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US RE48,686 E1Granted
Ink-jet printer
AssigneeRiso Kagaku Corporation
InventorsShinichiro Otsuka, Hirohito Kubota
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A head holder has an opening through which a space between the head holder and a conveyer communicates with an inside of the head holder. Ahead cooler includes a blower configured to blow air into the head holder from an outside of the head holder with a flow rate of blow air and a suction unit configured to suction air from the head holder with a flow rate of suction air. The head cooler generates cooling air for cooling an ink-jet head inside the head holder by the blower and the suction unit. A controller controls the flow rate of blow air and the flow rate of suction air such that air containing ink mist is suctioned into the head holder through the opening.
Claims18
An ink-jet printer comprising:
- a conveyer configured to convey a printing medium;
- an ink-jet head configured to eject ink onto the printing medium conveyed by the conveyer;
- a head holder in a box shape configured to hold the ink-jet head, the head holder having an opening through which a space between the head holder and the conveyer communicates with an inside of the head holder;
- a head cooler including:
- a blower configured to blow air into the head holder from an outside of the head holder toward the ink-jet head with a flow rate of blow air;
- and
- a suction unit configured to suction air from the head holder with a flow rate of suction air, the head cooler being configured to generate cooling air for cooling the ink-jet head inside the head holder by the blower and the suction unit such that the cooling air generated by the head cooler flows into the head holder in a flow direction parallel to a conveying direction surface of the conveyer;
- and
- a controller configured to drive the conveyer to convey the printing medium while driving the ink-jet head to eject the ink onto the printing medium to perform printing and driving the head cooler to generate the cooling air,
- wherein the controller is configured to control the flow rate of blow air and the flow rate of suction air such that air containing ink mist generated by ink ejection by the ink-jet head is suctioned into the head holder through the opening, and
- the flow direction is perpendicular to a conveying direction of the printing medium along the conveying surface.
8 more elements
An ink-jet printer comprising:
- a conveyer configured to convey a printing medium;
- an ink-jet head configured to eject ink onto the priming medium conveyed by the conveyer;
- a head holder in a box shape configured to hold the ink-jet head, the head holder having an opening through which a space between the head holder and the conveyer communicates with an inside of the head holder;
- a head cooler including:
- a blower configured to blow air into the head holder from an outside of the head holder with a flow rate of blow air;
- and
- a suction unit configured to suction air from the head holder with a flow rate of suction air, the head cooler being configured to generate cooling air for cooling the ink-jet head inside the head holder by the blower and the suction unit;
- and
- a controller configured to drive the conveyer to convey the printing medium while driving the ink-jet head to eject the ink onto the printing medium to perform printing and driving the head cooler to generate the cooling air, wherein
- the controller is configured to control the flow rate of blow air and the flow rate of suction air such that air containing ink mist is suctioned into the head holder through the opening,
- the controller selectively uses a first mode and a second mode,
- in the first mode, the controller controls the flow rate of blow air and the flow rate of suction air such that the cooling air in the head holder has an air volume required to cool the ink-jet head corresponding to a conveyance speed of the printing medium by the conveyer, and
- in the second mode, the controller controls the flow rate of blow air and the flow rate of suction air such that the cooling air in the head holder has an air volume that is smaller than the air volume of the cooling air in the head holder in the first mode and airflow flowing into the head holder through the opening has an air volume that is smaller than an air volume of airflow flowing into the head holder through the opening in the first mode and capable of suctioning the ink mist.
10 more elements
An ink-jet printer comprising:
- a conveyer configured to convey a printing medium;
- an ink-jet head configured to eject ink onto the printing medium conveyed by the conveyer;
- a head holder in a box shape configured to hold the ink-jet head, the head holder having an opening through which a space between the head holder and the conveyer communicates with an inside of the head holder;
- a head cooler including:
- a blower mounted to the head holder and configured to blow air into the head holder from an outside of the head holder toward the ink-jet head with a flow rate of blow air;
- and
- a suction unit mounted to the head holder and configured to suction air from the head holder with a flow rate of suction air, the head cooler being configured to generate cooling air for cooling the ink-jet head inside the head holder by the blower and the suction unit such that the cooling air generated by the head cooler flows into the head holder in a flow direction parallel to a conveying surface of the conveyer;
- and
- a controller configured to drive the conveyer to convey the printing medium while driving the ink-jet head to eject the ink onto the printing medium to perform printing and driving the head cooler to generate the cooling air, wherein
- the controller is configured to control the flow rate of blow air and the flow rate of suction air such that air containing ink mist generated by ink ejection by the ink-jet head is suctioned into the head holder through the opening.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.