Degassing device, inkjet recording device, and degassing method

Abstract

A deaeration device (40) removes air dissolved in ink (a liquid) in a reduced-pressure atmosphere. The deaeration device (40) comprises an ink tank (32) that stores ink, a vacuum pump (62) that reduces the pressure within the ink tank (32), a circulation passage (47) that communicates different positions of the ink tank (32), and a circulation pump (67) that causes the ink to circulate through the circulation passage (47). When removing air dissolved in the ink within the ink tank (32), the deaeration device (40) is capable of switching between a first deaeration operation in which the vacuum pump (62) reduces the pressure within the ink tank 32 while the circulation pump (67) causes the ink to circulate through the circulation passage 47, and a second deaeration operation in which the circulation pump (67) stops the circulation of ink through the circulation passage (47) and the vacuum pump (62) reduces the pressure within the ink tank (32).

Claims

1. A degassing device that removes dissolved air from a liquid under reduced pressure, A liquid tank for storing the aforementioned liquid, A pressure reducing device for reducing the pressure inside the liquid tank, A circulation channel that connects different locations in the aforementioned liquid tank, The system includes a circulation device that circulates the liquid through the aforementioned circulation channel, A degassing device characterized in that, in removing air dissolved in the liquid in the liquid tank, the circulation device circulates the liquid through the circulation channel while the depressurizing device reduces the pressure inside the liquid tank, and the circulation device stops circulating the liquid through the circulation channel while the depressurizing device reduces the pressure inside the liquid tank is switchable between these two operations.

2. When the amount of dissolved air in the liquid stored in the liquid tank is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the first degassing operation is performed. The degassing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the second degassing operation is performed when the amount of dissolved air in the liquid stored in the liquid tank is less than a predetermined value.

3. The liquid tank is further provided with an atmospheric vent that opens the inside of the liquid tank to the atmosphere, The degassing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the circulation device is stopped while the liquid tank is open to the atmosphere.

4. The liquid tank is further provided with an atmospheric vent that opens the inside of the liquid tank to the atmosphere, The degassing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the atmospheric release section releases the liquid tank, which has been depressurized for a predetermined period of time or longer, to the atmosphere.

5. A degassing device according to claim 1, An inkjet recording apparatus characterized by comprising a recording head that ejects degassed ink, as the aforementioned liquid, onto a sheet.

6. A degassing method using the degassing apparatus described in claim 1, A first degassing step is performed when the amount of dissolved air in the liquid tank is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and the first degassing operation is performed. A degassing method characterized by comprising: a second degassing step, in which the second degassing operation is performed when the amount of dissolved air in the liquid in the liquid tank is less than a predetermined value.

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