described later, and intersects with both the Z direction and the A direction, which will be described later.
The Z direction is the height direction of the device, and is, for example, the vertical direction. The upward direction in the Z direction is defined as the +Z direction, and the downward direction is defined as the −Z direction.

In the printer 1, the medium M is transported through a transport path T indicated by a dashed line. The AB coordinate system shown on the XZ plane is a Cartesian coordinate system.
The A direction is the transport direction of the medium M in the region of the transport path T that faces the line head 40, which will be described later. The direction toward the upstream of the A direction is the −A direction, and the direction toward the downstream is the +A direction. The A direction is also an example of a cross direction that intersects with the Z direction. In this embodiment, the A direction is a direction that is inclined so that the position of the +A direction of the transport path T is located closer to the +Z direction than the position of the −A direction. Specifically, the A direction is inclined with respect to the Z direction in a range of 20° to 40°, and more specifically, is inclined by approximately 30°. In other words, the A direction is inclined by approximately 60° with respect to the X direction.

The B direction is an example of an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the ejection surface 42 (described later), and is the direction in which the line head 40 (described later) advances and retreats relative to the transport unit 10 (described later). In the B direction, the direction in which the line head 40 approaches the transport path T is the +B direction, and the direction in which it moves away from the transport path T is the -B direction. The B direction is tilted so that the position in the -B direction is closer to the +Z direction than the position in the +B direction.

As shown in Figure 3, the direction in which the main blade 75 (described later) extends is referred to as direction C. Direction C intersects both direction Y and direction A, and is an example of the arrangement direction of multiple nozzles N (described later).

1, the printer 1 has a housing 2 as an example of a device main body. An ejection section 3 including a space into which recorded media M is ejected is formed in the +Z direction from the center of the housing 2 in the Z direction. The housing 2 also has multiple media cassettes 4 provided therein.
A plurality of media cassettes 4 store media M. The media M stored in each media cassette 4 is transported along a transport path T by a pick roller 6 and transport roller pairs 7 and 8. A transport path T1, through which media M are transported from an external device, and a transport path T2, through which media M are transported from a manual feed tray 9 provided in the housing 2, converge on the transport path T.

The transport path T is provided with a transport unit 10, multiple pairs of transport rollers 11 that transport the medium M, multiple flaps 12 that switch the path along which the medium M is transported, and a medium width sensor 13 that detects the width of the medium M in the Y direction.
The transport unit 10 has two pulleys 14, an endless transport belt 15 wound around the two pulleys 14, and a motor (not shown) that drives one of the pulleys 14. The medium M is attracted to the belt surface of the transport belt 15 and transported in the +A direction through a position facing a line head 40 (described later).
The transport path T extends in the +A direction from the medium width sensor 13. On the transport path T, downstream of the transport unit 10, there are provided transport paths T3 and T4 leading to the discharge section 3, and a reversal path T5 for reversing the medium M. A discharge tray 21 is provided at the bottom of the discharge section 3. The discharge tray 21 has a loading surface 21A on which the medium M is placed.

Also provided within the housing 2 are an ink tank 23 that contains ink K, a waste liquid storage unit 16 that stores waste ink K, and a control unit 26 that controls the operation of each part of the printer 1. The ink tank 23 supplies ink K to the line head 40 via a tube (not shown). The waste liquid storage unit 16 stores ink K as waste liquid collected in the wiper unit 50 or cap unit 60 (described below).
The control unit 26 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and
It is configured to include a RAM (Random Access Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and storage, and controls the transport of the medium M in the printer 1 and the operation of each part, including the line head 40 and wiper unit 50.

2 shows the interior of the housing 2 as viewed from the −Y direction to the +Y direction. Side frames 32 are provided inside the housing 2. Two side frames 32 are provided spaced apart in the Y direction, but only the side frame 32 in the +Y direction is shown in FIG.
The side frames 32 are made of, for example, sheet metal, and stand upright from the bottom frame (not shown) of the printer 1 along the AB plane and the XZ plane.
A through-hole (not shown) is formed in the -Y direction side frame 32. A wiper unit 50 (described later) can pass through the through-hole in the Y direction. The wiper unit 50 is disposed with a position in the -Y direction relative to the -Y direction side frame 32 as its home position.
The two side frames 32 are connected by a plurality of horizontal frames (not shown) that extend in the Y direction. The line head 40 is disposed between the two side frames 32.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 1 includes a line head 40, a wiper unit 50, a cap unit 60, a guide portion 86, and a wiper carriage 102 (FIG. 2).
The line head 40 is an example of a recording unit. The line head 40 is driven by a movement mechanism (not shown) to move between a recording position and a retracted position along direction B, which is the direction in which the line head 40 advances and retreats relative to the transport unit 10. At the recording position, the line head 40 records information on the medium M while being disposed opposite the medium M in direction B. The retracted position is located in the -B direction relative to the recording position.

3, the line head 40 has an ejection surface 42. The ejection surface 42 is arranged along the AY plane, for example. A plurality of grooves 43 are formed on the ejection surface 42 and aligned in the Y direction.
When viewed from the -Z direction, the groove portion 43 is formed in a rectangular shape that is long in the C direction, which intersects both the A direction and the Y direction. The groove portion 43 is also recessed in the -B direction from the ejection surface 42. A plurality of nozzles N that eject ink K are provided at the bottom of the groove portion 43. In other words, the ejection surface 42 has a plurality of nozzles N. The multiple nozzles N are an example of a plurality of ejection openings, and by lining up in the C direction, they cover the entire area of the medium M in the Y direction.
In this manner, the line head 40 records on the medium M by ejecting ink K from the multiple nozzles N on the ejection surface 42 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the cap unit 60 is capable of reciprocating movement in the A direction by a drive mechanism including a rack 60A and a pinion 60B. When the line head 40 is moved to the recording position, the cap unit 60 is retracted in the -A direction relative to the line head 40. Furthermore, when the line head 40 is in the retracted position, the cap unit 60 is moved in the +A direction to cover the multiple nozzles N, and receives the ink K ejected from the multiple nozzles N.

The wiper unit 50 is an example of a cleaning unit, and is capable of reciprocating movement in the Y direction by a drive unit 52 (described later). When the line head 40 is moved to the recording position, the wiper unit 50 is retracted in the -Y direction relative to the line head 40. Furthermore, while the line head 40 is in the retracted position, the wiper unit 50 is first moved in the +Y direction, and then moved in the -Y direction again while cleaning the ejection surface 42 by a scraping unit 75B (described later). In other words, the wiper unit 50 scrapes off ink K adhering to the ejection surface 42 from the ejection surface 42. Specifically, the wiper unit 50 has a blade unit 62 and a wiper carriage 102.

As shown in Fig. 4, the drive unit 52 is an example of a drive section, and drives the wiper unit 50, i.e., the wiper carriage 102 and the blade unit 62, in the Y direction. Specifically, the drive unit 52 has a set of pulleys 54, a timing belt 56, and a motor section 58 that rotates one of the pulleys 54. Note that Fig. 4 shows one of the pulleys 54, and the other pulley 54 is not shown.
The timing belt 56 is wound around the two pulleys 54. A portion of the timing belt 56 is fixed to a portion of a guided portion 116, which will be described later. As a result, when the motor unit 58 rotates one of the pulleys 54 in the forward direction, the wiper carriage 102 and the blade unit 62 are driven in the +Y direction. On the other hand, when the motor unit 58 rotates one of the pulleys 54 in the reverse direction, the wiper carriage 102 and the blade unit 62 are driven in the -Y direction. In this way, the drive unit 52 drives the portion of the wiper unit 50 that has the guided portion 116 in the Y direction.

5, the blade unit 62 cleans the discharge surface 42 (FIG. 3). Specifically, the blade unit 62 has a unit main body 64, a base frame 71, an attachment frame 72, a blade portion 74, and a cover member 82.
The unit body 64 is formed in a box shape that opens in the −B direction, and has a blade attachment portion 65, an ink containing portion 66, and an insertion portion 78.

The blade attachment portion 65 is a portion surrounded by a side wall 65A.
The ink containing section 66 is a chamber located in the -A direction from the center of the unit main body 64 in the A direction, and is a section surrounded by a side wall 66A. The ink containing section 66 is also a space surrounded by the unit main body 64 and a cover member 82, which will be described later, and is in communication with the interior of the blade attachment section 65. The ink containing section 66 is an example of a liquid containing section, and is positioned below the blade section 74 in the Z direction, and contains ink K (FIG. 1) scraped off by the blade section 74.

The inserted portion 78 is formed in the unit main body 64 at a position in the −A direction relative to the blade attachment portion 65. The inserted portion 78 is also formed in the unit main body 64 at a position in the +A direction and the −Y direction relative to the ink containing portion 66. The inserted portion 78 is formed in a cylindrical shape with its axial direction aligned in the Y direction. The interior of the inserted portion 78 is in communication with the interior of the ink containing portion 66.
A wiper needle (not shown) is inserted in the +Y direction into the insertion portion 78. When the wiper needle performs a suction operation, the inside of the insertion portion 78 becomes negative pressure, and ink K in the ink storage portion 66 is discharged to the outside of the unit main body 64 through the insertion portion 78 and the wiper needle.
In this embodiment, as an example, the width in the A direction of the ink containing section 66 is defined assuming that the +A direction end of the ink containing section 66 is located at the +A direction end of the inserted section 78, and that the -A direction end of the ink containing section 66 is located at the -A direction end of the side wall 66A.

8A, a first engagement portion 65C is formed at the end of the side wall 65A in the +A direction at the end in the -Y direction. The first engagement portion 65C protrudes in the +A direction from the side wall 65A. The first engagement portion 65C is formed in a plate shape having a predetermined thickness in the B direction.
A second engagement portion 66B is formed at the −Y direction end of the −A direction end of the side wall 66A. The second engagement portion 66B protrudes in the −A direction from the side wall 66A. The second engagement portion 66B is formed in a plate shape having a predetermined thickness in the B direction.

The blade section 74 includes, for example, a main blade 75 and a sub-blade 76 .
Main blade 75 is an example of a blade, and is made of rubber formed into a plate shape having a predetermined thickness in a direction perpendicular to direction C when viewed from direction B. Main blade 75 is also long in direction C. Furthermore, as an example, main blade 75 is inclined so that the end in the -Y direction is located further in the +A direction than the end in the +Y direction.
Specifically, the main blade 75 has a fixed portion 75A (FIG. 11) and a scraping portion 75B in the direction B. The fixed portion 75A is located in the +B direction from the center of the main blade 75 in the direction B, and is fixed to the blade attachment portion 65. The scraping portion 75B is located in the -B direction from the center of the main blade 75 in the direction B, and is a portion that can be elastically deformed. Furthermore, when the scraping portion 75B comes into contact with the ejection surface 42 (FIG. 3), it elastically deforms and scrapes off the ink K.

As shown in FIG. 3, the main blade 75 is arranged in direction C so as to follow the arrangement direction of the multiple nozzles N. The main blade 75 is also arranged so as to be able to come into contact with the multiple grooves 43. The main blade 75 then scrapes off the ink K from the ejection surface 42. The ink K scraped off by the main blade 75 flows through the blade attachment portion 65 toward the ink storage portion 66 due to the inclination of the main blade 75 and the action of its own weight.

As shown in Figure 8A, the sub-blade 76 is positioned in the +Y direction relative to the +Y end of the main blade 75. The sub-blade 76 is made of rubber formed into a plate shape with a predetermined thickness in the Y direction when viewed from the B direction. The sub-blade 76 extends along the A direction. The sub-blade 76 comes into contact with the +Y side of the line head 40 (Figure 3) to scrape off ink K adhering to the +Y side of the line head 40.

The base frame 71 is fastened to the blade mounting portion 65 using screws 59. The mounting frame 72 is attached to the base frame 71, sandwiching the lower end of the main blade 75 in the +B direction together with the base frame 71. This holds the main blade 75. Similarly, the sub-blade 76 is also held by the base frame 71. Note that the main blade 75 and sub-blade 76 protrude in the -B direction beyond the -B end face of the unit body 64.

As an example, the ink containing section 66 has an inlet section 67 that opens toward the blade attachment section 65, and a storage section 68 that extends in the −Y direction from the −A direction end of the inlet section 67.
The +A-direction end of the inlet section 67 is located at the −A-direction end of the sub-blade 76. Furthermore, the flow path area of the portion of the inlet section 67 in the +A direction becomes gradually narrower from the center in the A direction to the storage section 68. A flow straightening plate 69 is provided inside the inlet section 67.
The flow regulating plate 69 is inclined in a direction intersecting with the direction A, and guides the ink K to the reservoir 68 .

Let h1 (mm) be the depth in direction B of the blade attachment portion 65. Let h2 (mm) be the depth in direction B of the ink storage portion 66. In this embodiment, as an example, h2 < h1. In other words, the +B direction surface 68A that forms part of the storage portion 68 is located in the -B direction relative to the +B direction surface 65B that forms part of the blade attachment portion 65.

As shown in Fig. 8B, the blade unit 62 has a cover member 82. The cover member 82 is configured as a transparent member that transmits light, for example, but Fig. 8B shows an opaque cover member 82 in order to clearly show the outer shape of the cover member 82.
As an example, the cover member 82 is attached to the unit main body 64 by thermal welding, and covers the storage portion 68 ( FIG. 8A ) from the −B direction. Specifically, the cover member 82 has a lid portion 83 and a flange portion 84. The lid portion 83 is formed in a plate shape having a predetermined thickness in the B direction, and covers the portion of the storage portion 68 in the −B direction. The flange portion 84 protrudes in the −B direction from the end of the lid portion 83 in the +A direction. In addition, the flange portion 84 is disposed in the −A direction relative to the main blade 75, and can guide ink K that drops from the main blade 75 to the inflow portion 67 ( FIG. 8A ).

5 , the guide portion 86 is an example of a guide portion that guides the blade unit 62 and the wiper carriage 102, and extends in the Y direction. Specifically, the guide portion 86 has, as an example, a first guide rail 87 and a second guide rail 91 that are arranged parallel to each other along the Y direction.
The first guide rail 87 is an example of a guide portion, and functions as a main shaft that guides the wiper carriage 102 and the blade unit 62 .
The second guide rail 91 is an example of an auxiliary guide portion, and functions as a secondary shaft that guides the wiper carriage 102 and the blade unit 62. The second guide rail 91 is disposed in the +A direction and the +B direction relative to the first guide rail 87. The second guide rail 91 is disposed so as to be parallel to the first guide rail 87 in the Y direction.

6, the first guide rail 87 is made of a metal plate having an L-shaped cross section along the plane A-B. Specifically, the first guide rail 87 has a first plate portion 89 and a second plate portion 88.
The second plate portion 88 has a predetermined thickness in the direction B and extends in the direction Y along the A-Y plane. The end portion of the second plate portion 88 in the -A direction is formed integrally with the horizontal frame described above.
The first plate portion 89 extends in the +B direction from the end of the second plate portion 88 in the +A direction. The first plate portion 89 has a predetermined thickness in the A direction and extends in the Y direction along the BY plane. The length of the first plate portion 89 in the B direction is shorter than the length of the second plate portion 88 in the A direction.

The second guide rail 91 is made of, for example, a metal plate having an L-shaped cross section on the plane A-B. Specifically, the second guide rail 91 has an attachment portion 92 and a third plate portion 93.
The mounting portion 92 has a predetermined thickness in the A direction and extends in the Y direction along the BY plane. The end of the mounting portion 92 in the +B direction is fixed to one of the other horizontal frames among the horizontal frames described above.
The third plate portion 93 extends in the -A direction from the end of the mounting portion 92 in the -B direction. The third plate portion 93 has a predetermined thickness in the B direction and extends in the Y direction along the A-Y plane. The length of the third plate portion 93 in the A direction is shorter than the length of the mounting portion 92 in the B direction.

The wiper carriage 102 is an example of a support portion, and supports the blade unit 62 from the +B direction. Specifically, the wiper carriage 102 includes a first frame member 104 and a second frame member 132.
The first frame member 104 has a mounting portion 106, a guided portion 116, an arm portion 122, and an auxiliary guided portion 124. The guided portion 116 is guided by the guide portion 86.
The blade unit 62 is mounted on the mounting portion 106. The guided portion 116 stands upright in the -B direction from the -A direction end of the mounting portion 106. The arm portion 122 extends in the +A direction from the +A direction end of the mounting portion 106. The auxiliary guided portion 124 is formed at the +A direction end of the arm portion 122.

As shown in FIG. 7, the mounting portion 106 has a bottom wall 107 along the AY plane, and peripheral walls 108 that stand upright in the −B direction from both ends of the bottom wall 107 in the A direction and the end in the +Y direction.
An engaged portion 109 is formed on the peripheral wall 108 at a position in the +A direction and the -Y direction. The first engaging portion 65C (FIG. 6) engages with the engaged portion 109. An engaged portion 111 is formed on the peripheral wall 108 at a position in the -A direction and the -Y direction. The second engaging portion 66B (FIG. 6) engages with the engaged portion 111. An upper wall 112 is formed at the end of the peripheral wall 108 in the -A direction, extending in the +A direction from the end of the peripheral wall 108 in the -B direction.
In this way, a recess 113 surrounded by the bottom wall 107, the peripheral wall 108, and the top wall 112 is formed at the end of the mounting portion 106 in the -A direction. The recess 113 houses the ink containing portion 66 (FIG. 8A).

The guided portion 116 is a portion that extends from the upper wall 112 in the -B direction along the B direction. A portion of the guided portion 116 is formed in a U-shape that opens in the -B direction when viewed from the Y direction, and has a vertical wall 117 and a vertical wall 118. The vertical wall 117 extends in the B direction. The vertical wall 118 is located in the +A direction relative to the vertical wall 117 and faces the vertical wall 117 in the A direction. The height of the vertical wall 118 in the B direction is lower than the height of the vertical wall 117 in the B direction. The vertical wall 118 comes into contact with the first plate portion 89 in the A direction. In addition, the guided portion 116 is located lower than the auxiliary guided portion 124 in the Z direction.
An attachment member 119 is provided on a side surface 116A of the guided portion 116 facing in the −A direction. The attachment member 119 extends in the −A direction from the side surface 116A. A portion of the timing belt 56 (FIG. 4) is fixed to the attachment member 119.

The arm portion 122 extends in the +A direction from a portion that is the end of the peripheral wall 108 in the +A direction and also the end in the +Y direction.
The auxiliary guided portion 124 is provided at the end of the arm portion 122 in the +A direction, and is guided in the Y direction by the second guide rail 91. The auxiliary guided portion 124 also has a recess 125. The recess 125 is formed in a U-shape that opens in the +A direction when viewed from the Y direction, and has a side wall 126 and a side wall 127. The third plate portion 93 (FIG. 6) is inserted into the recess 125 in the -A direction.
The lateral wall 126 extends in the +A direction from the end of the arm portion 122 in the +A direction. The lateral wall 127 is located in the −B direction relative to the lateral wall 126 and faces the lateral wall 126 in the B direction. The length of the lateral wall 127 in the A direction is longer than the length of the lateral wall 126 in the A direction.
A roller 128 is provided on the side wall 127 and is rotatable around an axis (not shown) along the direction A. A part of the roller 128 protrudes beyond the side wall 127 in the +B direction.

9 , the second frame member 132 is provided on the guided portion 116. The second frame member 132 is an example of a clamping portion, and clamps the second plate portion 88 in direction B together with the guided portion 116. Specifically, the second frame member 132 has an upper wall portion 133, a vertical wall portion 135, and a flange portion 136.
The upper wall portion 133 is a portion that extends in the Y direction along the A-Y plane. A protrusion 134 that protrudes in the +B direction is formed on the upper wall portion 133. The protrusion 134 faces the vertical wall 117 in the B direction when the first guide rail 87 is not present. The vertical wall portion 135 extends in the +B direction from the end of the upper wall portion 133 in the +A direction. The flange portion 136 protrudes in the +A direction from the end of the vertical wall portion 135 in the +B direction.
When the flange portion 136 is fastened to the upper wall 112 by the screws 137, the second frame member 132 covers the guided portion 116 from the −B direction.

The first plate portion 89 is inserted between the vertical walls 117 and 118. The protrusion 134 and the vertical wall 117 sandwich the second plate portion 88 in the B direction. The vertical wall 118 is pressed against the side surface 89A of the first plate portion 89 in the +A direction by the weight of the first frame member 104. As a result, the guided portion 116 is guided by the first guide rail 87, allowing movement in the Y direction while restricting movement in the -A and B directions.

As shown in Figure 10, the third plate portion 93 is inserted between the side walls 126 and 127. The outer peripheral surface 128A of the roller 128 is pressed against the -B direction surface 93A of the third plate portion 93 by the action of its own weight. As a result, the auxiliary guided portion 124 is guided by the second guide rail 91, allowing it to move in the Y direction while restricting its movement in the B direction. In other words, the auxiliary guided portion 124 has a greater degree of freedom of movement than the guided portion 116 (Figure 9).

As shown in Figure 11, the ink containing section 66 and the guided section 116 overlap in the A direction. In other words, the ink containing section 66 and the guided section 116 have an overlap of W1 [mm] in the A direction. The main blade 75 and the ink containing section 66 overlap in the X direction. In other words, the main blade 75 and the ink containing section 66 have an overlap of W2 [mm] in the X direction. Note that the ink containing section 66 does not overlap with the scraping section 75B in the B direction.

As shown in Figure 6, when viewed from the Y direction, the center position of the main blade 75 in the A direction is designated as position PA. Position PA is also the center position of the main blade 75 in the C direction (Figure 3). In the A direction, the position of the guided portion 116 is designated as position PB. In this embodiment, the position of the guided portion 116 is replaced with the center position of the first plate portion 89.
In the direction A, the position of the auxiliary guided portion 124 is defined as position PC. In this embodiment, the position of the auxiliary guided portion 124 is replaced with the center position of the outer circumferential surface 128A.
In the direction A, the center position of the timing belt 56 attached to the attachment member 119 in the direction A is defined as position PD. Position PD is the position where the driving force directly acts on the wiper carriage 102.
In addition, in the direction A, the distance from position PB to position PA is defined as a first distance L1 (mm), the distance from position PC to position PA is defined as a second distance L2 (mm), and the distance from position PB to position PD is defined as a third distance L3 (mm). The first distance L1 is shorter than the second distance L2. The third distance L3 is shorter than the first distance L1.

Next, we will explain the operation of the printer 1. Note that individual drawing numbers will be omitted for the configurations shown in any of Figures 1 to 11.
FIG. 12 schematically shows the forces acting on each part of the wiper unit 50 when the wiper unit 50 is driven in the −Y direction and the main blade 75 scrapes off the ink K from the ejection surface 42 (FIG. 3).
When the wiper unit 50 is positioned at the end of the printer 1 in the +Y direction, a driving force F1 acts in the -Y direction on the guided portion 116 of the wiper unit 50, causing the wiper unit 50, i.e., the blade unit 62 and the wiper carriage 102, to move in the -Y direction.

When the blade unit 62 and the wiper carriage 102 are moved in the −Y direction, the scraping portion 75B scrapes off the ink K on the ejection surface 42 (FIG. 3). The scraped ink K is stored in the ink storage portion 66.
When the scraping portion 75B scrapes off the ink K from the ejection surface 42, a reaction force F2 acts in the +Y direction, which is the opposite direction to the -Y direction, at the point of application of the force of the scraping portion 75B. This reaction force F2 generates a moment force at the contact point between the guide portion 86 (FIG. 6) and the guided portion 116.
Specifically, in the wiper carriage 102, a driving force F1 acts on a portion of the guided portion 116 in the -A direction, and a reaction force F2 acts on a portion of the guided portion 116 in the +A direction. As a result, a moment force in the direction indicated by arrow R is generated at the contact portion between the guided portion 116 and the first plate portion 89 (FIG. 9). This moment force is a rotational force within the A-Y plane, and becomes a "prying force" acting on the guided portion 116.

Here, in the printer 1, compared to a configuration in which the guided portion 116 is located farther from the scraping portion 75B than the ink containing portion 66, or a configuration in which the ink containing portion 66 and the guided portion 116 do not overlap in the A direction, the ink containing portion 66 and the guided portion 116 overlap in the A direction, which shortens the first distance L1 from the scraping portion 75B to the contact portion between the first guide rail 87 and the guided portion 116, thereby reducing the moment force acting on the contact portion between the first guide rail 87 and the guided portion 116. In other words, it is possible to prevent the guided portion 116 from being twisted.
On the other hand, at the contact point between the second guide rail 91 and the auxiliary guided portion 124, the auxiliary guided portion 124 has freedom of movement in the A direction and the Y direction, so that a "prying force" is unlikely to act on the auxiliary guided portion 124.

According to the printer 1, the installation space for the scraping unit 75B and the ink containing unit 66 in the X direction is smaller than in a configuration in which the scraping unit 75B and the ink containing unit 66 are lined up in the X direction, so the printer 1 can be made smaller in size in the X direction.
According to the printer 1, the ink containing section 66 is positioned so that it does not overlap with the scraping section 75B in direction B, which makes it possible to lengthen the path along which the ink K flows from the scraping section 75B to the ink containing section 66. In other words, because the path from the ink containing section 66 to the scraping section 75B is longer, even if the ink K flowing toward the ink containing section 66 flows backward, it is possible to prevent the ink K from adhering to the scraping section 75B again.

According to the printer 1, the guided portion 116, on which the driving force from the drive unit 52 acts directly, is positioned closer to the main blade 75 than the auxiliary guided portion 124, on which the driving force from the drive unit 52 does not act directly. In other words, it is possible to set the distance from the point of action where the driving force of the drive unit 52 acts to the main blade 75 shorter, thereby preventing the guided portion 116 from being twisted.
The ink K scraped off by the scraping unit 75B flows downward in the Z direction due to its own weight. Here, according to the printer 1, the guided unit 116 is positioned lower in the Z direction than the auxiliary guided unit 124, and therefore the ink containing unit 66 is positioned lower in the Z direction than the scraping unit 75B. Therefore, the ink K scraped off by the scraping unit 75B can be efficiently collected in the ink containing unit 66 without providing a member that guides the ink K to the ink containing unit 66.

According to the printer 1, the guided portion 116 comes into contact with the first plate portion 89 in direction A, and the guided portion 116 and the second frame member 132 sandwich the second plate portion 88 in direction B, thereby restricting movement of the guided portion 116 in directions A and B. This makes it possible to prevent the position of the wiper unit 50 from shifting relative to the position of the guide portion 86.
On the other hand, the auxiliary guided portion 124 has a degree of freedom of movement not only in the Y direction but also in the A direction. Here, when a reaction force in the direction opposite to the Y direction acts on the scraping portion 75B, the auxiliary guided portion 124 and the second guide rail 91 are less likely to come into contact with each other, so that the auxiliary guided portion 124 can be prevented from being twisted.
According to the printer 1, when the scraping portion 75B is moved in the Y direction, the C direction in which the main blade 75 extends is aligned with the arrangement direction of the multiple nozzles N, making it easier for the scraping portion 75B to scrape off the ink K from the multiple nozzles N all at once, thereby improving the scraping ability of the scraping portion 75B to scrape off the ink K.

Now, with reference to Figures 14, 15, and 16, the wiper unit 50, which serves as the cleaning unit of the printer 1, and the drive unit 52, which serves as the drive unit for the wiper unit 50, will be described in more detail. As shown in Figure 14, the printer 1 is equipped with a drive unit 52 that drives the wiper unit 50 in the Y direction, which is the movement direction.

As shown in FIG. 14, the drive unit 52 includes a timing belt 56, which is a circular belt that engages with the wiper unit 50 via an attachment member 119, two pulleys 54 around which the timing belt 56 is wound, and a motor unit 58, which is a drive source for moving the timing belt 56. The pulleys 54 include a drive pulley 54a and a driven pulley 54b. The drive pulley 54a rotates due to the rotational force applied by the motor unit 58. The driven pulley 54b rotates in response to the rotation of the timing belt 56, which rotates as the drive pulley 54a rotates. The drive unit 52 also includes a tension spring 140, which serves as a biasing member, biasing the driven pulley 54b in the +Y direction, away from the drive pulley 54a.

In this embodiment, the timing belt 56 is a circular belt, but the term "circular belt" also includes a linear belt whose ends are fixed by mounting members 119 or the like to form a circular shape. Therefore, there are no particular limitations on the shape of the belt itself, as long as it is circular in its final form. As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the timing belt 56 in this embodiment has irregularities on the side that engages with the drive pulley 54a. These irregularities mesh with the irregularities on the drive pulley 54a. If the meshing between the irregularities on the timing belt 56 and the irregularities on the drive pulley 54a becomes misaligned, causing tooth skipping, this could result in malfunction of the wiper unit 50's movement.

In the printer 1 of this embodiment, the wiper unit 50 is configured not to clean the ejection surface 42 when moving toward the driven pulley 54b (+Y direction) in the wiper unit 50's movement direction, but to clean the ejection surface 42 when moving toward the drive pulley 54a (-Y direction) in the wiper unit 50's movement direction. In a drive unit such as the printer 1 of this embodiment, which includes a circular belt that engages with the wiper unit 50 and the drive pulley 54a and driven pulley 54b around which the belt is wound, and which urges the driven pulley 54b in a direction away from the drive pulley 54a, if the wiper unit 50 comes into contact with the ejection surface as it moves toward the driven pulley 54b and a load is applied, the wiper unit 50 is likely to experience problems with movement, such as skipping of belt teeth. However, in the printer 1 of this embodiment, the wiper unit 50 does not clean the ejection surface 42 when moving toward the driven pulley 54b, but only cleans the ejection surface 42 when moving toward the drive pulley 54a. As a result, the printer 1 of this embodiment can prevent the timing belt 50 from skipping teeth due to the load generated when the wiper unit 50 comes into contact with the ejection surface 42.

The above will be explained in more detail with reference to Figure 15. First, the configuration for moving the wiper unit 50 toward the driven pulley 54b will be described. When moving the wiper unit 50 toward the driven pulley 54b (+Y direction), the drive pulley 54a rotates counterclockwise (CCW), and the lower side of the timing belt 56, on which the mounting member 119 is attached, is pulled toward the +Y direction. In other words, the upper side of the timing belt 56, on which the mounting member 119 is not attached, is pulled toward the -Y direction. At this time, the wiper unit 50 is pulled by the drive pulley 54a via the driven pulley 54b. In this configuration, if the guided portion 116 is twisted, the wiper unit 50 itself cannot move toward the +Y direction, but the upper side of the timing belt 56, on which the mounting member 119 is not attached, receives the driving force from the drive pulley 54a. Because the driven pulley 54b is biased in the +Y direction by the tension spring 140, there is room for the driven pulley 54b itself to move in the -Y direction. Therefore, if the guided portion 116 is twisted and an attempt is made to pull the upper side of the timing belt 56, where the mounting member 119 is not provided, in the -Y direction, the driven pulley 54b may move in the -Y direction against the biasing force of the tension spring 140. In this case, the meshing between the unevenness of the timing belt 56 and the unevenness of the drive pulley 54a may become misaligned, potentially causing the belt to skip teeth.

On the other hand, when the wiper unit 50 is moved toward the drive pulley 54a (-Y direction), the drive pulley 54a rotates clockwise (CW direction), pulling the lower side of the timing belt 56, where the mounting member 119 is attached, toward the -Y direction. Therefore, if the guided portion 116 of the wiper unit 50 becomes wedged, tooth skipping is unlikely to occur. Specifically, when the guided portion 116 of the wiper unit 50 becomes wedged, that is, when the wiper unit 50 is difficult to move, the timing belt 56 is difficult to pull further toward the -Y direction. This is because the direction of movement of the wiper unit 50 is toward the drive pulley 54a. In this state, the drive force of the drive pulley 54a is not applied significantly to the driven pulley 54b, and the driven pulley 54b is unlikely to move toward the -Y direction against the biasing force of the tension spring 140. This makes it difficult for the unevenness of the timing belt 56 and the unevenness of the drive pulley 54a to become misaligned. In this way, wiping is performed when the wiper unit 50 moves around the drive pulley 54a, reducing tooth skipping caused by prying.

Next, the components surrounding the driven pulley 54b will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 15 and 16. As described above, the drive unit 52 of this embodiment has a tension spring 140 that biases the driven pulley 54b in the +Y direction. As shown in Figure 16, one end 140a of the tension spring 140 engages with the side frame 32, and as shown in Figure 15, the other end 140b engages with the mounting plate 141 of the driven pulley 54b. The tension spring 140 biases the driven pulley 54b in the +Y direction, thereby maintaining the timing belt 56 in a stretched state with the desired tension. In this embodiment, the biasing unit is the tension spring 140 that applies the desired tension to the timing belt 56 via the driven pulley 54b. However, the configuration of the biasing unit is not particularly limited, and may be configured other than a tension spring. It may also be configured to bias the timing belt 56 directly, rather than biasing the timing belt 56 via the driven pulley 54b.

If the tension applied to the timing belt 56 is too weak, the timing belt 56 is likely to slacken and skip teeth if the guided portion 116 becomes twisted. On the other hand, if the tension applied to the timing belt 56 is too strong, the load on the wiper unit 50 when moving, i.e., when rotating the timing belt 56, becomes too great. Therefore, in this embodiment, grease is applied to the mounting plate 141 so that the timing belt 56 is stretched with the desired tension. As shown in FIG. 15, a resin sheet 142 is provided around the mounting plate 141. The resin sheet 142 serves to prevent the grease applied to the mounting plate 141 from dripping onto the transport path for the medium M.

As shown in Figure 16, the mounting metal plate 141 has a stopper 141a formed in a position facing the side frame 32. A gap G is formed between the side frame 32 and the stopper 141a. If too much tension is applied to the timing belt 56, the stopper 141a will come into contact with the side frame 32. This configuration prevents the timing belt 56 from becoming loose beyond a certain level.

The printer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is based on the configuration described above, but it is of course possible to modify or omit parts of the configuration without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

13 shows a modified example of the printer 1 in which the first guide rail 87 and the guided portion 116 are arranged in the +A direction on the wiper unit 50, and the second guide rail 91 and the auxiliary guided portion 124 are arranged in the -A direction on the wiper unit 50. The other configurations are basically the same as those of the printer 1.
In this way, even if the first guide rail 87 and guided portion 116, which serve as the main axis, and the second guide rail 91 and auxiliary guided portion 124, which serve as the secondary axis, are arranged in reverse relative to the blade unit 62, by setting the first distance L1 to a short value, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of "prying" in the guided portion 116, on which the driving force acts.

In the printer 1, the scraping portion 75B and the ink containing portion 66 do not have to overlap in the X direction. Alternatively, the ink containing portion 66 may overlap with the scraping portion 75B in the B direction. Furthermore, it is also possible to configure the first distance L1 to be longer than the second distance L2.
In the printer 1, the auxiliary guided portion 124 may sandwich the third plate portion 93 in the direction B. The main blade 75 does not have to be aligned along the arrangement direction of the multiple nozzles N.

The guide portion 86 that guides the wiper unit 50 in the Y direction may be only the first guide rail 87. Furthermore, the guide portion 86 may have other guide rails in addition to the first guide rail 87 and the second guide rail 91. In other words, there may be one guided portion 116 or three or more guided portions 116.
The ink containing section 66 may overlap with the main blade 75 in the Z direction. Also, the ink containing section 66 may overlap with the first plate section 89 in the A direction.
The blade portion 74 may be configured with only the main blades 75. Furthermore, in a configuration with only the main blades 75, the main blades 75 may extend along the A direction instead of the C direction.

In Figure 12, the position where driving force F1 acts, i.e., position PD shown in Figure 6, is located in the -A direction relative to position PB. However, it is also preferable to position PD in the +A direction relative to position PB so that position PD falls within the range of first distance L1. This causes the moment force generated by driving force F1 acting on wiper unit 50 to act in a manner that cancels out moment force R shown in Figure 12, thereby suppressing the prying problem described above.

1... printer, 2... housing, 3... discharge section, 4... media cassette, 6... pick roller
7... conveying roller pair, 8... conveying roller pair, 9... manual feed tray, 10... conveying unit,
11... conveying roller pair, 12... flap, 13... medium width sensor, 14... pulley,
15... conveyor belt, 16... waste liquid storage section, 21... discharge tray, 21A... placement surface,
23... ink tank, 26... control unit, 32... side frame, 40... line head,
42...discharge surface, 43...groove portion, 50...wiper unit, 52...drive unit,
54...pulley, 54a...driving pulley, 54b...driven pulley,
56... timing belt, 58... motor part, 59... screw,
60...cap unit, 60A...rack, 60B...pinion,
62...Blade unit, 64...Unit body, 65...Blade mounting portion, 65A...Side wall,
65B... surface, 65C... first engagement portion, 66... ink storage portion, 66A... side wall,
66B... second engagement portion, 67... inlet portion, 68... storage portion, 68A... surface, 69... straightening plate,
71...base frame, 72...mounting frame, 74...blade portion,
75...main blade, 75A...fixed portion, 75B...scraping portion, 76...sub-blade,
78...inserted portion, 82...cover member, 83...lid portion, 84...flange portion, 86...guide portion,
87...first guide rail, 88...second plate portion, 89...first plate portion, 89A...side surface,
91... second guide rail, 92... mounting portion, 93... third plate portion, 93A... surface,
102... wiper carriage, 104... first frame member, 106... mounting portion,
107...Bottom wall, 108...Peripheral wall, 109...Engaged part, 111...Engaged part, 112...Top wall,
113... hollow part, 116... guided part, 116A... side surface, 117... vertical wall, 118... vertical wall,
119... Mounting member, 122... Arm portion, 124... Auxiliary guided portion, 125... Recess,
126...side wall, 127...side wall, 128...roller, 128A...outer circumferential surface,
132... second frame member, 133... upper wall portion, 134... protrusion portion, 135... vertical wall portion,
136... flange portion, 137... screw, 140... tension spring, 140a... one end,
140b... other end, 141... mounting metal plate, 141a... stopper portion, 142... resin sheet,
F1...driving force, F2...reaction force, G...gap, h1...depth, h2...depth, K...ink,
L1...first distance, L2...second distance, L3...third distance, T1...transport path, T2...transport path,
T3: conveying path, T4: conveying path, T5: reversing path, W1: overlapping space, W2: overlapping space

Claims (6)

a recording unit that records on a medium by ejecting liquid from an ejection surface along a direction intersecting the vertical direction;
a cleaning unit that has a scraping unit that scrapes the liquid off the ejection surface and a liquid storage unit that is positioned below the scraping unit in the vertical direction and stores the liquid scraped off by the scraping unit, and that moves in a movement direction that intersects both the vertical direction and the intersecting direction and cleans the ejection surface with the scraping unit;
a guide portion extending in the movement direction and guiding the cleaning portion ;
a drive unit that drives the cleaning unit in the movement direction;
an auxiliary guide portion disposed parallel to the guide portion along the movement direction;
an auxiliary guided portion that is guided by the auxiliary guiding portion ,
the cleaning unit has a guided portion that is guided by the guide portion,
When viewed in the movement direction, the liquid storage portion and the guided portion overlap in the intersecting direction,
The cleaning unit moves as the guided unit is guided by the guiding unit,
The scraping unit is a blade that is long in one direction,
the drive unit drives a portion of the cleaning unit having the guided portion in the movement direction;
A printing device characterized in that , in the intersecting direction, a first distance from the guided portion to a central position of the blade in one direction is shorter than a second distance from the auxiliary guided portion to the central position. 2. The printing device according to claim 1,
the scraping section and the liquid storage section overlap in the device width direction perpendicular to the vertical direction;
A printing device characterized by: 3. The printing device according to claim 2,
the liquid storage portion does not overlap with the scraping portion in a direction perpendicular to the ejection surface;
A printing device characterized by: 4. The printing device according to claim 1 ,
the guided portion is positioned lower than the auxiliary guided portion in the vertical direction;
A printing device characterized by: 5. The printing device according to claim 1 ,
the guide portion includes a first plate portion having a thickness in the intersecting direction and a second plate portion having a thickness in an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the ejection surface,
the auxiliary guide portion has a third plate portion having a thickness in the orthogonal direction,
the guided portion is in contact with the first plate portion in the intersecting direction,
the guided portion is provided with a clamping portion that clamps the second plate portion together with the guided portion in the orthogonal direction,
the auxiliary guided portion has a recess into which the third plate portion is inserted in the intersecting direction;
A printing device characterized by: 6. The printing device according to claim 1 ,
the ejection surface has a plurality of ejection ports arranged in an arrangement direction intersecting the movement direction,
The blades are arranged such that the one direction is along the arrangement direction.
A printing device characterized by: