Liquid ejecting apparatus

• US 9,216,587 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2014
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Ando, Masaaki, Koike, Kaoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): KING, PATRICK J
• Application Number:
  US14/484,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20150085032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 347/85, 347/90
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/175 Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/18 Ink recirculation systems
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/185 Ink-collectors; Ink-catchers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/12 with ink circulating through the whole print head
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/20 Modules
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/543 with multiple inkjet print heads B41J2/17503, B41J2/2103 take precedence

Abstract

A liquid circulation part has a recovery path where a liquid flows into a retaining part from a first head and a second head. The recovery path has a first merging point where the liquid flowing from the first head and the liquid flowing from the second head are merged, a first recovery path part where the liquid flowing from the first head flows into the first merging point, and a second recovery path part where the liquid flows from the first merging point. The cross-sectional area of the second recovery path part, orthogonal to a direction of flow of the liquid in the second recovery path part, is greater than the cross-sectional area of the first recovery path part, orthogonal to the direction of flow of the liquid in the first recovery path part.

Claims

1. A liquid ejecting apparatus, comprising:

a retaining part configured to retain a liquid;

a first and second heads configured to eject the liquid; and

a liquid circulation part where the liquid flows from the retaining part through an inside of the first head to the retaining part, and where the liquid passes from the retaining part through an inside of the second head to the retaining part;

the liquid circulation part including a recovery path where the liquid that has flowed inside one of the first head and the second head flows to the retaining part,

the recovery path having a first merging point where the liquid that has flowed inside the first head and the liquid that has flowed inside the second head merge together, a first recovery path part where the liquid that has flowed inside the first head flows to the first merging point, and a second recovery path part where the liquid that has flowed inside the first head and the liquid that has flowed inside the second head flows from the first merging point,

a cross-sectional area of the second recovery path part, which is orthogonal to a direction of flow of the liquid at the second recovery path part, being greater than a cross-sectional area of the first recovery path part, which is orthogonal to a direction of flow of the liquid at the first recovery path part.

2. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third head configured to eject the liquid,

in the liquid circulation part, the liquid that has flowed inside the third head passing through the recovery path to the retaining part,

the recovery path having a second merging point where the liquid has flowed inside the first head and the liquid that has flowed inside the second head, and the liquid has flowed inside the third head merge together, and a third recovery path part where the liquid has flowed inside the first head, the liquid that has flowed inside the second head, and the liquid that has flowed inside the third head flows from the second merging point,

a cross-sectional area of the third recovery path part, which is orthogonal to a direction of flow of the liquid at the third recovery path part, being greater than the cross-sectional area of the second recovery path part, which is orthogonal to the direction of the flow of the liquid at the second recovery path part.

3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first and second recovery path parts have cross-sections orthogonal to the directions of the flow of the liquid at the first and second recovery path parts, respectively, and the cross-sections of the first and second recovery path parts have either same widths and different depths, or different widths and same depths, respectively, thereby causing the first and second recovery path parts to have different cross-sectional areas.

4. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first and second recovery path parts have constant cross-sectional areas in the directions of flow of the liquid at the first and second recovery path parts, respectively, and

a stepped difference is formed at the first merging point.

5. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first and second recovery path parts have the cross-sectional areas that increase continuously in the direction of flow of the liquid at the first and second recovery path parts, respectively.

6. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the liquid circulation part has a supply path configured to supply the liquid to the first head and the second head from the retaining part,

the supply part has a first branching point configured to branch the liquid being supplied to the first head from the liquid being supplied from the retaining part, a first supply path part configured to cause the liquid to flow to the first branching point, and a second supply path part configured to cause the liquid that is not branched at the first branching point to flow from the first branching point, and

a cross-sectional area of the second supply path part, which is orthogonal to the flow of the liquid at the second supply path part, is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the first supply path part, which is orthogonal to the flow of the liquid at the first supply path part.

7. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a first recovery piping disposed between the first head and the first recovery path part and configured to communicate a flow of the liquid that has flowed inside the first head from the first head to the first recovery path part, and

a second recovery piping disposed between the second head and the second recovery path part and configured to communicate a flow of the liquid that has flowed inside the second head from the second head to the second recovery path part, the second recovery piping being different from the first recovery piping.