IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,827,016
Granted Patent B2
US 11,827,016 · App. 17/662,919 · Granted Nov 28, 2023

Liquid ejecting apparatus

Inventors: Eiichiro Watanabe (Matsumoto, JP); Hiroaki Okui (Azumino, JP)
Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
B41J2/14B41J2/175B41J2202/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,827,016
App. No.
17/662,919
Granted
Nov 28, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

The control section sets, as a first flow rate, a flow rate of the liquid, which is circulated by the circulating mechanism, per unit time, during an ejection operation of ejecting the liquid from the liquid ejecting head. The control section sets, as a second flow rate greater than the first flow rate, a flow rate of the liquid, which is circulated by the circulating mechanism, per unit time, during a recovery operation of recovering a state of the liquid ejecting head.

Claims (34)

1. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:

a liquid ejecting head that has a plurality of individual flow channels provided with nozzles, a common supply flow channel through which a liquid is supplied to the plurality of individual flow channels, a common discharge flow channel through which the liquid is discharged from the plurality of individual flow channels, and a bypass flow channel that bypasses the plurality of individual flow channels and causes the common supply flow channel and the common discharge flow channel to communicate with each other;

a circulating mechanism that circulates the liquid, which is supplied from the common supply flow channel, so as to discharge the liquid from the common discharge flow channel through the plurality of individual flow channels or the bypass flow channel; and

a control section that controls an operation of the circulating mechanism, wherein

the control section

sets, as a first flow rate, a flow rate of the liquid, which is circulated by the circulating mechanism, per unit time, during an ejection operation of ejecting the liquid from the liquid ejecting head, and

sets, as a second flow rate greater than the first flow rate, a flow rate of the liquid, which is circulated by the circulating mechanism, per unit time, during a recovery operation of recovering a state of the liquid ejecting head.

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

the control section sets, as a third flow rate greater than the first flow rate, a flow rate of the liquid, which is supplied to the liquid ejecting head, per unit period, during a filling operation of filling the liquid ejecting head with the liquid.

3. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the third flow rate is equal to or greater than the second flow rate.

4. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:

a liquid ejecting head that has a plurality of individual flow channels provided with nozzles, a common supply flow channel through which a liquid is supplied to each of the plurality of individual flow channels, a common discharge flow channel through which the liquid is discharged from each of the plurality of individual flow channels, and a bypass flow channel that bypasses the plurality of individual flow channels and causes the common supply flow channel and the common discharge flow channel to communicate with each other;

a circulating mechanism that circulates the liquid, which is supplied from the common supply flow channel, so as to discharge the liquid from the common discharge flow channel through the plurality of individual flow channels or the bypass flow channel; and

a control section that controls an operation of the circulating mechanism, wherein

the control section

sets, as a first flow rate, a flow rate of the liquid, which is circulated by the circulating mechanism, per unit time, during an ejection operation of ejecting the liquid from the liquid ejecting head, and

sets, as a third flow rate greater than the first flow rate, a flow rate of the liquid, which is supplied to the liquid ejecting head, per unit period, during a filling operation of filling the liquid ejecting head with the liquid.

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

a combined flow channel resistance of the bypass flow channel and the plurality of individual flow channels is greater than a flow channel resistance of the common supply flow channel and is greater than a flow channel resistance of the common discharge flow channel.

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

a flow channel resistance of the bypass flow channel is less than a combined flow channel resistance of the plurality of individual flow channels.

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

when a direction in which the liquid is ejected from the nozzles is defined as a first direction,

a direction orthogonal to the first direction is defined as a second direction, and

a direction orthogonal to both the first direction and the second direction is defined as a third direction,

the bypass flow channel has

a first portion which extends along the first direction and is coupled to the common supply flow channel,

a second portion which extends along the first direction and is coupled to the common discharge flow channel, and

a third portion which extends along a plane parallel to both the second direction and the third direction and is coupled to each of the first portion and the second portion.

8. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein

the third portion has a U-shape as viewed in the first direction.

9. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein

a flow channel resistance of each of the first portion and the second portion is greater than a flow channel resistance of the third portion.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 11, 2022
From: WATANABE, EIICHIRO; OKUI, HIROAKI
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059893/0465 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-082070 · May 14, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220363055A1 · Nov 17, 2022
Cited By (1)
US 12,296,595