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US 8,262,209 B2Granted
Circulating type ink supply system
AssigneeToshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsNoboru Nitta, Takanori Gomi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A circulating type ink supply system includes an upstream ink tank, an upstream ink flow channel connected at one end thereof to the upstream ink tank, a nozzle branch portion connected to the other end of the upstream ink flow channel and being in communication with a nozzle configured to discharge ink, a downstream ink flow channel connected at one end thereof to the nozzle branch portion and a downstream ink tank connected to the other end of the downstream ink flow channel, wherein an energy per unit volume determined by a sum value of a static pressure and a potential energy of the ink in the upstream ink tank when the circulation of the ink is stopped does not exceed the energy per unit volume of the ink at an atmospheric pressure at a level of the nozzle.
Claims19
A circulating type ink supply system comprising:
- an upstream ink tank;
- an upstream ink flow channel connected at one end thereof to the upstream ink tank;
- a nozzle branch portion connected to the other end of the upstream ink flow channel and being in communication with a nozzle configured to discharge ink;
- a downstream ink flow channel connected at one end thereof to the nozzle branch portion;
- a downstream ink tank connected to the other end of the downstream ink flow channel and configured to store the ink flowed from the upstream ink tank via the upstream ink flow channel, the nozzle branch portion, and the downstream ink flow channel;
- a feedback flow channel configured to return the ink in the downstream ink tank to the upstream ink tank;
- a circulating mechanism configured to circulate the ink stored in the upstream ink tank from the upstream ink flow channel through the nozzle branch portion, the downstream ink flow channel, the downstream ink tank, and the feedback flow channel to the upstream ink tank;
- and
- a printing mechanism configured to discharge the ink branched at the nozzle branch portion from the nozzle portion for printing,
- wherein:
- with reference to ink at an atmospheric pressure at a level of the nozzle, an energy per unit volume, which is determined by a sum value of a static pressure and a potential energy of the ink in the upstream ink tank, both when the circulation of the ink is stopped and when the circulating mechanism operates does not exceed an energy per unit volume of the referenced ink.
8 more elements
A circulating type ink supply system comprising:
- an upstream ink tank;
- an upstream ink flow channel connected at one end thereof to the upstream ink tank;
- a nozzle branch portion connected to the other end of the upstream ink flow channel and being in communication with a nozzle configured to discharge ink;
- a downstream ink flow channel connected at one end thereof to the nozzle branch portion;
- a downstream ink tank connected to the other end of the downstream ink flow channel and configured to store the ink flowed from the upstream ink tank via the upstream ink flow channel, the nozzle branch portion, and the downstream ink flow channel;
- a feedback flow channel configured to return the ink in the downstream ink tank to the upstream ink tank;
- a circulating mechanism configured to circulate the ink stored in the upstream ink tank from the upstream ink flow channel through the nozzle branch portion, the downstream ink flow channel, the downstream ink tank, and the feedback flow channel to the upstream ink tank;
- and a printing mechanism configured to discharge the ink branched at the nozzle branch portion from the nozzle for printing,
- wherein:
- the flow channel resistance of the upstream ink flow channel is lower than the flow channel resistance of the downstream ink flow channel.
7 more elements
A circulating type ink supply system comprising:
- an upstream ink tank;
- an upstream ink flow channel connected at one end thereof to the upstream ink tank;
- a nozzle branch portion connected to the other end of the upstream ink flow channel and being in communication with a nozzle configured to discharge ink;
- a downstream ink flow channel connected at one end thereof to the nozzle branch portion;
- a downstream ink tank connected to the other end of the downstream ink flow channel and configured to store the ink flowed from the upstream ink tank via the upstream ink flow channel, the nozzle branch portion, and the downstream ink flow channel;
- a feedback flow channel configured to return the ink in the downstream ink tank to the upstream ink tank;
- a circulating mechanism configured to circulate the ink stored in the upstream ink tank from the upstream ink flow channel through the nozzle branch portion, the downstream ink flow channel, the downstream ink tank, and the feedback flow channel to the upstream ink tank;
- a printing mechanism configured to discharge the ink branched at the nozzle branch portion from the nozzle for printing;
- and
- a carriage which moves in a direction orthogonal to a paper feeding direction and mounts at least the upstream ink tank, the upstream ink flow channel, and the printing mechanism,
- wherein the downstream ink flow channel is controlled to be a constant flow rate flow channel.
8 more elements
A liquid feeding mechanism comprising:
- a hermetically closed buffer tank configured to receive liquid flowing inward from a supply port thereof and discharge the liquid and gas from a discharge port provided at a predetermined level;
- and
- a pump connected to the discharge port and configured to feed both the liquid and the gas,
- wherein:
- the pump discharges the gas from the discharge port provided on the buffer tank and allows the liquid to flow inward from the supply port to fill the liquid to the predetermined level in the buffer tank while the position of the liquid level in the buffer tank does not reach the predetermined level, and discharges the liquid from the discharge port provided on the buffer tank and allows the liquid to flow inward from the supply port while the liquid level of the liquid in the buffer tank reaches a level not lower than the predetermined level.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.