Inkjet head maintenance device and inkjet head maintenance method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10618290-B2
Application number	US-201616067668-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2016
Priority date	Jan 4, 2016
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

An inkjet head maintenance device includes a base, a liquid supplier and a liquid collector. The base has an upper face disposed closely opposite a nozzle face of an inkjet head to form a liquid reservoir space during maintenance of the inkjet head. The base includes a liquid supply hole and a liquid collection hole that open to the upper face. The liquid supplier is configured to supply liquid from the liquid supply hole to the liquid reservoir space. The liquid collector is configured to collect the liquid in the liquid reservoir space from the liquid collection hole.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An inkjet head maintenance device, comprising:
a base with an upper face disposed closely opposite a nozzle face of an inkjet head to form a liquid reservoir space during maintenance of the inkjet head, the base including a liquid supply hole and a liquid collection hole that open to the upper face;
a liquid supplier configured to supply liquid from the liquid supply hole to the liquid reservoir space to clean the nozzle face of the inkjet head with the liquid held in the liquid reservoir space; and
a liquid collector configured to collect the liquid in the liquid reservoir space from the liquid collection hole,
the base including a liquid collection accelerator configured to accelerate collection of the liquid.

2. The inkjet head maintenance device according to claim 1 , wherein
the liquid collection accelerator is configured to draw the liquid toward the liquid collection hole, the liquid collection accelerator including a first portion on an outside of the liquid collection hole and a second portion on an inside of the liquid collection hole, and
the first portion is continuous with the second portion.

3. The inkjet head maintenance device according to claim 2 , further comprising
a leaked liquid receptacle configured to collect the liquid that leaks out from the liquid reservoir space.

4. The inkjet head maintenance device according to claim 3 , further comprising
a heater configured to heat the upper face of the base.

5. The inkjet head maintenance device according to claim 2 , further comprising
a heater configured to heat the upper face of the base.

6. An inkjet head maintenance method, in which the inkjet head maintenance device according to claim 1 is used, the method comprising:
supplying a cleaning liquid for cleaning the nozzle face of the inkjet head from the liquid supply hole, and holding the cleaning liquid in the liquid reservoir space; and
collecting the cleaning liquid held in the liquid reservoir space from the liquid collection hole.

7. The inkjet head maintenance method according to claim 6 , wherein
the supplying of the cleaning liquid from the liquid supply hole and the collecting of the cleaning liquid from the liquid collection hole are performed simultaneously.

8. The inkjet head maintenance device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a heater configured to heat the upper face of the base.

9. An inkjet head maintenance method, in which the inkjet head maintenance device according to claim 1 is used, the method comprising:
discharging a coating liquid from the inkjet head and holding the coating liquid in the liquid reservoir space; and
collecting the coating liquid held in the liquid reservoir space from the liquid collection hole.

10. The inkjet head maintenance device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a leaked liquid receptacle configured to collect the liquid that leaks out from the liquid reservoir space.

11. The inkjet head maintenance device according to claim 10 , further comprising
a heater configured to heat the upper face of the base.

12. An inkjet head maintenance device, comprising:
a base with an upper face disposed closely opposite a nozzle face of an inkjet head to form a liquid reservoir space during maintenance of the inkjet head, the base including a liquid supply hole and a liquid collection hole that open to the upper face;
a liquid supplier configured to supply liquid from the liquid supply hole to the liquid reservoir space to clean the nozzle face of the inkjet head with the liquid held in the liquid reservoir space;
a liquid collector configured to collect the liquid in the liquid reservoir space from the liquid collection hole; and
a leaked liquid receptacle configured to collect the liquid that leaks out from the liquid reservoir space.

13. The inkjet head maintenance device according to claim 12 , further comprising
a heater configured to heat the upper face of the base.

14. An inkjet head maintenance device, comprising:
a base with an upper face disposed closely opposite a nozzle face of an inkjet head to form a liquid reservoir space during maintenance of the inkjet head, the base including a liquid supply hole and a liquid collection hole that open to the upper face;
a liquid supplier configured to supply liquid from the liquid supply hole to the liquid reservoir space to clean the nozzle face of the inkjet head with the liquid held in the liquid reservoir space;
a liquid collector configured to collect the liquid in the liquid reservoir space from the liquid collection hole; and
a heater configured to heat the upper face of the base.

15. An inkjet head maintenance method, in which an inkjet head maintenance device including
a base with an upper face disposed closely opposite a nozzle face of an inkjet head to form a liquid reservoir space during maintenance of the inkjet head, the base including a liquid supply hole and a liquid collection hole that open to the upper face,
a liquid supplier configured to supply liquid from the liquid supply hole to the liquid reservoir space to clean the nozzle face of the inkjet head with the liquid held in the liquid reservoir space, and
a liquid collector configured to collect the livid in the liquid reservoir space from the liquid collection hole, is used, the method comprising:
supplying a protective liquid for protecting the nozzle face of the inkjet head from the liquid supply hole, and holding the protective liquid in the liquid reservoir space; and
collecting the protective liquid after a certain amount of time has passed after holding the protective liquid.

Assignees

• Toray Eng Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kitamura Yoshiyuki
• Tomoeda Satoshi
• Shishino Kazuyuki

Classifications

• B41J2/1721

  Collecting waste ink; Collectors therefor · CPC title

• B41J2/16532

  by applying vacuum only · CPC title

• B41J2002/16594

  Pumps or valves for cleaning · CPC title

• B41J2002/16564

  Heating means therefor, e.g. for hot melt inks · CPC title

• B41J2/16535

  using wiping constructions (B41J2/16552 takes precedence) · CPC title