Liquid supply device, liquid supply method, liquid application apparatus, and image forming system
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorTetsuya Matsumoto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A liquid supply device includes a first tank to store a liquid, a first pump to supply the liquid from the first tank to a liquid pan, as a first supply operation, a second tank coupled to the first tank, and a second pump to supply the liquid from the second tank to the first tank, as a second supply operation. The liquid supply device further includes circuitry configured to control the first supply operation and the second supply operation. The circuitry accumulates operation time of the first supply operation and starts the second supply operation at a start of the first supply operation under a condition where a cumulative operation time of the first supply operation is equal to or longer than a threshold.
Claims9
A liquid supply device comprising:
- a first tank configured to store a liquid;
- a first pump configured to supply the liquid from the first tank to a liquid pan, as a first supply operation;
- a second tank coupled to the first tank;
- a second pump configured to supply the liquid from the second tank to the first tank, as a second supply operation;
- and
- a circuitry configured to:
- control the first supply operation and the second supply operation,
- accumulate an operation time of the first supply operation;
- and
- start the second supply operation at a start of the first supply operation under a condition where a cumulative operation time of the first supply operation is equal to or longer than a threshold.
A liquid supply method comprising:
- supplying a liquid from a first tank to a liquid pan, as a first supply operation;
- supplying the liquid from a second tank to the first tank, as a second supply operation;
- accumulating an operation time of the first supply operation;
- determining whether a cumulative operation time of the first supply operation is equal to or greater than a threshold;
- determining a start of the first supply operation after a determination that the cumulative operation time of the first supply operation is equal to or greater than the threshold;
- and
- starting the second supply operation at the start of the first supply operation.
A non-transitory recording medium storing computer-readable codes for causing a computer to carry out a liquid supply method, the method comprising:
- supplying a liquid from a first tank to a liquid pan, as a first supply operation;
- supplying the liquid from a second tank to the first tank, as a second supply operation;
- accumulating an operation time of the first supply operation;
- determining whether a cumulative operation time of the first supply operation is equal to or greater than a threshold;
- determining a start of the first supply operation after a determination that the cumulative operation time of the first supply operation is equal to or greater than the threshold;
- and
- starting the second supply operation at the start of the first supply operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.