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:
Jan. 02, 2007
Filed:
Jan. 28, 2004
Masaki Matsushita, Ikoma-gun, JP;
Hirokazu Nakamura, Nara, JP;
Naozumi Ueno, Ikoma, JP;
Hisashi Yoshimura, Nara, JP;
Takashi Gotoh, Nara, JP;
Akio Matsumoto, Nara, JP;
Hiroshi Ishii, Osaka, JP;
Masaki Matsushita, Ikoma-gun, JP;
Hirokazu Nakamura, Nara, JP;
Naozumi Ueno, Ikoma, JP;
Hisashi Yoshimura, Nara, JP;
Takashi Gotoh, Nara, JP;
Akio Matsumoto, Nara, JP;
Hiroshi Ishii, Osaka, JP;
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an ink tank; and an ink supplying path for supplying the ink from the ink tank to a print head, wherein the ink supplying path therein includes a filter, which generates negative pressure when the ink is supplied, the negative pressure being smaller than ink absorbing pressure of a nozzle of the print head. Further, the ink tank therein includes, for example, a porous ink absorbing body for retaining ink. The image forming apparatus satisfies:'<1/() where F(m) expresses a filtration accuracy of the filter; N (cells/m) expresses a cell density of the ink absorbing body before the ink absorbing body is contained in the ink tank; and R expresses a compressibility, which is a volume ratio of the ink absorbing body when the ink absorbing body is contained in a compressed state in the ink tank to the ink absorbing body before the ink absorbing body is contained in the ink tank, on condition that: F′=F when an opening of the filter is circle; F′=√{square root over ( )}2·F in other cases.