Pump, device for recovering liquid ejection and image forming apparatus equipped with the pump

A sucking device for recovering liquid ejection equipped with;

• a plurality of cap members covering eject ports of respective plurality of liquid eject heads to eject liquid, and
• a pump arranged in said sucking device via said cap members to suck liquid from said liquid eject heads for maintaining good eject conditions of the liquid ejected from said liquid eject heads, wherein said pump comprising;
• a separating wall dividing an internal space of a cylinder into a plurality of liquid compartments with respect to a longitudinal direction of said cylinder,
• a plurality of discharging ports connected respectively to said liquid compartments at one side of said cylinder with respect to the longitudinal direction,
• a plurality of sucking ports connected respectively to said liquid compartments at other remaining side of said cylinder with respect to the longitudinal direction and also respectively connected to said cap members,
• a plurality of pistons accommodated in said respective liquid compartments so as to slide in said respective liquid compartments and to divide respectively said liquid compartments into a plurality of rooms, and
• a piston rod for common use to said respective pistons, passing through said separating wall to reciprocate said pistons in said liquid compartments respectively.

An image forming apparatus having;

• a portion to install a plurality of liquid eject heads for ejecting liquid from respective eject ports onto printing medium and for forming an image on the medium,
• a plurality of cap members covering eject ports of respective plurality of liquid eject heads to eject liquid, and
• a pump arranged in said sucking device via said cap members to suck liquid from said liquid eject heads for maintaining good eject conditions of the liquid ejected from said liquid eject heads, wherein said pump comprising;
• a separating wall dividing an internal of space of a cylinder into a plurality of liquid compartments with respect to a longitudinal direction of said cylinder,
• a plurality of discharging ports connected respectively to said liquid compartments at one side of said cylinder with respect to the longitudinal direction,
• a plurality of sucking ports connected respectively to said liquid compartments at other remaining side of the cylinder with respect to the longitudinal direction and also respectively connected to said cap members,
• a plurality of pistons accommodated in said respective liquid compartments so as to slide in said respective liquid compartments and to divide respectively said liquid compartments into a plurality of rooms, and
• a piston rod for common use to said respective pistons, passing through said separating wall to reciprocate said pistons in said liquid compartments respectively.