Image forming apparatus
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorTomomi KATOH
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is an image forming apparatus that includes a recording head, a liquid tank, a first flow path, a second flow path, a pressure regulation unit, a third flow path, and a liquid supply unit. The pressure regulation unit varies fluid resistance in accordance with a remaining amount of liquid inside the liquid tank, decreases the fluid resistance if the remaining amount of the liquid is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, increases the fluid resistance if the remaining amount of the liquid is less than the predetermined amount, and supplies the liquid with the liquid supply unit to eject liquid droplets from the recording head, thereby generating a circulation flow that flows through the third flow path and the flow path of the pressure regulation unit.
Claims10
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a recording head having nozzles from which liquid droplets are ejected;
- a liquid tank that stores a liquid to be supplied to the recording head;
- a first flow path through which the liquid is supplied to the recording head;
- a second flow path in communication with the liquid tank;
- a pressure regulation unit having a flow path that connects the first flow path with the second flow path;
- a third flow path that bypasses the pressure regulation unit to connect the second flow path or the liquid tank with the first flow path;
- and
- a liquid supply unit provided in the third flow path;
- wherein
- the pressure regulation unit
- varies a fluid resistance in accordance with a remaining amount of the liquid inside the liquid tank,
- decreases the fluid resistance if the remaining amount of the liquid is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount,
- increases the fluid resistance if the remaining amount of the liquid is less than the predetermined amount, and
- supplies the liquid with the liquid supply unit to eject the liquid droplets from the recording head, thereby generating a circulation flow that flows through the third flow path and the flow path of the pressure regulation unit.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a recording head having nozzles from which liquid droplets are ejected;
- a liquid tank that stores a liquid to be supplied to the recording head;
- a first flow path through which the liquid is supplied to the recording head;
- a second flow path in communication with the liquid tank;
- a fluid resistance part having a flow path that connects the first flow path with the second flow path;
- a third flow path that bypasses the pressure regulation unit to connect the second flow path or the liquid tank with the first flow path;
- a liquid supply unit provided in the third flow path;
- and
- a unit that supplies the liquid with the liquid supply unit to eject liquid droplets from the recording head, thereby generating a circulation flow that flows through the third flow path and the flow path of the fluid resistance part,
- the unit controlling a flow rate to be supplied by the liquid supply unit to be decreased if the remaining amount of the liquid is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount and the flow rate to be increased if the remaining amount of the liquid is less than the predetermined amount in accordance with the remaining amount of the liquid inside the liquid tank.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a recording head having nozzles from which liquid droplets are ejected;
- a liquid tank that stores a liquid to be supplied to the recording head;
- a first flow path through which the liquid is supplied to the recording head;
- a second flow path in communication with the liquid tank;
- a pressure regulation unit having a flow path that connects the first flow path with the second flow path;
- a third flow path that bypasses the pressure regulation unit to connect the second flow path or the liquid tank with the first flow path;
- and
- a liquid supply unit provided in the third flow path;
- wherein
- the pressure regulation unit varies a fluid resistance in accordance with a remaining amount of the liquid inside the liquid tank,
- decreases the fluid resistance if the remaining amount of the liquid is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount,
- increases the fluid resistance if the remaining amount of the liquid is less than the predetermined amount, and
- supplies the liquid with the liquid supply unit to perform a maintenance and restoration operation for the recording head, thereby generating a circulation flow that flows through the third flow path and the flow path of the pressure regulation unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.