LIQUID EJECTION DEVICE

• US 20110227998A1
• Filed: 03/14/2011
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: KAMIYAMA, Nobuaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,454,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/29
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16505 Caps, spittoons or covers for cleaning or preventing drying out
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16552 using cleaning fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/16555 Air or gas for cleaning

Abstract

A liquid ejection device includes a liquid ejection head, a cap member and a cleaning liquid. The liquid ejection head has a nozzle face in which a nozzle is formed. The cap member is attached to the nozzle face such that a space exists in a region facing the nozzle. The cleaning liquid ejection port is arranged inside the space to eject a cleaning liquid toward the nozzle face.

Claims

1. A liquid ejection device comprising:

a liquid ejection head having a nozzle face in which a nozzle is formed;

a cap member attached to the nozzle face such that a space exists in a region facing the nozzle; and

a cleaning liquid ejection port arranged inside the space to eject a cleaning liquid toward the nozzle face.

2. The liquid droplet discharging apparatus recited in claim 1, further comprising

a branched flow passage having one end that communicates with the cleaning liquid ejection port of the cap member and the other end that branches in two at a prescribed position downstream from the one end, one side of the other end being arranged to communicate with a waste liquid tank and another side of the other end being arranged to communicate with a cleaning liquid tank serving to store the cleaning liquid,

a suction device arranged upstream of the prescribed position and configured to execute a first suction operation in which suction is applied to the inside of the branched flow passage in a direction oriented from the one end toward the other end and a second suction operation in which suction is applied to the inside of the branched flow passage in a direction oriented from the other end toward the one end, and

an opening/closing device configured to open a flow passage of the one side of the other end and close a flow passage of the other side of the other end during the first suction operation and to close the flow passage of the one side of the other end and open the flow passage of the other side of the other end during the second suction operation.

3. The liquid ejection device recited in claim 2, wherein

the suction device is a tube pump configured to execute the first suction operation and the second suction operation by bending a portion of the branched flow passage located upstream of the prescribed position into a circular ring shape, pressing a roller member against a radially inward side of the circular ring-shaped branched flow passage, and rolling the roller member along the branched flow passage in a forward direction or a reverse direction so as to cause deformation of the flow passage.

4. The liquid ejection device recited in claim 3, wherein

the suction device has a leak point where an amount of deformation of the branched flow passage caused by the roller member becomes as small as an amount of deformation obtained when neither the first suction operation nor the second suction operation is executed.

5. The liquid ejection device recited in claim 1, wherein

the cap member generally as a bottomed cylinder shape that is open on a side facing the nozzle face, and the cleaning liquid ejection port is formed in a bottom surface of the cap member that faces the nozzle face.