Patent ID: 8449053
Filing Date: 2013-05-28
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: a liquid ejecting head which is configured to have a nozzle group of ejecting one type of liquid and a nozzle group of ejecting two types of liquid, and thereby being capable of ejecting plural types of liquid from a plurality of the nozzle groups; a cap which is configured to contact with a nozzle formation plane, where the nozzle groups of the liquid ejecting head are exposed, to form one sealing space; a suction pump which is configured to suction the sealing space; a plurality of flow-passages which are configured to supply the plural types of liquid from a liquid container toward the liquid ejecting head; flow-passage pumps, which are located at the downstream side from the liquid container, in the plurality of flow-passages, are capable of suctioning each type of liquid from the liquid container and discharging each type of liquid toward the downstream side; for each of the flow-passages there exists a choke valve which is configured to have a valve chamber which is located at the downstream side from a corresponding flow-passage pump in the corresponding flow-passage, to allow the liquid to be flown therein, a flexible member configured to change a volume of the valve chamber by flexing, and a discharge hole which exists in an inner portion of the valve chamber and is capable of being opened or closed by the flexing of the flexible member, wherein in a case where a predetermined negative pressure or less is applied to the valve chamber, the flexible member is allowed to close the discharge hole, so that the downstream side thereof is allowed to be in a negative pressure state; a switching mechanism which is located at the downstream side from two choke valves of two flow-passages and which is connected to only one of the two flow-passages at a time, so that only the liquid from one of the two flow-passages is supplied to the nozzle group of ejecting the two types of liquid, and the liquid from the other of the two flow-passages is blocked from being supplied; a controller which is configured to control operations of the liquid ejecting head, the suction pump, the switching mechanism, and the flow-passage pumps, wherein the controller allows all the flow-passage pumps to be operated so that a predetermined amount of all the liquids is in a dischargeable state, allows the cap to contact with the nozzle formation plane so that the suction pump is operated, and allows the switching mechanism to be operated so that the predetermined amount, at the time of providing all the liquids into all the flow-passages, is equal to or more than a liquid amount required for providing all the liquids into all the flow-passages and is less than twice the liquid amount required for providing all the liquids into all the flow-passages.