Pressure regulating unit, liquid supplying apparatus, and liquid ejecting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9315041-B2
Application number	US-201514692486-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2015
Priority date	Apr 30, 2014
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

The present invention provides a pressure regulating unit capable of applying a stable pressure so as to supply liquid, a liquid supplying apparatus, and a liquid ejecting apparatus. An ink communication path allows an ink introducing chamber communicating with an ink inlet and a pressure chamber communicating with an ink outlet to communicate with each other. A valve including a valve body and a valve seat adjusts the opening degree of the ink communication path. An urging member applies, to the valve, an urging force that acts in a direction in which the ink communication path is closed and increases according to an decrease in pressure in the ink introducing chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pressure regulating unit provided on a supply path communicating between a liquid container for containing liquid and a liquid ejection head for ejecting liquid, the unit comprising:
a first pressure chamber capable of introducing liquid;
a second pressure chamber capable of leading out the liquid;
a communication path that allows the first pressure chamber and the second pressure chamber to communicate with each other;
a valve capable of adjusting an opening degree of the communication path; and
an urging unit configured to apply an urging force to the valve, the urging force acting in a direction in which the communication path is closed and increasing according to a decrease in pressure in the first pressure chamber,
wherein the urging unit includes:
a first urging member configured to apply a predetermined first urging force that acts in the direction in which the communication path is closed and increases according to a decrease in pressure in the first pressure chamber; and
a second urging member configured to apply a second urging force to the valve, the second urging force acting in the direction in which the communication path is closed,
wherein at least a part of the first pressure chamber is formed of a first flexible member that is displaced according to the pressure in the first pressure chamber, and
the first urging force of the first urging member to be applied to the valve changes according to displacement of the first flexible member.

2. The pressure regulating unit according to claim 1 , wherein in a case where the first pressure chamber has a first pressure, the first and second urging members apply the first and second urging forces to the valve and in a case where the first pressure chamber has a second pressure that is higher than the first pressure, the first urging member does not apply the first urging force to the valve, whereas the second urging member applies the second urging force to the valve.

3. The pressure regulating unit according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the first pressure chamber is formed of a first flexible member that is displaced according to the pressure in the first pressure chamber, and
the first flexible member functions as the first urging member by applying, to the valve, an urging force as the first urging force that changes according to displacement of the first flexible member.

4. The pressure regulating unit according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the second pressure chamber is formed of a second flexible member that is displaced according to the pressure in the second pressure chamber, and
the valve adjusts the opening degree of the communication path according to the displacement of the second flexible member.

5. A liquid supplying apparatus comprising:
a liquid container for containing liquid; and
a pressure regulating unit provided on a liquid supply path communicating between the liquid container and a liquid ejection head for ejecting liquid;
wherein the pressure regulating unit comprises:
a first pressure chamber capable of introducing liquid;
a second pressure chamber capable of leading out the liquid;
a communication path that allows the first pressure chamber and the second pressure chamber to communicate with each other;
a valve capable of adjusting an opening degree of the communication path; and
an urging unit configured to apply an urging force to the valve, the urging force acting in a direction in which the communication path is closed and increasing according to a decrease in pressure in the first pressure chamber,
the liquid supplying apparatus further comprising, at a position of the liquid supply path between the liquid container and the first pressure chamber in the pressure regulating unit, a pressurizing pump configured to pressurize the liquid contained in the liquid container so as to feed the liquid to the first pressure chamber.

6. The liquid supplying apparatus according to claim 5 further comprising a suction pump configured to suck the liquid in the liquid ejection head so as to return the liquid to the liquid container.

7. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
the liquid supplying apparatus according to claim 5 ; and
a liquid ejection head capable of ejecting liquid to be supplied from the liquid supplying apparatus.

8. An inkjet printing apparatus comprising:
the liquid supplying apparatus according to claim 5 , the liquid supplying apparatus supplying ink serving as liquid;
an inkjet printing head configured to eject the ink to be supplied from the liquid supplying apparatus; and
a moving unit configured to relatively move the inkjet printing head and a print medium.

9. A pressure regulating unit provided on a supply path communicating between a liquid container for containing liquid and a liquid ejection head for ejecting liquid, the unit comprising:
a first pressure chamber capable of introducing liquid;
a second pressure chamber capable of leading out the liquid;
a communication path that allows the first pressure chamber and the second pressure chamber to communicate with each other;
a valve capable of adjusting an opening degree of the communication path; and
an urging unit configured to apply an urging force to the valve, the urging force acting in a direction in which the communication path is closed and increasing according to a decrease in pressure in the first pressure chamber,
wherein the urging unit includes:
a first urging member configured to apply a predetermined first urging force that acts in the direction in which the communication path is closed and increases according to a decrease in pressure in the first pressure chamber; and
a second urging member configured to apply a second urging force to the valve, the second urging force acting in the direction in which the communication path is closed,
wherein at least a part of the first pressure chamber is formed of a first flexible member that is displaced according to the pressure in the first pressure chamber, and
the first flexible member functions as the first urging member by applying, to the valve, an urging force as the first urging force that changes according to displacement of the first flexible member.

10. The pressure regulating unit according to claim 9 , wherein in a case where the first pressure chamber has a first pressure, the first and second urging members apply the first and second urging forces to the valve and in a case where the first pressure chamber has a second pressure that is higher than the first pressure, the first urging member does not apply the first urging force to the valve, whereas the second urging member applies the second urging force to the valve.

11. The pressure regulating unit according to claim 9 , wherein at least a part of the first pressure chamber is formed of a first flexible member that is displaced according to the pressure in the first pressure chamber, and
the first flexible member functions as the first urging member by applying, to the valve, an urging force as the first urging force that changes according to displacement of the first flexible member.

12. The pressure regulating unit according to claim 9 , wherein at least a part of the second pressure chamber is formed of a second flexible member that is displaced according to the pressure in the second pressure chamber, and
the valve adjusts the opening degree of the communication path according to the displacement of the second flexible member.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Moriguchi Takuto
• Iwanaga Shuzo
• Yamada Kazuhiro
• Tamenaga Zentaro
• Moriya Takatsugu

Classifications

• B41J2/17596 Primary

  Ink pumps, ink valves · CPC title

• B41J2/175 Primary

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

• B41J2/18

  Ink recirculation systems · CPC title