IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,734,819
Granted Patent B2
US 12,734,819 · App. 18/587,845 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Liquid supply device, liquid jetting system, printing system, and liquid circulation method

Inventor: Tadashi Kyoso (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
B41J2/2117B41J2/17563B41J2/04581C09D11/322C09D11/54
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,734,819
App. No.
18/587,845
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The liquid supply device includes a circulation flow passage that communicates with a circulation port of a liquid jetting head and a supply port of the liquid jetting head and a pressurization device that pressurizes a liquid inside the circulation flow passage, wherein in a case where the liquid is circulated using the circulation flow passage, the pressurization device is controlled to pressurize the liquid, and in a case where a first liquid which has particles dispersed in a solvent and has a particle sedimentation characteristic different from that of a second liquid and where the particles are likely to be sedimented is circulated as the liquid, a pressure that is equal to or more than 2.0 times and equal to or less than 3.5 times a pressure to be applied to the second liquid in a case where the second liquid is circulated is applied to the first liquid.

Claims (59)

1 . A liquid supply device that supplies a liquid to a liquid jetting head, the liquid supply device comprising:

a circulation flow passage that communicates with a circulation port of the liquid jetting head and communicates with a supply port of the liquid jetting head;

a pressurization device that pressurizes a liquid inside the circulation flow passage;

an ink determination unit configured to determine whether the liquid circulated in the circulation flow passage is a first liquid or a second liquid, wherein the first liquid has particles dispersed in a solvent and has a particle sedimentation characteristic different from that of the second liquid and the particles are likely to be sedimented;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory that stores a command to be executed by the at least one processor,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to

control the pressurization device to pressurize the liquid in a case in which the liquid is circulated by using the circulation flow passage, and

in a case in which the ink determination unit determines that the first liquid is circulated as the liquid, set a target pressure based on the determination and apply, to the first liquid, a pressure that is equal to or more than 2.0 times and equal to or less than 3.5 times a pressure to be applied to the second liquid in a case in which the second liquid is circulated.

2 . The liquid supply device according to claim 1 ,

wherein a filter for filtering the liquid is attached to the circulation flow passage, and

in a case in which the first liquid is used, the filter is applied with a structure having a larger mesh size than in a case in which the second liquid is used.

3 . The liquid supply device according to claim 1 ,

wherein a filter for filtering the liquid is attached to the circulation flow passage, and

in a case in which the first liquid is used, the filter is applied with a structure having a larger cross-sectional area than in a case in which the second liquid is used.

4 . The liquid supply device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first liquid contains titanium oxide particles as pigment particles.

5 . The liquid supply device according to claim 1 ,

wherein, in a case in which the first liquid is used, the pressurization device has a relatively higher pressurization performance than in a case in which the second liquid is used.

6 . The liquid supply device according to claim 1 ,

wherein a diameter of the particles contained in the first liquid is larger than a diameter of particles contained in the second liquid.

7 . The liquid supply device according to claim 1 ,

wherein a density of the particles in the first liquid is larger than a density of particles contained in the second liquid.

8 . The liquid supply device according to claim 1 ,

wherein a value obtained by subtracting a density of the solvent from a density of the particles in the first liquid is larger than a value obtained by subtracting a density of a solvent from a density of particles in the second liquid.

9 . A liquid jetting system using a first liquid and a second liquid, the liquid jetting system comprising:

a first liquid jetting head that jets a first liquid which has particles dispersed in a solvent and has a particle sedimentation characteristic different from that of the second liquid and in which the particles are likely to be sedimented;

a first liquid supply device that supplies the first liquid to the first liquid jetting head and includes a first circulation flow passage which communicates with a circulation port of the first liquid jetting head and communicates with a supply port of the first liquid jetting head a first pressurization device that pressurizes the first liquid inside the first circulation flow passage;

a second liquid jetting head that jets the second liquid; and

a second liquid supply device that supplies the second liquid to the second liquid jetting head and includes a second circulation flow passage which communicates with a circulation port of the second liquid jetting head and communicates with a supply port of the second liquid jetting head and a second pressurization device that pressurizes the second liquid inside the second circulation flow passage;

an ink determination unit configured to determine whether a liquid to be circulated is the first liquid or the second liquid;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory that stores a command to be executed by the at least one processor,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to

control the first pressurization device to pressurize the first liquid in a case in which the first liquid is circulated by using the first circulation flow passage, and

in a case in which the ink determination unit determines that the first liquid is circulated, set a target pressure based on the determination and apply, to the first liquid, a pressure that is equal to or more than 2.0 times and equal to or less than 3.5 times a pressure to be applied to the second liquid in a case in which the second liquid is circulated by using the second circulation flow passage.

10 . The liquid jetting system according to claim 9 ,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to, in a case in which the first liquid is circulated during execution of a liquid jetting job in which printing is executed by using the first liquid jetting head, apply, to the first liquid, a pressure that is equal to or more than 2.0 times and equal to or less than 3.5 times the pressure in a case in which the second liquid is circulated.

11 . The liquid jetting system according to claim 10 ,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to, in a case in which the first liquid is circulated during a standby time in which the liquid jetting job is not executed, reduce a pressure to be applied to the first liquid compared to a case in which the first liquid is circulated during the execution of the liquid jetting job.

12 . The liquid jetting system according to claim 10 , further comprising:

a wiping device that wipes a nozzle surface of the first liquid jetting head,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to, in a case in which the first liquid is circulated in a case in which the nozzle surface of the first liquid jetting head is wiped by using the wiping device, reduce a pressure to be applied to the first liquid compared to a case in which the first liquid is circulated during the execution of the liquid jetting job.

13 . A printing system that executes printing using a first ink and a second ink, the printing system comprising:

a first ink jet head that jets a first ink which has particles dispersed in a solvent and has a particle sedimentation characteristic different from that of the second ink and in which the particles are likely to be sedimented;

a first ink supply device that supplies the first ink to the first ink jet head and includes a first circulation flow passage which communicates with a circulation port of the first ink jet head and communicates with a supply port of the first ink jet head, and a first pressurization device that pressurizes the first ink inside the first circulation flow passage;

a second ink jet head that jets the second ink;

a second ink supply device that supplies the second ink to the second ink jet head and includes a second circulation flow passage which communicates with a circulation port of the second ink jet head and communicates with a supply port of the second ink jet head and a second pressurization device that pressurizes the second ink inside the second circulation flow passage;

an ink determination unit configured to determine whether an ink to be circulated is the first ink or the second ink;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory that stores a command to be executed by the at least one processor,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to

control the first pressurization device to pressurize the first ink in a case in which the first ink is circulated by using the first circulation flow passage, and

in a case in which the ink determination unit determines that the first ink is circulated, set a target pressure based on the determination and apply, to the first ink, a pressure that is equal to or more than 2.0 times and equal to or less than 3.5 times a pressure to be applied to the second ink in a case in which the second ink is circulated by using the second circulation flow passage.

14 . A liquid circulation method of, via a liquid supply device that supplies a liquid to a liquid jetting head, circulating a liquid from a circulation port of the liquid jetting head to a supply port of the liquid jetting head by using a circulation flow passage that communicates with the circulation port and communicates with the supply port, the liquid circulation method comprising:

causing a computer to

in a case in which the liquid is circulated by using the circulation flow passage, control a pressurization device to pressurize a liquid inside the circulation flow passage,

control an ink determination unit to determine whether the liquid circulated in the circulation flow passage is a first liquid or a second liquid, wherein the first liquid has particles dispersed in a solvent and has a particle sedimentation characteristic different from that of the second liquid and the particles are likely to be sedimented, and

in a case in which the ink determination unit determines that the first liquid is circulated as the liquid, set a target pressure based on the determination and apply, to the first liquid, a pressure that is equal to or more than 2.0 times and equal to or less than 3.5 times a pressure to be applied to the second liquid in a case in which the second liquid is circulated.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2024
From: KYOSO, TADASHI
To: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 066595/0658 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-140047 · Aug 30, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2022023587 · Jun 13, 2022
Related Publication 20240198692A1 · Jun 20, 2024
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