Liquid ejecting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9393794-B2
Application number	US-201514954137-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2015
Priority date	Dec 3, 2014
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

A liquid ejecting apparatus comprises: a liquid ejecting section that ejects liquid; a supply path through which the liquid is supplied from a liquid supply source to the liquid ejecting section; a movement mechanism that causes the liquid ejecting section to move; and a static mixer that is provided on the supply path and gives rise to a change in a flow of the liquid through the supply path; wherein the movement mechanism causes the liquid ejecting section to move before ejection of the liquid onto a medium by the liquid ejecting section, and the supply path located between the liquid ejecting section and the static mixer moves due to the movement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid ejecting apparatus, comprising:
a liquid ejecting section that ejects liquid;
a supply path through which the liquid is supplied from a liquid supply source to the liquid ejecting section;
a movement mechanism that causes the liquid ejecting section to move; and
a static mixer that is provided on the supply path and gives rise to a change in a flow of the liquid through the supply path;
wherein the movement mechanism causes the liquid ejecting section to move before ejection of the liquid onto a medium by the liquid ejecting section, and the supply path located between the liquid ejecting section and the static mixer moves due to the movement.

2. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the supply path includes a path portion that has a level difference; and
wherein, on the supply path, the static mixer is provided at a position closer to the liquid ejecting section than the path portion having the level difference is.

3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a liquid reservoir that retains the liquid and is provided on the supply path at a position closer to the liquid ejecting section than the static mixer is,
wherein at least a part of the liquid reservoir is made of a flexible member.

4. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein a swing member configured to be able to swing due to the movement of the liquid ejecting section by the movement mechanism is provided inside the liquid reservoir.

5. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:
an ejecting-section-side filter that is provided on the supply path at a position closer to the liquid ejecting section than the liquid reservoir is.

6. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the liquid ejecting section performs maintenance operation of discharging the liquid from a nozzle before the ejection of the liquid onto the medium.

7. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a branch path, one end of which is connected on the supply path to a position closer to the liquid supply source than the static mixer is, the other end of which is connected on the supply path to a position closer to the liquid ejecting section than the static mixer is, the branch path and the supply path working together so as to constitute a circulation path for circulation of the liquid; and
a flow mechanism that causes the liquid inside the circulation path to flow.

8. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the flow mechanism performs circulating operation of causing the liquid to circulate along the circulation path;
wherein, after the circulating operation, the liquid ejecting section performs maintenance operation of discharging the liquid from a nozzle; and
wherein, after the maintenance operation, the liquid ejecting section ejects the liquid onto the medium.

9. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a supply-source-side filter that is provided, in the circulation path, either on the supply path at a position closer to the liquid supply source than the static mixer is or on the branch path, or on both,
wherein the flow mechanism causes the liquid to flow through the supply path from the liquid supply source toward the liquid ejecting section.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Harada Koji
• Ito Koji
• Fujioka Kazuyuki
• Kawate Hiroyuki

Classifications

• B41J2/2117

  Ejecting white liquids · CPC title

• B41J2/2114

  Ejecting specialized liquids, e.g. transparent or processing liquids (B41J2/211 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B41J2/175 Primary

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