Ink supply device for inkjet printer and inkjet printer
AssigneeMimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
InventorKazutaka Tamaki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ink supply device for an inkjet printer includes a sub-tank and a main tank. The sub-tank has an ink chamber to store liquid ink and is connected to a print head configured to eject the liquid ink via a head-side supply passage. The sub-tank has a plurality of supply holes which connect the ink chamber and the head-side supply passage. At least two of the plurality of supply holes have their openings on the ink chamber side formed at different heights. The main tank is connected to the sub-tank and contains the liquid ink to be supplied to the ink chamber.
Claims15
An ink supply device for an inkjet printer, comprising:
- a sub-tank having an ink chamber to store liquid ink and to be connected to a print head configured to eject the liquid ink via a head-side supply passage, the sub-tank having a plurality of supply holes which connect the ink chamber and the head-side supply passage, at least two of the plurality of supply holes having their openings on the ink chamber side formed at different heights;
- and
- a main tank connected to the sub-tank and to contain the liquid ink to be supplied to the ink chamber,
- wherein the ink chamber has a supply ink chamber and a detection ink chamber communicating with each other, the supply ink chamber communicating with an ink inlet opening connected to the main tank, the detection ink chamber receiving a level indicator member floating on the liquid ink to freely move in a vertical direction, and
- wherein the sub-tank comprises a level detection portion configured to detect an ink level of the ink chamber by detecting a position of the level indicator member in the vertical direction.
An ink supply device for an inkjet printer, comprising:
- a sub-tank having an ink chamber to store liquid ink and to be connected to a print head configured to eject the liquid ink via a head-side supply passage, the sub-tank having a plurality of supply holes which connect the ink chamber and the head-side supply passage, at least two of the plurality of supply holes having their openings on the ink chamber side formed at different heights;
- and
- a main tank connected to the sub-tank and to contain the liquid ink to be supplied to the ink chamber,
- wherein the ink chamber has a supply ink chamber and a detection ink chamber communicating with each other, the supply ink chamber communicating with an ink inlet opening connected to the main tank, the detection ink chamber receiving a level indicator member floating on the liquid ink to freely move in a vertical direction,
- wherein the supply ink chamber communicates with a pressure control hole connected to an inner pressure controller configured to control an inner pressure of the ink chamber,
- wherein a backflow prevention portion is formed in the ink chamber, the backflow prevention portion comprising a sealing member which floats on the liquid ink and a supporting portion which supports the sealing member to freely move the sealing member in the vertical direction in response to changes of an ink level in the ink chamber, and
- wherein the sealing member seals an ink chamber-side opening of the pressure control hole when the sealing member moves upwardly according to rise of the ink level in the ink chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.