Patent ID: 11912037
Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
Field: Textile and paper machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 6:
7. A printing method for replenishing an ink stored in a buffer tank to a head unit including:
a plurality of discharge heads for printing by discharging the ink from a nozzle to a recording surface of a printing medium;
a supply vertical tank in which the ink is stored;
a supply horizontal tank connected to the supply vertical tank, wherein the supply horizontal tank is connected to the discharging heads via individual first pipes;
a collection vertical tank;
a collection horizontal tank connected to the collection vertical tank, wherein the collection horizontal tank is connected to the discharge heads via individual second pipes;
a connection pipe connecting the supply vertical tank and the collection vertical tank; and
a pump disposed in the connection pipe so as to circulate the ink within the head unit by supplying the ink stored in the supply horizontal tank to the discharge heads, collecting the ink not discharged from the discharge heads to the collection horizontal tank, and returning the ink stored in the collection vertical tank to the supply vertical tank via the connection pipe using the pump,
the printing method comprising:
printing by discharging the ink to the recording surface of the printing medium from the nozzle of the discharge heads while circulating, using the pump, the ink in the head unit by supplying the ink stored in the supply horizontal tank to the discharge heads, collecting the ink not discharged from the discharge heads to the collection horizontal tank, and returning the ink stored in the collection vertical tank to the supply vertical tank via the connection pipe using the pump; and

circulating the ink through the buffer tank for storing the ink, the collection vertical tank, and the supply vertical tank in this order in a first non-replenishment time during which the ink is not replenished.