Liquid retainer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016009101-A1
Application number	US-201514862814-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 23, 2015
Priority date	Nov 12, 2001
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is a liquid injecting apparatus equipped with a liquid injecting head, which is mounted on a carriage and moved reciprocally in a widthwise direction of a target, and a valve unit, which is mounted on the carriage to be supplied with liquid via a supply passage from a liquid retainer and to supply liquid to the liquid injecting head. The valve unit has a pressure chamber connected to the liquid retainer via the supply passage; a valve, which opens or closes the supply passage to supply liquid to the pressure chamber; and a flexible film member, which is displaced based on a negative pressure generated as liquid in the pressure chamber decreases to thereby operate the valve.

First claim

1 . A liquid injecting apparatus equipped with a liquid storing member, which stores liquid; a liquid injecting head, which injects liquid; a liquid supply passage, for supplying said liquid to the liquid injecting head from the liquid storing member; and a valve unit, which is provided in the liquid supply passage, the valve unit having:
a supply chamber, into which liquid to be supplied from the liquid storing member flows; a pressure chamber, in which liquid to be led out to the liquid injecting head is stored; and a valve, which connects the supply chamber to the pressure chamber by a negative pressure generated in the pressure chamber as the liquid is injected from the liquid injecting head, wherein the supply chamber has a supply chamber opening through which the liquid is supplied from the supply chamber to the pressure chamber, and wherein the valve selectively opens and closes the supply chamber opening.

2 . The liquid injecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure chamber has an outer wall which is displaced based on the negative pressure, and the displacement of the outer wall is transmitted to the valve.

3 . The liquid injecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the valve unit has an urging member, which urges the valve in a direction to close the supply chamber opening, and the valve opens the supply chamber opening upon reception of the displacement of the outer wall against an urging force of the urging member.

4 . The liquid injecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the valve unit has a filter chamber located upstream from the supply chamber, and a filter member located in the filter chamber.

5 . The liquid injecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the outer wall of the pressure chamber is formed by a film member which has a polyethylene film or a polypropylene film.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Aruga Yoshiharu
• Kumagai Toshio
• Matsumoto Hitoshi

Classifications

• B41J2/17523

  Ink connection · CPC title

• B41J2/17596 Primary

  Ink pumps, ink valves · CPC title

• B41J2/17506

  Refilling of the cartridge · CPC title

• B41J2/14

  Structure thereof {only for on-demand ink jet heads} · CPC title

• B41J2/17556

  Means for regulating the pressure in the cartridge · CPC title