Maintenance method of liquid ejecting apparatus

• US 10,639,901 B1
• Filed: 01/07/2020
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kawakami, Takayuki, Shinbara, Toshihiro, Hara, Kazuhiko, Fujioka, Kazuyuki, Yoshida, Takeshi, Sato, Hironori
• Primary Examiner(s): Valencia, Alejandro
• Application Number:
  US16/736,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20200139714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 119 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16508 connected with the printer frame
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16538 with brushes or wiper blades perpendicular to the nozzle plate
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16552 using cleaning fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/16555 Air or gas for cleaning

Abstract

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting section that is capable of ejecting a first liquid from an opening of a nozzle with respect to media; and a two-fluid ejecting apparatus that is capable of ejecting at least one of a gas and a second liquid with respect to the liquid ejecting section.

Claims

1. A maintenance method of a liquid ejecting apparatus which includes

a liquid ejecting portion configured to eject a first liquid from an opening of a nozzle disposed in a nozzle forming surface;

and

a fluid ejecting apparatus configured to eject at least one of a gas and a second liquid toward the nozzle forming surface in a state where a space including the nozzle forming surface is covered with air,

the fluid ejecting apparatus including

a fluid ejecting nozzle configured to move in a moving direction along the nozzle forming surface at an ejecting position facing the nozzle forming surface of the liquid ejecting portion, the fluid ejecting nozzle at the ejecting position being disposed lower than the nozzle of the liquid ejecting portion in a gravity direction, and the fluid ejecting nozzle having a liquid ejecting opening through which the second liquid is ejected and a gas ejecting opening through which the gas is ejected,

a liquid accommodating portion configured to accommodate the second liquid,

a liquid flow path through which the second liquid accommodated in the liquid accommodating portion flow toward the liquid ejecting opening, and

a gas flow path through which the gas flow toward the gas ejecting opening,

the maintenance method comprising;

generating a mixed fluid in which the second liquid of droplet-like shape and the gas are mixed by ejecting the gas from the gas ejecting opening in a flowable state where the second liquid in the liquid accommodating portion is flowable into the liquid flow path; and

ejecting the second liquid from the fluid ejecting nozzle by pumping the second liquid in the liquid flow path toward the liquid ejecting opening,

wherein a pressure applied to the second liquid in the liquid flow path when ejecting the second liquid is higher than a pressure applied to the second liquid in the liquid flow path when generating the mixed fluid.

2. The maintenance method of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the fluid ejecting nozzle configured to move between the ejecting position and a standby position,

the maintenance method further comprising

after moving the fluid ejecting nozzle from the standby position to ejecting position, ejecting the mixed fluid toward the nozzle forming surface in the state.

3. The maintenance method of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

in the flowable state, an air-liquid interface of the second liquid is located at a position lower than the liquid ejecting opening and the gas ejecting opening.

4. The maintenance method of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising

after the ejection of the mixed fluid toward the nozzle forming surface, discharging the first liquid from the opening of the nozzle.

5. The maintenance method of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising

after the ejection of the mixed fluid toward the nozzle forming surface, wiping the nozzle forming surface.

6. The maintenance method of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the ejection of the second liquid is performed before the ejection of the mixed fluid.

7. The maintenance method of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the liquid accommodating portion includes a liquid accommodating space which accommodates the second liquid, and

in the flowable state, the liquid accommodating space communicates with the atmosphere.

8. The maintenance method of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

ejecting the gas from the fluid ejecting nozzle at the standby position.

9. The maintenance method of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the ejection of the gas is performed after the ejection of the second liquid.