JPH11192717A - Ink supplying device and printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent bubbles from entering through a nozzle of a print head during the ink circulating for removing the bubbles in a tube and to smoothly perform the ink circulating without lowering a speed of the ink circulating in terms of ink supplying. SOLUTION: An ink supplying device comprises first, second and third ink tanks 2, 4, 5. The first ink tank 2 and a print head 1 are mounted on a carriage 3. A cap 30 is abutted to or separated from a nozzle face of the print head 1. A valve 32 capable of switching an air ventilating condition and a closing condition is provided in the cap 30.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an ink supply apparatus for supplying a large amount of ink and a printing apparatus having the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, ink jet recording apparatuses for recording using ink have been widely used as printers and copiers for personal computers. The demand for this ink jet recording apparatus is increasing because it is inexpensive and can perform full-color recording. Recently, A1
Ink jet recording apparatuses are used even for plotters that record photographic images on large sheets such as plates and A0 plates. It is also used in textile printing systems that print on fabric.

In addition, high-quality and long-term storage stability, which can be expressed only with silver halide photographic films such as medical X-ray films and CT scan images, are applied to inkjet multi-tone image recording for medical use. Have been.

By the way, in order to realize high-quality and multi-gradation expression similar to a silver halide film with an ink jet recording apparatus, the types of inks used tend to increase. For example, in a photographic color plotter, it has been proposed to use inks of six or more colors, such as adding cyan and magenta having a low color material density in addition to normal cyan, magenta, yellow and black. It is considered that at least six dark and light black inks are necessary for a medical image recording apparatus to produce an image that requires 1000 or more gradations, such as an X-ray image.

In these fields, when an ink tank for using a large amount of ink is mounted on a carriage together with a recording head, the weight of the carriage becomes heavy, and it is difficult to control the driving of the carriage. If the ink tank capacity is small, the ink tank must be replaced frequently, which is inconvenient. Therefore, there has been proposed an ink supply apparatus having a small-capacity tank on a carriage, a large ink tank outside the carriage, and a tube arranged between the tanks for flowing ink. There have been many proposals for such an ink supply device in the past.

In the conventional ink supply device, the tube used is formed of a high molecular organic substance, has gas permeability, and bubbles are mixed into the tube from the outside, so that the ink is stably sent from the ink tank to the recording head. May not be possible.

To solve the above problems, an ink supply device using a tube as shown in FIG. 7 has been proposed.

In FIG. 7, reference numeral 101 denotes a print head, and reference numeral 102 denotes a first ink tank for storing ink to be supplied to the print head 101. The print head 101 and the first ink tank 102 are mounted on a carriage 103 movable with respect to the apparatus main body. Reference numerals 104 and 105 denote second and third ink tanks fixed to the apparatus main body.

At the top of the second ink tank 104, an atmosphere communication hole 126 is provided. First ink tank 1
02 and the second and third ink tanks 104 and 105 have two ink flow paths 106,
It is connected by 107. First ink flow path 10
6 sends the ink stored in the second ink tank 104 to the first ink tank 102,
07 sends the ink in the first ink tank 102 to the third ink tank 105, and a third valve 122 is provided in the middle of the third ink flow path 107.

[0010] The second ink tank 104 and the third ink tank 105 are connected by a second ink flow path 108. In the middle of the second ink flow path 108, a first valve 109 is provided. The first valve 109 is a so-called check valve that allows ink to flow only in the direction from the third ink tank 105 to the second ink tank 104 (in the direction of arrow A1).

The second ink tank 105 has a second
And an air chamber suction passage 112 for sucking air in the air chamber portion of the third ink tank 105. The second valve 110 can be opened and closed by crushing the atmosphere communication passage 111 with a cam member (not shown), and can switch between communication and non-communication of the air chamber portion of the third ink tank 105 with the atmosphere. . A tube pump 150 is provided in the middle of the air chamber suction path 112,
The air in the air chamber portion of the third ink tank 105 is sucked. The other end of the air chamber suction path 112 is guided to the waste ink tank 113. Even if the ink in the third ink tank 105 is discharged through the air chamber suction path 112, the ink is discharged to the outside of the apparatus. Is designed to prevent leakage.
Further, one end of a fourth ink flow path 114 is connected to the third ink tank 105, and the other end of the fourth ink flow path 114 is provided with a tubular first needle member 115 having a hole at the tip.
Is provided.

When the supply tank 116 is filled at a predetermined position, the first needle member 115 is inserted into the ink supply port 117 of the supply tank 116. Code 128
Is an atmosphere communication port for a supply tank, and at one end thereof, a tubular second needle member 118 also provided with a hole at the tip is provided, so that the second needle member 118 is connected to the atmosphere communication port of the supply tank 116. When inserted into the ink tank 120, the air chamber of the supply tank 116 is communicated with the atmosphere, and ink can be moved from the supply tank 116 to the third ink tank 105. A fourth valve 121 is provided in the middle of the fourth ink flow path 114 to allow the ink to flow only in one direction (the direction of the arrow A2), and the reverse flow of the ink from the third ink tank 105 to the replenishment tank 116 is provided. Has been prevented.

The second ink tank 104 is provided with an ink level detecting means 124.
5 is provided with an ink level detection 123. The ink level detecting means 124 detects the minimum ink level of the second ink tank 104, and
3 detects the maximum ink level of the third ink tank 105.

Next, in order to circulate ink using the ink supply device shown in FIG. 7, first, the second valve 110 is closed, the third valve 122 is opened, and the tube pump 150 is moved in the direction of arrow A3. Drive. As a result, air is sucked from the air chamber of the third ink tank 105 and the pressure in the third ink tank 105 decreases, so that the ink (including air bubbles) from the first ink tank 102 becomes the third ink tank. Through the ink flow path 107. As a result, the pressure in the air chamber in the first ink tank 102 also decreases, and ink is supplied from the second ink tank 104 to the first ink tank 102 through the first ink flow path 106. In this way, the ink in the second ink tank 104 moves to the third ink tank 105 via the first ink tank 102. At this time, the fourth valve 121 is opened and the supply tank 1 is opened.
The fourth valve 121 is urged in a closing direction by an elastic member 127 so that the sixteen inks do not flow into the third ink tank 105 via the fourth ink flow path 114.

When the ink level detecting means 124 detects the minimum ink level of the second ink tank 104 or the ink level detecting means 125 detects the maximum ink level of the third ink tank 105, the second valve open.
The air chamber of the third ink tank 105 communicates with the atmosphere,
The first valve 109 opens due to the head difference between the ink in the ink tank 104 and the third ink tank 105, and the ink passes through the second ink flow path 108 and the third ink tank 1.
05 flows into the second ink tank 104. Second,
When the ink levels in the third ink tanks 104 and 105 become substantially equal, the flow of ink stops. The second valve 110 is controlled so as to open for, for example, 10 seconds until the ink levels of the second and third ink tanks 104 and 105 become substantially equal. Of course, the opening time of the valve differs depending on the ink capacities of the second and third ink tanks 104 and 105, the cross-sectional area of the second ink flow path 108, and the arrangement positions of the ink level detecting means 124 and 125.

In the ink supply device shown in FIG. 7, the first, second, and third ink tanks 102, 104, and 105 are operated by simply driving the tube pump 150 and opening and closing the second valve 110. Since the ink can be circulated between the ink tanks 102, even if bubbles are generated in the first ink flow path 106, once the ink is circulated as described above, the bubbles are once removed from the first ink tank 102. After entering the third ink tank 107 through the third ink flow path 107,
5 is discharged. Therefore, the air bubbles generated on the way do not enter the inside of the print head 101, and no printing failure occurs.

[0017]

However, in the ink supply device having the above structure, the tube pump 150
Of the first, second, and third ink tanks 102, 104, and 104 by a simple operation of only opening and closing the second valve 110.
When circulating ink between the 105, the tube pump 1
When the driving force of the second ink tank 10 is large, the pressure of the air chamber in the first ink tank 102 is rapidly reduced.
4 through the first ink flow path 106 to the ink tank 1
In some cases, bubbles are mixed in from the nozzles of the print head 101 as well as being supplied to the print head 101.

Conversely, when the driving force of the tube pump 150 is small, the pressure in the air chamber in the first ink tank 102 gradually decreases, and
Also, there is a problem that the speed at which the ink is supplied to the first ink tank 102 through the ink flow path 106 becomes slow.

According to the present invention, there is provided an ink supply apparatus which prevents the introduction of air bubbles from the nozzles of the print head 101 during the ink circulation for removing the air bubbles in the tube, and further smoothly performs the ink circulation without reducing the ink circulation speed. An object of the present invention is to propose a printing apparatus including the above.

[0020]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an ink supply device according to the present invention comprises a first ink tank for storing ink to be supplied to a print head;
A second ink tank for supplying ink to the first ink tank, a third ink tank for receiving the ink overflowed in the first ink tank, and a pump for sucking an air chamber portion in the third ink tank. And cap means capable of contacting or separating from the nozzle face of the print head, wherein the cap means has a valve for adjusting the pressure of the space between the nozzle face of the print head and the cap means at the time of contact. Features.

Here, the pressure regulating valve may be capable of switching between a communicating state and a non-communicating state with the atmosphere in the space.

A valve for communicating with the atmosphere in the air chamber portion of the third ink tank; and closing the atmosphere communication valve,
When the ink is moved from the first ink tank to the third ink tank by driving the pump, the cap means is brought into contact with the nozzle surface of the print head, and the cap means is exposed to the atmosphere. May be maintained in a non-communication state.

The printing apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that printing is performed using a print head which receives supply of ink from the ink supply apparatus.

Here, the print head may include a thermal energy generator for generating thermal energy as energy used for discharging the ink, and the thermal energy generator may be an electric heat generator for generating a film boiling in the ink. It may be a converter.

In the above arrangement, the pressure in the space between the cap means and the nozzle surface can be adjusted by providing the air communication valve in the cap means capable of contacting the nozzle surface of the print head. Air bubbles can be reliably prevented from being mixed into the ink, and the ink circulation can be smoothly performed without reducing the ink circulation speed.

[0026]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a textile printing system including an ink supply device of the present invention. Reference numeral 199 denotes an ink-jet printer main body. The printer main body 199 is roughly composed of an ink supply section 100, a printer section 200, and a cloth transport section 300.

A practical printing operation in the above configuration will be described step by step with reference to FIG.

A cloth 301 as a recording medium is set on a cloth supply roller 302 in a roll state. This cloth 301
Passes below the printer section while being guided by various guide rollers 303 and 304, and also guide rollers 3
After an appropriate tension is applied to the cloth take-up roller 307, the cloth reaches the take-up roller 307. These rollers 302 to 30
7 constitutes the cloth transport unit 300. Printer frame 20
1 is located above the cloth transport unit 300. The printer frame 201 has two guide rails 202 and 203.
Are supported and fixed to each other along the direction of arrow A. The carriage 204 is supported by two guide rails 202 and 203 so as to be movable in the direction of arrow A. Carriage 20
4 has 16 print heads (205 as a representative).
a, 205b) are attached at positions facing the cloth 301. When the carriage 204 is moved in the direction of arrow A by a drive motor (not shown). For example, an ink ejection command is issued to the print heads 205a and 205b as necessary, and printing is performed. Carriage 20
At the end of the four movements, one line of printing is performed at a predetermined position on the cloth 301 according to the ejected ink. After printing one line on the cloth 301, the cloth 301 is moved by a cloth feed belt (not shown) in the direction of arrow B in FIG.
Is transported by a predetermined amount. Next, when the carriage 204 moves in the direction of arrow A while, for example, the print heads 205a and 205b perform ejection as needed, the second line is printed on the cloth 301. By repeating such a series of operations, desired continuous printing is performed on the cloth 301.

For example, the print heads 205a, 205a,
An ink tube group 206 is connected to 05b and the like, and the used ink is replenished from the ink supply unit 100 to the print heads 205a and 205b through the ink tube group 206 each time ejection is repeated.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing the configuration of an ink supply unit 100 as an ink supply device in the textile printing system shown in FIG.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a print head, and reference numeral 2 denotes a first ink tank for storing ink to be supplied to the print head. The print head 1 and the first ink tank 2 are mounted on a carriage 3 movable with respect to the apparatus main body. Reference numerals 4 and 5 denote second and third ink tanks fixed to the apparatus main body.

At the top of the second ink tank 4, an air communication hole 26 is provided. The first ink tank 2 and the second and third ink tanks 4 and 5 are connected by two ink flow paths 6 and 7 including tubes, joints, and the like. The first ink flow path 6 sends the ink stored in the second ink tank 4 to the first ink tank 2, and the third ink flow path 7 transfers the ink in the first ink tank 2 to the third ink tank 2.
The third valve 22 is provided in the middle of the third ink flow path 7.

The second ink tank 4 and the third ink tank 5 are connected by a second ink flow path 8. A first valve 9 is provided in the middle of the second ink flow path 8. The first valve 9 may be a so-called check valve that allows the flow of ink only in the direction from the third ink tank 5 to the second ink tank 4. An air communication path 11 having a second valve 10 and an air chamber suction path 12 for sucking air in an air chamber portion of the third ink tank 5 are provided above the third ink tank 5. . Both the atmosphere communication passage 11 and the air chamber suction passage 12 are made of a flexible material, for example, a silicon tube. The second valve 10 is opened and closed by crushing the atmosphere communication passage 11 with a cam member (not shown), and can switch between communication and non-communication of the air chamber portion of the third ink tank 5 with the atmosphere. The tube pump 50 described above is provided in the middle of the air chamber suction path 12, and sucks air in the air chamber portion of the third ink tank 5.

In the tube pump 50, reference numeral 51 denotes a roller, and six rollers 50 are concentrically arranged on a roller holder 52. The roller holder 52 is a rotary shaft 5
The roller 51 is also rotatably supported about a roller shaft 53 fixed to a roller shaft 53 fixed to a roller holder 52. Reference numeral 55 denotes an urging member, which is urged by the compression spring 56 toward the roller 51 to crush the tube 12.
The roller holder 52 is a motor (not shown). When the roller 51 rotates in the direction of arrow A, the roller 51 revolves, and the tube 12 is squeezed.
Atmosphere is sucked from the valve 10 of.

The other end of the air chamber suction path 12 is the waste ink tank 1
3 so that even if the ink in the third ink tank 5 is discharged through the air chamber suction passage 12, the ink is prevented from leaking out of the apparatus.
Further, one end of a fourth ink flow path is connected to the third ink tank 5, and a tubular first needle member 15 having a hole at the tip is provided at the other end of the fourth ink flow path 14. Is provided.

When the supply tank 16 is loaded at a predetermined position, the first needle member 15 is inserted into the ink supply port 17 of the supply tank 16. Reference numeral 28 denotes an atmosphere communication passage for a replenishing tank, one end of which is provided with a tubular second needle member 18 also having a hole at the tip, and the waste ink tank 13 is provided with an atmosphere communication hole 19. Therefore, when the second needle member 18 is inserted into the atmosphere communication port 20 of the supply tank 16, the air chamber of the supply tank 16 is communicated with the atmosphere, and the movement of ink from the supply tank 16 to the third ink tank 5 is stopped. Will be possible. In the middle of the fourth ink flow path 14, a fourth valve 2 that allows the flow of ink in only one direction is provided.
The backflow of ink from the third ink tank 5 to the supply tank 16 is prevented.

The second ink tank 4 is provided with an ink level sensor 24, and the third ink tank 5 is provided with an ink level sensor 23. The ink level sensor 24 detects the minimum ink level of the second ink tank 4 and the ink level sensor 23 detects the third ink tank 5.
The maximum ink level is detected.

In such a configuration, the pressure of the ink chamber of the print head 1 is determined by the ink level of the second ink tank 4, and the discharge port of the print head 1 and the ink level of the second ink tank 4 in FIG. Is preferably in the range of 20 mm to 100 mm.

The carriage 3 is located outside the print area,
A cap 30 for preventing clogging due to ink drying of nozzles is provided below the print head 1 at a carriage stop position which is usually called a home position.

Here, the cap 30 will be described in detail.

The capping means in FIG. 1 and FIG.
A mechanism is provided that is supported by a cap support member (not shown) and that can contact or separate from the print head.

Further, the cap member 30 is provided with a tube 31 for communicating with the atmosphere. This is because the air inside the cap is not pushed into the nozzles of the print head 1 when the print head 1 is in contact with the print head 1.

The tube 31 is provided with a valve 32 for adjusting the pressure inside the cap at the time of contact. A suction pump is connected to the tube 31 so that the print head 1
It is also possible to suck ink from the nozzles.

Here, the operation of the ink supply device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6.

When the power is turned on (S1), the valves 9, 10,
22 is closed (S2, S3, S4). The tube pump 50 starts driving (S5), and the third ink tank 5
The air chamber is sucked and depressurized. The pressure in the air chamber of the third ink tank 5 is reduced, and the ink in the supply tank 16 is injected into the third ink tank through the tube 14. When the ink level sensor 23 in the third ink tank 5 detects the ink level (S6), the valve 10 is opened (S7), and the inside of the third ink tank 5 is returned to the atmospheric pressure. After opening the valve 10, the power is turned off and the tube pump 50 is stopped (S8). The tube pump 50 does not necessarily need to be stopped because the valve 10 is open, but it is desirable to stop the tube pump 50 in order to reduce power consumption.

Next, when the valve 9 is opened (S9), the ink is transferred from the third ink tank 5 to the second ink tank 4, and the ink is leveled. Here, leveling means that both ink surfaces in the connected ink tanks 4 and 5 become equal, and the ink does not move to either tank. Whether the ink in the ink tanks 4 and 5 has been completely leveled depends on the shape of the ink tanks 4 and 5,
The conditions vary depending on the tube diameter of the ink flow path, the tube diameter of the valve 9, and the like. However, the leveling time is estimated, and a signal indicating completion of the leveling is supplied based on the atmospheric time from the time when the valve 9 is opened. (S10).

Upon receiving the signal, the supply system control unit closes the valves 9 and 10 (S11 and S12), and sets the tube pump 5
0 is driven (S13), and the air chamber of the third ink tank 5 is sucked and depressurized by the same operation as the above-described ink filling of the third ink tank 5, and the ink in the supply tank 16 is sucked up. The third ink tank 5 is filled with ink. When the ink level sensor 23 detects ink (S14), the valves 10 and 9 are opened in this order (S15, S16), the tube pump 50 is stopped (S17), and a predetermined time is waited (S1).
8) Leveling the ink.

By repeating the above series of operations a plurality of times, it is possible to bring the ink surface of the third ink tank 5 closer to the vicinity of the ink level sensor 23. The number of times of the series of operations may be determined as appropriate. In this embodiment, 2
Times.

Next, filling of the first ink tank with ink will be described. First, the second and third ink tanks 4,
After the ink in 5 is leveled, valves 9 and 10 are closed (S
19, S20), and further opens the valve 22 (S21).

Further, the capping member 30 of the print head 1 is brought into contact with the print head 1 so that air bubbles do not enter from the nozzles of the print head 1 (S22), and the valve 32 is closed (S23). When the tube pump 50 is driven (S24), the air chamber of the third ink tank 5 is sucked. At the same time, the ink in the ink tank 2 is sucked through the tube 7 and the ink in the second ink tank 4 is sucked through the tube 6. At this time, the invasion of air from the nozzles of the print head 1 can be prevented by the cap abutting and the valve 32 being closed.

Further, when the cap 30 is brought into contact, the inside of the cap is depressurized by a suction pump (not shown), so that air can be further prevented from entering the nozzle. By sucking the third ink tank 5 by the tube pump 50 as described above, the ink in the second ink tank 4 is transferred to the third ink tank 5 via the first ink tank 2 and all the ink is transferred. The tank can be filled with ink.

The above operation is performed by detecting whether the ink level sensor 24 detects "no ink" (S25) or whether the ink level sensor 23 detects "ink present" (S2).
The process ends in any of 6). Then, after closing the valve 22 (S27), the valve 10 is opened (S28), and the third ink tank 5 is returned to the atmospheric pressure. Further, the tube pump 50
Is stopped (S29), the valve 9 is opened (S30),
After waiting for a predetermined time (S31), ink leveling is performed. Valve 3
2 is opened (S32), and the cap 30 is moved away from the nozzle surface of the print head 1 (S33), whereby the image can be printed (D34).

Thereafter, an image is printed based on a print instruction signal from a computer (not shown) (S35). When the image recording is completed (S36), the printing is performed unless the ink level sensor 24 detects "no ink". Keeping the possible state, if "no ink" is detected (S37), the second and third
The ink supply operation to the ink tanks 4 and 5 is started.

In this operation, the valves 9 and 10 are closed (S3
8, S39). When the tube pump 50 is driven (S4
0), the air chamber of the third ink tank 5 is sucked and depressurized to suck up the ink in the supply tank 16 and fill the third ink tank 5 with ink. When the ink level sensor 23 detects ink (S41), the valves 10 and 9 are opened in order (S42, S43), and the tube pump 50 is stopped (S41).
44), and wait for a certain time (S45) to level the ink.

After that, if the recording is continued,
Returning to S11, a series of operations are performed until printing is possible.
If printing is to be terminated (S46), the power of the apparatus is turned off (S47), and a series of ink replenishment operations is terminated.

When the apparatus is restarted to perform image recording, since each ink tank is already filled with ink, the power is turned on to remove air bubbles in the ink supply apparatus.
After that, by starting from the operation of S11, it is possible to prevent air bubbles from being mixed into the ink nozzles, and to achieve a state where stable printing is possible. In addition, if the ink level sensor 23 does not detect ink after a certain period of time in a series of these operations, it is because the ink in the supply tank 16 has run out, and the ink is filled in the supply tank 16 or filled with ink. To replace the used supply tank.

(Others) It should be noted that the present invention includes a means (for example, an electrothermal converter or a laser beam) for generating thermal energy as energy used for discharging ink, particularly in an ink jet recording system. An excellent effect is obtained in a recording head and a recording apparatus of a type in which the state of ink is changed by the thermal energy. This is because according to such a method, it is possible to achieve higher density and higher definition of recording.

The typical configuration and principle are described in, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4,740.
It is preferable to use the basic principle disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent No. 796. This method is a so-called on-demand type,
Although it can be applied to any type of continuous type, in particular, in the case of the on-demand type, it can be applied to a sheet holding liquid (ink) or an electrothermal converter arranged corresponding to the liquid path. By applying at least one drive signal corresponding to the recorded information and providing a rapid temperature rise exceeding nucleate boiling, heat energy is generated in the electrothermal transducer, and film boiling occurs on the heat acting surface of the recording head. Liquid (ink) corresponding to this drive signal on a one-to-one basis.
This is effective because air bubbles inside can be formed. The liquid (ink) is ejected through the ejection opening by the growth and contraction of the bubble to form at least one droplet. When the drive signal is formed into a pulse shape, the growth and shrinkage of the bubble are performed immediately and appropriately, so that the ejection of a liquid (ink) having particularly excellent responsiveness can be achieved, which is more preferable. As the pulse-shaped drive signal, those described in US Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262 are suitable. Further, if the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 relating to the temperature rise rate of the heat acting surface are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.

As the configuration of the recording head, in addition to the combination of the discharge port, the liquid path, and the electrothermal converter (linear liquid flow path or right-angle liquid flow path) as disclosed in the above-mentioned respective specifications, U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,333 and U.S. Pat.
A configuration using the specification of Japanese Patent No. 59600 is also included in the present invention. In addition, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 59-123670 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge portion of an electrothermal converter for a plurality of electrothermal converters, and an aperture for absorbing a pressure wave of thermal energy is provided. The effect of the present invention is effective even if the configuration is based on JP-A-59-138461, which discloses a configuration corresponding to a discharge unit. That is, according to the present invention, recording can be reliably and efficiently performed regardless of the form of the recording head.

Further, the present invention can be effectively applied to a full-line type recording head having a length corresponding to the maximum width of a recording medium on which a recording apparatus can record. Such a recording head may have a configuration that satisfies the length by a combination of a plurality of recording heads, or a configuration as one integrally formed recording head.

In addition, even in the case of the serial type as described above, a recording head fixed to the apparatus main body or an electric connection with the apparatus main body and ink from the apparatus main body by being mounted on the apparatus main body. The present invention is also effective when a replaceable chip-type recording head that can be supplied or a cartridge-type recording head in which an ink tank is provided integrally with the recording head itself is used.

It is preferable to add a recording head ejection recovery means, a preliminary auxiliary means, and the like as the configuration of the recording apparatus of the present invention since the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. If these are specifically mentioned, the recording head is heated using capping means, cleaning means, pressurizing or suction means, an electrothermal transducer, another heating element or a combination thereof. Pre-heating means for performing the pre-heating and pre-discharging means for performing the discharging other than the recording can be used.

The types and the number of recording heads to be mounted are not limited to those provided only for one color ink, and for a plurality of inks having different recording colors and densities. A plurality may be provided. That is, for example, the printing mode of the printing apparatus is not limited to a printing mode of only a mainstream color such as black, but may be any of integrally forming a printing head or a combination of a plurality of printing heads. The present invention is also very effective for an apparatus provided with at least one of the recording modes of full color by color mixture.

In addition, in the embodiments of the present invention described above, the ink is described as a liquid. However, an ink which solidifies at room temperature or lower and which softens or liquefies at room temperature may be used. In general, the ink jet method generally controls the temperature of the ink itself within a range of 30 ° C. or more and 70 ° C. or less to control the temperature so that the viscosity of the ink is in a stable ejection range. Sometimes, the ink may be in a liquid state. In addition, in order to positively prevent temperature rise due to thermal energy by using it as energy for changing the state of the ink from a solid state to a liquid state, or to prevent evaporation of the ink, the ink is solidified in a standing state and heated. May be used. In any case, the application of heat energy causes the ink to be liquefied by the application of the heat energy according to the recording signal and the liquid ink to be ejected, or to start solidifying when it reaches the recording medium. The present invention is also applicable to a case where an ink having a property of liquefying for the first time is used. In such a case, the ink
JP-A-54-56847 or JP-A-60-7
As described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 1260, it is also possible to adopt a form in which the sheet is opposed to the electrothermal converter in a state where it is held as a liquid or solid substance in the concave portion or through hole of the porous sheet. In the present invention, the most effective one for each of the above-mentioned inks is to execute the above-mentioned film boiling method.

In addition, the form of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention is not only used as an image output terminal of an information processing apparatus such as a computer, but also for a copying apparatus combined with a reader or the like, and a facsimile apparatus having a transmission / reception function. It may take a form.

[0067]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Air bubbles can be prevented from entering the print head,
Since the ink circulation can be performed smoothly without reducing the ink circulation speed, stable and more reliable image recording can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a textile printing system including an ink supply device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing a configuration of an ink supply unit as an ink supply device in the textile printing system shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the ink supply device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart following the flowchart shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart following the flowchart shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart following the flowchart shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a configuration of a conventional ink supply device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Print head 2 1st ink tank 3 Carriage 4 2nd ink tank 5 3rd ink tank 6 1st ink flow path 7 3rd ink flow path 8 2nd ink flow path 9 1st valve 10 Second valve 11 Atmospheric communication path 12 Tube (air chamber suction path) 13 Waste ink tank 14 Fourth ink flow path 15 First needle member 16 Supply tank 17 Ink supply port 18 Second needle member 19 Atmospheric communication hole Reference Signs List 20 air communication port 21 fourth valve 22 third valve 23 ink level sensor 24 ink level sensor 26 air communication port 28 air communication path 30 cap (cap means) 32 valve (atmosphere communication valve) 50 tube pump 51 roller 52 roller Holder 53 Rotary shaft 54 Roller drive shaft 55 Pressing member 56 Compression spring 100 Ink supply device

Claims (6)

[Claims] A first ink tank for storing ink supplied to a print head; a second ink tank for supplying ink to the first ink tank; and an ink overflowing in the first ink tank. A third ink tank that receives the print head, a pump that sucks an air chamber portion in the third ink tank, and a cap that can be brought into contact with or separated from the nozzle surface of the print head. An ink supply device having a valve for adjusting a pressure in a space between the print head and a nozzle surface of the print head at the time of contact. 2. The ink supply device according to claim 1, wherein the pressure regulating valve is capable of switching between a state of communicating with the atmosphere and a state of not communicating with the atmosphere. 3. A valve for communicating with the atmosphere in an air chamber portion of the third ink tank, wherein the atmosphere communication valve is closed, and the pump is driven so that the first ink tank is connected to the air tank. When moving the ink to the third ink tank, the cap means is brought into contact with the nozzle surface of the print head, and the cap means maintains a non-communication state to the atmosphere. Item 3. The ink supply device according to item 1 or 2. 4. A printing apparatus which performs printing using a print head which receives supply of ink from the ink supply apparatus according to claim 1. Description: 5. The printing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the print head includes a thermal energy generator that generates thermal energy as energy used for discharging ink. 6. The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the thermal energy generator is an electrothermal converter that causes film boiling of the ink.