Abstract:
A print device includes a processor and a memory. The memory storing computer-readable instructions which, when executed by the processor, perform processes. The processes include covering processing controlling a cap into a covering state in which the cap covers a nozzle. The processes include first purge processing purging, in a state in which the cap is in the covering state and a supply valve is closed, an ink from the nozzle by operating a pump at a first rotation speed. The processes include injection processing injecting, after the first purge processing and in a state in which the cap is in the covering state and the supply valve is open, the cleaning liquid into the interior of the cap by operating the pump at a second rotation speed to cause the cleaning liquid to soak a nozzle face.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-073078 filed on Mar. 31, 2016, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a print device. 
         [0003]    An inkjet recording device is known that performs a maintenance operation that cleans a nozzle face. When it performs the maintenance operation, the inkjet recording device tightly affixes a cap to the nozzle face of a print head and, by operating a suction device, sucks ink from a nozzle that is provided in the nozzle face. Next, the inkjet recording device injects a cleaning liquid into the cap. Next, the inkjet recording device pulls the cap away from the nozzle face and wipes the nozzle face with a wiping device. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    This method has the advantage that, when the cleaning liquid is injected into the cap, the nozzle face is cleaned by the cleaning liquid&#39;s soaking of the nozzle face, but the cleaning liquid also destroys a meniscus inside the nozzle. When the meniscus is destroyed, ink is discharged from the nozzle into the cap. 
         [0005]    Various embodiments of the general principles described herein provide a print device that, when the cleaning liquid is injected into the cap, cleans the nozzle face, while also decreasing the amount of the ink that is discharged from the nozzle into the cap. 
         [0006]    Embodiments herein provide a print device that includes a head, a cap, a supply flow path, a supply valve, a waste liquid flow path, a pump, a processor and a memory. The head is provided with a nozzle face having a nozzle. The cap is configured to be affixed to the nozzle face and cover the nozzle. The supply flow path is connected to the cap and is configured to supply a cleaning liquid to the interior of the cap. The supply valve is provided in the supply flow path and is configured to open and close the supply flow path. The waste liquid flow path is connected to the cap and is configured to drain off the cleaning liquid that has been supplied to the interior of the cap. The pump is connected to the waste liquid flow path. The memory storing computer-readable instructions which, when executed by the processor, perform processes. The processes include covering processing controlling the cap into a covering state in which the cap covers the nozzle. The processes include first purge processing purging, in a state in which the cap is in the covering state and the supply valve is closed, an ink from the nozzle by operating the pump at a first rotation speed. The processes include injection processing injecting, after the first purge processing and in a state in which the cap is in the covering state and the supply valve is open, the cleaning liquid into the interior of the cap by operating the pump at a second rotation speed to cause the cleaning liquid to soak the nozzle face. The second rotation speed is slower than the first rotation speed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Embodiments will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is an oblique view of a printer; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of the printer; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a section view along the line A-A in  FIG. 2 , when a wiper is in a wiper withdrawn position and a cap is in a covering position; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a section view that shows a state in which the wiper is in a first contact position and a nozzle face wiping operation is being performed; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a section view that shows a state in which the wiper is in a second contact position; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram that shows an electrical configuration of the printer; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a schematic drawing of a maintenance flow path system in a state in which the cap is in a cap withdrawn position; 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a flowchart of maintenance processing; 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a schematic drawing of the maintenance flow path system that shows a state in which the cap has moved to the covering position; 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  is a schematic drawing of the maintenance flow path system that shows a state in which an ink has been pulled from a nozzle into a first area; 
           [0018]      FIG. 11  is a schematic drawing of the maintenance flow path system that shows a state in which the ink has been drained from the first area; 
           [0019]      FIG. 12  is a schematic drawing of the maintenance flow path system that shows a state in which a cleaning liquid has been injected into the first area; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 13  is a schematic drawing of the maintenance flow path system that shows a state in which the cleaning liquid has been drained from the first area. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    The configuration of a printer  1  will be explained with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 7 . The top side, the bottom side, the lower left side, the upper right side, the lower right side, and the upper left side in  FIG. 1  respectively correspond to the top side, the bottom side, the front side, the rear side, the right side, and the left side of the printer  1 . 
         [0022]    Mechanical Configuration of the Printer  1   
         [0023]    The printer  1  is an inkjet printer that performs printing by discharging liquid inks  91  (refer to  FIG. 10 ) from nozzles  112  onto a cloth such as a T-shirt or the like that is a printing medium (not shown in the drawings). The printing medium may also be a paper or the like. The printer  1  prints a color image on the printing medium by discharging downward five different types of the inks  91  (white (W), black (K), yellow (Y), cyan (C), and magenta (M)), for example. In the explanation that follows, among the five different types of the inks  91 , the white ink  91  will be called the white ink. The other four types of the inks  91 , black, cyan, yellow, and magenta, will be collectively called the color inks. The white ink is an ink that is more prone to sedimentation than are the color inks. The white ink is also more prone to discharge failures than are the color inks, due to clogging inside the nozzles  112 . 
         [0024]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the printer  1  is provided with a housing  2 , a platen drive mechanism  6 , a pair of guide rails (not shown in the drawings), a platen  5 , a tray  4 , a frame body  10 , a guide shaft  9 , a rail  7 , a carriage  20 , head units  100 ,  200 , a drive belt  101 , and a drive motor  19 . 
         [0025]    A control portion (not shown in the drawings) that performs control of the printer  1  is provided in a position on the right front side of the housing  2 . The control portion is provided with a display  49  (refer to  FIG. 6 ) and operation buttons  501  (refer to  FIG. 6 ). An operator operates the operation buttons  501  when inputting commands that pertain to various operations of the printer  1 . 
         [0026]    The frame body  10  has a frame shape that is substantially rectangular in a plan view, and the frame body  10  is installed in the top portion of the housing  2 . The frame body  10  supports the guide shaft  9  on the front side of the flame body  10  and supports the rail  7  on the rear side of the flame body  10 . The guide shaft  9  extends from left to right on the inner side of the frame body  10 . The rail  7  is provided opposite the guide shaft  9  and extends from left to right. 
         [0027]    The carriage  20  is supported such that the carriage  20  can be conveyed to the left and the right along the guide shaft  9 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the head units  100 ,  200  are carried on the carriage  20  and are arrayed in the front-rear direction. The head unit  100  is provided to the rear of the head unit  200 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the bottom portions of the head units  100 ,  200  are each provided with a head  110 . The head  110  of the head unit  100  discharges the white ink. The head  110  of the head unit  200  discharges the color inks. 
         [0028]    Each of the heads  110  is provided with a nozzle face  111 , which is a face that has a plurality of the tiny nozzles  112  (refer to  FIG. 10 ) that are capable of discharging the inks  91  downward. The nozzle faces  111  are flat surfaces that extend in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction, and the nozzle faces  111  form the bottom faces of the head units  100 ,  200 . The plurality of the nozzles  112  in the nozzle face  111  are provided in a nozzle disposition area  120 . The nozzle disposition area  120  is provided in the central portion of the left-right direction of the nozzle face  111  and extends in the front-rear direction. 
         [0029]    The nozzle face  111  has nozzle arrays  121  to  124 . Each one of the nozzle arrays  121  to  124  is an array of a plurality of the nozzles  112 . The nozzle arrays  121  to  124  are provided in four separate areas in the left-right direction of the nozzle disposition area  120 . The nozzle arrays  121  to  124  are arrayed as the nozzle array  121 , the nozzle array  122 , the nozzle array  123 , and the nozzle array  124 , in that order from left to right. 
         [0030]    The nozzle arrays  121  to  124  of the head unit  100  are nozzle arrays that are capable of discharging the white ink. Each one of the nozzle arrays  121  to  124  of the head unit  100  is connected through a different white ink supply tube (not shown in the drawings), for example, to at least one cartridge (not shown in the drawings) that stores the white ink. 
         [0031]    Each one of the nozzle arrays  121  to  124  of the head unit  200  is connected through a different color ink supply tube (not shown in the drawings) to an ink cartridge (not shown in the drawings) that stores the corresponding one of the color inks. For example, the nozzle array  121  is connected to a black ink cartridge, the nozzle array  122  is connected to a yellow ink cartridge, the nozzle array  123  is connected to a cyan ink cartridge, and the nozzle array  124  is connected to a magenta ink cartridge. 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the drive belt  101  spans the inner side of the frame body  10  in the left-right direction. The drive motor  19  is coupled to the carriage  20  through the drive belt  101 . The carriage  20  is moved reciprocally to the left and the right along the guide shaft  9  by the driving of the drive belt  101  by the drive motor  19 . 
         [0033]    The platen drive mechanism  6  is provided with the pair of the guide rails (not shown in the drawings) and a platen support base (not shown in the drawings). The pair of the guide rails extend from the front to the rear on the inner side of the platen drive mechanism  6  and support the platen support base such that the platen support base can move toward the front and the rear. The top portion of the platen support base supports the platen  5 . The platen  5  supports the printing medium. 
         [0034]    The tray  4  is provided below the platen  5 . When the operator places a T-shirt or the like on the platen  5 , the tray  4  receives the sleeves and the like of the T-shirt, thus protecting the sleeves and the like, such that the sleeves and the like do not come into contact with other parts in the interior of the housing  2 . 
         [0035]    The platen drive mechanism  6  is driven by a sub scanning direction drive portion  46  that will be described later (refer to  FIG. 6 ). When the platen drive mechanism  6  is thus driven, the platen drive mechanism  6  moves the platen support base and the platen  5  toward the front and the rear along the pair of the guide rails. As the platen  5  conveys the printing medium in the front-rear direction (the sub scanning direction), the inks  91  are discharged from the heads  110  as the heads  110  move reciprocally in the left-right direction (a main scanning direction). The printer  1  thus performs printing on the printing medium. 
         [0036]    Along the path that the heads  110  travel, the area where the heads  110  perform printing will be called the printing area  130 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The area along the path that the heads  110  travel that is outside the printing area  130  will be called the non-printing area  140 . The non-printing area  140  is an area in the left portion of the printer  1 , for example. The printing area  130  is the area from the right edge of the non-printing area  140  to the right end of the printer  1 . The platen  5  and the tray  4  are provided in the printing area  130 . 
         [0037]    Various types of maintenance operations for ensuring printing quality are performed in the non-printing area  140 . For example, the maintenance operations include a flushing operation, an ink purge operation, a cleaning operation, a nozzle face wiping operation, a wiper wiping operation, and the like. The flushing operation is an operation that, before printing is performed on the printing medium, discharges the inks  91  from the nozzles  112  onto a flushing receiving portion  145  that will be described later (refer to  FIG. 2 ). Performing the flushing operation causes the inks  91  to be discharged appropriately from the nozzles  112  immediately after the printing starts. The ink purge operation is an operation (refer to  FIG. 10 ) in which, in a state in which the areas around the nozzle faces  111  are covered by caps  67  that will be described later (refer to  FIG. 2 ), the inks  91  are pulled out of the nozzles  112  by a suction pump  708  that will be described later. The ink purge operation discharges, along with the inks  91 , any air bubbles that have gotten inside the nozzles  112 , for example. It is therefore possible to decrease the possibility that the air bubbles will cause an ink discharge problem to occur. The cleaning operation is an operation that uses a cleaning liquid  92  to clean the nozzle faces  111  to which the inks  91  have adhered (refer to  FIG. 12 ). Note that the inks  91  have a greater viscosity than does the cleaning liquid  92 . 
         [0038]    The nozzle face wiping operation is an operation in which wipers  31  that will be described later wipe off the excess inks  91  and the excess cleaning liquid  92  that are remaining on the surfaces of the nozzle faces  111  (refer to  FIG. 4 ). When the inks  91  that are remaining on the nozzle faces  111  harden and bind to the nozzle faces  111 , for example, there is a possibility that it will become difficult for the inks  91  to be discharged from the nozzle faces  111 . That possibility can be decreased by performing the nozzle face wiping operation. When the inks  91  and the cleaning liquid  92  that are remaining on the nozzle faces  111  make their way into the nozzles  112 , for example, there is a possibility that the meniscuses that are formed in the nozzles  112  will be affected. That possibility can also be decreased by performing the nozzle face wiping operation. The wiper wiping operation is an operation in which absorption members  51  that will be described later wipe off the inks  91  that are adhering to the wipers  31  (refer to  FIG. 5 ). Even if the inks  91  and the cleaning liquid  92  that have been wiped off of the nozzle faces  111  are adhering to the wipers  31 , the performing of the wiper wiping operation is able to decrease the possibility that the inks  91  and the cleaning liquid  92  from the wipers  31  will adhere to the nozzle faces  111  the next time that the nozzle face wiping operation is performed. 
         [0039]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the non-printing area  140  is provided with maintenance portions  141 ,  142 . The maintenance portions  141 ,  142  are positioned below the travel paths of the head units  100 ,  200 , respectively. The maintenance operations on the head units  100 ,  200  are performed in the maintenance portions  141 ,  142  under the control of a CPU  40  (refer to  FIG. 6 ) of the printer  1 . The configurations and operations of the maintenance portions  141 ,  142  are the same. Accordingly, in the explanation that follows, the maintenance portion  141  will be explained. 
         [0040]    As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the maintenance portion  141  is provided with the wiper  31 , the flushing receiving portion  145 , the absorption member  51 , a support plate  149 , the cap  67 , and a cap support portion  69 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the flushing receiving portion  145  is positioned in the right part of the maintenance portion  141  and above a wall portion  74  of a moving portion  63  that will be described later. The flushing receiving portion  145  is provided with a container portion  146  and an absorbent member  147 . The container portion  146  is a container that is rectangular in a plan view and is open at the top. The absorbent member  147  is provided inside the container portion  146  and is a three-dimensional rectangular member that is able to absorb the ink  91 . The flushing receiving portion  145  receives the ink  91  that has been discharged from the head unit  100  by the flushing operation. The ink  91  is absorbed by the absorbent member  147 . 
         [0041]    As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the wiper  31  is provided to the left of the flushing receiving portion  145 . The wiper  31  is able to move up and down. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the wiper  31  is provided below the nozzle face  111 . The wiper  31  extends in the front-rear direction. The top edge of the wiper  31  is parallel to the nozzle face  111 . A wiper support portion  32  is provided on the bottom side of the wiper  31  and supports the wiper  31 . The wiper support portion  32  has a rectangular shape, with its long axis extending in the front-rear direction, and the wiper support portion  32  has a specified width in the left-right direction. The bottom portion of the wiper support portion  32  is able to move in relation to inclined portions  641 ,  642  (described later), which are provided on the moving portion  63 , and comes into contact with the inclined portions  641 ,  642 . The wiper support portion  32  is energized downward by a coil spring  60  that is affixed to the bottom portion of the wiper support portion  32 . 
         [0042]    As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the moving portion  63  is provided with opposing wall portions  651 ,  652  and the wall portion  74  (refer to  FIG. 3 ). The pair of the opposing wall portions  651 ,  652  face one another in the front-rear direction and are substantially triangular in a side view. The opposing wall portions  651 ,  652  are respectively provided with the inclined portions  641 ,  642 . 
         [0043]    The pair of the inclined portions  641 ,  642  face one another in the front-rear direction. The pair of the inclined portions  641 ,  642  are formed on the upper parts of the opposing wall portions  651 ,  652 , respectively, and are components that extend obliquely downward toward the left. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the wall portion  74  is a wall portion that is rectangular in a plan view, and it is connected to the lower parts of the right edges of the opposing wall portions  651 ,  652 , respectively. The wall portion  74  is connected to a second drive portion  195  that will be described later (refer to  FIG. 6 ). The moving portion  63  is moved to the left and the right by the second drive portion  195 . The wiper support portion  32  moves up and down along the inclined portions  641 ,  642  in conjunction with the movements of the moving portion  63  to the right and the left, respectively. 
         [0044]    An up-down position of the wiper  31  and the wiper support portion  32  in which the wiper  31  is separated from the nozzle face  111  and the absorption member  51 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , will be called the wiper withdrawn position. In the wiper withdrawn position, the wiper support portion  32  is in contact with the lower ends of the inclined portions  641 ,  642 . 
         [0045]    An up-down position of the wiper  31  and the wiper support portion  32  in which the wiper  31  can be in contact with the nozzle face  111 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , will be called the first contact position. In the first contact position, the wiper support portion  32  is in contact with the upper ends of the inclined portions  641 ,  642 . In a state in which the wiper  31  and the wiper support portion  32  are in the first contact position, the moving of the carriage  20  to the right causes the wiper  31  to slide along the nozzle face  111 . In that case, the wiper  31  removes the ink  91  and the cleaning liquid  92  from the nozzle face  111 . In other words, the nozzle face wiping operation is performed. 
         [0046]    An up-down position of the wiper  31  and the wiper support portion  32  in which the wiper  31  can be in contact with the absorption member  51 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , will be called the second contact position. In the second contact position, the wiper support portion  32  is in contact with the inclined portions  641 ,  642  slightly below their centers in the up-down direction. 
         [0047]    The support plate  149  is provided between the wiper  31  and the cap  67  in the left-right direction. The support plate  149  is a plate-shaped member that is rectangular in a plan view and that extends in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the absorption member  51  is affixed to the bottom face of the support plate  149  and is supported by the support plate  149 . The absorption member  51  is plate-shaped member that extends in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. The absorption member  51  is able to absorb the ink  91  and the cleaning liquid  92 . 
         [0048]    The support plate  149  is moved to the left and the right by a first drive portion  194  (refer to  FIG. 6 ). 
         [0049]    In a state in which the wiper  31  and the wiper support portion  32  are in the second contact position, the moving of the support plate  149  to the right causes the wiper  31  to slide along the absorption member  51 . In that case, the absorption member  51  absorbs and removes the ink  91  and the cleaning liquid  92  that have adhered to the wiper  31 . In other words, the wiper wiping operation is performed. 
         [0050]    As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the cap  67  and the cap support portion  69  are provided in the left portion of the maintenance portion  141 . The cap  67  is included in a maintenance flow path system  700  that will be described later (refer to  FIG. 7 ). The cap support portion  69  has a box shape that is rectangular in a plan view, and its top face is open. The cap  67  is provided on the inner side of the cap support portion  69 . 
         [0051]    The cap  67  is formed from a synthetic resin such as rubber or the like, for example. A perimeter wall  672  that configures the cap  67  extends upward from the perimeter of a bottom wall  671  that configures the cap  67 . The perimeter wall  672  faces the perimeter of the nozzle disposition area  120  of the nozzle face  111  from below. 
         [0052]    A partition wall  673  that configures the cap  67  extends upward from the bottom wall  671  and is connected to the front edge and the rear edge of the perimeter wall  672 . Therefore, the partition wall  673  divides the area inside the perimeter wall  672  into two parts. In the explanation that follows, the area inside the perimeter wall  672  that is to the left of the partition wall  673  will be called the first area  661 , and the area that is to the right of the partition wall  673  will be called the second area  662 . The partition wall  673  faces a boundary  127  between the nozzle array  121  and the nozzle arrays  122  to  124  from below. A portion of a cap lip  676 , which is formed on the upper edges of the perimeter wall  672 , is at the same height as a portion of the cap lip  676 , which is formed on the partition wall  673 . 
         [0053]    The cap support portion  69  is moved up and down between a covering position (refer to  FIGS. 3 and 9 ) and a cap withdrawn position (refer to  FIG. 7 ) by the operation of a third drive portion  196  (refer to  FIG. 6 ) that will be described later. The covering position is a position where the cap  67  is tightly affixed to the nozzle face  111 , such that the cap  67  and the cap support portion  69  cover the nozzles  112 . The cap withdrawn position is a position where the cap  67  has withdrawn downward from the nozzle face  111 . As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 9 , in a case where the cap  67  and the cap support portion  69  are in the covering position, the cap lip  676  is tightly affixed to the perimeter of the nozzle disposition area  120  of the nozzle face  111  in the head unit  100 , which has moved to the non-printing area  140 . The plurality of the nozzles  112  are thus covered (refer to  FIG. 10 ). The upper edge of the partition wall  673 , which configures the cap lip  676 , is also tightly affixed to the boundary  127  of the nozzle face  111 . The ink purge operation and the cleaning operation are performed while the cap  67  and the cap support portion  69  are in the covering position. 
         [0054]    Electrical Configuration of the Printer  1   
         [0055]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , the printer  1  is provided with the CPU  40 , which controls the printer  1 . Through a bus  55 , the CPU  40  is electrically connected to a ROM  41 , a RAM  42 , a head drive portion  43 , a main scanning direction drive portion  45 , the sub scanning direction drive portion  46 , the first drive portion  194 , the second drive portion  195 , the third drive portion  196 , an electromagnetic valve drive portion  197 , a pump drive portion  198 , a display control portion  48 , and an operation processing portion  50 . 
         [0056]    The ROM  41  stores a control program by which the CPU  40  controls the printer  1 , as well as initial values and the like. The RAM  42  temporarily stores various types of data that are used by the control program. The head drive portion  43  is electrically connected to the heads  110  that discharge the inks  91 . By operating piezoelectric elements that are provided in each one of a plurality of discharge channels in the heads  110  (refer to  FIG. 3 ), the head drive portion  43  causes the inks  91  to be discharged from the nozzles  112  (refer to  FIG. 10 ). 
         [0057]    The main scanning direction drive portion  45  includes the drive motor  19  (refer to  FIG. 1 ) and moves the carriage  20  in the left-right direction (the main scanning direction). The sub scanning direction drive portion  46  includes a motor, a gear, and the like that are not shown in the drawings. By operating the platen drive mechanism  6  (refer to  FIG. 1 ), the sub scanning direction drive portion  46  moves the platen  5  (refer to  FIG. 1 ) in the front-rear direction (the sub scanning direction). 
         [0058]    The first drive portion  194  includes a first drive motor (not shown in the drawings), a gear (not shown in the drawings), and the like. By moving the support plate  149  to the left and the right, the first drive portion  194  moves the absorption member  51  to the left and the right. The second drive portion  195  includes a second drive motor (not shown in the drawings), a gear (not shown in the drawings), the moving portion  63  (refer to  FIG. 3 ), and the like. By moving the wiper support portion  32  up and down, the second drive portion  195  moves the wiper  31  up and down. The third drive portion  196  includes a third drive motor (not shown in the drawings), a gear (not shown in the drawings), and the like. By moving the cap support portion  69  up and down, the third drive portion  196  moves the cap  67  up and down. 
         [0059]    The electromagnetic valve drive portion  197  opens and closes supply on-off valves  721 ,  722 , an air on-off valve  743 , and waste liquid on-off valves  771 ,  772 , all of which will be described later (refer to  FIG. 7 ). The pump drive portion  198  operates the suction pump  708 , which will be described later (refer to  FIG. 7 ). The display control portion  48  controls displays on the display  49 . The operation processing portion  50  takes operational inputs to the operation buttons  501  and outputs the operational inputs to the CPU  40 . 
         [0060]    Structure of the Maintenance Flow Path System  700   
         [0061]    As shown in  FIG. 7 , the printer  1  is provided with the maintenance flow path system  700 . To make the drawing easier to understand, the maintenance flow path system  700  and the head  110  are shown schematically in  FIG. 7 . The maintenance flow path system  700  is a mechanism through which the inks  91 , the cleaning liquid  92 , and air flow when maintenance processing that will be described later (refer to  FIG. 8 ) is performed. The maintenance flow path system  700  is provided with a cleaning liquid tank  705 , supply flow paths  711 ,  712 , the supply on-off valves  721 ,  722 , a gas flow path  733 , a connecting path  734 , the air on-off valve  743 , waste liquid flow paths  761 ,  762 ,  763 , the waste liquid on-off valves  771 ,  772 , the suction pump  708 , and a waste liquid tank  706 . 
         [0062]    The cleaning liquid tank  705  is a container that stores the cleaning liquid  92 . The supply flow path  711  is a flow path that is connected to the cleaning liquid tank  705  and to the first area  661  in the cap  67 . The operating of the suction pump  708  makes it possible for the supply flow path  711  to take the cleaning liquid  92  that is stored in the cleaning liquid tank  705  and supply the cleaning liquid  92  to the first area  661  in the cap  67 . The supply flow path  712  is a flow path that is connected to the cleaning liquid tank  705  and to the second area  662  in the cap  67 . In the same manner as the supply flow path  711 , the supply flow path  712  is able to supply the cleaning liquid  92  to the second area  662  in the cap  67 . 
         [0063]    The supply on-off valves  721 ,  722  are electromagnetic valves that are provided in the supply flow paths  711 ,  712  and that open and close the supply flow paths  711 ,  712 . The gas flow path  733  is connected to the supply flow path  711  at a convergence portion  751  that is located between the supply on-off valve  721  and the cleaning liquid tank  705 . Therefore, the gas flow path  733  is connected to the first area  661  of the cap  67  through the supply flow path  711 . The opposite end of the gas flow path  733  from the convergence portion  751  is open to the atmosphere. Therefore, the gas flow path  733  is a flow path through which air can pass. The air on-off valve  743  is an electromagnetic valve that is provided in the gas flow path  733 , and the air on-off valve  743  opens and closes the gas flow path  733 . The gas flow path  733  is also connected to the supply flow path  712  by the connecting path  734 . One end of the connecting path  734  is connected to a convergence portion  753  between the convergence portion  751  and the air on-off valve  743 . The other end of the connecting path  734  is connected to the supply flow path  712  at a convergence portion  752  that is located between the supply on-off valve  722  and the cleaning liquid tank  705 . Therefore, the gas flow path  733  is connected to the second area  662  of the cap  67  through the connecting path  734  and the supply flow path  712 . 
         [0064]    Note that the gas flow path  733  may also be connected directly to the cap  67 , without being connected to the supply flow paths  711 ,  712 . In that case, the single gas flow path  733  may be divided into two branches, with one branch being connected to the first area  661  and the other branch being connected to the second area  662 . The gas flow path  733  may also be provided in the form of two gas flow paths, with one of the gas flow paths  733  being connected to the first area  661  and the other of the gas flow paths  733  being connected to the second area  662 . The convergence portion  752  may also be located between the cap  67  and the supply on-off valve  722  in the supply flow path  712 , and the convergence portion  753  may also be located between the cap  67  and the supply on-off valve  721  in the supply flow path  711 . In that case, the gas flow path  733 , which is connected to the convergence portions  752 ,  753 , may be provided as a single gas flow path, and the gas flow path  733  may also be provided in the form of two gas flow paths. 
         [0065]    The waste liquid flow path  761  is connected to the first area  661  of the cap  67 . The waste liquid flow path  762  is connected to the second area  662  of the cap  67 . The waste liquid flow paths  761 ,  762  converge at a convergence portion  707  to form the single waste liquid flow path  763 . The waste liquid flow path  763  is connected to the waste liquid tank  706 . The waste liquid tank  706  is a container that stores the inks  91  and the cleaning liquid  92  that have been drained out of the cap  67 . The suction pump  708  is provided in the waste liquid flow path  763 . The operation of the suction pump  708  enables the waste liquid flow paths  761 ,  762 ,  763  to drain the inks  91  and the cleaning liquid  92  out of the cap  67 . The waste liquid on-off valves  771 ,  772  are electromagnetic valves that are provided in the waste liquid flow paths  761 ,  762  and that open and close the waste liquid flow paths  761 ,  762 . 
         [0066]    In the explanation that follows, the supply flow path  711 , the gas flow path  733 , and the waste liquid flow paths  761 ,  763 , all of which are connected to the first area  661 , will be called a first flow path system  701 . The supply flow path  712 , the gas flow path  733 , the connecting path  734 , and the waste liquid flow paths  762 ,  763 , all of which are connected to the second area  662 , will be called a second flow path system  702 . 
         [0067]    Maintenance Processing 
         [0068]    A first purge, a second purge, injection processing for the cleaning liquid  92 , wiping processing, the wiper wiping operation, and the like are performed in the maintenance processing that is shown in  FIG. 8 . The CPU  40  reads the control program that is stored in the ROM  41  and controls the printer  1  to perform the maintenance processing. 
         [0069]    Before the maintenance processing is performed, the cap  67  is positioned in the cap withdrawn position, as shown in  FIG. 7 , and the wiper  31  is positioned in the wiper withdrawn position, as shown in  FIG. 3 . When starting the maintenance processing, the CPU  40  operates the third drive portion  196  (refer to  FIG. 6 ) to move the cap support portion  69  upward, thus moving the cap  67  from the cap withdrawn position (refer to  FIG. 7 ) to the covering position (refer to  FIGS. 3 and 9 ) (Step S 1 ). The cap  67  thus enters a covering state in which it covers the nozzle face  111  (Step S 1 ). Note that if either the air on-off valve  743  is closed or the supply on-off valves  721 ,  722  are closed when Step S 1  is performed, there is a possibility that the air in the interior of the first area  661  and the second area  662  will be compressed when the cap  67  is pressed against the nozzle face  111 . That would create a repulsive force that would make it difficult for the cap lip  676  of the cap  67  to be affixed tightly to the nozzle face  111 . Therefore, when the CPU  40  will perform Step S 1 , that is, before the cap lip  676  is affixed tightly to the nozzle face  111 , the CPU  40  opens the first area  661  and the second area  662  to the atmosphere by opening the air on-off valve  743  and the supply on-off valves  721 ,  722 , as shown in  FIG. 9 . The air inside the first area  661  and the second area  662  thus easily escapes to the outside through the gas flow path  733 , such that the cap lip  676  is smoothly affixed tightly to the nozzle face  111 . Note that the air on-off valve  743  may also be left closed. 
         [0070]    In  FIGS. 9 to 13 , the flow paths that are open based on the open/closed statuses of the individual electromagnetic valves are indicated by bolder lines than the other flow paths. As shown in  FIG. 9 , in the covering state, the nozzle array  121  is provided inside the first area  661 , and the nozzle arrays  122  to  124  are provided inside the second area  662 . 
         [0071]    After the processing at Step S 1 , the CPU  40  performs the processing at Steps S 2  to S 10 . At Steps S 2  to S 10 , the first flow path system  701  is used in the performing of the ink purge operation, the cleaning operation, and the like on the first area  661 , after which the nozzle face wiping operation and the wiper wiping operation are performed. While the CPU  40  is performing Steps S 2  to S 10 , unless otherwise specified, it is preferable for the supply on-off valve  722  and the waste liquid on-off valve  772 , which are the electromagnetic valves that are located in the second flow path system  702 , to be closed. The air on-off valve  743  may be closed, and the air on-off valve  743  may also be open. Accordingly, in the following explanation of the processing at Steps S 2  to S 10 , an explanation of the control of the electromagnetic valves that are located in the second flow path system  702  will be omitted. 
         [0072]    The CPU  40  performs the first purge (Step S 2 ), which draws the ink  91  inside the nozzles  112  of the nozzle array  121  into the first area  661  of the cap  67 , as shown in  FIG. 10 . At Step S 2 , the CPU  40  controls the individual electromagnetic valves such that the cleaning liquid  92  from the supply flow path  711  and the air from the gas flow path  733  are not introduced into the first area  661 . For example, the CPU  40  may close the supply on-off valve  721  and the air on-off valve  743 , and operate the suction pump  708  at a first rotation speed for a first time period. Note that the waste liquid on-off valve  771  may be opened either before or after the suction pump  708  starts operating at the first rotation speed. The first rotation speed may be 3000 rpm, for example, and the first time period may be 1 to 3 seconds, for example. Because the supply on-off valve  721  and the air on-off valve  743  are closed, a negative pressure is created inside the first area  661  by the suction of the suction pump  708  inside the first area  661 . The ink  91  inside the nozzles  112  of the nozzle array  121  is thus drawn into the first area  661 . A portion of the ink  91  that is drawn out may also flow to the waste liquid tank  706  through the waste liquid flow paths  761 ,  763 . 
         [0073]    Next, the CPU  40  performs the second purge (Step S 3 ), which takes the ink  91  that was drawn into the first area  661  from the nozzles  112  at Step S 2  and drains the ink  91  out through the waste liquid flow paths  761 ,  763 , such that none of the ink  91  remains in the first area  661 . In the second purge, the CPU  40  controls the individual electromagnetic valves such that the air from the gas flow path  733  is introduced into the first area  661  without introducing the cleaning liquid  92  from the supply flow path  711  into the first area  661 , as shown in  FIG. 11 . For example, the CPU  40  opens the supply on-off valve  721  and the air on-off valve  743  and operates the suction pump  708  at a third rotation speed for a second time period. Note that the waste liquid on-off valve  771  may be opened either before or after the suction pump  708  starts operating at the third rotation speed. The third rotation speed may be 300 rpm, for example, and the second time period may be 30 seconds, for example. The suction force of the suction pump  708  causes air to flow into the first area  661  through the gas flow path  733  and causes the ink  91  inside the first area  661  to be drained into the waste liquid tank  706  through the waste liquid flow paths  761 ,  763 . 
         [0074]    Next, the CPU  40  performs the injection processing (Step S 4 ), which injects the cleaning liquid  92  from the cleaning liquid tank  705  into the first area  661  of the cap  67  through the supply flow path  711 . The CPU  40  starts the injection processing by operating the valves. For example, the CPU  40  opens the supply on-off valve  721  and the waste liquid on-off valve  771  and closes the air on-off valve  743 , as shown in  FIG. 12 . 
         [0075]    Next, the CPU  40  operates the suction pump  708  at a second rotation speed, which is slower than the first rotation speed at Step S 2 . For example, the second rotation speed may be not greater than 800/3000 of the first rotation speed, or 800 rpm. Note that the second rotation speed may be greater than the third rotation speed at Step S 3 . In a case where the suction pump  708  is a tube pump, the CPU  40  may operate the pump at the second rotation speed for two rotations, for example, but it is not limited to two rotations and may also operate the pump for one rotation and for more than two rotations. When the suction pump  708  is operated at the second rotation speed, the cleaning liquid  92  soaks the nozzle face  111 . The nozzle face  111  is thereby cleaned by the cleaning liquid  92 . At the same time, because the cleaning liquid  92  destroys the meniscuses in the nozzles  112 , the ink  91  is expelled from the nozzles  112  into the first area  661  as the cleaning liquid  92  makes its way into the nozzles  112 . 
         [0076]    Soaking 
         [0077]    The inventor has confirmed that the cleaning liquid  92  soaks the nozzle face  111  in the injection processing under the following conditions: 
         [0078]    (1) The second area  662  that is shown in  FIG. 2  measures 22 millimeters from left to right and 39 millimeters from front to rear, and a distance L from the nozzle face  111  to the bottom face of the second area  662  is 1.1 millimeters. In other words, a surface area S of the second area  662  in a plan view is 858 square millimeters, and a volume V of the second area  662  is 943.8 cubic millimeters. 
         [0079]    (2) The second rotation speed in the injection processing is 300 rpm. 
         [0080]    (3) A surface tension F of the cleaning liquid  92  is 68.5 mN/m. 
         [0081]    Note that the first area  661  that is shown in  FIG. 2  measures 6 millimeters from left to right and 39 millimeters from front to rear, and the distance L from the nozzle face  111  to the bottom face of the first area  661  is 1.1 millimeters. In other words, the surface area S of the first area  661  in a plan view is 234 square millimeters, and the volume V of the first area  661  is 257.4 cubic millimeters. Accordingly, the volume V of the first area  661  is smaller than the volume V of the second area  662 . Therefore, in the injection processing, if the cleaning liquid  92  soaks the nozzle face  111  in the second area  662  under the conditions (2) and (3), then it stands to reason that the cleaning liquid  92  will soak the nozzle face  111  in the first area  661  under the conditions (2) and (3). 
         [0082]    Based on the confirmed results for the conditions (1) to (3) above, it is thought that in the injection processing, the cleaning liquid  92  will soak the nozzle face  111  under the conditions hereinafter described. Specifically, if the volumes V of the spaces within the cap  67  to which the suction pump  708  applies suction are reduced, the amount of the cleaning liquid  92  that is needed to fill the spaces will be reduced. Accordingly, it becomes easier for the cleaning liquid  92  to soak the nozzle face  111 . Therefore, one of the surface area S and the distance L may be reduced in order to reduce the volume V. Reducing the distance L shortens the distance to the nozzle face  111 , so that is desirable for soaking purposes. 
         [0083]    Soaking also becomes easier in the injection processing if the second rotation speed is not less than 300 rpm, because the suction force with which the suction pump  708  draws the cleaning liquid  92  into the spaces inside the cap  67  becomes stronger. If the rotation speed of the suction pump  708  is less than the first rotation speed during the first purge at Step S 2 , then the amount of the ink  91  that is expelled from the nozzles  112  when the cleaning liquid  92  is injected into the cap  67  can be reduced from what it would be if the rotation speed of the suction pump  708  were the same as the first rotation speed at Step S 2 . 
         [0084]    The cleaning liquid  92  also spreads more readily, and soaking becomes more difficult, if the surface tension F of the cleaning liquid  92  is less than 68.5 mN/m. Conversely, the cleaning liquid  92  becomes more resistant to spreading, and soaking becomes easier, if the surface tension F of the cleaning liquid  92  is not less than 68.5 mN/m. Note that the cleaning liquid  92  contains a surface active agent, and if the ratio of the surface active agent increases, the surface tension F becomes greater. The surface tension of the ink  91  is approximately 30 mN/m, and the surface tension F of the cleaning liquid  92  is higher than the surface tension of the ink  91 . 
         [0085]    After operating the suction pump  708  at that second rotation speed, the CPU  40  stops the suction pump  708 . The CPU  40  may stop the suction pump  708  for 1 second, for example. Next, the CPU  40  operates the suction pump  708  once again at the second rotation speed. In a case where the suction pump  708  is a tube pump, the CPU  40  may operate the pump at the second rotation speed for two rotations, for example, but it is not limited to two rotations and may also operate the pump for one rotation and for more than two rotations. The CPU  40  operates the suction pump  708  intermittently at the second rotation speed for a total of seven sets of on/off operation. It is thus possible to reduce the possibility that the negative pressure will become too high. Note that the negative pressure becomes high means that the absolute value of the pressure decreases. Note also that during the on/off operation, the rotation speed and the stop times of the suction pump  708  do not need to be constant. The rotation speed may vary by several hundred rpm, and the stop time may vary by several seconds. The operation and the stopping are also not limited to seven sets and need only to be a plurality of sets. After repeating the on/off operation for seven sets, the CPU  40  terminates the injection processing at Step S 4  and advances the processing to Step S 5 . 
         [0086]    In the injection processing at Step S 4 , the suction force of the suction pump  708  causes the cleaning liquid  92  to flow from the cleaning liquid tank  705  to the first area  661  through the supply flow path  711 , as shown in  FIG. 12 . The cleaning liquid  92  thus fills the first area  661  and soaks the nozzle face  111 . When the cleaning liquid  92  soaks the nozzle face  111 , the part of the nozzle face  111  where the nozzle array  121  is located and the part of the cap  67  that is inside the first area  661  are cleaned by the cleaning liquid  92 . And because the cleaning liquid  92  flows to the waste liquid tank  706  through the waste liquid flow paths  761 ,  763 , the waste liquid flow paths  761 ,  763  are also cleaned. 
         [0087]    The CPU  40  performs discharge processing (Step S 5 ) that discharges the cleaning liquid  92  from the first area  661  through the waste liquid flow paths  761 ,  763 . In the discharge processing (Step S 5 ), the CPU  40  leaves the supply on-off valve  721  and the waste liquid on-off valve  771  open and opens the air on-off valve  743 , as shown in  FIG. 13 , then operates the suction pump  708  at a fourth rotation speed. The fourth rotation speed is 800 rpm, for example. The suction force of the suction pump  708  causes air to flow into the first area  661  through the gas flow path  733  and also causes the cleaning liquid  92  in the first area  661  to be drained into the waste liquid tank  706  through the waste liquid flow paths  761 ,  763 . 
         [0088]    Next, the CPU  40  operates the third drive portion  196  (refer to  FIG. 6 ) to form a gap between the nozzle face  111  and the perimeter of the cap  67  (Step S 6 ). The operating of the third drive portion  196  may cause the cap support portion  69  to tilt in relation to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, for example. Note that the suction pump  708  is not operated during the processing at Step S 6 . 
         [0089]    Next, the CPU  40  leaves the waste liquid on-off valve  771  open and closes the supply on-off valve  721  and the air on-off valve  743 , then operates the suction pump  708  (Step S 7 ). The suction force of the suction pump  708  causes air to flow into the first area  661  through the gap in the perimeter of the cap  67 . The inflowing air removes bubbles of the cleaning liquid  92  that are clinging to the cap lip  676  and causes the removed bubbles to flow to the waste liquid tank  706  through the waste liquid flow paths  761 ,  763 . 
         [0090]    Next, the CPU  40  operates the third drive portion  196  to move the cap support portion  69  downward, thus moving the cap  67  to the cap withdrawn position (refer to  FIG. 7 ) (Step S 8 ). The cap  67  thus enters a non-covering state in which the cap  67  no longer covers the nozzle face  111 . 
         [0091]    Next, the CPU  40  performs the wiping processing (Step S 9 ), which performs the nozzle face wiping operation. At Step S 9 , the CPU  40  operates the second drive portion  195  (refer to  FIG. 6 ) to move the wiper  31  and the wiper support portion  32  from the wiper withdrawn position (refer to  FIG. 3 ) to the first contact position, as shown in  FIG. 4 . The CPU  40  operates the main scanning direction drive portion  45  (refer to  FIG. 6 ) to move the carriage  20  toward the right. The wiper  31  thus slides along the nozzle face  111  and wipes off the cleaning liquid  92  and the ink  91  that are remaining on the surface of the nozzle face  111 . Note that it is also acceptable to perform the nozzle face wiping operation only in the wiping processing at Step S 19 , which will be described later, without performing the wiping processing at Step S 9 . 
         [0092]    Next, the CPU  40  performs the wiper wiping operation (Step S 10 ). At Step S 10 , the CPU  40  operates the second drive portion  195  to move the wiper  31  and the wiper support portion  32  from the first contact position (refer to  FIG. 4 ) to the second contact position, as shown in  FIG. 5 . The CPU  40  operates the first drive portion  194  to move the absorption member  51  toward the right. The bottom face of the absorption member  51  thus slides along the wiper  31  and wipes off the cleaning liquid  92  and the ink  91  that are adhering to the wiper  31 . The CPU  40  operates the second drive portion  195  to move the wiper  31  from the second contact position (refer to  FIG. 5 ) to the wiper withdrawn position (refer to  FIG. 3 ). The CPU  40  operates the first drive portion  194  (refer to  FIG. 6 ) to move the support plate  149  and the absorption member  51 , which have moved to the right, toward the left. The CPU  40  operates the main scanning direction drive portion  45  to move the carriage  20  toward the left and position the nozzle face  111  above the cap  67 . Note that it is also acceptable to perform the wiping off of the cleaning liquid  92  and the ink  91  that are adhering to the wiper  31  only in the wiper wiping operation at Step S 20 , which will be described later, without performing the wiper wiping operation at Step S 10 . 
         [0093]    Next, in the same manner as at Step S 1 , the CPU  40  operates the third drive portion  196  (refer to  FIG. 6 ) to move the cap support portion  69  upward, thus moving the cap  67  from the cap withdrawn position (refer to  FIG. 7 ) to the covering position (refer to  FIGS. 3 and 9 ) (Step S 11 ). The cap  67  thus enters the covering state in which the cap  67  covers the nozzle face  111 . 
         [0094]    Next, the processing at Steps S 12  to S 20  is performed. At Steps S 12  to S 20 , the second flow path system  702  is used in the performing of the first purge, the second purge, the cleaning liquid  92  injection processing, and the like on the second area  662 , and then the wiping processing and the wiper wiping operation are performed. In other words, the same sort of processing that was performed on the first area  661  at Steps S 2  to S 10  is performed on the second area  662 . The processing at Steps S 12  to S 20  corresponds to the processing at Steps S 2  to S 10 , so in the explanation that follows, certain details will be omitted. While the CPU  40  is performing Steps S 12  to S 20 , unless otherwise specified, it is preferable for the supply on-off valve  721  and the waste liquid on-off valve  771 , which are the electromagnetic valves that are located in the first flow path system  701 , to be closed. The air on-off valve  743  may be closed, and the air on-off valve  743  may also be open. Accordingly, in the following explanation of the processing at Steps S 12  to S 20 , an explanation of the control of the electromagnetic valves that are located in the first flow path system  701  will be omitted. 
         [0095]    The CPU  40  performs the first purge (Step S 12 ), which draws the ink  91  inside the nozzles  112  of the nozzle arrays  122  to  124  into the second area  662  of the cap  67 . At Step S 12 , the CPU  40  controls the individual electromagnetic valves such that the cleaning liquid  92  from the supply flow path  712  and the air from the gas flow path  733  are not introduced into the second area  662 . For example, the CPU  40  may close the supply on-off valve  722  and the air on-off valve  743 , then operate the suction pump  708  at the first rotation speed for the first time period (Step S 12 ). Note that the waste liquid on-off valve  772  may be opened either before or after the suction pump  708  starts operating at the first rotation speed. The ink  91  inside the nozzles  112  in the nozzle arrays  122  to  124  is thus drawn into the second area  662  (Step S 12 ), in the same manner that the ink  91  was drawn into the first area  661 , as shown in  FIG. 10 . 
         [0096]    Next, the CPU  40  performs the second purge (Step S 13 ), which takes the ink  91  that was drawn into the second area  662  from the nozzles  112  at Step S 12  and drains the ink  91  out through the waste liquid flow paths  762 ,  763 , such that none of the ink  91  remains in the second area  662 . In the second purge, the CPU  40  controls the individual electromagnetic valves such that the air from the gas flow path  733  is introduced into the second area  662  without introducing the cleaning liquid  92  from the supply flow path  712  into the second area  662 . For example, the CPU  40  opens the supply on-off valve  722  and the air on-off valve  743  and operates the suction pump  708  at the third rotation speed for the second time period (Step S 13 ). Note that the waste liquid on-off valve  772  may be opened either before or after the suction pump  708  starts operating at the third rotation speed. The ink  91  inside the second area  662  is thus drained into the waste liquid tank  706  through the waste liquid flow paths  762 ,  763 , in the same way that is shown in  FIG. 11  for the first area  661 . 
         [0097]    Next, the CPU  40  performs the injection processing (Step S 14 ), which injects the cleaning liquid  92  from the cleaning liquid tank  705  into the second area  662  of the cap  67  through the supply flow path  712 . The CPU  40  starts the injection processing by operating the valves. For example, the CPU  40  opens the supply on-off valve  722  and the waste liquid on-off valve  772  and closes the air on-off valve  743 . Next, the CPU  40  operates the suction pump  708  at the second rotation speed, which is slower than the first rotation speed at Step S 12 . Note that the second rotation speed may be greater than the third rotation speed at Step S 13 . In a case where the suction pump  708  is a tube pump, the CPU  40  may operate the pump at the second rotation speed for two rotations, for example, but it is not limited to two rotations and may also operate the pump for one rotation and for more than two rotations. The surface area S of the second area  662  in a plan view is greater than the surface area S of the first area  661 , and the injection processing is performed in accordance with the conditions that were described previously. Therefore, when the suction pump  708  is operated at the second rotation speed, the cleaning liquid  92  fills the second area  662 , and the cleaning liquid  92  soaks the nozzle face  111 . The nozzle face  111  is thereby cleaned by the cleaning liquid  92 . At the same time, because the cleaning liquid  92  destroys the meniscuses in the nozzles  112 , the ink  91  is expelled from the nozzles  112  into the second area  662  as the cleaning liquid  92  makes its way into the nozzles  112 . 
         [0098]    After operating the suction pump  708  at that second rotation speed, the CPU  40  stops the suction pump  708 . The CPU  40  may stop the suction pump  708  for 1 second, for example. Next, the CPU  40  operates the suction pump  708  once again at the second rotation speed. In a case where the suction pump  708  is a tube pump, the CPU  40  may operate the pump at the second rotation speed for two rotations, for example, but it is not limited to two rotations and may also operate the pump for one rotation and for more than two rotations. The CPU  40  repeats the on/off operation for a total of seven sets. When the cleaning liquid  92  soaks the nozzle face  111 , the part of the nozzle face  111  where the nozzle arrays  122  to  124  are located and the part of the cap  67  that is inside the second area  662  are cleaned by the cleaning liquid  92 . And because the cleaning liquid  92  flows to the waste liquid tank  706  through the waste liquid flow paths  762 ,  763 , the waste liquid flow paths  762 ,  763  are also cleaned. 
         [0099]    Next, the CPU  40  performs the discharge processing (Step S 15 ), which discharges the cleaning liquid  92  from the second area  662  through the waste liquid flow paths  762 ,  763 . In the discharge processing (Step S 15 ), the CPU  40  leaves the supply on-off valve  722  and the waste liquid on-off valve  772  open and opens the air on-off valve  743 , then operates the suction pump  708  at the fourth rotation speed. The suction force of the suction pump  708  causes air to flow into the second area  662  through the gas flow path  733  and also causes the cleaning liquid  92  in the second area  662  to be drained into the waste liquid tank  706  through the waste liquid flow paths  762 ,  763 , in the same way that is shown in  FIG. 13  for the first area  661 . 
         [0100]    Next, the CPU  40  operates the third drive portion  196  (refer to  FIG. 6 ) to form a gap between the nozzle face  111  and the perimeter of the cap  67  (Step S 16 ). Next, the CPU  40  leaves the waste liquid on-off valve  772  open and closes the supply on-off valve  722  and the air on-off valve  743 , then operates the suction pump  708  (Step S 17 ). The suction force of the suction pump  708  causes air to flow into the second area  662  through the gap in the perimeter of the cap  67  in the same way that was done for the first area  661 . The inflowing air removes bubbles of the cleaning liquid  92  that are clinging to the cap lip  676  and causes the removed bubbles to flow to the waste liquid tank  706  through the waste liquid flow paths  762 ,  763 . 
         [0101]    Next, the CPU  40  operates the third drive portion  196  to move the cap support portion  69  downward, thus moving the cap  67  to the cap withdrawn position (refer to  FIG. 7 ) (Step S 18 ). The cap  67  thus enters the non-covering state, in which the cap  67  no longer covers the nozzle face  111 , in the same way that was done for the first area  661 . 
         [0102]    Next, in the same manner as at Step S 9 , the CPU  40  performs the wiping processing (Step S 19 ), which performs the nozzle face wiping operation. Next, in the same manner as at Step S 10 , the CPU  40  performs the wiper wiping operation (Step S 20 ). Next, in the same manner as at Step S 11 , the CPU  40  operates the third drive portion  196  (refer to  FIG. 6 ) to move the cap support portion  69  upward, thus moving the cap  67  from the cap withdrawn position (refer to  FIG. 7 ) to the covering position (refer to  FIGS. 3 and 9 ) (Step S 21 ). The cap  67  thus enters the covering state in which the cap  67  covers the nozzle face  111 . Next, the CPU  40  terminates the processing, leaving the cap  67  in the covering state. In other words, the state in which the nozzles  112  that are provided in the nozzle face  111  are covered by the cap  67  is continued. 
         [0103]    As described above, after the first purge (Step S 2 ), with the cap  67  in the covering state on the nozzle face  111 , and with the supply on-off valve  721  in the open state, the CPU  40  performs the injection processing (Step S 4 ) by operating the suction pump  708  at the second rotation speed, which is slower than the first rotation speed. In the injection processing (Step S 4 ), the cleaning liquid  92  is injected into the cap  67  and soaks the nozzle face  111 . Because the suction pump  708  is operated at the second rotation speed, which is slower than the first rotation speed, the negative pressure within the cap  67  is lower than it would be if the suction pump  708  were operated at the first rotation speed. If the suction pump  708  were to be operated at the first rotation speed in the injection processing (Step S 4 ), the negative pressure within the cap  67  would become higher. Because the ink  91  has a higher viscosity than the cleaning liquid  92  and the higher negative pressure would cause the ink  91  to be drawn out of the nozzles  112  more readily, the ratio of the ink  91  that would be drained out become increase. Therefore, operating the suction pump  708  at the second rotation speed makes it possible to decrease the amount of the ink  91  that is discharged from the nozzles  112  below the amount that would be discharged if the suction pump  708  were to be operated at the same first rotation speed as at Step S 2 . Therefore, when the cleaning liquid  92  is injected into the cap  67 , the amount of the ink  91  that is discharged into the cap  67  from the nozzles  112  as the nozzle face  111  is cleaned can be reduced. The injection processing for the second area  662  (Step S 14 ) is performed in the same manner. 
         [0104]    In the injection processing (Step S 4 ), the CPU  40  operates the suction pump  708  intermittently. When the suction pump  708  is operating, the negative pressure inside the cap  67  becomes higher, and when the operation of the suction pump  708  stops, the negative pressure inside the cap  67  becomes lower. Therefore, when the suction pump  708  is operated intermittently, the negative pressure inside the cap  67  can be inhibited from becoming too high more easily than when the suction pump  708  is operated continuously. Therefore, when the cleaning liquid  92  is injected into the cap  67  and soaks the nozzle face  111 , the amount of the ink  91  that is discharged from the nozzles  112  due to the higher negative pressure inside the cap  67  can be reduced below what it would be if the suction pump  708  were to be operated continuously. That is, the ratio of the ink  91  in the discharged liquid can be reduced. The injection processing for the second area  662  (Step S 14 ) is performed in the same manner. 
         [0105]    In the injection processing (Step S 4 ), the CPU  40  operates the suction pump  708  at the second rotation speed, which is not greater than 800/3000 of the first rotation speed. Therefore, the injection speed of the cleaning liquid  92  is not as fast as it would be if the suction pump  708  were operated at the first rotation speed, so the cleaning liquid  92  can be discharged to the waste liquid flow paths  761 ,  763  more reliably as it soaks the nozzle face  111 . The injection processing for the second area  662  (Step S 14 ) is performed in the same manner. 
         [0106]    The CPU  40  performs the second purge (Step S 3 ) between the first purge (Step S 2 ) and the injection processing (Step S 4 ). In the second purge (Step S 3 ), the CPU  40  operates the suction pump  708  at the third rotation speed to take the ink  91  that has been discharged from the nozzles  112  and drain it out through the waste liquid flow paths  761 ,  763 . In the injection processing (Step S 4 ), the CPU  40  operates the suction pump  708  at the second rotation speed, which is greater than the third rotation speed. Therefore, the second purge (Step S 3 ) is able to use air to discharge the ink  91  that is discharged from the nozzles  112  during the first purge (Step S 2 ). The ink  91  that remains inside the cap  67  can be reduced accordingly. In the injection processing (Step S 4 ), the suction pump  708  is operated at the second rotation speed, which is greater than the third rotation speed, so the cleaning liquid  92  can soak the nozzle face  111  more reliably. 
         [0107]    In the injection processing (Step S 4 ), the cleaning liquid  92  soaks the nozzle face  111 , and the nozzle face  111  is cleaned by the cleaning liquid  92 . Therefore, fewer of the constituents of the ink  91  remain on the nozzle face  111  than would be the case if the nozzle face  111  were not cleaned by the cleaning liquid  92 . In other words, the ink  91  is diluted by the cleaning liquid  92 . Therefore, the ratio of the ink  91  in the liquid that splatters off of the nozzle face  111  and the wiper  31  can be reduced by the wiping processing (Step S 9 ). Furthermore, because the amount of the ink  91  that adheres to the wiper  31  is reduced, the replacement interval for the absorption member  51 , which wipes off the ink  91  that adheres to the wiper  31 , can be lengthened. 
         [0108]    The viscosity of the ink  91  is higher than that of the cleaning liquid  92 , due to constituents such as resins and the like that are contained in the ink  91 . The cleaning liquid  92  cleans the nozzle face  111  by soaking the nozzle face  111 , so the wiping processing (Steps S 9 , S 19 ) removes the high-viscosity ink  91  from the nozzle face  111  more easily than would be the case if the nozzle face  111  was not soaked, such that the ink  91  adhered to nozzle face  111  without being diluted by the cleaning liquid  92 . Accordingly, the possibility can be reduced that the ink  91  will remain, hardening and binding to the nozzle face  111 . The nozzles  112  are therefore more resistant to clogging, and the possibility that the printing quality will be impaired can be reduced. 
         [0109]    After the ink  91  that has been discharged from the nozzles  112  has been drained out of the cap  67  (refer to  FIG. 11 ) by the second purge (Steps S 3 , S 13 ), the cleaning liquid  92  is supplied to the cap  67  in the injection processing (Steps S 4 , S 14 ), and the nozzle face  111  is cleaned (refer to  FIG. 12 ). Therefore, the amount of the ink  91  that remains in the cap  67  is less than would be the case if the cleaning liquid  92  were supplied to the cap  67  in a state in which the ink  91  that had been discharged from the nozzles  112  had not been drained out. The nozzle face  111  can therefore be cleaned thoroughly, because, in the cleaning liquid  92  that has been injected by the injection processing (Steps S 4 , S 14 ) and that soaks the nozzle face  111 , the ratio of the ink  91  has been reduced. Accordingly, the nozzle face  111  is cleaned more reliably. The nozzles  112  are therefore more resistant to clogging, and the possibility that the printing quality will be impaired can be reduced. 
         [0110]    The second purge (Steps S 3 , S 13 ) is also performed, so the amount of the ink  91  that remains in the cap  67  is less than would be the case if the ink  91  that was discharged from the nozzles  112  were not drained out. The amount of the ink  91  that adheres to the nozzle face  111  is thereby reduced, and the amount of the cleaning liquid  92  for diluting and cleaning off the adhered ink  91  is also reduced. Therefore, the nozzle face  111  can be cleaned, even as the amount of the cleaning liquid  92  that is used is reduced. The nozzles  112  are therefore more resistant to clogging, and the possibility that the printing quality will be impaired can be reduced. 
         [0111]    Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment that is described above, and various types of modifications can be made. For example, it is acceptable for the partition wall  673  not to be provided in the cap  67 . In that case, the first area  661  and the second area  662  would also cease to exist, so it would be possible to inject the cleaning liquid  92  into the interior of the cap  67  only once, and to remove the cleaning liquid  92  only once. 
         [0112]    The head  110  of the head unit  200  discharges the color inks cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, so it is preferable for the cap  67  of the head unit  200  to have a separate area for each color, so as to avoid mixing the colors. However, if the composition of the black ink is different from the composition of the cyan, magenta, and yellow inks, the first area  661  may be provided in the cap  67  for the black ink only, with the second area  662  being provided for the cyan, magenta, and yellow inks. On the other hand, the head unit  100  discharges the white ink from all four of the nozzle arrays  121  to  124 , so the cap  67  of the head unit  100  does not need to be divided into separate areas. However, in order to reduce the cost, it is preferable for the cap  67  of the head unit  100  to be the same as the cap  67  of the head unit  200 . That would create the first area  661  and the second area  662  with different volumes, as described previously, so the injection processing would be performed separately for the first area  661  and the second area  662 . In a case where the cap  67  is divided into the first area  661  and the second area  662 , the second area  662  has a greater volume than does the first area  661 . Therefore, if suction is applied to both areas at once, the nozzle arrays  122  to  124  that face the second area  662  would be harder to soak than the nozzle array  121  that faces the first area  661 . 
         [0113]    Therefore, in the embodiment that is described above, the maintenance processing for the first area  661  and the maintenance processing for the second area  662  are performed separately. In this case, the suction pump  708  does not apply suction through two flow paths simultaneously, such that the liquid is not drawn only from the side where the load is lighter. One example of the side where the load is lighter would be the first area  661  of the cap  67 , whose volume is smaller than that of the second area  662 . Another example would be if one of the first area  661  and the second area  662  had a shape that made it easier to drain out the liquid. Yet another example would be if one of the waste liquid flow paths  761 ,  762  was connected to the corresponding one of the first area  661  and the second area  662  in a position made it easier to drain out the liquid. It is therefore possible to draw out precisely the intended amounts of liquid from each one of the first area  661  and the second area  662  inside the cap  67 . Accordingly, the nozzle faces  111  that respectively correspond to the first area  661  and the second area  662  are easily soaked. 
         [0114]    The maintenance processing may also be performed first for the second area  662  (Steps S 11  to S 20 ) and then for the first area  661  (Steps S 1  to S 10 ). The maintenance processing may also be performed in the sequence Step S 1 , Step S 12 , Step S 13 , Step S 2 , Step S 3 , Step S 4 , Step S 14 , Step  5 , Step S 15 , Steps S 6  and S 16 , Steps S 7  and S 17 , Steps S 8  and S 18 , Steps S 10  and S 20 , and Step S 21 . In that case, the operations could be performed more efficiently, because the number of times that the air on-off valve  743  is switched between open and closed, the number of times that the suction pump  708  is started and stopped, the control that changes the rotation speed of the suction pump  708 , the number of times that the head  110  moves, and the number of times that the cap  67  moves up and down would all be decreased. 
         [0115]    The CPU  40  may also perform the injection processing (Steps S 4 , S 14 ) as hereinafter described. In the injection processing, the CPU  40  first operates the valves. For example, the CPU  40  opens the supply on-off valve  721  and the waste liquid on-off valve  771  and closes the air on-off valve  743 , as shown in  FIG. 12 . Next, the CPU  40  performs first injection processing. In the first injection processing, the CPU  40  operates the suction pump  708  at the second rotation speed for a specified number of rotations. The second rotation speed may be 800 rpm, for example. Note that the second rotation speed may be greater than the third rotation speed at Step S 3 . In a case where the suction pump  708  is a tube pump, the CPU  40  may operate the pump at the second rotation speed for two rotations, for example, but it is not limited to two rotations and may also operate the pump for one rotation and for more than two rotations. When the suction pump  708  is operated at the second rotation speed, the cleaning liquid  92  soaks the nozzle face  111 . 
         [0116]    Next, the CPU  40  stops the suction pump  708 . The CPU  40  may stop the suction pump  708  for 1 second, for example. Next, the CPU  40  performs second injection processing. In the second injection processing, the CPU  40  operates the suction pump  708  at a fifth rotation speed for a specified number of rotations. The fifth rotation speed is slower than the second rotation speed, and may be 200 rpm, for example. In a case where the suction pump  708  is a tube pump, the CPU  40  may operate the pump at the fifth rotation speed for two rotations, for example, but it is not limited to two rotations and may also operate the pump for one rotation and for more than two rotations. Specifically, in the second injection processing, the CPU  40  operates the suction pump  708  at the fifth rotation speed, at which the cleaning liquid  92  dopes not soak the nozzle face  111 . Next, the CPU  40  stops the suction pump  708 . The CPU  40  performs a total of three sets of on/off operation, for example, with each set consisting of the first injection processing, stopping, the second injection processing, and stopping. In the modified example of the injection processing, as described above, times when the cleaning liquid  92  soaks the nozzle face  111  and does not soak the nozzle face  111  are repeated, but the first injection processing and the second injection processing do not necessary have to alternate. The first injection processing may also be performed continuously, and the second injection processing may also be performed continuously. 
         [0117]    In the modified example of the injection processing that is described above, the cleaning liquid  92  does not soak the nozzle face  111  in the second injection processing, so the ratio of the cleaning liquid  92  in the discharged liquid increases, such that the waste liquid flow paths  761 ,  762 ,  763  and the interior of the cap  67  can be cleaned more thoroughly. 
         [0118]    After performing the first injection processing that is described above, the CPU  40  may also perform third injection processing instead of the second injection processing. In the third injection processing, the CPU  40  operates the suction pump  708  with the cap  67  in the covering state and the air on-off valve  743  in the open state. In the third injection processing, because the suction pump  708  is operated with the cap  67  in the covering state and the air on-off valve  743  in the open state, air mixes with the cleaning liquid  92  to form bubbles, and the bubbles in the cleaning liquid  92  are able to clean the waste liquid flow paths  761 ,  762 ,  763  and the interior of the cap  67 . The waste liquid flow paths  761 ,  762 ,  763  and the interior of the cap  67  can therefore be cleaned more thoroughly. 
         [0119]    In the injection processing (Steps S 4 , S 14 ), the CPU  40  may also operate the suction pump  708  continuously, instead of performing the on/off operation of the suction pump  708 . In this case, the CPU  40  may open the air on-off valve  743  for a fixed time interval, such that air is drawn into the interior of the cap  67 . 
         [0120]    In the embodiment that is described above, after the processing at Steps S 2  to S 10  is performed for the first area  661 , the processing at Steps S 12  to S 20  is performed for the second area  662 , but the processing for the first area  661  and the second area  662  may also be performed at the same time. The number of the partition walls  673  is also not limited. For example, three of the partition walls  673  may be provided in the cap  67 , and the three of the partition walls  673  may be affixed tightly to the corresponding boundaries between the plurality of the nozzle arrays  121  to  124 . It is also acceptable for the partition wall  673  not to be provided. In that case, it would not be necessary to provide both the first flow path system  701  and the second flow path system  702 , and a single flow path system would be preferable. 
         [0121]    It is also acceptable not to provide the waste liquid on-off valves  771 ,  772 . It is also acceptable not to provide the waste liquid tank  706 . Steps S 8 , S 18  may be performed to put the cap  67  into the non-covering state immediately after the cleaning liquid  92  has been drained out of the cap  67  in the discharge processing (Steps S 5 , S 15 ), without the processing at Steps S 6 , S 7 , S 16 , S 17  being performed. 
         [0122]    It is also acceptable for the second purge (Steps S 3 , S 13 ) not to be performed, such that the ink  91  is not drained out of the cap  67 . In that case, the cleaning liquid  92  may be injected into the first area  661  and the nozzle face  111  may be cleaned in a state in which the ink  91  remains in the cap  67 . The nozzle face  111  may also be cleaned in the injection processing (Steps S 4 , S 14 ), without the first purge (Steps S 2 , S 12 ) being performed and without the ink purge operation being performed. The ink  91  that is discharged from the nozzles  112  may also be a discharge agent that decolorizes a dyed cloth, for example. 
         [0123]    The opposite end of the gas flow path  733  from the cap  67  is open to the atmosphere, but it may also be connected to a tank in which a gas is stored. In that case, the tank may store a gas other than air. The first rotation speed, the second rotation speed, the third rotation speed, the fourth rotation speed, the fifth rotation speed, the first time period, the second time period, and the specified number of rotations are not limited to the numerical values in the embodiment that is described above. A gas flow path may be connected to each one of the supply flow paths  711 ,  712 , and an air on-off valve may be provided in each one of the gas flow paths. 
         [0124]    One of all and a part of the control program that performs the maintenance processing that is described above may be stored in the ROM  41 . That is, the control program can be stored in any type of storage device that can be read by the CPU  40 . Typically, the storage device is a non-transitory storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or the like. The non-transitory storage medium does not need to include a transitory storage medium such as a transmission signal or the like. The control program may also be downloaded through a network such as the Internet or the like and then stored in the ROM  41 . 
         [0125]    The processor of the present disclosure is not limited to the CPU  40 , and the CPU  40  may also be another electronic device, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), for example. That is, an ASIC, for example, can be used instead of the CPU  40 , the ROM  41 , and the RAM  42 . The functions of the processor of the present disclosure may also be distributed among a plurality of electronic devices, such as a plurality of CPUs or the like. The individual steps in the flowchart that is described above may also be performed by distributed processing among a plurality of electronic devices. 
         [0126]    The apparatus and methods described above with reference to the various embodiments are merely examples. It goes without saying that they are not confined to the depicted embodiments. While various features have been described in conjunction with the examples outlined above, various alternatives, modifications, variations, and/or improvements of those features and/or examples may be possible. Accordingly, the examples, as set forth above, are intended to be illustrative. Various changes may be made without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the underlying principles.