Maintenance liquid for ink jet recording apparatus

• US 20050018023A1
• Filed: 06/17/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kanaya, Miharu, Momose, Masayuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,597,436 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/95
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16552 using cleaning fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1707 Conditioning of the inside of ink supply circuits, e.g. flushing during start-up or shut-down

Abstract

Disclosed is a maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus which possesses excellent cleaning properties. In particular, a maintenance liquid, which exhibits excellent cleaning properties even in an ink jet printer using an ink having a high colorant density and containing a pigment, and a maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus, which does not attack members for a printer and possesses excellent antifoaming properties and preservative/antimold effect, are disclosed. The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention comprises water and an alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether.

Claims

1. A maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus, comprising water and an alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether.

2. The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, which contains 0.3 to 15% by weight of said alkylene glycol monoalkyl ether.

3. The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, which further comprises an acetylene glycol surfactant.

4. The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 3, which contains 0.05 to 5% by weight of said acetylene glycol surfactant.

5. The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, which comprises one or at least two polyhydric alcohol compounds selected from the group consisting of glycerin and glycol compounds.

6. The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 5, which contains 5 to 60% by weight of the polyhydric alcohol compound.

7. The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, which comprises one or at least two kinds of preservative/antimold selected from the group consisting of isothiazolone compounds and oxazolidine compounds.

8. The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 7, which contains 50 ppm to 1% by weight of said preservative/antimold.

9. The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, which has a pH value in the range of 6 to 11 at 25°

C.

10. The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, which has a surface tension of not more than 40 mN/m at 25°

C.

11. The maintenance liquid for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, which is used in combination of an ink comprising a pigment as a colorant.