Seiko Epson Corporation

Kojiro Iizuka

Masaru Takahashi

Hitoshi Hayakawa

Hideki Okumura

Takashi Akase

Mitsugu Ota

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes drive device for moving up a cap () of capping device () to a nozzle formation face seal position of a record head () and moving down the cap to a retreat position vertically downward from the nozzle formation face seal position. The drive device has a rack-pinion mechanism including racks (and) disposed on both side parts of a fixed frame and pinions (and) fixedly secured to both end parts of a support shaft () for guiding the support shaft in an up and down direction.

Liquid spraying device

There are provided a capping device capable of sealing a recording head mounted on a carriage and of sucking and discharging ink from the recording head, and a wiping member which advances to a moving path of the recording head and wipes waste ink off a nozzle forming surface of the recording head to clean the nozzle forming surface. A first drainage-amount integrating device for integrating and counting an amount corresponding to the waste ink to be wiped off the recording head by the wiping member is provided, and it is possible to prevent the contamination of the interior of the apparatus by excess waste ink.

Ink jet type recording apparatus

A cap member ( ) which is brought into contact with a nozzle forming surface of a recording head ( ) to seal up the nozzle forming surface, and a wiping member ( ) which may be brought into sliding contact with the nozzle forming surface of the recording head ( ) are disposed on a cap holder ( ). With progress of a cleaning operation in which ink is placed under a negative pressure, and sucked and discharged from the recording head, a cap retaining member ( ) is moved upward and placed to a set state, whereby blocking the slanting and downward movement of the cap member ( ). Then, the wiping member ( ) located on the cap holder ( ) slides on the nozzle forming surface to wipe the nozzle forming surface. To a flushing operation, the cap retaining member ( ) is moved downward and placed to a reset state. In this state, the wiping member ( ) does not slide on the nozzle forming surface.

Growing community of inventors

Nagano, Japan

Kojiro Iizuka