Recording apparatus and control method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12070952-B2
Application number	US-202117488073-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2021
Priority date	Sep 30, 2020
Publication date	Aug 27, 2024
Grant date	Aug 27, 2024

Abstract

A recording apparatus includes a carriage, a tank, and a flow passage. The carriage includes a liquid ejecting recording head and reciprocates in first and second directions. The flow passage supplies liquid from the tank to the recording head, and includes a fixed flow passage, a first flow passage, and a second flow passage. The fixed flow passage is connected to the tank and does not to follow a movement of the carriage. The first flow passage is branched off from the fixed flow passage, is connected to the recording head in the first direction, and follows the carriage movement. The second flow passage is branched off from the fixed flow passage, is connected to the recording head in the second direction, and follows the carriage movement. After the carriage moves in the first direction, stops, and moves in the second direction, liquid is sucked from the recording head.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A recording apparatus comprising:
a recording head mounted on a carriage and configured to eject liquid, wherein the carriage is configured to reciprocate in a first direction along a scanning direction and in a second direction opposite to the first direction;
a tank configured to contain liquid to be supplied to the recording head;
a first flow passage, which is connected to a carriage joint mounted on the carriage, configured to flow liquid from the tank to the recording head;
a second flow passage, which is connected to the carriage joint mounted on the carriage, configured to flow liquid from the tank to the recording head;
a third flow passage, one end of which is connected to the first flow passage and the second flow passage and another end of which is connected to the recording head, configured to supply liquid to the recording head by flowing the liquid from the one end to the other end;
a suction unit configured to suck liquid from the recording head; and
a control unit configured to control the suction unit to suck liquid from the recording head after the carriage (i) moves in the first direction, (ii) stops for a predetermined period, and (iii) moves in the second direction.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first flow passage has a flow passage resistance that is larger than a flow passage resistance of the second flow passage.

3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a valve provided in the first flow passage,
wherein the valve is configured to limit a flow of liquid from the tank to the recording head and is configured to allow liquid to flow from the recording head to the tank.

4. The recording apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the valve is disposed near the recording head.

5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a speed at which the carriage moves in the second direction is higher than a speed at which the carriage moves in the first direction.

6. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the suction unit includes a cap configured to cap an ejection port surface on which an ejection port of the recording head is provided, and includes a pump connected to the cap, and
wherein the control unit controls the carriage to move in the second direction and stop at a position where the recording head opposes to the cap and controls the suction unit to suck liquid from the recording head.

7. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first flow passage and the second flow passage form a loop-shaped flow passage extending on a plane defined by the scanning direction and a gravitational direction.

8. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the suction unit to suck liquid from the recording head after the carriage is stopped at a position where the recording head opposes to the suction unit.

9. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first flow passage and the second flow passage are branched off from a fixed flow passage,
wherein the tank includes a first tank detachably mountable on the recording apparatus, and a second tank fixed to the recording apparatus and configured to contain liquid supplied from the first tank, and
wherein the fixed flow passage is connected to the second tank.

10. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first flow passage and the second flow passage are branched off from a fixed flow passage which is connected to the tank and is fixed to an inside of the recording apparatus with a fixed portion joint.

11. The recording apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the first flow passage and the second flow passage are configured to follow the movement of the carriage, and the fixed flow passage is configured not to follow the movement of the carriage.

12. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the recording apparatus is transported, the control unit controls the suction unit to suck liquid from the recording head.

13. A control method for a recording apparatus,
wherein the recording apparatus includes:
a recording head mounted on a carriage and configured to eject liquid, wherein the carriage is configured to reciprocate in a first direction along a scanning direction and in a second direction opposite to the first direction,
a tank configured to contain liquid to be supplied to the recording head,
a first flow passage, which is connected to a carriage joint mounted on the carriage, configured to flow liquid from the tank to the recording head,
a second flow passage, which is connected to the carriage joint mounted on the carriage, configured to flow liquid from the tank to the recording head, and
a third flow passage, one end of which is connected to the first flow passage and the second flow passage and another end of which is connected to the recording head, configured to supply liquid to the recording head by flowing the liquid from the one end to the other end,
the control method comprising:
controlling, as a first controlling, the carriage to move in the first direction and to stop for a predetermined period;
controlling, as a second controlling after the first controlling, the carriage to move in the second direction; and
sucking liquid from the recording head after the second controlling.

14. The control method according to claim 13 , wherein a speed at which the carriage moves in the second direction in the second controlling is higher than a speed at which the carriage moves in the first direction in the first controlling.

15. The control method according to claim 13 , wherein the first flow passage and the second flow passage are branched off from a fixed flow passage which is connected to the tank and is fixed to an inside of the recording apparatus with a fixed portion joint.

16. The control method according to claim 15 , wherein the first flow passage and the second flow passage are configured to follow the movement of the carriage, and the fixed flow passage is configured not to follow the movement of the carriage.

17. The control method according to claim 13 , wherein the recording apparatus further includes a cap configured to cap an ejection port surface on which an ejection port of the recording head is provided, the control method further comprising:
controlling, as a third controlling after the second controlling, the carriage to stop at a position where the recording head opposes to the cap; and
executing the sucking after the third controlling.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Sato Takaya
• Maruyama Ryohei
• Kuronuma Daigo
• Iimura Kenta
• Abe Tomohito
• Wada Naoaki
• Nagashima Masakazu
• Yamaguchi Toshiaki
• Takahashi Ryutaro

Classifications

• B41J2/045

  by pressure, e.g. electromechanical transducers · CPC title

• B41J2/18

  Ink recirculation systems · CPC title

• B41J2/17566

  Ink level or ink residue control · CPC title

• B41J29/38

  Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism · CPC title

• B41J2/175

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