Inkjet printer

Abstract

An inkjet printer includes a recording head having nozzles to discharge ink and a storage chamber for storing the ink which is supplied to the nozzles from an ink source. The chamber includes an inlet to which the ink flows from the ink source and an outlet from which the ink flows out to the nozzles, two walls opposite to each other and parallel to a flow direction of the ink flowing to the outlet from the inlet, and an annular rim formed along edges of the two walls. The chamber includes a pair of ribs for adjusting an ink flow, which are provided in one of the walls, protrude from the one towards the other, and extend parallel to the flow direction apart from the other. The other wall has flexibility and the ribs are spaced from the rim inside the rim.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an explanation view flatly showing a main configuration of an inkjet printer according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a head holder in which a buffer tank is installed;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on a m-m line of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an explanation view of a recording head when it is viewed from an A-direction of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view when the buffer tank is viewed from a top side;

FIG. 6 is a plan view when a top tank is viewed from above;

FIG. 7 is a plan view when the top tank is viewed from below;

FIG. 8 is a plan view when a bottom tank is viewed from above;

FIG. 9 is a plan view when the bottom tank is viewed from below;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view on a Y-Y line of FIG. 5;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view on an M-M line of FIG. 5;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view on a C-C line of FIG. 5;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view on a B-B line of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 14 is a sectional view on an XIV-XIV line of FIG. 5.

Claims

1. An inkjet printer comprising: a recording head having a plurality of nozzles to discharge an ink; anda storage chamber for transiently storing said ink which is supplied to said plurality of nozzles from an ink source,wherein said storage chamber includes: an inlet to which said ink flows from said ink source and an outlet from which said ink flows out to said nozzles;two walls opposite to each other and substantially parallel to a flow direction of said ink flowing to said outlet from said inlet;an annular rim formed along edges of the two walls; anda pair of ribs for adjusting an ink flow, which are provided in one wall of said two walls, protrude from the one wall towards the other wall, and extend substantially parallel to said flow direction apart from the other wall,wherein said other wall has a flexibility with respect to a pressure variation generated in said ink, andsaid pair of ribs are spaced from said rim inside said rim.

2. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein in a sectional viewing of said storage chamber through a flat surface parallel to said two walls, said storage chamber is approximately rectangular, and said inlet and outlet are substantially diagonal to each other.

3. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein a ridge for orienting said ink flow to said outlet is provided in the vicinity of said outlet, being between said pair of ribs.

4. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein distances between respective ends of each rib in said flow direction and said rim are approximately 1 to 2 mm in length.

5. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein said rim is integrally formed along an edge of said one wall, each rib is integrally formed in said one wall, said other wall is joined to said rim, and said other wall is made of flexible film.

6. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein said one wall has substantially a plate shape and is substantially horizontally disposed.

7. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, further comprising a nozzle surface, provided on said head, in which said plurality of nozzles are arranged, wherein said one wall has substantially a plate shape and is substantially parallel to said nozzle surface.

8. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of ink sources are provided, and a plurality of storage chambers are provided so that inks to be supplied to said plurality of nozzles from said plurality of ink sources are transiently stored in said plurality of storage chambers respectively for each color.

9. The inkjet printer according to claim 6, wherein an output path extending from said storage chamber in a direction orthogonal to a flat surface of said one wall links said outlet to said plurality of nozzles.

10. The inkjet printer according to claim 9, wherein said output path is substantially cylindrical, said outlet locates at one end thereof, and a protrusion extending from vicinity of said outlet towards said plurality of nozzles inside the output path for preventing air in the ink to move to said plurality of nozzles is provided.

11. The inkjet printer according to claim 7, wherein an output path extending from said storage chamber in a direction orthogonal to a flat surface of said one wall links said outlet to said plurality of nozzles through.

12. The inkjet printer according to claim 11, wherein said output path is substantially cylindrical, said outlet locates at one end thereof, and a protrusion extending from vicinity of said outlet towards said plurality of nozzles inside the output path for preventing air in the ink to move to said plurality of nozzles is provided.

13. The inkjet printer according to claim 8, wherein two storage chambers among said plurality of storage chambers are adjacent to each other and share at least a part of said one wall.

14. The inkjet printer according to claim 8, wherein said plurality of storage chambers are arranged parallel to said pair of walls and also arranged parallel to said recording head, and said respective outlets are connected to said recording head through the plurality of output paths extending in a direction orthogonal to them.

15. The inkjet printer according to claim 8, wherein said pair of ribs are spaced from said rim inside said rim in each of said plurality of storage chambers except the storage chamber that corresponds to a color of ink.

16. An inkjet printer comprising: a recording head having a plurality of nozzles to discharge an ink anda storage chamber for transiently storing said ink which is supplied to said plurality of nozzles from an ink source,wherein said storage chamber includes: an inlet to which said ink flows from said ink source and an outlet from which said ink flows out to said nozzlestwo walls opposite to each other and substantially parallel to a flow direction of said ink flowing to said outlet from said inlet;a rim surrounding a gap between the two walls; anda pair of ribs for adjusting the ink flow which are installed so as to protrude from one wall of said pair of walls towards the other wall and extend substantially parallel to said flow direction apart from the other wall,wherein said other wall has a flexibility with respect to a pressure variation generated in said ink,the respective ribs are disposed between the other rib and said rim,a gap is provided between each of ends in said flow direction of said pair of ribs and an inner circumference of said rim, anda space between said pair of ribs linking through the gap to a space between the respective ribs and said rim.