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US 2001/0043244 A1Published application
Inkjet printer
AssigneeSeiko Instruments Inc.
InventorKatsuhisa Sakuma
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inkjet printer has a printing unit that ejects ink onto a recording medium. A temperature sensor detects the temperature of the ink upstream of the printing unit and outputs a temperature detection signal. Based on the value of the temperature detection signal, a CPU controls energization of either a heating unit or a cooling unit to heat or cool the ink so as to maintain the ink viscosity within a given range to thereby obtain stable printing quality.
Claims9
An inkjet printer for printing by ejecting ink on a recording medium, at least comprising:
- an ink containing portion for containing ink;
- a driving portion having a nozzle for ejecting ink, the driving portion driving ink to be ejected from the nozzle;
- a printing unit having the driving portion;
- a control circuit for driving and controlling the driving portion such that pressure for expelling the ink from the nozzle is generated in the driving portion;
- and
- an ink passage for connecting the ink containing portion and the printing unit for supplying ink in the ink containing portion to the printing unit,
- characterized by being provided, at a position other than a position of the driving portion, with a heating portion directly or indirectly in contact with the ink for heating the ink, a cooling portion for cooling the ink directly or indirectly in contact with the ink, a temperature sensor portion for detecting temperature of the ink directly or indirectly in contact with the ink, and by being provided with a control portion for controlling at least one of the heating portion and the cooling portion correspondingly to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor portion to adjust and control the temperature of the ink before the ink flows in the driving portion.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.