Liquid ejecting apparatus and method of replacing liquid ejecting head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10639904-B2
Application number	US-201916269832-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2019
Priority date	Feb 7, 2018
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting portion configured to eject a liquid, a liquid supply flow path of which a downstream end portion is attachably/detachably connected to the liquid ejecting portion and through which the liquid is supplied from a liquid accommodating portion that accommodates the liquid to the liquid ejecting portion, an opening/closing valve capable of opening and closing the liquid supply flow path, an atmosphere communication path connected to the liquid supply flow path on a downstream side of the opening/closing valve, an atmosphere release valve capable of opening and closing the atmosphere communication path, a suction mechanism capable of sucking the liquid in the liquid ejecting portion, and a control device configured to control operations of the opening/closing valve, the atmosphere release valve, and the suction mechanism.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
a liquid ejecting head configured to eject a liquid from an ejecting port;
a liquid supply flow path of which a downstream end portion is attachably/detachably connected to the liquid ejecting head and through which the liquid is supplied from a liquid accommodating portion that accommodates the liquid to the liquid ejecting head;
an opening/closing valve configured to open and close the liquid supply flow path;
an atmosphere communication path connected to the liquid supply flow path on a downstream side of the opening/closing valve and configured to communicate with an atmosphere;
an atmosphere release valve configured to open and close the atmosphere communication path;
a suction mechanism configured to suck the liquid in the liquid ejecting head; and
a control section that controls operations of the opening/closing valve, the atmosphere release valve, and the suction mechanism,
wherein the control section executes a discharge operation for discharging the liquid in the liquid ejecting head by performing a suction by the suction mechanism for a predetermined time in a state where the opening/closing valve and the atmosphere release valve are closed prior to a removal of the liquid ejecting head from the downstream end portion of the liquid supply flow path and then opening the atmosphere release valve.

2. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control section continues the suction by the suction mechanism even after the atmosphere release valve is opened.

3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control section closes the atmosphere release valve after an end of the discharge operation.

4. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the control section executes a resupply operation for supplying the liquid to the liquid ejecting head by performing a suction by the suction mechanism for a predetermined time in a state where the opening/closing valve and the atmosphere release valve are closed and then opening the opening/closing valve after the liquid ejecting head is removed and the same or different liquid ejecting head is connected to the downstream end portion of the liquid supply flow path.

5. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the control section continues the suction by the suction mechanism even after the opening/closing valve is opened.

6. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a filter between the atmosphere release valve in the atmosphere communication path and the liquid supply flow path.

7. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a cap configured to form a closed space in which the ejecting port is opened,
wherein the opening/closing valve and the atmosphere release valve are provided at positions where the volume of a portion surrounded by the ejecting port, the opening/closing valve, and the atmosphere release valve is smaller than the volume of the closed space.

8. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising, when the opening/closing valve serves as a first opening/closing valve:
a liquid collection flow path of which an upstream end portion is attachably/detachably connected to the liquid ejecting head and through which the liquid not ejected by the liquid ejecting head is collected; and
a second opening/closing valve configured to open and close the liquid collection flow path,
wherein the control section executes the discharge operation for discharging the liquid in the liquid ejecting head by performing the suction by the suction mechanism for the predetermined time in a state where the first opening/closing valve, the second opening/closing valve, and the atmosphere release valve are closed prior to the removal of the liquid ejecting head from the downstream end portion of the liquid supply flow path and the upstream end portion of the liquid collection flow path and then opening the atmosphere release valve.

9. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising, when the opening/closing valve serves as a first opening/closing valve and the atmosphere release valve serves as a first atmosphere release valve:
a liquid collection flow path of which an upstream end portion is attachably/detachably connected to the liquid ejecting head and through which the liquid not ejected by the liquid ejecting head is collected;
a second opening/closing valve for opening and closing the liquid collection flow path;
a second atmosphere communication path connected to the liquid collection flow path on an upstream side of the second opening/closing valve in the liquid collection flow path and configured to communicate with the atmosphere; and
a second atmosphere release valve configured to open and close the second atmosphere communication path,
wherein the control section executes the discharge operation for discharging the liquid in the liquid ejecting head by performing the suction by the suction mechanism for the predetermined time in a state where the first opening/closing valve, the second opening/closing valve, the first atmosphere release valve and the second atmosphere release valve are closed prior to the removal of the liquid ejecting head from the downstream end portion of the liquid supply flow path and the upstream end portion of the liquid collection flow path and then opening the first atmosphere release valve and the second atmosphere release valve.

10. A method of replacing a liquid ejecting head in a liquid ejecting apparatus,
the apparatus including:
a liquid ejecting head configured to eject a liquid,
a liquid supply flow path of which a downstream end portion is attachably/detachably connected to the liquid ejecting head and through which the liquid is supplied from a liquid accommodating portion that accommodates the liquid to the liquid ejecting head,
an opening/closing valve configured to open and close the liquid supply flow path,
an atmosphere communication path connected to the liquid supply flow path on a downstream side of the opening/closing valve and configured to communicate with an atmosphere,
an atmosphere release valve configured to open and close the atmosphere communication path, and
a suction mechanism configured to suck the ink in the liquid ejecting head,

the method comprising:
closing the opening/closing valve;
closing the atmosphere release valve;
executing a discharge operation for discharging the liquid in the liquid ejecting head by performing a suction by the suction mechanism for a predetermined time in a state where the open/closing valve and the atmosphere release valve are closed prior to removal of the liquid ejecting head from the downstream end portion of the liquid supply flow path and then opening the atmosphere release valve.

11. The method of replacing a liquid ejecting head according to claim 10 , further comprising:
continuing the suction by the suction mechanism between the opening of the atmosphere release valve and the removing of the liquid ejecting head.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Nakamura Hiroyuki
• Nozawa Izumi

Classifications

• B41J2/16532

  by applying vacuum only · CPC title

• B41J2/155

  for line printing · CPC title

• B41J11/00

  Devices or arrangements  {of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers,} for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form (script supports connected to the typewriter or printer B41J29/15) · CPC title

• B41J2/17523

  Ink connection · CPC title

• B41J2/175

  Ink supply systems {; Circuit parts therefor} · CPC title