INK-JET PRINTER
First Claim
1. An inkjet printer, comprising:
- an inkjet head;
a platen for defining a print position for the inkjet head;
a heater for heating ink droplets discharged from the inkjet head and deposited on a recording medium on the platen;
a head carriage for supporting the inkjet head and the heater; and
a cooling mechanism for cooling the external peripheral surface portion excluding the heat-radiating aperture in the heater, the cooling mechanism having;
a refrigerant circulating pipe disposed in a state of contact with the constituent elements of the heater inside and/or outside the heater;
a refrigerant circulating pump disposed in a fixed position that does not interfere with the head carriage;
a flexible refrigerant circulating tube for placing the refrigerant circulating pipe and the refrigerant circulating pump in communication with each other; and
a cooling device for cooling the refrigerant that flows through the refrigerant circulating tube.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A head carriage of an ink-jet printer is equipped with a heat lamp unit. The heat lamp unit is located very close to ink droplets discharged from an ink-jet head and landing on a recording medium and can directly heat and cure the ink droplets, so that the ink droplets can be efficiently fixed. If the heat lamp unit is placed very close to the ink-jet head, clogging of a nozzle of the ink-jet head and thermal failure of the ink-jet head itself may be caused by heat release of the heat lamp unit, but the heat lamp unit can be cooled efficiently by a cooling mechanism which circulates a refrigerant through a refrigerant circulating pipe by a refrigerant circulating pump, so that the ink-jet head can be prevented from being heated.
47 Citations
11 Claims
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1. An inkjet printer, comprising:
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an inkjet head; a platen for defining a print position for the inkjet head; a heater for heating ink droplets discharged from the inkjet head and deposited on a recording medium on the platen; a head carriage for supporting the inkjet head and the heater; and a cooling mechanism for cooling the external peripheral surface portion excluding the heat-radiating aperture in the heater, the cooling mechanism having; a refrigerant circulating pipe disposed in a state of contact with the constituent elements of the heater inside and/or outside the heater; a refrigerant circulating pump disposed in a fixed position that does not interfere with the head carriage; a flexible refrigerant circulating tube for placing the refrigerant circulating pipe and the refrigerant circulating pump in communication with each other; and a cooling device for cooling the refrigerant that flows through the refrigerant circulating tube. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification