IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
UP-0390221
(2006-03-28)
|
등록번호 |
US-7524044
(2009-07-01)
|
우선권정보 |
JP-2005-092903(2005-03-28) |
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
14 인용 특허 :
8 |
초록
▼
A printer has a carriage on which a recording head and pumps are mounted. An air supply device and ink cartridges are provided in a frame of the printer. The pumps are connected to the air supply device with an air supply tube. Each pump is connected to corresponding one of the ink cartridges with a
A printer has a carriage on which a recording head and pumps are mounted. An air supply device and ink cartridges are provided in a frame of the printer. The pumps are connected to the air supply device with an air supply tube. Each pump is connected to corresponding one of the ink cartridges with an ink supply tube. Based on actuation of a drive mechanism of the air supply device, air is supplied from the air supply device to the pumps. Based on changes in the pressure of the air, each pump draws ink from the corresponding ink cartridge and supplies the ink to the recording head. This permits the carriage to reciprocate in a reliable manner.
대표청구항
▼
The invention claimed is: 1. A liquid ejection apparatus comprising: an apparatus main body; a carriage that is capable of reciprocating relative to the apparatus main body; a liquid ejection head mounted on the carriage; a pump for supplying liquid to the liquid ejection head; a working fluid supp
The invention claimed is: 1. A liquid ejection apparatus comprising: an apparatus main body; a carriage that is capable of reciprocating relative to the apparatus main body; a liquid ejection head mounted on the carriage; a pump for supplying liquid to the liquid ejection head; a working fluid supply source provided in the apparatus main body, the working fluid supply source having a drive mechanism; a liquid supply source containing liquid; a working fluid supply line connecting the pump to the working fluid supply source, wherein, based on actuation of the drive mechanism, the working fluid is supplied to the pump from the working fluid supply source through the working fluid supply line; and a liquid supply line connecting the pump to the liquid supply source, wherein, based on a change in a pressure of the working fluid, the pump draws liquid from the liquid supply source through the liquid supply line, and supplies the liquid to the liquid ejection head, wherein the working fluid supply source has a fluid chamber communicating with the working fluid supply line, and wherein, as a volume of the fluid chamber changes in response to actuation of the drive mechanism, the working fluid supply source alternately performs pressurization for pressurizing and supplying the working fluid from the fluid chamber to the pump, and depressurization for depressurizing and recovering the working fluid from the pump to the fluid chamber. 2. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the working fluid is air. 3. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a pressure adjustment mechanism is provided in the working fluid supply line, wherein, among an upper limit value of the pressure of the working fluid during the pressurization performed by the working fluid supply source and a lower limit value of the pressure of the working fluid during the depressurization performed by the working fluid supply source, the pressure adjustment mechanism at least sets the upper limit value. 4. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the pressure adjustment mechanism includes a pressure adjusting valve, wherein, when the pressure of the working fluid in the working fluid supply line becomes a predetermined pressure, the pressure adjusting valve opens so that the inside of the working fluid supply line communicates with the outside. 5. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a pore is formed in the working fluid supply line, the pore causing the inside of the working fluid supply line to communicate with the outside. 6. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pump includes a working fluid intruding chamber and a liquid introducing chamber that are separated by a diaphragm, wherein the working fluid supply line is connected to the working fluid introducing chamber, and the liquid supply line and a liquid outlet line are connected to the liquid introducing chamber, the liquid outlet line extending to the liquid ejection head, and wherein a suction one-way valve that only permits suction of liquid to the liquid introducing chamber is provided in the liquid supply line, and a drain one-way valve that only permits drain of liquid from the liquid introducing chamber is provided in the liquid outlet line. 7. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the pump includes an urging member that urges the diaphragm from the liquid introducing chamber toward the working fluid introducing chamber. 8. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pump is one of a plurality of pumps mounted on the carriage, wherein the liquid supply source is one of a plurality of liquid supply source the number of which is the same as the number of the pumps, wherein the liquid supply line is one of a plurality of liquid supply lines, the each liquid supply line individually connecting one of the pumps to corresponding one of the liquid supply sources, and wherein the working fluid supply source is commonly connected to the pumps. 9. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the working fluid supply line and the liquid supply line are formed integrally. 10. A method for ejecting liquid in a liquid ejection apparatus, the apparatus including a carriage capable of reciprocating relative to an apparatus main body, a liquid ejection head mounted on the carriage, a pump for supplying liquid to the liquid ejection head, and a liquid supply source containing liquid, the method comprising: providing the apparatus main body with a working fluid supply source having a drive mechanism; supplying working fluid from the working fluid supply source to the pump through a working fluid supply line based on actuation of the drive mechanism; and causing the pump to perform pumping action based on a change in a pressure of the working fluid, thereby drawing liquid from the liquid supply source to the pump through a liquid supply line and supplying the liquid form the pump to the liquid ejection head, wherein the working fluid supply source has a fluid chamber communication with the working fluid supply line, and wherein, as a volume of the fluid chamber changes in response to actuation of the drive mechanism, the working fluid supply source alternately performs pressurization for pressurizing and supplying the working fluid form the fluid chamber to the pump, and depressurization for depressurizing and recovering the working fluid from the pump to the fluid chamber.
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