Liquid ejecting apparatus and cleaning method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10518539-B2
Application number	US-201815905468-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2018
Priority date	Feb 28, 2017
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a flow path member including a common liquid chamber communicating with each of a plurality of nozzles formed in a nozzle surface, via a corresponding pressure generating chamber, a supply port provided in an inner wall of the common liquid chamber to supply a liquid to the common liquid chamber, a discharge port provided in a ceiling of the common liquid chamber to discharge an air bubble from the common liquid chamber, and a wall continuously extending from the inner wall, and including a surface opposing the discharge port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
a flow path member including a common liquid chamber communicating with each of a plurality of nozzles formed in a nozzle surface, via a corresponding pressure generating chamber;
a supply port provided in an inner wall of the common liquid chamber to supply a liquid to the common liquid chamber;
a discharge port provided in a ceiling of the common liquid chamber to discharge an air bubble from the common liquid chamber; and
a wall continuously extending from the inner wall, including a surface opposing the discharge port,
wherein the discharge port is located on an outer side of the pressure generating chamber, in a direction in which the pressure generating chambers are aligned.

2. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the ceiling includes a sloped surface formed so as to be farther from the nozzle surface, toward the discharge port.

3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the wall includes a floor surface opposing the ceiling, and formed so as to be closer to the nozzle surface, toward the discharge port.

4. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the supply port is provided in the ceiling,
the wall is configured so as to generate, in the common liquid chamber, a first flow from the supply port to a plurality of the pressure generating chambers, and a second flow from the supply port to the discharge port, and
a portion of the wall that generates the first flow includes a sloped surface formed so as to be closer to the nozzle surface, in a direction away from the supply port.

5. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the wall is configured so as to generate, in the common liquid chamber, a first flow from the supply port to a plurality of the pressure generating chambers, and a second flow from the supply port to the discharge port, and
the first flow and the second flow are branched at a position upper than a center of the common liquid chamber, in a direction in which the ceiling and a portion of the common liquid chamber communicating with the pressure generating chamber oppose each other.

6. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the discharge port communicates with a degassing chamber including a gas-liquid separation wall.

7. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the discharge port is configured to discharge the air bubble inside the common liquid chamber.

8. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the discharge port is configured to return the liquid, supplied through the supply port from a tank for storing the liquid, to the tank.

9. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
a flow path member including a common liquid chamber communicating with each of a plurality of nozzles formed in a nozzle surface, via a corresponding pressure generating chamber;
a supply port provided in an inner wall of the common liquid chamber to supply a liquid to the common liquid chamber;
a discharge port provided in a ceiling of the common liquid chamber to discharge an air bubble from the common liquid chamber; and
a wall continuously extending from the inner wall, including a first surface opposing the discharge port, and including a second surface that opposes the discharge port and does not oppose the supply port.

10. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the first surface and the second surface are connected to each other.

11. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the plurality of nozzles are arranged in an arranging direction, and
wherein an angle between a lengthen direction of the first surface and the arranging direction is larger than an angle between a lengthen direction of the second surface and the arranging direction.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Muto Atsushi
• Sato Masahiko
• Hagiwara Hiroyuki

Classifications

• B41J2/14274 Primary

  of stacked structure type, deformed by compression/extension and disposed on a diaphragm · CPC title

• B41J2/14032

  Structure of the pressure chamber · CPC title

• B41J2/025

  by vibration · CPC title

• B41J2002/14419

  Manifold · CPC title

• B41J2002/14459

  Matrix arrangement of the pressure chambers · CPC title