Patent · US Expired

Image forming apparatus

US7156509B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
5References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 28, 2004
Grant dateJan 2, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 21, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB41J2/17566
  • WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an ink tank; and an ink supplying path for supplying the ink from the ink tank to a print head, wherein the ink supplying path therein includes a filter, which generates negative pressure when the ink is supplied, the negative pressure being smaller than ink absorbing pressure of a nozzle of the print head. Further, the ink tank therein includes, for example, a porous ink absorbing body for retaining ink. The image forming apparatus satisfies:F′<1/(N·R)where F(m) expresses a filtration accuracy of the filter; N (cells/m) expresses a cell density of the ink absorbing body before the ink absorbing body is contained in the ink tank; and R expresses a compressibility, which is a volume ratio of the ink absorbing body when the ink absorbing body is contained in a compressed state in the ink tank to the ink absorbing body before the ink absorbing body is contained in the ink tank, on condition that: F′=F when an opening of the filter is circle; F′=√{square root over ( )}2·F in other cases.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.