Ink-jet recording apparatus
AssigneeOlympus Corporation
InventorKaoru Horie
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ink-jet recording apparatus is provided with an ink tank, a recording head, an ink passage extending from the ink tank to the recording head, and a sub-tank arranged on the ink passage. The apparatus has a first ink passage, a second ink passage, and an ultrasonic transducer. The first ink passage supplies ink from the ink tank to the sub-tank. The second ink passage has an ink outlet port, through which the ink is drawn from the sub-tank into the recording head. The ultrasonic transducer applies ultrasonic vibration to the ink contained in the sub-tank. The ink outlet port of the second ink passage is arranged near the ultrasonic transducer.
Claims19
An ink-jet recording apparatus having an ink tank containing ink, a recording head, an ink passage extending from the ink tank to the and the recording head, and a sub-tank provided on the ink passage, and configured to record images on a recording medium, the apparatus comprising:
- a first ink passage having an ink inlet port through which the ink is supplied from the ink tank to the sub-tank;
- a second ink passage having an ink outlet port through which the ink is drawn from the sub-tank and supplied to the recording head;
- and
- an ultrasonic transducer configured to generate an ultrasonic wave, thereby forming a standing-wave field in the ink contained in the sub-tank, the standing-wave field having a sound-pressure antinode,
- wherein the ink outlet port of the second ink passage is arranged near the ultrasonic transducer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.