The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 29, 1999
Filed:
Sep. 16, 1997
Abstract
To provide a printer ink exchange apparatus which can 1 greatly shorten a wash liquid recovery time, 2 dissolve a dilution by the residual wash liquid in the ink circulation and supply passage so that a lowering of the ink viscosity (density) can be prevented and 3 dissolve a mixing of the ink of the previous order in the ink circulation and supply passage so that the ink for a new order is prevented from becoming turbid, and as a result, can enhance the productivity and the printing quality. At the time of washing, the selector valve 26 is switched to the direction of the ink tank 4, wash liquid is supplied from the wash liquid pipe 16 to the ink circulation and supply mechanism, same as in the conventional ink exchange apparatus, the ink circulation and supply mechanism is washed and the waste liquid (wash liquid after used for washing) is recovered into the waste recovery unit 25, then the ink tank 4 in which ink for a new order is contained and the ink supply pipe 8 of the ink circulation and supply mechanism are connected together, the selector valve 26 is switched to the direction of the waste liquid recovery unit 25, ink 3 is supplied for a certain time, and together with said ink 3, the residual waste liquid (residual wash liquid) is forcibly discharged into the waste liquid recovery unit 25. In this state, when a certain time passes, or when the color of returning liquid comes to a certain deepness, the selector valve 26 is switched to the direction of the ink tank 4, the ink 3 for a new order is circulated in the ink circulation and supply mechanism and the ink 3 is supplied between the inking rolls 1, 2 of the printing unit.