| 摘要 |
PURPOSE:To suck and remove solidified ink, air bubbles or the like clogging nozzles without fail by a method wherein negative pressure is applied, with an ink supply passage closed with a gate, to a cap covering the nozzles, and the ink in the nozzles is instantaneously drawn by suction by opening the gate with the negative pressure kept active. CONSTITUTION:Ink in nozzles 5 is drawn out by suction for removing solidified ink, air bubbles or the like clogging up the nozzles 5. The nozzles 5 are closed by covering with a cap 10 in the above-mentioned operation, and a gate 6 is put in operation with a solenoid 7 turned on so that a passage to a suction pipe 11 is closed therewith. Then a pump 15 is put in operation, and thereby negative pressure is applied to the cap 10. At the time when the negative pressure becomes maximum, the gate 6 is opened, making an ink supply passage 3 open. The ink, together with the substances clogging the nozzles 5, is instantaneously sucked out of the nozzles by the negative pressure acting on the cap, and is stored in the pump 15. The substances including the ink and others recovered with the pump 15 are then discharged, with a valve 17 closed and another valve 18 opened, to a discharge pipe 12, being pushed out by operation of a piston, and is conveyed to a waste ink tank 13. |
