Abstract: An ink jet type printer includes a liquid discharge head that prints on a sheet, a container that houses ink, and a mounting portion which has an insertion opening and to which the container inserted through the insertion opening is detachably mounted. The mounting portion includes a mounting portion-side rib that, when the container is to be inserted through the insertion opening, guides the container to the insertion opening.

Abstract: An ink jet type printer includes a liquid discharge head that prints on a sheet, a container that houses ink, and a mounting portion which has an insertion opening and to which the container inserted through the insertion opening is detachably mounted. The mounting portion includes a mounting portion-side rib that, when the container is to be inserted through the insertion opening, guides the container to the insertion opening.

Abstract: An inkjet printer has a backflow prevention valve disposed to bottom of subtanks to of the diaphragm pump unit mounted on a carriage, and causes ink passing through the backflow prevention valve to flow to the inkjet head side. A support orifice that supports an umbrella-shaped valve plug, a port formed at a position circumferentially eccentric to the center of the support orifice, and a fluid conduction channel extending from an edge of the port circumferentially around the support orifice are disposed to the valve plug seating surface of the backflow prevention valve. A discharge orifice that discharges ink to the inkjet head side is disposed in the outside wall of the valve plug seating surface, and the discharge orifice and port are formed on the same side of the center of the support orifice.

Abstract: A fluid supply device, a printing device, and a control method for a fluid supply device can desirably supply a fluid while maintaining good throughput, and can reduce device size and cost with a simple construction. The inkjet printer has an expansion mechanism that enables an ink refill operation in which a movable member expands an ink chamber by moving a piston that moves in contact with a regulator panel disposed to the main device side and supplies ink from an ink cartridge, a comparison means that determines whether or not the amount of ink left in the ink cartridge is less than a specified value, and a CPU that sets a long time mode in which the ink refill operation time is long when the amount of ink left in the ink cartridge is less than the specified value.

Abstract: A fluid supply device, a printing device, and a method of cleaning a printing device are disclosed. A fluid supply device includes a main tank, a fluid chamber, a fluid-discharging head, a movable carriage, an expansion mechanism that expands the fluid chamber to draw fluid from the main tank, a suction mechanism, a remaining fluid detection unit, a comparison unit that compares the remaining fluid volume in the main tank with a specified value, and a setting unit that sets a cleaning mode. The expansion mechanism is actuated via a movement of the movable carriage. The setting unit sets a first cleaning mode in which a first amount of fluid is vacuumed from the nozzle or a second cleaning mode in which a second amount of fluid is vacuumed from the nozzle that is less than the first amount. The cleaning mode is selected in response to the amount of fluid remaining in the main tank.

Abstract: A fluid supply device, a printing device, and a method of cleaning a printing device are disclosed. A fluid supply device includes a main tank, a fluid chamber, a fluid-discharging head, a movable carriage, an expansion mechanism that expands the fluid chamber to draw fluid from the main tank, a suction mechanism, a remaining fluid detection unit, a comparison unit that compares the remaining fluid volume in the main tank with a specified value, and a setting unit that sets a cleaning mode. The expansion mechanism is actuated via a movement of the movable carriage. The setting unit sets a first cleaning mode in which a first amount of fluid is vacuumed from the nozzle or a second cleaning mode in which a second amount of fluid is vacuumed from the nozzle that is less than the first amount. The cleaning mode is selected in response to the amount of fluid remaining in the main tank.

Abstract: A fluid supply device, a printing device, and a control method for a fluid supply device can desirably supply a fluid while maintaining good throughput, and can reduce device size and cost with a simple construction. The inkjet printer has an expansion mechanism that enables an ink refill operation in which a movable member expands an ink chamber by moving a piston that moves in contact with a regulator panel disposed to the main device side and supplies ink from an ink cartridge, a comparison means that determines whether or not the amount of ink left in the ink cartridge is less than a specified value, and a CPU that sets a long time mode in which the ink refill operation time is long when the amount of ink left in the ink cartridge is less than the specified value.

Abstract: A fluid supply device, a printing device, and a control method for a fluid supply device can desirably supply a fluid while maintaining good throughput, and can reduce device size and cost with a simple construction. The inkjet printer has an expansion mechanism that enables an ink refill operation in which a movable member expands an ink chamber by moving a piston that moves in contact with a regulator panel disposed to the main device side and supplies ink from an ink cartridge, a comparison means that determines whether or not the amount of ink left in the ink cartridge is less than a specified value, and a CPU that sets a long time mode in which the ink refill operation time is long when the amount of ink left in the ink cartridge is less than the specified value.

Abstract: An inkjet printer has a backflow prevention valve disposed to bottom of subtanks to of the diaphragm pump unit mounted on a carriage, and causes ink passing through the backflow prevention valve to flow to the inkjet head side. A support orifice that supports an umbrella-shaped valve plug, a port formed at a position circumferentially eccentric to the center of the support orifice, and a fluid conduction channel extending from an edge of the port circumferentially around the support orifice are disposed to the valve plug seating surface of the backflow prevention valve. A discharge orifice that discharges ink to the inkjet head side is disposed in the outside wall of the valve plug seating surface, and the discharge orifice and port are formed on the same side of the center of the support orifice.

Abstract: A head maintenance method for a printing head having ink nozzles capable of ejecting an ink liquid, the method includes: performing a cleaning operation by sucking the ink liquid from the ink nozzles; measuring an elapsed time from when the last cleaning operation is performed; and performing the next cleaning operation in response to a cutting operation for automatically cutting a paper which is printed by the printing head during a printing operation, if the elapsed time extends over a predetermined judgment time.

Abstract: A cleaning mechanism for cleaning a print head in an inkjet printer with the print head having ink nozzles for discharging ink including a drive control unit which operates the cleaning mechanism at a first process level or a second process level that consumes less ink than the first process level; a timer which counts the elapsed time passed in which the print head is in a no-printing state; and a process selection unit responsive to a predetermined input cleaning command for selecting the first process level when the no-printing state has continued for less than a predetermined time or the second process level when the no-printing state has continued for greater than the predetermined time, based on the value of the timer when the predetermined input cleaning command is received. The predetermined input cleaning command can be received from a cleaning button or from a host computer.

Abstract: A fluid supply device, a printing device, and a method of cleaning a printing device are disclosed. A fluid supply device includes a main tank, a fluid chamber, a fluid-discharging head, a movable carriage, an expansion mechanism that expands the fluid chamber to draw fluid from the main tank, a suction mechanism, a remaining fluid detection unit, a comparison unit that compares the remaining fluid volume in the main tank with a specified value, and a setting unit that sets a cleaning mode. The expansion mechanism is actuated via a movement of the movable carriage. The setting unit sets a first cleaning mode in which a first amount of fluid is vacuumed from the nozzle or a second cleaning mode in which a second amount of fluid is vacuumed from the nozzle that is less than the first amount. The cleaning mode is selected in response to the amount of fluid remaining in the main tank.

Abstract: A fluid supply device, a printing device, and a control method for a fluid supply device can desirably supply a fluid while maintaining good throughput, and can reduce device size and cost with a simple construction. The inkjet printer has an expansion mechanism that enables an ink refill operation in which a movable member expands an ink chamber by moving a piston that moves in contact with a regulator panel disposed to the main device side and supplies ink from an ink cartridge, a comparison means that determines whether or not the amount of ink left in the ink cartridge is less than a specified value, and a CPU that sets a long time mode in which the ink refill operation time is long when the amount of ink left in the ink cartridge is less than the specified value.

Abstract: A head maintenance method for a printing head having ink nozzles capable of ejecting an ink liquid, the method includes: performing a cleaning operation by sucking the ink liquid from the ink nozzles; measuring an elapsed time from when the last cleaning operation is performed; and performing the next cleaning operation in response to a cutting operation for automatically cutting a paper which is printed by the printing head during a printing operation, if the elapsed time extends over a predetermined judgment time.

Abstract: A cleaning mechanism for cleaning a print head in an inkjet printer with the print head having ink nozzles for discharging ink including a drive control unit which operates the cleaning mechanism at a first process level or a second process level that consumes less ink than the first process level; a timer which counts the elapsed time passed in which the print head is in a no-printing state; and a process selection unit responsive to a predetermined input cleaning command for selecting the first process level when the no-printing state has continued for less than a predetermined time or the second process level when the no-printing state has continued for greater than the predetermined time, based on the value of the timer when the predetermined input cleaning command is received. The predetermined input cleaning command can be received from a cleaning button or from a host computer.