INKJET RECORDING APPARATUS AND INK SUPPLY METHOD

• Main Author: KOJIMA TOSHIYA
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 14.08.2008
• Subjects: CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS; i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; LINING MACHINES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRINTING; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS; STAMPS; TRANSPORTING; TYPEWRITERS

The inkjet recording apparatus includes: print heads each of which has ejection ports through which ink is ejected; main tanks each of which stores the ink; ink supply channels which respectively connect the main tanks with the print heads; subsidiary tanks which are arranged in the ink supply channels and each of which includes an external case and an ink accommodating member that is flexible and arranged in the external case, the ink being supplied from the main tanks to the print heads through the ink supply channels and the ink accommodating members in the subsidiary tanks; a pressure buffer which is connected to spaces in the subsidiary tanks between the external cases and the ink accommodating members; a pressure reducing pump which reduces a pressure Pb inside the pressure buffer; differential pressure valves which are respectively attached to the subsidiary tanks so as to connect the spaces in the subsidiary tanks with an atmosphere; a first pressure gage which measures the pressure Pb inside the pressure buffer; and a second pressure gage which measures pressures Ps inside the spaces in the subsidiary tanks, wherein an operation of the pressure reducing pump to reduce the pressure Pb inside the pressure buffer is performed and the differential pressure valves adjust the pressures Ps inside the spaces in the subsidiary tanks so that the pressure Pb inside the pressure buffer and each of the pressures Ps inside the spaces in the subsidiary tanks have a relationship of Pb<Ps, at least while the ink is being ejected from the print heads.