JP5104486B2 - Recording device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording apparatus having a recording head in which ejection openings for ejecting liquid droplets are formed.

  In the recording apparatus, a maintenance unit that performs maintenance of the recording head may be provided. Patent Document 1 describes a recording apparatus having such a maintenance unit. The recording head of Patent Document 1 has a nozzle surface (ejection surface) on which nozzles (ejection ports) for ejecting ink are formed, and the maintenance unit is provided with a blade (wiper) for wiping the nozzle surface. Yes. The maintenance unit wipes the nozzle surface by moving the blade along the nozzle surface while contacting the blade. Thereby, the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface is removed.

JP 2004-142450 A

  According to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-133620, the blade attracts liquid and foreign matter adhering to the ejection surface of the recording head. In this case, when the blade is separated from the nozzle surface, liquid or the like that has been scraped by the blade may remain. If a large amount of liquid remains, it may drop during printing and contaminate the printing paper or contaminate the inside of the apparatus. Further, when the viscosity of the liquid remaining on the nozzle surface increases, there is a possibility that the liquid with increased viscosity may be reattached to the blade.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a recording apparatus in which liquid does not easily remain on the ejection surface of a recording head.

The recording apparatus of the present invention includes a recording head having a flow path unit in which a discharge surface on which a plurality of discharge openings for discharging droplets are formed and a liquid flow path for supplying a liquid to each of the plurality of discharge openings is formed. A groove-forming member having a groove-forming surface on which a linear groove that is a linear groove along the surface is disposed so as to be connected to the discharge surface; and A wiper that wipes the wiper and moves the wiper relative to the discharge surface while contacting the discharge surface and the groove forming surface so as to pass through the discharge port and reach the vicinity of the linear groove The flow path unit includes a stacked body including a plurality of plates stacked on each other, and the discharge surface is included on a surface thereof, and the liquid flow path includes at least the plurality of the flow paths. Formed on at least one of the plates The groove forming member is formed integrally with the flow path unit, and the groove forming surface is included in the surface of the laminate including the discharge surface. A cavity communicating with the linear groove is formed in the laminated body, and the cavity is a groove formed linearly along the surface of the plate inside the laminated body. And a communication hole formed in at least one of the plurality of plates so as to communicate with both the linear groove and the internal groove and extending in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the plate. It is formed in a shape .

  According to the recording apparatus of the present invention, the wiper reaches the vicinity of the linear groove after passing through the discharge port, so that the liquid wiped by the wiper flows into the linear groove. Since the liquid that has flowed into the linear groove does not easily fall, it is difficult to contaminate the printing paper or the inside of the apparatus. Further, since the liquid flows into the linear groove, even if the viscosity of the liquid subsequently increases, it becomes difficult to reattach to the wiper.

In addition, since the liquid droplets flow into the cavities communicating with the linear grooves, more liquid can be made to flow than when only the linear grooves are formed. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively suppress the liquid scraped by the wiper from dropping or reattaching to the wiper.

In addition, a groove forming member can be manufactured by forming a groove to be an internal groove on the surface of the plate and forming the communication hole in the plate and then laminating the plate. Therefore, the groove forming member can be manufactured by a simple process.

  Further, in the present invention, the cavity is open to a region other than the groove forming surface on the surface of the groove forming member, and is disposed in the vicinity of the position where the cavity is opened, and absorbs liquid. Is preferably further provided. According to this, since the absorbing member is disposed in the vicinity of the opening of the cavity, it is possible to cause the absorbing member to absorb the droplet that has flowed into the cavity. Therefore, a larger amount of the liquid that is wiped by the wiper can flow into the cavity.

  Further, in the present invention, the linear groove reaches one end of the groove forming surface, and absorbs liquid disposed near the region where the linear groove is formed at one end of the groove forming surface. It is preferable to further include an absorbing member. According to this, since the absorbing member is disposed in the vicinity of the linear groove, the liquid flowing into the linear groove can be absorbed by the absorbing member. Therefore, a larger amount of the liquid that is wiped by the wiper can flow into the linear groove.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the wiper moving means relatively moves the wiper so as to pass through the linear groove after reaching the vicinity of the linear groove. According to this, since the wiper passes through the linear groove, the liquid more easily flows into the linear groove. Further, when the wiper passes through the linear groove, deposits other than the liquid adhering to the wiper are easily taken into the linear groove.

  In the present invention, the wiper moving means may relatively move the wiper to a position where it comes into contact with the absorbing member after the wiper reaches the vicinity of the linear groove. According to this, when the wiper reaches the vicinity of the linear groove, the liquid that could not flow into the linear groove can be absorbed by the absorbing member.

  In the present invention, the linear groove may extend so as to intersect the moving direction of the wiper. According to this, since the linear groove extends so as to intersect with the moving direction of the wiper, it is possible to allow the liquid to flow in and to easily take in foreign matters other than the liquid adhering to the wiper into the linear groove. Yes.

  Furthermore, in the above-described configuration, in any region that passes through the discharge port on the contact surface that contacts the discharge surface of the wiper when the wiper moves along the discharge surface, the wiper has the groove. It is preferable that the linear groove is formed so as to pass through any part of the linear groove when passing through the linear groove along the formation surface. According to this, since any part of the region passing through the discharge port on the surface of the wiper passes through the linear groove, the foreign matter adhering to the region is taken into the linear groove and is easily removed.

  In the present invention, the linear groove may extend along the moving direction of the wiper. According to this, since the linear groove extends along the movement direction of the wiper, wear that occurs when the surface of the wiper passes the linear groove is less likely to occur.

  In the present invention, the groove forming member has a plurality of protrusions protruding in the direction of droplet discharge from the discharge port, and the linear groove is between the plurality of protrusions. It may be formed. In this case, when the linear groove is passed through the wiper, the liquid droplets or foreign matter adhering to the wiper can be scraped off by the protruding portion.

  Furthermore, in the above-described configuration, an absorbing member that absorbs droplets is installed between the plurality of protrusions, and the absorbing member is disposed behind the ejection surface in the droplet ejection direction. Preferably it is. According to this, since the absorbing member is provided between the projecting portions, it is possible to cause many droplets to flow into the linear groove.

In the present invention, the discharge surface includes a discharge port cap having a lip portion that contacts the discharge surface so that a continuous contact region surrounding all of the discharge ports is formed on the discharge surface, and the wiper includes the discharge surface. And a cap moving means for moving the discharge port cap relative to the discharge surface so that the lip portion is separated from the discharge surface when the wiper is wiped. It has a width across the contact area with respect to the direction orthogonal to the movement direction, and the wiper moving means passes through the discharge port while straddling the contact area with respect to the direction orthogonal to the movement direction. It is preferable to relatively move the wiper. According to this, when the wiper wipes the discharge surface, the wiper is moved across the contact area. For this reason, the liquid etc. adhering to the contact area can be wiped off by the wiper.

Further, in the above configuration, the discharge port cap having a lip portion that contacts the discharge surface so that a continuous contact region surrounding all of the discharge ports is formed on the discharge surface, and the wiper includes the discharge port. A cap moving means for moving the discharge port cap relative to the discharge surface so that the lip portion is separated from the discharge surface when wiping the surface, the wiper moving means, A moving mechanism for moving the wiper relative to the discharge surface from a position separated from the discharge surface to a position in contact with the discharge surface; and when the wiper wipes the discharge surface, It is preferable that the wiper starts to contact from the inner side in the movement direction of the region surrounded by the contact region on the surface. According to this, since the wiper starts to contact from the inside of the region surrounded by the contact region, the region through which the discharge port passes on the surface of the wiper does not contact the contact region before passing through the discharge port. In addition, the wiper can be moved.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the recording apparatus of the present invention includes an ejection surface on which a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting liquid droplets are formed , and a liquid flow path that supplies liquid to each of the plurality of ejection ports. A recording head having a flow path unit formed with a plurality of plates having one surface including the discharge surface and stacked on each other , and a stacking member included in the flow path unit; A wiper for wiping the surface, an internal groove which is a groove formed linearly along the surface of any one of the plurality of plates in the laminated member, The discharge hole while being in contact with the discharge surface and one surface so as to pass through the discharge hole and reach the vicinity of the opening of the communication hole through the discharge hole formed in the laminated member so as to open on the surface Move the wiper relative to the surface. And a wiper moving means for said liquid flow path, at least, the formed at least one of the plurality of plates are formed from a through-hole extending in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the plate, A mesh-like cavity is formed in the laminated member by the internal groove and the communication hole . According to this, the liquid wiped by the wiper can flow from the opening on the surface of the laminated member to the internal groove through the communication hole. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the liquid wiped by the wiper from falling and contaminating the printing paper, or the liquid from reattaching to the wiper.

  According to the present invention, since the wiper is passed through the discharge port and then reaches the vicinity of the linear groove, the liquid wiped by the wiper flows into the linear groove. Since the liquid that has flowed into the linear groove does not easily fall, it is difficult to contaminate the printing paper or the inside of the apparatus. Further, since the liquid flows into the linear groove, even if the viscosity of the liquid subsequently increases, it becomes difficult to reattach to the wiper.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the overall configuration of an ink jet printer (recording apparatus) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The inkjet printer 100 according to the present embodiment executes a printing operation for forming an image on the printing paper P according to image data received from an external device or the like. The ink jet printer 100 includes an ink jet head 1 (recording head) that ejects ink, and a paper transport unit 12 that transports the print paper P to the lower side of the ink jet head 1. An image is formed on the printing paper P by ejecting ink from the inkjet head 1 toward the printing paper P conveyed by the paper conveyance unit 12.

  The inkjet printer 100 has a control unit 40. The control unit 40 controls the operation of each unit of the inkjet printer 100. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the control unit 40. The control unit 40 is constructed from hardware such as a processor circuit and a storage circuit, and software such as program data that causes the hardware to function as each functional unit such as the print control unit 41. The control unit 40 includes a print control unit 41 that controls the printing operation, and a maintenance control unit 42 that controls the maintenance operation of the inkjet head 1. The print control unit 41 performs a printing operation by controlling the inkjet head 1 and the paper transport unit 12. The maintenance control unit 42 performs a maintenance operation by controlling a later-described maintenance unit 140 and the head lifting / lowering unit 11. Details of these control contents will be described later.

  Next, the paper transport unit 12 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the paper transport unit 12 includes a nip roller 15, a transport roller 13, and a transport belt 14. The paper transport unit 12 has a pair of transport rollers composed of two transport rollers 13, and one of the two transport rollers 13 is shown in FIG. 1. The other transport roller 13 is installed at a position horizontally separated from the transport roller 13 shown in FIG. 1 along the sub-scanning direction. The two transport rollers 13 are both long in the main scanning direction. One of the two conveying rollers 13 is driven by a driving device (not shown) and rotates in the direction a in FIG. The other transport roller 13 is supported by the inkjet printer 100 so as to be rotatable in the same direction as the direction a.

  In this specification, the sub-scanning direction is the same direction as the printing paper conveyance direction (the direction from the front to the back in FIG. 1), and the main scanning direction is a direction orthogonal to the sub-scanning direction. It is the direction along the horizontal plane (right side in FIG. 1).

  The conveyor belt 14 is an endless belt wound around the two conveyor rollers 13. The conveyor belt 14 extends in the horizontal direction between the two conveyor rollers 13. The conveyor belt 14 has two surfaces facing each other in the thickness direction, and the printing paper P is placed on the surface of the conveyor belt 14 that is not in contact with the conveyor roller 13. When the conveyance roller 13 rotates, the conveyance belt 14 travels in the rotation direction of the conveyance roller 13 along the surface of the conveyance roller 13.

  In addition, the paper transport unit 12 includes a plurality of nip rollers 15 that are continuous in parallel with the main scanning direction. The nip roller 15 is supported above the transport roller 13 so as to rotate around a rotation axis along the main scanning direction. The nip roller 15 is urged downward by the urging means (not shown) toward the upper surface of the transport belt 14.

  The printing paper P is sent from the paper feeding unit (not shown) to the paper transporting unit 12. When one end of the printing paper P reaches the nip roller 15, the printing paper P is sandwiched between the nip roller 15 and the conveyance belt 14. As the transport belt 14 travels, the printing paper P moves in the sub-scanning direction while being sandwiched between the nip roller 15 and the transport belt 14. As a result, the printing paper P is placed in close contact with the upper surface of the transport belt 14. When the printing paper P passes through the nip roller 15, it is transported along the sub-scanning direction together with the transport belt 14 while being attracted to the upper surface of the transport belt 14. In the present embodiment, a weakly adhesive silicon resin layer is formed on the surface of the transport belt 14, and the adhesion of the printing paper P to the transport belt 14 is ensured.

  Next, the inkjet head 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the ink jet printer 100 has four ink jet heads 1 installed above the transport belt 14. The inkjet head 1 has a substantially rectangular shape that is long in the main scanning direction in plan view. The four inkjet heads 1 are fixed at predetermined intervals along the sub-scanning direction. All of the inkjet heads 1 are arranged at the same position in both the vertical direction and the main scanning direction. A head body 2 having an ink flow path formed therein is provided below the inkjet head 1.

  FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the head body 2. 4 is a partially enlarged view of a section taken along line IV-IV in FIG. An ink ejection surface 2 a (ejection surface) is formed on the lower surface of the head body 2, that is, the lower surface of the inkjet head 1. The openings 108a of the nozzles 108 are arranged in the main scanning direction, and FIG. 3 shows one arrangement example of the openings 108a. The ink discharge surface 2 a is a horizontal and flat surface and faces the conveyance belt 14. An ink flow path is formed inside the head body 2. One end of the ink flow path communicates with each nozzle formed on the ink ejection surface 2a, and the other end of the ink flow path communicates with an ink supply port (not shown) formed on the surface of the inkjet head 1. is doing. The ink supply port is further connected to an ink tank (not shown) that stores ink of different colors for each inkjet head 1.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the head body 2 includes a flow path unit 9 composed of nine metal plates 122 to 130 such as stainless steel. These plates 122 to 130 have a rectangular plane elongated in the main scanning direction. A plurality of through holes and grooves are formed in the plates 122 to 130 by etching or pressing. By laminating these plates 122 to 130 while aligning each other, through holes and grooves formed in the plates 122 to 130 are connected. As a result, the common ink flow path 105 and a large number of individual ink flow paths 132 from the outlet of the common ink flow path 105 to the nozzle 108 through the pressure chamber 110 are formed in the flow path unit 9. The ink supplied from the ink tank through the ink supply port described above flows into the common ink flow path 105 in the flow path unit 9. Further, the ink flows from the common ink flow path 105 to each individual ink flow path 132 and reaches the nozzle 108 through the aperture 112 (throttle) and the pressure chamber 110.

  An actuator unit 21 is fixed on the upper surface of the flow path unit 9. The actuator unit 21 includes a plurality of actuators provided to face each pressure chamber 110 and has a function of selectively giving ejection energy to the ink in the pressure chamber 110. The inkjet head 1 is provided with a substrate and a driver IC (not shown). When a control command is transmitted from the print control unit 41, a drive signal is supplied to the actuator unit 21 through the board and the driver IC. In response to the drive signal, the actuator unit 21 applies ejection energy to the ink in the pressure chamber 110. As a result, a desired amount of ink is ejected from the nozzle 108 at a desired timing.

  On the other hand, the print control unit 41 controls the paper transport unit 12 to transport the print paper P to a facing position facing the inkjet head 1. Then, a control command is transmitted to each inkjet head 1 so that a desired image is formed at a desired position on the printing paper P while the printing paper P is conveyed. The inkjet head 1 that has received the control command ejects ink in accordance with the control command. The ink ejected from the inkjet head 1 lands on the printing paper P on the transport belt 14 and forms dots on the paper. As a result, a desired image is formed on the printing paper P.

  Next, the maintenance unit 140 and the head lifting / lowering unit 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 5. As shown in FIG. 1, both ends of the ink jet head 1 are supported by a head elevating unit 11. The head elevating unit 11 elevates and lowers the four inkjet heads 1 at the same direction and at the same speed. Accordingly, the head lifting / lowering unit 11 can lift and lower the inkjet head 1 while the ink ejection surfaces 2a of the four inkjet heads 1 are arranged horizontally and at the same height. An arrow A in FIG. 5 indicates the up and down direction of the inkjet head 1.

  The maintenance unit 140 is for performing a maintenance operation for holding the ink ejection surface 2a in a good state. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the maintenance unit 140 includes a head cap 141 (discharge port cap), a wiper blade 143 (wiper), a moving table 145, and a fixed table 146.

  The movable table 145 and the fixed table 146 are tables that support the head cap 141 and the wiper blade 143, and both have a horizontal upper surface. The fixed base 146 is a flat plate member that is horizontally fixed in the inkjet printer 100. The fixed base 146 is disposed on the left side of the inkjet head 1 in FIG. The moving table 145 is placed on the fixed table 146 so as to be able to reciprocate in the main scanning direction. An arrow B in FIG. 5 indicates the moving direction of the moving table 145. As shown in FIG. 5, the movable table 145 includes a tray unit 145a and a tray unit 145b. The tray portion 145a is supported by the fixed base 146 so that it can move from the right end to the right in FIG. The tray portion 145b is supported by the tray portion 145a so as to be able to move further to the right from the right end in FIG. 5 of the tray portion 145a.

  The wiper blade 143 is a member having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and is made of an elastic material such as rubber. The wiper blade 143 is fixed near the right end in FIG. 1 on the upper surface of the moving table 145 so as to extend obliquely upward. The wiper blade 143 has a length that straddles the four inkjet heads 1 in the sub-scanning direction. Accordingly, the wiper blade 143 can wipe the ink ejection surfaces 2a of the four inkjet heads 1 at the same time.

  The head cap 141 has a cap base 141a fixed to the upper surface of the moving base 145, and a lip portion 141b fixed to the upper surface of the cap base 141a. The cap base 141a is a flat plate-like member, and the upper surface is disposed horizontally. The lip portion 141b is a protruding member that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the cap base 141a, and is made of a resin material or the like. The lip portion 141b is formed to extend along each side of the rectangle in plan view. The lip portion 141b comes into contact with the ink discharge surface 2a from below. When the lip portion 141b comes into contact with the ink discharge surface 2a, the contact region 141c surrounds the region where the nozzle 108 is formed as shown in FIG. It is comprised so that. Thus, when the ink discharge surface 2a is covered with the head cap 141 as described later, a sealed space surrounded by the ink discharge surface 2a, the cap base 141a, and the lip portion 141b is formed. And the opening 108a of the nozzle 108 is protected from the outside by the sealed space. Four head caps 141 are provided so as to correspond to the four inkjet heads 1. These four head caps 141 are arranged along the sub-scanning direction as shown in FIG. 1, and are arranged so as to have the same positional relationship as that of the four inkjet heads 1 in the horizontal direction. Yes.

  In addition, the maintenance unit 140 has a transport mechanism that transports the movable table 145. This transport mechanism includes a driven roller 147, a driving roller 149, and a driving belt 148. The driven roller 147 and the driving roller 149 are horizontally separated from each other along the main scanning direction, and both are installed in the ink jet printer 100 so as to be able to rotate around a rotation axis along the sub scanning direction. Yes. The drive roller 149 is driven by a drive motor (not shown). The drive belt 148 is wound around the driven roller 147 and the drive roller 149. On the other hand, the movable table 145 is fixed to the drive belt 148 via a fixed portion 144. Therefore, when the driving roller 149 rotates, the driving belt 148 runs around the driven roller 147 and the driving roller 149, and the moving table 145 moves along the main scanning direction via the fixed portion 144.

  For example, when the drive belt 148 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1, the tray unit 145b moves to the right so as to slide relative to the tray unit 145a, and the tray unit 145a slides relative to the fixed base 146. Move to the right. Conversely, when the drive belt 148 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 1, the tray portion 145b moves to the left so as to slide relative to the tray portion 145a, and the tray portion 145a slides relative to the fixed base 146. Move to the left as you do. As a result, the wiper blade 143 can be reciprocated along the ink ejection surface 2a. In other words, in the present embodiment, a moving mechanism (wiper moving means) that moves the wiper blade 143 relative to the ink discharge surface 2a in the surface direction is constructed by a transport mechanism that transports the moving table 145.

  The maintenance control unit 42 controls the maintenance unit 140 and the head lifting / lowering unit 11 to execute a maintenance operation for maintaining the ink ejection surface 2a. The maintenance operation includes a wiping operation for wiping off residual ink from the ink discharge surface 2a and a capping operation for covering the ink discharge surface 2a with the head cap 141.

  In the wiping operation, the maintenance control unit 42 causes the maintenance unit 140 and the head lifting / lowering unit 11 to execute the following series of operations. First, the head lifting / lowering unit 11 moves the inkjet head 1 to a height Z1 (see FIG. 5) above the upper end of the maintenance unit 140. As a result, the wiper blade 143 can pass under the inkjet head 1. Next, the maintenance unit 140 moves the moving table 145 to the right in FIG. 5 and moves it below the ink ejection surface 2a. As a result, the wiper blade 143 reaches the position X1 in FIG. Next, the head elevating unit 11 lowers the inkjet head 1 so that the ink ejection surface 2a is positioned at a height Z2 (see FIG. 5) that is the height of the upper end of the wiper blade 143. As a result, the ink ejection surface 2 a comes into contact with the upper end of the wiper blade 143. FIG. 5 shows a state immediately after the ink discharge surface 2 a comes into contact with the upper end of the wiper blade 143.

  Then, the maintenance unit 140 moves the moving base 145 to the left in FIG. 5 and passes below the ink ejection surface 2a. At this time, the maintenance unit 140 moves the wiper blade 143 while bringing the upper surface of the wiper blade 143 into contact with the ink discharge surface 2a. When the contact surface of the wiper blade 143 with the ink discharge surface 2a passes through all the nozzles 108 and reaches the position X2, the head elevating unit 11 raises the inkjet head 1, and the wiper blade 143 is moved from the ink discharge surface 2a. Separate. In other words, in the present embodiment, a moving mechanism for moving the wiper blade 143 relative to the ink ejection surface 2a in the vertical direction is constructed by the head elevating unit 11.

  By such a wiping operation, the ink adhering to the ink ejection surface 2a is wiped off or scraped to the left from the formation region of the nozzle 108 in FIG. Further, in the vicinity of the opening 108a of the nozzle 108, excess ink is scraped off by the upper surface of the wiper blade 143, and the state of the ink meniscus is adjusted.

  In the capping operation, the maintenance control unit 42 causes the maintenance unit 140 and the head lifting / lowering unit 11 to execute the following series of operations. First, the head elevating unit 11 moves the inkjet head 1 to a height Z1 (see FIG. 6) above the upper end of the maintenance unit 140. Next, the maintenance unit 140 moves the moving table 145 to the right in FIG. Thereby, the movable table 145 is moved to a position where each of the four lip portions 141b with respect to the ink ejection surface 2a of each inkjet head 1 just overlaps the contact area 141c of FIG. Next, the head elevating unit 11 lowers the inkjet head 1 so that the ink ejection surface 2a is positioned at a height Z3 (see FIG. 6) that is the height of the upper end of the lip 141b. As a result, all the nozzles 108 opened in the ink ejection surface 2a are covered with the head cap 141. When the head cap 141 is removed from the ink ejection surface 2a, a series of operations opposite to the capping operation are performed. Thus, in the present embodiment, the head elevating unit 11 constructs a moving means (cap moving means) that moves the head cap 141 relative to the ink ejection surface 2a.

  By such a capping operation, the region where the nozzles 108 are formed on the ink ejection surface 2a is covered and protected by the head cap 141. Accordingly, drying of the ink inside the nozzle 108 and the vicinity of the opening 108a is suppressed, so that change in the ejection characteristics of the nozzle 108 due to drying of the ink is suppressed.

  By the way, in the wiping operation, when the wiper blade 143 wipes the ink ejection surface 2a, the ink is scraped by the wiper blade 143. The object I in FIG. 5 shows the ink scraped by the wiper blade 143 in this way. When the wiper blade 143 is separated from the ink discharge surface 2a, such ink may remain on the ink discharge surface 2a. For example, when the wiper blade 143 is separated at any point in the ink ejection surface 2a as in the present embodiment, the ink scraped by the wiper blade 143 remains at the separation point. Further, even if the wiper blade 143 is moved to the left end of the ink ejection surface 2a in FIG. 5 and passed through the left end as it is, the ink remains in the vicinity of the left end. If a large amount of ink remains on or near the ink ejection surface 2a, the remaining ink may drop and contaminate the printing paper P or contaminate the inside of the inkjet printer 100. In addition, when the ink remaining on the ink discharge surface 2a and the like is dried, the viscosity of the ink increases, and the wiper blade 143 easily reattaches to the wiper blade 143 at the next opportunity to wipe the ink discharge surface 2a.

  Further, the contact area 141c of FIG. 3 on the ink ejection surface 2a is an area where ink, foreign matter, etc. are likely to adhere. Since the contact region 141c is a region where the lip portion 141b of the head cap 141 contacts, the viscosity of the ink attached to this region tends to increase, and foreign matter attached to the lip portion 141b remains in the contact region 141c. It is easy. Accordingly, when such a region is passed through the wiper blade 143, the contact region 141c is wiped and cleaned, but the wiper blade 143 is contaminated and the nozzle 108 is contaminated when the formation region of the nozzle 108 is wiped. There is a risk.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the inkjet head 1 is configured as follows. As shown in FIG. 3, the ink ejection surface 2a is formed with a large number of openings 108a of the nozzles 108, and is a contact area 141c with the lip portion 141b of the head cap 141 so as to surround the periphery. In the ink ejection surface 2a, a linear groove 152 is formed in a region 151 between the contact region 141c and one end of the head main body 2 (one lower end in FIG. 3). The linear groove 152 is formed on the lower surface of the nozzle plate 130 that is the plate in which the nozzle 108 is formed among the plates constituting the flow path unit 9 (see FIG. 7). That is, in the present embodiment, the flow path unit 9 serves as both a member in which the ink flow path is formed and a member in which a linear groove is formed (groove forming member). Therefore, the ink discharge surface 2a includes both the surface (discharge surface) where the discharge port of the nozzle 108 is opened and the surface where the linear groove is formed (groove formation surface). The linear groove 152 is formed by subjecting the nozzle plate 130 to etching or pressing.

  The linear groove 152 includes a plurality of vertical grooves 152a formed in line segments parallel to the main scanning direction, and a plurality of inclined grooves 152b extending obliquely from the vertical grooves 152a. The vertical grooves 152a are arranged at equal intervals in the sub-scanning direction. The vertical grooves 152a all reach the end of the ink ejection surface 2a. A plurality of inclined grooves 152b are provided for each vertical groove 152a, and are arranged at equal intervals along the vertical groove 152a. The inclined grooves 152b are provided symmetrically with respect to the vertical grooves 152a, and each of the two inclined grooves 152b having a symmetrical positional relationship with each other has a “<” character whose both ends are open in the main scanning direction. It constitutes the general shape of the mold. In addition, the formation region of the inclined groove 152b provided in each vertical groove 152a overlaps the formation region of the inclined groove 152b provided in the adjacent vertical groove 152a in the sub-scanning direction. Therefore, the regions where the vertical grooves 152a and the inclined grooves 152b are formed in the sub-scanning direction are distributed without gaps in the region 151 of FIG. Further, the area 151 is distributed more widely than the area where the nozzles 108 are formed in the sub-scanning direction. That is, the linear groove 152 is formed so as to cover the entire area where the nozzle 108 is formed in the sub-scanning direction.

  And as shown in FIG. 7, the internal groove 153 is formed in the surface of each plate of the plates 122-129 which comprise the flow path unit 9. As shown in FIG. The internal groove 153 includes a plurality of linear grooves formed linearly on the surface of each plate along the main scanning direction, and these linear grooves overlap with the vertical grooves 152a in plan view. Is arranged. The internal groove 153 opens at one end (the right end in FIG. 7) of the flow path unit 9. The internal groove 153 may be formed on the upper surface of each plate or may be formed on the lower surface. Further, it may be formed on the upper surface of the nozzle plate 130. The internal groove 153 is formed by performing etching or pressing on each plate.

  Furthermore, a plurality of through holes 154 (communication holes) penetrating each plate in the stacking direction are formed in the plates 123 to 130. The through-hole 154 is formed at each of intersections 152c (see FIG. 3) with the longitudinal groove 152a and the inclined groove 152b in plan view. The through-hole 154 is formed so that the internal grooves 153 formed in the plates 122 to 129 communicate with each other, and the internal grooves 153 and the linear grooves 152 communicate with each other. The internal groove 153 and the through-hole 154 constitute a cavity formed in a mesh shape inside the flow path unit 9.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, an ink absorbing member 161 (absorbing member) is disposed at one end of the head main body 2 (flow path unit 9). The ink absorbing member 161 is a member made of a material such as a porous material having a high ability to absorb ink, and is disposed so as to contact the surface of the flow path unit 9 where the internal groove 153 is opened as shown in FIG. ing. The lower surface 161a of the ink absorbing member 161 is disposed above the ink ejection surface 2a.

  On the other hand, the maintenance control unit 42 of this embodiment moves the wiper blade 143 to the maintenance unit 140 as follows. As described above, during the wiping operation, the maintenance unit 140 first moves the wiper blade 143 to the position X1, as shown in FIG. Here, the position X1 is set so that the wiper blade 143 before passing through the nozzle 108 does not pass through the end of the contact region 141c (see FIG. 3) with which the lip portion 141b of the head cap 141 contacts. Yes.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the position X1 is a region surrounded by the contact region 141c on the ink ejection surface 2a (of the two regions where the contact region 141c is divided on the ink ejection surface 2a). , The region where the nozzle 108 is open) is set inward with respect to the main scanning direction. As a result, when the head elevating unit 11 lowers the inkjet head 1 and the wiper blade 143 contacts the ink discharge surface 2a, the wiper blade 143 starts to contact the ink discharge surface 2a at the position X1 shown in FIG. It has become.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the maintenance unit 140 moves the wiper blade 143 from the position X1 to the nozzle 108 along the main scanning direction to reach the position X2. The position X2 is set in the vicinity of the linear groove 152. When the wiper blade 143 reaches the position X2, the head elevating unit 11 raises the inkjet head 1 and separates the wiper blade 143 from the ink ejection surface 2a. Instead of separating the wiper blade 143 from the ink discharge surface 2a at the position X2, the region 151 in which the linear groove 152 is formed may be completely passed through the wiper blade 143 before the inkjet head 1 is raised. Good.

  According to the present embodiment in which the wiping operation is executed as described above, the following effects are obtained. First, when the wiper blade 143 reaches the position X2, the ink scraped by the wiper blade 143 can reach the linear groove 152. Therefore, these inks can flow into the linear groove 152 by capillary action. The ink that has flowed into the linear groove 152 is unlikely to drop unlike ink that has adhered to a flat surface. Therefore, contamination of the printing paper P and the ink jet printer 100 is suppressed. Further, even if the viscosity of the ink flowing into the linear groove 152 increases, it does not easily reattach to the wiper blade 143.

  Further, the ink that has flowed into the linear groove 152 can further flow into the internal groove 153 through the through hole 154 by capillary action. The internal grooves 153 and the through holes 154 form a mesh-like cavity inside the flow path unit 9 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the ink that has flowed into the linear groove 152 can easily flow into the internal groove 153 and the through hole 154. As a result, the ink scraped by the wiper blade 143 can be caused to flow into the flow path unit 9, so that the ink can be more effectively prevented from dropping and contaminating the printing paper P. .

  Furthermore, the internal groove 153 is open on the surface of the flow path unit 9 (in this embodiment, the side wall surface of the end of the flow path unit 9), and the ink absorbing member 161 is disposed in the opening location. Therefore, the ink that has flowed into the internal groove 153 can be further absorbed into the ink absorbing member 161. As a result, more ink scraped by the wiper blade 143 can flow into the flow path unit 9. Since the vertical groove 152a also reaches one end of the ink discharge surface 2a, the ink in the vertical groove 152a is easily absorbed by the ink absorbing member 161 from one end of the ink discharge surface 2a.

  Further, when the wiper blade 143 is not separated from the ink discharge surface 2a at the position X2 and is allowed to pass through the region 151 while being in contact with the ink discharge surface 2a, more ink is scraped by the wiper blade 143. The inclined groove 152b can be reached. Therefore, more ink can flow into the linear groove 152 more quickly. The inclined groove 152b is formed to be inclined so as to intersect the wiping direction of the wiper blade 143. Therefore, the inclined groove 152b is more likely to take in such foreign matter when the wiper blade 143 passes through the region 151 even when the wiper blade 143 scrapes relatively large foreign matter, compared to the vertical groove 152a. Yes.

  Further, the linear groove 152 is formed in the region 151 of FIG. 3 without a gap in the sub-scanning direction. The area 151 covers an area where the nozzle 108 is formed in the sub-scanning direction. Therefore, when the wiper blade 143 passes through the linear groove 152, any part of the region 143 a that passes through the nozzle 108 on the contact surface of the wiper blade 143 passes through the linear groove 152. As a result, ink and foreign matter adhering to the vicinity of the region 143a are taken into the linear groove 152 and easily removed. On the other hand, the wiper blade 143 is kept clean.

  Further, the wiper blade 143 starts to come into contact with the ink ejection surface 2a at the position X1, and moves to the position X2. The position X1 is set on the inner side in the main scanning direction of the area surrounded by the contact area 141c on the ink ejection surface 2a. Accordingly, the region 143a on the contact surface of the wiper blade 143 does not contact the contact region 141c until it has passed through the nozzle 108 from the position X1. As a result, the region 143a can be wiped away from the region where the nozzle 108 is formed without being contaminated with ink or the like adhering to the contact region 141c.

  The wiper blade 143 has a length that straddles the four inkjet heads 1 in the sub-scanning direction. Therefore, when wiping the ink discharge surface 2a, all the ink jet heads 1 are in contact with the ink discharge surface 2a so as to straddle the contact region 141c in the sub-scanning direction (see FIG. 3). Accordingly, a long region along the main scanning direction in the contact region 141c can be wiped by the wiper blade 143.

  The lower surface of the ink absorbing member 161 is located above the ink ejection surface 2a. Therefore, for example, when the wiper blade 143 is moved while being brought into contact with the ink ejection surface 2a and is allowed to pass through the end portion (lower end portion in FIG. 3) of the ink ejection surface 2a, the wiper blade 143 is applied to the ink absorbing member 161. There is no contact. This suppresses the ink absorbing member 161 from being worn by the wiper blade 143 coming into contact.

  Hereinafter, modifications of the linear groove 152 will be described. FIG. 8 shows linear grooves 252, 352, and 452 that are different from the linear groove 152. In the above-described embodiment, any of the linear grooves 252, 352, and 452 may be formed in the region 151 of the ink ejection surface 2 a instead of the linear groove 152.

  The linear groove 252 in FIG. 8A includes a plurality of vertical grooves 253 in a line segment along the main scanning direction and a plurality of inclined grooves 254 inclined with respect to the main scanning direction. The vertical grooves 253 have the same length, and are arranged in a matrix at equal intervals in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction. The inclined groove 254 is formed so as to connect two vertical grooves 253 having a positional relationship shifted by one in both the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction. For example, in FIG. 8A, the vertical groove 253a and the vertical groove 253d have a positional relationship shifted by one in both the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction. The inclined groove 254a connects the longitudinal grooves 253a and 253d having such a positional relationship. In FIG. 8A, the vertical grooves 253b and the vertical grooves 253c have a positional relationship shifted by one in both the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction. The inclined groove 254b connects the longitudinal grooves 253b and 253c having such a positional relationship. The inclined grooves 254a and 254b intersect so as to form an “X” shape.

  Since the linear groove 252 has the inclined groove 254 inclined in the main scanning direction, the linear groove 252 can be formed without a gap in the sub-scanning direction as with the linear groove 152. Accordingly, the linear groove 252 can be formed so that any part of the region 143 a that passes through the nozzle 108 in the wiper blade 143 passes through the linear groove 252. Also, relatively large foreign matter can be taken in by the inclined groove 254.

  The linear groove 352 in FIG. 8B is composed of only a plurality of linear segment grooves along the main scanning direction. When the wiper blade 143 reaches the vicinity of the linear groove 352, the ink scraped by the wiper blade 143 can be caused to flow into the linear groove 352 by capillary action, similarly to the linear groove 152. On the other hand, according to the linear groove 352, when the wiper blade 143 is passed, compared to the case where the linear groove 152 has a groove inclined from the main scanning direction, the contact on the wiper blade 143 side is reduced. Less resistance acting on the contact surface. Therefore, wear of the wiper blade 143 can be suppressed.

  The linear groove 452 in FIG. 8C is composed of only a plurality of linear segment grooves along the sub-scanning direction. When the wiper blade 143 reaches the vicinity of the linear groove 452, the ink scraped by the wiper blade 143 can flow into the linear groove 452 by capillary action, as in the linear groove 152. In addition, since all the grooves extend along the sub-scanning direction, the ability to remove foreign matters and the like attached to the wiper blade 143 when the wiper blade 143 is passed is enhanced. In addition, since the groove is formed without a gap in the sub-scanning direction, the linear groove 452 may be formed so that any part of the region 143 a that passes through the nozzle 108 in the wiper blade 143 passes through the linear groove 452. it can.

  FIGS. 9A and 9B show still another modified example in place of the linear groove 152. In this modification, a plurality of protruding portions 210 protruding downward are formed on the lower surface of the flow path unit 9. The protrusion 210 has a square planar shape, and is arranged in a matrix at equal intervals in each of directions C and D obtained by rotating the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction clockwise by 45 degrees in FIG. 9A. Has been. As a result, a linear groove along the two-dot chain line in FIG. 9A is formed between the protrusions 210, and the groove is a linear groove in place of the linear groove 152. . Moreover, as shown in FIG.9 (b), all the front end surfaces of the protrusion part 210 are horizontal, and the height is set to Z4. This height Z4 is the same height as the ink ejection surface 2a of the flow path unit 9. Therefore, by moving the wiper blade 143 that wipes the area where the nozzle 108 is formed on the ink ejection surface 2a as it is, the linear groove is formed while the wiper blade 143 is brought into contact with the front end surface of the protrusion 210. Can be passed.

  An ink absorbing member 261 is installed between the protrusions 210. The ink absorbing member 261 is provided without a gap between the protrusions 210 in a plan view, and is disposed above the height Z4 of the front end surface of the protrusion 210 as shown in FIG. 9B. Yes. Therefore, for example, when the front end surface of the protrusion 210 is passed through the wiper blade 143, the wiper blade 143 does not come into contact with the ink absorbing member 261. This suppresses the ink absorbing member 261 from being worn by the wiper blade 143 coming into contact.

  According to this modification, the ink scraped by the wiper blade 143 can flow into the linear groove formed between the protrusions 210. Here, when the wiper blade 143 is moved so as to pass through the protruding portion 210, foreign matters attached to the wiper blade 143 can be scraped off by the protruding portion 210. Further, since the ink absorbing member 261 is installed between the protrusions 210, the ink that has flowed into the linear groove can be held by the ink absorbing member 261. Further, since the linear groove is formed so as to be inclined with respect to the main scanning direction, it can be formed without a gap in the sub-scanning direction like the linear groove 152.

<Other variations>
The above is a description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope described in the means for solving the problem. It is possible.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the linear groove 152 is formed in the flow path unit 9 together with the ink flow path. However, as shown in FIG. 10, the member 270 in which the linear groove is formed may be a member different from the member 202 in which the ink flow path is formed. In this case, as shown in FIG. 10, the members may be arranged adjacent to each other so that the surface 270a on which the linear groove is formed is connected to the ink ejection surface 202a in which the nozzle 108 is opened. . In other words, the wiper blade 143 may be disposed so as to reach the surface 270a as it is without moving away from the ink discharge surface 202a while moving the wiper blade 143 in contact with the ink discharge surface 202a.

  Further, unlike the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11A, the linear groove 152 may not be formed on the ink ejection surface 2a. Even in this case, the ink scraped by the wiper blade 143 can flow into the flow path unit 9 through the through hole 154 opened in the ink discharge surface 2a. Inside the flow path unit 9, a mesh-like cavity comprising a through hole 154 and an inner groove 153 is formed, and ink can be caused to flow into this cavity by capillary action. From the viewpoint of quickly flowing a large amount of the squeezed ink, a plurality of through holes 154 are preferably formed so as to be two-dimensionally distributed at equal intervals.

  In the above-described embodiment, the lower surface 161a of the ink absorbing member 161 is disposed above the ink ejection surface 2a. However, like the ink absorbing member 261 shown in FIG. 11B, the lower surface 261a may be disposed at the same height as the ink ejection surface 2a. In this case, after passing the linear groove 152 through the wiper blade 143, the wiper blade 143 is brought into contact with the lower surface 261a of the ink absorbing member 261 by reaching the ink absorbing member 261 at the same height. Can do. According to this, when ink has still adhered to the wiper blade 143 even after passing through the linear groove 152, the remaining ink can be absorbed by the ink absorbing member 261.

  In the above-described embodiment, the internal groove 153 includes only a linear groove along the main scanning direction. Like the linear groove 152, the internal groove 153 is inclined from the main scanning direction such as the inclined groove 152b. A plurality of grooves may be included. In this case, it is preferable that the internal grooves are formed in a network shape as complex as possible. This is because it is easier for ink to flow.

  In the above-described embodiment, the ink ejection surface 2 a is wiped by moving the wiper blade 143 with respect to the inkjet head 1 in the main scanning direction. However, the ink discharge surface 2a may be wiped by moving the inkjet head 1 in the main scanning direction with respect to the wiper blade 143.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the head elevating unit 11 raises and lowers the inkjet head 1 so that the wiper blade 143 and the ink discharge surface 2a are brought into contact with each other or separated from each other. However, the wiper blade 143 may be moved up and down with respect to the ink discharge surface 2a so that they are brought into contact with or separated from each other.

  In the above-described embodiment, the head elevating unit 11 raises and lowers the inkjet head 1 to cover the ink ejection surface 2a on the head cap 141 or to separate the head cap 141 from the ink ejection surface 2a. Yes. However, the ink discharge surface 2a may be covered or separated from the ink discharge surface 2a by moving the head cap 141 with respect to the ink discharge surface 2a.

  In the above-described embodiment, the through hole 154 is disposed at the intersection of the vertical groove 152a and the inclined groove 152b in plan view. However, the arrangement location of the through hole 154 may not be an intersection and may be any position. For example, you may arrange | position at the end of the longitudinal groove 152a or the inclination groove | channel 152b.

  In the above-described embodiment, a suction unit that forcibly sucks ink from the opening of the internal groove 153 may be provided instead of the ink absorbing member 161.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control part of FIG. It is a bottom view of the head main body of FIG. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of a section taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. FIG. 2 is a side view of the ink jet head and the maintenance unit of FIG. 1 and shows a wiping operation. FIG. 2 is a side view of the inkjet head and the maintenance unit of FIG. 1 and shows a capping operation. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the vicinity of a linear groove formed in the section taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. FIGS. 8A to 8C are views showing modifications of the linear groove in FIG. 3, and are partial bottom views of the head main body. It is a figure which shows another modification of the linear groove | channel of FIG. 9A is a partial bottom view of the head main body, and FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line β-β in FIG. 9A. It is a side view of these members which shows a case where the member in which the ink flow path was formed differs from the member in which the linear groove was formed. Fig.11 (a) is a figure which shows another modification of the linear groove | channel of FIG. FIG.11 (b) is a figure which shows the modification of the ink absorption member of FIG.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inkjet head 2 Head main body 2a Ink discharge surface 11 Head raising / lowering part 40 Control part 41 Print control part 42 Maintenance control part 100 Inkjet printer 108 Nozzle 108a Nozzle opening 130 Nozzle plate 140 Maintenance unit 141 Head cap 141a Cap base 141b Lip part 141c Contact area 143 Wiper blade 152 Linear groove 152a Vertical groove 152b Inclined groove 153 Internal groove 154 Through hole 161 Ink absorbing member 210 Protruding portion 252 to 453 Linear groove 261 Ink absorbing member

Claims (13)

A recording head having a flow path unit in which a discharge surface on which a plurality of discharge openings for discharging droplets are formed and a liquid flow path for supplying a liquid to each of the plurality of discharge openings is formed ;
A groove-forming member having a groove-forming surface on which a linear groove that is a linear groove along the surface is disposed so as to be connected to the discharge surface;
A wiper for wiping the discharge surface;
Wiper moving means for moving the wiper relative to the discharge surface while contacting the discharge surface and the groove forming surface so as to pass through the discharge port and reach the vicinity of the linear groove. And
The flow path unit is composed of a plurality of plates stacked on each other, and has a laminate in which the discharge surface is included on the surface.
The liquid channel is formed from at least a through hole formed in at least one of the plurality of plates,
The groove forming member is formed integrally with the flow path unit, and the groove forming surface is included in the surface of the laminate including the discharge surface.
A cavity communicating with the linear groove is formed in the laminated body,
The plurality of cavities communicate with both the linear grooves and the internal grooves, which are grooves formed linearly along the surface of the plate inside the laminate. A recording apparatus having a mesh shape formed by communication holes formed in at least one of the plates and extending in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the plate . The cavity is open to a region other than the groove forming surface on the surface of the groove forming member;
The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an absorbing member that absorbs liquid disposed in a vicinity of a position where the cavity is opened. The linear groove reaches one end of the groove forming surface;
The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an absorbing member that absorbs droplets and is disposed in the vicinity of a region where the linear groove is formed at one end of the groove forming surface. The wiper moving means, so as to pass through the linear groove after reaching to the vicinity of the linear grooves, according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that relatively moves the wiper Recording device. The recording apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the wiper moving unit relatively moves the wiper to a position where the wiper comes into contact with the absorbing member after the wiper reaches the vicinity of the linear groove. It said linear grooves, a recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that extends so as to intersect the moving direction of the wiper. When the wiper moves along the discharge surface, any region that passes through the discharge port on the contact surface that contacts the discharge surface of the wiper has the linear shape along the groove forming surface. The recording apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the linear groove is formed so as to pass through any part of the linear groove when passing through the groove. It said linear grooves, a recording apparatus according to any of claims 1-7, characterized in that extending along the direction of movement of the wiper. The groove forming member has a plurality of projecting portions projecting in the direction of droplet ejection from the ejection port;
It said linear grooves, a recording apparatus according to any of claims 1-8, characterized in that it is formed between the plurality of protrusions. An absorbing member that absorbs liquid droplets is installed between the plurality of protrusions,
The recording apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the absorbing member is disposed behind the ejection surface in the droplet ejection direction. A discharge port cap having a lip portion in contact with the discharge surface so that a continuous contact region surrounding all of the discharge ports is formed on the discharge surface; and the lip when the wiper wipes the discharge surface A cap moving means for moving the discharge port cap relative to the discharge surface so that the portion is separated from the discharge surface;
The wiper has a width across the contact area in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the wiper;
The wiper moving means is
Wherein with respect to the direction perpendicular to the moving direction so as to pass through the discharge port while crossing the contact area, the recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that relatively moves the wiper . A discharge port cap having a lip portion in contact with the discharge surface so that a continuous contact region surrounding all of the discharge ports is formed on the discharge surface; and the lip when the wiper wipes the discharge surface A cap moving means for moving the discharge port cap relative to the discharge surface so that the portion is separated from the discharge surface;
The wiper moving means is
A moving mechanism for moving the wiper relative to the discharge surface from a position separated from the discharge surface to a position in contact with the discharge surface; and when the wiper wipes the discharge surface, The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wiper starts to contact from the inside with respect to the moving direction of an area surrounded by the contact area on a surface. A recording head having a flow path unit in which a discharge surface on which a plurality of discharge openings for discharging droplets are formed and a liquid flow path for supplying liquid to the plurality of discharge openings are formed ;
A laminating member included in the flow path unit, the laminating member having a surface including the discharge surface and including a plurality of plates stacked on each other;
A wiper for wiping the discharge surface;
An inner groove that is a groove formed linearly along the surface of any of the plurality of plates in the laminated member;
A communication hole formed in the laminated member so as to communicate with the internal groove and open on the one surface;
Wiper moving means for moving the wiper relative to the discharge surface while contacting the discharge surface and the one surface so as to pass through the discharge port and reach the vicinity of the opening of the communication hole. And
The liquid channel is formed from at least a through hole formed in at least one of the plurality of plates,
A recording apparatus , wherein a net-like cavity is formed in the laminated member by the internal groove and the communication hole .

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