# US 2014/0198156 A1 · Liquid ejecting apparatus and maintenance method

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2014/0198156 A1
- Document ID: US20140198156A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/132,605
- Filed: 2013-12-18
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-11
- Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Inventors: Masato Murayama; Tomohiro Sayama; Yoshihiro Watanabe; Masashi Kamibayashi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140198156A1

## CPC

- B41J 2/16535: {using wiping constructions (B41J2/16552 takes precedence)}
- B41J 2/16544: {Constructions for the positioning of wipers}
- B41J 2002/1655: {with wiping surface parallel with nozzle plate and mounted on reels, e.g. cleaning ribbon cassettes}
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

## Abstract

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects a liquid from a nozzle toward a target which is positioned away from a nozzle forming surface where the nozzle is formed; a wiping member that is capable of wiping the nozzle forming surface; a movement mechanism that relatively moves the liquid ejecting head and the wiping member when wiping is carried out; and a control portion that controls the movement mechanism so as to cause a relative moving velocity between the liquid ejecting head and the wiping member to be lower when wiping is carried out in a case where the liquid is ejected at a second distance of which an opposing distance between the nozzle forming surface and the target is longer than a first distance compared to a case where the liquid is ejected at the first distance of the opposing distance.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
a liquid ejecting head that ejects a liquid from a nozzle toward a target which is positioned away from a nozzle forming surface where the nozzle is formed;
a wiping member that is capable of wiping the nozzle forming surface;
a movement mechanism that relatively moves the liquid ejecting head and the wiping member when wiping is carried out; and
a control portion that controls the movement mechanism so as to cause a relative moving velocity between the liquid ejecting head and the wiping member to be lower when wiping is carried out in a case where the liquid is ejected at a second distance of which an opposing distance between the nozzle forming surface and the target is longer than a first distance compared to a case where the liquid is ejected at the first distance of the opposing distance.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a wiper cassette that holds the wiping member,
wherein the wiping member is formed in a long shape to be configured to move relatively with the liquid ejecting head in a state of being held by the wiper cassette,
the wiper cassette rotatably supports a first roller that winds an end of the wiping member in the longitudinal direction, a second roller that winds the other end of the wiping member in the longitudinal direction, and a third roller that presses the wiping member against the nozzle forming surface, and
the control portion rotates the second roller in a winding direction to cause the wiping member to be wound from the first roller to the second roller when wiping is carried out in a case where the liquid is ejected at a third distance of which the opposing distance is longer than the first distance.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 2,
wherein the control portion causes a winding amount of the wiping member to be larger when wiping is carried out in a case where the liquid is ejected at a fourth distance of which the opposing distance is longer than a third distance compared to a case where the liquid is ejected at the third distance of the opposing distance.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 3,
wherein when wiping is carried out, a moving direction in which a slide section of the wiping member that slides on the nozzle forming surface moves in accordance with winding of the wiping member is equal to a relative moving direction of the liquid ejecting head with respect to the wiper cassette.

### Claim 5

A maintenance method of wiping out a liquid from a nozzle forming surface by relatively moving a wiping member capable of wiping the nozzle forming surface and the liquid ejecting head after the liquid is ejected from a nozzle toward a target that is positioned away from the nozzle forming surface where the nozzle is formed in the liquid ejecting head, the method comprising:
causing a relative moving velocity between the liquid ejecting head and the wiping member to be lower when wiping is carried out in a case where the liquid is ejected at a second distance of which an opposing distance between the nozzle forming surface and the target is longer than a first distance compared to a case where the liquid is ejected at the first distance of the opposing distance.