Liquid discharging apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11104137-B2
Application number	US-202016820124-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2020
Priority date	Sep 21, 2018
Publication date	Aug 31, 2021
Grant date	Aug 31, 2021

Abstract

Provided is a liquid discharging apparatus including a liquid discharging unit configured to discharge a liquid, and a dummy discharge receptacle including an absorbing member configured to absorb a liquid dummy-discharged by the liquid discharging unit, wherein the liquid discharging unit discharges a liquid having a resin content of 5% by mass or greater, and wherein the absorbing member of the dummy discharge receptacle is formed of melamine foam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid discharging apparatus, comprising:
a liquid discharging unit configured to discharge a liquid; and
a dummy discharge receptacle that comprises an absorbing member configured to absorb a liquid dummy-discharged by the liquid discharging unit,
wherein the liquid discharging unit discharges a liquid having a resin content of 5% by mass or greater,
wherein the absorbing member of the dummy discharge receptacle is formed of melamine foam,
wherein the absorbing member comprises a first absorbing member, and a second absorbing member as a lower layer of the first absorbing member,
wherein the first absorbing member is the melamine foam divided into a plurality of blocks in an in-plane direction of a surface over which the liquid dummy-discharged lands, and
wherein an area of the second absorbing member is larger than an area of one block of the first absorbing member.

2. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the melamine foam is melamine foam having an absorbing speed of higher than 10 nl/ms and a capillary force of lower than 10 mm.

3. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the absorbing member is divided into plurality of blocks in the in-plane direction of the surface over which the liquid dummy-discharged lands.

4. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein some blocks of the plurality of blocks are impregnated with a humectant liquid.

5. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second absorbing member has a capillary force higher than a capillary force of the melamine foam.

6. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first absorbing member and the second absorbing member are engaged with each other by a boss and a dent.

7. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the liquid contains a coloring material, a resin, an organic solvent A, and an organic solvent B,
wherein the organic solvent A comprises alkyl alkanediol having alkanediol containing 3 through 6 carbon atoms as a main chain and an alkyl group containing 1 through 2 carbon atoms as a branched chain, and
wherein the organic solvent B comprises a polyvalent alcohol having an equilibrium moisture content of 30% by mass or greater at a relative humidity of 80% and a saturated vapor pressure of 20 mmHg or higher at 100 degrees C.

8. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein a ratio by mass (A/B) between a content (% by mass) of the organic solvent A and a content (% by mass) of the organic solvent B in the liquid is 1 or less.

9. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the liquid contains an organic solvent C having a solubility parameter of 9 or greater but 11 or less.

10. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the liquid contains a copolymer having a structural unit represented by a general formula (1) below,

where in the general formula (1), R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, and L represents an alkylene group containing 2 or more but 18 or less carbon atoms.

11. A liquid discharging apparatus, comprising:
a liquid discharging unit configured to discharge a liquid; and
a dummy discharge receptacle that comprises an absorbing member configured to absorb a liquid dummy-discharged by the liquid discharging unit,
wherein the liquid discharging unit discharges a liquid having a resin content of 5% by mass or greater,
wherein the absorbing member of the dummy discharge receptacle is formed of melamine foam, and
wherein the melamine foam is melamine foam having an absorbing speed of higher than 10 nl/ms and a capillary force of lower than 10 mm.

12. A liquid discharging apparatus, comprising:
a liquid discharging unit configured to discharge a liquid; and
a dummy discharge receptacle that comprises an absorbing member configured to absorb a liquid dummy-discharged by the liquid discharging unit,
wherein the liquid discharging unit discharges a liquid having a resin content of 5% by mass or greater,
wherein the absorbing member of the dummy discharge receptacle is formed of melamine foam,
wherein the liquid contains a coloring material, a resin, an organic solvent A, and an organic solvent B,
wherein the organic solvent A comprises alkyl alkanediol having alkanediol containing 3 through 6 carbon atoms as a main chain and an alkyl group containing 1 through 2 carbon atoms as a branched chain, and
wherein the organic solvent B comprises a polyvalent alcohol having an equilibrium moisture content of 30% by mass or greater at a relative humidity of 80% and a saturated vapor pressure of 20 mmHg or higher at 100 degrees C.

Assignees

• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tanioku Yuichi
• Habashi Hisashi
• Koizuka Yuusuke
• Katsuragi Koji
• Yokohama Yuuki
• Kudo Masaki

Classifications

• B41J2/16585 Primary

  for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads · CPC title

• B41J2002/1657

  Cleaning of only nozzles or print head parts being selected · CPC title

• B41J2/1721

  Collecting waste ink; Collectors therefor · CPC title

• B41J2/165 Primary

  Prevention {or detection} of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles · CPC title

• B41J2/16508

  connected with the printer frame · CPC title