EP0358487A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ink jet printer sealing apparatus
Assignee: Seiko Epson Corp
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Filing: 1989-09-06
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-09-06
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for sealing the front surface (1a) of a printing head (1) of an ink jet printer when the latter is not in operation, said apparatus comprising a seal means (6) adapted to make an air-tight seal with the said front surface (1a) and to form therewith an evacuable space (7); and conduit means (8,9) communicating with said space (7), the conduit means (8,9) being provided with suction means (10), by means of which ink may be sucked out of the printing head (1), and with valve means (11) which, when open, brings said space (7) into commuunication with the exterior of the seal means 6) characterised by control means (14) for controlling operation of the suction means (10) and of the valve means (11), the control means (14) in use first operating the suction means (10) while the valve means (11) is closed so as to reduce the pressure in the space (7) to an increasing extent throughout a first period of time (t₁); thereafter effecting preliminary opening and closing actions (I) of the valve means (11) during a second period of time (t₂); and thereafter effecting further opening and closing actions (II) of the valve means (11) at least once after a third period of time (t₃) has elapsed from the end of the second period of time (t₂), the third period of time (t₃) being shorter than the first period of time (t₁).
Inventors
- 👤 Tsuyoshi Tomii
- 👤 Katsuhiko Iida
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 16:07
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/005; B41J2/01; B41J2/135; B41J2/165; B41J2/16505; B41J2/16508; B41J2/16517; B41J2/1652; B41J2/16532
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
236 words
Apparatus for sealing the front surface (1a) of a printing head (1) of an ink jet printer when the latter is not in operation, said apparatus comprising a seal means (6) adapted to make an air-tight seal with the said front surface (1a) and to form therewith an evacuable space (7); and conduit means (8,9) communicating with said space (7), the conduit means (8,9) being provided with suction means (10), by means of which ink may be sucked out of the printing head (1), and with valve means (11) which, when open, brings said space (7) into communication with the exterior of the seal means (6) characterised by control means (14) for controlling operation of the suction means (10) and of the valve means (11), the control means (14) in use first operating the suction means (10) while the valve means (11) is closed so as to reduce the pressure in the space (7) to an increasing extent throughout a first period of time (t₁); thereafter effecting preliminary opening and closing actions (I) of the valve means (11) during a second period of time (t₂); and thereafter effecting further opening and closing actions (II) of the valve means (11) at least once after a third period of time (t₃) has elapsed from the end of the second period of time (t₂), the third period of time (t₃) being shorter than the first period of time (t₁).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
236 words
Apparatus for sealing the front surface (1a) of a printing head (1) of an ink jet printer when the latter is not in operation, said apparatus comprising a seal means (6) adapted to make an air-tight seal with the said front surface (1a) and to form therewith an evacuable space (7); and conduit means (8,9) communicating with said space (7), the conduit means (8,9) being provided with suction means (10), by means of which ink may be sucked out of the printing head (1), and with valve means (11) which, when open, brings said space (7) into communication with the exterior of the seal means (6) characterised by control means (14) for controlling operation of the suction means (10) and of the valve means (11), the control means (14) in use first operating the suction means (10) while the valve means (11) is closed so as to reduce the pressure in the space (7) to an increasing extent throughout a first period of time (t₁); thereafter effecting preliminary opening and closing actions (I) of the valve means (11) during a second period of time (t₂); and thereafter effecting further opening and closing actions (II) of the valve means (11) at least once after a third period of time (t₃) has elapsed from the end of the second period of time (t₂), the third period of time (t₃) being shorter than the first period of time (t₁).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that, at the end of the said first period of time (t₁) , there is a maximum degree of vacuum (P1) in the space (7).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 characterised in that the pressure in the space (7) is substantially atmospheric pressure at the end of the second period of time (t₂)..
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the control means (14) are arranged to close the valve means (11) at the end of the said further opening and closing actions (II) after the operation of the suction means (10) has been stopped.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the seal means (6) is carried by a support member (23) in such a way that the seal means (6) can be moved in a plurality of different planes with respect to the support member (23).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
64 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 characterised in that the seal means (6) and the support member (23) have mutually engaging parts (23c,25a) one of which is constituted by a projection (23c) having a hemispherical surface and the other of which is constituted by a hemispherical recess (25a) whose diameter is slightly larger than that of the hemispherical surface of the said projection (23c).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 characterised in that there is a posture control spring (28) which urges the seal means (6) towards a predetermined position with respect to the support member (23).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
58 words
Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim characterised in that the conduit means (8,9) comprises at least one flexible tube means (30) which comprises a tube member (31) made of a material having a high ink corrosion resistance, the outer surface of the said tube member (31) being covered by material (32) having a high gas penetration resistance.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 in which the high gas penetration resistance material (32) has a transmittance of nitrogen gas not exceeding 100 (cc/m²-24hr-atm/25 microns).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 or 9 characterised in that the said tube member (31) is an inner tube (31) of a double-tube flexible tube means (30) whose outer tube (32) is made of the said material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 or 9 characterised in that the said flexible tube means (30) is of single tube construction, the outer surface of the said tube member (31) being provided with a coating of the said material.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 characterised in that the coating is a coating of a metal which has been evaporated onto the said outer surface.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
195 words
A method of sealing the front surface (1a) of a printing head (1) of an ink jet printer when the latter is not in operation comprising applying to said front surface (1a) a seal means (6) which makes an air-tight seal therewith and which forms therewith an evacuable space (7) which communicates with suction means (10) by means of which ink may be sucked out of the printing head (1) and valve means (11) which, when open, brings the space (7) into communication with the exterior of the seal means (6); operating the suction means (10) while the valve means (11) is closed so as to reduce the pressure in the space (7) to an increasing extent throughout a first period of time (t₁); thereafter effecting preliminary opening and closing actions (I) of the valve means (11) during a second period of time (t₂); and thereafter effecting further opening and closing actions (II) of the valve means (11) at least once after a third period of time (t₃) has elapsed from the end of the second period of time (t₂), the third period of time (t₃) being shorter than the first period of time (t₁).
Claim 15
Independent Claim
195 words
A method of sealing the front surface (1a) of a printing head (1) of an ink jet printer when the latter is not in operation comprising applying to said front surface (1a) a seal means (6) which makes an air-tight seal therewith and which forms therewith an evacuable space (7) which communicates with suction means (10) by means of which ink may be sucked out of the printing head (1) and valve means (11) which, when open, brings the space (7) into communication with the exterior of the seal means (6); operating the suction means (10) while the valve means (11) is closed so as to reduce the pressure in the space (7) to an increasing extent throughout a first period of time (t₁); thereafter effecting preliminary opening and closing actions (I) of the valve means (11) during a second period of time (t₂); and thereafter effecting further opening and closing actions (II) of the valve means (11) at least once after a third period of time (t₃) has elapsed from the end of the second period of time (t₂), the third period of time (t₃) being shorter than the first period of time (t₁).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
136 words
A capping device for ink jet printers, comrising a seal means (6) provided on an ink jet printer and adapted to air-tightly seal the front end (1a) of a printing head (1) during a non-printing period of time, which seal means (6) is provided with a suction means (10) adapted to suck the ink from said printing head (1) and a valve means (11) adapted to make preliminary opening and closing actions (I) after rising suction time (t₁) of said suction means (10) has elapsed, and then primary opening and closing actions (II) at least once after a period of time (t₃) shorter than said rising suction time (t1) has elapsed after the completion of said preliminary opening and closing actions (I), and thereby communicate the interior of said seal means (6) with the exterior thereof.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
136 words
A capping device for ink jet printers, comrising a seal means (6) provided on an ink jet printer and adapted to air-tightly seal the front end (1a) of a printing head (1) during a non-printing period of time, which seal means (6) is provided with a suction means (10) adapted to suck the ink from said printing head (1) and a valve means (11) adapted to make preliminary opening and closing actions (I) after rising suction time (t₁) of said suction means (10) has elapsed, and then primary opening and closing actions (II) at least once after a period of time (t₃) shorter than said rising suction time (t1) has elapsed after the completion of said preliminary opening and closing actions (I), and thereby communicate the interior of said seal means (6) with the exterior thereof.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
71 words
A capping device for ink jet printers, wherein the recording is done on a recording medium with ink droplets ejected from a nozzle, comprising a cap (6) consisting of an elastic material and covering an ink ejecting nozzle (4) in a printing head (1) and a cap support member (23) engaged with and supporting said cap (6) so that said cap (6) can be rotated in not less than two directions.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
71 words
A capping device for ink jet printers, wherein the recording is done on a recording medium with ink droplets ejected from a nozzle, comprising a cap (6) consisting of an elastic material and covering an ink ejecting nozzle (4) in a printing head (1) and a cap support member (23) engaged with and supporting said cap (6) so that said cap (6) can be rotated in not less than two directions.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
59 words
A capping device for ink jet printers according to claim 15, wherein one of the engaging portions (23c, 25a) of said cap (6) and said cap support member (23) has a hemispherical projection (23c), the other of said locking portions having a hemispherical recess 925a) the diameter of which is slightly larger than that of said hemispherical projection (23c).
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
39 words
A capping device for an ink jet printer according to claim 15, wherein a posture control spring (28) for maintaining said cap (6) in a predetermined posture is provided between said cap (6) and said cap support member (23).
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
147 words
A capping device for ink jet printers, wherein the recording is done on a recording medium with ink droplets ejected from a nozzle (41a), comprising a cap means (42) adapted to air-tightly seal a nozzle (41a) in a printing head (41) during a non-printing period of time, a suction means (44) adapted to suck the ink in said printing head (41) from said nozzle (41a), a valve means (46) adapted to communicate the interior of said cap means (42) with the exterior thereof, and a thin tube (47,48,49) connecting said cap means (42), said suction means (44) and said valve means (46) together and consisting of a flexible double tube (30) an inner tube member (31) of which is composed of a resin of a high ink resistance, and an outer tube member (32) of which is composed of a substance of a high gas penetration resistance.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
147 words
A capping device for ink jet printers, wherein the recording is done on a recording medium with ink droplets ejected from a nozzle (41a), comprising a cap means (42) adapted to air-tightly seal a nozzle (41a) in a printing head (41) during a non-printing period of time, a suction means (44) adapted to suck the ink in said printing head (41) from said nozzle (41a), a valve means (46) adapted to communicate the interior of said cap means (42) with the exterior thereof, and a thin tube (47,48,49) connecting said cap means (42), said suction means (44) and said valve means (46) together and consisting of a flexible double tube (30) an inner tube member (31) of which is composed of a resin of a high ink resistance, and an outer tube member (32) of which is composed of a substance of a high gas penetration resistance.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
47 words
A capping device for ink jet printers according to claim 18, wherein said flexible tube (30) is formed by coating the outer circumferential surface of said tube member (31) composed of a resin of a high ink resistance with a resin of a high gas penetration resistance.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
41 words
A capping device for ink jet printers according to claim 18, wherein said flexible tube (30) is formed by evaporating a metal on the outer circumferential surface of said tube member (31) composed of a resin of a high ink resistance.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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