An ink jet recording apparatus includes an ink container in which ink to be used to perform printing on a print target is stored, a nozzle which is connected to the ink container and from which pressurized and supplied ink is jetted, charging electrodes that charge ink particles jetted from the nozzle with electricity, deflecting electrodes that polarize the ink particles charged with electricity by the charging electrodes, a gutter that recovers ink not used for printing, a solvent container in which a solvent is stored, and a liquid nozzle which is connected to the solvent container and from which a pressurized and supplied solvent is jetted. The liquid nozzle includes a liquid flow passage portion that extends from the nozzle in a direction of the gutter, and a liquid jet hole that is formed at an angle allowing the pressurized and supplied solvent to hit the nozzle through the liquid flow passage portion.

An ink supply device includes a plurality of ink containers, a plurality of heater units, a frame, a lower fixing member and an upper fixing member. In the ink container, ink is stored. The heater units are arranged in a horizontal arrangement direction. The heater unit includes a tube in which the ink fed from the ink container is passed, a hearer heating the ink passing through the tube and a casing by which the tube and the heater are supported. In the frame, the ink containers and the heater units are stored. The lower fixing member is fixedly mounted to the frame and holds all lower portions of the heater units. The upper fixing member is detachably mounted to the frame and holds all upper portions of the heater units.

An inkjet printer includes a first light applicator disposed in a second scanning direction relative to a recording head. The first light applicator includes a first upstream light source group at a location corresponding to a location of the recording head in a movement direction of a recording medium, and a first downstream light source group on a downstream side in the movement direction of the recording medium relative to the recording head. The inkjet printer turns off the first upstream light source group and turns on the first downstream light source group during movement of a carriage in a first scanning direction and discharge of first ink from the recording head, and turns on the first upstream light source group and the first downstream light source group during movement of the carriage in the second scanning direction after discharge of the first ink.

The idle operation is performed before time t1. The supply amount of the ink from the main tank 95 to the collection sub-tank 92 can be increased with the passage of time while the supply of the ink from the main tank 95 to the collection sub-tank 92 is continued before and after a transition to the print starting operation from the idle operation. Therefore, it is possible to deal with the start of ink discharge from the discharge head H. That is, the ink is already supplied to the collection sub-tank 92 by the supply pump 962 before the start of printing, and the start of ink discharge can be dealt with by increasing the ink supply amount. Therefore, the ink can be stably discharged by suppressing an output variation of the circulation pump 93 at the start of printing.

A printing apparatus includes a nozzle inspection unit configured to inspect nozzle clogging of a nozzle, a discharged dot count unit configured to count a number of times a discharge signal is transmitted to the nozzle, a storage unit configured to store ink residual amount-related information containing an ink consumption amount for one dot, and an ink residual amount control unit configured to calculate an ink consumption amount based on the number of times the discharge signal is transmitted counted by the discharged dot count unit and the ink consumption amount for one dot, and to update the residual amount of the ink retained in the ink retaining unit. The printing apparatus removes the nozzle determined to be clogged by the inspection of the nozzle clogging by the nozzle inspection unit from the nozzles targeted for calculating the ink consumption amount.

According to an example, a recirculation device having a fluid interconnect assembly comprises an open state and a closed state. The fluid interconnect assembly may comprise an elastic element, a first hollow element, a second hollow element, and a seal movable along the fluid interconnect assembly. The first hollow element and the second hollow element comprise an opening, wherein the hollows element are fluidly connected. In the open state of the device, the first hollow element opening and the second hollow element opening protrude from the seal so that the openings are unsealed. In the closed state of the device, the seal seals the first hollow element opening and the second hollow element opening, being the seal biased towards the closed state by the elastic element.

A printing platform includes a printing engine with one or more printheads arranged such that the ink drops are jetted vertically upwards against the action of gravity; and a substrate transportation system where the normal to the surface in contact with the substrate is parallel and with opposite direction to the travelling direction of the jetted ink drops. It is necessary to counteract the weight of the substrate during the printing process to avoid it from falling under the action of gravity. This is achieved through any of a mechanical element that interferes with the falling of the substrate and that keeps it in place; or a system that generates adhesion forces between the element that transmits the motion to the substrate, typically a conveyor belt, and the substrate through the action of electrostatic forces, an air pressure differential between both faces of the substrate, or any other suitable mechanism.

A liquid supply device supplying a liquid to a printer includes a supply tube and an agitator. The supply tube configures a supply flow path of the liquid to the printer. The supply tube is connected to a tank configured to store the liquid. The tank is provided further upstream than the printer in the supply flow path. The supply tube is configured to supply the liquid from the tank toward the printer. The agitator includes a stirrer and is configured to perform an agitation operation of driving the stirrer and agitating the liquid inside the tank.

A liquid supply device includes a first conduit, a second conduit, one or more pumps, a heater, a filter, and a bypass conduit. The first conduit is connected to an upstream side of a liquid discharge head. The second conduit is connected to a downstream side of the liquid discharge head. The liquid is supplied through the first conduit to the liquid discharge head and recovered from the liquid discharge head through the second conduit. The heater is provided along the first conduit. The filter is provided in the first conduit on a downstream side of the heater. The bypass conduit is connected between a portion of the first conduit upstream with respect to the filter and a portion of the second conduit.

The image formation device includes a tank, a hollow member, and a sensor. The tank is configured to store ink. The hollow member is disposed inside the tank, and extends in an up-down direction. The sensor is disposed outside the tank and above the hollow member, and is configured to detect a pressure inside the hollow member.