| US 7,491,271 B2 | ||
| Film forming apparatus, head cleaning method, device manufacturing system, and device | ||
| Shinichi Nakamura, Okaya (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Jun. 20, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/455,809. | ||
| Application 11/455809 is a division of application No. 10/383565, filed on Mar. 10, 2003, granted, now 7,090,728. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2002073064 (JP), filed on Mar. 15, 2002. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0236927 A1, Oct. 26, 2006 | ||
| This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer. | ||
| Int. Cl. B05C 15/02 (2006.01); B41J 2/165 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 118—302 [118/313; 239/106; 239/115; 347/33] | 10 Claims |
| 1. A film forming apparatus comprising:
a plurality of heads for jetting droplets, each head having a nozzle in a nozzle face; and
a head cleaning mechanism for collectively and simultaneously cleaning the nozzle faces of the heads, which includes:
a wiping sheet for wiping the nozzle faces;
a wiping sheet supply unit for feeding the wiping sheet towards the nozzle faces; and
a roller for pressing the wiping sheet against the nozzle faces while the wiping sheet is fed from the wiping sheet supply
unit, wherein:
the roller is structured to move from a position away from the heads to a position under the nozzle faces so as to feed the
wiping sheet by the roller towards the nozzle faces, and the nozzle faces are wiped by pushing the roller onto the nozzle
faces in a manner such that the roller faces the nozzle faces in a direction substantially perpendicular to the feeding direction
of the wiping sheet, and the wiping sheet is interposed between the roller and nozzle faces.
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