Head cartridge and liquid-ejecting apparatus

• US 20050116999A1
• Filed: 10/22/2004
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ando, Makoto, Nakamura, Masato, Namekawa, Takumi, Nishi, Shota, Hirashima, Shigeyoshi, Miyazaki, Akihito
• Granted Patent: US 7,427,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/85
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1707 Conditioning of the inside of ink supply circuits, e.g. flushing during start-up or shut-down
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17596 Ink pumps, ink valves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/12 with ink circulating through the whole print head

Abstract

A negative pressure generated inside a liquid-ejecting head can circulate liquid between the liquid-ejecting head and a liquid tank, prevent the liquid from leaking out of nozzles while the liquid is circulating, and remove bubbles contained in the liquid. A head cartridge includes a printhead ejecting ink from ink-ejecting nozzles formed in a nozzle plate of the printhead, an ink-supplying conduit supplying the ink from an ink tank to an ink chamber in the printhead, an ink-refluxing conduit refluxing the ink from the printhead to the ink tank, and a liquid-delivering pump disposed on the ink-refluxing conduit and circulating the ink between the printhead and the ink tank. The liquid-delivering pump is driven to generate a negative pressure inside the printhead to circulate the ink between the printhead and the ink tank.

Claims

1. A head cartridge, comprising:

a liquid-ejecting head ejecting predetermined liquid from liquid-ejecting nozzles formed in a nozzle plate of the liquid-ejecting head;

a liquid-supplying conduit supplying the liquid from a liquid tank to a liquid chamber in the liquid-ejecting head;

a liquid-refluxing conduit refluxing the liquid from the liquid-ejecting head to the liquid tank; and

liquid-circulating means disposed on the liquid-refluxing conduit and circulating the liquid between the liquid-ejecting head and the liquid tank, wherein the liquid-circulating means is driven to generate a negative pressure inside the liquid-ejecting head to circulate the liquid between the liquid-ejecting head and the liquid tank.

2. The head cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the liquid tank is detachable from the liquid-ejecting head.

3. The head cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the liquid-circulating means is a liquid-delivering pump.

4. The head cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the liquid-circulating means is driven so as to generate a negative pressure that maintains a liquid meniscus formed in each of the liquid-ejecting nozzles in the liquid-ejecting head.

5. The head cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising:

a valve unit including a valve and disposed on the liquid-supplying conduit, wherein the valve unit supplies the liquid from the liquid tank to the liquid-ejecting head by opening the valve when a negative pressure is generated in the liquid-ejecting head.

6. The head cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising:

a valve system disposed in the liquid-circulating means, wherein the valve system prevents liquid backflow in the direction from the liquid-circulating means to the liquid-ejecting head.

7. The head cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising:

a valve system disposed on the liquid-refluxing conduit, wherein the valve system prevents liquid backflow in the direction from the liquid-circulating means to the liquid-ejecting head.

8. The head cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the liquid-ejecting head comprises a liquid inlet substantially in the center of the liquid-ejecting head and liquid outlets at both ends.

9. The head cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the liquid-ejecting head comprises a liquid inlet at one end of the liquid-ejecting head and a liquid outlet at the other end.

10. A liquid-ejecting apparatus, comprising:

a head cartridge detachably disposed in the apparatus body, wherein

the head cartridge comprises a liquid-ejecting head ejecting predetermined liquid from liquid-ejecting nozzles formed in a nozzle plate of the liquid-ejecting head, a liquid-supplying conduit supplying the liquid from a liquid tank to a liquid chamber in the liquid-ejecting head, a liquid-refluxing conduit refluxing the liquid from the liquid-ejecting head to the liquid tank, and liquid-circulating means disposed on the liquid-refluxing conduit and circulating the liquid between the liquid-ejecting head and the liquid tank;

the liquid-circulating means is driven to generate a negative pressure inside the liquid-ejecting head to circulate the liquid between the liquid-ejecting head and the liquid tank; and

each of the liquid-ejecting nozzles formed in the liquid-ejecting head of the head cartridge ejects the predetermined liquid to produce a dot or a dot line.

11. The liquid-ejecting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the liquid tank is detachable from the liquid-ejecting head.

12. The liquid-ejecting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the liquid-circulating means is a liquid-delivering pump.

13. The liquid-ejecting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the liquid-circulating means is driven so as to generate a negative pressure that maintains a liquid meniscus formed in each of the liquid-ejecting nozzles in the liquid-ejecting head.

14. The liquid-ejecting apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a valve unit including a valve and disposed on the liquid-supplying conduit, wherein the valve unit supplies the liquid from the liquid tank to the liquid-ejecting head by opening the valve when a negative pressure is generated in the liquid-ejecting head.

15. The liquid-ejecting apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a valve system disposed in the liquid-circulating means, wherein the valve system prevents liquid backflow in the direction from the liquid-circulating means to the liquid-ejecting head.

16. The liquid-ejecting apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a valve system disposed on the liquid-refluxing conduit, wherein the valve system prevents liquid backflow in the direction from the liquid-circulating means to the liquid-ejecting head.

17. The liquid-ejecting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the liquid-ejecting head comprises a liquid inlet substantially in the center of the liquid-ejecting head and liquid outlets at both ends.

18. The liquid-ejecting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the liquid-ejecting head comprises a liquid inlet at one end of the liquid-ejecting head and a liquid outlet at the other end.

19. A liquid-ejecting apparatus, comprising:

a liquid-ejecting head ejecting predetermined liquid from liquid-ejecting nozzles formed in a nozzle plate of the liquid-ejecting head;

a liquid-supplying conduit supplying the liquid from a liquid tank to a liquid chamber in the liquid-ejecting head;

a liquid-refluxing conduit refluxing the liquid from the liquid-ejecting head to the liquid tank; and

liquid-circulating means disposed on the liquid-refluxing conduit and circulating the liquid between the liquid-ejecting head and the liquid tank, wherein the liquid-circulating means is driven to generate a negative pressure inside the liquid-ejecting head to circulate the liquid between the liquid-ejecting head and the liquid tank.