Filter unit and liquid ejecting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9254675-B2
Application number	US-201514714920-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2015
Priority date	Jul 9, 2013
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

Provided is a liquid ejecting apparatus that includes a liquid ejecting head having nozzles through which liquid can be ejected, a liquid supply path through which the liquid is supplied to the liquid ejecting head, and a filter chamber which is disposed in the middle of the liquid supply path and of which an inner portion is divided into a first chamber on a downstream side and a second chamber on an upstream side by a filter which filters the liquid, in which a liquid outlet through which the liquid is introduced from the first chamber of the filter chamber to a downstream side of the liquid supply path is formed in an upper position of the first chamber in a vertical direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A filter unit disposed in a liquid supply path through which a liquid is supplied to a nozzle of a liquid ejecting head, the filter unit comprising:
a filter chamber of which an inner portion is divided into a first chamber on a downstream side and a second chamber on an upstream side by a filter which filters the liquid,
wherein the filter unit is disposed upstream side than a downstream filter chamber disposed in the liquid supply path, the downstream filter chamber having a downstream filter for filtering the liquid,
wherein, when the liquid is filtered, an effective area of the filter is set to be greater than an effective area of the downstream filter.

2. The filter unit according to claim 1 , wherein the filter unit is attachably/detachably disposed in the liquid supply path.

3. The filter unit according to claim 1 , wherein minimum width of an opening of the filter is equal to or smaller than minimum width of an opening of the downstream filter.

4. The filter unit according to claim 1 , wherein the filter is disposed in the filter chamber to have a height difference, and wherein the downstream filter is disposed in the downstream filter chamber so that the liquid passes through the downstream filter in a direction along a gravity direction.

5. The filter unit according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of wall surfaces of the second chamber of the filter chamber is constituted by a flexible member.

6. The filter unit according to claim 5 , wherein the flexible member is a thin film member which is disposed to face the filter.

7. The filter unit according to claim 6 , wherein a regulation member which regulates deformation of the flexible member in a direction in which a volume of the second chamber increases is provided outside the second chamber.

8. The filter unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an on-off valve disposed downstream side than the filter chamber, the on-off valve performing an opening/closing operation in accordance with pressure fluctuation on the downstream side.

9. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
a liquid ejecting head having nozzles through which liquid can be ejected;
a liquid supply path through which the liquid is supplied to the nozzles of the liquid ejecting head;
a filter unit which is disposed in the liquid supply path and has a filter chamber of which an inner portion is divided into a first chamber on a downstream side and a second chamber on an upstream side by a filter which filters the liquid; and
a downstream filter chamber which is disposed further on the downstream side than the filter unit and has a downstream filter for filtering the liquid,
wherein the downstream filter is disposed in the downstream filter chamber so that the liquid passes through the downstream filter in a direction along a gravity direction.

10. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the liquid ejecting head is mounted on a carriage, and wherein the filter unit is attachably/detachably disposed above the liquid ejecting head on a carriage.

11. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the carriage is configured to move in a moving direction intersecting the gravity direction, and
wherein at least a part of wall surfaces of the second chamber of the filter chamber is constituted by a flexible member, the flexible member being provided so as to deform in a direction along the moving direction.

12. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the filter is disposed in the filter chamber to have a height difference.

13. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the filter unit is attachably/detachably disposed in the liquid supply path, and
wherein the filter unit includes an on-off valve disposed downstream side than the filter chamber, the on-off valve performing an opening/closing operation in accordance with pressure fluctuation on the downstream side.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Kobayashi Satoru
• Yamagishi Ken

Classifications

• B01D35/02

  Filters adapted for location in special places, e.g. pipe-lines, pumps, stop-cocks, (B01D35/05 takes precedence; {water pipe system filters E03B3/18, E03B7/07; dirt catchers in sewers E03F; filters or strainers for pipe-lines in general B08B, E03F; object or dirt catching devices in sinks or the like E03C1/26; suction strainers or filters for pumps F04B53/005, F04D29/70}) · CPC title

• B41J2/175

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

• B41J2/17563 Primary

  Ink filters · CPC title

• B01D35/1573

  Flow control valves · CPC title