Seiko Epson Corporation

Kenji Tsukada

Munehide Kanaya

Minoru Usui

Noboru Tamura

Takahiro Katakura

Takeo Seino

Tomoaki Takahashi

Kazuhiko Hara

Kazunaga Suzuki

Hirokazu Ono

Satoshi Shinada

Yasuhiko Kosugi

Yasuto Sakai

Toshihisa Saruta

Norihiko Kurashima

Yasuaki Hirai

Takashi Akase

Yuta Komatsu

Hiromichi Takanashi

Yasuhiro Ouki

Masato Haga

Yoshiyuki Koike

Nanami Haga

Yuki Hirabayashi

Hidetaka Sakurai

A liquid ejection apparatus includes a first storage portion capable of storing a liquid supplied from a liquid container, a first open-to-atmosphere channel configured to open the inside of the first storage portion to the atmosphere, a second storage portion capable of storing the liquid supplied from the first storage portion, and a second open-to-atmosphere channel configured to open the inside of the second storage portion to the atmosphere. The liquid ejection apparatus is configured to select either a normal mode or a transport mode. The normal mode is a mode in which the power is switched off with the first open-to-atmosphere channel open and the second open-to-atmosphere channel open. The transport mode is a mode in which the power is switched off with the first open-to-atmosphere channel open and the second open-to-atmosphere channel closed.

Liquid ejection apparatus

A billing method for a liquid jet device includes, counting a consumed amount of liquid by printing, counting the number of printed sheets, counting a consumed amount of liquid for maintenance of a jet head, calculating a maintenance consumption amount per unit number of sheets, from a maintenance consumption amount consumed in current maintenance, and the number of printed sheets for which printing is performed from previous maintenance to the current maintenance, setting, as a liquid consumption amount, a value obtained by adding the maintenance consumption amount per unit number of sheets, to a print consumption amount consumed in printing for the unit number of sheets, and billing for printing for the same number of sheets as the number of printed sheets performed after the current maintenance, in accordance with the liquid consumption amount.

Liquid jet device and billing method thereof

A method of controlling a liquid ejecting apparatus includes detecting an ejection failure of nozzles by inspecting an ejection state of the nozzles from which liquid is ejected, covering the nozzles with a cap when the number of the nozzles whose ejection failure is detected is equal to or less than a predetermined number, and discharging the liquid from the nozzles when the number of the nozzles whose ejection failure is detected is greater than the predetermined number.

Method of controlling liquid ejection apparatus and liquid ejection apparatus

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejection head that ejects a liquid, a liquid supply flow path including a liquid storage unit that stores the liquid, a supply pump sending the liquid from the liquid storage unit to the liquid ejection head, a coupling flow path coupling a first supply coupling portion and a second supply coupling portion in the liquid supply flow path, a branch flow path coupling a third supply coupling portion provided in the coupling flow path and the liquid storage unit, an opening/closing valve provided in the branch flow path, where the opening/closing valve is configured to open/close the branch flow path, and a controller, wherein the controller fills the coupling flow path and the branch flow path with the liquid with a combination of a drive of the supply pump and an opening/closing operation of the opening/closing valve.

Liquid ejecting apparatus and method of controlling liquid ejecting apparatus

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid path that connects a liquid storage portion for storing liquid and a liquid ejecting portion for ejecting liquid, a receiving tray that is provided on a gravity direction side of the liquid path and is capable of receiving the liquid, and a detector that has a detecting portion for detecting the liquid received on the receiving tray. In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the receiving tray includes a receiving region for receiving the liquid, a detection region in which the detecting portion is arranged so as to make contact with the liquid, and a groove portion formed in the receiving region, and a part of the groove portion makes contact with the detection region.

Liquid ejecting apparatus with ink receiving tray and detector

A liquid ejection apparatus includes: a liquid ejection head having a nozzle which ejects a liquid containing volatile organic compounds to a medium; and a maintenance unit that has a cap, which forms a closed space including an opening of the nozzle, and a suction unit that suctions a fluid from the closed space, and that performs maintenance for discharging the liquid from the nozzle by reducing pressure of the closed space. The maintenance unit is provided with a filter for adsorbing volatile organic compounds contained in the liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head.

Provided is a method of cleaning a fluid ejecting apparatus including an ejection head including a plurality of ejection nozzles for ejecting a fluid to a target and a common fluid chamber from which the fluid is supplied to the ejection nozzles, the method including: performing a preliminary discharge operation for discharging the fluid from the ejection nozzles before the fluid is ejected to the target; detecting a fluid ejection state of the ejection nozzles after the preliminary discharge operation is finished; determining a processing parameter at the time of cleaning of the ejection head on the basis of the detected result; and performing cleaning with respect to the ejection heads on the basis of the processing parameter, wherein, in the performing of the preliminary discharge operation, the fluid of the amount corresponding to at least the volume of the common fluid chamber is ejected.

Method of cleaning fluid ejecting apparatus and fluid ejecting apparatus

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting a liquid drop formed at a lower face thereof, a wiping member wiping an opening portion of the nozzle, a carriage mounted with the liquid ejecting head, and moving in a horizontal direction relative to the wiping member; and an inclined plate mounted on the carriage at a predetermined space from the liquid ejecting head, and formed with an inclined face having a rising inclination as being far from the liquid ejecting head. A projected portion is provided on at least one of the liquid ejecting head and the inclined plate such that an opening portion at a lower side of the space is smaller than an upper portion of the space.

Liquid ejecting apparatus and method for cleaning the same

The present method detects an ink consumption condition in an ink cartridge loaded on an ink jet recording apparatus having a recording head for jetting ink drops, using a piezo-electric device mounted on the cartridge. The method detects the ink consumption condition using the piezo-electric device when the recording head is in a non-recording state. A complicated seal structure is not necessary and the ink residue can be detected surely.

Ink consumption detecting method, and ink jet recording apparatus

The mounting structure for mounting the piezo-electric device () used to detect the consumption condition of the liquid in the liquid container () to the liquid container (), having the receiving portion () to which the piezo-electric device () is to be mounted and the mount portion () to be mounted to the liquid container (). The mounting structure can appropriately mount a piezo-electric device () for detecting the consumption condition of a liquid in a liquid container () to the liquid container ().

Mounting structure, module, and liquid container

A liquid charging method for charging a liquid container with a liquid, the liquid container being provided with a piezo-electric device for detecting a consumption condition of the liquid in said liquid container, the piezo-electric device being provided with a cavity connecting to an inside of the liquid container, has the steps of: reducing a pressure in the liquid container to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure; and charging the liquid container with the liquid. The liquid container requiring no complicated seal structure for precisely detecting the consumption condition of a liquid by using the piezo-electric device is charged with a liquid without internally leaving air bubbles.

Method of manufacturing a liquid container

In a first preliminary filling step, ink edge is moved to a position between first and second pressure chambers in an ink supply passage and the second pressure chamber is filled preliminarily with the ink. In a second preliminary filling step, the ink edge is moved to a position between the first pressure chamber and a nozzle in the ink supply passage. Meanwhile, bubbles are discharged from the second pressure chamber and the first pressure chamber is preliminarily filled with the ink. Finally, in the complete filling step, the supply passage is filled entirely with the ink.

Liquid ejection apparatus and liquid filling method of liquid ejection apparatus

A method of detecting a consumption status of liquid contained in a liquid container, comprising steps of: preparing a detection device having a piezoelectric element and attaching the detection device on a desired position of the liquid container so that at least a part of the detection device contacting the liquid; measuring a residual vibration of the detection device; and detecting the consumption status of the liquid contained in the liquid container on the basis of a result of the measurement of the residual vibration.

Liquid consumption status detecting method, liquid container, and ink cartridge

An ink cartridge serving as a liquid container, comprises a liquid sensor having a piezoelectric element which detects a consumption state of the liquid contained in the container, and a consumption data memory as a memory means. The consumption data memory is a rewritable memory which stores consumption related data which are related to the detection of the consumption state using the liquid sensor. The consumption related data are, for example, consumption state data as a result of the detection. Even when the ink cartridge is removed, the consumption state data can still be utilized. The consumption related data may be a detection characteristic detected depending on the consumption state of the liquid. Based on this detection characteristic, the consumption state is detected utilizing the liquid sensor. The consumption state can be detected irrespective of individual differences of the ink cartridges.

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Nagano-ken, Japan

Kenji Tsukada