Printing apparatus with ink circulation flow path
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorMasaaki Ando
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printing apparatus includes an ink ejecting head which ejects a UV ink, a sub-tank which reserves the UV ink, an ink circulation flow path which includes a circulation outgoing path in which the UV ink which is supplied to the ink ejecting head from the sub-tank flows and a circulation return path in which the UV ink which returns to sub-tank from the ink ejecting head flows, and a check valve which is provided in the circulation return path and is capable of opening and closing the circulation return path, in which the circulation return path is opened by the check valve when the UV ink flows in the circulation return path in a forward direction, and the circulation return path is closed by the check valve when the UV ink flows in the circulation return path in a reverse direction.
Claims9
A printing apparatus comprising:
- an ink ejecting head which ejects an ink;
- an ink reservoir section which reserves the ink;
- an ink circulation flow path which includes a circulation outgoing path in which the ink which is supplied to the ink ejecting head from the ink reservoir section flows when the ink is ejected from the ink ejecting head and a circulation return path in which a part of the ink which is not ejected from the ink ejecting head among the ink supplied via the circulation outgoing path flows when the part of the ink returns to the ink reservoir section;
- and
- a check valve which is provided in the circulation return path, the check valve being configured to allow the ink to flow in the circulation return path in a forward direction in which the ink flows from the ink ejecting head to the ink reservoir section, and prevent the ink from flowing in the circulation return path in a reverse direction in which the ink flows from the ink reservoir section to the ink ejecting head,
- a first end of the circulation return path being connected to the ink ejecting head and a second end of the circulation return path being connected to the ink reservoir section, and
- the check valve being further configured to prevent the ink from flowing from the ink reservoir section to the ink ejecting head when the second end of the circulation return path is removed from the ink reservoir section.
A printing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of ink ejecting heads which eject an ink;
- an ink reservoir section which reserves the ink;
- an ink circulation flow path which includes a circulation outgoing path in which the ink which is supplied to the ink ejecting heads from the ink reservoir section flows when the ink is ejected from the ink ejecting heads and a circulation return path in which a part of the ink which is not ejected from the ink ejecting heads among the ink supplied via the circulation outgoing path flows when the part of the ink returns to the ink reservoir section;
- and
- a plurality of check valves which are provided in the circulation return path,
- the circulation return path containing a plurality of branch paths at first end of the circulation return path, one end portion of each branch path being connected to the corresponding ink ejecting head, and a second end of the circulation return path being connected to the ink reservoir section,
- each of the check valves being provided in each of the branch paths,
- each of the check valves being configured to allow the ink to flow in the circulation return path in a forward direction in which the ink flows from the ink ejecting heads to the ink reservoir section, and prevent the ink from flowing in the circulation return path in a reverse direction in which the ink flows from the ink reservoir section to the ink ejecting heads, and
- each of the check valves being further configured to prevent the ink from flowing from the ink reservoir section to the ink ejecting heads when the second end of the circulation return path is removed from the ink reservoir section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.