Discharging apparatus and removing method
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsYoshimasa Araki, Shin-ichiro Takahama
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
When different liquids are charged in a plurality of nozzles, the liquids are drawn by suction or pushed out reliably from the nozzles, so that the liquids collected by suction or pushing out can be reused. For this purpose, a removing unit, which has a cap that operates to cover nozzle discharge ports and to come into tight contact with a head, is provided. Suction is performed from each nozzle separately. Different collection tubes and collection tanks are provided for the removing unit. A liquid having the same liquid composition is accumulated in one collection tank for the same liquid composition via the collection tube of a liquid channel for the same liquid composition.
Claims5
-11. (canceled)
A discharging apparatus having a discharge head in which a plurality of discharge nozzles are arranged to discharge liquids supplied from supply ports and a suction unit which can suction liquid in the discharge nozzles, comprising:
- joint members equal in number to a number of the discharge nozzles and being arranged to face the discharge nozzles, wherein each joint member operates to cover a corresponding one of the discharge nozzles when suctioning one of the discharge nozzles;
- and
- a connecting member selectively connectable to each of said joint members,
- wherein the suction unit is connected with said connecting member and suctions liquid in the discharge nozzle which is covered by said joint member selectively connected by said connecting member.
A suction method executed by a discharging apparatus having a discharge head in which a plurality of discharge nozzles are arranged to discharge liquids supplied from supply ports and a suction unit which can suction liquid in the discharge nozzles, the suction method comprising the steps of:
- operating each of joint members equal in number to a number of the discharge nozzles and being arranged to face the discharge nozzles so that each of the joint members covers a corresponding one of the discharge nozzles when suctioning of the discharge nozzles;
- selectively connecting a connecting member with any one of the joint members;
- and
- controlling the suction unit connected with the connecting member so that the suction unit suctions liquid in the discharge nozzle which is covered by the joint member selectively connected by the connecting member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.