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. 18, 2002
Filed:
Sep. 03, 1999
Minoru Usui, Nagano, JP;
Hitoshi Hayakawa, Nagano, JP;
Kazuhiko Hara, Nagano, JP;
Shigenori Fukasawa, Nagano, JP;
Katsuhiro Komatsu, Nagano, JP;
Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A capping member for an ink jet recording head is composed of a cap which is to be brought into contact with a surface of the recording head provided with nozzle orifices, and a cap case for holding the cap. A passage communicating an internal space defined by the cap with a suction hole connected to a suction pump and a passage communicating the internal space with an air hole connected to the outside are respectively formed into a specific shape so as to inhibit vaporization of an ink solvent in the internal space. A tube made of an elastic and restorative material is used for a tube connected to the suction pump. A tube made of a material having high gas-barrier characteristic is used for a tube connected to the capping member. Both of the tube is connected with each other by a connecting member in order to inhibit vaporization of an ink solvent from the tubes. Accordingly, the reliability of printing operation when printing is restarted after the long-term halt of the ink jet recording head is remarkably enhanced. The cap may be formed by fitting into a groove formed on a brim portion of the cup-shaped cap case having high rigidity. Therefore, elasticity of the cap can be controlled by the height thereof and can be deformed uniformly for whole periphery of the brim portion to attain high airtightness of the cap.