| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing unit for an ink circulation device which does not need a dedicated gas-liquid mixture generation unit and its peripheral unit for mixing air into washing liquid, prevents increase in size of a printer and is advantageous in terms of manufacturing cost, and a washing method for the ink circulation device.SOLUTION: A washing unit for an ink circulation device comprises an ink tank, an inkjet head, a circulation unit, a pressure control mechanism, and a control part. The ink tank includes an ink chamber storing ink. The inkjet head discharges ink. The circulation unit circulates ink between the ink tank and the inkjet head. The pressure control mechanism controls pressure in the ink chamber. The control part discriminates between a normal printing mode and a washing mode. The control part performs, in the washing mode, control so as to suck air from an ink head nozzle of the inkjet head into the inkjet head by lowering the pressure in the ink chamber with the pressure control mechanism while performing a washing sequence of circulating washing liquid with the circulation unit and mix the air entering the ink head into the washing liquid.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5 |
