Ink jet printer

• US 20080204523A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Umeda, Takaichiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,963,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/85
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/175 Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/02 Framework
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism

Abstract

An ink jet printer is provided with an ink jet head, a sub ink tank, a carriage, a main body, and an ink supply device. The ink jet head includes an ink passage and a nozzle communicated with the ink passage. The sub ink tank is communicated with the ink passage of the ink jet head. The sub ink tank is elastically deformable. The ink jet head and the sub ink tank are mounted on the carriage. The carriage is capable of moving. The main body houses the ink jet head, the sub ink tank, and the carriage. The main body has a space for housing a main ink tank that is to be communicated with the sub ink tank. The ink supply device supplies ink within the main ink tank to the sub ink tank by applying a pushing force to the sub ink tank and releasing the pushing force after applying the pushing force.

Claims

1. An ink jet printer, comprising:

an ink jet head comprising an ink passage and a nozzle communicated with the ink passage;

a sub ink tank communicated with the ink passage of the ink jet head, the sub ink tank being elastically deformable;

a carriage on which the ink jet head and the sub ink tank are mounted, the carriage capable of moving;

a main body housing the ink jet head, the sub ink tank, and the carriage, the main body comprising a space for housing a main ink tank that is to be communicated with the sub ink tank; and

an ink supply device that supplies ink within the main ink tank to the sub ink tank by applying a pushing force to the sub ink tank and releasing the pushing force after applying the pushing force.

2. The ink jet printer as in claim 1, wherein

the main ink tank is communicated with the sub ink tank when the carriage is located at a first position,

the main ink tank is not communicated with the sub ink tank when the carriage is located at a position other than the first position, and

the ink supply device applies the pushing force to the sub ink tank and releases the pushing force after applying the pushing force when the carriage is located at the first position.

3. The ink jet printer as in claim 2, further comprising:

a purge device that applies a pushing force to the sub ink tank when the carriage is located at a second position other than the first position.

4. The ink jet printer as in claim 3, further comprising:

an ink receiving tray that receives ink discharged from the nozzle of the ink jet head when the purge device applies the pushing force to the sub ink tank.

5. The ink jet printer as in claim 3, wherein

the carriage is capable of moving in a predetermined direction,

the first position is one end of a moving area of the carriage, and

the second position is the other end of the moving area of the carriage.

6. The ink jet printer as in claim 5, wherein

the carriage is capable of moving in a first non-printing area, a second non-printing area, and a printing area between the first non-printing area and the second non-printing area,

the first position is located at the first non-printing area, and

the second position is located at the second non-printing area.

7. The ink jet printer as in claim 3, wherein

a plurality of sub ink tanks are mounted on the carriage, and

the purge device is capable of applying the pushing force to at least one sub ink tank selected from the plurality of sub ink tanks.

8. The ink jet printer as in claim 7, further comprising:

a controller that controls a stopping position of the carriage,

wherein the controller selects, by controlling the stopping position of the carriage, at least one sub ink tank to which the pushing force is to be applied by the purge device.

9. The ink jet printer as in claim 3, wherein

a plurality of sub ink tanks are mounted on the carriage, and

the purge device is capable of selectively applying the pushing force to one sub ink tank.

10. The ink jet printer as in claim 1, wherein

the sub ink tank is capable of expanding and contracting in a vertical direction.

11. The ink jet printer as in claim 10, wherein

the sub ink tank has a bellows shape.

12. The ink jet printer as in claim 1, wherein

the ink supply device comprises an arm and a first force transmitting device,

the arm is supported by the carriage,

the arm is capable of pivoting with a supporting point as a center,

the first force transmitting device transmits a force to the arm in order to raise one end of the arm and lower the other end of the arm, and

the other end of the arm pushes an upper surface of the sub ink tank downward when the first force transmitting device transmits the force to the arm.

13. The ink jet printer as in claim 12, wherein

the first force transmitting device comprises a link member and a cam member,

the link member is capable of moving in a vertical direction,

in a case where the link member moves upward, the link member raises the one end of the arm, and

the cam member transmits a force to the link member in order to move the link member upward.

14. The ink jet printer as in claim 12, further comprising:

a purge device that applies a pushing force to the sub ink tank,

wherein the main ink tank is communicated with the sub ink tank when the carriage is located at a first position,

the main ink tank is not communicated with the sub ink tank when the carriage is located at a position other than the first position,

the ink supply device applies the pushing force to the sub ink tank and releases the pushing force after applying the pushing force when the carriage is located at the first position,

the purge device applies the pushing force to the sub ink tank when the carriage is located at a second position other than the first position,

the purge device comprises the arm and a second force transmitting device,

the second force transmitting device transmits a force to the arm in order to raise the one end of the arm and lower the other end of the arm, and

the other end of the arm pushes the upper surface of the sub ink tank downward when the second force transmitting device transmits the force to the arm.

15. The ink jet printer as in claim 1, wherein

the main ink tank is an ink cartridge that is detachably housed in the main body.

16. The ink jet printer as in claim 15, further comprising:

a tube located between the space and the sub ink tank,

wherein, in a state where the main ink tank is housed in the space, the main ink tank is communicated with the sub ink tank via the tube.