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. 09, 2009
Filed:
Jul. 05, 2006
Shuhei Harada, Nagano, JP;
Hisashi Miyazawa, Nagano, JP;
Hitoshi Hayakawa, Nagano, JP;
Atsushi Kobayashi, Nagano, JP;
Hitotoshi Kimura, Nagano, JP;
Yoshiharu Aruga, Nagano, JP;
Shuhei Harada, Nagano, JP;
Hisashi Miyazawa, Nagano, JP;
Hitoshi Hayakawa, Nagano, JP;
Atsushi Kobayashi, Nagano, JP;
Hitotoshi Kimura, Nagano, JP;
Yoshiharu Aruga, Nagano, JP;
Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A valve unitis placed in an ink flow passagebetween an ink cartridgeand a recording headand can be controlled in association with the cleaning operation of the recording head. Under the control of a drive controller, the valve unitholds for a predetermined time a state in which negative pressure produced by a suction pump is accumulated, and is opened after the expiration of the predetermined time or is opened with the negative pressure accumulated and driving the suction pump is continued. The air bubbles remaining in a stuck state in the ink flow passage can be peeled from the ink flow passage together with an instantaneous fast ink flow produced as the valve unitis opened, and the peeled air bubbles can be discharged effectively from the ink flow passage following the subsequent ink flow.