CN111867844B

CN111867844B - Wiping member, wiping method, and image forming apparatus

Info

Publication number: CN111867844B
Application number: CN201980019554.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 安宅拓未; 泉谷哲; 左近洋太; 田代浩子; 藤田勇祐
Original assignee: Ricoh Co Ltd
Current assignee: Ricoh Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-03-16
Filing date: 2019-03-06
Publication date: 2022-04-26
Anticipated expiration: 2039-03-06
Also published as: WO2019176691A1; CN111867844A

Abstract

A wiping member for wiping a nozzle surface of a liquid discharge head includes a first layer configured to be in contact with the nozzle surface, and one or more other layers, wherein the following relationship is satisfied: t1 < t2, wherein t1 is the thickness of the first layer and t2 is the thickness of the one or more other layers, wherein the porosity of the first layer is less than the porosity of at least one of the one or more other layers.

Description

Wiping member, wiping method, and image forming apparatus

Technical Field

The invention relates to a wiping member, a wiping method and an image forming apparatus.

Background

In a liquid discharge apparatus such as an ink jet printer, foreign matter on a nozzle surface causes a problem such as poor discharge. Therefore, the nozzle surface needs to be cleaned regularly. A cleaning method using a wiping member for cleaning a nozzle surface, which is combined with a sheet-like wiping member typified by a nonwoven fabric or a woven fabric, for cleaning, has been proposed.

Patent document 1 describes a wiping member that prevents deterioration of a water repellent film on a nozzle surface. The wiping member includes a first layer in contact with the nozzle surface, and a second layer provided on the opposite side of the nozzle surface from the first layer. The liquid dispersion medium on the nozzle surface is guided to and absorbed in the second layer due to capillary action in the first layer in contact with the nozzle surface, and the dispersion is captured in the voids of the first layer.

CITATION LIST

Patent document

[ patent document 1 ] Japanese unexamined patent application publication No.2014-188900

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

However, in the cleaning method using the conventional wiping member, the ink adhering to the nozzle surface dries to form the fixed ink, and the wiping property is poor, and in order to sufficiently wipe the fixed ink, it is necessary to increase the wiping frequency or wiping pressure, which causes deterioration of the water repellent film formed on the nozzle surface.

According to the present disclosure, there is provided a wiping member capable of effectively wiping ink adhering to a nozzle surface of a liquid discharge head.

Means for solving the problems

The above-described problems can be solved by using the wiping member according to claim (1) below related to the present disclosure.

(1) A wiping member that wipes a nozzle surface of a liquid discharge head, comprising:

a first layer configured to contact a nozzle surface; and

one or more other layers of the plurality of layers,

wherein the following relationships are satisfied: t1 < t2, where t1 is the thickness of the first layer, t2 is the thickness of one or more other layers,

wherein the porosity of the first layer is less than the porosity of at least one of the one or more other layers.

Effects of the invention

The wiping member of the present disclosure can effectively wipe ink adhering to the nozzle surface of the liquid discharge head.

Drawings

The drawings are intended to depict example embodiments of the invention, and should not be construed as limiting the scope thereof. The drawings are not to be considered as drawn to scale unless explicitly indicated. Also, like or similar reference characters designate like or similar components throughout the several views.

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an image forming apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the nozzle plate wiped by the wiping member.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a cleaning unit of the image forming apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view showing an example of a cross section of the wiping member of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram representing another example of a cross-section of a wiping member according to the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

In describing the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the disclosure of the present specification is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner and achieve a similar result with a similar function.

Further, unless otherwise specified, image formation, recording, printing, modeling, and the like in the present disclosure mean the same.

The present disclosure relates to the wiping member described in the above (1), and also includes the following (2) to (13) as embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, they will also be described.

(2) The wiping member according to (1), wherein the porosity of the first layer is 0.60 to 0.85.

(3) The wiping member according to (1) or (2), wherein the porosity of the first layer is 0.75 to 0.80.

(4) The wiping member according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the first layer is composed of a nonwoven fabric.

(5) The wiping member according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein at least one of the one or more other layers has a porosity of 0.80 to 0.99.

(6) The wiping member according to any one of (1) to (5), which has a thickness of 0.1 to 3 mm.

(7) The wiping member according to any one of (1) to (6),

wherein the one or more other layers comprise at least two layers and satisfy the following relationship:

t1 < t4, and t3 < t4, where t3 represents the thickness of the farthest layer of the other layer or layers farthest from the first layer, t4 represents the total thickness of the other layer or layers excluding the farthest layer,

wherein the porosity of the first layer and the porosity of the outermost layer are less than the porosity of at least one of the one or more other layers other than the outermost layer.

(8) The wiping member according to (7), wherein the outermost layer has a porosity of 0.60 to 0.85.

(9) The wiping member according to (7) or (8), wherein the outermost layer has a porosity of 0.75 to 0.80.

(10) A method of wiping, comprising:

relatively moving the liquid discharge head and the wiping member, an

Wiping a nozzle surface of the liquid discharge head by the wiping member,

wherein the wiping member includes: a first layer configured to contact the nozzle surface; and one or more other layers, wherein the following relationships are satisfied: t1 < t2, where t1 is the thickness of the first layer, t2 is the thickness of one or more other layers,

(11) The wiping method according to (10),

(12) An image forming apparatus includes:

a liquid discharge head including a nozzle surface; and

a wiping member configured to wipe the nozzle surface by a relative movement with respect to the liquid discharge head, the wiping member including: a first layer configured to contact the nozzle surface; as well as one or more other layers,

(13) The image forming apparatus according to (12),

The present invention relates to a wiping member for wiping a nozzle surface of a liquid discharge head, and has the following features.

The wiping member comprises at least two layers.

-the following relation is satisfied: t1 < t2, where t1 represents the thickness of the first layer configured to contact the nozzle surface and t2 represents the thickness of one or more other layers (i.e., layers other than the first layer).

-the porosity of the first layer is less than the porosity of at least one of the one or more other layers.

First, an image forming apparatus and a wiping method using the wiping member of the present disclosure are described.

An image forming apparatus of the present disclosure includes a liquid discharge head, and a wiping member of the present disclosure wiping a nozzle surface of the liquid discharge head by a relative movement with respect to the liquid discharge head.

The wiping method of the present disclosure includes relatively moving the liquid discharge head of the present invention and a wiping member, and wiping a nozzle surface of the liquid discharge head with the wiping member.

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an image forming apparatus including a serial-type liquid discharge apparatus. An image forming apparatus is described with reference to fig. 1 and 2.

The carriage 3 is movably held by a main guide member 1 and a sub guide member which cross between the left and right side plates. The carriage 3 is driven by a main scanning motor 5 to reciprocate in a main scanning direction (carriage moving direction) via a timing belt 8 that surrounds a driving pulley 6 and a driven pulley 7.

The carriage 3 carries liquid discharge heads 4a and 4b (referred to as a liquid discharge head 4 if there is no need to distinguish them). The liquid discharge head 4 discharges color ink droplets of, for example, yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (K). The liquid discharge head 4 carries nozzle arrays Na and Nb each having a plurality of nozzles 4n arranged along a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction with the ink discharge surface facing downward.

As shown in fig. 2, the inkjet recording head 4 has two nozzle arrays Na and Nb, each of which includes a plurality of nozzles 4 n.

As the liquid discharge head constituting the liquid discharge head 4, for example, a piezoelectric actuator such as a piezoelectric element, and a thermal actuator utilizing a phase change caused by film boiling of a liquid by using an electrothermal conversion element such as a heat generating element can be used.

A transport belt 12 serving as a transport means is provided to transport the paper 10 at a position facing the inkjet discharge head 4 by electrostatically attracting the paper 10. The belt 12 is endless and is wound around a conveying roller 13 and a tension roller 14.

The transport belt 12 is rotated by a sub-scanning motor 16 via a timing belt 17 and a timing pulley 18 to move endlessly in the sub-scanning direction. The belt 12 is charged (charged) by a charging roller while moving endlessly.

A maintenance return mechanism (cleaning unit) 20 that maintains the return of the liquid discharge head 4 is provided on one side of the carriage 3 in the main scanning direction and on the side of the transport belt 12. On the other side, an idle discharge receiver 21 that receives an idle discharge from the liquid discharge head is provided on the side of the transport belt 12.

The maintenance recovery mechanism 20 includes, for example, a cap member 20a for capping a nozzle surface (nozzle-forming surface) 41 (fig. 2) of the liquid discharge head 4, a wiping mechanism 20b for wiping the nozzle surface, and the empty discharge receiver 21 receives liquid droplets not used for forming an image.

An encoder scale 23 having a predetermined pattern is bonded and attached between both side plates in the main scanning direction of the carriage 3, and the carriage 3 is provided with an encoder sensor 24, and the encoder sensor 24 includes a transmission type photosensor for reading the pattern of the encoder scale 23. The encoder scale 23 and the encoder sensor 24 constitute a linear encoder (main scanning encoder) for detecting the movement of the carriage 3.

In addition, a code wheel 25 is mounted on the shaft of the conveying roller 13, and an encoder sensor 26 is provided, the encoder sensor 26 having a transmission type photosensor to detect the pattern formed on the code wheel 25. The code wheel 25 and the encoder sensor 26 constitute a rotary encoder (sub-scanning encoder) to detect the moving amount and the moving position of the transport belt 12.

In the liquid discharge apparatus having such a configuration, the paper 10 is fed from the paper feed tray, adsorbed to the transport belt 12, and transported in the sub-scanning direction by the endless movement of the transport belt 12.

While the carriage 3 is moved in the main scanning direction, the liquid discharge head 4 is driven in accordance with an image signal, ink droplets are discharged onto the stationary paper 10, and an image is recorded by one line. After the paper 10 is conveyed by a predetermined amount, the next line is recorded.

When a signal indicating that the recording is completed or the trailing end of the paper 10 has reached the image recording area is received, the recording operation is stopped, and the paper 10 is discharged to the paper discharge tray.

In addition, the carriage 3 moves to the maintenance returning mechanism 20 in the printing (recording) standby mode, and the ink discharge head 4 is cleaned by the maintenance returning mechanism 20. Alternatively, the liquid discharge head 4 may not be moved, and the maintenance returning mechanism 20 may be moved to clean the liquid discharge head 4.

As shown in fig. 2, the ink jet recording head 4 shown in fig. 1 includes two nozzle arrays Na and Nb, each of which includes a plurality of nozzles 4 n. The nozzle row Na of the liquid discharge head 4a discharges black (K) droplets, and the other nozzle row Nb discharges cyan (C) droplets. The nozzle row Na of the liquid discharge head 4b discharges magenta (M) droplets, and the other nozzle row Nb discharges yellow (Y) droplets.

As shown in fig. 3, the wiping mechanism 20b for wiping the nozzle surface includes: a sheet-like wiping member 320, a roller 410 for conveying the wiping member 320, a pressing roller 400 for pressing the conveyed wiping member 320 against the nozzle surface, and a take-up roller 420 for recovering the wiping member 320 for wiping. The wiping mechanism 20b may optionally include a rubber blade or the like for wiping the nozzle surface, in addition to the sheet-like wiping member. The pressing force of the pressing roller 400 may be adjusted by adjusting the distance between the cleaning unit and the nozzle surface using a spring. The pressure roller 400 is not limited to a roller, but may be a fixing member made of resin or rubber. In the case of a squeegee or the like, a mechanism is provided for bringing the squeegee or the like into contact with the sheet-like wiping member 320 so that the sheet-like wiping member 320 has a cleaning function of the squeegee or the like.

After a certain amount of the cleaning liquid is applied to the wiping member 320, the cleaning unit and the liquid discharge head are relatively moved while the wiping member 320 is pressed against the nozzle surface, and the foreign substances 500 adhering to the nozzle surface are wiped. Examples of the foreign matter 500 adhering to the nozzle surface include, but are not limited to, misty ink generated during discharging ink from the nozzle, ink adhering when ink is sucked from the nozzle by cleaning or the like, solid ink in which adhering ink (misty ink or ink adhering to the cover member) dries on the nozzle surface, paper dust generated from printed matter, and the like. The cleaning liquid may be contained in the wiping member 320 in advance.

In some procedures, the application of cleaning fluid to wiping member 320 may be omitted. In particular, if it is assumed that the ink is dry and adheres to the nozzle surface after a long standby time or the like, it may be desirable to wipe the nozzle surface with a sheet-like wiping member filled with a cleaning liquid a plurality of times and remove the foreign matter 500.

The wiping member of the present disclosure includes: a first layer configured to contact a nozzle surface; and one or more other layers, wherein the following relationships are satisfied: t1 < t2, wherein t1 is the thickness of the first layer and t2 is the thickness of the one or more other layers, wherein the porosity of the first layer is less than the porosity of at least one of the one or more other layers.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram representing an example of a cross-section of a wiping member 320 of the present disclosure.

The sheet-like wiping member 320 shown in fig. 4 is made of nonwoven fabric, and has a two-layer structure of a first layer 610 and a second layer 620 that are in contact with the nozzle surface.

As described later, the wiping member 320 may take a three-or more-layer structure including the farthest layer that is disposed farthest from the first layer and contacts the nozzle surface like the first layer to remove the foreign substances 500. Both sides of the wiping member 320 may be used to remove the foreign materials 500.

Further, the wiping member 320 may take another three-layer structure lined with a film to prevent ink strike-through and enhance the strength of the wiping material, or a multi-layer structure having a plurality of absorbing layers with different absorptance rates, which is disposed as a second layer or later.

Examples of the material constituting the wiping member 320 include woven fabrics, knitted fabrics and porous materials in addition to nonwoven fabrics. A nonwoven fabric is preferred as the first layer because the nonwoven fabric is relatively easy to control its thickness and porosity. Examples of the fiber material for nonwoven fabric, woven fabric, knitted fabric, and the like include, but are not limited to, cotton, hemp, silk, pulp, nylon, vinylon, polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, rayon, cuprammonium, acrylic acid, and polylactic acid. The nonwoven fabric may be made of not only one kind of fiber but also a mixture of a plurality of kinds of fibers. Examples of porous bodies include, but are not limited to, polyurethane, polyolefin, and PVA. Examples of methods for manufacturing nonwoven fabrics include, but are not limited to, wet, dry, spunbond, meltblown, flash-spun to form a web, and with regard to the bonding of the web, methods such as hydroentangling, thermal bonding, chemical bonding, needling, and the like, may be cited.

When the thickness t1 of the first layer is less than the total thickness t2 of the layers other than the first layer, and the porosity of the first layer is lower than the porosity of at least one layer other than the first layer, the ability to scrape off the fixed ink is enhanced, thereby improving the wiping ability of the adhered ink. It is preferable that the total thickness t2 of the layers other than the first layer is about two times or more with respect to the thickness t1 of the first layer.

The porosity was calculated as follows:

porosity ═ 1- (apparent density/true density) (1)

For sheet-like nonwoven fabrics and the like, the "true density" is the true density of the fibers constituting the sheet, and the "apparent density" [ basis weight/thickness ] can be obtained by dividing the basis weight (weight) of the sheet-like material by the thickness.

When the thickness is thin and the porosity is small, the wiping member for wiping the fixed ink has a high wiping force but cannot hold the liquid components of the ink and the cleaning liquid, and as a result, the single-layer wiping member is insufficient in cleaning ability. Therefore, the wiping member of the present invention has a portion capable of holding a liquid component in the layer other than the first layer while maintaining the above-described relationship between the layers.

The porosity of the first layer is preferably 0.60 to 0.85, more preferably 0.75 to 0.80. When the porosity of the first layer is preferably 0.60 to 0.85, the ability to wipe the consolidated ink can be improved, thereby preventing the wiping member from becoming film-like and improving the liquid permeability.

The porosity of at least one of the one or more layers is preferably 0.80 to 0.99. When the porosity of the layer other than the first layer is within the above range, the liquid absorbency can be improved. By combining the first layer with layers other than the first layer, the wiping member can achieve a balance between the wiping ability and the liquid absorbency, thereby improving the wiping ability.

The thickness of the wiping member is preferably 0.1 to 3mm, more preferably 0.2 to 0.7 mm. Since the thickness of the wiping member is 0.1mm or more, the saturated water absorption amount of the liquid per unit area of the wiping member is sufficient, and the target ink can be sufficiently absorbed. Further, since the thickness of the wiping member is 3mm or less, the liquid component of the ink can be transferred from the first layer to the layer other than the first layer, and the absorption capacity of the layer other than the first layer is not lowered, and the device can be downsized.

Preferably, at least the first layer of the wiping member is made of a nonwoven. When the nonwoven fabric is used, the thickness and the porosity can be easily set in desired numerical ranges.

When one or more other layers include at least two layers, and the following relationship is satisfied:

t1 < t4, and t3 < t4, wherein t3 represents the thickness of the outermost layer of the one or more other layers farthest from the first layer, and t4 represents the total thickness of the one or more other layers excluding the outermost layer, wherein the porosity of the first layer and the porosity of the outermost layer are less than the porosity of at least one of the one or more other layers other than the outermost layer, both sides of the wiping member can be used to consolidate the ink with good wiping.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram representing an example of a cross-section of a wiping member 320 having a most distal layer according to the present disclosure.

The wiping member 320 having the sheet shape shown in fig. 5 is made of nonwoven fabric, and has a three-layer structure composed of a first layer 610, a second layer 620, and a farthest layer 630 located at the farthest position from the first layer 610 from the side in contact with the nozzle surface. As with the first layer 610, the most distal layer 630 can be wiped against the nozzle surface to consolidate the ink. The thickness t1 of the first layer 610 and the thickness t3 of the furthest layer 630 of the nozzle are thinner than the thickness of the second layer 620, and the porosity of the first layer 610 and the porosity of the furthest layer 630 are less than the porosity of the second layer 620. The first layer 610 and the farthest layer 630 may be the same. Alternatively, if the distal-most layer 630 is thinner than the second layer 620, the porosity of the distal-most layer 630 is lower than the porosity of the second layer 620, the distal-most layer 630 may have a different configuration than the first layer 610.

Fig. 5 is a three-layer structure. Alternatively, a multilayer structure having four or more layers may be used in which a plurality of absorbing layers having different absorbencies are provided between the second layer 620 and the farthest layer 630.

With this configuration, the nozzle surface can be wiped using both surfaces of the wiping member.

In the image forming apparatus, the wiping member 320 having a sheet shape may be wound up, the roller may be replaced, the surface and the back may be changed, or a reversing mechanism may be used. Thus, both sides of the wiping member 320 may be used.

The porosity of the outermost layer 630 can also be calculated by the above formula (1).

Preferably, each of the thickness of the first layer and the thickness of the outermost layer is thinner than the total thickness of one or more other layers other than the first layer and the outermost layer.

The porosity of the outermost layer is preferably 0.60 to 0.85, more preferably 0.75 to 0.80. When the porosity of the outermost layer is 0.60 to 0.85, the ability to wipe the consolidated ink can be improved, thereby preventing the wiping member from becoming film-like and improving the liquid permeability.

Examples of the material constituting the outermost layer may include nonwoven fabrics, woven fabrics, knitted fabrics and porous materials. Nonwoven fabrics are preferred because of their relative ease of controlling thickness and porosity. Examples of the fiber material for nonwoven fabric, woven fabric, knitted fabric, and the like include, but are not limited to, cotton, hemp, silk, pulp, nylon, vinylon, polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, rayon, cuprammonium, acrylic acid, and polylactic acid. The nonwoven fabric may be made of not only one kind of fiber but also a mixture of a plurality of kinds of fibers. Examples of porous bodies include, but are not limited to, polyurethane, polyolefin, and PVA. Examples of methods for manufacturing nonwoven fabrics include, but are not limited to, wet, dry, spunbond, meltblown, flash-spun to form a web, and with regard to the bonding of the web, methods such as hydroentangling, thermal bonding, chemical bonding, needling, and the like, may be cited.

The wiping surface of the wiping member 320 preferably has a surface roughness Rz of 170 μm or more obtained by surface roughness measurement by, for example, a laser microscope. When the surface roughness Rz of the wiping surface is 170 μm or more, the meniscus in the nozzle is not easily broken, so that the discharge defect is not caused, and the nozzle surface can be wiped.

Next, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to examples, but not limited thereto.

Examples 1 to 30 and comparative examples 1 to 4

Using an ink jet head (Ricoh MH 5440), 0.1ml of RICOH Pro AR white ink was dropped onto the nozzle plate of the head, and then left to stand for 15 hours to solidify the ink onto the nozzle plate.

Wiping members of examples 1 to 30 and comparative examples 1 to 4 were prepared according to the formulations shown in table 1 below.

Using each wiping member shown in Table 1, 20. mu.l/cm²The following cleaning liquid is applied to the first layer of the wiping member which is in contact with the nozzle surface. Thereafter, the surface of the nozzle plate was wiped under the following conditions:

pressure contact force of 3N

Wiping speed 50 mm/sec

Cleaning liquid component

3-methoxy-3-methyl-1-butanol (manufactured by KURARAAY corporation) 20% by mass

Polyether modified silicon surface activator

(WET270, manufactured by Evonik Degussa Japan Co., Ltd.) 1% by mass

Residual amount of ion exchange water

Evaluation of

Evaluation method

The nozzle plate after wiping was visually inspected, and removal of the fixed ink was evaluated based on the number of wiping operations until removal of the fixed ink.

The obtained results are practical when the wiping member is judged to be at least class B, preferably at least class a, more preferably at least class S, according to the following evaluation criteria.

Evaluation criteria

S: the consolidated ink on the nozzle plate was removed by five wiping operations.

A: the consolidated ink on the nozzle plate was removed by seven wiping operations.

B: the consolidated ink on the nozzle plate is removed by ten or fewer wiping operations.

C: the cured ink remained after ten wiping operations.

With respect to the wiping members of examples 27 to 30, the surface and the back surface of the wiping member were changed so that the third layer shown in Table 1 was in contact with the nozzle surface, the above-mentioned cleaning liquid of 20. mu.l/cm 2 was applied to the third layer in contact with the nozzle surface, and then the layer in contact with the nozzle surface was evaluated in the same manner as in the case of the first layer.

TABLE 1

In the comparison between examples and comparative examples 1, 3 and 4, it was found that when the porosity of the first layer was larger than that of the second layer, the wiping property for the fixed ink was deteriorated.

In comparison between examples and comparative examples 2 and 4, it was found that when the thickness of the first layer was larger than that of the second layer, the wiping property for the fixed ink was deteriorated.

As shown by the results of examples 27, 28, 29 and 30, the ink can be fixed by using double-sided wiping.

The above embodiments are illustrative and not limiting of the invention. Accordingly, many additional modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. For example, elements and/or features of different illustrative embodiments may be combined with each other and/or substituted for each other within the scope of the invention.

This patent application is based on and claims priority from japanese patent application nos. 2018-49359 and 2018-210538, filed to the office in 2018, 3, 16, 2018, 11, 8, to claim 119(a) in accordance with 35 u.s.c. § 119(a), the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

List of reference numerals

1 main guide member

3 carriage

4, 4a, 4b recording head

4n nozzle

5 Main scanning motor

6 drive belt wheel

7 driven pulley

8 synchronous belt

10 paper

12 conveyor belt

13 transport roller

14 tension roller

16-sub scanning motor

17 synchronous belt

18 synchronous pulley

20 Return mechanism

21 empty discharge receiver

20a cover member

20b wiping mechanism

23 encoder scale

24 encoder sensor

25 yard wheel

26 encoder sensor

320 wiping component (wiper)

400 crimping roller

410 roller

420 take-up roll

500 foreign matter

610 first layer

620 second layer

630 farthest layer (the layer farthest from the first layer)

Na, Nb nozzle array.

Claims

1. A wiping member that wipes a nozzle surface of a liquid discharge head, comprising:

a first layer configured to contact the nozzle surface; and

one or more other layers of the plurality of layers,

wherein the following relationships are satisfied: t1 < t2, wherein t1 is the thickness of the first layer, t2 is the thickness of the one or more further layers,

2. The wiping member of claim 1, wherein the first layer has a porosity of 0.60 to 0.85.

3. The wiping member of claim 1, wherein the first layer has a porosity of 0.75 to 0.80.

4. The wiping member of claim 1, wherein the first layer is comprised of a nonwoven fabric.

5. The wiping member of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more other layers has a porosity of 0.80 to 0.99.

6. The wiping member of claim 1, having a thickness of 0.1 to 3 mm.

7. The wiping member according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

8. The wiping member of claim 7, wherein the outermost layer has a porosity of 0.60 to 0.85.

9. The wiping member of claim 7, wherein the outermost layer has a porosity of 0.75 to 0.80.

10. A method of wiping, comprising:

relatively moving the liquid discharge head and the wiping member, an

Wiping a nozzle surface of the liquid discharge head by the wiping member,

11. The wiping method according to claim 10, wherein the wiping solution is applied to the substrate,

12. An image forming apparatus includes:

a liquid discharge head including a nozzle surface; and

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12,