Liquid ejecting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9616669-B2
Application number	US-201514862814-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2015
Priority date	Nov 12, 2001
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

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

The invention claimed is:

1. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
a liquid ejecting head which ejects a liquid to a target;
a liquid supply passage which supplies the liquid to the liquid ejecting head;
a chamber which is provided in the liquid supply passage, the chamber temporarily storing the liquid; and
a flow rate regulating part for forcibly changing a flow rate of the liquid that flows through the liquid supply passage, the flow rate regulating part being provided upstream from the chamber,
wherein, while the flow regulating part forcibly reduces the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the liquid supply passage, a suction part provided at the liquid ejecting head side suctions the liquid from the liquid supply passage.

2. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, while the suction part suctions the liquid from the liquid supply passage, the flow rate regulating part forcibly increases the flow rate of the liquid flowing the liquid supply passage.

3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a valve which selectively establishes a supply state where the liquid is supplied from the liquid supply passage to the chamber and a non-supply state where the liquid is not supplied from the liquid supply passage to the chamber.

4. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the flow rate regulating part changes the flow rate of the liquid that flows through the liquid supply passage by forcibly opening and closing a flow rate regulating valve.

5. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
a liquid ejecting head which ejects a liquid to a target;
a liquid supply passage which supplies the liquid to the liquid ejecting head;
a chamber which is provided in the liquid supply passage;
a pressure regulating valve which is configured to open and close the liquid supply passage in response to a changing of a pressure in the chamber; and
a flow rate regulating valve for forcibly changing a flow rate of the liquid that flows through the liquid supply passage, the flow rate regulating valve being provided upstream from the pressure regulating valve.

6. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a suction part which applies a negative pressure to the liquid ejecting head;
wherein the suction part is driven in a state where the flow rate regulating valve is closed.

7. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the flow rate regulating valve is opened in a state where the suction part is driven.

8. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the chamber comprises a flexible part that is displaceable on a basis of a differential pressure change between a pressure inside the chamber and a pressure of air outside the chamber, and
wherein the pressure regulating valve is configured to open and close by a displacement of the flexible part.

9. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising:
an urging member which urges the pressure regulating valve in a direction to close the liquid supply passage.

10. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the liquid supply passage includes a deformable part which deforms in response to a movement of the liquid ejecting head and a non-deformable part which does not deform in response to the movement of the liquid ejecting head, the flow rate regulating valve being provided in the non-deformable part.

11. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the flow rate regulating valve is disposed on a side closer to the liquid storing member than the liquid ejecting head in the liquid supply passage.

12. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the liquid storing portion for storing the liquid supplied to the liquid ejecting head is held above the chamber by a predetermined height within a range over which the liquid ejecting head moves.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Aruga Yoshiharu
• Kumagai Toshio
• Matsumoto Hitoshi

Classifications

• B41J2/17509

  Whilst mounted in the printer · CPC title

• B41J2/17523

  Ink connection · CPC title

• B41J2/14

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

• B41J2/17596 Primary

  Ink pumps, ink valves · CPC title

• B41J2/17556

  Means for regulating the pressure in the cartridge · CPC title