Inkjet recording apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016288519-A1
Application number	US-201615084304-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 29, 2016
Priority date	Apr 2, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An inkjet recording apparatus includes a first ink tank that contains ink, a second ink tank that contains ink supplied from the first ink tank, a communication unit, having conductivity, communicates between the first ink tank and the second ink tank, an opening provided at one end of the communication unit connected to the second ink tank and opening to the second ink tank, an electrode portion provided in the second ink tank, of which a lower end position is located at or above a lower end position of the one end of the communication unit and at or below a highest position of the opening, and a detecting unit that detects an ink amount in the second ink tank in accordance with electrical properties between the electrode portion and the communication unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An inkjet recording apparatus, comprising:
a first ink tank configured to contain ink; a second ink tank configured to contain ink supplied from the first ink tank; a communication unit, having conductivity, configured to communicate between the first ink tank and the second ink tank; an opening provided at one end of the communication unit connected to the second ink tank, and opening to the second ink tank; an electrode portion provided in the second ink tank, of which a lower end position is located at or above a lower end position of the one end of the communication unit and at or below a highest position of the opening; and a detecting unit configured to detect an ink amount in the second ink tank in accordance with electrical properties between the electrode portion and the communication unit.

2 . The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first ink tank is detachable from the second ink tank, and the communication unit is provided in the second ink tank.

3 . The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an upper portion of the opening is disposed near an upper surface of the second ink tank.

4 . The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the communication unit is formed by a conductive member.

5 . The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the communication unit is a cylindrical member and the opening is a long hole.

6 . The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein an opening surface on which the opening is formed is inclined with respect to an axis direction of the cylindrical member.

7 . The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the opening is provided on a side wall of the communication unit.

8 . The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the communication unit is a cylindrical member, the opening has a first opening and a second opening located higher than the first opening, and a lower end position of the electrode portion is at or below a highest position of the second opening.

9 . The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a filling unit configured to move air in the second ink tank to the first ink tank and move ink in the first ink tank to the second ink tank to fill the second ink tank with ink, wherein the filling unit moves the ink in the first ink tank to the second ink tank by depressurizing the second ink tank, and moves the air in the second ink tank to the first ink tank by pressurizing the second ink tank.

10 . The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the filling unit includes an ink reservoir with a variable volume.

11 . The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the ink in the first ink tank is moved to the second ink tank and the air in the second ink tank is moved to the first ink tank through the communication unit.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Danzuka Toshimitsu
• Uetsuki Masaya
• Suzuki Kazuo
• Kato Masataka
• Ibe Tsuyoshi
• Tomida Asako
• Genta Shin

Classifications

• B41J2/17566 Primary

  Ink level or ink residue control · CPC title

• B41J2/17506

  Refilling of the cartridge · CPC title

• B41J2/16508

  connected with the printer frame · CPC title

• B41J29/38

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

• B41J2/17513

  Inner structure · CPC title