Liquid discharge apparatus
A liquid discharge apparatus includes: a liquid discharge head having a discharge face having a nozzle from which a liquid is discharged to a medium; a carriage, to which the liquid discharge head is mountable, and reciprocally movable in a main-scanning direction; a guide supporting the carriage to guide the carriage to move in the main-scanning direction; a cap to contact and seal the discharge face of the liquid discharge head; a suction device connected to the cap; and a cap cleaner, supported and guided by the guide to move in the main-scanning direction, to drop a cleaning liquid to the cap.
1 . A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
a liquid discharge head having a discharge face having a nozzle from which a liquid is discharged to a medium;
a carriage, to which the liquid discharge head is mountable, and reciprocally movable in a main-scanning direction;
a guide supporting the carriage to guide the carriage to move in the main-scanning direction;
a cap to contact and seal the discharge face of the liquid discharge head;
a suction device connected to the cap; and
a cap cleaner, supported and guided by the guide to move in the main-scanning direction, to drop a cleaning liquid to the cap,
wherein the cap cleaner includes:
a dropper to drop the cleaning liquid to the cap;
a channel connected to the dropper to supply the cleaning liquid to the dropper; and
a holder holding the channel and the dropper.
2 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the holder is detachably attachable to the guide.
3 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an elastic member elastically biasing the cap cleaner, to a facing position at which the cap cleaner faces the cap, in the main-scanning direction.
4 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a casing housing the liquid discharge head, the carriage, the guide, the cap, the suction device, and the cap cleaner,
wherein:
the elastic member extendable in the main-scanning direction, and
the elastic member includes:
one end connected to the holder; and
another end fixed to the casing.
5 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein;
the carriage moves to a capping position at which the cap is contactable with the discharge face of the liquid discharge head to push the cap cleaner to be retracted from the facing position.
6 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the cap cleaner includes a pump connected to the dropper through the channel, and
the pump:
feeds the cleaning liquid from the pump to the dropper through the channel in a first direction; or
feeds the cleaning liquid from the dropper to the pump through the channel in a second direction opposite to the first direction in response to a stop of a dropping operation of the cap cleaner to the cap.
7 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the suction device includes a pump.
8 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a flexible tube connected to the channel to supply the cleaning liquid, the flexible tube being a tube pump.
9 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the holder is supported and guided by a first guide rod and a second guide rod of the guide, the first guide rod and the second guide rod being horizontally disposed.
10 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cap cleaner further includes:
a convex portion for buffering an impact on a surface in contact with the carriage.
11 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a cleaning liquid tank connected to the channel to supply the cleaning liquid.
12 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the dropper is connected to a tank through the channel, the tank for storing the cleaning liquid.
13 . A liquid discharge apparatus, comprising:
a liquid discharge head having a discharge face having a nozzle from which a liquid is discharged to a medium;
a carriage, to which the liquid discharge head is mountable, and reciprocally movable in a main-scanning direction;
a guide supporting the carriage to guide the carriage to move in the main-scanning direction;
a cap to contact and seal the discharge face of the liquid discharge head;
a suction device connected to the cap; and
a cap cleaner, supported and guided by the guide to move in the main-scanning direction, to drop a cleaning liquid to the cap,
wherein the cap cleaner is detachably attachable to the guide.
14 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein:
the suction device includes a pump.
15 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a flexible tube connected to a channel to supply the cleaning liquid, wherein the flexible tube is a tube pump.
16 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a holder supported and guided by a first guide rod and a second guide rod of the guide, the first guide rod and the second guide rod being horizontally disposed.
17 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein:
the cap cleaner further includes a convex portion for buffering an impact on a surface in contact with the carriage.
18 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 13 , further comprising: a cleaning liquid tank connected to the channel to supply the cleaning liquid.
19 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a dropper, the cleaning liquid being dropped from the dropper in response to an operation of a pump connected to the channel.