Ink jet recording apparatus and recording head cleaning control method thereon
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorsHitoshi Hayakawa, Tatsuya Seshimo, Hikonosuke Uwai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A valve unit is arranged in an ink supply path located between an ink cartridge and a recording head in an ink jet recording apparatus. The valve unit controls the opening and closing of the ink supply paths between the ink cartridge and the nozzle openings during a cleaning operation of the recording head. Air bubbles entered into the recording head when the ink cartridge is replaced are discharged by opening the valve unit after applying negative pressure within a cap covering the nozzle openings. By closing valve units disposed on the other recording head that does not receive a new ink cartridge, unnecessary ink suction discharging ink equally through all nozzle openings can be avoided.
Claims12
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising:
- ink jet recording heads including nozzle openings for discharging different color ink droplets through said nozzle openings upon receiving ink from ink cartridges;
- capping means for sealing each of said nozzle openings to absorb ink through the nozzle openings;
- a plurality of valve units arranged between said ink cartridges and each of said nozzle openings for opening and closing ink supply paths between the ink cartridges and said nozzle openings;
- and
- a valve opening/closing control unit which controls said valve units to open and close valves during a cleaning operation to absorb ink through selected nozzle openings of the nozzle openings,
- wherein said valve opening/closing control unit selectively performs a full-open mode for opening all of said valve units, a full-close mode for closing all of said valve units, and an alternative open mode for opening only one of said valve unit units alternatively.
An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:
- a ink jet recording head for discharging ink droplets through nozzle openings of said ink jet recording head upon receiving ink supply from an ink cartridge;
- capping means for scaling said recording head to absorb ink through the nozzle openings;
- a pump unit for applying negative pressure to said capping means;
- a valve unit arranged between said ink cartridge and said nozzle openings of the recording head for opening and closing an ink supply path between the ink cartridge and the nozzle openings;
- and
- valve opening/closing control means for controlling opening and closing of said valve unit,
- wherein said valve opening/closing control means operates said valve unit to prevent ink from flowing from said ink cartridge to all of said nozzle openings at a first time,
- wherein said capping means seals said recording head and said pump unit applies said negative pressure at a second time alter said first time,
- wherein said valve opening/closing control means operates said valve unit to allow in to flow from said ink cartridge to said nozzle openings at a third time after said second time and while said capping means seals said recording heads,
- wherein said valve opening/closing control means operates said valve unit to prevent ink from flowing from said ink cartridge to all of said nozzle openings at a fourth time after said third time, and
- wherein said pump unit applies negative pressure to the capping means while said valve opening/closing control means opens an air valve supplying external air to said capping means at a fifth time after said fourth time and while ink is prevented from flowing to all of said nozzle openings.
A recording head cleaning method in an ink jet recording apparatus having an ink jet recording head for discharging ink droplets upon receiving ink supply from an ink cartridge, capping means for sealing said recording head to absorb ink through nozzle openings in said recording head, and a valve unit arranged between said ink cartridge and said nozzle openings of the recording head for opening and closing the ink supply path between the ink cartridge and the nozzle openings, the recording head cleaning method comprising:
- (a) sealing the nozzle openings of the recording head with said capping means in a state closing said valve unit and applying negative pressure into the capping means;
- (b) while applying said negative pressure into the capping means in said operation (a), opening said valve unit to absorb ink from selected nozzle openings of the nozzle openings of the recording head,
- (c) after said operation (b), sealing the nozzle openings of the recording head with said capping means in said state closing said valve unit and applying negative pressure into the capping means, and
- (d) while applying said negative pressure into the capping means in said operation (c), opening an air valve to supply external air to said capping means.
A recording head cleaning method in an ink jet recording apparatus having an ink jet recording head including nozzle openings for discharging different color ink droplets through said nozzle openings upon receiving ink from ink cartridges, capping means for sealing each nozzle opening of said recording head to absorb ink through the nozzle openings, and a plurality of valve units arranged between said ink cartridges and each nozzle opening of the recording head for opening and closing ink supply paths between the ink cartridges and the nozzle openings, the recording head cleaning method comprising:
- (a) sealing the nozzle openings of the recording head with said capping means in a state closing said valve units and applying negative pressure into the capping means;
- (b) while applying said negative pressure into the capping means in said operation (a), opening all or a part of said valve units to absorb ink through selected nozzle openings of the nozzle openings of the recording head,
- (c) after said operation (b), sealing the nozzle openings of the recording head with said capping means in said state closing said valve units and applying negative pressure into the capping means, and
- (d) while applying said negative pressure into the capping means in said operation
- (c), opening an air valve to supply external air to said capping means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.