Liquid ejecting apparatus and liquid discharging method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12384166-B2
Application number	US-202318322666-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2023
Priority date	May 25, 2022
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: nozzles; individual flow paths communicating with each of the nozzles; a liquid storage portion storing liquid; a supply flow path for supplying the liquid from the liquid storage portion to the individual flow paths; a recovery flow path for recovering the liquid from the individual flow paths to the liquid storage portion; a bypass flow path that couples the supply flow path and the recovery flow path; and an on-off valve configured to close and open the recovery flow path, in which the on-off valve is disposed between the bypass flow path and the liquid storage portion in the recovery flow path, and a pressurization discharge operation of discharging the liquid from each of the nozzles by pressurizing the liquid in the supply flow path in a state in which the recovery flow path is closed by the on-off valve is executed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
nozzles configured to eject liquid;
individual flow paths communicating with each of the nozzles;
a liquid storage portion storing the liquid to be supplied to each of the nozzles;
a supply flow path for supplying the liquid from the liquid storage portion to the individual flow paths;
a recovery flow path for recovering the liquid from the individual flow paths to the liquid storage portion;
a bypass flow path that couples the supply flow path and the recovery flow path without passing through any of the individual flow paths; and
an on-off valve configured to close and open the recovery flow path, wherein
the on-off valve is disposed between the bypass flow path and the liquid storage portion in the recovery flow path, and
a pressurization discharge operation of discharging the liquid from each of the nozzles by pressurizing the liquid in the supply flow path in a state in which the recovery flow path is closed by the on-off valve is executed.

2. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a flexible member that defines a part of the recovery flow path upstream from a coupling position between the bypass flow path and the recovery flow path or a portion of the recovery flow path coupled to the bypass flow path and that has flexibility.

3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
during the execution of the pressurization discharge operation, pressure of the liquid flowing upstream of the on-off valve in the recovery flow path is positive pressure with respect to atmospheric pressure.

4. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a flow of the liquid from the supply flow path to the nozzle via a part of the individual flow path and a flow of the liquid from the supply flow path to the nozzle via the bypass flow path, a part of the recovery flow path, and a part of the individual flow path in this order are formed by the pressurization discharge operation.

5. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a circulation operation of circulating the liquid in an order of the liquid storage portion, the supply flow path, the individual flow path, the recovery flow path, and the liquid storage portion is executed.

6. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
during the execution of the circulation operation, the pressurization discharge operation is started by closing the recovery flow path by the on-off valve.

7. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a pressurizing mechanism that pressurizes the liquid in the supply flow path such that the liquid in the supply flow path flows only in a direction in which the liquid flows from the liquid storage portion to the individual flow paths via the supply flow path by the circulation operation.

8. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the supply flow path has a first common liquid chamber coupled to the individual flow paths,
the recovery flow path has a second common liquid chamber coupled to the individual flow paths, and
the bypass flow path makes the first common liquid chamber communicate with the second common liquid chamber.

9. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a flow path resistance of the bypass flow path is smaller than a sum of flow path resistances of the individual flow paths.

10. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the supply flow path has a first common liquid chamber coupled to the individual flow paths,
the recovery flow path has a second common liquid chamber coupled to the individual flow paths,
a first coupling position between the bypass flow path and the supply flow path is located upstream of the first common liquid chamber,
a second coupling position between the bypass flow path and the recovery flow path is located downstream of the second common liquid chamber, and
a flow path resistance from the second coupling position to the nozzle is smaller than a flow path resistance from the first coupling position to the nozzle.

11. A liquid discharging method of a liquid ejecting apparatus including
nozzles configured to eject liquid,
individual flow paths communicating with each of the nozzles,
a liquid storage portion storing the liquid to be supplied to each of the nozzles,
a supply flow path for supplying the liquid from the liquid storage portion to the individual flow paths,
a recovery flow path for recovering the liquid from the individual flow paths to the liquid storage portion,
a bypass flow path that couples the supply flow path and the recovery flow path without passing through any of the individual flow paths, and
an on-off valve configured to close and open the recovery flow path, the method comprising:
disposing the on-off valve between the bypass flow path and the liquid storage portion in the recovery flow path; and
executing a pressurization discharge operation of discharging the liquid from each of the nozzles by pressurizing the liquid in the supply flow path in a state in which the recovery flow path is closed by the on-off valve, by the liquid ejecting apparatus.

12. The liquid discharging method according to claim 11 , wherein
the liquid ejecting apparatus further includes a flexible member that defines a part of the recovery flow path upstream from a coupling position between the bypass flow path and the recovery flow path or a portion of the recovery flow path coupled to the bypass flow path and that has flexibility.

13. The liquid discharging method according to claim 12 , wherein
during the execution of the pressurization discharge operation, pressure of the liquid flowing upstream of the on-off valve in the recovery flow path is positive pressure with respect to atmospheric pressure.

14. The liquid discharging method according to claim 11 , wherein
a flow of the liquid from the supply flow path to the nozzle via a part of the individual flow path and a flow of the liquid from the supply flow path to the nozzle via the bypass flow path, a part of the recovery flow path, and a part of the individual flow path in this order are formed by the pressurization discharge operation.

15. The liquid discharging method according to claim 11 , wherein
the liquid ejecting apparatus executes a circulation operation of circulating the liquid in an order of the liquid storage portion, the supply flow path, the individual flow path, the recovery flow path, and the liquid storage portion.

16. The liquid discharging method according to claim 15 , wherein
the liquid ejecting apparatus starts the pressurization discharge operation by closing the recovery flow path by the on-off valve during the execution of the circulation operation.

17. The liquid discharging method according to claim 15 , wherein
the liquid ejecting apparatus includes a pressurizing mechanism that pressurizes the liquid in the supply flow path such that the liquid in the supply flow path flows only in a direction in which the liquid flows from the liquid storage portion to the individual flow paths via the supply flow path by the circulation operation.

18. The liquid discharging method according to claim 11 , wherein
the supply flow path has a first common liquid chamber coupled to the individual flow paths,
the recovery flow path has a second common liquid chamber coupled to the individual flow paths, and
the bypass flow path makes the first common liquid chamber communicate with the secon

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Okui Hiroaki

Classifications

• B41J2/18

  Ink recirculation systems · CPC title

• B41J2/175

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

• B41J2/19

  for removing air bubbles · CPC title

• B41J2/17596 Primary

  Ink pumps, ink valves · CPC title

• B41J2/01 Primary

  Ink jet · CPC title