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:
Jul. 23, 2002
Filed:
Jun. 16, 2000
Hitoshi Hayakawa, Nagano, JP;
Shigenori Fukasawa, Nagano, JP;
Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An ink jet recording apparatus having a capping unit for sealing the nozzle formation face of a recording head and sucking and discharging ink from the recording head by the action of a negative pressure from a suction pump and a wiping member capable of wiping out the nozzle formation face and a cleaning control method of the recording apparatus are provided. In the recording apparatus, a well-known atmosphere valve placed in a capping unit of is eliminated, so that occurrence of a large amount of bubbles in the capping unit as the atmosphere valve is opened can be avoided. As the atmosphere valve is eliminated, a capping state is released with waste ink stored in the capping unit, but waste ink leaked from the capping unit is prevented from remaining in the vicinity of the outer peripheral surface of a cap member, and contaminating of recording paper, etc., by the remaining waste ink can be minimized.