Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Ejector mechanism
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-09
2001-04-03
Le, N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Ejector mechanism
C347S087000, C347S092000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06209982
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording device having a manifold fluidly connecting an ink cartridge with an ink jet head, and more specifically to the ink jet recording device capable of reliably discharging air bubbles from the manifold by purging operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional ink jet recording device includes an ink jet head having actuators. The actuators are formed from an electromechanical converting element or electrothermal converting element, and define a plurality of ink chambers aligned in a row. An ink cartridge storing ink is detachably attached to the ink jet head by a manifold. The manifold is formed with an ink supply path that normally broadens from the ink cartridge side to the ink jet head side so as to encompass the entire row of ink chambers. Ink in the ink cartridge is supplied through the ink supply path of the manifold into the ink chambers. When the actuators are energized, ink is ejected from the ink chambers through nozzles to form an image on a recording medium.
Normally, purging operations are performed when the ink cartridge is exchanged for a new one. Specifically, during the purging operations, suction force is applied to the nozzles of the ink jet head so as to introduce fresh ink from the new ink cartridge into the ink chambers. At the same time, air that was introduced into the manifold during exchange of the ink cartridge is discharged out of the ink jet head along with some ink.
However, when the air forms a single spherical air bubble that floats freely in the broad portion of ink supply path, ink flows around the air bubble during the purging operations. As a result, a sufficient pressure for discharging the air bubble may not be generated within the manifold. As a result, the air bubble remains in the ink supply path without being ejected during the purging operations. Also, because the air bubble itself has a relatively large volume, by coupling with micro-air bubbles dissolved in the ink, the air bubble can quickly grow to a sufficient extend to clog up the inlets to the ink chambers. As a result, shortly after the ink cartridge is exchanged, printing can become defective due to improper ejection of ink from the ink chamber.
Also, air introduced into the ink supply path during exchange of the ink cartridge may remain in the ink supply path without being discharged, because of changes in ink viscosity by temperature, variation in suction force generated by the purging operation, or other indefinite reasons.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an objective of the present invention to solve the above-described problems and also to provide an ink jet recording device having a manifold capable of efficiently ejecting air bubbles, which are introduced during exchange of ink cartridge, by using purging operations performed directly after exchange of ink cartridge.
In order to achieve, the above and other objectives, there is provided an ink jet recording device including an ink jet head, a manifold, and a cartridge. The ink jet head has a first surface and a second surface opposite from the first surface. The ink jet head is formed with a plurality of ink channels each extending from the first surface to the second surface, and each having an inlet port opened at the first surface and a nozzle opened at the second surface. The manifold is mounted on the first surface of the ink jet head, and is formed with an ink inlet path and an ink supply path fluidly connecting the ink inlet path with the plurality of the ink channels. The cartridge is replaceable and detachably mounted on the manifold. The cartridge is formed with an outlet port for supplying ink to the plurality of ink channels through the outlet port, the ink inlet path, the ink supply path, and the inlet port. When the cartridge is replaced, and air is introduced as a single air bubble into the ink supply path from the ink inlet path, the single air bubble is supported within the ink supply path while contacting the first surface of the ink jet head.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5946015 (1999-08-01), Courtney
patent: 6003986 (1999-12-01), Keefe
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Hsieh Shih-Wen
Le N.
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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