# US 9,751,322 B2 · Fluid transport device

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- Number: US 9,751,322 B2
- Document ID: US9751322B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/311,508
- Filed: 2015-05-14
- Published: 2017-04-20
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2014-05-16
- Assignees: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Akihiko Mizusaki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9751322B2

## CPC

- B41J 2/17596: {Ink pumps, ink valves}
- B41J 2/16508: {connected with the printer frame}
- B41J 2/1652: {by driving a fluid through the nozzles to the outside thereof, e.g. by applying pressure to the inside or vacuum at the outside of the print head}
- B41J 2/16523: {Waste ink transport from caps or spittoons, e.g. by suction (Collecting or collectors of waste ink B41J2/1721)}
- B41J 2/17509: {Whilst mounted in the printer}
- B41J 2/185: Ink-collectors; Ink-catchers
- B41J 29/38: Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
- F04B 43/082: {the tubular flexible member being pressed against a wall by a number of elements, each having an alternating movement in a direction perpendicular to the axes of the tubular member and each having its own driving mechanism}
- F04B 43/086: {with two or more tubular flexible members in parallel (F04B43/1136 takes precedence)}
- F04B 43/12: having peristaltic action
- F04B 43/1223: {the actuating elements, e.g. rollers, moving in a straight line during squeezing}
- F04B 43/1238: {using only one roller as the squeezing element, the roller moving on an arc of a circle during squeezing}
- F04B 43/1253: {by using two or more rollers as squeezing elements, the rollers moving on an arc of a circle during squeezing}
- F04B 43/1276: {Means for pushing the rollers against the tubular flexible member}
- F04B 43/1292: {Pumps specially adapted for several tubular flexible members}
- F04B 45/047: Pumps having electric drive
- B41J 2002/16594: {Pumps or valves for cleaning}
- B41J 2002/1856: {waste ink containers}
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F)

## Abstract

A waste ink recovery device (1) which is a fluid transport device has a tubing pump (40) configured to rotate around a shaft center by a motor, thereby transporting waste ink into a recovery container, flow passage members (30) for guiding the waste ink into the tubing pump (40), a flow passage selector (50), and a one-way clutch (70). The flow passage selector (50) has operating members (53) for opening and closing internal flow passages of the flow passage members (30), and an eccentric cam (54) configured to make the operating members (53) open and close the internal flow passages of the flow passage members (30).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fluid transport device having
one drive source,
a pump configured to rotate around a shaft center by a driving force of the drive source, thereby transporting a fluid, and
a plurality of flow passage members for transporting the fluid through the pump, wherein:
the pump includes a squeezing member configured to rotate around the shaft center, and a tube member constituting parts of the plurality of flow passage members,
the squeezing member includes a roller attached thereto so as to be movable between a squeezing position to which the roller is moved in a state where the roller has been advanced so as to be able to press the tube member, thereby squeezing the tube member, thereby transporting the fluid, and a release position to which the roller is moved in a state where the roller has been retracted so as not to press the tube member, thereby stopping transport of the fluid, and configured to be positioned at the squeezing position, thereby squeezing the tube member, thereby transporting the fluid, if the squeezing member rotates in one direction around the shaft center, and be positioned at the release position, thereby stopping transport of the fluid, if the squeezing member rotates in the other direction opposite to the one direction around the shaft center, and
the fluid transport device includes
a flow passage selector having operating members provided so as to be movable between a closing position for closing internal flow passages of the flow passage members, and an opening position for opening the internal flow passages of the flow passage members, and an eccentric cam configured to rotate, thereby moving the operating members between the closing position and the opening position, thereby opening and closing the internal flow passages of the flow passage members, and
a one-way clutch provided between the squeezing member and the eccentric cam, and configured to regulate transmission of rotation of the squeezing member to the eccentric cam, thereby stopping the eccentric cam, thereby maintaining the positions of the operating members, if the squeezing member rotates in the one direction, and transmit rotation of the squeezing member to the eccentric cam, thereby rotating the eccentric cam, thereby changing the positions of the operating members, if the squeezing member rotates in the other direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fluid transport device according to claim 1, wherein:
a rotation center of the squeezing member and a rotation center of the eccentric cam are disposed on the same line or in parallel, and
a cam surface of the eccentric cam configured to come into contact with the operating members and move the operating members between the closing position and the opening position, thereby opening or closing the internal flow passages of the flow passage members, if the eccentric cam rotates, is formed in parallel to the rotation center of the eccentric cam.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The fluid transport device according to claim 2, wherein:
the eccentric cam and the one-way clutch are disposed on the same axis.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The fluid transport device according to claim 3, wherein:
the one-way clutch is accommodated in the eccentric cam, and is provided so as to be movable in parallel to the rotation center of the eccentric cam.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The fluid transport device according to claim 4, wherein:
the one-way clutch has axial-direction movement cam surfaces configured to be separated from a power transmission part of the eccentric cam, thereby regulating transmission of rotation of the squeezing member to the eccentric cam, thereby stopping the eccentric cam, thereby maintaining the positions of the operating members, if the squeezing member rotates in the one direction, and
to be pressed from the squeezing member in such a direction that they approach the power transmission part, thereby being connected to the power transmission part, thereby transmitting rotation of the squeezing member to the eccentric cam, thereby rotating the eccentric cam, thereby changing the positions of the operating members, if the squeezing member rotates in the other direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The fluid transport device according to claim 5, further comprising:
biasing members for biasing the operating members against the cam surface, respectively,
wherein recesses to be locked by the operating members having opened the internal flow passages of the flow passage members, and recesses to be locked by the operating members having closed the internal flow passages of the flow passage members are formed at intervals in a circumferential direction of the cam surface.