IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,219,976
Granted Patent B2
US 7,219,976 · App. 11/059,533 · Granted May 22, 2007

Wiping device, droplet discharge device, electro-optical device, method for manufacturing an electro-optical device, and electronic equipment

Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,219,976
App. No.
11/059,533
Granted
May 22, 2007
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wiping unit is provided that wipes a droplet discharge head included in a droplet discharge unit and reduces the likelihood or prevents a cleaner to be sprayed to a wiping sheet from getting dispersed and adhering to peripheral units. A wiping unit included in a droplet discharge unit is provided with a charged electrode, an absorption electrode, and a static elimination brush. A cleaner sprayed by a cleaner spray head is electrically charged by the charged electrode. The charged cleaner is absorbed toward the absorption electrode, and adheres to a wiping sheet that is placed just before the absorption electrode. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the likelihood or prevent the cleaner from getting dispersed and adhering to peripheral units.

Claims (22)

1. A wiping device, comprising:

a wiping sheet that wipes a nozzle surface of a droplet discharge head;

a cleaner sprayer that sprays and applies a cleaner to an applied area on a front surface of the wiping sheet prior to the wiping;

a charged electrode that electrically charges a cleaner sprayed by the cleaner sprayer; and

an absorption electrode that is provided on a back surface of the wiping sheet and corresponds to the charged electrode.

2. The wiping device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

static eliminator that eliminates a static charge from the wiping sheet to which a cleaner is applied so as to prevent a nozzle surface of the droplet discharge head from being electrically charged.

3. The wiping device according to claim 1 , a width of the absorption electrode being slightly smaller than a sheet width of the wiping sheet.

4. The wiping device according to claim 1 , the absorption electrode being separated into a plurality of partial electrodes to each of which a voltage is applied individually.

5. The wiping device according to claim 1 , the charged electrode being roughly ring shaped surrounding a cleaner that has been sprayed.

6. A droplet discharge unit, comprising:

the wiping device according claim 1 ;

a droplet discharge head that discharges a functional-liquid droplet to a work; and

an X-Y moving mechanism that relatively moves a work to the droplet discharge head in an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction.

7. An electro-optical device, comprising:

a film-forming part is provided by discharging a functional-liquid droplet to a work from the droplet discharge head by using the droplet discharge unit according to claim 6 .

8. A method for manufacturing an electro-optical device, comprising:

discharging a functional-liquid droplet to a work from the droplet discharge head so as to provide a film-forming part by using the droplet discharge unit according to claim 6 .

9. Electronic equipment, comprising:

the electro-optical device according to claim 7 .

10. Electronic equipment, comprising:

an electro-optical device manufactured by the method for manufacturing of an electro-optical device according to claim 8 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 17, 2005
From: MORI, TOSHIMASA; FUJIMORI, KAZUYOSHI
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 016282/0638 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2004-048499 · Feb 24, 2004 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20050185016A1 · Aug 25, 2005