Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090153615 | LIQUID EJECTION DEVICE - A liquid ejection device includes: a conveyance mechanism which conveys a recording medium in one direction; a plurality of liquid ejection heads each having an ejection face which has a plurality of ejection openings for ejecting liquid and faces the conveyance mechanism, the liquid ejection heads being arranged along the one direction; a plurality of wipers which respectively wipe the ejection faces; a holder which holds the wipers; a support which supports the holder; and a movement mechanism which moves the holder in a direction perpendicular to the one direction. The holder is displaceable in the one direction relative to the support. The holder has an intruder which intrudes into a gap between two liquid ejection heads adjacent to each other. | 06-18-2009 |
20090167825 | MOVEMENT APPARATUS AND IMAGE RECORDING APPARATUS - There is disclosed a movement apparatus including a movable body, a flexible long member, a support member, and a tubular member. The movable body reciprocates along a straight line. The long member has having two opposite ends a first one of which is fixed to the movable body and a second one of which is fixed to a stationary member. The form of the long member changes in accordance with a reciprocating movement of the movable body along the straight line and relative to the stationary member. The support member has a linear material portion at which the support member supports the long member. The tubular member is fitted on the linear material portion. | 07-02-2009 |
20090184998 | LIQUID EJECTING APPARATUS - A liquid ejecting apparatus, including: a medium conveying mechanism which conveys a medium in a first direction; a head pair composed of two liquid ejecting heads respectively having liquid ejection surfaces in which liquid ejection areas are respectively formed, the two heads having respective one end portions overlapping each other as viewed in the first direction, and disposed such that the respective one end portions are adjacent to each other in the first direction; two wipers for wiping the respective ejection surfaces; and a wiper moving mechanism configured to move the two wipers in mutually opposite directions, wherein the ejection areas partly overlap each other as viewed in the first direction, wherein, when each wiper is placed by the wiper moving mechanism at a wiping start position at which each wiper does not face the corresponding ejection surface, the two wipers partly overlap each other as viewed in the first direction, and wherein, when each wiper is placed at a wiping complete position at which each wiper does not face the corresponding ejection surface, the two wipers overlap each other as viewed in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. | 07-23-2009 |
20090189943 | IMAGE RECORDING APPARATUS - An image recording apparatus including: (a) a head assembly including (a-1) recording heads having respective nozzle opening surfaces and (a-2) a head frame supporting the recording heads; (b) annular protrusions each of which is to be brought into contact with the head assembly, so as to surround the plurality of nozzles opening in the corresponding nozzle opening surface; (c) a supporting tray elongated in a supporting-tray longitudinal direction and supporting the annular protrusions; (d) a movement mechanism configured to move the head assembly and/or the supporting tray, and (e) a positioning pin projecting from a pin-located portion of the supporting tray. The pin-located portion is outside the annular protrusions, and is located in a center of the supporting tray in the supporting-tray longitudinal direction. The head frame has a positioning hole, into which the positioning pin is to be introduced upon contact of each annular protrusion with the head assembly. | 07-30-2009 |
20100045734 | IMAGE RECORDING APPARATUS - An image recording apparatus includes a recording head having an ejection surface which includes an ejection area and non-ejection areas, an elastic blade, a first moving device, a second moving device, and a controller. During a first predetermined period of time, the controller controls the second moving device so as to cause a relative movement of the blade and the ejection surface in the direction perpendicular to the ejection surface and in a direction in which the blade relatively moves toward the ejection surface and controls the first moving device so as to cause the relative movement of the blade to the ejection surface in the one direction, and during a second predetermined period of time, the controller controls the second moving device such that the blade is in contact with the ejection surface and the first moving device such that the blade wipes at least the ejection area by a relative movement of the blade to the ejection surface in the one direction. | 02-25-2010 |
20100053279 | INK-JET RECORDING APPARATUS - An ink-jet recording apparatus including a recording head for ejecting an ink, an auxiliary reservoir having an upstream chamber and a downstream chamber both open to the atmosphere and configured to store the ink, a first supply passage for supplying the ink from the downstream chamber of the auxiliary reservoir to the recording head, a return passage for returning the ink from the recording head to the upstream chamber of the auxiliary reservoir, and a partition portion which divides an internal space of the auxiliary reservoir into the upstream and downstream chambers and which has a filter section at least partially contacting the ink in the upstream and downstream chambers. | 03-04-2010 |
20100079513 | LIQUID-EJECTION APPARATUS - A liquid-ejection apparatus, including: a head configured to eject a liquid from a plurality of liquid-ejection openings; a main tank configured to accommodate the liquid supplied to the head; a liquid-supply pump configured to supply the liquid in the main tank to the head; a sub-tank in which are formed (a) a connection opening for connecting the sub-tank to the head and (b) an air-discharge opening for communicating the sub-tank with ambient air; a first channel extending from the liquid-supply pump to the sub-tank via the head and the connection opening; a second channel extending from the sub-tank to the liquid-supply pump; a third channel extending from the air-discharge opening of the sub-tank to the ambient air; an air-discharge valve provided in the third channel so as to be openable and closable; and a controller configured to control the air-discharge valve such that the air-discharge valve is temporarily opened in a liquid introducing operation in which the liquid is introduced from the main tank to the liquid-supply pump and an air discharging operation in which air separated from the liquid in the sub-tank by causing the liquid to be flowed through the first channel by driving of the liquid-supply pump is discharged through the third channel, and such that the air-discharge valve is closed in times other than the liquid introducing operation and the air discharging operation. | 04-01-2010 |
20100156983 | INK-JET RECORDING APPARATUS - An ink-jet recording apparatus, including: an ink-jet head; a conveyor mechanism; a relative movement mechanism; a detecting device; an output device; a sensor for detecting a recording medium existing between the head and the conveyor mechanism; and a relative-movement control device including: (a) a first control portion configured to control the relative movement mechanism to conduct a first operation in which the conveyor mechanism and the head are located at a medium removal position from a recording position when the detecting device detects a jam and to conduct, after the first operation, a second operation in which the conveyor mechanism and the head are located at the recording position from the medium removal position; and (b) a second control portion configured to control the relative movement mechanism to prevent the conveyor mechanism and the head from moving relatively toward each other where the sensor detects the medium in the second operation. | 06-24-2010 |
20100194819 | INK-JET RECORDING APPARATUS - An ink-jet recording apparatus, including: an ink-jet head; a cap including a support member, an annular protrusion which defines a recessed portion with the support member, and a discharge opening formed in a bottom surface of the recessed portion; a discharge mechanism; a plate member disposed in the recessed portion such that a space is formed between the plate member and the bottom surface and such that there is formed, between an inner peripheral surface of the cap and the plate member, a gap in which a capillary phenomenon occurs; protrusions disposed on an upper surface of the plate member, each protrusion extending in a direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the head from one end to the other end of the upper surface in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; and separations each of which divides the corresponding protrusion into segments in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction. | 08-05-2010 |
20100321424 | LIQUID EJECTING APPARATUS - A liquid ejecting apparatus, including: a tank for storing a liquid; a liquid ejecting head that includes an inner passage having an inlet and an outlet and individual liquid channels; a supply passage connecting the tank and the inlet; a return passage connecting the tank and the outlet; a supply device to forcibly supply the liquid in the tank to the inner passage; a restrictor valve to restrict a liquid amount flowing through the return passage; and a discharge controller to drive the supply device while opening the restrictor valve, such that liquid circulation is conducted in which the liquid in the tank returns back thereto via the supply passage, the inner passage, and the return passage, in order, and configured to control the valve to restrict, during the liquid circulation, the liquid amount flowing through the return passage, for permitting a discharge of the liquid from the ejection openings. | 12-23-2010 |
20110128322 | CAPPING DEVICE AND LIQUID EJECTION APPARATUS - A capping device including: (a) a cap structure that is to be movable, relative to a body, in a contact direction toward a surface of the object so as to be brought into contact with the surface, for thereby covering the surface of the object; (b) a transmission mechanism configured to transmit, to the cap structure, a pressing force that causes the cap structure to be brought into the surface; and (c) a support member that supports the transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism being configured to restrain increase and reduction of the pressing force, such that the pressing force transmitted to the cap structure is held in a given amount range at least when a distance between the cap structure and the support member in the contact direction is in a given distance range while the cap structure is in contact with the surface. Also disclosed is a liquid ejection apparatus including the above-described capping device. | 06-02-2011 |
20110234713 | LIQUID EJECTING APPARATUS - A liquid ejecting apparatus including a liquid-ejecting head for ejecting a liquid, a tank for storing the liquid to be supplied to the liquid-ejecting head, and a liquid supply portion configured to supply the liquid from the tank to the liquid-ejecting head, wherein the tank includes an inner wall structure which is enclosed within an outer wall of the tank and which defines therein an inner liquid flow space which communicates with the liquid supply portion and through which the liquid is supplied from the liquid supply portion to the liquid-ejecting head. | 09-29-2011 |
20120013681 | IMAGE RECORDING APPARATUS - An image recording apparatus including: (a) a head assembly including (a- | 01-19-2012 |
20120026219 | LIQUID EJECTION APPARATUS AND LIQUID EJECTION METHOD - A liquid ejection apparatus including: a liquid ejection head including: an inside channel; and ejection openings; a tank; an air communication device; a supply channel; a return channel; a supply device; an adjusting device; and a controller, wherein the controller performs a liquid circulation control for circulating the liquid through the supply channel, the inside channel, and the return channel in order by controlling: the adjusting device such that a channel resistance value of the return channel is less than a predetermined maximum value; and the supply device to supply the liquid into the inside channel, wherein, when the liquid is circulated by the liquid circulation control, the controller starts a liquid discharge control for discharging the liquid by making the channel resistance value larger than that in the liquid circulation control, and wherein the controller controls the air communication device such that an inside of the tank is interrupted from the ambient air in at least a part of a period of the liquid circulation control. | 02-02-2012 |
20120162295 | LIQUID EJECTION APPARATUS AND STORAGE MEDIUM STORING PROGRAM - A liquid ejection apparatus including: a liquid-ejection head for ejecting image recording liquid; a sealing mechanism for sealing an ejection space; a humid-air supply mechanism storing humidification liquid; and a liquid-discharge portion for discharging the image recording liquid, wherein a controller controls the humid-air supply mechanism to supply an air humidified by the humidification liquid into the sealed ejection space and then controls the liquid-discharge portion to discharge the image recording liquid prior to the image recording, and wherein, where a remaining amount of the humidification liquid is less than a first value, the controller executes a control such that an amount of the supplied humid air and an amount of the discharged image recording liquid are respectively made small and large as compared with in a case where the remaining amount of the humidification liquid is not smaller than the first value. | 06-28-2012 |
20120194584 | LIQUID EJECTION APPARATUS, CONTROLLER THEREFOR, NONVOLATILE STORAGE MEDIUM STORING PROGRAM FOR CONTROLLING THE APPARATUS - A liquid ejection apparatus including: a head having an ejection face having ejection openings through which liquid is ejected, an ejection space being defined so as to face the ejection face; a sealing mechanism configured to selectively establish a sealing state for sealing the ejection space and an unsealing state; a humid-air supply mechanism configured to supply humid air into the ejection space in the sealing state; and a controller. The controller controls the humid-air supply mechanism to humidify the ejection space such that a humidity in the ejection space becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined humidity. The controller controls the head to perform a non-ejection flushing in at least one of a humidification period in which the humid-air supply mechanism humidifies the ejection space and a post-humidification period that extends for a first period from a completion of the humidification. | 08-02-2012 |
20120194604 | LIQUID EJECTION APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REPLACING HUMIDIFICATION-LIQUID TANK OF THE APPARATUS - A liquid ejection apparatus including: a head having a face that has ejection openings through which liquid is ejected to record an image on a recording medium, an ejection space being defined so as to face the face; a humidification-liquid tank storing humidification liquid having a nonvolatile component; a sealing mechanism configured to selectively establish a sealing state in which the sealing mechanism seals the ejection space from an outside and an unsealing state in which the sealing mechanism does not seal the ejection space from the outside; and a humid-air supply mechanism configured to supply humid air into the ejection space when the sealing mechanism is in the sealing state, the humid air being an air humidified by the humidification liquid in the humidification-liquid tank, wherein the humidification-liquid tank is configured to be mountable on and removable from the humid-air supply mechanism. | 08-02-2012 |
20120194605 | LIQUID EJECTION APPARATUS AND NONVOLATILE STORAGE MEDIUM STORING PROGRAM - A liquid ejection apparatus, including: a head having ejection openings and configured to eject liquid through the ejection openings; a sealing mechanism configured to selectively establish a sealing state in which the sealing mechanism seals an ejection space in which the ejection openings are open, from an outside and an unsealing state in which the sealing mechanism does not seal the ejection space from the outside; and a humid-air supply mechanism configured to supply a humid air into the ejection space when the sealing mechanism is in the sealing state; wherein a controller is configured to control the humid-air supply mechanism such that an amount of the humid air to be supplied into the ejection space from the, humid-air supply mechanism when the sealing mechanism is in the sealing state increases with a longer length of time of the unsealing state just before the current sealing state. | 08-02-2012 |
20130021419 | INK-JET RECORDING APPARATUS - An ink-jet recording apparatus including a recording head for ejecting an ink, an auxiliary reservoir having an upstream chamber and a downstream chamber both open to the atmosphere and configured to store the ink, a first supply passage for supplying the ink from the downstream chamber of the auxiliary reservoir to the recording head, a return passage for returning the ink from the recording head to the upstream chamber of the auxiliary reservoir, and a partition portion which divides an internal space of the auxiliary reservoir into the upstream and downstream chambers and which has a filter section at least partially contacting the ink in the upstream and downstream chambers. | 01-24-2013 |
20130063513 | INK-JET RECORDING APPARATUS - A liquid ejection apparatus includes a liquid ejection head, a conveyor, a recording controller, and a flashing controller. The conveyor conveys a recording medium along a conveyance path. The recording controller causes the conveyor to convey a recording medium, and controls liquid ejection from the liquid ejection head to form an image on the recording medium based on image data. The flashing controller causes the conveyor to temporarily stop conveyance of the recording medium, and causes liquid ejection from the liquid ejection head based on drive data which is unrelated to image formation. The flashing controller determines timing for executing a subsequent flashing control so that, within a print enforceable period between one flashing control and the subsequent flashing control, the number of pages subjected to image formation based on image data increases with a decrease in time interval between image formation on one page and on another page. | 03-14-2013 |
20130083138 | LIQUID EJECTION APPARATUS - A liquid ejection apparatus includes a recording unit which ejects liquid to record an image, a tank having a storage chamber which stores liquid for the recording unit and a communication port which allows the liquid storage chamber to communicate with atmosphere, a first housing, and a second housing which holds the recording unit and the tank and is rotatable about an axis line relative to the first housing between a close position where the recording unit comes close to the first housing and a separate position where the recording unit is separated from the first housing. An upper surface of the storage chamber has two regions divided by an imaginary plane to have same area, which is parallel with the axis line and intersects with the upper surface, and the communication port is provided in a region of the two regions, which is away from the axis line. | 04-04-2013 |
20130135374 | LIQUID EJECTING APPARATUS - There is provided a liquid ejecting apparatus including: a main tank, a sub tank, a liquid ejecting head, a first supply channel member, a second supply channel member, and a pump device. The first liquid supply channel includes an upstream-side supply channel, and a downstream-side supply channel The pump device includes a first chamber, a second chamber, and a transfer-force applying section. The first chamber inlet is connected to a downstream-side end portion of the upstream-side supply channel. The first chamber outlet and the second chamber inlet are connected to the transfer-force applying section. The second chamber outlet is connected to the downstream-side supply channel. The first chamber outlet is provided to an upper-end portion of the first chamber. The second chamber outlet is provided to an upper-end portion of the second chamber. | 05-30-2013 |
20130221127 | LIQUID EJECTION APPARATUS - An inflow opening of an inflow path opens to a space in a tank. An outflow opening of an outflow path opens to the space in the tank. The inflow opening and the outflow opening are vertically above a maximum level of the moisturizing liquid allowed to be stored in the tank. | 08-29-2013 |
20130222469 | LIQUID EJECTION APPARATUS - A capping mechanism selectively takes a capped state in which an ejection space opposing an ejection surface is covered or an uncapped state in which the ejection space is not covered. A controller is configured to: determine whether a first change of the capping mechanism from the capped state to the uncapped state occurred while air moisturized by a moisturization mechanism is being moved to the ejection space by a ventilator or not; and when a second change of the capping mechanism from the uncapped state to the capped state occurred after the first change occurred, control the ventilator to move the air moisturized by the moisturization mechanism to the ejection space when a first uncapped time is shorter than a first predetermined time, and control a discharger to discharge the liquid through ejection openings when the first uncapped time is not shorter than the first predetermined time. | 08-29-2013 |
20130222470 | LIQUID EJECTION APPARATUS - A controller is configured to regularly select one of (i) a moisturization operation with which air moisturized by a moisturization mechanism is moved to an ejection space by a ventilator while a capping mechanism is maintained to be in a capped state and (ii) a liquid discharge operation with which liquid is discharged through ejection openings by a discharger and conduct the selected operation while a recording command is not received. The controller is configured to conduct the liquid discharge operation after the moisturization operation while the recording command is not received. | 08-29-2013 |
20140036006 | LIQUID EJECTING APPARATUS - A first-tank mount section is configured so that a first tank storing liquid is mounted thereon. Liquid is supplied to a second tank from the first tank mounted on the first-tank mount section. Liquid stored in the second tank is supplied to a liquid ejecting head having an ejection surface. A supporting section is disposed in confrontation with the ejection surface and supports a recording medium. A first casing holds the liquid ejecting head and the second tank. A second casing holds the first-tank mount section and the supporting section. The first casing is coupled to the second casing such that the first casing is movable relative to the second casing. The first casing takes a first position at which the ejection surface confronts the supporting section and a second position at which the ejection surface is farther spaced away from the supporting section than at the first position. | 02-06-2014 |
20140036009 | LIQUID EJECTING APPARATUS - A plurality of second tanks is connected to at least one first-tank mount section so that each of the plurality of second tanks is supplied with liquid stored in a corresponding one of at least one first tank in a state where at least one first tank is mounted on the at least one first-tank mount section. One of the at least one liquid ejecting head is connected to at least two of the plurality of second tanks so that liquid stored in each of the at least two of the plurality of second tanks is supplied to the one of the at least one liquid ejecting head. At least two of the second tanks connected to the one of the at least one liquid ejecting head are arranged such that there is at least one second tank at each side of the liquid ejecting head in the predetermined direction. | 02-06-2014 |
20140043382 | LIQUID EJECTING APPARATUS - A liquid ejecting apparatus, including: a tank for storing a liquid; a liquid ejecting head including an inner passage having an inlet, an outlet and individual liquid channels; a supply passage connecting the tank and inlet; a return passage connecting the tank and outlet; a supply device to forcibly supply the liquid in the tank to the inner passage; a restrictor valve to restrict a liquid amount flowing through the return passage; and a controller to drive the supply device while placing the restrictor valve in an open state, where the liquid in the tank returns back thereto via the supply passage, the inner passage, and the return passage, in order, and to drive the supply device to keep circulation and control the restrictor valve to restrict, during the circulation, the amount of the liquid that flows through the return passage, for discharging the liquid from the ejection opening. | 02-13-2014 |
20140092179 | LIQUID EJECTING APPARATUS - A first part of liquid holders includes at least one liquid holder provided at the first casing. A second part of liquid holders includes at least one liquid holder provided at the second casing. Each of a plurality of flexible tubes has one end and another end. The one end is connected to the first part of the liquid holders. The other end is connected to the second part of the liquid holders. A first supporting section is provided at the first casing and supports the tubes. A second supporting section is provided at the second casing and supports the tubes. A third supporting section supports the tubes at a position between the first supporting section and the second supporting section in such a manner that the tubes are arranged in a direction parallel to a pivotal axis. | 04-03-2014 |
20140232786 | IMAGE RECORDING APPARATUS WITH RECIPROCATING CARRIAGE AND HAVING A GUIDE DEVICE - A printer including: (i) a guide device extending in a first direction; (ii) a carriage reciprocateable in the first direction, while being guided by the guide device; (iii) a recording head carried by the carriage; (iv) a feed device for feeding the recording medium in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; (v) a flexible ink-supply tube for supplying ink to the recording head; and (vi) a carriage movement detector including an encoder strip which extends in the first direction. The ink-supply tube has a U-shaped body including a pair of arm portions extending in the first direction and spaced apart from each other in the second direction. The guide device, the ink-supply tube and the encoder strip are located on respective different positions in a third direction that is perpendicular to the first and second directions. The ink-supply tube has a part that overlaps with the guide device and the encoder strip as seen in the third direction. | 08-21-2014 |
20150054891 | LIQUID EJECTING APPARATUS - A plurality of second tanks is connected to at least one first-tank mount section so that each of the plurality of second tanks is supplied with liquid stored in a corresponding one of at least one first tank in a state where at least one first tank is mounted on the at least one first-tank mount section. One of the at least one liquid ejecting head is connected to at least two of the plurality of second tanks so that liquid stored in each of the at least two of the plurality of second tanks is supplied to the one of the at least one liquid ejecting head. At least two of the second tanks connected to the one of the at least one liquid ejecting head are arranged such that there is at least one second tank at each side of the liquid ejecting head in the predetermined direction. | 02-26-2015 |