Patent ID: 7866787
Filing Date: 2011-01-11
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A maintenance unit for a droplet ejecting device, comprising: a base frame; a sealing unit that is provided on the base frame and capable of sealing nozzles formed in a droplet ejecting head mounted on a carriage, the carriage reciprocating between a droplet ejecting region for ejecting droplets from the nozzles in the droplet ejecting head onto a recording medium and a maintenance region for cleaning the nozzles in the droplet ejecting head, the sealing unit being located on the maintenance region; a guiding mechanism that is interposed between the base frame and the sealing unit and capable of moving the sealing unit in association with a reciprocating motion of the carriage between a first position in which the sealing unit seals the nozzles and a second position in which the sealing unit separates from the nozzles, the guiding mechanism including a first engaging part and a second engaging part, wherein the first and second engaging parts are coupled to the sealing unit, the second engaging part being provided at a side closer to the droplet ejecting region than the first engaging part, the first and second engaging parts being movable according to positions of the sealing unit; and a supporting part that is interposed between the sealing unit and the base frame and comprises a contact surface that contacts the sealing unit when the sealing unit is in the second position, wherein the contact surface is positioned at a side farther from the droplet ejecting region than the first engaging part when the sealing unit is in the second position and is positioned at a side closer to the droplet ejecting region than the first engaging part when the sealing unit is in the first position.