Inkjet image forming apparatus and method of controlling ink flow
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsIn Su Lee, Jin Ho Park, Sung Wook Kang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An inkjet image forming apparatus includes a print head, an ink tank to store ink, an ink feeding path to feed the ink from the ink tank to the print head, a filter disposed on the ink feeding path, and a press unit disposed on the ink feeding path between the filter and the print head, to press the ink present in the ink feeding path toward the ink tank. The press unit repeats a first operation to press the ink in the ink feeding path toward the ink tank, and a second operation to suck the ink in the ink feeding path.
Claims23
An inkjet image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a print head;
- an ink tank to store ink;
- an ink feeding path to feed the ink from the ink tank to the print head;
- a filter disposed on the ink feeding path;
- and
- a press unit disposed on the ink feeding path between the filter and the print head, and to press the ink present in the ink feeding path toward the ink tank.
An inkjet image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a print head;
- an ink tank to store ink;
- an ink feeding path to feed the ink from the ink tank to the print head;
- a filter disposed on the ink feeding path;
- and
- a valve disposed between the filter and the print head, the valve being used to open or close the ink feeding path and to press the ink present in the ink feeding path toward the filter so as to collect the gas, present between the filter and the ink tank, into the ink tank.
An inkjet image forming apparatus, comprising:
- an ink tank to store ink;
- a print head to discharge the ink onto a printing medium;
- an ink circulating path to circulate the ink between the ink tank and the print head;
- a pump disposed on the ink circulating path;
- a filter disposed on the ink circulating path, and to filter the ink to be fed to the print head;
- a valve disposed between the filter and the print head;
- and
- a control unit to control the pump and the valve,
- wherein the control unit controls the valve, to perform a gas removal mode in which the valve causes the ink to flow toward the filter.
A method of controlling ink flow in an inkjet image forming apparatus comprising an ink feeding path to feed ink from an ink tank to a print head and a filter disposed on the ink feeding path, the method comprising:
- collecting gas, present upstream of the filter, into the ink tank by causing the ink, present in the ink feeding path between the filter and the print head, to flow toward the filter.
A method of controlling ink flow in an inkjet image forming apparatus comprising an ink circulating path to circulate ink between an ink tank and a print head, a pump disposed on the ink circulating path, and a filter to filter the ink to be fed to the print head, the method comprising:
- collecting gas, present between the filter and the ink tank, into the ink tank by causing the ink, present in the ink circulating path between the filter and the print head, to flow toward the filter;
- and
- circulating the ink through the ink circulating path via operation of the pump.
An inkjet image forming apparatus including a print head and an ink tank, the apparatus comprising:
- an ink feeding path to feed ink between the ink tank to the print head;
- and
- a press unit at least one of press the ink in the ink feeding path toward the ink tank and suck the ink in the ink feeding path based on an amount of pressure of the ink in the ink feeding path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.