Liquid discharge apparatus including separated discharge path and exhaust channel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12502897-B2
Application number	US-202318519985-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2023
Priority date	Nov 28, 2022
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

A liquid discharge apparatus includes: a head to discharge a liquid onto a medium along a discharge path; an irradiator adjacent to the head to irradiate the liquid on the medium with a curing light to cure the liquid on the medium, the irradiator including a housing; a suction port from which air is inhaled into the housing to cool the irradiator, an exhaust port from which the air is exhausted outside the housing through an exhaust channel; and a partition to separate the exhaust channel from the discharge path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
a head to discharge a liquid onto a medium along a discharge path; an irradiator adjacent to the head to irradiate the liquid on the medium with a curing light to cure the liquid on the medium, the irradiator including a housing; a suction port from which air is inhaled into the housing to cool the irradiator; an exhaust port from which the air is exhausted outside the housing through an exhaust channel; and a partition to separate the exhaust channel from the discharge path, wherein the partition is a L-shaped plate, and wherein the L-shaped plate is between the exhaust channel and the discharge path.

2 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a cover to cover the irradiator,
wherein the cover includes a guide to:
guide outside air outside the cover to the suction port; and
separate the suction port from the exhaust channel.

3 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the guide is slanted toward the suction port to guide the outside air downward to the suction port.

4 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the partition separates the exhaust channel from:
a discharge face of the head from which the liquid is dischargeable; and
a space in which the medium is placed.

5 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a securing member on which the head is secured; and a sealing to seal a gap between the head and the securing member.

6 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an image forming unit including the head.

7 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the curing light having ultraviolet light, infrared light, and electron beam.

8 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the exhaust port is below the suction port.

9 . The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the L-shaped plate has:
one face parallel to and along a discharge face of the head, and
another face perpendicular to the one face and extending vertically to face the exhaust port, and
wherein the L-shaped plate is configured to direct the air exhausted outside the housing away from the discharge path.

Assignees

• Yanaka Atsushi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yanaka Atsushi

Classifications

• B41J29/377

  Cooling or ventilating arrangements · CPC title

• B41J29/13

  Cases or covers · CPC title

• B41J11/00214 Primary

  using UV radiation · CPC title

• B41J11/00216

  using infrared [IR] radiation or microwaves · CPC title

• B41J2/175

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