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US 7,465,043 B2Granted
Liquid distribution unit, ink-jet recording apparatus and image forming apparatus
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorHideki Sueoka
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A liquid distribution unit for use between a container of a liquid and an apparatus supplied with said liquid, said liquid distribution unit includes a hollow body, a single inlet port provided in the hollow body for connection to the container, the hollow body being supplied with the liquid from the container via the single inlet port, and two or more outlet ports provided in the hollow body for feeding the liquid out from the hollow body.
Claims10
A liquid distribution unit for use between a container of a liquid and an apparatus supplied with said liquid, said liquid distribution unit comprising:
- a hollow body;
- a single inlet port provided in said hollow body for connection to said container, said hollow body being supplied with said liquid from said container via said single inlet port;
- and
- two or more outlet ports provided in said hollow body for feeding said liquid out from said hollow body,
- said hollow body comprising a first hollow body part having a tubular shape with a rectangular cross section and including said single inlet port and one of said outlet ports and a second hollow body part having a tubular shape with a rectangular cross section and including another of said outlet ports,
- an end of said first hollow body and an end of said second hollow body being opened and forming respective opened ends, said opened end of said first hollow body and said opened end of said second hollow body having respective shapes to fit with each other,
- said first hollow body part and said second hollow body part being assembled with each other by engaging said opened end of said first hollow body with said opened end of said second hollow body,
- the outlet port of said first hollow body having a seal ring therein and being adapted to be connected to a first pump unit,
- the outlet port of said second hollow body having a seal ring therein and being adapted to be connected to a second pump unit, and
- said single inlet port being provided at a sidewall of said first hollow body part and fitted with a fitting part attached with a hollow needle.
7 more elements
An ink-jet recording apparatus, comprising:
- a sheet feed mechanism feeding a sheet along a path;
- an ink tank holding an ink therein;
- a plurality of recording heads each ejecting said ink onto said recording sheet;
- and
- an ink distribution unit distributing said ink in said ink tank to said plurality of recording heads, said ink distribution unit comprising:
- a hollow body;
- a single inlet port provided in said hollow body for connection to said container, said hollow body being supplied with said ink from said ink tank via said single inlet port;
- and
- two or more outlet ports provided in said hollow body for feeding said ink out from said hollow body to said plurality of recording heads;
- said hollow body comprising a first hollow body part having a tubular shape with a rectangular cross section and including said single inlet port and one of said outlet ports and a second hollow body part having a tubular shape with a rectangular cross section and including another of said outlet ports,
- an end of said first hollow body and an end of said second hollow body being opened and forming respective opened ends, said opened end of said first hollow body and said opened end of said second hollow body having respective shapes to fit with each other,
- said first hollow body part and said second hollow body part being assembled with each other by engaging said opened end of first hollow body with said opened end of said second hollow body,
- the outlet port of said first hollow body having a seal ring therein and being adapted to be connected to a first pump unit,
- the outlet port of said second hollow body having a seal ring therein and being adapted to be connected to a second pump unit, and
- said single inlet port being provided at a sidewall of said first hollow body part and fitted with a fitting part attached with a hollow needle.
12 more elements
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- an ink jet recording apparatus, said ink-jet recording apparatus comprising:
- a sheet feed mechanism feeding a sheet along a path;
- an ink tank holding an ink therein;
- a plurality of recording heads each ejecting said ink onto said recording sheet;
- and
- an ink distribution unit distributing said ink in said ink tank to said plurality of recording heads, said ink distribution unit comprising:
- a hollow body;
- a single inlet port provided in said hollow body for connection to said container, said hollow body being supplied with said ink from said ink tank via said single inlet port;
- and
- two or more outlet ports provided in said hollow body for feeding said ink out from said hollow body to said plurality of recording heads,
- said hollow body comprising a first hollow body part having a tubular shape with a rectangular cross section and including said single inlet port and one of said outlet ports and a second hollow body part having a tubular shape with a rectangular cross section and including another of said outlet ports,
- an end of said first hollow body and an end of said second hollow body being opened and forming respective opened ends, said opened end of said first hollow body and said opened end of said second hollow body having respective shapes to fit with each other,
- said first hollow body part and said second hollow body part being assembled with each other by engaging said opened end of said first hollow body with said opened end of said second hollow body,
- said outlet port of said first hollow body having a seal ring therein and being adapted to be connected to a first pump unit,
- the outlet port of said second hollow body having a seal ring therein and being adapted to be connected to a second pump unit, and
- said single inlet port being provided at a sidewall of said first hollow body part and fitted with a fitting part attached with a hollow needle.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.