Valve unit and liquid ejecting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10556442-B2
Application number	US-201916370262-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2019
Priority date	Nov 12, 2001
Publication date	Feb 11, 2020
Grant date	Feb 11, 2020

Abstract

Provided is a liquid injecting apparatus equipped with a liquid injecting head, which is mounted on a carriage and moved reciprocally in a widthwise direction of a target, and a valve unit, which is mounted on the carriage to be supplied with liquid via a supply passage from a liquid retainer and to supply liquid to the liquid injecting head. The valve unit has a pressure chamber connected to the liquid retainer via the supply passage; a valve, which opens or closes the supply passage to supply liquid to the pressure chamber; and a flexible film member, which is displaced based on a negative pressure generated as liquid in the pressure chamber decreases to thereby operate the valve.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
a liquid ejecting head configured to move in a main scanning direction and to eject liquid to a target;
a liquid retainer accommodating portion provided above the liquid ejecting head, the liquid retainer accommodating portion being configured to accommodate a liquid retainer;
a liquid supply passage provided between the liquid retainer accommodating portion and the liquid ejecting head; and
a valve mechanism disposed in the liquid supply passage, the valve mechanism being configured to open and close the liquid supply passage,
wherein the liquid retainer accommodating portion has an opening into which the liquid retainer is inserted, and
wherein a length of the opening in a direction of gravity is shorter than a length of the opening in the main scanning direction.

2. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid retainer accommodating portion is configured to accommodate the liquid retainer in a state where a largest area portion of the liquid retainer is directed in a vertical direction.

3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid retainer accommodating portion is configured to accommodate a plurality of liquid retainers in a line in the main scanning direction.

4. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the liquid retainer accommodating portion vertically overlaps a movement region of the liquid ejecting head.

5. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the valve mechanism is located at a position lower than the liquid retainer accommodating portion and higher than the liquid ejecting head.

6. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the valve mechanism is configured to open if a downstream side of the valve reaches a predetermined negative pressure.

7. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the valve mechanism comprises:
a supply chamber which communicates with the liquid retainer through the liquid supply passage;
a pressure chamber which is provided downstream from the supply chamber; and
a valve configured to open and close a passage between the pressure chamber and the supply chamber,
wherein the passage constitutes a part of the liquid supply passage.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Aruga Yoshiharu
• Kumagai Toshio
• Matsumoto Hitoshi

Classifications

• B41J2/17506

  Refilling of the cartridge · CPC title

• B41J2/17523

  Ink connection · CPC title

• B41J2/17556

  Means for regulating the pressure in the cartridge · CPC title

• B41J2/14

  Structure thereof {only for on-demand ink jet heads} · CPC title

• B41J2/17509

  Whilst mounted in the printer · CPC title