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

Claim 0:
1. A printing apparatus for replenishing an ink stored in a buffer tank to a head unit including a plurality of discharge heads configured to print by discharging the ink from a nozzle to a recording surface of a printing medium, the printing apparatus comprising:
a supply pipe configured to feed the ink from the buffer tank to the head unit;
a collection pipe configured to return the ink from the head unit to the buffer tank; and
an ink circulation driver,
wherein:
the head unit includes:
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 supply pipe connects the buffer tank and the collection vertical tank,
the collection pipe connects the supply vertical tank and the buffer tank, and
the ink circulation driver circulates the ink along a first circulation path composed of the buffer tank, the supply pipe, the collection vertical tank, the connection pipe, the supply vertical tank, and the collection pipe in a first non-replenishment time during which the ink is not replenished.